Leaving

Going abroad.
Yes, even when the going abroad is going to a very familiar place, I have butterflies in my stomach.
Passport, ticket, money - if I have those three, then the rest is not so important.
This is the first time I travel with a ticket bought through the internet.
A ticket that is now a printout from my computer.
It seems unreal that this piece of paper will get me to my destination.

Bon voyage!
Have a safe trip!

No ballet lesson

Those who know me, know I don't dance.
But at the age of four and five I actually went to a ballet school here in Moss.
The ballett teacher (I remember her as tall, thin and very elegant) lived in Horten, the town on the other side of the Oslo Fjord.
One very cold winterday I am standing more or less where I took this photo.
I remember the street as steeper than it is , but it is steep enough today, too.
Inside this building was the ballet school.
I am probably four years old.
Somebody is telling my mother and me that there will be no ballet lesson today.
The Oslo Fjord has frozen and the ferry was not able to cross the fjord.
My teacher was stuck in Horten.

Emptying the sunken ship Norvard

It was raining.

A little north of the harbor in Moss a ship with lights and a circle of orange bouys mark where another ship, Norvard, sank in December 1944. See my blog entry for Sept 28th 2007.

This means the operation to pump up and dispose of the estimated 175 tons of crude oil is going on.

Poem: the woman is planting

Source: http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/319345.jpg

The Norwegian poetess Halldis Moren Vesaas (1907-1995) wrote a poem that was translated into English and called “The woman is planting” .

The woman is planting a tree in the world.

On her knees, like someone in prayer,

Among the remains of the many trees

That the storm has broken down.

She must try again,

perhaps one at last

Will be left to grow in peace.



She sees the hands outspread on the earth

As if trying to impose her calm

On its threatening tremors.

Oh earth, be still,

Be still, so my tree can grow.



Translation found on http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/the_nobel_peace_prize_2004/
A stub on the Wikipedia in English about Halldis Moren Vesaas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halldis_Moren_Vesaas

Film: Elina - as if I wasn't there

www.filmweb.no/arthaus/filmarkiv/article51602.ece

FINNISH SWEDISH FILM FROM 2003:
ELINA - AS IF I WASN'T THERE

In rural northern Sweden of the early 1950s, little Elina goes to school again after recovering from tuberculosis, the same illness that has killed her father a few years earlier. Elina's family belongs to a Finnish-speaking minority frowned upon by a staunch schoolmistress who starts hounding Elina for speaking Finnish in class and questioning her authority. Elina's mother, sister, and a liberal young male teacher all try to mediate the ensuing battle of wills between Elina and Miss Holm. Elina finds consolation in wandering out on the dangerous marshlands to have imaginary conversations with her dead father.
http://www.amazon.com/Elina-Wasnt-NON-USA-FORMAT-Sweden/dp/B000BP3APQ


ELINA - AS IF I WASN'T HERE
Sweden in the early 1950s. Elina is a member of the Finnish-speaking minority living in northern Sweden. Her father, whom she loved dearly, died of tuberculosis a few years ago. Out in the moor just behind her house, Elina believes that she can still talk to her Dad. She is a very lonely girl. Because she was ill for so long, Elina is obliged to repeat a whole year at school. Her teacher, Ms.Holm, thinks that her new pupil is unkempt; she decides to take her in hand and turn her into neat and tidy schoolgirl.This entails speaking perfect Swedish, not using Finnish expressions and, above all, respecting persons of authority - especially her teacher. The shy Elina, proud and offended by so little attempt to understand her situation, rebels against the way Ms.Holm treats her. A battle of wills ensues, and Elina's only recourse is to refuse to cooperate. Nobody seems able to mediate between these two stubborn opponents.Again and again,Elina takes to wandering out into the moor to try and commune with her father. The situation becomes unbearable. Then, one day while out in the moor again, Elina sinks so deeply into the ground that it threatens to engulf her. At this moment Elina realises that she is not alone; she is loved and needed.When Elina goes to school the next morning, everything is quite different. Even Ms. Holm senses that her pupil will not be intimidated any longer.
http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0330911/#comment

If you have the opportunity, this is a movie worth watching, both for the content and the beautiful nature depicted.

I loved this gift!

Head to Toe Starter Kit
Primp and pamper yourself from head to toe.

How it Works
This kit is a selection of sample size creams and cleansers, lotions and balms – everything you need to cleanse, moisturize and pamper yourself from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, naturally.

Contains:
Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme (.25 oz.)
Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme (.25 oz.)
Citrus Spice Exfoliating Shower Soap (.80 oz.)
Hand Salve (.30 oz.)
Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme (.30 oz.)
Honey Lip Balm (.15 oz.)
Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion(1 fl. oz.)
Orange Essence Facial Cleanser (.56 oz.)
Peppermint Foot Lotion (.47 fl oz.)
Vitamin E Body and Bath Oil (1 fl. oz.)
Peppermint Shower Soap (.80 oz.)
Coconut Foot Creme (.56 oz.)

Never heard about this firm and their products before, but I quickly found their website
http://www.burtsbees.com/
There even is a Wikipedia entry for Burt's Bees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt

Thanks for this great gift!

A Christmas tree from Oslo to London

Source: http://www.londontown.com/LondonEvents/TrafalgarSquareChristmasTree/37935

During the German occupation of Norway in World War Two,
a Norwegian exile government was set up in London.

As a thank you for this, every year since 1947,
the city of Oslo has sent a Christmas tree to London.
It is lit on Trafalgar Square on the first Thursday in December.

The selected tree (picea abies in Latin) is around 30 meters tall
and around 100 years old.
It weighs more or less 4000 kg and is cut down in the beginning
of November with the Mayor of Westminster attending.

It is then brought by truck to Brevik in Norway, by ship to Immingham
and then by truck to Trafalgar Square in London.

There 500 white energysaving lightbulbs and a star at the top are added.

Merry Christmas from Oslo to London!

Religious power, commercial power

The other day I wrote that there is less difference between workdays and Sundays and holidays in Norway than when I grew up.

Thinking a little more about this, I feel that earlier the Norwegian State Church (Protestant) was very strong and also reflected the views of a majority of Norwegian citizens in a religious sense. Therefore the laws and the adherence to the laws, were a clear result of religious power.

These days, I think, fewer people see religion as religion, but more as tradition, so when commercialism got stronger and stronger, most Norwegians see the conveniences for themselves in their private lives, in having shops and activities open more and more days, more and more hours.

Religious power has gone down.
Commercial power has gone up.

Traditional dishes for Christmas eve

Heard yesterday:
"As an extremely rough generalization,
people in Northern Norway eat fish for Christmas,
people in Western Norway eat Pinnekjøtt,
and people in Eastern Norway eat Ribbe."

PINNEKJØTT
Erling Mork from Oslo explains about Pinnekjøtt on his blog "Gåselever og pinnekjøtt" .
http://www.sarrazac.no/blog/2006_01_01_archive.html
"What is "pinnekjøtt", meat on a stick?
No! Pinnekjøtt is one of many Norwegian Christmas foods which employs traditional meat preservation techniques, such as salting and smoking.
It comes from the west coast of Norway, and is salted or smoked lamb or mutton ribs, which are then dried.
They must be soaked first in water for 1-2 days before cooked, to regain their meaty consistency and make a milder flavor.
They are then steamed over a rack of birch twigs, hence the name "pinnekjøtt" which means literally "stick-meat".
It can be strong or mild, depending on the production, but generally can remind one of ham or bacon.
Since it is steamed for several hours, it become extremely tender, falling off the bone."

RIBBE
Sons of Norway, an US organization, explains the origin of eating Ribbe on Christmas
http://www.sofn.com/norwegian_culture/showlanguagelesson.jsp?Lesson=15
"ribbe (pronounced reeh-beh)
Pork ribs.
The custom of having pork for Christmas goes back to pagan times.
Pigs--symbols of fertility-- were sacrificed to the god Frey at the Norse Midwinter Fest."

PS. Not that I know about any family connections to Northern Norway, but if what you eat proves anything - there must be a fish component in my DNA : )

Dinner for one

Yesterday I watched Dinner for One on Norwegian TV.

This very short sketch in English has become part of Christmas tradition in this country (in other European countries it is shown on New Year's Eve, I have read), and it has been broadcast every year since 1980!

Miss Sophie is celebrating her 90th birthday.

Her four invited friends were not lucky enough to reach that age, so her trusted butler James pretends they are there - Sir Toby, Admiral von Schneider, Mr. Pommeroy and Mr. Winterbottom.

To see this black and white clip from 1963, click here
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8908622153579785434

The power of slogans

Today I bought some glue and chose my childhood's favorite - the Swedish Karlsons Klister, the glue that could glue together "anything".

"När ditt hjärta en gång brister
laga det med Karlsons klister."
(Free translation from Swedish:
If your heart breaks in two,
do repair with Karlson's Glue.)

The symbol of Karlsons Klister was, and is, the donkey.

"Alle bruker Karlsons Klister,
unntatt meg,
for jeg er et esel."
(Free translation from Norwegian:
Everybody uses Karlson's Glue,
except me,
for I am a donkey.)

If you read Swedish, you can check out the Wikipedia
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlssons_klister

Houses in white

White

This is a place I know very well.
The seasons have changed.
This is just-before-snow-covers-it-all.
Perhaps......

On Friday it looked so magical,
I came back today on Sunday to take some photographs.

Later, if we have "real snow", it will look differently.

The trees look like they have been sprayed with some white stuff.

Confession:
I am not a winter person,
but this looked beautiful!

Less difference between workdays and non-workdays

When I grew up, the workweek in Norway was six days. Sunday was the day off.
At that time, Sunday was a day with many restrictions on permitted activities. In particular, the hours the Protestant state churches had their services, were quiet hours, without other events. Competition in sports would start after the church service.

Nowadays the usual workweek in Norway is five days, with Saturday and Sunday off.
But Saturday is full of shopping and other events, and many sport and cultural events take place on Sunday too - after church hours.

Today is Sunday, the day before Christmas Eve.
In the old days, this would have been like any other Sunday - a very quiet day.

In 2007 many shops are open today, opening at 12 - something that would not have happened fifty years ago.

It is a distinct feeling that the difference between a workday and a holiday or holy day is not that big any more.

My house: the guestroom in the attic

"Somebody" decorated my guestroom in the attic.
It is now in the assumed style of "a wealthy ship owner in the 1950's."

Imagine you have just walked into the room and you turn to the right, examining the room.

There are books to be read.

Here you can write your postcards home or do your daily journaling.

Here you can sleep.

Here you can relax with a cup of coffee or read the newspaper or a good book.

Welcome, friends!

Keeping your food cold hundred years ago

The house I am living in, is probably around 110 years old.
When you walk up to the attic, you see this cupboard in the corner.

You open it and wonder what it was for.

You check it more carefully

and decide it was a cupboard for keeping the food cold.
A kind of primitive fridge with cold air coming from the outside through this opening.

My grandmother in Oslo used to keep her milk bottles in the kitchen window in the winter, an even simpler solution.
When I grew up in the mountains in the fifties and sixties one of our neighbours kept his milk in a little brook next to the house.
Fridges came later.....

The darkest time of the year

The good news:
From now on the days will have more and more light, every day.
The two last days I have fallen asleep at eight o'clock in the evening!

The special light on the snow at this time of the year of course changes with the time of the day.
You can check a website of artist Tor Gunnar Riise to see some of his paintings reflecting that special light.
http://www.riise-atelier.no/malerier.html
He also has photographs (Fotografier) worth checking out.

Roll brim hat from the states

This is a ThermaCheck Roll Brim Hat from Lands' End, an American firm I have bought a few items from - and always been a happy customer.
To see their catalog click on http://www.landsend.com/
When deciding which color I wanted for my hat, I clicked on the different color suggestions, and voila - I could see them all on the screen.
I liked that!

This is not me, but the Lands' End model :)

The description of the hat goes like this:

Women's ThermaCheck® Roll Brim Hat
Exclusive, improved ThermaCheck-200: the world's only permanent antistatic fleece!
Exclusive Nano-Tex Resists Static treatment resists static cling, static shock, lint and pet hair — so no messy flyaway hair when you remove this hat!
Permanent antistatic finish never washes out
Famous ThermaCheck softness is still here
Wind-resistant ThermaCheck-200 is our, warmest fleece

From a customer in Norway, using this hat : It is all true!
I love it!

Less is sometimes enough

One of the bad habits I have acquired this last year is drinking instant coffee, preferably the Latte or Vanilla variety.

It is only ten days ago I came to the conclusion that one of those sachets contains enough coffee powder for two large cups, at least for me.

Then the same idea was true for my little dishwasher - half a tablet of dishwashing powder is enough for a dishwasher that size.

Strange how the idea of something being one portion of whatever, is so hard to re-examine and then draw another conclusion.

So what is a Lompe?

In many countries street food includes a sausage in a bun.

Here in Norway it is very popular to eat the sausage in a LOMPE (flat potato cake)

Here in Moss they even have a local version where they eat the sausage in Norwegian waffle!

But I am not a meat eater, so my use of the LOMPE is different.


First the LOMPE (lom-peh) looks like this.



Then you put some butter and the Norwegian brown cheese on top of the LOMPE.


Roll it up and take a bite!


These days most people buy readymade LOMPE in any supermarket, but I remember my Norwegian grandmother Lina making them herself.

Here is a recipe if you would like to try it.

LOMPER (10 pieces)

Ingredients:
10 potatoes, peeled, cooked and still warm.
1 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. flour
- Mash the potatoes and add the salt.
- Mix the mashed potatoes and the flour to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into ten pieces of similar size.
- Use the rolling pin to press the dough until the lompe is flat and circular.
- Thickness: around 2-3 mm.
- Fry them on both sides on a hot frying pan without any oil.


.

Knowing how to capture a special moment

My daughter-in-law Cheryl captured this.

I have seen many candles in my life, but never thought of taking a photograph when the flame is almost out.

It is another lesson in life - look again and see new things in what is already around you.

Thank you, Cheryl!

Seven lessons from The American Monk

Click on this icon to learn more
I have never tried meditation.
When I came upon this website of the American Monk, I thought it worth trying.
So far I have done the Daisy Pond Technique, The Metaphor Technique and the Shield Technique and it has been quite interesting, to say the least. When Burt Goldman's voice first mentioned that these meditations should be done in your home and not in any moving vehicle, I still did not understand what he meant - till I fell asleep the first time being in the Daisy Pond! That could have been a disaster if I had been a driver, but then again, I am not.

So I have decided to go through the seven lessons and see what happens.
For me, this experience has come at a time I feel it fits my thinking.

Norwegian national dish

Photo: http://www.lykkensportal.no/visartikkel.php?id=791

Meat is not my favorite, so here in Norway I stick to fish in all variations.

But I read that Fårikål (Lamb in Cabbage Stew) is supposed to be a national dish, and there is a Fårikål Day on the last Thursday in September.

If you want to try, here are some of the recipes I found in English:

The Norwegian website http://www.reisenett.no/norway/facts/food/en/meat.html

gives this recipe

Lamb in cabbage (Fårikål)
(Serves 4)

1.5 kg lamb from neck, shank or breast, together with the bones, cut into serving-size pieces

1.5 kg garden cabbage

2 tsp salt

approx. 4 tsp peppercorns

1-2 tbsp flour

approx. 3 dl boiling water

Cut the cabbage into segments.
Place the lamb and cabbage in layers in the saucepan, starting with the lamb. Sprinkle flour, salt and peppercorns between the layers.
Pour over boiling water. Bring to the boil and let the lamb and cabbage simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, which will take about 1-2 hours.

You may also check this

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=189134

One recipe I saw had the same amount of potatoes as meat simmering in the stew. That certainly would give you a whole meal in one casserol.

One recipe for Pepperkaker

Photograph: Jonik on Wikipedia
When I was a girl, my mother made the dough for the Pepperkaker (Gingerbread Cookies) by herself. I will try to add her recipe on another occasion.

These days many Norwegians buy readymade dough at the supermarket, bake at home and fill the air with a wonderful smell. The cookies are just delicious.
Possibly most Norwegians prefer an even easier solution: They buy the readymade baked cookies - also delicious.

In 1985 I received the following recipe for PEPPERKAKER from a Norwegian kindergarten. In my experience, a recipe from a kindergarten usually means you have some chance of success, if you have never tried the recipe before.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1 egg

150 g sugar

2 tablespoons of syrup

125 g butter

2 tablespoons of cream

1 teaspoon ground cardemon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon vanila sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

250 g flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder



WHAT TO DO

Mix the egg with half the amount of sugar.

Heat the syrup, the cream, the rest of the sugar, the butter and the spices, and cool this mixture.

Mix this with the egg-sugar mixture and add flour and baking powder.

Work this into a hard dough.

Leave the dough in the fridge or in a cool place till the next day.

You roll the dough really thin (2 mm) and cut out the traditional shapes of trees, man, woman, star etc or just cut circles with a glass.

The cookies are baked for about five minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Art exhibition at Soli Brug

Between Moss and nearby Sarpsborg is a place called Soli Brug. It was bought in 1975 by the Dørje-Berg family and has been lovingly restored and developed. Mrs. Eva Dørje-Berg is a ceramics artist and the son Ole Dørje an artist and the two families live there. Twice a year, in June and in December, they open up five of the houses for art exhibitions for two weeks. Usually around 15000 visitors come to each exhibition and many of the art works exhibited are sold.
I was there last Sunday.
In the red building above you can take a cup of coffee and eat delicious cakes.

This year one of the artist who exhibited was Per Rosenberg who had painted many colorful cows. That was a good way to enjoy cows!

The nearby Åsgård River from the 16th century became an important place for cutting timber to be exported and at its height (1860-1880) had 22 saws and 600 workers. It closed in 1925.

The place has its own website, in Norwegian.
http://soli-brug.no/

Wisdom from India

Somebody I know has visited India on several occasions and tells me he is fascinated by the wisdom of people he has met there.

One time, travelling by train, an Indian gentleman saw him and pushed his way to be able to talk to the European.
The Indian gentleman had been to Europe and had made some thoughts about his own country and those of Europe:
" Europe is a strange place.
You have no real problems, so you have to make them up.
It is a place full of artificial problems.
In India we have real problems. "

From another visit around 35 years ago:

Indian gentleman: Is it true what I have read in the newspapers, that in Europe it is considered a problem to be fat?
European: Yes.
Indian gentleman: And that you have special clubs to get rid of the fat?
European: Yes.
Indian gentleman: So fat people go to special clubs to get rid of fat?
European: Yes.
Indian gentleman: So why not eat less from the beginning?

Mambo = Living with mom

Sometimes the son, after he grows up, continues to live at home with his mother. She cooks, she does the laundry, she cleans the house - and in many cases without asking anything in return. So her son, later thirty, forty, fifty or more years, continues to enjoy the service his mother give. He does not marry.
He is not ready to consider marrying.

He is a real Mambo (Mam= Mom, bo= live) - living with his Mom.
In the meantime Mom herself has usually become a widow, and the arrangement makes her feel important and needed.

I know some Mambos in Norway.....

Sambo = Living together

Growing up in Norway in the fifties and sixties, most people were married if they lived together.
Nowadays many prefer to live together, have children together and spend their life together, without being married in any civil or religious ceremony.
So in addition to "Single", "Married","Divorced" and "Widowed", there is also "Sambo" (Sam = together, bo = to live).
But if persons who are Sambo do not write special testaments and legal agreements, a Sambo will not inherit the person he is Sambo with, in case that person dies.

Where nobody believed anybody could live

A very popular TV series has now become a book.

It is called "Where nobody believed anybody could live" (Der ingen kunne tru at nokon kunne bu) and tells of Norwegians who have chosen to live in "special places", often far away from where other Norwegians live.

Some of them grew up there and decided to stay.

Others have broken up from busy city life and found peace and quiet in an old farm or house where nobody else believed they could live.

This is a book I certainly will borrow from the library.

It was written by Oddgeir Bruaset who made the TV programms and published by the Genesis forlag. At the moment it costs 398 Norwegian crowns (a little more than 70 US dollars, I estimate).

I wonder:

If Oddgeir Bruaset had made an English version of this book and sold it as an e-book through the internet - how many people around the world would be interested in buying such an e-book, and to what price?

It certainly would be a fascinating way for foreigners to learn about some special places and persons living in Norway.

Smoking in Norway - A story

This is a story I heard.
True? I don't know.

A group of Japanese visited Stavanger, the city on the southwest coast of Norway, a kind of oil capital these days.
The Japanese were very impressed with the town, the buildings, the development.
But there was one point they did not understand in this otherwise perfect town: How come the Norwegians allowed groups of prostitutes to stand outside the fancy office buildings?

These "prostitutes" were not prostitutes at all, just office workers, smokers, who had slipped outside the building, for a smoking break.

PS. Even in the winter, I see smokers standing outside offices, restaurants, shopping malls, sometimes only dressed in their inside clothes. It must be hard to be that addicted.

Smoking in Norway

As a non smoker, I find it interesting to observe smoking habits in Norway.

It is prohibited to smoke in public places, by law.

But what happens inside Norwegian homes?

70 % of Norwegian homes do not allow smoking inside the home. Often the smokers use the balcony as a smoking area.
In 1993 only 17 % had smokefree homes.

90 % of Norwegian smokers say they do not smoke in a room where there are children.

Next to where my mother lives, a big block with balconies, gives the opportunity to observe "smoking on the balcony".

Many have installed heating lamps on their balconies as the climate here can be fairly cold.

Imagine, sometimes I feel a little sorry for the smokers standing outside, shivering, with their cigarettes.

Statistics for Norwegians

From the Norwegian Statistical Bureau we learn:

* There are now 4.7 million Norwegians, 100 000 more than in 2004.

* In Europe only French, Islandic and Irish women have more babies than their Norwegian counterparts.

* Expected average age in Norway is now 82 for women and 78 for men, an increase of three years since 1987.

Around the world with SMS

This last year somebody I know here in Norway has travelled around the world.
For eight or nine months, I think it was.
Occassionally he sent an SMS from "the global nomade".
Before I erase those messages from my mobile, here are some selected quotes .

"I am going to Burma tomorrow. I don't think it is possible to use my mobile in Burma."

"Came to Bali tonight. New country, new mobile number. "

"Going to Jayapura on Papua. Will try to visit the Dani people. Their "town" is Wamema in the Baliem Valley."

"I am now in Wamema, Papua, Indonesia. It is 2000 meter above sea level. Here they walk around stark naked quite seriously. The men only wear a penis cover that reaches the navel. It is as exotic as it can get. It is now the yearly festival Singsing. It is a mixture of a farmers' festival and the Titanofestival. Extremely enjoyful. And incredible photo opportunities. After this I go back to Bali."

"Going to Australia."

"Flying from Darwin to Sydney today.
This is a strange country.
Old men in short trousers and knee stockings. And hats of skin."

"Going to New Zealand on Monday."

"I am now in Auckland, New Zealand. This country is even stranger than Australia. It is winter here. Down under, you know."

"In Chile now, after a loooong flight. Flying makes it possible to make some quite schizofrenic cultural jumps in a short span of time."

"I am now on the Easter Island. Here it is better than I expected. Will stay a week and play little Heyerdahl."

"Have arrived in Lima, Peru."

"I am still in Peru. Trouble with the ticket."

With a slight delay of a few days, he arrived safely back in Norway.