Pool - Charlotte took a morning dip in the chilly pool. She can't get enough of it, but when her teeth start chattering, we take her out for a warm bath.
Birthday - It is our friend Brian's birthday today. Happy Birthday Brian! ... and many more...
Rainbow - It was such a pretty day today, warm, bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. And in the evening we even saw a rainbow! It was like a sunbow, because there was no rain.
4 - correction to a prior entry. Not all cell phone numbers start with 9. Now they have reached the limit and some start with 4. : )
Santa - and you thought Santa lived at the North Pole. He lives in Norway! In a cute little seaside town called Drøbak, where they claim his official post office is. Reb & Bri - your anniversary card was sent from there, so look for a Santa stamp (called Jule Nisse) on your envelope!
Sauce - We have learned that sauce is important to have whenever meat is served. If it is missing, there may be faces filled with surprise. Maybe we have found the link between this and the Minnesotans with their gravy?
tirsdag 31. juli 2007
søndag 29. juli 2007
Passat!
Passat - we got a car! After test driving several cars and assessing the used car market in the area, we settled on a black 2004 Volkswagen Passat stationwagon. We liked the way it drove, and it was the most practical, safe, and fun one we could find. We pick it up Wednesday since we negotiated a fresh coat of paint. Can't wait! To celebrate, we are thinking of taking a drive to the west coast of Norway to see some fjords.
Baby food - now I know why there is so little jarred baby food sold in Norway. Mothers usually get a year off, so they are able to make the baby food themselves. By the time they go back to work, the babies are eating table food, so there is little demand. We have been making our own food for Charlotte now. Peas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, celery, onion, cauliflower, zucchini mostly. She seems happy with it. Fruit is easy to find, fortunately. She still refuses meat. We have tried chicken, lamb, and beef so far. Maybe turkey or fish will be the magic ticket.
Dugnad - (doog - nahd) this is a Norwegian thing. It is a day, usually once or more a year, when the community gets together to work on something. It could be your neighborhood, church group, family, etc. and the project might be painting a fence, cleaning up a yard, planting flowers, or building something. Everyone is expected to participate. We had a mini dugnad yesterday, cleaning up a property the family is selling. Fun to work together.
Baby food - now I know why there is so little jarred baby food sold in Norway. Mothers usually get a year off, so they are able to make the baby food themselves. By the time they go back to work, the babies are eating table food, so there is little demand. We have been making our own food for Charlotte now. Peas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, celery, onion, cauliflower, zucchini mostly. She seems happy with it. Fruit is easy to find, fortunately. She still refuses meat. We have tried chicken, lamb, and beef so far. Maybe turkey or fish will be the magic ticket.
Dugnad - (doog - nahd) this is a Norwegian thing. It is a day, usually once or more a year, when the community gets together to work on something. It could be your neighborhood, church group, family, etc. and the project might be painting a fence, cleaning up a yard, planting flowers, or building something. Everyone is expected to participate. We had a mini dugnad yesterday, cleaning up a property the family is selling. Fun to work together.
torsdag 26. juli 2007
Used Car Salesman
Used Car Salesman - We went browsing today for a new car. Forget the stereotypical used car salesman type. The people we worked with were so calm, spoke so quietly, and mostly listened and asked questions. It was a nice experience.
Horse - I sadly discovered that my favorite sausage here (a dark kind of salami thing) has horse meat in it! I was devastated. And ashamed that I ate horse. Blech! Note to self... translate before eating.
9 - The number all cell phone numbers begin with in Norway. Cool, huh?
Horse - I sadly discovered that my favorite sausage here (a dark kind of salami thing) has horse meat in it! I was devastated. And ashamed that I ate horse. Blech! Note to self... translate before eating.
9 - The number all cell phone numbers begin with in Norway. Cool, huh?
tirsdag 24. juli 2007
Drive
Drive - I took my first drive alone to the store. Very fun. I spoke Norwegian and bought black peppercorns, rice, baby detergent, and bananas. That was fun. The new babyfood is not going well in Charlotte's tummy, so I also got peas, carrots, and green beans so we could make her some good old homemade dinners.
Currants - Nils and I picked a huge bowl of currants from the front yard. They were super delicious and ended up in a summer cake later that night.
Trespassing - No such thing here! Well, pretty much no such thing, as long as you are not jumping a fence or damaging property. You can walk where you like. We took a long walk with friends today and walked around some country roads to a little harbor with a view of some neighboring islands.
Baby needs a new pair of shoes! - Somehow I left NY without proper shoes. I only had sandals and running shoes. Not the best for the cooler Norwegian weather. Nils and I went shopping and got me a new pair of shoes - some nice black heels.
Currants - Nils and I picked a huge bowl of currants from the front yard. They were super delicious and ended up in a summer cake later that night.
Trespassing - No such thing here! Well, pretty much no such thing, as long as you are not jumping a fence or damaging property. You can walk where you like. We took a long walk with friends today and walked around some country roads to a little harbor with a view of some neighboring islands.
Baby needs a new pair of shoes! - Somehow I left NY without proper shoes. I only had sandals and running shoes. Not the best for the cooler Norwegian weather. Nils and I went shopping and got me a new pair of shoes - some nice black heels.
mandag 23. juli 2007
Midnight Sun?
Midnight Sun - Scandinavia is the land of the midnight sun. In Summer, you can expect 20 hours of daylight each day. It is amazing. For me, with a jet-lagged baby, it has been midnight crying more than midnight sun. Charlotte is still adjusting and has been awake from 11:30 to 1:00 in the morning the past two nights, crying and moaning until she settles herself back to sleep. It is not all bad. I use the time to read magazines and write emails. Reminds me of the first days after she was born, when I emailed at 3 in the morning while she slept in my arms!
Immigration - I have officially immigrated to Norway this morning! People are nice here. Workers in the government offices are kinder than I am used to. They are more helpful and not so rigid. Nils and Charlotte registered with the local office too, stating that they have officially moved here. Now I am free to get a job. Another thank you to Jack for passing on contact information for two Norwegian women who might be able to help.
Beach - Charlotte dipped her toes into Norwegian water for the first time yesterday! We walked down to a little beach just 10 minutes from where we are staying. The sand was warm and soft, and the water was a surprisingly comfortable temperature. She and I rolled up our pants and waded in the water and enjoyed the sunshine. The sun is very strong here as we are closer to it. There were two little girls fishing for crabs, standing on the rocks nearby. The were talking, talking, talking and I was pretending to understand them. It is too strange for kids to see adults who don't speak a language as well as they do. Perplexing. I learned the word for splash so I could at least say "Plask, plask!" when they jumped into the water near us. Why is it so cute when little kids speak in another language? I loved hearing them talk in Norwegian.
Elk - It is delicious. We ate elk carbonader (sort of like a burger, sans bun) for dinner with my in-laws and it was sensational.
Immigration - I have officially immigrated to Norway this morning! People are nice here. Workers in the government offices are kinder than I am used to. They are more helpful and not so rigid. Nils and Charlotte registered with the local office too, stating that they have officially moved here. Now I am free to get a job. Another thank you to Jack for passing on contact information for two Norwegian women who might be able to help.
Beach - Charlotte dipped her toes into Norwegian water for the first time yesterday! We walked down to a little beach just 10 minutes from where we are staying. The sand was warm and soft, and the water was a surprisingly comfortable temperature. She and I rolled up our pants and waded in the water and enjoyed the sunshine. The sun is very strong here as we are closer to it. There were two little girls fishing for crabs, standing on the rocks nearby. The were talking, talking, talking and I was pretending to understand them. It is too strange for kids to see adults who don't speak a language as well as they do. Perplexing. I learned the word for splash so I could at least say "Plask, plask!" when they jumped into the water near us. Why is it so cute when little kids speak in another language? I loved hearing them talk in Norwegian.
Elk - It is delicious. We ate elk carbonader (sort of like a burger, sans bun) for dinner with my in-laws and it was sensational.
søndag 22. juli 2007
First Day in Norway
A good friend suggested I start a blog when I moved to Norway to capture and share some experiences and impressions. Thanks, Jack! I am a writer of the most elementary kind, so expect nothing more than some brief entries and thoughts.
Day 1 21 July 2007
Exits - As we drive from the airport, I notice there are no exit numbers on the expressway. I really need to study a map to know what is behind me and what is ahead of me; to have a point of reference. I have been to Norway before, of course, but for some reason never noticed this.
Keyboard - I am writing with a Norwegian keyboard, so I will not use any contractions. The apostrophe is not where I am used to it being. Maybe I will get used to it eventually.
Quiet - It is so quiet! We were on a walk and heard everything (and nothing). It is sooo still. You can hear seagulls out in the fjords and hear water lapping against the docked boats in the distance. Maybe because there are no air conditioners? People talk so quietly. A far cry from Manhattan! It is so loud on the street you have to shout to be heard by the person walking next to you. We love Manhattan, so realize this is just observation not criticism.
Sundays - Everything is closed. We knew this, but it is different when you live it. It is a good thing. You cannot run errands even if you want to.
Berries - Yum! We picked and ate wild strawberries, raspberries, and currants while out on a short walk last night. It is a dream come true. The strawberries were super tiny. The size of a pea.
Colorful - The air is so clear that all the colors stand out. Bright red and yellow houses, blue water, bright blue sky, and green grass.
Day 1 21 July 2007
Exits - As we drive from the airport, I notice there are no exit numbers on the expressway. I really need to study a map to know what is behind me and what is ahead of me; to have a point of reference. I have been to Norway before, of course, but for some reason never noticed this.
Keyboard - I am writing with a Norwegian keyboard, so I will not use any contractions. The apostrophe is not where I am used to it being. Maybe I will get used to it eventually.
Quiet - It is so quiet! We were on a walk and heard everything (and nothing). It is sooo still. You can hear seagulls out in the fjords and hear water lapping against the docked boats in the distance. Maybe because there are no air conditioners? People talk so quietly. A far cry from Manhattan! It is so loud on the street you have to shout to be heard by the person walking next to you. We love Manhattan, so realize this is just observation not criticism.
Sundays - Everything is closed. We knew this, but it is different when you live it. It is a good thing. You cannot run errands even if you want to.
Berries - Yum! We picked and ate wild strawberries, raspberries, and currants while out on a short walk last night. It is a dream come true. The strawberries were super tiny. The size of a pea.
Colorful - The air is so clear that all the colors stand out. Bright red and yellow houses, blue water, bright blue sky, and green grass.
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