Archive for August 2011
Liveliness
Posted on: August 28, 2011
Bibi has gone back to Stockholm, Moa spends the night at her sister’s place and Charlotte at her boyfriend’s.
I’m alone in the apartment.
The bags and clothes that were spread out on the floor, the drinks and glasses on the kitchen counter, the boxes of make-up in the bathroom, and the many shoes in the hallway, are all gone.
I enjoyed the liveliness of having my friends around.
The walks, the talks, the indulging…
Moa came straight from Paris and brought the most delicious French macaroons. We walked around Aker Brygge, went up the Opera House roof and found ourselves at a Turkish Bakery in Grønland where we had baklava and coffee. In the evening Moa cooked awesome Indian food and after midnight we all crashed in my bed.
Yesterday night we had left over lentil curry, fried halloumi cheese with spinach and avo salad before going out.
We finished what was left of the Amaretto and met up with Geir that took us to an underground gay bar where we danced ourselves sweaty.
I like Oslo nightlife better than Stockholm.
There are plenty of really cool and laid-back bars and some great venues for live music. Sure, a drink costs as much as a meal but I don’t go out drinking that much anyway…
There is however, Frank Znort Quartet club night at BLÅ tomorrow, with the tag line:
“We Fuck Up Your Mondays”
The most awesome jazz, brass and bluegrass goes down at BLÅ every Sunday with Frank Znort Quartet and guests.
See you there!
Mi casa su casa
Posted on: August 25, 2011
It’s almost noon and in my kitchen there are cocktail glasses, wine glasses and empty bottles.
Apparently we almost used up all the Disaronno liquor making Amaretto Sour drinks yesterday. But they were so good!
My best friend Bibi is here to visit this week.
We are having an awesome time, because that’s what we always have.
Doesn’t matter how rainy it is or how boring people around us are. We always find things to laugh about. We managed to get home at 4 o’clock this morning even though we left the bar before 2. We fooled around at Deli de Luca bargaining for cheap ice cream, stopped by my hotel to greet the night guard and chat with some random people.
I need to wake Bibi up soon though because our mutual friend Moa comes in from Paris in less than an hour. On Monday my other really good friend Maria Medina comes to stay but by then Bibi will be gone.
Good thing I have a large bed and a tolerant room-mate.
Two weeks ago my Dad and his girlfriend took and detour from their road trip in Sweden and stopped by Oslo.
They stayed at a camping where we met up in the evening and walked to the renowned Ekeberg restaurant; a classy place with a stunning view over the city. The food was delicious and staff was super friendly even though we didn’t really blend in with the rest of the crowd…
The next day I took Dad and Kristina sightseeing in Oslo; the Opera House, Karl Johan, the Vigelands park, Aker Brygge and Hotel Savoy, where I work.
Last week I showed another friend around.
Ylva was only in Olso for the day so we met up at Café Laundromat for breakfast and from there took a tram to Grunerlökka, checked out some second hand stores and boutiques and walked to the city centre before I had to start work.
It’s great to have friends and family come visit but unfortunately these are busy weeks at work, so I will probably need some time to recuperate when all this is over.
But now, breakfast with Bibi and onwards with this day! 
Pretty busy living
Posted on: August 19, 2011
- In: Happy Days
- 6 Comments
If I don’t update as often these days it’s because I’m trying to fit my busy work schedule (10 days in a row now) with friends and family coming to visit (6 people in 1 month) dating ( ) and daily work outs (either morning or evening)
I’m not complaining though.
I just got a cute chocolate gift from a guest at the hotel (my 10th gift since I started)
Life is pretty sweet.
Goldfish – Get Busy Living
Posted on: August 19, 2011
One of my favourite bands; South African Goldfish, with a new catchy tune and funny video.
I would have cleaned up
Posted on: August 16, 2011
I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were coming or I’d have cleaned up a little more.
My life, I mean, not just the apartment.
From “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger
The world can wait
Posted on: August 8, 2011
Today I am catching up.
Catching up with sleep which there hasn’t been much of the last week.
Catching up with friends and family that have been trying to reach me.
Catching up with practical things such as the pile of laundry and the long list of to do’s.
And catching up, essentially, with myself.
I had slept 12 hours when I woke up this morning and still I was tired enough to doze off again after breakfast. I have been working and living hard lately, and I have totally neglected my need to recuperate. This week needs to be a quiet one, because soon my two best friends Bibi and Moa come to visit and maybe Maria too.
My friend Ryan from Vancouver was here three days. It was his 5th time in Oslo, Norway being only one of the 58 countries he has visited, but he was still excited to come and I think he was happy with his stay.
We walked around in the harbour, caught a ferry over to the small islands outside the city, had awesome picnics, chilled out in the park and went out with friends in Grünerlökka. He borrowed my card and took a free city bike to the Vigelandspark while I ran other errands or worked. We had a great time and soon he is off to San Francisco, a place I have been dying to go to for years.
We passed by an inspiring travel centre that had just about everything you need for avid travelling; smart gear, comfortable clothes and shoes, travel books and even one that was translated by Ryan’s friend who’s wedding he was here to attend.
I was reminded of my purpose to come to Norway in the first place; to save up money for a world trip.
But I am in no rush to leave.
I am in one of the most beautiful countries in the world already.
Roadtrip n’ pics
Posted on: August 8, 2011
Last weekend me and a friend rented a convertible car and drove down the coast from Oslo to Kristiansand. A distance of 320 kilometers so we calculated about 3,5 hours of driving. But this is Norway with its renowned mountains and fjords. And tunnels. It took more than 6 hours of driving (including a refreshing lake swim) and we got into town late. We were both hungry and the thought of going far out to find a place to camp wasn’t ideal. The big modern Clarion Hotel right in front of us, on the other hand, was.
I think it was somewhere around here our budget for the weekend caught a trade wind and next thing we knew we were eating at fancy restaurants, drinking expensive wine, ordering drinks as we pleased and getting a 1,2 kilo fresh lobster for our camping barbeque.
Which of course, turned out to be the best grilled lobster I’ve ever had, at the most idyllic camping spot ever.
The next day we had lunch in the pretty coastal town Mandal before we headed back up to Kragerø Quality Spa Resort where we spent our last night. The hotel is located on cliffs with a stunning view of the fishermans town to which you can take a small ferry. We came in, the evening sun was still warm and we were happy to just relax in the pool, eat a nice dinner and share a bottle of wine in the restaurant as sun set beyond the hills.
I was bummed that my digital camera had stopped working on the way down and my DSLR camera ran out of battery the second day so I had to take pictures with my smart phone, which isn’t smart at all because it keeps shutting off, and couldn’t stop thinking how much better the pictures could have turned out.
High-tech or not, I think these pics give you an idea, just how awesome this roadtrip was.
Change angle
Posted on: August 1, 2011
When you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change
Wayne Dyer
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