Two things of note:
1) Oslo is constantly under construction (much in the same way as Baltimore and Washington D.C., yet those two places at least have signs explaining why and when things are "projected" to get better. In fact, some Maryland signs are a little too forthright).
I bring this up about Oslo because my daily tram ride has been altered due to this being turned into this, yet, strangely, they're leaving this. Ok, so it doesn't look entirely like they're searching for buried treasure, but a good two blocks of tram tracks and road have been reduced to rubble. I'm all about proper, urban maintenance after having lived in the aforementioned Baltimore and Washington D.C. (both having recently had, uhmm, problems with infrastructure in recent years).
Oh well, such is the cost of progress... Not to mention that they're building some really cool things.
2) The best benefit of Oslo's incessant winter has been an opportunity for me to engage in more winter sports. So far, I have been Cross country skiing and walking to the grocery store, uphill, on sidewalks covered entirely with ice. However, this past weekend, I went toe-to-toe with Korketrekkeren. Its 2.5 kilometers of downhill terrain covered in snow, ice, and fury that can only be traversed on a metal sled (toboggan, if you will). Honestly, the only thing that I can compare it to is "a human version of mario kart". It feels like you're going so fast (clearly, even more so than that video as you won't be holding a camera while doing so). The whole setting is awesome, too. Korketrekkeren is on the same mountain they use for ski jump (same as the 1992 Winter Games... in fact, the course wraps around the actual jump). The metro drops you off right at the starting point and the bottom of the run is at another metro stop so you can just ride back up to the top. Additionally, there's sled and helmet rental (yes, helmet rental... strongly advised, but not mandatory). If that doesn't convince you how awesome this thing is, here's my favorite video related to it (which Norwegians insist on calling "sledging").
I'm going back again Saturday!
Rap lyric I'd incorporate into a song if I were a rapper:
You lame and lack, your game for the birds/ You rarely get Ws like Norsk words
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