The 'Vanger and a good-bye

I know I usually make new posts on Friday, but, due to traveling we're going to pretend like today is Friday (I'm sure many of you wish that was the case).  So what's new?  Oh, I spent the weekend in Stavanger (or, as I like to call it, the 'Vanger).

That may be the entire population of the 'Vanger in this picture!

It was a pleasant flight (around an hour) in which I learned that "Never Let Me Down" is the best Kanye West song (Spotify!!!).  Very important information.

Anyway, the 'Vanger is a sleepy, coastal town (The most reoccurring, apt description of it that came to me was "a beach town without a beach", but, as it was later pointed out, there were small beaches all around... so there's that).  It also has a lot of diversity (by Norwegian standards), and its reflected all throughout the city.  Despite the fact that it has over 100,000 people, it never felt like more than a few hundred, but it didn't take an inordinate amount of time to go to any point in town.  Unfortunately, bad weather kept me from going out to Pulpit Rock, which is a real shame as I'm told that its better than the Grand Canyon (strangely, none of the Norwegians who told me this had been to the Grand Canyon, but, since I didn't make it to the PR, I can't weigh in, either).

Cannonballs are strongly discouraged

That's pretty much all there is to say about... oh, right.  They have a bit of oil.   Ok.  A lot of oil.  So much, in fact, that its drawn a lot of international companies (most notably, Haliburton and ConocoPhillips) as well as "international, sister cities" (which, I think is akin to having followers on Twitter).

However, it wasn't all ballerific.  As I previously mentioned, the hundred thousand or so 'vangerians are spread out, but, unlike in Oslo, there wasn't much in the way of public transportation to connect them.  Which meant a lot of driving and taxis (which escalated in price quite quickly).  Also, as previously mentioned in this space, the North Sea goes hammer and that means unseasonable weather... How unseasonable? you may ask...

It snowed.

Multiple times.

It wasn't a rarity, either.

All I could think about was my last post (how's this for irony, almost the entirety of last week here in Oslo had 70+ fahrenheit temperature... seems my blog questions get answered!) and realize that I never had it so well...

Remember to "like" me on Facebook (Facebook.com/OSLOst).

Sorry to turn my previously lighthearted spot into more sadness, but this past week, Norwegian swimmer, Alexander Dale Oen, died at the unfairly young age of 26.  While, it is unfortunate when anyone dies, especially someone at such an early age, it is even more disheartening as Oen's win at last year's World Championships in the 100 m breaststroke came only three days after the terrorist attack.  It was a glimmer of the beauty that this country is possible of producing in the face of its most ugly, vile capabilities.  Just a brief tour of Youtube/Google/Facebook will show just what he meant to this country.  Oen's accomplishment will, and should, never be forgotten.

Alt for Norge