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.
Nothing says home quite like home-made Cheesesteak!
Another week is in the books, dear friends. The highlight of the past seven days definitely has to be the home-made cheesesteak (hjemmelaget ostebiffsmørbrød) that was a perfect compliment to the unseasonable, good weather (is it a bad sign when 60 degrees in March is cause for celebration?) and good times. So thanks for that!
Now, as I've been here for a little over three months, I have accrued some questions from those of you back in the US of A... I thought I'd share some of them here.
Q: What are your plans for Summer?
- PY
Norges sommer er vakker
A: Hopefully, I will be employed and working. Additionally, I had been thinking of doing some traveling (I hear that Trondelag is nice this time of year!). However, after a few days of discussions, I have been invited to training camp for a Norwegian American Football team. So, that may be my summer extracurricular (No, it's not like their NFL. Its more recreational, but it is pads and tackles... I'll make sure to include plenty of updates on my sports blog.
Q: Where are the pics of you skiing?
- JO
A: Fine... here are two
Q: What was the craziest thing you've eaten since you've been there?
- ADJ
With brie on whole grain bread it is divine!
A: Sauna-cooked Moose heart... Though, aquavit salmon and other aquavit-infused meat is pretty out there, too. Though, things with aquavit tend to be more extreme.
Q: I don't really understand about the clothing. Do they dress just like us (Americans)?
- DS
A: I can't really explain this one... its hard because, well, I have NO fashion sense (which, in itself, I guess is a fashion style). Though, I will point out an oddity here in fashion that I find hilarious... A company here produces imitation letterman jackets... and they're a SMASH HIT!
Don't mind these patches that say "Boys Soccer State Champs 1980"
If that's not noteworthy enough, the material is not like that of the American forebear. These are cotton-blend, lightweight jackets as opposed to the wool-and-leather fall/winter overcoats. Also, a lot of them have patches that say things like "State Champs 1980" or "All-Conference Boys Basketball". Though, that shouldn't seem so strange since American Eagle, Aeropostale, and Old Navy have made a prosperous market out of doing the same thing with their clothing.
And that's that for this week (or whatever period of time before the next post)...
Remember, "Like" Oslost in Space on Facebook (Facebook.com/OSLOst) and post any questions on the wall and I will answer them (sooner or later).
In the spirit of March Madness (Way. To. Go. Wichita State...), I thought I'd take this post to share my recent brush with sports here in Norway.
So yes... I went to a Women's volleyball match.
Background: In my Norwegian language/culture courses, I have people from various places and, one of them, is a professional, female volleyball player from Poland.
Now, if you're like me (probably not), you're thinking "Wait, they have professional volleyball?".
Yes.
They just don't have it. There's a six-tier, professional league system here (similar to the international, promotion-relegation system of soccer... sorry, "football") in Norway. My fellow student starred for the club Oslo Volley, the reigning Scandinavian and Norwegian Open Tournament Champions.
However, they were tied in first place for the Norwegian Elite Series (Look, I know its confusing... Here. To be "Scandinavian Champions" they won a tournament, March Madness-style, against EVERY team in Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland... why they'd fly Iceland in is anyone's guess). Norwegian Open Tournament consisted of every team in the six-tier, professional system in Norway and now, they were going for the championship of just their individual league, the elite series. The top league in Norway... sorry, confusing, I know)against the titans of Stod Valley.
I mean, STOD VALLEY!
Now... I won't get into the various reasons, but due to the very nature (both teams had walked through their competition in the Elite Series to the tune of 13-1, having split their two previous meetings, and had met in the championship or final stages of the Scandinavian and Norwegian Open tournaments), there was a little "bad blood". Wouldn't you know it, but the game that I was treated to was the epic, end-of-the-season, winner-take-all, rubber match between the two in Oslo.
How was it?
For starters, I got there late. To get to the "venue" (Fyrstikkalléen skole... While it is a school, the campus and facility was better than a lot of colleges in the States) I had to take two different buses and walk four blocks through neighborhoods (reminded me of going to RFK!). So... I got there at the onset of the first set, which was all Stod.
Before arriving, I didn't know much about Stod. Like, I couldn't even find it on a map. However, I soon came to realize that they go hammer for their volleyball. The crowd was very pro-Stod. I would say that of the 200 or so people in attendance, 140 were for Stod (yes, I had never seen that many people at a Volleyball event, either). They were very vocal... they had chants and claps and scarfs and noise makers that drowned out the blaring hip-hop music (a very, underrated, unintentional comedy element of the event... they had like eight songs that they rotated throughout the game. Why only eight and why such poignant ballads as "Stereo Heart" by Gym Class Heroes, "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor, and the immortal "Butterfly" by Crazy Town? Man may never know).
As for the teams, it was almost like Space Jam. Stod was every part the Monstars... They were bigger (save for my classmate), faster, stronger (like, when they hit the ball... it made a different sound!), and more athletic. They seemed to be one step ahead of Oslo at every turn... plus, they had a different, type of swagger.
Now, some of the people in the crowd, both demurely and very vocally, attributed this to the "foreign" aspect of the team. As I had a program from the game, it was kinda obvious that certain players on Stod weren't from Stod or anywhere else in Norway (Let's just say there weren't too many "Line"'s or "Thea"'s... I'm not complaining. The object is to win so you should have the best players to do so and I'm all about foreigner solidarity). In fact, they had two players from America.
Which two were from America? Ha... let's just say it wasn't hard to tell.
In addition to being the two tallest, most athletic, and best players.
They were also the loudest.
They berated the officials when they blew a call (there were many opportunities for this). They berated their teammates when they made a poor play (also, many opportunities). They berated their coach when he went berserk (this may be a surprise, but there were many opportunities for this, too!). They taunted the Oslo players when they hammered spikes upon them or stuffed their shots. They taunted the crowd, the few Oslo fans who dared to be vocal, when they also took the second set with relative ease (What made it even better is that they did all of it in English... they didn't even bother to at least meet their target halfway by yelling in Norwegian!).
As a impartial observer, I was horrified... As an American, I was "Hell yeah! That's how we do!" (I can't help myself... I won't get into all of this now. That's for another blog).
Anyway, Oslo was able to rally back, partially to spirited play and fatigue (Oslo did have the numbers advantage as they were able to rotate in about four, solid players to Stod having one, viable sub). The match was tied at 2-2 and it seemed it was anyone's match.
In the end, Oslo couldn't get out of their own way (two, crucial serve faults down the stretch) and lost the deciding set and the match and, for all intents and purposes, the season. Stod paraded around, both demonstratively and emphatically, and Oslo players sulked off the court.
It was a pretty memorable experience and a good lesson in something... I'm not sure what, but it was.
Good times. Remember to "Like" on Facebook (www.facebook.com/OSLOst) and email any questions and I will try to address them in future blog entries or with a personal response!
