Hilsen fra Norge!

Greetings from.... Norway! Yes, I am literally chilling out way up North. But no need to fret, I am able to eat such delicious chocolate at my leisure. I have been complaining to my family about how hungry I am here. It is extraordinary, the Norwegians are very active people. Everyone is walking and biking, and looking down on people who drive too much or refuse to go for long walks (preferably in the mountains) on the weekend. As I no longer feel the pressure to participate in those outdoor rituals, I am free to eat as much chocolate as I can... and this chocolate is excellent!

The rain has not ceased since I arrived. I knew that summer in Oslo could be either incredibly warm, or very cold. As optimistic as I am, my scaled down clothing selection for this trip only included one sweater and one long-sleeved shirt! Here's hoping that the sun comes soon.




Mostly, I spend my time working out on my dissertation, or at the gym (pictured below). I was shocked to enter this amazingly modern health club, it was a bit like a postmodern Clockwork Orange. They have one room full of treadmills, with the lights turned down, and a huge screen showing pictures of people doing sporty things. It is sooooo spooky! But between eating so little for breakfast and lunch (people generally eat a bowl of cereal or toast for breakfast, and more open-faced sandwiches for lunch), and hanging out at this postmodern gym I'll be a
-1 before I get back, HJELP!



The other interesting thing about Oslo is that it is one of (if not THEE most) expensive city in Europe. Not only is there alot of money here, everything is outrageously expensive. For examples: I spent 5 dollars on dental floss, 5 bucks to ride the bus, and 2.5 buckaroos for that delicious chocolate bar featured (completely devoured) above. Another interesting fact is that alcohol in Norway (like Sweden) is owned by the State (yes, that means that all the revenues from Absolut Vodka go into the State's coffers!). Excluding beer, all alcohol must be purchased here:
This is me and my baby outside of the Vinmonopolet (yes, just as it sounds, The Wine Monopoly!). As I have budgetted very carefully for this trip, I purchased all of the wine I allotted myself for the three weeks (what amounts to 3 bottles... c'mon, literary scholars must have their wine...). Anyway, three bottles=60 bucks! The good thing about the monopoly is that people are actually able to purchase very good wines for less than their normal price, precisely because The Monopoly buys in large quantities. Because of the control of liquor, Norwegians drink very little alcohol during the week, and dinner parties (rather than eating out) and 'pre-partying' (rather than drinking excessively in bars all night) are very important. Nevertheless, beware on the weekends, around 11:30 many people are fall-down drunk!

Moving on....
This is a great shopping street in Oslo in one of my former stomping grounds (there was also a brief moment of sun which made the excursion quite pleasant). There are sales in EVERY store right now, and I am so tempted to lose it. I promised myself that I would make no purchase until my final week (to keep myself in check) and when I have seen what the latest fashions are. Unfortunately, 98% of the women here are still sporting the peg-leg jean! Darn. Apart from the fact that I sported that style in high school (yes I am dating myself), it is not a look that suits me. I hate that. Otherwise, in terms of fashion, this is a 'hip hop' nation.... more on that later (after Saturday's reggae concert! Did I mention that The Game is performing here tomorrow night...?).


Finally, this is a picture of a ring I bought for myself en route to Scandinavia. The only special thing about it is that I liked it, and it was purchased as a reminder of self-love during this crazy re-visit to Norway. It is very difficult to come to a place that holds so much (good and bad) history for me, but I am thankful that I am such a different person today.... and I've got my sisterlocks!