We're Havin' a Heat Wave...

There were only six of us in class today. The long weekend ahead took its toll. I’m sure I didn’t learn a thing as I sat in class wondering why in the world I bothered to get out of bed this morning – except that it was another gorgeous day and any excuse to be out in it was good. It was so warm this morning I didn’t even wear a coat at 7am. I had on a short sleeved shirt and sandals and I was roasting in class all day - totally impressive heat for this time of year. I’m getting my summer tan early.

We finally got a new road in front of our house yesterday. They have been working for months on digging up the water pipes in the street and now that they have completed that, they set down new blacktop and it looks so nice. Sabina was out rollerblading on it at ten o’clock last night. The road construction here just cracks me up. They don’t use flaggers to warn of upcoming dangers and sometimes they don’t even fence off dangerous areas. They assume everyone here is responsible for themselves and no one is stupid enough to get in harm’s way. Yesterday, as the steam roller was going back and forth over the fresh blacktop, bicycles and motorists were on the road swerving around all the heavy equipment even as the road was being made. It’s just too weird to see stuff like that. A little boy from the neighborhood, about five years old, sat all alone right next to the road watching the truck dump the asphalt into the machine that lays it down, and he was only about three feet away from those trucks, with no parent in sight. It’s all so strange. I’ve also been on the bus when one lane of the road was closed because a backhoe was sitting in the street working on the shoulder and as the body of the back hoe swung around, it came into the space of the only lane of open traffic. The bus could have had a serious gash in its side if they collided, but the backhoe worker just kept going and the bus waited until the coast was clear before zooming through that space. It made my heart skip a beat, but that’s how they do things here. Everyone is careful and no one expects anyone else to be looking out for them. The mind-set in America where someone else is responsible for MY safety is almost embarrassing. As a kid I remember being hurt from different things and the common response was always, “YOU should have been more careful.” Now, it seems, no one in America thinks that is their job, it’s more like, “THEY should have done something to prevent that.” Crazy system.

The craziest system going on in Norway these days is their Confirmation system! The whole idea of Confirmation is that when a kid reaches age 14, they “confirm” they were baptized in the church with a big ceremony after they have completed a year long course of religious studies. Well, things have changed dramatically over the decades. When the Pentecostal church made big inroads in Norway, they didn’t offer Confirmation because it didn’t fall in line with their belief that everyone gets to choose when they get baptized, and some might not do it before they are 14. The Pentecostals eventually developed a course of religious studies for 14 years old however, but it isn’t a true Confirmation because they don’t require baptism to complete it. The reason the Pentecostals developed that class was because, as Norway has become more and more affluent, kids receive more and more money as gifts and congratulations for Confirmation. It’s a long-held tradition in Norway and unlike in America, high school graduation is not at all recognized here because high school is an option not everyone chooses. So there is no other time in a teenager’s life they have a chance for the big financial windfall that comes with Confirmation. It’s not unheard of that a child will receive up to $6,000 in cash gifts for their Confirmation. No kid wants to be excluded from that, so now they have mutilated Confirmation so everyone can participate – even those who don’t believe in God. I saw in the newspaper today a listing of all the Confirmation ceremonies happening just this weekend, and one of the biggest ones was down at the performing art’s center in town for all those that completed the “Humanitarian Confirmation” course, meaning, it has nothing to do with religion. So kids that don’t want to learn about God can take a yearlong class learning about different humanitarian situations around the world, and they call it “Confirmation” so they can send out the invitations and get the cash. It ticks me off on the same level that all the law suits in America tick me off. (I guess it wasn’t just the weather today that got hot.) I’m sure God is sad about all of this, too. So it was a good day for Kory to not be home - he spent his day helping cousin Odd work on his bedroom expansion. Kaleb and I hung out in our neighborhood, riding bikes, walking, reading, playing games, eating ice cream and wondering what we should do now that everyone seems to have left town for the long weekend. It really will be a long weekend if we don’t leave our neighborhood. We’ve nearly worn out the new road already.

A Summer Day!

I completely tuned out what was being taught today – it was something like past tense participles or something or other that I’m sure I wouldn’t even understand in English. I doodled a lot and wanted to cry when I heard that the best student in our group put herself back in the slower class, as she felt she wasn’t learning anything anymore because our class is going so fast. I guess that’s why she’s the best student – she’s smart. Why I continue to go to this class is beyond me – other than I love my pal Vestina and The Good Teacher Inga. Vestina hates it when I’m gone so I feel if nothing else, I’m helping her as she has a future to think about. She always has to explain things to me. I hope I can hold out.

On the bus ride home I sat next to the new guy in our class. He’s had Norwegian lessons before but dropped out when he got a job, now his work is slowing down so he came back to learn more Norwegian. He’s very industrious. His name is something like Mahn-my – that’s how it sounds anyway. He is a refugee from Burma (now called Myrnmar) with a never ending smile on his face. I asked him a lot of questions both in English and Norwegian and he was just as fluent in both languages and he’s only been here a little over a year. I was so impressed with him, but his story broke my heart.

Mahn-my was born in the countryside of Burma, where the government refused to acknowledge anyone outside the major cities as citizens. When the political upheaval and rebellious infighting broke out near his home (when he was 12) his parents left, taking his younger siblings with them, and sending him and his older sisters to a refugee camp. He wasn’t sure he would ever see them again, but in later years they were all relocated to a large refugee camp on the Thailand/Burma border, where he reconnected with them. Not long after that, both his parents died of malaria, as the conditions in the camp weren’t the best. Mahn-my has lived over 20 of his 37 years in refugee camps. He said when the fighting would slow down, they could leave the camp, but not for long, and then they’d be right back in again. Thanks to several different missionary works within the camp, however, he was educated in English. He said there are currently 60,000 refugees living in that camp – more people than live around this entire area of Norway. They all live within a large fenced off area (surrounded by guards) right on the border with Thailand. He said each refuge must stand in line every day to get their ration of food and they all live in small stick shelters with big leaves for a roof. It is in that camp he met his wife and got married. Because Doctors Without Borders from France set up a medical clinic there, all four of his children were born under the care of a doctor and received birth certificates. When he was born, out in the country, no one was able to read or write, so all the babies were taken to the local monk and he would write their name and birth date on a piece of bamboo stick that was kept in a safe place and used as a record of their birth. Recently he said, 20,000 people from his old camp were “set free” and relocated to the U.S. because they are fluent in English (thanks to the missionary schools.) I asked him if it was a boring life in the camp and he said it was, as they had no freedom and nothing to do. But now, he said, more and more missionaries are coming and teaching people how to do weaving and other hand work so they have a way to make money. Life is improving there, he said, but it can’t compare to life in Norway. He said when his children misbehave now, he threatens to send them back to Burma, and that puts an immediate stop to their bad behavior as they NEVER want to go back there. Neither does he. He realizes how good he has it, but his relatives that ended up in Bakersfield, California tell him it’s much easier to get permission to drive a car there than it is here in Norway. He can only dream of ever driving a car, as he is sure he will not be able to afford it here. I’m sure he will. He’s a go-getter. I've been thinking about him all day.

Kory spent the day over at Tante Ruth’s, making a cover for the awning he installed on the deck. He didn’t like the one that came with it, so he made his own. Tante Ruth is so happy to have that awning – especially on a day like today – it must have been in the 80s today. I laid out in the sun for just a few minutes and got a little burned. It was so warm, when a neighbor stopped by for a visit, we couldn’t even sit on the deck. I’ve been in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt all day. It’s summer! Hallelujah! And yet Kaleb just sat indoors and read all afternoon. He agreed to ride bikes with me down to Agape Church tonight however (Kory walked). They had their normal service tonight, instead of Sunday, because Friday is a holiday (National Labor Day), which makes for a three day weekend, and apparently no one will be around (except us). It’s strange that churches are actually closed some Sundays. I see the logic in it, but it’s still a little odd. I guess if God took a break on the 7th day, churches should be able to have a day of rest every now and then, too.

Tax Day

I skipped school today so I could get my taxes done. There is a tax office not far from where we live, so with papers in hand, I took the bus this morning to be there soon after they opened at 9am. I got there at ten past nine and I was the tenth person standing in line waiting for help. Most places around here have the numbered ticket system so I can just take a number and sit down while I’m waiting to be called - but not the tax office. There are plenty of chairs, but no ticket system, so everyone has to just stand in line and wait their turn. I was expecting it to be hours because there are only two counters to help people, but surprisingly, everyone that works in the office must set aside their normal duties to tend to all the questions this time of year – as employees came from every corner and out every door of the office to help people. That was a pleasant surprise, especially since I wasn’t even in line for ten minutes before it was my turn.

The man that helped me didn’t speak a word of English (maybe he could, but since I spoke to him first in Norwegian, he just stuck with that.) I showed him my papers – already filled out by the tax computer. Since the banks, employers and everyone that has anything to do with money has to report every detail to the government, all the numbers were already pre-filled out on the tax form (including the four kroner – 50 cents – we earned from some profit in a co-op membership). If we had no exceptions (or questions), all we would need to do is sign the form and send it in and pay the bill that comes with the form equal to the amount the government says we owe. They make it so painless here to pay all those taxes. But I had a few exceptions that made their seamless system not so smooth. For one thing, they had no record of Tante Ruth paying us rent, nor did they have a place on the form to add that income. They also didn’t include the interest I earned on an account I set up at our friend Ole-Petter’s bank. So when I told the tax man that I had extra income to report, he looked at some other form to find the line number that rental income should be reported on, then he just wrote that line number at the bottom of the pre-filled out form, along with the amount of income (less expenses), we had. And as for the interest income, he said just to forget it because that account was in my name, and I didn’t have any other income. (Each person in Norway is allowed to earn almost six thousand dollars a year tax free.)

There is no such thing as a “joint” return here so everyone must file their own tax form. Since he said I didn’t have to file one, I asked about the amount they deducted from Kory’s tax return for his “child tax credit.” They always split the credit between the two parents but since I wasn’t going to file a return, he doubled the amount on Kory’s return. Kory earned a whopping $5,000 this year working two days a week for about four months. They held back around a thousand dollars to pay taxes, but the tax man told me today it looks like we might get most of that refunded because our income was so low. Woo hoo. When the tax man was done writing all the numbers on the form, he asked me to sign it. It was Kory’s tax form, but Kory was at work, so the man just told me to forge his signature. I thought that was pretty funny. So all-in-all it was a most pleasant experience and I’m thankful they don’t make us pay taxes on our income from the U.S., like Uncle Sam makes us do for our income in Norway.

I was back home by ten o’clock, wondering what to do with the rest of my quiet time before Kaleb came home from school, since I assumed it would take all day to do my taxes… so I decided to start planning our summer vacation. Everyone in Norway is on vacation the entire month of July and ferries must be reserved, hotels are already booked and theme parks are overcrowded. But it was a good day to start thinking about all the summer fun that lies ahead since now I know our savings account won’t be taken by the tax man. But as I sat for hours at the computer researching where to stay and what to do, I realized the dollars aren’t going to go as far as I had hoped, so the eight weeks of travel might only be six. I’m certainly not complaining, however, as I know we are very lucky to be able to go anywhere at all.

It was another beautiful summer-like day – and Kaleb came home peppy as ever. He and Tobias played together after he finished his homework and I rode bikes with both of them around the neighborhood just as an excuse to be outdoors. It reminded me of my childhood – everyone racing to see who could be the leader as we went up one street and down the other. It’s never a waste of time to relive pleasant memories.

Breaking in the Bike

Today was a glorious day – not only weather wise, but “free from school” wise. I savored every moment I didn’t have to think about the Norwegian language. I had a nice cup of coffee, cleaned house, did laundry, worked on my Bible study, read the news on the internet, laid out in the sun and got a little tan, I stretched, breathed deeply, prayed and thoroughly enjoyed having the morning all to myself. I need more of that.

After I was completely satisfied with my quiet time home alone, I hopped on my bike and took it for a spin. I love it! It’s so great to have wheels, and on such a warm day like today, taking the car or bus would just seem wrong (I actually wore a short sleeved shirt and no coat today). I rode down the street to Kaleb’s school and the two of us rode our bikes together to Moa (more than a few miles away). It was so sweet, riding side by side. They have huge sidewalks next to most of the roads here that are wide enough for a car to drive on but they are just used for baby strollers, bikes and pedestrians. It makes for a pleasant outing, as we were able to talk about school as we peddled and Kaleb was much more talkative than usual. When we got to Moa we were pretty hot and thirsty so we stopped and bought a popsicle. They have the best flavors of popsicles here – our number one favorite is the pear flavored one. They also have pear flavored pop, along with pineapple pop and this yummy pop called Villa that none of us can quite figure out what it tastes like, other than it’s good. (And the jello flavors here are great too, like blueberry, peach, and apple.) Kaleb and I love picking out things we’ve never tried before, in our never ending search for our “favorite food.” Back home, whenever we talked about coming to Norway, Kaleb would always get a dreamy lilt to his voice and say, “Pear popsicles – my faaaaavorite!” It was good to have one today and to splurge (even if they cost $4+ each).

But the purpose of our bike ride today was to take Kaleb to the dentist, which happened to be located at Moa. Kaleb hasn’t had his teeth cleaned or checked for nearly a year so I called a few weeks ago and made an appointment. All dental work for kids under age 18 in Norway is completely free, so I wanted to take advantage of that while I could – plus I knew he was due for a check-up. We arrived thirty minutes early because I wasn’t sure where the office was or how long it would take to get there. There were no forms to fill out – they just asked me to write his name, address, phone and birth date on a sticky pad and that was it for registering him. Kaleb was pleased they had a Lego table in the waiting room so he killed his half hour building a castle while I took a little snooze (I’ve been way too short on sleep lately). Right on the button at 2:45 when we had our appointment, they called us back to the exam room. I’m used to dentist offices with two or three work stations, but this place was like a hospital corridor with rooms on both sides of a very long hallway. That particular dentist office is set up just for the kids in Aalesund Kommune and that’s all they do. The dental hygienist asked me a few questions (she spoke NO English), I answered them and then she took Kaleb into a separate little closet room and took x-rays of his teeth. She shut him in the room with the machine while she stood outside in the hall and watched him through the window. That was different. Then we went back into the exam room and she pulled the x-rays up on her computer screen and showed me that everything looked great. She asked if he brushed and flossed and then she did a quick check inside his mouth. She swabbed some teeth with a little fluoride cream, gave him a cup to rinse out his mouth and he spit it out in the little sink next to the chair, just like I had when I was a kid. And that was it. They don’t scrape tarter or polish kid’s teeth here. I asked, but they don’t’ do it. She said even if he had a cavity, at age 10, they wouldn’t do anything to fix it because he will be losing those back teeth in a few years anyway. I was so hoping he’d get his teeth polished, but since he got a clean bill of health, I guess we’ll just be glad for that.

Kaleb and I headed over to the shopping mall at Moa and he spent a little of his birthday money – finally. He’d lost his wallet with all the money in it (over $200), but the people at the dog sled place we went after Christmas recently found it and sent it back, so he was anxious to buy something. Kory picked us up on his way home from work.

Turid came over tonight for a glass of wine and to help me figure out what papers I need to take in to the tax office tomorrow to get my taxes done (they are due on the 30th). I need an excuse to skip school tomorrow as we have another big chapter test and I already know I’ll fail it, so I may as well take the lesser of two evils and go find out how much money we owe the Norwegian government. It’s okay by me to get everything wrong on my Norwegian test, but I certainly don’t want to get a single thing wrong on our tax return. They are quite serious about their taxes here.

Baptism Day (Døpt dag)

Today was Hege’s big day (Odd and Turid’s fourteen year old daughter). We were invited to attend the State church with them to watch her get baptized, and then attend the celebration afterwards. In the State church here in Norway, it’s required that all those who go through Confirmation, be baptized first. Most people are brought into church as infants and sprinkled with water soon after they are born, but Odd and Turid never did that. Odd was raised in the Pentecostal church (and they don’t baptize infants) and Turid was raised in the State church, and they do – so they could never come to an agreement as to what to do, so they just did nothing, as neither of them attend church anymore. But now that Hege wants to be confirmed in the State church, she must be baptized.

It was all quite formal and very special and I’m glad we got to attend. The church bells began to ring five minutes before the service started, which is actually the norm for every Sunday, and we arrived just as they began to chime, calling all to attendance. (We heard on the radio once that in a remote area of Norway they blast off a cannon instead as everyone lives too far away to hear the bells.) A whole section in the front of the church was reserved just for the family. The church was very modern (and round) and circling the entire church were stained glass windows with a very artsy design depicting the major stories of the Bible (this follows after the tradition in the big cathedrals where they used the windows to tell the stories because so many weren’t able to read or didn’t have Bibles.) When the organ began to play, three women in white robes came in bearing candles, followed by Hege in her white robe, and her two older sisters in their bunads (traditional Norwegian costume.) Normally, for infant baptism, the parents would accompany the baby, but Hege chose to have her “God parents” as her witnesses. (Her sisters will take custody of her should anything happen to her parents before she is 18.) The Priest announced it was a special day today because of Hege’s baptism and then everyone said the Apostles’ Creed (which I recognized even though it was in Norwegian) and we sang a song. (The page numbers to all the hymns we sang today were posted on the walls, but it was done in such a way it reminded me of the numbers on the walls when I was a kid that signified how many were in attendance the previous Sunday, so it took me a while to figure it all out.)

The Priest called Hege and her witnesses forward and they all stood at the baptismal stand. The Priest asked Hege if she believed Jesus was the son of God and that he died for her sins, and she giggled and said “Ja.” He then laid his hand on her head, said and prayer, and made the sign of the cross on her forehead. She leaned over the bowl of water, the Priest cupped his hand in the water and poured it over her head three times as he baptized her in the name of the “Father, Son and Holy Ghost,” and then gave her a cloth to dry off. And that was it. Hege and her sisters sat back down while the Priest went back to the pulpit to deliver the sermon. And I do believe it was the same sermon being preached in all State churches in the entire country today, as that is the tradition here. Our friend Halton, who was born in 1920, once told me that when he was growing up, if the weather was too bad to attend church in person (they had to take a boat to get there), his father would read the sermon right from a book that was published every year that all the churches (and families used). My teacher Inga said when her father was young, the whole family would dress up in their Sunday best and sit by the radio and hear the sermon, if they weren’t able to make it out to church – so they have the whole sermon thing well prepared before the day arrives for its delivery. And the sermon today was good enough in parts that Kory wanted to shout Hallelujah a few times, but he whispered it instead – causing his cousins to have to contain their laugher as they all sat in fear that he might actually raise his voice and embarrass the entire family. I whispered a few “Amens” myself as I caught parts of the sermon referring to God calling us His children, but otherwise, I was lost in the formalities of the service and routine responses, but at least I understood the Lord’s Prayer.

After the service was over we took photos in the church before heading off to Turid’s art studio for a big Sunday dinner. All formal events here in Norway are cause for people to wear their bunads, have sit-down dinners and formal speeches. Odd gave a welcoming speech to Hege and the guests (it was only family in attendance) and Hege gave a little speech as well. We all ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, and then had coffee and cakes afterwards. It was customary to give gifts for this occasion so Hege got a lot of cash and all the silver accessories she needs for her own bunad, which she will get on her Confirmation day in June. It was a wonderful time for the family to gather today and celebrate this religious event, and we felt honored to be included. Kory shouted HALLELUJAH as soon as he was able to not embarrass anyone.

A Quiet Day at Home

Kaleb and Tobias (his pal from school, not the neighborhood boy), were up at the crack of dawn. I was so hoping we could all sleep in, but that just didn’t happen. The boys were respectful and quiet, but I still couldn’t sleep when I knew they were up and probably wanting breakfast. They were more interested in playing with their Pokemon cards however, and didn’t ask for a thing to eat until about 10:30. I guess I should have stayed in bed, but the weather today was as good as any summer day gets around here and I didn’t want to waste that. It was shorts and t-shirt weather and I heard lawnmowers going the entire day. People were out for walks and bike rides, they were working in their yards or just sitting on their decks sunning themselves. It had that total feel of just a lazy day in the middle of summer. I loved it.

Turid called me last night to tell me there was a flea market today at a church just a few miles down the road. It started last night (very unusual), but Kaleb had his friend here and they wanted to play games with us so I sacrificed being the first on the scene in order to stay home and play with them. I decided I needed an excuse for a walk today however, so after I fed the boys I went for a long walk over there. I had to call Kory to come get me as I found a few too many treasures. I love it when I can get antique copper kettles for 75 cents. It’s hard to pass them up because they are such great decorations and they easily hold a little potted plant and look so cute in our windowsills. And the hand-forged metal trays for less than a dollar just call my name as they are so practical and “typisk Norsk,” so I can’t help but buy them. I also got a very cool bicycle for $25, which was the highlight of my day. I’ve been so wanting to go biking with Kaleb, or at least to get around faster than walking, so that was a big treat to myself. Kory thinks it’s crazy, since we’ll only be here two more months. I’m thinking it was a good thing, as I’d much rather have my butt go dead while riding a bicycle than sitting at the computer for hours on end – which I did plenty of today too, as there is just no end to the amount of documentation available on the internet for my friend Paula’s family. Someone stop me, please!

Kory washed the car today – inside and out. He was planning to have another car wash day with the refugees but too many were unavailable, so he just washed ours instead. I laid out in the sunshine in our front yard and took a little nap, and a woman from our home fellowship group rode her bike by and saw me outside so she dropped in for a nice long visit. I love that stuff. Life here isn’t terribly complicated and schedules aren’t as packed full as they seem to be in America. The options are somewhat limited here and if a family it not involved in soccer, there is lots of free time to go around. I would have preferred going somewhere today, but Kaleb needed the social time with his friend and they played very well together the entire day, so that was good.

On my walk today I passed by several mailboxes which reminded me how different they are from the ones we have back home. Everyone has the same type of top opening mailbox, so they all must be covered by a little shelter in order to protect them from the snow (see photo). But the mailbox shelters here have a lot of variety – some of them are real works of art. Sometimes there will be hanging plants mixed in with the mailboxes (see other photo), sometimes people will paint pretty thing right on their mailboxes, and sometimes the mailbox shelter will have a grass rooftop with wildflowers growing out of it (my favorite). Every neighborhood just makes up their own little shelter for however many mailboxes they want to fit in there, but the average size holds about six boxes. And when people move, they take their boxes with them, but the shelter is left behind. The only drag about the mailboxes here is we can’t put any outgoing mail in them – all the mail has to be taken to the post office. But, they do make that rather convenient as our local neighborhood grocery store has a post office right inside the store and it’s open the same hours as the store: 8-22 (20). That’s the code posted on all stores for their opening hours – which means - 8am-10pm Monday-Friday and only until 8pm on Saturday. And of course, NOTHING is open on Sundays, except church. I guess that’s why all the churches have a café in them and they serve food afterwards. I like Sundays, but I like days like today, too. Everyone needs a little piece of quiet every now and then.

Little Thrills

Kaleb is slowly adjusting to life without electronics. Last night his school had some big event we weren’t quite sure what it was, and Kaleb didn’t want to go. From what I could understand from the flyer, it looked like lots of games and activities so I suggested we go for just ten minutes to check it out. Kaleb drug his feet, but once we got there, he had a good time running around from one activity to another and then didn’t want to leave. It was like a school carnival, but without the prizes. It helped kill one more evening for him without his whining that he had nothing to do. The countdown is on until next Thursday when he gets his computer and Nintendo back and I’ve noticed he’s hanging low for fear he might blow it and get one more day taken away. He has been coming home from school and getting his homework done without a peep or being asked to do it. He’s been getting his own afterschool snacks and keeping his room clean. He sits quietly in the corner and reads when we are around. I like it to some degree, but it very much feels like someone pulled his plug. (I guess that would have been me.) Today after school he finally went over to a friend’s house with his Pokemon cards in tow. He was there all afternoon playing with Tobias (not the same one that lives in our neighborhood). Then Tobias came over here for a sleepover. We had another kid over and we played board games for a few hours tonight, so he’s expanding his horizons and finding out life isn’t as desperate as he thought it would be while he’s on restriction.

Kory and Kaleb both keep wanting to take away my computer “privileges” because I’ve become obsessed with finding every record available on my friend Paula’s family tree. It’s just so easy when there is such good documentation on the internet, I can’t stop until every rock is uncovered. Plus, it’s so cool now that I can read Norwegian better and can understand more things that I’m finding. I even found a fourth cousin of Paula’s in Oslo today – she has her own website with all her genealogy records on it so it was easy to connect the dots. I could call all this homework, but then it would take all the fun out of it as I’m beginning to hate school. I did one exercise today in class and I only got 4 out of 19 right and those were just lucky guesses. I understood absolutely NOTHING on the paper and nearly cried out of frustration. A few more people have dropped the class because it’s all just a blur now and no one understands this new level we have reached. Tante Kari thinks I should just go every other day so I have time to do other things before we move. I may take her advice.

Kory finally managed to hang up the awning today at our condo and Tante Ruth was thrilled to have it installed. Now Tante Aslaug wants one for her condo, so she’s going to be having a little talk with her kids about it. (I hope we haven’t stirred up trouble!) When Kory finished that job he went over to cousin Odds to work on his bedroom expansion. I didn’t see Kory until nearly nine tonight when we were assembling to have Family Game Night. And just as we were sitting down to play, two deer walked right in front of our house (see photo). They are much smaller than the ones we have back home, but it was so fun to watch them prancing around the neighborhood – not too frightened by anything.

It wasn’t a very exciting day today (unless you were Paula getting all my e-mails full of data on her dead relatives), but the sun was out and the view of the mountains nearly took my breath away a few times. I won’t ever get bored with the beauty of this place. The highlight of my day was when cousin Kari came by and asked if I wanted to go for a walk with her. My butt was pretty dead from all the sitting at the computer I’d been doing, so her timing was great. I guess she could have come by anytime today and it would have been the same situation, however

Being Duped

I found out today in my class that the school building we are in was used during World War II as German headquarters. Some of the classrooms were sleeping quarters and some were offices. I hope there are no ghosts left behind. We had quite the discussion on Norway’s history today so it was interesting for me, but The Good Teacher Inga admitted history is not her strong suit so she doesn’t know much more than the book reported. It was tough, in just a few hours, to go from the Viking times (over a thousand years ago) to World War II. I like that all the school books here in Norway inform the students that it was indeed Lief Ericksen that discovered America over five hundred years before Columbus. We Americans have been duped and we give credit where credit isn’t due. Oh well, Plymouth Plantation wasn’t the first settlement in America either, and yet, that’s what I was taught in school (Jamestown, Virginia was the first in 1607, but it is “nicer” to say America was founded by people seeking religious freedom, than by people growing tobacco.)

Today I got back a big writing assignment I did for class a few weeks ago. Inga was so impressed with it and said it is certainly good enough to pass the Norske Prøve 3 test, even though it had some red ink on the page from her corrections. What I didn’t tell her was that I had no time to do the assignment (or desire), so I wrote up the essay in Microsoft Word in English, then clicked on “translate.” Norwegian isn’t a option, but Swedish is (and they are very similar) so the whole document translated over to Swedish and I was able to fix the few differences in spelling, and then I copied it by hand onto the homework sheet. I guess it worked. It was a test. It was only a test. I wanted to see how well the computer generated respectable translation and it passed! I was so proud. Not that I would do that for a real Norwegian proficiency test or anything, but it’s nice to know I can use it in a pinch for other things. As they say, intelligence is not having all the answers, but rather, knowing where to find them. Tee hee.

I was going to use that “translate” option for writing a letter to the local newspaper a few weeks ago. They had a big article about Fjellstua – the biggest tourist spot around here. Fjellstua is a building on top of the mountain in the heart of town. Four hundred and eighteen steps lead up to it from Aalesund’s only park and it provides a sweeping view of the entire city (see photo). Everyone that visits Aalesund, goes to Fjellstua. So this huge two page article was written about how the Kommune is going to sell Fjellstua to the richest guy in town and he’s going to tear down the existing building and put up private condos, complete with a rooftop swimming pool. They had the architectural drawings of what it would look like (hideous) and lots of quotes from prospective buyers that couldn’t wait to move in. Both Kory and I were in shock. We read the article just before we went on our road trip and while we were in Bergen and saw the improvements they had made to their mountain top viewing platform there, we were just sick that Aalesund couldn’t do something similar and that they would sell out that view to private individuals. I was formulating my “thoughts” as we were on vacation and was determined to come home and blast the city for such an insane idea. Then I found out from cousin Odd that the whole article was an April Fool’s Day joke (it did appear on April 1st.) I couldn’t believe the paper would resort to such a thing, but I guess it’s a pretty common occurrence here - and they never publish a retraction so it’s up to the local gossip pool to figure out what story that day was a hoax. Uff da. I was duped again.

After class today I stopped off at Moa to see how Kory was doing installing the awning for Tante Ruth at our condo. He wasn’t too happy as he couldn’t find any of the studs to secure the bolts, so his progress was nil. Tante Ruth had made coffee for us and set out some bread and jam. It was a huge effort on her part as she can barely stand up and has to feel her way around a room to find things. I felt terrible she went through so much effort, but she wanted to. Tante Aslaug was there too and she raved about the fresh torsk I brought on Tuesday. She said every time she visited Kory’s mom in America, all she’d have to do to make her homesick was mention fresh torsk. Tante Aslaug said she still had some “rogn” (fish eggs) left over and she’d be happy to fry some up to have with coffee (I prefer a little cake or something sweet with my coffee, but then, I’m only half Norwegian). Kory was thrilled with the offer so she ran next door and cooked up those fish egg patties in a hurry and she and Kory scarfed them down with their coffee. I wanted to puke. My clothes smelled like fried fish eggs the rest of the day. I guess that’s one way to keep Kory close.

Happy Birthday Turid

I ran into a woman on the bus today that used to be in my Norwegian class. She got “put back” to the slower moving class and she just loves it. She said it goes at a tolerable pace so she’s able to understand the grammar rules better, and by the way she was able to communicate, I could tell it was a good fit. She was speaking the language way better than me. I’m thinking I need to be put back (or down) too. As The Good Teacher Inga was talking today about some new tense of those lovely verbs, I just tuned out. I haven’t learned a thing in weeks, as it’s all just too much. Others in the class feel the same, yet we continue to clip through the book like we’re on a race to finish before everyone else. A new concept is taught one day and expected to be memorized overnight so the next day another concept can fill that temporary storage space in our brains. I’ve decided I’m only going to class now for my own entertainment – as I’m so done with learning the language. If I could have ever mastered the basic rules of grammar, there may have been hope, but for now, that ship has sailed and I’m too far from the shore. My only motivation to go to class now is that I learn things other than Norwegian, and it gives me something to write about (in English). Uff da.

After school today I stopped off at Turid’s art studio to help her clean it up a bit. She’s having a party for her daughter Hege on Sunday, after Hege gets baptised. Their house isn’t big enough to hold 20 people, but her art studio fits the bill nicely. It is Turid’s birthday today so I thought she shouldn’t have to do all the cleaning herself. Kory called Odd and told him to buy her some flowers and a nice card, and Odd just laughed. He’s not much on gift giving (either is Kory, so it’s kind of funny he gave that advice.) Turid is one of the most underappreciated people I know – she’s a quiet servant to all and she never complains or expects anything in return. I brought her flowers, but it’s hardly enough for all she’s done for us. She has taken care of our condo for ten years and is a signer on our bank account here so she has paid all our bills and done our taxes year after year. When we come to visit every year and stay for a month, we stay with Odd and Turid. We can never repay that debt, but we are trying. When I grow up, I hope to be more like her (she’s 45 today).

Kaleb said he had a fine day at school, but things took a turn for the worse shortly thereafter. He threatened to run away from home today – I think he’s threatened that once before. He’s frustrated with me because I keep taking away days he can play with electronics everytime he is disobedient or disrespectful. He’s been pretty good lately, but today he had a “moment” and he lost one more day. He’s still over a week away from getting his laptop and Nintendo back and he won’t go play with any kids from school until he can use electronics again. He’s been sitting inside and reading the Harry Potter series again (for the fourth time, I think). He can devour one book a day. And today was so warm outside and beautiful, but he wouldn’t go out. Tobias came over to play with him but he wouldn’t play, he just pouted and cried. I felt like doing that myself. I finally had to leave and go for a walk as the tension was a bit much. We needed a loaf of bread so it gave me an excuse to walk to the neighborhood grocery store. I keep forgetting that going to the store at the end of the day is always a bad idea. The bread is often sold out (as it was tonight). I think they have figured out just how many loafs to bake everyday to feed the neighborhood, and that’s just how many they bake. One time I told Odd we were out of bread and it was around 5:00. He said not to bother to go because it would all be gone by then, and he was right. No one would ever buy day old bread, so I guess they can’t risk baking too much.

I’m still not used to the whole grocery store environment here. Things don’t get restocked during the day – or at night. The stores do all their stocking of the shelves in the morning after they open, so often if I go early, I’m dodging pallates of food. If I go too late, many things have sold out and I can’t get all I need. And going to the store to buy something that is on sale is always a challenge. They don’t have “rain checks” here like they do in The States, and sale items are always first come first serve. I’ve rarely made it to the store in time to get in on the best deals, and they don’t restock the items. (The whole “deceptive advertising” thing wouldn’t go over well here.) I guess the stores are a lot like my patience on days like today. When I’m out, I’m out - and there’s not much to do about it but leave. No wonder Kaleb wanted to run away.

Torsk Dag I Dag

I didn’t get much sleep last night because I was on the radio until 11:15pm and then I needed time to decompress. I didn’t realize the format of the Monday program was different from the Saturday one, so it took me a bit by surprise. Monday nights are a call-in time where people ask for prayer – and I was the one that got to pray for them. So mixed in with the music and my talk, I prayed for the requests over the air. That wasn’t anything I’ve ever done before and it made me wish I could call everyone back and see how they were doing. I always feel so inadequate when I pray for someone, but I need to remind myself that I’m just the vessel – it’s God that does the work. I guess it’s God’s business if they got healed, not mine, but I AM the curious type.

It was such a nice day today I took a walk during my lunch break down to the harbor in Aalesund. The fishing boats were lined up selling fresh shrimp and torsk (cod) right from their boats. Seafood doesn’t get any fresher than that. The man selling torsk said I needed to buy the entire fish and the smallest one he had could have fed an army. It was still cheaper to buy the whole fish from him than to buy just enough fish in the store to feed the three of us, so I bought it. He was kind enough to gut it for me and take the head off, but I told him I wanted to keep the head. I knew I’d score points with Tante Aslaug if I showed up today with a fresh fish head. I also asked him to keep the eggs, as I’d heard Aslaug say she liked to eat those, too. Had I known she also liked the liver, I wouldn’t have let him throw it to the seagulls. I’ll know better for next time.

I always have to change busses at Moa where the big bus terminal is, and coincidentally, it’s right next to where all three of Kory’s aunts live. So on my way home I hopped off the bus at Moa and walked down the sidewalk, bearing the ultimate gift for any true blue Norwegian – fresh torsk. Just the mention of it around here gets everyone licking their lips and letting out a slight little “mmmmm.” I knew if I turned up with my sad luck story of having to buy such a big fish and having no way to eat the entire thing while it was still fresh –the Tantes would help me out. Tante Aslaug smiled ear to ear when she saw the fish head in the bag. She also let out a little squeal over the huge clump of eggs next to it. I couldn’t have been more grossed out over the whole thing, so it was nice someone was happy about that dead fish. She was eager to cut it up into sharable pieces when I asked her to do so. Tante Kari even got up from the couch, broken hip and all, and started to get the water boiling as she was so thrilled to have fresh torsk today. We stopped in to see Tante Ruth too and she seemed a bit concerned that she might not be able to eat all that was cut up for her, but I’m sure she had at least one piece of it tonight. It was such a bonding moment, knowing we were all feasting on the same fish that gave its very life for our dinner plate.

The Tantes asked me how I cook torsk and I told them I bake it in the oven, the same as salmon. They were shocked. They have only heard of boiled torsk so they insisted I make it the traditional Norwegian way for Kory using LOTS of salted water. I must bring the water to a boil, they said, lay the fish in carefully, and when the water returns to a boil, pull the fish out immediately. They told me I had to taste the water to make sure it was as salty as the sea the fish came from. These Norwegians, they like their salt.

As it turned out, when Kory got home from work and heard I had fresh torsk in the refrigerator, he couldn’t wait for me to get ready to cook dinner, nor could he wait for a shower – he dropped everything and started boiling the water himself. And it was a good thing too, as I was busy with my friend Paula’s dead relatives, as the farm history books (bygdbok) arrived today at the library so I was doing more research for her and had no desire to stop. Kory didn’t even complain about making dinner after a long day at work. In fact, he didn’t say a thing. All I heard were sounds of delight as gulped down the fish and picked away at the carcass. It’s beyond my understanding – this love affair between Norwegians and their torsk, but it did taste pretty good with the fried onions Kory made to go with the potatoes. But I’m sure I won’t live to see the day I eat a fish head, the eggs or the liver - I’m too American for that - but fresh torsk is a pretty good meal, I must admit.

“Thursday” in Norwegian is called “torsdag.” I told the Tantes that today was “torskdag,” and they smiled. I don’t think they got it – because today is Tuesday (tirsdag).

Scheduling

I went through this enormous internal struggle this morning as to whether I should go to class or not. I skipped school Friday to be with Paula so I was a little worried about getting too far behind again. Because I had already prepared my Bible study lesson weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and go to class and just review the lesson when I got home. So I got up and out the door, took the 40 minute bus ride into the city, breathlessly trudged up the hillside and two flights of stairs, only to discover the teacher was sick and there was no substitute. I wanted to cry. On Monday’s we have one teacher for the first two hours, then The Good Teacher Inga the last two hours. Our first teacher was sick and just left busy work to be done until Inga came. I grabbed the busy work and walked out the door. I was on the next bus heading east. (The photo today is looking east from the harbor in Aalesund.)

Kory was at work, Kaleb had left for school and the dryer was still tumbling when I walked in the door. Even though I had my Bible lesson prepared, I needed to review it. I also needed to finish up another talk I prepared for Christian radio. Esther, the woman with the radio show, asked if I could speak on her show tonight, rather than Saturday, so I needed to go over my talk on “Giving.” I love that topic the best, so I wanted to be sure I was well prepared. It was nice to have a quiet house.

Kaleb broke the silence as he came bouncing through the door with a big “Hi, Mama!” an hour earlier than I expected him. He was half laughing as he said it, as he thought he was pulling one over on me. I did have to ask why he was home so early and then he revealed his “secret.” Apparently his teacher sent a note home last week reminding the parents that the school schedule has changed, but he kept the note to himself so he could “surprise” me. They dropped one hour of something at school on Monday’s, but I’m not sure what. The notice said “Uke 17,” which means “week 17,” there will be a change in school hours.

The system they use for scheduling things here in Norway takes a bit of getting used to. First of all, all the calendars have Monday as the first day of the week, so that Saturday and Sunday are all the way to the right side of the page. I had to bring an American calendar with me because I just can’t get my bearings straight when all the weeks start with a Monday. And all the Norwegian calendars have a special little column before every Monday showing which week of the year it is. So “week 1” is the week that has January 1st in it somewhere, then every week after that is labeled “uke 2,” “uke 3,” etc. This is uke 17 and the last week of the year is uke 53, so it’s easy to see just how fast the year is flying by. But it’s so weird even in church they will make announcements that “Week 20 we will have a special seminar,” etc. and they will never say what date they are referring to – like everyone knows when “week 20” is. Announcements in the newspaper and all types of communication use this system of just naming the week number if something is happening for more than a day or two. It’s quite different from anything I’m used to, but I could see it would actually work pretty well if I ever got used to where the numbers fall within the year. People here say, “I’ll be on vacation week 30 and 31,” rather than, “I’ll be on vacation July 20-August 1st.” Okay, then. We’ll be heading back to America week 37, but I still haven’t bought our tickets – maybe I’ll do that by week 24.

After Kaleb got home it was pointless to try to study any further, so I resorted to cleaning house. It was a bit out of control as I’ve had other things I’d rather be doing lately, but the laundry was about to take over. Kaleb mentioned this, and I have noticed it too, that people here in Norway wear the same clothes day after day until they get dirty. It’s so odd to see that, but I think it’s part of a tradition that’s comes from the poverty this nation once had and that many did not have more than two sets of clothes – one to wash and one to wear. I so wish Kaleb would adapt to that custom as that kid wears a new outfit everyday and throws them in the hamper whether they are dirty or not.

Our Bible study went well tonight but Ledto didn’t come because she’s due to have her baby any day now so she’s not feeling too hot. Kory offered to take her to the hospital so we should be the first to know when she goes into labor. And I think my talk on the radio went well. In one way I like that I don’t know what people think (so my pride isn’t affected one way or another), but in another way, it’s nice to get feedback. The translator loved my stories anyway. And so did Kory – even though he’s heard them all a thousand times before. I love that he’s my biggest fan.

A Quiet Day

We decided it best to have a day of rest today. We all slept in (which felt so good) then went to church at Filadelfia. None of the aunts were at church so it wasn’t quite right. They all live just across the street from the church so we stopped in to visit them afterwards and see how they were doing. Tante Aslaug, the healthiest one in the bunch, has had her hands full keeping tabs on her two sisters. We are so thankful they all have been able to live next to each other for the past ten years. This is just what we had in mind when we bought the condo for Aunt Ruth to live in – that none of them would have to be alone should anything happen. It turns out Tante Aslaug just slept in and missed church because she was so tired. Tante Kari is still in a lot of pain from her broken hip so we prayed for her again and visited with her a while. She still smiles and lights up a room, even when her eyes tell the story of the pain she’s feeling. Tante Ruth was feeling a bit stronger today as she was able to eat a little food yesterday and keep it down. Kory made fish soup for dinner last night so we took her the leftovers. She was so impressed he can cook (as am I). She also managed a little smile when he told her we bought an awning to cover the deck so she can go outside on sunny days. Her skin is the color of Elmer’s glue, so a little fresh air might do her some good. She’s had better days. We had a nice visit with her too as Kory told her of his plans to go up in the mountains and re-visit the farm he remembers from his childhood. (The photo today is of an isolated mountain farm I saw yesterday – it’s only accessible by boat and by foot.) Tante Ruth loves to hear about all our plans. All the aunts are so impressed with everything we’ve been able to accomplish in the time we’ve been here. It will be a sad day when we leave. We only have nine weekends left and I’m already starting to pack. Paula took a big duffel bag full of our Christmas and Easter decorations home with her and we’ll get them from her later this year. I’m starting to sort through things I want to keep and things to get rid of. We’re definitely on the downward slide.

It was a bit chilly today with dark gray clouds threatening overhead, but no rain came. We all bundled up and went for a late afternoon walk and stopped by Odd and Turid’s for a quick visit. They invited us to attend the State church with them next Sunday as Hege will be baptized – State church style – by sprinkling. She was never baptized as a baby so she must do it before she can be confirmed in June. It’s a strange tradition here and even stranger that it doesn’t have a whole lot to do with a personal relationship with Christ. Turid says it just signifies she is “entering the church” – somewhat like becoming a member I guess, so it seems it has more to do with tradition, than religion. It’s ironic that the Christian tradition in Norway doesn’t have much Christianity in it. Kory struggles with these traditions because they don’t exactly line up with what he believes the Bible says, but I say it’s not his place to judge. For over a thousand years this country has revolved around Christian traditions and we don’t fully understand everything. I’m just excited we are invited to a baptism and get to experience more of the culture. And I’m sure there will be cake.

Tonight Tobias came over and we played Mexican Train with him and Kaleb. Kaleb is learning a lot about getting along with others through his daily relationship with Tobias. They get on each other’s nerves, they push each other’s buttons and they still keep on being friends. Kaleb had his feelings hurt yesterday and swore he’d never play with Tobias again because Tobias called him some name he didn’t like, only to find out Kaleb had called him Toe-bee-ass, with an emphasis on the last syllable. Kaleb got in a bit of trouble with us over that one. He’s having to learn what’s right and wrong in a relationship and how to forgive and ask for forgiveness. We’ve noticed a real nasty trend with him in that he doesn’t take any ownership in things he does wrong and he likes to blame us for his troubles. He told Tobias today he lost another day of electronics for no reason, but there was a reason – he disobeyed. He cried for about an hour over that one because he felt the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Kory told him to stop doing something and he didn’t stop. We’ve tightened the leash on him with the whole disrespect/defiance/disobedience thing so the consequences hurt him terribly. I’ve so enjoyed him the last several days though as he’s doing his darndest to stay out of trouble.

I missed Paula today. She has several stops on her flight back home so she’ll be one tired puppy when she gets there. I’m so thankful she came for a visit and I sure wish more friends would come over. It’s a shame to keep this beautiful place all to ourselves but I’m glad so many are reading the blog and keeping in touch. There wasn’t much new I could tell Paula as she kept saying, “Oh yeah, you wrote about that in your blog.” It’s nice to have readers! Thanks everyone.

Goodbye to Paula (sniff sniff)

Today was our last day with my good friend Paula. We put her on the night bus to Oslo to catch a flight out tomorrow back to Colorado. It was hard not to cry. She wasn’t here long enough nor did I get to show her all the places that I love. The tourist season hasn’t really started here so many things are still closed (like roads) and schedules are limited (like ferries). We did have cooperative weather today though so we took the Hurtigruten ferry out to Geiranger. The two of us planned to take the boat and have Kory pick us up so she could see the trip by water and by land, but the ferry didn’t order a tender to get the people off the boat in Geiranger because there were so few of us on board today. We had to stay on the boat for the ride into the fjord and back out again to Aalesund. It all worked out fine as it was a lovely day for a cruise, even if the wind was a bit chilly – the sun was shining on us all day. The ferry was an hour later than scheduled to arrive in port this morning as it doesn’t travel quite as fast as the other ships in the fleet. We got the oldest ferry Hurtigruten (the Coastal Ferry line) has – built in 1956, so it was like a time warp traveling on that ship. It didn’t have the usual amenities the larger cruise ship type boats they run up and down the coastline have, but there were only a few dozen people on board so it was a good trade off. It was nice not deal with other tourists, even if it meant we got a smaller boat, as we practically had it all to ourselves.

We had lunch while we cruised and Paula, being the good Norwegian girl that she is, loved all that nasty food they served - like funny looking pickled things and fish eggs and such. She squealed with each spoonful of unrecognizable “stuff’ she scooped on to her plate as she was so excited to try out all the new flavors. I stuck with the safe stuff that was easy to identify and I knew what to expect – I’m such a food whimp. But we drank lots of coffee, we talked a lot and laughed a little but not nearly as much as we have laughed all week. If laughter really is good medicine, I won’t be sick for a very long time.

I tried to repeat all the stories that I’ve heard over the years as we’ve traveled into the Geiranger fjord, but I failed miserably in getting things right or remembering all the details. But there were enough mountain farms dotting the landscape to make it interesting however, even without the guided tour. This area of Norway is special as it has so many “fjellsæter” (mountain farms). The mountains are incredible enough in that they just go straight up out of the sea over 6,000 feet into the sky, but then upon closer examination, a house and a barn sometimes appear about 4,000 feet up. It’s always a wonder how in the world someone could carve a little farm out of the side of such a very scary looking place, but they did. When Kory was a kid his dad was a lay-minister and he used to go up into the mountains to visit the people living in those “cliff dwellings.” Kory has some vivid memories of one summer he spent several days up tending goats, rowing a boat on a mountain lake and sleeping over at a farm called Verpesdalen while his father ministered to them. Kory’s goal, before we leave Norway this year, is to visit that place. I’m afraid the hike straight up the mountainside might kill him, so we may have to take a helicopter, but one way or another we’ll get there. It takes more imagination than I have to think about what life must have been like in the days the farms were in full use. Today they are just summer homes. I saw a video on the fjellsæter many years ago and some of the farms were on such steep hillsides the people living there had to tie a rope around their goats and cows, their kids and even themselves, whenever they were outside. One slip and they’d fall to their death. The only advantage to living that high up was that when the tax man came to call, they’d pull up the ladder and he had no way to collect the taxes. I’m sure there are easier ways to avoid paying taxes than to live on the side of such a cliff, but the main reason they lived up there was because there was a patch of tillable soil and people were hungry.

So Kory and Kaleb stayed home today while Paula and I were enjoying a little bit of luxury. Kaleb had a friend from school over and Kory insisted they play outside all day. Kaleb’s imagination has been sucked right out of his brain as he swears there is nothing to do outside. Kory went with them down to the creek and showed them how to build a dam. It worked for a while then they were back again complaining about their boring lives. I think Norwegians kill the boredom by climbing mountains, and building things in odd places. I kill the boredom by communicating with friends via e-mail or Facebook or Skype, but this week I have most certainly not been bored for even a second. It was so great to have Paula here, but now I’m afraid, I might get bored. What to do… what to do…. Come back Paula, come back!

Treasure Hunting

Paula and I had a change of plans again today as we intended to take the Hurtigruten ferry boat out to Geiranger (the biggest tourist attraction in these parts), but we woke up to low-lying gray clouds and drizzle. Since the whole point of the trip was to see the mountains plunging drastically into the sea, the perspective is lost if the tops of the mountains aren’t visible, so we canned that plan and will try again tomorrow. Today we took it easy – not something I like to do when we have company that isn’t here for very long, but we had limited options with the rain coming and going all day. (She got to see the REAL Norway after all.)

Paula likes to shop second hand stores as much as I do so I skipped school anyway and Kory acted as our chauffeur. I was able to go to two thrift stores that are never open on the weekends so I’ve never been to them. They were full of treasures for all three of us. Kory even found a cool hand carved lampshade he liked and bought just to sit and stare at the incredible work done on it. I found a few souvenir plates I’ve been collecting of different cities we’ve visited in Norway and Paula found all kinds of things that will provide good memories of her first trip to Norway (I know she’ll be back). We went to several home decorating stores first to see if there were any items of interest there, but it was all too sterile with not much personality, and we really liked the old stuff better. While we were out we bought an awning for our condo. When we were there yesterday it was so warm it was nearly suffocating. Tante Ruth doesn’t like having the windows or doors open to cool the place down, so we thought an awning might be a good idea. Kory told me today that Tante Ruth has stopped eating. She has lost her appetite and won’t even eat a piece of bread. I did think she looked terribly thin yesterday but her spirits were up so I just dismissed it, but now I’m worried. I’m thinking we need to visit more frequently because we only have two months left and who knows how much longer she’ll be around. I felt sad all day today just thinking about her and what a loner she is. She really doesn’t like people coming by (except us) and it made me sad she’s all alone most of the day, but Kory said that’s what she likes. It’s hard to understand.

I guess I shouldn’t have skipped school today because Lord only knows how much more practice I need speaking the language. I was telling Tante Kari yesterday that we bought some things for the baby about to be born to the couple in our Bible Study group. I thought I said I bought some sheets and a bed cover, but it turns out I said I bought an onion and a table cloth. I wondered why Tante Kari looked so puzzled as I was talking. It’s probably a good idea I always travel with a translator. I still have a terrible time understanding the locals when they talk, but for the most part I’m able to give proper facial expressions and benign comments so they at least think I understand what they are saying. I have no idea how many times I’ve embarrassed myself by not answering a question that someone may have been asking that I didn’t understand. My pal Vestina had a job interview this week and the interviewer asked her several questions. She didn’t understand a single one. She asked him to NOT speak with a dialect and to repeat the questions. She still didn’t understand. She then asked him to speak slowly, and he did, but she still didn’t understand a single thing he was saying. He finally said that maybe she should wait for three more months until she’s done with school before she tries to get a job. And she’s one of the best students in the class! So at least I’m in good company.

This afternoon we took Kaleb and Tobias with us as Paula and I went hunting for more treasures at the beach a few miles down the street. Paula likes to find sea glass and there was plenty to choose from at Emblem Stranda, so she had a good time looking (see photo). The wind turned cold today so being inside was the most sensible thing, however.

Kory made dinner tonight so Paula got her first taste of whale meat too – and liked it! That girl is an adventure -in-eating kind of gal and has me beat hands down when it comes to proving we have Norwegian blood in our veins. Paula and I spent the evening with the dead bloodline, as I typed up her family tree so she had something to take home with her, and she continued her search on the internet for more leads on dead branches. Family research is what started her time here in Norway, and it’s a good way to wrap it up. She leaves tomorrow night. I’m so sad about that, but I’ll try to stay focused on the bright side and be happy at least she came to see our life here in Norway and how good we have it. Kory hasn’t got her shouting Hallelujah yet, but there’s always hope for tomorrow.

Feeling Blessed

It’s a good thing the plan was for Paula to stay home today while I went to school because she got three phone calls in the middle of the night and didn’t sleep too well as a result. I was up and out the door as normal, Kaleb went to school, and Kory was at home to make her a cup of coffee when she woke up at ten. Poor thing. At least she didn’t have the rush to get out the door. Kory took her to the Sunnmøre Museum in town and I met them there after school. It’s a great museum as they have all the cool old buildings from this area (see photo) and it was yet another beautiful day here in Sunnmøre (the area around Aalesund). Everyone that meets Paula is sure to tell her that she’s been very lucky to be here when we’ve had such good weather, and she agrees, especially since her town in Colorado has been getting snow everyday this week. But truly, this week has been incredible here. It was so warm and sunny today I took a nap on a bench while Kory and Paula walked around the museum grounds. I think my face might even be slightly darker now as it got its first good dose of Vitamin D (a big concern in these parts).

When we got back home, Kaleb and Tobias had all the shades drawn and a blanket over the interior door windows and they were up to something. We had to wait in the hallway for the “all clear” sign, and then we were ushered into the living room, once again, all decked out for an afternoon tea party. Kaleb is desperately trying to wipe out his electronics restriction so he’s been on his best behavior lately, but I keep telling him there is no negotiating on that one. It was nice to be spoiled a little, just the same. He melted some of his chocolate candies so I’d have it to spread on garlic/rosemary crackers (the only thing he could find in the cupboard). He’d even done his Algebra homework BEFORE school today, and got all but one right. He’d come home from school and completed all his other homework without either Kory or I saying a word. The self-determination and motivation he displays at such a time as this, makes me want to cry because then I truly know what he’s capable of, and when I don’t see it too often any other time, it hurts. What’s a mother to do? I told my teacher at school today Kaleb has been so devastated that he can’t play with electronics that he doesn’t even want a playdate with other boys at their house because then there would be nothing to do with them. My teacher Inga said when she was a child, and misbehaved, her restriction was to NOT go outside. She said she’d stand in the window and watch all the other kids outside playing, and she was so sad she couldn’t join them. Kaleb laughed when I told him that, as he can’t imagine what kids would be doing outside when all the fun is found behind a computer screen.

We must have spent two hours today talking about what we should be doing tomorrow and Saturday, since Paula’s time is coming to an end so quickly. We ran every scenario, but for the most part, she’s here about two weeks too early as most of the real touristy things aren’t open yet. And we’ve been seeking out the best way for her return to Oslo to fly out on Sunday at noon, and we’ve come to realize just how small this town is. There are no flights Sunday morning, the train gets in after her flight takes off, and the night bus from Aalesund to Oslo gets in six hours before her flight, so none of the options are ideal. We offered to drive her to the airport, but she saw how long of a drive it was to get here and wouldn’t even consider that as an option, so now it seems she’ll be taking the night bus Saturday and killing six hours in a small airport before she flies home at noon. Not ideal, but she swears she won’t let the return trip home diminish all the fun she’s had while she’s been here. So we need to kick it up a notch and make the next two days really count.

Kaleb had a birthday party to attend this afternoon so while he was off having more fun than he’s had in a while, we went to greet all the aunts and to show Paula our condo. We brought them all belated Easter greetings, but mostly we wanted to see how Tante Kari is doing with her broken hip. She wasn’t feeling too well tonight and when Kory asked if there was anything he could help her with, she said, “Take away my pain,” so we prayed for her. I’m glad we got to visit, and Paula got to meet the “Tantes.” While Kory was visiting with Tante Ruth, Paula was helping me with future decorating plans, should the day ever come that we actually get to live in our condo. Tante Ruth wasn’t feeling too well either so we understand full well that old age isn’t for sissies. We’re all glad we aren’t that old yet.

We had our home fellowship group meeting tonight but instead of going to someone’s home, like we usually do, some of us met up at a restaurant for “kvelds mat” (night food). Paula came along and met some of the gang. Not all the conversation was in English but she was a gracious guest anyway. Typical Paula – easy to have around, no matter what.

A Beachy Day

We had a plan for today, but sometimes, plans just don’t always work out. Paula came with me to school again today. The plan was she would stay for the first two hours because we were going to see a touristy type film that highlights all the different areas of Norway, and she wanted to see it. So that part went well and even though she didn’t understand the words, the pictures said it all. The next part of the plan was that after the break she would go down to the ferry dock and take a walk-on ferry across the fjord to Kory’s home town of Langevaag to go shopping at the sweater factory there, then take the ferry back and meet me after school. But the problem was I didn’t go with her and she missed the boat. (Which wasn’t as bad as the agony she felt realizing her blunder would end up in my blog!) When she got to the ferry dock, she stood right by the boat as it took off because she thought “it was someone’s personal yacht.” I forgot to tell her that some ferries here don’t really look like ferries. She called me to ask about Plan B, which didn’t exist. I left class and met her at the ferry dock and we took the next “yacht” together across the fjord (it was way more fun than the last hour of my class, I’m sure). Paula didn’t find any sweaters at the factory she liked well enough to spend hundreds of dollars on, but it was fun to look anyway.

Kory came and picked us up in Langevaag after he got the snow tires taken off our van. We all ate a quick lunch at home, packed up some food for dinner, Kory loaded the BBQ grill in the back of the van, threw in some tables and chairs and we were off to the beach. We stopped to pick up a pal of Kaleb’s from school so Kaleb had someone to run around with. The day was just too nice to sit at home and the Island of Alnes was calling. Alnes has the best sandy beach in this entire area (and a great lighthouse which frames all photos very nicely) and we thought it was a good destination point to end this sunny day. Kory set up the table and chairs (in the photo it’s the little white spot on the beach just under the lighthouse) and he BBQ’d chicken and potatoes while Paula and I went for a long walk looking for beach treasures. We all ate dinner to the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, an occasional seagull overhead, and bit of a cold breeze blowing in off the ocean. There wasn’t another soul around, which surprised me. How could a day like today not draw more people to the beach? Maybe the fact we had to go through four tunnels and over one bridge to get there, and then take a ferry back because two of the tunnels were closed, was the deterrent. Or maybe the timing was the key – since most people just got back from Easter vacation. Either way, it worked well for us as I loved the solitude.

When the wind turned downright chilly, we packed up our stuff and headed to the other side of the island, which wasn’t nearly as windy or cold. Monstrous boulders line the north shore and the boys enjoyed jumping from one rock to the other and playing hide and seek among them. A gigantic ring of stones was set next to the parking area, and it was clear that people had been burning all kinds of trash there. And sure enough, while we were hanging out, an older couple pulled up in their car, got out a trunk load of cardboard boxes and other burnables, doused them with lighter fluid and lit them on fire. Kory asked them about what they were doing and they said that place was the island’s incinerator – that everyone goes to that spot to burn their paper. It was obvious from the “ashes” that more than paper ends up there, as many metal items were sticking out of the ash heap, as was an unbroken china cup, a marble, a beautiful clay vase, aluminum fishing floats, rusted springs and various other non-inflammable pieces of trash and household goods. The couple left as soon as the fire was roaring, which left the boys with some new entertainment. It made my heart glad that Kaleb really IS able to find ways to kill time without being in front of a piece of electronics.

Paula didn’t buy a sweater today but she did manage to do a little shopping prior to me meeting her at the ferry – she bought me some walking poles. It’s the kind of gift that Kory would be in big trouble if he bought for me, because it would be acknowledging that I’m not as steady on my feet (i.e., not as young) as I used to be, but Paula, being the “old” friend that she is, got away with it (mostly because we both know we are still 17 on the inside.) She was being very thoughtful and is trying to keep me from falling and really hurting myself when I’m up hiking in the mountains (or perhaps, just walking down the sidewalk.) Kory had a good laugh when I showed him my gift. I guess it takes the pressure off him now (literally) when we are out for a walk and I must maneuver over uneven surfaces (my knees just don’t hold up like they used to.) It’s nice to get a good gift from the RIGHT person, but funny too, that it would make a difference who I get it from. It’s good to have friends.

No More Easter Break

My good friend Paula woke at the crack of dawn this morning in order to get herself ready so she could come with me to school. I thought it would be fun for her to watch me wince in pain as I struggle with this thing called the Norwegian language. She wasn’t laughing too much as she was concentrating on trying to understand it herself. She understands Dutch from when she lived in Holland 20 years ago so she was familiar with some of the words. Our teacher said people from Holland have the easiest time learning the Scandinavian languages because they are more like the Dutch language than any other. So Paula was a good student and very focused, while I on the other hand, just tried to stay awake. I only slept about four hours last night so I was in a fog all morning. I’m so determined to post my blog every day, most nights I’m up after midnight in order to get it done. Uff da. And Kaleb is sleeping in our bed so Paula can have his room and that kid is all elbows and knees, so my sleep was anything but sound.

After school today Paula and I stayed in town so she could experience the city. It only takes a few hours as it’s a small place, but she just had to do it. We had lunch and walked around and enjoyed lots of sunshine and a cool breeze as we made our way over to a second hand store to look for treasures. Paula and I have always liked the exact same things and it’s a sure bet if I buy something, I may as well get two of them and give one to her. We decorate our houses in a similar fashion and sure enough, she bought things at the store that were right in line with what I’ve been buying – candlesticks, vases, decorative baskets and serving spoons – all made from Norwegian pewter. One pewter spoon costs about $40 new, but she was able to get the same thing at the thrift store for four dollars, so she was happy. I found a few treasures there myself and could hear Kory’s voice in the back of my mind saying, “What are we going to do with all this stuff when we move?” (Some of it is going home in Paula’s suitcase and she can ship it to me from Colorado later.)

We stopped at the library to order up the farm record books we saw while we were down in Vestfold, where Paula’s great grandparents lived. I’m hoping the books arrive before she leaves on Sunday. (I love that it’s possible to order any book from any library in the entire country and they ship it for free!) I want to make copies of the pages and translate them for her so she can share the information with her family when she gets home. I also want to see if I can go back any more generations on her family tree, but already I’m back to the 1600s on several branches.

Paula and I made the laborious climb up the 418 steps to the top of the Aksla mountain in town so we could enjoy the view from Fjellstua – the “mountain livingroom” that sits above the city giving the tourists a fine destination point when the cruise ships come to call. Actually, we enjoyed the view from every bench provided between the first step and the last because we were moaning and groaning just a bit more than usual and needed to sit down a lot after our big mountain climb yesterday. My knees weren’t the best and Paula’s feet hurt, so we were just a fine couple of “golden girls” not willing to admit we’ve aged much, but the proof was in the pudding, as they say. I think we might have used an hour to get to the top. I’ve done it in the past in less than 15 minutes, but I had nothing to prove, so we just enjoyed the view as we climbed higher and higher seeing the sights that unfolded before us. It was also good to have some girl talk for a change - and to laugh. Some days, I think I forget to laugh.

Kory broke out the BBQ today after he got home from work. He was so excited to be back in his element Bar-B-Qing salmon and potatoes (which were really tasty, by the way.) Tobias came over to play with Kaleb and stayed for dinner and we all had some hardy laughs as the boys played with words while we ate. Kaleb is not thrilled that he lost his electronics for two weeks because of how disrespectful and disobedient he’s been lately so he’s struggling with what to do with all his free time. He currently thinks I’m the worst mother in the whole world so it’s nice to have Paula here to validate me. Poor Paula, she’s been on the phone nearly non-stop as her job in Colorado provides no break. She manages rental cabins in the Rocky Mountains, so we also share the “joy” of having jobs that are difficult to leave behind. We currently have three vacancies at our apartment building in Seattle (a record for one month), and it’s more than I can manage. Fortunately we have managers back home, but there are things we still must deal with. Paula, of all people, feel my pain, so I’m thanking God He brought her to me just when I needed her most.

Fuglefjell (Bird Mountain)

Today is the "Second Day of Easter" here in Norway, so everything is still closed and no one worked today. I guess the Norwegians need a little extra time to relax after all that time they spent up in the mountains over Easter break. Feeling a bit guilty we had yet to climb a mountain at “such a time as this,” we headed for the hills today with our Kwikk Lunsj candy bars and oranges. Everywhere we’ve been in the last week has been desolate with very few people anywhere, but wouldn’t you know, the hills were alive with the sound of Norwegians today – they were crawling all over the mountains like ants on a mound.

We took my friend Paula out to the island of Runde to see Fuglefjell – a very famous bird nesting spot on the Norwegian coastline. I didn’t know the birds don’t show up until next week, but I found out once we were on top and didn’t see them. (The cliff face behind Paula in the photo is the nesting ground to thousands of Puffins and other seabirds every spring.) The two hour drive out was as picturesque as anything gets in these parts, and the hike up the mountain today was something out of a movie scene. We even had gorgeous blue sky weather until we reached the summit and the fog moved in. Every direction we looked was eye candy.

One thing I love the best about living here is being close to all Kory’s family. Last night at 9:30 we called up a few relatives and told them our plans to go on a hike today. They all cancelled their plans for the day and said they would LOVE to come on a hike with us. So cousin Axel and his wife Kari came along, as did their daughter Miriam and her husband Kenneth and their son Elander. Miriam is more than a super mom as she had a 30 pound toddler in a backpack as she hiked straight up the mountainside faster than any of us could go with just our own bodies to deal with. Their ten year old foster son, Benjamin also came along. Odd and Turid and Hege were late combers, but they met us at the top as we were sitting down to eat our lunch. We found out today another popular mountain food item is hot dogs – packed in a wide mouth thermos of boiling water. These Norwegians have it all figured out.

I have to say I was bummed the birds weren’t around because that just makes the whole trip something unbelievably special, but the scenery is so stunning Paula thought it didn’t matter the birds weren’t there, but she doesn’t know what she’s missing. I hadn’t been to Runde for ten years, since our first visit to Norway with Kaleb. I sat in the exact spot Paula is standing in that photo, feeding Kaleb. It’s so vivid in my mind, it’s like it was just a few months ago. The image today of Kaleb and Kory lying on their bellies to get right out on the edge so they could look straight down to the sea is one I hope to soon forget, however. It makes my stomach drop just thinking about it.

Paula got a taste today of a “typik Norsk” (typical Norwegian) day. We had a caravan of cars heading off to some high altitude destination, that included a ferry ride to get there, we stopped for coffee and waffles, and then trudged our way up a mountain watching out for goat and sheep poop with every step. The scenery was spectacular, everyone was in high spirits and there was much discussion in the parking lot afterwards about what a fantastic outing it was. If there could be one day anyone would spend in Norway to get as much feel and flavor of this part of the country – today would have been it. We are thankful God gave us the perfect weather in which to carry it out.

On the way down the mountain we ended up in four separate groups as Odd and Turid needed to hurry back home to catch the Aalesund soccer game on TV. Miriam and Axel wanted to take an offshoot path to see and old lighthouse, Kaleb and Kenneth couldn’t be bothered with us old ladies and the guy with the bum heart, so they scurried down faster than a rabbit, and Kory was left with me, Paula and Kari as we slowly made our way down, carefully taking every step so we didn’t end up with a broken body part. We may become a bit more frail with age, but at least we aren’t stupid.

After we got home and had a quick dinner of leftovers, Paula and I walked down to the beach to watch the sunset, which is happening later and later these days. The sky was light before five this morning, and it was still a bit light at nine tonight, so the days are already very long and spring has most definitely arrived. I even have a few vases full of daffodils I managed to “find” growing in odd and abandoned places today. Nothing like a little yellow to brighten up a room.

God Påske (Happy Easter)

Well today was certainly had a few surprises. It was my first Easter in Norway, and it wasn’t anything like I expected. I guess I’m so used to the American version of the holiday that I mistakenly assumed it would be somewhat the same in Norway. At our church back home, Easter and Christmas are the biggest attendance days of the whole year, but that certainly isn’t the case here in Norway. We were up and ironing clothes to look our Sunday best this Easter morning. The sun was out and Paula and I walked to Agape Church, just down the road. I asked Kory to drive the car to get there earlier to save us a seat as I expected the place to be packed out. We got there five minutes early and there was only about 20 people in the whole building. Apparently everyone was still up in the mountains with their crime novels and oranges. I was shocked. Even the pastor had the day off. Eventually more people trickled in, but certainly no one was wearing their pretty new Easter dresses or looking their finest for this Resurrection Day, so it threw me for a loop. The overall attendance was very low and they didn’t even have coffee afterwards, everyone just went home. I was so bummed!

Paula and I got busy making dinner for Odd and Turid and Hege, who were coming over at three. As I was making dinner, I saw Sabina ride by on her bicycle. I yelled out the door to her “Happy Easter” and she yelled back, “It’s not Easter today – that was YESTERDAY!” I was sure I misunderstood her. When Tobias came inside with Kaleb, I asked him if he wanted to stay for dinner and he did. I asked about his Easter traditions and didn’t he have a big Easter dinner with his family and do special things today, and he said, “We did all that yesterday.” So it seems that Norwegians do the same thing for Easter as they do for Christmas, they big deal it on the night before. So today, for “real” Norwegians, all the celebrating was over and done with and it was just a day to relax and go for a walk or hike. Boy was that hard to digest. Here we were sitting down to a big turkey dinner, and it was just an ordinary Sunday to Odd and Turid. It sort of took the fun out of it. (They had their big family meal last night with all of Odd’s kids home for the holiday.) But we still enjoyed having them here, with Tobias and my friend Paula, and we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore.

Kaleb was nearly beside himself all day with anticipation of the traditional Easter egg hunt. I shipped over plastic eggs to fill with candy on the chance I couldn’t get them here, and I was right. They don’t do egg hunts here and they certainly don’t sell plastic eggs. Paula brought lots of candy to fill them up so after dinner Paula, Turid and I were out in the yard hiding the eggs while Hege, Tobias and Kaleb were squirreled away in the bathroom waiting for us to be done. Hege and Tobias were quite excited about it as they didn’t know what to expect and they had never been to such an event. I made sure they knew this was not to be “fair” and they got to keep whatever they found. Hege found the most eggs but they all found enough to make them happy. Kory and Odd sat up lawn chairs to watch the show. Neighbors came out of their houses wondering what in the world was going on and people driving past or walking in front of our house watched with interest as these kids were running around the yard picking up things and putting them in a bag. It almost looked like they were picking up trash, so I can’t imagine what people thought since it’s not anything they have in their frame of reference. The kids had a great time and Tobias and Hege were thrilled they got to keep the plastic eggs, so perhaps next year there will be a few more egg hunts in Norway even if we aren’t here.

This past week we were on vacation we saw a lot of advertisements in the stores for Easter things, and every ad had a big yellow chicken in it. Some malls even advertised photo opportunities for the kids with the Easter Chicken (some guy dressed up in a chicken suit). I asked someone why they don’t do the Easter Bunny thing like we do in America and they said, “Because bunnies don’t lay eggs.” Kaleb questioned the whole bunny/egg thing when we was three years old, so now that I think it about, we must look pretty foolish to the Norwegians that we tie rabbits and eggs together with Easter. But somehow the idea of an Easter Chicken still makes me laugh.

After dessert, Kaleb and Tobias took off to go float some plastic eggs down the creek at the end of our street, Kory and Odd and Hege went for a walk back to Odd’s house, and Turid, Paula and I went for a long walk to get some fresh air and to give Paula a chance to check out our neighborhood. Paula has been my greatest Easter gift ever as I haven’t had to clean up a thing – she’s just a dishwashing dynamo and a great help to have around. If I didn’t feel so guilty about that, I’d be enjoying myself even more. But sacrificial love is what this day is all about. Hallelujah!