Greetings from FLU-ville

Dear friends and family. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Most of the Christmas presents and Christmas cards from me this year will arrive in 2013 because I have spent the last four days in bed/on the sofa snowed down with a very nasty version of the flu. 

I am thankful for Yogi Tea and Ricola for helping me getting through these past days. 

Not only have I missed the school's Christmas assembly where I was supposed to play the piano (but frankly I think it worked better with Bjørn), but I also missed the Christmas lunch with my colleagues, a lovely Christmas party with my good old friends, a Christmas party with new friends tonight, and yeah, I just feel that I have missed out on a few days. Never mind, yesterday I actually felt good enough to watch a film, so the last days I have been entertained by these guys. 

What I wanted to say most of all, was that I wish you a all a great, peaceful and relaxing Christmas. Having the flu for a couple of days is nothing compared to the situation in which people are living in the Middle East for example. So I know I'm lucky after all. 

Feliz Navidad! 

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From Stephan Pastis' facebook page: 

"I drew this Pearls strip almost ten years ago about a bus bombing in Jerusalem, but I suppose it applies just as easily to the events of last week."

Berg School - Aloha College 1-0

Sorry, Aloha, last year's Christmas party was nothing compared to the Berg Christmas party this weekend! Go Berg! Mad people. Crazy party. Kind of strange party. But fun.

"Much less wet cold than New York"

Yes, it is incredibly cold here right now. Minus 12 degrees Celcius outside is not a joke. Not a joke at all. To sum up what Sarah Jessica Parker (also known as "Carrie Bradshaw" in Sex in the City) said at the pre Nobel Peace Prize press conference in Oslo this morning: "It is cold here. But a much less wet cold than New York." True. It's incredible how many layers of clothes you need to put on to keep warm.

If you're interested, you can can see the interview with Sarah Jessica Parker and Gerard Butler here: http://www.kjendis.no/2012/12/11/kjendis/kebab/sarah_jessica_parker/gerard_butler/nobel/24782665/

And what about me? I miss the weather in Spain!

Cold hair from Russia

Dear friends in Spain.
The only advantage of having long, thick hair right now, is that it gives extra protection against the cold. It has been freezing here the last two days, and according to the forecast it will continue a couple of more days. Check out the picture from www.yr.no. Minus 14 degrees is quite cold for a young girl who has spent the last three winters in Spain ...

The cold has been dubbed "the Russian cold", so now I guess we can blame the Russians?

Love from Stine in Oslo,

Two

If you know me well, you know that I can tend to be a bit obsessed with numbers even though I'm crap at Maths. This week's focus has been on the number 2.

Yesterday I watched two plays at two different theatres: Henrik Ibsen's "Villanden" (The Wild Duck) at the National Theatre, with all the Y13 students. It was a crazy and post modernistic version of the play. Very interesting! In the evening 'the cultural club' watched "Sorga kler Elektra" (Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill). Five hours with theatre in one day! Interesting! What impressed me most was the music in both performances, and the video design in "Sorga kler Elektra". Incredibly effective.

I was invited to the Melody Gardot concert on Sunday. It was an interesting concert, but her musicians were more fascinating than the leading lady. At some point, the saxophone player actually played on two saxophones at the same time. Wow! I think this is one of Melody's best songs. Turn up the volume and dance!

The two ladies in the video below are doing some impressive work with their feet. I have actually played this part on the piano, and it was too difficult for me. My guess is that these ladies burn quite a lot of calories while playing this masterpiece.

So how do I write a good conclusion on this strange blog post? By telling my dear friends in Spain that it is minus two degrees outside now?

Pearls

Scary dogs?

If you know me well, you know that I'm scared of dogs. If you know me really well, you know that I'm trying to do something about it.

When my friend S. and I went for a walk in the woods today, she brought her dog Diesel. I hadn't seen Diesel since Christmas, but we soon became friends again. And I enjoyed keeping him on a lead up in the nice, Norwegian nature.

I even think I managed to use "my strict voice" on him when he approached (or was approached by) other dogs. It's really fun, actually. And I got to wear my hiking boots again -- last time I used was on the beach in Tarifa, I think, or up at La Concha. Gosh, those were the times ... It made me miss Spain a little bit actually, finding my hiking boots full of sand.

It will probably take some more training to look as natural as S. does with her dog in this picture, but I'm getting there! Slowly but surely ... But I'm not ready to pick up his poo yet ... :)

Five Sundays

I have a new project: Concerts every Sunday! This is my way of getting ready for Christmas, of giving myself some time to relax and listen to beautiful music. It wasn’t until I was invited to Melody Gardot’s concert last night that I realized that I am going to concerts  five Sundays in a row now. I love it! Do you want to know which concerts I am going to? 

Concert 1: Apes & Babes @ Cosmopolite Sunday 18 November:

The a capella group Apes & Babes gave a great performance, as always. The choice of songs was interesting, and their vocal skills are absolutely fantastic! Unfortunately their great voices seemed to "drown" in the microphones sometimes ... After the concert M. and I had a nice (yet spicy) meal at one of the best Asian restaurants in the area, according to a survey in Aftenposten. 

Concert 2: Melody Gardot @ Oslo Concert House Sunday 25 November (mañana):

This lady reminds me a bit of Norah Jones and Katie Meluah. Looking forward to hearing her live, and apparently we have great seats! 

Concert 3: Händel's "Messiah" @ Oslo Domkirke, with Oslo Domkor etc, Sunday 2 December: 

My mum used to sing "Messiah" and "the Christmas Oratorio" in the choir she was in when we lived in Brumunddal. We were equipped with books, raisins (and other kinds of food that don't make a sound!) and had to endure the 3 hour long concert every Christmas. Now it's my own choice, and I'm looking forward to going to this concert with C. It's our gift to ourselves!  

Concert 4: Music for a while: Klassisk jul @ Parkteateret, Sunday 9 December:

I discovered Tora Augestad and "Music for a while" in September, and have to admit I love the mix of songs on their new album. It is fantastic the way they have arranged the classical songs, and the musicians are absolutely first class! I have invited K. to this concert and I'm really looking forward to going to this concert with her. It was fantastic to observe how she reacted the first time she listened to the album. 

Concert 5: In dulci jubilo - Vi synger julen inn @ Oslo domkirke, Sunday 16 December: I couldn't find this concert on You Tube, but basically it is a concert with all the choirs in Oslo domkirke. My parents have been to this concert before and they say it's absolutely marvellous. This year the whole family is going, including my niece and nephew.

Yes, it has been an autumn term with a lot of music, and there is more to come! I didn't really go to that many concerts in Spain, so it's nice to be back in Oslo and go to concerts again! 

Sunglasses

Dear sunglasses.

I'm sorry that you've been left idle the past couple of months. Living in Norway doesn't really require using you as much as when living in Spain. I have missed the sun lately. It is getting dark here in Oslo at 4pm now. It's too early.

Yesterday, however, on my way to meet Ingvild at Majorstua, I should have brought you. I should have used you. You should have protected me. The sun was sooo strong. It nearly hurt my eyes. But I had left you at home. Can you forgive me?

Yours,
Stine

Autumn Leaves

Today I have done some proper garden work. Spent more than an hour raking the autumn leaves in a garden full of leaves.

Not only did we get fresh air, but also some good old physical work. Lovely. Unfortunately it got too dark before we finished, so nobody really knows what the garden looks like in daylight.

The little ones

Have had a nice Sunday with the little ones; my niece and nephew. Met them in Hønefoss because the niece was going to play at a concert there, with Mr Aleksander Rybak and a local youth symphony orchestra. It was a cool concert with folk, pop, classical and jazz music in perfect harmony.

The nephew is not yet five years old, but he managed to write this while we were wheeling away some time, waiting for the concert to start.

Impressed? I am. We also stopped by at my grandmother's house where all my aunts and uncles were having dinner, so yes, it has definitely been a family Sunday.

Spring

"Frankenstorm" is about to hit the USA, there is chaos in Oslo because of the snow - and I got to experience another spring in Paris this weekend. What a beautiful city! And what a feeling it was to experience the sun again. It warmed the Spanish part of my heart! (And coming back to snowy Oslo was a bit of shock to the system ...)

It was bloody hard work every day of course, with seminars starting at 8.30am. We learnt a lot about IB History, and there were some very nice people there. But luckily there was also time to relax and enjoy the city. And 'debrief' with a few glasses of wine after filling up your head with world wars, single party states and facism, just to mention a few of the things discussed by the History teachers.  

I hadn't been to Paris since Kjersti and I went there on holiday in 1997, so I had forgotten a lot about the city and what it had to offer. Some of the things I found difficult with Paris is that nobody speaks English there. Yes, it's a generalisation, but I realised that it's been soooo many years since I was holidaying in a country where I couldn't make myself understood in the languages I speak that it was really frustrating. Here, I was lost. Just lost. lost in translation. (And started speaking Spanish without realising it ...)

Another thing I didn't like was that there was a mouse running around on the floor at Starbucks at the airport. We pointed it out to the staff, and their reaction was just "we know" ... and a polite smile. Yikes!

Anyway, after roaming the streets of Paris yesterday (contemplating life is a History teacher) I came across this orchestra at one of the Metro stations on my way to the airport. They played lovely music and created a fantastic atmosphere in a stressful environment where must people just rush by. These guys made people stop. Listen. Take a break. I love it! 

Thank you, Paris! 

Cold feet

Living in Norway this time of year has turned out to be a very cold experience for my feet. (Yes, I was born with cold feet, and no, we haven’t reached below zero degrees Celsius. Yet.) But, a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do. So today I spent a fortune on a pair of fantastic boots made by Australian sheepskin.

My boots are not the same style that my students are wearing, but a more adult version produced by the same company. I really like them, and they are so warm!!! Hopefully this means no more cold feet! 

Contrasts

The last couple of weeks have been lived in the name of contrasts. Fantastic sunshine in Marbella. Sea fog blocking the view in Marbella. And clear, crispy, sunny days here in Oslo.

The salad is from "Terra Sana" in Nueva Andalucía. The dessert picture is taken at Tempora, which is Marbella's best restaurant according to Trip Advisor. Dish number 69 can be ordered at "Overseas" in Calahonda. Imagine eating a happy family ...

33

No, the title does not refer to the age of Jesus when he died, but to the number of students in my English Year 11 class this academic year. Yes, there are 33 students in the class. Tonight I have marked their essays (each student has written about 1-2 pages in Word) and gosh it has taken time. A lot of time!! My biggest English class on this level in Spain had 5 students. (Yes, I'm sure you can work out the difference, and the increase in time spent marking this number of essays ...) Some of the students have produced really good texts, whereas others were of average quality. What I had forgotten, though, is how wonderful Norwenglish may sound (I probably won't get Spanglish in my essays anymore). It is tempting to share a phrase here on the blog, but it won't really make sense to you non-Norwegians. 

(The illustration is taken from this web page.)

Anyway, I guess what I'm about to say now, my dear friends at Aloha, will surprise you: I have actually started using the EAT marking strategy here in Oslo as well. And it seems to go down well with the students. Interesting! Happy Wednesday! 

Cold

This morning it was +1 degree here in Oslo. I need to locate my winter jacket. It is cold.

Tapas

A moment of mixed emotions and anxiety! How would my first proper tapas meal taste here in Norway? Would the bravas sauce taste like the one at La Venencia? Would the gambas come with just the right amount of garlic? Or would it be a huge disappointment?

My friends and I decided to try the tapas at Escalón at Tjuvholmen tonight. We hadn't met since we were in Spain together in July, so it was definitely time to catch up and share some very good news! We ordered lots of tapas, and it's safe to say that we were not disappointed. The food was excellent, except for the bravas sauce, which tasted like peanut butter (!). The eye was (como siempre) hungrier than the stomach, but we managed to eat most of it, accompanied by a few bottles of nice red wine: Coto de Imáz. We had a lovely evening and shared lots of interesting thoughts about life... :) What strikes me as odd, though, is that in Norway we go out for dinner at 6pm. I love it, but I can't get used to it. And the prize? NOK2200 for four people ...

Gesundheit

In Norway, people rarely say “bless you”, “Jesus” or “gesundheit” to you when you sneeze. I wish they did.

Fantastic five

The other day a colleague asked me if I still felt miserable about life in Norway and how much did I really miss Spain?! I was gobsmacked. Was life not good here? Did I miss Spain? That's when I realised that I hadn't updated my blog in nearly a month .... And things have happened this month. Good things!

One of the things I have enjoyed these past weeks is the weather. (Yes, it's true.) It has been fantastic some days! This picture is from Bygdøy (a peninsula outside Oslo) on Sunday. It was an amazing day! Unfortunately my bike has had to throw in the towel, so I haven't had a chance to cycle yet. But I will. Last week I bought a fantastic ladylike bike that even has her own name: Vanessa.
It takes time, energy and patience to gain all rights as a Norwegian citizen again after three years abroad. I have been annoyed and impatient. But now it's all sorted, and life is good.

My Aloha friends would maybe like to know what I feel about teaching at Berg school again? It feels good. Very good. The students started yesterday, and they seem very nice. What strikes me as different (so far ... ) is:

• having to teach in different class rooms instead of having my own room with all the material I need available
• teaching in Norwegian (yes, I teach six lessons a week in Norwegian)
• having to do all the copies myself (there's no Isabel at Berg ...)
• being called "Stine" instead of "Miss Raustøl"
• teaching a class of 38 (!) students 
• and a few other things that I don't dare writing about on the blog 

I am teaching 16 lessons per week and this is a full time position:
- IB History HL/SL - 5 lessons (Year 12)
- English Y11 (kind of pre IB year ...) - 5 lessons
- Religion and Ethics 6 lessons (Year 13)
I am also contact teacher in Year 13, which makes up 6.40% of my position at Berg school. And I am involved in the school's Model United Nations group. Yeah!

These past five weeks (the fantastic five) have contained so many other good things as well, but this is what I wanted to share with you right now. It feels good to be here, and I am definitely settling in well.

Norway, week 1

When we teach the students how to write a good text, we use the P.A.F. method, which helps them identify the Purpose, Audience and Format of the text they are about to write. When I decided I would move back to Norway, I thought it'd be the end of the blog. However, some of you dear friends in Spain encouraged me to keep writing. But this time with a different perspective, of course. The Purpose is now to tell you guys in Spain (Audience) about life in Norway. The Format, however, remains the same, save one little thing: I'm writing in English again!

Saying goodbye to certain people Saturday morning was of course veeeery sad, and I cried a lot. Upon arrival in Oslo I also started crying. Suddenly it felt so real. I was back in Norway. For good. Not on holiday. But forever. (Or at least for a year, as I keep telling myself.) The picture below shows a very tired and confused Stine enjoying dinner on the terrace of my parents' new summer house Saturday night. Yes, Norway is beautiful. But it was a shock to the system, and very cold.

Fiskepudding i hvit saus på terrassen

The next day I got to see lots of Scandinavian artists in concert, at the memorial concert (one year anniversary for 22 July) in Oslo. It was raining cats an dogs, but we had a good time! And "the boss" turned up as well. Yeah! Bruce Springsteen sang "We shall overcome" and you can read an article about it (in English") here. 

Yes, it's Bruce Springsteen...

After the very wet concert, we went to "Restaurante Español" somewhere in Oslo, and I had my first encounter with patatas bravas made in Norway. Not the same quality as those served at La Venencia or Ebe La Polaca, but not too bad either. And the waiter was from Madrid. And I got to speak Spanish. And the atmosphere there was lovely. The picture below is from the restaurant. Ha ha!

My grandmother's 90th birthday the following day was a great success, and everyone was happy that all went well. It was also nice to spend three days at the summer house with my parents, my sister, her husband and the lovely, adorable kids after the birthday party. The house is really nice. And there's enough room there for the seven of us. Not bad! :) 

The summer house in Horten

I have also met some of my lovely dear friends. Very nice to catch up with them again, and to have some quality time together. What strikes me now is that I can see them again in a few days, a week, a month, - because I live here now. It takes time for it to sink in properly. But I like it! I think.

Some of you asked for pictures of exotic Norway. Here are a few shots taken with my mobile phone. I hope you like them! Norway can be quite beautiful actually.

In the city centre of Oslo on a sunny (!) day

An evening in Frognerparken, aka Vigelandsparken

Another part of Frognerparken. I love the light.

So what is my impression of life in Norway? How will I cope? How will I manage without the sun, the beach, the palm trees, the cheap food and wine, the discipline at Aloha, the small classes, - but most of all: How will life be without all of you? To be honest, I don't know. Maybe I've done something crazy? Really don't know. What I know is that it feels good to be here, although I sometimes feel that I don't fit in anymore. I have missed out on three years here and realised when talking to a friend that I don't know anything about Norwegian entertainment anymore, for instance. Well, I guess I'll be back on track sooner rather than later. 

I will finish off with some observations. It's up to you to interpret them and compare with life the way you know it. 

People in Oslo 

- walk very fast. They don't look up, they just continue straight to wherever they are heading

- are constantly in a hurry, so they haven't got time to sit down and eat. Take away food doesn't mean food you take home, but food you eat while walking to your destination

- look at you with a strange face when you say "hello" when entering a shop, "thank you" when they have given you the goods you have purchased, and "goodbye" when leaving the shop

Living in Oslo is expensive. Everything is expensive. Food is expensive.

The sun is quite strong when it is out. Lovely!

People cycle, walk and travel by public transport.

It is confusing to hear Norwegian spoken everywhere. I miss hearing Spanish.

My friends are lovely.

Epilogue

In order to obtain my residencia again (so I can buy a contract for my mobile phone, internet access, get electricity in the apartment, but most importantly so I can get paid from my new job) I need to fill in a form. And the lady at the tax office made it perfectly clear that holding a Norwegian passport would not give me any benefits at all. Why should it? Should it, perhaps?

Havets skytsengel

I dag feires fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen over hele den spansktalende verden. Hun beskytter alt og alle på havet, inkludert fiskere og sjømenn. Her på Costa del Sol blir statuen av Virgen del Carmen båret rundt i gatene, sendt på havet i båt, mens noen steder velger de faktisk å bære hele flåten ut i vannet. Etter en koselig lunsj med Fiona gikk vi på leit etter Virgen del Carmen. Det første stedet vi fant henne var i denne sandformasjonen.

Ute i fiskehavna så vi båtene dra avgårde for å hente Virgen del Carmen, som på dette tidspunktet hadde startet sin prosesjon fra gamlebyen og ned til Puerto Deportivo. Vi gikk også dit.

Ganske fascinerende, og dersom du har fulgt med på bloggen vil du jo kanskje tenke at dette ligner litt på påskeprosesjonene jeg har skrevet om før. Og det er sant. Bare at denne gangen var alt lit mer lystig. Men jeg vil nok tro at selve flåten med Virgen del Carmen på var like tung som til påske.

Når Carmen var blitt lastet over i båten og sendt til Puerto Banús vannveien, så gjorde vi litt andre ting (slik som å stikke huet innom treningssenteret). Da båtfølget kom tilbake var det enda flere folk langs paseo maritimo, og det var en slags høytidssteming der. (Kan beskrives litt som 17. mai.) Vi stimet sammen med alle de andre spanjolene og så på at jomfrua ble lastet tilbake på flåten (nok en gang) etter å ha velsignet hele havet, og så var det på tide med nok en prosesjon, - samme vei hun kom fra. Denne gangen bar det litt mer preg av høytid. Prestene hadde på seg sine fineste kapper, og selveste ordføreren var med i følget. Barna gikk også og bar fiskegarn. Vet ikke helt hva det symboliserte.

Og alle var enige om at det hadde vært en fin dag, og at det var morsomt å se litt spansk kultur på nært hold. Dagens læringsmål: Lære hvem som er havets beskytter. (Svar: Virgen del Carmen).