That's right, folks. I was grocery shopping yesterday and came upon a display of homeland product. I've never seen anything like this. I almost thought they were just little empty plastic tumblers, but no. They are as close to the real deal as I've seen here yet. So, I picked one up and it is chilling in the fridge now, awaiting my attention. Just the amount of plastic involved in the packaging is enough for me to not buy these with any regularity. But, I thought it would be interesting to try it and see how it was. Let's call it investigative journalism.
I got a little curious after that. I found it odd that there was a new display of Starbucks in the store, so color me happy when I found this article online this morning. I realize it's in Norwegian, but I think you get the drift, ikke sant? Starbucks in Norway by 2014. Now, this is technically one year after our initial commitment to be in Norway is over. Of course it would happen that way. But maybe, just maybe they'll get their act together and hit the market a little early (come on Starbucks, I know you have it in you). Honestly though, I am pretty sure that by 2014 the presence of a Starbucks will have little more than a nostalgic feeling for me, since as of today I've already moved on to other half-caff providers (a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?). Where, do you ask?
Unfortunately, the neighborhood coffee joint I was hoping would pan out as my cafe of choice has become a bit of a bust. More often I find myself heading to the Kaffebrenneriet kitty-corner to my Norwegian school. Yes, it's a chain. Yes, there's another one five blocks away. Yes, it's small and the ambiance is a little lacking since it's in the bottom of a small shopping center. And, interestingly, look what comes up when you type 'Kaffebrenneriet' into Google Translate (I am sure the folks at Kaffebrenneriet wouldn't be too happy about this):
But, I like it there. The staff are super nice and tolerant of my attempts to speak norsk. They have fresh chocolate croissants and these little sandwiches called frokostbrød with just a thick slice of Camembert cheese on a multi-grain roll (and yes, you can get them with brunost too). The kakao is great and the few lattes I've had have passed the test. But the best part is, I go there with my friends from Norwegian class. That's the whole thing about 'going for coffee,' right? Sharing it with people you like. My trips to Kaffebrenneriet remind me of going to Caffe Appassionato for a coffee (read: chai tea) break with my work friends back in Seattle. I really, really missed that part of my daily routine when I moved here, so it is nice to have found a successor to that life experience.
As for finding a cozy little independent cafe to call my own? Not a priority right now. So long as I have Åpent Bakeri with G on Sundays and coffee with friends during the week, I think we can call it good.
