Keep on keepin' on. And some scrapbooking.

That's right, folks. It's been a year. I can no longer say I am new to this business of living abroad. I thought about The Anniversary of Our Moving (well, my moving, since G came here two months before I did) and considered doing a long, insightful post that day. I decided against it. Not because I didn't think it would be cathartic and maybe even funny. Because I had to do _______ instead. Or was it _______?

That is often what happens when I think to myself, "hey, I should blog today." Something else comes up that I end up doing. Sometimes it's important like getting my residence permit renewed. Sometimes it's something equally important but maybe doesn't sound as important. Like sitting on the couch watching an episode (or three) of Friday Night Lights, even though it's been canceled from television. That? That's important, trust me. I can't explain why, but move abroad and then we'll talk.

So, two important points here:

1. I have not given up on blogging.
2. I just checked a year as an expat off my list.

What else have I been doing? Lots, but I'll keep it to just a few things. We celebrated G's birthday last week. Instead of going out, he requested a homemade meal of this and this and this. And something kind of like this but not. Oh, and caviar with crème fraîche, blinis, and some sparkling wine to start. It was good, man. It was really, really good.

I created a scrapbook for his birthday documenting our first year in Oslo - that's the cover you see above. I tried to simplify it and along the way finally did some digital scrapbooking (well, really hybrid scrapbooking, but I digress). Thanks to digital layout templates I had from online classes I took with the amazing Cathy Z through Big Picture Classes, it was pretty easy. The layouts were in Photoshop which I loved playing with. I also discovered the world of digital scrapbook elements, especially those by Ali Edwards. I used a bunch of her overlays in the album, and I love how they turned out. I plan on doing more of that in the future.

I did a monthly synopsis layout for each month and also individual layouts for each trip we took in the past year. Here's what one of the monthly layouts looks like:

Here's one of the travel layouts:

Sorry about the glare. This is about as much sun as you can get on a cloudy day in Oslo in November!

I really loved making this book. All my photos are organized chronologically in iPhoto, which I also use to rate and assign keywords to photos. I'd like to take credit for my mad photo organizational skills, but it's all due to Stacy Julian and her wonderful Library of Memories (LOM) concept. I also used the four major divisions of LOM to organize my text for the monthly pages. I could go on for pages about LOM, but I won't. In short, it is life-changing. If you want to know more, ask me or check out this link to the 2010 LOM class at Big Picture Classes. I'd call it a teaser description. (And no, neither Stacy nor BPC is paying me for endorsements. It is a safe bet to say they probably have no idea who I am!)

I am excited about feeling creative again. About feeling like I want to start so many new creative projects. Christmas cards. The December Daily project. Project Life in 2012. I like having my mojo back. It's just taken a year to get there, I guess.

Happy fall to all. We'll talk soon. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go do __________.

Right now.

Right now I’m trying to get back to blogging.

Right now I’m loving lit candles around the house in the evening.

Right now I am making my way back to a regular workout schedule.

Right now it gets lighter later in the morning and darker earlier at night.

Right now the leaves are golden on the tree outside our bedroom window.

Right now I am coming to terms with committing myself to another semester of intensive Norwegian class.

Right now I am missing my friends and family and wine with the girls after work.

Right now I am thankful for the past year of adventures with G.

Right now I am feeling craftier than I have in a long time. I might even do Christmas cards this year.

Right now I am deciding which lenses to get for my soon-to-be-had DSLR.

Right now I am wishing I would hear back about the several jobs I’ve recently applied for.

Right now I don’t miss my old job, but I do miss my career. And using my brain everyday for something besides Words with Friends.

Right now I find it hard to get out of the house in the afternoons, and can almost hear the sucking sound of the Black Hole that is my laptop.

Right now I am really looking forward to Maryland for Thanksgiving, spending time with family, and getting my hair done.

Right now I am trying to breathe deeper and enjoy life a little more.

What are you doing right now?

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

I am back. Back from Paris and Bergen and Crete and Stockholm and Seattle. The good news is I have many stories and photos to share with you. The bad news is I have 182 other things I need to do, including this:

G and I just returned from a 3-week visit to Seattle (well, my 3 weeks and his 2, but det er det, my norsk-speaking friends), and suffice it to say we have a lot of unpacking to do. This is just the content of 1.5 bags. I'll just say we may or may not have exactly hit the weight limit on three of the four bags we checked. Public transportation and 200+ pounds of luggage. Now that's a good time!

Given my state of jetlaggedness, the only thing I feel qualified to blog about at this point is the list of random thoughts bouncing between my synapses right now. Lucky you. I am apologizing in advance.

God bless the inventor of Space Bags. I am sure I will be cursing them when I start ironing all of the clothes that have been trapped in them in our luggage for 24 hours, but for now, god bless 'em. Otherwise half our clothes would still be in Seattle.

It is okay to purchase large quantities of toiletries and other awesomeness that are unavailable in Norway (such as real Q-tips and decent hair conditioner that doesn't cost $65/kr 360 a bottle) and stuff your suitcases full of them. Well, at least in my head.

It's been 24 hours and I already miss Whole Foods. Why? Here is a a shot of about 1/10 of the Whole Foods' produce department near my old home in the States:

This is probably the size of the entire produce section of my local grocery store. And that is all I am going to say about that. Excuse me while I go cry on my $8 plastic-wrapped yellow pepper.

I am going to keep myself sane for the next week by alternating between Excedrin during the day and Melatonin at night. Because I am sure that forcing my body by using drugs to regulate to GMT +1 is the best approach.

Super happy to have been in Seattle and seen friends and family and Jessi the incredible personal stylist at the downtown Seattle Nordstrom and Brandi Carlile in concert and more importantly the other Brandi in my life get married to Mr. Jones. And Ziggy and Murphy the cats. Them too.

Here's hoping you have a fabulous, jetlaggedless day,

Colleen

Homemade is where it's at

Hi. Back from Paris (again) and up to my eyeballs in Norwegian class (again). To top it off, I have a lame, lame cold that's only symptom is filling my head with wooziness. I am hoping to post about our most recent Paris trip in the news few days, but for now here's a little something to tide you over. 

Gotta love a good homemade chicken sandwich, ikke sant?

I had a hankering from a chicken sandwich from Mono the other day, but wasn't ready to a) change into respectable clothing, or 2) pay through the nose for something I could make at home. So, I poked through The Pioneer Woman's website looking for an easy chicken sandwich recipe I could make my own. I think the only idea I ended up stealing borrowing from her was how to cook chicken breasts for a sandwich. That and mixing light mayo with a little sum-n-sum-n to get a tasty spread (in my case, I used pre-made pesto). Thanks for the inspiration, PW.

Something you don't see every day

Finally catching up on life during two-week break between my Norwegian classes. Hi. How are you? What's new? Remember me?

Here's something you don't see every day in the U S of A:

Okay, yes, a washing machine is not uncommon in a small but livable Oslo apartment. But two things about it:

1. This is a combination washer-dryer. As in, the same machine is both a washing machine and a dryer. I am sure this concept was born out of the 'smallness' of living spaces in Europe. A brilliant idea. Unless you're like me and have 800 loads of laundry to do at one time. And you live somewhere where the cost of electricity to run the dryer would empty you bank account faster than you could say vær så god. Lacking a dryer and infinite funds to spend on Norwegian electricity bills, we hang our clothes to dry instead.

2. Notice where this appliance is located? Anyone? That's right: the kitchen. Apartments here tend to only have locations for water hookups: one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. And, I guess if you're bathroom's too small for a washer and/or dryer, where else would you put it but in the kitchen? I about dropped my beer when I saw this, until some other ex-pat at the party told me having the washing machine in the kitchen was fairly common. I guess it makes for efficient stain fighting. Just don't mix the ketchup bottle up with the fabric softener. 

I promise my next post will have less to do with household appliances and more to do with...something else.

Thankful.

Okay, I know Thanksgiving was a few weeks back, but if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it's to be thankful for the little - and not so little - things. A tribute, then, to just a few things I am thankful for at this crazy time of year.

Skype. I know I've already waxed poetic about the benefits of Skype. But this week it gave me the opportunity to have a 'conversation' with the home security company that has been charging us for services even though we canceled our service back in October. Twice. Via fax and email.

Jacobs, the king of (Norwegian) grocery stores. From quinoa to baking soda, they stock what few, if any other, shops in town do. If they don't have it, then it's likely you aren't going to find it in Norway. I seriously almost cried when I spotted and snatched the box of Arm and Hammer baking soda off the shelf, not the questionable, Norwegian-brand natron off the shelf. No sir. Imported all the way from America. You may think I should just go with the flow, but not after my Weegie baking powder experience. Nei. God bless trade agreements. I missed my yellow box. Which brings me to my next item...

The lack of a trade embargo against Cuba. Just bought a bottle of Havana Club Anejo Especial rum. Cuban rum. We might go wild with the hot toddies just for the sake of enjoying something from Cuba. But probably not. Wait 'til cigar season. G + Cuban cigarillos = a whole different experience.

Hunter wellies. I have worn my new glossy, navy blue boots almost every day since I got here. They are even cozier with the fleece liners. Given the fact there's been some amount of snow on the ground for almost a month, it don't know what I would do without their traction. I saw these the other day, though...I am thinking of upgrading to some serious insulation. Did I mention it was -21 C here today?

My iPhone 4. Oh, did I mention? I'm sorry...I must have forgotten. NOT. Yes, I finally got an iPhone. Sure, it took moving to a foreign country to justify it, but lordy lordy. Its OS is smooth like buttah. Its free apps speak to my soul. fotopedia: seriously? My favorite. App. Ever. I wish I could photograph like that. And Trip Advisor in the palm of my hand. Sigh. Heaven. I feel technologically complete for the first time.

Care packages. Just got a doozy of a care package from the sister and the mom: homemade biscotti, English toffee, York peppermint patties, and mac and cheese. Not to mention gold Christmas garland. Did I already say God bless America yet? No? Well, there you go. God bless America. I love mac and cheese. And the U.S. Postal Service.

Weegie-isms spoken by G. You know you are getting immersed into a culture (okay, as much as you can without speaking the language) when you start comparing things in everyday life to local things rather than things from the States. Case in point: tonight, G was looking out the window at the rather large snowflakes coming down and said, "they're almost the size of the mini pannekaker!" Which is funny, because pannekaker are tiny pancakes sold in Norway. In the grocery store. Not in the States. Not funny? Okay. I guess you had to be there. (Lis, that's funny, right?) [Note to reader regarding the photo link: No, we did not eat these at Burger King. This was just the best available photograph of mini pannekaker I could find.]

Randomly unexpected, touching emails from friends. Thanks T. You made my day.

Hot water included in the rent. Sometimes no amount of down parkas or comforters will keep me warm. Hot shower = happy Colleen.

IKEA. I am not sure if I have posted yet without mentioning IKEA. I try, really. But last weekend when we were there after half a day of attempting to put together the last of our newly purchased furniture, we found Jule Sprig (photo above!). A Nordic spruce just over two feet tall, we adopted Sprig as our Christmas tree for the season. He's now decked out with ornaments from a certain giant Swedish furniture conglomerate and lights from the local dollar store. Thank you, IKEA, for enabling us to have a Christmas after all.

Recipes from home. We may not be home for Christmas this year, but home came to us. Three of the recipes for our Christmas celebrations are tried and true recipes we've enjoyed over the years at our home holidays. Thank you family. You will be here in spirit.

Super G. What's NOT to be thankful for? He's the best husband a girl could ask for.

Yours in Jule,

Colleen

Hospitality, Norwegian style

It's been a while since I posted. Among other things, we've been busy putting together the initially undaunting stack of stuff IKEA delivered on Monday. Over the week, the stack of cardboard boxes has somehow become...daunting. I am thinking it wouldn't have taken the crack assemblers at IKEA three four days to put it all together, but then again I think I am done with having delivery and/or assembly people tramp through our apartment for a while. You would be too if you saw how much gravel and general grime is on the streets and sidewalks after all the snow treatments. Considering all the grime, I am thankful that, in general, households in Norway are shoeless. Unless you're a delivery person, in which case you wear your shoes to deliver. But I digress.

We enjoyed our first invitation to a Norwegian home for dinner. Our landlord and her husband had us over for a lovely dinner on Tuesday. G and I took the tram there and were met in the snowy suburban neighborhood by her husband, who walked us back to their utterly charming house. One thing to note about Norway homes is their use of candlelight both inside and out. There were lit candles in a sconce on the porch and plenty more inside in the living area and in the dining room. Given the lack of daylight, I find candlelight the next best thing. (Sidenote: if you visit Norway outside of the summer months, you will find that stores and restaurants have lighted candles outside the doors in an array of displays, from simple dishes to giant lanterns. I love it, and I think it is one of the best parts of the winter season for me.) 

After taking off our shoes (see?), we enjoyed a glass of sherry in the living room before dinner and met their dog, a two-year old English springer spaniel, who took to G like a duck to water. No surprise there. Dinner was a "simple weeknight dinner" according to our hosts, but it was a multi-coursed affair with fish, elk from the fall hunt, and vegetables. Then another round of elk and vegetables, and then blue cheese with port, and finally tilslørte bondepiker, a traditional Norwegian dessert. The literal translation is veiled farm girls. Even Martha has a recipe for it. Check it out. It was really, really good. (Apologies for the lack of real-time dinner photos; I thought it might be a bit rude to whip out the camera at our first social dinner with such nice folks.)

 

After dinner, we traveled with our hosts in their Prius (and yes, the Prius handled quite well in the snow) to Frogner kirke (kirke = church) to attend a Julekonsert concert by the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. I've not really been to many chamber orchestra concerts (okay, I haven't been to any), but this was a beautiful performance. Most of the evening was devoted to Bach with several soloists ranging from a flutist to an opera singer, but my favorite piece was The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams. If you've not heard this piece or are not a big classical music fan, I still think it's worth a listen of a clip on your favorite place to find music online.

In all, it was a very enjoyable evening. When we were turning in for the evening, G joked that all of our friends in Norway will end up being our parents' age (our landlord and her husband are that age or slightly older). To which I thought, if it means I can look forward to evenings of pleasant company, good conversation, and soul-filling entertainment, I am all for it. Photos below; enjoy.

 

Frogner kirke og konsert-goers.

Candles everywhere!

I am a sucker for good stained glass. Apse, where the orchestra would soon be playing. And some random guy's head.

Ad*just |əˈjəstˈ| . To adapt or become used to a new situation. ex : she must be allowed to adjust to living with only five hours of daylight.

Today marks one month that I’ve been living in Oslo. One month seems like a long time, and then not so much, especially when I think of how much I am still adjusting to living here. It’s strange, because it’s really not that different from living in the States. People still go to work, shop, drive, eat, socialize, etc. But when you dig just a little deeper, that’s when the necessary adjustments start to add up. Some are good, so very, very good. Others…well, I am guessing in the long run they will all work out. Right? Here, in no particular order are some of the adjustments I’ve made in the past 30 days:

1.     Sleeping in. Okay, I know, you’re sitting there rolling your eyes. Let me be clear: this is an adjustment that I am not necessarily pooh-poohing. But going from getting up at 4:30 or 5:30 a.m. on a regular basis to maybe having G’s alarm go off at 6:30 – and then promptly sleeping through that most of time – is a bit strange. Have you met me? I mean, yeah. I am not a laze around and pick lint off my sweater kind of person. I am a doer. So, sleeping in until the ungodly hour of 8:00 or (gasp!) 9:00 is totally bizarre. I think it might have to do with the next adjustment…

2.     Six hours of daylight. That’s right, friends. These days the sun supposedly rises around 9:00 a.m. and sets at 3:20 p.m. You know how the sun rises where you are, and it’s actually light out when it comes up? Not really the case here. The sun is so low on the horizon it doesn’t get light until at least an hour after that. Case in point:

      this photo? I took this at 2:20 this afternoon. Looks like sunset to me. That is hard to get used to, even for someone from the 47th parallel. You can understand why it’s so easy to sleep in then, right? Right?

3.     The size of milk and juice cartons. Norway is like the antithesis of, say, Costco. There, you can buy the gallon or half-gallon container of milk or juice at the store, but here…you can buy a one-liter container. That’s it. One liter. I wish I had a U.S. milk carton to put next to the ones here, but seriously, you’ve got to trust me on this. It’s tiny. And I’ve never seen anyone buy two at a time. So, I can't bring myself to buy two. It seems so...gluttonous. I know Americans are kind of milk-crazy, but wow. Just an adjustment. Getting there.

4.     Plastic-wrapped vegetables. Here’s an example: 

      Granted, these aren’t that terrible; we’ve seen bags of carrots and bundles of green onions, etc. But I wish you could have seen the cucumber I bought today. Individually shrink-wrapped. Or the red pepper. Also individually shrink-wrapped. Apples? Shrink-wrapped in a box of six. Avocados? Shrink-wrapped in containers of two. I am not sure I understand the logic behind it. I mean, what if I only want one apple or avocado? It seems to conflict with the fact that they recycle like mad here and you have to pay extra if you want a plastic bag at the checkout. Jus’ sayin’.

5.     Public transit/not driving. Can you hear the choir of angels? Feel the glow of satisfaction through the computer screen? I gloat. I’m sorry. I’m from Seattle, where their idea of public transit is a bus system that takes three transfers and two hours to commute 14 miles one way. Oslo? Buses, an extensive tram system (think: SLU Streetcar, but effective and wide-spread), and an underground metro. One monthly card gets me on any of them, unlimited. Yes, that is all well and good, but you know the best thing? There are these displays at every single stop that tells you in real time when the next tram or bus or train is arriving. And not just the next one, but the next several. In real time. Did I mention it’s in real time? (Can you hear the choir of angels again?) Do I miss my car? Yes. Do I miss driving? Not so much. Especially not commuting. But maybe that’s because I haven’t found anywhere I want to go yet that I have to drive to. More to come on this, I am sure.

So many adjustments, so little time...What about you? Have you had any major changes in your life where you had some unexpected or unusual or just plain funny adjustments you had to make? Do tell.