*dies*

I was in England recently, London, to be precise. There was this concert... And I'll leave you to guess... :)

This is why I'm going to England in the summer...

What's in one's nature

Last night hubby and I was at a gospel concert, Oslo Gospel Choir, very christmassy event, and they're very good! The concert hall was chock-a-block - for the third time that day ( = 1,600 x 3), so you could say they're rather popular...

Sometime in the middle of all this singing and rejoicing, the conductor told us of a "gospel church" in Chicago that he's visited on a number of occasions. And asked us to participate a little more - urging the soloists on, that kind of thing. And we weren't asked to go out there and be outrageous, or anything like this, just clap a little more spontaneously and at "odd" times  :)

Now, I will remind you, good people, that this was all happening in Norway. And for Norway, the audience was excellent - ecstatic, almost. But now - participating more? Even though I wanted to, I found I couldn't do it. I mean, really couldn't. It was impossible _and_ embarrassing. Though I was happy enough that other people were at it, wholeheartedly!

It were as if I'd been asked to walk on my hands. Naked. 

Every reason I couldn't do it... 

And it wasn't like dancing - I really couldn't dance to save my life, but secretely I wish I could - this was different, I really had (and still have!) no idea how to do it or what to do or when or... 

I guess it just isn't in my nature... 

(Drawing: Erich Heckel, Handstand (Acrobat), 1916)

Insanity streak

Or insanity vein, rather!

Thursday the Manchester International Festival revealed its 2009 programme, which includes (to no surprise for some of us...) Rufus Wainwright's new opera Prima Donna. Friday tickets went on sale at 10 AM GMT. 

At 9 AM (GMT) there were a lot of us anxiously waiting for it to open, typing messages to and fro as we did so, and laughing hysterically at anything. Really, you had to be there! (And you were, I guess, at least had the opportunity to, as this insanity went online...) Then it turned 9:58 - lines were open!

... For about half an hour or so, noone spoke (or "spoke", as it were), then messages started trickling in, where they'd got seats and so on. Neither of my browsers (Explorer and chrome) would let me do the final bank confirmation (aaaaaaaarghhh!!) so even though I got to reserve seats a number of times, I just couldn't buy them.

Panic time.

Then ... One of the boardies had bought too many! I got just the ones I wanted  :)  And then insanity really hit - all of us ticket holders screaming (silently, online) and shouting of gleeee! 

So much joy - and then we're all meeting up at the opera - next July...

Yes. I'm planning next year's summer already, and it does not include my family - but involves almost all of my "online family". It's not just the music. Or the man. It's what he means - and that's more than you might think or guess, even. If you have a look at these posts you'll know how someone's lives have changed forever! And if that's not insane, I don't know what is!  :)

Our view

for three weeks.

I wept like a baby when we were leaving. Can you blame me?

Meet Humphrey

He may well be my new best friend. He's a week old today, and he already recognises me by my fingerprint. (Which possibly everybody else have been doing for years already, but I just love it!) Summer came, I quit my job, and our old computer died. That being said - we left for Crete shortly after (posts will follow...) and I'm realising I haven't really missed online life (!). Sure, I've checked emails on my mobile. Emails, and the gossip & transfer columns from English Premier League...

Now I'm back online I'm scaringly indifferent. Still... This is the 8th week of holidays, though, I'm sure next week's return to school (kids) and work may bring out the need to yet again stay up half the night to hammer away at a keyboard. Right, Humphrey?

Norway's national holiday today!

Today was 3 degrees C and rain. We didn't stay outside long after the parade... Even the smallest town has a children's parade like this - Oslo has a big one, walking past the palace (the royal family waves at the passers-by for hours on end...) - and the weather is no excuse! But last year wasn't too bad, here's a sample :)

After the parade this year we went home, put all the kids in the new tub (kingsize...) and had cakes and ice cream at home... Same, same, but different ...

I met my childhood!

If anyone was watching, they may have found the following scenario slightly peculiar. It happened the other day. I was walking down the pavement towards my boat. A woman came up the pavement. Neither of us spoke, but as we got closer, we both opened our arms wide, and gave eachother a great, big hug. And another. As we hug, there is suddenly summer all around, and I'm about ten years old.

(Do you remember that scene from The Fisher King, where all the people at Grand Central station suddenly started waltzing together, for a brief moment, as our hero was watching his loved one walk past? It was just like that. Only without the music.)



No, I haven't completely lost it...

The woman was a vital part of my childhood summers. Every year until I was twelve, we'd spend summer at this island off the Swedish west coast. Every summer I'd play with this woman's sons and their cousins. I haven't seen her since then, but it was just like we'd never been apart.

And then winter returned, and I had to swish off to catch the boat and get the kids from school.

But we've got a lunch "date". Summer will return!

Back!

... and the only things worth mentioning we forgot to bring north were - my address book (all cards written, but will be sent ... after tomorrow) and all the kids' tooth brushes...

Luckily one of my childhood friends is now a food store manager (or whatever it's called) and Saturday night = closed shop did, of course, not stop her from rushing to our rescue :)

All photos not yet uploaded, but a quick preview! Coming in the harbour of my hometown.

Going up north

In 24 hours, exactly, we'll be sailing in this harbour. According to the weather forecast, it will stay like this for a while still - hopefully they're right!
Looking the other direction, also at 9 PM, you can see the sun is still high. And it won't set until July 22nd - sunny weather or not...

Haven't been 'home' for three years! Can't wait to be back and breathe properly again...

Things that I enjoy (as you can see...)

- Travelling- Hanging on the outside of the cable car
- Lying on the pavement in front of Nicholas Cage's house (to be sold)
- Sitting on the bus with my niece's "job" (beautiful boy)
- Watching San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge from the headlands

= holidays

AF 083 - San Francisco to Paris. Last things first...

So... After the holidays, my sister and nieces left me stranded at SFO all by my lonely... Well, actually they were there too, heading to Colorado (of course), and I had Rufus strapped onto my ears so I wasn't that lonely... The plane below is the one we took from Amsterdam to San Francisco, but that's beside the point. It's the same kind...

Anyway. Imagine 11 hour plane ride alone. Even before you board you're kind of bored, right? Then, the cruel facts. I can't not share this with you. And I swear, I'm not lying, not even exaggerating. And yes, I made it home alright. Well, I made it home! Here's how it went...

I check in at the assigned desk. I find my gate, and wait. I observe the other passengers. (I also observe that the people at the gate - and later in the plane, the pursers etc. - are the same ones that were at the check-in desks. Air France short-staffed?)

* A long-haired, tanned guy, in shorts and a leather Crocodile Dundee-hat, twenty-something, is sleeping heavily, snoring, with his arms around a bag evidently full of boomerangs and surf gear. I'm guessing he's on his way back to Europe from Australia... When the plane's about to close its doors he comes rushing in so he obviously wakes up at some point.



* The cute gay couple, probably French, holding hands while they're waiting. I'm wondering if maybe they were in the Castro this morning, as I had been?

* The repulsive 50-something guy, with dyed black (BLACK, PITCH black) hair - not too much of it, though, so he'd sort of combed it forward from his neck... And tight-fitting black trousers and shirt. Oh, and the unavoidable gold chain around his neck. I thought to myself it would be just my luck to end up next to him. Oh, had I just...

Finally, the gates open and we all rush in to our seats. Even though I checked in ridiculously early I'd forgotten to ask for a special seat, so was - of course - put in the middle of three. A Frenchman - completely normal looking (to begin with) comes to sit by the window. He's no sooner seated than he starts picking his nose. Digging, rather, with an incredibly long index finger. And whatever he found, he put his glasses on to examine more closely. Then put another finger into the other nostril. I quickly turned from him...

... to the guy sitting by the aisle. A huge big Frenchman (not actually fat, just huge! His hands were the size of small planets). And that smell...? Ok, I thought, he just sat down, probably couldn't help himself, broke a little wind... Uh-oh, again? And again?? I turned my head away, but couldn't bring myself to face the guy by the window, so stared straight ahead. I swear - my neighbour kept it up for the entire 10 hours!

Three rows in front of me was the one cute gay guy. His partner nowhere to be seen, but - lo and behold - he appeared something like ten rows further up. They asked the pursers (who were extreeeeeeeeeeemely helpful, for some reason**...) to be relocated, but of the 4 people sitting next to them - noone would switch. So instead of sleeping in eachother's arms, or at least having someone to talk to, they ended up like me, bored to death and staring straight ahead for ten hours.

Oh yes, at least we had favourable winds (the plane, that is! Not me...) and the plane ride only took 10 hours instead of 11. I met up with the black-clad, bejewelled weird-haired 50-year-old by the free drinks table, he seemed totally ok. Just my luck...

Thanks to Rufus, I survived, though - his latest album is absolute genius!

** I've travelled by some airlines, and I've seen gay pursers before. Air France has got to have the most extreme, though - I was utterly taken aback by the fact they actually managed to poor coffee with those wrists!

It's that time of year again...

It's the 17th tomorrow - globally, I guess, but over here it's our national day and much ado as well as much to do... I've just baked two cakes in between working, and will start ironing shirts shortly...

Update: I've just finished ironing those shirts. It's now 1:14 AM, 17th of May. Hoorah! And there will be much rejoicing - from me - in exactly 11 hours and 46 minutes, when it will all be over at our school... Now, I will of course enjoy watching the quads' first parade, and helping Jakob sneak out of his 4th (he hates it). I'll also meet everybody I know in this place within a 2 square mile area and 1 hour to catch up with them all.

Hoorah.

Now, I read today that Rufus will be touring Europe while I'm in San Francisco. So much for the daydream... BUT ---- I've got tickets for his concert in Gothenburg on July 1st! I'm so excited I've been grinning like mad even through all the ironing! Finally, I get to see him... (Incidentally, we saw Robbie Williams in Gothenburg July 1st last year, is this becoming a tradition? I can live with that...)

'nother fun exercise!

Yes, we're back... And here's proof of our wintery disposition - me on the toboggan with Filip. And yes, that's yours truly creating the soundtrack ;) Filip will no doubt grow up to be a rally driver. Phew, I'm just glad we managed to stop before actually hitting those people. Truly, we were inches away from the heads of happy picnickers...

(Incidentally, the people standing in the middle of the photo to begin with has nothing to do with us...)

That's it, I'm off

5 days without a computer... Like good Norwegians we're chasing after the snow to do a little more skiing before spring really takes over. I know. I'll tell you largely about this apparent defect in the nation's soul later...

But in the meantime, enjoy yourselves and have a happy Easter!

(I will be checking my online- and gmail mailboxes via mobile, though, so feel free to...)

Happy St Patrick's day!

The Dubliner, my favourite pub in Oslo

Paddy Diarmuid, my friend from Dublin

Current favourite daydream

I'm in San Francisco. (I'm going there, right? So far, so good.) I'm out walking the streets. (Do Americans walk anywhere? Ever??)
I'm probably in the Castro (my niece lives only a few blocks away), and my nieces and sister are in some shop or other (actually, that could be true..). I'm not only walking the pavement, I'm listening to my iPod (now, I've heard the Castro is friendly, but really, I don't think I'd be carrying it along on a shopping trip, there could be straight robbers about...)
(Straight iPod-robbers in cunning disguise)
Anyway, the dream substance hasn't even started. Because as I'm walking there, outside the shop(s), listening to music... ... I spot Rufus Wainwright & his beau across the street (well, it could happen, right? Right???). And I can't help myself, but cry out "Rufus Wainwright!" (yeah, right, as if any Norwegian would shout out anything, ever, without unbelievable amounts of alcohol aboard. Did I mention that I don't drink? Yeah, I think I did...). Oh, I forgot to say, there's no traffic. Anywhere. Makes it all the more realistic, doesn't it :)

And the dream continues...

Rufus' Jörn looks up. Heard me, obviously. They stop. And I go over to them. As if that would ever happen (did I mention I'm of a fairly Norwegian disposition when it comes to outspokenness & outgoingness? Hm. Think I did)... They ask me what I'm listening to. I answer "Rufus Wainwright" - obviously. But it would be true. I can't stop listening to him. So I tell them just that. In German. (I haven't had German for years but I think I could cough up just that sentence. Really. Especially since practicing throughout this repeated daydream!) Jörn smiles. We talk a bit more in German. Rufus can't quite follow, but there's a convivial atmosphere...
(Rufus out walking. I told you he would be, didn't I!?!!)
- When my sister & nieces are done shopping, Rufus & beau have moved on. But we've exchanged phone numbers (sic!) and e-mail addresses, of course. Which I expect them to totally tear up as soon as I'm out of sight (figuratively - people don't often tear up their mobile phone contacts...) (incidentally - I was wondering why they opposite of "literally" isn't "illiterally"? Would make things a lot more fun. Anyway, I digress).

But they don't. I'm back in Norway, I receive a phone call from my new best friends. Rufus is giving a concert. In Berlin. (I believe they actually live there, so it might happen, right???) And they wonder would I like to come? Oh, and while I'm at it, would I like to invite some of my bloglings? (Apparently, we must have touched upon the subject of blogging during our hearty talk back then.) I list a few that would love to go - just a shame they're in the US, Canada, Greece, Portugal... No problem, Rufus pays for them all to come over. And we have a whole, lovely blogRufusrallyconcertweekend on our hands.

- Care to join?

(Now you may wonder - wherein lies the improbability? Oh, there's just the one, tiny snag. The fact that things never go according to plan... *sigh*)

So this is Christmas

No time to hang around the blogosphere before Christmas - and not really now, so I'll leave you with a photo of my five little angels - and there's hubby and me waving at the back... Hope you're enjoying the holidays - and a happy new year to all!

What's cooking?

Come all ye unfaithful monsters, witches and scarecrows, and ye shall have...

(Sidenote: A friend thought he might go as himself. Ring the doorbells and tell the people he's gay. That'd scare them...)

Correct celebration

It's unmistakably drawing nearer, Halloween...

Norwegians only started celebrating this 5-6 years ago, I think. And according to an American woman (in our local paper) we're doing it all wrong.. Apparently, we're breaking the .... unwritten laws of Halloween celebration:

1. We've (I use the term "we" loosely, as I've never been anywhere near such celebration...) been celebrating on the nearest Saturday. To avoid keeping the kids up late on a weekday, but still - horribly wrong.

Drawing: The Grim Sower. Loved it...
2. Kids up to and including teenagers go trick-and-treating. The older ones are supposed to stay indoors and party.

3. If not given treats, Norwegian kids will play tricks on said (sad..) person. Viz. by throwing eggs on the windows (which is really hard to wash off!) and / or wrapping toilet paper around the nearest shrubbery. I know, they're bad bad kids... (No, we haven't actually denied anyone sweets. But when the quads were smaller we kept the house dark and quiet to avoid people ringing the doorbells and waking the kids up. Bad karma. Lots of eggs.)

She didn't even mention that we have no idea what it's about. We have had All Saints' Eve too, but never any celebration of it other than in church. And what's the pumpkin got to do with anything?

While we're at it, I hasten to utter my sincerest apologies for our celebrating Christmas on December 24th. This is clearly wrong and in violation with the unwritten (American) laws of celebration too. I can't promise not to keep this tradition up, though.

The Swedes always celebrate Midsummer's Eve on the nearest Saturday. So they'll have plenty of time celebrating. Norwegians tend to laugh at them - because even if we don't get a day off, a lot of Norwegians spend the evening totally sloshed in a boat or on a beach somewhere, and therefore inexplicably have to call in ill the next day... See? Day off after all... (I, for one, wouldn't mind the nearest Saturday thing, but then I'm 1/8 Swedish and don't drink much, so I'm disqualified of any opinion on this...)

Now, next we'll start celebrating Thanksgiving. What for, noone will know, but hey - at least we all get to dress up like turkeys! ;)