From There to Here

A Look at Bergen

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Bergen is Norway's second largest city with a population of 268 900 which puts it behind Oslo but ahead of Stavanger. It's also known as the 'Gateway to the Fjords' which is precisely why we visited as we started and finished our Norway in a Nutshell tour from Bergen.

Bergen is located on the Western coast of Norway and while it's only about 210 kilometres from Stavanger, the journey via car takes close to 5 hours and requires 2 ferries. The city itself is reminiscent of Stavanger - located right on the water with the same coloured, wooden buildings dotting the central harbour and it exudes that small town charm but is indeed bigger and seemingly more mountainous.

Founded in 1070, Bergen was Norway's largest town until the 1830s. Today, tourism, fishing and oil & gas are the major industries but it's also home to a leading University. Visitors have a wide range of museums to peruse (I'm particularly interested to get back and explore the Leprosy Museum,) endless outdoor activities to try and of course, can explore the surrounding fjords.

Our visit was short as it was really only a starting off and ending point for our Norwegian excursion and as we arrived over Easter long weekend, much of the city remained closed. We made the most of our time though and explored what we could of the area.

A highlight was the trip up the Fløibanen funicular, a cable railway that takes visitors up the side of the mountain with fantastic views of the city. We lucked out with beautiful weather and clear skies and because we weren't in the thick of high season, it was relatively calm at the top.

May 17 just happens to be Norway's Constitution Day. Back in 1814 Norway signed its constitution declaring it an independent state. The celebration is a big deal all over the country and unfortunately, we're missing out on it this year but we will certainly raise a glass to our adopted home while abroad!

It's also my dear Dad's birthday - Happy Birthday Dad! Joe and I will have a drink in your honour - now that I think about it, we'll be having a lot of drinks today, all in the name of celebration :)

{With the imminent disappearance of Google Reader, you can find me on BlogLovin.}

Down Memory Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

I get a lot of emails from people inquiring about Gabon. Most of the time, they're potential expats who are wondering about life in that little, equatorial nation. You see, there isn't much about Gabon on the internet. No one goes there and out of the couple thousand expats who call it home every year, very few of us blog. When we found out we were moving to Port Gentil, I literally scoured the internet for information. It turned up practically nothing (especially in terms of real life in the country.) However, there was one blog by an American woman, her French husband and their 3 children and I read it from post #1 multiple times just to try and get a sense of what my life might be like there. While the majority of the posts were about her children, it helped me realize that I could make a life in Port Gentil. (Side note: Less than a year into my stay, I met her and felt so weird that I knew all of her children's names. I never told her that I read her blog out of embarrassment but in hindsight, I should have let her know how helpful it was to me.)

Last week, a young, American teenager reached out to me via my first blog. He had been assigned a project on Gabon and had also been scouring the internet for information. He wrote that he was looking for pictures to match certain topics in his project and in his words, "Google images surprisingly doesn't have these things (that was sarcasm), I'm wondering if you could help?"

The teacher in me LOVED this. First of all, here's a kid actually doing his homework. Secondly, he took the time to write me to ask for help and third, he didn't just steal everything off my page and call it a day.

I spent an hour the next morning sorting through some photos trying to find a few that would help him which led me to think about our time there. It's funny - I feel like our time in Gabon was ages ago yet I remember it so vividly. I remember that wall of humidity that hit me every time I stepped out the door. I remember the taxis incessantly honking outside my window. I remember the smells so clearly that my nose recoils mid-thought. I can drive myself down the streets to certain stores and picture my friend's guards from memory. The nostalgia surprises me.

The tiny village of Omboué

An Easter walk to the Catholic Church behind our house

Offshore Platforms stacked off the coast of Port Gentil

While I know that time will fade these memories, I hope I don't forget the little things.

{And for those of you who stumble across this blog while scouring for information on Gabon, I'm happy to help. I've been there and I know that your search has turned up practically nothing and all you want to know is if you'll be able to live there.}

PS. I'm on BlogLovin

A Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Sverd i Fjell at sunset

Exactly one year ago today, From There To Here went live. Those of you that have been around for awhile know that I'd been blogging 2 years prior on a little WordPress blog but in anticipation of moving out of Africa and the choice to make this space more of a dedicated hobby, this blog was born.

In 2010, I started blogging as we prepared to embark on this life overseas and like many expat bloggers, I didn't actually expect anyone other than our immediate friends and family to read it. Every once in awhile, generally after explaining it to non-bloggers or after having been sucked into the black hole of giveaways and followers, I wonder why I do this --- that is, blog. It's such a weird thing this blogging - writing, photo taking and sharing our life online. It takes a lot of time and effort and there are times where it feels like more of a chore than anything but I persevere through those difficult patches in hopes that one day in the future when we're settled into an average Canadian home, I'll look back through this space and think, "Wow, I can't believe we did all of that!"

And of course, there's you. Those who keep coming back, reading, commenting, sending emails and connecting over our common love for travel, books and life abroad. I don't say it enough but, Thank You. Thank you for keeping me inspired to write and thank you for the community you've helped to create here.

If you're up to it, I'd love to hear a bit more about you - who are you, where are you, how'd you find your way here & where would you travel to if you could pack your bags tonight?

{It also seemed fitting that the week of my one year blog anniversary, I hit 100 000 page visits. That baffles me!}

Working Culture in Norway

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

I think when people move overseas they expect there to be cultural differences - different foods, languages, holidays & customs - but they don't always anticipate those cultural differences spilling over into the working environment. Work seems like it would just be 'work' everywhere when in fact, it can be vastly different from what you are used to.

It's fairly evident in Norwegian society that family is of the utmost priority in practically all aspects of life. We see this in the year long, fully paid maternity/paternity leave. We see it in the cafes with nursing rooms and/or stroller parking. It's obvious in the free education scheme and on the streets in daily life. It's also pretty blatant in the working environment.

In short, Norwegians often work short days - 7:30-3:30 is common. In fact, rush hour here is usually between 3 and 4 pm. They take a half hour lunch break where food is often provided at an in house cafeteria subsidized for employees. They are privy to 5 weeks of vacation every year and are encouraged to take several weeks together over summer for a break. The working week for office jobs is Monday through Friday and it's generally frowned upon to work on evenings and weekends. This includes answering emails or telephone calls unless of course, you are on call. They leave work at work. If you are sick, you stay home and you are not expected to work while recovering. If your child has a special event, you're expected to leave work to attend.

Much of Norway is highly unionized meaning workers have a union advocating for their rights. It's quite difficult to lose your job once you have it (or to fire someone if they aren't performing like you'd expect.) The working responsibilities are generally quite specific and there are usually several people working in one area where there might only be one employee covering it all in North America. It's not uncommon for an employee to say "No" if they're asked to do something they feel is outside of their duties and that is accepted. People often dress down for work wearing jeans and a collared shirt or blouse throughout the week. You'll also notice employees shifting their working hours on Fridays (particularly in the summer) to enable them to duck out early for the weekend. CEO's in Norway tend to be the lowest paid in the world whereas the average employee tends to have higher salaries than their counterparts in other countries.

Foreigners often hear of these conditions and immediately express that they'd love to work in Norway however, they'll notice some drawbacks. It can often feel like it will take ages to get something done simply because the working hours are short. At 3:30 everyone stops what they are doing and heads home even if right in the middle of something. There's a lack of urgency. Those in managerial positions find the adjustment more difficult having to work their way through the heavy union protocol. There can often be 'too many cooks in the kitchen' so to speak making decisions drawn out and if you happen to need something outside of normal business hours, you're generally out of luck. The summer can feel particularly difficult too as more than half of all employees will be on vacation and they will definitely not be checking emails so your file may well sit on their desk for a month with nothing happening.

Now, Norway sits in a pretty special position allowing them such generous working benefits. Before they uncovered the massive amounts of oil in the North Sea in the 60's, the country itself was actually quite poor relying on farming and fishing as their main sources of survival. Of course all of that has since changed with the mounds of money that came with their oil discovery. Currently, Norway comes second only to Luxembourg as the highest GDP per capita and their government pension fund is sitting at a cool $654 billion dollars. This obviously puts them in a pretty comfortable position financially and allows it's citizens many benefits and security.

The working culture can be a massive adjustment for those who come from North America where work and career are often at the forefront of our lives. We feel so much pressure to work well past normal office hours and can be expected to do the work of several people because we know that if we don't do it, someone else will and we'll be out of a job. Many people will look at Norway's working culture and wish they had a similar environment yet when they arrive feel the pendulum swings a bit too far the other way for them.

It's easy for me to say, as I'm not working in Norway, but I find it refreshing. Norwegians clearly have their priorities set and it's obvious that work is not at the forefront. Family and life come first and they are not willing to jeopardize that in any way. I admire that they are uncompromising in their beliefs and find much more to life than work and career. As foreigners arrive and step into the working culture of Norway, it'll be easy to feel frustrated while learning the ropes but they must remember the working culture of Norway has been made by and for Norwegians, not the expatriates.

Will their economy be able to keep up with the arrangement they've set for themselves? No one can say for sure but they have made it work for them under the current conditions and they appear to be content with the choices they've made.

[And before you comment as to how lucky Joe is to be reaping the benefits of the Norwegian working climate... he's here on an expat contract out of Dubai as opposed to a local contract which puts him in a grey area. Technically, he's supposed to follow the rules in the country he's living in however, he works for an American company and the expectations for an American company abroad are the same as an American company in the USA. That coupled with the fact that all of his superiors are expats generally means that he picks up the slack when everyone else leaves at half three. It sucks for him and it sucks for me but that's the way things tend to happen on these expat contracts.]

*Obviously, I'm making some generalizations here and different industries and positions will show different characteristics.

{EXPATRIATED] Bethany from Rinse Repeat

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Sometimes I get the impression that people think we are crazy for leaving all that we are familiar with behind for a life overseas but we aren't the only ones that have chosen this lifestyle. In fact, there are a lot of us and many of us blog about it. Expatriated is a series to introduce you to other expat bloggers.

............................................................

I am so honoured to have Bethany from Rinse Repeat on the blog today. I had been silently following along Bethany's journey in the Middle East for awhile, but not long ago she posted a lovely, heartfelt and honest post about her expat life which urged me to connect with her. I love that she's honest about her experiences on her blog in a world of blogs that sugarcoat life yet she doesn't come across negative or ungrateful. It's refreshing.

So, without further ado...

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up and lived my entire life in Eau Claire, Wisconsin... but now I live in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

How did you end up in Kuwait and what inspired you to make the move?

Shortly after getting married, my husband was offered a position in Kuwait. Although Kuwait wasn't our ideal location, we thought moving abroad would give us the opportunity to travel and see another culture!

What is the best part of living overseas?

I love the diversity in a place like Kuwait. I grew up in a smaller town in America and for 20+ years was surrounded by people exactly like me. I love that right now while peeking out my window, I can see Indian women in saris, Arab women in hijabs or abayas and Western women in jeans and J. Crew sweaters. We dress differently; we pray to different gods; we each carry a unique culture and traditions that are so special to us. And yet for the most part, we all peacefully exist here.

What do you miss most about home?

It's hard to sum up in one word, but it would have to be equality. That's strange for me to say in Kuwait, because as a Westerner I'm usually treated quite well. But, people of other races and ethnicities don't receive the same fair treatment. I miss the general understanding that we're all equal regardless of race, income or sex...I miss the way people band together when someone acts contrary to this.

And for the small stuff: I miss people forming orderly lines. I miss wine... it's prohibited here. And I really, really, really miss Target.

What was the most difficult thing to adjust to in Kuwait?

The heat. In the summer, it can get up to 130 degrees... and it is not a dry heat. As a woman, you must keep your shoulders and legs covered. It's horrifyingly uncomfortable, and after just a few minutes outside, I need a shower + change of clothes. The hottest season also coincides with Ramadan, a 1 month period of daytime fasting. All restaurants are closed from sun up to sundown, and even drinking water in public (in any visible place including your car) can result in jail time or heavy fines. Last year, I became a hermit during Ramadan, because I just couldn't handle it.

Any funny 'whoopsies' while adjusting to your new life?

Absolutely! When we moved in, our apartment had the ugliest mural on the living room wall. My husband bribed the landlord to get it painted. When the painter showed up, my husband was at work but I welcomed the painter inside. He left the front door open behind him. Because our kitty likes to escape, I quickly closed the door. He opened it, I closed it. He opened it again, I closed it. We played this game for a while, neither of us speaking the other's language. Then he left, returned with a friend and finally closed the door. The friend just sat on a bucket while he painted for three hours.

I was SO confused.

Later, I learned that it's frowned upon for a man to be with a married woman behind closed doors...lest others think that something, um, inappropriate is happening. Since I had insisted that the front door remain closed, he was likely so uncomfortable that he recruited a friend to sit in my living room...simply to serve as a witness that nothing shady happened between us.

Cue 37 shades of blushing over my lack of cultural awareness.

Saving graces?

In Kuwait, expats make up more than half the population. So, one of the biggest saving graces is knowing that the lady ringing up my groceries, the man driving my taxi to the mall and the guy delivering my dinner are likely all missing their family and country... just like me. There's a bit of camaraderie to be found with anyone who is homesick, and I love the way others light up when they talk about home.

Everyone has a story. Often those stories remind me that although I desperately miss the Target $1 bin, I don't have it that bad after all.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned from your time in Kuwait?

I used to stress about having a "perfect" life, and spent my first few months in Kuwait trying to rebuild the life I left behind. I beat myself up for not having an adorable home, a perfect wardrobe, and beautiful parties in my new life overseas. But finally, I realized that it's simply not possible to recreate one's old life 7 000 miles away from where that lifestyle ended.

And while I ache for the pretty things that I used to have, I also know they don't matter. Life isn't about being perfect. It's about having experiences, and holding on tight to the people you love.

If you had the chance to move elsewhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Italy, France or the Czech Republic would be high on the list. I've loved traveling in Europe, and find each country so inspiring. The social culture in Europe is closer to my own, so when I leave Kuwait and visit Europe, it's a bit like breathing again. But it also offers the awe of experience new sights, food and people. Plus I've got a thing for old buildings, outdoor cafes and cobblestone streets. Check, check and check. :)

Any advice for the newly expatriated?

Leaving home behind is such a multi-faceted emotional experience...be kind to yourself in the process. Also, it's okay if you're not head-over-heels with your new home. (I'll be brave and say that I'm not.) In time you'll cry a little less, and you'll find things that you really do love. You'll make a few friends and life will begin to feel normal.

I promise. Cross my heart.

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I LOVE this interview.

Bethany has such a way with words that is honest and thought provoking yet makes you feel at ease. You can read more from her on Rinse Repeat.

And, thank you Bethany!

If you're looking for other editions of "Expatriated," check out...

Jess in Brussels

Britta in Costa Rica

Edna in Paris

Chelsea in South Korea

Kristina in Melbourne

Melissa in London

Jenna in South Africa

Jeanie in Singapore

Kisha in India

A Weekend in London

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Our time in London was at a premium. With only 2 full days, a long shopping list and sights to see we knew we'd be busy. We didn't expect to see everything but I think we made a pretty good start. We watched the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, walked along Hyde Park, fought the crowds on Oxford Street, met Sarah for a quick coffee, checked out the Tower Bridge, stopped for English ales in pubs and strolled Portobello Road in Notting Hill. We hardly scratched the surface of all there was to do in London but it solidified that we would most certainly visit again.

For now, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

London Called

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

For the last few months I've been scanning for quick, direct flights out of Norway in hopes to do a little Spring shopping. I moved here with a wardrobe fit for the tropics, purchased new things for Winter yet really needed some clothes that would be appropriate for a Norwegian Spring & Summer (i.e. not hot.) Shopping isn't fantastic in Stavanger and while I can certainly find what I need, it's so expensive here and doesn't seem worth it to pay a lot of money for a mediocre selection. (There's also a 25% import tax on anything shipped in thus that was not a feasible option.) So, I scanned for flights to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, Edinburgh, etc. Flights to any of those destinations for a weekend were expensive and after continually checking back for deals, it became apparent that we just weren't going to get somewhere cheap so we bit the bullet and booked a trip to London.

London has never been high on our list of places to visit. It's not that we didn't think it would be a good city to travel to - we just figured we'd get there eventually whether we really planned it or not. Well, London, you exceeded my expectations. I can't quite put my finger on it... perhaps it has to do with coming from a Commonwealth country and growing up looking at so many iconic London images or perhaps it was just entering a bustling city after months in our quiet, Norwegian town, but London won us over pretty quickly. Also, it was pretty darn nice travelling to another English speaking country and I cannot discredit how smooth and easy everything was just because we could read the signs.

Shopping was semi-successful, as my credit card can attest to, but I didn't get everything I was looking for. There was just too much to do and as happy as I would have been perusing the shops day-in and day-out, I'm sure Joe wouldn't have appreciated it. Perhaps next time I'll schedule a mid-week trip by myself so I'm not dragging my husband around and can avoid the sheer craziness that is Oxford Street on a nice, dry, Spring Saturday afternoon.

The Particulars...
+We flew via Norwegian direct to Gatwick. They offered the most reasonable flights and had great timing with a 19:40 Friday night - 21:05 Sunday night return ticket.
+From Gatwick, we hopped on the Gatwick Express which took us right to Victoria Station near Central London in about 30 minutes. Do note, there isn't much space for luggage on that train so if you're travelling with a lot, you may want to hire a taxi. The train departs every 15 minutes (30 minutes on Sundays) and costs £19.90 for an Anytime Single ticket although you can save £2 by pre-purchasing on the internet.
+I found us a great deal on a swanky London hotel in Covent Garden. St Martin's Lane Hotel was in an amazing location which made it easy for us to walk to practically every sight we visited. It's also a really hip hotel that has some super cool features that play with coloured light. Even with the deal, it wasn't cheap but as compared to other London hotels in the centre, it was worth the extra few £'s for the location and funky room. (The deal is valid until May 16 so if you're looking for London accommodation and don't mind splurging a bit, you can check it out here.)
+We arrived quite late Friday night and decided to eat in the hotel restaurant, Asia de Cuba. An Asian-Cuban fusion restaurant sounds like a bizarre pairing yet it was oh-so-good. The crab croquetas were delicious as were our main courses of pan-seared ahi tuna and Cuban BBQ'd chicken. They also have a very extensive cocktail list (I enjoyed the Chilli-Passionfruit Caipirinha.)

And... a very happy May Day to you all. It's one of our many public holidays in May here in Norway, celebrated as Labour Day. Unfortunately, Joe's boss didn't get the memo and scheduled a very important, not to be missed meeting for noon.

The Norwegian Printing Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Lately, I've been making the museum rounds throughout Stavanger and have been pleasantly surprised at the variety in our little city. When the PWC sent an email out organizing a trip to the Norwegian Printing Museum, I'll admit, I had no idea it existed but I was intrigued. The benefit of visiting with the PWC is the admission is usually discounted and they often arrange for a private, guided tour which in this case, was quite essential to really appreciate the exhibition.

As we arrived, we were greeted by an older Norwegian gentleman who explained, "Us old guys all used to work in the printing business. Now we're retired but we'll show you around." He won me over quite quickly. There was something so endearing about these men who had long moved on from the printing press yet still came around to maintain the equipment, work on a few pieces as a hobby and impart their knowledge to those who visited.

The building itself was beautiful in it's industrial glory. Old wooden floors combined with steel supports enveloped the enormous iron machines and the smell of ink permeated the air. The windows on the far wall peered right out onto the water and sent rays of light through the entire space. It's almost hard to believe that it was once a simple storage space for the canneries in the early 1900s.

Stavanger had a very lively printing industry due to the abundance of canneries in the area (of course, the cans needed labels.) Lithography was the trade of choice for labels. The pictures and text were drawn by hand on large and heavy pieces of limestone. Multi-coloured labels followed a careful process - each colour was hand sketched on the limestone, pressed, dried and then the next colour, on a separate lithograph, was applied. In total, over 30 000 lithographs were made in Stavanger for the canning industry alone.

The rest of the museum was dedicated mainly to letterpress which honestly, was quite fascinating. Up until the 1980s, letterpress was the main method of newspaper printing in the area and what an intricate and I imagine, strenuous, process. Typesetting was done completely by hand, letter by letter, word by word almost as if arranging a puzzle daily in order to put the newspaper to press. In 1900, the first typesetting machine came to Norway which basically works like a computer keyboard except working manually to put a cast together shaping a line of text in metal.

We were lucky enough to watch it all come together as the machine clunked and the metals tinged eventually forming a phrase. The gentleman was kind enough to make a souvenir of sorts for us as we oohed and ahhed at the process.

The Handmade Typecast

It was really quite amazing to see the precision and effort that went into printing and while I love how technology has opened up so many opportunities for us, it made me sad to think of this massive industry and art that is practically extinct with the use of the computer taking it's place.

The Handmade Print of the Norwegian Alphabet I bought at the end of the tour.

The tour was really quite eye opening for me and as a lover of the written word, I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the letters surrounding me, each of them being created with so much time, effort & care.

Our Travel Plague

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:49:00 +0000

Dining in Granada, Spain

Joe and I compliment each other well when it comes to travel. I do the planning and researching but when we're in country, he'll take care of the logistics. I keep a list of sites to visit, he'll figure out the public transit. He's more budget friendly which keeps my expensive eye in check. Joe prefers to go, go, go checking off every attraction on his mental checklist whereas I like to slow down, enjoy a coffee and take it all in. He's the ying to my yang.

Regardless of how well we balance each other out, we still have our own little travel plague.

The exploring, learning, sightseeing and walking makes us hungry and both of us can be pretty indecisive when it comes to food. When the time comes, I want to find that little gem of a place where we can rest our feet, taste something delicious and refuel. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be good. This is often easier said than done.

Usually, I start to feel hungry. (Joe never feels hungry until we actually sit down in a restaurant.) I casually bring up that we should probably start trying to find somewhere to eat and Joe usually agrees however isn't super motivated to get to it. An hour will pass as we continue our 5 km jaunt from one location to the next and my hunger increases. I remind Joe again that I'm getting quite hungry and we should probably stop somewhere and he'll casually agree. We'll take a look around but everything will look like a tourist trap or not quite what we're looking for. We agree to walk on. This process repeats a couple of times as neither of us will make a decision. Eventually my h-anger sets in (hunger + anger.)

I'm well aware of it and will often warn, "Joe, I'm starting to get grumpy. I really need to eat now." He'll often offer an exasperated response along the lines of, "Fine. Let's just go there," pointing to the dive across the street to which I balk. We walk on, h-anger increasing exponentially. Joe will continue to point out any and every place on the street that sells food which really only makes me angrier as they're usually not valid options for me. We keep walking in hopes of stumbling across THE place.

Eventually, I'll hit a breaking point. The h-anger will capsize me and I'll rant that we should have ate 2 hours and several kilometres ago. Joe will note that he's pointed out a billion restaurants but I won't go in any of them. I'll roll my eyes because suggesting 7-11 is not a reasonable 'restaurant' and provides no help to our situation. Out of sheer desperation to end the situation, we'll stalk off into the nearest restaurant. Rarely does it happen to be that gem I had so hoped for but we'll eat, the h-anger will subside and we move on.

I try to be proactive and many times it helps. I'll take a list of restaurant recommendations from friends and readers. I'll do a little research, read a few TripAdvisor reviews and take note of this place or that place. Sometimes we'll ask the concierge or a local that we happened to be chatting to and many times, we successfully eat a lovely meal sans problem. But, sometimes it just doesn't work out. We'll end up in a different neighbourhood than expected or we'll make our way to a recommended place only to find it full or the menu not quite what we wanted. Sometimes we just want a little spontaneity and preplanning doesn't allow for it.

In any case, while it may look like travel is glamourous from all angles, I can assure you that it's not. Somewhere during the course of our weekend trip to some European city, I will be standing on the street ranting to my husband while taken over by h-anger.

Do you get hangry?

{Please tell me I'm not the only one!}

A Look At Stavanger's Museums

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Museums are something we tend to visit when we're away from home and they often slip from our minds when we're looking for things to do when we're not travelling. Despite it's small size, Stavanger has a pretty great array of museums to visit. With Jeanie's visit and the PWC, I've been able to check quite a few out but I look forward to exploring them all while we're here.

*Stavanger Museum - Housing both cultural and natural history, the Stavanger Museum has been open to the public since 1893. Here we can learn the history of our city and see what life was like here hundreds of years ago. It's also home to the Children's Museum.
Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-16:00

*Stavanger Art Museum - The art museum has a really great location on the edge of the Mosvannet, a lake not far from the centre of town. The museum showcases a few Norwegian artists but it also welcomes smaller exhibitions from other artists.
Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-16:00
*Stavanger Maritime Museum - Currently closed until May 15, 2013 for renovations, this museum is next on my list to visit. It's home to many maritime related artifacts and 2 sailing ships dating back to 1848 and 1897.
Tuesday-Saturday 11:00-16:00
*The Norwegian Canning Museum - This is a favourite to most who visit. Before oil, canning was a major industry in Stavanger which was home to some 130 canneries. The museum is located in Gamle Stavanger and housed in a former cannery. Many of the machines are still in working condition and visiting is really like stepping back in time. Guided tours are offered and they are essential to really experience the exhibit at its best. The first Sunday of the month they fire up the sardine smoking as it would have been done in the early 1900s.
Tuesday-Saturday 11:00-16:00
*Utstein Monastery - Norway's only preserved monastery is located about a 30 minute drive from Stavanger. Historical records date the site back to the 9th century although construction of the main building began in 1260.
The museum closes during the winter, reopening in March on Sundays and at peak times is open daily. Check the hours here.
*Ledaal - Ledaal is a mansion and royal residence built in 1799. Originally built as a summer residence, it's now a museum as well as a royal residence and is occasionally used for official functions. This is set to be our next field trip with the PWC.
Open Sundays mid-August to mid-June 11:00-16:00
Open daily June 15-August 15 11:00-16:00
*Breidablikk- Often visited when touring Ledaal because of their close proximity, this is a former shipowner's residence. Apparently quite well-preserved it provides insight into home life in Norway in the 1800s.
Closed January-June 15
Open daily June 15-August 15 11:00-16:00
Open Sundays August 16-December 31 11:00-16:00

*The Norwegian Printing Museum - Stay tuned for a blog post on this one - it's tied for a favourite with the Canning Museum. This is a must for anyone interested in typography and printing presses. Many of the machines are in working order and it's quite amazing to see the intricacies that made a newspaper and labels early in the 20th century. Retired printing professionals keep the machines in working conditions and if you're lucky to catch them on special occasions or tours, they'll demonstrate how they work.
Open Sundays January 1-June 14 11:00-16:00
Open daily June 15-August 15
Closed August 16-December 31
*Stavanger School Museum - This one is only open under special arrangements but is located in a former school and focuses on, you guessed it, school history.
Rogaland War Historical Museum - Originally a privately owned collection of World War II memorabilia, it's now a museum housed in former Nazi camp near Sola airport. The exhibit is in Norwegian but it's worth it to try to arrange a guided tour in English to see Stavanger's role in WWII as well as life under the occupation.
Open Sundays 12:00-16:00 May-November

Via Visit Norway

Norwegian Petroleum Museum - This is probably Stavanger's most popular museum. It sits right on the water downtown and is really quite an impressive exhibit. Beginning with general history as to where oil comes from, it goes on to show Norway's oil & gas history, then breaking down the process of offshore drilling and finally, it looks at environmental impacts. The best part of this museum is how interactive it is - to scale offshore platforms allow you a close up look, interactive touch screen displays, a 3D movie theatre and you can try your hand at a few drilling tasks. There's also a really great restaurant housed right in the museum building but it can get busy, particularly for dinner.
Open daily 10:00-19:00 June 1-August 31
Monday-Saturday 10:00-16:00 September 1-May 31
Sunday 10:00-18:00 September 1-May 31
Museum of Archaeology - As one might guess, the museum of archaeology has some really, really old artifacts in it. It traces back life in Rogaland to the Bronze Age and really offers a glimpse into how Norway has progressed into the modern world.
September 1- May 31 Tuesdays 11:00-20:00, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00-15:00, Sunday 11:00-16:00
June 1- August 31 Monday-Friday 10:00-17:00, Saturday-Sunday 11:00-17:00

Joe has been a bit jealous as of late because I seem to do all of the exploring while he's at work so I've started going back to the museums with him on the weekends. It's something we need to remind ourselves to do on those rainy days.

Tips
+Those marked with an * are part of the MUST group. You can buy yearly passes which are worth the cost if you plan on visiting most of the museums.
+Tourists can also purchase the Fjord Pass which offers discounts on many museums all over Norway (in addition to discounts on hotels, rental cars and other activities.)
+Operating hours are drastically reduced outside of high season here so it's in your best interest to double check before you plan your trip.
+The Canning Museum & Printing Museum are best seen on a guided tour - check out when they're scheduled and if it's during low season, ask at the counter as sometimes they're happy to take you around on your own.

The Tiny Village of Flåm

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

After completing the first half of our Norway in a Nutshell tour, we stopped off for the night in Flåm. The tiny village of Flåm is found at the end of the Aurlandsfjord which is one of the legs of the Sognefjord, the world's largest fjord at 212 kilometres. It sits amongst the sea and the mountains and is quintessentially Norwegian beauty.

At the end of the 19th century, German and English tourists came to know Flåm as a stop on their Norwegian fjord cruise and the village continues to woo visitors from all over the world. There isn't a whole lot there - a few hotels, a few cabins, a railway museum, a couple of cafés and tourist shops & a brewery. From the town, one can plan a number of excursions or hikes to pass their time there but we chose just to sit back and enjoy the scenery with a beer in hand.

We stayed at the Flåmsbrygga Hotel. The rooms were basic but comfortable and every single one had a gorgeous view and a balcony. The three of us spent the majority of our time parked in the sun, with a beer in hand breathing in that fresh mountain air. That evening we wandered next door for a Norwegian Easter buffet followed by live music & beer at the local brewery, Ægir.

It was a quiet 24 hours in Flåm but I liked it that way. When the high season kicks into gear, the cruise ships start pulling in and while I hear it's quite the sight to see those enormous floating buildings pull up to this tiny village, I liked that we sort of had it to ourselves.

Snakker du engelsk? Speaking English in Norway

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

One of the 23 iron sculptures that make up "Broken Column." The sculptures can be found all over Stavanger creating an imaginary column from the Stavanger Art Gallery to the harbour.

When we arrive in a new country that will be our home for the foreseeable future, we have all sorts of expectations, goals & hopes outlining what we want our stay to look like. We have an idea as to how we'll spend our time, what we'd like to learn and where we'll travel. Some of those things come to fruition while others do not.

When I arrived in Norway, I was motivated to start learning Norwegian. I'm in a new country with a completely foreign (to me) language and out of respect & interest in the culture, I figured it would be in my best interest to take a few lessons. Once we found out we were staying, I made a few calls in hopes of securing a tutor for Joe and I at our company's expense. (Side note: Our company will pay a certain amount for Joe's lessons however not for mine.) I waited and waited for Joe to settle into his new position and find some time to track down the information and paperwork needed before starting lessons. It took forever and with that, my interest and motivation started to wane. When we finally did secure everything we needed, our travel schedule picked up and the tutor advised us to wait until we had a more consistent schedule.

In the meantime, it became evident that most everyone in Norway speaks English.

Norwegians start learning English as early as Kindergarten and they continue throughout their entire schooling career. By the time they graduate, most Norwegians will speak excellent English. (The teacher in me finds this fascinating particularly coming from Canada where our commitment to French language instruction has failed miserably to produce a bilingual country.) Obviously, in larger cities with more exposure to foreigners, English is more widely used and there is a bit of a generation gap but even in the rural areas, most Norwegians will have a working knowledge of the language.

Of course, the official language of Norway is Norsk thus signs, advertisements, labels and the first language most people will speak in day to day life will be Norwegian. Movies & TV shows (with the exception of cartoons) that come from North America and the UK are left in English with the addition of Norwegian subtitles and are very rarely dubbed. Official government documents for visas, taxes & healthcare are generally in Norwegian although with an influx or immigrants and expatriates, it's not hard to find an English version. It's pretty common to hear Norwegians move between English and Norsk seamlessly even within one conversation amongst themselves. It really is quite impressive.

In the beginning, I faced some challenges with the language. As opposed to Gabon where I had a lot of French vocabulary to assist me, I didn't know a single word in Norwegian and the language looked and sounded completely foreign to me. There were moments in the grocery store where I was guessing when buying 1%, 2% or skim milk and a bit of difficulty when researching mobile phone carriers as the websites were all in Norwegian. However, when someone speaks to me in Norwegian and I apologize, "I'm sorry, I speak English," they immediately switch over without hesitation or judgement.

To date, I've picked up a few words. I can do the checkout at the grocery store without English, as long as they stick to the script. I know that "kylling" means chicken and "jordbær" means strawberry. I can "hei, hei" in greeting and "ha det" in closing with the best of them. I've nailed "tusen takk" and "ja" and "nei" and I now know that although "pose" and "pølse" sound similar they don't mean the same thing (bag and hot dog respectively.) I still sound ridiculous when sounding out words as I often try to impose English sounds on Norwegian words and I keep my home address written in my wallet because no one seems to understand my street name no matter how hard I try to say it correctly.

It appears that English has once again allowed us to get by without learning another language. This always feels like a blessing and a curse. It certainly is convenient but it also allows us to lazily take a backseat in the language learning department. I haven't fully abandoned the idea of taking Norwegian lessons as I do still consider it important to learn and to make an effort but I'm just not exactly sure how that will look for us.

Somebody Got A Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Mere months after my last blog design (May 2012) I started craving something different. I'm not sure if it was the move to Norway and being surrounded by Scandinavian design but I wanted something simpler in colour and feel. I held out as long as I could before I asked Ana from BlogMilkShop to whip up this custom new look for me and I must say, I'm feeling at home in my new abode.

Take a look around and make yourself at home. If your reading this post via email or reader, click on over. There are some updated & new pages added which you can find in the sidebar under my photo. (I'll be working on the Voyages page in the weeks to come making it easier to navigate our travel posts.) With the new design, there may be a couple of quirks particularly while we try out different elements on different browsers. We'll be trying to get everything working seamlessly but if you happen to notice something not quite right, please let me know!

And finally,

Thank you for your continued support. I'm honoured that you keep coming back, commenting and following along as Joe and I navigate life abroad.

{I feel like this is probably a good time to tell you, in case you didn't already know, I'm on bloglovin so with the imminent disappearance of Google Reader, you can follow me here.}

Five Things

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

I'm a little late to the game but what the heck...

{1}

+Joe calls me his "Little {expensive} Hippie." I don't like chemicals (I've never owned a bottle of bleach), I listen to weird (his words) music, I'm passionate about Human Rights and I do yoga & meditate. However, I also have an eye for luxury hotels & expensive clothes. It's a bit of a dichotomy.

{2}

+I'm afraid of birds - not afraid as in I think they'll harm me but afraid as in I don't like them anywhere near me. I can't judge their distance from me when flying thus am often ducking and dodging birds when they're no where near me. This is problematic in Europe with an abundance of pigeons. On a similar note, people who feed birds drive me nuts.

{3}

+I danced competitively my entire childhood. It was my life 4 nights per week throughout my adolescence and while I enjoyed it, when I got to university I completely abandoned it and haven't taken a class since. I'm now convinced that I would be horribly awkward if I picked it up again although I will occasionally attempt a few pirouettes in the kitchen.

{4}

+My first name is not actually Jay although it is my middle name. I've never been called my first name so I don't really identify with it. In fact, when it's called at the doctor's office I sometimes forget they're talking to me.

{5}

+I grew up with a lot of food allergies that basically surrounded anything that had any sort of mould. This included all milk products, certain yeasts and my personal favourite, leftovers. I've grown out of most of them although if I have too many milk products in a day, my stomach isn't happy and I've been known to throw out a, "I'm allergic to leftovers," on occasion.

Easter Weekend with Norway in a Nutshell

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

One of Norway's most popular trips is the Norway in a Nutshell tour and while Joe and I had never done it ourselves, when we found out that Jeanie was coming, we thought it would be the perfect way to spend Easter long weekend. Jeanie would be able to see more of Norway outside of Stavanger and Joe and I would explore a region we had yet to visit.

Norway in a Nutshell is basically a fully customizable package that arranges travel within Norway, particularly Fjord Norway on the West Coast. Trips can start from either Bergen or Oslo, they can stretch anywhere from 1 day to several with possibilities of extensions and generally include trains, boats & buses as a means to explore the area. Now you probably know that I'm not much of a 'tour' person but this was really convenient and I appreciated the flexibility with the travel planning.

With the extra long weekend, we decided to drive to Bergen from Stavanger. The trip itself is just over 200 kilometres but because of the jagged Western coastline of Norway littered with mountains and fjords, the trip takes just under 5 hours and includes two ferries. After staying the night in Bergen, we caught the first train of the Nutshell tour early the next morning. Having the entire weekend, we had arranged to stay one night in Flåm, a tiny village at the end of a fjord, before rounding out the trip back to Bergen with the fjord cruise, bus & train.

The entire trip was really great. Booking everything was really easy and as I said, customizable to your liking. The timing lined up really well, the prices reasonable (for Norway anyways) and it was a great, stress-free way to see the area. Being that we were travelling in the low season, it was relatively quiet and we weren't bombarded with tourists. On the less positive side, it was a little chilly in April, particularly on the fjord cruise, the scenery was beautiful but I imagine it to be more stunning in the summer and it's still a tour made for and full of tourists.

I'm excited to be able to do it again this summer when my parents visit and Norway is green and alive but I'd also love to try it in the Fall with the abundance of colours.

Tips
-While the trip can certainly be done in one day, I think it would have been too rushed. Stay a night in Flåm if you can.
-If you do plan on staying over night, you can buy a Fjord Pass for 150 kroner which gives you discounts on hotels along the way as well as museums and car rentals all over Norway. (The savings on our hotel was more than the cost of the pass.)
-Pick your tickets up the day before - we left it until the morning and were greeted with a long, slow line and a bit of a scramble to make our train.
-We brought along a bag of snacks which was really handy to have on the train and in the hotel with us especially being that everything (including grocery stores) were closed on the long weekend.

An Intolerant Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:38:00 +0000

For such a small city, we have quite a few restaurants & cafés in Stavanger and while it's certainly not very affordable to frequent them daily, I do like to make the rounds and try them out. In fact, one of my favourite weekday activities is meeting up with friends for a latté and lunch downtown.

Today you can find me over on my friend JoAnna's blog, For The Intolerants, talking about one of my favourite spots in Stavanger. Check it out here.

A Friend Come & Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

I felt a bit of anxiety the month leading up to Jeanie's arrival in Norway. She was spending quite a bit of money, flying all the way from Western Canada and using her much-needed and appreciated Easter vacation to visit us and none of that was lost on me. I wanted her to really enjoy the trip and Norway and that led to a little bit of pressure to make sure the experience was a good one.

Stavanger is a small city and I was concerned that we might find ourselves bored. We planned 4 days away North of Stavanger over Easter, arranged a second car to allow us freedom to head out of the city during the week while Joe was at work and I started a list of possible activities and day trips that I thought we might enjoy. Even so, I worried that it might not be enough for my well-travelled friend.

Funny enough, we weren't bored at all. We visited museums, wandered the cobblestone streets downtown, chatted over lattes and chocolate, ate dinners out and cooked at home, browsed the shops and spent many hours on my terrace reading and talking. In fact, we never once used the second car because we were easily occupied with what was accessible without it and looking back on the list I had prepared in advance, we hardly even touched on all that we could do in the Stavanger region. In the end, it was a lesson learned; one doesn't need a big city to find interesting cultural experiences and activities for tourists.

Jeanie departed on Saturday and it's back to regular life for Joe and I. I was a little sad to say goodbye to my friend but after having met on 3 different continents, it's got me thinking... where to next?

{EXPATRIATED} Jess from Jess in Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Sometimes I get the impression that people think we are crazy for leaving all that we are familiar with for a life abroad but we aren't the only ones who have chosen this lifestyle. In fact, there are a lot of us and many of us blog about it. Expatriated is a series to introduce you to other expat bloggers.

..................................................................

I'm so happy to have one of my favourite bloggers on Expatriated today. This week you saw me on her blog speaking about favourites while she's off touring South Africa and today, we'll get to learn a little bit more about her life as an expat. If you haven't already, meet Jess.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

This seemingly straight forward question is a hard one to answer! I usually answer Minnesota, though I have lived in thirteen states and my parents do not live there anymore. But it is where I went to high school and I loved those years. I now live in Brussels, Belgium.

How did you end up in Brussels and what inspired you to make the move?

The short story is I was following my boyfriend at the time. But what has kept me here is actually the more relevant story. I was a French language and government major in college and had studied abroad in Paris. I was dying to move back to Europe and wanted to live in London or Paris (one of the “dreamier” cities if you will). Finding a job in Europe from the States was impossible back in 2003 (and I imagine has to be even harder these days). So I signed up for a bi-lingual Master’s program in International Politics in Brussels. I had connections in Brussels and some delightful family friends offered me a tiny attic apartment to live in while I got on my feet. The intention was never to say longer than the year-long Master’s programme… but I lucked upon an internship…which turned into several jobs…and nine years later, I am still here!

What is the best part of living overseas?

The weekend trips. Belgium is very well connected to the rest of Europe (which is convenient whenever its inefficiencies are getting to be too much). I have taken my car to the UK and hopped on the fast train to Paris. I have woken up in the morning and decided to drive to Northern France to visit the WWI battlefields (despite the rather flowery nature of my blog… I fully admit to being a history nerd). But there are also flights to most European capitals from Brussels airport.

What do you miss most about home (besides friends & family?)

The familiarity and ease of finding things out. My apartment has had some unfortunate plumbing disasters in recent months and urgent, basic tasks like finding a plumber can sometimes be the biggest challenges when living abroad – even when you speak the language. If your experience is anything like mine, you end up relying on other expats.

What was the most difficult thing to adjust to in the Belgium?

{Disclaimer – before I answer this question, I would ask any Belgian friends I have to stop reading…I am going to answer this from the perspective of a customer-service spoiled American} INEFFICIENCY. I personally think Brussels suffers from the fact that so many foreigners live in it. This is also going to be my answer for another question below because I simply haven’t gotten used to it almost nine years later…

Any funny 'whoopsies' while adjusting to your new life?

Oh so many. But those moments are what helps you bond with your new country as well as with other expats.

Saving graces?

The fact that so many other people in Brussels (especially in the “EU bubble”) have stories like mine. It often unites expats here because we are all from somewhere else, and I think we all find Belgium amusing and oddly charming.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned from your time in Brussels?

That Americans are spoiled when it comes to administration. Everything takes ages here and the sooner you “go with it”, the easier your life will be! I’ve learned to get away from the touristy spots (though the Grand Place is lovely!) and often find myself wandering around the gorgeous Bois de la Cambre on weekends. And perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that fries are better with mayonnaise…

If you had the chance to move elsewhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I honestly don’t know. Check back in with me again once I am back from South Africa in two weeks! But I have a very big soft spot for London and its arts and culture scene…

Any advice for the newly expatriated?

Patience. And get out there and explore.

.............................................................

Fries are definitely better with mayonnaise.

Thank you Jess!

Jess' blog is full with great finds be it videos, articles or pictures of beautiful clothes or homes. Currently, she's in one of my favourite destinations, South Africa, and I can't wait to hear all about it in the weeks to come.

If you're looking for other editions of Expatriated, you can check out...

Britta in Costa Rica

Edna in Paris

Chelsea in South Korea

Kristina in Melbourne

Melissa in London

Jenna in South Africa

Jeanie in Singapore

Kisha in India

Some Favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

One of my favourite bloggers asked me to guest post about my favourites and I don't know about you, but narrowing down the list has got to be one of the hardest things to do. With that being said, my favourite trip is a given and Jess happens to be exploring that very location as we speak.

You can find my post here.

Norway is on Easter Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Easter in Norway is sort of a big deal although not particularly due to the religious aspects of the holiday. This Scandinavian country has the world's longest Easter holiday with Thursday, Friday & Monday all being nationwide holidays and schools generally have the entire week off giving Norwegians plenty of time to travel and celebrate the return of Spring after a long, dark winter.

This past weekend, Joe and I noticed just how quiet the city had become with many locals heading elsewhere for the holiday. Restaurants that were normally busy were vacant and despite the sunny skies, we didn't see the normal influx of outdoor activity around our neighbourhood. Joe's office is abnormally quiet and the commuting traffic is practically non-existent. It's pretty evident, Norway is on vacation.

Via Visit Norway

With my friend Jeanie arriving this afternoon all the way from Canada and Joe having several days off work, we're heading out to explore Norway. We'll be venturing North, where Joe and I have yet to visit, and we'll get to experience the famous Flåm Railway, ranked one of the top 10 rail journeys in the world. I imagine it's going to be breathtaking and I'm so excited to introduce Jeanie to the beauty of this country!

Hope you all have a great Easter weekend whether you're staying close to home, visiting family or traveling somewhere new!

{If you're interested, I found this great article detailing Easter traditions in Norway.}

The Unnerving Experience of Haircuts Abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

There are some things you expect to be hard when you move abroad - getting your residence visa, making friends, navigating the grocery store, figuring out public transit - and then there are things that don't cross your mind - like getting your haircut. In fact, finding a new stylist in my inter-Canadian moves was difficult enough without the language and cultural differences.

A long time ago, I blogged about the quest to get Joe's haircut not long after we arrived in Gabon. I never blogged about getting my haircut in Gabon because it never happened. For the entire 2 years we lived there, I didn't get my haircut once in-country. I debated it at one point - several friends were frequenting a French woman's salon and I thought I'd try it out until I saw a very jagged cut along the back of a friend's hair - I decided to wait.

I've always been particular about my hair stylists. This isn't because my hair is difficult to cut or because I've had any terrible experiences but just because that's the way I am. I don't seek out bargain cuts and I'm not afraid to pay (quite a bit) for a good experience that involves organic tea and a head massage. Usually, as we prepared for a trip out of Gabon, I'd research a place to make an appointment. Generally, I'd look for an Aveda salon usually due to two reasons: first, I've used Aveda products for the last 10 or so years and often need to stock up and two, Aveda salons require their staff to complete Aveda training on top of any other training they've had so there's often a high standard in their salons. I'd phone or email asking for a senior stylist and hope for the best. Usually, it was fine. This process meant I'd get my haircut every 6 months at a minimum. I think I once went 10 months - it was horrendous and I was so embarrassed when I finally did sit down in the chair.

Even though we have resided in Norway for 9 months, I had yet to have my haircut here. (I had it done in Aberdeen before arriving and then in Canada over Christmas holidays.) Joe has had his hair done twice but he's decidedly less picky than I am. Salons are a dime a dozen in Norway. It's not uncommon to see several in the span of a couple of blocks but it can be quite difficult to gage the quality. When it came time for me to find a stylist, I relied heavily on the local expat forum for recommendations. A particular name kept popping up who seemed to be popular with many expat women - apparently she often trains in London, speaks excellent English, cuts & colours and it can take months to get in. I took that as a good sign and waited the 6 weeks before I could get an appointment.

The experience was really quite great and very similar to home. She understood exactly what I wanted, talked me through everything she was doing and had great chair-side manner. I left a happy woman - albeit much, much poorer.

A few things to note:
+Appointments can often be made online which I LOVE! You pick your stylist, your cut, your colour and scroll through calendar which shows all available dates.
+You will often get a text message 24 hours in advance to remind you of your appointment. (I also love this.)
+Not all stylists cut & colour and I've heard many women talk of botched colour treatments. If you don't have recommendations and are unsure, it's probably best to go in and ask.
+Tipping is not always expected in Norway. Everyone is paid very well here and do not require tips to supplement their salary. I didn't tip at the end of my haircut - there was no tip function on the machine, I didn't have correct change & the cut & colour was so expensive that I figured it wasn't necessary. I felt guilty the entire night afterwards. I'm not sure if that was warranted but knowing me, I'll probably tip extra the next time around.
+Don't expect a style after your cut. Mine ended with a blow out and the application of some product but it was fairly basic.
+It's going to be expensive - you're in Norway, nothing is cheap. The cheapest I've seen is 250 kroner ($45) for a men's cut and 600 kroner ($100) for a ladies trim. If you can't fathom paying that and above, wait until you are elsewhere. Also, if you have a particular budget, ask ahead what the price is so you aren't surprised at the end!

A Look at the "World's Largest" Phenomenom in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:27:00 +0000

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a couple of friends after an interesting morning learning about World War II history in the Stavanger region. Our conversation started by debriefing the morning and our thoughts on all that we had heard which eventually led to talking about the Holocaust Museum in Houston and then to civil rights in the US and then into me chronicling my family's summer road trips through the US which bear many resemblances to National Lampoon's family vacations. After laughing over our experiences at Mount Rushmore & Old Faithful, we got talking about random, large monuments.

You see, every time we drive from Edmonton to my hometown in Saskatchewan, we inevitably pass by the World's Largest Bunnock. (What's a bunnock you ask? It's a game of bones similar to bowling invented by Russian soldiers while passing time in Northern Siberia.) Joe finds it hilarious and personally, I think he looks forward to this little highlight on our trips to Canada. The American friend knew all about this "World's Largest..." phenomenon and talked about a giant cactus in a town she visited as a child but our Scottish friend was perplexed. I told her about the giant gopher in Eston, Saskatchewan and the giant teepee in Medicine Hat, Alberta and there's a giant baseball bat in downtown Edmonton and a giant dinosaur in Drumheller when it dawned on me - damn, we have a lot of large & obscure objects.

via

Later that evening while attempting to find a photo of said bunnock to send to my friends, I came across a website detailing similar attractions in every province in Canada. Saskatchewan alone is home to the world's largest tomahawk, the world's largest turtle, and the world's largest oil can. Joe's hometown in Northern British Columbia is home to the world's largest gold pan and I couldn't help but be intrigued by the world's largest burl in Port MacNeil.

I'm curious - how did these things come about? Did someone in Macklin, Saskatchewan show up at a town hall meeting with a dream of constructing the world's largest bunnock and due to the immense popularity of the game, the town emphatically agreed? Is there a certain world's largest attraction that sparked the wildfire that would become communities constructing their claim to fame in a mass furry to outdo neighbouring towns? Is this what started the construction of the Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building?

My hometown isn't home to the largest anything however it makes the list for the Canada goose monument along the highway where as Edmonton claims the world's largest Western boot as well as a supersized baseball bat, Stanley Cup, a wire dove, milk bottle & an oil derrick (among others.) Grande Prairie, our last Canadian home, has a giant sundial yet I don't think I've seen anything similar in Stavanger.

Tell me - do any of your homes have a similar claim to fame?

(In case you are wondering, the Scottish friend is still perplexed. I told her that castles & whisky can only get you so far.)

Around the Web

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:36:00 +0000

While the written word isn't coming so easily to me these days, I thought I'd share some things around the web that I'm enjoying.

+I really loved this post debunking myths about Egypt from my friend, JoAnna. (Thinking of you this weekend as you say goodbye to Egypt and head into this next chapter!)

+Jenna posted some pretty amazing photos of Deadvlei in Namibia.

+I loved this beautiful post on Manhattan Nest about family, inheritance & legacy.

+If you are wondering about traveling Europe & budget, this post from Jess is a must-see. She's also included some great tips for finding the best deals.

+Unbrave Girl's post about teaching overseas is really interesting, particularly if you've ever wondered if you might be qualified to teach ESL abroad.

+This video about the use of the word 'gay' is humorous yet informative and should have us all questioning the impacts our words have on others.

+For all of the bloggers (and others) that are in shock and dismay over Google's decision to lay Google Reader to rest, I've been trying out Feedly and am quite liking it. It seems to be more customizable than BlogLovin and I appreciate that the entire background isn't a large H&M ad. It's occasionally a bit slow but I assume that will get better as it adjusts to more & more users.

+Fellow blogger and expat in Norway, Andrea, posted 15 things about living in Norway that provide some insight into this country and it's inner workings. (The other 15 can be found on Megan's blog.)

+Loved this critical look at the French school system and it's Vacances Scolaires - something I was always intrigued by watching French families in Gabon.

Hope you all have a nice weekend. Joe has plenty of work to catch up on and I'm hoping to tackle a little spring cleaning. It'll be quiet, but needed.

Ebb & Flow

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

I always used to find myself so productive when I was busy. I'd be amazed at how much I could accomplish in a day and although it was stressful, I was focused and motivated.

It's certainly no secret around here that I'm not busy. There's this and that, coffee on Tuesday, lunch on Thursday types of things. There's laundry and cooking and cleaning and all of those less glamourous aspects of life and walks along the seafront and skype chats home. The days are passing and I'm content albeit lackluster.

I suppose what it comes down to is a lack of passion which inevitably leads to a lack of inspiration and motivation. Before becoming a trailing spouse, I felt so passionately about my career - perhaps a little too much, leaving myself completely worn out after 5 years and desperately wanting a break. While I'm not necessarily feeling a pull back to the classroom, I am wondering where my passions lie outside of it.

Where do I want to focus my energy, my mind space and my time?

In the last few weeks my 'Drafts' folder has substantially grown. Posts are started, a sentence or 2 written, labels clicked, a photo edited, a title picked, another sentence typed and then erased until finally, the post is closed and filed away in that ever expanding folder with a promise to pick it up when I'm feeling more focused and inspired. I'm certain it's all tied together- this undefined passion, lulls in motivation, inability to express thoughts concisely (as evidenced here in this post,) and unfinished drafts.

Bear with me as I navigate this ebb. The flow is always around the corner.

Hiking Dalsnuten

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

With more pleasant temperatures and less rain, Joe and I have been exploring the Stavanger region. Living in a smaller city often means less opportunities for activities and while I'll admit, Stavanger isn't bubbling over with events every day, there are plenty of things to see and do in the surrounding area, particularly if you are an outdoorsy person. Having a car has really given us access to so many different excursions and even though we don't often go far, it's nice to have the opportunity to get out.

From practically every window in our apartment, we look out over a fjord and a range of mountains and while we've driven over there once before, we had never really explored the area on foot. I had heard of a fairly easy hike up one of the mountains with fantastic views of the greater Stavanger area so we gave it a try last weekend.

From our house, we drive the length of the fjord to Sandnes (an adjoining community) and round the edge which takes about 25 minutes. There are a couple of different starting points but we chose to commence the Dalsnuten trail at Gramstad.

Joe and I were surprised to find the parking lot FULL of cars on a Sunday afternoon. This is apparently quite a popular destination on the weekend for families as young children find the hike manageable as well. While there were a few crowded moments, the trails branch off in different directions thinning out the people.

The hike took us about 45 minutes to reach the top and while we didn't find it particularly challenging, we did find ourselves breathless at a few points. Many hikes in Norway aren't the manicured paths like we might be used to in Canada. It's not unusual to climb from boulder to boulder, scouting the best path and railings are few and far between.

After the final steep climb to the peak, we were greeted with fantastic views of the entire Stavanger region. It's quite cool to see the layout of the city from a completely different perspective and it really showed just how much water surrounds our city. It's no wonder we have so many coastlines to explore!

Once we made it to the top, we found ourselves a spot with respite from the wind and other hikers where we enjoyed the views and a snack before descending down a second path.

This was the perfect hike to do on an afternoon when you don't want to commit to a full day but are looking to get out, enjoy some fresh air and stretch your legs. There are quite a few other paths in the same area with varying lengths that we're hoping to check out in the near future.