Happy

As I was walking up the hill last Tuesday it suddenly hit me: I like living here. I like interacting with all my colleagues and I like meeting new people. I may still miss my old life a bit, but I am getting into the swing of things and understanding more and more. 

Now, of course when you're happy, you should show a happy photo! Although the me in the photo might have been happy for a slightly different reason (something to do with a very sweet strawberry liqueur). But, happy is happy!!

'Pink'

It took some looking, but I did find something pink: suckling piglets. About two years ago I found myself (once again) in England with that school. And once again we went to Wimpole Hall. Now, I had seen Wimpole Hall on the inside several times by then, but I had yet to visit the farm. So, I trudged my way over and saw all sorts of animals. There were turkeys and geese, horses and cows, sheep and of course pigs. 

Since it was spring time there were lots of pigs and piglets. In assorted ages. However the bigger ones lost most of their pink colour. Besides, the smallest suckling piglets were the cutest anyway. It's a good thing though the internet is not smell-o-net, because the stench of all those pigs was something awful!

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A little mathematics

A few months ago I had gotten myself a travel insurance. But for some reason it never happened: the money wasn't taken from my account. So, yesterday I went back to get the thing sorted properly. As I was there anyway I wanted to know how much my car insurance was as well. And then it started to get complicated. 

Now, there are 365 days in a year (apart from leap years, but it's not this year). And there are twelve months. Nothing complicated so far. In the Netherlands, they calculate your monthly insurance payments by seeing how much insurance they want you to pay in a year and then dividing it by twelve. Giving you twelve equal payments (365/12). Not so over here...

Here they have decided that would be too simple. In stead they divide the amount (x) by 365. Then they use that number (x/365) and multiply that by 30. As in days of one month. But, since not all months are 30 days long, they only let you pay that amount 7 times. After that they use that number (x/365) and multiply it by 31. Which you have to pay for the remaining 5 months. 

Clearing it up a bit: if x equals 365 and you divide that by the number of days in an ordinary year you get 365/365=1. You then multiply that number by 30: 30*1=30. Which you pay for seven months: 30*7=210. The other 5 months you have to pay: (31*1)*5=155. Adding 210 to that 155 you get 365. Of course in a leap year there will only be six months of 30 and then six months of 31. I presume. 

You are wrinkling your forehead now aren't you? The sums are easy enough, you all get it, but you know that there are not seven months of 30 and five months of 31 days in the year. For a start February only has 28! Plus there aren't only five months of 31 days either! There are seven (Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Aug/Oct/Dec)! What can I say: the Norwegians probably felt it was a good thing to difficultise a very simple thing and then decided it was too difficult and tried to simplify it again. 

It made my head swim a bit though...

Sitting in the dark

Not everything I do here in Norway involves people from work (although granted, a lot does). Not everything in Norway is new to me. Some things are quite old hat. Even if they do take place in a new surrounding. Take tonight. 

I walked down the hill and went into town (okay, okay, I took a bus from the busstation, but I walked down to the busstation!). And then I entered a building called EddaKino. Or cinema as they would say in English. Because I wanted to see a film. On a big screen. So I did.

I went to see "Oz the great and powerful". In 3D. I had to wear glasses over my glasses, which was a bit annoying because it felt like they were slipping the whole time. But the film was great. Quite a few in jokes at which I laughed and nobody else did. Unless they did and I just didn't hear them, after all there were only four more people in there!

Anyway, no breaks, a nearly empty cinema and a seat on the back row. And a good film of course. A good night!

Alcohol

The only store in town to get your alcohol from!

It was quite normal for me to socialise with my colleagues back in the Netherlands. We would meet up after work and have a couple of beers, before heading home. I liked those times, we would discuss anything from the best beers to who had worked for the company, world troubles to holidays. We weren't fussy. 

When I invited people over to my place it was me who bought the beer and (if necessary) the harder liquor. And of course the food. We would have a beer or a glass of wine even if we had to work the next day. 

Over here in Norway it's slightly different. Talking to colleagues it became quite clear they will not drink a drop if they have to work the next day. Even if it's only one out of six who has to work, all the others will be teetotal as well. Which isn't necessary a bad thing of course. You don't after all need alcohol to have a good time!

But when everybody is off the next day, the brakes are off. From what I understood basically a race to oblivion. The last man/woman standing and all that! Which was a bit horrific to my ears. Then again, you bring your own, so no extra cost for the host! Because I think in all this, cost is a very deciding factor. It is very expensive to buy alcohol in this country. Which I knew from previous experience of course and even wrote about I think. 

 

Anyway, I went to the State Off Licence (Vinmonopolet) yesterday morning to get my own booze. There is only one in the whole town, so it is usually quite busy. But if you want alcohol of any type (apart from beer, you can get that in the supermarket), that's where you need to go. Unless you're bootlegging of course, WHICH I AM NOT!!!

The party last night was great fun. And I got into the spirit of things from the start. I got myself around the first drink at half past six: some sort of Bacardi liqueur with Sprite. After that I stuck to my own: Bols Strawberry: very very sweet, but quite nice. After I had finished half a bottle, I had had enough. I had tried some Peach Vodka and some Liquorice liqueur as well and my head was telling me enough. So, I stopped. Because I knew that one more drink would result in me being ill. 

The race to oblivion didn't happen. At least not while I was there. It was just a lot of fun. With alcohol! 

Photo on Sunday 2013-3

This photo was taken yesterday morning. The sky was blue and five minutes later (as I was about to go out) it snowed quite heavily. So, as I walked downhill, I took this shot of the snowdrops. Quite literally!! By the time I came back up the hill the snow was all gone again.

Dry

When I intended to move to Norway I was told it was dark and cold and that it snowed a lot. Well, the dark is over, we now have more light every day than the good people living in the Netherlands. All the way up to September, when the days will be shorter again. The cold is also relative. Of course there are areas in Norway that are very cold. Like the inlands. Where temperatures regularly dropped to under minus 20. Celsius! Over here not so much. Yes, it has been cold, but not as cold as a lot of people expect and that is mainly due to the fact that we are located right by the sea. 

And this snow? Well, let me just say that the Netherlands have had more snow this winter than we have had. As a matter of fact, apart from the snow we had about three weeks ago, it has been snow and rain free for over 5 weeks now. And it doesn't seem likely rain will come at any time soon. 

It is of course lovely to have this glorious weather. Blue skies and sunshine. Yet, the temperatures still don't go up that much and a winter coat is still very much a must. People are still wearing hats and scarves and gloves, because it isn't warm, despite the sunshine. 

A big problem I have with all this dry weather is a problem I have had for years: dry skin. I moisturise like mad and still my fingertips look like I have done some heavy work. Pretty soon I will have run out of handcream! And the fire departments are not too happy either: many grass fires because of carelessly discarded cigarettes. Mind you, I do like sunshine just a bit more than I like rain!

'Spring'

You may remember the photo I posted last year in this same meme concerning spring. I actually was spending time on top of Lifjell in the Telemark region where it snowed most days. If you have forgotten: here's what it looked like. This year I am spending my spring in Norway again. However, this time I had something completely different to photograph. 

I had seen these magpies a few days ago. Flying back and forth to their 'building site'. And last Sunday they were still busy with it. So, I snapped some photos. You can see one of the magpies quite clearly, the other one is a bit harder to find, but it is there. Right underneath the other one actually, you can see the top of its head. 

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Colleagues

This will be my entry!

When I started working as a busdriver it was hard. I had to learn the routes, know about the buses and get to know my colleagues. All 15 of them. It took me a while, but I got there. I knew the routes, knew about the buses (sort of) and knew the names of my colleagues.

When I started working as a busdriver in Norway it was hard. I had to learn the routes, know about the buses and get to know my colleagues. All 200 something of them! It took me a while, but I got there. I know the routes, know about the buses (sort of) and know about 10% of my colleagues! It has only been four months!

So, I have decided to take on some extra work. Make a large photo album in which all the drivers will be represented. With a photo. And some text. All 200 something of them. And the people in the office. 

My colleagues think it's a great idea. Most of them anyway. They are happy to pose for a photo and answer a few questions. When the book is finished it will be great. I think it will take me some time though! Ah well, I didn't have anything better to do anyway!!

Canada

I had an email from Canada this morning. Of course this does happen on occasion, since Kay and Anvilcloud are both from Canada and will occasionally email me back about something or other. But since this was from neither of them, it came as a bit of a surprise.

So, who was it from you ask? From my Canadian agent! The one I met when I was in Canada a year and a half ago. The one who helped me to try and find a job. And here's what he wrote in his email:

Hi Mara,

Wanted to know how you were. I am in the process of finding people for a hotel that will be opening its doors this summer. And now the owner told me that he will also be hiring people from abroad for the front desk.

The hotel is situated to the Northeast of Edmonton and the guests will mainly be workers who work at nearby industrial estates.

Just wanted to know if you might still be interested. 

So, am I? Am I still interested in working in Canada? Honestly? No. When I realised I wouldn't be able to do the best job in the world it was already a big downer. When I realised it was nigh on impossible to find a job in the hotel business (which is not the best job in the world) it was a wake-up call. Moving half-way across the world to do a job I don't want to do is not something I am interested in. And thinking about it: I don't think I would be interested anymore if they offered me a job as a busdriver either.

I am happy where I am. I am getting to know people, the language isn't a mystery anymore and soon I will be reunited with Wuppie. And I am in the best job in the world: driving a bus!

Norway it is.