Thank you for joining me on the past years exploring the "Motherland" of Norway. I have moved locations and will soon take the time and energy to sit down and properly reflect on my experiences in Norway. Check back for the reflections soon.
In the meantime...new adventures are beginning. And with the new adventures come a new blog that will (soon) be both a visual and textual experience. I hope you join me as we take a walk through and with places, people, and experiences. You can join the journey at: http://scottfromsouthdakota.blogspot.com/
Thanks for following me, wherever I tend to amble. Be sure that I am thinking of you and am thankful for your thoughts, comments, and curiosity.
Last (for a while): beautiful snowfall, time I see the ekspedisjon lady, bodega coffee and waffle, time i pee in the huge handicap bathroom, time i buy first price toilet paper
First: time i kept a key long enough to get my deposit back
that you experience a single bolt of lightning and a single roar of thunder that briefly knock out the power...while it's snowing. But i guess it happens at least once every two years in Tromsø.
I had the "pleasure" yesterday of experiencing first hand the transition from fall to winter in Tromsø. I was walking home from town in a constant, and annoying rain. Suddenly when I was close to my house, it grew ominously silent and suddenly a noise starting building like people shaking a tree. I suddenly realized that the rain had changed to ice. This transition continued throughout the night, and this morning we were greeted by this idyllic scene of thin layer of snow covering Tromsø. Looks like I made it up Tromsdalstinden just in time (see below).
On that note...I bought my ticket to Spain! I do love winter and snow, but I'm ready for a little change and some time on the beach. So as of October 22nd, I will be living in Laredo, Spain. It is a small, old town right on the beach in the north of Spain. More info will be coming on that adventure as well as a new site prepared for a multimedia (multimedic?)account of my Spanish adventures. Check back here for more information soon. In the meantime, happy winter!
After two and half years, I have finally accomplished one of my goals here in Tromsø: climbing to the top of "my" mountain, Tromsdalstinden! I have spent the last two years looking out my window at the mountain looming over Tromsø at 1238 meters high, always showing the changing of the seasons as snow and sun would creep up and down the mountain, until both disappeared at opposite ends of the time spectrum. I finally decided that I could wait no longer and with winter looming around the corner, I knew this weekend it was my last chance before I leave Tromsø. So, I talked to my friend Maaike who I used to live with and who had previously attempted to reach the top with me before we were stopped by snow last fall. Maaike, her boyfriend Erik who just moved her from the Netherlands, Erik's boss from Tromsø, and I all met behind the Arctic Cathedral for our long walk up the mountain.
We had a great tour, starting at 11am. I was the unprepared one with only a few sandwiches and a little chocolate. Fortunately, everyone else had treats as exotic as manchego cheese and belgian chocolate. We filled up our bottles from the stream running down the mountain and enjoyed possibly the best water I have ever tasted. We walked up the slightly steep trail, stopping for a while near the top wondering if we should continue. Clouds were rolling over the mountain and Tinden as it is called is notorious for fast-changing weather conditions. We ultimately decided to go for it and it paid off. We were rewarded with an amazing few at the top! We could see the ocean on both sides, nearby villages, and fjords cutting into the land. On top there was a huge rock tower built from people putting a rock on top to mark their success, plus a small book where you could write your name to document your triumph. I added my name with a message of farewell for Tromsø.
It felt great to finally be on top of this city I love so much! I'll be leaving soon for a new adventure in Spain, but I think these mountains (not to mention the people, cafes, bars, university, and everything else in Tromsø) will call me back soon, either to visit or work or even live. Who knows. But for now, I can rest my sore butt and tired legs after 7 hours of hiking to the top of Tromsø.
Oh, Norway. Sometimes you're too healthy for your own good.
I woke up this morning and after a few days of fighting the onset of the cold, my nose finally gave in and sprung a leak. I was blowing my nose all morning and finally decided to walk to town to get some pills to help plug my nose up. Something like Sudafed.
So I walked into the pharmacy and had even written down the scientific name of Sudafed, and asked if they had anything. She looked at me very confused and said, "is it a tablet?" "Yes, of course, I said." "No, we don't have anything like that."
WHAT?! Nothing like a common cold pill to solve all my problems?! Don't you have any pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, or phenylephrine, or some other drug that I can make meth with? Come on.
But no. What did she offer me instead? "Actually the best cure is to spray saltwater in your nose." Um, what? Are you telling me spraying a little salt water will make me feel better? Thanks a lot Grandma.
But, with no other options, I purchased the very hightech "Salt water" spray. Now I will give a tour this afternoon as the drug addicted guide who has to shoot up every 10 minutes...with water. I guess it's my first step to being drug free and a reminder that (for better or worse) not every culture is as drug/pill obsessed as the old US of A.
Craziness this weekend in a few different ways, well four to be precise. Which means of course, we start by setting the stage with the 4 x 4 art show.
This weekend there has been an interactive, modern art exhibition here in Tromsø called 4 x 4. There was an amazing mix of video art, live art, dance, sound, and improvisation. My favorite was probably the hypnotic modern Sami joik combined with random instrumentation from a Portuguese guy named Nunu. It made sense at the time. The exhibit did a great job of making me wonder what was real and what was part of the show because artists were throughout the building and occasionally there would be a dancing tree on the stairs or someone with their head in a pile of moss. All in all, great fun.
The second randomness of this weekend was on the way to the show tonight when I saw the craziest dog collar I've ever seen. There was a big dog sniffing a tree and around its neck was a bright, multi-color, blinking collar. It was like a disco ball on its neck, or maybe better described as a Simon dog collar. You remember that game where green, yellow, red or blue would light up and you'd have to push it. Well, I guess it was useful so the owner didn't lose his dog...but also in case of parties.
The third, not so random more just fun, was a welcome party for the first year peace students! Everyone brought food from their home countries so I enjoyed a Sudanese salad, rice water from Mexico, and whale meat from Norway. I contributed my mom's nacho dip, which I guess is a bit Mexican, but I think that since it is layered it is also American.
OK, finally the big finish. My day as a hero! Yes, I'm a local hero for one lucky 18 year old boy...at least I hope I am. I was walking to town on Saturday and saw a young kid who was obviously drunk and staggering down the street. It normally wouldn't worry me too much but the street was next to a big drop off and it looked like he might fall over the guard rail and down the hill. So I went over to home and made him sit down when I realized that he was in severe pain (beyond the alcohol). I lifted up his shirt and he scratch marks all down his stomach and back as if he had gotten into a fight. I decided that I should call the ambulance and reached for my phone...unfortunately I didn't know which number to dial! Here in Norway, they have a separate number for the fire department, police department, and hospital. I knew it was either 111, 112, or 113, so I went with the first one. Sure enough someone picked up right away and I told them the story. They paused and said, "you know that you're talking to the fire department?" So they connected me and eventually the police came and took my statement and number in case I was needed as a witness. I like to think that I helped the kid out, but I'm not quite sure since the whole time I was on the phone he just said "don't call the police, don't call the police." Maybe I should lock my door so he doesn't come scratch me!
So, an average weekend here in Tromsø. The snow is already on the top of the mountains, and oh yeah, the fifth exciting thing, the first northern lights! Saturday night they appeared for the first time which means it is getting dark and winter is coming...but it is beautiful none-the-less, and as you can tell, never dull.
