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Published: July 18th 2007
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As time passes on here I am slowly starting to feel the wrath of "walking" everywhere. I know that public transportation is THERE for that simple reason, however, I've only got a limited amount of time in certain places...so usually an idea to visit a particular location will just 'pop' into my brain and before I can really figure anything out...I'm heading in that direction. I think that I would waste more time waiting for that particular bus to come, then it would take for me to walk there. It's that sort of mindset that has led me to have tired, achy feet near the end of the afternoon. That aside, I'm pleased to announce that mr. sunshine has finally shone down here in Norway...sad thing is that I was wearing generally warm clothes thanks to the weather being not that good this morning and early afternoon. I stripped down and no worries, I felt the sunshine. I purchased myself what is called the 'Oslo Pass' which gives you free access to a number of museums and activities AND free transport on city busses, rails or ferries. So...this will allow me to just get up and literally walk right INTO
the places I want to see.
This morning I began by heading to the Akershus Slott, which was a castle built around 1300 and houses the current royal families tombs. It was used by the early Norwegian royalty and I'm not afraid to admit that when she told me I was to walk down into the dungeon through what seemed like a hole in the ground, I was a little freaked out. As I went to take my backpack off, my hood sorta popped into my sight line and scared the shit out of me...for an instance. Either way, from there it was off to the resistance museum, which was created beside the spot where the Nazi's executed norwegian citizens during their occupation of Norway in the second world war. After that, I made my way down to the Nobel Peace Centre. A thought occured to me, what is the ettiquette if an argument breaks out between two visitors in the centre?
Now, reading about my DAILY excursions isn't that fun...think how I feel after having written them all. So i will spare you of all the trouble, just know that I DID get to see Edward Munch's
"The Scream" at the national art gallery and Henrik Ibsens museum in his last flat here in Oslo. What I will try to recreate to you is the environment which I find myself when I am writing these lovely blogs. Internet cafes are generally for the travellers OR, as in THIS case, people whom society has deemed not worthy to even own a crap 10 year old computer. In front of me are two gentlemen who ONE resembles Borat (NO jokes) and the other reminds me of John Turturro (of 'Oh brother where art thou?' fame). They are together and the one who looks like Turturro keeps laughing at something that he is viewing on his computer. Beside me, a gentleman showed up who has an obviously ridiculous wig. He has the face of an aged, weathered 56 year old, but his hair is dark, curly and sadly the 'seam' is showing through a gap in his hair. (Damn Oslo wind!) AND he is reading an Iranian newspaper online. Don't read into it, god knows I don't want to. There are also the people who have rushed into the cafe to try figure out their travel plans, only to be
pissed off at the lack of options...and usually are the loudest in here. Or sadly, the person who has just recieved bad news via email or internet, like a woman just did and as she walked by the rest of the computers she made sure to hit EVERYTHING in her path with her bag and was very unapologetic for doing so.
This is nothing on summing up the weird people on my travels thus far. There was one particular gentleman on my 'Jack the Ripper' tour who seemed blaringly similar to someone I know...both in body, face AND personality. This similarity was sooo blatant that for the first 20 minutes of the tour, I tried divising ways in which I could get his picture as proof. Things like trying to get him to walk INTO a shot (but it didn't work because he was Canadian and quite courteous). I tried fitting him into long shots, which didn't work also, because if he THOUGHT he was in the frame he would nicely duck and back away. Finally, I just said..."Hey, your a canadian, I need a pic!" and he just stood there and even in his awful picture pose he
looked like the gentleman I was trying to capture. This gentleman was a graduate from MATH in toronto, had an affinity for Comic books (the scattered few of you are kinda getting the picture...wait for it), he talked about how much he LOVES math and that he really did need to travel a bit, not to find himself, but really...to, as he said, give his parents a break since he still lived with them. The trip was THEIR idea. (YOU know now don't you!!!) I found it quite odd that Niel Miko had made his way to London...but a simple double take cleared that notion.
I've also made sure to include one hilarious picture that I was able to collect. The title of my blog speaks volumes for this...not sure how many Locals thought I was mad when I began laughing like an idiot when I inadvertantly glanced at it on a ritzy shops window. I am also in the process of trying to find a commercial online that I can share with you all. Is literally the funniest commercial I had ever seen...and apparantly it's been running in Norway for quite a few years at this point. If
I've peaked your interest, just let me know. But understand my humor and you'll maybe get a clue at WHY I might find a particular commercial hilarious.
That should basically wrap up my day here in Oslo...not sure what to do with the evening, however...lots of possibilities and to let you know...I am officially getting sick of HOT DOGS! However that might change...I noticed the cost of a 14 oz steak at one of the 'chain' restaurants was $85 canadian. Thats just the steak people!!! Hmm...Narvesen hot dog kinda sounds good to me right now, even if I have to force it down!!
Ha det fra Oslo!
Don
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Jess
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If a steak is $85, I wonder what they're really putting in those hot "dogs"...