July 23, 2009
My summer routine involves lots of work and lots of relaxing. Since Geilo, I have had three days off. While I've been working pretty much every day, most days are pretty short, leaving plenty of time for summer lounging. The weather here reminds me of home, rain, chance of rain, sun breaks with rain, and a few really hot days.
I most prefer working at the art gallery; the people here are interesting and the work is not physically exhausting. When someone buys a painting or other piece of art, everyone is happy about it. The transaction, regardless of the amount, is considered a joyous event or at least a positive one by the gallery, the artists, and the purchasers.
It's a little different working at the cafe. People are always happy to get their food, but the stress begins when they pay. Then they stand there and watch while I (or one of my coworkers) engage in the mad rush to try to get all of the hot food hot and the cold food cold and onto the table at the same time. Meanwhile there tends to be a line forming of more people who want more food. Unless there is nothing happening at all in the cafe. And that's no fun either.
On Fridays and Saturdays we have free concerts at the cafe. Free in Norway equals chaos. Everyone wants there coffee and waffles right when the concert starts. This means that the concert starts late, which annoys the people who came twenty minutes early. Then the concert lasts for half an hour and everybody heads back out into the fresh air, leaving behind them a wake of coins (for the musicians), coffee cups, and crumbs. Fortunately, the concerts are pretty good otherwise it wouldn't be worth the exhaustion!
On sunny days, tourists stay outside. They do not visit art galleries and they do not visit cafes in dark timber buildings. As previously mentioned, we have not had so many sunny days, so we have had a lot of tourists. That has meant lots of work to do for those of us who wanted to work. Of course, you can only work so long before it's time for a vacation!
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The delights of summer
Yesterday, between rain showers, I ate my lunch outside at the tables in front of the coffee shop. I had prepared for myself a salad teeming with the bounty of summer produce. While I sat on the mostly dry chair at a table that was definitely wet, eating my salad that seemed to increase in size as I ate it, I thought of the rainy summers in Seattle.
Perhaps it is global warming or my shady memory, but I don't remember summers in Seattle being long stretches of sunshine. I remember the comfortable rain. Perhaps it is more closely related to my summer habits of retreating into the cool dark basement with a special blend of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips and walnuts in a Tupperware cup that someday would be taken to the beach and used as a digging implement losing its pleasantly smooth edge and becoming forever relegated to the back of the cupboard. In the hours while my parents were at work, I would watch tv mindlessly - making sure to follow the complicated system of turning on fans and closing hatches and windows to preserve the valued coolness of our stone house.
It must have been hot. It must have been hot because we went swimming in the sun. We all thought that swimming in the rain was the best, but swimming in the sun was necessary. When the weather was hot on the weekends we would pile in the Falcon and drive to Tacoma. Nana and Grandpa Arne always had fabulously delicious food (the broccoli chicken bake, salmon, potato salad, sour cream and onion potato chips, real sandwiches, PIE, ice cream in a variety of flavors, waffles with homemade jam for breakfast). The rest of the family tended to show up. Who wouldn't come for good food, swimming, and laughter?
Grandpa Arne's pool was the perfect place to play and get wet. It was a little short for laps that were more than recreational and diving was not allowed, but those limitations were not particularly bothersome. We floated, played games we'd made up (like Fox and the Eggs), and did tricks (mostly headstands and sommersaults). We'd get out when our fingers and toes looked like the prunes Grandpa and Nana ate every night before going to sleep and there were streaks of teal randomly distrubuted across out bodies where we had bumped into the walls of the pool, the aging paint had come off on our skin.
Sitting at a sidewalk cafe outside an art gallery, eating a bottomless salad, I started thinking about food as art in five dimentions. The fourth and fifth are clearly taste and time, but which is which? According to convention it is time that is the fourth dimention. But isn't taste more important? But perhaps the time to grow the ingredients and select them are as important as the art of the perfect composition of flavors. Taking time to taste the variety of ingredients is critical to the success of the piece. It also creates ample time to remember the delights of summers past.
Yesterday's Salad:
Iceberg lettuce (in Norway it still has a little green color)
Cabbage
Arugula
Onion
Carrot
Tomato
Avocado
Kidney Beans
Feta (marinated in olive oil and herbs)
Red wine vinegar
Oil and herbs from the feta
Chop the things that are choppable and mix together. Enjoy with friends or memories.
Perhaps it is global warming or my shady memory, but I don't remember summers in Seattle being long stretches of sunshine. I remember the comfortable rain. Perhaps it is more closely related to my summer habits of retreating into the cool dark basement with a special blend of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips and walnuts in a Tupperware cup that someday would be taken to the beach and used as a digging implement losing its pleasantly smooth edge and becoming forever relegated to the back of the cupboard. In the hours while my parents were at work, I would watch tv mindlessly - making sure to follow the complicated system of turning on fans and closing hatches and windows to preserve the valued coolness of our stone house.
It must have been hot. It must have been hot because we went swimming in the sun. We all thought that swimming in the rain was the best, but swimming in the sun was necessary. When the weather was hot on the weekends we would pile in the Falcon and drive to Tacoma. Nana and Grandpa Arne always had fabulously delicious food (the broccoli chicken bake, salmon, potato salad, sour cream and onion potato chips, real sandwiches, PIE, ice cream in a variety of flavors, waffles with homemade jam for breakfast). The rest of the family tended to show up. Who wouldn't come for good food, swimming, and laughter?
Grandpa Arne's pool was the perfect place to play and get wet. It was a little short for laps that were more than recreational and diving was not allowed, but those limitations were not particularly bothersome. We floated, played games we'd made up (like Fox and the Eggs), and did tricks (mostly headstands and sommersaults). We'd get out when our fingers and toes looked like the prunes Grandpa and Nana ate every night before going to sleep and there were streaks of teal randomly distrubuted across out bodies where we had bumped into the walls of the pool, the aging paint had come off on our skin.
Sitting at a sidewalk cafe outside an art gallery, eating a bottomless salad, I started thinking about food as art in five dimentions. The fourth and fifth are clearly taste and time, but which is which? According to convention it is time that is the fourth dimention. But isn't taste more important? But perhaps the time to grow the ingredients and select them are as important as the art of the perfect composition of flavors. Taking time to taste the variety of ingredients is critical to the success of the piece. It also creates ample time to remember the delights of summers past.
Yesterday's Salad:
Iceberg lettuce (in Norway it still has a little green color)
Cabbage
Arugula
Onion
Carrot
Tomato
Avocado
Kidney Beans
Feta (marinated in olive oil and herbs)
Red wine vinegar
Oil and herbs from the feta
Chop the things that are choppable and mix together. Enjoy with friends or memories.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Det er kunst vi vil ha
We spent a long day on Sunday packing David's apartment. We didn't finish. He decided that it would be better to drive all day Tuesday and keep packing on Monday than stress to get it finished on Sunday night.This was fine with me. It was going to be hard to say good-bye and I was happy to put it off for another day.
Monday I also started working at the art gallery (www.raulandkunstforening.no). This is a perfect summer job. I am surrounded by art and people interested in art. We share the building with the local coffee shop. When we're not busy, I get to check the internet for exciting developments. Sometimes I even get to clean the floors, something which has come to give me great joy after a year of washing at the dentist's office. Mostly, the job gives me a purpose for five hours a day; I pendle between feeling incredibly useful and phenomenally ignorant. Fortunately, in those slow times, I get to read art catalogs and artists' websites to help me build a little knowledge.
On Tuesday, David tried to leave. Tried, as in he packed the car and drove off, but his brakes gave out an hour down the road. Working at the art gallery also affords me the luxury of being both conveniently located to the local gas station and the flexibility to run out the door when he called to ask them if they had time to check out his car. In the end he drove to another town, had the brakes checked and then back up here to have them fixed. We got our extra night after all!
On Wednesday he left for real, leaving me to entertain myself by waiting for text messages from the road and washing the enormous pile of dishes we had steadily ignored since returning from Geilo. My apartment seemed lonely and somehow empty without David, in spite of the impressive volume of things we had managed to pack into it. It's a good thing we have found a larger place to live in the fall, even if it's not that much larger.
Since Wednesday I have beat the heat by avoiding it. Mostly by sitting calmly in the art gallery, guiding visitors to the send floor exhibition and film room. Generally hoping that they would be inspired by the calmness in the gallery to purchase something off our walls. I've also spent a fair amount of time lounging on my couch, too hot to do anything but lay there and think about the boy who had driven off. He sends me beautiful messages and I reply haltingly; language barriers are no fun.
Even the weekend was dedicated to the kunstforening. My alternatives were cleaning the house, so it seemed like an obvious choice. On Sunday we got some rain and a little thunder storm. I took a walk up to our new apartment - only five more minutes up the hill! Before I slept, I was struck by the deliciousness of the cold water from the tap here in the mountains. Even in the hot summer months, it is crisp and sweet, like I remember the water in Seattle tasting when I was a child.
Monday I also started working at the art gallery (www.raulandkunstforening.no). This is a perfect summer job. I am surrounded by art and people interested in art. We share the building with the local coffee shop. When we're not busy, I get to check the internet for exciting developments. Sometimes I even get to clean the floors, something which has come to give me great joy after a year of washing at the dentist's office. Mostly, the job gives me a purpose for five hours a day; I pendle between feeling incredibly useful and phenomenally ignorant. Fortunately, in those slow times, I get to read art catalogs and artists' websites to help me build a little knowledge.
On Tuesday, David tried to leave. Tried, as in he packed the car and drove off, but his brakes gave out an hour down the road. Working at the art gallery also affords me the luxury of being both conveniently located to the local gas station and the flexibility to run out the door when he called to ask them if they had time to check out his car. In the end he drove to another town, had the brakes checked and then back up here to have them fixed. We got our extra night after all!
On Wednesday he left for real, leaving me to entertain myself by waiting for text messages from the road and washing the enormous pile of dishes we had steadily ignored since returning from Geilo. My apartment seemed lonely and somehow empty without David, in spite of the impressive volume of things we had managed to pack into it. It's a good thing we have found a larger place to live in the fall, even if it's not that much larger.
Since Wednesday I have beat the heat by avoiding it. Mostly by sitting calmly in the art gallery, guiding visitors to the send floor exhibition and film room. Generally hoping that they would be inspired by the calmness in the gallery to purchase something off our walls. I've also spent a fair amount of time lounging on my couch, too hot to do anything but lay there and think about the boy who had driven off. He sends me beautiful messages and I reply haltingly; language barriers are no fun.
Even the weekend was dedicated to the kunstforening. My alternatives were cleaning the house, so it seemed like an obvious choice. On Sunday we got some rain and a little thunder storm. I took a walk up to our new apartment - only five more minutes up the hill! Before I slept, I was struck by the deliciousness of the cold water from the tap here in the mountains. Even in the hot summer months, it is crisp and sweet, like I remember the water in Seattle tasting when I was a child.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Catching up
Since we got back from Shetland things have been in fast forward. We had our last week of classes, followed by the Seventeenth of May, a visit from my mom, our written exam, lots of rehearsals, a few sunny days on the beach, fylkeskappleiken, and today I had my playing exam. Saturday is our final concert and then this crazy year winds to an end. It's hard to believe.
We celebrated 17. mai by sharing a long and delicious breakfast with our friends. We dressed up in bunad, sang songs, and watched the parades in other parts of the country on TV. Around noon, the local parade made it's way passed us. After cheering on the school children, we joined the end of the parade down to the school. There were games and a raffle, lots of food, speeches, and a short concert. In the evening we relaxed at home and watched the re-run of the Eurovision Song Contest Finals (which Norway had won the night before).
The next day, my mom came to visit for her birthday. It was really great to see her. We went for a walk down to the lake, which has been drained and now has at least a hundred feet of beautiful sandy beach. Mom was only here for a two days, so I didn't really get to spend much time with her, but I'm glad she made the effort to come all the way out here to the middle of Norway.
After Mom left I began studying for my final exam. This was interrupted by several opportunities to bbq and the fylkeskappleik. The fylkeskappleik itself was inspiring in that it made me feel more like I am part of this community and also helped boost my confidence in playing for judges. I'm still struggling with stage fright and nerves when playing for judges, but I'm hoping that will pass with time. The kappleik was held at the hotel; we danced teledans for hours and hours in the bar!
The next Tuesday we had our written exams. Six hours to answer questions ranging from, 'When was the first extant hardingfele built?' to, 'Discuss professionalism in folk music.' I was very happy with most of my answers and that's the best you can hope for on an exam like that. We get our grades tomorrow for the whole year.
Since the written exam we have had both really good weather (four days sun-bathing on our mountain beach) and heavy rain mixed with snow. We have spent a large part of our time rehearsing for the final concert that's coming on Saturday, and the rest of our time rehearsing for the playing exams. I've managed to squeeze in a few parties, cleaning at the dentist's office, and a hike up Falkeriset. I also helped out at the town bazaar yesterday - I sold pizza and hot dogs (including gluten free pizza and milk free hot dogs)!
The main topic of conversation these days revolves around who will be here next year and where we will live. I have wanted to live in the house in Nesland basically all year, but it wasn't a possibility until yesterday. I had in the meantime decided that I would really like to live alone, or rather that I thought it would be a bad idea to live with my classmates. I don't want to get sick of them, since they're the only people I see up here. Nesland is cheaper, but farther away; it would be with my classmates which means it would be more social, but there would be a greater opportunity to get tired of each other. What to do?!
We celebrated 17. mai by sharing a long and delicious breakfast with our friends. We dressed up in bunad, sang songs, and watched the parades in other parts of the country on TV. Around noon, the local parade made it's way passed us. After cheering on the school children, we joined the end of the parade down to the school. There were games and a raffle, lots of food, speeches, and a short concert. In the evening we relaxed at home and watched the re-run of the Eurovision Song Contest Finals (which Norway had won the night before).
The next day, my mom came to visit for her birthday. It was really great to see her. We went for a walk down to the lake, which has been drained and now has at least a hundred feet of beautiful sandy beach. Mom was only here for a two days, so I didn't really get to spend much time with her, but I'm glad she made the effort to come all the way out here to the middle of Norway.
After Mom left I began studying for my final exam. This was interrupted by several opportunities to bbq and the fylkeskappleik. The fylkeskappleik itself was inspiring in that it made me feel more like I am part of this community and also helped boost my confidence in playing for judges. I'm still struggling with stage fright and nerves when playing for judges, but I'm hoping that will pass with time. The kappleik was held at the hotel; we danced teledans for hours and hours in the bar!
The next Tuesday we had our written exams. Six hours to answer questions ranging from, 'When was the first extant hardingfele built?' to, 'Discuss professionalism in folk music.' I was very happy with most of my answers and that's the best you can hope for on an exam like that. We get our grades tomorrow for the whole year.
Since the written exam we have had both really good weather (four days sun-bathing on our mountain beach) and heavy rain mixed with snow. We have spent a large part of our time rehearsing for the final concert that's coming on Saturday, and the rest of our time rehearsing for the playing exams. I've managed to squeeze in a few parties, cleaning at the dentist's office, and a hike up Falkeriset. I also helped out at the town bazaar yesterday - I sold pizza and hot dogs (including gluten free pizza and milk free hot dogs)!
The main topic of conversation these days revolves around who will be here next year and where we will live. I have wanted to live in the house in Nesland basically all year, but it wasn't a possibility until yesterday. I had in the meantime decided that I would really like to live alone, or rather that I thought it would be a bad idea to live with my classmates. I don't want to get sick of them, since they're the only people I see up here. Nesland is cheaper, but farther away; it would be with my classmates which means it would be more social, but there would be a greater opportunity to get tired of each other. What to do?!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Weather update
After my last post we had roughly a week of early spring weather. Then the snow came again. Ten inches in two days. It covered the ugly brown snow that had started to pile up on the sides of the road and on the paths. It also covered the ice, which made it difficult to walk.
The new snow lasted for about three days before the melting resumed. This time it seems serious. People have stopped talking about 'spring' and have moved on to 'summer'. The sun is warm, but we still have two feet of hard packed snow standing pretty much everywhere and the temperatures never get above 40F. Last year there was a snow storm on the 17th of May.
I'm in Oslo now, looking out the window of my friends' apartment. All I see is a thick wall of fog; at first I wasn't sure if it was the building next to us it is so solid and white. I took the bus here yesterday and all the way from Telemark, the snow is showing signs of retreating. It will be Spring when I return!
The new snow lasted for about three days before the melting resumed. This time it seems serious. People have stopped talking about 'spring' and have moved on to 'summer'. The sun is warm, but we still have two feet of hard packed snow standing pretty much everywhere and the temperatures never get above 40F. Last year there was a snow storm on the 17th of May.
I'm in Oslo now, looking out the window of my friends' apartment. All I see is a thick wall of fog; at first I wasn't sure if it was the building next to us it is so solid and white. I took the bus here yesterday and all the way from Telemark, the snow is showing signs of retreating. It will be Spring when I return!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Spring's first attempt!
While I have been particularly busy with school and work the past two weeks, not much of interest has really happened here. Last Sunday we were awarded 20cm of new snow over night. However, Spring is trying to let us know that it will come; we have had several days with temperatures over freezing which means melting snow. Right now it's even possible to see the pavement on the road!
The big news at work is that I've started learning how to tend bar. Friday night was looking pretty slow, so the bar manager told the guys they could go home (they just go downstairs, change clothes, and then sit on the other side of the bar) and I would practice pouring drinks. Almost as soon as they had started drinking (making them ineligible to help out), a whole crowd of locals came pouring into the bar. Trial by fire! Apparently, I passed the test. :)
At school we currently have about one assignment per week, which is a lot of reading and writing in Norwegian. On Friday we will discuss the various terms used in social anthropology. Monday we will be turning in a tune analysis. We are also working on our term papers that are due the end of April; mine is about tralling for dancing. It seems like I have a lot of work to do before I come home!
The big news at work is that I've started learning how to tend bar. Friday night was looking pretty slow, so the bar manager told the guys they could go home (they just go downstairs, change clothes, and then sit on the other side of the bar) and I would practice pouring drinks. Almost as soon as they had started drinking (making them ineligible to help out), a whole crowd of locals came pouring into the bar. Trial by fire! Apparently, I passed the test. :)
At school we currently have about one assignment per week, which is a lot of reading and writing in Norwegian. On Friday we will discuss the various terms used in social anthropology. Monday we will be turning in a tune analysis. We are also working on our term papers that are due the end of April; mine is about tralling for dancing. It seems like I have a lot of work to do before I come home!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Return to the Regular Rhythm
Rauland seems so much emptier now that the festival is over. We have returned to watching the road for entertainment. Now that it's winter there are additional forms of transportation that might pass by - we have the usual cars, bikes and tractors, plus skis, sleds, sparks, and scooters.
It has been relatively warm here the past few weeks. This causes melting snow during the day and heavy accumulation at night. So far, we have been fortunate that we haven't returned to the icy phase.
The path between my building and the road gets no special treatment from the snow-scraping vehicles. It's getting to the point where we might not be able to jump up onto the path from the road because the snow is piled so high. On the other hand, the hill isn't so steep on the way down, since it's been filled in with snow.
The excitement this week has been ordering our tickets for the class trip to Shetland. After I leave Seattle, I'll be meeting my class at the Shetland Folk Festival. We're all looking forward to a week of concerts and culture outside of Rauland!
It has been relatively warm here the past few weeks. This causes melting snow during the day and heavy accumulation at night. So far, we have been fortunate that we haven't returned to the icy phase.
The path between my building and the road gets no special treatment from the snow-scraping vehicles. It's getting to the point where we might not be able to jump up onto the path from the road because the snow is piled so high. On the other hand, the hill isn't so steep on the way down, since it's been filled in with snow.
The excitement this week has been ordering our tickets for the class trip to Shetland. After I leave Seattle, I'll be meeting my class at the Shetland Folk Festival. We're all looking forward to a week of concerts and culture outside of Rauland!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
What I miss from home
People ask me all of the time if I miss home. I think this is an indication of how little people know about me. Of course I don't miss being at home. I am studying folk music, living in Norway. All I have to do is look out my window to remind myself that I am incredibly lucky to be here. This is a phenomenal experience that I am here to enjoy and learn from.
What I miss from home are people. People I care about. Fortunately, I can talk to them on the phone. It's not the same as sitting down with a cup of coffee or tea or a pair of fiddles, but it keeps away the home-sickness. I also miss good coffee, but that I can get in any reasonably large town, should I happen to be in one. I miss dancing as frequently as we do in Seattle, but that will be there when I come back.
Yesterday, I made the mistake of missing the rain. The sound of heavy rain drops beating into sidewalks, streets, gardens. And the smell! Even in Seattle, the smell I'm missing is more a springtime occurrence. I love to walk in the rain; the exercise keeping me warm, the water from the heavens keeping me cool.
Today it rained in Rauland. The foot of snow soaked up the precipitation in the places where it wasn't melting. The roads and walkways turned into sheets of ice as night fell. Piles of snow became solid frozen white walls. We were lucky this time. The rain turned to snow and adhered to the frozen paths giving them texture and traction. If it keeps snowing overnight, we can maybe forget that it rained by the time the sun comes up.
What I miss from home are people. People I care about. Fortunately, I can talk to them on the phone. It's not the same as sitting down with a cup of coffee or tea or a pair of fiddles, but it keeps away the home-sickness. I also miss good coffee, but that I can get in any reasonably large town, should I happen to be in one. I miss dancing as frequently as we do in Seattle, but that will be there when I come back.
Yesterday, I made the mistake of missing the rain. The sound of heavy rain drops beating into sidewalks, streets, gardens. And the smell! Even in Seattle, the smell I'm missing is more a springtime occurrence. I love to walk in the rain; the exercise keeping me warm, the water from the heavens keeping me cool.
Today it rained in Rauland. The foot of snow soaked up the precipitation in the places where it wasn't melting. The roads and walkways turned into sheets of ice as night fell. Piles of snow became solid frozen white walls. We were lucky this time. The rain turned to snow and adhered to the frozen paths giving them texture and traction. If it keeps snowing overnight, we can maybe forget that it rained by the time the sun comes up.
Monday, December 1, 2008
A week in review
This week there were concerts, parties, work, more work, and, oh yeah, classes.
Wednesday night we had a great hardingfele concert. Olav Mjelva and Per Anders Buen Garnås played a concert of solo hardingfele for roughly an hour. They make it look so easy! Their bows teasing the music out of the strings, applying just the right amount of pressure to create a clean crisp sound. Of course, there was a lot of tuning, but it's worth it when the fiddles sing like that!
After the concert, we danced to student musicians; I would rather have had them play the concert again so we could have danced to that! Then of course the party moved up to the studentheim. After a brief tour of my very clean room, we settled on the kitchen with a sofa. The party fell apart when someone broke the sofa (it's been fixed now). One of my friends crashed on the air mattress in my room and I headed off to wash at the dentist's office.
While everyone back home was celebrating Thanksgiving, I celebrated my friend Silke's birthday. We had pizza and cake, wine and conversation. She's from Germany and most of the time we speak English, which makes it easier for me to get in on deep discussions. I tend to understand what's being said in Norwegian, but I'm not quite fast enough to cut in to a conversation and make my point in Norwegian, yet.
Thursdays are also contain one of my favorite classes - Tradisjonskunnskap or Knowledge of Tradition. Ånon makes getting up on Thursday mornings after a late party really worth it. He knows so much about the traditions in Norway and folk music around the world that it's impossible to catch up if you haven't been in class to hear what he's said. He also has a phenomenal sense of humor that is terribly dry and helps keep me on my toes to avoid missing any good one liners.
Friday was a review day in Folk Music and Society. We also determined what our project topics would be for the year. Mine is going to be planning US tours for Norwegian folk musicians. Of course, I'll have to have at least one practical example, so I'll be writing more about that later! We rounded out the afternoon by making waffles and taking naps; it seemed like a practical use of time.
On Friday evening I started back at the hotel. We have a new manager and new coworkers and therefore a new system and new degrees of chaos. Things went surprisingly well, however. Things also went well on Saturday when I worked in the restaurant and then late into the night in the bar. Ironically, the fire alarm went off when we had the county firemen as our guests. Not to worry, it was a false alarm.
The best part of the week was definitely during the day on Saturday. I woke up to an overcast sky that was dumping snow all over our beautiful landscape. It was still snowing at one when we all met at the grocery store to purchase decorations for the gingerbread Nidaros cathedral we were going to help decorate. Then we all walked together out to Nesland in the snow. Once we got there, Hallvard and Ingebjørg got to work putting together the cathedral, the rest of the girls made pepperkaker, and the boys played music. After a while I changed tasks to help the other Ingrid grind the almonds to make marzipan. It was hard to leave such a cozy scene to head to the hotel! And the gingerbread cathedral - WOW!
On Sunday we went for a short walk so we could get a good view of the fresh snow. It's so beautiful here! The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and it was freezing cold. Since we'd gotten about 6 inches of snow the day before, it was easy to walk around again, so we allowed our feet to guide us to the finished gingerbread houses on display at the academy.
Tomorrow we are playing individually for our instructors. We aren't getting grades, but pretty much everyone is totally stressed out. It's terrifying to sit in front of people who really know what good folk music can sound like and play alone. I'm going to try to remember to breathe.
Two Ingrid's grinding nuts:
Hallvard, the architect planning his next move:
The cookie factory:
Getting closer:
Wednesday night we had a great hardingfele concert. Olav Mjelva and Per Anders Buen Garnås played a concert of solo hardingfele for roughly an hour. They make it look so easy! Their bows teasing the music out of the strings, applying just the right amount of pressure to create a clean crisp sound. Of course, there was a lot of tuning, but it's worth it when the fiddles sing like that!
After the concert, we danced to student musicians; I would rather have had them play the concert again so we could have danced to that! Then of course the party moved up to the studentheim. After a brief tour of my very clean room, we settled on the kitchen with a sofa. The party fell apart when someone broke the sofa (it's been fixed now). One of my friends crashed on the air mattress in my room and I headed off to wash at the dentist's office.
While everyone back home was celebrating Thanksgiving, I celebrated my friend Silke's birthday. We had pizza and cake, wine and conversation. She's from Germany and most of the time we speak English, which makes it easier for me to get in on deep discussions. I tend to understand what's being said in Norwegian, but I'm not quite fast enough to cut in to a conversation and make my point in Norwegian, yet.
Thursdays are also contain one of my favorite classes - Tradisjonskunnskap or Knowledge of Tradition. Ånon makes getting up on Thursday mornings after a late party really worth it. He knows so much about the traditions in Norway and folk music around the world that it's impossible to catch up if you haven't been in class to hear what he's said. He also has a phenomenal sense of humor that is terribly dry and helps keep me on my toes to avoid missing any good one liners.
Friday was a review day in Folk Music and Society. We also determined what our project topics would be for the year. Mine is going to be planning US tours for Norwegian folk musicians. Of course, I'll have to have at least one practical example, so I'll be writing more about that later! We rounded out the afternoon by making waffles and taking naps; it seemed like a practical use of time.
On Friday evening I started back at the hotel. We have a new manager and new coworkers and therefore a new system and new degrees of chaos. Things went surprisingly well, however. Things also went well on Saturday when I worked in the restaurant and then late into the night in the bar. Ironically, the fire alarm went off when we had the county firemen as our guests. Not to worry, it was a false alarm.
The best part of the week was definitely during the day on Saturday. I woke up to an overcast sky that was dumping snow all over our beautiful landscape. It was still snowing at one when we all met at the grocery store to purchase decorations for the gingerbread Nidaros cathedral we were going to help decorate. Then we all walked together out to Nesland in the snow. Once we got there, Hallvard and Ingebjørg got to work putting together the cathedral, the rest of the girls made pepperkaker, and the boys played music. After a while I changed tasks to help the other Ingrid grind the almonds to make marzipan. It was hard to leave such a cozy scene to head to the hotel! And the gingerbread cathedral - WOW!
On Sunday we went for a short walk so we could get a good view of the fresh snow. It's so beautiful here! The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and it was freezing cold. Since we'd gotten about 6 inches of snow the day before, it was easy to walk around again, so we allowed our feet to guide us to the finished gingerbread houses on display at the academy.
Tomorrow we are playing individually for our instructors. We aren't getting grades, but pretty much everyone is totally stressed out. It's terrifying to sit in front of people who really know what good folk music can sound like and play alone. I'm going to try to remember to breathe.
Two Ingrid's grinding nuts:
Hallvard, the architect planning his next move:
The cookie factory:
Getting closer:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
November is unstable
That's what the dentist said to me last Monday morning while we were having a conversation about the six to eight inches of snow that were one the ground. At that point in time it was beautiful. And cold.
It stayed cold and clear right through the concert on Wednesday night. When we came out the full moon lit up the clear sky and reflected off the snow covered fields and roads like stadium lights. The stars were amazingly clear against a midnight blue sky.
On Thursday things warmed up a little. Just enough for the rain to fall in the afternoon and turn the entire town into a mud slushie. That was fine until the sun set (around 4pm) and the whole business froze. The roads, the shoulders, the pathways, and especially the treacherous little slope that the student organization intends for us to use as a our method of access to the road were all thick, clear, slippery ice.
Things remained in those conditions all weekend. Well actually, they got a little worse every day as the wind and time wore away at the snow that was left on the ground, leaving only the solid ice behind. We finally got some fresh snow Monday night, but it was too late for me to have escaped unscathed; I slipped on the ice Monday evening on my way to the school. Fortunately, I wasn't moving very fast and I didn't fall very hard.
The fresh snow on Tuesday morning was a welcome sign. Even with the ice underneath, it is much easier to walk on snow. Of course, all good things must come to an end and it rained again this afternoon. The road isn't looking terribly icy right now, but unless it snows again before it gets dark it will be impossible to get down the hill.
What I've learned about walking on the ice. Go slow. Take small steps, keep your knees bent, and keep your center of gravity over your feet. Hmm, sounds like dancing. Also, it's generally less slippery walking over vegetation (like grass) than the road or the path. I'm quite sure there's a scientific reason for that, but all I need to know right now is that it's safer. One more thing, if the ground crunches when you step on it, that is a good indicator that you shoe (or boot) has taken hold of something and it's less likely to slide out from under you.
It stayed cold and clear right through the concert on Wednesday night. When we came out the full moon lit up the clear sky and reflected off the snow covered fields and roads like stadium lights. The stars were amazingly clear against a midnight blue sky.
On Thursday things warmed up a little. Just enough for the rain to fall in the afternoon and turn the entire town into a mud slushie. That was fine until the sun set (around 4pm) and the whole business froze. The roads, the shoulders, the pathways, and especially the treacherous little slope that the student organization intends for us to use as a our method of access to the road were all thick, clear, slippery ice.
Things remained in those conditions all weekend. Well actually, they got a little worse every day as the wind and time wore away at the snow that was left on the ground, leaving only the solid ice behind. We finally got some fresh snow Monday night, but it was too late for me to have escaped unscathed; I slipped on the ice Monday evening on my way to the school. Fortunately, I wasn't moving very fast and I didn't fall very hard.
The fresh snow on Tuesday morning was a welcome sign. Even with the ice underneath, it is much easier to walk on snow. Of course, all good things must come to an end and it rained again this afternoon. The road isn't looking terribly icy right now, but unless it snows again before it gets dark it will be impossible to get down the hill.
What I've learned about walking on the ice. Go slow. Take small steps, keep your knees bent, and keep your center of gravity over your feet. Hmm, sounds like dancing. Also, it's generally less slippery walking over vegetation (like grass) than the road or the path. I'm quite sure there's a scientific reason for that, but all I need to know right now is that it's safer. One more thing, if the ground crunches when you step on it, that is a good indicator that you shoe (or boot) has taken hold of something and it's less likely to slide out from under you.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Rauland weather report
Friday night I enjoyed dinner and conversation with my friend Anja and her roommates. It was snowing when I headed out to her house. It snowed while we ate dinner and talked about our teachers and classes. It snowed while we enjoyed ice cream over a lively discussion of religion and politics and future careers.
It was still snowing when I walked home that night. It was dark and beautiful, the snow making the whole world seem brighter in contrast. Best of all, it was quiet. Absolutely still. I took down the hood on my jacket and stopped walking just to enjoy the silence. It was cold, though, so I didn't stand around listening to nothing for long.
Saturday was a slushy miserable combination of snow and rain. It had its good moments though. I played with Iselin, then she helped me make applesauce. David came over and we played some more before making pizza. Then we watched a soccer match with Stine and Benjamin. It was nice to relax with my classmates.
On Sunday it rained and rained and rained. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought I was at home. Of course at home, it wouldn't have turned into snow. Right about the time Marco and Mona picked me up for some singing and dinner (which turned into a few bottles of wine, good conversation, and me crashing in their extra bedroom) it started to snow again.
It seems to have snowed all night. We have roughly four inches of new snow and a real winter wonderland feeling. Of course, as the dentist said when I met him on my way out of work this morning, November is unstable, weather-wise. All we can do is hope that this snow stays. It's really no fun starting over with the ice every time it snows!
It was still snowing when I walked home that night. It was dark and beautiful, the snow making the whole world seem brighter in contrast. Best of all, it was quiet. Absolutely still. I took down the hood on my jacket and stopped walking just to enjoy the silence. It was cold, though, so I didn't stand around listening to nothing for long.
Saturday was a slushy miserable combination of snow and rain. It had its good moments though. I played with Iselin, then she helped me make applesauce. David came over and we played some more before making pizza. Then we watched a soccer match with Stine and Benjamin. It was nice to relax with my classmates.
On Sunday it rained and rained and rained. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought I was at home. Of course at home, it wouldn't have turned into snow. Right about the time Marco and Mona picked me up for some singing and dinner (which turned into a few bottles of wine, good conversation, and me crashing in their extra bedroom) it started to snow again.
It seems to have snowed all night. We have roughly four inches of new snow and a real winter wonderland feeling. Of course, as the dentist said when I met him on my way out of work this morning, November is unstable, weather-wise. All we can do is hope that this snow stays. It's really no fun starting over with the ice every time it snows!
Friday, November 7, 2008
From Sunshine to Snowstorm
This week has been delightful. I got paid from both of my jobs. I made it to the doctor to refill my prescriptions. My prescriptions arrived at the gas station (there isn't a pharmacy in town). I ordered a ukulele. I stayed up late and got up early to watch the election. I attended the local spelmannslag rehearsal. We have managed to stay busy even without a Wednesday night concert.
We sang in classes this week. We sang and danced ballads (stordans) in our vocal tradition class. In our ear-training class, we sang the whole hour! And, we had a really great hour of singing in our singing group.
Until today, the sun has been shining. Bright sunshine filled the clear skies at lunch most days. We sat outside and soaked up the rays, surrounded by the picturesque campus coated with a thin layer of snow. I wouldn't call it exactly warm, but it wasn't cold either.
Today the snow came again. I was a little worried this morning when I headed to class, since the precipitation began as rain. By the time lunch rolled around it was definitely snow and lots of it. Hopefully, I don't have to worry about ice anymore for a long time!
This weekend promises to be relaxing and productive. I have a few practice dates lined up, but with the hotel closed, I will still have plenty of time to relax and read. I've got to rest up for next week - we'll have a concert by Storm Weather Shanty Choir and then I'm taking an extra course in kveding from Unni Boksasp.
We sang in classes this week. We sang and danced ballads (stordans) in our vocal tradition class. In our ear-training class, we sang the whole hour! And, we had a really great hour of singing in our singing group.
Until today, the sun has been shining. Bright sunshine filled the clear skies at lunch most days. We sat outside and soaked up the rays, surrounded by the picturesque campus coated with a thin layer of snow. I wouldn't call it exactly warm, but it wasn't cold either.
Today the snow came again. I was a little worried this morning when I headed to class, since the precipitation began as rain. By the time lunch rolled around it was definitely snow and lots of it. Hopefully, I don't have to worry about ice anymore for a long time!
This weekend promises to be relaxing and productive. I have a few practice dates lined up, but with the hotel closed, I will still have plenty of time to relax and read. I've got to rest up for next week - we'll have a concert by Storm Weather Shanty Choir and then I'm taking an extra course in kveding from Unni Boksasp.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Snow!
I realize that I'm going to have to get more descriptive with my titles. Last night it snowed it town. Here are some exciting photos from around 10:30 when I dragged myself out of bed.
From the kitchen:
From the dentists' office:
From the dentists' office looking at the Studentheim where I live:
This afternoon when the sun came out (again from the kitchen):
From the kitchen:
From the dentists' office:
From the dentists' office looking at the Studentheim where I live:
This afternoon when the sun came out (again from the kitchen):
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Tvaddehæg
No one in my class seems to know what tvaddehæg means. It is a local word that seems to represent the weekend market that is happening in Rauland right now. There are booths outside with everything from traditional silver to pea soup to elgsnæks (that's moose jerkey). The invited the students from the university to come play, so of course we were there too!
Stine and I were the first brave souls to arrive. In case you didn't read the last post, it is really cold around here. Almost too cold to play outside. The organizer found us a mildly sheltered spot next to a couple of very friendly llamas. We played for about half an hour until our fingers were about to fall off. During that half hour we talked with some locals, were interviewed by the local newspaper, and received a variety of looks from the townspeople.
Stine and I were the first brave souls to arrive. In case you didn't read the last post, it is really cold around here. Almost too cold to play outside. The organizer found us a mildly sheltered spot next to a couple of very friendly llamas. We played for about half an hour until our fingers were about to fall off. During that half hour we talked with some locals, were interviewed by the local newspaper, and received a variety of looks from the townspeople.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Snow
There is snow on the mountaintops now. It is important to mention that I am not particularly far from the mountaintops. I expect we'll get snow here soon! And the autumn colors on the trees are just phenomenal right now!
On the way to town:
From my window:
From my kitchen window:
From my kitchen window in the morning:
On the way to town:
From my window:
From my kitchen window:
From my kitchen window in the morning:
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Fast Forward
It appears that since I found myself employment, I have also managed to be too busy to write much. I'm going to aim to mention all of the highlights, but there have been a lot of them!
On Wednesday the 17th we had a concert here in Rauland. It was a very classical representation of folk music. Most notable from that evening were the Israeli backpackers and the after-party which sparked my interest in the banjo. Yes, I said banjo.
The weather in Rauland (yes this is a highlight) was phenomenal that weekend. We had temperatures up to 30C in the sun. We had good weather all the way until the following Wednesday and that was pretty much the most exciting thing that happened here all week.
On Wednesday the 24th the school hosted a conference titled 'ancient techniques - new asthetics'. My class spent the day before with Tapani Varis, the Finnish munnharpa (amongst other instruments) player. His teaching and the lectures on Wednesday were thought provoking and interesting.
That evening we were treated to a concert of former masters students. Brit Pernille Frøholm presented contemporary hardingfele music. Øystein Sandbukt dazzled the crowd with tunes based in Nordmøre tradition laced with jazz tinged improvisation. Annette Thorsheim stole the show (in my opinion) with music from hardingfele tradition (springar and rull) played on torader. That was a concert!
On the way to the lake:
Totak!
More Totak:
On Wednesday the 17th we had a concert here in Rauland. It was a very classical representation of folk music. Most notable from that evening were the Israeli backpackers and the after-party which sparked my interest in the banjo. Yes, I said banjo.
The weather in Rauland (yes this is a highlight) was phenomenal that weekend. We had temperatures up to 30C in the sun. We had good weather all the way until the following Wednesday and that was pretty much the most exciting thing that happened here all week.
On Wednesday the 24th the school hosted a conference titled 'ancient techniques - new asthetics'. My class spent the day before with Tapani Varis, the Finnish munnharpa (amongst other instruments) player. His teaching and the lectures on Wednesday were thought provoking and interesting.
That evening we were treated to a concert of former masters students. Brit Pernille Frøholm presented contemporary hardingfele music. Øystein Sandbukt dazzled the crowd with tunes based in Nordmøre tradition laced with jazz tinged improvisation. Annette Thorsheim stole the show (in my opinion) with music from hardingfele tradition (springar and rull) played on torader. That was a concert!
On the way to the lake:
Totak!
More Totak:
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