Where taxies are expensive but sushi is cheap

The last 3 weekends I've been out and about.

Of London.

1. Oslo, Norway

2. Bangor, Wales

3. Guess?

Oslo again.

I might have a little thing for the city. Maybe for the people, too.

One thing that I don't have a thing for, though, is the Norwegian krone.

1€ = 7,73NOK

£1 = 9,00NOK

1$ = 5,75NOK

So do your calculations if a 62m² one bedroom + livingroom apartment 3km from the center is 11500NOK...Cheap? Eh...no?

I arrived to Oslo on the same evening flight as 2 weeks earlier. Last time I was struggling and about to miss the flight but in the end made it in 'good time' to even buy a water bottle.

This time I experienced the feeling and reality of: when the gate is supposed to close at 19.20 and you arrive to the airport at 19.25...Not fun! The airport bus was 20min late, the traffic was double as bad as last time, accidents had happened in the London roundabouts and I could only thank my luck that I made it on board (2nd last) as the doors of the plane closed as I sat down.

No, I have never been that late. Final final final call.

Btw if you were at the airport, it was me - running faster than Usain Bolt to make it to the gate which was 12min away from security check with walking speed.

On the same flight happened to be a man I helped out the previous time we flew. Funny. Both remembered eachother and said hi.

On the bus from the airport to central Oslo I also made some interesting contacts.

Very interesting traveling day!

 

 

On Friday Ingar and me had a super cool sports day! Playing badminton with the Norwegian national skijumping team playing volleyball on the court next to us, jogging and ab workout at the gym + stretching.

In the evening we went to a Christmas concert 'Reservejul' to a nearby town, Jessheim. 3 local Norwegian bands playing: The Men They Couldn't Shave, Jane Doe and Bedrock.

I haven't been that huge of a Christmas song nor Christmas fan (it's nice but I don't exactly wait all year for Chrismas to come) but this event kind of got the spirit up. The atmosphere, the songs, the bands, the stage deco, lights, audience participation and all just made me feel like Christmas could be every day.

I think I experienced a slight movie moment as I sat there and imagined myself in an american teenage Christmas movie. The only thing missing was snow falling from the sky as we walked out from the venue. 

 

Snowboarding event at Oslo central station

Saturday was Linda -day. I had all day to myself as Ingar had work. Sooo...I slept long and got ready for the day in peace and quiet. (hah)

First I headed of to Storo G-Sport to get some soles done.

As I've been having knee problems for some years now and longboarding definitely isn't helping - I was told getting good soles made especially for my feet could be a good first step towards correcting my knees positioning as I walk.

A sole expert, Peter, examined my feet and had a look at how I walk. The diagnoses was as follows:

- left foot shorter than right

- left foot flatter and getting more pressure on it than right

- right leg being more stable and powerful than the left

- left foot does a weird curve from left to right as I walk, making my knee want to follow even more to the right after getting to the final position = making me feel like my kneecap will dislocate itself

Now I have soles to correct at least the two first problems. Helping for the curving, too, but mostly I just have to train my left leg more, strengthen the muscles around my knee and practice my left foot balancing.

I can't wait to go for a run and test out my soles in running shoes! I'm so happy I invested in these soles as they are probably the best purchase of the year - as well as the first step to preventing any more knee problems in the future.

After sole-shopping I headed of to meet up with the lovely Camilla with who I went to catch up with the lovely Ragnhild at her work. On the way we found a great sushi place and ordered some tasty bits to go. Lunch date!

 Ah, Ragge has the most perfect student job at a gym. I so want to join that gym. Great new facilities, amazing staff and pretty quiet - perfect.

We might have enjoyed ourselves a bit too long as our lunch date turned into a talkytalky, eat, massage, Facebook, coffee, talk even more -lunch marathon and it was nearly time for R to close the gym. A few customers may have also thought that we all work there, as we were happily smiling to them and helping them out from the service desk.

 

In the evening Camilla and I decided to cook together before going out! We might have gone to check out a few shops before, too. Thankfully the supply wasn't anything too great this time and we returned home fairly empty handed. (mum, just one 7€ polo shirt to keep me warm. i had been searching for one. serious. it was cheap, too.)

Eivind, Espen and Jonas joined us for a few drinks before going out!

We found ourselves going to the same place as last time - Justisen. But it just is a cool place so why not! Ingar joined us, too, straight after work - after midnight. Crazy based energy.

 

 

On Sunday Nina joined the guys and me to a band competition. The Battle of Bands - Norway.

Jonas' friends were in the competition! Many of the bands sounded the same. Rock. Heavy rock.

We didn't bother to stay till the very end. I guess none of the bands were that special in my opinion, as I have no memory of any lyrics or melodies...oh, except some band was singing something like 'rumpa dumpa' and that sounded funny to me.

 

After the gig we went to eat at Espen's. Btw coolest apartment ever.

Sushi again! Oslo has sushi places at every corner. Literally. You can't walk 500m without seeing a sushi restaurant. Even though Ingar always says he wouldn't try them and 'they are not quality - after every food inspection 75% of them always get shut down', both ones I had were quality! And not that expensive either, even though being Norway!

Yet again a perfect weekend.

Except for the fact that I had to wake up 3.30am in order to catch my 7am flight, which I was again about to miss as the nightbus to the bus terminal didn't arrive. There I was in the middle of Oslo running to the bus terminal and waving at tens of taxies that just drove past with passengers inside. Luckily one empty taxi stopped and I made it to the bus on time. I'm starting to wonder what on earth is the problem - why is the world against Linda+planes? Trying to constantly make me late.

But... what happens when I get to the airport? The first person I see is a friend from Finland, Annika.
(did you think it was going to be something 'missing the flight' -based? haha)

Me traveling to London, her traveling to Tallinn, neither of us living in Oslo, both of us from Finland. What are the odds?

<3

Linda

ps. 

Oh, and btw - when in Norway: AVOID TAXIES. They are a total rip off.

20€ for a 5min ride to the bus terminal, seriously?

pps.

thank you to the caring guy at the airport waking me up and making sure i don't sleep over my flight departure. because as we know, there was probably a 99% possibility of such to happen.