Wednesday
Up and out before 10 to explore. Walked the tourist main street (The Royal Mile). Had a lovely bit of Amaretto/Marzipan fudge. (Fudge appears to be a big Scottish thing. And something called 'tablet', which is a lot like fudge, basically.) Went to the National Museum and spent hours there. Wandered and wandered and looked at every bill-board posting to find out what's going on, as I do. It was a full and exhausting day, but it was all just wandering and exploring and there is not much to say about it. Did a bit of grocery shopping so I could make dinner for my lovely hosts and ended up waiting quite a while in a cool wind outside the flat... Calum was held up with a work event. Nevermind, it was nice to relax together when he did return and after dinner we watched a film called the Stone of Destiny, about an event in the 1950's, when a group of Scottish college students stole the Scottish coronation stone back from the British, who were holding it in Westminster Abbey. I like these history lessons. Calum and I had talked over dinner about the issue of Scottish independence and I learned a bit more about the system here. Anyway, after all this, I decided to stay up for the laundry to finish, and I was wired from too much chocolate while I had been waiting on the steps earlier in the evening... so I was up until about 4am, as the birds were beginning to sing in the coming dawn. Alas.
Thursday
Got up at 11am after that late night and after morning logistics made my way to a tango practica at the University. It was good, but it is stressful, tango, especially when coming into a new group, unsure about my own current skill level and certainly unsure of theirs... a new way of teaching and learning... all so much all at once. But it was good, anyway. Toby, the instructor, teaches everyone to lead and follow in his classes – and that is excellent. But it was really hard to step in to an intermediate level group who had been learning this way without having had much instruction as a leader, myself. We learn, we grow. Practica over, I found my way to the Roxy Art House, in an old converted church, where a lecture was on about 3 Baghdadi Sufi Mystics... it is part of an ongoing series called “Reel Iraq” which includes films and art and lectures, etc. It was interesting and I spoke for a while with a woman from Japan who is studying Sufi Mysticism at the Uni here. Beautiful world. There was an exhibition of photographs adjacent to the lecture hall that occupied me a while and then around the corner to the Dovecot Studio where there was more good art on display. After all this gazing, I found my way to a really good, although small and expensive, salad at a big funky pub/restaurant and then to tango class for the night, which ran from about 5:30-8:30. All University students, the Edinburgh U. Tango Society in fact, and they were welcoming. Lots of people there, maybe 25-30. Good leaders... especially that good-looking Spanish boy. :)
Home to a lovely veggie curry and some time to myself as Mairi is napping to keep up with her 3-job schedule for the weekend, and Calum is off to a meeting about an upcoming Couchsurfing event he is helping to organize.
Friday
Hmmm... I don't recall the morning much anymore - but I did make my way out for a walk past town and into the hills, up to a rock outcrop called Arthur's Seat. Oh yes, I was going to attend a lecture but it was canceled... Anyway, really good hiking just in the middle of town, basically. Lots of folks out and about enjoying the greenery and views. On my way back into town, I just stopped in to a little boutique with a bright yellow dress in the window that caught my eye and wound up trying on luxurious lovely things I would never dream of actually buying, but then the fashion love of my life made it's way into view - so I went home with the conundrum of whether or not to purchase. Alas. Dinner at home (again, details are fuzzy) and off to dance tango at the opening night milonga. I was an hour late, but stayed the whole night and was surprised to find Calum was still out when I came home after 1:30am.
Saturday
morning - Edinburgh farmer's market, just around the corner from the Castle and the flat. Fresh veggies and local cheeses.
fitting dress
shopping with Mairi and her friend
summer ball... tired, overwhelmed, went home early
Sunday
bananas and pb
brunch fry-up
Tango lessons - much more comfortable
Tango cafe - many good dances, felt more relaxed in the group that remained
rest - soup for dinner
milonga - great! Bruce, Gerard
Left very late and went to meet Calum at a CSer wine and cheese party, but it was wrapping up as I got there and I only met the half-dozen or so folks very briefly before we went back home. On the way out there, a small group was doing capoeira in the Meadows - a big ol' park in the middle of the city - and it made me feel comfortable and added to my love for the place.
Monday
Sleep in!
Lazy morning
Out to wander the New Town - Princes Street Gardens, National Gallery
Groceries
Home, chill out with Calum, grapes and yogurt with cucumber, cilantro, garlic for dinner. ahhhh :)
Stupid stupid FB virus!
Milonga - so-so, I was feeling quite relaxed and good but then was dancing awkwardly and it all went to shit rather quickly. Performances were lovely - left around 11:30
Heather, friend of Mairi, is staying over and we stayed up chatting a while about pregnancy, India, small towns and friends.
Tuesday
The awesomest of days
Picnic with Mairi and Heather in The Meadows
Forest Cafe for tea - shared lemon ginger with heather
Dress fitting
shopping with the girls - indian frou frou, fudge
terrace rooftop at the museum
Home, and home-made pizza for dinner
Lindisfarne mead
off to the Afghan Sufi music concert
dance dance dance
off to The Royal Oak - Americana folk being played on guitar and trumpet, with a splash of harmonica
Whiskeys with Calum -Springbank, Le Froig (?) and Tilasker (?)
Wednesday
morning chill and share music with Mairi
yogurt and sauteed greens and onions for breakfast
fudge - rum raisin and peanut butter
genmaicha from Haleh - the quintessential sushi tea, nostalgia for SF
Final dress fitting, retrieval and immediately ship it to CA...
Visited Mairi at her new, good job in a mellow little pub. Tea and muffin. Hoped to go to a ballet class I saw advertised, but apparently it was not on, so I did some writing and creative thinking in a little basement cafe at the Roxy, called the Cloisters. Quick dinner at home and off to the bus to the airport and back to Dublin... Just passed the incoming CSers on my way out the door.
In summary, it was freaking awesome to stay with Calum and Mairi and have wonderful meals at home together and share stories and just be amongst them. Also, I dig Edinburgh and would like to return and see what I can get up to in the community there. Anybody want to try out Scotland for a year with me? I'm serious, you know - I don't want to go that long without friends from home, though. Consider it, let me know.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
May 13-19: Another week in Dublin
May 18, 2009
Arrived back in Dublin from Oslo last Tuesday (12th) night. Managed to meet up with Jess just in time to head home. She had a very ill housemate and company coming in for the weekend, so we did not get to hang out together much.
I went off Wednesday (13th) to wander Dublin and see what I could find. Evening, tango class where I met some lovely folks, and we all went together to a milonga at the Wynn hotel after class. It was really quite crowded, and I only got in a few dances – one of them those stressful types where a person expects you to know more than you do and you can feel it... ah well. It was fun anyway and I was out late. I had arranged to couchsurf with Frantisek, who had decided not to stay for the tango class, so I was after finding my way to his place after all the buses had finished running for the night. I walked halfway (it was pretty far out) and grabbed a taxi, the driver of which insisted on driving me right to the door despite my insistence that I would be able to find it on foot more easily from the crossroad. This practice ran up the taxi bill, of course, to about 10 Euro. Arrived about 2am and we stayed up chatting about Japanese music and tea and swimming and mathematics and travel and place for an hour or more. It was interesting conversation, anyway. I slept poorly, and decided to get a hostel rather than plan to couchsurf as long as I was going to be busy dancing late into the night.
Thursday (14th) - Got a dorm room at the Abbey Court Hostel on the River Liffey and felt better to have the independence of it. But that feeling vacillated with one of wanting interaction, as it was kind of a keep-to-one's-own atmosphere in the hostel. More wandering, and I had a huge delicious dinner at the Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant - Govinda's. I was supposed to meet Mar, an Icelandic guy I had met at the tango class the previous night, at the same venue and we would go together to the class that night, as I did not know where it was. He didn't show (or I didn't see him anyway) and I gave up on tango for Thursday night, but went off exploring and found the Cultivate Center, where there was a panel of politicians (elections June 9th) discussing their positions on climate change and other environmental issues. I sat in, and the discussion and energy were comforting to me, in their academic way. That over, I walked into Temple Bar, the touristy cultural center of Dublin, and past a venue where a crowd appeared to be waiting for a show. Indeed, the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival had two shows on, and the Dublin Dance Festival had one beginning in 5 minutes. I grabbed a ticket and saw a piece called Fall and Recover, in which professional dancers worked together with survivors of torture, to create and perform a rather inspiring dance piece. There was a reception afterward and I hung around a bit and eventually asked just the right person (unknowingly, the Marketing Coordinator, Ellie) about how I might get a t-shirt. She said I could have one (yay!) and I also expressed an interest in helping with the festival, if they were short volunteers. She introduced me to the Volunteer Coordinator, Eve, who decided I could be useful and I went out with them and a few others to the sponsor bar at the Crown Hotel (apparently owned by Bono) across the way. (Also had a great conversation with eve's sister, Ayelet, who is a sculptor and who just had the very refreshing demeanor of a professional, and successful, artist.) Nice time at the pub socializing and it turned out to be a great night.
Friday (15th), I went to volunteer at the office for the DDF, distributed brochures and got to see some groovy parts of town I had not yet explored. Then spent a couple hours folding and stapling programs and just socializing. It felt so good to be contributing, to be involved in something, and to be interacting with interesting, engaged people.
Evening, I walked out to Rathmines to grab my big bag from Jess' place and made it back to the hostel just in time to make it to tango class at the Morisini-Whelan School. It was a good class, though I felt off-balance. The milonga followed at the same location, really relaxed and again pretty busy, but with a bigger dance floor. I danced a lot and stayed until after 2am. Mar was really coming on strong, in a humorous and unthreatening but persistent kind of way, and I enjoyed the attention for an evening, but really was not interested.
Saturday (16th) - I arranged to couchsurf in Balbriggan, a 40 minute train ride north of Dublin, little town on the seaside. But I was going to see a couple of shows in the DDF in the afternoon so I was wandering more (Amid the feeling: "I'm done, with all the waywardness, really, I have had enough wandering, I want to do something more productive with all this energy and time".) It turned out that the two shows were sold out so I did not get into either of them. Alas. But in between trying, I found a food market and a craft market in Temple Bar and both were very entertaining for me. Later, I had a salad at The Farm restaurant and later a desert at Govinda's. There, Shane met up with me, who I would be couchsurfing with in Balbriggan. I was exhausted, again, after walking all day with my stuff for the weekend. He seemed to want to hang around Dublin, though, and insisted on taking me on what he could remember of the Dublin walking tour. I did, indeem see some interesting things that otherwise would not have sought or noticed, but I wasn't very energetic about it all. Whenever he would ask what I wanted to do my answer was 'something relaxed, easygoing, laid-back.... in fact going home would be just fine'; but he still seemed to have quite his own agenda and we went to a pub and then to a club he was interested to see along the way to the train to catch the last one out at 11:20pm. When we arrived, we had some tea and listened to Mum, which was nostalgic and relaxing for me, but it was all a bit awkward of a household and by this point it seemed that Shane himself is a bit awkward and anxious and, well, generally lacking awareness in social cues. Anyway, it felt really good to go to bed finally and I slept great. Next day we cycled out to the Sonairte Ecology center, about 10km away. It was sunny on the way there. There was a small farmer's market, where I spent too much money on too many delicious baked goods. The garden was nice and I was glad to have a chance to visit the place. It began to rain just as we were leaving and it was quite a slog back. On the way, though, Shane decided he wanted to see this place that had been a holiday camp, but about 5 years ago was turned into a sort of refugee center, a place to house asylum-seekers. So we went off our path in the pissing rain to check the place out. Enter zenflowingrivermind. But it felt so good to get home and get dry. That's the way my brand of masochism works, anyway, after all.
Evening and we watched 'Sunshine', then had a nice walk by the seaside at sunset. Another movie 'Harsh Times' and bed.
Monday (18th) - Generally futzed around with breakfast and tea and got the train at noon to Dublin. Check in to the hostel again and repacked my bags for the next week, then just took a nap. Went to the venue for the DDF at 6pm to report for volunteer duty, which was rather light. It looked like I would not get to see the shows (the festival has been quite successful, which makes me quite happy) but at the last minute I was able to see both shows: 'Standing in Ink' by Daghda Dance Company and 'Happy Hour' by Wendy Houston.
Tuesday (19th) - When leaving the hostel, met up with a Canadian girl named Annika who went walking with me to find free internet at a cafe and we wound up at a place called Mocha, chatting and netting. I had an iced Orgeon Chai which went well with the Seal and Sting and the like on the stereo and suited my nostalgia just fine. She was good company and had great stories to share of her recent 3-month adventures around Ireland. She joined me to meet Jess, with whom we went to meet Rachel (EM's friend who was the original connection there...) for lunch at a really decent spot called Woodstock's. On the way back into town to pick up the handful of pounds I'd forgotten in my backpack from my little Belfast tryst way back when, we saw an art gallery and had a couple hours to pop in. There was a little exhibition of pieces of stained glass, a couple of which were captivating with their finely detailed fairytale art scenes. There was also an installation called 'Egg Fight' which involved a curtain constructed of eggs and two headless figures wearing funky pirate costumery. I could explain more, but I think that's enough. Oh, and it was based on Gulliver's Travels. Alright, that's all you get.
Onto the bus, to the airport, time to kill, read some more of Food First which has been more motivating and inspiring and informative in the recent chapters, perhaps simply because I have been able to focus better. Then chatted with a pleasant fellow named Greg, about farms and travel and restlessness. Very quick flight to Edinburgh, easy on to the bus into town, chatted with a good-looking young guy about work and recession and Ireland...
My couchsurfing host in Edinburgh, Calum, met me at the bus and showed me a winding back-route to his place through many stairways and cobblestone paths. He and his sister share a comfy little flat in the UNESCO World Heritage Area old town of Edinburgh right next to the castle. It's alright :). And they are vegetarians who have traveled in India and make delicious dinners at home. Ah, I'm contented here! The company is a very important part of this, but the feel of this gorgeous old city is wonderful and I want to spend more time with Edinburgh.
Also met Sara, from Mexico city, and Raquel from Brazil, who were staying just for the night with Calum and Mairie.We went out for a quick drink at a pub where there was a traditional music set going, and Calum, who is an absolute encyclopedia of whisk(e)y knowledge, recommended a nice peaty variety called Ardbeg. Excellent. What a wonderful day.
Arrived back in Dublin from Oslo last Tuesday (12th) night. Managed to meet up with Jess just in time to head home. She had a very ill housemate and company coming in for the weekend, so we did not get to hang out together much.
I went off Wednesday (13th) to wander Dublin and see what I could find. Evening, tango class where I met some lovely folks, and we all went together to a milonga at the Wynn hotel after class. It was really quite crowded, and I only got in a few dances – one of them those stressful types where a person expects you to know more than you do and you can feel it... ah well. It was fun anyway and I was out late. I had arranged to couchsurf with Frantisek, who had decided not to stay for the tango class, so I was after finding my way to his place after all the buses had finished running for the night. I walked halfway (it was pretty far out) and grabbed a taxi, the driver of which insisted on driving me right to the door despite my insistence that I would be able to find it on foot more easily from the crossroad. This practice ran up the taxi bill, of course, to about 10 Euro. Arrived about 2am and we stayed up chatting about Japanese music and tea and swimming and mathematics and travel and place for an hour or more. It was interesting conversation, anyway. I slept poorly, and decided to get a hostel rather than plan to couchsurf as long as I was going to be busy dancing late into the night.
Thursday (14th) - Got a dorm room at the Abbey Court Hostel on the River Liffey and felt better to have the independence of it. But that feeling vacillated with one of wanting interaction, as it was kind of a keep-to-one's-own atmosphere in the hostel. More wandering, and I had a huge delicious dinner at the Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant - Govinda's. I was supposed to meet Mar, an Icelandic guy I had met at the tango class the previous night, at the same venue and we would go together to the class that night, as I did not know where it was. He didn't show (or I didn't see him anyway) and I gave up on tango for Thursday night, but went off exploring and found the Cultivate Center, where there was a panel of politicians (elections June 9th) discussing their positions on climate change and other environmental issues. I sat in, and the discussion and energy were comforting to me, in their academic way. That over, I walked into Temple Bar, the touristy cultural center of Dublin, and past a venue where a crowd appeared to be waiting for a show. Indeed, the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival had two shows on, and the Dublin Dance Festival had one beginning in 5 minutes. I grabbed a ticket and saw a piece called Fall and Recover, in which professional dancers worked together with survivors of torture, to create and perform a rather inspiring dance piece. There was a reception afterward and I hung around a bit and eventually asked just the right person (unknowingly, the Marketing Coordinator, Ellie) about how I might get a t-shirt. She said I could have one (yay!) and I also expressed an interest in helping with the festival, if they were short volunteers. She introduced me to the Volunteer Coordinator, Eve, who decided I could be useful and I went out with them and a few others to the sponsor bar at the Crown Hotel (apparently owned by Bono) across the way. (Also had a great conversation with eve's sister, Ayelet, who is a sculptor and who just had the very refreshing demeanor of a professional, and successful, artist.) Nice time at the pub socializing and it turned out to be a great night.
Friday (15th), I went to volunteer at the office for the DDF, distributed brochures and got to see some groovy parts of town I had not yet explored. Then spent a couple hours folding and stapling programs and just socializing. It felt so good to be contributing, to be involved in something, and to be interacting with interesting, engaged people.
Evening, I walked out to Rathmines to grab my big bag from Jess' place and made it back to the hostel just in time to make it to tango class at the Morisini-Whelan School. It was a good class, though I felt off-balance. The milonga followed at the same location, really relaxed and again pretty busy, but with a bigger dance floor. I danced a lot and stayed until after 2am. Mar was really coming on strong, in a humorous and unthreatening but persistent kind of way, and I enjoyed the attention for an evening, but really was not interested.
Saturday (16th) - I arranged to couchsurf in Balbriggan, a 40 minute train ride north of Dublin, little town on the seaside. But I was going to see a couple of shows in the DDF in the afternoon so I was wandering more (Amid the feeling: "I'm done, with all the waywardness, really, I have had enough wandering, I want to do something more productive with all this energy and time".) It turned out that the two shows were sold out so I did not get into either of them. Alas. But in between trying, I found a food market and a craft market in Temple Bar and both were very entertaining for me. Later, I had a salad at The Farm restaurant and later a desert at Govinda's. There, Shane met up with me, who I would be couchsurfing with in Balbriggan. I was exhausted, again, after walking all day with my stuff for the weekend. He seemed to want to hang around Dublin, though, and insisted on taking me on what he could remember of the Dublin walking tour. I did, indeem see some interesting things that otherwise would not have sought or noticed, but I wasn't very energetic about it all. Whenever he would ask what I wanted to do my answer was 'something relaxed, easygoing, laid-back.... in fact going home would be just fine'; but he still seemed to have quite his own agenda and we went to a pub and then to a club he was interested to see along the way to the train to catch the last one out at 11:20pm. When we arrived, we had some tea and listened to Mum, which was nostalgic and relaxing for me, but it was all a bit awkward of a household and by this point it seemed that Shane himself is a bit awkward and anxious and, well, generally lacking awareness in social cues. Anyway, it felt really good to go to bed finally and I slept great. Next day we cycled out to the Sonairte Ecology center, about 10km away. It was sunny on the way there. There was a small farmer's market, where I spent too much money on too many delicious baked goods. The garden was nice and I was glad to have a chance to visit the place. It began to rain just as we were leaving and it was quite a slog back. On the way, though, Shane decided he wanted to see this place that had been a holiday camp, but about 5 years ago was turned into a sort of refugee center, a place to house asylum-seekers. So we went off our path in the pissing rain to check the place out. Enter zenflowingrivermind. But it felt so good to get home and get dry. That's the way my brand of masochism works, anyway, after all.
Evening and we watched 'Sunshine', then had a nice walk by the seaside at sunset. Another movie 'Harsh Times' and bed.
Monday (18th) - Generally futzed around with breakfast and tea and got the train at noon to Dublin. Check in to the hostel again and repacked my bags for the next week, then just took a nap. Went to the venue for the DDF at 6pm to report for volunteer duty, which was rather light. It looked like I would not get to see the shows (the festival has been quite successful, which makes me quite happy) but at the last minute I was able to see both shows: 'Standing in Ink' by Daghda Dance Company and 'Happy Hour' by Wendy Houston.
Tuesday (19th) - When leaving the hostel, met up with a Canadian girl named Annika who went walking with me to find free internet at a cafe and we wound up at a place called Mocha, chatting and netting. I had an iced Orgeon Chai which went well with the Seal and Sting and the like on the stereo and suited my nostalgia just fine. She was good company and had great stories to share of her recent 3-month adventures around Ireland. She joined me to meet Jess, with whom we went to meet Rachel (EM's friend who was the original connection there...) for lunch at a really decent spot called Woodstock's. On the way back into town to pick up the handful of pounds I'd forgotten in my backpack from my little Belfast tryst way back when, we saw an art gallery and had a couple hours to pop in. There was a little exhibition of pieces of stained glass, a couple of which were captivating with their finely detailed fairytale art scenes. There was also an installation called 'Egg Fight' which involved a curtain constructed of eggs and two headless figures wearing funky pirate costumery. I could explain more, but I think that's enough. Oh, and it was based on Gulliver's Travels. Alright, that's all you get.
Onto the bus, to the airport, time to kill, read some more of Food First which has been more motivating and inspiring and informative in the recent chapters, perhaps simply because I have been able to focus better. Then chatted with a pleasant fellow named Greg, about farms and travel and restlessness. Very quick flight to Edinburgh, easy on to the bus into town, chatted with a good-looking young guy about work and recession and Ireland...
My couchsurfing host in Edinburgh, Calum, met me at the bus and showed me a winding back-route to his place through many stairways and cobblestone paths. He and his sister share a comfy little flat in the UNESCO World Heritage Area old town of Edinburgh right next to the castle. It's alright :). And they are vegetarians who have traveled in India and make delicious dinners at home. Ah, I'm contented here! The company is a very important part of this, but the feel of this gorgeous old city is wonderful and I want to spend more time with Edinburgh.
Also met Sara, from Mexico city, and Raquel from Brazil, who were staying just for the night with Calum and Mairie.We went out for a quick drink at a pub where there was a traditional music set going, and Calum, who is an absolute encyclopedia of whisk(e)y knowledge, recommended a nice peaty variety called Ardbeg. Excellent. What a wonderful day.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday and Tuesday 11-12 May
Another visit to the botanical gardens. Sunnier and bloomier than the last, unimaginably. Lots of communicating to arrange places in Dublin and Edinburgh and just when it was beginning to concern me, it all came together. Ahhh :) Also making plans for July in CA an elsewhere. Looks like it will be Rainier in early July and the Vancouver folk music festival July 17-19. Colorado in late July-early Aug. Let me know if you want to join in on any of this...
Afternoon walk up the hill to jog in the park and look back out over Oslo, goodbye. In the evening, EM's housemate Catherine (how have I not mentioned this woman? She's beautiful and interesting and a good housemate and I say so with even more confidence now that I have stayed at their place for this time...) returned and invited me to join her for a set of crunches. I was ecstatic! Yes! Of course! I can't go back to Mojo Fit in Davis in this soft-core condition, after all. Give me abs! Also, I have been stretching after jogging and can not believe how tight my hips and shoulders have become. But anyway, this is all being addressed. Never you worry. :) Really, it might be the prospect of all that tango dancing that has me so motivated.
EM and I made late-night granola and stayed up with a film called Kautokeino Opprøret, which is about a Sami community who rose-up against oppresive influences, set in the late 1800's. We stopped it early (at 1am...), so I am going to finish it today - I think it is an important Norwegian history lesson for me.
Tuesday and we went together to the post office in the morning to pick up a care package Haleh sent to me. Oh my goodness, what a special treat and wonderful feeling this is! I just want to tell the world how ridiculously happy this little box has made me. And that I am now the proud owner of an orange Davis Food Co-op water tin.
I am hanging out with EM at work for a bit this morning an then will be off to pack and shuttle off to Dublin. There is a 2-hour or so bus ride to the airport in Torp (gah Ryanair!) and the flight and bus into city center and I am sure to be finished with the day when I arrive after 9pm.
Last night, this feeling of inspiration and refreshment began to renew itself in my little heart, from some myriad of influences, and today it is growing alongside the sadness of leaving my sweet EM.
Afternoon walk up the hill to jog in the park and look back out over Oslo, goodbye. In the evening, EM's housemate Catherine (how have I not mentioned this woman? She's beautiful and interesting and a good housemate and I say so with even more confidence now that I have stayed at their place for this time...) returned and invited me to join her for a set of crunches. I was ecstatic! Yes! Of course! I can't go back to Mojo Fit in Davis in this soft-core condition, after all. Give me abs! Also, I have been stretching after jogging and can not believe how tight my hips and shoulders have become. But anyway, this is all being addressed. Never you worry. :) Really, it might be the prospect of all that tango dancing that has me so motivated.
EM and I made late-night granola and stayed up with a film called Kautokeino Opprøret, which is about a Sami community who rose-up against oppresive influences, set in the late 1800's. We stopped it early (at 1am...), so I am going to finish it today - I think it is an important Norwegian history lesson for me.
Tuesday and we went together to the post office in the morning to pick up a care package Haleh sent to me. Oh my goodness, what a special treat and wonderful feeling this is! I just want to tell the world how ridiculously happy this little box has made me. And that I am now the proud owner of an orange Davis Food Co-op water tin.
I am hanging out with EM at work for a bit this morning an then will be off to pack and shuttle off to Dublin. There is a 2-hour or so bus ride to the airport in Torp (gah Ryanair!) and the flight and bus into city center and I am sure to be finished with the day when I arrive after 9pm.
Last night, this feeling of inspiration and refreshment began to renew itself in my little heart, from some myriad of influences, and today it is growing alongside the sadness of leaving my sweet EM.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Another week in Oslo. May 4-10
Monday:
Train back to Oslo from Bergen - very melancholy morning, on account of the departure. We tried to play Carcassonne on the train seat-back tray, and that was pretty entertaining. Gave up halfway through. EM treated me to a Vestlands lefse in the cafe, where there were large windows for watching the countryside rush by. It was sunny (had been cloudy on the way to Bergen).
When we returned, EM had a work meeting so we went by the office for a while. I don't remember what kept us up late when we got home, but something certainly did, and I was exhausted.
Tuesday:
On my own for the day. Ferry to Bygdoy for a nice walk around and to see the Norwegian Folk Museum. There are indoor exhibits (which included one devoted to folk costumery, yay!, and one about the 1980's... which is very popular these days in European fashion) and a feature on the Sami (indigenous Norwegians). Most of the museum is a collection of buildings, however, from various regions and time periods. It was a sunny day and I really enjoyed it. All those big old wooden structures smell so lovely. There were plenty of little gardens and nooks in which to hide away and contemplate the birds and eccentric architecture.
Wandered, saw the big expensive mansions of Bygdoy (a sort of peninsula of Oslo, wealthy, ambassadorial residences and all, more on that later), wasted time in the sunshine in a coastal park and ferried back to town to meet EM at the old dome church, hummus wrap on the way home... Stayed up late again; watching Juno.
Wednesday:
I stayed in for the morning and worked on a cover letter to Marin Organic. (They have an apprenticeship program which excites me to no end and I am giddy with a crush on the idea of working with them... but that is a whole other essay. One that goes into an ambiguous speculation about 'home' and my contradictory desires to put down roots and remain a tumbleweed.)
I went out in the afternoon just to walk and be outside and must have looked like distressed prey - single female traveler sitting and thinking on a very public park bench in town center - because this guy totally came around to hit on me. Maybe he was from Belize, but no thanks, anyway. Not all such experiences are quite so close to the edge of lecherous and unpleasant, but then some are. I made my way to a chai and brownie at a great little cafe that EM pointed out previously. Back home to meet EM after a long day (she volunteers at the teen Refugee Center on Wednesdays after work). We stayed up late having chocolate and beer, which was altogether a mistake... because dinner had been the chai and brownie. Ah, someday I may cease doing these things to myself... may. It was a cozy eve at home together. I am loving this.
Thursday:
EM had the day off. We had a lazy morning... me online (where I found out there is a tango festival in Edingurgh in late May and decided to go, feeling a little impetuous, but only a little. The flight is 2 Euro roundtrip and I just couldn't help myself). Then a walk to the Botanical Garden, which was not a disappointment :)
Afternoon dear Haleh, I finally up and went for a jog. Felt so good!
EM's friend Jeni came for dinner; I made Lentil rice ambrosia and EM made lefse from scratch. YUM. We watched a totally bizarre film called Bagdad Cafe and late to bed again.
Friday:
Oh boy did I sleep in... until 11! More work on the app to Marin Organic and a good bit of thinking about a Ph.D. program at the Bren School of Envtl. Science and Mgmt. at UCSB. Indeed. And then...
Cinco de Mayo party and drinks at the American Embassy.
Jeni works for the Canadian Embassy here and those Canadians apparently had a standing invitation to a Friday happy hour event at the American Embassy. It's only open to external visitors once a month, lucky us it was this week. She got us on the list and we went along for beers and strawberry margaritas and tequila shots... a bit late for Cinco de Mayo, but I was glad to get the celebration in. Talked with a whole pile of interesting people, and then the whole crowd had to be run out of the place. Went next to a little bar with a window seat and from there, 10:30 pm but still light out, to Nomaden, a nightclub/bar where we were the first on the dance floor and that was how we liked it. Home and EM made delicious fried potato-onion-cheesy love and I typed while half-watching the Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood.
Saturday:
Had a walk with EM to a new part of the neighborhood and went jogging (again!) from there. Quick change and met her at the trolley to go to a choral concert featuring a friend of her's from work. It was billed as an A Capella exploration of the history of pop music... but it turned out to be a simple, well-performed random selection of various-genre. I guess they would all be technically classified as pop. But now I am nitpicking. It was good! And we had a good walk, and EM took me to have Kokosboller, which are a Norwegian specialty, funny little meringues with a thin coating of chocolate and coconut flakes. It was fun to share and we deserved it after our walk in the rain that snuck up in the afternoon. Roundabout bus home for a siesta. We missed cheering Jeni on in the relay race she was running with a team from the Embassy, some big fundraiser event, but she still invited us to the after-race celebration...
Dinner at the residence of the Canadian ambassador. Lovely, relaxed, delicious. EM was not feeling well after the previous night so she stayed in to rest. The weather almost kept me home, but at the last minute cleared and I went, and glad I did - such a pleasant evening! Met and chatted with some really good people and around dark we went out into town together and chilled at an outdoor bar that reminded me of something from Miami. Despite the cold, it was lively, and eventually we got to dancing. We made to leave several times, but then another good dance song came on and we just moved to different parts of the patio... eventually we left the area of the bar and danced in a little gazebo in the town square next to the bar. That Jeni, she's a good influence... I had told EM I would be home around 10:30 and think I finally made it around 2:30. It was good company and good conversation and good times all around. And Jeni gave me the bag she was carrying that says 'Bergen!', because I totally coveted it, and she is sweet as pie, that girl. I am so going to Montreal to visit her after she returns from the embassy job in Finland where she'll be next month... if I was lacking inspiration about how things just seem to come together right, she brought it all back.
Sunday:
EM took me for a nice walk up into the hills and we both discovered some nice new areas. And a big old ridiculous American-style car show. Go figure. It is pleasant to wander the sidewalks up in the wealthy hill suburbs of Oslo. Reminded me of good times in Marin.
We made a simple veggie stew for dinner and it was so satisfying. Shared a good Norwegian beer in the garden nearing sunset. I am reading a book called "Always the Mountains" the quality of which I am still undecided about... but it feels good to have a book in hand and a friend in the garden :)
Train back to Oslo from Bergen - very melancholy morning, on account of the departure. We tried to play Carcassonne on the train seat-back tray, and that was pretty entertaining. Gave up halfway through. EM treated me to a Vestlands lefse in the cafe, where there were large windows for watching the countryside rush by. It was sunny (had been cloudy on the way to Bergen).
When we returned, EM had a work meeting so we went by the office for a while. I don't remember what kept us up late when we got home, but something certainly did, and I was exhausted.
Tuesday:
On my own for the day. Ferry to Bygdoy for a nice walk around and to see the Norwegian Folk Museum. There are indoor exhibits (which included one devoted to folk costumery, yay!, and one about the 1980's... which is very popular these days in European fashion) and a feature on the Sami (indigenous Norwegians). Most of the museum is a collection of buildings, however, from various regions and time periods. It was a sunny day and I really enjoyed it. All those big old wooden structures smell so lovely. There were plenty of little gardens and nooks in which to hide away and contemplate the birds and eccentric architecture.
Wandered, saw the big expensive mansions of Bygdoy (a sort of peninsula of Oslo, wealthy, ambassadorial residences and all, more on that later), wasted time in the sunshine in a coastal park and ferried back to town to meet EM at the old dome church, hummus wrap on the way home... Stayed up late again; watching Juno.
Wednesday:
I stayed in for the morning and worked on a cover letter to Marin Organic. (They have an apprenticeship program which excites me to no end and I am giddy with a crush on the idea of working with them... but that is a whole other essay. One that goes into an ambiguous speculation about 'home' and my contradictory desires to put down roots and remain a tumbleweed.)
I went out in the afternoon just to walk and be outside and must have looked like distressed prey - single female traveler sitting and thinking on a very public park bench in town center - because this guy totally came around to hit on me. Maybe he was from Belize, but no thanks, anyway. Not all such experiences are quite so close to the edge of lecherous and unpleasant, but then some are. I made my way to a chai and brownie at a great little cafe that EM pointed out previously. Back home to meet EM after a long day (she volunteers at the teen Refugee Center on Wednesdays after work). We stayed up late having chocolate and beer, which was altogether a mistake... because dinner had been the chai and brownie. Ah, someday I may cease doing these things to myself... may. It was a cozy eve at home together. I am loving this.
Thursday:
EM had the day off. We had a lazy morning... me online (where I found out there is a tango festival in Edingurgh in late May and decided to go, feeling a little impetuous, but only a little. The flight is 2 Euro roundtrip and I just couldn't help myself). Then a walk to the Botanical Garden, which was not a disappointment :)
Afternoon dear Haleh, I finally up and went for a jog. Felt so good!
EM's friend Jeni came for dinner; I made Lentil rice ambrosia and EM made lefse from scratch. YUM. We watched a totally bizarre film called Bagdad Cafe and late to bed again.
Friday:
Oh boy did I sleep in... until 11! More work on the app to Marin Organic and a good bit of thinking about a Ph.D. program at the Bren School of Envtl. Science and Mgmt. at UCSB. Indeed. And then...
Cinco de Mayo party and drinks at the American Embassy.
Jeni works for the Canadian Embassy here and those Canadians apparently had a standing invitation to a Friday happy hour event at the American Embassy. It's only open to external visitors once a month, lucky us it was this week. She got us on the list and we went along for beers and strawberry margaritas and tequila shots... a bit late for Cinco de Mayo, but I was glad to get the celebration in. Talked with a whole pile of interesting people, and then the whole crowd had to be run out of the place. Went next to a little bar with a window seat and from there, 10:30 pm but still light out, to Nomaden, a nightclub/bar where we were the first on the dance floor and that was how we liked it. Home and EM made delicious fried potato-onion-cheesy love and I typed while half-watching the Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood.
Saturday:
Had a walk with EM to a new part of the neighborhood and went jogging (again!) from there. Quick change and met her at the trolley to go to a choral concert featuring a friend of her's from work. It was billed as an A Capella exploration of the history of pop music... but it turned out to be a simple, well-performed random selection of various-genre. I guess they would all be technically classified as pop. But now I am nitpicking. It was good! And we had a good walk, and EM took me to have Kokosboller, which are a Norwegian specialty, funny little meringues with a thin coating of chocolate and coconut flakes. It was fun to share and we deserved it after our walk in the rain that snuck up in the afternoon. Roundabout bus home for a siesta. We missed cheering Jeni on in the relay race she was running with a team from the Embassy, some big fundraiser event, but she still invited us to the after-race celebration...
Dinner at the residence of the Canadian ambassador. Lovely, relaxed, delicious. EM was not feeling well after the previous night so she stayed in to rest. The weather almost kept me home, but at the last minute cleared and I went, and glad I did - such a pleasant evening! Met and chatted with some really good people and around dark we went out into town together and chilled at an outdoor bar that reminded me of something from Miami. Despite the cold, it was lively, and eventually we got to dancing. We made to leave several times, but then another good dance song came on and we just moved to different parts of the patio... eventually we left the area of the bar and danced in a little gazebo in the town square next to the bar. That Jeni, she's a good influence... I had told EM I would be home around 10:30 and think I finally made it around 2:30. It was good company and good conversation and good times all around. And Jeni gave me the bag she was carrying that says 'Bergen!', because I totally coveted it, and she is sweet as pie, that girl. I am so going to Montreal to visit her after she returns from the embassy job in Finland where she'll be next month... if I was lacking inspiration about how things just seem to come together right, she brought it all back.
Sunday:
EM took me for a nice walk up into the hills and we both discovered some nice new areas. And a big old ridiculous American-style car show. Go figure. It is pleasant to wander the sidewalks up in the wealthy hill suburbs of Oslo. Reminded me of good times in Marin.
We made a simple veggie stew for dinner and it was so satisfying. Shared a good Norwegian beer in the garden nearing sunset. I am reading a book called "Always the Mountains" the quality of which I am still undecided about... but it feels good to have a book in hand and a friend in the garden :)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The good life...
Ah, the weekend in Bergen, with Ellen Marie and Carl Phillip and Co. Glorious.
Friday. May Day. It is a proper holiday here, time off work, parades, flags everywhere. Ellen Marie wanted to walk in the local parade, which is as simple as finding a sign to get behind. We joined up as they were beginning after we had a walk in the very charming neighborhood of Nunez (sp?), which is probably very expensive, but then again, so is all of Norway.
I peeled off to walk about town on my own and do a bit of writing. After the parade, we got a soft ice cream - I was told I could have strawberry and chocolate, so asked for both - and what I got was vanilla soft-serve rolled in this weird strawberry candy and cocoa. It was very bizarre, but fun enough to try.
Carl Phillip hosted a board game party at his house, so we made our way back and he had made us all a lovely veggie soup for dinner, then right into socializing and games. I was a bit low on energy and did not make much effort to start conversation, so most of it was held in Norwegian, and I slid out of the scene after the first game (Elfenland), a long one since we were all working on the rules as we went. Despite my self-exclusion, it was a fun time and I was feeling everyone's good vibes, though I was disappointed we never got around to Twister :(
Saturday, meant to go for a full-day hike, but the weather did not cooperate, so we wandered town again and went to the Hanseatic museum at Bryggen. It was quite interesting - huge, sturdy wooden houses with high ceilings and very heavy door-latches built by German traders who set up office here in Bergen for hundreds of years, back in the day. We wound up doing a bit of shopping, which made EM quite happy. Among the treasures, she bought the game Carcassonne at this game shop that was having some kind of costume contest and giving away free comic books. I appreciated the Lara Croft look the most, perhaps, but the whole scene was lively and interesting. Groceries (oh god, the cost of food!) and home to make pizza for dinner. Yes! We read the rules to the game before crashing asleep on the table and giving up on the day.
Sunday and the morning weather was just fine, indeed. Over breakfast, we discussed this article, which Nick linked to me and I thought important to share with EM because we have a continuing theme about positivity in American culture vs. other nations (Norway, Russia, and Ireland, for instance): http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-04-15.html#feature
Another late start to the morning and we decided on a relatively short hike up Lovostakken (sp?) which is perhaps the prettiest little urban mountain ever. It was a very good hike with amazing views and a good sense of distance from the city below. We had fishcakes for lunch (special Norway diet exception) in the shelter of a friendly boulder. The cakes came form Sostren Agelene, sister restaurant to Madame Bergen, which are local institutions, but were bought by a large company some while back which has now found itself in a bit of a pickle and has announced it will close both. People are unhappy about this. After an adventurous descent, back to town for ice cream, proper gelato for me this time, and then home to rest, study, dance in the kitchen a bit and make pizza again, as it just struck our fancy. And was just delicious again. This time we got in a round of Carcassonne, and it was quite fun. Such a good day, such a lovely weekend. Mellow, melancholy, leave-tomorrow kind of mood to the evening, lightened for a moment by CP sharing a video of Michael Jackson-inspired dance performance for a high school talent show. Quite impressive. Hilarious. But impressive. Had to reprimand him for not busting out the dance a little more while I've been here.
Sharing time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofd-SzGweTo&feature=related
Friday. May Day. It is a proper holiday here, time off work, parades, flags everywhere. Ellen Marie wanted to walk in the local parade, which is as simple as finding a sign to get behind. We joined up as they were beginning after we had a walk in the very charming neighborhood of Nunez (sp?), which is probably very expensive, but then again, so is all of Norway.
I peeled off to walk about town on my own and do a bit of writing. After the parade, we got a soft ice cream - I was told I could have strawberry and chocolate, so asked for both - and what I got was vanilla soft-serve rolled in this weird strawberry candy and cocoa. It was very bizarre, but fun enough to try.
Carl Phillip hosted a board game party at his house, so we made our way back and he had made us all a lovely veggie soup for dinner, then right into socializing and games. I was a bit low on energy and did not make much effort to start conversation, so most of it was held in Norwegian, and I slid out of the scene after the first game (Elfenland), a long one since we were all working on the rules as we went. Despite my self-exclusion, it was a fun time and I was feeling everyone's good vibes, though I was disappointed we never got around to Twister :(
Saturday, meant to go for a full-day hike, but the weather did not cooperate, so we wandered town again and went to the Hanseatic museum at Bryggen. It was quite interesting - huge, sturdy wooden houses with high ceilings and very heavy door-latches built by German traders who set up office here in Bergen for hundreds of years, back in the day. We wound up doing a bit of shopping, which made EM quite happy. Among the treasures, she bought the game Carcassonne at this game shop that was having some kind of costume contest and giving away free comic books. I appreciated the Lara Croft look the most, perhaps, but the whole scene was lively and interesting. Groceries (oh god, the cost of food!) and home to make pizza for dinner. Yes! We read the rules to the game before crashing asleep on the table and giving up on the day.
Sunday and the morning weather was just fine, indeed. Over breakfast, we discussed this article, which Nick linked to me and I thought important to share with EM because we have a continuing theme about positivity in American culture vs. other nations (Norway, Russia, and Ireland, for instance): http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-04-15.html#feature
Another late start to the morning and we decided on a relatively short hike up Lovostakken (sp?) which is perhaps the prettiest little urban mountain ever. It was a very good hike with amazing views and a good sense of distance from the city below. We had fishcakes for lunch (special Norway diet exception) in the shelter of a friendly boulder. The cakes came form Sostren Agelene, sister restaurant to Madame Bergen, which are local institutions, but were bought by a large company some while back which has now found itself in a bit of a pickle and has announced it will close both. People are unhappy about this. After an adventurous descent, back to town for ice cream, proper gelato for me this time, and then home to rest, study, dance in the kitchen a bit and make pizza again, as it just struck our fancy. And was just delicious again. This time we got in a round of Carcassonne, and it was quite fun. Such a good day, such a lovely weekend. Mellow, melancholy, leave-tomorrow kind of mood to the evening, lightened for a moment by CP sharing a video of Michael Jackson-inspired dance performance for a high school talent show. Quite impressive. Hilarious. But impressive. Had to reprimand him for not busting out the dance a little more while I've been here.
Sharing time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofd-SzGweTo&feature=related
Saturday, May 2, 2009
I think I am going to buy myself a present...
I have considered one of these before:
http://www.rei.com/product/760622
But this might be the more useful option, actually:
http://www.rei.com/product/735317
http://www.rei.com/product/760622
But this might be the more useful option, actually:
http://www.rei.com/product/735317
Friday, May 1, 2009
Happy May Day
Friday night - EM is happy here, to be with CP and to be in Bergen generally, as am I. Feels relaxed and friendly. We were about a dozen or so for the CS meetup... and wound up at a little outdoor patio down on the harbor at Hanse Bryggen (sp?) which is the ancient city front for trade with everyone, but mostly Germans. Lots of conversation. I was better prepared for this than the Oslo meeting, being in a good mood, and happy with the smaller crowd.
Thursday morning, sleep in, lazy breakfast at home and then into the city center to dawdle in shops, waiting out the rain, on our way to climb Floyen. We took time to savour the view at the top, and came down to treat ourselves to really lovely pizza and pastry at the Godt Brod bakery, a local/organic type of place. Shop for ingredients and home to make sushi. Cuddles and lazing after dinner.
Folks came around after the futbol game - success and cause for celebration - and we got ready to go out salsa dancing. First, a quick tour of a very funky church by CP's friend Mariet, with a jillion little pathways and rooms tucked away in its corners. Then to Club Pacific where I was glad that they played a bit of reggaeton, not because I love it, but because it is easier for me to dance to than salsa - all freestyle like. It was good to dance! CP was a good, kind, patient lead, taking em through a few salsa rounds, and obliging when I insisted on merengue. Then, randomly, found myself freestyling with a hip-hop sort of dancer, which went well. He said something to me in Norwegian, but it was too loud to bother with all the 'huh?', so I just assumed it was kind and went on with my evening.
We left as it began to get too crowded around 2am, and on the streets the pre-May Day celebrations were in full swing. There is a tradition here where the students graduating high school, called Russ, dress in specially decorated red overalls and congregate in unruly masses and on May Day begin performing stupid human tricks and this all goes on for about a month or so... it's quite a scene. The other day I saw one of the special buses all get-upped for the occasion, like a disco on wheels. It's entertaining. Anyway, last night was a big night for them, and everyone else, really, since today (Friday) is a national holiday.
Home, surprisingly contained mess from the party we left here when we went out, leftover pasta with pesto for an early morning snack before bed. So far today - CP and I have been monopolizing the net all morning while EM has a very good sleep-in. It has been good to catch up on some articles and news I am interested in - like Japan's stimulus plan including a program to return young folks to farming.
It is about time to go hiking... and May Day festivities later this afternoon. Tonight there will be juggling and a board game party. And probably 3 other things I am forgetting. First, brunch.
Thursday morning, sleep in, lazy breakfast at home and then into the city center to dawdle in shops, waiting out the rain, on our way to climb Floyen. We took time to savour the view at the top, and came down to treat ourselves to really lovely pizza and pastry at the Godt Brod bakery, a local/organic type of place. Shop for ingredients and home to make sushi. Cuddles and lazing after dinner.
Folks came around after the futbol game - success and cause for celebration - and we got ready to go out salsa dancing. First, a quick tour of a very funky church by CP's friend Mariet, with a jillion little pathways and rooms tucked away in its corners. Then to Club Pacific where I was glad that they played a bit of reggaeton, not because I love it, but because it is easier for me to dance to than salsa - all freestyle like. It was good to dance! CP was a good, kind, patient lead, taking em through a few salsa rounds, and obliging when I insisted on merengue. Then, randomly, found myself freestyling with a hip-hop sort of dancer, which went well. He said something to me in Norwegian, but it was too loud to bother with all the 'huh?', so I just assumed it was kind and went on with my evening.
We left as it began to get too crowded around 2am, and on the streets the pre-May Day celebrations were in full swing. There is a tradition here where the students graduating high school, called Russ, dress in specially decorated red overalls and congregate in unruly masses and on May Day begin performing stupid human tricks and this all goes on for about a month or so... it's quite a scene. The other day I saw one of the special buses all get-upped for the occasion, like a disco on wheels. It's entertaining. Anyway, last night was a big night for them, and everyone else, really, since today (Friday) is a national holiday.
Home, surprisingly contained mess from the party we left here when we went out, leftover pasta with pesto for an early morning snack before bed. So far today - CP and I have been monopolizing the net all morning while EM has a very good sleep-in. It has been good to catch up on some articles and news I am interested in - like Japan's stimulus plan including a program to return young folks to farming.
It is about time to go hiking... and May Day festivities later this afternoon. Tonight there will be juggling and a board game party. And probably 3 other things I am forgetting. First, brunch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)