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Maybe they'd have to hold each other when it rose, all organe and full and close. Maybe that's where our romantic notions about the moon first came from. Two people holding each other to keep their hearts from breaking, because everybody they knew was dying in the cold rocks and dust piles a quarter million miles away...
The Brothers K
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mandag, august 02, 2004
Well, I'm on a bit of a break from work for now, I guess. Despite being slightly panicked about getting something done this morning (such that I came in yesterday and early today even), I haven't seen heads nor tails of either of my bosses. They said, "Let's meet between 3 and 4" and it's now ten til and they're not around....hmmm. Well, there are more things to life than work, right? :)
In the meantime, I shall recap what happened this weekend. Francis, a researcher visiting from Japan, but who's actually Australian, and I went to Bygdoy, where there are a number of (which, btw, is a plural phrase DESPITE the singular determiner and which is now my nemesis, along with "the superlative of noun" as in "the ugliest of the ugly" - GAH research!) museums that were of interest. After a brief lunch of polse (yuuuum) at Aker Brygge, during which I was stung by a nasty little yellowjacket, we caught the ferry to the former island, now peninsula, for some good old-fashioned tourism. On the ride over, my leg swelled up nicely and proceeded to annoy me by itching for the rest of the day (and incidentally even now). The Norwegian Folk Museum was generally interesting. It's much like Colonial Williamsburg, where I grew up, in that it had historic buildings that you could wander around, and some costumed interpreters and artistans (not nearly the enterprise that CW is though). Of note was an exhibit on rosemaling, which is the technique of painting wood with bright floral designs, that is characteristic of Norwegians. I very much liked all their wooden carvings. The one criticism I have of it all is that the designs are extremely heavy - they are beautiful works of art, but I couldn't stand to have my home decorated solely in that stuff because it would weigh me down. It wasn't delicate at all, it was meant to weather 9 months of winter storms. Which of course, I object to :)
Also of note was an exhibit on the 1000-year-old friendship between Norwegians and Russians. As an American born during the Cold War, I guess I've got some reasonably deeply ingrained biases against Russia/USSR/Soviet Union/whatever it's called today, so it was quite a bit shocking to see a blatantly pro-Russian exhibit. I really wish I knew my history better, so I could understand more about Russia's role in the WWs more clearly. I was terribly confused by the exhibit, b/c they never did something where they just explained the basics (i.e. The Bolsheviks were BLAH. They believed in BLAH. The Revolutionaries were BLAH. They believed in...). But it was interesting nonetheless, and quite fascinating. It was definitely an impressive exhibit.
Far and away, the clear best were the Viking ships. These things are ridiculously cool. They are fearsome beasts, and I definitely would not want to see one approaching on the horizon. I can't imagine how cool it must have been to unearth these buggers, but it definitely makes me want to revive my dream of being an archeologist (hence my obsession with Indy Jones...oh wait, that obesssion is really due to Harrison Ford. :) (On a total side note, I think I've seriously wanted to be writer/journalist, archeologist, architect, ambassador, and politician. I never wanted to be a fireman, and I didn't know - and remain unconvinced :P - that one could "be" a Symbolic Systemist, if that makes any sense at all. I think the only thing that remains constant is that I want to be famous.) So yes, the Viking ships are the mostest awesomest thing I've seen in Oslo. I might have to go back again before I leave. They're fun things to medidate upon; I think one of them is haunted by the woman who was buried in it. :)
Francis and I also had a bit of an adventure trying to find a Vietnamese restaurant. We both recalled seeing one along the Line 10 route from Forskningparken, but after riding the route twice we were still unable to find it. By that time we were hungry, and gave up, and went to The Oriental, which was a reasonably good, if definitely overpriced, Asian restaurant. The most memorable part of the evening was dessert, which included five things that I had never tasted before. The centerpiece was a Mango and Coconut custard, which was quite tasty. But the garnish was coulis, an incredibly tasty sweet liquor, star-fruit, red currant berries, lychee, and some kind of melonish thing that was quite tasty. Mind boggling! I never knew that so many kinds of fruit could exist! Oh, it was quite tasty :) (You all would have been proud of me too - I had chicken with bell peppers in it (all three colors) - and I didn't eat the bell peppers but I didn't complain one bit about them being there! :)
On Sunday, I finally went to the fabled lake, Sognsvann, which is just behind my apartment building (it is NOT a five minute walk, despite the talk. It's definitely 10-15 minutes, although I perhaps took the long way around). It was quite a cultural experience. They sunbathe on grass - there's not a speck of sand around (well, except for the beach volleyball court....). The shores are rocky, and people actually swim in the lake. I've never swum in a lake except once when my family went in the Black River in Wisconsin, and everyone got bitten by leeches (except me, b/c I ran shrieking from the water at the first appearance of the nasty vermin). Also, I've never seen a beach filled with such beautiful people. I'll take a picture next time I go back :)
Ok, just got notice from the boss that I should be working :P More stories (about Paris, I promise) to come later!
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