Welcome to Oslo...but let's not forget where I've come from!

I’m back in Oslo, but feeling a bit like I’m in a twilight zone, just adjusting to a different culture and lack of daylight. I have realized there are distinct differences about living in Portugal, Finland, South Africa, and Norway, here are a few of my observations...

1.) The winter months in Norway and Finland make for short (and dark) days because they are Northern countries lying in the similar arctic latitudes as Alaska. As much as this darkness can zap your mood, being here in the spring is great because you experience the upswing of this light/dark equation as we are gaining roughly 4 minutes a day of daylight. Sweet!

2.) Yeah, peace and quiet! You can actually study in the Norwegian and Finnish libraries, whereas in Portugal the library is the social gathering spot to catch up with friends, and chat on your cell phones.

3.) What’s up with all of the reflectors that are pinned to people’s coats here? They don’t wear reflectors in Portugal but in the Scandinavian countries reflectors attached to your coat are important, especially during the dark winter months when you try hard not to get run over by one of the crazy, drunk people riding their bikes in the snow.

4.) What? I have to pay 50 kroner (6 euro/8.70 US) for a decent pastry and tea in Oslo? In Portugal, the delectable pastries are much more delicious and with a tea on the side you are guaranteed to pay no more than 2 euros. Whereas, in Finland the prices are pretty average, somewhere between Oslo and Portugal, and the pastries just plain SUCK! Sad, but true.

5.) In Portugal, I rarely spent time on public transportation, apart from traveling to Lisbon and Porto. However, here in Oslo, my life is spent navigating, walking to, waiting for, or riding the excellent public transportation system. In Finland, I didn't spend as much time navigating the system as Tampere (pop. 200,000) is smaller than Oslo (pop. 550,000). And, in South Africa, you simply don't take public transportation if you want to live a day longer.

6.) No more Portuguese phrases; “Bom Dia” (good day), “Boa Tarde” (good afternoon), or “Boa Noite” (good night), now it’s just “Hei Hei” (hello) or “Tusen Takk” (thank you very much). I have to admit my Portuguese skills were much better than my Norwegian or Finnish skills. Good thing most people speak English here. My favorite Finnish phrase, simply because it was fun to say, was "Moi Moi," meaning hello or goodbye. In South Africa there are 9 official languages and the phrase that was my favorite happened to be Afrikaner, "Lekker," (cool!)

7.) This is NO change from Portugal…rain, rain, and more rain. Did I mention there is a lot of rain in Oslo? Where is the snow???

8.) In Portugal, dark-featured (dark eyes/hair) individuals were omnipresent, here in Oslo there is a lot of "eye-candy" (kind of like bubblegum for the eyeballs); imagine beautiful, tall, fit, light complexions, and copious amounts of natural (and not-so-natural) blond hair. In Finland, it was a mix...and you never knew what someones true hair color was as they really hit the hair coloring hard. Finally, in South Africa, there was actually diversity in race, skin color, and socio-economical status!

9.) In Oslo there are tanning bed vending machines. Serious! I will dedicate a complete entry to the phenomenon soon. But, it's not to get a base tan to go lay on the beaches in Mexico (contrary to why we use tanning beds in Colorado), it's actually for health reasons. More details on this later...


PHOTOS: Among my favorite photos of Porto, Portugal! I'm just not ready to post Norway photos yet, the architecture is just not as intriguing. These photos are snapped with the lovely Nikon D40.

I’m leavin’ on a Jet Plane…don’t know when I’ll be back again!

As I stooped down, with my knees carefully bent, and grabbed the 28.5 kg. BIG MAMA with both hands and with all my strength hurled it on the Brussels Airlines check-in conveyer belt, I felt the pressure of moving to Oslo slowly dissipate. BIG MAMA was leaving Portugal and on her way to Oslo and so was I! With relief in my footsteps, I hurried along to security with my plastic bag of liquids (mostly lip glosses) in tow. Ah!

This has been the longest move of my life. I promised myself not to rush this one and to give myself plenty of time…but my new motto for moving, "Don't drag it out!" Damn, will I ever get this moving equation exact? One can think (and even dream) only too much about how I packed that box, and where I will stash this towel, and how I will carry this from the Oslo post office to my new home, and how much this box will cost me, and how I will walk and drag BIG MAMA up the steepest cobblestone street in Porto. Ahhhhhh! For me, moving is just something that never gets easy, no matter how much planning and deliberation I put into the process. But, I’m here…on Brussels Airline flight to Oslo. Woohoo!

Yes, leaving Portugal is bittersweet as I will always hold a sweet spot for this country, but it’s time to leave, I can feel it in my heart and mind. It’s always nice when your heart and mind (finally) decides to agree with one another.

This is a photo of the Portuguese cobblestone street I had to hike up and drag BIG MAMA behind, along with little mama (my small roller of about 15 kg). All the Portuguese people were just staring at the foreigner with smirks on their face.

Swiss Alps, Here I Come!

In Search of Pow-Pow on the Mow-Mow!

Translated: Searching for some fresh powder (snow) on a big mountain to sink my skies into and fly like a bat out of hell.

This past week, I have been busy packing up 110 kg. (242 lb.) to move to Oslo, and reflecting on 2007 and prepping for 2008. I must admit I'm a bit jealous of my friends back home who are getting "snowed in" at the Colorado ski resorts (oh, poor you!) But, the snow isn't just falling on the Rocky Mountains, Europe is getting hammered too. Therefore, I have decided to go BIG...and escape to the Swiss Alps before the thesis slaps me upside my head. The great news is that in the last 24 hours, Zermatt has received 80 cm (30 inches) of freshies (snow)...ok, it was at the top of the mountain, but even the lower slopes got a nice 15 cm (5 inches).

Here's my itinerary...

January 7- My last day/night in LISBON, Portugal

January 8-To ZERMATT, Switzerland

January 9-Ski

January 10-Ski

January 11-Ski

January 12-To Aveiro, Portugal

January 13-My last day/night in PORTO, Portugal

January 14-To OSLO, Norway via Brussels

January 15-May 1- THESIS-writing!

Go BIG, or go HOME! Photo: Skiing Breckenridge with the girls last December.

I'm a NON-SMOKER Again!

Just in time for me to move to Oslo, Portugal has finally decided to "grab the butt" and clean the air with non-smoking regulations going into full effect January 1. Yesterday, I walked into my favorite little Euro cafe and there was NO thick cigarette cloud, as I sat down I didn't have to move the ashtray, I didn't have to hold my breathe or pretend that the smoke wasn't choking me, my risk of heart disease, cancer, or emphysema wasn't increased, and I didn't smell like an ashtray as I left. It was liberating. Woohoo, I'm a non-smoker again! But for the Portuguese people this is quite a "drag," as I think most Portuguese people light up; oops, even the head of the government agency responsible for enforcing the ban was caught smoking at a casino new years eve (after the ban had gone into effect...a smoker led "ashtray"). The Portuguese people like to smoke and they like to smoke everywhere; the bathroom, the staircase at Uni, the Uni cafes, the shopping mall, the hair salon, and even the yoga studio.

PHOTOS: These 2 photos are from the EU sponsored 2004 anti-smoking campaign. I think the 2nd one is a bit over the top. ICK!

Before Jan. 1, I had rationalized the smoke-infested Portuguese bars, cafes, and restaurants, as a cultural phenomenon; everyone smokes in Europe or that is what the stereotype leads you to believe. I even went so far as "ta backa" smoker that was being accosted by a fellow North American for smoking in a restaurant, as I felt the North American was over-stepping his cultural boundaries. As a passive, second-hand smoker, I created a smokescreen and just dealt with being a minority in the smokers paradise. I would come home and air out my coat, wash my hair, and cough up a lung or two and I would be ready for my next public appearance in the thick cloud of nicotine. But, now that it is a law I can simply say...damn, I'm happy to be breathing fresh air! I would much rather hold my breathe as I walk through the herd of pissed-off smokers huddling by the entryway than inhale someone else's death threat.

Here is a glance of some of the Euro countries that have gone non-smoking:
March 2004-Ireland was the first European country to ban smoking in public spaces.

July 2004-Norway was the second Euro country to join the movement. Woohoo, go Norway!

January 2005-Italy joined the non-smoking craze and since then there has been an 8% drop in cigarette consumption.
June 2007-Finland goes non-smoking (just in time for me to move to smoke-infested Portugal). But, establishments could file for a 2-year extension to implement non-smoking in their business, so in reality the smoking ban won't take effect until June 2009.

Also, in 2004, the EU started an anti-smoking campaign with shocking pictures (see photos posted here.) And in January 2007, the EU discussed a continent-wide smoking ban...is this the EU's territory or is it a nation state prerogative? Well, that is a whole other issue...

Happy New Year from Portugal!

Happy New Year from the quaint Portuguese town of Aveiro! Here are a few of my favorite photos that I shot on New Years Eve. It was a day filled with photography and reflections of my time in Europe.
After reflecting on 2007, I realized it was a TREMENDOUS year; I bagged 12 countries, and lived in 3 of them, met more amazing people and saw 4.5 of the big 5 while on safari in Krueger National Park . Awesome!

Top 10 memorable moments of 2007:
1.) Moving 100 kg. (220 lbs.) from Oslo to Finland, and then to Portugal. Ugh! Not sure this is something I will cherish, but it has been a BIG part of the adventure. I'm now an expert mover and charge by the hour.

2.) Eating reindeer (but I don't eat meat??), drinking vodka in an ice cup while lounging in an ice chair in the Ice hotel, and dog-sledding in Lapland, Sweden with Ash.

3.) Singing in the night train to Moscow and waking up to a stinky Russian and a red rose.

4.) Hiking with the wild goats, including Ali, in Crete, Greece.

5.) South Africa. WOW...so many memories; safari, abseiling down Table Mountain, biking the Cape of Good Hope, a weekend trip to Soweto, and all my new South African friends. Need I say more?

6.) Watching my parents, as they were serenaded to by a jolly old Irish lad in a packed Irish pub in the small coastal town of Dingle, Ireland. Happy 40th anniversary Mom & Dad!

7.) Re-discovering the feeling of a body, mind, and soul in balance while in Tampere; an amazing yoga studio, amazing sisterhood (a great Belgium roommate, a fellow American friend, and the Indian/Brazil team), Finnish saunas, and a favorite Indian restaurant.

8.) An all-nighter in Brussels; lost wallets, beer, ripped jeans, waffles, a nose-piercing, an Aussie, and a U.S. Navy Reservist.

9.) Taking a pilgrimage (and being kicked off the bus) to the religious sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela in Spain with Laura.

10.) Making the decision, after painful deliberation, to go back to Oslo to write my thesis. There is just something pulling me back there, perhaps it is the force to complete the full circle of this journey; OSLO, Finland, Portugal, OSLO.

May 2008 bring you joy, laughter, and exhilarating memories!

Day 8 & 9: Coimbra & Goodbye!

A day trip to Coimbra, the town with the oldest University (dating back to 1288) and quite a politically motivated student body (see pics of campus grafitti), proved to be nice way for the family to spend their last day together. While thoughts of packing and yummy airplane food danced in their heads; the sunny day in Portugal pierced their heart and minds one last time. A day trip made for kings with cobblestone streets, cathedrals, statues, and stunning views of Coimbra followed by Portuguese rush hour made for an eventful day.

The last supper was at dad's favorite place; a European hypermarket (similar to a Super Target). Yep, his favorite place! No joke. There is a food court with many typical Portuguese offerings, in addition to McDonalds and the Portuguese equivalent to Subway. But, the reason dad LOVES this place...the wine! You can buy a half bottle of wine for 1-2 euro and drink it in the food court. Now, I must agree, this is cool! After a big dinner, a wine toast, and a big shopping spree in the hypermarket, alarms were set for 3:30 a.m. and we all laid our heads down.

Dad drove the gang to the airport at 4:00 a.m., and the tired family said goodbye to Leasa. Tear.

Day 7: We like AVEIRO!

In the morning, Leasa took the parents on the, "Leasa Portuguese Tile Walking Tour," and the rest of the day was quite relaxed with shopping, Bobby eating every 3 hours, and the kids admiring the colorful Portuguese graffiti and the canal. All was chill until Bobby brought out the cards and the brother/sister rivalry moved into full effect.

Day 6: Merry Christmas!

Last year after a hectic Christmas in Colorado, the Weimer family agreed to spend a non-traditional 2007 Christmas in Portugal. And, it actually came to fruition...here we are in Portugal! There was no chimney for Santa Clause to squeeze into at the Pensão Residencial Sintra, a beautiful 150 year old house converted into a Pensão, therefore when we woke up there were no gifts of unneeded materialistic items. Actually, we had all agreed to a Christmas with NO gifts, which was a nice change, as we are a typical American family that normally spends a ridiculous amount of time and money preparing for Christmas, and the stress that accompanies Christmas did not exist this year. However, after a theatrical Christmas Eve, some did wake up with the GIFT of a hangover (JULIE!) It was a lazy morning with a typical Euro breakfast (breads, jams, butter, ham, and cheese) and the kids enjoyed a morning walk, complete with time at a playground...

In the afternoon, we loaded the car and headed back to Aveiro. We made a stop in Óbidos, the fairytale fortress and medieval town where we walked along the walls surrounding the town and tasted the Ginjinha, a famous cherry liquor, in a chocolate shot glass. Then, the rain came. The weather has been better than expected with lots of sun, so we really can't complain about one rainy day in the car. As we drove into Aveiro we realized that once again we might be faced with supermercados closed for the holiday. The kids took to the cobblestone streets of Aveiro and found a Chinese restaurant open for business. It was a cultural and non-traditional Christmas FOR SURE!!

Day 5: Sintra, a Magical Mountain Town for Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve day started with a beautiful and sunny walk (and work-out) on the boardwalk from Estoril to CasCais. Then, we jumped in the car for a drive into the romantic and picturesque mountain village of Sintra.

In the afternoon, Bobby & Leasa journeyed to the Palácio Nacional de Pena (Pena National Palace), perched high a top the mountains, overlooking Sintra and the countryside that meets the Atlantic ocean. This castle is the epitome of a castle you dream about in fairytales, with the distinct colors contrasting against the blue sky.

The evening was filled with a walk through the lit-up and shut-down Sintra, take-out food (as everything shut down early on Christmas Eve), lots of wine (4 bottles to be exact), and the theatrical reading of 3 typical Christmas stories; The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, and The Night Before Christmas.