Two Weeks in Norway

God Dag! Two weeks and I figured I should possibly have some sort of diary of my family adventure. It does seem like wonderland at times, then it just seems different, then I am tired of caring.

Yes its a beautiful place here, after a little bit of sightseeing I have one conclusion the phrase "now this is Gods country" (Jeff uses it about Oklahoma) is absolutely wrong. God was really busy, he even had the for thought of making destructive objects like glaciers. The rain is making the harbor dissappear in the distance. The mountains are hidden by fog (max told me that earlier).

Everyday life is going on but we have been holding our breath till we find our new home here. We have been staying at the company apartment in downtown Stavanger (Sentrum in Norsk). Its nice with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (a luxury I wont have in the next probably). Heated floors in bathrooms are amazing. Nice kitchen with a half full pantry too. Tv/internet are also nice for everyday life. Max watches Disney in Norwegian. The majority of channels are in english with subtitles. On sundays there is a MASH marathon. I can access my Itunes account through a little device (LOVE it) called Apple TV. So movies/tv shows can be purchased or rented thru itunes.

People here are very kind about the language problem. I just need a CHIP in my visa, most places take my card without it, but it would be much faster. I have been to the post office, you need to take a number to get service. Jeff says the same thing is at most public places, police station etc. We have to get our Norwegian ID number at the Police station. He says its cause they don't know how to wait in line. :) I have been to the grocery stores, in Sentrum Stavanger they are inside malls, with flower shops (they are everywhere!), convenience shops, vitamin/drug stores, bookstores, clothing, coffee shops, and household shops. The hours are posted like this Meny 10-20 (18) meaning 10am to 8pm weekdays, 6pm on saturdays. Meny is a store Jeff found where he bought a dinner with reiendeer balls, and ate it with out knowing its meat origin. Now I am here and I use Google translate, and also don't buy mystery items.

So shopping on monday Max decided he needed to go number 1 and I asked an employee for a Toalett, and he said theres one outside the store, darn. Well so after speaking with an employee at another store they pointed to said restroom. It looks like a fire exit, big metal door that looks like a fire door. The second employee told me I have to pay. SO I did have coins on me. I tried, I gave it 11 kr, for its charge of 5 kr, we still couldn't open the door. Max let me finish shopping then we went home and he made it with out incident.

Jeff gets home earlier than he used to, 6pm most days. Norwegian employees have a strict 37.5 hour work week. He is still an American employee. He is excited about moving out of the apartment so his drive will be better. There is parkering (parking garage) under our building. To get to it you go down a winding spiral drive down. There is a car wash mid way down the spiral drive. A gas station at the entrance to the parkering, along with a convenience shop to pay for gas. 13.50 kr per liter, 2.6 liter in gallon, so 35.10 kr per gallon, 1dollar to 5.58 kr so 6.29 us dollars per gallon here :) nice. I won't tell you my rent it makes my eyes explode.

Well That is all for now. I hope I have fun here. So if I seem to start sliding and being ungrateful some one please shake me out of it...

Bliss