Sweet warmth!

Today october 9th we lit the fire place (or is it a stove?). Now that i have done my research. We have a Jotun stove here in Oslo. It is from the first stove company to make stoves in Norway, starting back in the 1830's. It's super efficient, apparently. We heated the living room and kitchen for two hours with only 13 Kroner. Not bad. We can also make tea on top of it, dry our clothes by it and use it for getting rid of documents. I love it, multi functional! Apparently it is also easy in Oslo to get free wood from green grocers that get lots of extra crates and the like that they need to get rid of. What more do you want?!

Super Belated Birthday!!

Here was Jim, Evita, Eva and Elodies birthday. With a larger than life cream cake with a marzipan topping and fruit filling. Wow! It was awsome!! Of course the flaming candels pretty much took it...the cake that is!

Evita starts Ballet

Who can resist 4 year old ballerinas? They are sooooo cute! This is Evita's new dance class. They have a lovely teacher and lots of enthusiasm. We go once a week and it is definitely the best deal in town. Yeah!

Shopping in Tlaquepaque....

OK, so we have been back for a while now!! Sorry for the tardy blogging. I have started school here in Oslo and it kind of got me out of my game for a bit....so let me get back on track....
We had a great shopping trip in Tlaquepaque. (and we Shopped with a Mexican Queen too, other wise known as Diana Patino our general manager, doesn't she look great!!) We were also lucky enough to have with us my Mom who flew down from Tennessee and Mariana Sales the manager of Eden while we are here in Norway. Who could ask for a better group!?

Our motto for the trip was "out with the old, in with the new" we jettisoned some of our old maybe a little bit tired lines and were excited to find some new and exciting things. A beautiful line of leather bracelets, a new funky line of coin purses made out of hot pink and gold vinyl. (yes very cool) and some lovely new wrought iron, and painted tin (see last photo). Also some of our mainstays have added new and fun designs. Yay! I felt like the market was better than ever. More people better organized and generally well put together.

On the last day, My mom and i went back to Mexico city were we shopped at the local markets and Mariana and Diana went on to Tonala and found even more beautiful additions.

The orders started coming in last week, so if you are in Zihua come on in and see what we have that is fresh and Fruity Keiko!

Til Leie!

So, it seems like this is it! We're very excited!! After a couple of months of looking for shop spaces, we are going to rent the very first place we saw! Typical.

Renting (or "almost renting" as I have not yet actually signed the contract!) has been a funny experience. First of all, everybody, and I mean everybody, was on vacation for the entire months of June & July. I received neither return emails nor phone calls from any of the places that I was interested in: zero. Then, lo & behold, on the first Monday in August there was a flood of responses. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of vacations & vacationing, but jeeze we're talking a looong time for whole real estate offices to just disappear from the radar. Anyway . . .

Jim & I saw this place way back in June. It is on the number 19 tram line that we ride a lot. The tram goes from the corner of our street to the other side of town. Along the way it passes all manner of interesting places we like to visit. We noticed the shop because, as the tram enters Riddervolds platz, there is a gradual bend in the tracks that momentarily puts tram passengers on a collision course with our shop to be! One moment you're sitting, tooling along on the tram, and the next, up pops the shop! And that's when it's empty: just imagine when it is full of georgous gifts from Mexico! But for me the "Til Leie" sign was just as interesting. For Rent!

We went back a few days later and talked to the next door neighbours at a nice shop. They stock many lovely things for the urban dweller: all super expensive and cute. It is a popular store. (yea!) The shop employee was very positive and said that we could talk to the owners once they got back from vacation. Luckily it was the first place we saw because in between that day and the day that the owners got back, I managed to see every (other) available space in Oslo under 50 sq meters. Whew!


After 3 weeks of no word, Jim and I had grudgingly concluded that the owners of the shop space were just trying to get rid of us but didn't know tell us "please go away now!". So, as we thought of the shop on Riddervolds Plass as "gone", I found another place that was much cheaper (although not nearly as well situated). We were considering this new spot when . . . the e-mail came!

Our Shabby contacts been on vacation, but now they were back & all looked good. They said they would propose me to the owner of the building as the new tenant. That was the 29th of July and I have been waiting for the contract since then! Jim is wondering how to say "poco a poco" in Norwegian!!

But things seem to be progressing nicely now. We love the space. it is tiny but beautiful! One day I might even be able to post pictures of the inside!!

First Central Jam-e Mosque

Sure a mosque in Oslo seems somewhat incongruent, but there it is! There are about 5 mosques of note in the city this is the second largest one. It was finished in 1995. The color in the photo isn't that great, it is incredibly bright blue. The tile is from Iran and spain and it is really something. Apparently the inside can hold 1500 members. Supposedly they have the call from the mineret on Fridays. But we have not heard it so far. The mosque is about a 10 minute walk from our house, on a small unassuming side street.

Fretex

Fretex is the name for the Salvation Army in Norwegian and it is big here! Fretex is the place where Ikea becomes even more affordable and those old dishes from Grama's house (my grandma anyway) are a dime a dozen. OK not exactly a dime, actaully maybe about 10 bucks, but better than regular price!

Everyone in Norway shops at Fretex at one time or another. And you can see why, a fleece jacket at the local sporting goods store will set you back 150$, where one at Fretex will be maybe 20$.

Every neighborhood has it's local Fretex branch. This one is the mothership. It is outside of town a bit. We had to take a bus, but this is where all the stuff comes for distribution and sorting. It is huge, three stories, lots of furniture and big stuff. (in fact i think that i saw my Grandmothers entire living room set) We had fun, the kids got rubber boots and Evita even got rubber pants (apparently de rigur at the kidergarden!!)

Zihua Fruity Keiko is open again!!

Come one come all, the Fruity Keiko Store in Zihuatanejo is open! All of our wonderful staff from last year are still here! Diana, Rossy, and Sandra are there to give you a smile and make your day. We have lots of new stuff, many new lines of jewlery, new ceramic and glass, a whole new line form Cinta and more!

Coming to you from.....

http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=59.908878,10.768174&spn=0.000264,0.000823&z=19

Norway is a funny place!

Viegland Park

The Viegland Sculpture park is one of Oslo's biggest attractions. We had a perfect day to go there, in fact we were chasing the shade around. The park has 212 sculptures by Gustave Vigeland, made between the 19 teens and the 1930's. I have heard that he was a fachist etc... but i get a general good feeling from the statues. The human condition that binds us is the major theme.

Here is a blurb from Wiki about the Monotith. (last photo) It is awsome!!

At the highest point in the park lies the park's most popular attraction, The Monolith (Monolitten). Construction of the massive monument began in 1924 when Gustav Vigeland himself modeled it out of clay in his studio in Frogner.

The design process took him ten months, and it is speculated that Vigeland had the help of a few sketches drafted in 1919. The model was then cast in plaster. In the autumn of 1927 a block of granite weighing several hundred tons was delivered to the park from a stone quarry in Halden.

It was erected a year later and a wooden shed was built around it to keep out the elements. Vigeland’s plaster design was set up next to it to give reference to its sculptors. Transferring of the figures began in 1929 and took 3 stone carvers 14 years to accomplish.

On the Christmas of 1944 the public was allowed to admire The Monolith and 180,000 people crowded the wooden shed to get a close look at the creation. The shed was demolished shortly thereafter. The Monolith towers 14.12 meters (46.32 ft) high and is comprised of 121 human figures rising towards the sky. This is meant to represent man’s desire to become closer with the spiritual and divine. It portrays a feeling of togetherness as the human figures embrace one another as they are carried toward salvation.

Loved.

Nettles!!

Well i know alot more about stinging nettles now! First of all they hurt like the dickens! And funnily enough they are very common in urban areas. Hidden dangers of city life! Go figure. We were on our way up to the sports center to see about Tae Kwon Do classes for August and we took a little short cut through the grass. MISTAKE! In this photo Evita is recouperated but she was stung all over her leggs. August and me too. He was a trouper. We take the path now.

More airline deals!!

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/two-day-sale-on-mexi-4641/

Now is the time to book, if you’re seriously contemplating a Mexico beach vacation sometime this summer or fall. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have announced a two-day sale, which began this morning, on the eight destinations that they serve in Mexico: Cancun, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
Deal: Book a flight online to one of these spots, and you’ll get 25% off.
Tested: Starting via the sale page, I found round-trip flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) in late June, traveling both ways on Tuesdays, for $264, including taxes and fees. This represents a $53 discount on the base airfare.
I checked the same flights on CheapTickets.com and the total there amounted to $317 — or, $53 more than the sale fare I could snap up booking directly with the airline.
When: This is valid for travel through Oct. 31. You have until midnight Tuesday, June 16, to purchase.
Caveat: Among the fine print: “One discount is allowed per reservation for up to seven people traveling together in the same reservation.”
Baggage note: You have until July 6 to get one bag checked free of charge. After that date, $15 will be charged for your first checked bag, $25 for your second.
Contact: Alaska Airlines / Horizon Air
- Susan Derby, Special to The Times

Some airline deals!!??

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2009-07-07-airline-cheap-fares_N.htm

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN0734299620090707

Ekebergrestauranten

A couple of days ago we took a small forest path at the edge of our neighbour hood up the side of the mountain. After only about 15 minutes of upish walking we were at the top. There we found the Ekeberg Restaruant, a deco building that has been recently restored. It was lovely! In fact we were so inspired that we splurged for a beer, while enjoying the view of the city. (and the opera house).

Here is a link showing the restaurant, (yeah, i forgot to take photos of it, how lame!) We didn't get to see the inside as only the patio is open in the daytime.

http://www.dehistoriske.com/restaurant/ekebergrestauranten/

If you can't open new doors....

You can at least paint the ones you have! The building that we have recently moved into in Oslo is in the process of renovation. It is all finished except for the attic and the stair case up to the apartments. Which will be done in one year. (or so we have heard!) Anywho we didn't want to spend the next year looking at a partially sanded and defaced door, so Jim got busy!!
The result you see below! We have the prettiest door on our stairs! (not that it is a competition!) Now we just have to get that door bell working!

Hysterical in Oslo

Last week i went to a art show, here is a link to a review of it in Norwegian

http://www.kunstkritikk.no/article/73887


And here is the gallery that it was held at

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=39148807688

It was a very interesting show that entailed three actress/dancers doing thier interpretation of hysteria in women at the turn of the last century. Their influences were the works of

Jean-Martin Charcot (November 29, 1825-August 16, 1893) French Neurologist. Here is a small blurb from Indiana University.

21st century psychologists are primarily interested in Charcot's research into the causes of Hysteria. Although this disorder expressed itself differently in each patient, most suffered a combination of physical and psychological symptoms, which could include delirium, paralysis, rigidity and contraction of muscles, blindness, inability to speak, loss of feeling, vomiting, hemorrhaging, seizures, joint deformity and distended abdomens. Many contemporary physicians accused the hysterical patients of malingering and fraud, but Charcot was convinced that the patients believed that their symptoms were real, and that the physical symptoms were indicative of a genuine psychological problem (Fancher, 1985, p. 53).

For full info follpw http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/charcot.shtml

It was a wild show and i think that everyone was uncomfortable most of the time. The above photo is my cousin (in flowery dress) looking at the woman on the floor who had just collapsed (as part of the show) that is me behind her looking at one of the other actors. See more photos at the first link above.

luckily it only lasted an hour. In a good way....

Moving Day!

I am posting this after the fact, but i want to keep everything in order and SOOOO many things happen all the time. In this busy URBAN environment that we live in!

Here we are on moving day. No one that we know in Oslo has a car (or no one that we know well enough to bother) so that made moving pretty interesting. But a couple of very nice taxi guys later it was all done and we were schlepping it all upstairs.

We are on the Norwegian 3rd floor. The ground level is considered first floor and so on. So really it is only two twisty flights of steps up to our place.

Alladin was waiting for us. Thank goodness he was there to explain to us the in's and out's of the incomrehencible european washing machine. Millions of lights and options. No words. Now we have got it down however and our clothes come out practically dry from the spin cycle.

Almost no one in Norway has dryers. That IS a bit odd. But really once you get the hang of it, i like the idea that we arn't using energy for it and that my bathroom has 3 square feet more space. (it's a tiny bathroom!)

It didn't take us long to get everything unpacked. Toys everywhere and as you can see that all important first load of washing done. Yay!
We like our neighbourhood. We have a green grocer right in our building and another bigger grocery store across the corner. That is convenient! The tram that goes right through the center of town has a stop on our corner too. Yeah, i like.