Office Christmas Party!

On Friday we had our office Christmas Party, which was a lot of fun. Everybody was supposed to bring some food so that we would have a big and diverse buffet to eat from. The theme of the Christmas party – no good party without a proper theme – was “red”, which meant, that, like on St. Patrick’s day with green, everybody had to wear at least a small item, that was red.

This had cause trouble before for me, since I don’t wear red. It doesn’t really suit me and the only red t-shirts I have I use for sleeping or sports. Also the only reddish tie I have is in Germany already and just wearing red boxers… well I don’t know if this would have been accepted. So I was on the quest the days before for a red tie. There were actually a lot of ties available also in all kinds of reddish, but no “Christmas red”.

Eventually I found one red tie, which was kind of ok and kind of affordable. Everything I had found before had been really expensive and just not worth the money.

Anyways, we all were dressed up and started to eat at around 1 o’clock. The buffet was diverse and the table was nicely decorated including the presents that we had bought for each other. The game was that everybody had drawn a name from a hat and had to buy a present for this person. Then you were supposed to write a sentence or some adjectives about this person, so that everybody would have to guess for whom that present was. “Simple” you might think, this is exactly what I did as well!

However, it seemed to be more complicated than it sounds. Some people forgot to write a sentence at all, some wrote about themselves, so that the person, who got the present would have to guess from whom that present was and one person wrote about the person for whom the present was and thought, that additionally the present should represent the giving-person. It was a total mess and our colleague S. who had organized everything was totally disappointed!

Anyways, we all got our presents and were laughing tears at all the sentences, poems and even songs from and for the people in the office. We had great fun and actually this total mess about, who understood the instructions how, was the funniest part about it! As a gift I got from F., who is extremely funny and was the one who did the instructions least, a very nice sentence about myself and a picture of my boss! He is known for giving funny presents and so it was perfect, that I was the last one to receive my present, since this was really the peak of laughter!

The party went on and on and we had good talks and a lot of fun. Nobody got drunk, there was no drama between two drunk girls for no apparent reason and nobody fell asleep in the office and got their face painted with a mustache. I really don’t know how I came up with these examples, it’s not like something like this happened; we are all a happy big family, who likes to have loads of fun!

~M~

Probational Packing!

Today was my last proper day at work! Tomorrow is my last day, but we are going to have the Christmas party from 1 o'clock, so it isn't a real working day! Today was slow, T., my boss, wasn't there, since she got sick and so L. and I were managing with the new bookings and will all the other things. Additionally we had problems with the PC system and the printers and so we were not able to work properly. I was helping out my colleague M. from Haman FIT to do some invoices. I had done that before, since she simply didn't have the time, and so it was no problem and kinda easy work!

Anyways, after work I went around the city with L. and was looking for a red tie. The theme of tomorrow's Christmas party is "Red", but since red doesn't suit me, I don't have any clothes in that color. Unfortunately the only reddish tie I have is already in Germany and since I didn't wanted to buy the Santa Claus costume, because I wouldnt want to throw it away afterwards just because I am leaving on Tuesday, I decided to buy a red tie. We were also going to the shop to get some cheese, my contribution to tomorrow's Christmas buffet.

 After some time we split up and I went home. I wanted to start packing already. First I wanted to make a preliminary packing session for the time when I am going home to Germany. I have to plan, what I take, what I leave and just see if and how everything fits. After that packing I wanted to unpack everything, put it back into the shelve and cupboard and then pack for my tour up to the North Cape this weekend.

I know, that it is just Thursday and my flight goes on Saturday, but:

1. I am flying really early on Saturday morning
2. I wont have time tomorrow during the day, and
3. I wont be able - mentally and especially physically - to pack tomorrow evening!

You see, the last chance I have to pack is tonight! Therefore I have already so many things on lying on my bed, ready for being packed!

Anyways, the packing was quite funny, I put basically all my stuff I have here - which is way too much - onto my bed and got down my backpack. I got all bags and more or less all other things I will want to pack into my backpack out of the shelve, the cupboard and the closet. 

 

I was putting everything into my rucksack; first the shoes, some dirty clothes and towels, just to have a base, so that the pack stands. Then I started to put all the things, layer after layer, in and was pushing and pressing on top, just to get out as much air as possible, to get as much as possible inside.

After some time - the bed was nearly empty - the pack was full, I put the last things in and was standing and thinking, where to put the few remaining things and how to bring them home, when I realized, that I didnt put anything into the small day-pack, which you can have hanging on top of the backpack. This will give me an extra 18l of packing space.

However, when I was looking at the rucksack, full to the top, I was worried, that it maybe would exceed 20kg and that I would have pay for the overweight. So I got out my weight measure and lifted the backpack. I was amazed, it had barely 16kg! This really is off, because I have the feeling, that I bought and that my brother brought more, than he actually took home. Especially my winter clothes are heavy and I am going to take (presumably) my linen home, that I bought here!

Anyways, I am happy, I know I will manage to take basically everything home. In the worst case I will be going to the plane with 4 smaller bags as carry-on luggage, but I dont think so! I am flying SAS to Germany and they normally have a higher tolerance than the low cost carriers. Even 1-2kg more are no problem with them - at least in the past!

Now I am going to eat! I have spring rolls in the oven and they are ready by now! After the dinner I will upload the pictures to the post and will publish it, then I will finish the packing and relax! I am so excited for the next days to come! I guess I wont be posting here until Monday, since I am offline on the Hurtigruten ship to the North Cape!

~M~

Ice Skating!

Today after work I went together with L. & J. to the ice ring between Stortinget and Nationaltheatret. Normally there is a fountain, which is quite famous with the locals. In summer, once the sun comes out, all the benches are filled with people eating ice cream and waffles. Families are strolling around the small park and the children are playing at the water.

The fountain in the summer!

In winter however, Norwegians stop eating ice cream, but not waffles. They make the fountain into an ice ring, which then becomes a meeting place for the local teenagers, tourists and people like us, who just want to go ice skating after work. 

It is really nice! It is illuminated, the skates are rented out in a heated tent and not everybody is a professional on the ice, which makes it less embarrassing when you struggle keeping your balance on the thin blades. In case you fall somebody else will for sure join you on the ice soon.

Anyways, as I said, L.,J. and I went there after work. J. picked us up from the office and we made our way to the ice ring, got our skates and went for a try. In the beginning it was a bit weird and unfamiliar to stand on skates again, but soon we all got used to it and were going around the ice.

It was fun, but somehow the ring was too small for so many people and especially with all the teenagers just using it as a hang out! There again you see how crazy these people are. Every normal teenager would meet with temperatures below -15°C at home or at a mall or at least somewhere inside. Not here! Here you use the ice ring in the middle of the city to hang out, with nothing more but sweatpants and a thin jacket!

So, we were going round and round, but after a while the skates started hurting. Of course, they are not fitting good, they are either too loose or too tight and they are pinching on your toes, on your ankles or elsewhere. After about an hour we were bored of going around and annoyed at all the people just standing on the ice instead of skating, so we called it an evening!

After giving back the skates and overcoming the weird feeling walking normal again, we split up, each one in his or her direction. I had to go home, since I had a meeting at 7 o'clock at my flat. As you know I am leaving soon and I am getting rid of stuff. I had put my mattress onto an ad-website and Vitali had called me to buy it!

It was for sale!

When I was at home he called and asked if he could come at 9 o'clock instead, since he had something to do still. For me nor problem, since I was anyways about to stay at home! So I made dinner instead and was talking a bit to A.!

Then at 9 o'clock Vitali came and took the mattress. He gave me NOK 800,- for the mattress, which is quite good money considering the fact, that I bought it for NOK 700,- and still had a blanket and pillows with it. After he left I went up to the attic to take down the old and not so comfortable mattress, which was in the room before. Now I am going to sleep on it for a couple more nights and then I go home! I can't wait!

~M~

No Ice Skating!

Today after work I was supposed to go ice skating with L. & J., but because L. was working so long J. was already at home and in her pyjamas or something and wasn't in the mood to come out again. So we postponed the ice skating to tomorrow!

Instead I went to get the Christmas gift for a person from our office. On Friday we will have a Christmas party and we all drew names from a hat and had to get something small! So I went around the shop and bought something nice I think!

I thought I could show something funny, but somehow it is not working with embedding it, so here is the link! 

~M~ 

Last working week!

My last working week started today! It is a weird feeling, but in a way it is good! I am a bit fed up with the work right now, since I am already for weeks not involved in the daily operation anymore. This means, that there is no routine anymore, which is a bit odd. I mean, of course, I want my job to bring up new situations everyday, to be diverse and to challenge me, but in a way I would love to have kind of a routine in the morning, doing the day-to-day business to start off and then get to the more tricky stuff!

Anyways, its like that right now, but it is over soon. Today was anyways a typical Monday. Everybody was tired, slightly annoyed at everything and the day just didn't go by. Most of the phone calls you make are to bringing the results you were hoping for and nothing runs really smoothly. It was just one of those days!

 Now I am at home already for a while, I am slowly getting rid of more stuff, I already have no more coffee and also most of the other things get empty. It's really weird to pull up stakes like that and its funny how hard it actually is in the end!

~M~

Sunday Cake!

Today after I wrote my first post, I had lunch, talked to A. a bit and then fixed myself to go out. As I wrote, I was about to meet up with L. & J. for a coffee. We met at Tullin's Cafe at 4 o'clock and the first time since we know each other L. was the first one to arrive. Normally she is late, which J. and I know and therefore we didn't plan to be there punctually.

When we arrived - we came arrived about 10 seconds after each other - L. was already waiting for us. So we didn't lose time and went straight in, which was good, because about 5 minutes after us many, many people came and had to wait, since there were no spare tables left. Anyways, we ordered coffee and cake and had a really good time eating and talking! The cake was so filling and I reckon I wont need dinner tonight!

Now I am going to relax a bit more and will just enjoy the Sunday evening, my last Sunday evening in Oslo! I will finish the wine and do whatever I feel like!

~M~

Nobel Peace Prize Concert!

Yesterday evening I went together with L. & J. to the Nobel Peace Prize Concert! Last Friday the Peace Prize was given to Liu Xiaobo. Unfortunately he wasn't able to receive the medal personally, since he is in prison in China at the moment!

As a tradition for the last 17 years there was always a concert on the day after, to honor the prize winner. This time, however, the honoree couldn't be there and therefore it was kind of a special celebration. It was all the time addressed, that this celebration was for, but unfortunately in absence of, Liu Xiaobo!

I went to the concert together with L. & J. We had bought the tickets just the day before over an ad website. Somebody had bought the tickets, but didn't wanted to go there and so we got them rather cheap. 

 

The show was hosted by Denzel Washington and Anne Heathaway, two quite famous Hollywood actors. The line up included international stars like Barry Manilow, Herbie Hancock and Jamiroquai, but also local artists like Sivert Høyem, a Norwegian musician, and Robyn, who is quite big in Sweden right now!

Jamiroquai on stage!

Unfortunately my camera was considered too professional by the security and so I had to leave it at the cloakroom. Luckily L. had her compact camera with her and so we have at least some photos. We were sitting quite high up, which meant, that we were too far away from the stage to get proper pictures with her camera, but still, they are a nice memory!

It was a good evening with a nice show, different kinds of music and artists. It was the first time, that I was at a TV-live-production and it was interesting to see, how such a show is produced. It was also and foremost interesting to see and to experience a show in the honor of somebody, who isn't actually there. It was a good feeling, knowing, that this was not only a concert, but also a demonstration for freedom of speech and a protest against the internment of Liu Xiaobo!

The Royals!

I really liked the music and had a good time with L. & J. After the concert we went to L's place and still had some wine and were sitting together until 2 o'clock.

This morning I got up at 12, just had a coffee and was talking to my brother for an hour. It was good to talk to him again and I am really looking forward to seeing him in a couple of days again! I am right now warming up the rest of the lasagne from Friday and at 4 o'clock I will meet L. & J. again for a coffee!

This last weekend is Oslo is really nice and I enjoyed it. It makes me sad, that it is over already, but I know, that my last week at work will be good and I am happy to go home and to see A. finally again! I really miss her and it will be so nice to celebrate Christmas with her and my family! I haven't been home for Christmas for the last 2 years now!

~M~