Mark is a kindergarten teacher and he tells the story of one of his first weeks here when he was still learning Norwegian. One of the young children was pulling the hair of another. He thought he was saying, "Don't pull her hair." But the Norwegian word only needs a slight variation of pronunciation to come out as a four-letter word starting with 'f'! The other teacher came running and suggested he not say that word to the young folk!
It was with great pleasure that I packed the hiking shoes, long johns (best $7 buy from Big W) and parka - hopefully none of them to be needed for years to come.
A last look around to make sure I haven't forgotten anything...
The boys travel a lot and Mark obviously likes collecting the little shampoo and moisturiser bottles...
And off... They're on the top floor!
Past the Mills factory that makes mayonnaise, just down the street from their apartment. They also make caviar in a tube - which sounds horrendous!
Onto the tram, then train...
..then a bit of a wait for the plane. This shop at the airport sold fish and fish products - dried trout, etc... And then we're off.
Some notes on Norway -
On the weekends there are a lot of men with prams and toddlers. Apparently the women are the bosses and send them out so they can have some down time.
They are a bit rude and pushy but I think that's just the way they are. I dropped a coin at a cash register this morning and as I bent to pick it up a man literally stepped over me to get to the counter.
And people don't acknowledge if you hold a door open for them or step aside to let them through.
Two things I forgot from the Sami day - they use to stuff their shoes with grass, which keeps their feet dry and thus warm.
And they slice reindeer tongue thinly and pop it in their coffee - the cream provides fat for the coffee and then they eat the coffee-soaked tongue!
The flight is pretty uneventful. Long and there's a time change so we arrive at 11:30-ish.
Nice shiny airport...
Through customs, collect bag, change money, too late for the bus so I hop in a taxi. Lovely Filipino lady driver who's been here for seven years driving taxis to send enough money home to her put her kids through college while her husband is sick.
Arrive at the Arabian Courtyard - a themed hotel that I always thought would either be great or really tacky. It turned out to be great...
Got a nice glass of juice while checking in and a welcome letter with vouchers for stuff in the hotel - probably won't use them but it's a nice touch. And an upgrade! And a massive bed after all the little single beds I've been in for the last four weeks! It will do very nicely for the next couple of days.
And that's the day - one of those necessary evil travelling days. But I have gained back a couple of hours and will explore the joys of Dubai tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment