What's in your bag?

Join in the "What's in your bag?" tour over at Dos Family!

My norwegian classes have stepped up a notch and whilst I feel like I'm really taking it all in now it has got me feeling so wiped out. By the end of each lesson I feel as though my brain is about to explode! Henrik and I are speaking a lot of norwegian at home which is really helping. Maybe I will be able to learn this language after all!
I planted some bulbs this evening but can I put them outside yet? It's -6c during the day and -18c during the night. They will die, right?

Måltider

I was chatting to a British guy yesterday at my school and he mentioned he is really struggling
with norwegian food. He complained about the lack of British food here. What does he expect? As far as I can see Norway only really wants to sell norwegian made products (in the mainstream supermarkets anyway) You can find many foreign foods but you need small independent shops (always run by immigrants) where they sell fresh fruit and veg that actually tastes of something (Im not really feeling the poly-tunnel grown norwegian tomatoes and cucumbers!) I told him he needed to learn to cook and then he can make British food to his hearts content (but then lost the will to live when he told me he had been living on Pot Noodles stashed away in his suitcase!)
A lost cause, I think!

Sunny Sunday

The weather was perfect yesterday so we went to Bygdøy for a walk and soaked up some sunshine (it's not rare to see norwegians sunbathing on days like this, or "face bathing" as I prefer to call it as all you can see is peoples faces!)
These past few days have been the coldest I have ever experienced in my life! Brrrrrrr

When I was a teenager I'd do my homework on a Sunday night and now that I'm 37 I still wait til Sunday night. Funny that.
Somebody told me last week, "Norwegian is Danish spoken in Swedish" No wonder I'm finding this whole language malarky a bit tricky!

yesterday

As I type this is it -22c outside. In all my 37 years I have never felt cold like it and I love it! It fascinates me. It spikes your legs and feels like pins pushing into your face but the weather is just amazing,bright blue skies with no clouds. These are the days when you remember why you moved to Norway!
Last night we had our friends over for dinner and they bought their beautiful husky puppy,Maverick with them and I fell in love with the naughty little six month old (I didn't even mind when he stole my gin & tonic!)

Fin helg

This week has felt like a long one, what with the car breaking down and a big snow storm last night(which means lots of ploughing) I feel exhausted and very happy that it is finally the weekend!
(I gave up bread ten days ago but I caved in and bought a loaf yesterday. I can't help it. Norwegian bread is soooooo good)

It's snowy outside but cozy inside. So much snow fell last night.
Driving to school was stressful today as I was out before the ploughs.
I'm ready for Spring!

Hmmmm, we just paid half of what we paid for our car to have it fixed! Not good, but what are you gonna do? We are now stocked up on Swedish goods (and I treated myself to a new Höganäs teapot for only 100kr, they are usually 699kr) and Im worn out from driving but we have our car back in the driveway and Season 8 of Seinfeld arrived today so it's all good!

We had another big snow fall last night which has covered up all the ugly grey snow, making everything beautiful again.

Mandag

Just found out my car will be ready to pick up in Sweden on Wednesday which I'm relieved about. Is it silly to be so attached to my car? I could not sleep last night worrying about it/the cost to fix it! So on Wednesday we will head off to Sweden to return the freaky hybrid rental and pick up our old pal!

Oh lord. What a day!
We took a trip to Sweden, my little car died (but not before I'd had chance to buy a few things in the iittala outlet store!) but we were saved by my AA European cover. Phew! They towed our car, paid for our taxi to the nearest town and a hire car to get us back to Norway. The best £150 I have ever spent.
My car is now somewhere in Sweden and I'm crossing my fingers it's gonna be ok. That little car is my freedom!

Three- layer (pan)cake

Sometimes you have unexpected guests and need to whip up a quick treat. This morning's pancakes were quickly turned into a three layer cake with the help of some whipped cream, jam and strawberries!

This morning

Crumpets and lots more snow! A good start to friday!

confused.com

I have noticed more than ever that the subtitles on TV (esp on NRK) are Nynorsk and it's very confusing cause I feel like I really learn from the TV (comparing the subtitles to the talking and chatting to myself,pronouncing words, trying them out!) but I'm learning Bokmål so all this Nynorsk is not good for me! What do you Norwegians out there speak? Nynorsk or Bokmål?
(Above pic was taken at the end of our street and the view is of Holmenkollen where the Oslo Ski championships will take place in a few weeks)

Onsdag

I have really missed being at norwegian classes this week but have been spending a few hours each day working on my new found language skills but it's not quite the same with no classmates to laugh at all my mistakes!
We got lots more snow today, I discovered amazing SKYR Icelandic yoghurts and met Henrik after work for Burgers at Cafe laundromat to celebrate 30 months of wedded bliss (er,well, it's not always bliss!)

Today

No school for me this week til Friday (it's exam week for the more advanced students) so I've been pottering around (mainly shopping, it's what I do best!) My bestest friend just told me she is coming to visit in 17 days so Im in a good mood (even though the damn UDI told me today that my Family reunification will not take 6 months as promised but in fact 11 months which means shelling out another 9000kr for more norwegian lessons at the end of March)
On the bottom pic that's a frozen waterfall, you can still hear the water running under all the snow and ice. When is it gonna warm up around here?