Stavanger Girl

My first road race!

2006-05-01T14:22:00.000+02:00

Well, I did it. My first road race ever. I have done rides before in the US, but never a race. I will have to admit that this was more of a ride for me, then a race, but none the less. When I was out there I kept thinking about things to write in my ride report, and of course now I can't remember much of it.

There were about 300 starting, and it was a mass start. In the beginning people kept passing me, and I thought I'd wait until someone about my speed passed, and I would try to hang on them. Eric had told me to try to stay with a group. This tactic didn't work so well. So after about 4 miles I was pretty much riding by myself. Occasionally a few riders would pass me, but they were going to fast for me to stay with them.

Then I caught up with three girls that I rode with for quite a while. They didn't seem too interested in riding together, and eventually I passed them. This guy came by, and told me to start drafting him, which I did for a while, until my heartrate had been at 170 for while, then I had to let him go. Then I started riding with another girl that caught up to me, we rode together for a long time, and talked a little bit. She was pretty new to the bike scene also. Up by the old Sola church she lost me, and I rode the rest of the ride by myself.

It was a great ride, I had a blast! It started out with rain, then it turned to sunshine, but with 20 mile per hour winds. The last 14 miles of the ride was all against the wind. At that point though, all I wanted was to finish before 3 hours. When I was riding over by Hafrsfjord, I did for a moment think about just riding home, which would have been a lot closer. But then I thought, there is no way I am not going to finish this. The last eight miles were probably the hardest, but by then I was so close to the end.

I feel really good doing this race/ride. I have only been out for three bike rides so far this year, and I didn't spend nearly enough time at the gym this winter. So I am happy that I was able to do it, I did it in 2 hours and 45 minutes. My average heart rate was 156, which I think is great for such a long period of time.

Eric also rode in the race. He finished with a big group, and in 2 hours, which is great! It was nice to see him by the road, waving at me, when I finished.

I don't think this will be my last race, I had a lot of fun! It will be interesting to see how the other races are, and maybe think about joining a club at some point. But first, I should probably start spending a little bit more time on my bike!

Job news

2006-03-13T11:01:00.000+01:00

Well, I have a new job. I'm starting tomorrow. This might not be my dream job, but it's a step in the right direction for where we want to be. I am working through a temp agency. I have a contract that goes for a year. I'll be working for a medium sized local company doing general office work. The things I like most about it before even starting are the hours and the location. It's not far from home, and I'll be working the same hours as Eric. We'll see how I like it, and what it could turn into.

"My three worst qualities"

2006-02-15T16:06:00.000+01:00

In today's world most people don't seem to like getting older. Especially look older. This particularly applies to women. Many people will not give you their actual age when asked, or at least have to make a silly joke about it. Many women, and men, have plastic surgeries, get Botox treatments etc to look younger. So looking young is something that is of great value, supposedly.

Well, I'm here to tell you that's not always true. I am blessed (or cursed?) with a very young looking face. I will be turning 30 year this year, which seems odd to me, but nonetheless it's the case. A lot of people that I meet for the first time seems to think I'm about 20, maybe my early 20s if you push it. When I was almost 20, I went to the Minnesota State Fair. There was a guy there who would guess your age or weight for a dollar. He guessed that I was 15. When you are almost 20, you certainly don't want people to think you are younger, definitely not that much younger. So that hurt quite a bit. But as time went by, I got used to hearing that I look so young. After a while I even started liking it. Although I am guessing that is probably a sign that I am actually getting older, when I think it's a good thing to look young.

Back in the US, I was almost always carded at restaurants if I had a drink. And Eric would get carded too, since he was in the company of someone "so young". He looks young too, but he is several years older than me. This was really not a problem, more of a compliment to both of us. However, I remember that I used to worry about my age, and my looks at work. After college I was hired at an entry level position, but I got a promotion to be a supervisor after one year. At that time I was very concerned that my "young looks" would create problems, and that people wouldn't respect the job I did because of that. I was 24 years old at the time, and looked about 20 probably. My worries never came through. At least not that I know of. I soon developed good working relationships with various team members, co-workers, family members, doctors, social workers etc. I never felt that my age and looks were a problem.

So, when we moved to Norway, I didn't think that my "young looks" would cause any problems here either. Before I moved to the US, I almost never got carded at bars. I don't know why, but I think that many Norwegians look very young. Now however, I have had several interviews for supervisor jobs, and every time I get questions about my age and how I feel about supervising people older than me. I think I have had good answers for this, and have brought up the fact that I have five years of experience doing this, and it has never led to problems. At one interview they brought this up on three different occasions, within half an hour. I should add that I consider myself to be a mature adult, in some ways I have always been more mature than other people my age, which I think comes from the fact that I moved away from home when I was 15. I went to high school in a different town, and had my own apartment during my high school years. Then I went away for college, and moved to the US pretty much on my own.

I don't know for a fact that I did not get these jobs because of my age and looks. But I have a strong suspicion that it's a big factor. The last interview was last night, so I don't know yet that I didn't get that job, but I think I already know the answer. We'll see. I feel a little frustrated about this issue. I really can't make myself look any older than I look. Or maybe I should see if its possible to get Botox treatments to actually get wrinkles?? Any other ideas, comments are welcome.

Last night at my interview they asked me what my three worst qualities are. I think that's a stupid question, but that is besides the point. I think that from now I am going to answer "my looks, my age and my looks"!

To add insult to injury, today on the bus the bus driver apparently thought I was between 16 and 21. I wanted to buy a bus card, and he told me it would be NOK 250. I told him that I wanted a "klippekort" which normally costs NOK 270. I asked him what the 250 was for, and he said it was the youthpass. When I sat down I checked my bus schedule and found that this is a special pass for all youths between 16 and 21. On second thought the youth pass would have been a much better deal. I probably should take advantage of the things I can.

New Gym

2006-02-07T19:08:00.000+01:00

We finally joined a new gym. It's a brand new sports center at the University here. I've gone to several spinning classes, power yoga and pilates so far. I am very impressed with the instructors so far. They have done a great job mixing hard work and fun! The gym itself is very nice, and there is a climbing wall there too. I am considering taking a class, and learn how to climb. The only downside that I can see, is the locker rooms. They are a bit small, and right before and after a popular class they get pretty crowded. I think they only get cleaned once a day, so by the evening the floor has a lot of sand and stuff on it. But then again, I am used to the locker rooms at Lifetime Fitness, that are constantly cleaned and huge. I am sure that the locker rooms at my new gym are nice by Norwegian standard. The best thing about the sports center is that they have a huge selection of classes to offer at all times, so that there is always something that fits my schedule.

Monday Ride

2006-01-30T13:30:00.000+01:00

I finally went out for a bike ride. I spent the whole weekend on the couch, I was just too tired to feel like doing anything physical. But today I felt normal again, and went for 75 minute ride. It was 4C outside, and cloudy. Not bad for a January ride. I rode to Sandnes and out towards Dale, before I turned around, and went home. I would have gone further, but I had to go to work, so I guess that takes priority. It was a great ride, it felt so good to be exercising, and breathing some fresh air. I really should to it more often!

Random Acts of Kindness

2006-01-28T20:58:00.000+01:00

I recently started taking the bus to work. When Eric also started working it made a lot more sense to take the bus, I simply don't have my own private chauffeur anymore. Parking at the hospital is close to impossible. I really don't mind taking the bus to work, it's about a two minute walk to the bus stop from home, and 4 minutes to the hospital from where I get off. It actually feels good to be outside for a few minutes, rather then driving from door to door. When the weather gets nicer I plan to start biking to work, provided I still work at the hospital at that time...

Anyways, on Friday I was working a day shift at the hospital, and was running at out the door to catch the bus a little before 7am. A car passed me as soon as I turned off our street. I started running down the hill ( I always run part of the way to the bus). A little further down the street the car stopped, and the passenger door opened. When I caught up to the car, the woman in the car said " hop in, I'll give you a ride to the bus stop". I quickly thought about it, and jumped in her car. When I got in in, she said she was going to the hospital, and I replied that I was going there also. So then she decided to give me a ride all the way to work!

I really couldn't believe that a complete stranger was nice enough to stop her car, and ask me if I wanted a ride. She probably thought I was late for my bus. Norwegians aren't always known for their friendliness toward strangers, which it probably why I thought this was so extraordinary. As it turns out, the woman was not Norwegian, but a Czek woman that had lived here for a number of years. It makes me wonder if a Norwegian would have done the same. If you think about it, it really was no big inconvenience to her, she had planned to drop me off at the bus stop, but I ended up going all the way to the hospital with her. Still, no inconvenience to her. And she had someone to keep her company, rather then driving the same road she drives every day alone. So to her it was probably no big deal, but to me, it was a great start to my day, and it meant a lot that someone would be willing to take the extra seconds to show some friendliness. I think there are so many ways we all could be doing just that, things that don't cost us a thing, to show friendliness, and that we care. Sometimes even just a smile, or a small compliment might be enough to brighten someone's day. It something I will strive to do, with my Czek neighbor as my inspiration.

So, all you Americans are probably wondering if I am totally crazy jumping into a strangers car like that. I called Eric when I got to work, and told him the story. I said that I probably was a little crazy for doing it, and I thought he would agree with me. But he said that this is Norway, and not the US. However, I wouldn't have done it if a guy was driving the car, and I know I would never have done it in the US.

Sunny Wednesday

2006-01-25T22:32:00.000+01:00

The sun was out today. It was a beautiful day here in Stavanger. For the first time I could really tell that the days are getting longer, dawn was starting when I drove Eric to work at 8am, and it stayed light past dinnertime at 4pm. Nice! It's amazing what difference some sunlight does for your attitude.

We joined a new health club yesterday. It's brand new, and really nice. They have a lot of spinning classes, some days 4 classes. There is also a climbing wall in this club, and I am seriously contemplating taking classes to learn to climb. I always thought that looked like a lot of fun. I am going to my first spinning class tomorrow, hopefully the instructors are fun.

Two more days left of my ten days working without a day off. I can't wait for the weekend!

Update

2006-01-20T19:39:00.000+01:00

It's amazing how fast time flies by. It's been almost two weeks since my last update here already.

Well, I survived the overnights last week, but it took several days afterwards to get back on track. I hope I don't have to work too many overnights. This week I was off Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday I started on my stretch of 10 days without any days off. But I am taking next weekend off, and I am already looking forward to that.

I sent in several job applications this week, for a variety of jobs. I hope something will happen soon. I am really looking forward to a more normal schedule, hopefully something more in sync with Eric' schedule.

My grandpa is home again after his bypass surgery. He is doing amazingly well considering what he has been through, specially at his age (he turned 80 last May when he visited us in Minneapolis). He has had the best attitude through this whole ordeal, and been in such a great and upbeat mood. When I think about it though, I never remember him being in a bad mood, and he is always thinking positively about everything. I really admire how he does it, I want to be like him!

Then this week another sad thing happened. My grandma fell in her kitchen. She was taken to the hospital, and diagnosed with a broken hip. She had surgery the next day. She is now at the nursinghome on the island. But I'm not sure that she'll have the same recovery as my grandpa. A broken hip takes a lot of time and effort to heal. She already was having some trouble walking, and she is not in the best physical shape. We are worried that she will not be able to live at home by herself again. But time will tell, and I have to remember to think positive.

On a completely different topic, we are getting ready to buy a car here. We have borrowed my brother's car since we moved here, which have been so nice. This weekend he needed to use it, which is only fair since after all it is his car. But I am starting to see how dependent we can be on a car here, although not in the same way we were in Minneapolis. I am working day shifts this weekend, starting at 7am. On Sunday the first bus leaves around 9am, so that's a little problem. I could bike, it's only about 30 minutes, but it's snowy and stormy out, and doesn't look like it's about to stop anytime soon. So either I can bike through this crazy weather, or I have to take a cab. Either way, it's no big deal, but it would have been nice to have a car for such days.

We sold both our cars in the US before we moved, since the import duties were insanely high. Now we understand why. The car prices here are so expensive. We can only dream about buying a new car. So now we have to sort our way through the used car market, and figure out what the best deal is. I don't really care too much about what we buy, as long as it's reliable and reasonable (oh, isnt that funny?). Should be interesting. At least we have decided that we only need one car here, since we both can easily take the bus to work (except Sunday mornings of course). I can't wait for spring so biking will be more of an option for transportation. I am sort of whimpy when it comes to winter biking, although I have biked to work a few days this month.

Well, that is the latest update from Stavanger. Hopefully I will be able to do this more often then every two weeks, but no promises!

Working the graveyard shift

2006-01-09T20:02:00.000+01:00

Tonight I am working my first awake overnight shift in years. To be honest, I have only worked a handful of them in my life. I am not really looking forward to it, but I have tried to prepare myself well. I slept in late today, until 10.15. I also took a nap after dinner, so I am as rested as I could be, I hope. I got some new books, and I already have a sudoku book to work on. I normally don't bring books to work, but it doesn't sound like it is a problem. I am working at the hospital, and I think normally it is pretty quiet, and all we do is check on people every so often. I hope I will make it.

I quit a job today! I can't believe after only a couple of months here, I am already quitting a job. It actually wasn't really a job though, I was just working a few hours doing marketing for a home health company. They barely had enough work for me for a few hours a week. So it just felt stressful, trying to do that in between all my hours at the hospital, and finding the time to apply for 'real' jobs. So it felt good to be done with that. Now I am going to focus on finding a job that I want, in addition to working at the hospital as much as I can.

Quick update on my grandpa. He is recovering well from his bypass surgery. He is doing everything ahead of schedule, like getting up to eat, and walking in the hallways and stairs. It sounds like he will be coming back to the hospital in Stavanger on Wednesday, for a few days, before he goes home. We are very happy and relieved that things have gone so well for him!

Breathing Room

2006-01-05T18:08:00.000+01:00

Finally I have the time and inspiration for another post here. Life has been pretty hectic since we got the container a week before Christmas.

We are still unpacking! However, things are getting better. We have filled up two of my grandma's bedrooms, and we still have another car load to bring over to her place. Today I completely tidied up the living room, and then started taking out more boxes from our spare bedroom, which also serves as a storage room. Soom, I hope to have everything unpacked and organized. I hate living in an apartment that looks so unorganized and chaotic, maybe there is a little OCD there?:)

We celebrated Christmas with my family. It was very nice. Then I worked pretty much the entire week between Christmas and New Years, some days even both jobs. We spent New Years with friends, three other couples and all their kids. Each couple had two kids, so it was a lively party. I wish I had half the energy those kids had!

We got the best Christmas gift we ever could have gotten the day before Christmas, when Eric received his job offer. I am so happy for him that he got a job so quickly, and such a great job. He started this week, and every day he discovers some great benefit. He really likes it so far.

I am still working at the psych hospital and doing my marketing job. I am starting to diversify my job hunt by applying for a variety of jobs, and not just health care like I did in the beginning. The union in the government jobs, take the candidates education quite seriously, and it seems they don't quite know what to make of my BA in psychology. So I am thinking that applying for private business type jobs might be a good thing right now, and also the pay in those jobs is most likely better. I have a few things going on right now, so we'll see what the outcome will be.

Over the New Years weekend my grandpa ended up in the hospital with a small heart attack. It was a scare, but he was fine. Afterwards when they did all sorts of tests on him, they found out that he needed to have bypass surgery. The next day he was flown to a private hospital north of Oslo (there are only a couple of hospitals in the entire country that do bypass surgeries). My uncle went with him. He had the surgery today, four days after his heart attack. The last I heard, was that he was out of surgery, and everything had gone well so far. Hopefully the recovery will happen just as well.

It is so nice that things went so smoothly with the entire process. There are lots of news reports (specially around election time) about how bad health care is, and how there is a waiting list for everything! I have not seen anything to indicate this with my grandpa. He has received the best care possible, and everything has happened very fast. The best of all, is that he does not have to worry about his health insurance covering this, and huge co-pays. The government takes care of everything.

Well, that is the latest update from my life here in Norway. So far I am loving it here, although it will be even better when I have a regular job. Soon.....

Unpacking

2005-12-21T17:23:00.000+01:00

Our container arrived last Friday. So far it looks like everything arrived in one piece. The movers did an awesome job, both here and in Minneapolis.

After everything was unloaded, our apartment was a huge mess. It was so full of furniture and boxes, that we just had walkways to the bed, the coach, and the bathroom. On Sunday my parents and uncle came to pick up our borrowed furniture, and they also grabbed as much of our stuff as they could. We are going to be storing furniture, and things we don't need at my grandma's house until we buy our own house.

Eric had worked on some stuff during the week, and today was our first real day of unpacking boxes. We got quite a bit of stuff done, but we also had to pack some of the kitchen items that we had borrowed. Trying to figure out where to put everything is a huge puzzle. So now it almost looks worse, because there are things sitting everywhere. We lasted for about an hour and a half, then we decided to drop a kitchen table and chairs we had borrowed from friends off at their house. We ended up staying there for 4 hours, just hanging out, eating pizza, and watching them decorate their Christmas tree. It was a very long break, but a really nice one. It was nice to be in a spacious living room, and get some of the Christmas spirit.

I think we'll just have to take it slow, doing a little bit at a time. It looks like an overwhelming task, squeezing the contents of a whole house into a relatively small apartment. Luckily we can store whatever we want at my Grandma's, and it's amazing how many things you don't really need. We'll just have to make the best out of it.

On a completely different note, I have a job interview tomorrow. My current temporary marketing job does not look too promising for full time regular work. I don't think there is any way that we'll generate enough business to employ two people in the administration. So I keep at the job search, and just appreciate that I am able to make money while I wait. So I am really geared for the interview tomorrow. I am crossing my fingers!

The container is finally here (tomorrow)

2005-12-15T21:25:00.000+01:00

After a lot of back and forth about the ship arriving into Stavanger, our container has finally arrived into Stavanger today. The movers are bringing it tomorrow. I am so excited. We still have our apartment full of borrowed furniture, we won't be able to get rid of that until Sunday. So it will be a very full apartment. However, since I am working most of the weekend, I guess Eric gets to deal with starting to organize and unpack:)

Hopefully I will get some time to unpack my bike, and start biking to work. Also, I want to start exploring the city with Eric. He probably knows it better then me already. It would be nice if our 50F weather would keep up. I definitely don't miss the snow.

More good work news

2005-12-15T21:10:00.000+01:00

I now have more jobs than I know what to do with. On Monday I was offered a weekend job at a local nursing home, just every third weekend. But there would apparently be many opportunities to work extra shifts also. So I said that I would take it. It starts at the end of January, so I figure I have some time before that starts.

In addition, I am working a lot of extra shifts at the hospital. It does not appear at all to be a problem getting enough hours there. I would rather work at the hosital than a nursing home, so I might have to rethink that decision.

Then there is the private company that is just starting out providing in home care for elderly people. They have only one person working in the office, and she is taking care of everything, from hiring staff, marketing, writing personell handbooks, setting up schedules and so forth. They are really trying to market themselves heavily in the next weeks/months. There has been a political decision very recently that will effect which provider people can choose for these services. To make a long story short, they want me to take over the marketing piece, and help out with getting the company off the ground. If things go well, and I do a good job, I will get a permanent job with them. So basically, I need to create enough business for them, so that they can employ me.

I think it sounds like a great opportunity for me at this point. I have a chance to work independently and to create my own job. I have nothing to lose on this. I hope that the business will take off. I really believe in the concept. I do think that private companies can provide better services than the public services. The people I will be working with are really nice and energetic.

I will still try to pick up some shifts at the hospital, and I will be putting in a lot of hours into the new business and hope that it will pay off. I will still be looking, and maybe applying for other jobs. I don't think it hurts to keep other options on hand, especially since it's not a very secure job at the moment. But I am so excited to get started!

When it rains, it pours

2005-12-11T21:43:00.000+01:00

The last four days have been the busiest days I've had in Norway in a long time. All of a sudden I am working everyday, with more to come. I now have two or three part time jobs. One is at the hospital, one is doing in home care, and the last one is at an office. So at least I am making money now, even though I would love a regluar full time job. But that will come.

One nice thing about this is coming home to dinner and a clean house every day. Normally I do most of our cooking, and Eric always does the dishes. Now he is both cooking and doing dishes, in addition to shopping and cleaning. I could really get used to this.

Next week should be busy too. I am working Monday and Tuesday. Our container should be here Thursday, so Wednesday we need to clear this place out, so that it is empty when our furniture gets here.

Christmas will be here in less than two weeks, and we have not completed any Christmas preparations yet. I think this year's holidays will mostly be postponed until next year, given our current situation. We are going to my parents house this year, so hopefully the holiday spirit will come over us then.

Good news

2005-12-07T15:47:00.000+01:00

Early this morning we got one of the calls that we have been waiting for. It was our moving company calling to inform us that our container will be arriving next week, and that they will be here on the 15th to unload it for us. I am very excited. I didn't think that I would miss my things so much, after all it's just things. But after a few weeks I really started to miss it. I can't wait for my bike, so I can go on rides with Eric.

I had a meeting today at the hospital with the charge nurse at one of the psych units. I was told by several people that they always need extra shifts filled there, and that it would be a good place to get my foot in the door(although I hate that expression). Luckily for me, my aunt knew someone who works there, who then put me in contact with the woman I met with today.

The meeting went well. It wasn't so much an interview, more just a conversation about what I have worked with in the past, and what they look for in people who work there. I felt that it was going pretty well, this was stuff I knew. Then she suddenly asked me when I wanted to start, could I start training in tomorrow? I have worked hard to become used to things taking 'forever' here, even small part time jobs. So I was a bit surprised, although very happy to be able to start making money so soon. So now I am set up to train Thursday, Friday and Monday. I could have worked this weekend also, but I am already working the other part time job then. I am also working in the office at the other job on Monday and Tuesday next week. And then our container will be here, and our apartment will turn into complete chaos. Looks like my lazy days are over. Oh well, I am not complaining at all!

Wedding Anniversary

2005-12-05T21:08:00.000+01:00

Today is our wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been four years already. On one hand, it seems like it was just yesterday, and I can't believe where time went. On the other hand, I cannot imagine anymore what life was like before I met Eric. It's definitely been the most happy and exciting four years of my life!

So many things have happened in the last four years. We've had two weddings, one in the US (the 'real' wedding), and a church wedding in Norway with lots of family and American guests. We've moved from downtown Minneapolis to our first house in southwest Minneapolis. And finally, the big move to Norway. In between there has been lots of fun trips, biking, time with family and friends and so forth.

We celebrated by going out to try a new Thai restaurant. It's become somewhat of a tradition to celebrate our anniversary at a Thai place, maybe because we went to the King and I in Minneapolis for our wedding dinner. It's a great restaurant. I don't remember the name of the place we went to today, but they had the best pad thai. They did not have any fresh spring rolls, which was a bit of a disappointment, but oh well. Maybe one year, we should actually go to Thailand for our anniversary?

I am very excited about the next four years of our marriage (and obviously beyond that too). Who knows what it will bring, but I know that it will only keep getting better and better!

Lazy Sunday

2005-12-04T21:57:00.000+01:00

I like Sundays in Norway. Almost nothing is open, so people are forced to slow down. For most people it's a great day to spend time with family and friends, and just relax. Or in the winter, watch winter sport on NRK. I really missed that when I lived in the US.

Today, we had a late breakfast, and just chilled out all morning. We went out about 2pm. We drove over to Ullandhaug tårnet, and parked in a little parking lot. Then we walked up to the tower, and took in the view. We unfortunately forgot our camera, but we will go back to take pictures. The view is amazing up there. We could see all of Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, Ryfylke, and even Kvitsøy. The weather was nice and clear, although a bit cold and windy.

Afterwards, we hiked around Sørmarka, a foresty area surrounding the TV-tower, for about an hour. It was really nice. When we ended our hike, we drove around the area a bit, then stopped by a grocery store to pick up a couple of things. You would have thought it was the only store open within miles. My brother later informed that it was one out of two stores open in the whole city. It was packed with people, and the little parking lot was totally crazy.

As we were driving home, we drove past the TV tower again. It was almost dusk, and the tower was all lit up by Christmas light. It's beautiful! You can actually see that tower miles away when the lights are lit.

My brother came over for dinner, and the three of us just hung out for the rest of the evening. It's been a nice weekend, ending with a lazy and happy Sunday.

The hunt for a good spinning instructor

2005-12-04T21:07:00.000+01:00

Saturday I went to a spin class at the gym we are trying out this week. It felt great to be in a spin studio again, I hadn't been to spin class since April. In the summer I prefer to bike outside, and with the move this fall it didn't work out until now.

I was curious to see what the class would be like. We had been to the gym the day before, and there were only two other people in the gym. But the turn out was very good, there were about 15 people there. The class started, and I was all excited to be biking again. I could tell almost immediately that it had been a while since last class, my heart rate went very high right away. Afterwards, I noticed that my average heart rate for the whole work out was 150, which for me indicates a great work out.

The instructor is instrumental in making spin class a great work out and fun. This particular instructor unfortunately left a little something to be desired. He did OK, but without a microphone, he was somewhat limited in what he could do. Back in the US, I went to many different classes, and I only found two instructors that I really liked. Those two were great. I had the best work outs and the most fun in those classes.

Here is what I liked about those two instructors. Most importantly, they were there to help you get the best exercise, not to get their own exercise in at the same time. Secondly they had the out-going personalities needed to be able to keep talking and encouraging the group. It also helped that with music that went with the training. And that they had the work outs planned out ahead of time. Lastly I also really liked that they didn't say 'two minutes more of this, you can do it.' Two minutes is a really long time when your heart rate is at 170. It's much better when the intervals flow with the music.

I really miss Rob and Giordi's classes at Lifetime Fitness. But I will try to find other good instructors here. There are several more gyms to try out. If I don't find it, I might just have to become an instructor myself? Stay tuned.

Gym and work

2005-12-01T22:04:00.000+01:00

I had another interview today. It appears that I have some kind of a temporary job. It's a business that is just starting out, they are going to provide in home care for elderly people. They also have some other businesses, I am not really sure what it is. They don't have a regular full time job to offer me at this point, but they want me to pick up extra shifts and also do some office work for them. I am even invited to the Christmas lunch already!

So it's the perfect solution for both parts. They need someone who can help out whenever, and I need some income and something to do while I wait to get a 'real' job. So next weekend will be my first extra shifts. We'll see what it can turn into.

We went to check out a gym today. We had originally wanted to wait to join a gym until we had the job situations figured out. But the weather here is not the greatest for outdoor activities all the time, and we have plenty of time to work out now. So the plan is to check out a few gyms, get a few free week passes, then we'll join one.
So tomorrow is our first day. Since I didn't bring any work out shorts, I borrowed a pair from my brother. He is about 6'2, so they are quite large. I might have to splurge a little, and buy some new ones. It just sucks to buy something that I already have, in the container, that is!

Speaking of the container, it is supposed to arrive here next week. Then it has to clear customs, and then we'll have our stuff back! I didn't think I'd miss it so much, but I do. The things I miss the most are our couch, my kitchen stuff, my bikes, and my work out clothes! Soon, soon....

Recycling heaven!

2005-11-30T17:56:00.000+01:00

Several months ago, back in the US, a co-worker and I wanted to set up a small recycling box in our main office. The thought was that all the group homes could bring in their batteries, and we would bring them in to the recycling center when it was filled up. Sounds simple enough?! Right.
This was until we discovered that no place in Ramsey County wanted our batteries. They were simply not set up for this. I believe Hennepin County recycles batteries in their libraries, but if would be a little difficult bringing in a whole box of batteries to the local library. So my co-worker called Ramsey County. She was told that the nearest recycling place for batteries was somewhere in Canada, and they suggested simply putting the batteries in the regular trash! This was the recycling place she was talking to! So that was the end to our small attempt to spare the environment of a few batteries!

This brings me to my current recycling situation. In Norway you can recycle everything it seems! Pop and beer bottles have a deposit on them, which you pay when you buy them, then the money is returned to you when you return the bottles. We have three garbage bins here, one for paper, one composting bin, and one for regular garbage. In addition to this, every little neighborhood had recycling stations where you can recycle other bottles, cans and plastic. There are also places to take your batteries (thank you) and other hazardous materials. And lastly, there are two major recycling stations, where you take your more unusual garbage, such as car batteries, tires, old stoves, washers, dryers and so forth. There is even a web page dedicated to teach you the proper way to discard all your trash.

What they do with all the recycled goods I have yet to discover. Hopefully they really are 'recycled' in some manner. Anything has got to be better than stuffing your one garbage can with everything and anything! This is recycling heaven!

Culture Shock #1: Grocery shopping.

2005-11-29T19:53:00.000+01:00

Many things have changed since I last lived here, or maybe it's me that's changed? Anyways, grocery shopping is a big part of our routine these days. The first week here, I was so frustrated. We had no idea which store to go to buy specific items, and in the stores I felt completely lost. It was impossible to find anything.

In the Twin Cities, there are about 3 major grocery stores. This are huge stores, but they have everything. In addition there is Target, which have everything and more that the grocerystores don't carry. Here there are probably 20 chains of grocerystores, and no Target. So how do you choose between the Kiwis, the Megas, the Icas, the Rimis, the list could go on and on forever. If you decide on a store, you go there, then it's the headache of actually finding what you want to buy. When I first moved to the US, I thought the size of the grocery stores were incredible. Now, I just think they are well organized. Here it looks like complete chaos!

But, it is improving. We have chosen a few stores that we frequent often (the cheap ones). I am amazed at the selection the stores have. The fruit and vegetable sections have all sorts of exotic items to offer, several things which I have never seen or heard of. You might have to go to a couple of stores to get everything, but they are everywhere, so it's not a big inconvenience, particularly if you don't have a job.

Another thing that is nice, is that almost anywhere you live here, there is a grocery store in walking distance. In Minneapolis, I could walk to the store, but it took me about 25 minutes each way. Here it's just down the hill, about 3 minutes. We also have a little mall area about a 15 minute walk away.

The first week, I thought I would never find anything. But it is a lot better, and it's only been a few weeks. It's very nice to be able to buy the Norwegian foods, that in Minneapolis I had to pay twice the Norwegian price for (you know that's not cheap!) or could not get at all. We might even be able to sample some new exotic foods here, who would have thought that?!

Interviews!

2005-11-23T15:19:00.000+01:00

Today I had my first two interviews! I made it through both of them without major issues. I actually felt that I did really well, and that there weren't anything else I should have said or done. I am not sitting here thinking 'why did I say that, or why didn't I say this', which is a nice feeling.

For the last position, they had 24 applicants, and they called 4 people in. So that is a great feeling. Even if I don't get these jobs, it gives me self-confidence for the next applications and interviews. But I am keeping my fingers crossed. I should know within a week about both jobs.

I am tempted to go out for dinner and drinks tonight! It is most likely too early to celebrate, but I am exhausted, and some alcohol would be good. We'll see. The funny thing is that one of the jobs is at a CD treatment center, they probably would not think 'needing' alcohol is very appropriate for one of the potential employees.

Well, I'd better get cranking on my application for my meeting tomorrow. This is at a new company that is just starting to provide services for people in their homes. I'm a little skeptical of this, but it won't hurt to talk to them. Any interview experience is good!

Learning new words in my native language!

2005-11-22T07:28:00.000+01:00

I have two job interviews this Wednesday! Two weeks ago I applied for the first jobs since we moved here. Last week, I received two letters in the mail, which I thought were rejection letters. I thought that was quick, rejected so fast! But, it actually turned out these were letters calling me in for interviews! They said a time and date, and I guess I had better be there, if I want a job. It makes me wonder what you do, if for some reason you couldn't make it at the time. It reminds me of the INS in the US, where we got called in for an appointment, and if we couldn't be there, we would have to start the application process all over. This process cost about $1500. So we showed up!

I plan to show up this week also. My interviews are on the same day, luckily one is in the morning, and one on the afternoon. It's been really cool getting such quick positive responses. It really helps on your self-confidence. Eric has even had an interview already!

Tonight I have been studying up on the Norwegian words for developmental disabilities and mental illnesses and such. I have never used 'work' language in Norway before. I thought I should maybe learn some of these words and concepts, so I don't sound like some idiot who has no idea what she is talking about. It's cool though because I 'know' the words as soon as I see them, and it makes sense.

Originally I had not planned to tell any family and friends about my interviews, and in general how the job search was going. I didn't want too many questions, nor did I want to jinx myself by telling too many people about progress. But then I thought about it. For one thing I am too excited about getting interviews so fast, so I had to tell. And also, if everyone knows about it, they will all be thinking of me, and sending positive vibes. I need every bit of that, that I can get. So I have told everyone I know. And it feels good, I know they are all rooting for me. Hopefully, it will go over well, and the next letter in the mailbox will contain even better news than a job interview!

New Blog!

2005-11-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

Well, I finally did it! I got my own blog. My hubby has been wanting me to 'guest blog' in his blog for months, but I decided to just get my own.

We recently reloacted from Minneapolis to Stavanger. I am Norwegian, but don't feel very Norwegian after more than nine years of living in the US.
We are working our way of setting up a new life here, not an easy feat to do, but we are getting there! At least we have phone and internet service now. Actually we have an IP phone so we can call all our friends in the US for free, sweet!!
We are currently looking for jobs! Things are looking good in that department actually. We have only been looking and applying for a week and a half, and my husband already had one interview, and I have two scheduled for next week. So hopefully we'll be employed soon, the list of things we want to buy once this happens is growing by the minute!! Proper rain gear is at top of the list!

I had forgotten how much it rains here. Although, honestly the rain doesn't bother me too much, as long as it is not too cold. But we have to get better raingear than the stuff we got in MN, that stuff is just not going to cut it!