Euro…

...vision

Yesterday was the Eurovision and I think that this year in particular I had to watch it since it was hosted in Oslo, because Alexander Rybak’s Fairytale song won last year competition. It might even have been required by law!!!

For my friends on the other side of the big pond (aka Atlantic) you might not understand the full extend of what the Eurovision is to Europeans so let me explain and Wikipedia does it so well! We watched the song contest every year when I grew up and it was a fierce battle in our house to see who from the French or the Italians would won (or at least score better).

The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la Chanson) is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition. Each country participates via one of their national EBU-member television stations, whose task it is to select a singer and a song to represent their country in the international competition. The Contest has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956 and is one of the longest-running television programmes in the world. It is also one of the most-watched non-sporting events in the world, with audience figures having been quoted in recent years as anything between 100 million and 600 million internationally. Eurovision has also been broadcast outside Europe to such places as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Uruguay despite the fact that they do not compete. Since 2000, the Contest has also been broadcast over the Internet, with more than 74,000 people in almost 140 countries having watched the 2006 edition online. For a lot more fun facts, read here.

And just like last year ‘Google Eurovision Forecast’ predicted the winner; Lena from Germany with "Satellite". I actually really like the song, pretty catchy and different from the other ones but my favorite one was the song from Romania (they finished 3rd - The song is performed by Paula Seling who is a famous singer & Ovi who is also Romania but by a twist of faith of Norwegian descent!). In my book every entry with a violin didn’t have a chance to win (too last year!).  According to my impeccable sources (aka Genevieve!), France was hoping to create this summer hit song and didn’t want to win since it cost too much money to host the competition. Apparently the Norwegian were all hyped on this year song as well and there were even talk in some Norwegian papers over concerns about the cost of hosting the event again next year (well they didn’t need to worry… they came 20th out of 25!). The show was hosted in the newly constructed 'Telenor Arena' in the municipality of Baerum in the suburb of Oslo and the estimated cost for the concert is 211 million Kroner (€24 million).

They are a little off on the following contestants!

Germany song Satellite by Lena:



Romania song "Playing with Fire" by Paula Seling and Ovi:

original video here

One of my favorite moments was the interval act called ‘Glow’ performed by Madcon, a pre-recorded flashmobs from all across Europe, mostly dancing and intercut of footage from individual private home.

Interval Act 'Glow' by Madcon



And because you want to hear the French song too (what's one more video!)

and to see the sexy official video click here

On the Move Again…

… Well Just Our (already accumulated) Junk!

A couple of months ago I was awakened at 4am by the fire alarm in our house; of course Jeffrey wasn’t home but safely in a hotel room in Paris. My heart literally jumped out of my chest. I run downstairs after finding an electric torch and when I opened the door to the basement I was met by a cloud of steam which have had accumulated at the top of the stairs behind the closed door and thus set off the fire alarm. The boiler’s thermostat had finally decided to give up, the water boiled and a plastic pipe busted letting all the boiling water run in our basement.

So TWO weeks before we leave on our summer vacation, the craftsman has decided it was time to start working on the floor!! Everything has to be moved so they can rip the wood floor and replace it. Couldn’t they have held the work until we had returned? They have promised us that the job will be finished by the time will head out but looking at the speed it’s going I highly doubt it.

After Best Country to Live...

…Best Country for Mother

Norway likes to top the charts!

Norway the best country for mothers (The Foreigner)

The “State of the World’s Mothers 2010” report is based on ten criteria, including the economy, education, women's political intervention, health and children’s welfare.
Generally, Norway performed either as well as, or better than other countries in all the rankings indicators. It has the highest ratio of female-male income, the highest contraceptive prevalence rate, one of the lowest under-5 mortality rates, and one of the most generous maternity leave policies in the developed world.
The contrast between top-ranked country Norway, and Afghanistan at the bottom is striking. Skilled health personnel are present at virtually every birth, while fewer than 15 percent of births are attended in Afghanistan.
A typical Norwegian woman has over 18 years of education, and will live to be 83 years old. 82 percent are using some modern method of contraception, and only 1 in 132 women will lose a child before its fifth birthday.
In Afghanistan, a typical woman has just over 4 years of education and has a life expectancy of just 44 years. Only 16 percent of women are using modern contraception and more than one child in four dies before reaching its fifth birthday. At this rate, every mother in Afghanistan is likely to suffer the loss of a child.
The data collected documents the tremendous gaps between rich and poor countries and the urgent need to accelerate progress in the health and well-being of mothers and their children. The data also highlights the regional dimension of this tragedy. Three of the bottom 10 countries are Arab States and seven are in sub-Saharan Africa, which also accounts for 16 of the 20 lowest-ranked countries.
Save the Children is still concerned about healthcare in many countries. The report states, that in Angola, for example, one in five children doesn’t live to be five years old.
The list of 160 countries, including 43 developed countries and 117 developing countries,

Norway, Australia, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark trust the 5 top spots

United States ranked 28th (over 43 of the more developed countries or over 160 total countries in the study). The United States has the least generous maternity leave -both in term of duration and percentage of wages paid- of any wealthy nation.

France is number 12 on the Mother’s Index Rank, 13th on the Woman’s Index Rank and 4th on the Children’s Index Rank (Under-5 mortality rate, gross per pre-primary enrollment ratio and gross per secondary enrollment ratio). Norway drops to #9 – USA to # 34 on the Children's Index Rank

State of the World’s Mothers 2010 (PDF)

We Went To The End…

...Of The World Norway

Lindesnes Fyr (Lighthouse) is situated at the southernmost point on the mainland of Norway… that’s 2,518 km (1,565 miles) away from the North Cape in the far north.

The lighthouse was built in 1915 on the site of Norway’s first lighthouse which was lit in 1655. The Skagerrack and North Sea meet at this point.

57° 58' 57.2" N    -    7° 2' 48.3" E

We also stopped in Mandal, home of Norway’s finest beach, the eggshell-white Sjøsanden. Well let say that St Barts beaches can rest assure of their supremacy, but I can add another little bottle full of sand from yet another beach from around the world. This is also where the salmon river, Mandalselven, flows into the sea.

Not too crowded!!!

The Hytte...

...And Kristiansand

Here are some photos of our time at the hytte


and Kristiansand.

A little background knowledge!
The city was named after its founder King Christian IV in 1641. The last element sand refers to the sandy headland the city was built on.
The name was written "Christian(s)sand" until 1877 - then, according to an official spelling reform (that changed ch to k), the form was changed to "Kristianssand". The name was again changed to its present form Kristiansand in 1889. (Wikipedia)

To the Hytte Again…

...No Woolly Underpants Necessary This Time

Another long weekend ('Whit Monday') and we are off to a Hytte again. I think Jeffrey is turning Norwegian… thankfully Summer holiday with a visit to the States and France have already been planned and should reset the clock!!

This time we are going to a Summer Hytte… that is to say, packing should be easier (anyhow I’m a pro now and can do the 'Essential Hytte Pack List' with my eyes shut) and we are trading skis for life jackets.

they don't take as much space as skies

From Daffodils...

...To Dandelions

Daffodils were everywhere in Aberdeen in the spring time. And when I say everywhere I mean everywhere; parks, gardens, side of the roads, the city went from the grey of the granite houses to a carpet of yellow thanks to the millions of daffodils around town. Here it seems that no matter where you look there is also a carpet of yellow but this time it has nothing to do with daffodils but more with dandelions.

Daffodils in Aberdeen (2005):

our last spring in Aberdeen

Dandelions in Stavanger (2010):

our first spring in Stavanger

Pasta Making...

...With Kindergartners

Today, kids (and some moms) in Jeremy’s class were making pasta. Luca's mom was the perfect person (she's Italian!) to show the class how to make pasta.  You’ve got to take advantages of the cultural diversity in an international school.

Making the pasta and the pesto:

Homemade

Of course some moms give more than others ;-))

It Wasn't...

...A One Time Deal

The novelty factor of mowing the lawn has already worn off and the grass needs to be pretty high before Jeffrey reluctantly takes the lawnmower for a ride.

Easy Peasy

Not so Easy Peasy!

Maybe I should show him this:

Syttende Mai...

...Nasjonaldagen

May 17th or National Day is the Norwegian Constitutional Day.

All dressed up in Bunads

After being part of the Danish autocracy for 400 years, Norway got its own constitution in 1814 (signed at Eidsvoll on May 17!) and joined into a loose union with Sweden that lasted until 1905.

A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its very non-military nature. (The only military element on this day is performed by the Royal Guard on the main street of the capital city, Oslo. During the parade, the Guard displays their drill and musical skills). All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration.  In addition to flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women, and children to wear traditional outfits, called bunad. In addition to the Children’s parade (Barnetoget) there is also a People's Parade (Folketoget) where every citizen is welcome to join in. These are led by marching bands and often local boy scouts and girl guides, local choirs, etc. And lastly the Russ Parade (Russtoget).

Children's Parade:

ISS in the Children's parade

People's Parade

Every club in Stavanger joined the parade... it lasted almost 2 hours!

Russ' Parade

Last day of the Russ festivities

Unspeakably Norsk Thing *

...BBQ

As soon as the weather turns nicer, Norwegians starts their love affair with BBQ and 'Pølser'. They love their BBQ so much that they have a portable version. So in our quest to fit in as much as possible, we bought one and went on a picnic.

We had our picnic at the Utstein Kloster (Abbey) just north of where we live. “Utstein Kloster is Norway's best-preserved medieval monastery, located on the island of Mosterøy in Rennesøy municipality, Rogaland county. Utstein Abbey is still using both the church and the eastern and southern part of the ground floor of the conventual’s buildings. In 1900-1904 major restoration work was carried out on the church, and in 1965 work on the remaining buildings was completed. The premises are now used for a conference centre, museum, concert hall and a variety of educational and leisure purposes.” (Wikipedia)

We also got to drive the 6-km long Rennfast undersea tunnel (Byfjordtunnelen) to reach our destination. Before the tunnel was build (pre-1992) one needed to take a ferry from Mekjarvik to Haugesund. The ferry took about an hour and could be very unpleasant in bad weather. Queues were also normal - up to 5 hours waiting during the most popular public holidays. The tunnel is 233 meters below sea level. and at the time of its completion in 1992, it was the world's deepest under-sea road tunnel. It used to cost NOK 90 but it’s now free of charge.

* This is a mock title from my friend Jane Grieve's blog. She is moving back to Aberdeen in June and has started a blog about the differences and similarities between Norway and Scotland… you can read her own “Unspeakably Norsk Thing” at Returning Scot.

"Fashionable...

...In Rainy Weather"

Here’s the last “Fashionable in Rainy Weather” post.  I won’t be in Stavanger on June 14!... But you've got a good 10-month worth of fashionable rain accessories by now!!

First the 2-in-1 umbrella slash Stool.  You are on a walk, you get tired... you use it as a stool.  It starts to rain, you have an umbrella!

Here are some other popular rain boots in Norway. They are from Danish designer: Isle Jacobsen. You know you've reach fashion status when you start finding knock off at the local supermarket!

I Would Do More…

...House Cleaning Too!!

There is not a lot of music from Norway that becomes known worldwide. But a-ha and their song “Take on Me” with their famous and groundbreaking video* was one of them. Here’s a commercial for some paint that uses the song and video concept.
I used to see the commercial all the time when we first arrived in Norway then it popped up again a couple of days ago on my TV screen and when I looked for it I found it on a random blog!!!

And if you have no idea of what  I’m talking about check the original video here!

* “The video used a pencil-sketch animation / live-action combination called rotoscoping”… you so wanted to know that

...And Mother's Day

...In the States

Besides Chloe's First Communion we were also 'celebrating' Mother's Day, the American version since in Norway we celebrated Mothers in February... yet another date to add to my list of day to celebrate my underpaid job!

Check out the interactive map here

.

And yes I used the verb 'Celebrate' 3 TIMES in one long sentence!

Chloe's First Communion

And some pictures from the photographer:

It's Tax Season...

...Everywhere

We received our Norwegian Tax form today and next to my name was the amount earned this year: 0.00Kr... I'm pretty sure I spend more than that!

Speaking of tax, here’s an interesting article about US tax & Expat

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship


WASHINGTON — Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, small but growing numbers of overseas Americans are taking the weighty step of renouncing their citizenship.
“What we have seen is a substantial change in mentality among the overseas community in the past two years,” said Jackie Bugnion, director of American Citizens Abroad, an advocacy group based in Geneva. “Before, no one would dare mention to other Americans that they were even thinking of renouncing their U.S. nationality. Now, it is an openly discussed issue.”
The Federal Register, the government publication that records such decisions, shows that 502 expatriates gave up their U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status in the last quarter of 2009. That is a tiny portion of the 5.2 million Americans estimated by the State Department to be living abroad.
Still, 502 was the largest quarterly figure in years, more than twice the total for all of 2008, and it looms larger, given how agonizing the decision can be. There were 235 renunciations in 2008 and 743 last year. Waiting periods to meet with consular officers to formalize renunciations have grown.
Anecdotally, frustrations over tax and banking questions, not political considerations, appear to be the main drivers of the surge. Expat advocates say that as it becomes more difficult for Americans to live and work abroad, it will become harder for American companies to compete.
American expats have long complained that the United States is the only industrialized country to tax citizens on income earned abroad, even when they are taxed in their country of residence, though they are allowed to exclude their first $91,400 in foreign-earned income.
One Swiss-based business executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of sensitive family issues, said she weighed the decision for 10 years. She had lived abroad for years but had pleasant memories of service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Yet the notion of double taxation — and of future tax obligations for her children, who will receive few U.S. services — finally pushed her to renounce, she said.
“I loved my time in the Marines, and the U.S. is still a great country,” she said. “But having lived here 20 years and having to pay and file while seeing other countries’ nationals not having to do that, I just think it’s grossly unfair.”
“It’s taxation without representation,” she added.
Stringent new banking regulations — aimed both at curbing tax evasion and, under the Patriot Act, preventing money from flowing to terrorist groups — have inadvertently made it harder for some expats to keep bank accounts in the United States and in some cases abroad.
Some U.S.-based banks have closed expats’ accounts because of difficulty in certifying that the holders still maintain U.S. addresses, as required by a Patriot Act provision.
“It seems the new anti-terrorist rules are having unintended effects,” Daniel Flynn, who lives in Belgium, wrote in a letter quoted by the Americans Abroad Caucus in the U.S. Congress in correspondence with the Treasury Department.
“I was born in San Francisco in 1939, served my country as an army officer from 1961 to 1963, have been paying U.S. income taxes for 57 years, since 1952, have continually maintained federal voting residence, and hold a valid American passport.”
Mr. Flynn had held an account with a U.S. bank for 44 years. Still, he wrote, “they said that the new anti-terrorism rules required them to close our account because of our address outside the U.S.”
Kathleen Rittenhouse, who lives in Canada, wrote that until she encountered a similar problem, “I did not know that the Patriot Act placed me in the same category as terrorists, arms dealers and money launderers.”
Andy Sundberg, another director of American Citizens Abroad, said, “These banks are closing our accounts as acts of prudent self-defense.” But the result, he said, is that expats have become “toxic citizens.”
The Americans Abroad Caucus, headed by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, and Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, has made repeated entreaties to the Treasury Department.
In response, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner wrote Ms. Maloney on Feb. 24 that “nothing in U.S. financial law and regulation should make it impossible for Americans living abroad to access financial services here in the United States.”
But banks, Treasury officials note, are free to ignore that advice.
“That Americans living overseas are being denied banking services in U.S. banks, and increasingly in foreign banks, is unacceptable,” Ms. Maloney said in a letter Friday to leaders of the House Financial Services Committee, requesting a hearing on the question.
Mr. Wilson, joining her request, said that pleas from expats for relief “continue to come in at a startling rate.”
Relinquishing citizenship is relatively simple. The person must appear before a U.S. consular or diplomatic official in a foreign country and sign a renunciation oath. This does not allow a person to escape old tax bills or military obligations.
Now, expats’ representatives fear renunciations will become more common.
“It is a sad outcome,” Ms. Bugnion said, “but I personally feel that we are now seeing only the tip of the iceberg.” (New York Time )

It’d Better Be Summer Soon…

…Cause We Bought A Grill

and we want to use it!

Need to assemble before use!

Shanghai

...Expo 2010

Today marks the start of the six-month Shanghai World Expo. I’ve talked previously about all the different country pavilions.  I remember the buzz Beijing was in just before the Olympics (even though it wasn’t the Beijing we, “local” foreigners, came to love).

Norway Pavilion is a solar powered “forest”:

More photo here

Have a look at all the different country pavilions here

Arbeiderens Dag…

…“Labor Day”

We’ve been warned… everything is closed on May 1st:

So un-Norwegian

I’ll take this opportunity to talk about Flags in the Norwegian culture.

There are 15 official flag days when Norwegians fly the flags in front of official buildings and private homes.  The official flag days are 1 January (New Year’s Day); 21 January (Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s birthday); 6 February (The Sami National Day); 21 February (King Harald V’s birthday); Easter Sunday, 1 May (Labor Day); 8 May (Liberation Day 1945);  17 May (Constitution Day 1814 – National Day) ; Whit Sunday,  7 June (Uinion Dissolution Day 1905); 4 July (Queen Sonja’s Birthday); 20 July (Crown Prince Haakon Magnus’ Birthday); 29 July ('Olsok' -Olav's Mass. In memory of King Olva Harldsson who died in the battle of Stiklestad in 1030); 19 August (Crown Princess Mette-Martis’s Birthday); Second Monday of September every 4 years (General Election); 25 December (Christmas Day).

Apart from those official days you can also have your own flag day to celebrate anything you like from birth, to birthday, baptism, confirmation or wedding. This is known as ‘private flagge’.

On non-official flag days, lots of homes fly something called a 'vimpel' (Streamer, or pennant), which is a long thin triangular flag. It has the same colors as the official flag, only with a blue stripe across the middle, rather than a cross. You can fly a 'vimpel' at any time of the night or day but a flag must be hoisted and taken down more or less at sunrise and sunset. “From March to October the flag should be hoisted from 8.00. From November to February it should be hoisted from 9.00. The flag is lowered at sunset, although no later than 21.00, even if sunset is later than that” (Wikipedia)

My neighbor's Vimpel	My neighbor's Flag