‘Why hello Mr Tumnus’

One of the (many) ways Norway is different from Scotland is the postal system. Another way is the electricity system. Before coming out here I spent many happy hours uploading CDs to my Brennan JB7 and even happier (sad I know) hours typing up the database on my PC. The thinking been that rather than lug a huge pile of CDs across the North Sea I could bring this device which is (length and width wise) smaller than an iPad. Realising it would need a plug I went to Boots to buy the appropriate adaptor. Alas I was seduced by the adaptor with a USB connection (2 in fact) as I’d always been v jealous of the one Amy had in New York. It wasn’t until I got to Norway however that I realised that I hadn’t actually bought an actual adaptor for a 3-pin plug. So no power for JB7, toothbrush, laptop, shaver, (cough cough) X-box etc… Jen v kindly agreed to send me some as it was cheaper for them to be delivered to her and then posted rather than me have them delivered by Amazon.

It transpires that in Norway it’s not quite as simple as “here’s my address, please send them here”… One has to register for a post box and you can only do that if you have a Norwegian phone number. And you can only (I believe) get a Norwegian phone contract if you have a Norwegian bank account. I have none of those yet….

Laila came to the rescue and apparently there was a parcel to be picked up at the post office and kindly gave me a lift to retrieve it. Much joy was had I was finally able to plug in the JB7 and listen to some of my CDs again!

On the way to the aforemention post office we stopped off at Helga’s for “kaffe og kake“ and I was able to try out a bit more of my Norwegian. I still can’t say much - you can only say “my name is Graeme” a limited number of times. Last time I was there there was slight confusion over “Phallus” - this time it was discussion over “a corpse”… slightly concerned about what I had walked into but it transpired it was corps as in “a body of people engaged in a particular activity“ ie the local wind band. Panic over.

In the afternoon, I went for a walk - the Bøåsen which is about a 10 minute walk from where I’m temporarily staying.

The weather can be very changeable here - on Thursday it was beautiful day and Spring was in the air yet here we are on Saturday and the snow is back.

It wasn’t as long a walk as I would have liked but as can be seen in one of the pictures the grey sky was slightly foreboding but nonethess…. I did feel like I wandered into either a slightly obscure classic progressive rock album cover (One Live Badger) or Narnia…. and then I came across a lamppost and my eyes were peeled for any lost looking fauns…

I had started off by following previous walkers’ footsteps and was slightly disconcerted to discover halfway round that at some point the footsteps had changed direction and I was now going in the opposite direction…..

Tomorrow’s service is an evening confirmation service and this will be the first ”big” service I’ve played for by myself. Pretty sure I know what and where I’ve got to play so fingers crossed (though not when I’m playing obviously).

I also hope to pop in early enough to record a wee programme I’ve put together to go out on Monday. It’s a collection of music for Lent and will feature music by Buxtehude, Franck, Krebs and Willan. All being well it should go out on Facebook/ YouTube about 7pm (ish!)