The one with the REALLY ANNOYING CALL!
ok. Let me start this one on a joyous note ... before I get aggrevated. lol
I am a sun woman. I am a day woman and I'm pretty sure I will NEVER be a nocturnal being.
So during the winter I bought a natural light alarm clock. This was a necessity for me. Since if I was supposed to wake up and feel good about the day, I would have to see some natural light going on. My husband is not like this. He can sleep until 11 am if he wanted to. I have to be sick to do that.
Anyways, this alarm clock I saw on the internet when I was doing some research on how to cope with the winter darkness. So of COURSE I wanted it!. It was a joy from the very first morning! I woke up to light getting gradually brighter and brighter and you just have to adjust how bright you want it to be when you the alarm finally goes off, since ... it starts at a low grade. I am awake by the time it is 4 ...(and it can get to a light intensity of 20!!!!- yes that screams early riser!!) You could set what sound you wanted to walk up to.
I chose birds. How lovely it was to wake up with a little smile on my face when the birds started chirping the next day for me to rise ... awwwww how relaxing and zen was that?
Fast forward to spring....I didn't realise how much I missed the actual sound of birds when winter was around until spring came! Then all of a sudden .. there were birds chirping around and a mass of bird activity! ... It was almost like the hearalding of new life and I have learnt that SPRING is my favourite time of year! ... Since Autumn was a big let down with only a bunch of yellow leaves and not the range of colours like in Canada.
Now that the days are much longer and the light stays around for much longer periods I now longer use the light to wake me up ... in fact we are now trying to shut it out from waking us up too early! It sure is a crazy turn of events!
But the craziest was one day when I was listening to birds singing and chirping I noticed that there was one particular bird that was expressively persistant. I was not sure what kind of bird it was .. nor am I still ... but this bird has made begun to drive me insane!
The state of my insanity has begun apparant when I finally slammed off the birds chirping sound waking me in the morning and settled for a more yoga dull hollow chimes.
One night we were trying to sleep. As the evening settled and our breathing calmed..... all we could hear was this one distinctive bird ....
poooeeeeee ppoooooeeeeeeeee POOOOEEEEEE PPPOOOOOOEEEEEEEEIII!!!!!!!!!
I woke up and slammed the window shut.... Oh I wish the bird was just go somewhere else and pooeeee away...
After a few moments ...
POOOOOEEEEE!! POOOOOOEEEE!! ... It was almost as though he sat on the window sill ....
My husband laughed .. not because of my act ... but because the little bird's song was just as loud as it was when the window was open.
'Are you serious?' I remember saying outloud.
From then on ... that particular little bird (I'm sure it was ONE bird .. but in truth it was perhaps an army) began taunting me.
I would hear it in the morning to wake up ..
When I was having breakfast
When I came home and closed the car door ... his was the first song that greeted me.
After dinner when we are enjoying a little 'How I Met Your Mother' time together ... there it is
When I lay my weary head to go to sleep ..... there it is!
There was never a song ... you know .. a pretty one that you can go .. awww ....
no ..
It was just ..
PPPOOOOOOEEEEEEE!! ....
I couldn't believe how much I started to hate that little bird. I remember trying to see it once when I came home ... it was sooo loud !!! unbelievable ... what ever it is... it has a very good camuflage so I am convinced that it is a Female bird .. since .. in the animal kingdom we all know that the males are the prettier ones.. meant to be seen ..
I had dreams and thoughts of finding that little bird and caging him up and moving up over to .... someone else's house ... I don't want to kill it .. oh no ... that is cruelty .. and in truth I enjoyed at the beginning.
Today My husband after another exclamation ' OH!!! That BIIIRDD!!!' of mine had chuckled at me .. and explained .. that he was amused when the birds actually came back and I was alll 'OH the Birds! Its so lovely to hear the birds' beginning-of-spring-song-of-mine. He meanwhile had been thinking about how much of the trees around the bedroom he could cut down because he KNEW that bird was coming back to haunt us.
Wait .. you KNEW about this? ..
huh! ..... Talk about letting me experience the whole country on my own ..
How sweet ......
POOOOOOEEEEEE!!!! .
ARGH!
Hurry up and find a mate bird, build your nest or make your babies ... what ever you doing .. u need to speed up the process and better yet ... speedily go SOMEWHERE ELSE!!
Whey Yuh Say?
Saturday 28 May 2011
Friday 20 May 2011
April Fool's Day|
Every once in a while I like to think that I can do something that someone will never forget.
I sat in the breakroom of the Kindergarten and listened to the Norwegian prattle as I usually do, trying desperately to one day just realise that I can understand everything perfectly!
Today was not that day.
But anyways, its great to try ... because I would have totally forgotten what day it was!
1st April
What a special day! I think the last time I TRIED to fool someone seriously I was in high school. Too many people expect it ... so it's not fun anymore.
'Is today 1st April? ' I asked one of the bosses. 'Yes'
'Ah!!! I'm soooo going to play a trick on one of the teachers!! I LOVE to joke with her!'
What would work?
We were right in the middle of working out if I would be allowed to come back again after my little vacation. Ah ha! .. That sounds like a good plan.
I had to get help though. A good joke needs more than 1 person to be truely beliveable.
Joke and helper intact, I ended my lunch break with my heart racing to play this joke.
I walked through the Kitchen and had to stand up outside for a while to get myself into character.
The chef looked at me curiously ...
''What are you doing?'' She asked
''I'm trying to get into character. I'm going to play an April Fools' on the boss'' I snickered... while trying to think of something sad, 'I'm going to say that I can't come back to work anymore, that the agency will not let me!''
She laughed then left me alone to get into character...
As I was walking in... she held me back... telling me to wait a bit, the conversation would have taken a little longer time.
Ok... I waited .. I could feel my heart beating wildly. I was taking a chance. I thought she could take the joke, but suddenly I started wondering if she could. Would she be mad at me? ... Oh .. she couldn't! ...
What if it fell flat? ... well too late for all this now!
I felt tears welling up in my eyes and walked quickly into the area.
She was not inside ... I sat with one of the children and continued to think about the plan.
I heard her voice out in the corridor. I walked out. My eyes half filled with tears.
''I must talk with you about something'' I tried to say in my most sad voice.
She looked up at me, being the darling that she was saw the concern in my eyes, and quickly sent the child she had just taken inside.
I knelt down next to her.
''C spoke with NAV and they said that I can't come back to work anymore'' A tear slid down my cheek.
She grabbed me and said,
'Jaemie you are so good at what u do. Don't worry, we will come visit you and we will keep in contact with you.''
She was hugging me hard and we both started to cry and she was wiping my tears away and wiping hers.
She continued saying that I was so clever at what I did and stuff and I couldn't bear to cry anylonger about something that I didn't have to...
''C wants you to come and talk with her''
She said ok and walked quickly into the office.
I walked back into the department snikkering ... and wiping my tears away. My nose was even running!!! Hahahaha!
I waited patiently to hear what was going to happen.
The plan was that she would go talk to C and C will let her know that it was a April's Fool Day. The Chef was so excited to see and hear the results.
''JAEMIE!!!!!'' I heard a loud shout!
I couldn't help it! I burst into laughter knowing that the cat was out of the bag. She walked into the department with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. We sat laughing for a good while about it ... almost crying all over again.
This is definitely one thing that she will never forget!
Whey yuh say?
I sat in the breakroom of the Kindergarten and listened to the Norwegian prattle as I usually do, trying desperately to one day just realise that I can understand everything perfectly!
Today was not that day.
But anyways, its great to try ... because I would have totally forgotten what day it was!
1st April
What a special day! I think the last time I TRIED to fool someone seriously I was in high school. Too many people expect it ... so it's not fun anymore.
'Is today 1st April? ' I asked one of the bosses. 'Yes'
'Ah!!! I'm soooo going to play a trick on one of the teachers!! I LOVE to joke with her!'
What would work?
We were right in the middle of working out if I would be allowed to come back again after my little vacation. Ah ha! .. That sounds like a good plan.
I had to get help though. A good joke needs more than 1 person to be truely beliveable.
Joke and helper intact, I ended my lunch break with my heart racing to play this joke.
I walked through the Kitchen and had to stand up outside for a while to get myself into character.
The chef looked at me curiously ...
''What are you doing?'' She asked
''I'm trying to get into character. I'm going to play an April Fools' on the boss'' I snickered... while trying to think of something sad, 'I'm going to say that I can't come back to work anymore, that the agency will not let me!''
She laughed then left me alone to get into character...
As I was walking in... she held me back... telling me to wait a bit, the conversation would have taken a little longer time.
Ok... I waited .. I could feel my heart beating wildly. I was taking a chance. I thought she could take the joke, but suddenly I started wondering if she could. Would she be mad at me? ... Oh .. she couldn't! ...
What if it fell flat? ... well too late for all this now!
I felt tears welling up in my eyes and walked quickly into the area.
She was not inside ... I sat with one of the children and continued to think about the plan.
I heard her voice out in the corridor. I walked out. My eyes half filled with tears.
''I must talk with you about something'' I tried to say in my most sad voice.
She looked up at me, being the darling that she was saw the concern in my eyes, and quickly sent the child she had just taken inside.
I knelt down next to her.
''C spoke with NAV and they said that I can't come back to work anymore'' A tear slid down my cheek.
She grabbed me and said,
'Jaemie you are so good at what u do. Don't worry, we will come visit you and we will keep in contact with you.''
She was hugging me hard and we both started to cry and she was wiping my tears away and wiping hers.
She continued saying that I was so clever at what I did and stuff and I couldn't bear to cry anylonger about something that I didn't have to...
''C wants you to come and talk with her''
She said ok and walked quickly into the office.
I walked back into the department snikkering ... and wiping my tears away. My nose was even running!!! Hahahaha!
I waited patiently to hear what was going to happen.
The plan was that she would go talk to C and C will let her know that it was a April's Fool Day. The Chef was so excited to see and hear the results.
''JAEMIE!!!!!'' I heard a loud shout!
I couldn't help it! I burst into laughter knowing that the cat was out of the bag. She walked into the department with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. We sat laughing for a good while about it ... almost crying all over again.
This is definitely one thing that she will never forget!
Whey yuh say?
Friday 13 May 2011
Do I LOOK like I'm from Africa????
Ok, I think that I have tried to be patient with Norwegians up to this time. I understand that they are a newly immigrant country, and blah blah blah ... but I had the last straw today ... Too bad... poor old guy.
But I'm so tired of the same conversation....
Hi. Oh Hello (Of course all of this is in Norwegian) ...
Where are you from?
Trinidad and Tobago
Oh ... What part of Africa is that?
pause pause pause .. breath breath and hide the rolling of the eyes.
or.
Hello.
Hi.
Do you speak Norwegian?
Yes a little bit
Are you from Africa?
eyes drop into halfway open and begin to blink rapidly as I start to formulate the polite response.... which more than often is just ... NO
My brothers and my sisters from Africa, I have nothing against you. I cannot deny my roots because at some point in time my ancestors must have come from Africa .. somew... For that I'm quite frankly happy that it was ... somewhere along the line ... Africa is great .. I'm sure .. I've never been ... but now who really would WANT to live ther? Its become like Iran and Iraq .... a kind of pity sigh exudes if they say they come from there... Why? I suppose because of all the negative things you hear about it all .. but then again .. Don't we hear negative things about EVERYWHERE? ..
I'm sure it's just the stigma attached ...
But I will not Blab about this ...
The fact remains that I AM in Fact a Callalloo .... A real mix of plenty thing ... I can't help it if the Black genes are perhaps the strongest on earth so that as soon as a Pure black person mixes with a pure caucasion .. the result is .... BLACK ...
I don't know about you .. but when i mix white and black on my colour palate I get grey ... and knowing the genes as the wonderful thing that they are .... chances are a mixed kid can look nothing mixed with black and vise versa ....
So now my Norwegian people ... who I am planning on living with ... Either you all need to get on the Computer .. in a book .. or something and realise that black people live EVERYWHERE and not just in Africa...
This man came knocking on my door... Poor old guy I'll put it down to that he has not really seen or heard much of the world since he was in fact A Jehovah's Witness ...
Nothing again the people just to make sure I don't get any hate mail ....
He stood outside my door holding up the norwegian pamphlet and asking if I had heard the story about the Bible etc.
I honestly thought to see if I could engage him in Norwegian conversation ... but my stomach was not interested and I was in the middle of preparing Lunch.
I started to pretend that I couldn't understand (oh .. remember the days we used to pretend that we could pretend that we didn't understand?? .. hahaha .. well I got to do it!)
Hmmm ... he said .... Are you from Africa ?
Poor guy. I did contemplate letting all my frustrations of the lack of knowledge upon this poor little man ..
I imagined the scene playing out a little like this.
From Africa you say ....
Africa?
No, I said .....
Are you from somewhere by Hawaii? .
WHAT??? Look ere man .... I tink you need to go home and read a little bit more about the world .
Are you aware that Black people live in the Caribbean, in France, In Italy, In Europe, in America? In Latin America, in Alaska, in Thailand in Australia and I'm sure in China and the Soviet Union .. although I suppose they would be rare as well ..
But COME ON!!!... Just cuz I'm black means I come from Africa?? ..
Oh Get. With. The. Program!!!
And just slam the door in his face.
But I'm too polite ...... sigh .. so it was simply a fantasy that allowed me to get rid of the frustration .... fast enough before I actually just said,
Its in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago ..... Do you know where the Caribbean is? Let me bring out an Iphone to show you ... What? You have not heard about an iphone ? Why am I not surprised ... It was made in Africa!.
Ok .. no ... I didn't say that either ...
But I politely refused .. got his pamphlet for free and went back inside raving about why people can't get with the program.
Although, truth be told ... Americans do a similar thing...
like.... I'm from Trinidad .. Oh really?? YEA MANN REGGAE! ... No buddy .. yuh wrong.. dahz Jamaica .... Is not the same thing?
Steups....
As I take a breath and just calm down a little bit more ... .and now that my stomach has a little more food in it too... I'm wiser to think that everyone has their faults ...
And Quite frankly ... I can't blame the bigger countries for not knowing about the little ones.... I mean, after all, we who went to school in Trinidad have a pretty good Schooling system and learnt about the countries of the world .... so we ALL know that Norway is some Freezing cold place up somewhere near the North Pole where people still live in little ice houses, keep animals, ride in sleighs with reindeer, go ice fishing for fish, see polar bears everyday, it snows ALL the time and everyone is blonde.
Whey yuh say?
But I'm so tired of the same conversation....
Hi. Oh Hello (Of course all of this is in Norwegian) ...
Where are you from?
Trinidad and Tobago
Oh ... What part of Africa is that?
pause pause pause .. breath breath and hide the rolling of the eyes.
or.
Hello.
Hi.
Do you speak Norwegian?
Yes a little bit
Are you from Africa?
eyes drop into halfway open and begin to blink rapidly as I start to formulate the polite response.... which more than often is just ... NO
My brothers and my sisters from Africa, I have nothing against you. I cannot deny my roots because at some point in time my ancestors must have come from Africa .. somew... For that I'm quite frankly happy that it was ... somewhere along the line ... Africa is great .. I'm sure .. I've never been ... but now who really would WANT to live ther? Its become like Iran and Iraq .... a kind of pity sigh exudes if they say they come from there... Why? I suppose because of all the negative things you hear about it all .. but then again .. Don't we hear negative things about EVERYWHERE? ..
I'm sure it's just the stigma attached ...
But I will not Blab about this ...
The fact remains that I AM in Fact a Callalloo .... A real mix of plenty thing ... I can't help it if the Black genes are perhaps the strongest on earth so that as soon as a Pure black person mixes with a pure caucasion .. the result is .... BLACK ...
I don't know about you .. but when i mix white and black on my colour palate I get grey ... and knowing the genes as the wonderful thing that they are .... chances are a mixed kid can look nothing mixed with black and vise versa ....
So now my Norwegian people ... who I am planning on living with ... Either you all need to get on the Computer .. in a book .. or something and realise that black people live EVERYWHERE and not just in Africa...
This man came knocking on my door... Poor old guy I'll put it down to that he has not really seen or heard much of the world since he was in fact A Jehovah's Witness ...
Nothing again the people just to make sure I don't get any hate mail ....
He stood outside my door holding up the norwegian pamphlet and asking if I had heard the story about the Bible etc.
I honestly thought to see if I could engage him in Norwegian conversation ... but my stomach was not interested and I was in the middle of preparing Lunch.
I started to pretend that I couldn't understand (oh .. remember the days we used to pretend that we could pretend that we didn't understand?? .. hahaha .. well I got to do it!)
Hmmm ... he said .... Are you from Africa ?
Poor guy. I did contemplate letting all my frustrations of the lack of knowledge upon this poor little man ..
I imagined the scene playing out a little like this.
From Africa you say ....
Africa?
No, I said .....
Are you from somewhere by Hawaii? .
WHAT??? Look ere man .... I tink you need to go home and read a little bit more about the world .
Are you aware that Black people live in the Caribbean, in France, In Italy, In Europe, in America? In Latin America, in Alaska, in Thailand in Australia and I'm sure in China and the Soviet Union .. although I suppose they would be rare as well ..
But COME ON!!!... Just cuz I'm black means I come from Africa?? ..
Oh Get. With. The. Program!!!
And just slam the door in his face.
But I'm too polite ...... sigh .. so it was simply a fantasy that allowed me to get rid of the frustration .... fast enough before I actually just said,
Its in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago ..... Do you know where the Caribbean is? Let me bring out an Iphone to show you ... What? You have not heard about an iphone ? Why am I not surprised ... It was made in Africa!.
Ok .. no ... I didn't say that either ...
But I politely refused .. got his pamphlet for free and went back inside raving about why people can't get with the program.
Although, truth be told ... Americans do a similar thing...
like.... I'm from Trinidad .. Oh really?? YEA MANN REGGAE! ... No buddy .. yuh wrong.. dahz Jamaica .... Is not the same thing?
Steups....
As I take a breath and just calm down a little bit more ... .and now that my stomach has a little more food in it too... I'm wiser to think that everyone has their faults ...
And Quite frankly ... I can't blame the bigger countries for not knowing about the little ones.... I mean, after all, we who went to school in Trinidad have a pretty good Schooling system and learnt about the countries of the world .... so we ALL know that Norway is some Freezing cold place up somewhere near the North Pole where people still live in little ice houses, keep animals, ride in sleighs with reindeer, go ice fishing for fish, see polar bears everyday, it snows ALL the time and everyone is blonde.
Whey yuh say?
Tuesday 10 May 2011
God Jul fra Norge II
So .. continuing the last blog .. I know I know .. I'm horriffically late .. but I is a Trini .. so we supposed to be like dat!
Anyhoos... By the time the week before Christmas comes along everyone is in a frantic state of buying gifts ... have I mentioned that Norwegians have too much money that they MUST spend (I really wont get into the tax thing because I plan to stay here in Norway ... let's not hurt our chances with the government!) So people buy an enormous amount of things for people ... and usually they are very expensive.
Christmas is celebrated on the 24th here. It is called Juleaften. Yuh know how we say in trini Christmas eve's Adam?? (meaning the day before Christmas Eve) well that day is call Lille Juleaften here!! ... Yes there is a name for it ...
Now in Norway as 'big' as Norway is, there are many different dialects, and traditions. So the things they eat in north, south east and west are all different ... hmm .. go figure! ... Now here comes the interesting part .... they don't eat that many different things in one family... on Juleaften at least. So you have Lutefisk, Pinekjøtt, klipfisk, Svinneribbe. But you only eat alot of ... ONE thing .... so .. for a Caribbean and a Trini .. it can get pretty boring ... how much of ONE thing can you really eat ... no wonder these people are so slim and trim!! ... if you don't have a Christmas to go crazy and eat waaaaay too much ... its no fun now ... is it??
Whey Yuh Say?
Anyhoos... By the time the week before Christmas comes along everyone is in a frantic state of buying gifts ... have I mentioned that Norwegians have too much money that they MUST spend (I really wont get into the tax thing because I plan to stay here in Norway ... let's not hurt our chances with the government!) So people buy an enormous amount of things for people ... and usually they are very expensive.
Christmas is celebrated on the 24th here. It is called Juleaften. Yuh know how we say in trini Christmas eve's Adam?? (meaning the day before Christmas Eve) well that day is call Lille Juleaften here!! ... Yes there is a name for it ...
Now in Norway as 'big' as Norway is, there are many different dialects, and traditions. So the things they eat in north, south east and west are all different ... hmm .. go figure! ... Now here comes the interesting part .... they don't eat that many different things in one family... on Juleaften at least. So you have Lutefisk, Pinekjøtt, klipfisk, Svinneribbe. But you only eat alot of ... ONE thing .... so .. for a Caribbean and a Trini .. it can get pretty boring ... how much of ONE thing can you really eat ... no wonder these people are so slim and trim!! ... if you don't have a Christmas to go crazy and eat waaaaay too much ... its no fun now ... is it??
Whey Yuh Say?
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Bergen vs Trinidad
No....let me start off by saying that I'm not really going to compare the two ... just that I WENT HOME!!!! YAY!! ... Its' been so long since I had been home .... well so long being a grand total of 9 months... but its been a long time.
What has changed.
Lots ...
Trinidad has become in my eyes the place where I grew up .. the place I always will call my home .. but now I wonder what madness and true craziness has taken over the place?
Driving.
I don't know if its the fact that people has less regard for the authority, their cars or lives that they insist upon swishing in and out through 3 lane roads. Now let's reveal a really interesting thing. The city I live in in Norway does not have a SINGLE 2 lane highway!. Nope sir ree! You will get 2 lanes if you are leading off to somewhere else .. but not on a continual highway. Maybe in Oslo. I was not on any majoy highway in Oslo so I can't say for sure. But Trinidad now has miles of 3 lane highway ... and just like the use of the internet ... people have not learnt how to use it.
When there were 2 lanes people just stayed on one side of the road and drove. Do u know that it is illegal to pass someone on the 'slow' lane? ... Trinis would perhaps pass a cow if that were ever inforced ... and there are sooo many people who did it when it was 2 lanes ... what made them think it would be more orderly with 3? ... The number of times that I was almost scared out of my mind by some crazy MAN swerving suddenly from my left side, swinging out in front of us only to possible come off at the next exit.
I remember after I lost my brother to a road accident, I drove at the speed limit for days! ... and there was hardly anyone who was on the same pace. In fact ... i'm sure it's perhaps DANGEROUS to drive BELOW the speed limit now.
The traffic was amazing .... we did not get into lots of it ... because it was school holidays (well planned there by moi!) but there was still lots .. and I couldn't get over how quickly it would form.
SKYSCAPE
It is really lovely to see Trinidad blossoming into such a bustling place. Everything feels as though its changing ... rapidly. As if I were to come there after 10 years I would wonder if I was in the Trinidad or perhaps Miami ... Lord.. I hope not ... but someone who has not been here for decades perhaps sees it just as that .. a mini US city. .... only problem is a force ripe one. I love my country ... but I do worry for it.
People
I'm nearly scared to say it .. but I think the people have become a lot more 'ah doh care oui' ... and that is sad. I look back at all my great trini sayings ... the power that Carnival is in the International scene all because its PLANNED 1 YEAR in ADVANCE and sometimes more .. and wonder how a people who have ONE thing so well organised and down pact as we say .... can screw up so many other attempts.... how does one plan an International Jazz Festival that is supposed to attract the likes of FANTASTIC people .. if u cant get your crap together even3 months before the event? .. How does that spell success? ... It seems to me that the only thing that is a success in Trinidad is Carnival. Everything else seems to make a big ole belly flopp.
Horrible .. yes yes I know .. I sounding like I Bashing ... but I'm really annoyed actually. I see what a little organisation and discipline (or GORM doh get meh started on dat one) can do ... but it drives me nuts that Trinis will sort themselves out OUTSIDE of Trinidad. Its almost as though the country itself has some horrible bug that won't allow Trinis in the land to excell. Hence our brain drain, talent drain, science drain ... all kindda drain...
TIME
I'm sorry girls .. you KNEW this one wudda come. Not to say that I am a big ole clock work myself .. I'm not ... far from it .. and boy does the hubby know it! ... But I think I forgot when to start a lime??? .... Or is it just that I had lots of faith in people? dunno .. but it not working! Anyways .... I tried to start a lime at 12 pm .... maybe I was just being stupid ... but I certainly will not be THAT dumb again ... One wonderful friend who will simply call .. 'de latest latecomer' popped in at 7 pm. Hardy hardy har .. u might say ... do that in Norway .. people would have had their 'besøk', eaten, drunk, talked had a great time and would have left. You would find yourself staring at people wondering ... who are u? and what do u want? OH! Hi! .. Yeeeaaaa .. um .... everyone's gone now ... *sweet smile* ... Maybe we can try it again another day.
Yup .... Don't be fashionably late to a norwegian party ... no matter what kind of party. People arrive at the time u tell them to arrive. It was actually a bit annoying to me at first .. I was like ... Gorsh .. not even a 15 min or 30 grace period so? ... 3 pm? BAM ... 3 pm there is a knock on your door ... and don't feel they were not sitting outside in their car .. just waiting for enough time to time their footsteps to your front door!.
Norwegians are sooo good at that tho .. on a side note ... I go to a choir and a beautiful lady lets me come along with her or 'sitter på' and she knows exactly when we will pass my street ... to the minute. I thought it must have been just practice... but one day we picked up another lady further down .. and she got that one right too ... no wonder they are on time ... if I could figure out that kinda thing I wouldn't need GPS system .. now .. would I?
But apart from those 'LOTS' the sun still shines ... people still smile and know how to have a good time .. too much sometimes ... the beach is still popular ... bake and shark still win, and life in the tropics is .... well .... the tropics ...
I love Trinidad ... but I think I am beginning to appreciate Norway more and more for what it is ... and the change it brings into my life ...
Whey yuh say? Change ... is ... good ...
What has changed.
Lots ...
Trinidad has become in my eyes the place where I grew up .. the place I always will call my home .. but now I wonder what madness and true craziness has taken over the place?
Driving.
I don't know if its the fact that people has less regard for the authority, their cars or lives that they insist upon swishing in and out through 3 lane roads. Now let's reveal a really interesting thing. The city I live in in Norway does not have a SINGLE 2 lane highway!. Nope sir ree! You will get 2 lanes if you are leading off to somewhere else .. but not on a continual highway. Maybe in Oslo. I was not on any majoy highway in Oslo so I can't say for sure. But Trinidad now has miles of 3 lane highway ... and just like the use of the internet ... people have not learnt how to use it.
When there were 2 lanes people just stayed on one side of the road and drove. Do u know that it is illegal to pass someone on the 'slow' lane? ... Trinis would perhaps pass a cow if that were ever inforced ... and there are sooo many people who did it when it was 2 lanes ... what made them think it would be more orderly with 3? ... The number of times that I was almost scared out of my mind by some crazy MAN swerving suddenly from my left side, swinging out in front of us only to possible come off at the next exit.
I remember after I lost my brother to a road accident, I drove at the speed limit for days! ... and there was hardly anyone who was on the same pace. In fact ... i'm sure it's perhaps DANGEROUS to drive BELOW the speed limit now.
The traffic was amazing .... we did not get into lots of it ... because it was school holidays (well planned there by moi!) but there was still lots .. and I couldn't get over how quickly it would form.
SKYSCAPE
It is really lovely to see Trinidad blossoming into such a bustling place. Everything feels as though its changing ... rapidly. As if I were to come there after 10 years I would wonder if I was in the Trinidad or perhaps Miami ... Lord.. I hope not ... but someone who has not been here for decades perhaps sees it just as that .. a mini US city. .... only problem is a force ripe one. I love my country ... but I do worry for it.
People
I'm nearly scared to say it .. but I think the people have become a lot more 'ah doh care oui' ... and that is sad. I look back at all my great trini sayings ... the power that Carnival is in the International scene all because its PLANNED 1 YEAR in ADVANCE and sometimes more .. and wonder how a people who have ONE thing so well organised and down pact as we say .... can screw up so many other attempts.... how does one plan an International Jazz Festival that is supposed to attract the likes of FANTASTIC people .. if u cant get your crap together even3 months before the event? .. How does that spell success? ... It seems to me that the only thing that is a success in Trinidad is Carnival. Everything else seems to make a big ole belly flopp.
Horrible .. yes yes I know .. I sounding like I Bashing ... but I'm really annoyed actually. I see what a little organisation and discipline (or GORM doh get meh started on dat one) can do ... but it drives me nuts that Trinis will sort themselves out OUTSIDE of Trinidad. Its almost as though the country itself has some horrible bug that won't allow Trinis in the land to excell. Hence our brain drain, talent drain, science drain ... all kindda drain...
TIME
I'm sorry girls .. you KNEW this one wudda come. Not to say that I am a big ole clock work myself .. I'm not ... far from it .. and boy does the hubby know it! ... But I think I forgot when to start a lime??? .... Or is it just that I had lots of faith in people? dunno .. but it not working! Anyways .... I tried to start a lime at 12 pm .... maybe I was just being stupid ... but I certainly will not be THAT dumb again ... One wonderful friend who will simply call .. 'de latest latecomer' popped in at 7 pm. Hardy hardy har .. u might say ... do that in Norway .. people would have had their 'besøk', eaten, drunk, talked had a great time and would have left. You would find yourself staring at people wondering ... who are u? and what do u want? OH! Hi! .. Yeeeaaaa .. um .... everyone's gone now ... *sweet smile* ... Maybe we can try it again another day.
Yup .... Don't be fashionably late to a norwegian party ... no matter what kind of party. People arrive at the time u tell them to arrive. It was actually a bit annoying to me at first .. I was like ... Gorsh .. not even a 15 min or 30 grace period so? ... 3 pm? BAM ... 3 pm there is a knock on your door ... and don't feel they were not sitting outside in their car .. just waiting for enough time to time their footsteps to your front door!.
Norwegians are sooo good at that tho .. on a side note ... I go to a choir and a beautiful lady lets me come along with her or 'sitter på' and she knows exactly when we will pass my street ... to the minute. I thought it must have been just practice... but one day we picked up another lady further down .. and she got that one right too ... no wonder they are on time ... if I could figure out that kinda thing I wouldn't need GPS system .. now .. would I?
But apart from those 'LOTS' the sun still shines ... people still smile and know how to have a good time .. too much sometimes ... the beach is still popular ... bake and shark still win, and life in the tropics is .... well .... the tropics ...
I love Trinidad ... but I think I am beginning to appreciate Norway more and more for what it is ... and the change it brings into my life ...
Whey yuh say? Change ... is ... good ...
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