The Wild Berry Phenomena

The Tropical islands spoil the locals into believing all sorts of crazy stuff when it comes to fruit that don't or won't grow there... like apples, grapes, pears, kiwi and berries.
Back in Trinidad, the only berry we used to get, really, were Strawberries (and they were almost always not very good).... there were no blueberries, Raspberries, blackberries.
The first time I went to a farm in Canada to pick strawberries it was such a Memory for me. I couldn't believe that I was doing it ... it seemed so .... well .. weird... normally its picked from a market stand! But there I was picking apples and strawberries. I have never forgot what that felt like.
So today I'm running up the mountain ( alone and yes I am getting fitter and I'm soooo happy about it!.) and I choose to take the long way around the mountain, since my husband and I are on a calorie burning race each week ( one that I will naturally lose if I don't do TWICE as much as he does.... literally women ... don't feel bad about the weight.... cuz I checked it! My husband and I do the SAME work out and he consistently burns Twice As much calories as I do .. even when I'm bringing all the p90X that I got! So either work out twice as much as he does or eat 1\2 as much - sorry)
Anyhoos, I'm walking in this mountain, enjoying the seriously, amazingly, beautiful scenery with marsh and planks for me to walk on over them, tracks that are tread alot, showing that Norwegians love a little nature walk, and lo and behold I come upon am oldish man bending down and picking something. Naturally I'm curious but I don't want to see overly so. I continue walking towards him and notice that he is holding a container half way filled  with blue things..... Blue berries is the only thing that popped into my mind.   But there was no tree, or shrub or vine or anything close to him .... where was he getting it from? Perhaps from above? As I passed him, I noticed the decidedly blue purple tell tale of blue berry just nestled on some ...... grass...... it was grass ok.!!!.. Blue berries grow on something so short you can squish it under your feet as you walk by!
I was astounded! The more I walked I could just see loads and loads of blueberries!! All over the floor!. I bent to pick one up and then hesitated. Suppose this was some poisonous thing that the man was picking??? I wished my hubz was with me to let me know ... then ... I smelt it... Nah it smells fine. I popped it into my mouth!.

GOOD GRIEF!! They WERE Blue Berries ... of course now, like us trinis when we see a 'free for all' mango tree, I was picking them up as I continued walking and told my self that I must bring a container for the next time!

Berries are of course full of vitamins, calcium, magnesium, foliate, potassium and even photochemical as well as flavonoids that may help to prevent some forms of cancer and prevent bladder infections. The pigments that give berries their beautiful blue and red hues are also good for your health and gathering them out in the nature is definitely good for your soul.

.  So Amazing!! .. Honestly! Berries on the ground beneath you?? Whey yuh say?

Gravol for Tunnels????

Every one knows that you get car sickness when you are being driven? ... Right? .. So how come mine comes along when I'm driving through Tunnels?.. Now, when I saw driving through tunnels.. I mean I AM the one driving.  YES I drove today! :)
Yes, boys and girls laddies and gallies .. I drove All the way home from church.  Don't I just feel like a brand new shilling! I was driving a Land Rover, so it was a bit bigger than I have ever driven (except in New Zealand when I drove an RV.) Sundays are great days to practice driving on the right side of the road - literally the right, since I'm accustomed to the left in Trinidad.  There are not as many people, no one is in a hurry .. and lucky for me it was a sunny day ... so people were like smoked bees.... calmer.

It was pretty cool that the hubby asked me if I wanted to drive when we were heading back home, since just that morning while I was having Caviar and Sliced Hardboiled eggs for my Breakfast ... (Caviar come in a tube ... how un-fancy) I was thinking that it would be nice to get to practice my driving more often.
I'm very proud of how I did, considering that I was driving a larger car, on the right hand side, and a manual car to boot. 
There was no sweating, no animals coming forth, no wild crazy thoughts... just the constant tugging in my head that I had to impress this man who is a crazy Formula 1 fan; who loves to drive fast and who, as with any sports car owner, was once embarassed when I was driving his Sports car "too slow" so that a truck passed us. hmpf!
Why then, if this day was going so beautifully well, did I start dreading the first tunnel we came upon.  I knew that as a passenger, I  close my eyes in the tunnels.  It is something about the lights and how it passes quickly and feels like a hypnotic light flashing that makes my stomach go upside down. The trick this time? I had to keep them open .. no matter what!.
Into the first one and I started to feel slightly whoosie...
Note: In Norway you are not allowed to pull over to the side of a 60+ speed zone road.  You can get a fine.  I remembered everything that I was supposed to rules wise on the road. But this rule was becoming more and more ridiculous to me.  After the 3rd tunnel I started  to will my eyes to stay open in the tunnel.
I started wondering if this was a temporary thing, or will I have to deal with this through every tunnel that I would have to drive through? Would I have to drug myself up on Gravol each time? ... Maybe some deep breathing every time I pass through a tunnel would help ... Maybe a air refreshner with citrus in it? Maybe just a beacon on top the car to shine the whole tunnel to block out the flashing lights?
Almost home. The last tunnel pretty much did me.  As we came out of it we had to curve around a feed off road.  "Um .. hon.... What happens if I have to puke?" where can I pull over?" ...
"If you want to puke tell me before you do so I'll drive"
"So does that mean I pull over into the rock?" I asked eyeing the rock right next to the road. 
This is not a road of shoulders where you can pull over and have a carib on the side of the road .. or pull out de ole Royal Oak. The road next to me stops because it has to... there is a rock that has been blasted away  to make it.  Not certain of what I mean?  yuh know when u coming from San Juan heading to Maracas? Yuh know just where the road turns right to join the Maracas Road and you go through a narrow pass of road that has rock on either side of it? ... yea ... its That close .... pretty much all the way.
No dearies ... this is the land of " yuh better keep pressing on, crash into a rock or go over a cliff."

Happily though, with one final urge from the hubby of " Its an 80 Zone!" .. I ex-ed my way to our final turn off ... swished through the narrow one lane twisty road in our neighbourhood, and confidently and gracefully cut off the car just before I park it.....  
Well if that isn't good timing ... I don't know what is! Whey yuh say?

.... What's the capital of Organisation???...

Maybe its the Fact that I've not really been oober organised in my life .. or from the fact that I can be PAINFULLY organised when I want to.. either way.. I've turned into an organisation freekazoid.  This of course has nothing to do with Norway .. only the fact that I'm playing housewife... ok not playing .. but I Am.  So I've been researching all that I can anytime something comes up that I think needs to be organised.
Take for e.g. The House.  The Laundry room is not that big but its a separate room, which is awesome in itself ... how do I organise it? Where do I put the shelves ... She heads to the Internet.
The Plastic bags ... that are growing into a huge pile ... How to I make it look neat?? How do I fold them? What do I do with them all? ... Hmm.. the best Answer so far! Japanese folding and the Tissue box!! ... Nyyysssee!!!! My mind started going all crazy on me ... So... If I can fold Plastic bags so wonderfully .. can you imagine what else I can fold nicely? ..

Hmm found one for socks. I'm on a mission now to flatten every single sock that I see ... And all of a sudden I'm getting a wicked gleam of organising evil in my eye!.  and his little Aussie accent was cute too.  Imagine tho that guys will impress the girls with that? .. Hardly likely .. maybe the neat freaks .. but other than that... which guy will take the time?
Then remember the 2 sec folding jersey thing? Well I found one that actually TAUGHT you the thing .. instead of baffling you about it! ...  Yup ... and now I was getting a little Bazodee...
I thought I had the folding bras, underwear,(Although this guy needs some help with his washing.. very funny.. LOL).
The Make up draw needs some organising .... I'll get to that soon.
Who said that we couldn't learn to be an expert housewife by reading a book? .. Well since there is no BOOK about it ..( is there?) ... I'll just keep looking on the net...

How about .. how a dishwasher works?  It helps to know what's going on inside your dishwasher so that you know HOW to load it and how NOT to load it. Of course at the time I was wondering how to load the top cutlery tray since it was not a basket but a tray.. I found my own way though... without the use of the Internet... and only some common sense. lol

How about how to organise your closet? There were waaaay too many ... and who will organise their closet by Colour anywhoos? If you do give me a holla!!!

Oh gorm .. I must be spent about an hour just looking at things to do and how to organise things and what to keep and what not to keep to help you organise things.
My favourite by far tho is the plastic bags... I've just emptied all the plastic bags I have and I'm going to triangle fold everything!
but anyhoos ... you thought this blog was just about how I'm flaying my arms in Norway didya?

Whey yuh say? I bet we do have some organisation freaks out there tho! ... Send me a holla if you are!

The Tall Poppy Syndrome of Norway

Its taking me longer and longer to write something now, since we are settling in... :( Have no fear .. .there is driving and working to come... whenever that does ... not like I'm excited for it) .... but I am still learning about Norwegians and their culture.
One thing that is aparrant is that Norway is a Tall Poppy Syndrome Culture.

Don't expect to see many fabulous houses here. Don't expect to be wowed by a car that has a really cool colour. Don't think that having something that's really cool will be popular.
If its one thing I've realised here is that people do not like to stick out.

Their houses are the same... same as it was from a long time ago. Built with Wood and with a sum total of 2 or 3 different types of roofs.. (yes that was NOT a typo). Concrete is way too expensive and so the concrete houses are usually those of the very wealthy. Don't try to do anything truly amazing with your house, Don't try to bring in the latest colour statements. There are set colours that you find in the paint shop. Anything that deviates from the norm is atrotiously expensive and takes long to get! Anything done with flair and creativity is looked at as either flaunting money, or disturbingly ugly. Hmp! Fancy that. MANY trinidadian houses would be considered to be seriously in need of a beautifying treatment. Heck even I think some of the houses in Trinidad are going way over board! What is up with flourescent houses these day?..peeeople!!... is it to be seen from the planes passing overhead? or just from heaven?

Their cars are the same colour ... you wont find a fancy colour car here often. Nope! And they are usually on advertising cars! White, my dear darling trinis.. is NOT a desired colour! I suppose it could be because of the tar and dirt or something. Silver however, is very popular. And if you were to see a lime green car... know that everyone is laughing at it ... not thinking that its cool. The same thing goes for lasers, lights in "wrong" places etc. This is all against the LAW. Yes... we do have the waywards that break it. But they don't flaunt it like Trinis do.

Although I have to admit, Trinidad perhaps has the highest number of Zooped up cars per capita. I have seen some seriously pimped out cars, especially at Car shows. Do you remember some of those cars? Trinis who still living there .. take a look the next time you out ..and trinis who have not been there in a while... Peeps it getting worse....almost every other car has something "extra"... a "bullet hole" a extra light, some seriously too big rims. In fact, you ever remember seeing a REAL ole car, mash up mash up .. but it have 17" rims on it? Looking like an obzokie monster truck?... and the spinning ones tuh boot. Madness yes. But dat is the male ego. In fact I have a cousin... who's boyfriend pimped out HER new car ... simply because ... it is possible. So I'm POSITIVE its as a direct result of the Caribbean male EGO which is in desperate need to show something of worth (this includes their women!). ..... And there I go ....straying .... tsk tsk tsk ..

Funny thing.... We went to a car shop to look at cars. One that we were looking at, the Sales guy showed us all the different options (I never bought a brand new car so I didn't know you could basically customize your car...country bookie nah!) anyhoos... they had this new thing with stickers that you could put on the car... straight from the factory ... like .. a japanese flag, butterflies etc .. sorry ... there were no bullet holes. And the poor Sales man was simply grossed out by the fact that there was one on a picture in the brochure... "What is that?... are they serious?" he was saying ... No one is into that! ... Well... be that as it may .... everyone wants to have a SERIOUS difficulty picking out your car in the car park .... that's why people try to open someone else's car .. cuz it looks the SAME .... i'm thinking of putting a bullet hole on mine .... just to see all the stares I would get... wouldn't THAT be a great way to stand out in a crowd! ..
The more different and unique something is here... the more frowns and stares you get. You see, unlike what I'm sure everyone thinks of Bergen ...eeehhhhhh .. let me more precise... of Frekhaug .. (i'll leave you to your devises to pronounce that one heh heh heh) it is still very rural, very primitive. I mean if you actually don't have stores open on a Sunday .. then its actually a little worse than Tobago .. not so? .. I mean ... who does that anymore? . Ok ... let me be a good Christian Girl and say .. PRAISE GOD that they are keeping the Sabbath Holy! .... but still .. gimme SOMETHING open nah .. oh gormm!!! ..

So that is something that I think contributes the Tall poppy Syndrome. Its not that they are not exposed. Norwegians, so far ... are the most colour blind people of the Caucasians that I've met. ... AYE! .. if any Norwegian come along and mek meh ha tuh eat meh words .. yuh go see de wrong side ah me today eh! Alllllrightiden!...but there was no slavery here... no indiginous people they had to "get rid of" so there is no ingrained animosity to another colour. In fact, it comes across as simply ignorant ... and ignorance is bliss... This is not the Bad "ignorant" this is the childlike ..they-just-didn't-know. Like I betya ... alot of them would look at me and think my hair is naturally straight and can't tell the difference between natural and naturally processed. God bless them .. dey too tweet!

I'm remembering the time when I was in Australia, and I took my landlord's dog to be dogsat by a neighbour while she was gone... and the little ole lady exclaimed when she opened her door! .."Oh My! .. you're so EXOTIC looking!" .. hmm ... it took me a little while to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing. In my mind I was thinking ... "Lady ... if you only know .. there are about 1 million of us where I come from" .. Exotic for Trinis is Hawaii, Bali, Thailand, Peru... oddly enough its never Canada, the US .. or England ... too bad ... you guys will NEVER be exotic... .. but yet again ... that is a bit of a stray .. NORWAY ... Jaemie Norway.

You won't find really amazing crazy clothes, shoes, etc. Oh GORM doh get meh started on de shoes .... Lordy have mercy pun meh!... I am craving a shoe store with some hot shoes. Everyone is so practical. Not like in New York or even London where the weather may be a little more similar. No way hosay! ... People wear the same boring shoes... closed, practical, good for the back and feet shoes. Not pretty pointy toes shoes, or strappy lappy low shoes.... Beauty is NOT painful here.... its just dumb when it comes to your feet. I'm still loving my painful new Tan boots.... I'd lick them if I could... but the rain guard thing doesn't taste so good.

I'm pretty sure that any celebrity could come to Bergen ... and walk around in complete peace. Sure you may get a few stares and ting .. but dat would be all.... Hmm . I can't wait to become a celebrity! .. Although I exhibited a little Tall Poppy Syndrome the other day. It was the last day we were in Trinidad. We were in the Airport and I was tantalizing my eyes with the new sushi kiosk. (YES!! people there is a sushi kiosk in the Airport.... I loooooveee sushiiiii.....) ... sttrrraaayyyiinggg) ..
Anyhoos, I'm standing there and there is a gentleman looking at the options... and the sushi, Kimono-clad young man behind the kiosk was just waaayy to jolly and jovial for a local service provider... Trinis yuh know I eh lying... A good sales clerk will catch your eye. The only thing is this guy was like on 1 too many coffee breaks... he was like " Hello Sir, Welcome to (i forget the sushi place name)" ... With his eyes OPEN as big as they could go and one gynormous smile... another guy came up and he turned to him and said the same thing" Good day Sir, Welcome to Sushi whatever" .. and I am no longer staring at the sushi .. now I'm staring at the boy and thinking ... is he fuh real? ..Same time the gentle man who was bending down looking at the options decides what he wants ... and requests his plates.... I'm now as close as ever .. trying to maco his take... wondering if I would dare to take already plated out Sushi (i prefer it freshly rolled) ... and the guy is like " Great option Sir... It has .. blah blah blah ...in it. ) So of course now I'm wondering ... if this guy from here? ... Doesn't he know that the service he is providing will waste on a trinidadian?? ... As the guy is packing away the gentleman's take away .. the gentleman turns to me for the first time and looks at me in the same disbelief at this young man ... Its Brian Lara... My heart jumps and I'm already so close to him (after Macoing and peering over his purchase) that in a desperate attempt to be "Cool about it" I slap him with the back of my hand on his arm .. and say " AYe MAN! .. how you going? You good??Yea???Ok!!" With a I know-you-so-long attitude. And then I'm immediately slowing trying to get away to hide my shame and embarrassment... That my friends is A Tall poppy Attitude... Unlike my mom.. who immediately gets star struck going " HUH!! that's Brian Lara .. That's Brian Lara!! . Can I get your autograph sir??? " and I'm just trying to get away to hide my sheer fortification of what I've just done ... Slapping Brian Lara like I know him ... oh lors .. why isn't the flight leaving now? .. oh yes!!! I think I hear it calling .. Come along mum...

But it will be interesting to see how much I can "Stand out" yet Fit in ... Because the last thing I want to be is someone who just melts into the place.. No way! . My calling is to be different. To dare to stand above the crowd... to be an amazing example of what the Caribbean woman can accomplish dispite all odds. This is my dream for here.... That I can be an inspirational woman no matter what my background.

Tink I would be able to stick out? Defy this Tall Poppy Syndrome? Defy all Cultural Odds? Tink I would be an example of an awesome woman of God? One who is not afraid to bless people, pull people up, show women a way when they thought there was no way?
Tink that dream can come true in a Tall Poppy Syndrome Culture? I tink so..
Whey yuh say?

Its the "Ethnic" Places that we will thrive in

Its been a while since my last post... Didja miss me?? No? . ok ..no worries ...

We found an "Afro Shop" today ... its aptly named because I suppose it caters to the needs of getting RID of an afro ...lol .Yup Ladies and Gentlemen .. boys and girls... kiddies and grannies ... I found Petroleum Jelly, Hair Relaxer product, Callallo in a tin, Pink Oil, Olive Oil, Dr. Miracle, Motions .. girl .. you name it ... and they HAD it!! it was like walking into a hairdresser's heaven... the only thing that was missing was the shower caps? ... Ok .. I forgot to actually LOOK for those.
The guy in the store, I believe he was Nigerian, thought I was from Jamaica. No offence Jamaicans, but i'm sooo tired of everyone in the world thinking that the caribbean IS Jamaica... People .. get yourself a map of the caribbean... and LEARN! We are important too.. Where u ting steelpan come from? .... Germany? Which German man in their RIGHT mind will tek up a big ole garbage barrel and say .." Hmm I cam make music with this" .. NOPE! it was Trinidad brotherzz . Is only we have nuttin to do wit we time like dat! oh yes it was!

Apparantly the Store Man saw me walk into the store had a big smile on his face and then saw my husband walk in after me ... and the smile faded.... I didn't see this. My husband told me about it after we left the shop, but its obviously not been as racially wonderful for him as it has been for me ... well I have to say ..at least so far

I say so far because, with MUCH trepidation, one little black girl will move to a predominantly white culture. Its not because we don't WANT to be here... (although warm climates are usually more our fortei - check out the history.) Maybe we stand out alot. I have to admit that walking around in Oslo there were more Black people than in Bergen. Now .. let me be clear when I say "Black" people. I have only seen ONE totally black person .... he was riding a bike in Melbourne Australia and I had to take 2 looks and then a third when he passed by because all I saw were teeth - and they were really white! And I have no idea why he WORE black too..... go figure ... so when I say "black" people its normally anything that is NOT white and don't have to go sunning to GET brown. So that included Indians, some other ethnicities that i'm not too sure about etc.

So continuing, I remember in Australia, black/brown people were soo few and far between in Sydney at least .. that they would actually nod at you when u past. There was one I remember who went out of his way to catch my eye just to say hello. You know the tourists ... they don't count .. they normally move around in drones or packs.... carrying cameras etc. and they certainly don't acknowledge you!

..... but I was on Hair stuff..

So I walk into this store and i'm in heaven!!! JUST HEAVEN! I'm walking around like a little dotish chile picking up tings and go .. "Look babe!! Motions ... This is wonderful!!" you would swear it was jewelry store with "FREE" marked on everything!

Needless to say .. it is going to be my "best friend" for my hair. I won't have to order things in from England or tote it in my suitcase next time I travel. That is a WONDERFUL thought.. especially since airlines love to take money for over weight ...

Even more exciting was Right NEXT to the store was a "Global Store" or supermarket per say. That too was wonderful ... Guess what peeps?? I found me some BAKING SODA!! I find it odd that a country that is so big up on cakes (or kake as they say it) would not have baking soda... and not only was a little bottle .. but it was a big ole bottle of it ... that is what I'm say my "global" people.... we USE baking soda... and thankfully it was not a ridiculous price... it was "normal". Actually that whole Global store was MUCH cheaper than a normal supermarket. I started asking myself if they were "underground' or something??? ...
There was Roti/paratha (most likely authentic indian so nothing to jump up and down there), Sushi things (yes we bought some because we are BIG sushi fans!), Thai things, Coconuts in the shell, different ice creams, Corn meal for our Latin folks, "Fresh" produce that looked like it was the last day on the shelf, Frozen occras, and so many things ... I must go back and go through each shelf properly!

OH! and You know how we cut up our meat right there in the place ... and bag it up in different weight bags? Well gorsh ... I miss dat!! They do it in the global market!! Yup!.. juss so!. You get so accustomed to meat being put in vacuum sealed containers with fancy labels on it that you see this and it almost looks "wrong" .. ahh .but it is not ... it is the way the "global" people do it. I think they cater for mainly asians. I'm not sure. But either way, I'm happy ... OH YES! and MILO people .. i found MILO there ... its not as wonderful as back home.. yuh know the big sugary grains that have alot of barley or malt or something in it; its a little more on the nesquik side....:( .. ah well.

So, I'm happy to say that my hair and food troubles MAY be a small thing of the past. But I won't count my chickens before they are hatched .... there is still much to explore in that little global shop....

Whey yuh say.... Callalloo in a tin from Jamaica anyone????