the spy in the rowing boat: November 2006

Why Communism is No good

One of the great features of communism is protection. Which, in general, is a good thing, right?! I mean, protection gives you safety. Father state is doing everything to make your life as easy and uncomplicated as possible, in order to prevent you from the confusion, pain, consequences and not to forget the immense time consumption that variety of choice might bring you. Thus, we limit choice, prohibit variety, and the little citizens have a great and easy life because father state is taking those complicated choices for us. How nice.

Once again, I was standing in sheer frustration in front of the shelf for flu medicin in a norwegian pharmacy. In order to cure my sore throat, starting angina and preventing me from getting sicker, I had the fantastic choice between "Halspastiller", which have the great effect of making your throat a little less sore while sucking them, and Paracetamol. Oh, I forgot Aspirin. Yes, Halspastiller, Paracetamol and Aspirin. Where was the strong anti-flu medicin? This super-power cocktail mix of high quantities of Paracetamol, Vitamins, Coffein and alcohol - which knocks you out for the night but makes you feel fresh again after one or two days?! Where is my Grippostad, Finrexin or Wick MediNite?!?!?! Where is my choice? Yes, I know, father Norway decided for me that it is far less dangerous to lie in bed for two weeks, only taking on Aspirin each day, than to sink in the delirium of an intoxicating mix of high doses of vitamin, alcoholy and painkillers... Do I really have to mix that shit myself now? Bad enough that at this time of day, Vinmonopolet (the only place where you can get high percentage alcohol, though you have to be a millionaire to buy rum over 40%) is closed already. Where are the gas stations that sell alc 24/7?!?! I want variety. I f... want to take the damn choice myself, whether I want to poison my body with a medicin cocktail or not. I want pharmacies like in Mexico, where they sell you everything even without "usage description", where they sell you vitamin ampulles that make your heart race like Speedy Gonzalez...
Ok, at least give me a normal European country, where it at least is possible to buy Wick MediNite...

I want a French Yogurt shelf which has the size of a whole Norwegian supermarket. I want German gas stations that sell alcohol 24/7, ...

I want a great life, with zero downside - and zero someoneelseistakingchoicesforme!

I want FREEDOM OF CHOICE!!!!!!!

Damnit. No I'm gonna mix the tax-free rum I bought and some aspirin and some vitamins and then I will fall into a big drosy high, drift of dreaming - and rail a tiny bit more against the Norwegian state... ;-)

Oh, and I should remember telling my parents to send me a medication care package.

The event of the year

Already on Saturday, supporters from a small but well-known city in the southeast of Norway, and from an even smaller city even farther south (but unfortunately on the wrong side of the Oslofjord) took off to an adventurous journey into the capital, where the had rented a concert hall to celebrate and prepare for the big event that was yet to come the next day. Amazing. If you hadn't known better, you'd have thought the World Cup had come to Norway (only, why would the World Cup be in such a small country as Norway, where clearly the English team would not have been able to perform due to the extraordinarily tough weather conditions where they either would be disadvantaged due to a limited ability to move when playing in skiing overalls or disadvantaged due to a limited ability to move because of feet freezing to the ground). Anyway, we're getting a bit off track here. I never saw so many people all dressed in the same colours - red and white (or blue and white for the loser team) except for the World Cup in Germany. This, however, was not the World Cup, "only" the Norwegian Cup. Clearly, the Norwegian Cup is a very significant event in this country. As a secret observer from one of the big football nations, i had to admit I was impressed by the level of "spielerische Finesse" that I was shown on this special day. (Why was it again that Norway didn't participate in the World Cup?!?!?!) Though I felt even greater respect for the Fans, who, despite the extraordinarily cold weather (barely above 0 degrees and clearly no English supporters here) supported their teams with "unermuedlichem Gesang aeh, Gegroehle", Flag-waving, holding up scarves, and boo shouts to the other team.
Fortunately, the right team won and my in the beginning very nervous Norwegian boyfriend never stopped smiling for the rest of the day.
Congratulations Fredrikstad and thank you for letting me be part of this special day :-)
(And we had such perfect seats, almost right on the filed...!)

And a very happy special Fredrikstad supporter:

KARNEVAL IN OSLO

Saturday night, a multicultural group of Latinoamericanos and -americanas, Lithuanians, Russians, Germans and even some Norwegians celebrated the beginning of the Carneval season.
I was really impressed by people's creativity and the fantastic costumes, some people were even not recognizable:

A mysterious murder called for the help of two superheros:

And the guest could keep on enjoying the party!

And this is what happens when you put a dangerous weapon in the hands of a woman...

Much safer to leave it in the hands of someone who knows how to handle it and who clearly did not have too much alcohol intake yet!

I did it again

But no "oops", hehe.
And nothing dangerous either ;-) I'm talking about climbing, which I finally have managed to do again! Sarah, I really missed our climbing hours, and of course going climbing now with my colleagues from work is not a real substitute, but it is great fun anyway. And I can feel my arms growing hard again...
Today, unfortunately, I have a really bad "Muskelkater" and my arms still hurt a lot :-( Anyway, next week it's climbing time again :-)