Snapshots from this past week...

What is better than writing something in our blog, instead of working? I’m quite bored with writing about Christian nurturing among the Sami.

(Bachelor's party) (Early morning in Oslo) (Karl Johan street late night)

So here is what happened the last week:

• Thursday: Don’t remember (well, who can blame me. I turned thirty a couple of years ago).

• Friday: Don’t remember.

• Saturday: We joined in with a number of people and had a bachelor’s party for a friend who’s getting married. We did some shooting (Jan got a diploma!), went bowling (kind of boring) and ate a nice Mexican meal.

• Sunday: I stayed home, proofreading a chapter of my research report and travelled to Oslo. Jan went to church.

• Monday: Work. Bought Jan a book on Islam (he kind of needs that). I met Johannes in the evening. I’m not sure what Jan was up to, all I know is that he went to bed early (probably around 20:00) since I was not there.

• Tuesday: More work, stressful work. In the afternoon I returned to Copenhagen because I had my Danish language course. Jan goes to night school to improve his managing techniques, so he went to some classes at the Danish School of Education.

Back to work (kind of) ...

Snow...eeeew or yay?

After work, I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, I realized that there was something unusual going on outside. It was snowing! Usually I don't like the snow, mostly because it makes it so difficult to get around when you are biking. But since this winter has been unusually mild with only two insignificant incidences of snow and less than a week with temps below zero (32 for you Americans), it felt almost good to finally see a little bit of winter. Even if it is spring according to the calendar.

Magic Monday..?

The Bangles have a song called "Manic Monday", and I tend to think it is an accurate description of most Mondays. Monday means returning to work; being tired; weekday food is boring; too many days until Friday; etc. Mondays generally suck, if you ask me.

But every rule has an exception, and today (a Monday) was one. The last couple of days I've been sitting at the Norwegian Church Abroad here in Copenhagen and doing some work. Since they are closed on Mondays (you see!) I decided to work from the so-called Black Diamond, the Royal Library (www.ku.dk). It's next to the Opera House the face of modern Copenhagen. But it was not the building itself (although really cool) that turned my day from a manic Monday to a magic Monday, it was the view from the cafeteria. The sun bathed the canal and city with it's warming rays.
Although Jan keeps insisting that it's really cold outside, I think spring is coming. And spring is actually divine. It is a witness to God's creative presence in his creation. I only had my mobile phone with me, and the camera is not the best, but I just wanted to share with you that today was a magic monday - cause spring is coming.

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I should also mention something: I'm going to post a blog later on with Jan wearing his new track suit. Yep, we went shopping on Saturday. I can't post a picture of him yet, because he wants to wash it first. But soon ...

Seriously!!

After enjoying a delicious meal (thanks, JA!) and watching the news, I felt the urge to do something healthy. So I put on my jogging shoes and - more importantly - my track suit which has served me well for .... um... 15 years? Maybe 20? John-Arne looked up from his computer and his only comment was, "You need a new track suit. Seriously!!". He looked at me as if I was a character from FAME or some other 80s show, way back when purple and green in strange patterns was absolutely fine. Oh well, it was dark outside so very few people actually noticed my attire, I guess. But on Saturday we will go shopping, and JA promised to buy me a new track suit. Cause I need it. Seriously.

Jesus again

Today I happened to stumble across a blog which made me laugh, it kind of reminds me of some lectures at my Alma mater...

Check it out:
When asked...

Latest trips in Scandinavia

Lately we haven't written that much, but I prefer to write something when it happens. You see, my imagination is not very creative ... but fortunatly things have been happening the last couple of weeks.

Work in the northern part of Norway

Recently I've been travelling a bit in Norway. A couple of weeks ago I travelled far north to the northern part of Norway. First I went to Finnmark (to the core areas of Sápmi - the land of the Sami). After that I spent a couple of days in Oslo working. Then I travelled north again to Troms, to my home town Finnsnes to visit my grandparents. I then travelled to Oslo, stayed over night and went for one more trip north. This time only for a day-trip, to Nordland and the third largest city in the northern part of Norway, Mo i Rana. Why all this travelling? It's for a research project (an evaluation) that I completing for my job. Why not travel between the places (and not back and forth to Oslo)? Well, the distances are to great to travel by car - and it's way cheaper flying back and forth to Oslo. After returning from Mo i Rana, I stayed overnight, but the next day I headed home to Copenhagen. Bliss.

Sun over Sápmi (the "vidda")-------- The Church in Kautokeino -----------Hotel floor i Karasjok (sami art?)

My grandma, Kristine, and my granddad, Arvid.

Leisure time in Oslo
You should imagine I'd be fed up travelling, but alas no. Jan and I had some unused tickeds to Oslo, and (un-)fortunatly we happened to book them the weekend after I got back from my escapades to the north. Talk about stamina ... We travelled late on Friday and stayed over with Karen and Johannes. On Saturday we had a great brunch and headed off quite late. I had to drop by my work, and after that we went to an art exhibition. It was called "Ghost in the Machine", but must say that I didn't care much for it. The most interesting piece was one with Michael Jackson (urk). In the evening we went to an Italian restaurant, and Jan ate wild boar for the first time. I had a pizza, it tasted nice, but compared to Jan's meal it was boring.

On Sunday we ate brunch again, fulfilling as ever, but didn't go to church. We headed of to Maria and Martin, and Jan got to see their little son William for the first time. Martins mom, Liv, was also there. I forgot to take a picture for the blog, but sometimes I'm not present. But we had a great time, and Martin served us a curry with sweet potatoes. Something new every day you might say ... In the evening we caught our flight back home, and we were tired. Looking worn, you might say.

Karen and Johannes -----------------Jan at Gardermoen airport

(an unwillingly picture ...)

Hvilken teolog er jeg mest enig med...

Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Anselm Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?' Anselm 87% John Calvin 73% Martin Luther 67% Charles Finney 60% Augustine 60% Karl Barth 47% Jürgen Moltmann 47% Friedrich Schleiermacher 40% Paul Tillich 13% Jonathan Edwards 7%