Knock Knock Is Anybody Home?

Yikes! The blogging has slowed down to a crawl again. Somehow, life got in the way without me noticing that anything different was going on. Maybe, I’m just spending a whole lot more time gazing out of the big windows in the new apartment. I did have some projects to complete for school but still….I’m starting to get pretty big gaps between entries.

I should mention, before I forget, that John got in on a cancellation and was able to take his driver’s test. He passed!! Thank heaven. I wasn’t looking forward to taking the bus to buy groceries every week. It would also have sucked if he didn’t have his license when Carolyn was here, and she comes in a week and a half.

I’ve been tracking our shipment and it’s slowly making its way up the Atlantic coast of Spain. The weather here has been amazing the past couple of weeks, so on weekends we’ve been doing more exploring. Easter Sunday we drove up into the mountains that surround us here in Stavanger and discovered that people were still skiing even though the temperatures in Stavanger itself were closing in on 20 degrees. I took a bunch of pics on the weekend but will have to upload them later….really busy with ‘stuff’ (and started to watch Breaking Bad….).

Here Comes Peter Cottontail....

The run on the grocery stores is underway! Norway is about to shut down for the Easter Holidays. It’s only Wednesday but John has a half-day at work today and he doesn’t have to be back in the office until next Tuesday. The shops and the offices are closing up, and even though there are some business hours on Saturday, we’ve been told it’s best to stay home and avoid the crowds. I find that the only time the Coop at Kvadrat Mall is busy seems to be Saturdays, but last night John and I decided to stock up for the week-long hiatus and when we got to the mall it was packed!

I think half of the people were in Coop and those people were being very un-Norwegian and filling their carts to the brim. They were even buying pop! I rarely see Norwegians buy pop, but people were passing me with 4 packs of 2 liter bottles. Seems like there will be a lot of loose living over the next several days. The shoppers also had several liters of milk and juice, bread, packages of sliced meats, cheese, and candy. Lots of candy. Instead of filling Easter baskets, Norwegians fill these adorable hollow cardboard eggs. The eggs are decorated most often with chicks (I think chicks predominate the bunnies here) and some rabbits…they come apart along the long edge and you can fill them with loose candies.

Bins of loose candies have popped up in most of the stores, and people scoop and bag their own. No one seems to care that the bins of candy are open at the top and little kids have been sticking their hands in the bins for the past couple of weeks. No one seems to care at all….probably because all the fresh air around here promotes healthy immune systems. People don’t seem to be all that ‘germophobic’ in general.

I am praying for nice sunny weather for the next few days…dying to get out and take some more pictures….do more exploring. Last weekend it was sunny one minute and pouring buckets of rain the next. On Sunday, we’d had enough of being inside and ventured out to try to find the ski hills south of where we live, in Sandnes. The first half hour of the drive was great but then I caused a deviation from the plan….I spied a yarn outlet store…just sitting there out in the middle of nowhere in particular. There were tons of cars there, so it had to be worth seeing. I mean…these people had obviously driven out to the middle of nowhere to buy yarn for some reason. I started to remember what it felt like to hold a pair of knitting needles in my hands. It’s been years but those addictions never truly go away. I was envisioning projects before I had my seatbelt off.

What we had found was the factory outlet of the Gjestdal Yarn Company. Now I know why I’ve been seeing so many alpacas in my travels along the back roads around here! The yarn shop is housed in a log building with open wooden beams. One side of the building was dedicated to selling yarn, and the other was a good-sized cafe, and shop for selling Norwegian wool products. We didn’t take the time for a coffee and a sandwich, but I checked out the things they were selling and made a few mental notes for Christmas gifts. I also couldn’t wait to get home and call Mom to tell her what we’d found. I was certain she was going to tell me to go back and buy her $50 worth of baby yarn (and sure enough, she did just that).

I actually didn’t think the prices were too bad for good wool. I know the little yarn specialty shop in Halifax is very pricey, and there aren’t many places there that sell wool (or I should say material you can knit with….since Michael’s offerings are mostly acrylic). And it was kind of cool knowing it was all locally produced. A couple of weeks ago, as we were trekking out in the Norwegian boonies we noticed that it must have been shearing time; there wasn’t a fluffy coated sheep to be seen. Every one of them was sporting a slimmed-down, close-cropped silhouette. Those former fluffy coats were being carded, spun, and dyed into dozens of beautiful colors! Right where you could sit and get a latte, too!

I didn’t take any pictures of the place because we walked outside to a huge downpour, and we just dashed to the car as fast as we could to get out of the rain. We decided to head home and postpone the trip up to the ski hills until Easter weekend. It should be an interesting ride the rest of the way….there are some dandy cliffs overhanging the part of the road we did pass on our way to Gjestdal. Which explained why there was a sign at the beginning of the road saying it was open. I thought maybe it was for avalanches but I definitely think it had more to do with rock falls. My mother would freak if we drove her by one of those cliffs because it really looks like the side of the mountain is about to come down on your head. I will have to get out and get some pictures next time.

The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I’ve figured out what wool I want to buy and we’ll be heading out probably on Friday. I checked online and the ski hills are about 2 hours into the mountains. Glad I checked on that or I would have made John turn back after about an hour or so of not finding them. Last weekend we didn’t even know if we were on the right road (but we were)….We REALLY have to stop at the gas station and buy a map! GPS can get you home but it’s nice to know where you’ve been…or just exactly where you are for that matter.

Glorious Sunshine!

Just completed my first week above ground. Seems like I was in that hole in the ground forever! I’m adjusting very nicely to the dizzying heights of the 5th floor, and walls made mostly of glass. Making things even more special, the weather cooperated and delivered week-long sunshine.

John and I have made multiple trips to IKEA to get more things (will it ever end?) and will be making the trek to the big-blue-box one more time tonight to return a lamp, and buy the bedding needed for the guest room bed. Wait until the first guest sees how tiny the room is! It really was meant for nothing bigger than a twin bed, but that didn’t seem too practical so we squeezed in a double. It fits….like a shoe should….with just enough room to turn around while getting dressed. Luckily it also holds a night table and a small wardrobe. Anyway, tonight we’ll go get some sheets and a duvet set for it. Carolyn will be our first visitor and she’s coming in 3 weeks! John and I are making plans of things to do while she’s here, and I’m hoping (as much as I want my things to arrive) that the shipment doesn’t land on our doorstep while she’s here.

Moving Weekend

We got our keys to the new place yesterday. We met the owners who seem very nice and really interested in us having a good experience. They built this huge black binder and filled it with every conceivable piece of paper and appliance manual that relates to the apartment you can think of....such a blessing! Nothing is as unwelcoming as a European washer/dryer combo without a manual. These folks went the extra mile and downloaded English versions for us and clipped them into the binder. We spent an over an hour in the apartment going over everything from how to shut off the water to how to properly care for the floors.

While we were there the IKEA delivery boys showed up with our order from the other night. We dropped by there on Tuesday night and bought 2 new beds, a dining room set, 2 end tables, and a nightstand. We had been there last week and bought some of the smaller things we're going to need to tide us over until the BIG SHIPMENT arrives from Baku....little important things like a sheet, some pillows, dishes, and a bathmat. When all of our household goods end up in one country, we are going to have one hell of a yard sale!  Maybe when this batch arrives, I can go through it and donate some stuff. I'm sure I don't need all of it.

Whenever we go back to Houston we always drop by storage to see what we don't want anymore, and take a couple of carloads to Goodwill. Last January we were really tough on ourselves and actually cleaned out one whole storage locker (we had two)....we gave away a ton of stuff to the folks that worked at the storage place (a small thank you for saving us from "Storage Wars Texas"!!...I'll elaborate later). Many carloads went to charity. I try not to think about those 3 gorgeous patterned rain coats I had for 12 years and never-wore-because-they-never-fit-me; but dang! I know someday I'm going to miss them.

Tonight we have to pick up the TV we bought, buy a microwave, and we probably should stop by IKEA again to get a handcart or two. We have one (in the shipment) but we have a lot of heavy stuff to take out of the parking garage and up to the 5th floor. L.S. is the only real lifter and toter....I'm pretty useless when it comes to the manual labor thing....

In more good news, the BIG SHIPMENT has left Baku! It cleared customs and was sent out on March 18th bound for the port of Poti in Georgia.....that's Georgia the country, not Georgia the state (something my mother asked me and she's not even American!) From there it's bound for Istanbul, then Bremen, Germany....and from there to Stavanger. It will change ships in every port. The estimated time of arrival according to the movers is April 26th. However, they gave me the tracking info for our container and the ship it's on; and as of yesterday the ship was still in Poti. It was supposed to be arriving in Istanbul today, so it's behind schedule right now. The second ship isn't due to leave port until April 3rd, so I guess there is still time for it to catch up.

I'm following its progress on the 'Michel A' in real-time (weird, I know!)
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/271001050/vessel:MICHEL_A

House Hunting - Part Deux

I said that house hunting was my favorite part of moving, didn’t I? Lucky me! I get to do it all over again without the hassle of having to fly somewhere new to actually do it. I think I also said do-overs can be great…so with that in mind, I made a short list of apartments this morning that L.S. and I can go look at this week. Three of the apartments are almost identical being furnished units on the top floor of a brand new building in downtown Sandnes. That will be close to work for the breadwinner and the top floor means there is a nice view of the fjord for me. The only thing I am not too crazy about….it looks like from the pictures that the nice large terrace is shared by all three units. Cosy….I wonder if the Norwegians are topless sunbathers, like the Danes are.

Appointment all set with an agent who can show it to us at 2PM tomorrow. We have competition, someone is coming to see it at 3…but there are 3 apartments. I hope 78 sq. meters is big enough because the location seems to be pretty good with a supermarket right across the street. Three blocks down the street turns into the pedestrian mall in downtown Sandnes which is great for me, and the train station is only a few minutes walk. I didn’t bother to call anyone else on my list because if this one works out, I’m done.

The agent asked me how long we expected to be here and I told her 3 to 5 years (based on the latest intel), which will hopefully play to our favor. We might need some help since L.S. wants to work out some deal whereby we get to use their furniture until ours arrives (in my dreams). He must have sensed I was plotting a trip back to Canada. I wonder if he’ll accept that we desperately need Miracle Whip and Shake ‘n Bake….oh! I forgot his suit and sport jackets, didn’t I? Those are important! I must go back for them!

To Drive Or Not To Drive

Here is our cute little Volkswagon Polo.

In North America, it would be called a Rabbit. I think it’s considered ‘smallish’ no matter where ever you go. John leased it for the year; it comes with 2 sets of tires, full insurance, and maintenance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with an automatic transmission. That means John will be the sole driver since there’s a lot of years between me and my last stick. I guess there’s been the same number of years between John and his last stick, but he’s not allowed t0 express any fear or apprehension with regard to driving. One of us has to man up.

I might (and I mean that in the smallest possible sense) have considered driving the stick shift in Norway except for two things: Stavanger is hilly…mountain goat worthy in some places, and the cost of getting a driver’s license is insane! I don’t want to drive badly enough to go through all the hassle and expense. The public transportation here is safe, frequent, and the coverage is excellent. You can’t spit but hit a bus stop.

John is about to start the process of changing his license over to a Norwegian one. We checked into the process a while ago, and even though this is not to be taken as gospel re: the rules and regulations….my interpretation of them goes something like this….

People from the EU and one or two other countries can do a straight exchange of driver’s license without any testing. People on a short list of countries such as Canada and the U.S. can exchange their licenses, but have to do a road test. Everyone else has to complete a Norwegian driver’s training course, just as if you were a brand new driver starting out in Norway. “Trafikkskoler”….driving schools are everywhere! It’s a very big business because you can’t take your teenagers down to Motor Vehicle to get a learner’s and then teaching him or her how to drive. Before they can get in a car, they have to take 4 days of classes on rules of the road, emergency situations, and first aid/CPR. Everyone has to attend ‘trafikkskole’. John says it costs about $10,000 to get licensed for the first time, from scratch. I really think they want to keep people taking the bus as long as possible. They must have financing plans.

John has a Canadian license so he is able to do an exchange with a road test only…if he flunks the road test, it’s my understanding that he gets busted back to the full meal deal…..classroom and a minimum number of hours behind the wheel with an instructor. He can drive on his Canadian license for 3 months in Norway. He has up to a year in which to make the exchange of turning in the Canadian license for a Norwegian one, after that he loses the privilege of skipping the theory tests and avoiding the driver ed classes. He was a bit confused by that at first, he thought since he had a one year grace period for the exchange, that meant he could drive….but he can’t…his Canadian license is not valid in Norway 3 months from the date he entered the country.

The driving schools set up the appointment with the police for the driving test. John finally called one…he’s got one month to go until he’s hoofin’ it to the bus stop. He found out that the soonest appointment for a driving test was in mid-May, but an extension is possible. (We hope!) He got some information about costs. He’ll get a 90 minute lesson in a dual control car with an instructor and the use of a dual control car for his test (a requirement here). The school will book him and take him to his appointment at the police station. It will cost about $2000! And he didn’t think to get that added to his contract prior to signing. Hopefully, his employer will reimburse it.

They definitely won’t reimburse mine so I’m going to forgo the switch. I can take the bus where I want to go (or walk), and save my $2000 for many pairs of nice comfy shoes. I can picture me attempting the exchange, and the road test, not passing….thereby wasting my $2000, and then being in the position of having to shell out 5 times that amount in order finally get a license….by which time we’ll probably be moving! I’m a bit of a gambler but still! John says I could take the test in an automatic vehicle, but over here that means I am not allowed to drive a stick….so, there just isn’t any point.

At least I won’t have to worry about constantly looking to my right as I drive.

Section 7 Rule # 2 from the Norwegian Rules of the Road….“Drivers have an obligation to give way to vehicles approaching from the right.” If the road you are traveling on doesn’t have a golden diamond symbol along it, then there are no yield or stop signs where smaller roads are intersecting it. Essentially, people entering the roadway from your right are not going to stop and look to see if anyone is coming before they enter the road. They’re just going to breeze on through, and it’s up to you to watch for them, spot them, and then yield as they turn onto the road. It’s freaky! John is getting used to it, but I’m still gasping half the time. I think it’s the dumbest rule ever, but maybe it’s designed to slow people down…and it works for that. You can’t go humming along at the speed limit without paying attention to what’s happening around you. The rest of the rules are here.

None of the above sounds like any fun. I can’t honestly say I feel any loss of independence not being able to drive….odd since it used to kind of upset me not to have a car in the driveway. And there are alternatives....

***John dropped by the motor vehicle office on Monday and turned in his Canadian license for a temporary Norwegian one. He has 3 months to complete his preparation and get a full Norwegian license. The process has begun!!***

05Mar 2014

Hiccups And Frustrations - Six Weeks In

Just when everything seemed to be under control…..

Our furniture hasn’t moved. John finally made contact with his old employer, who is supposed to be paying the bill and they came to an agreement….of sorts. John is proposing to handle the destination charges at this end, and that the old employer will handle the shipping and the Baku storage charges at his end. Initially we were supposed to pay the storage, and the other guy the destination fees, but the other guy thought the destination fees were too high. If he agrees he will save about $2000 that we will cover just to get this ball rolling.

We spoke to the movers in Baku, and depending on the availability of a 20 foot container…and the schedule of a container ship with space. It could take between 40 to 60 days for our things to arrive once the movers receive a P.O. from the old employer. He hasn’t sent them one yet. I’m afraid the Easter bunny will be here before that happens. We have to be out of here on March 30th as this place has been rented. So, in a month we have nowhere to go. John might be able to bunk in the other staff apartment if both bedrooms aren’t occupied, but I can’t see myself going there…no way! I’ve been checking plane fares on Expedia. I might just slip on back to Canada to await the arrival of our container if it’s not here….well…there is no “if”; I can do simple math as well as the next person. It’s not going to make it.

Wait!….to top it all off…John just sent me a Skype message that says the owners of the townhouse  we rented are going to sell it, for financial reasons, and are breaking the lease. I guess “no house” goes with “no furniture”….

This weekend we’ll have to start looking again, and it might be best if we looked at furnished places only so what ends up happening with our furniture won’t matter. But, it does matter! John also said that instead of 6 months to a year, his boss thinks we’ll be in Stavanger for 3 to 5 years! We aren’t really sure we want to stay that long, but if it’s a possibility I’ll want to get my own things and use them. If we store this lot, that will mean both my previous life, and my current one, are waiting for me in climate controlled storage….and will be for a long time to come. Where did I sign up for a total renovation?

In other news, John was contacted last week by a recruiter about job that would give him the option to live in Dubai or Houston. We’ve lived in both places and liked them both….he told him to go ahead and pursue it…sometimes “do-overs” are as good as, or better than, fresh starts. These odd coincidences are beginning to pile up….hmmm.

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Just turned on my new favorite TV show…Masterchef Australia…and they’ve taken them off to Dubai for a week….AND they’ve shown our old apartment on the Palm Jumeirah about 5 times in the first ten minutes of the show. Seriously, weird….