I like new friends!

So... Thanks for reading the blog! ("welcome back!!" to those that are in the 55 strong, "what took so long?" if this is your first journey).

Since my initial post, I've been flooded with questions.  Though, I guess, the biggest question is what my day-to-day life is like.

I'm not going to lie, I definitely thought I'd stick out on my daily life here, but Oslo has proven to be diverse, and not in the way I originally thought.  So... does that mean its a utopia?  Not quite.  In fact, oddly, it has almost as confusing a grasp on the race relation puzzle as America.  Though, for radically different reasons.

Clearly, America has the whole "260 years of enslavement and another 100 years of second class citizenry of blacks, plus the genocide of an indigenous people, plus the accepted racism against various immigrants" going for it.  Norway, on the other hand, has an extremely apologetic population trying to accommodate people they never really wronged (I suppose one could say the same for most present day white's in America, though, the difference being that present day whites in America, to varying degree, have benefited from the past.  Norway never had a past to benefit from or make amends about).

All pretty confusing, right?

Anyway, like with most european countries, the general population is welcoming, especially towards Americans.  Though, a willingness to try to assimilate is always welcomed and, generally, the only hand wringing I've seen have been in relation to the more extreme forms of Islam.  Though, that's more of a western world, as a whole, problem.  Additionally, Norwegian culture is quite distrusting of strangers, except when they get drunk.

That being said... I'm meeting a lot of new people and having fun over here (I'd say that 2 out of 10 people smile and nod at me, that number jumps to 8-9 when they hear me speaking english... they'll either tell me about some thrilling, American vacation or some insight they have in to American politics.)

All in all, things are good... (as opposed to being bad... meaning bad, not bad meaning good)

Rap lyric I'd incorporate into a song if I were a rapper:
Beer cost almost ten bucks a piece, I still spill more/ Spring must be coming, Sun don't set until four!

1 month in...

So... After three failed attempts at blogging (in a twist of irony, I may resurrect armchair all-americans while abroad), here we go again.  At first, I didn't want to do it, but, as I've come to realize, its the best way to keep everyone up to date on my travails without having to tell the same anecdotes in a million emails (I wish I knew how to do footnotes... but seriously, a piece of you dies each time you have to recycle the same half-funny joke).

That being said.  Short recap for those of you who don't know me or why I'm writing a blog.

I am an American who relocated to Oslo, Norway hence the semi-funny title (it'll get better, I promise... money-back guarantee)

That was really easy.

So.... How has the first month gone? (footnote 2: photo albums are on my Facebook)

Great.  I spent Christmas in the cozy, hometown of my girlfriend on the west coast of Norway. Enjoyed some new food :| and some really great food!.  Along with doing a lot of the traditional, Norwegian customs... oh, and I also got to experience aquavit.

Next, was New Years.  A simple plane, train, and car ride took us up to the middle of the country, amidst bustling metropolises with welcoming names.  Here, we drank more aquavit and I got to try Tuborg, which has become my second favorite beer here behind, Ringnes.  Oh, my girlfriend also built the best ice couch ever and our champagne froze in our glasses.  Minus 10 Celsius + ain't no joke.

Since then, its been a fun array of going to Norwegian language class and getting to know the city.  I went cross country skiing and didn't do too bad (those pictures should be up on Facebook soon).

So yeah... that's pretty much it.  I'm going to try to update this weekly or whenever something happens.  I hope you guys have enjoyed it and just comment or message me any questions.


Rap lyric I'd incorporate into a song if I were a rapper:
The path less chosen, chose me instead, though/ Now I'm an expat like Drew Bledsoe