Watching the glass walls of the building vibrate like a wave until in their stillness they exploded.  The first plane hit.  Touching the partially burned scraps of office documents which were scattered across the pavement like a patchy carpet felt like touching any other paper.  We went to find a safe place.  My Birkenstock clad feet supporting my body as I walked and ran through the streets for hours.

The sounds of people; many crying.  One used a stick on a fence; that burst of machine gun-like sound intentionally playing on the frayed nerves of those within earshot.  A fishmonger went about his business as if two massive buildings were not burning in his direct line of sight.

I know the taste of the drink that I had at 12:30PM upon finally finding an open business and can feel how it burned slightly when it was going down.  The smell of a clean yet beer soaked bar.  Images of the morning’s carnage looped on the TV as I listened to a busy signal while trying to get in touch with my parents to let them know I was alive.

The vividness of the memory is intense even when it is visited as a calm observer.

I am grateful to be alive and for 8 years ago because I am a better person for having intimately experienced 9/11/01.

Reality has struck. 

I enjoyed my long walk around the city.  By the afternoon I wasn’t really feeling my initial plan of staying at a hostel.   Sharing space with strangers can be interesting and entertaining for sure, and hostels are great.  I just didn’t want to wake up at 5AM or earlier to shower and catch a train into the city.  My boarding time is 6:46AM, you see.  I would rather be in the airport and know that the morning noises will wake me up eventually as well as the alarm that I am setting. 

Some thoughts about how to spend the night…
- walk the terminal to get some exercise and tire myself out a little
- read the second book in the Twilight series ‘New Moon’
- find one of those great lounge chairs that the airport has and crash for a few hours
- stay up all night in efforts to get myself  back on East Coast time

I should have known the bike ride was doomed when the back wheel began to squeak rhythmically while in motion.  Maybe the tip off could have come from the loose steering, the drunken appearance of which had the bike moving in anything but a straight line.

Another glaring sign that I should have walked may have been when my skirt flew up all the way up when I reached the first busy intersection.  Rather than cause an accident and perhaps getting in trouble for indecent exposure or being lewd in public, I decided to go back to the hotel and change into pants.

That’s probably when I should have decided to walk around town instead of biking.  But I didn’t.

I got back on the bike and headed to the Palm Beach.
Up an enormous hill.
With the wind pushing me back down.
Funny thing, biking back into town felt like I was still going uphill…  Maybe it was just the heavy rain that hit while I was at the beach that made it feel that way.

My citybike is now retired to the front of the hotel where it lives and I will be walking the rest of the time with the umbrella I bought to replace my lost raincoat.

So to conclude, please keep in mind any one of the following might be reasons to avoid going for a bike ride on any given day.  Simultaneous occurrence of all results in a definite suggestion from me to walk.

1.Wheel covers that act as brakes and/or sails
2. A squeaky wheel
3. Inability to steer
4. Inability to remain clothed while riding
5. Wind fighting you the entire time
6. When it is uphill in both directions
7. Ominous clouds in the distance

I found out the the reason for the cops was because this particular match-up had a history of fights.  Part of the tension comes from both teams being at the bottom of their league.  This was a VERY important game for both of them.  The winner would have a better chance of staying in the league.  In Sweden, the team at the bottom drops down to the next lowest league based on performance.  Also Göteborg is know as the second city in Sweden to Stockholm…

Goalie down! and the crowd chants 'You're sexy in pink!' to show their support

Göteborg has four football teams at this particular level.  Gais is currently ranked lowest, but I can attest has some passionate fans.  The stand roared with coached cheers, chants, and song even before the team came onto the field.  I am not sure that that passion let up for more than a few moments at any time during the 94 minute game.

The game started and I hadn’t found the people I came with so I found a spot to stand in the bleachers and watched the game, chatting with the woman next to me.  Goal! Gais scored first in the game.

I took a break just before halftime and when I came back found my standing place taken.  So I had to move on to find a new one.  Still no sign of my new friends.  I found a spot at the very top row, got to talking with the people around me and got a great education about the details of the rivalry between these two teams and Swedish soccer details.  The other team scored.  Boo!

Finally, just before the end of the game I ran into the women I had come with.  The game ended tied 1-1.  But I ended the night with new friends and having had a great experience.

Think of local like a bulls eye.  You and your home is the center.  You only go outside of each ring if necessary.  There are varying sizes of the ring, but once you reach 100 miles away from home you are outside of local.  Why 100 miles? Well the people of the 100 mile diet used that number and their argument sounds reasonable.

When buying locally the things I need, the first consideration is what is best for the environment (non-toxic, low footprint, little packaging) and and second how close can I get to home?  I’m not talking about close to home as in a store in your town.  I am referring to one that is locally owned and independent.  Businesses such as large retail stores, restaurants and hotel chains are typically not local.

Local ownership results in 68% of the money spent returning to the community compared with 43% spent at a non-locally owned store.  For the Andersonville study- where I got those numbers- click here.  But enough about that: there will be more information on why buying local is important in another post or you can check some information out now at Pioneer Valley Local First.

Just remember that while in many ways the definition of the term is based on personal decision there are some things that according to the dictionary, local is not.

Local is not widespread or general.

Local is unique and gives you a taste of an area’s culture that you can’t get everywhere.

I had little trouble finding my hotel and getting checked in although the pouring rain made me walk in to front door looking like I had taken a shower in my clothing.  After I settled in I went for a walk to check out the nearby area and sniff out dinner.

I made my way down the street and noticed a something I had also seen and heard in Norway.  Football (soccer) fans pre-game.  Now while I had avoided the pub in Oslo I decided this time to go in. Why not?  The place looked like it had food, and maybe watching the game in the pub would be fun.  I might even get a chance to meet some locals.

So I walked in to the Gamle Port and squeezed my way up to the bar.  What am I thinking?  I should just go to some quiet restaurant and have a relaxing evening back at the hotel.  But, I’ve gotten this far and am not going back now.  One beer and some football and then I can move on if I still feel this way.  I was still unsure at this time about tipping.   The guidebook said not to leave a tip, but I saw other patrons doing so.  I turned and asked the guy crammed up to the bar next to me what I should leave.  Once that was taken care of I decided to go outside and get some air, the place was hot.

Outside I asked a nice woman why there were so many cops around.  She explained to me that everyone there was getting ready to go to the Gais game and that the place would be empty in 5 minutes.  We got to talking and she asked if I wanted to come to the game, which was only a few blocks from my hotel and where we were standing.

Knowing the reputation of European football fans, I figured it would be an experience if nothing else…

The lovely weather.

I have found myself very quiet on this trip.  You see, while I know that most Norwegians speak English better than some Americans, I feel uncomfortable assuming that they should speak to me in my language.  During the time I have needed to I have asked questions in English, so for the most part I have kept silent. 

I tend to be good with languages so it is frustrating to me to not be able to communicate with someone in their native language.  I can read and understand most of the signs and some of the other writing, but I haven’t learned yet how to pronounce some of the sounds.  It doesn’t help that they are different.  For example the town I mentioned in my last post Skein is pronounced Schein and the letters sch are pronounced sk. 

One or two words a day.  I’ll be able to ask for a meal by the end.

I asked him ‘Björn, if there is one thing I should make sure to see while here, what is it?’

He replied ‘The nature!’

I was admittedly surprised.  I was expecting something different.  I am not sure what, but I was not expecting that. 

I guess maybe I have more often found the answer to that question to be check out this area of the city, this restaurant, this store…  Even when visiting and area known for its outdoor beauty.

But then the guidebook backed this up by roughly saying the same thing ‘be sure to spend time outdoors.’ 

I shouldn’t be surprised.  In Oslo you are able to take the subway to nearby lakes and hiking trails in the mountains, and there are tons of parks all over the city.  There are also boats, and ferries to take you to nearby islands and less populated areas.  Sweet!

80′s music and other early American pop was playing  at Lövebakken the restaurant where I had my first dinner. 

Now I am on my second day and there is an exhibit on the 80′s in the Norwegian Folk Museum.  ‘Take on me’ was playing when I walked in.  I wandered through the interesting exhibit learning more about Norway in the 80′s.   I also got to stroll down memory lane a little since so many products, styles, and entertainment were the same in both Norway and the USA at that time.  

Getting to the back of the room there was a Michael Jackson movie playing.   I don’t know if they chose to play it because of his recent death or prior to it.  At least in American right now it feels like you can’t get away from Michael Jackson.

So here they are the two things I cannot seem to escape Michael Jackson and the 80′s.  Let’s see if it is the same in Sweden