A song by Everlast--Today (Watch Me Shine)

(I really like this song--here are the lyrics)

Yesterday is just a dream I don't remember
Tomorrow, still a hope I've yet to endure
I'm out of time
I'm out of rhyme
I'm out of reason
Seasons change and leave me out in the cold
The story's old
The tale been told by many a scholar
Got a fistful of dollar
And pocketful of love
God above if you hear me cryin'
I've tried to sell my soul
But no one's buyin'
Lord, strike me down now if I'm lyin'
[Bronx Style Bob:] Lord strike me down
[x3]
It's gettin' cold
It's time for dyin'

[CHORUS]
Come on and watch me shine
Like the world is mine (check it out) today
Come on and watch me shine (check it out)
Like the world is mine today
Watch me shine (check it out)

Then the man was free from sin
[Bronx Style Bob:] free from sin
Cast the first stone then began the violence
[Bronx Style Bob:] began the violence
Let the man whose words ring true
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com 
Speak on up till his voice breaks through the silence
[Bronx Style Bob:] through the silence
Let the ones who lose their way
Live to see just one more day in the sunshine
[Bronx Style Bob:] La-la-la-la-la-la-laaa
Let the ones who choose to stray
Recognize the price they'll pay
In their lifetime
[Bronx Style Bob:] in their lifetime
[x2]

[CHORUS]

Sit in the way and wait for my roads to cross
You nail me down and you watch me bleed
[Bronx Style Bob:] watch me bleed
So lay my head against the earth
Plant my body like a seed
[Bronx Style Bob:] plant my body like a seed
You can't always get the things you want, love (check it out)
[Bronx Style Bob:] tell me what you want
You get what you deserve
Or maybe what you need
[Bronx Style Bob:] tell me what you need
So fill my hole with precious dirt, love
Till the soil and part the weed

[CHORUS]

Halloween time

October has come to an end, and I guess it is fitting that the last day of the month is also Halloween, because it somehow marks the transition from lightness to darkness in a distinct way, as well as marking the start of the holiday season. Halloween (American-style) has finally made it to Norway and taken off in a big way. Many of the ‘dollar’ stores here (like the store Nille) take in a lot of money at this time of year on costumes, candy, candles and the like. There is no problem anymore in finding a pumpkin to carve, and in fact when I went out to buy a small one today I actually got the last one at the store where I bought it. Many Norwegians think that Halloween is commercial and unnecessary, and perhaps they’re right. But there are just as many who enjoy it. And since very few of them really celebrate Julebukk anymore, they cannot really complain too much when the younger generations, who have grown up watching American horror films like Halloween and its sequels, or other such films, want to celebrate Halloween too in their own way. Julebukk is a Christmas tradition where children wear costumes and masks so as not to be recognized and visit friends and neighbors, giving gifts as well as receiving them. In all my years in Norway, I have not once seen children do this, at least not in Oslo. Perhaps they honor this tradition more out on the countryside, I don’t really know.

I have ‘celebrated’ Halloween here since I moved to Norway. In the early 1990s it was difficult to get a hold of a pumpkin, but somehow I always managed to find one at the last minute. After it served its ‘evil’ purpose, I used the pumpkin to make soup and pies, and roasted the seeds and gave them to a friend of mine who really likes them. When my stepdaughter was young she and I would carve a big pumpkin, place a candle in it, turn off all the lights, and wait for my husband to come home from work so that he would get the full impression of the evil smile. In the late 1990s, she decided that she wanted to have a Halloween party, so I helped her with the decorations and baked a pumpkin-shaped cake that we frosted in an orange color and on which we made a pumpkin face. She also decided that she wanted to have bobbing for apples as well, which led to a fairly well-soaked kitchen floor after the partiers were done. She and I tried bobbing for apples before her guests arrived; it was not easy and I don’t know why I ever had the impression that it was. She had gotten some of these ideas from books she had read and movies she had seen. The fun part was watching her friends show up in different costumes—some as witches, some as vampires and some as hoboes. One of the guys dressed up as a woman, and had she not told me that he was a guy, I would have thought he was a woman, that’s how well made-up he was. This was at the time when Halloween was just starting to take hold in Oslo and at that time it was mostly children who were interested in it. Now the adults have gotten involved, dressing up and partying much like we did years ago in the states. I was reminded earlier today of the witch’s hat I bought some years ago that I used to wear when I opened the door to greet the children that have sometimes knocked on our door for candy. Our cat did not like that hat at all, and would back away from me when I was wearing it. I guess it freaked her out for some reason.

I usually watch the Peanuts film ‘It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ at some point around Halloween. It’s hard to believe this little masterpiece was shown on TV for the first time in 1966. It still wears well with age. These were some of the traditions I grew up with—sitting around with my family watching the Peanuts Halloween and Christmas films as well as other holiday films. My father always enjoyed watching Snoopy pretend to be the WWI flying ace battling the Red Baron; perhaps it reminded him of his own WWII experiences. Those were pleasant times with my family and in truth, watching TV together with people is what I prefer—it is something I almost never do when I am alone.

I think one of the things about not living in America anymore is that all the traditions and holidays that we celebrate as Americans take on extra meaning now that I live here. I need to honor them because they keep me grounded as an American. I celebrate Thanksgiving as well, and it is a holiday that my husband and stepdaughter as well as some friends have come to look forward to. I enjoy preparing for it, as I do for most holidays. Our house is truly Norwegian and American in the way it celebrates most holidays, and sharing American traditions with my stepdaughter as she was growing up has been a lot of fun for both of us.

Dark Shadows and Collinwood mansion

Long ago, before the current fascination with vampires--before True Blood, Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries, there was Dark Shadows, the afternoon TV horror soap opera that ran from 1966 until 1971, Monday to Friday. If I remember correctly it was a half hour soap opera that started at 4 pm, at least in New York. The series was created and produced by Dan Curtis, who also made the two Dark Shadows movies that came afterwards. A remake of the series appeared in 1991 starring Ben Cross as Barnabas, but nothing ever beat the original Dark Shadows. It was truly a creepy series, and one that we and our friends followed devotedly. I remember playing basketball after school when I was in the seventh grade and running home from practice after it was over in order not to miss it. When my father became ill in 1969 and was home on sick leave for a while, even he got interested in watching the series with us in the afternoon.

The opening music itself would draw you in (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUuQK4CR5fM). It was spooky in its own right, accompanying the opening shots of the Collinwood mansion that sat atop a hill overlooking the sea, shrouded in mist during the early evening. I don’t recall all the plots and storylines, but I do remember the characters well: Barnabas Collins, the vampire, played by Jonathan Frid; Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the Collins family matriarch, played by Joan Bennett; her daughter Carolyn, played by Nancy Barrett (with the beautiful long straight blond hair); Angelique, the witch, played by Lara Parker; Victoria Winters, the governess, played by Alexandra Moltke; Maggie Evans, a waitress, who resembled Josette du Pres, Barnabas’ love from long ago, both characters played by Kathryn Leigh Scott; Julia Hoffman, the doctor and friend of Barnabas, played by Grayson Hall; Quentin Collins, played by David Selby; Daphne Harridge played by Kate Jackson, and so many more. Barnabas could be quite evil at times and yet there was some sort of pity for him too- he was a vampire who wanted to be cured of his affliction. The stories were well-written for the most part, and quite strange. They were haunting--they got under your skin. Characters became identifiable with specific music as well; I remember Josette’s music box song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LItWENw8Plk&feature=related), and Angelique had her music as did Quentin. The stories revolved around different love relationships (past, present and future), betrayals, witchcraft, vampirism, ghosts, and numerous Collins family problems. At times overly dramatic, sometimes campy, sometimes funny, but always memorable and the acting was always mostly good. There’s a reason the series has the fan base that it has, so many years later.

The actual mansion that was used (at least the exterior of it) as the fictional Collinwood mansion in the TV series is located in Rhode Island. When Dan Curtis decided to make his two Dark Shadows movies, he chose the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown New York (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndhurst_(house)) as the film location. The Lyndhurst mansion became Collinwood mansion. Both films, House of Dark Shadows followed by Night of Dark Shadows, came out in 1971. The actual filming at Lyndhurst was done during the early spring in 1970, and there were many people who hung around the gates of the estate waiting to get a glimpse of or an autograph from the actors and actresses after they were finished filming for the day. I remember doing that with some friends from grammar school; we waited for hours for them to be finished on the set. The actors and actresses were always very gracious and they would sign autographs and pose for pictures with us. I have photos from that time of two of my friends posing together with Jonathan Frid, and I have autographs from Jonathan Frid, David Selby and Kate Jackson. It was an exciting time, and even more exciting when the films were actually shown for the first time at the Music Hall in Tarrytown. It was fun to see the Lyndhurst mansion transformed on the screen into a house that was inhabited by vampires and witches, a real house of evil.

Lyndhurst mansion--back view

Lyndhurst mansion--front

Independence Day in America

In honor of America’s Independence Day, I am posting the lyrics to the beautiful song ‘America the Beautiful’ as a reminder of all that we have to be thankful for as Americans.


America the Beautiful
Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

The Nighthawk Diner

The Nighthawk Diner in Oslo opened for business in March of this year. It is an American-style diner in a section of Oslo called Birkelund, not far from where we live. The menu has a small logo of a hawk on it and the letters TND. The diner’s name comes from the famous painting ‘Nighthawks' by Edward Hopper that shows two men and a woman sitting in a downtown diner at night. There were apparently long lines of people waiting to get in on the day it opened. It has become a rather trendy place to eat, for as long as that lasts.

I have to say that the owner, Jan Vardøen, has done a very good job of creating a realistic copy of a typical American diner. He has captured the ‘concept’ of a typical diner. It has that particular feel to it that American diners have—straightforward, “what you see is what you get”, nothing too fancy, comfortable and inviting. There was always something comforting about drinking coffee and eating a slice of apple pie or chocolate cake in a diner together with a good friend or several friends. I did it many times in the USA when I was younger. Diners were places we went to after we had gone to the movies in Ossining or in Yonkers, because we could get a cheap cup of fairly good coffee and we could sit there for a while and no one bothered us. When I lived in the Bronx, I would meet my very good friend once a week at the Seven Stars Diner (if I remember the name correctly) in Yonkers where she lived, and we would sit there for two or three hours and talk and drink coffee and eat dessert. No one ever bothered us or pushed us to order more food or to leave. There was always a big bowl of jelly mints with a spoon in it on the counter near the door, and we could dig in and scoop out a handful of them. They were always so good and they rounded out the evening. Those memories are very nice. Just to be able to chat and share our lives got us through some tough times as I remember. When I would visit my mother in Tarrytown, we would often eat lunch at a diner near where she lived. We always ordered the same thing—grilled cheese sandwiches on toasted whole wheat bread, a side of cole slaw and a dill pickle, followed by coffee and sometimes dessert. It always felt like a meal fit for a king, and I know it was because we enjoyed being together eating simple food that tasted good and that didn’t cost a fortune. I have another good friend who lives on Long Island, and when I visit her as I usually do on my annual trips to NY, we often end our visit together by going out for breakfast at a nearby diner. I usually order French toast, orange juice, and coffee, and we sit and talk and watch other people come and go. They are also nice memories.

The TND has a long counter when you first come into the diner, and a jukebox sits not very far from the entrance. Many of the diners I have frequented in NY with friends years ago had small jukeboxes at the booths we sat in, and we used to have a lot of fun feeding them quarters and playing the music we liked. I don’t know if the jukebox at TND actually works, but I must say that it was pretty cool to see a real jukebox again. The menu is also quite interesting. Breakfast is served all day--eggs made in many different ways, pancakes with maple syrup. Burgers are standard fare. Sandwiches include grilled cheese, tuna melts (yum), BLTs, and Reubens. There are ice cream sodas and milk shakes of all kinds. Desserts include cherry pie, apple pie and different types of cakes. I am going to eventually try them all. The one big difference between this diner and most American diners is how much food costs at TND. We’re not talking cheap; we’re talking typical Norwegian prices. But considering that this is just about the closest thing to basic American food as you can get, I’m not going to complain. I am just so glad to experience it, because it is one more thing that reminds me of ‘home’ and that makes me nostalgic for an earlier time when life seemed simpler and uncomplicated.

Norwegian Independence Day

May 17th is Norway’s Independence Day (Constitution Day), and the Norwegians celebrate it in style. It is an interesting day to observe and be a part of, especially if you are a tourist, because it is one of those days in Norway when nearly everyone you meet is happy and in a party frame of mind. There are huge crowds in the streets, with people turning out to watch the parade of schools and other organizations that march past the Royal Castle at the top of Karl Johan Street, where the King and Queen stand on the balcony with other family members and wave to the crowds and to the marchers. The high school students (‘russ’) usually round out the parade, dressed in their red or blue outfits and hats (the color is determined by the type of studies they pursue, e.g. blue means they have studied business). The parade is usually finished by midday/early afternoon. Later in the day, people gather for barbecues and parties and when the weather is nice you can hear the music from the different parties blaring out over the city because all the windows are open. We ate lunch out today at Martin’s Kro--der maten er go'-- (Martin’s inn/pub--where the food is good) in a town called Gjelleråsen after driving around the suburbs of Oslo for a while. The restaurant was packed with people.

Women and men alike dress in traditional costumes (bunads). Interest in buying and wearing them has resurged during the past ten years. My husband’s family gave me a bunad when I first moved here. It had belonged to my husband’s mother who passed on many years ago. I wore it at our marriage in 1991 and have used it since at formal parties, dinners and weddings. It is worth quite a lot of money together with the silver jewelry that accompanies it. I don’t use it as much now as I did earlier—no specific reason, just that perhaps the feeling of novelty has diminished somewhat with the passing years. I will wear it again, that is certain—there will be future occasions for that.

Fireworks are not really part of the Norwegian Independence Day celebrations, in contrast to America’s Independence Day celebrations. They have mostly always been a part of New Year’s Eve celebrations for as long as I have been here and before that. Fireworks displays aren’t organized by individual towns and cities. It is rather individual people who buy them and set them off. I used to love ushering in the New Year standing outdoors with a glass of champagne in one hand and a sparkler in the other, while my husband and his friends set off different fireworks. My stepdaughter had to have fireworks when she was younger and that was always fun. We don’t buy them anymore now that she is grown up, but we still like to go out and watch them fill the skies each New Year’s eve. But as is the case with so many other things, the numbers of accidents resulting from their use have increased and thus the laws are changing to forbid the purchase and use of personal fireworks.

The American Women’s Club in Oslo arranges a July 4th Independence Day celebration every year in Frogner Park. I went there one year with my husband and my American friend and her daughter. It was interesting but it did not compare to the celebrations and fireworks that I grew up with in Tarrytown NY. I am not sure what I expected really, but probably nothing could have lived up to my expectations or to my memories of childhood celebrations. Perhaps it felt artificial in some way—not the real thing. In any case, we have not celebrated it that way since.

I never thought much about what it meant to be an American until I lived abroad. I think most Americans, if they get the chance, should live abroad for a while. It opens your eyes to so many things and is a great learning experience. It also opens your eyes to how the USA is perceived in other parts of the world and believe me, that has not always been a pleasant experience. I will write more about that in future posts.

#1--American Embassy Town Hall Meeting in Oslo

This is my first blog ever as an expatriate living in Oslo Norway. I have lived here for twenty years and decided tonight, after attending a Town Hall meeting at the beautiful Hotel Bristol arranged by the American Embassy, to start writing a blog about my experiences living here in Norway. I think I have some ‘street credibility’—twenty years in one place will give you that.

Well, what is the definition of an expatriate? It simply means someone who has left his or her own country and moved to another, and lived there for a while. It doesn’t mean that I have given up my American citizenship. I would never do that. Norway does not allow dual-citizenship, so if I became a Norwegian citizen I would have to renounce my American citizenship. Not likely. The USA allows multiple citizenships. I’ve got to wonder why Norway doesn’t.

Well, tonight the American Embassy officials did something they have never done in the twenty years I’ve lived here. They actually invited American citizens to a town hall meeting to present themselves, what they do, and how they can be of service to us. It was a good meeting, inspired no doubt by the openness of Obama’s White House. Most of my meetings with the embassy up to this point have left me with a cold feeling. It’s not that the embassy workers have been rude; it’s just that they’ve never been friendly. I can only remember one time in all my years here where the American Embassy sponsored a cocktail party to welcome the American company BioRad to Norway. Both Norwegians and Americans were invited to that party. It was held at the ambassador’s personal residence and was a very nice affair. But tonight was different. The feeling in the air was different. It was a good feeling, a friendly feeling. People were laughing and talking together and having a good time.

It was good to be together with Americans again. I have to say I just miss hearing English at times. My language—and the sense of humor that is uniquely American—that combination of self-deprecation, sarcasm, joking, lightness that just makes one feel right at home. It puts you at ease and that’s a good thing. Americans are friendly people. No matter what you may think about the superficiality of that friendliness, it helps strangers break the ice and gets them over that initial wall of social awkwardness.

Some of the attendees got up and asked questions at the end of the meeting. Some of them had comments about their negative experiences in Norway. I had to laugh. One fellow got up and told us about how Norway wouldn’t accept his law degree from a top school in the USA. I remember how my Master’s degree in cell biology from New York University was downgraded almost upon my arrival here in this country. My education had to be evaluated by a formal committee which concluded that a Master’s degree from anywhere in the USA was simply not equivalent to the Norwegian version of a Master’s degree—called a cand.scient. That was in 1990. How odd that twenty years later, the country is only interested in offering Master’s degrees and PhD degrees. No more cand.scient or dr.philos. or dr.scient or dr. med. In a country of 4.5 million people, it boggles my mind that there have been so many degrees offered. The rest of the world simply could not begin to understand how complicated the educational system here really was. Thank God it is becoming more streamlined.

I could write a book about my experiences here after twenty years. Perhaps I will one day. Right now, I am going to write a blog and I hope that you enjoy reading it.