Spring is coming and I am a person

It has been very cold up until yesterday, when the temperature climbed to about 33-34 degrees.  Felt balmy.  Went to the train station to pick up Marc and the kids.  They really enjoyed their short trip to Sweden.  Both kids are able to take the lift up the hill and ski down unaided.  Marc said that 10-12 more days on the slopes and Max will be faster than him -- he has no fear of speed.

Today the temp climbed to the low to mid 40s and the sun felt warm.  The snow started melting and there was a definite sense of Spring coming.  Trees are starting to bud. I got my "Person Number" from the Norwegain government -- proof that I exist in Norway.  I also got a Norwegian mobile telephone number.  It's starting to feel like this is home.

I leave Sunday for a week in Hannover for the CeBIT trade show.  I'll be working with Miyake-san showing Digital Streams' wares to the Europeans.  It should be interesting....

Winter Vacation

Throughout Europe, this week is Winter Vacation for schoolchildren.  For Tove and I this meant a visit from my brother, Marc, and his two young children, Max and Alex, from London.  The kids did not immediately recognize Uncle Frank when I met them at the airport:

But, soon after this photo, hugs and kisses were exchanged.  After a spending spree for winter clothes for the kids, we went sledding on the local hill (until the kids got too cold -- and it has been COLD this week in Trondheim).  Tuesday, we went skiing at the local mountain 30 mins. away.  The kids took lessons.  I had not skied in years.  The first time down the slope was very shaky -- I fell several times, but I began to remember how to ski after the second run.  Marc seemed quite competent out there and the kids enjoyed their lesson.



Alex and Max sporting winter attire purchased in Norway



Marc takes his first trip up the mountain

First trip down

Vassfjellet Skisenter

Max and the ski instructor

This morning we took Marc and the kids to the train station -- they are bound for Are, Sweden, a world-class ski resort about 2 1/2 hours by train from Trondheim.  We will see how that goes.

21 degrees fahrenheit

The weather has been cold this week, hovering in the low 20s (fahrenheit).  I've been busy working on preparations for Digital Streams Japan's booth at CeBIT -- a giant computer technology show in Hannover, Germany.  I'm anxious to get my Norwegian "personal number" so that I can open a bank account, get a cellphone and enroll in a Norwegian class.  Patience.  It will come.  The card.  Not patience. 

When it is below freezing, here in Norway, we make good use of the wood stove -- a common appliance in Norwegian homes.  Ours, like many (most?) is cast iron.  It really puts out the heat:

Sunday Walk on a Sunny Winter's Day

This past weekend was cold and clear.  Sunday we drove into town and took some pics from the hills overlooking the city center.  Then, we went to Lade, a little peninsula that juts out into the fjord, to take a little walk along the sea.  It was blowing and very cold.  We stopped for coffee and waffles at a little coffee place right next to the trail.  I couldn't believe the kayakers braving the cold out there.

"Downtown" Trondheim

The old fort (white bldg) and Trondheim Fjord

From Lade Parking Lot

Kayak and the Moon

Brave Kayakers

On the trail

Winter Mid-day Sun

Cold But Beautiful

The Coffee House

Everybody Loves Waffles!

This poor dog should not have been left out in the cold.

No smokers today!

UBOAT Base -- Now library

The harbor is a little icy

After coffee we drove into town.  The WWII U-boat base built by the occupying German force has been converted into a national archive for ancient and important Norwegian documents.  It is managed by the university.

Artsyfartsy

Sunlit Snow

Spring is coming

Noonday Shadowcast in Winter

Winter Blue

To Market, to market, to buy a fat fish

Took the bus to town and met Tove.  We went to Fiskehallen, a fish store favored by Tove's mother, Kitty, and Tove's aunt (Kitty's sister) Tante Gerd.  We bought fresh cod, cod roe and cod liver.  The best cod of the year is being caught in northern Norway this time of year and Fiskehallen is able to offer the best.  Our cod was flown in from Røst, Norway:

Tove prepared the fish in the traditional manner.  It was delicious.  Here are some pics of the market:

First Truly Sunny Day

The sun is bright and shining.  No clouds.  Temp fell accordingly to mid-20s.  Here are, in order, our townhouse, view from the bus stop near the townhouse toward the city and the fjord, and lastly, the leaning tower of snowman:

Getting it done

Tuesday I returned to the Police Station to follow up on my visa papers.  Since I am the proud owner of a bus pass, I decided to hop on the #7 into the city.  It is very convenient to take the bus and just as fast as going by car.  I got to the city center about 8:25.  Here's what it looks like on a February dawn (yes, dawn!) at about 8:30 a.m.

This is about a block from the police station.  I had to cross the Nid river to get there.  Here's the view from the bridge:

So, I walked into the police station and got my place ticket for Section B, not Section C where I had spent 4 hours waiting to be called last week.  No, Section B is a much shorter line.  I brought a book to bide the time.  90 mins later I was called.  Not bad!  Explained to the clerk why I was there (to pick up my passport and visa docs). 

"I'm sorry, sir, but you did not have to take a ticket and wait.  You just have to stand in THAT line over there to ask for your documents."  THAT line over there was empty when I entered!  Now there were about a dozen people standing in line.  "God grant me the serentity, etc., etc. ..."  I went outside for some fresh air and some raling.  Much better.

Went back in.  Stood in line.  within minutes I was at the window getting my docs.  The visa doc is actually pasted into my passport.  I've got 6 months to get married or get out of town.  So says the visa.

Went back to the city center and waited at the bus stop to take the bus home.  Noticed that the stop was across the intersection from the Royal Family's Trondheim residence.  Here it is:

Not exactly highly secured, is it?  Anyway, here's more from the bus stop and then inside the bus:

Encouraged with my bureaucratic accomplishment (I have low standards) I decided to figure out where to go to get the Norwegian equivalent of a social security number.  Through Google and Tove's help I found that I had to go to the Folkeregister that is part of the Tax Office back in the City Center.  There was a pdf form to fill out, which I did, but without a printer, I emailed it to Tove to print for me.  So, back on the old #7  off  at the stop to get to the Univesity Library.

Wait, I don't remember where Tove's office is!  I don't have a telephone.  I walk into somebody's office and ask for her office location.  The guy in the office looked her up and off I went to her office. 

The office is locked!  Hmm.  I walk back toward the main library.  Tove sees me!  She gives me the paperwork and a valise to keep it dry (it's snowing).  Then back down to the bus stop, take the # 7 and get off at Kongsgate and 5 minutes later I am in the Tax Office.  Take a number (post office flashback again).  This time, the wait was short.  I showed the clerk my papers.  She copies my visa and that's it!  I'll have my SS# in 7-10 days!

Next.  Driver's License.  The law changed in Norway last July.  It used to be that a foreign DL was good for 1 year.  Now, 3 months!  And, I have to take a drivers test ... on the road!  I went to the Norwegian equivalent of the DMV, Trondheim Trafikkstasjon, and compared to the Calif. DMV it was like a day spa.  Nice decor, no mobs of people, but I did have to take a number (P.O. flashback).  After a few minutes I was called.  The clerk gave me a temporary license.  She confiscated my Calif DL!  I will get some sort of paper in the mail which I can then take to a driver training school to take lessons to pass the Norwegian test.  Btw, no right turns on red in Norway.  Yield to the right unless the road you are on has a "diamond" sign.  This sign means you have the right of way over everyone.  I'll nail the driving test.

Sunday Walk

Around 12:30 this afternoon, Tove and I took our Sunday walk.  Many people take advantage of the beautiful nature here by going for walks or going cross-country skiing (at least in the winter and early spring).  This particular walk starts right from our house.  Within about 1/4 mile you are in a forest.  There are walking trails and ski trails.  As the walk progressed, the weather improved.  It was a refreshing and fun afternoon.  Here's what we saw along the trail: