In Leo's Lekeland at the moment with Dave and Zac. Could be our last time here for a long long time. This is a familiar place for the three of us. Its almost a monthly event for Zac and he loves it here. Zac cheekily called this place Leo Parken comparing it to Konge Parken a while ago. This is a kid's haven. Today we met a few familiar faces from our cabin trip to Fogn too. Sidetracked...
One year three months in Stavanger. The journey here is about to end as we embark on another new adventure in Dubai.
Life here has started to become comfortable and familiar after all these months. A tinge of sadness flows through each time I think about the reality of finally leaving this place we called home for awhile.
Scheduled to fly on the 16/5 enroute Amsterdam. Packing not done, cleaning not done, nothing's done really. We are now just breathing in as much Norwegian air as possible before going to the desert. A very huge change in environment and weather and we are full of uncertainties about the move. But hey, we didn't know much about Norway when we came too, but it turned out well.
What do I love most about Norway? The child friendliness of the country. Kids free to roam around the neighborhood without adults' supervision and yet without the fear of their safety. Although I have never taken the chance, nevertheless it's something I really like about Norway. The independence of the children here is really admirable - at the playground, on the footpath, in parking lots, etc.. They always seem to know what the right thing to do is and not many times have I seen parents screaming at their children to watch out for traffic, or to be careful at the playground (though I noticed that the kids here are all dare devils). From our experience, the kids here (or from our neighborhood) are very friendly too. On many occasions, much older boys have invited Zac to join their soccer games down at the park and they were always careful when they played with him. The education system here is pretty good too. They have an everyone's equal kind of teaching and its something I really wish everyone in the world would embrace. Although, there are some who didn't experience the same things we did with the people here.
What do I dislike most about Norway? It would definitely have to be the inability to understand the language. It is really frustrating especially when buying things in the supermarket. To counter the dislike, the people here are really helpful though if you ever need any help. My encounter just buying some baking flour put me off the moment I got here. Standing in the aisle translating every packet of different flour was really not a pleasant thing to do. After a while though, you get used to the things that you buy and need and it keeps getting better. One other thing that annoys me about the language is the disconnection from the world; current affairs, local news, etc.. Watching the television is something I rarely do here in Norway. I'm so used to reading subtitles when I watch something that watching the Norwegian tv annoys me. It's either translated to Norwegian or the subtitles are in Norwegian. What rights have I to complain though??? I'm in NORWAY!!! I should learn the language!!! Period!
What would I miss most about Norway? Firstly, some of the friendships that I've made along the way. The friends that I have here made it easier to get by. Time together and sharing of information and tips and all. They would all be missed for sure. Time is not a measure of the depth of the friendships that I've made here. It's the time spent together, all the memories made and experiences that we have gone through together in this initially foreign land we reluctantly called our home, to a place we longingly call our home after a long or short time away.
One more thing I will surely miss would be the openness and friendliness of Zac's teachers. Zac spent heaps of time with them and I'm really happy to say that Zac has had very good experiences and times in school with them. They will be remembered fondly for a long long long time.
What would be my biggest regret leaving Norway? It would have to be my personal targets that I am nowhere near. I made a few resolutions in the beginning when we arrived Norway. But due to the (excuses) 'hectic' lifestyle, I never got down to doing what I set out to do. It's really regretful and I hope that the next destination will see me pulling off all that I set out to do.
All in all, Norway has been a great experience. No regrets putting everything in Australia on hold to move here. A few years or a decade down the road will see me smiling as I reminisce the memories of Norway.
Are we looking forward to the change? I would have to say a reluctant yes for now.
