Inspiring Oslo
Oslo, Perminalen hotel.
Somewhere over the Rainbow - Kaulana Kanekoa
Saturday, August 13th.
I wanted to start my day very early, after having spent my whole evening trying to book a last minute hostel and only getting this over-expensive motel near the airport. Finally, I had to much sleep to catch up and slept over until 11, which means that I also missed the free breakfast that was included with my, again, over-priced motel. Screw it up.
I realized how far I was from the actual city while looking at the map. I needed to take the train for 30 minutes to get closer to the city center. Once there, I dropped my luggage at the hostel and went for a quick lunch at a causy café nearby. Oslo is a beautiful city, very expensive, but worth it. I took a look into my LonelyPlanet to see what were the must-do's around there, since I only have 2½ days to spend before taking the nutshell train to Bergen. So then I started walking along the port. and I started visiting a viking fortress. At that time, my favorite quote from Chris McCandless (Into the Wild) came to my mind : " Happiness is only real when shared". Damn right. It was so great to spend the time on my own, to go wherever I wanted to, spending more time here and less there and dealing only with my own wills and my own feelings. But at the same time, damn, I would have liked to share this with someone. Just to discuss about what we are seeing, being pushed a little bit further in my thoughts, I don't know, being challenged... But still, it was great. It's just another way to travel and now that I write those lines, I would say that I really appreciate it...
So, a little bit further, I got in the Nobel Peace Center (you all know that the Nobel Peace Price is given yearly in Oslo, right?). That's where I've got inspired. (well, would you believe me if I said I'm intertested in human rights and peace issues? hmm.. ). There was an exhibition about Refugees and Displaced people. Transit - http://www.nobelpeacecenter.org/english/?did=9084534. That was great, furthermore after having done my presentation on this issue during the preGA. They were exposing pictures from Espen Rasmussen's work to depict the reality of refugees all around the globe. That was touching and inspiring.
One of the room explained the story of an Iranien guy who flew from Iran to Norway when he was 17, seeking for azylum. After starting his studies in Norway and settling down, his request has been denied, and he had to come back to Iran. In his situation, maybe none of us would have wanted to go back. So he decided to stay in Norway, and for our own standards, he is now considered an illegal immigrant, has no paper, doesn't have any protection, any access to health care service, and he doesn't have the right to work. That's how it often happens, and our prejudices often keep us from knowing their actual reality. And stories like this one will happen more and more in Canada, since we (excluding myself and a majority of Québécois) decided to close our borders and to strenghten our immigration policies. To close ourselves to the world...
I've also been to the place were the bomb exploded a few weeks ago. There were fences and roses. Nothing else to say. The city has lived this horror moment so recently, and still, it just seems that nothing could break this atmosphere of peace floating above the city.
In the evening, I had been invited to go to a BBQ at one of my friend's place (Unni), in Oslo. Cecilia was there as well. It was just great to meet them and to have a beer while talking about life for the whole evening!
Sunday, August 14th
Comment faire planter ses plans de la journée? Well, rencontre quelqu'un dans la salle commune de l'auberge, commence à jaser de tes plans, et hop, il embarque. Fini, la spontanéité et la flexibilité, il faut maintenant dealer à deux. Bon, ce n'était pas si pire, mais c'était quand-même différent de ma journée idéale. Un Australien pure laine, j'ai ramement autant entendu de "fucking shit, man". Pretty funny, though. Mais reste que c'était un peu chiant, et il n'avait pas l'air d'avoir envie de faire grand chose, proposant des trucs sans trop d'intérêt, et me racontant des histoires un peu merdiques toute la journée... et pourtant, même si rien ne semblait l'intéresser, je n'ai jamais compris pourquoi il a voulu me suivre toute la journée. Un genre de no life qui ne sait plus trop quoi faire de sa peau... bref, j'avais hâte de rentrer.
J'ai quand-même visité le Vigeland Park, avec des sculptures vraiment intenses et fascinante, un must à Oslo. On s'est ensuite rendu dans un village d'antan avec un musée de bateaux Viking, un musée folklorique et un musée de...dentiste. Celui là, c'est même l'Australien qui a tenu à y rentrer. Il voulait rentabiliser le day pass qu'on venait d'acheter (dude...) Entrer dans un musée pour avoir bonne conscience et regarder en vitesse ce qu'il y a à voir sans vraiment s'arrêter, ce n'est pas trop mon fort...
Et me voilà, de retour à l'hôtel. Ce soir, je vais sortir avec quelques amis voir un band live dans une petite place d'Oslo. Très cool de connaître des insiders qui peuvent nous montrer les places pas toujours connues par les touristes!
Je suis un peu fatigué par ma journée, alors ça a peut-être l'air moins intéressant que ce l'était, mais hier a vraiment été une belle journée. J'aurais dû prendre le temps d'écrire avant de me coucher ;)
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Love Oslo.
Nos vemos!
Somewhere over the Rainbow - Kaulana Kanekoa
 |
| At Café Skansen |
I wanted to start my day very early, after having spent my whole evening trying to book a last minute hostel and only getting this over-expensive motel near the airport. Finally, I had to much sleep to catch up and slept over until 11, which means that I also missed the free breakfast that was included with my, again, over-priced motel. Screw it up.
 |
| A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. - John Lennon |
I realized how far I was from the actual city while looking at the map. I needed to take the train for 30 minutes to get closer to the city center. Once there, I dropped my luggage at the hostel and went for a quick lunch at a causy café nearby. Oslo is a beautiful city, very expensive, but worth it. I took a look into my LonelyPlanet to see what were the must-do's around there, since I only have 2½ days to spend before taking the nutshell train to Bergen. So then I started walking along the port. and I started visiting a viking fortress. At that time, my favorite quote from Chris McCandless (Into the Wild) came to my mind : " Happiness is only real when shared". Damn right. It was so great to spend the time on my own, to go wherever I wanted to, spending more time here and less there and dealing only with my own wills and my own feelings. But at the same time, damn, I would have liked to share this with someone. Just to discuss about what we are seeing, being pushed a little bit further in my thoughts, I don't know, being challenged... But still, it was great. It's just another way to travel and now that I write those lines, I would say that I really appreciate it...
 |
| Nobel Peace Center |
One of the room explained the story of an Iranien guy who flew from Iran to Norway when he was 17, seeking for azylum. After starting his studies in Norway and settling down, his request has been denied, and he had to come back to Iran. In his situation, maybe none of us would have wanted to go back. So he decided to stay in Norway, and for our own standards, he is now considered an illegal immigrant, has no paper, doesn't have any protection, any access to health care service, and he doesn't have the right to work. That's how it often happens, and our prejudices often keep us from knowing their actual reality. And stories like this one will happen more and more in Canada, since we (excluding myself and a majority of Québécois) decided to close our borders and to strenghten our immigration policies. To close ourselves to the world...
 |
| Crying man, Transit exhibition, Nobel Peace Center |
I've also been to the place were the bomb exploded a few weeks ago. There were fences and roses. Nothing else to say. The city has lived this horror moment so recently, and still, it just seems that nothing could break this atmosphere of peace floating above the city.
 |
| I refuse to be your enemy |
 |
| Roses on the fences surrounding the bombing site |
Sunday, August 14th
Comment faire planter ses plans de la journée? Well, rencontre quelqu'un dans la salle commune de l'auberge, commence à jaser de tes plans, et hop, il embarque. Fini, la spontanéité et la flexibilité, il faut maintenant dealer à deux. Bon, ce n'était pas si pire, mais c'était quand-même différent de ma journée idéale. Un Australien pure laine, j'ai ramement autant entendu de "fucking shit, man". Pretty funny, though. Mais reste que c'était un peu chiant, et il n'avait pas l'air d'avoir envie de faire grand chose, proposant des trucs sans trop d'intérêt, et me racontant des histoires un peu merdiques toute la journée... et pourtant, même si rien ne semblait l'intéresser, je n'ai jamais compris pourquoi il a voulu me suivre toute la journée. Un genre de no life qui ne sait plus trop quoi faire de sa peau... bref, j'avais hâte de rentrer.
J'ai quand-même visité le Vigeland Park, avec des sculptures vraiment intenses et fascinante, un must à Oslo. On s'est ensuite rendu dans un village d'antan avec un musée de bateaux Viking, un musée folklorique et un musée de...dentiste. Celui là, c'est même l'Australien qui a tenu à y rentrer. Il voulait rentabiliser le day pass qu'on venait d'acheter (dude...) Entrer dans un musée pour avoir bonne conscience et regarder en vitesse ce qu'il y a à voir sans vraiment s'arrêter, ce n'est pas trop mon fort... Et me voilà, de retour à l'hôtel. Ce soir, je vais sortir avec quelques amis voir un band live dans une petite place d'Oslo. Très cool de connaître des insiders qui peuvent nous montrer les places pas toujours connues par les touristes!
Je suis un peu fatigué par ma journée, alors ça a peut-être l'air moins intéressant que ce l'était, mais hier a vraiment été une belle journée. J'aurais dû prendre le temps d'écrire avant de me coucher ;)
Love Oslo.
Nos vemos!
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