It's Been a Month...

Wow. I can't believe it's been a month since I last blogged. Life is as usual in Norway. I've been here for 11 months now and I must say that the novelty is wearing off a little bit. It is up to me to find out what makes me happy and keep doing exactly that.

There's a cabin trip this weekend with colleagues and all...we're going to a mountain lodge of some sort. I'll post pictures when I'm back :)

I've signed up for another round of Norwegian lessons. The weather is looking up lately with really nice sunny days. It's almost Spring now...time to pack all the thick jackets away and start wearing less layers of clothing. The thought itself is awesome. It gets very cumbersome to wear so many layers of clothing. When you go to a cafe or a mall - you have to take those layers off, then put them back on when you're about to leave. Some restaurants hold your coat in a coat room for you and charge you 10 NOKs to get it back - which is very weird because you're already paying for your food...and you have to pay another 10 NOKs on top of that.

I've been dreaming of a new apartment. The studio apartment I live in is so small some days, making me feel very claustrophobic. That's why I'm rarely at home. I usually wander the city, hang out with friends and such to avoid noticing that my apartment lacks a lot of the luxury that my parents have given me. I don't have a washing machine or an oven. Just the basic 2 hot plates in the kitchen.

Rent for apartments in Norway is quite pricey. Most locals suggest that you buy an apartment rather than rent one because the loan you'll be paying is almost the same as your monthly rent. Unfortunately, I am not at that point in my life yet to decide on buying an apartment. I believe its quite a big decision and you need some savings/money to be able to make such an investment. Perhaps in a few years time...