Drive the Autobahn

I got to check off another item on the bucket list--drive the Autobahn on Germany. I am proud to say I hit top end on the speedometer (safely), although the actual speed is not much to brag about (Nissan Qashqai +2 are not known for high speed and performance).

Independence Day

My first Independence Day as an American citizen was in Norway. We grilled hot dogs, corn on the cob, and had ice cream.

Reminds Me of My Youth

We have some raspberries, gooseberries, and rhubarb growing in our yard. I have also seen choke cherries around. All of this fruit is a pleasant reminder of growing up in Steinbach. I gave our dog a half eaten raspberry and now he heads straight for the bushes to sniff out more. He also did not mind the sour gooseberries.

Taste of Home

Over the past few weekends we (mostly my wife) made some great homemade salsa and enchiladas. Overall we have been making a lot more food from scratch. While it takes longer it has been worth it in taste.

Trampoline

Our son got a trampoline for his birthday. After several failed attempts and some online research we decided to go with a different model. The new trampoline assembly process was a pleasure to complete--from start to finish took around an hour. We have one very happy son now.

Small Things

We often fail to take time to enjoy and appreciate the smaller things in life.  It is all the small pieces that make up a large puzzle.  I would like to share a few of the small things that I have come to appreciate.  A new, and very quiet washing machine.  A very quiet and powerful vacuum cleaner.  A very quiet dish washer.  A hot water kettle (not sure what else to call it) that boils a cup of water in half the time of a microwave.  Water faucets that give very hot and very cold water very fast.  Beautiful wild flowers.  Getting a grill.  Getting blinds installed. Next to no billboards. Life is pretty good.

Legoland

This past week was our son's birthday.  As part of the celebration we took a trip to Billund, Denmark to visit the original Legoland.    We took a ferry ride between Norway and Denmark.  The journey to Denmark was pleasant--we enjoyed a buffet and enjoyed meandering around the boat enjoying the nice weather.  The return trip was somewhat frustrating--many more people, no room at the buffet, and vocal travelers.  The landscape of Denmark resembles central Texas--relatively flat with some hills, forests, lakes, rivers, etc.  We had a clean hotel room with complimentary breakfast.  Legoland was a 15 minute bus ride or car ride away (the bus stop was 200 m from the front door).

Legoland had many of the same type of rides, shows, attractions that you would find at most amusement parks, but with a Lego theme.  Miniland is amazing with its miniature replicas of famous and historic people, places, and events.  Dogs, coolers, water bottles, outside food, and umbrellas were all allowed into the park--unheard of in North American amusement parks.  The park itself is slightly smaller than the former Astroworld.  There is one small two lane road that circles the park.  Hotels and restaurants that you would expect to surround an amusement park were non-existent (even the Legoland Hotel is small and inconspicuous--if it weren't for the sign you would think it was an administration building, store, or theater).  The weather was less than ideal but that did not hinder any of the guests.  We drove the second day and found a free parking lot 10 minutes from the front gate (even the parking lot across from the front gate only charged $8).

If anyone would have told us a year ago that we would be riding roller coasters in 50 degree weather with wind and rain we would have thought you were crazy--be we did just that and had a blast (so perhaps we are the ones that are crazy).  The first day the park was fairly empty so we got to ride as many rides as we wanted.  On the second day the park was busier but our longest wait in line was only 15 minutes, and an hour before the rides shut down we again had the rides to ourselves.  The store was amazing (guess what is on my Christmas list).  What a wonderful weekend, one we will treasure for a very long time.

Shopping in Sweden

Last Monday we took a trip across the border to Sweden to do some shopping.  This is a common practice as food prices (and some other items as well) are often lower than in Norway.  The trip took around an hour and a half one way.  One of the items we got was a large bag of meatballs, so I guess we can say we bought some Swedish meatballs.

Phone

I now have cell phone, a small step it is one more step to being/feeling "at home."

Kim is Back!

After just over a week in Texas for a conference my wife is back. There were some delays but all is well that ends well.

Gorgeous Weather

This past week the weather was absolutely phenomenal!  The temperature was in the 70's, no clouds, low humidity, and only a slight breeze.  Some of the blossoms that were around when we arrived three weeks ago have faded but have been replaced by lilacs.  There are lilacs surrounding our yard and their fragrance is so sweet.  I took advantage of the weather by getting in lots of yard work.  Josh played as much as possible outside and we got in many walks.  Norway is a very beautiful country.  Up to this juncture we have not encountered any mosquitoes or bugs so we have been leaving our doors and windows wide open to enjoy the lovely fresh air.

Dog Parking

Norway is extremely kid and pet friendly.  The picture is of a kennel outside a grocery store to keep your dog while you shop.  Roughly translated the sign says dog parking, for the convenience of dog and customer.

Adapting to Life in Norway

After being in Norway it is time to give an update on our progress adapting.  Let me share some of our observations and adventures in no particular order.

Language

The Norwegian alphabet has all 26 letters of the English alphabet plus three more, so least there is that level  of familiarity.  With my limited knowledge of German and the tiny bit of Norwegian language studies I have had I can make sense of some of the written and spoken word.  It is frustrating trying to figure out directions when cooking or driving, or reading labels in the grocery store (sometimes the picture doesn't tell the whole story).  Most Norwegians speak English.

Driving

Gas is roughly between $9 and $10 a gallon.  Most vehicles are small by North American standards.  Some roads look like a "back lane" or sidewalk (we have driven on some of those).  Turning circles are a bit of a challenge--the left has the right of way, but they do cut down on time waiting at lights and generally keep traffic moving.  The perspective on distance is much different than Houston.  I asked the neighbor if he grew up in the area and he said no, he grew up on the far east side of Oslo.  I almost laughed, it takes us 15-20 minutes to get to the far east side of Oslo.  In Houston 20 minutes may not get you to loop 610 from FM 1960 and you are still in the NW side of Houston.  Here anything more than 10 minutes is a long drive where as in Houston anything less than half an hour is short or near by.

Shopping

Prices are outrageous--between two and five times the price of items in North America.  A few examples:  loaf of bread $5, half gallon of milk $5, pound of ground beef $10 (and not the good kind either), passport photos $30, and a six year old Peugeot (basic car similar to a Toyota Corolla) between $15000 and $2000.  Price tags contain no currency symbol or decimals (commas in stead)--19,-- means 19 Kroner (NOK--Norwegian Kroner).  Most items do not have portions of Kroners, but if they do the price is rounded off at the cash register.  i.e. if your total bill comes to 190,70 you will be charged 191 Kroner, while a bill of 190,20 will be dropped to 190.  All prices include taxes.  The tax rate is very high, between 17% and 25%.  Imported items are even higher priced because of tariffs.  You can get many items that you would get in North America but at a higher price.  When you purchase a television it must be registered with the government and then you will be charged 1200 NOK once or twice a year ($200 once or twice a year).

Food

You do not see very many overweight Norwegians (or Europeans).  One reason being that they love being outside and active and the other that food portions are smaller than in North America.  Most "family size" items in the grocery store are the same size as "small" items in NA.  I am disappointed in the cereal isle--only half an isle long and only on one side of the isle (plus most isles are short).  So far we are sticking to primarily familiar foods, although I have tried whale steak.  Bread (which is amazing) and hot dogs are very popular--we joke that is because they can't afford the other food.

Outdoors

The Norwegians love the outdoors, and they love being active.  Weather is no barrier to outdoor activities.  We have been told that mothers will leave their babies outside a coffee shop to sleep in temperatures as low as -15 C (5 F).  The saying here is "there is no bad weather, just bad clothes."

Norwegians

We were told that Norwegians are rather reserved and that we may never get to know any of them.  It is true that they don't often go out of their way to be friendly but when you approach them with questions they are very helpful and quite friendly.  Josh is our ambassador--we were in the house five minutes when he asked to go to the school playground "to play and meet kids."  Josh has met a few English speaking kids and introduced us to our neighbors (very nice people who send their kids to the school Josh will attend).

National Holiday

May 17 is the Norwegian version of "Independence Day" or "Canada Day."  The local public school was hosting a variety of events all day.  It was easy to play "spot the Americans."  We are use to wearing red, white, and blue, shorts, t-shirts, grilling out, fireworks, etc.  In Norway they dress up in traditional clothing, rather formal (you almost feel like you are visiting a museum).  We went home and changed out of jeans and put on our "best clothes."  The parade is very important--the school children march down the street with their classes, perhaps displaying banners or playing patriotic songs.  No Norwegian fireworks (rumor has it they do fireworks on New Year's Eve).

Our House

We have a nice house.  The location is great--3 minutes from the freeway, 12 minute walk to a mall/shops, 5 minute walk to a bunch of hiking trails, rivers, and water falls, we can see the sea from the end of the street, 3 km to the Josh's school, and the school bus stop is half a block away..  The electricity is 220V rather than 110V, which does add some zip to some appliances.  The washing machine is tiny (1/3 the size of what we are use to) and can take between 45 and 75 minutes to complete one load.  The drier is the same size and takes between 45 and 120 minutes to complete a load.  There is no vent on the drier, but the water is collected in a container at the bottom of the drier and must be emptied regularly.  Our fridge is slightly larger than the size of a college dorm room fridge.  The freezer is also small--we had to buy a small deep freeze.  Many Europeans go to the grocery store on a frequent basis (for fresh food) so freezers are not as important.  It is customary in Norway to take your curtains, blinds, and light fixtures with you when you move--so we have several bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.  Since our sea shipment has not arrived yet we are using three lawn chairs, two folding tables and borrowed lounge chair and bean bag chairs.  We share our yard (or garden as they call it) with the owner.  This gives us a nice area to play and enjoy.  There is a small grocery store (Rimi) at the end of our driveway.  An elementary school with a nice playground is next to the grocery store.  If you want to "see" our house enter Storengveien 7A, 1358 Jar in Google Earth.

Overall Adjustment

We are adjusting to life in Norway.  There are times when we "hate" it here and are ready to go back home. Other times we have to laugh (and imagine that the Norwegians must be laughing at us).  Life is an adventure.  There is a sense of accomplishment when you figure things out (often basic tasks take a long time to figure out)  Norway is a gorgeous country.  The weather is getting favorable.

Save up and come visit, but only after our sea shipment arrives because then we will have a place for you to sleep.

Sold

As of May 17, 2012 our house on Durbridge Trail Drive is sold.  It was a great house and location with a lot of terrific memories.  I guess we are now "homeless" as we no longer own a house and our rental is under FMC's name.  We wish the new owners all the best and hope they find the house to be as wonderful as we thought and experienced it to be.

Safe Arrival

Josh and I took our car to the drop off location and took a shuttle to Bush Airport.  After getting through security we made it to our gate with an hour and a half to spare.  When boarding began we were shuttled to the front of the line because we were a "family with children."  The flight went well.  Josh loved the warm cloths to wipe your hands and face.  After double checking our second boarding pass I realized that we would be landing as boarding was starting on our next flight.  We ran through the Frankfurt airport--Josh with his backpack and I with a backpack, heavy computer bag, and our Barkley.  We made it to our gate with five minutes to spare.  We made our flight but our baggage did not, which fortunately was delivered that same night.  The equivalent of the FDA had an agent to inspect our papers and our Barkley (he was perfect--not a single whine, whimper, or bark, and he got lots of treats) and we were through to the lobby to greet mommy.  What a happy reunion!  Five minutes after we got to the house Josh took his scooter and went across the street to play at the elementary school and thus began our life in Norway.

Parting With a Loved One

I knew thee almost two years. I finally get you into the garage and 15 minutes later I sell you.

Saying Good Bye

Too many good byes today. I feel for our son and his friends. My heart breaks for the kids. My eyes got moist more than once, and not because of pollen.

Gone

All of our belongings are gone. The movers took away the sea shipment today--we get to see these items in 4 to 6 weeks.

Storage Removal

The packing crew finished packing and loaded up all the belongings that go to storage.

The Packers are Here

The packers (not the Green Bay variety) came by today and packed up the goods for the sea shipment and storage. They did leave the beds and some clothes. The packing gets done on Wednesday and the goods are taken away Thursday.

Lots of Lasts

It is hard to believe we have less than a week left in Houston.  This week may have a few challenges--there will be lots of "lasts."  I have to remember what I told Josh, whenever you move ahead to a new challenge or adventure you always leave someone/something behind.

Last Cutting

I finished my last lawn cutting today. The lawn is getting nice and thick with good color. I can't say I will miss wrestling the mower through the thick St. Augustine grass in those "cool" 90 degree 90% humidity summer mornings.

Tickets Booked

Today I booked the tickets for Josh, Barkley and I to fly to Norway.  We leave Houston on May 5 and arrive in Norway on May 6 with a one hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany.  One more item to check off on my bucket list--fly in a 747.

Speaking of our dear Barkley.  I have been trying to train/prepare him to stay in his small soft shell travel kennel.  Barkley is more than a few fries short of a "Happy Meal" but he has figured out how to get out of his kennel.  Josh and I now call him Houdini.

First Shipment

Our first shipment left for Norway on April 13. We had two "D" containers for air shipment. The packers were efficient so I had to scramble to get more stuff to get two full containers. The survey crew comes out on April 20 to see what we have for the large sea container and what goes to storage.

Norge Visit

Over the Easter weekend Josh and I had the opportunity to visit Kim in Norway. We had a great time. Other than seeing some of the sights and scenery we got to see our new house and drive by Joshua's school (only 3 km or 2 mi. from the house). Norway is a beautiful country with mountains, rivers, fjords, lakes, and the ocean. Josh was excited to experience some snow and was entertained by the ducks (Daisy and Daffy) that resided in the little "pond" in front of the window.

It felt strange coming back to Houston--not really like we were coming "home", almost like a "visit."

Passport

Now that I am a citizen I needed a passport. Considering I was dealing with a government agency things went extremely smoothly. I am now ready to travel the world, or at least fly to Norway next week.

Reflections On the Naturalization Ceremony

The following are several posts I made to Facebook regarding the day/event of becoming a US Citizen on March 21, 2012.

I am overwhelmed by all the responses to me becoming an American citizen today--thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a long road to this point. The United States has been good to me and a place that I would like to consider home for the rest of my life. Fortunately I am able to be a dual citizen. I will always treasure my Canadian element (and you know who I will cheer for in hockey).

I would like to give a special shout out to members of the CC(C)S family from my early years in Houston. We had a lot of laughs, and serious talks about the whole Canada-US thing and I will treasure those times.

I want to thank my wonderful wife for her help in the green card and citizenship process. Her persistence helped get things done quicker (mainly getting me going faster). I love you honey and am grateful for all you did.

Now a US Citizen

What an exciting day! Josh and I picked up Doug at 6:12--never new 290 was that busy that early. Another nice bottleneck at beltway 8 and I-45. We arrived at 7:15 (the paper said to arrive at 7 am sharp) at the M.O. Campbell Education Center. The parking lot was packed. Not to fear, there was a long line-up, so we weren't late. We finally got situated and seated around 7:50. The judge did not arrive until around 9:50. The ceremony itself (technically a court session) was brief and nice. The color guard posted the colors, followed by "The Star Spangled Banner". After being assured that all applicants were willing, able, and qualified to take the oath the judge lead in the "Oath of Allegiance". The local president of the League of Women Voters had a short speech. Somewhere in there we said the pledge to the flag. We then received our voter registration cards and waited for our color to be called. Upon hearing your color you went to the registration table to pick up your citizenship certificate. I had red, the last color called, which meant more waiting but also an empty parking lot.

Feeling Blue

We took Kim to the airport yesterday after she spent Spring Break with us. The house feels empty and we are a little blue. The good news is we get to go to Norway for Easter!

Home for Spring Break

Kim is home for Spring Break. Josh could hardly contain himself the day we got mommy from the airport. There is lots to do while Kim is here.

Empty House

This morning I took Kim to the airport to leave for Norway and the start of her new job. Fortunately she will be back during Spring Break. Even though this is like a "business trip" the house feels emptier already.

Cultural Training

We completed our two day cultural training today. It was good to get some practical tips on understanding the Norwegian people, their way of thinking and way of life.

On the Market

Our house has now been on the market since February 6, 2012.

Motivation--Too Little, Too Late

To get our house ready for sale we are taking care of a bunch of projects to make the house look nice. We are getting to the house the way we want it as we get ready to sell. I sure wish I had had that motivation earlier so we could have enjoyed it longer.

A Little Odd

We have been going out purchasing winter clothes. It is both odd and difficult accomplishing that task in Houston (especially when then temps are in the upper 70's). We may end up making purchases when we visit Grandma in Canada this summer.

A Couple of Check Marks

We can now put a few check marks beside items on our "to do" list; two appraisers and one real estate agent have come by and I finished painting the laundry room. Kim has taken care of some of the paperwork.

One Thing I Will Miss

Mid 70's temperature (mid 20's C) in January.

Long List

We are living a math lesson--"to do" list is under exponential growth, time remaining is in exponential decay.

A Few Details

Kim will take on a new role as an accountant moving from corporate to operations. It is a three year term. J will attend an international school. My position will be "domestic environment manager."

Off to Norway!

It is now official, we are off to Norway! Kim leaves late February while J and I will catch up during the summer. We are excited about the opportunities and adventure but also torn about being away from family and friends.