Mastreif, Book Festival, Oslo Culture day!

Mastreif

       So this past weekend was Mastreif (The Oslo Farmer's Market). So the producers that usually go to all the farmers markets all around the country are for one weekend in one place. Amazing amounts of good food, great produce and interesting things. Tons of cheese and sausages though. So it started on Friday afternoon which is when my friend and I showed up. I wanted to beat the rush....

         

        Yes.. this is before the crowd...

    Notice how easy it is to get into the stalls.. as we were here longer the more crowded it became.. be ready for bits of people's arms and such in pictures.

     So lots of handmade goods, olive oil, herbs, fruit, veggies, sausages, artisan cheeses, artisan juices. I picked up mountain picked raspberries and blueberries. Which I enjoy every morning for breakfast now.

  Salmon was huge also, these were small gourmet creations, 3 tastes for 20 kroner. Which was a decent price. I wasn't really thinking and ate before coming to the farmer's market.. silly me.

        They were having a meat grading contest as we walked by, they were staring at various cuts of meats and grading them. It was pretty interesting.

       This lady is a honey producer who is at my farmer's market usually, I picked up some unfiltered honey from raspberry flowers. I found the lavender flowers a bit too sweet for me, but still amazing. She was very adamant about the differences, and they were extremely differing in flavor. I'm very happy with my new, not extremely sweet, with a bit of fruity , honey!

     Hand made amazing chocolates too!
     Yes, I passed them up, I decided that the fruit was a better investment for my money. I'm still very happy with my choice, but I'm also happy I have a picture.

  

  Book Fair!

     We went looking for coffee after Mastreif, and stumbled on a book fair. Not just on this street, but it was all over the area in tents everywhere. Cheaper books, free bags, author's signings. I have a novel I want to read very badly, but it's in Norwegian. I'll get there soon. Here are some pictures from the book fair. Interestingly, not just of stacks of books (of which there were tons!)

     The people running this tent were very kind in letting me take pictures and the typewriter was very neat! I was extremely happy to have run across it!

Oslo Culture Day

      It was also brought to my attention that this day was (also, in addition to everything else that day) Oslo Culture Day. Which meant that all the museums, parliament, the palace, ect were open and had events going on all day and night. My friends met up that night for dinner and headed to the Munch-museet (The Munch Museum)  

     Famous for the painting The Scream

(this image is from the Munch Museum, and copyright to the artist, obviously)

      Interestingly this painting is also one of the most expensive publicly held paintings, thus making it extremely popular to try and steal. So, security at the museum was tight, but not oppressive. Also, we didn't even get to see any of the paintings because as soon as we whisked into the museum, enjoyed the live jazz playing in the cafe, we headed downstairs. We were off to make masks. 

     Masks using our own faces for a base! How do you do this? I'll tell you... (someone else has to make your mask on your face, thus requiring two people)

•        Vaseline your face (all of it, including eyebrows and hairline)- I recommend someone helping you with this, also you can't have enough, put it on thick.
•        Take a strip of saran wrap and lay it across your eyes, protecting them. The strip can go all the way to both temples and into your hairline.
•        Take (max ~1in.) strips of plastercast, dip into water and place on face (make the mask)
•        Be sure to swirl your fingers around to smoothe the plaster around so you dont have so much linen grid showing. 
•        Make sure that the nose ridge is strong enough (or else it will crack when removed. 
•        Wait until it is dry, and slowly remove. You have a mask
•        Add more plaster cast to smooth out edges, fill parts in. Take tissue paper and watered down glue and apply to top and edges to smooth the whole thing out. Paint, or whatnot as liked. 

       It was terribly messy! Also tons of fun. 

       We were not the only adults doing this, but we weren't all adults either and everyone was having a good time trying to make scream masks. 

       After a nightcap of hot chocolates and cortados(expresso with milk, in my case; double expressos) we headed back to the bay to watch the fireworks show. I did take pictures of it, but they never turn out quite as I expect. I should look into taking pictures of fireworks, they are quite hard. All in all a very full, fun, and lovely day. I highly recommend being around for these events next year around September 14th, 2013! See you there :)

Here is your surprise picture, enjoy!

       

The long-short walk home

It happened again, I'm in a whole different country, different rules, different culture, but I can't seem to get away from things I've learned through a lifetime of indoctrination.

I got off of my tram, my stop is on top of a mountain in the seemingly populated suburbia of the hills outside of Oslo. It's midnight or there abouts, people are coming home from culture night (more on that later), drinking, having a good time, or whatever. Before I exit the tram I see the group of three guys in the middle of the back getting ready to exit too while I do. Both sets of us get off, the three of them and me. We both start down the hill. They don't change sides, they don't go the other way, they go the direction that I go.

It doesn't help that I don't understand Norwegian yet so they are just saying a bunch of things that I can't understand. I am very happy because my street is an obscure (not this way) street, I expected them to turn up the first street. I was wrong. They follow me up the not so well light street that is deserted except for me and them. Their shoes shuffling along the ground and their laughter and talking taking up the silence. Pulling out my keys I have them in my hand and I feel the anxiety creep in. The desire to turn around and tell them to  get further away from me, or threaten them, tell them to back off. Which of course would either be over the top or not help anything.

They kept pace with me it seemed like even though I know I sped up a bit, very eager to put space between me and them. My eyes looked happily toward the private drive that I get to walk down just a bit farther up the street. The noises they make just encompass me, surround me, I feel their presence entirely too close for my comfort on this darkened street.

Crossing the main street I pass into the private drive and feel a bit better until I hear them split off and one continue to follow me, feet keeping pace with mine. This would be all well and fine, there are houses with people right next to me, but to get to my house I have to walk through a solidly dark patch beside one of the houses.

I want to turn around, but I really can't. Can't stop either, have to just go forward and trust in the best. My feet cross into the darkness and I hear it, his keys opening the door to the house I just passed. I would be relieved  but I'm so strung up by this time when I reach my door it takes me three tries to get the key in.

 When I tell people I like being in places where I can run at night. It's a facet of this, not having to deal with the simple anxiety of being around people that I shouldn't have been taught are threatening. Not having to be around people or things that aid to that threatening feeling. I'm in Norway, It's pretty safe, but the knee jerk reaction is still there.

I'm not sure how to say this other than, anyone who didn't know me would say this is just an extreme reaction. I'm not really the extreme reaction type, but I still have these thoughts in situations like that. I also know that the fact that somehow this has become a 'how you take care of yourself' thing, by being anxious in these situations, and that it's sometimes nessecary.... is just sad. It shouldn't be needed and this kind of feeling and reaction shouldn't be something that future generations of women should have to 'learn for their own good'.

I look forward to the day when this kind of anxiety doesn't creep up on me simply because I'm on a dark street with a group of other people...

Godspeaker Trilogy - Karen Miller

Yes! It's a book review. Shock of shocks. Horror of horrors! Run for your lives, batten the hatches and lock the children in the cupboard.

I finished the Godspeaker trilogy by Karen Miller, Empress (of Mijak), The Riven Kingdom, and The Hammer of God. I found the premise of the first book intriguing. I found the second book less so and the third even less. It was a downhill slope into an abyss of mundanity unfortunately. (no it's not a word, but we are making it one for the next few moments.)

Interestingly you can learn a lot about yourself by how you felt about the first book. Lets take a look.
 
By the end of the first book you:

• Still like the main character - You are an extremely forgiving human being! Perhaps you should fix that a bit.
• Don't understand why Zandakar stopped - Might have a bit too much bloodlust in you, perhaps should seek anger management classes.
• Thought Hekat was a horrible person from the beginning- Perhaps some soul searching is in order for why you are so angry at a child for their initial strugglings.
• Think she's evil for clawing her way up - Try to rethink your ideas about where women are supposed to be in the world. I'm pretty sure they aren't sound. 
• Thought Vortka was weak- I'd look back at the different definitions of silent strength, moments where people survive and try to help in horrible circumstances. 

I actually found the Vortka was the most interesting and unfortunately, pleasant character to follow around the series. Even if you started out liking the main character in the beginning, the author's goal is to have you hate her/despise what she's become by the end of it. I'd say that she is pretty cut and dry about how she does that. The lack of empathy that I had for most of the characters in the story after the first third of the book is an interesting indication of how unpleasant I thought they were.

That being said, watching her change and claw her way to the top, regardless of if I didn't like her, did make for a very interesting story. 

The second book however shows us the kingdom of Riven. A "forward" thinking society. (keep in mind that Mijak has men and women training together equally and nothing is thought of it, but this is seen as barbarous)

So forward thinking that their crown princess must wed in order to become queen. Because of course, she can't become queen by herself without a man around.

This *ahem* tough, strong *ahem* leading lady, then proceeds to be lead around by a random toymaker who is randomly being used by their god to prove to the populace that she is the rightful heir to the throne. 

So... if there weren't god's intervention, there would be no book. She wouldn't be able to do anything on her own, since she doesn't do anything that isn't lead by the godspeaker on Riven side. It's a depressing jaunt around the countryside, generally feeling like their god is leading you, as the reader, around by the nose. Problem shows up! Oh no! The god will come solve it! When in doubt you can be assured that this will occur often and with great annoyance. Between Hekat and Rhian, Hekat is a much more interesting person to follow around, and that should worry you. 

This book and the one after set up Mijak as the Evil Kingdom, where they are worshipping a anceint evil blood demon (dun dum DUUUH!) Hekat's love and devotions are misplaced! Our hearts are broken, askew, torn asunder! How could the author do this to us, kind readers that we are? 

The remainder of the second book is them preparing for the underwhelming fight between Mijak and the Riven Kingdom. After an extremely anticlimactic section, the book ends, and I was left feeling extremely unsatisfied. The ends were messy and haphazard, it gave the impression that she didn't actually know how to end it well. 

As far as basic fantasy novels go, the last two are very par for the genre, with themes we've seen before, women not being able to rule, males in authority over religion, war coming to bear, ect ect. The "good kingdom" looking extremely, sounding extremely like something you'd find in Europe somewhere, and the sand laden Mijak somewhere in Africa, not to mention their friends from the (not Asian country) that sounds terribly like China when I read about their dress and action. So if you are looking for those, you might as well pick them up, they aren't terrible, but not my cup of tea. 

Because I did actually find Empress (of Mijak) entertaining for the most part, enough to try the second book.(And even to give the third a valiant effort) It shows to me that she can write a compelling novel with interesting characters, I would be interested in checking out some of her other two part series to have a gander at. 

In the mean time however, I will continue to read 1Q84 (I'm on book 2 :) ) and eagerly await the next Dresden with a fresh pot of tea. 

Farmers Market

      So between last night's late night session filled with instant coffee and family conference filled Guild Wars 2, and this morning's early morning rush to the farmer's market in Oslo I've had about... four and a half hours of sleep. Don't mind the odd synonyms that might pop up you grammar nazis you.
      I recently moved into a new apartment, while I say apartment I actually mean room in someone's house. It's really that. I have a room and a bathroom and soon to be kitchen of my own in the bottom floor of someone else's house. However, in the meantime, they have kindly accepted me into their home and offered to let me use their kitchen (which is beyond lovely) while mine is still being made. It is actually a wonderful situation all things considered. Here's to hoping I get to keep it.
      With this in mind, and the fact that I still am looking for work in this large city, I have delegated that I should keep a tight budget. So for the past week I've eaten pb&j and bread and norvega (a very popular, albeit simple white cheese). Not bad eats to say the least. I did go grocery shopping, buy myself more bread and a bit of salmon since it's terribly cheap. With these things in mind I went to the farmer's market.
     Oh the Oslo farmer's market.
     I remember the Raleigh farmer's market, where you went to get fresh produce for cheaper than the super markets. Why is it cheaper than the supermarkets? Is it because people are too lazy to be brought out for the simple desire to want better produce than what is in stores? No, that couldn't be it. In any case, it makes you wonder how those farmers make a living doing that.
    Oslo farmer's market, arrive early or leave without vegetables. Simple. Oh and one of the more popular veggie ladies that I've been introduced to is a producer for one of the restaurants that has a few Michelin stars under it's belt. She's got ecological good produce. Fresh cheese, berries, jams, meats, honey are all usually seen at the market. Everyone is very particular about what they do. The rasberry man has rasberries, Honey group has honey and honey products, fish people have fish they've caught recently and packaged. All the meat you can ask when they caught it themselves, they'll tell you.
    Was I frugal and saved money you ask? Um.. well no. I came out with a very typical (but from a very prestigious, wonderfully awesomely tasty producer) cured elk sausage, fresh made jam (forest berries, currants, and vanilla.. if you aren't drooling, you aren't human ~~seriously~~), and reindeer hamburger patties, precooked, they kind of melt in your mouth, no chewing necessary. Yes, I tried one, they were making them there, I also tried the jam before buying it too.
    Was it extremely cheap you ask? Absolutely not. Those three things cost as much as the whole of my basic shopping yesterday. Was it absolutely worth every kroner? Certainly. Telling producers that I like their goods with my money and that I am willing to pay for quality over convenience is worth noting. I like that these farmers aren't losing money when they come to sell to us.
    Paying a little bit more for quality always matters, supporting local people and letting them see your face too. I always try to buy local produce no matter where I am, it's just nice to be able to smile at the people you get some of it from every once in a while.
 
    Next week: Super market! In front of city hall! I have completely forgotten the name, but with 70 producers going to be there, it will be a blast.