The Norway Pavilion Epcot

Finally sunday. This weekend has been very remarkable. Ive said goodbye to a whole lot of people during my planned goodbye-party on friday and my mothers surprise-party today…

I arranged a party on friday in Stavanger, there were over 30 persons attending, and I was a bit skeptical about having that much people on not so much room. But it worked out fine. It was really nice having nearly all of my friends which I spent the last years with gathered on one spot. Because my friendgroups are pretty diverted and in many ways remarkable different, I hoped that since they all hang out with me, they would like each other as well, and luckily they did. I think everyone agrees that it was a great party and a nice gathering before my departure… There were some tears, and there were a lot of hugs. I love all of you, thank you guys for being there for me in so many ways… Ill be back!

The pictures from the night can be seen on my facebook-profile, here.

Today, sunday, was also great. My mother blindfolded me and took me out to a place in Sandnes where a lot of moms friends which I also know waited and gave me a surprise dinner. A lot of the adults there have followed me through my years, and it was nice to say goodbye to them as well.

5 days left! tomorrow Im paying a visit to the dentist… which Im really not looking forward to.

Tonight is my last friday in Norway, so Im celebrating with a party for my friends.

Im really looking forward to a last night party session with my friends, and think that it will be very cool. But also, ofcourse, a bit sad… But now I get to meet a lot of people tonight, and say proper goodbye. with hugs and everything…

Ill bring my camera, so I can post some here on sunday. Tomorrow is way too busy for any blogging, really… I have two meetings, and I have to clean up…

Today its only 10 days left till Im moving to Orlando! ))

I got a book about the Norwegian pavillion in the mail today, Norge i Epcot (Norway in Epcot), written by Kjell Brataas and published in 1998, 10 years after the opening.

The book was very interesting and gave me a lot of backgroundinformation about the work, people and projects that was arranged to get Norway a pavillion in Epcot.

Ill write more information about the pavillion later, Facts about Norway in Epcot… Cheers!

Found this mounted tribute video about the Norwegian pavillion…

Came home from a long-weekend in London monday morning. It was awesome!
I havent had a real holiday all this year, Ive just been working nearly all the time. So after I finished my work I decided to go to London and attend the Paramore-concert saturday the 13th…

I headed off to London last wednesday evening. So it was a good long-weekend.
I lived a couple of minutes walk from the Hammersmith tube-station at a hotel called Premiere West, it was an allright hotel, nothing special, but for the price, Im satisfied.

I used the days to sightseeing around London and usual tourist stuff. I also went to Her Majestys Theatre and saw the performance of Phantom of the Opera, it was very good.

My impression of London, which has more inhabitants than Norway, is good. They have a very well-working transportation system, the tube. Its amazing, and transports a lot of people. The only problem comes in the weekends, when they close down a lot of lines to do maintenance  and improvement, they had to evacuate one of the station with the help from police-officers because is was to crowded, trust me, it was WAY overcrowded… This also meant that I had to take the bus to the O2 arena.

The bus experience to O2 sucked, they didnt put in more buses, even though there was a concert that night. So first waited nearly 20 minutes for a bus with room for me. Its amazing how many people you get into one of those two floor buses btw!
(I had to stand on the 1 floor all the way nearly, and Im taller than the roof… ) The bus also took about 40 minutes to the O2… So we arrived just in time for Paramore

Yesterday, 7th of November (exactly one month before my new job in EPCOT), I finished my last shift at Statoil Lura.
Here us a brief presentation of my workplace…

Been looking online for more information about the Norwegian Pavillion, and found a clip on Youtube featuring the opening of the Norwegian Pavillion in 1988. Enjoy!

Wow! Its only 29 days until I leave Norway! So much to do, so little time…

Put my car out for sale last friday, havent heard too much yet. (except some people offering way less). So that concerns me a bit at the moment… Need to sell it before I leave.

From monday to thursday this week I was outside Ålesund, in a commune called Sula, Langevåg, to visit my grandparents one last time before I leave. I also visited my aunt, Anka and her husband Dag Sigurd.

Sollaug, born 1924, is an energetic woman and I dont think anyone will think shes really 86 years old. She is a very kind lady, and she still makes a lot of food. I keep memorizing back when we were there on holidays, she made too much food for 8 people all the time, and nearly forced us to eat it. The food she serves is ofcourse only healthy food, monday I got some kind of local beef/animal. Tuesday salmon. Wednesday chicken. She was shocked that I didnt eat a lot, because I used to do, when I was fat(ter). But really mentioned that I lost weight all the time, and that I had to keep it that way, so she couldnt force me to eat too much.

Peder, born 1923, is still the same man he always used to be. I would say that he is more healthy now than a couple of years ago. He has been a fisherman his whole life, and very active in different societies and unions. He is a smart man, and knows a lot about history and development of Norway.

All in all, even though they are 86 and 87 years old, they are more healthy than you can imagine. Sollaug havent smoked a cigarette her whole life (she had a half when she was 17, and still regrets it). They are Christian and live simple, Peder believes in helping and gives a lot of money to the Kirkens Nødhjelp. Anyone remember giving 1/10? Thats him. They dont have any home nurse or anything like that, they do everything by themselves. Peder still drives.

Im really proud of my grandparents, and I hope this wasn’t the last time I will see them. But as one of the last things Sollaug told me; “we either meet here again, or in heaven.”

Here you can see some pictures from my trip: (oh yes, that little blond kid on some of the photos is me when I was younger, I was blond and had curls, like my dad and grandfather used to have, but it always turn out black and healthy. All my relatives on the father side, has a lot of hair all their lives.)