August 2008 Archives

Yesterday, Fulbright staffers Sarah (on the left) and Tove (on the right) prepared a typical Norwegian lunch (and, I'm told, breakfast) for us.

Here you see the ingredients to make open faced sandwiches. Bread--no big deal. Butter--no problem. Beets--yum. Norwegian cheese--it's brown and tastes a little like a savory caramel, if that makes sense. Liver pate--I can't give a report since I didn't try it. Mackerel in tomato sauce--gone by the time I got to the table. Reindeer sausage--tasty, but don't tell Santa I said so. There were also jams and various other meats, apple slices with cinnamon, and the lone veggie, red pepper. I enjoyed my lunch, but not as much as one of the other Fulbrighters, Charlie, who had at least nine open faced sandwiches.

Today, Jennifer and I took the t-bane (subway) to Holmenkollen, home of a spectacular ski jump and the Ski Museum. It's in the hills that overlook the city center, almost at the end of the subway line. The ski jump itself was pretty amazing, but I don't think this picture does it justice.

The jump is tall and incredibly steep. During the winter, the water at the bottom is drained and jumping competitions take place here.

We went on the jump simulator machine . . . which was actually pretty fun: a small enclosed compartment which moved mechanically to simulate the speed of a 130 mph downhill experience. We also went to the Ski Museum and saw skis that dated back to 600 A.D. Of course, Norway is where skiing first began--and Norwegians are proud of the ski tradition. The historical overview of skiing included stories of Norwegian explorers who made it (or tried to make it) to the South and North poles, in addition to displaying artifacts from the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen.

After the museum, we decided to take the subway to the end of the line--to an area called Tryvann, home of hiking and mountain biking during the summer and skiing during the winter. We did some hiking there, admiring the chair lifts as well as the beautiful scenery.

So what does this have to do with food? Before going to the park, we stopped at a local restaurant for a little nourishment before the hike. I had a typical Norwegian dish: an open faced sandwich with smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and a thin shaving of zucchini.

A girl's gotta eat before a hike, right? This was actually a very yummy sandwich--I love how creamy smoked salmon is . . . and was glad that the restaurant included a slice of lemon to squeeze on top. It was exactly what I needed to keep up with ski fiend and all around athlete Jennifer.

I had decided before I left that I would go cross country skiing this winter. Jennifer, who once worked as a ski instructor at Lake Tahoe, wants me to try downhill as well, and she promises to be a great teacher. I do want to try new things this year . . . but we'll have to see whether skiing is one of those things.

On my way home, I walked through Aker Brygge enjoying the second day of the multicultural music festival. One tent had Pakistani music and I thought of my dear friend Samina as I watched a group of men dance.

Tomorrow, the Fulbright Orientation begins. I feel quite relaxed after such a fun weekend.

On the Friday before I left Fresno, I had a couple of truly delicious meals. Andre and I had lunch at my favorite Armenian restaurant, Bedrosian's. I usually have the vegetarian plate, but I wanted to try something different. I decided on the koofta plate which included koofta (the thing that looks like a meatball), a sarma (stuffed grape leaf), cheese borag (bread with cheese on top), pilaf, and bulgar.

I think my favorite thing on this plate was actually the bulgar--it was so nutty and buttery. Yum!

Andre had the lahmajoon plate which looked very similar to what I had--only his included the lahmajoon which is an "Armenian pizza," as the owner Johnny described it.

Even though this was the first time he'd eaten Armenian food, Andre really liked his food, as well--oh, and he had some eggplant, too (I neglected to take a picture) which was really flavorful. Bedrosian's always delivers. I've loved everything I've ever eaten there.

That evening, Toni made dinner for a group of us. When she had asked what I'd like to have, my only request was to have a lot of fresh vegetables since I'll really miss California produce. Toni is a great cook, and her meal was quite extraordinary. She made spinach lasagna with a bechamel sauce and fresh pasta. We were all impressed with the distinct layers--sometimes lasagna looks like a mess, but not this one. And the taste? Divine!

I also really enjoyed Samina's beautiful salad which was full of gorgeous veggies. And Bo's ice cream was quite yummy!

All in all, this was such a satisfying meal. And the party entertainment was good, too. Andre suggested we play "Testa," a Brazilian game where participants choose a name, write it on a piece of paper, and tape it to the head of one of the other players. Then, each player has to ask yes/no questions to try to guess who they are. One can ask as many questions as receive affirmative answers. However, once the answer is "no," it's the next player's turn. Clever Toni (Marie Antoinette) won, and she completely stumped me (Barbie). The game made what could have been a sad night very fun.

Saturday, Lok and I drove up to Oakhurst so that I could interview poet Wendy Rose. Wendy and her husband Arthur own a collectibles store there called "Oh Grow Up." We found the store then went in search of lunch.

We ended up at Crab Cakes, sitting out on the patio. Lok had clam chowder and a crab cake. He had to add hot sauce to the chowder, but he seemed to enjoy both dishes.

Although I was tempted to try something new, I finally decided to have their version of fish tacos--which ended up being a good choice. The tortillas were surprisingly chewy, the fish crisp, and the cabbage crunchy.

After we had finished eating, we went to the store and I interviewed Wendy for about an hour. She has had poor health over the last few years which led to the end of her job as a teacher at Fresno City College. She and Arthur spend most days at the store, which has a beautiful view of the mountains. They told a great story about watching the crows slide down the steep, pitched roof of a nearby restaurant. They do it over and over again during the winter--their form of play. Who knew that crows know how to have a good time?

Good lunch and good conversation . . . .

Today, Kelli (my niece), Kevin (my nephew-in-law), Jason (my nephew), and I went to Salt Lake to visit Natalie in the hospital. She's still recovering from a failed kidney transplant and, although it was really good to see her, I'm also really sad that she has spent the entire summer in the hospital--and that we're still not sure when she'll be well enough to leave. We're all still so worried about her.

After visiting with Natalie, we went to Crown Burger for lunch. My days in the U.S. are numbered and I wanted to have the quintessential American food: the hamburger. We all ate light breakfasts so that we would be hungry for lunch. Crown Burger is known for its eponymous burger which is topped with pastrami. None of us went that route. Kelli and Jason had junior bacon cheeseburgers and Kevin had a double hamburger.

Before:

Kevin with our burger bounty

After:

Kevin and Jason after our feeding frenzy

This was a mighty fine meal. My burger was quite tasty in all its beefy goodness--and I very much enjoyed the unique Utah condiment: fry sauce (a mixture of ketchup, relish, and mayonnaise). The french fries were perfect and quite plentiful--I gave two big handfuls to Jason (who had neglected to order a combo) and still had too many fries to finish . . . even though I ordered a junior cheeseburger.

My mouth waters as I look at this photo.

I also have to say how much I enjoyed spending the day with Kelli, Kevin, and Jason. This morning, Jason and I took their dog Misty for a walk; then we came home and took silly pictures of ourselves with Photo Booth.

And I loved seeing how well Kelli and Kevin get along together--even after two and a half years of marriage, they are still the best of friends. They are a good couple, and I'm excited about their future plans.

I love you guys.