Fun in the Sun in Oslo
Okay, more like "fun in the clouds and the rain in Oslo", but that doesn't scan well. This past Friday I flew my sister and I to Oslo for her birthday. And, well, we've been having a pretty swell time of it all. Yesterday we split up, her to go shopping with a girlfriend and me to wander the streets in tourist fashion. As well as to find us a place to stay for last night and tonight - found an alright price on a hostel near downtown. If you ever find yourself in Oslo and desperate for a reasonable place to stay, try the Anker Hostel - pretty clean, helpful, handsome staff who may or may not hit on your kid sister. ;-) We've been having a good time here.
In my wanderings yesterday I had a couple of strange experiences. The first was kind of strange, and sort of set the mood for the second. So, here they are:
Wandering the streets, looking for the main square by the water, I happened across a group of what looked like stoned hipster types sitting in a circle next to a fence. It was near the dockyards behind the castle, and I really had no idea where I was. There were no pedestrians around, and very few cars. And now for the strange part: near to this circle of folk was a guy sitting by himself, tying his arm off and slapping a vein. Then he shot up. Ooh, deary, now I have actually seen someone doing heroin. That explained the very quiet circle of hipsters. So, a little freaked out, I just continued walking past them, trying not to make eye-contact. I had with me my laptop, so I was a little worried about my safety in case they noticed it. The walk further was uneventful, although I think I passed three hookers on the way out of that area. For those of you who know Toronto, it felt a little like southern Jarvis Street, but in a more rural setting. I reached the castle and thought I was safe. There were more touristy-type people walking around, which gave me a sense of security... At least someone would hear me scream. And then I had another strange encounter. A seemingly normal looking man approached me saying, "Unnskyld."
"Unnskyld?" Then, remembering that I'm in Norway and that is norwegian for 'exuse me' I said, "Oh, right. What?"
"Are you english?"
"Yes, Canadian."
"Where do you come from?"
"Canada."
"Ah... Do you believe in Jesus?"
A little stunned at the question, I replied, "Eh? Uh, occaisionally."
And then he walked away and started pissing on the side of a rock wall below the castle. I merely laughed quietly to myself.
Comment theme for today: Random encounters! Anyone with strange storíes about meeting weirdos, freaky or no. Cheers!
In my wanderings yesterday I had a couple of strange experiences. The first was kind of strange, and sort of set the mood for the second. So, here they are:
Wandering the streets, looking for the main square by the water, I happened across a group of what looked like stoned hipster types sitting in a circle next to a fence. It was near the dockyards behind the castle, and I really had no idea where I was. There were no pedestrians around, and very few cars. And now for the strange part: near to this circle of folk was a guy sitting by himself, tying his arm off and slapping a vein. Then he shot up. Ooh, deary, now I have actually seen someone doing heroin. That explained the very quiet circle of hipsters. So, a little freaked out, I just continued walking past them, trying not to make eye-contact. I had with me my laptop, so I was a little worried about my safety in case they noticed it. The walk further was uneventful, although I think I passed three hookers on the way out of that area. For those of you who know Toronto, it felt a little like southern Jarvis Street, but in a more rural setting. I reached the castle and thought I was safe. There were more touristy-type people walking around, which gave me a sense of security... At least someone would hear me scream. And then I had another strange encounter. A seemingly normal looking man approached me saying, "Unnskyld."
"Unnskyld?" Then, remembering that I'm in Norway and that is norwegian for 'exuse me' I said, "Oh, right. What?"
"Are you english?"
"Yes, Canadian."
"Where do you come from?"
"Canada."
"Ah... Do you believe in Jesus?"
A little stunned at the question, I replied, "Eh? Uh, occaisionally."
And then he walked away and started pissing on the side of a rock wall below the castle. I merely laughed quietly to myself.
Comment theme for today: Random encounters! Anyone with strange storíes about meeting weirdos, freaky or no. Cheers!
posted by Shaun at
1:11 p.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home