Of lilacs in early summer evenings and fading dandelion clocks

I feel like saying it's been an odd summer so far. But actually, I don't think it has, really. This is probably a bit more like what summers should be. Some sun, some rain. A few days so bright and sunny that life seems to be almost too good to be true. And then days of overcast skies and the occasional dump of water :). I remember my first couple of full summers living in this apartment, getting really tired of the grass just growing and growing and growing :D. Takes both sun and rain, doesn't it?

It has been pretty warm though. Hitting nearly 30°C on a few occasions. So much so that most of the cycling over the last month has been done after 6 pm, or before 11 am :). Yes, there has indeed been some amount of cycling! After three years of practically being in hibernation, my bike's finally getting to stretch its legs a bit :D. In fact, I've already done more distance this year than in any of the four previous years since I bought this bike!

A lot of it has just been re-visiting some old favourite routes. Taking it easy, just enjoying the views and the feeling of the kilometres just sliding by. Well, as much as the Norwegian landscape allows... But the climbs have been feeling progressively less mountainous. Which feels great!!

On the book front, I was definitely happy to be done with the thrillers! In what may have been a surprising choice, after finishing off The Thirst (with overall positive feelings I must say, the grimness did abate somewhat.. or maybe I just eventually got used to it), I decided to continue with Nesbø. Just a different genre. 

A couple of years ago, when I was at the peak of my enthusiasm to learn Norwegian, I decided to buy a few second hand books from a jumble sale. All in Norwegian. All by Jo Nesbø. I'd been told his language was not only quite modern, but also very much of the Oslo dialect and thus most easy for those of us taught by denizens of this region. Most of the books were his usual Harry Hole thrillers, but there was one slim collection of short stories. 

I'd figured short stories were probably the easiest thing to start with, but then had given up when even that had seemed a bit too much for my nascent grip of the language :). Fast forward to now and either the passage of time or the new workplace and its higher proportion of Norwegian use, or both, have made Norwegian a lot more accessible. So I thought why not give it another go!

Karusellmusikk was quite a cool experience! Yes, I didn't understand every single word, but enough to gather not only the content, but also a feeling for the stories. And such variety! I guess that's one thing with short stories. One isn't bound by a long arc. Just brief explorations or explosions. Sometimes mere musings, incomplete, but no less enjoyable for being unfinished, so to speak.

Apparently there's an album to accompany the book. Would I want to get it to listen to? Doubt it to be honest :). Why spoil the experience? Speaking of songs to go with stories, I decided to follow up one collection of short stories with another. And it so happens, that Fragile Things, in fact, has a bunch of stories, or poems, that were written to go with songs, or entire albums in some cases!

As with any Neil Gaiman creation, it's a wild and wonderful ride :). But I've been thinking lately... You see, it's been some time since I read anything particularly long by him. (Although, now that I've looked through my Goodreads history, turns out I've read quite a lot of stuff by him in the last few years {aside from the Malazan obsession, of course} that's longer than short stories :D. So maybe I should rethink this a bit.) American Gods or Neverwhere or Anansi Boys... or The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I've been thinking about reading Good Omens again, but my copy is still in New York... 

I guess what I'm getting at is maybe this. Since the last time I read those books, I feel I've read and heard a lot more of the man himself than his creations. Read a fair bit of his non-fiction. And while I am sure I know nothing of what Neil Gaiman the person is actually like in real real life, I feel I have a much more fleshed out image of who he is in his non-fictional (aka real) words. And somehow, this seems to trip me up a bit when I then end up reading his fictional words.

Happily lost in some story, I suddenly realize that I'm automatically assuming the protagonist is Neil himself. That I've been subconsciously projecting much of what I think of the author onto the character. There's even a whole bunch of the stories where I imagine the protagonist looking a bit like Dream of the Endless =))). It's a sort of pocket-sized madness :D. But here's the thing right, isn't the protagonist always at least a little bit in the image of the author? I suppose this is more true of some stories than others.

Regardless, I've been enjoying myself immensely :).

Which I suppose is something that could also be said of the summer at large :). Yes, it's different. Yes, there is much uncertainty in the world. Yes, we can't go see family for who knows how long, and I miss them. But at the same time, it makes one realize that the present is all we really have. And even that is really not something to be taken for granted. Because of course, one day, we wont. But while we do, it is important to appreciate and enjoy it. In whatever way works for each day.

It would be remiss of me to not mention the somewhat seismic news of Liverpool finally, finally, winning the Premier League :). I honestly think there was no part of me that was completely and utterly sure that they would win it till I got woken up in the middle of the night last Thursday by a friend's messages :). I don't call that a lack of faith. It was more an attempt to not project pressure :D. But now that they are Champions of Europe, the World and England, I can honestly say, this has to be the best time to be a Liverpool fan since I started following them in 2005 \:D/. Long may this continue.

The sparkling beginnings of summer!

May really did go by fast! I mean it's not gone yet, but pretty much. And the last four or so weeks feel like a bit of a blur! For one thing, the weather's definitely been looking up. Then down, then up again :). We've been out on the bikes! And I've even started cautiously heading back to the office to work! Then of course there was the Norwegian National Day that will probably remain one of the most talked about 17th of Mays for some time!

As the mercury has been creeping up, the numbers of Covid-19 infections in Norway have been dropping. To the point when eventually all kids are allowed back to schools, sports activities are starting up and people are no longer being actively discouraged from workplaces. Social distancing, of course, is here to stay.

It's been kinda nice going back into the office. Even if it's only once a week. (And even then I avoid the rush hour and have generally had plenty of space on the train.) Discussions are really so much better, easier and fulfilling in person. At the same time, there's plenty of good things to be said about working from home too! A lack of distractions, for example :). But there I'm probably in a minority. Either way, the last few months might have some long lasting effects on how we work. Whether for better or for worse of course, remains to be seen.

The weather has been inviting more often than not. And we have definitely made use of it :). The fact that the sunlight now stretches far beyond end of work time helps no end! It has been pretty windy quite a lot of the time though.

The National Day weekend suffered no such blemish! Forced to abandon the usual children's parades all over the country, people came up with all sorts of new ways to celebrate, from classic car parades, boat parades, balcony parties and even the Royal family taking to the streets in open topped cars to greet often completely surprised people. The list is long. And I wonder, if some of these new ways of celebrating might just stick around!

We celebrated by heading out for a walk in the neighbourhood. We watched the band from the local schools parade around the locality being cheered on by people from their balconies or doorsteps. One of the car parades wound its way nearby, so we went to watch that too! Waved at some classic, and some not quite so classic cars :). And then of course, there was the obligatory ice-cream :).

It's been nice being out on the bike again! So far it's only been a few trips, but it feels promising :). Having seemingly exhausted the opportunities of exploration within walking range, it's only natural to take to some wheels! And I'm already starting to feel my legs, shoulders and well, everything in general, beginning to get back into the rhythm of cycling :).

On the other hand, reading seems to have taken a bit of a darker turn. I'm blaming this squarely on the books. First there was I am Pilgrim. I mean, the whole terrorist thriller thing should have warned me of course. I'm generally not a huge fan of the genre. Still, it was a pretty fast read. The first person omniscient narrative style really had me missing Steven Erikson :). But what can you do? At least now I've knocked off yet another unread book from my bookshelf!

And then I moved on to The Thirst. So, I have read Jo Nesbø before. Two of his Harry Hole books, in fact. But it's been a few years. I'm not sure if my taste for grisly, gritty thrillers has just deserted me or it this one is way darker than The Bat or The Redbreast. Anyhow. I'm about a third of the way in. And while I've definitely been pulled into the plot and really want to know what happens next, there's a part of me that will be quite relieved to just be done with it :|.

In the mean time, there's all the sunshine and cycling (fingers crossed :D) to keep life happy!

Of blues, greens and an alternative red planet

Somehow, (Well, I actually know how. I was entertained by the endless number of people who end up on my blog searching for "Kirk O'Bane", so I had a look at the post that causes them to. Then ended up reading some other dozen-year-old posts, marvelling at the amazingly obscure yet seemingly apt titles I had the ability to conjure :D. And eventually..) I came across my recollections from the first summer I was in Asker!

A month short of twelve years on, a very different summer is unfolding around us. But somehow not that different. As I was reading the post, I recalled my feeling of loneliness here, in a country where I knew very few people. The friendships I would develop that would last till this day were yet to take shape. So social distancing wasn't as much a decision as an inevitability :). I also still more or less vividly recall the shock at the "everlasting" light :D.

Of course life is very different now. Yet, the pictures of empty streets felt like a bridge across the years. (It must be said, I generally avoid people in my photos. So, for all you know, I waited for the opportune moment when no one else was in shot before clicking :D.) Anyhow, in the last month, we have been doing quite a bit of walking in the sunshine! Managing to explore parts that we'd never actually walked in, even though many of them are within an hour or so's walk from home!

Working from home is something I'm getting more and more used to I find. It's not like it doesn't have its problems, mainly when it comes to getting work done collaboratively. But I am enjoying the upsides of having more flexible hours, less travelling and more "home time" :). I suppose I might as well make the most of it while it lasts!!

No commute doesn't mean no reading of course! And I've managed to work my way through London Rules, after finishing up with Spook Street. And as with the other books in the series that don't keep River Cartwright in focus, I thought the former was cool, but somewhat more blah than the latter. Yes, as I keep being reminded, the series is called the Jackson Lamb series, not the River Cartwright appreciation club, but I guess we all have our favourite side characters who we'd rather the author spent more time on...

The next book on my list was a bit special. I'm sure at the time when I bought it, I thought it was a great idea. I just can't remember quite why! Over the last few years I've come across my copy of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles and invariably thought, "Hmm, looks interesting, but why did I buy this?" Anyhow. It felt like lock-down (Although I should add that, strictly speaking, Norway is not really in lock-down. We can go shopping when we want, walking around when and where we want. The local shopping centre is still open. Just all with social distancing in place :).) was an appropriate time to find out what it was all about.

It was a bit weird. But it was also fascinating! I have not read many other books written in the nineteen-fifties. Definitely none that were set in what is now the present! The idea of chicken pox brought in by exploring humans killing most of the inhabitants of Mars was certainly ironic. I tried very hard to not get caught up in the many anachronisms. The sense that mankind is somehow, accidentally or otherwise, misusing technology, and this is giving all of progress a bad name, is probably one of the more relatable themes.

I was also fascinated by the imagery of the martian world and its inhabitants! Although most of the time I had to keep reminding myself that at the time the book was written, people didn't really know as much about Mars as we do. So mostly I ended up substituting Mars with some nameless planet beyond our Solar System, and that kinda worked! But yeah, for quite a bit of the book I just focused on the externals of the imagery than necessarily letting myself get too immersed in the deeper social themes that seemed to be playing out.

Which led me to another book that's been sitting on my bookshelf unread for many years simply because I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In this case though, fan that I am of Tina Fey, I definitely knew why I'd bought it :). Bossypants has, thus far, not let me down :D. It is hilarious, insightful and constantly entertaining. It's one of those books I'm enjoying reading out loud so we can share the jokes :D.

So life is going on. And slowly and carefully, Norway is opening up. Tip-toeing towards a new normal. As if in encouragement, up until a few days ago, the weather was absolutely wonderful! It felt like summer was almost starting early! Now it's taken a bit of a turn for the wet and gloomy. But then again, a little bit of rain does help the garden :).

The times, they are a-changing...

How quickly things can change. For much of the world, March 2020 may long remain a stark reminder of this. Of course there's cause and effect. And in this case the effects may seem sudden, but the cause(s?) has been brewing for some time. Regardless, I am grateful to be living where I do and in general the state of my life is probably vastly more comfortable than a very large number around the world. 

This is a humbling realisation. Even for those that appreciate that the little things in life cannot be taken for granted, the current state of the world has probably uncovered a bunch of things taken for granted. Like being able to pop around to a friend for a chat. Catching up with some friends at a cafe or restaurant. Sports on TV.

Luckily for us here in Norway, walks in the woods are very much allowed. And where we live, there aren't so many people that the woods fail to afford a significant level of personal space. Given that fact we've been making use of the nice weather, generally on Saturdays, to make the most of it!

Spring is definitely in the air! Flowers are slowly making an appearance! And the last of the snow is disappearing. There was one final proper dump of snow right at the beginning of the month. Kindly coinciding with some "surprise" out of town visitors for a slightly belated birthday celebration :).

Since then of course, things have been a bit different. First off there's the working from home. Luckily, I can in fact work from home. So it was just a case of lugging my monitor and other sundry hardware from the office and setting up a temporary home office and trying to keep as much of a work routine as possible while also enjoying the greater flexibility.

What with all the schools and kindergartens shut, most of my colleagues and other friends are having a much more challenging time of it :). After almost three weeks of this, some are settling in, others are reaching the end of their patience :|. I guess it all kinda depends on expectations. It seems more and more obvious that a quick short term impact to life this is not.

I have found that sticking to my normal work alarm on weekdays has worked beautifully! I am probably not as prompt at getting out of bed as when I had to catch public transport, but reading a book for an hour or so in the morning is still a great start to the day. Just on my sofa, instead of on a train :).

Speaking of, I'm properly back in the book club! The first book back for me was Pyramids. A classic Pratchett! Highly enjoyable for one such as myself who hasn't been knee deep in the Discworld recently. I especially enjoyed the unique way in which Pratchett manages to slightly subvert the expected normals of the world :).

The second book was much further outside my normal orbit. The Blue Between Sky and Water. What can I say? I've never been particularly deeply engaged in the Israel Palestine conflict. Observing it from afar. In some ways maintaining my distance as the odd bit of sometimes fictionalised detail passed by too close for comfort on its fiery trajectory. Some bit of news on TV, bits of films, books, conversations. So this rather more intimate albeit in some ways fantastical story was a bit of an eye opener.

Putting aside the politics of it, I have to say I really enjoyed the narrative style. Bar the occasional horrifyingly detailed exploration of violence, the focus is maintained on living rather than dying. Finding rather than losing. Or maybe that was just what I chose to focus on. The ambiguous nature of some of the more supernatural elements lent a particular grace to the story that could otherwise have rapidly descended into nothing but hate.

And now I am back to familiar territory. The last time I tried reading Spook Street, it didn't go very well. Now, whether the intervening time spent reading the Malazan books, where favourite characters dying in spectacularly unfortunate (after the first ten or twenty the term unexpected can't really be applied any more) circumstances was pretty much par for the course, had any effect or not I don't know. But I decided to give it another go. I have to say, I'm glad I did! Can't really say much more without spoilers :).

So there we have it. Life has changed. But life goes on. The pub has turned into a virtual, trans-national, Zoom-ified gathering. Work no longer involves commuting. Catching up with friends involves WhatsApp (and no longer just to plan the gatherings :D) and online games. Maybe social media isn't such a bad thing after all! ;) But it does make one realise what personal physical contact is all about. Let's hope one day, in not too long, we can get back to it!