Short Oslo visit

My dear Dad drove me to the trainstation at Kjelsås today. I was going to go back to Kristiansand with the 11.11 train from Oslo S, so he thought it convenient to take the train down to the city. It turned out to be a bit nerve wrecking...
Yesterday I had a morning date with Wendy, a percussionist (former student of the dad!), at 08.30.
We took the bus to Kristiansand Airport together. We were both going to Oslo with the 10.30 flight. I was going there for a funeral and to visit the cello doctor, Wendy for the written exam for her lisence.
I had my fridge with me, so I had included some negotiation time on the airport. Luckily I didn't need any, except for checking in. My booking number wasn't valid. Hooray.
Wendy and I split up at Gardermoen, and when I came to Oslo S, I realized that I had some spare time before I had the short rehearsal with the organ-player at 13. I rang my sister, and she had 30 min. break, so I jumped on a bus and visited her at school. My first time to Elvebakken VGS. It was great to see where she's spending so much time!
Then I headed off to Helsfyr.
No problem.
Looked for the krematorium (it's just a chapelle now, but it used to be a krematorium until august).
No problem.
Asked for a place to warm up.
N problem.
Where were the organ player? And when to play? Where?
some problems.
When he finally came, we had 3 min. of tempo setting, and then he was off.
Problem!
The place was a maze, we had very little time left, and we had not even been through the Swan. Well, it all went well. Luckily. Despite that the Swan was more like an old one, struggling to breathe and absolutely not ready for takeoff. But it pleased the family, so I should not complain.
Afterwords, I met Mum for a coffee at the central station. We met Guro on our way too, so she joined us.
It was a very pleasant coffee date, I could have one every day!
At 16 I was on my way to Urs, the magic sound doctor for my cello. I spent around 1.5 hours in his workshop, and now it's almost as nice as it was in May. The dryness of autumn makes strange things with my wooden soundbox, but we're experimenting with millimetres and it works.
Then I could catch my bus to Dads house and see Pauline and Helene. My sister is having Desucon this weekend so we were bleaching her hair, sewing a belt and being very creative. And then watching True Blood. Finally.
And this morning I got to see my Dad too, before he drove me to the trainstation. He got very nervous on my behalf because the train didn't show up. It turned out to be 15 min. late, and then I would miss my second train. Next train would be too late for me; I wouldn't be there for the premiere of La Boheme. ooops.
But 11.11 I was well seated in my train, and now I'm on my way out the door to play some beautiful music in a way too small pit.

Joy of the day!

I was looking for a nice, comfortable black bra. And I learned something. I'm a size smaller than I thought. What a smack in the face! But this one from Simone Perele is amazing, so it's ok. And beside reading Stieg Larsson, I was met by a very nice message just now. We had an open dress rehearsal, and my neighbour downstairs listened. He liked it so much that he put this note on my door!

What an outfit!

Natasha was very inventive!

Luxury!

My day has been superb! Got to practice some hours, swam 1025 m and came home to dinner before coffee, bun and rehearsal for La Boheme. Annas cooking was excellent and spicy! Please, come here every day!!

Friday!?

La Boheme makes my muscles ache, or rather, sitting and playing and then be home doing the same, makes my muscles ache.
So to prevent becoming really huge and sloppy, I went for a swim.
(After a decent visit to Drømmeplassen, a café in the centre of Kristiansand, with Anna.)
I knew I only had an hour in the hall (including everything), because of some diving class. but I went anyway. Better with a little than nothing. And then I'm off with a good start.
I knew the orchestra has a brilliant deal with them, so I approached the guy at the front - quite frank, telling him I was from the orchestra and wondered if there was any discount. It turns out that the permanent players goes for free, but the subs (even those on longer term) have to pay full price. Darn.
Well, I go for the second cheapest thing they have, which was a 10 clip cupon. It's not one card. It was 10 of them.
Really.
I managed to do 500 m, and then 7 minutes in the sauna before i had to leave.
Back home I knew that Schönberg was waiting for me. Pierrot Lunaire, movement 19 "Serenade". The BIG cello movement.
Aaaah!
It's tricky!!!!

(I see green!... sometimes it all feels like I could be in "Death at a funeral". Valium, anyone?)

New home

It's funny how it is with new places. Especially if it's not yours.

How to open the windows?
How to get the fan working (don't want the cooking fumes everywhere)
Is there some internet around? wireless or with a chord?
Can I practise without annoying the neighbours?
Where did he put the plug for the bathtub?
Does the fire alarm always go off when you light a candle?

Well, the windows had a hidden button on the side (this was a new thing for me! old invention probably),
the fan was just unplugged, and the internet was hidden under the TV.

Then it's the shopping.
No essential ingredients anywhere, so I found a local chinese shop and the Rimi across the street.
Gourmet!
...


Glad the swimming hall is not too far away.
Just, when is it open?
Need to check the net...

Another week has passed

And this one was spent in Kristiansand. The program this week was quite nice!

Stravinsky's Pulcinella suite

Beethoven Violin Serenade (F major)

Mendelssohn "Scottish symphony"

And my home was Hotel Norge. Not as fancy hall as they have in Hotel Ernst, but the breakfast is great. Their bread is amazing - and now I've figured out how to get my soy milk too, so I can have my daily müsli.

The concert was, as usually, at Thursday - 19.30, in the Church. Since it was the season opening concert, there was expected to be quite a lot of people. Unfortunately, the weather was making some trouble, and there were several other concerts going on at the same time so the number of people in the audience was rather low. I had fun anyway!

-and afterwards we were invited for soup in one of the new restaurants in town. 

Both Friday and today, I had rehearsals with a new ensemble: Ensemble Suo Nordico. We're going to have a concert in Kristiansand on the 7th of November. Very ambitious program with some new pieces by Swedish composers mixed with some more central works in the genre: Schönbergs: Pierrot Lunaire. I'm in for a real challenge!!

The group is a great mix of everything from older, more established players to young ones, still studying. They are all enthusiastic about the group, and very sweet people. I'm looking forward to know the pieces and play together with them. I'm sure it'll be both fun and good music!

While we have these rehearsals I'm living in Lars Auduns flat. He is not at home, so I feel a bit like a house occupant... haha

Location: Lars Auduns flat

Mood: Tired, lots of thoughts

Eating: Banana

Listening to: Wagner on Spotify

Dessert

Back in Hotel Norge after a weekend of Händel in Lillesand with Lars Audun and some other players. Nata is here this week, and when she came to the hotel we went out for a little something. She and Siv, another sub., wanted some real food, but I went for the dessert!
Kick's brownie (actually, it was ordinary chocolate cake, not brownie) was yummie <3

Guess what!

At hotel Ernst, where Peder also lives this week, they have something quite interesting. Chewable omega 3 capsules. They tempt up with "fresh taste" and that they're in vegetable gelatin. Yeah, right. I'm sure it's some kind of tourist gimmic. When you try, you chew it and then you burp horrible codliveroil-taste for a week. Gotcha!

I found myself

on YouTube!

Place de Brouckere

Bus vs Airplane

This last week has been crazy. I've learnt how it is to be working double - in two different cities.
My schedule:

Sunday - bus to Kristiansand
Monday- 10-14 rehearsal, KSO
15.45 flight
19 Don Quixote at the Opera
Tuesday- 0558 bus to city (then airport train)
07.50 flight to Kristiansand
10-14 rehearsal KSO
Wednesday- 10-14 rehearsal KSO
15.45 flight
19 Don Quixote
Thursday - 0558 bus (then airport train)
07.50 flight
10-13 Dress rehearsal
19.30 Concert
Friday - 16 bus to Arendal
19 concert
Saturday 0910 train to Oslo
18 don Quixote
Sunday -Walk with mum by the ocean and saw a great exhibition (www.ellens.no)
18 don Quixote

I am really tired today!
Thanks to Vojta, I didn't have to bring the cello on the planes. I was only bringing my hand luggage and bow case. And my cello had vacation from the pit.

After the performance on Sunday, Mum was really funny during the drive home. We were giving one colleague a ride home, and in the darkness you find the strangest of creatures. One homeless person collecting cans and bottles in the lights from passing cars. And up-your-bum-drivers.
We had to go down a really narrow, quite steep and winding road to get home. Out of the blue (well, black is probably a more describing word) there came a red up-your-bum driver. Of course. He tried to get a good view of the road - to know when to pass us. This is more or less impossible on this road, unless you are highly suicidal. Halfway down we had to leave this roller coaster of a road. And guess what - the up-your-bum driver had the same route. Mum hates these ones. Why do they have to drive so close they can almost smell your ass?? I wonder.
Our road has a speed limit of 50, so she drove almost too slow just to piss him off. Then she put her foot on the gas and almost hit 60 just to let her car roll home, continuously loose speed. Some few metres from our gate, the red car were ready to pass us. Just then, Mum had to give signal to turn left. Of course.
I guess the guy got really pissed off. Suits him right!



Location: Mums kitchen
Eating: Breakfast, soon anyway. Oat porridge.
Drinking: Coffee
Listening to: The fan over our oven.
Mood: My mum is cool! And I'm still smiling of the flirtatious conductor yesterday. Too many cute girls and guys to wink at. He was quite busy, I can tell.

Back in Kristiansand

I was a little sad to go down south of Norway now that the snow finally has come to Oslo (and staying for a while!) - but I got a surprise.
It's all white here too!!!

The orchestra is going to Paris on wednesday, and we're going to play Django Reinhardt music in a circus. A circus! I hope it'll be warm...
At the moment we're still waiting for the tickets (we're NOT flying charter).
Todays rehearsal was short, and I still had a lot of energy left afterwards, so I practiced a lot. I was held company by the three rubber brothers.


I had to walk home in the snow. Popped by a Chinese fastfood store, and now I'm enjoying my tea together with Lene :)

Ah, Forgot...
Saturday Heloisa and I played the house concert at Hans' place. It was great fun! Lots of elderly people, and some younger ones. They all live in the neighborhood. Does this say anything about our area?..

Heloisa and her dog, Claudianis

Anyways, it was around 35 people in the livingroom, all sitting and eating by tables Edel had to cough up from somewhere. I wished grandma to be there, she'd have enjoyed it tremendously. But she got ill from all the work with shoveling snow. Mum was playing operette at the opera. Well, they didn't show up, but I did help with the dishes afterwards.


The mysterious coffee guy. At least, whith him we (Lene and I) were followed by the paparazzis. Or... well, don't ask

Location: Kristiansand, Hotel Norge
Eating: Fried nudles
Drinking: Green tea (coldish)
Mood: oki
Listening to: NRK1


Aaargh! There is a storm coming to France now, so the airports are closed. I hope everything is working as usually when we're going there Wednesday morning (actually 5.15. Zzzz)

In Kristiansand

...and it rains here too! It feels like it has been raining for weeks - constantly. The good thing is that we're picked up at the hotel by a maxi-Taxi every morning. (We get the ride back again too, luckily.)
But you need the raincoat anyway. And the hangars at work are quite exclusive!


And I'm so glad - there are lots of other freelancers in the orchestra this week so we have our own little club at breakfast, lunch and for coffee...
And this fellow is my former violaplayer (in the Swedish Quartet "Hebe")



We found a very nice-looking, smelly (yes, it smelled - not very pleasantly - of too much incense) Indian restaurant with very good tasting food. Spicy'n yummy! (Although, we'll not recommend the garlic-fish dish.)

Ooo, should try to practice some in my tiny little hotel room now. The neighbor was playing guitar just now so I should take the opportunity to make a real war! Mwoahahahaaa

The First One!

Sitting in Hotel Caledonien in Kristiansand and writing my first blogentry ever. And I feel quite nervous! I feel more nervous about this than the "sing-along"-concert we're going to do in the Cathedral here 19.30. Psalms with full orchestra, (well, it's a small one, but still), organ and hopefully the whole audience.

I have spent my few last days here with Lene (hornplayer). She is the second reason why I have started to blogg... (she is Frøken Aadalen in person) We have practiced, had lunches, visited sweet cafés (our favorite is a cuban one. There she eventually had her first real coffee! I'm wicked!!), gone shopping (she's quite wicked too. Especially when it comes to shoes...) listened to concerts - from DJ's to baroque. In other words, enjoyed ourselves.

An absolutely lovely pair of shoes I never thought I'd buy.

We played a concert on wednesday too. "The Paradise and The Peri" by Schumann. And there was a convention afterwards with "finger-foods" ,wine and speeches. We had opened the the international church music festival.. (www.kirkefestspill.no) I got the conductors flower! It has been a great detail in my hotel room!! Thank you :)