Exciting, terrifying, fantastic weeks

which I have to write about. Should, of course, have written it all before but - hey; I was enjoying it all somehow!!

First: Paris with KSO and gypsy musicians a'la Jango Reinhardt.



We played 3 concerts in a Cirqus! and lived in a 4 star hotel close by (4 stars in France, that is).


My hotel room!


The circus had long traditions. Some of the old, original posters were on the wall.

The old stables were perfect for unpacking and warming up.

During the days (except thursday) we were off until the concert at 21 so we could see quite a lot of the city. Sadly, the orchestra were the target of a flu-epidemy so almost all of them were quite put off. Luckily the French authorities are not as strict as the Norwegians, so they allow all dodgy kind of drugs to (possibly) kill the flu efficiently. I was one of the lucky ones who escaped the flu! (I guess it was because I had the stupid flu some years ago..) but Lene had to keep her bed for some time. She has written a lot about our adventures in Paris, check it out! (She has a lot of pictures too!)
I had my agenda in Paris; Looking for bow, possibly a baroque bow and cello and find some black concert shoes (of the shiny, black sort. Laque?). It took some time, so all the touristy things I managed to do was: Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and walk around Montmartre and see the famous windmill on top of Le Moulin Rouge. Didn't even find Amelies little coffee shop... But I also wanted to save some for a more romatic trip back with Robert *sniggle*
My plan for the Paris tour was pretty successful. The perfect bow for my cello (I think. Still have to understand how it works properly) found me, but then my budget were blown so baroque cello and bow have to wait some years...
Lene and I went walking around to look for shoes and other artifacts, when we saw the huge shopping mole "Printemps". They have a whole floor only for shoes (mostly Gucci, Prada and other HUGE names) and there I did find my shoes! Of course, they turned out to be a pair of Dolce & Gabbana... Needless to say, I'm a happy girl :)



I have eaten escargots!


Lene had some time by herself when I tested bows, so she ended up in a very famous makeup store. This was the result!


Spot the space invader! They are all over Paris, but I wasn't really good at spotting them...

And back home, the week of Mahler 1 and audition preparations were awaiting...

Mahler was very exciting, in all aspects. And it didn't help being nervous for monday either. Sunday night I got another little practical joke made on me by my cello. It didn't want the endpin back in! So I had to leave it overnight in one of the dressing rooms.
And now I know this: I don't like the atmosphere when 30 nervous cellists are being forced to stay in the same tiny space for drawing a number!!
I didn't win this job either, but I got closer!

Location: In mums livingroom
Mood: Tired, confused and happy - going to Stavanger in a few hours!!
Drinking: White tea (not VERY expensive one, with several strange rituals around it)
Eating: Warm, crispy cheese toast
Listening to: Grandma watching TV upstairs

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)

Curious incidents at work...

Lately I feel very privileged to be a part of the first opera production in the new opera house in Oslo. It's Verdi's "Don Carlo" and we have a great Italian conductor. The singers are fabulous, costumes incredible and the stage breathtaking. But - (there's always a but, especially in a new, hightech house...) things happens all the time.
First of all, it's very hard to get around in the house without feeling you get lost. I have a great idea for them: why not just give out a map together with the substitute-access card?
We have been waiting for the technique to be ready for the rehearsals and run-throughs a lot. I have no idea for how long we've been waiting. The scenes change have been problematic, they don't have enough surcuits for the lights, the whole setup for the performance dissappeared the other day and half of the pit lost their lights on the music stands. Poor technichians! I feel so sorry for them - they're struggling with the technich who seems to be sabotaging everything they do, and then all the artists are complaining too.
From big trouble like this, we (in the cellosection at least) have the minor problems with our music. Mum and I (we actually share desk!) have music which has been written in way too much - not only with ordinary pencil, but with both blue and red as well. It's not funny! Lots of crossed-out parts (which we do play) and it's hard to see what we've written among all the other "kråketær" (scribblings). A plus is that they smell kind of nice. Gunpowder!
-Oooh, almost forgot that we were missing the conductor too... (for a while) I was wondering if he had been lost in the building somewhere.

Totto with a very describing t-shirt! (Vi beklager teknisk feil, meaning "we're sorry. Technical problem)


Lene: Thank you for such a great time with you - even it was short! Pictures will come soon!



Helene: HAPPY 18!!! Love you lots and lots! Banki is sending you all his love (but I guess you already know that he is all yours...)

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 :)