Icy Oslo

Most of you in the States are currently enduring freeeezing weather, while here in Norway we keep osscilating above, below, and right at zero degress - I operate in Celsius now! How I wish it would just stay cold or warm. Walking to and from church has become a sort-of endurance, obstacle, daring trek. I never know what parts will be icy, if there is ice, and if I can even see the ice.

You may be wondering about this pic. I don't have any pics of the ice, so you get a picture of me in my new (but yet still old) Norwegian vest that has fun / weird cap sleeve things. Look ma! I'm becoming a Viking!

I have now learned that the zebra stripes, or crossing strips on the road will ALWAYS be slippery. Not sure why that is, lack of texture? But, I avoid those at all costs. The streets also tend to be icier than the sidewalk - is this black ice? The hills are the fun part, because I'm always in fear that I'll just slip the whole way down.

Norwegians don't seemed perturbed by this at all. No one seems to walk differently, except the elderly. Is something wrong with me? I feel like I don't know how to walk. But, then again, I have seen several people slip a little and keep on going.

I've also been told, and even seen, these clamp-on things that people put on the bottom of their shoes, they have little metal things coming out the bottom so you don't slip. But again, I mostly see elderly people wearing these. Oh, I long for snow instead of this thin icy cover that hangs around all day.

But, I guess this is Norwegian life. I was reading an article on Knitty called Common Sense and the art of Norwegian Knitting written by a woman from the US who lived in Norway for one year (don't worry this does relate to icy sidewalks). She talks in her article about Norwegian culture being grounded in common sense. "Norwegian culture is nothing if not grounded in the concept of common sense. My American friend (who was fearful of ice) was not being admonished to conquer her fear of falling on the ice by pretending, in some Zen-like manner, that the ice was not there. No, not at all. Instead, she was experiencing a typical Norwegian reaction to having the obvious pointed out to them. "Yes, there is ice," they might just as well have said, "and if you're not prepared to walk over it, why are you here?".

Guess being used to slippery sidewalks and ice everywhere is part of becoming or being Norwegian. Salt is not used, except in select places, to prevent ice. I'm told its for environmental reasons. (Never thought I would wish they just wouldn't care about the environment, but when I am fearing for my safety, I do wish for some of that naughty salt!)

If you have been praying for me, start praying for snow, or maybe that I just won't fall traipsing around this country. The sun has been out today, so maybe the trek home won't be too bad. Hopefully I'll be able to get some decent pics of the ice fields out there too! Enjoy the snow!