score one for scandanavia!

okay. so norway has quite possibly the coolest government i've ever seen in action. the people are taken care of, there is little to no poverty, everyone speaks english, and though the cost of living is high the minimum wage is...19 US dollars an hour!!!! someone told me i would have to try really hard to make less than 25 dollars an hour. which is good seeing as beers are ten dollars a piece, a cup of coffee is 5 dollars, and a big mac is 4. i met a really cool guy who i have been staying with and he is going to let me use his address for my resident visa application and said i could stay with him when i come back until i find a place. i met another guy who is friends with the vp of the largest media company in norway, passed along my email, and am hoping for some help getting my resume passed along. my norwegian is coming along and my host terje has been really good about teaching me the phrases that matter ('i'm going to go pee in the bushes' & 'cool t-shirt' specifically) but he says i am gifted in the accents and that i am coming along quite nicely. he lets me repeat things over and over until i get it right and will bring it back up an hour or so later so i can reaffirm my memory.

the city itself reminds me of a european new orleans and a lush maine wrapped into a culturally open, interesting, and diverse group of people. i saw edward munch's scream yesterday which was impressive to say the least, sat outside in the largest statue park in the world for a few hours listening to an outdoor concert and hanging with a pack of six oslosians. saw the castle today that runs at about a thousand years old, saw the king's yacht sail into the harbor, rode the tube (normally 8 dollars one way) for free because its on the honor system...consider me dishonorable.

i'm getting excited to settle down and seeing as i've already met so many cool people i don't forsee adjusting and laying down roots as a problem. i also just learned about a website...www.finn.no...where people give stuff away for free. like real big stuff. tables, chairs, etc. terje's apartment is furnished mostly with free things. its strangely utopian.

its the beginning of something fantastic.