Almost rented a house, then we rented a house

Yesterday we were millimeters from renting a house we probably would have regretted. It was extremely large, with a huuuge garden, and eventually we negotiated in all appliances, a TV and a couch, and a 10 month lease. BUT, and that turned out to be a big but, the old chinese couple that used to live there, would be moving in to the shed in the backyard, and that would have created problems at some point. It was also a pretty expensive house. The day before we were really keen on that house, so it was only the critical minds of the girls that kept us from signing the contract right there and then.

Instead we signed a contract on a smaller house with 5 bedrooms today. The rooms are quite large, but the common area is rather small. Its gonna end up a bit cheaper and with no one living in the garden. Its also a 2 minutes walk from campus, and close to a supermarket. The crap part of the deal is that we might not be able to move into the house for another 2 weeks, and we will have to do some tricks with out living arrangements.

But anyways, YAY! No more worrying about getting a place to live. We also made bank arrangements at school, so that is settled.

Stuff in Melbourne

Here are some pictures of different things we have been experiencing in Melbourne the past days. The Melbourne Aquarium, the Docklands, Melbourne Central (mall), the Library, and my new sunglasses.

Australia day fireworks

Friday was Australia day, the national day of Australia. We actually had somewhat of a hard time finding barbie food! In the evening there were fireworks by the river, and on top of some of the sky-scrapers. One of them almost looks like its on fire, at one point!

Melbourne, finally

About 48 hours after leaving Sogndal, I and the girls arrived at Tullamarine airport in Melbourne. It was all VERY australian by the airport. Red soil and those weird threes.



Kriståffer had to wait 4 hours extra in Hong Kong because of a ticket fuck-up. It was a pretty thorough check for food items at the airport, so it took an hour to get out of the security checks.
Our schools had sent a private driver to pick us up at Tullamarine, so the ride to the city was pretty comfortable.

Finally we arrived at our shabby hotel. The Chicken was tired too.



The first few hours was pretty miserable. I didn't drink too much so i was dizzy from dehydration, and had sailors legs from all the flying.

Oh, and Home and Away has gotten much further than in Norway. Watch out Sally!

Hong Kong

Aaaaaaand 12 hours after we departed from London we arrived at Hong Kong airport. It was a freaky landing, since the airport laid beside the sea, we came very close to the water before touching down on the runway. And at the aiport and SkyMart everything was very chinese. We had four hours to spend in Hong Kong before departing to Melbourne. I am a little ashamed to say we had a Burger King meal in Hong Kong.
Dead ducks hanging in the restaurant windows:



And the occasional lame asian cartoon:



This is the extremely long departure area, you can literally not see the end of it.



The HUMONGOUS Hong Kong Tax Free!
(just kidding, there were other stores.)



Palm trees inside the airport, Very Niice!

London

Its been two or three days now, but i havent had a chance to blog earlier, so we might as well start at the beginning. Me and Kriståffer arrived at Heathrow 1300 on Tuesday, without the girls, because of the weather at Gardermoen and the de-icing queue. After a 10 minute busride to get between terminals 1 and 3:



We then had to wait an hour in the queue you see on the picture below. It was 4 times longer than what the image shows, at least.



And then there was nothing to do, except wait in the departure area

Lack of internet in Melbourne

Didn't get any chance to connect to the internet for an extended period of time since London, so i have alot of material to post later today. Stay Tuned!

Oslo Lufthavn Gardermoen

An hour ago i arrived at Oslo Lufthavn Gardermoen, and im now waiting for Kriståffer to arrive. Then we need to locate the customs office for the girls, since they arrive late at Gardermoen.
I've just eaten a panini with mozarella, tomato and basil, and had a cup of coffee.



I did also screw up when booking a hotel and arranging for the school to pick us up at the airport. It turns out that my 1337 math skillz calculated that we would be in Melbourne a full day before the plane landed. But i sent a mail to the hotel and the school, informing them that we were late, and i got a reply from both of them when the bus driver had his coffee break in Gol.

And that god damn iPod crapped out on me, so i had nothing to do the entire bus ride.

Selfless clothing

It's closing in now, I'm leaving in a little over 2 hours. I have set up my phone so that i can blog on the bus if i see anything funny, like the driver falling asleep or something.

In an hour ill jump in the showers for the last time, and this is what ill be traveling in:



It looks like I'm walking around with a constant wedgie.

My B.S.K

(Boredom Survival Kit)

This is what will keep me breathing during and in between the flights:



- My MacBook Pro
- Nintendo DS
- Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian"
- iPod Mini

I hope to get my hands on Hotel Dusk on either Heathrow or Hong Kong SkyMart, cause i'm siiiiiick of Super Mario!

Australian moolah

After shipping the money all over the country before eventually getting them to ME, my bank finally had Australian Dollars for me today. Cool bills! They're the first i have ever seen that have transparent areas.

Extreme Makeover - Shoe Edition

I felt that my old shoes still had some life in them, so I re-laced them with brown laces!

Before:



After:


(that gunk on the tip is snow, i had to go outside and lift something.)

Pre-packed

As i'm writing this, it's 12 hours until i leave Sogndal on the bus to Oslo Airport. I've made everything ready for packing, and only have a few struggler items left on my list, so i'm gonna have to go shopping now.

This is my main luggage, contained in a big bag-on-wheels.




And this is my backpack, which, among other things, contains important items to prevent me from dying of boredom during our 35+ hour journey to Melbourne.

Kidnapped!

Tonight at 18:00 i was shanghaied by my family, and taken out for chinese food. For my goodbye-norway-restaurant-visit i had Filèt of lamb in curry sauce, and applepie with icecream for dessert. Tomorrow its goodbye-taco, and sunday is goodbye-turkey.



I guess monday will be goodbye-leftovers.

Snow

For Christmas we had no snow at all, and this week was actually the first week that we saw any flakes that stayed on the ground, and didn't just melt away. But last night we got all the snow in the world; 40 centimeters in one night, and its still snowing while i'm writing this.



Oooooooo! Exciting! He's talking about the weather!

Last day at work

A couple of hours ago i went out the door at Gilde, were i have worked part-time for the last 4 years, for the last time. Of course, i said i went out that door for the last time 2 years ago too, and here i am.

The Flaming Lamborghinis

This is my favorite sunday/relaxation shirt.




It is actually a team-shirt for a volleyball-team we hade in Kos, Greece, during a schooltrip to celebrate our graduation. We were called "The Flaming Lamborghinis", named after a insane drink we got at a local bar. The drink base was some kind of flammable liqour, which the bartender ignited. You then stuck a straw in the drink, and at the bartenders signal, you sucked. And as you sucked, the BT continued to pour different kinds of liqour into the glas, so you ended up with all these different temperatures and tastes all at once. He topped it of with a bit of cinnamon that sparkled in the flames, and then you were done.

I dont know how many drinks that one drink really contained, but it costed 15 euros and my next stop was vomiting over the pier, so my guess is alot.

Bank swag

Yay! Opened a couple of new accounts at a local bank today, and instead of the regular toaster, i got two (2) wallets as gifts! Now i can finally retire and live happily ever after.



I was also supposed to get 500 Australian dollars, in case my cards crap out on me in Melbourne. But the wiener in the bank had misunderstood, and only had American dollars available, so i will have to wait till friday before i get my moolah.

Oh, and i almost got my mothers car stuck in a ditch on the way there.

Amelie

I coincidentaly saw Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain again, and remembered to always choose the least tempting movies.

Kingsgate Hotel, locked and loaded

FINALLY! After many rounds of shooting email back and forth from Melbourne, we have finally found a place to stay the first days, while we search for a permanent solution.
The lucky winner is: Kingsgate Hotel!




The happy, funny place i wrote about earlier didnt reply, so we had to continue our search, and for a small step-up in cost, we get doublerooms instead of staying with other people in a dorm. The hotel is located in the very heart of melbourne, and a few steps from the tram station.

Got wowed by tapdancing penguins

Another sleeper hit for me this week was Happy Feet. Its an animation movie about a tribe/pack of emperor-penguins in the Antarctica. They base their way of life on singing their so called "heartsong", which basically is different kinds of music all the way from the 50's till todays music.
The plot is the built on the standard disney/cartoon-plot, the outcasts struggle and victory in a doubting society. So no surprises there. What makes it good is the way its being told, both from a technological and dramatic aspect. The surroundings are absolutely beautiful and knocks Ice Age on its ass. Robin Williams is also spectacular in the role of the latino-penguin Ramon.



The movie also delivers an extra sting, along with just being a entertaining piece of media. A big part of the story is focused on the environmental problems humans are causing in the world today. It manages to deliver its messages on this subject so that it hits the viewer in the head and heart (at least me), since human actions is directly affecting and hurting characters that you care about in the movie.

The Simpsons, Rome and Prison Break kick-off

After a long holiday pause for The Simpsons and Prison Break, they are now getting back on the air. Simpsons started yesterday, and Prison Break is airing the next episode on the 22. of January.
Rome season 2 is airing next week sometime, but the first episode is already leaked. With a big-ass HBO logo all over the screen.



These 3 shows are the only ones i am following ATM. I was into Lost for awhile, but halfway into season 2, i got turned off by something. Probably was the neverending plot.
I hope they dont do that with Prison Break. A 3rd season maybe, but any more than that, and it will ruin the show.

Rome is probably the best show i have ever seen. Nice, believable setting, good story (true, if im not mistaken), and top-notch special effects. Hope they continue to spit money into that one.
Does anyone know how these shows are aired in Australia? At the same time as in America, or do one have to *ahem* aquire them some other way?

A friendly, happy place

Sent a mail to http://www.friendlygroup.com.au today, and tried to book a room for the 4 of us that are leaving the 23. Seems like a nice place, and the reviews are spotless too.
One thing thats worries me a bit is the name of the place. Friendly Backpacker Group. Could have been a name for one of Hitlers happy-camps. Probably gonna end up being the main course on their "free" BBQ nights!

I also got my insurance papers today, and if i die in Australia, i get 50 000,- norwegian kroner.

Even bad-asses were babies!

Do you recognize this guy? Yup, even Steven Seagal was a kid sometime. These photos showed up during the intro to Above the Law. The movie was old-school Seagal, before his chin multiplied and he got all fat and old. He has kinda turned in to the parody MADtv did on him.

And here i always believed that Steven Seagal was raised in the wilderness by Chuck Norris' fist or something.