1 November 2019 I got my very first yoga inspired tattoo. I absolutely love the works by the tattoo artist Vincent Jacobs, and since he was visiting Oslo, I bookes an appintment with him. Not only was this my first yoga inspired tattoo, but it was also my first tattoo that was not dot work!
So, what does this tattoo mean? It’s pretty simple: Breathe. This ancient Sanskrit symbol is a beautiful reminder to do what comes naturally. It’s the first thing we do when we come into this world and the last thing we do when we leave it. The tattoo is placed in a space easy for me to see, and it can remind me to breathe.
So you have a yoga inspired tattoo? If you do, what is it?
This is a very delayed post. In October 2019 I went to this amazing yoga retreat in Hedalen in Valdres, up in the Norwegian mountains. Under is a video I made from the retreat, and I think it pretty much peaks for itself.
Quite a while ago, a friend and colleague asked if I wanted to spend one night at Fuglemyrhytta, a self service cabin in Oslomarka. Of course I wanted to go, and we decided that Sunday to Monday almost at the very end of September would be a good date for both of us. So, we booked beds and arranged to go.
We met up Sunday afternoon at Frognerseteren, which is a tube ride away from where I live. From there we walked to Fuglemyrhytta. I think the hike is supposed to take about 30 minutes, but we didn’t hurry, and had more of a stroll. And we stopped to look at things. It was an absolutely georgeous day, as we were hit by a bit of Indian summer. The sun was shining, and the thermometer told us it was 20°C.
There was no one else at the cabin when we arrived, but we knew there were three others who were supposed to stay the night there. That being said, Fuglemyrhytta seems to be a popular destination for many hikers, just to stop outside, sit down and maybe eat some packed food. And I can totally understand why: The view is spectacular. Especially on a day like that.
The cabin is equipped so that you can cook, but you have to bring your own drinking water. There’s a stream nearby the cabin, that can be used for cleaning. The water in the stream comes from a nearby marsh, so drinking it may make you pretty ill. Besides, it’s kind of brown, so not even nice after boiling it.
I had made dinner at home to reheat, and my company had brought rice and dessert. For being at a cabin with no other electricity than the solar panel lamps (i.e. you’re not able to charge your phone or anything), it felt pretty cool to have a really nice dinner. And with that view!
The other three people arrived later on, but spent most of the evening outside the cabin, where they had their meal. We had a cup of tea outside, watching the beautiful view, before heading inside to have a round of none competitive TP questions, which was fun.
I must admit I didn’t sleep very well. I think it was because it was so utterly QUIET, and we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Not that I was afraid of animals, more for strange humans that might be lurking around the walls. (There was none, of course…)
Fortunately we were in no hurry the next morning, and the other three had left when we got up. We had breakfast, packed, tidies and cleaned after ourselves, before heading to the tube. We walked down to Vettakollen tube station this time, and it took about 40 minutes of strolling.
One of the things that makes Fuglemyrhytta interesting to visit, is the fact that it was designed by Snøhetta. The Norwegian architects are known for designing the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, and the Opera House in Oslo, to mention a couple.
For a while now I have been wanting a peony tattoo, and yesterday was the day to make it happen! Ever since I got my first tattoo, made by Eric Sundby from the tattoo studio Kunst med puls (unfortunately no proper webpage), I have loved the dotwork style. All my five tattoos have been made in this style. My new tattoo was designed and made by Kari Kjelskau, the fonder of the all female tattoo artists Memento Tattoo studio here in Oslo. She has actually made all my tattoos, except the first one.
So, why a peony? This question has a fairly simple answer: Because it reminds me of my maternal grandmother. She was a strong woman, and after staying with my grandparents the last year of high school, we became quite close. We were very similar in many ways, so we could have quite some arguments, but I still knew she loved me, and I know her. She used to grew large peony plants in the garden, end every summer she kept a bouquet of fresh peonies on the kitchen table.
My grandmother passed away 20 September 1999, 88 years old. She had lived, at times tough, life full of events. I remember her telling about when the war broke out in Norway, and that she worked as a cleaner at a hospital in Oslo. Oslo was also the place where she met my grandfather, a handsome young fellow that she fell in love with. She grew up in the woods, and had to ski to school during the winter. She actually wrote a poem about her life (in Norwegian).
Even though it’s almost 20 years since she passed away, I still miss her from time to time. Now I have a beautiful tattoo on my arm, to remind me of this amazing woman…
I have previously read the Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, and loved it. When I found out that there was an additional short story in the edition where the complete trilogy was collected, I knew I had to borrow it from the library (yay for inter library loans!)
The short story, “Sacred Fire”, is set between the two first stories time wise. Binti has arrived at Oomza University, and has started her studies. She’s psychologically scarred from what happened on the way there, and when we meet her she’s not having an easy time. I’m not going into details, in case you haven’t read the trilogy and feel like picking it up.
I really enjoyed this shortstory, and it was lovely to be reunited with Binti for a little while. I actually felt like I got to know her even better!
Nnedi Okorafor is such a brilliant author. All the stories by hear that I have read, I have loved. Looking forward to reading more books by her!
January means winter. There’s snow on the ground, and it’s mostly below freezing. I can’t say I’m a winter person, and I long for summer.
It’s now over a year since I visited Bali, and I really long back. If I hade the time and money, I would have loved to go somewhere warmer. And lighter. Bali was magical, and I hope to go back some day.
My next trip will not be somewhere warm, though, as I will just be visiting another part of Norway. In two weeks I will head to the southwestern part of Norway. I will be travelling my train. Though it’s often a bit warmer there than here in Oslo, I think they’ve had snow lately.
I had some time to kill before heading to dance class, and decided to swing by Eger just to look around. To my surprise, I found a new branch of The Juicery. Or rather, their pop up café. After chatting to the staff, it turns out they’re there at least until summer.
The café is super cozy, the staff is very friendly, and everything are plant based. What’s not to like about that?
I visited Ålesund, a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county at the west coast of Norway, in April. The reason for my visit was work related, so I didn’t have much time to look around, unfortunately. However, I did find it to be a beautiful city, and I wanted to share some photos i took while I was there.
I hope to visit again in a not too distant future!
One thing I love about Oslo is all the great places to get awesome coffee. Talor & Jørgen is a new discovery for me, and their coffee is great. Not much space for sitting down, unfortunately, but the staff is very friendly, and you might find a seat if you’re lucky!
Talor and Jørgen are the people behind the coffee. Talor Brown has come all the way from Australia, and Jørgen is a Norwegian. Together they have tons of experiense with. The coffee beans are roasted in the shop every Tuesday, which give them a high quality and keep them fresh.
One thing I noticed sitting enjoying my coffee, was that their doughnuts seemed to be very popular. Unfortunately, none of them are vegan (I asked, their kitchen is too small). Which was a shame, otherwise I would have loved to try them.
I love vegan homemade burgers! These burgers are full of proteins, fiber and good fats, and perfect with your Sunday dinner! Or any other day, for that matter. The recipe makes about 6-7 burgers.
Boil the quinoa as described on the package. Have the boiled mung beans, boiled quinoa, cashew nuts, and spices in a food processor, and mix the ingredients together. Add the soy sauce, and mix into a dough.
