I was just tipped that Google Street View has now also been here in Sarpsborg, Norway. They haven’t been through my street yet, but they do have a nice shot of my office.
Looks like they were in Sarpsborg in the end of July 2009: this concert was on August 1st.
The time was around 13:30, and it was 27°C outside. 
Earlier this evening I had my 3rd (out of 5) basic theory lesson that will eventually allow me to take a driving exam, and hopefully get a license.
Here in Norway you first have to take 17 hours of basic traffic education before you are allowed to start your actual driving lessons. Trafikalt grunnkurs is what they call it. Most people start with that as soon as they’re allowed to, around the age of 16.
…which of course explains why all the others in my class are about 20 years younger than me! Not a problem, of course, but it was a bit weird the first evening… and the second evening… and the third… 
Since I don’t want to turn each evening into English class (I understand Norwegian fluently, but having a fluent driving-/road-related discussion in Norwegian is still beyond me), I try to limit my communication & class conversation to a minimum. Not that it is really noticeable, since the rest of the class seems to do the same, albeit for different reasons, I guess…?
Next monday it’s evening #4, with the emphasis on some basic first aid. So coming monday when I walk up Nøtteveien (Claudius trafikkskole, where I go, is in the same street as where I live), I guess I learn… how to apply a Band-Aid? CPR? How to perform a tracheostomy? (well, probably/hopefully not the last one…)
More next week…
Yes, the day is finally approaching on which yours truly will be taught how to pilot a automobile. Most teenagers here in Norway (as in most other countries) can hardly wait until they reach the minimum age to start with driving lessons, but somehow it has never really appealed to me… And until now I have managed fine without a car and/or driver’s license. The Netherlands has one of the best public transportation networks in the world, and even here in Norway it’s entirely possible to get around without a car of your own.
That is, if you don’t have too much stuff to take with you… And that is where the change is, of course. I still travel lightly, but little Jacob has a lot of stuff… next to impossible to transport him without our trusty Prius…
The Norwegian Yellow Pages gave me 3 viable options for a Trafikkskole in Sarpsborg:
I decided to email all of them to find out whether it would be any problem that I (still!) only speak English (even though I understand spoken/written Norwegian without any problems).
Well, I don’t know whether I used incorrect email addresses, or whether the fact that 2 out of 3 never replied was proof of that there would be language problems, but anyway… I ended up signing up with Claudius Trafikkskole. An additional advantage is that they are located just up the street from where I live! 
10 days from now, on January 21st 2009, history will be written… I will have my first (theory) lesson!
Beware, shoppers at Elkjøp Sarpsborg!
No, don’t worry too much… Nothing wrong with the store, the people who work there or the products they sell. The trouble starts when you leave their store…
We were there on the 26th, to purchase a Sony Home Theatre System (consisting of a BDP-S350 & HT-FS1). This is one of the first (affordable) Blu-Ray systems on the market here, to my knowledge. But enough about that. I was going to come with a rant about Elkjøp Sarpsborg here, not brag about our new HTS.
Barricade in front of Elkjøp Sarpsborg
My point here should be obvious… who on Earth came with the ‘bright’ idea of putting a barricade like this in front of the door opening?? And how many more people have to fall and break their purchases/limbs before someone comes to their senses here…?
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