The Sun Always Shines On TV

After 8 months in the Nordics, I've finally returned back to the UK. I couldn't have imagined that leaving the UK for a life in Oslo, to work on a massive project fraught with political problems, in a diverse team for such a challenging customer, was definitely one of my best working experiences ever. So, naturally I'm feeling pretty bummed to leave Norway.

One of the first things my colleagues showed me on arrival was this "induction" video. I highly recommend viewing this before reading the rest of this blog post.

On the work front, this was Orion Health's first customer in Norway, so we were intent on delivering and also expanding in the region. The team was large and diverse and included members from Orion Health, Logica, KPMG, Exonor and Oslo University Hospital. It wasn't always peaches and cream, with many problems along the way. They were technical, political, internal and external, but there was light at the end of the tunnel and eventually we delivered the solution to the client. 

Unrelated to work, I got to see Jean Michel Jarre in concert, cruised the famed Norwegian fjords, and even experienced the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo. I admit, I'm not a fan of winter sports, but after seeing a few cross-country skiing events on TV and seeing Norway win gold almost every time, I joined in the exhilaration that Norway felt as they dominated these championships. I was pretty much hooked every evening. Having a quartet of beautiful cross-country skiers dressed up at the medal ceremony of the Ladies 30km cross-country skiing also did a lot to get me interested!

L-R: Therese Johaug (1st), Marit Bjørgen (2nd), Vibeke Skofterud (6th), Kristin Størmer Steira (5th)

In hindsight I couldn't do as much as I would've liked in Norway, partly because of my running commitments, and partly because of the winter weather. Things like going up to the far north to see the Northern Lights, climbing to the top of Preikestollen and Kjeragbolten, going to the other fjords, hiking in the country side and visiting beautiful towns along the length of Norway. And after seeing the World Ski Championships, I'm keen to try out cross-country skiing, maybe as an alternative to running in the winter season. From what I've seen, skiing is a lifestyle to Norwegians.

On the running front, I feel that I've benefited from the many hours of training at Bislett Stadion, a world class stadium that hosts the Bislett Games, an IAAF Diamond League event. 

Entrance to Bislett Stadion

Unfortunately, the track is unavailable in the winter, and running on the roads when it's cold, icy and slippery can be quite dangerous and scary. There is an indoor track at Bislett which all runners use in the winter, though it's not as nice to run on and can get pretty crowded. The cold winter hasn't really helped my running and I've been forced to reduce my running because of this.

As I said before, I'm pretty bummed to leave Oslo. I really wanted to stay. There was so much more to see and do, not just in Norway but in the larger Nordic region (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland) where it's easy to travel to from Norway. And my Norwegian was really starting to shine that I was using it in basic conversations, much to the amusement of the locals. 

Norway also has a uniqueness to it. You won't find a KFC or Starbucks outlet, and you won't see Kit-Kats or M&Ms in the shops either. They have their own equivalents made in Norway and it's like a symbol of national pride, just like what L&P is to New Zealand. That said, it just highlighted the differences between countries and certain parts of the world.

So, from the land that brought you cross-country skiing, mooses, trolls, lutefisk, Ringnes and a-ha, I'll leave you with one of a-ha's best songs. In case you think that a-ha is a one-hit wonder band, you couldn't be more mistaken. They recently decided to break-up after 25 years together, and in December 2010 they played their final concert at Oslo Spektrum. Too bad I couldn't go to farewell one of the best bands of the 80s. In saying that, the introduction from this music video is similar to what the world felt when they said farewell to a-ha, and what I felt when I said farewell to Norway.