White out in Geilo

Norwegian Embassy in Kathmandu by Kristin Jarmund and more from Monocle Magazine:

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Jan Pappelbaum at the Nasjonalmuseet-Arkitektur

Its a magnificent fall day in Oslo and we went to see the Jan Pappelbaum exhibit at the Museum of Architecture. The exhibit was strikingly beautiful and inspiring. Jan Pappelbaum is one of Europe's leading stage designers for the contemporary theatre. Since the opening of the legendary experimental theatre venue "Die Baracke" at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1997, the works of the architect and stage designer Jan Pappelbaum (b. 1966) have made a distinctive mark on Germany's progressive theatre environment.

The exhibition presents selected set designs that illustrate Pappelbaum's work during his period as set designer of the Berliner Schaubühne since 2000. Models, photographs and film material all contribute to a broad presentation of his production, working methods and sources of inspiration.

Fårikålens Festdag

The last Thursday of every September in Norway is “Fårikålens Festdag”. This year, the official "Fårikål Day" fell on September 24. What is Fårikål? It is a Norwegian dish made from cabbage and lamb.

Norwegians love the dish so much, they even have a group called “Fårikålens Venner” (The Friends of the Lamb and Cabbage Stew). On Sept. 7 their website Farikal.no got a brand new improved look. A new facebook group was created this year, and you can also follow “Fårikålens Venner” on Twitter.

Early in the 1970s, this famous Norwegian dish was declared Norway’s favorite national dish.

Delicious Fårikål Dinner - A perfect fall comfort meal

picture and recipe courtesy of norway.com

This is what you need:

• 3.3 pounds of lamb from neck,shank or breast, together with the bones, cut into serving-size pieces

• 3.3 pounds of garden cabbage

• 2 tsp salt

• approx.4 tsp peppercorns

• 1-2 tbsp flour

• approx. 10 fl.oz of boiling water

This is how you do it:

• Cut the cabbage into segments.

• Place the lamb and cabbage in layers in the saucepan, starting with the lamb.

Sprinkle flour, salt and peppercorns between the layers.

• Pour boiling water over. Bring water to a boil again and then reduce heat. Cook until the meat is tender,

which will take about 1-2 hours.

Fårikål should be served very hot on hot plates, together with plain boiled potatoes.

This delicious dish is often served with cold beer and Linie aquavit.

Note: As a Canadian, the hardest thing with making this dish will be resisting the urge to dress this dish up. The addition of things such as garlic, additional herbs...even carrots is not permitted.

Akerselva Equinox Torchlight Walk

This is an annual event that celebrates the autumnal equinox in Oslo - when night and day are the same length. This year's event took place on September 24th.

Approximately 3,500 torches lit up the 8km long Akerselva river from north to south. A mystical atmosphere was created with light sculptures, choirs, folk music, jazz, dance, art installations, trolls and gnomes.

Høstutstilling 2009 Kunsternes Hus

The appearance of sweaters, scarves and boots is always a sure sign that Fall has arrived. In Oslo, the opening of the Høstutstillingen, or Fall Exhibition, at the Kunstnernes Hus is seen by all Oslovians as the official beginning of Fall. The show is Norway's largest, oldest and most visited exhibition of contemporary art. The exhibition provides a venue for young, unknown debut and for established, well-known artists.

Almost everyone goes to the show, and takes a coffee or a glass of wine in the cafe below. Attending the Fall Exhibition is as much a part of the Oslo experience as Sunday walks around Sognsvann and eating fårikål.

Its a must do event.

Photos from the event can be seen at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38614657@N08/sets/72157622309065063/

This post has nothing to do with Oslo or being Canadian. It is however, about a new film that we simply could not resist sharing. Tom Ford's directorial debut is simply a beauty to behold. First seen at the Venice Film festival, the film is now at the Toronto International Film Festival. Reminiscent of Wong Kar Wei, the imagery glimpsed at in this trailer is stylish and a feast for the eyes.

Oslo Kulturnatt Fredag 18. September

Culture Night is an international concept that began in Lund in Sweden in 1984. Copenhagen was inspired by Lund, and held its first cultural night in 1993. Since then, the concept of Culture Night has spread through Europe and the world. Berlin has a "Long Night of Museums", Paris has "Nuit Blanche", and Rome has his "Notte Bianca". Oslo's Kulturnatt is held in September every year. Opening hours at cultural institutions are extended through the evening and night, and there are unique music, theatre, art, literature and film events throughout the city.

This year the event takes place on Friday, September 18th, 2009. A full program of events can be found at http://kalender.oslokulturnatt.no/

Architectural Competition :: National Museum at Vestbanen

The deadline for Phase 1 of the National Museum at Vestbanen competition was June 12, 2009. 236 teams from around the world entered the open competition. A detailed description and competition brief can be read here. Competition proposals were on display for the public until July 19, 2009

The physical site for the project is extremely challenging. There are 2 historic buildings that sit on the corner of the site that must be retained. One building currently houses the Nobel Peace Museum. The site is adjacent to the Rådhuset (Oslo City Hall) and its connecting public plaza, and next to the Aker Brygge waterfront development.

Integration with the existing urban context, building orientation, scale, and the relationship to the existing heritage buildings seemed a common challenge for all entries.

The open nature of the competition provided a variety of proposals on a scale not typically seen in North American competitions. Though varied, the majority of entries could be generally grouped into one or more of the following categories:

• The spaceship has landed
• The spaceship has crash landed
• Deconstructivist/Platectonic/Landscape interpretations
• Massive block-like structures with little or no landscape
• Massive landscape structures with little or no apparent building
• Vague but colourful crystalline structures
• Other

(click on any image to be redirected to a Flickr Photostream where photos can be viewed at a larger scale)

The majority of schemes seemed to shy away from any sort of integration with the heritage buildings. Some proposals appeared to be held back from the buildings by an invisible, albeit powerful magnetic field like zone. Others avoided acknowledging the heritage buildings at all. A few proposals swallowed the buildings whole in a matter not unlike "Jonah and the Whale".

Of the 236 entries, 4-6 will be invited to move on to Phase 2. The announcement of those selected will occur on Sept.3, 2009.

Craig Dykers of Snøhetta :: The Norwegian Opera House - Podcast

This video is from the Architectural League of New York Podcast Series

::SEPTEMBER 05, 2009::

Designers Saturday is the only national exhibition event in Norway, dedicated to furniture, textiles, lighting, flooring and other interior and design related products aimed at both industry professionals and the wider design aware public. Approximately 140 Norwegian and international exhibitors show their latest designs in 25 venues across the centre of Oslo. More than 6,000 architects, interior designers, suppliers and other trade professionals from all over the country use this opportunity to catch up on the latest designs, trends, looks and style within their particular profession.

A free bus service is available to attendees; simply jump on and off the bus where your want. Saturday is allocated to the professional audience, whilst Sunday also is open to the general public. 135 cutting edge Norwegian, Scandinavian and international exhibitors display their latest offerings, some having never been displayed in Norway before. ...read more at http://www.designerssaturday.no

Images from this years event can be seen at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38614657@N08/sets/72157622309087299/

Joanna Lumley in Norway: Land of the Northern Lights BBC special

This is a clip from a wonderful BBC special about Joanna Lumley, (better know as Patsy on Ab Fab) and her trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights.

"The Nordic News Network" (NNN) and more at Monocle Magazine

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A video of a 2007 interview between Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Tyler Brûlé of Monocle Magazine. Go to the Monocle web site for more in-sites into the worlds of Design, Culture, Architecture and much much more.

www.monocle.com

OSLO::Fjord City

Norway’s capital city has a strong profile as an environmentally friendly city – “the blue and the green and the city in between”. In 2003 Oslo was a winner of the European Sustainable City Award.

The Fjord City Plan is an overall strategy towards urban development of the waterfront. It includes urban renewal of a string of waterfront properties in the heart of Oslo. The aim is to create better connections between the City Center and the fjord, providing unique and modern physical surroundings for living, work and leisure. Areas will be opened to the sea for future development including housing, recreation, culture and business.

The Fjord City exhibition covers 900 square metres and includes models of the planned construction projects along the inner Oslo Fjord. Click here to see a video.

Visitors will get a chance to see new models and illustrations of Oslo S (central station), Tjuvholmen, the winners of the architecture competitions for the new Munch Museum, the Deichman library and the Astrup Fearnley Museum. A large model of the booming Bjørvika area will also be on display.

Oslo Tap Water - good enough to drink!

Image of Cafe at the National Gallery in Oslo

Click here for the link

Norwegian Society Orientation Course Part 2: Free Things

For those readers just blogging on, this particular "sub-blog" is an ongoing mini-series that is part of White Out's own version of the Norwegian Society Orientation Course. (See Part 1 for more information.)

Part 2: Free Things

Those of you who have read Part 1 are by now, familiarized with the processes involved in grocery shopping. Many Non-Norwegians have expressed various degrees of shock regarding the fact that one must pay for grocery bags in Norway. This is indeed true, however this fact must be tempered by the fact that there are many things in Norway that are also free!

The following, is a short list of some things that are free in Norway:

• Health Care
• University
  
• Many Museums
  
• Gift Wrapping

Some very astute readers may argue that a few of the items noted above are not really free since they are subsidized by taxes. Still, getting one's Master's Degree for almost free does make paying for grocery bags seem like pittance to pay.

Gift wrapping however is really free!!

Gift wrapping stations are located near store exits and are well equipped with paper, tape, scissors and ribbon! This feature is particularly handy at Christmas time. For those readers who lean towards excessive ribbon use, and/or elaborate paper layering, the gift wrapping station can be extremely financially beneficial as well. 

Gift wrapping stations can be found at:

• Granit - nice brown paper with white string 
  
• Tannum bookstore at Paleet - nice selection of paper and ribbon
  
• XXL - sporting store - only if you lean towards electric green paper and black ribbon

Nicely Norwegian

North America may have the Golden Arches, the Coca-Cola logo, Kraft Dinner box and the Wonder Bread bag. Here are a few of our favorite packages in Norway:

Ekte Honey Can - The honey is wonderful too!

We love the shape of these little tins and the way they stack.

They have sadly switched to selling these fantastic salt licorice candies in bags recently. The boxes can be found but are harder to find now. Highly addictive.

Liver pate found in every home! Stabburet and only Stabburet is acceptable. Serve on a slice of bread with thin slices of cucumber. Also available in a fantastically portable mini package box of 6 (like jam packets). Pocket size pate! 

Norwegian Society Orientation Course - A revised curriculum of sorts - Part 1

In order to apply for a Norwegian residence permit or citizenship one is required to complete 250 hours of Norwegian language training and 50 hours of Norwegian Society/Social Orientation.

The 50 hour course is divided into 7 topics:

• Immigrants in Norway
  
• Democracy, welfare and values
  
• Health
  
• School, education and qualifications
  
• Work, employment and the labour market
  
• Children and family
  
• Population structure and nature 

Prior to actually receiving the formal course outline, we at Whiteout were most intrigued at what a course on Norwegian Social Orientation might involve. We endeavored to devise our own list of necessary topics that we believed would be of help to newcomers integrating into Norwegian society. What follows will be part of an ongoing blog "series". The topics will not be in any particular order.  

Part 1 - The Grocery Store: 

The shopping methodology in a Norwegian grocery store is generally quite similar to shopping in a Canadian grocery store. There are aisles with shelves of products, coolers located on the perimeters and fresh produce in one area. There are however, a few key differences that should be pointed out. These differences occur at the point of purchase.  Upon arrival at the grocery till, the cashier will always without fail, mumble something quickly and incomprehensible to you, and wait.... This can be a potentially stressful moment for the new norwegian who is still unfamiliar with the language. All eyes seem to fall suddenly on you. Do not panic. Breath deeply. 

Key point #1 - In Norway grocery bags are not free You are asked if you would like bags and how many. 

Give them a number and they will pull give you bags. Each bag costs 1 kroner  (approx. 15 cents). The bags are freakishly strong and much more durable than the Canadian version. 

After having managed to secure bags one might be inclined to relax a little. You may at this point however, notice that your cashier is tossing your groceries to the far end of the conveyor belt....and they are simply piling up there. There is no one bagging your groceries. 

Key point # 2 - In Norway one must bag their own groceries. 

Run to the end and start filling the bags you just bought. You realize very quickly that bagging is a skill. In the midst of your bagging frenzy the cashier will then mumble something else to you. It usually sounds like grrr-something-erring....

Key point #3 - In Norway you are asked if you would like the receipt. 

Just say "ja" or "nei" followed by "takk". Resume packing your bags as quickly and efficiently as you can and go. If you are not out of your aisle fast enough the cashier starts hurling the next person in line's groceries down the belt at you.

Congratulations. You have just bought groceries!

Zaha Hadid + Lacoste

Walking is one of the key forms of transportation in Oslo. A  good set of shoes that one can actually walk in, is therefore of the utmost importance. The cobblestone streets, streetcar tracks and uneven pavement  make even a kitten heel, lie down and play dead. For the sensible but fashion conscious Canadian, finding a shoe that is both stylish AND sturdy has proven to be a great challenge. Ever resourceful, we have turned to fellow bloggers for help and inspiration. Lo and behold - Zaha for Lacoste.

Lacoste, the french company best known for its iconic little green crococile logo collaborated with Zaha to create a futuristic ultra-modern collection. The new line of shoes debuted this month at the Frieze Art Fair in London. 

picture courtesy of Lacoste

picture courtesy of Lacoste

According to Lacoste, the range was inspired by the Lacoste crocodile logo, which was digitised and then used as a basis for textural exploration."The design expression behind the collaboration with Lacoste footwear allows the evolution of dynamic fluid grids," explains Hadid. "When wrapped around the shape of a foot, these expand and contract to negotiate and adapt to the body ergonomically. In doing so, a landscape emerges, undulating and radiating as it merges seamlessly with the body."

picture courtesy of Lacoste

picture courtesy of Lacoste

Though we remain uncertain about a "landscape emerging" from our shoes as we walk, these shoes do look, dare we say it - comfortable. 

(Limited to 850 pairs, the boots will be released next July in three exclusive stores from Paris, London and Milan.)    www.lacoste.com   www.zaha-hadid.com

The "in-convenience store" - a new retail concept.

In North America, retailers make a concerted effort to ensure that they can ensnare the greatest number of shoppers at any given time. Store hours are geared towards when people are free to shop. In fact, given the ever changing nature of the work force, more and more stores seem to be open longer and longer. The majority of stores in Vancouver's downtown core for example, are open 7 days a week. Wine can be purchased at specialty stores on Sundays and holidays untill 11pm. Grocery stores like "Urban Fare", are open from 6am till midnight, every single day.

In Olso, there appears to be a very different philosophy at work. Shop hours in general, fall between 10am and 5pm during the week, with shopping centers typically open a little longer. As I recently discovered, stores geared towards children’s wear can be found open between the hours of 11am-3pm, but not Sunday, or Monday and perhaps not Tuesday.  On Saturday stores typically close at 3pm. The majority of stores that one might find useful and/or pleasing to be in, are not open on Sundays...at all....ever. 

Now beer IS conveniently sold in grocery stores. However after 5pm one may only look at the beer. One may not actually purchase any beer. It is important to note that the beer must be paid for by 5pm.  If one is in an especially long queue and arrives at the POS (retail acronym for "Point of Sale") at 5:01pm,  one will, unfortunately be SOL¹.

One can only surmise that the inconvenience perceived by non-Norwegians is in fact, the workings of a very sophisticated marketing strategy. The fact that one cannot buy the object of one’s desires only increases one's desire for that object. I, for one, am proof of the success of this methodology. Though not a beer drinker at heart, should I happen to find myself near the front of a grocery line at 4:55pm on any given day, I feel compelled to buy beer - just in case, but mostly, because I can. 

This is truly "impulse buying" at its best.

A side benefit, to the limited shopping hours, is the potential for improving one's cardiovascular health. Running and walking are already very popular activities in Oslo. At 2:50pm on Saturdays however, many Oslovians partake in what I have named the "Vinmonopolet Sprint". From every conceivable direction, in every neighborhood, at approximately 2:50pm, Oslovians can be seen sprinting, often in groups, full out in the direction of the nearest Vinmonopolet (translation "Liquor store"). The winners are rewarded with a nice bottle of wine or other alcoholic bevvie of their choosing. 

The losers are seen sprinting towards, where else - the nearest grocery store.

1 For a definition of this acronym go to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=S.O.L.