Oslo, Norway

At the end of January I was lucky enough to travel to the magnificent city of Oslo, Norway to attend an audition.  It was a short trip - maybe about three days long - but I really tried to make the most of my stay there and absorb what I could in this short amount of time.  

I got off my plane and like any explorer in a new place, made my way on the train which took me straight into the heart of the city.  I fell in love with the Norwegian scenery instantly.  

here are some fields...

here are some trees...

here are some homes...

As you can see, lots and lots of snow in Norway.  The temperature wasn't much different from Toronto's - frosty, but no more than what I'm used to.  But I left a green Toronto, so I was quite appreciative of this Nordic snowy winter view.

I stayed in what was by far the coolest hotel my student budget could ever afford. The Comfort Hotel Xpress Youngstorget.  The hotel had the vibe of an ultra hip youth hostel.  It was decorated with pop-art and graffiti on the walls and even had arcade machines upon entry.  The staff were incredibly friendly.  I can only say good things about this place.

cutest twin beds I've ever seen

how about this super Nordic bathroom

Isabelle was meeting me in Oslo but since my plane arrived a few hours before hers, I had some time to go off and explore...

mountains of mystery

the Oslo Opera House (also where my audition was)

cute cafe I found (one of the few places open on a Sunday aka I was starving)

When Isabelle arrived, we went out to explore some more and out for dinner.  Staying outside in the fresh air and tiring ourselves out was the best way to fight off the jet lag, especially considering we had to be perky, bright-eyed ballerinas the next day.  Isabelle thought it would be neat to document Norway in panoramas, so she took these cool photos:

1. A restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We think it was Italian because I ordered a pizza but they did also serve fish so...we never found out for sure.  Our waitress was telling us about this one white fish that's similar to cod, that they hang up to dry out for some time before serving it.  Apparently, it's a big thing in Norway.
2. This was the neighbourhood where our hotel was.  Youngstorget, it was called.  Very hip and trendy. Lots of cool restaurants and bars and only minutes away from the shopping street and other known parts of Oslo.  The only difficulty was that we had to walk up and down these hills to get out of the hotel, which in any other season would be fine except that in winter, all of Oslo turns into an ice rink.  Not even kidding.  We were slipping and sliding all over the place.  So yeah...these hills were basically a death sentence.
3. Here is a view of the opera house and city at night.  Very beautiful and lit up.  Could you imagine going to see an opera or a ballet in such a striking structure?
4. Ah Joe & the Juice.  Joe and I first met upon my travels to Copenhagen in October.  It's this incredible juice place where they're known to hire really hot guys...sort of sexist, I know.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it somehow makes the juice taste even better.

The audition went well.  I mean, I didn't get a job so obviously it could have been better, but I had a good class and a lot of fun.  Optimism is the only thing I can hold onto for now.  And if I know that I did my personal best, then I know they just didn't want me.  Yeah, that sucks, but at least it's not my talent that's in question.  It's going to be a long road of rejections, so if I let myself break this early on in the game, I'll never make it.  Anyways, the view outside the studio was something else.  I made sure to get a barre spot right at the window, which could be distracting/inspiring, all at the same time.  Windows are very important to me.  

Isabelle and I after our audition

My friend Ida who lives in Norway was kind enough to take us around the city and give us a tour.  It was so lovely seeing her again since it's been a handful of years since I last saw her.  We walked for hours in the cold but I felt that after her personal tour, I properly got a taste of Oslo.  

Over all, Oslo is a visually remarkable city.  The architecture is puzzling, yet memorizing.  Many of the buildings, including the Opera House, resemble Arctic glaciers or icebergs, fitting the winter reputation this country has.  I'm happy I got to experience Norway in this season.  Hopefully I can come back and see it in the summer.  The one thing about Oslo that I would change is that it seemed to die down by the nighttime.  I mean nobody wants to be out in a temperature below zero, but it seemed that were hardly any people on the street.  And stores closed quite early.  I think if I lived there, I would get a little bit bored, but at the same time, with the nature and beauty of the city, I think I would find other ways to stay in awe.  

farvel Oslo!

Pleasantly yours in Oslo,
Bart

Coconut Milk Oatmeal

I had big plans for oatmeal last weekend.  So big that I made it my dinner.  Now don't act like you've never had breakfast for dinner before and admit it, wasn't it the greatest thing ever?  This idea spurred from some leftover coconut milk I had from a samoa bar recipe I tried.  I had never tried coconut milk before and naturally I was overwhelmed by the delicious-ness.  So my next thought was "hey...this would taste amazing in oatmeal!"  

Regular oatmeal cooking rules apply -

Instead of water, pour 1 cup coconut milk into a saucepan (add a pinch of salt while you're at it) and bring it to a boil.  Stir in the oats (heaping 1/2 cup, maybe a little more) and let cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like the consistency of your oatmeal.  Voila! Done!

As for the toppings, that's left to your creativity.  In my bowl of oatmeal, I put in:

• pomegranate seeds (major YES)
• homemade almond butter I made in my food processor earlier that week
• medjool dates 
• macadamia nuts
• pieces of dark chocolate
• scoop of hemp hearts

Maybe I added a little too many different flavours of tasty foods.  I just got excited.  It was amazing though

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Saturday night sillies and lemon coconut meltaways

Fact: I have four new gray hairs I've accumulated from the stress of my past week.

Auditions are tough.  If you're a dancer, singer, actor or performer, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's one thing to pursue a career in the arts but it's another thing to actually be successful in it.  You learn a lot from it, nevertheless.  The audition process can either go in your favour (very rare) or you can be left with a big fat NO (99% of the time).  You really build a thick skin and you have to tell yourself that it's not that you're bad at what you do (though it really seems like that at the time), it's just the personal preference of who you're auditioning for.  You could be too tall or too short, too thick or too thin.  You could have blonde hair and blue eyes and they'll be looking for someone with darker features.  These are all things you can't change about yourself so the only thing you can say to maintain optimism is that this wasn't the place you were meant to be.  Wouldn't you want to be somewhere where you can be appreciated for who you are anyways?

I have two auditions coming up this week, one of which I am lucky enough to travel to Oslo, Norway for!  I'm very excited because in what seems like less than a year, I've gone from having not been on a plane since I was thirteen, to having been on and off a plane four times.  I love travelling to new places and I love getting a feel for culture that is unlike what I am used to.  I also love Europe and am particularly fond of the Scandinavian countries, having been to Denmark earlier this year.  Oslo is neck and neck with Tokyo to be the world's most expensive cities (danger!!!!) but thankfully I'm only there for two days.

Joining me on my adventure is this one:

DAWGGG

Isabelle will be coming from Amsterdam and meeting me on Oslo.  We'll be going back to Toronto the same day but because I booked my flight after her, I wasn't able to get the same ticket as her without passing up on an extraordinary deal.  But fate is a funny thing.  My flight home leaves at 6:35 am (kill me now) and I have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam (hey, at least it was cheap).  Isabelle leaves Oslo at 9:35 am and she has a layover in Amsterdam as well. It didn't even occur to me until yesterday as I was in line waiting to buy a lemon at Superfresh that there was a reason why I had to wait in the Amsterdam airport for 5 hours.  Lo and behold, we're flying on the same flight back to Toronto from Amsterdam and I could not be happier!  

So last night as we were booking a hostel in Oslo, we got distracted and made a delicious recipe I found on Pinterest for LEMON COCONUT MELTAWAYS from Addicted to Veggies. 

Here is some documentation of our baking:

This looked like we were cooking crystal meth.  Don't be alarmed. It's just sea salt.

The fact that there is an alligator sticker on this lemon makes me 99% suspicious.

Fun, fun and even more fun

Voila!

I must say, this was probably the most satisfying dessert I've had in a while.  Baking at the lowest temperature with the oven open a crack really does give it the crispy outer layer but instantaneous, melt-in-your-mouth bite.  We virtually ate the whole bowl that night.  Definitely will be repeating this recipe!  

And finally, a little film of the process and of us, just being goofballs.

Naturally, I put the alligator lemon sticker on my forehead. 

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Melody Mondays: Bedouin Soundclash

This is a song that when I started listening to it recently I couldn't help but think that I've heard it before.  Truthfully, I may have heard it long ago but I'll really never be able to say for sure.  This is a Canadian band from Toronto and it's quite possible I'm the last to hear about them and this song because they've been active since around 2001 (You might know the songs "Elongo", "Walls Fall Down" and "When the Night Feels my Song").  Their music is the sort you'd find yourself listening to while bike riding on a sunny morning, across the pier.  The air is fresh, especially because it's early enough that there is little noise polluting your surroundings.  It's pretty fantastic.

This particular song is one I'd describe with a different vibe.  I close my eyes and like to imagine myself at a bar or at a friend's party where I don't know anybody and I make an instant connection from across the room with someone.  Some call it a 'spark'.  

Brutal Hearts, the song is called.  And I can't stop listening to it.  

Pleasantly yours,

Bart  

Welcoming 2015

I had a nice night.

My two best friends came into the city and we went to the most amazing restaurant called House-Maison.  We ordered copious amounts of incredible food.  If I was a food critic, I would give this place five stars, but I'm not a food critic so take my rating as you will.  

cute, right?

I'll enlighten you with the food we ordered so that you can salivate:  house baked brioche, roast pear and frisee, roast cauliflower with mint and lemon zest, roasted brussel sprouts, fish and chips, and bread and butter pudding for dessert.  

I tried to steal a balloon on my way out but I got caught.

After that, we made our way to a house party for the countdown.  Good food and good company. Couldn't have asked for a better night.

Earlier that day I made a list of goals for this upcoming year of 2015.  I'm not really a "New Years resolution" kind of person.  It's hard to pick just one thing that is usually kind of impossible to upkeep anyways.  I used to do resolutions like cut out sugar or avoid swearing, but in the long run, I wouldn't last.  So I like to think of little things that I can work on improving about myself.

The last one is kind of a joke.  But in all seriousness, I get eye infections like every other week. So yeah. They need to stop. 

#noeyeinfections2015

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Melody Mondays: Bing Crosby takes on Hawaii

Yesterday was cold.  Brutally cold.  Horrifically, devastatingly cold.  So cold was yesterday that I never properly warmed myself back up, despite laying by the fireplace on the floor underneath the fluffiest blanket I could find.  It's no wonder why I've got a bright, Hawaiian Christmas day on my mind...

stay warm my friends.

Pleasantly yours,
Bart

Melody Mondays: Nat King Cole

Happy December 1st!!!!  I've been listening to Christmas music pretty much the instant Halloween was over but with all due respect to the Grinches and the Scrooges who can't handle the festive tunes too early (you know who I'm talking to), I've withheld this one till today.

Here's some Nat King (of Christmas) Cole with the classic Christmas Song.  This song demands to be listened to while wrapped up in a cozy blanket, by the fireplace, with a warm drink in hand.  And if it's not too much to ask, some snow too...

this makes me feel warm and tingly inside

PS I finished making my scarf.  Just in time for December :)  You can't tell by this picture but it goes down to my hips and is incredibly itchy. But hey, it's warm!

pls don't shrink this one mom

Pleasantly yours,

Bart