Letter 14-2007. Norwegian happiness.
16th August 2007
Dear friends,
I have been home in Norway for two weeks, and found out that after having had a feeling of happiness a few times, I wanted to write a bit about Norwegian happiness. When I read my own headline, I actually think it seems like I will write something ironic that could fit the Norwegian news meeting me when I came home, but there are enough others doing that, so this will be a small taste of Hanne’s Norway-summer 2007.
First a tip: It is smart to have a short summer vacation, then you might reach more. At least I think it is right for me. If I had been home two months, I think I would not have managed to meet so many friends that I actually have these two weeks. When I have so short time, I need to make detailed appointments and then we manage to make it. “We-will-hopefully-see-each-other-some-time-during-the-next-two-months”-appointments are seldom fulfilled. Most of those I have seen, I wished to have more time with, especially the MF greetings yesterday were short. But it was better than no time. I must find the right basis for comparison. Then the most can satisfy me.
Yesterday was the day for the semester start at MF. I had long planned that I wanted to be there and then go home by bicycle through “Nordmarka” (the forest). To get me and the bike to Oslo, I went by bike through the forest on Monday too. Monday I went alone. Yesterday a friend accompanied me for a while. It was quite some rain yesterday. When I was an active orienteerer (doing this sport with map and compass in the forest) I often had the chance to run in the rain. I miss it a bit. It was nice to run in the rain. But now it is not so that I, when I look out at the rain, think ”now I will go out and run in the rain”. So it is no running in the rain for me these days. I also do not think “now I will go out and ride my bike in the rain”. I need an excuse to do it, and biking home is a good excuse. So I went by bike in the rain yesterday, together with Eldfrid-Marie. She also likes rain, so then we biked together, up the hills from Sognsvann, happy and satisfied.
Yesterday was not the first day with rain. The forest had already gathered a lot of rain, and some places the road had collected quite big childish water dams which were not possible to bike around. (It is true. Another possibility, which we did not think about, could have been carrying the bikes a long way around through the forest.) We could not see how deep the dams were, but looked at each other and nodded, and then we were out in the water. Eldfrid-Marie went first, and when she was over and turned to look for me, she started laughing. I would have like to have a picture, but none of us had a camera. I thought I could try to draw, but I think I am better using words than lines, and I hope I can “paint” a good enough picture here: I can understand that she laughed, it must have looked funny: Hanne in full rainwear, biking with water up to the knees and with bike bags half under water. I do not expect everyone to understand it, but it was a moment of happiness.
If I were to make irony about my own happiness, I could now have compared with the flood in Bangladesh. The rickshaw wallahs bike with water up to their knees, where it is not more water. People are in lack of food, pure drinking water and medicines, they get sick and die. I have some problems enjoying unnormal great amounts of water when the water makes such problems where it is in even greater amount than on my way. At the same time I see that my childish joy about the water dams in the forest does not make any difference for the flood, and that it therefore might be good that I let the feeling of happiness come, as it might do something with me. It tells me that I wish that also others can experience happiness, and some of the happiness I might create by contributing economically so that those who are caught by the flood, might get help to manage their lives again. Perhaps my water dam happiness can be useful after all, when it inspires me and gives me courage: 3990 of the families YWCA of Bangladesh work among, are caught by the flood. Buskerud YWCA-YMCA and YWCA-YMCA Global are collecting money in Norway, and our goal is to help half of these families; and for you around the globe: There are certainly fund-raising near you too!
Back to the bike trip: The camera was missed also when we chose a different way than normal, and had to follow a footpath for a while. It was a bit more hilly (read: steep down in a valley before going as steep up on the other side, with lots of big stones on the path) than what is easy to pass with a bike with bike bags, but my strong friend knew what to do. “Why don’t you let me take your bike bags?” she asked, and took my bike bags on her neck while carrying her own bike. From now on she is called Sherpa.
The bike trip to Oslo on Monday was also nice, but the happy moments came first when I had someone to share the trip with yesterday. Other glimpses of joy I have also experienced when meeting friends this summer. Small children have an own ability in creating happiness, good conversations as well. Next summer I will have even less time at home. Does it mean even more good meetings and happy moments?
Happy greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends,
I have been home in Norway for two weeks, and found out that after having had a feeling of happiness a few times, I wanted to write a bit about Norwegian happiness. When I read my own headline, I actually think it seems like I will write something ironic that could fit the Norwegian news meeting me when I came home, but there are enough others doing that, so this will be a small taste of Hanne’s Norway-summer 2007.
First a tip: It is smart to have a short summer vacation, then you might reach more. At least I think it is right for me. If I had been home two months, I think I would not have managed to meet so many friends that I actually have these two weeks. When I have so short time, I need to make detailed appointments and then we manage to make it. “We-will-hopefully-see-each-other-some-time-during-the-next-two-months”-appointments are seldom fulfilled. Most of those I have seen, I wished to have more time with, especially the MF greetings yesterday were short. But it was better than no time. I must find the right basis for comparison. Then the most can satisfy me.
Yesterday was the day for the semester start at MF. I had long planned that I wanted to be there and then go home by bicycle through “Nordmarka” (the forest). To get me and the bike to Oslo, I went by bike through the forest on Monday too. Monday I went alone. Yesterday a friend accompanied me for a while. It was quite some rain yesterday. When I was an active orienteerer (doing this sport with map and compass in the forest) I often had the chance to run in the rain. I miss it a bit. It was nice to run in the rain. But now it is not so that I, when I look out at the rain, think ”now I will go out and run in the rain”. So it is no running in the rain for me these days. I also do not think “now I will go out and ride my bike in the rain”. I need an excuse to do it, and biking home is a good excuse. So I went by bike in the rain yesterday, together with Eldfrid-Marie. She also likes rain, so then we biked together, up the hills from Sognsvann, happy and satisfied.
Yesterday was not the first day with rain. The forest had already gathered a lot of rain, and some places the road had collected quite big childish water dams which were not possible to bike around. (It is true. Another possibility, which we did not think about, could have been carrying the bikes a long way around through the forest.) We could not see how deep the dams were, but looked at each other and nodded, and then we were out in the water. Eldfrid-Marie went first, and when she was over and turned to look for me, she started laughing. I would have like to have a picture, but none of us had a camera. I thought I could try to draw, but I think I am better using words than lines, and I hope I can “paint” a good enough picture here: I can understand that she laughed, it must have looked funny: Hanne in full rainwear, biking with water up to the knees and with bike bags half under water. I do not expect everyone to understand it, but it was a moment of happiness.
If I were to make irony about my own happiness, I could now have compared with the flood in Bangladesh. The rickshaw wallahs bike with water up to their knees, where it is not more water. People are in lack of food, pure drinking water and medicines, they get sick and die. I have some problems enjoying unnormal great amounts of water when the water makes such problems where it is in even greater amount than on my way. At the same time I see that my childish joy about the water dams in the forest does not make any difference for the flood, and that it therefore might be good that I let the feeling of happiness come, as it might do something with me. It tells me that I wish that also others can experience happiness, and some of the happiness I might create by contributing economically so that those who are caught by the flood, might get help to manage their lives again. Perhaps my water dam happiness can be useful after all, when it inspires me and gives me courage: 3990 of the families YWCA of Bangladesh work among, are caught by the flood. Buskerud YWCA-YMCA and YWCA-YMCA Global are collecting money in Norway, and our goal is to help half of these families; and for you around the globe: There are certainly fund-raising near you too!
Back to the bike trip: The camera was missed also when we chose a different way than normal, and had to follow a footpath for a while. It was a bit more hilly (read: steep down in a valley before going as steep up on the other side, with lots of big stones on the path) than what is easy to pass with a bike with bike bags, but my strong friend knew what to do. “Why don’t you let me take your bike bags?” she asked, and took my bike bags on her neck while carrying her own bike. From now on she is called Sherpa.
The bike trip to Oslo on Monday was also nice, but the happy moments came first when I had someone to share the trip with yesterday. Other glimpses of joy I have also experienced when meeting friends this summer. Small children have an own ability in creating happiness, good conversations as well. Next summer I will have even less time at home. Does it mean even more good meetings and happy moments?
Happy greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 5:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home