Category Archives: Sports

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Handball again

Our handball boys unexpectedly got to the finals of the World Championship! They are playing against France who has been by far the best team in the tournament, and they have the home advantage. We absolutely don’t except to win, but with this team who knows. 

The semi finals on friday was a real thriller. I was lucky to watch the game with great colleagues. After our keeper saved a penalty in the last minute securing us a tie leading to extra time. Where we had most to give. 

Everybody loves an underdog and as Norway was the last team to not make the qualifiers they only got the spot in the Championship when a nation from Oseania did not have a team. We got the wild card and got to play . And the frustration from losing in the last game turned to happiness when we got a chance. Then to go all the way to the finals is just amazing! 

Hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday!

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Go Norways Handball Men

Had the lazy day I hoped I would have today. Slept for 12 hours and woke up refreshed. I read a bit and made sure my home looked a bit nicer. Went for a walk in the fog and did some shopping.

Now I’m ready to watch Norway play Macedonia in the handball world championship. I really hope our boys win this game and take us to the next round. They really are quite likable and well liked here in Norway. So I’ve found some popcorn and a beer.

So Go Norway – or Heia Norge as we say here.

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Biathlon and Cleaning Weekend

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This weekend I will use to get ready for easter. And my apartment is in dire need of a good clean up. I got off to a good start yesterday and hope I won’t give up any time soon.

There is a World Championship in biathlon going on in Oslo and my parents and brother is there to watch, but I’m happy to just watch on tv. Yesterday Norway ‘ s team in the women ‘ s relay got the gold medal. They were outsiders to the gold and everyone was really happy for them. They are a very sympathetic and still very young group. We have high hopes for the men today. Where the women has done better than expected many of the men has had a worse Championship then was thought in advance, but if they all have a great day a new gold might be within reach.

There is also a Ski Tour in Canada to end the cross country skiing season. Here the Norwegian women have done much better than the competition, but there is still exititement as to whom will get what medal. In the mens competition there are two Norwegians chasing the russian in the lead before the last leg of the tour.

I hope you will all have a great weekend. What are your plans?

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Opening a Stadium

The track and field part of the stadium and car park

The track and field part of the stadium and car park

Being part of a band you are sometimes called upon to play on important occasions where they feel they need someone to play. So this Sunday I set off to Ålgård, in the local community of my band, to play at the official opening of their new large athlete stadium. They now have a new football stadium and some training fields and also a great stadium for track and field. With good wardrobes and seating required

Football stadium with the club motto

Football stadium with the club motto

At the opening, in addition to the band, the Mayor and the leader of the sports board gave speeches, the teams and groups whom are getting to use the new stadiums marched in to the field with their flags and the kids had a chance to win medals by trying out different sports.

Flags in the wind

Flags in the wind

The weather was sunny, but a bit windy so it was a bit difficult to see the sheet music, but the gig went ok and we got a lot of applause. And as I sat in the car to drive home the rain started, I was thankful that didn’t happen only moments before!

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Tour des Fjords

Starting area

Starting area

This weekend there has been a lot of people in town. The weather has been lovely and there was quite a lot going on. The biggest event was a cycling race called Tour des Fjords. Norway is a country where cycling has gotten quite big over the last years. Mainly due to the fact that we’ve had a few good cyclists making it on the international scene. For those of you that follow cycling Thor Hushovd, Edwald Boasson Hagen and Alexander Kristoff might be familiar names. The former just made headline news when he was asked if he was moving away from Norway to not have to pay Tax on his earnings and answered that he wanted to stay in the country and didn’t mind paying his taxes because he was getting the benefits of having a good welfare state.

Tour des Fjords is a cycling event that goes over stages. It’s set in the region where I live and they cycle past the fjords and mountains close by. There are also stages that begins that begin and end in my city Stavanger and the neighbouring city Sandnes Most people here root for the local cyclist Alexander Kristoff who won last year. Plenty of people showed up to cheer for the cyclist as they went past and a lot of people were watching on the big screen put up in the town square and on TV. Showing of our lovely nature on TV like that is really good for tourism, so we were lucky the sun decided to pay us a visit.

Car with extra bikes

Car with extra bikes

I’ve spent a bit of the weekend enjoying the weather and the forecasts tells us that we’ll soon have the temperatures to match the calendar. I’ve also attended an enjoyable house-warming party at a friends new place. I got a bit of laundry, tidying and cleaning done. And I also got to do a bit of writing and reading. So all in all this weekend has been really good.
Hope you all had a great weekend. How did you choose to spend it?
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Springtime!

Springtime is here

Springtime is here

Spring is here, even if it’s a bit cold outside when the sun isn’t out I can say for sure that it has arrived. Some of the early flowers has started to come out and when the sun is out it gives of nice warmth and loads up your vitamin D storage. It’s amazing to feel the sun on your face and it just makes you happy.

Nice sunshiny day

Nice sunshiny day

This weekend started with a great house-warming for some friends. Good food, great people and good fun! Saturday the weather was lovely and I spent the first part of it outside enjoying the sunshine. Went for a good walk and just soaked in the sun and looked at all the signs of spring that was popping up all around.

A nice little brook bobbling with life

A nice little brook bubbling with life

Afterwards we went to a pub called the Irishman to go check out the last round of Rugby in the Six Nations tournament. It was an extremely existing round and it all came down to score difference because Ireland, Wales and England had the same amount of points from their earlier games and all of them beat their opposition last night. Ireland’s difference was the largest in the end and they emerged victorious. It was so exiting and fun!

Ducks swimming

Ducks swimming

Today I’m going to play a concert and make food for quite a few youths that are attending a youth band my band are arranging for this weekend.

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March already

Looking back on my blog, I found a post from 1st of March last year, First day of spring! Now this year it didn’t feel like the first day of spring on the first of March. Today there was even a bit of sleet in the morning. The last while it has been raining a lot. And the weather is very far from the nice one we had last year. But that hasn’t stopped this from being a good weekend.

1st of March 2014

1st of March 2014

Friday my cousin got her PhD and we went to her trial lecture, dissertation and for a dinner in the evening. It was a very nice sort of party and lasted untill the wee small hours. So Saturday had a bit of a slow start. But as the day was wet cold and miserable we went for a nice lunch at a place where they have good soup.

Soup and Sandwich

Soup and Sandwich

Later that evening we were invited to dinner at some friends house. And Sunday was used for watching the end of the ski world championship, where Norway got the last of the gold medals (in total we got 11 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze). I also went to a pub to see my first ever rugby match, Ireland versus England and that turned out to be a success.