A Big Night of Music

One of the advantages of living in a "major" European city like Oslo is the availability of some world-renowned entertainment. So far I've heard Madonna & Guns n Roses have passed through (my music references are indicative of my age), and its not only pop or rock music phenomenons who grace Oslo with their presence, but stars from other musical genres as well. It certainly contrasts to KL, which some international acts skipped due to religious issues. However, the availability of local live music seems less than the Philippines, which of course does so well that we export our live acts. In any case, I think part of the reason that Oslo is so full of entertainment is because people are always looking for something to do, and they have the time and money to spare. Something to watch out for when these big names come is that the tickets sell out so fast that you have to be glued to your PC screen when the online sales begin.

So for the last weekend of August, I booked myself a ticket to Festningen 2010, which headlined Norwegian electronica group Royksopp and French electronica pioneer Jean Michel Jarre. The weather took a turn for the worse in the evening, so it was my first time to see people coming for a concert dressed in rain gear and even ski outfits!

The festival started at 2pm but we didn't go there until 7pm. We were able to catch the opening act for the main show, a hiphop group from Malawi called The Very Best. I'd like to catch them in a more intimate setting next time, it would be so fun to dance.

After a half-hour break, a couple of beers and a visit to the portalet, Royksopp came onstage. I knew I liked their music, but I didn't know how much I knew of it. I've been chilling to "Poor Leno" since the early 2000's.

But of course the biggest shocker of the evening was the guest appearance of Robyn, who I was so pissed to have missed at the sold-out Oyafestivalen 2 weeks ago. And she started off with my favorite song in their collaboration, "The Girl and the Robot". I was screaming like mad.

Finally, a delightful performance from an unexpected source: Jean Michel Jarre who I have to admit I'd never heard of until I booked a ticket to this show. A pioneer of modern electronica, he's been spinning tracks since the 1970's and has played in venues like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids. Until I saw his performance, I didn't understand what the fuss was about. Its old school electronica yes, but delivered in a spectacular show of light, sound and perfectly synchronized fireworks. The man is in his 50s but he had so much energy and was having so much fun on stage. It was simply entertaining to watch this musical magician.

This was a great cap to my busy first month in Oslo. Next week, I'm off to the opera!

The Big Leap

Yesterday was apparently the first day this summer that Norwegians had the opportunity to enjoy a real day at the beach. 26 degrees Celcius sunny weather had them trekking out en masse to enjoy a crowded day by the pebbly seaside.

Ordinarily the sight of a day of sunshine wouldn't drive me in a frenzy to go out, after all in Asia its pretty commonplace, but the locals gave me dire warnings that its possible a day like this won't happen again this year. Gulp. So to the beach I went, sans bikini (the good dozen I have are in a box winging its way to me), instead attired in a tank top and shorts.

At the first touch of the water, I felt it was too cold to swim in. So I just dipped my feet in and spent most of the afternoon sunning myself while enjoying the makeshift BBQ (sate!) and grilled hotdogs.

Later in the evening, the sun still being up, my friends encouraged me to dive off a 10 (or 15?) meter spring board into the 18 degrees ocean. My first thought --- were they crazy?? But they went ahead. I got so tempted. Finally, in my underwear, I took the plunge too! And actually after the first 3-second shock, the water felt great!

There's still a lot of adjustment to do being here. Their beach is not my idea of a beach, even going to the supermarket is a challenge since I hardly understand where everything else is and what exactly they're selling. I've made 5 trips to the grocery so far just to understand! The things I'm used to are not there. But once you've adjusted to the change, like the leap I took into the ocean, I hope to find a different sort of enjoyment.