posted on 18th August 2011 under Blog, Misadventures, Personal, Travel
Another entry that deviates from my normal narrative style. Last week we (Odd, Savi, Hege and I) were in Rome for six nights and it was really fun. We stayed in a hotel inside the Vatican state called Residenza Paolo VI. Very lovely hotel and the staff is super friendly.
I do suggest that the perfect time to travel to Rome is during spring, fall or winter, but not during summer when the heat is almost unbearable (I got soooo tanned!) coupled with a lot of tourists! Anyway, I let the pictures do the talking. 
+ The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter as seen from the hotel’s terrace.
+ Me on the Saint Peter’s Square with The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the background.
+ The square and the church at night.
+ A bridge on the Tiber river.
+ An angel statue on the bridge #1
+ An angel statue on the bridge #2
+ Me and Odd with the Pantheon in the background.
+ One of the murals inside the Pantheon.
+ A statue of a child inside the Vatican museum.
+ The ceiling of one of the many halls in the Vatican museum.
To be continued…
P.S.
I still have five invitations left for Spotify Free. Anyone interested just drop me a message here. (Note: Countries in which Spotify is available are: Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.)
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posted on 6th August 2011 under Blog, Personal
Looking out from the window I thought it was going to rain. Dark clouds undulating above Bergen creating a gloomy atmosphere, but at the same time it was beautiful in a gothic sense and it strongly reminded me of Twilight. Bergen after all had a similar weather pattern as Forks in the Washington State.
I love Bergen and as a Bergenser, a rain or even a storm doesn’t deter me from going out on a hiking trip.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing,” I told myself with an old Norwegian adage.
Still, I checked my iPhone for the weather report just to be sure, so I knew what I would carry on my person. It looked like there won’t be any rain, so I decided to wear some shorts and a t-shirt. With a hand towel, a flask filled with water and earphones on, I went out from our apartment commencing my hiking trip up to Mt. Fløyen. (It’s really a plus living at the foot of Mt. Fløyen!)
I constantly get ideas all the time and effortlessly as well, but they’re in hyperdrive mode when I’m in a gym or engaging myself in some physical exercises. Hiking on Mt. Fløyen was like opening a cornucopia of ideas, with its lush nature it was truly a paradise that titillated all five senses.
Music blaring in my ears coupled with long strides (and some sprinting in between), I managed to go up and down the mountain in less than an hour, which I thought was a personal feat. When I reached home I felt refreshed despite being sweaty and all. The hike cleared my mind and also inspired me with new ideas for my work both in design and writing.
What do you usually do when you’re looking for an idea or an inspiration?
P.S.
I’m giving away eight Spotify Free invitations and it’s only applicable in the following countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, UK, France, Spain, Netherlands and USA. For those who are interested state it in your comment. First-come, first-served.
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posted on 25th July 2011 under Blog, Personal
This is a quote from one of the survivors in the Utøya massacre and Oslo bombing. It pains me that something like this happened in our beloved country. This is my small tribute and my prayer by creating this wallpaper, which you can download by clicking on the image above or follow link 1 for the largest file version and link 2 for the Norwegian version.
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posted on 18th July 2011 under Blog, Personal
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly in the clear cerulean sky and here I was worried about getting crow’s feet because I forgot an important summer staple: sunglasses (I really need to buy these Karen Walker “Butler” sunglasses that I fancy). Odd, our friend, Wenche and I went around town and pretended to be tourists. Lugging our DSLR cameras and in Wenche’s case, her baby as well strapped to her body, we bravely navigated the crowded streets as Bergen during the summer was always full of tourists.
+ A seagull which flew overhead from where we sat.
“I think this is a good spot,” I said, pointing at a bench under a tree. The shade was inviting because I had enough dose of the sun for a day. I sat first before the others followed suit.
“I heard that you got a new job,” said Wenche.
“Yes! A job that I always wanted,” I said, my eyes twinkling with glee. “I just got lucky to be honest.”
“Why so?” she said, placing her camera back inside her bag before checking her beautiful baby boy who was still fast asleep.
“I actually applied for another position which was of course computer related,” I replied. “But during the interview I guess they found out that I’m more predisposed to design. So the next day they called and told me that I didn’t get the job as a tech support, but instead as a web designer. They even asked me if it’s okay.”
+ Odd ❤
“What did you say?” she said, sounding intrigued.
“Of course, I said yes! Knowing they’re not actually hiring for one until January next year, but somehow I managed to convince them,” I said with a grin and a certain degree of exuberance. “It’s a lovely company and the office’s location is to die for! It’s like a ten-minute walk from where we live. Plus, I can tell that the people working there are very nice. I have really good vibe on this, I tell you!”
“That sounds really wonderful and congratulations!” said Wenche. “What do you think about this Odd?”
“I’m really happy and proud of him,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.
+ Sunset taken from our window.
P.S.
I made some slight changes in my site’s design. I hope you like it guys
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posted on 4th July 2011 under Blog, Books, Personal
It’s summer and I love it despite the fact that the city of Bergen is having an autumn disposition. The ratio of rain and sunshine in a week is like 6:1. No matter, I’m still going to enjoy the free time I have, albeit briefly. I have the whole month of July to finally finish my book since by August we’re going to Rome and probably Sweden next to visit my sister from the US who’s going to be there for two weeks due to work. Thinking about it seemed to be quite intimidating. I gave off a huge sigh.
“What is it my dear?” said Odd, who apparently heard me sigh in the kitchen. I was standing by the sink with a glass of water and he approached me.
“So did you wash all the clothes?” I said, ignoring his question as my eyes darted on the laundry basket he’s carrying.
“I did,” he replied, but he gave me a skeptical look. “You haven’t answered my question. Is something bothering you?”
I drank the glass full of water before I answered him. “Nothing serious. I’m just worried that I might not be able to finish my book in the allotted time I set on myself. I’ve been cheating on my personal deadlines you know.”
“Oh, don’t be worried,” he said, placing the laundry basket on the floor and he wrapped his arms around me. “You’re over half-way now. Just write as much as you can and you’ll definitely get there.”
+ Invoking my inner Carrie Bradshaw to whip up this novel in shape.
I smiled. When he saw it, he gave me a kiss before he let go, picking the laundry basket and he went straight to our bathroom.
I set the empty glass on the kitchen sink before I went back to my study table. I turned on my Mac. Once everything loaded, I opened a web browser. I thought I should update my blog first before I continue writing on my book. One reason was that I’m just excited to show to my readers the opening sequence I made for my upcoming book (in conjunction with a design project at school) and also the first three chapters were now available to read in my own site.
+ Click the image to see the opening sequence.
After, I continued writing on my book with a new hope that I would be able to finish it within the time limit I set on myself. The sound of the keyboard typing could be heard throughout the night.
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