End of January

This week I joined «Storband», a band that performs popular music. The first rehearsal that I attended was on Wednesday evening. It went OK, but I have to practice, especially rhythmic music that I'm not used to. There is a concert on 21 May. The past weekend was quite social: a dinner party on Friday evening at Magnar's house for Katrin and Elizabeth. On Saturday Magnar and I were invited to a party at Hans and Inge's house. Sunday I had two services: one at 11 in Sandnessjøen and one at 6:30 pm at Blomsø Bedehus (prayer house on Blomsø). Attendance was pretty good in Sandnessjøen: about 60. At Blomsø there were only 5 or 6. The weather is fairly mild. The snow and ice are slowly melting, although it snows once in a while.

The days are getting longer: on 23 January the sun rose at 9:40 am and set at 3 pm. The length of day is almost 5 ½ hours.

This week I first noticed that I no longer arrived at work in complete darkness. The days are getting longer. The weather was fairly mild but overcast. It snowed/rained/hailed a little then mostly melted away. We got quite a bit of rain so some of the roads are not so icy.

Today the sun rose at 9:15 am and set at 3:30. The length of day is 6 hours, 15 minutes.

Monday the 31^st of January. I finally got an explanation of what my status is here, vis-à-vis the church. Since I was in an interim position I can't automatically become a permanent employee. I can apply for the position, or not. They will extend my interim position for 6 months from 9 April, when my current position ends, to 9 October. If I apply for it, there's a pretty good chance I will get it, but it's not guaranteed. If I don't apply for it, I'll have to go back in October. If I get the job it will be permanent – something I'm not sure I want. If I were younger there would be no question of me staying here. I'm not sure what I'll do. There are so many things to consider. I'll use the next month to think it over.

My colleague Venera will continue her sick leave for the month of February. More work for me. I had planned to take my driving test on Thursday, but I had to cancel it because there is a funeral I have to play for.

End of Year Summary

Traditionally one sums up the year that has gone by. I'm very glad I took this chance of living here in Norway. Overall it's been a very positive experience. The negative aspects are mostly weather-related. Since mid-November we've had ice everywhere. It's treacherous to walk. One peave I have is Norwegian drivers. They are mostly polite but not much better than the drivers in Boston. There is something called "forkjørsrett", meaning the driver on the right side has right of way, even if he is coming out of a side street. There is often confusion and accidents. One just has to drive with caution. My Norwegian is getting better but it's a slow process. The people here are great, very helpful, even the workers in non-church related offices are friendly and eager to assist if asked. To sum it up in one sentence: Northern Norway is a land of extremes.

In the next week or so I have to decide how long this adventure in Norway will last. My predecessor has given notice that he won't be coming back. The upshot is that the job is mine if I want it. I've been given an extension to my leave from Harvard-Epworth Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts until July of 2012. I feel torn because my sense of belonging to a place will change yet again and I will be in a kind of limbo, not belonging in the U.S., and not really belonging here in Norway since I didn't grow up here. One of the goals of this year in Norway was to help me get over my partner Dan's passing in 2006. It has helped enormously. If this «sabbatical year» ends in April I would be completely satisfied with this adventure. There also is a new development: I'm beginning a new relationship. My inclination is to stay here to find out where this is headed. It may not lead anywhere but at least I'm happy, even if I feel I don't belong to any group. To sum it up, my sense of adventure has trumped my sense of belonging. I'm willing to try another year here.

The first day of 2011 was very quiet. I didn't hear any left-over fireworks. On Sunday, the 2^nd, there was a church service at Åsheim Terrasse, the large room on the 8^th floor of Åsheim Retirement Center. The best views of Sandnessjøen are from here. During the first week of the new year there were two funerals. The weather had been tranquil since Christmas. During this week we had terrific wind storms. The bridge was periodically closed. On Thursday the airport was closed. More snow came at the end of the week. People say that last year there was hardly any snow. It seems as though we're making up for two winters, and we aren't even halfway through winter yet. On Sunday evening I had to drive to Tjøtta for a church service. A storm blew through Sunday afternoon, closing the road toward Tjøtta. But at 5 pm it was cleared. Because of the storm there were few people in church: 4 in the congregation, plus the 3 employees (minister, organist and sexton). Sunrise on 9 January is at 10:21 am, sunset at 2:13 pm. The length of the day is almost 4 hours.

Week 2: Fairly quiet at the church office but the weather is changing. Whenever it gets mild it usually snows (or rains). At least the winds have abated. Fortunately there were no funerals this week. I'm taking yet another step toward a longer residence here: I have to get a Norwegian drivers license. My license from Massachusetts is only valid for a year after I entered Norway, so it will expire here in April. When I went to apply for a license I had to give up my Mass. license. It feels odd not having a drivers license. (I have a receipt from Vegvesen saying they took my license, so it's perfectly legal for me to drive in Norway). Now there is more paperwork here: I need to get a contract/agreement from the church saying that my position has changed from temporary/interim to something more permanent. And from the Immigration Service here I need to apply for another year of residency. (I can only apply for residency one year at a time.)

Since there's so much snow here I hope to buy a spark sled and cross-country skis this coming week. This past week marks the end of the first half of winter. Surise on 16 January is at 10 am, sunset at 2:38 pm. Length of day: just over 4 ½ hours.

Christmas and New Year's

Christmas week: (Week 51). Usually I have Mondays off but there was a church service for school children that I had to play for. I also had a rehearsal with a trumpet player who will play for the Christmas Eve services. Tuesday is my usual choir rehearsal day, plus a rehearsal with a soloist who will sing for the Christmas Eve services. Wednesday and Thursday I had off. Friday was a long day: 2 devotional services (11 and 12), and two large Christmas Eve services. The one at 2 pm was packed – standing room only. Officially, the seating capacity of the church is 475, but at this service there were 340 and many had to stand. The were about 100 + from Hurtigruten (boat). The next service (4 pm) was a bit better, at least all could sit. Everything went well. After the 4 pm service I drove to Tjøtta to spend Christmas Eve with Katrin and Elizabeth. There were just 3 of us and we are all non-Norwegians: German, British and American (US). Elizabeth prepared a great feast: pinnekjøtt, sausages, potatoes, turnip, carrotts, with champagne, red wine and aquavit. Since one dare not drive a car after drinking I spent the night in Tjøtta. The next morning I drove back to Sandnessjøen for the big Christmas Day service. The participants were the Mens' Chorus, the church choir, and a trumpeter – Rune S. Everything went well. There were about 80 to 100 in the congregation. Sunday I had another service – in Tjøtta. Thea S (who sang at the Christmas Eve services) sang for this service in Tjøtta. She has a beautiful voice, is only 16 and is studying music in Mosjøen. The service was fairly long with a baptism, communion and the special vocal music.

Finally Christmas is over. I don't think I've had to work so hard for Christmas in many years.

The weather has been very tranquil – cold but clear. While Europe is having travel nightmares because of the snow storms, here in northern Norway everything is fine. Sunrise on 26 December is at 10:45 am, sunset at 1:35 pm. Total daylight is 2 hours 50 minutes. The days are slowly getting longer.

The final week of 2011. Not much is happening at work. We have a short work week. On Wednesday there was a servie and Juletrefest (Christmas Tree Festival) at the Bedehus (Prayer House) on Blomsøy. Of course there were sandwiches and sweets afterward. Thursday there was a funeral. My friend Bjarne couldn't make the New Year's Eve dinner so I had to change plans. The party was moved to Magnar's house with Lill joining us. We ate turkey, red cabbage, mashed rutabaga, potatoes, and curried mushroom sauce. There was a lot of turkey left-over. I helped Magnar eat it up in the few days into the new year. A little before midnight we went outside to see the fireworks. I was amazed at the amount of fireworks which were privately set off/sent up. I wonder how many millions of crowns went into the dazzling display of firewords. At the office I heard that Venera (the other organist for Alstahaug Community) will take the month of January off for sick leave. It means extra work for me but won't affect the Sunday I have free, or my trip back to the US in February.

On the last day of the year the sun rose at 10:40 am and set at 1:45. Total daylight is 3 hours, 5 minutes.