Thinking and acting

Am toying with the notion of starting a regular "column" of thoughts where I would take note of experiences I have here in Oslo which epitomise, for me, the difference between living here and living in South Africa. Usually they involve the realisation that someone acts on the basis of their own reasoning and not on the basis of being asked to do something. This was not an experience I can ever remember having in South Africa, so much so that it still amazes me when it happens here.

So this week's Thinker of the Day award goes to the receptionist at the bank, who simply by seeing me standing there with my bank goodie (am not sure how to explain what it is), understood that I needed another and handed it to me. May sound ridiculously simple but I am very thankful for those moments.

The overthinking moment of the week goes to me. There was a bit of a fuss on the underground today, and so for a while there was only one platform being used. The trains that came through were actually going in the 'wrong' direction as it were (i.e. would under normal circumstances been at the opposite platform). I saw a lady with skiis rush on and thought to go after her and tell her that chances are she would head off in the wrong direction, but then found myself thinking that surely others would...but no one did! So she looked as puzzled as I would have expected when the train started moving in the "wrong" direction. So i am wondering whether Norwegians are actually more worried about being their "brother's keeper" as it were than being helpful in that situation. Must be careful not to become too much like that (even though I am a bit too much my brother's keep at times).

Another family blog

Just to note that I have finally figured out an angle to my blog...so if you are up for it, watch this space. In the mean time, to introduce another family blog (well two - one in Norwegian, with some writing, and the other in English, mostly pictures - but great ones (yes, again, the contrast to my own overly wordy and pictureless blogs are unavoidable) - but check out oivindsview2.blogspot.com and oivindsview3.blogspot.com (English and Norwegian respectively).

For those who do some Norwegian - he is right about the self-obsessed nature of blogging.

Pity I am too self-obsessed to be bothered.

Blog on family :-)

Worth noting

Well other than the fact that I seem to be on blogging steroids...

Have been reading a whole lot of articles about the Tucson shootings and am equally moved every time. Particularly liked on in the New York Times today about medical staff who were involved ("From bloody scene to ER").

So I know about Gabrielle Giffords, and I know about Christina-Taylor Green, but who else exactly were the victims of the shooting? So here, mostly for my own benefit is the list of people who died:

Christina-Taylor Green, 9 years old. Born on September 11, 2001.
Doris "Dot" Morris, 76. Survived by her husband, also shot.
John Roll, 63, Arizona judge.
Phyllis Schneck, 79.
Dorwan Stoddard, 76.
Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman, 30.

What a tragedy.

Family blogs

Well imagine my surprise yesterday to discover I am not the only blogger in my family! (So much for being so close :-)

Well despite not being THAT regular, turns out I am more regular than they are though - other than sunnysidedreams.blogspot.com - my sister is turning a whole new forest :-)

So by all means have a look - it won't take a rock scientist to see how different we are! She is the creative, easy going sister, while I am the deeper, broody one...:-)

A new year...

I am not sure if I am going to graduate into a real "blogger" now in 2011. However it would seem that I am not quite giving up!

First blogworthy thought of the year - about the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in the US: to blame or not to blame.

I am no fan of conservative Republicanism and even less so of Tea Party Republicanism. Sarah Palin, well the less said the better. Are they to blame for the shooting? Well of course not to blame, directly. Haven't American commentators learnt yet that life is complicated? One big stew of where you come from, what you've done, what you're doing.

So let's just say that their rhetoric and not to mention constant use of war-imagery did not help. Yes, Glenn Beck, dear - you are not (in my opionion) contributing to make your country a safer, better place through your words. No, really.

You just cannot be surprised if this sort of thing happens when there is nothing in your rhetoric which would signal to any would-be shooter that it is not okay. And there has not been (until now? A bit late, no?).

So no, you may be not be blame per se, but you have a responsibility in what happened, you and all your cronies. Yes, Sarah that would be you too.

If you think that people's right to carry a gun is so important, it would be helpful if you thought it was equally important that they still respect life and even respect that people may have other views, but this does not make them less worthy of living. I assume you agree with that?

There is a tragic irony in the death of an 11-year old girl who was born on September 11th, 2001 and who dies in such circumstances. Al-Qaeda and their cronies are not the only danger to Americans. Such killings seem to becoming quite common in the American way of life as well.

On reflection am wondering why I, non-American that I am, can have such opinions about you guys? Because the entire country of the US is reality-tv for the rest of us. This was not a good episode and we would prefer if it were not repeated.