Return to Oslo, via shopping hell!!!

Dear blog,

Instead of writing my 'dear diary' in Facebook, I've decided to write to you instead. It could be that you're a better listener, or that you have more settings, but we'll just see how it goes. I feel a little lonelier on a blog than on a Facebook status, but I guess that's just a psychological weakness of mine. Perhaps I should write a paper on the psychology of Facebook. Like that hasn't been done already...

Anyhoo... I'm back in Norse Land after over a week back in the UK. It feels different. Firstly, I no longer have the heavy weight of the Altitude Festival hanging over me - that's been and gone. It was a great success in execution but not as great a success in fundraising as we would have hoped. So now it's back to the drawing board of fundtastic ideas (see what I did there?).

This week's flight took me through Brussels Airport again. To prevent boredom and to pass time, I set myself some tasks at the airport:

1. Find the best moisturiser money can buy - that doesn't cost the earth.
2. Find a suitable replacement suitcase for the €20 Spanish bargain I currently lug around (and have done for years).
3. Find some tiny travel-sized perfumes that are value for money.
4. Don't buy any of them.

Ridiculous, you may think. But nooooooooooo, it's not, for these are all extremely difficult tasks, for someone with my mind. Firstly, I have to source the 3 items. Secondly, I have to determine their suitability according to the specifications I have set. Analyse each of the first 3 tasks and tell me what I mean.


Done?


Good. Did you see the difficulty?
1. Find the BEST moisturiser money can buy. What defines 'best'? I do, obviously, but I'm no expert, nor am I capable of defining value for money. If I find a moisturiser that feels so great on my skin that I pop with excitement, but it costs €320, is it worth it? You start to see the challenge I'm facing...
2. Find a suitable replacement suitcase. My current suitcase is capable of holding:

• 4 days worth of work clothes
• 3 gym sessions worth of sweat clobber
• 2 pairs of shoes
• toiletries
• an extra set of clothes should I want to go somewhere posh in an evening
• my overcoat
• scarf
• umbrella

It is also expanding, and whatever the antonym of expanding is. Which means it can be used on Ryanair flights as hand luggage (I have checked the measurements) or non-Ryanair flights (recommended). So it would take a special kind of suitcase to convince me to switch. 

3. Do you know how many ml are in a mini perfume bottle? Between 4 and 7ml!!!! And 4 of those costs the same as a 50ml normal perfume bottle (containing perfume). That's just stupid. Nuff said.

Then we get to the fourth task. 

4. Resist the urge to buy........ The most difficult of all tasks. You see, my mind works in mysterious ways, similar to that of many other people. When I'm shopping, even if it's window shopping, I start to convince myself that I need all these wonderful and expensive things. I have wasted many thousands of £s on stuff I don't need. I don't really mind spending money on things I want, but when I convince myself that I need something just so that I buy it... Well, that's just ridiculous.

I'm rambling. Not in a positive way out in the countryside, but in a dull, fruitless way. I succeeded in only one task, possibly two. I didn't buy anything (go me!) and I may have found a suitable replacement suitcase. But just after writing that last sentence I went onto eBay and bid on the suitable replacement suitcase. I'm ridiculous.

Enough about the airport!! I arrived in Oslo on time and made my way back to the apartment. Nothing worth writing about happened, so I don't know why I'm writing this.

This morning I had an appointment at the Swedish Embassy to apply for a new passport. I realised, to my horror, yesterday that I had forgotten my hairbrush. But it didn't really matter coz I look the same whether I've brushed my hair or not. Did put some extra makeup on this morning though, and in the process I discovered that my liquid foundation smells of melon. I was so excited about this revelation that I had to tell me work colleague about it as soon as I got in. Anyway, had some fun at the embassy when the lady who took my picture exclaimed "you don't look like that, do you??" as she stared at the first shot. The one I didn't realise had been taken. I was grimacing as if I had a wasp stuck to my left ear. Luckily I was invited, rather swiftly, to pose again. 

This blog is too long, I'm getting far too carried away. I thought this might happen. I will stop now, and return tomorrow. But just so you know, I've set myself a goal to try out all the local food establishments. May as well review them too, for something to do. First up: Miki Sushi. Awesome. Simply the best sashimi I've ever tasted (other than the tuna on a boat in New Caledonia). 5 Bumbles (Bumbles are my stars). Tomorrow: Alexandros (Greek food). Bet you can't wait.