Wednesday, July 15th, 2026
Wonderful summer evening, going for another
nature walk with a group looking for a social
break from a sometimes stressful life. Took a
bit of time to find the bus which wasn't too
crowded but would take me to the peninsula which
houses a wonderful place literally known as
Paradise Bay (Paradisbukta). I even had the
opportunity to practice my rusty Russian with
one of the participants. We enjoyed a good chat,
the sun, and some barbeque. Hammocks are really
starting to grow on me, even if I managed to fall
out of it at one point.
(TXT) Continued...
Monday, July 13th, 2026
Great social experience coming up for me, I am
having a belated birthday (or is it post-birthday?)
restaurant outing with family and friends at
Barcode Street Food in Oslo. I am really looking
forward to seeing the newly engaged couple, my
best friend (since elementary) Arthur the pilot
and his very charming Hungarian girlfriend
Becca, who is a talented cybersecurity geek.
I couldn't be happier for them both.
(TXT) Continued...
Saturday, July 11th, 2026
We are blessed with good public transportation here
in Oslo, and I went for a Saturday group trip which
was worth the hour of travel to get to the place.
We spent a couple of hours walking, more of it
uphill than I would normally go for, in beautiful
surroundings. The reward was great.
(TXT) Continued...
Friday, July 10th, 2026
I have to manage certain health risks given my
family history. Like many people, I have issues
with high blood pressure. I can only imagine it's
related to stress (of which there has been a lot
given that my father is under care) as well as,
frankly, bad eating. Not always, but enough to be
a problem.
(TXT) Continued...
Wednesday, July 8th, 2026
I just turned 41. Two conflicting emotions always
compete for my attention every 8th of July.
Delight in still being here, and slight discomfort
with aging.
(TXT) Continued...
Saturday, July 4th, 2026
OK, can the weather gods please stop with the
random bouts of rain in between sunny weather?
I am forced to debate whether to take an umbrella
and that really sucks. Thanks.
(TXT) Continued...
Friday, July 3rd, 2026
I really enjoyed the restaurant dinner I had with
my buddies this Thursday. The atmosphere was very
informal, almost too informal. But the food is
the main reason people go there. We ordered some
dishes of our own and a couple to share.
(TXT) Continued...
Wednesday, July 1st, 2026
As much as I enjoy going for walks on my own, as
an introvert who needs a certain amount of alone
time, I do think there is something about going
with a social group that is really great in
reasonable doses. I am not a big lover of small
talk in general, but conversations which don't
require too much of anyone participating have
their value. Finding peace of mind, or something
like it, in company with nice people.
(TXT) Continued...
Saturday, June 27th, 2026
Mushroom risotto, a herb baguette, a fermented
Sheng pu-erh tea from Daxueshan in Yunnan, and
a Jacob's Creek Merlot from 2025, in honour of my
Australian best friend, Arthur, who is a stellar
airline pilot I admire very much.
(TXT) Continued...
Friday, June 26th, 2026
Since I am on a public access UNIX server, perhaps
I should get more into the spirit of the thing as
a programmer. I have a nasty tendency of learning
things halfway at best before abandoning them,
and I could really use a C refresher as well as
becoming comfortable with AWK. I have some ideas
brewing on how to proceed, but I want to see if
I can stick to it for any length of time before I
say more. Besides, what else am I supposed to
phlog about?
(TXT) Continued...
Thursday, June 25th, 2026
I am very fond of a local tea shop, fittingly
named "Spill The Tea". They have quite a varied
selection of teas, I have mostly sampled their
oolongs, although Japanese green tea comes to
mind, as does black tea.
(TXT) Continued...
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
The summer does appear to be here again. Norway
does not exactly have a reputation for great
weather (although when my mother lived in the UK,
I learned a lot that nuanced my feelings about the
weather here). So I had probably better enjoy the
sun while I can.
(TXT) Continued...
Thursday, June 18th, 2026
When people ask "coffee or tea?" my answer used to
be "black coffee". The only thing that has changed
is that I now also enjoy tea. Over the years I have
mostly had black tea, preferably sweetened. I have
enjoyed green tea with my food. But my favourite
is oolong tea, semi-oxidized, not quite green or
black. My favourite among these is Da Hong Pao,
from Wuyi in Fujian. I am no great tea taster,
but people detect notes of cocoa and orange.
The next time I am asked the question, I am
tempted to ask why I need to choose between then.
(TXT) Continued...
Wednesday, June 17th, 2026
I am old enough to have to start thinking about the mortality
of my own parents. The biggest concern right now is my father.
He is struggling with Parkinson's disease, which went untreated
for a long time in spite of his suspicions, because he
refused to see a doctor. Please don't make his mistake.
(TXT) Continued...
Sunday, June 14th, 2026
I am really looking forward to attending a local festival for all things Japanes
Booths for food and activities, a stage with musical and dance performances,
and my favourite Japanese shop in central Oslo will probably be selling products
enjoy (mostly food and sweets).
(TXT) Continued...
Monday, June 08th, 2026
I don't always have the luxury of time in the morning,
but when I do I should probably take the opportunity
to exercise outdoors, get the body moving and take in
some fresh air. Healthy eating would help too, but
there is no better way to start the day, if I can
make it a regular habit.
(TXT) Continued...
Thursday, June 04th, 2026
This has been a good social week for me. Looking forward to
a very nice Saturday afternoon of barbecue food enjoyed in stellar
company, with family and close friends.
(TXT) Continued...
Wednesday, June 03th, 2026
Sometimes I enjoy going for a walk in the nearby woods, usually alone.
Apart from school trips when I was younger, I haven't done much of this
as a group activity. But this week I did, and I have to say that
finding a group to do this with can do wonders for your mental health.
As an introvert I need my alone time, but there is something truly
special about walking in the woods, lighting a fire (safely!), and
enjoying the company of others with some coffee or tea. Do it!
(TXT) Continued...
Tuesday, June 02th, 2026
I play board and card games competitively, but
not very seriously. One of my favourite games
is contract bridge (or simply plain "bridge"),
an amazing mind sport undeserving of its
reputation as an idle pastime for geriatrics.
A bridge tournament is a great way to start the
week. My partner and I bombed, but how can you
object to good laughs and a partner who buys
you a beer?
(TXT) Continued...
Monday, June 01th, 2026
I am someone who enjoys working on projects to keep busy. Ideally, I would like
My educational background is in linguistics, so in theory you might think I am w
is not easy when you mostly prefer to dip into different ones. And even then, th
(TXT) Continued...