Dum Dum Boys : Splitter Pine

Happy Friday - again! Time for some proper old Norwegian rock - this time in Norwegian! This song is close to a national anthem back home. Everyone knows it, everyone can sing the chorus and it is a proper party song.

Dum Dum Boys started up in 1985, but had been playing in another band called "Wannskrækk" since the late 70's. The band name came from an Iggy Pop album called "Idiot" (1977).

The guitar riffs in the beginning of the song are world famous in Norway! The song is about stress and nagging and a bit of funny song to sing when you just have had enough! Do not be surprised if others join in if you are starting singing the chorus!

This song was on the album "Splitter Pine" which was released in 1989. The band is still releasing new albums and having concerts around the country. The last single is called "Snø på Mars", released in 2009.



Today the band consist of : Per Øyvind "Prepple" Houmb, Kjartan Kristiansen, Aslak Dørum and Sola Jonsen.
...and here is "Snø på Mars":

Symonds Str & K-road

Autumn has definitely arrived in Auckland. No doubt about it. The first autumn day (according to the calendar) was on the 1st of March and since then the weather has gone from good to even better (it has cooled down a bit)...ha ha

I had a walk up Symonds Street yesterday morning. It is an area I really like to walk around because of the lovely buildings. I especially like some of the older University buildings and churches.

My favorite church would be St. Paul's Church. It has lovely doors and windows and was a good photo target. Have a look:

St. Paul's Church
Construction date: 1895 - Architect: William Henry Skinner.

Sivert Høyem : Moon Landing

It's time for some more music. It's Monday. We need to cheer up. On behalf of my friend Linda, I want to introduce you to Sivert Høyem, former vocalist of the band Madrugada. This is one of her favorites and that was a good enough reason to add it to the blog. The song is from the album "Moon Landing", released in 2009.
Co-producer Cato Salsa Thomassen is on the guitar. You get too see a bit from Norway as well. Do you like the cabin?



I have always thought about this guy's music as melancholic and gloomy (I guess these words have the same meaning, but together they are kind of double trouble...ha!). I have to admit that these two songs are far from gloomy so maybe his old band played that kind of music?

Below song is from the same album and is called "Belorado". Most of the video was filmed on a rooftop in downtown Oslo in November 2009. Looks cold....
Thanks Linda! See you soon! :0)



Sivert Høyem: vocals, Cato Thomassen : guitar, Rudi Nikolaisen: bass, Christer Knutsen: guitar &
Bjørge Fjordheim: drums

Favorite books

Hi,

For those of you that need ideas of what book to read next :

Have a look on the right side on the blog. I have added a little list of books I have read myself.
It is a mix of English and Scandinavian writers, but I have seen books of the writers around in Auckland in both the library and Whitcoulls.

Link to Whitcoulls : http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/

Enjoy!

Moussaka

Hi everyone,

I think it is time for a recipe again. I have tried this one myself and it tasted good according to my guests.

Moussaka (4-6 portions)

800 gr minced meat (or lamb mince)
6-7 tomatoes
2 medium aubergines
1 big potato, pealed and divided into thin slices
500 ml white wine
600 ml milk
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg
100 gr cheese (from cheese milk if possible)
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped oregano
2 twigs thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

A-ha : Summer Moved On

Thought this was a very appropriate title for the time of the year.
You may have heard about today's band, A-ha, known from the 80's "Take On Me".
I have heard it on the radio here, so I know it got this far...

Always young looking, Morten Harket (now 50) is singing, Magne Furuholmen on keyboard and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy on guitar. This is from a concert in Oslo in 2001.



Let's listen to one of the oldies as well. This is "Stay on these roads"....



He obviously like his leather pants! :0)

Donkeyboy : Ambitions

Hi all!

New idea from me! I want to introduce some Norwegian and Scandinavian music for you to listen to.
It is sad to see that we are missing out on each other's music due to the distances between our countries.

The first one is an easy listening song called "Ambitions". It is sung in English so no guessing what it is about this time.

The band is called Donkeyboy and the song is written, directed and cut by Kristoffer Borgli. http://www.kristofferborgli/. Donkeyboy is a pop band from Drammen, Norway, formed in 2005. The band consists of Cato Sundberg (vocals, rhythm guitar) Kent Sundberg (synth, backing vocals) Peter Michelsen (guitar, backing vocals), Thomas Drabløs (drums), and Alexander Garborg Ågedal (bass guitar). Linnea Dale is a guest vocalist on "Ambitions". The song was released in 2009.

On the Norwegian page, music from New Zealand will be introduced. Let's share! :0)

Hope you like it.

Greetings from a fishing virgin

Hi all!

Something  big has happened to me (a snapper that is)! I have been on a fishing trip and caught fish! Incredible. It was my first fishing trip (ok, I have been on a fishing boat before, but never actually been fishing).

I was asked a while ago by my in-laws to go fishing with them and some of their friends, but I was sceptical. Me fishing? I love to eat fish, but to actually fish? Hmmm...needed some time to think about it.

Then my better half couldn't come fishing due to work and I was asked again. Still sceptical. You don't have to fish. Just come for the trip they said. So I thought: Why not. I could take some photos and enjoy the view.

I was picked up by the apartment. I had packed a backpack of warm clothes and wet weather gear, sunglasses, camera (yes...I did remember it!), crackers and chocolate (I even forgot I had it in my backpack!). Got on the boat, approx. 40-45 foot one, so looked safe enough. Didn't want to get too close to the water...

After a while we were all onboard, probably about 10 people. All the guys had been fishing before. Some even had their own fishing rods.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Finally the day is here!

All the green people are back. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be an outsider walking in to the chaos of green, but it happened today.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the nearest Saturday as most "17 of March'es" always seem to arrive on a week day. Smart.

I remember a few years back (from my rocking chair...) when I was working in Auckland and we had a competition of who was "The Best Green Dressed Person In The Office". Some of us were boring and safe in a normal green clothes but one of my colleagues took it all out. She turned up on the bus in green shiny trousers and shirt (none matching), green make up and I think even green shoes! What a great look for a St. Patrick's Day!
She won the price - and deserved it.

Devonport, Auckland (and movie)

Hi to you all,

I sent this greeting to friends and family in Norway (who had everything from -3C to -19C at the time) to cheer them up a bit and to remind them that there will be a new summer some time...
You may need a bit of cheer up yourself if you are stuck in the office during this great summer!

I really enjoyed visiting Devonport. It is close to the city, but still a small world away when it comes to the more quiet lifestyle than city life can bring.

Jewellery for Sale 2010

Check this link: Jewellery for Sale

Feeling blue?

Well, there is no reason for that! Here is my last creation - made in New Zealand with the inspiration from the blue sea and ALWAYS blue sky (no lies)...

This is a matching set of knitted necklace and bracelet made of dark blue freshwater pearls and Jet Swarovski beads.

For more information go to this place

Girlfriends

What would we do without girlfriends? Some girlfriends you will meet every week and some you may meet again after several years. Maybe you were neighbours for a while when travelling around the big world. It is best if you can easily catch up again on everything in life and it feels like you have not been apart at all.

Thought I would show you this necklace as a little bit of inspiration for you all - beautiful colors and as a reminder of summer and happy days. I got this one from Lotta, a Swedish friend of mine. Now she has gone back to Stockholm ...uhuuu.... but hopefully we will meet again soon.

Thanks Lotta and bon voyage!

From Valencia to Auckland

Hi!

As I wrote previously we went to Valencia, Spain for a couple of weeks in January. While we were there we got the message that it was time and chance to head off to Auckland, New Zealand for a couple of months. We had one day at home in Kristiansand to unpack and pack the sommer clothes before we had to leave again. A little bit stressed but fun as well.

Fountain by the Palau de la Musica, Valencia

Black heart spool knitted necklace

I had to make another go on the spool knitted necklace. It turned out to be a "same, same but different" type of necklace. The knitted rows are connected with black heart beads and looks a bit dramatic.
The necklace has been sold, but if it is any interest for it, I can make another one.

For more jewellery for sale, check: here

Hola! The summer is here!

Hi again!

It was still white winter in Norway while I was making this bracelet. We had just gotten the phone call that we could go to Valencia, Spain for a couple of weeks. The summer colors came rushing to my mind and this is the result.

Not that it was summer in Valencia anyway, but that was the memory I had of the city when we previously lived there. In the meantime this bracelet is sold, but I will try to get hold of more of the same beads to make another one. The bracelet is quite heavy and is definitely being a "statement" bracelet.

For more jewellery for sale, check: this

Hoops earrings

Hi everyone!

Since the English version is copied from the Norwegian version some of the translation may sound a bit weird. So if I say Merry Christmas in March... it won't really fit in..right? (I hear you say "what about her broken English then... ok please correct me if something is totally wrong and you don't understand it). :0)

So I just say these hoops earrings were made around Christmas time. I have been wearing one pair for quite a few times and they are very light to wear. No droopy earlobes or headaches from these hoops...

No problems to wear them in rough wind either. Those of you that have tried to wear heavy, big earrings in strong wind knows that it is possible to get knocked unconscious from them. I am not kidding...

For more information, go to this page