Books Worth a Look

  • Little Bee by Chris Cleave - This book is a must read. Better than anything else I've read, it takes you vividly into the life of a person in the 3rd world who has no choice but to escape. It is brilliantly written & works well as an audio book. Often I've sent info about the wonderful refugees I've met in Europe. We know only so much of their plight as it is painful for them to recall much less live through again by recounting it. But over time it is clear what they've lived through. This book is excellent as you discover the horrors of their world. Somewhat how to me, it is like being in Europe near a Concentration Camp. One has an obligation to visit it. 'Never to Forget.' In this case, to have our eyes opened.
  • Garbage King by Eliz Laird - The book is set on the streets on Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia and here lives Mamo and his sister Tiggist. When Mamo's "uncle" offers a job, he soon sets out on a bus to work. Little does he know that he is actually being sold into slavery...

Monday, September 1, 2008

Two Days in Oslo, Norway

After 6 weeks in LCW, I was to leave for 10 days of touring. Given the weak dollar & needs of the LCW house, I'm doing two smaller trips.

1st Stop - OSLO

Norwary is a wealthy country due to its oil. You quickly learn to not spend money! What might cost $ 3 or 4 here will cost about $ 13 there.

Oslo is a small for a capitol city, but quite lovely and with an excellent transportation system. I quickly learned that having a ticket is crucial if you do not wish to pay the $ 200 fine. As I was talking with fellow hostel guests we saw a stream of people running from an equal number of police. Turns out they had no tickets. So when the officers boarded the tram to look at all tickets they fled, en masse!

Edward Munch is a famous artist and the museums attest to this. There are many lovely sites like:

The Scream http://media.aftenposten.no/archive/00770/ARKIV__sx61d565_jpg_770410h.jpg

Fronger Park http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/travel/23affordable-oslo.html Hmm, is that a phallic symbol in the background?

City Hall http://www.ihs-norway.com/english/images/oslo-cityhall.jpg

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/holmenkollen-ski-jump-oslo-nor222.jpg

The amazing Vigeland Sculpture Park with 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/images/48hrs_oslo0709/48hrs_oslo0709.jpg and

http://z.about.com/d/goscandinavia/1/0/f/-/-/-/OsloVigelandpark.jpg

its harbor with ferries to small picturesque harbor islands http://www.concierge.com/images/destinations/destinationguide/europe/norway/oslo/oslo/oslo_010p.jpg

Best of all I met a young Italian band staying at the Amstel Hostel. Richie is now in regular email contact.
Laura, Jay and I will have lunch with him in Florence at Christmas. Some of their music is at www.myspace.com/jesenyaband

Next tiome, I hope to fly to Copenhagen, take the night ferry to Oslo, and than the train to Bergen in the north - just south of ther Arctic Circle - beautiful Scandinavia.
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REFLECTIONS & ARTICLES

Thoughts on the amazing people I get to meet.

Rich, my 19 year old friend, soon to be Franciscan and recent community member at Haley House in Boston. An article he wrote.

http://www.capuchinfranciscans.org/pdf/2008%2003%2011%20CVO%20Update%20A%20community%20of%20two%20tables.pdf