The World Ski Championship multinational cheer!

We at Frogner House Apartments are very proud of our winter athletes and their amazing achievements! 

 

(Foto: Erik F. Brandsborg,
Aktiv I Oslo; The winning smile!)

So far, the Norwegian participants have managed 5 gold medals, 4 silvers and 4 Bronzes. And take note: Out of our 5 golds, cross country skier Marit Bjørgen has won 4! That lady deserves a good cheer (everybody ring your cow-bells)! 

Honoring our Polish co-workers, it is important to include that their favourite for this sport Justyna Kowalczyk followed in 2nd place in both the 10 and 15 km races. Good job keeping up!

The male cross country skiing competitions have not been as reliable, as different contestants reach the top placement with each race. Norwegian Petter Northug is the only name that appears more than once on the medalist lists, with 1 gold and 2 silvers. Northug is famous for his powerful races to the finishline, something Sweden seems to have been preparing for as all their medals so far are from the sprint races!

Norwegian ski-jumpers surprisingly works best as a team these days, getting silver in the "normal hill" . We are eager to see how they will manage the "large hill" competition, which starts tomorrow afternoon. Poland keeps challenging...

(Foto: Lene Haug, Aktiv I Oslo.no)

The announcement ceremonies at Universitetsplassen in Oslo City Center has had a great audience, both in size and ambiance. It's become a gathering point for viewers after the competitions are over, and the "Happy Hour" hot spot for those of us who work. Put on your warmest clothes, find an out-door bar (open just for the occasion) and enjoy the good moods of everyone around you!

And there is still a lot to look forward to.

Today:

Men's combined ski-jump, large hill (NOW!)

Men's cross country leg race 4 x 5 km (16:00)

Medal ceremony at Universitetsplassen (19:30)

Tomorrow:

Women's cross country 30km (12:00)

Men's team ski-jump "large hill" (15:30)

Medal ceremony at Universitetsplassen (19:30)

Sunday:

Men's cross country 50km (13:00)

Medal ceremony and VM celebration at Holmenkollen (15:30)

One advantage of being a multicultural workplace is that as a team we're cheering for more than one nationality, and consequently we're pretty much invincible this championship! Even Brazil has 7 contestants, but we have yet to see them on the placement lists. We cheer them along anyway for you, amigo!



Enjoy the snow!

(Foto: Frogner House Apartments)

I walked to work yesterday, through the giant, soft snowflakes, and arrived with make-up running down my face and hair wet and disarrayed. I was welcomed into the reception by our janitor with the ‘kind’ words: Who are you? I guess I didn’t look much like my normal self.

I started making my way through a stack of paperwork and reservation issues, and had a very busy day planned. Just after lunch, the general manager asked if we shouldn’t perhaps go to the hotel and restaurant exhibition that afternoon, and I honestly admitted that we should! Driving there, I suppose the traffic was slow. Walking around the exhibition centre, I guess the people were pushy. There are so many negatives you can get sidetracked by in a normal, busy, stressful day, but yesterday I just couldn’t even notice any of it.

Instead, I did one task at the time. I took a time management challenge in a stride. I enjoyed the company in the car. I savoured the food tastings, discovering the most amazing brie cheese. I enjoyed my free cup of coffee while slowly strolling along the isles smiling at everyone who passed. And when I got home that day, I took an extra long walk with my dog allowing the snowflakes to play with whatever little I had left of my make-up, and the dog to play with the snowflakes and run free.

It is something about that clean, wet, white weather that plays tricks on my mood. How can you not feel serene in soft, muffled and sparkly surroundings? The snow coating covers all the flaws of the past, and there is a lesson to remember: ENJOY the present!