It is probably 2011 or 2017. 2011 was the year I decided to make a change to my life, and for the first time in my life I started to seriously consider moving to another country for my own sake. Norway came into my sight for some reason. My fellow friends and colleagues asked about why i came here sometimes, and I often blamed it to DNV, which I worked with back in my early career days as a structure engineer. The truth is that I do not really remember. Probably for a few video clips I saw somewhere, showing how nice the country is, both in terms of landscape and culture. It was truly an innocent and lucky choice. I was somehow very determined at the time. There was never even a backup plan.
The thing I was certain of was that I needed to make a change. I did not fancy the career prospect as a structure engineer or later a project manager, nor did I love the societal norms for someone that was on the edge of acknowledging his own identity. Luckily I was relatively good at English and my grades were okay, which University of Stavanger (UiS) agreed.
2011 was the last year I spent in Yantai, the city where I got my bachelor degree and started my career. It may be strange for you, but I lived in a student-dorm-like (two mand room) building while i worked there, with almost all the colleagues that were not married yet. It was a quite close environment, and far from city center. Many good memories and good friends were made there. We were having parties almost every day after work. I did not stop joining them, while I was struggling finding time preparing for IELTS test, as part of the application requirements for the Norwegian universities. Anyway, I passed the exam with a bit of luck eventually.
But to think twice, I would say 2017 would probably win over 2011. Some of my most precious memories happened in 2017.
It started with Andreas visiting my hometown in China during the Chinese new year. It was the only time Andreas visited China and met my family, and many weird strangers staring at him on streets. You have to understand, a small town like that had not seen so many Caucasians even in 2017. It was a very fun and eye-opening trip, as Andreas told me. The Chinese crackers (Kinaputter), poor English translations on all sorts of sign plates, the terrible hotel with the late 90s style, the food, and me with him in my born place. I did bring him to places where I used to visit as a child. Most of them totally changed, but some remained the same. It was such a nice feeling that he got to experience them with me.
iO Data AS was born in march 2017. I remembered clearly the first time we visited the old office on Strandgata 7 i Sandnes, the view, and all the discussions on how the office layout should be and all the possibilities lying ahead. It was an uncertain period. He was obviously concerned, but at the same time curious about what may happen. I had no doubt in the mildest that he and the team will make it. I was so proud and happy that he got others on his back.
We did our trans-European road trip together, with Tesla S (Tussi), in the Easter period 2017. Andreas loved driving and I loved to be a passenger of him. We did not plan much before hand. The destination was either north France or Germany. He planed to visit Hetty and Alex in Belgium and Daniel II in Frankfurt. That was the first time I met them. Andreas was lucky to have great friends like them, and so did I. We did not book any hotels upfront, but the stops were all nice and cozy. I remembered the tulip farm we drove by - one of the most beautiful things I have seen, the interesting mordern art museum in Luxemburg, the upside down houses somewhere i Germany, the huge portion food we got in a local German restaurant. It was a well needed break and fantastic experience at that challenging period.
And Thea's confirmation party was at late April that year. Everyone was asked to wear a hat to the party. She loved hats of all sorts, and we had to impress her somehow. Luckily Andreas had a decent collection of hats for some reason. And so many weird hats in the party with everyone wearing formal clothes, and many pokemon figures everywhere. What a party.
17 mai. Andreas made his favorite cream cake. He called it bløtekake, while I did not agree on the name based on my limited Bokmål training. It was a ridiculous and non-sense debate on what the cake should be called. Who said that debate has to be on serious topics only. We went to the old HEF office, met a few friends there and served the cake to all strangers walking by, including some curious foreign tourists arriving with a cruise. Fun time.
Caddy went into our live. I bought the car and started to practice driving. It was not a easy task, even though this man got his Chinese driving license back in 2011. I never touched a car ever since and Caddy got the «honor» to step in as my driving buddy. I still drive the car almost everyday and she served me well and supported all the long and short trips I made, and the last months of A when i need her to carry A and his wheelchair around. She never let me down once.
In the summer time, UiS colleagues and I went on the annual ship trip with Anna av Sand. It was a tradition of the faculty. We were served with shrimp (reker) and congac on the boat, and with all the singing and dancing. It was extremly "koselig" and intimate, with about 20 people on board.
Andreas went to Bordeaux for a conference on cultic studies. I did not come along with him. I believe that he enjoyed the trip very much in a town famous for wine-making. He went to a field trip to local vineyard as well, as I was told. Lucky him.
Nina got the news from J that she would become grandma in the new year. Nina and Karo made it quite mystious before she broke the news to us. A was as happy as Nina. The family was getting bigger and everyone was doing great in their lives. What a nice picture I took of them, as well. We went to the Kongeparke while they were here in Stavanger. Nina basically tok a hiking trip with us, by not joining the games for the fear of them, lol. Karo, A and I were having fun taking big and small challenges, and some icecreams for the treat. For the first time, we won something playing the spinning game, a huge box of kvikklunsj. Unbelievable.
It is still only July. I got a chance to visit Brisbane Australia, to present a paper in the conference there. I had never dreamed or planned a trip to Australia, as it is so far away. Lucky me that got the chance during my PhD period. Brisbane was lovely in the winter time. I managed to forget all the deadly animals people kept reminding me of. The city was full of colors and everything was so lively. And of course, I visited the modern art museum and got my dose of inspiration from all the weird things going on there. Even found a fishing line knot technique handbook in the museum shop.
Went boat trip with Ingve in Sepetember. Andreas often felt a sort of failure of him to nurture friendships. It was great that he got to do such things with Ingve. It was a great trip with grilling and fishing. What a fancy boat as well with all the rador and sonar systems installed for spotting poor fishes in the deep water.
In October Andreas went back to Svalbard, to help with a kickstarter project, called mini-museum. He sponsered every single version of the project since its birth on kickstarter. He even got invited to USA for a meseum trip once (the creater was based there).The new project Andreas was asked to help with, was to collect ocean water in the North Icelandic Ocean. What a better place to do that than Svalbard. It was quite wild. All the water are connected, aren't they? But it was a cool idea. Andreas was super pumped on the idea and the fact that he got to help with the project. There was a hiccup in the end of the trip. He overslept (I wonder what caused it) on the day he had to travel back home. I failed to reach him with everything I can possibly use. In the end, I called a taxi and the driver was nice enough to wake up him and took him to the airport. I did not know if I should be happy with my creativity or should I be angry or frustrated at him. Ting ordnet seg til slutt.
Nina back to the picture again. She got Luna the Musical (the cat) in November. It was great for her after she lost her favorite dog Snicker. Luna is a very sweet forest cat, and a good company. And who gave the name to her? I wonder.
We did a short road trip to Aalborg Danmark in November, before the Humanist Week. Aalborg was ok and nothing super exciting. But I did try the Irish coffee for the first time, after I won the billjard game against Andreas. Did not like the coffee though.
And it was Christmas, and we celebrated that year at Christian's place. Andreas drove me and all the gifts all the way from Stavanger to Langhus. The trip was filled with Andreas' julesong collections and it was very festive and bubbly. I love and miss it so very much. Everyone got gifts, of course. Even Luna got gifts and I hope she was impressed with the selection. It was a lovely Christmas celebration and follow-up gettogether with all family members days after was nice as well. We took one of the very few whole family portraits that time. In the spare time, Andreas and I just wandered around the empty Oslo city, and he explained which area/building is for what. I took a picture of him taking picture of the stock market building, in a sunny brisk morning. The shadows were falling down beautifully, with bird chirping. I was back to Oslo earlier this year (2024), to start this year's Easter trip to Goteborg with Nina and Karo. I passed the same building on my way to the new National Museum, and got reminded exactly the moment that picture was taken, when Andreas was standing right there. The lights and shadows were similar, but he was not there anymore. He is only found in my heart now. Hope he is warm and happy there.
Love
D
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