Forest Fire

Calgary is always am incredibly inspiring place for a few short weeks in late September-early October. With cold nights and the great number of leaved trees in this city the skyline is set ablaze this time of year. Yesterday I thought about the few opportunities one gets to really experience this glorious season and with the light conditions yesterday evening I knew the time was now. After dinner I hopped on the Barracuda to my favorite inner city area and managed to capture some of the magic of the season only minutes before the sun fled behind a thick band of storm clouds coming over the rockies. The twenty minutes I spent scrambling to get the perfect image were an incredibly intense natural experience. Some of you may remember the morning pictures I took this same time last year. Although I am not as pleased with this years results it does represent the opposite side of a warm fall day in Calgary. The light was so intense at times that my sensor couldn't quite cope and maintain the vibrant colours I wanted to convey. Enjoy the rest at Flickr.

Freedom

Been watching some NRK and doing some thinking and I believe I have discovered the ultimate expression of freedom. Imagine the feeling of hiking for several hours up a mountain to a desirable point and then simply jumping off the ledge and sailing through the air to your starting point at the base of the mountain. Imagine the blend of athletic ability, natural experiences and thrills. Imagine doing this in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Imagine that that place is only an hours drive from where you could be living... Are you tingling yet? I am shaking.
I admit it seems somewhat risky, but it is incredibly enticing and reasonably safe with proper preparation and conditions. Another point to add to the to do list before I grow old.
Each year an event known as Ekstemsportveko takes place in Voss with top professionals competing from sports such as basejumping, skydiving, white water kayaking, freeride mtb, climbing, longboard, paragliding, hanggliding and rafting. For a reasonable price one can spend the week discovering these sports in a controlled environment with experienced instructors. Could be interesting.


Basejumping in Voss
NRK
Ekstremsportveko 2007

Modest Mouse - World At Large

The first Modest Mouse song I ever heard shortly after the release of their third album "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". I immediately fell in love with the sound, acquired their latest work as well as previous albums and became a fan. Although Modest Mouse is now a household name they have been in existence since 1994 ,but their early work was largely unappreciated by the masses. With "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" in 2004 they achieved a sound that struck a cord with a wider audience ushering in an era of indie music mass appeal. Modest Mouse showed up in Calgary in 2004, but I missed them. Just days ago an old friend alerted me to their concert in November here at Mac Hall and we arranged for tickets. They sold out in hours, but with some crafty arrangement I have my entry all taken care of. Look for a full concert post in early November and in the meantime enjoy this somewhat abstract interpretation of "World At Large".

Modest Mouse
World At Large
Epic Records, 2004

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Raspeballer med Salt Shinke

As the weather begins to drift towards crisp and drab, it is time to enjoy those meals that bring back warmth and comfort. Meals this time of year tend to be closer to neutral in flavor, incorporating seasonal root vegetables, salt and rich components. On the menu yesterday was a Norwegian classic, Raspeballer med Salt Shinke or Raspeballer with Salted Pork. The raspeballer are the base of this meal and provide much needed relief from the over used potato in the the Norwegian diet. It is impossible to completely eliminate this turf nugget as potatoes, along with whole grain and white flower, fuse together to create the raspeball. The balls are very bland in flavour, but when combined with the cooked salt pork and its broth they balance the meal nicely. For variation and added depth some sort of sausage is commonly served in slightly lesser proportion to the pork. Finish off the plate with a few slabs of boiled rutabagas and carrots and you have a meal that no one west of Vardetangen will ever understand.

Tag Back

It has been a strange last couple of weeks. Back to Calgary, back to school, back to work. I am back to everything I was up to when I left in April, but missing on key element...motivation. With only a few more months left of my university career and Canadian chapter I know what kind of a life can start in January, but I am really struggling to get myself there. I am taking 6 classes to finish up this degree and working as much as possible to create at least a small financial security platform. I have decided that I will not be racing cross this fall, but I will be riding. Two wheeled adventures that do not involve driving anywhere first or going around in circles seem to be the only things interesting me at the moment. If I don't have the opportunity to prepare to my full potential or the head for competition I refuse to race just for the sake of racing.
I had a great ride to Canmore about a week ago, just because the weather was good and I was bored. Lately the cross bike has been a way to rediscover the joys of jamming along the riverside trails in the city. In 2 hours I can ride 80% singletrack and satisfy my addiction to activity.
I have created some incredibly exciting experiences lately, thus falling back to the utterly predictable is difficult.
As fall descends on this part of the world I am just going to try to enjoy the next few months, my last as a student, my last as an Oval employee, my last as a Calgarian. You can follow the developments as options become clearer and plans are finalized. The adventure continues with a brief decrease in vibrance and intensity, but be patient.

Kings of Convenience

It is time for some more good music. This time I would like to share with you another act that saw the light via the "Bergen Wave". Not long ago I featured "Royksopp" which was also part of this musical revolution, only this time I am showing you another side of the movement, moving away from electronic music to an acoustic pop sound.
Kings of Convenience are comprised of Erland Oye and Eirik Boe who are both based in Bergen, Norway. Their first major breakthrough came in 1999 when they signed with Kindercore, which led to the release of their debut album "Quiet is the New Loud". Kings of Convenience also released "Versus" shortly after, which was essentially remixes of their debut album. In 2004 the band released "Riot on an Empty Street". Featured on this album was the track "I'd Rather Dance With You" which ended up topping European MTV lists as best video of 2004. Rumor has it that the duo is again busy working on a new album for which no release date has been announced.
Is this a Euro Napoleon Dynamite?


Kings of Convenience
I'd Rather Dance With You
Astralworks 2004

24

Where in the world is pdot?

In the past I have always counted Great Britain as one of the countries I have visited. The truth is I had never actually left Heathrow thus without passing through customs I can hardly count it. That all changed when I attempted to travel through that famed luggage losing, headache causing no mans land in the London 'burbs.
Friday was going to be a long day regardless with first a train to Brussels Midi, then another to Roosendaal, another stint on the rails to Schiphol, then a flight to London and finally the intercontinental to Calgary. The first section on land went smoothly despite carrying over 60kg of baggage. When I finally checked my bags in Amsterdam I prepared myself for the unreal bliss that is air travel. Then the delays began, which in the end put me 2 hours late out of Schiphol. My connection in London would be taking off as we landed at this rate, but the seemingly knowledgeable staff at BMI assured me and the 12 others in the same situation that it would not be a problem. To make a long and rather bland story short I can sum up the events of the next 24 hours as follows:
- BMI employees are 80% transplants from Air Italia, with the accompanying English skills.
- BMI joined the Star Alliance out of desperation and the inability to operate an airline independantly.
- Heathrow is an absolute mess.
- London is huge.
- English evening meal = curry
- English breakfast = obesity
- Always look right first when crossing the street
- 2 hour walks out of Heathrow hotel district can take you as close to India as you may ever get.
- Dutch tourists can make things happen despite aforementioned BMI.
- The "Canadian Residents Card" is for landed immigrants, I was born in Canada I travel on a Norwegian passport. Born in Canada = Canadian citizen, Per Strom = Dual Citizen. Check in agents, Air Canada gate staff and Canada customs never agree at first, but after some explaining of Canadian immigration policy they can be convinced. Don't tell Bush, Harper might lose his job.
In the end I made it back into the country after 24 hours of unplanned adventure. I miss zones of sport, concrete block roads and monk brewed draft already.

I'll Be Back

I am now back in Canada, but before I tell you how that ended up taking 24 hours longer than it should have its high time to publicly express my gratitude to those who made my Belgium experience in 2007 such an incredible one.
This may not have been a year for great athletic achievement on paper, but personally I know I was stronger this year than ever before. This road season has been all about experiences and being a part of things that very few will ever get the chance to be a part of. The highlight of the season was the criterium in Aalst. That was a spectacle like no other and will stay with me for the rest of my life. Another highlight has to be the 8 hours and 45 minutes I spent offroading through Wallonia with some incredible friends at the World Marathon MTB Championships in Vervier. When I think about this season the greatest impact it has had is leaving me with a group of friends I know I will have for life. The level of hospitality, welcoming openness and support I experienced from these people has been truly overwhelming. I know the near future holds some exciting changes for me, but I look forward to many repeat good times with the people who have made this summer and summers past in Belgium some of the richest in my life.
On my last evening in Belgium we gathered for some last goodbyes in the Sportzone. Meet the people who changed my life...

Mari Therese, Tino and Willy. The most generous family I have ever met. The last three seasons have seen them host me for 9 months.
Nathalie and Sammy, soon to be parents.
The immediate family. Sammy, Guy, Johan, Tino and Superfan #1 Pascal (you may recognize him from such pdotproductions as Aalst 100...). Missing from this photo is Steven, he was being guided by GPS on his mountain bike somewhere in Spain at the time.

The list of people to thank doesn't end there and you others know who you are, but just for fun I'll ramble off a few more. Eddy, who's need for a triple and high mechanical expectations kept me busy. Jurgen, the man with the never ending plan and who along with Tino, supplier of a never ending flow of Saeco juice. The other Teirlincks, for birthday parties and political enlightenment. Geert, Hans, Mario, Gregory, Josan Pascal, Chris and many, many more.
Thanks again and remember, I'll be back.