PART 4: AHHH!!!!! YAY!!!! A JOB!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED I SPELLED EXCITED WRONG THREE TIMES!!!!!!!!  AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!  Ok, ok, I’ll try to calm down.

(Hands in lap, deep breath, one… two.. OK I’M GOOD!!!!!!!!)

So, last Thursday when I was legally allowed to work because my residence application was submitted, I applied to a gym.  I applied to be a part time gymnastics rec coach at the biggest gym in the country.  I had doubts they would hire me because I can’t speak Norwegian and I don’t know the gymnastics system over here but… I had to try.

(Meanwhile figure – I got turned down by 13 other jobs for only speaking English.)

A couple days ago, I got an email from the gym saying my CV (resume) shows great experience and they want me as a coach!!!  Yay!  FREAKING OUT!!!!  I stayed calm and asked questions.  An interview was set up and they offered me a contract today!!!!!  They want me as a Head Rec Coach!!!!!!  I’ll be teaching Preschool – 12 years and a few other classes as they come up.  But I can’t even speak to the kids?  This will be one of the COOLEST most interesting job challenges EVER!

I have to teach students I can’t speak to!!!!!!!!!  How awesome is THAT going to be?!?!

They said they loved my enthusiasm too!  I thought it would be good to tone it down a bit.  After the interview she said she told her staff Santa brought them a present… it’s called A Jamie.  Hahaha!  I thought that was very sweet and the fact that she put me and Santa in the same sentence, I have to accept the job!

All day I had a smile on my face and sang “Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes” in Norwegian in my head.  I HAVE TO LEARN THESE THINGS!!!!

I got home.  Bounced off the walls, ceiling, jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped and…

Calmed down enough to play my flute.  THEN HB comes home, pours us a drink, and shows me what came in the mail…

I got my acceptance letter to be a Norwegian resident and worker!!!!!!!  AHHHHHH!!!!!!!  Are you kidding me?!?!  I can’t handle any more excitement!!!!!  Geesh!  I’ve burned off so many calories running around the house like Kevin in Home Alone!  Aaahhhh!!!!!!

Now I have an appointment for January 2nd to get fingerprinted and receive my official card.  Then I will get my social security number and be under healthcare here!  Everything has gone much better than planned.  Yes, there have been bumps the whole way, but we got things changed for the better!  Now, January 2nd, I’ll be in Scotland… I need to get that appointment moved.  Wish me luck!

Thank you all for your support!!!!  It has helped me through some tough times!!!   Really!  Thank you!

PART 3: The Day I Submitted My Residency and Application Papers

As I fill out my forms to become a Norwegian resident, I can’t help but wonder about my ancestors.  They came over from Sweden about 4 generations ago.  Would they be happy I was coming back to Scandinavia?  Angry at me?  Why did they leave?  I might not ever know, but I do know I’m back and I need to figure out how to stay.

If you haven’t already ready How To Become A Norwegian Resident and Worker, start there.  I added a paragraph to it and this post will continue the process.

Our date was set for December 5th, 2013.  I was going to submit my documents for Residency and Work permits at the Oslo Center For Foreign Workers.

We arrived at 9:50 am.  The appointment to walk up to the counter was at 10:10 am.  Psh!  Yeah I was nervous!  but I played it cool.  We had all our paperwork which included copies of passports, HB’s job contract and payslips, and the questionnaire.  Scroll to the bottom to get the questions I had to answer.  Some were interesting!  The questions had to do with our relationship, how, when, where engagement and wedding took place?  How often we talk?  Was the marriage arranged?  (Yes, by us!)  Was a dowry paid?  (See why we had to get our legal wedding early?  If they are not happy with our proof of relationship, then we need to prove it some more!  I think posting it on Facebook was a good idea.  Just in case they don’t believe us.)

Lots of future immigrants were waiting.  Names were called out every couple minutes.  If someone didn’t come in a few seconds, the next name was called.  I sat upright, knees and ankles pressed together.  My hands were placed on my lap.  Big eyes, occasionally taking a deep breath.  HB paced.  Then I heard it!  “Jamie”  My hands and feet shot away to the arms and legs of the chair like a dog ready to run for the bone that hasn’t been thrown yet.  OMG they just called me!  Is it me?  “I’m here!  I’m Jamie!”  We nearly ran to the desk!  Well, it’s me now.

She asked for our passports.  Flipped through them… then STAMPED a paper.  Yay!  I think.  I have no idea what that Norwegian worded paper says but stamps are usually good.  She started looking through the other documents, making copies, taking notes.  No expression… c’mon lady, give me something… a nod of approval, a smile… this no expression thing is killin’ me!  And then, she says were done!  Wait wait wait!

So can I work now?  Yes, she says!  Do I get healthcare?  Not yet.  Can I get free language lessons now?  No.  Can I leave the country for Christmas?  Yes but be back before your tourist visa is up mid January.  Do I have to stay after that?  Yes until you get a response on your application.  Do you think I’ll still be able to go to Mexico in April?  Yes, you should be able to.  How long with the approval take?  2 – 9 months.  So I can go out and get a job right now?  Yes.

HB and I went out to lunch and I headed off to the job I wanted most… teaching gymnastics at the biggest gym in Norway.  I gave them my CV (Resume) and went to find a fun language learning job.  I really want to get a part time job in a bakery.  I want to learn the different flours, ingredients, and repeat the same language everyday to learn it!  I was turned down by everyone!  I didn’t speak Norwegian.  I am a useless immigrant.  Ok, not so great for the confidence that’s already buried under a mountain.  (Picture a deep hole on the side of our house where I toss a bit of confidence down every few days.  Eventually I’ll go down and get it.)  I even went to tourist street where they HAVE to speak English.  Nope.  No spreka, no joba.  I’m telling you, be nice to immigrants.  It is not easy for them and you have no idea why they ended up where they are.  I didn’t come here to take jobs, I just want to live with, love, and help support HB!  Either way, for us to be together, one of us would be an immigrant.  Please, for me, hug an immigrant today!  Preferably a non native language speaking one.  Support them!  Especially America!  Most of your families were immigrants at one point.  How would you feel if it was you or your parent?

Sigh, anyway…

So as of last week, I am officially unemployed!  YAY!!!  Why is that a yay?  Before I was unable to legally work in Norway, but now I am legal to work in Norway!!!!  I am not a resident yet, but while the paper work is being processed, I can work!  So far, been turned down by 13 jobs because I don’t speak the language.  BUT I got a huge refund back when they said we couldn’t for applying to the wrong police district, and I was able to move my application date TWO months earlier when they said it was unlikely.  I WILL get a job that I want!!!!  NO OTHER OPTION!!!  ARGH!!!!!

Funny Mistakes with a New Language

A few weeks ago, I was doing laundry.  Fabric softener and detergent look alike on the bottle.  If you saw 0% Fargestoffer, wouldn’t you think that said 0% Fabric Softener?  Well, it doesn’t.  It says 0% dyes.  Sooo numpty over here washed clothes in Fabric Softener and Fabric Softened with detergent.  In the end, couldn’t really tell a difference… (if you didn’t tell anyone).  I might try making those wool fabric softening balls I learned from Patricia.  Then I shouldn’t get confused.

Mistake #1 – Always translate!

The other week, I was shopping for baking supplies with my sister who was visiting.  We needed vegetable shortening.  I’ve learned to always translate before going shopping because you can’t always see what is in the package, and it’s in Norwegian.  Like a good little foreigner, I did my homework and we confidently went to the grocery store.

Mistake #2 – NEVER confidently go to the grocery store with a translated list!

We look for the vegetable shortening in what we think is the usual place.  Nope.  Maybe it’s cold?  Nope.  Do they not have it?  Let’s ask.  The first guy we asked said he didn’t speak English.  My bad, I don’t spreka zie Norshk either.  He got us another guy who could kind of speak English.  We said we were looking for shortening and proudly gave him our written translation… ? … ? … After looking at us like we were crazies, he said, “You want…?”

“What do you want reduced?”  We all burst out laughing!!!  I got the wrong translation!  I didn’t know!  I tried!  Another woman shopping came over to try to help.  She said there is no translation for it (AHA!) and they don’t really have it.  She gave me something that might work or said just to use butter.  (But I want what I know as shortening!!!)

After a long debate, we left and called HB to help.  He brought the thing that might work home that night and… I think it worked!  It’s called Kokos Matfett.  Hardened coconut oil I guess.  Melting it is fine but softening it is a challenge.  It’s currently sitting out next to the butter and I’m hoping the butter will encourage it to soften.  Maybe I’ll have to grate it?  THAT’S IT!  I’ll just grate it into the recipe!  Then the friction from the mixer will soften it!!!

Now, if only I had a mixer…

PART 2: My Norwegian Legal Paperwork Wedding

It all started with the guy of my dreams… mushy stuff mushy stuff…  We needed to get a legal marriage so we could live in the same country.  We were going to get married anyway, just later.  We will have our Church Ceremony and Par-tay Summer 2015!

So what happened for the Legal Signing of Papers Wedding?

Matron of Honor arrived on Wednesday.  We spent time getting ready for Thanksgiving and sightseeing.  On Friday, we went to the salon to get our nails done by a new wonderful friend in Oslo.  She was so kind to do our nails for free and made the day extra special!  After, I guess you could say my bachelorette party was spent at the outdoor Christmas market in Oslo.  I even got a hug from a Norwegian Santa!!!!  Eeekkk!!!!

The Best Man and nephew were to arrive that evening so we went shopping for dinner and bought roses for a bouquet!  The roses were supposed to be 150 NRK but the sweet lady gave them to us for only 70 NRK!

Headed on the Tram back up the mountain for some kitchen cookin’ fire buildin’ good times.

Pop!  Goes the bottle.  Whoohoo!  Go the dance moves!  Out come the cards!  We now have a party of five.  Three in our cabin and two in the small cabin next to us.  After the Americans taught the Brits to play 500 and the Brits taught the Americans to drink, we called it a day.

SATURDAY!!!!  Up, 4 to shower, traditional Norwegian breakfast, dressed in our wedding clothes, and up the hill to catch the Biggest “limo” a.k.a. the tram.

When we got to the courthouse, a colleague of HB’s arrived with a nice bottle of Prosecco!  So sweet and unexpected!!!  I’m really starting to fall for the kindness of Norwegians!  I was butterflyless until I got my parents up on Skype.  Then I was like “OMG I’M GETTING MARRIED!!!!”  I realized that my life was about to take it’s next step and I really wanted all my family and friends there with me.  Yes, yes, I will have a ceremony, white dress, and reception in the future.  But this is NOW!  How can I not make a big deal out of it!?!?  Whew, ok, so both parents are on Skype and we have to ask the judge if we are allowed to Skype.  Judge says… “There’s a first time for everything.”  Skype is allowed!!!!!

My parent’s woke up at 4:30 AM to “attend”.  Pretty sure my little brother was asleep on the couch the whole time.  I think I saw a hand up in the air at one point.  It was 12:10 PM for HB’s parents and the time we were allowed into the room.

All passports were checked to confirm we are who we all say we are and we walk in…

Not nervous, but impressed at how nice the room is!  Parents on one side of the table, video camera on front of us, witnesses somewhere… so distracted by the room… glad I dressed up!  The judge said some nice words, thoughts about what marriage is, asked me if I take this man… (wow, I really like his words, I wonder if I can get a copy of that somewhere?  CRAP!  I’m supposed to be listening!) … love and honor… (will it be on the marriage document?  Or should I look it up on the website?  It’s being video taped so I can listen then.  He’s looking at me now… they all are… uh…) “I do” (?)  (Was that what I was supposed to say?  I’ll see what HB says, well, by then it will be too late to go back and change what I said?  Should I have just said yes?  I take him?  OH!  I should have been listening this time!)  HB says “I do”.  Ok, good.  The judge hands me a book.  I stare at it.  The other woman comes over and tells me to sign it.  (What am I signing?  Where do I sign?  And WHAT is my name?!?!)  Apparently I stared too long (Why do I always have to go first?!?!) so she points to where she wants me to sign.  (Am I Mrs. G now?  When will I be Mrs. G?  But I don’t sign that now?  How do you make a cursive G again?  In third grade there was a cursive chart on wall, what was the G?)  Whoa!  Still staring and I’ve not done anything to this paper.  Ok, sign it!

After we and our witnesses signed, HB’s Mum played her harp over Skype and we had our first dance.  For some reason, I noticed HB’s ears.  They were suddenly the most beautiful ears!  Ears that I love and can love forever!  The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes.  (I still have a new attachment to his ears though.)  (Is that too weird to share?)  It was beautiful.  Really.  Much nicer than the courthouse wedding I imagined.  Everything was perfect!  We left the room, talked to parents, and I tossed my bouquet to my sister sitting next to me.  I think the strangest thing, was having the parents take wedding photos over Skype.  Can’t wait to see how those turned out.

We left the courthouse and had a friend from the dance group greet us and congratulate us outside!  That was so sweet!!!

Hopped another “limo” bus and went to the Opera House Restaurant.  Beautiful with a view of the fjord and good food!  Drank wine with our meal and went to climb the outside and get pictures.  Invited a couple tourists to throw petals and take pics.  They seemed to enjoy it too!

Time to take the “limo” back home… to Never Never Land.  Yes, we live in that little space in the cloud!  Being a Peter Pan fan, I was thrilled to see this!!!

After arriving home, we found a bottle of Champaign with a wooden heart on our front step!  It was put there by our neighbors!  Are you kidding me?!?  How nice is that?!?  We are so blessed to have such nice people in our lives.  We had more drinks and cut our cake made by another wonderful friend here in Oslo!  So unexpected and delicious too!

Drinks, cards, music, dancing, love, love, and more love.  This legal wedding was bigger than I originally thought and I am happy the way it turned out.  Can’t wait for the big celebration in 2015!  The church is already booked!