Happy birthday expatliv!

2 years ago today I published my very first blogpost. A handful of people read that one, mostly family and friends (who I think felt that they had no choice really)..

During those 2 years lots of things has happened and my baby has grown into a more confident and mature 2 year old. But still a 2 year old...You know how they can be like...:-)

Expatliv: 

• has 264 blogposts
• has 98 859 pageviews
• has 3374 published comments
• has most readers from India, USA, Norway, France, Germany and Russia
• 's most read blogpost is Expat Epidorpio
• 's most commented blogpost is D for Disneyland

As I have mentioned before, the wonderful side effect of blogging is the network of friends, fellow bloggers, writers and others I have connected with all around the world through my blog. Sharing excitement, laughter, tears and anger through comments and communication has been wonderful. I have loved writing and receiving guestposts. 

More and more expatliv has turned into a global fusion blog... where people, music, culture, food, idea, thoughts and philosophy travel across borders of countries. I think that has become the essence of me and my blog. Know your roots, but be open to new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking. There is always something new to learn from another person. And a new friend - can pop up from anywhere. That's what I believe anyway. 

So, dear reader, a warm Thank You for coming along so far. I hope you have enjoyed the ride, and do stay tuned for more. Let's see where that two year old will take us next...:-)

PS:

 

My 7 top Goa Monsoon Moments

Every time I have been to Goa, the sky has been blue. The sun has been shining and it has been filled up with tourists from all over. Hectic, busy, fun and a bit exhausting.

This week, when I went, the sky was grey. The clouds were dark and rain was pouring constantly. But you know what, dear reader: I totally loved it.

Back in Norway we say: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" - so I put on my monsoon plastic shoes and headed off to explore monsoon Goa. These were my top favorite moments:

1. Nothing beats the vibrant colors and the freshness that the rain brings out. The coconut trees seems taller, the rice fields seems brighter and the nature comes to life again. And as I was strolling around in the fields, mesmerized by the green beauty, clicking away - I just hear my friends going: " - Oh, we are impressed Eli - see you walking around without fear for all the snakes and crocodiles." - Eeeeeeeeeeeeek....

2. Having Chicken Cafreal - and lots of other goodies at the local Florentines restaurant. I like the Goan cuisine for their smart use of spices. The restaurant is great: visited by locals, genuine and clean, cheap prices and most important: very tasty food:

3. Feeling the amazing and including atmosphere at The Miraculous Cross at the Holy Cross church in Bambolim:

4. Shopping the best cashew nuts (in the world ?)- in Sawantwadi. A long drive, but totally worth it. A beautiful place - and back in "my" state - Maharashtra.

5. Being the almost only (playful) tourist in a normally very crowded tourist area. How peaceful and calm to go for a stroll along the sea - feeling the breeze and rain at the beautiful Dona Paula beach area - famous for the myths of the Portugese lady Dona Paula and for shooting of the Bollywood films Ek Duuje Ke Linge and Singham. Usually packed with people, but not this week. Not even possible to buy the Fresh Lime Soda with Singham Masala  and Bombay Masala..:-) Hm - gotta come back here:-)  

6. Being invited to new friends' homes and feel happy when they show me their gardens with blooming flowers, the little birdie that they saved, their new kittens, the newly born calf or their old Portugese home which has been in the family for centuries and that they preserve with love, respect and pride.

7. Just sitting there, watching the rain pour down - feeling relaxed and happy - and knowing that the sun is waiting. Patiently. Because over the dark clouds, the sky is always blue..

Bye for now, dear Goa - see you again:-) 

Monsooney Mumbai

Rain. Rain. Rain. The rickshaws pull down their raincoat curtains. The roads turn into rivers of brown water. You leave your fancy shoes at home and wander out in plastic flip-flops and jump (as elegantly as you can) over lakes of water gathered in the middle of the street. It doesn't stop. All day. From morning till night. And till morning again. 

And then the joy. The kids playing in the rain. That breeze of freshness in the air. That lovely moment when you see the glimpse of blue sky up there in between the old trees in the deep green forest. The joy of just throwing the umbrella away and feeling your bare toes getting all wet in the green grass. Because it is still warm - all hot and humid in the Mumbai monsoon. (ya ya, we look out for snakes and leopards..:-))

And then the joy of getting back home inside. Dry up, cuddle up on the couch, watch the rain pour down out there, put on some nice music, have a cup of tea and maybe some pakoras - (remember - the onion ring's exotic cousin)?

And then thinking back to when we first arrived in Mumbai, also on a rainy day, over two years ago. How the intensity of the rain and wind blew me away - (literally). And then how months and months without rain made me longing for it... How happy I was when the first raindrops came, and how happy I was when the sky again turned from grey to blue...

And then how happy I am that no matter how grey the sky is, or no matter what for that sake, there is always a cause for celebration over here in India. So also today!

Because if you have a sibling you love - today is the day to show her/him that. Please read more about the celebration on my post from last year.

Happy Raksha Bandhan, dear reader. I wish you all the best.

R for Rosendal - for Real

Rosendal. Rosendal. The valley of the roses. Yes, that's where I went. Rosendal, one of the 26 dream destinations we visited together in April, remember? So, there I was - for real this time. In company with my good childhood friend ready to explore her summer paradise. Rosendal.

Aaaaahhh, happy days - filled with the joy of: making it all the way up to that tall mountain top, swimming in that chilly summer fjord and visiting that red barn which turned out to be a modern art gallery. Guarding that sweaty sticky chocolate cake from the wasps while sipping tea outside the tiny white wooden house built hundreds of years ago. And jogging smoothly away from that crowd of cows that we, a bit too late, discovered were oxes and not cows...

Red sweet cherries, bright green hill sides, clear blue sea and white sheets drying in that soft summer breeze...

Here are a few of my Rosendal moments - I hope you enjoy them as well...

...getting that top-of-the-world-feeling when finally reaching that mountain top, sitting down and seeing that fjord scenery open up in front of us:

...forgetting about the time while sitting outside the cottage, chatting with a good friend, while the long bright Nordic summer day turn into night (this pic is from the middle of the night):

.... and for some reason remembering one of my favorite poems:

...and feeling grateful:

 ...you know, simply enjoying every moment of those bright summer days, the fresh air, the clean sea, the good friendships and just feeling gratitude for those amazing little things in life:

Enjoy your moments wherever you are, dear reader, and thanks for following.

Ta ta:-)  

Peace&quiet and the fluffy fashionista chicks

- I am sitting in the hen-house, said my friend on the phone.. - ????? - was my response.....

Yes, my dear childhood friend who live on the countryside outside Bergen, has extended her family with some feather-covered noisy small creatures. Of course I had to go and check out her fascination...

As always, I was excited to see her, especially now because driving out to her is like driving to another world... Passing bridges over clear blue waters, driving through bright green forest, maybe once in a while meeting another car on the road.... Because let me put it like this: this is where - if a car comes by-, the neighbors may stretch their neck to see who is coming...

Passing red barns, bright painted wooden buildings, green fields with yellow flowers, horses running down hillsides, sheep grazing peacefully in the shade of tall trees - trees that seems to have been there forever..

Arriving. Sitting down on the stairs outside her kitchen door with a tea, patting her beautiful dog Lucy, listening to the birds and the wind playing in the leaves --- and not much else...

Feeling the joy of walking around on the green fields surrounding her white painted wooden house. See the dogs run free and crazy around. Smelling the plants in the herb garden. Picking up a red juicy sweet strawberry. So peaceful. So quiet.

And then the babble babble... And I remember my green parrots back in Mumbai. They could for sure babble, but these birds seems to master the art too. The gang of chicken. And the funniest of them all: the two tiny "silk hens". With their white fluffy feathers they look like fashionable diva punk rockers, and they are unstoppable in babbling. They are jumping around in their fluffy outfits... Who do they think they are - fashioning up the hen houses on the Norwegian country side? To funny! And as the chick(en) does not have names yet, we start to discuss vividly: Shouldn't they be named after film stars? From either Hollywood or Bollywood? At least our fluffy fashionista chicks. Ha ha ha ...

Here are some moments from our peaceful days on the countryside:

You can see who is in charge?

A fluffy fashionista chick

Beautiful Lucy - also very interested in the chicks...

Bye bye from the country side, dear reader. All the best from a summerly Norway:-) 

An expat in disguise

- Would you like to taste a shrimp? I look around me. Who is she talking to, the fishsellerlady? Oh, to me?

- Oh, ok, I hear myself answer so politely: - yes, thank you. In English. English. And who am I to taste a shrimp? I know what they taste like. I am a native. And what is that - me talking English? I am not a tourist?

But, you see, I do get a bit carried away, because I am in tourist land, at the fish market in Bergen. And while tasting the shrimp (of course I did ), I look around: a large Japanese group, some Italians, Spanish and Russians. Yup, I am the only native person here.

But do I really look like a tourist to the fish-seller? Hm. Could it be the huge camera dangling around my neck? Or my bling bling sandals, my colorful clothes, flashy sunglasses or just my attitude? Yes, I guess I am an expat in disguise, a secret visitor. How great is that. I can explore my home town with new eyes, check out every single tourist spot (or trap). So, watch out Bergen: the Mumbai expat is back, disguised as a tourist...

And as I read through my old post How to spot a Mumbai expat? - 7 signs to look for - I feel myself nodding and giggling... Oh yes, I am so still there. Having that odd feeling of belonging but also of being foreigner..But I am:

...blending in with the tourists:

..and getting friendly with the locals:

And on this sunny day, I look up towards mount Fløien. Another popular tourist activity is taking the funicular up to the mountain top - for the view or for hiking further to the other mountains surrounding the city. So of course, I also did that. But let me just assure you that I have also walked all the way up there. Hey, I am (also) a native after all, right?

It is never far from the mountain top to the sea shore in Bergen, and as I, the disguised expat, am heading home, (after playing tourist for a day), I am walking along the sea and feel that fresh cool breeze in my hair, oh yes, this is home..... this too... Just like every other place where I have left a piece of my heart.. 

Yup, I guess home is where your hearth is... I wish you a wonderful weekend dear reader -  wherever you are, home or away and whether you are a tourist, a native or some kind of interesting mix of both:-) 

Ta ta from Bergen:-) 

A summer stroll in Oslo

You might have suspected this - since it has been awfully quiet from me lately: Yup. I have been traveling. Flying off again. Back to my home country Norway, for holidaying. The days are long and bright and the air fresh and crisp. And the best part is reuniting with family and friends.

This time we started off in Oslo, Norway's capital. Being with our loved ones there, but also also taking time to, equipped with camera, explore Oslo with curious touristy eyes. Here are a few moments from our summer stroll in the center of Oslo, captured by my talented photographer companion, my daughter:

The Royal Castle 

I love this statue of King Haakon 7, who was king of Norway during 2. World War:

And, as always, wherever I go, if there is (even just a tiny) scent of sea in the air, I will search until I find it, and so also in Oslo...So, we ended our stroll walking for hours along the seashore...Aaahhh, I tell you: there is nothing more refreshing and alive than that sea breeze filling my lungs and clearing my mind...

The beautiful scenery

Perhaps take a moment to enjoy in a orange sun-bed?.. I certainly did

Ooooo, what beautiful nature ;)

Taking a stroll

Sailing is popular here

Ok ok. Enough of sea and nature. Back to the street life of Oslo, and the joy of bubbles:

So, dear reader, more of Norway is coming up.. Stay tuned:-)