A bag worth 5,133 kr

As many of you know, I teach English online. I have on average two lessons a day, although it is quite difficult to throw out an average since business goes up and down like a roller coaster. Sometimes I have four, sometimes I have none. Some weeks are busy, some weeks are slow.

Today I had four lessons scheduled. I woke up on time and even ate breakfast before my first lesson at 9am but it was no use. Lars' poor little laptop is reaching the end of its time (probably doesn't help that I dropped it from head height and basically have it on all day long). Teaching has therefore become a bit of a juggling act; because of problems with the microphone, I have had to continuously click the mikrofonforsterkning box to be heard, and of late I have to hold the charger at exactly the right and most awkward possible angle. Meanwhile, of course, I am trying to concentrate and explain difficult English concepts and am toggling between windows, online articles, a virtual textbook or whatever source we are engaging. Have I mentioned that I'm not a fantastic juggler?

Today, the computer had had enough and no matter how I massaged or tickled that little charger, he wouldn't work for me. I watched helplessly as the battery died while I was chatting with my first student explaining my dilemma. I am no stranger to technical difficulties and normally I just huff it to the library, borrow a computer and notify my students of the situation and reschedule. But four lessons was a lot to cancel and I just wasn't having it!

So out I went, into the little winter world to solve my problem. I made it to an electronics store, somehow managed to explain what the heck I needed in Norwegian and bought a new charger cable! Sure I was out a ridiculous $135.41 (OUCH!) but it's a necessary investment since I do depend on that computer to make money.

BUT, to get to the fun part of my story! I had some time before my other lessons were going to start so I headed next store to Maxi, the biggest shopping center in Hamar. I wandered around and was lured into Voice of Europe because of numerous signs that told me that I could take as much as I could fit into a bag for only 300 kr ($50)! For those of you that aren't familiar with the shopping scene in Norway, let me explain: normally 300 kr wouldn't get you very far; it's maybe half the price of a decent pair of jeans or a party dress. 300 kr is maybe a cheap pair of shoes. But 300 kr is still 300 kr and I wouldn't be tossing that around unless there was something I really wanted/needed. A pair of jeans caught my eye, I tried them on and they fit! So basically it would have been worth it to leave with only that pair of pants in my bag...but of course I filled that baby to the brim. Here is the little bag:

I meticulously packed in 5, 133kr ($866.15) worth of merchandise into that plastic sack! I must say that I am pretty darn pleased with myself. The sales lady was absolutely flabbergasted with my packing skills! I told her, of course, that I had moved here from the U.S. so I had had plenty of practice.

It was fairly liberating taking anything that could fit in my bag. I almost felt like I was stealing, to be honest.

Too bad the store was so picked over! But I still managed to find some stuff that was wearable (or gift-able). I grabbed three scarves, numerous tops and dresses, a necklace, a ridiculous sequined green vest and of course the jeans that got the ball rolling. Lars got 5 shirts and a tie. I even threw in a fancy pair of pants for Stine and some tights for Iselin.

(So the new jeans are a bit too long, but that's an easy fix!)

And then, on the way home I ran into Linda on her way home from work!

And we enjoyed our first cup of coffee outside! Well, I opted for hot chocolate but still--GLORY!