Foreign food?

- I want to taste your food, says my friend, visiting from abroad, coming to Norway for the first time. I giggle: - Ok, ehm, why? - Oh, Elli, you know me! I am always curious about foreign food, she says. And I giggle again: "foreign food?" - does that include my local everyday dig-in? Yes, really?

Well, I guess it does. For her. And it's kind of funny. Foreign food for me is like anything but Norwegian food, but ok, I guess I have to set the table and serve my friend some foreign food... for her, that is..

And then I think back - to when I grew up: for dinner we usually had something with meat or fish with boiled potatoes. Always with boiled potatoes. Occasionally a vegetable soup with bread, and in the weekend something really foreign-food-like: an exotic pizza or - oh wow I can remember going to the first Chinese restaurant that opened in my home town - too exotic! Now, some of friends can't eat boiled potatoes or bread (carb reasons..!) Others have taco every Friday or steaks, burgers, sushi, ... Norwegian? Nahh...

It makes me think: about that "foreign food". In a curious way. And how exotic it was when we went for dinner at a Chinese restaurant for the first time, or went to have a pizza, not to mention tapas. And I remember my friend in Mumbai: when I suggested to go for Indian thali for lunch. - Oh, she said, that's a bit boring, why don't we go for some exotic Italian instead? 

So, is it so? Whatever is not our own food, is that the exotic foreign food we crave for? Whatever we have, we are not really that happy with, we still want that exotic touch? That foreign food, even while we are at home? What do you think? Do we maybe want - what we don't have? Hmm, so let me check: can you guess where these pictures are taken..? :

1. American burgers in...

2. Indian Delicious Dosas in.....

3. Yummy Italian pizzas in .....

Hahaha - how could you guess? It could be anywhere in the world right? How food travel borders, right? Well, did ypou guess that -:
1. American burgers in Norway
2. Indian dosas in Dubai
3. Italian pizza served in India.

So, my point is: food and recipes travel borders, and we can't stop it from happening. And even if we could, would we want to? It's great, isn't it? Whenever you leave your country you meet exiting exotic foreign food, and even when you are in your own country any foreigner can show up and ask for foreign food: foreign for them but not for you:-) Funny world:-)

So, what's your favourite cuisine by the way? And do you enjoy you "own" food? And what foreign food do you like? Please share. 

3 seasons in a day

Road tripping in Norway in October - that means nature and weather in many interesting variations. An adventure to watch, feel, live and just Be in. The circle of a year, the way of life: Summer, Autumn, Winter and (a pale promise of Spring).

And how wonderful (and a bit dangerous) to drive through 3 seasons in a day or two, which is exactly what I have been doing lately. That's how it felt like anyway. Wonderful, because of the constantly changing scenery, starting with a last warm good-bye hug of Summer; sitting down by the fjord, sipping a cup of tea and watching the sunlight hit the farm placed high up on the green mountain side on the other side of the sea.

Then driving on, and sensing how Summer is turning Autumn. The forest is not green anymore, it is showing off in glorious amazing shades of red, orange and yellow. Going for a hike on the hillside, in between trees shimmering in Autumn beauty, and above us: whitish clouds and mist hanging low, like they are hugging the hilltops.

Driving on. Reaching the high mountains. Snow is in the air, it is windy and the roads are icy. The sky is grey and it is like it's reaching the ground. Not a tree is in sight, only grey rocks and high peaks covered in snow. Everything looks pale.

Dangerous, only, if you like me, are driving and at the same time looking (or more like staring non-stop) at the nature along the road. Oh, it was so hard to concentrate on the road ahead, to put it mildly...

3 seasons in a day - pretty wild huh? And I feel like the most spoilt person on earth because up there amongst the snow, my mind started running towards Spring. What a lovely season that is; nature coming to life, green trees, flowers blooming, sun starting to warm. I think every season has it's charm? And the trick is, I guess, as with everything in life, to enjoy the one we have right now instead of longing for the one that is coming. Here and now. Here and now.

Last touch of Summer by the fjord:

A walk in Autumn forest:

Winter scenery... snow is in the air:

Summer, Autumn, Winter (or Spring (yes, you are allowed also to choose Spring)) - what's your favourite? 

In love

what a lovely feeling
it just fills you right up
can you eat? can you sleep?
you are smiling non stop

there is love there is hope
for a future to last
even though you might struggle
to let go of the past

But just dare to be open
to the gifts of your life
even though you might think
"can it be? how can I

how can I be so blessed
to see love once again?"

Its the wonders of life, friend
let it in, just surrend-

- just surrender to fate
and what life offers you
take a breath, close your eyes
take it in

its for you