During the last days I´ve been thinking elections, revolution, patriotism and how my life would have been if Romania was a country one could go back to. As in living there. Not that I necessarily would do that, but I wish it were a viable option. I was barely able to sleep and I felt light and full of color. I felt a sense of belonging in all this story, a feeling I often miss both as a foreigner here and in my line of work. You see we, interpreters, are neutral, we don´t belong in any camps.

Luckily this euphoria didn´t last, or else it would have been difficult to get anything done. I have loads of chores I´ve neglected and it´s time I get my schedule in order for Christmas is approaching. So after some accountancy, laundry, dog walking and email-answering, it was time to go out to dinner. Haven´t been out to a restaurant in a couple of weeks and it felt incredibly good. Going out for a bite on a regular Wednesday is one of the best things about living in Norway and not having kids, I tell you! My biggest problem is that I´m quite lazy (partly because of my depression), so I rarely feel like doing something spontaneous if it involves getting on a bus and then a tram. As a Norwegian friend of mine used to put it: I can be spontaneous if I´ve had the chance to think it through. Haha!

But we both felt incapable to cook and neither sushi, pizza, nor Indian sounded tempting. So we chose the neighborhood restaurant Kampen Bistro. It´s a very low-key place with a pleasant atmosphere and although it´s outside the city center, it sure is popular. The food is excellent and they keep it simple- the day´s menu has one appetizer, two main courses and one dessert. Luckily we´d booked a table, ´cause the place proved to be crammed with people. Although it´s in the middle of the week, Christmas is near and many people use this excuse to meet over a better meal and some wine. The days are short and the dark makes us all a bit apathetic, so a candle-lit dinner is not to be underestimated.

I had the pork schnitzel with baked potatoes, capers and peas and Vuong ordered the cod with mashed potatoes and endives. Yum! We talked of next year, our baby projects and a studio for him outside our apartment. It would be nice to have a guest room. Or a baby room.

Walking back home felt good. It was cold outside and since Sam ate one of my glove´s fingertips (AGAIN!) , we walked briskly and envied everybody drinking tea and scribbling inside their cosy homes. In my favorite recliner, wrapped in my wool blanket, I wish you a lovely week!

xxx, Alina