Day:182, Words:182

Many months ago, Øksford's physiotherapist began a fitness group for those who needed motivation to get active again. She took classes, set up a weekly interval training regime and organised fun runs around the village, so that those who wished could compare times, set goals and achieve improvement. She also set today as a main target...Run the 10 km in the Midnight Sun Marathon festival in Tromsø.The efforts given by these dedicated individuals was celebrated as all managed to set personal records. The weather was warm and sticky, unfamiliar running conditions to most who hail from these northerly parts. The atmosphere was fantastic with cheers of encouragement from spectators and competitors alike. The group met afterwards for a bite and a drink and a debrief of the day's achievements. We look forward to next year's event with great enthusiasm. Over 50 countries were represented this year and it will only increase. With a stunning natural backdrop and the opportunity to run in the middle of the night, Tromsø successfully hosts one of the most unique sporting events on the planet.

 

Day:181,Words:181

As is often the case during the summer months, there are many changes among the personel in the various businesses due to the large shipments of residents to warmer alternatives. Temp workers and students are kept busy in supermarkets, building sites and various council jobs. Unfortunately, a replacement could not be found for the driver / delivery man for the local newspaper from Alta. As a result, the Øksfjordians will have to wait for the following day's postal delivery to read their Tuesday news on Wednesday, Thursday news on Friday...and so on. More olds than news really isn't it...

The initial program for the much anticipated Øksfjord festival in August has been published. This year's highlights include stand up comedy, a rubber duck race, live music, a fun run and various activities on the shore involving fish.




Motorists have been asked to take care following the recent reindeer carnage. However, the authorities do not want a repeat of last year's stunt that involved propping up dead reindeers by the side of the road to act as a deterrent to speeding drivers.

 

Days:180, Words:180

The Øksfjord A team played last night on a cold Wednesday evening against fancied opponent Frea. The entire Øksford squad never trains together as many live 3, 4 and 6 hours away. The first half was a sloppy affair as Øksfjord struggled to combine well as a team. At the break, it was Frea leading 1-0.

When the teams resumed, it was Øksfjord that took control and were unlucky to be behind 2-0. However, the young boys dug in and the hardwork paid off, slotting home four second half goals to record a well deserved 4-2 victory.

The low point was a distasteful spitting incident that caused Øksfjord to finish the game with 10 men. It's enough that we witness young impressionable kids diving to the ground clutching ankles. We don't need them spitting at each other as well.

Meanwhile, the Alta river continues to deliver the goods with a catch of 19.5 kg. Who knew that the salmon season could create such excitement on a daily basis and account for such a large portion of the local media coverage.

 

Day:179, Words:179

Sometimes the quaint town of Øksfjord appears to be in the midst of a 1950s tv program. The summer holidays have only just begun, yet the kids have taken over the streets. Bicycles have right of way on the roads and the front lawns are their parking houses. The football ground is scattered with a few casual games, the nearby creek drowned out by the heated discussions regarding free kicks and the fairness of the teams.

Around the corner and another group of slightly older kids are riding one handed, while carrying fishing rods and buckets. The small kidlets are playing on the shore, hurling rocks into the ocean and collecting seaweed and dirty shells. Deep in the valley, another group of three bounce happily on the wind damaged trampoline. Staring at the scene is a two year old beagle perched on the balcony and crazy jealous of the activity he so desparately wants to be a part of.

In the background, the ice cream truck sings its familiar tune. The kids all stop their activities and give chase.

 

Day:178, Words:178

Although never reaching the stressful levels of Bangkok, Tokyo or New York, the amount of road traffic increases drastically over the summer months. Tourists in their enormous vehicles chug up the highway, following confusing, misleading signs in search of a quiet camping spot or an unobscured view of the magnificent glacier. These boxy, slow, road hogging, motorized beasts hail from many parts including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and Sweden. By dragging their accommodation with them and camping nearby a handy fishing spot, they avoid some of the relatively high costs associated with hoildaying in Norway.

The kindergarten held its summer party today before staff and children begin to filter out to various southbound destinations. The outdoor barbeque was a chilly affair with around seven degrees and soul freezing arctic winds. At a time when sandles, shorts and t-shirts should be enjoyed, the kidlets were wrapped up in woolly hats, gloves and rain suits. However there is no need to fret as the the ever reliable weather websites and southern media outlets promise glorious warmth and sunshine around the corner.

 

Day:177, Words:177

A little something towards the holiday costs today with most receiving money back from their 2011 taxation return. The unlucky ones will have to wait until October before they welcome the long awaited kroner into the account. Those few who owe money back to the government have three weeks! Can everyone say 'Double Standards'?

Once again, stone-age politics and narrow minded thinking is restricting the hospitality industry in Northern Norway. As the cosy and delightful 'Dattera til Larson' bar received its alcohol licence, several politicians are weighing in with restriction proposals.

Only wine and beer is allowed to be consumed outdoors, which means no sipping martinis or gin and tonics, while overlooking the midnight sun hovering over the fjord. A glass of chardonnay with lunch on a Saturday is also a mere fantasy. There might be a drinking problem in Northern Norway but it has nothing to do with its accessibility. It has everything to do with a hidden, binge drinking, culture that has developed from decades of too little education and too many rules and restrictions.

 

Day:176, Words:176

The Øksfjordians youngsters, caked in black gunk from the rubberised playing surface played their last game of the football tournament. They won some, lost and drew others, but most importantly, they left with lessons about sportsmanship, respect and not least football.

Øksfjord is once again under attack from hundreds of wild beasts, terrorizing residents and destroying property. The age old reindeer debate has fired up once more after a resident lost all of her homegrown strawberries after a midnight raid from a gang of over 50.

 

Gardening has a short and sweet season up here and many take pride in their manicured lawns and rows of colourful plantlife. Strawberries have a taste and freshness that is unique to these parts, due to the rapid rate of growth resulting from the 24 hour sunlight. Any theft of such a delicacy is treated very seriously. Ropes, scarecrow like features and shredded rubbish bags have been used in an attempt to distract the wandeing rascals, but to no avail.

 

Personally, they are welcome to chew my grass anytime they wish.

 

 

Day:175, Words:175

St.Hans is an important day of celebration but then again is a day that not many people really know anything about. Most agree that it has something to do with summer nights, bonfires and drunkeness. As the non football parents prepared their bonfires with piles of branches and unwanted goods on the shore, the rest yelled and abused teenage refereess, cheered on their own and discussed in harsh tones with the opposiion coach about the unnecessary treatment of their players. It was somewhat of an Italian diving seminar at the Nordreisa tournament, with best actor awards given out left, right and centre. It appeared that far too much attention had been given to the clowns, at the slightly more popular tournament in Europe, who receive a slight kick to the ankle before writhing in agony, clutching their untouched heads, thighs, stomachs and noses.

While Spain ended French dreams of victory, a sensational day was enjoyed here with fine weather, hot dogs and waffles. Exhausted kids begged for sleep, in preperation for the final push tomorrow.

 

Day:174, Words:174

Today half of the Øksfjord population hit the highway and traveled the two hour journey to Nordreisa for the anuual midsummer football tournament. Half a dozen teams are represented in the three day football fest. Most stay at the nearby school, creating a close knit community of red jacket wearing Øksfjordians. Some choose to pack the caravan, others prepare the campervan and some hop into the front seat of their recreational vehicle.

The midweek winter came to a gradual end as the skies partially cleared and there were rumours of sunshine, but I didn't see it. The 8 to 10 year old boys' rescources were stretched over two teams. To their credit the lads gave it their all against more fancied opposition and produced some wonderful pieces of football. Two games down and two wins for the mini boys. They will sleep well tonight.

Tomorrow is a full and hectic program with many of the Øksfordian teams needing to borrow from lower age groups. Let's hope the weather joins in on the positive atmosphere.

 

Day:173, Words:173

'No more pencils, no more books. No more teachers, dirty looks. School's out for the summer...'

Children of all ages marched home with their backpacks overflowing with school work. Despite the wintery conditions, they had smiles on their faces. The holiday season lasts two months and the polite thing to do is to pry into the plans of others.

Turkey, Bulgaria, Sweden, Oslo and Finland are among the most frequent responses. The common theme is....travel south and find warmth. Having to utter the phrase 'We know where we live' many times during the year, Northern Norwegians have a birthright to seek white, sandy beaches, extravagant hotels with enormous swimming pools and an endless variety of yummy food and beverages.

As everyone is chasing a similar experience, It is not uncommon to travel several thousand kilometres, only to discover your neighbour floating on an inflatable mattress in the very same pool.

As I write, the icy rain pelts sideways against the window on the longest day of the year.

Thank God for Aeroplanes!

 

Day:172, Words:172

A local talent from Øksfjord is to compete in the very first Norwegian championships in beatboxing. 17 year old Matias has impressed family and friends for the past years with his unique brand of 'mouth music' and has the creativity and dedication to make it all the way to the world championships in Berlin.

The school has received a heart starter to be stored close to the gymnasium and swimming pool in the case of an emergency. It looked set to be a long wait due to the inevitable applications, approvals and buckets of red tape, but generous local, Bengt the builder volunteered to cover the cost of the llifesaving equipment which saved a lot of time and perhaps some lives as well.

The year 10 s were dismissed today for the last time. A celebration of their time at Høgtun was one of the many highlights at the end of school summer party, held at the town hall this evening. Heartfelt speeches from both students and teachers made for an emotional farewell.

 

Day:171, Words:171

Today we start with some news from the Alta river. A 10 kg salmon was caught by a proud fisherman, who was envisaging a scrumptious dinner. While preparing the fish, two halves of a sausage popped out of the stomach. It appears that even the fish are struggling to obtain fresh seafood these days. The biggest catch for June so far was a 15.3 kg whopper on the 16th. Yesterday Knut from Detsika landed one that weighed in at 13.5 kg.

As the school year winds down, there is still uncertainty regarding the Nuvsvåg schooling crisis. When the school was ordered to close, there were immediate rumours and announcements of children, parents and teachers moving here and there or staying put, selling everything or even considering home schooling. A new meeting on Friday will investigate the legality of the decision. An eleventh hour reversal of the initial decision may save the school but the emotional scarring may be irreversable.

It appears that saving money has a price that won't be able to be paid back!!

 

 

Day:170, Words:170

The relatively 'Big Time' investor who put Øksfjord on the tourist map is in big trouble with the tax department. It appears that Mr Syversen now owes more than 50 million kroner to the Norwegian government. The misunderstanding concerns certain tax rules and the definition of 'residing' in Cyprus. The invester has an interest in a range of local businesses, including the hotel and the successful sea fishing tourist company. Øksfjordians might have to travel further next winter for their downhill skiing and snowboard thrills. The local alpine centre in Alta has felt the brunt of the European financial crisis and is on the verge of bankruptcy. The only hope is that someone from the private sector knocks on the door with a load of cash. I wonder if Mr Syversen is looking for work! On a positive note, the days are warm, the rain has stayed away, the grass is green, the fjord is flat, the boat is ready and holidays are just around the corner. Life is good.

 

Day:169, Words:169

Maybe the Oslo newspapers do know what they are talking about all. Surely I am not alone in believing that the weather forecasts for the north of Norway are based on a procedure involving pictures of various conditions and a man with a dart. In fact, if I was to be honest, I am not even sure the meteorologists could even correctly predict the weather the day after it had occurred.

It really was a day out of the box. At long last the mercury headed up towards 20 degrees and for some, this meant tops off! A family day organised to promote the new checkpoint on the mountain, could not have been planned better. Fresh mountain water and soda replaced coffee and hot chocolate as children, parents and dogs soaked up the sun in the Fruvik valley.

For those who prefer not to orange themselves with the tan in the can, the warm days are providing some timely colour just prior to the mass holiday emmigration down south.

 

Day:168, Words:168

There was an air of excitement as the first ever Øksfjord 'Thai night'got under way at 8pm. In a break from the traditional fish and potatoes, the buffet table was filled with chicken with oyster sauce, a lovely, yet unkown pork dish and of course, a Thai twist on the old favourite, fish soup. There is a healthy thai population in Øksfjord and in the past we have been spoilt with a diverse range of spring rolls. This particular event created so much interest that it was booked out just a couple of days after the initial announcement.

Despite a couple of incidents involving the guests mistaking the hot chillis for tasty pre dinner snacks, the food received a unanimous thumbs up. The warm night brought people outside with their beverages and eventually to the shore, where happy locals toasted the midnight sun with more beverages, some music and loads of laughter.

The one man taxi service had a profitable evening which didn't end until early morning.

 

 

Days:167, Words:167

The 16 kids who are attending their final year at Høgtun School in Øksfjord undertook the oral exam today in either science or social studies. They had prepared well, worked hard and by the mid afternoon, were a relieved bunch of smiling teenagers. They will enjoy their last few days at school next week, before we bid them goodbye and wish them the best of luck for the future.

The rest of the school enjoyed an activity day in the Vassdalen area. The student council took responsibilty for the day's arrangements, which included an orienteering task, an natural art competition and drama. The kids, big and small worked together well, creating a fantastic atmosphere in the not so summerly weather conditions.

The Oslo newspapers have begun their annual announcements of the forthcoming 'Super Summer' for the entire country. The predictable forecast suggests that here in the north, the late start to the bbq season, will be adequately compensated by an extended period of delightful warmth.

We'll see!

 

Day:166, Words:166

The year 10s have been under the pump all day in preparation for their oral exam tomorrow. The group of 16 teenagers was divided into two separate working groups yesterday as they pulled science and social studies from the proverbial hat. Many were quietly pleased with the challenge presented to them, others were less than ecstatic. Tomorrow, the nervous students will march in to their examination arena, armed with a presentation that will hopefully impress their supportive teacher and the scary looking examiner peering condescendingly at them.  

Two hours down the path from Øksfjord, salmon fever is heating up on the Alta River. Photos of happy fishermen and fisherwomen holding up their enormous prizes have crowded the front pages. Yesterday, the fish license police found many without the required documentation.Excuses have ranged from ‘The license got wet and became invisible’ to ‘My mother thought she had purchased two cards' to ‘I’m not fishing, I’m just holding the rod for someone who has gone to pee…’

 

Day:165, Words:165

With the midnight sun and some healthy dowpours of rain, the transition of the landscape from white to brown to green has been incredibly quick. The views that have been enjoyed throughout the year are suddenly obscured as the trees thicken overnight, turning the rocky moonscape into lush mountain forests. It is almost time to fetch the lawn mower from the garage, which will be sure to receive a weekly workout over the summer.

The innovative new pub owner has initiated the first ever'Thai Night'. Over 40 curious Øksfjordians will attend the buffet dinner on Saturday evening, almost certainly followed by some refreshments from the newly reopened bar. It's about time we became more social.

There is only a handful of days before a group of locals head to Tromsø to contest the 10 km 'Mila' during the Midnight Sun Marathon festival. This afternoon, the group ran the full distance in a dress rehearsal for the big dance in just over two weeks time.

 

 

Day:164, Words:164

Three small Øksfjordians found themselves on the front page of the local paper yesterday. While playing on the harbour, one of the seven year olds fell into the ocean along with his bike and the current pulled him under the jetty. His brother and his friend kept cool heads and sounded the alarm instantly by yelling for help. A nearby worker sprung into action and plucked up the cold and wet lad, who had managed to swim a few metres and then cling onto a jetty chain. This little village breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Every Tuesday the fast boat makes its way around the local district, stopping in at a number of small communities. One teacher disembarked at Sandland, a gorgeous harbour village with long white beaches, to be the independent examiner for the only high school student in the school. Among other travellers was a doctor making her weekly visit to the area, some council officials, flower shoppers and coffee drinkers.

 

Day:163, Words:163

The year 10s will have a restless night as they shall discover tomorrow if they are to attend an oral exam on Friday. If so, they will also discover which subject they will need to study for and present. Each student is likely to sit one oral exam before the summer break. In late August the majority of these students will leave the Øksfjord nest for the metropolis of Alta, or perhaps Tromsø to finish their last three years of high school.

The exam system can be terribly unfair, with some receiving their favoured subject, while others will be thrown into a maths, science, German or English nightmare. Some fortunate souls somehow manage to escape the horrid process all together.The oral exam is a presentation from the student in front of their teacher and an independent examinator, whose job it is to throw curveball questions at the quivering student.




Whatever the case, life as we know it, will almost certainly go on.

 

Day:162, Words:162

The Fruvik valley walk can take between one and four hours depending on the pace and the age of the group. One determined four year trudged over rocks, moss and water for an hour and a half to the first checkpoint and his name was duly registered in the all important notebook.

On his travels, he met one of the local adventure junkies who was carrying a set of skis and boots in his backpack. The four year old, with a confused look on his face, remarked "There's no snow here". The adventure junkie pointed to the very top of the mountain and told of his intensions to march up to the peak and ski down again.

The four year old continued on and met adventure junkie number two, who did not have skis with him, but told of the previous day's hike over the top of the glacier. The four year old listened in awe and then continued on his way.

 

Day:161, Words:161

One of the highlights of the Øksfjordian calender. Over 60 teams visited a chilly Øksfjord today in the annual football tournament for the youngsters. The field was divided up into four small pitches and the five a side games lasted 13 minutes each. The rain held off and the day was once again a roaring success thanks to the dozens of volunteers who helped out with the refereeing, coaching, announcing, cooking, selling and organising. The barbecue tent served up delicious hamburgers all day and the sales tent provided drinks, ice creams, waffles and copious amounts of hot Northern Norwegian coffee.

Teams became arriving yesterday afternoon and set up camp next to the scenic Vassdalen lake. By mid morning, the streets were lined with station wagons filled with excited children waiting for the matches to begin.

The event ran like clockwork and win, lose or draw, the kids left with big smiles on their faces and shiny new medallions around their necks.

 

Day:160, Words:160

Following the musical success last night, the attention turns to the sporting field. Tomorrow, Vassdalen football stadium will play host to the annual Øksfjord football tournament for the mosquito and the mini classes. This will be the first competitive outing for the six to nine year olds from Øksfjord this year. The tournament is considered one of the best organised locally and a record number of teams have registered for this year's competition. We cross our collective fingers for weather that hopefully resembles summer more than winter...

The mountain climbing season is underway and the dedication is somewhat contagious. There are half a dozen letter boxes scattered around tracks, in valleys and on the top of various peaks, that contain important notebooks. These books contain the names of everyone who has reached the point since June 1st. After the summer months, the books are collected, the numbers are tallied and prizes are distributed to the well exercised folks of Øksfjord.

 

Day:159, Words:159

It was a big night for the Øksfjordian arts. The innaugural music evening began at six o'clock at the town hall and by the first act it was standing room only. The evening lasted two and a half hours and covered a massive musical spectrum. The audience was varied, from toddlers to pensioners and they danced, clapped, cheered, stared in wonder, blocked their ears and even sang along.

There were delightful piano pieces, a spunky choir and the first of two death metal bands that screamed all the way to a coffee and cake break. An innovative teenager combined techno, crazy dancing and a homemade head mask for his act. The evening wound up with a haunting Kurdish number on a traditional instrument called the saz, the party band and the school aged thrashers singing about satanists and dead friends.

A great night out for the entire family!

Who knows what sort of hidden talents will emerge next year?

 

Day:158, Words:158

The afternoon for many was spent attending information meetings, soundchecks and last minute rehearsals at the town hall in anticipation of tomorrow's musical evening. A full board of acts are listed including a choir, rock bands, Eastern European singer songwriters and children with various brass instruments. Anyone who has a inner (or outer) desire to jump on stage and do their thing is encouraged to do so and it promises to be an enertaining night. The 24 hour a day sunlight allowed Northern Norwegians to witness the Venus transit from late last night and well into Wednesday. As the neighbouring planet passed by the sun, a pretty black dot could be seen in what was a plesant yet anticlimactic display. I wonder what people will be doing in 105 years as Venus makes its next transit. I wonder if we will finally have cars that fly. I wonder if the Øksfjord tunnel will have two lanes by then......

 

Day:157, Words:157

The nation wide biannual strike continues and the ripple effect has made its way up to the north. While Øksfjordians are enjoying themselves in this delightful weather, they have no idea of how long it will last as the nightly forecast consists of nothing more than a blank map and an apology from the news presenter.

The local airport in Alta is closed due to a strike from security personal. This means that Øksfjordians have been forced to use alternative methods of returning home, including buses and the Hurtigruten coastal steamer, which is already packed to the rafters with international tourists. Schools and kindergartens in Alta have closed as a result of the cleaning staff striking.

A local Øksfjordian has won a silver medal in the national championships of powerlifting. Håkon Danielsen already holds the national junior record and was competing in his first senior event. The dedicated eighteen year old lifted a total of 585 kg.

 

Day:156, Words:156

It appears that the case of the closing school has not yet been put to bed. Last week in the newspaper, we read that the owners of the general store in Nuvsvåg were selling up and moving to warmer climates and a more stable population down south. There has been some heated discussions via the social media with political fingers being pointed left right and centre and a social divide has been created that is even greater than the fjord separating the two small towns.

However some recent lobbying to higher powers has seen the debate reborn. The are questions regarding both the legal and ethical ramifications of sending six year olds on a potentially dangerous journey over dodgy roads and at times stormy waters on a daily basis. The cold reality is that the passage from Nuvsvåg to Øksfjord is not always accommodating.....and not always open.

This fight looks like it's going the distance.

 

 

Day:155, Words:155

It's hard to believe that less than a week ago, we were collectively hurling insults at the weather man and discussing plans of moving south after the days of snowfall and icy stormy winds that broke our hearts ...and our trampolines. Today was bliss. T- shirts were disgarded, barbeques were lit and ice-creams were devoured. Many took to the mountains, others preferred boats and fishing.

Although the temperature was only 15 degrees, the long awaited arrival of a warm sun even sent some brave souls into the Norwegian sea, if only for a brief moment. The glorious sounds of trickling streams and singing birdlife reminded us as to why we are here. The nights are still and serene as the sun continues to shine down on those taking up the opportunity for a midnight stroll, bike ride or a cruise on the mirror like fjords.

The week ahead looks promising. Perhaps the old wives were right?

 

Day:154, Words:154

Football fever hit Øksfjord today as both the A team and the junior boy team played games at Vassdalen stadium (not much of a stadium actually, but surrounded by pretty mountains). The A team has struggled this season with some massive losses, but they turned the tables today and produced 90 minutes of wonderful team play that resulted in a supreme 8-0 victory over the hapless Kvalsund team.

The junior boy team is made up of boys from five different villages in the surrounding districts. They don't train together and have only played together on a handful of occassions. The Øksfjord lads in particular have had to adapt to playing on a full size field, having trained for most of the year inside a gymnasium, barely the size of a basketball court. The endevour was good, but they struggled to put together enough goal scoring opportunities and lost to the team from Alta.

Day:153, Words:153

Norway has strict regulations regarding the purchase of alcohol. Wine and spirits can only be purchased from one place and only at certain times during the week. Hefty taxes are added, making it an expensive product. As a result, the production of moonshine is a popular pastime and the cause of many injuries both during the making of and the consumption.

In nearby Alta, there are suggestions to change the outdoor drinking regulations. As it stands now, on a warm day, one can enjoy a cold beer or a glass of white, yet a refreshing vodka martini or gin and tonic must be consumed in the shadows of the inside bar. Although no research has concluded that drinking outdoors is more dangerous, there is overwhelming opposition to the proposed rule change.

Surely it's time to educate the public on the effects of alcohol and advise responsible drinking, rather than trying unsuccessfully to babysit adults.