Day:280, Words:280

Being born and bred in a city of millions, I was not advised on the skills of self sufficiency. If we had a plumbing problem, we would use gaffer tape to stop the leaks and then call the emergency plumber when suprisingly, our do it yourself methods failed. When the car broke down, we took it to a mechanic, when the window smashed, we called a glazier, when the lights went out, we rang the electrician.

Here in Øksfjord, there are no such services. The residents have to fight for themselves. I have had to learn new skills in order to adapt to the harsh nordic environment. Last weekend, I was learning by doing in relation to hauling our little boat out of the water and into the garage. Today, I had a few 'man' jobs to accomplish, before sitting down to watch the football.

The first job was to run the boat motor through fresh water to clean it and reduce the possibility of rust. Ideally, a quick run on the drinking water lake would have worked but the neighbours would surely disapprove. I needed to use the large green rubbish bin, wash it out, fill it with clean Vassdalen water, attach the motor to the garage wall and turn it on. After 30 minutes of staring at the motor, wondering why it refused to start and briefly considering a gaffer tape solution, I poked and prodded and finally succeeded in starting it.

The second job was outside on the lawn. With the help of the four year old, the storm battered trampoline was quickly disassembled and shoved into the garage. A good morning's work completed before the football.

 

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