another good, full and satisfying week

Ahhh Sunday.  Sunday tends to be my catch-up day in the sense it's when I skype home to Mom and Dad and maybe with friend... do some chores... ya know, kind of a normal Sunday.  And, I realize it's becoming my blogging day :)  I truly intend to blog during the week as well but I've been having rather full weeks.  And, for that I am thankful!  Life away from San Diego continues to be full of a good mix of life's offerings.

Tuesday some friends and I went to the two-for-one movie night at the kino (movies) because that's the only night students can possibly afford to go :)  We saw 'The Hunger Games' for 55 NOK a piece and a current conversion rates that's about $10.  Imagine what full fair is.. yikes!

Wednesday was 'Lamb-pot' dinner with my flatmates from last semester, and Thursday night I ventured out to play Cafe Opera's jam session.  Below is Cafe Opera.  It's almost starting to feel like Lestat's or Java Joe's to me (for all you San Diego friends).  A little music time is good for the soul.  It's part of me.  Sometimes I can't get songs out of my head however hard I try.  And, that's no good... thesis is priority for the next two months!  So, I figured the best way to get the music out of my head was to play it, right?  The best part about Cafe Opera is that the opening jam band always sits in.  So, I almost always have a backing band.  Fun!  

Cafe Opera. Bergen, Norway

Fortunately, the weekends have been providing nice weather so we've been able to enjoy some of Bergen's beauty.  Last weekend was a BBQ in the park at sunset with some friends after lacrosse practice and a run in the mountains. 

photo credit: Stephan Duffner 

This week is Easter break and Norwegians all head to the mountains.  I might get there for a day too but mostly I'm in Bergen continuing to work away.

Today has been a true fool from the month of April.  It's currently snowing but we also had rain and sunshine today.  Ohhhh Bergen.

klem,

lisa liv 

A little music for your Friday

Hello from the library at NHH!  I thought I'd switch up the media for a friday post and share a live track of a Bruce Springsteen cover I played at a show last summer.  I was invited to open for 'Thunder Road', an awesome Spingsteen tribute band, at the Belly Up in San Diego and this was one of the two Boss covers I played.  Some intoxicated lady from Jersey told me she loved it later in the evening.  Nice!

A little lisa o music for you. It's downloadable if you like.  Enjoy!

happy friday,

lisa liv

~sunny days are here again~

Literally. We have had some beautiful sunny crisp days in Bergen in the last week.  This is the Bergen I know and love!  (which of course I'm inside all day studying, but, that's how it goes)  

Though, I must admit I've been having crazy flashes of Christmas.  I'm sure it's because once Christmas is upon us that means I'm through finals, and I want that like I want a new wetsuit for Christmas ( <------- dear Santa, not so subtle hint).  But, the weather feels exactly like a SoCal Christmas.  Even the smells in the air- it's wild!  I'm ready to sing Silver Bells and pull out the mistletoe.

On that note, I just read a really cool blog post I wanted to share about how the kWh cost of solar energy continues to decrease- tres cool!  Solar has it's issues with predictability and the whole the sun doesn't shine and night thing.  But, it's still really encouraging to see and I encourage you to read.  See the post here 

It also makes an interesting point about shale gas.  My personal favorite line is '... special treatment for fracking makes a mockery of free market principles'.  Perhaps that whet your appetite to jump in and read.

Oh dear readers, I am studying energy.  I get jazzed on these kinds of things. 

***********

Ok, something fun for the day.  Do you know about 8tracks?  It's my favorite new place for music listening online.  Remember making mixed tapes?  Yes, totally dating myself.  Or, nowadays, my super awesome music club gals in San Diego- we make mixed CD's and share new music.  

Well, this is the same idea.  People from around the world have signed up, made profiles and put mixes together for all sorts of things- workout mixes, wake up in the morning mixes, sad and weepy breakup mixes, indie artists mixes, mash-up mixes, classical music mixes and... my very favorite at the moment... study mixes!

check it out for free listening here    And you don't have to have a profile to listen

radiantly yours,

lisa liv 

ps. I am on a friggin roll... 3 posts in 7 days?!  that's a new lisa o record.  yes, i want to make a lisa o record too, but, you know what i mean. 

chasing the sun

Finally, some rays of sun last Friday and Saturday!  I must say, Bergen is really beautiful... when it's not raining :)  Eh, even when it is raining it's a beautiful little place, just a bit trickier to enjoy (like my very wet ill prepared feet today... I thought I could get away with flats. Negative).  The result of all the rain is a very serious enjoyment of sunshine when it comes.  It seemed as if everyone in Bergen was out in full force on Friday afternoon.  I loved the sense of joy and community in the air.  As I walked past restaurants people were at outside tables enjoying each other, sunglasses and a beer.  

I arrived home from school on friday afternoon to my flatmates orchestrating a little BBQ for the park.  We grabbed a one-time-use grill, some burger makings, beer, blankets, veggies and my guitar and headed over to the park.  What a great evening!

Bjørnar, Ida and Knut Anders readying the feast

2 of my 3 fantastic flatmates-Knut Anders and Bjørnar 

Then, to enjoy a little more fresh air and the local mountains around Bergen, some good friends from school and I did a nice local day hike, 'vidden,' from Floyen to Ulriken on Saturday.

Martha, Anette and Eli

Vidden success!  A celebratory beer atop Ulriken looking down at Bergen

Alas, the rain returns.  And so we study until the sun shows up again so we can then scamper outside for some more fun, sunglasses and afternoon beer.

klemmer,

lisa liv 

some new lisa liv music

Here's a live recording of a song I wrote and recorded last weekend.  I wrote the lyrics while I was at Kreklingsus and fleshed out the song over this past weekend.  I was laying in my bed at the cabin thinking 'this is all really wonderful and I wish my dear friends and family could be here to experience it with me.' I'm loving meeting new people but a part of me longs to be able to share these memories with friends and family back home.  The quality is a little rough (i'm no audio engineer) but I wanted to share.

I Think of You by LisaLiv

i think of you,

lisa liv 

funny random goings on... that's my life

I'm at the mid-point.  No, not a mid-life crisis.  The mid-point of summer.  I'm enjoying being home but now can't help but switch into the mode of preparing to head back to Norway.  I'm excited to head back, but there's so much I'd like to do before I go.  Where has the summer gone?!

This summer has been a whole collection of states.  It's fun to see friends and family, spend time at the beach and enjoy moments with my nephew.  My parents are working on a kitchen remodel which provides opportunity for introspection as we go through things and spaces from my childhood.  I have not tried to do one thing musically and amazing opportunities keep coming my way.  I can't help but step back and think 'hmmm, am I ignoring the signs of the universe telling me something?'  I'm also continuing to learn which I love.  San Diego is supporting research and business in renewable energies and it gets me very excited. 

A highlight of the summer was last week getting to play a few songs at the Belly Up (in Solana Beach)- wha wha what?!  Unreal.  I never really imagined getting to play a venue like the Belly Up.  Thank you Barry Rosenbaum for making that happen.  

Lastly, a few fun energy items:

Did you read about the pope-mobile?  The Vatican says a hybrid Popemobile is on the way.  All electric vehicles are not fast enough but the Pope's gas guzzling Mercedes is on the way out.  

According to Google business news, the Chevy Cruze was the most popular car on the market last month (in the US) and Chevy will be coming out with a diesel version.  The diesel version will get up to 50 miles per gallon. Cool!  

Also, in going through things in my room I came across a file folder of clippings and the like on items pertaining to sustainability, energy, conservation, etc.  I tore out an article in 2007 from a Wired magazine on the notion of an 'eco-city' in China being designed called Dongtan (foretelling of my future studying Environmental Econ?).  I re-read the article and it sounds pretty darn neat.... '.. a city powered by local, renewable energy, with sufficient buildings clustered in dense, walkable neighborhoods; a recycling scheme that repurposes 90 percent of all waste; a network of high tech organic farms; and a ban on any vehicle that emits CO2.'  I googled Dongtan to check in on the progress and it seems the project has been stalled.  Stopped?  Who knows.  Might something like this happen in our lifetime?  I hope so!

sandman's a callin,

lisa liv