The saga comes to an end....

No more! We give up! Our mission to reach the desired island called D is called off for the year!!

Today the day started with high spirits! Good vision and almost stars! So with even higher spirits than yesterday, we go through the exact same drill as yesterday. We get in the car at 08:20, arrive at the heliport, do baggage check and safety video, and sit down in the "waiting lounge". At 9 the fun begins... We are told, as yesterday, delay until 11. Ok, this we can handle... The sun is up and this must be good... But there is apparently fog offshore, and snow... We get some coffee and tea, sit down and solve some project issues. Then at 11:09 we are told, delay until 13. Great! Now Kristin throws in the towel, she is going back to the office. But the other K does not give up yet. Then at 12 I get a call from Crew Change, do to cancellations I am not prioritized, if we at all will fly today, I will not be one of the few that is allowed out! Fair enough, I understand they need the workers out on the Island! So the saga comes to a sad end, no offshore for K & K this year. Now the backlog of people is so long, that we will not make it out this week at all. Well well, life goes on!

No trip to D Island.... the saga continues!

Yet another failed attempt on our mission to reach the desired island called D. Today the day started with very low clouds/fog... so we did have a bad suspicion that it would not work today either, but what are girls to do, we have to try!! So with high spirits we get in the car at 0820, arrive at the heliport, do baggage check and safety video, and sit down in the "waiting lounge". We are on the second flight out today, so this will be good we think!! Well.... first we are told, delay until 11. Ok, this we can handle... we get some coffee and tea, and are allowed to get a book and a magazine out of our bags (big smile, and pleeeeease... it worked), and then at 11 we are told, delay until 13. Great! Now K and K are hungry! So we get permission to leave for a short while, so we head for the airport next door. A "great" little cafe upstairs have some rolls with cheese and pancake with apples. We make the best out of it, and have a good outing to the airport! Back at the heliport we hang around some more... then at 13 we are told, all flight cancelled. Welcome back tomorrow!! So tomorrow we will try again...

Saturday at the market

In our lunch break today we went to the market!

It was pretty cold, but a fun experience! The outside market has hats and clothes, and inside you find fruits and animals/meat...
When you let 8 expats loose at a Kazakh market this is the result....

Knut is leaving us...

Last night Knut had invited to a great, but sad party; his going away party! Knut has been on the project for 2 years!! Quite an achievement Knut!

He had fixed lots of food and drinks! At one point I think we were 25 people in his apartment! And Ken brought his guitar, so it was quite a party! Live music in the kitchen is not an everyday event in KZ!!
Great party Knut! We are going to miss you!!

As you see, Knut got great going away presents! A traditional KZ robe and hat, and the thick wool slippers! They will keep you warm in Oslo Knut!!

No trip to D Island after all...

So sad... Kristin and I were going out for a couple of days to D Island. We made it all the way to the heliport, through security, safety briefing, and into our winter-liners (that go under the survival-suit). Then the guy came and told us "you are not going out, no beds". Bu hu... we even had to come out to the chopper (in our blue winter-liners) and pick up our bags! So close, but sooooo far away! It would have been Kristin's first time in a helicopter and offshore, so she was really disappointed. We will try again on Monday!!

Camel-milk-waffle-party

A great way to enjoy both the Kazakh and Norwegian culture is to mix something you know very well and love (waffles), with something new and exotic (camel milk)! A great combination! The waffles become really crunchy and tasty!

I tested it out at home during the summer when I brought home a bottle; a great hit in my parents garden. So we have now introduced it here, and tonight we have had another successful waffle-night in Kristin's apartment! Knut even brought some brown cheese to the waffle-party!! A sure winner!!

Sunday...

Sunday was a hard day.. it is not an understatement to say it was very tough for some...

Catrin and I made our way out in the cold fresh Sunday air around 10. We made a management decision to walk to work, and stop for a nice coffee at the Renaissance Hotel next door. Excellent idea! Great coffee to go! Totally made my day!!

Kristin on the other hand, was unaccounted for... I called and woke her up at a later point...!!

On our way down main-street, we passed the main square. Here you see Catrin by the x-mas tree. The tree even has a red star...

Winter Season Party

The party was fun!! So fun that some of us almost forgot to go home...! Well, I did make it home at a reasonable time, C and K did not... ti hi...
The party was packed with entertainment, the people at work performed dances, songs, and acts during the dinner. And in between it all, there was dancing, even during the main course, different, but nice and casual! And we even had a raffle with great prices, Kristin won a juicer! So now we are hoping for fresh juice every day... hint hint...
I will post some pictures when I have them!!

The big party!

Today is the day for the big party here i Kazakhstan! The Winter Holiday Season Party! This year it is a Costume Party! And in KZ-style, there will be entertainment, lottery, surprises and dancing! The girls working in the office have been rehearsing for days on their entertainment pieces, either dancing, singing or playing an instrument. This will be a night to remember!

I am dressing up as Tinkerbell, and last night Catrin and I made dinner (invited Kristin for food of course!!), watched Lipstick Jungle and sowed on our costumes. I had to sow on my wings to my green dress, and Catrin had some last minute fixing on her mermaid costume. The girls are well prepared, party is not something we take lightly!! This will be fun!!

December 1st

Today is the first day of December! Hurra! Time to open the first door on the advent calendar! Well, I do not have an advent calendar this year, but I do have my advent candle. Can not burn it at the hotel or at the airport, but will burn it when I get to the apartment tonight!

Hope you had a good flight through the night Kristin, hope the shock of not being on Bali anymore is not too bad! Looking forward to hearing all about it! Catrin, hope your week without K and K was good and relaxing...! Here we come!!