Letting the crowd come, July 16

The hostel in Oslo had a small lounge area, but it was part of the open space that also contained the reception and the T.V. Music was usually playing in the background, often battling with the T.V. for auditory supremacy. None the less, there were always people around, drinking from the bar, using the computers, or otherwise hanging about.

The coveted place though, was a spot on the large, arced couch. Occupying a spot here placed you in the middle of everything. With the intention of meeting people, I sat myself down and looked for a likely victim who might indulge me in conversation. It was still early and the only people close were two German girls who were sitting quietly, but after a couple failed attempts to start a conversation, I returned to my book. I remained seated, there wasn't anywhere else I particularly wanted to be and I did not have any desire to hide out in my room, nor was I in the mood to wander the city any further. I had spent the day on the waterfront, some distance from the hostel. Reading alone, but surrounded by people was my preference, for the moment.

I had read very few pages before a Swedish man sat down and began speaking to me. I obliged happily, he was older and not nearly as cute as the German girls, but he was interesting to talk to. Like the man I had met in Lillehammer, he was traveling through to northern Norway by motorcycle and was looking to get out of the rain for a couple days. At least he ended up staying there for a couple days, I am not sure how long he intended to stay. We chatted for some time, from one topic to another, with one beer to another.

Empty beer bottles began to collect on the table, it seems alcohol is always the precursor to any sort of gathering. We were joined by some young lads who had been skateboarding and were quite ready for a rest. Two of them were from Stockholm, like the man traveling on his motorcycle, and the third lad was a Parisian. They were in town to make a skate video of some sort and were sponsored by various companies.

The German girls were content to stay and, to my surprise, participate in the conversation. I think though, much of their participation was due to the charismatic Australian man who joined us. I learned he had spent the last 7 months living in Ireland, busking for the post-bar pedestrians (read: very drunk Irish) and was now traveling a little throughout Europe. His singing and guitar playing were sufficient to finance not only his travels and accommodations, but it was enough that he was able to save up a very large nest egg for his eventual return home. He later confided in me how much he had been able to save, let me just say it was enough for me to be quite jealous and wish I had the ability to sing (read: sing well) and to play an instrument. I suppose it is up to all of us to find that talent we love and use it constructively. Maybe not to be rich, but at least to find some measure of happiness.

The night passed easily as the crowd that had gathered grew and dwindled, as the conversations ebbed and flowed. I found it to be a nice alternative to spending a night out in a club or bar. For once, I was not wading through cigarette smoke and straining to hear people speak.