I know I'm in Norway when...

"Usjekta, men du är för sen." (It's rather badly spelled Swedish and means "You're too late."). I'm looking at the blonde girl behind the counter and it takes me a few seconds before I realize what hideous crime I've done. There I get it. I tried to buy beer after 8pm on a Thursday night. Oh, yes, welcome to Norway. It was 8.47pm on Thursday night, I was on my way home from the gym and knew I'd love to have some cold beers in the frigde, just in case me or a flatmate felt like one over the weekend, but no, the register-chick takes it and puts it behind the counter. "Come back tomorrow, will ya?" Oh, yeah, I will. Just to clarify, it's not some big problem for me not having access to beer late on a Thursday night, but it made me think back to the differences with Norway and Australia. In Norway you have two good excuses for not drinking. 1. Bottle shops are closed, and you have nothing to drink. 2. It's too expensive. (3. Of course, your'e driving, but I am still not in the posession of a license, so don't have that privilegded excuse). In Australia these excuses are no good (and maybe therefore slightly more alcohol abuse??), howver there is nothing like you couldn't get alcohol. There are 24 hours drive through bottleshops. And if you don't have a car to drive through, feel free to bikeride. Second, alcohol is dirt cheap. Cheaper than milk. Bottles of wine for $3. I'm not saying it's the right thing, it is probably the cause of lots of problems, I am just noticing the differences. But other than that Norwegian and Aussie party culture is pretty similar. Yet different. To quote another alcoholic ad. Anyway, tonight we're taking it pretty chill at home, watching Stingers (I miss Melbourne so bad when I see it, the Police Station on St. Kilda Road, Telstra Dome, the Rialto Towers, cafes in Fitzroy...ahhh), but tomorrow there might be a bit more of a party. That is, if I make it to the shop before the curtains go down on the beer.

Cheers