7 Reflections on Places in Oslo, Norway

February 27, 2015. After a long night at work, I planned to assume the role of a tourist guide in Oslo for one of the closest friend of my sister, who is working in UAE. I just thought of making a simple trip to few of the places I have been to in Oslo, the city where I am living for almost 17 months.

Since our guest had been to Austria and Italy before coming to Norway, I was quite worried what can I show to her that makes Oslo unique and beautiful. Given that winter is just ending and spring has just started, the task of showing the best aspects of Oslo could be a challenging task. However, more than I expected, I got to realize that Oslo is a place, where I can truly call now as my home.

These are my reflections as I travelled through the different famous places in Oslo we visited on that day.

Fram Polar Ship Museum

The success of a journey is not dependent on how good the ship was made, or how experience and strong the people on board, it solely lies on the courage to go beyond limitations and conquer fears and challenges.


Bygdøy Peninsula

At the end of the day, the person that evaluates whether you have been doing well is only yourself. Take time to breathe even though you make mistakes. Smile still even though life sometimes get rough. What matters most is that you still look forward for the day that everything seems to and will be better.



Vigelandsparken

Life has many facets. We grow and develop these facets. These maybe not perfect, or perhaps attractive. However, what life requires us to accept what life can offer, day by day until these facets change and ourselves, as well.



Slottsparken

The most grandiose and precious in the world are the most heavily-protected and most sought-for. In the same way, in life, all of us must realize that the most important is ourselves. We must protect it because it is more precious that the people and things we think are important. People may criticize you, but it is up to you how to protect yourself genuinely before others ruin you.


Oslo City Hall

Greatest authority everyone must follow is our faith. Faith moves and directs our lives, such that we even do not have to see and understand what it is for us to see and experience the goodness of it.


Nationalteateret, Stortinget and Karl Johans Gata

In the long process of achieving a goal, along the way, we encounter a lot of things that may distract us from moving forward. We may see that there better options such that it is convenient and easy. We may question ourselves as to our capacity to pursue our dreams. That is normal. However, instead of looking unto our steps one move at a time, the better way perhaps is to keep our eyes on the goal, notwithstanding the challenges that may come our way.



Oslo Opera House

Life gets complicated when we are too busy looking unto each details on what we have done and how we move forward. The easiest way perhaps is to see life on a bigger scale. Instead of looking into merely what concerns us, we must see ourselves as interconnected with the environment we live in. We must evaluate ourselves in what way we can contribute to others, aside from thinking only for ourselves.


 After roaming around Oslo with our guest and friend, I got to appreciate the city more and felt excited on everything Oslo can offer, either to me and to others. Wherever my feet bring me, I would want to come back in Oslo, the place where I became independent in my decisions and actions, making me stronger and wiser than I had been before.



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