Monday. 6.11, 6:55 am: Have you heard the news? Oslo at 6:30 am does not believe in warm (or even warmish) May air. It’s effing cold outside, as it was last year when I stayed in Oslo overnight. Scarves, layers, unexpected shivers. But the cappuccino is excellent here, inside Oslo’s Gardermoen Lufthavn. The place is called Parken.
It’s very calming and comforting to be in a country that’s basically white, white, whiter-than-Wonderbread. Just as Richard Pryor felt ecstatic upon visiting developed African countries in the ‘70s, I’m feeling a similar kind of kinship and fraternity. I am among my own here. I like the atmosphere of mellow restraint…those laid-back Norwegian vibes. No shrieking or loud obnoxious laughter. No dumpy, coarsely-dressed women waddling around like they do at JFK and Newark airports. So many classy-looking, soft-spoken women with ultra-fair skin and white-blonde hair.
