When my daughters and I accompanied my husband to his first consultation at Radiumhospitalet - the Norwegian National University Hospital for cancer treatment and cancer research - we kept getting lost in the labyrinths of corridors crisscrossing each other. A bit jokingly the nurse said to us - "You'll be walking a lot down these corridors during the coming weeks and get to know your way around in no time." Well, she was right. By now we have trudged along them for seven days, but they seem to be as long and uninviting as on the first day. Why are there so many shades of yellow and green and grey in hospitals? I can't help but find these colours a bit sickening, though they're probably meant to liven things up.
After you've spent about six hours (it's probably only six minutes) walking past receptions, newsagents, polyclinics, labs, doctors' offices and patients of all ages, you finally arrive at the big open waiting space for the radiotherapy rooms. It's almost liberating after those narrow claustrophobic corridors! Marked with a red sign - radiation in progress, or green - no radiation. Magazines and newspapers are scattered on the tables for the waiting patients and relatives, and best of all! Free lunch! Open sandwiches, waffles, coffee, tea and juice are provided by the charitable Odd Fellow Order - their members work in the little canteen and serve the most delicious food for people who are on extremely bad terms with their appetites. I'm not usually overly enthusiastic about fraternal guilds, but these volunteers deserve a standing ovation.
And the food is for relatives and friends too, so today I had my breakfast there while waiting for my husband. It was these sandwiches that made him gradually start eating properly again - something about being served sandwiches that look a bit more fancy than the ones we make at home.
Although he is often tired and needs to rest, it's important for him to go for walks regularly to keep his strength up and not least get fresh air. He tries to go out every day and on Sunday we strolled along the seafront, right down the road from our house. There's still no real sign of winter - that's absolutely fine with me! But a drag for those Norwegians who long for skiing and skating weather. Well, they have had their way for several years now - it's about time there was a mild winter!
The sunset comes early these days - around 3.30 - and this is exactly what it's like! Even looking at the photo hurts your eyes.
Matching clothes!
Today "Selfie" was selected by Oxford Dictionaries as THE 2013 word, and to honour this decision I had to take - a Selfie. Which I always do anyway when I've been to the hairdresser's, being childishly proud of my growing hair. But what I noticed in this selfie was that my eyes have turned green! They are not usually green, but rather a bluish greyish wishy washy colour. (Though my daughter Julie's eyes tend towards green).... I think this is what the colour you're wearing does to you actually - hey, all you colour experts out there! Isn't that right? So there is truth in this, just as wearing orange or mustard yellow will bring out all my drabness and make me look at least twenty years older.
Well, come to think of it - a friend of mine who did colour analysis for a while - and analysed my colours too - said that nobody looks good in mustard yellow, so there we are. But those hospital interior designers obviously think it's a winner!
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