Nobel Peace Center |
“Thus the Lord has
dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my
reproach among people.” - Luke 1:25
My elder son Jaffy was feeling sick and
decided to just stay in the hotel. In times past, this would have greatly
disappointed me, and I would be on whining mode. “Lord, I did pray for not any
one of us to get sick, didn’t I! Please let him be well enough when Buddy (my
younger son) arrives to pick us up. We need to get our money’s worth for this
trip,” would have been my bratty prayer.
But this time, I was given the grace not to
question His will. I let Jaffy rest and told Buddy all I wanted to do today was
go to the money changer, visit the Nobel Peace Center and buy a gift for
my friend who helped him when he was fixing his papers to work here. And, more
than anything, I appreciated that Buddy and I will get our mother-son time
which we haven’t had since he left.
So, the two of us headed for Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo Central
Station). We wandered around Østbanestasjonen, the first railway station in
Oslo that had been turned into a shopping center, looking for a place to have
lunch. Buddy took me to Melt Grilled Cheese in the Østbanehallen Food Court or
what used to be the carriage hall.
Østbanehallen |
After lunch, we took
the subway to the Nationaltheatret (National Theater), one of Norway’s
largest and most prominent venues for performance and dramatic arts. From
there, it was just a short walk to Oslo Harbor where the Nobel Peace Center is
located.
Nationaltheatret |
The Nobel Peace
Center is nestled in the heart of Oslo. For me, it is a symbolic site – this
heritage museum is all about heart or how far the human heart will go to make
the world a better place.
The permanent exhibit
that impacted me the most was the Nobel Field. It looks like a digital field with
screens sprouting amidst a thousand tiny lights flickering like fireflies. Each
screen is a tribute to a Nobel laureate bearing his or her image and story. The
Nobel Field is considered to be “the heart of the Nobel Peace Center”. Designer
David Small describes the concept: “We wanted to create something timeless.
Here you can meet all the Peace Prize laureates from today and going back more
than a century – all in the same room – and they even speak to each other.”
Nobel Field |
I also enjoyed
reading about the story of Alfred Nobel through an interactive book using
state-of-the-art technology.
Story of Alfred Nobel |
There were many other
touching photos and exhibits we beheld on our tour. It was a pleasant
experience with Buddy who was also visiting the center for the first time.
After leaving the
center, we stumbled upon Jul Vinterland (Christmas Winterland), a Christmas
market near the National Theater that totally enchanted me.
Jul Vinterland |
I felt like a child
who had stepped into a wonderland, more so when I was in front of a shop
selling donuts and candies (sweet tooth activate!)
Candy Wonderland |
and while watching
Rudolf the talking reindeer.
Rudolf |
Sampling the gløgg
Buddy bought was something I couldn’t pass up on. Gløgg is a spiced, usually alcoholic traditional Nordic
drink served during winter especially around Christmas.
Gløgg |
We
wanted to try the Elgeburger (moose burger) but Buddy suggested we hold off
from buying it until his Kuya (elder brother) could join us. The next day, we
went back with Jaffy to have a taste of our very first moose burger. Eating it
while sitting around a fiery cauldron is a winter experience I’ll always cherish.
Elgeburger by the fire |
Even though it was incomprehensible at first
why my prayer was not answered the way I wanted it to be, accepting the
situation and continuing to seek God’s guidance had its rewards. More than exploring
all the tourist spots in Oslo, family time is what brings me immense joy. God’s
way is still the best way.
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