NORWAY WITH WEAVER >>

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Last week, we had a match against Viking, a big club in Norway from Stavanger, and played on a field that had just had the snow cleared off of it. It was a Norwegian experience to remember. Nearly two feet of snow fell in the days leading up to the match, but we were able to get the field cleared in time, so luckily the match went on as scheduled.

During the match, snow started falling so hard that it had to be called off in the second half. It was snowing so hard you literally couldn’t see your own teammates. This was a truly unique experience for me, but a good one as I scored my first goal after being out due to my ankle injury.

Being a striker, it feels like your life is determined by scoring. If I am in form, goals come and I am happy; if I can’t find the back of the net, I feel like my whole world turns upside down.

Viking eventually got an equalizer right before the game was called, so it ended 1-1. (Read the local report)

My spirits were lifted from the Viking match. The team went through a tough week of training, and then had another match against an up and coming 2nd division club. I scored to make it 2-0 in the second half, but then we let off the gas some and ended up losing the game 3-2.

It was quite disappointing, but we just have to forget the let down and make sure it doesn’t happen again. It will be a few weeks before the next preseason match, so hopefully my ankle will have time to get back to 100%.

Off the field, I continue to adjust to Norwegian life. I moved into a new apartment which should be my permanent residence while I am here. I look forward to settling in here with my girlfriend Estrella once she arrives on the 15th.

The newspapers have been kind to me so far, doing a few features on my move here. Of course I have to have my teammates translate it for me, so they get the chance to mess with me and say things that aren’t really in the story. They definitely get a kick out of that.

The food over here is very good. You can find almost anything that they have in the US, with the exception so far being decent Asian food. As far as traditional foods go, I have been eating my share of Gudbrandsdalost, a brown goat cheese, which is my favorite Norwegian food so far. They also eat a lot of seafood (shrimp, salmon, whitefish, and herring especially).

I have finally purchased a Norwegian dictionary out of necessity to read my washing machine settings - a much more difficult feat then you might expect!

I hope all is well in the States.

- Cam

Photo: Weaver in action in the snow (Alfred Aase / Haugesunds Avis)