Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo...

Actually the sun's been around for quite a while now. And it was there on my birthday! Yey! Might be a sign, that.

Celebrated my birthday this week with all of my friends here in Oslo (well, almost all of my friends) and will invite my aunt, uncle and cuz out for dinner tomorrow as well. My treat. The least I could do!

I was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of text messages and emails I got from people. Besides the regulars (the friends I see almost all the time and those I write to/call in my spare time, parents and relatives) I actually heard from people I hadn't seen since Junior High and even a lady who used to work for my grandfather in the Philz before she later married an American and moved to the US. You know, one of those typical borderline "rags to riches" stories as I see it. And as far as I know there is quite an age gap between them. I won't elaborate on my opinion on that story. Anyway, I hardly even know the lady - actually I don't know her at all - and then she suddenly goes ahead and writes me an email??? (Forwarded from my parents, but still!) We haven't talked together; I don't remember her face; all I remember is... well, basically the stuff I've already stated. All I thought when I read the mail can be summed up in one word: "Oooookaaaayyy?" I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to know that people remember you on your birthday, but I must admit it gets kinda weird when people you hardly knew suddenly send you a mail out of the blue - just like that. I don't know. However, even though the whole mail thing was rather peculiar, I know she meant well. I don't mean to be insulting or anything, it was just... a little strange. But as I said, it's nice to be remembered.

(And by the way, I've been through a lot of stuff like this before; people in the Philz who are acquainted with my mom and her family but are total strangers to me - who suddenly come up to me shrieking happily in my ears and give me a hug and tell me that "you are so tall" and act as if they've known me all their lives. Which leaves me standing there with a huge question mark on my forehead and a confused smile and awkwardly stating "yeah, it's nice to see you too..." while all I'm thinking is "I DON'T FRIGGIN' KNOW YOU!")

But that was not what I intended to write here. What my point is is that moments such as these really do make you realize how many people you actually can consider your friends. Getting text messages, phone calls and emails from people during birthdays, Christmas, New Year etc. shows that there actually are people who care about you and think about you - to varying degree, of course, but they care. It may also show which people will support you through thick and thin and which ones won't (obviously with the occasional odd one out, cf. the abovementioned lady).

Yes, I AM stating the obvious here, but it's strange to compare it to birthdays and Christmas and New Year celebrations of earlier years. It's interesting to see people come into your life and then suddenly go again, and how your circle of acquaintances varies from year to year.

Anyway. Enough contemplating already. Have a nice weekend, y'all!

Elise that is called "Elise".

(Remember "Life of Brian"? ;-P)