'Our Man in the Field'- Andy Lambert
Goodbye to Norgé. Bring it on USA!
Norway
So I'm leaving Norway tomorrow bound for Sugarland in the gar darn it US of exing A. Bound for eight weeks of absolute information overload and seven rather crucial exams. Fail entrance exam or 2 others and be fired. Pass mark 75% plus.
Norway has been brilliant. It was a bit lonely at first. We get a welcome to Norway book that tells you. First Euphoric and everything's great. True. Secondly frustration and Loneliness as everyone else goes back to their lives and you can't get x,y,z. True. Third settle in. True. It has been an excellent place though and I hope I come back after school in the states. Stavanger itself is an odd mix of Oil workers, NATO service personnel and fishermen. Makes for an interesting night out in the clubs.
The lifestyle here is very different. It is in a way very simple. They also have a good attitude. If you don't want to do it then don't. Makes business interesting from a management point a view but from a 'I want my weekends free' it is brilliant. As for the women here whom I know most of you are interested in they are undoubtedly beautiful. Long blonde hair, great figures, very friendly etc etc. but my experience with them ends there. Obviously. As for you girls Norwegian guys are very tall that is about it.
Things to do loads. Outdoor activities especially are loved here. Hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, sailing. You name it they do it and the best bit is I get to do it too.
The Altar
Well I've prayed at the high altar of Industry and loved it. 16 days offshore in the past month has made for a busy Baby. Clocking up a minimum of 84 hrs a week makes a slight change to the International Man of Leisure lifestyle as well. Been to TransOcean Winner in the Åsgard Field and Shell Draugen. T/O Winner however was full on Drilling. Climbed the Derrick something I think we should employ people like Alan for. At about 90 - 100m above the see it made me feel decidedly nervous. Everyone nearly got killed on the Drill floor when the system locked up whilst rotating at 180rpm. Out of control drill pipe is not a good thing I'm told. They also dropped one of our tools. It sort of brought home to be careful and not to walk under things. Still in the evening fog this huge black derrick looked decidedly eerie towering up. As for Draugen it was more like a cruise ship than an oilrig. Networked game PCs, Basketball court, full gym, fishing lines, painters club, music club, satellite TV including all "adult" channels (no I didn't get time to try them out), playstation, pool table etc etc.
Shell Draugen
The work I do offshore is a real varied mix of physical and mental effort. Well it is physical anyway. We have to manhandle tools, load the biggest batteries I've ever seen. Wire up communication cables and help the roughnecks build the bottom hole assembly (the bit that does the work) in the right order. Mentally it isn't really hard but there is a lot to remember especially to do with computers. At the end of training I'll have to know mechanical handling and issues, electrical wiring and safety, radiation handling and computer networking to be able to do the most basic part of out jobs. Anyway the detail to the introduction comes in the US. A boy I love getting to work by helicopter.
Overall I'm looking forward to going to the US and of course I'll get to spend my money on the way on all the things I've been waiting for MD players, Psion etc etc. You tend not to be able to get much here. The shops close before I leave work and are only open 10 - 2pm on Saturdays. Plus everything costs even more here than in UK. Hard to believe but true.
Anyway I wish you all were here and we could have a BNO. I get very jealous reading about BNO's and not being able to go. The all dressed up with nowhere to go syndrome.
That's all for now take care and tell me how the duel goes.
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