Not Strictly Ballroom

The following is a UK TV ad (for a mobil phone network) which I recently came across.  Not entirely original, but cool none the less.  Really makes you smile (well it did for me )  Liverpool Street Station looked like the Central Station ballroom scene from the Fisher King.

…and just to see what went into setting up this whole event.

I wonder if something like this would ever work in Oslo Central Station.

Talk about a prophecy…

Just came across this story, from back in 2001 just after Bush assumed the presidency, on The Onion (a saitical US based news web site).  This is so prophetic it is quite unnerving

IF…

Will wonders never cease.  Just seen regular AND diet Irn-Bru in a local Meny store.  F***in’ amazing.  This is not actually the first time.  It appeared over year ago in one of the local Rimi stores.  It was only the regular stuff, and even then only a small number of bottels.  Odd thing was, they were just in a box…sitting there…..nowhere near the other soft drinks.   Probably didn’t even know what it was….thinking it was drain cleaner or the like.

There is even a Norwegian Irn-Bru web site.  Things are definitley looking up in Norway

…and if you were wondering what it is with us Scots and our Irn-Bru, checkout the latest ad…base on Kipling’s poem  “If…”.  Says it all…..sigh…..I’d better watch, or am goin’ tae start greetin’ noo

Signs of a nanny state??

Something I learned recently.  Buying over the counter medication in this country is an exercise in futility.   I found this out when trying to buy something for a pretty severe soar throat.

In Norway you can buy Repsils, which you’d think were simply renamed Strepsils (look the same, taste the same, made by the same manufacturer) but no.  As the friendly lady in the Apotek (that’s a Chemist shop here) said, they’re nothing more than sugar candy.  Even she said that you can’t buy the “good” ones here in Norway.

Repsils, the Norwegian neutered version of Strepsils

As you can see, even though the “St” has been removed, the “S” logo remains intact.

Now look at the real thing, as available elsewhere.

The real Original Strepsils

You can see the “magic” ingredients listed on the box, which have been removed from the local variant.   Then there is the really good stuff….don’t even ask

Strepils Plus, the really good stuff.

There are Dual action Repsils available only from the Apotek, but don’t get your hopes up.  Again it’s only more sugar candy, but with a dash of menthol to help relieve a blocked nose.

And just for fun, here’s one you’d probably get locked up for even knowing about

Something to really numb the throat.

It’s not just these throat lozenges which are no no’s.  Stuff such as Lemsip, Benylin, Sudafed which I used to consider as common remedies for cold, flu, coughs…, are all off limits.  Of course you can go to see the doctor, but unless your are death’s door you’ll likely by told to go grin and bear it and be charged your 300kr for the privelage.

Here, have a candy bar instead