The night the music died

Last week was a quiet week here in Moscow. You can imagine we all needed a normal week after the celebrations the weekend before. Vacation is over and the flow of administrative orders continues.

Dear colleagues,

Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, oil, as well as current market conditions, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Administrative and Tunnel Department

Уважаемые коллеги,

Должно к недавним бюджетным сокращениям и растущим расходам электричества, газа, масла, так же, как настоящие рыночные условия, свет в конце тоннеля был повернут.

Мы извиняемся для любого неудобства.
административних и тоннеля обслуживаний

Saturday nights celebrations really took off. I can still remember How that music used to make me smile. The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 ended around 3 o’clock in the morning Moscow time. Did we celebrate “17.mai” or “Fairytale” at the Royal Norwegian Embassy Sunday a week ago? We were singing, "Ja, vi elsker", "Kongesangen" and "Gud signe", those of us who still know the lyrics and then the official program was over and the rest seemed to be a fairytale. And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while. The band was good and now the half-time air was sweet perfume, while the sergeants played a marching tune. Stories regarding Synnøve Svabø's performance on NRK had reached the courtyard of the Norwegian Embassy. Outside there was no pink carnation and a pickup truck. I have to admit; I logged on to nrk.no, and listened to humour and wicked irony. Oh, and while the king was looking down, it's hard to be a girl when you have to run 3 stairs to have a quick pee or go to the ladies room if you prefer. Or feeling so flat that she had to stick a white tennis sock into each cup.

In the deep fiords and valleys the anger rose as people disturbed by Synnøves comments were trying to get the sense out of lyrics performed by soft porn "look a likes" from muslim countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan. Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye.





Synnøve arrived the Embassy late Sunday afternoon. She had been to TSUM and GUM shopping. It's hard to be a girl in Moscow. When she arrived a crying crowd of journalists went after her as hungry seagulls circling the guts from a good mackerel catch. But she just smiled and turned away. Odd Børresen may have turned a mountain climber had he heard. Per Sundnes was there to defend her and so were real men in the back as well as you can see. And in the streets: the children screamed, The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed. It's hard to be a girl at the Norwegian Embassy on "17. mai" the day after. And as the flames climbed high into the night, to light the sacrificial rite, I saw satan laughing with delight. For years this contest has been a big joke and it still is. This was the night the music died.



The kids had their own games.....