17th May - Norwegian National Day
The Norwegian ambassador invited all the Norwegians in Nigeria to a 17th May party in Statoil's compound. We hosted the children, while Statoil's Managing Director hosted the adults in her appartment!

That morning, Inger-Lise had gone to school and turned all of Daniel's class into little Norwegians! She told them about Norway and then had them parading around the playground with Norwegian flags!

We started off the evening by opening a bottle of champagne with Ståle and Hilde and with my boos, Geir and his wife, Irene who had just arrived back in Lagos. At 6pm we joined the rest of the Norwegian community by the swimming pool for drinks and a buffet. In true Norwegian 17th May fashion, games had been organised on the tennis court for the children: egg and spoon (with potatoes) and a sack race.

After the games, everyone lined up outside the residential building (Lagoon View) with a banner and Norwegian flags, the heavy steel gates were opened and we all filed out onto the street, where we met the police who escorted us around the compund and back through the gates on the other side (Viking Court)! I wonder what the Nigerian passers-by thought of that!

The kids went up to our flat for sausages, while we went up to the MD's flat for a smoked salmon started followed by fårekål (lamb stew), accompanied by plenty of akvavit. When everyone was well oiled, the ambassador gave a speech.

Hurrah for 17 Mai!!