I was completing a story about brown girls playing soccer in the dead heat of Texas summer. Consistent with personal tradition, I wanted to finish strong with no distractions. I sought a reality that lacked elements of my story in the surroundings. I was assured by friends that nothing could be more different, slow than the Scandinavians of Oslo, Norway in the frigid winter. But I was smitten by the curious but quiet community in Grünerløkka. Cultural decorum made it difficult to capture truthful moments; the people were very polite and respectful. Moreover, I stood out as a tall black American woman. I planned times to visits the streets when everyone seemed preoccupied and a bit less mindful of me as a visitor.
