I’ve taken my mom on a European adventure and I’m so glad I did. After coming down with food poisoning the second day here, she nursed me back to health. She sent this email out to her friends soon after and it just made me laugh so I had to share:
Dear All,
My Anne and I are in Oslo and last night she came down with a stomach bug. So today I have been “Nurse Judith.”
I went to the grocery store to get the usual BRAT ingredients. Saltines? Never heard of them. Soda crackers? Them either. What about chicken and rice soup? Nope. How about chicken broth or stock in a carton or can? Don’t have that.
Eventually I found two kinds of chicken “gel” that can be used to give a chicken flavor to foods. They were in two different parts of the store and were different brands — all in Norwegian, of course. I found a 20 something and asked her what the differences were and would she use them to make chicken and rice soup. She said that she didn’t make chicken and rice soup but would ask someone who might. She asked the cashier and they discussed my dilemma at length. She finally said that they didn’t know, but that the man who was checking out thought that I should just buy a fresh chicken and start from there!!!
Then I went on a search for apple sauce. Couldn’t find any in the canned fruit section so asked another 20 something. She said, “apple sauce?,” what would you do with it? I tried to explain and she took me to the same canned fruit section where I had looked. Then she looked it up on her smart phone to find out what it was and told me that she guessed that I would have to make it myself!
How do the Norwegians feed their sick children???
Other than that — we’re doing great.
Love to All,
Judith
You have to imagine my mother – slow speaking, very intelligent woman – going back and forth with these obviously kind Norwegians. I love it.
agm 