crutches, pregnant women and prostitutes

After a few beers and a midnight kebab, Min Elskede and I were walking with another couple away from downtown. The other couple were talking about the large number of Norwegians on crutches, wondering why so many people were staggering about. According to the American part of that couple, there are pregnant women everywhere in Norway, where as in the U.S, he claims he sees none. I suggested that Norwegian preggos might hang out in public places, in the U.S., they might stay at home and have their social life outside of the cafes and shopping areas. This got interpreted as a pregnancy show-off. Min Elskede pointed out the benefits of maternal leave in Norway, slung his shoulders and chest back and strutted his belly forward: "This is my work-leave in my belly, my work-leave, everyone. Look at my work-leave growing in my belly!"

Walking up the stairs on the outskirt of the city center, I whispered to Min: "If you guys were coming here alone, I think you'd get company at the top of the stairs". He looked up and saw to Nigerian women, casually dressed, with an eye scanning the crowd, searching out potential clients. There were two accordion players playing Eastern European music at the entrance to a parking garage, and Min commented that he liked the music. We continued walking as he searched his pockets for small change. At the top of the hill, he told us to hang on, turned around and ran down to the accordion players to give them some money for their music. There was a prostitute halfway up the hill, and when Min came sprinting towards (and passed) her, she looked hopeful and a little bit scared. I wonder what is more terrifying, selling sex to a nasty drunk guy or to a young handsome one who apparently leaves his girl and comes sprinting back to the prostitute.

A couple of years ago Norway made it illegal to buy sex. The Norwegian hookers turned their business into online marketing, while the Nigerian women, usually here on a tourist visa, roam the streets. They owe their pimps lots of money for the transportation out of Nigeria and can be quite aggressive in their pursuit to make money. "There were so many prostitutes tonight, I counted 8 of them", said the Norwegian of the other couple flustered. Her American boyfriend pretended to be naive: "What, were they prostitutes? I just thought this is where black people like to hang out".