Why should I, a black woman, travel to Norway? (Part 2)

Carrying on from the last post – if you have not read it yet [click here].

I leave the airport fuming – I even recorded the how I felt and posted on to Instagram. I got to Radisson Blu which is legit a 3 minute walk from the airport via the pathway and so I was happy to get checked in and get to my room.

First thing I notice is the check-in clerk looking me up and down, like she was assessing me before I got to the counter. I was looking for my purse because me being me had it at the bottom of my bag and following what happened in the airport with the Immigration office – I was trying not to be a embarrassed judging from the look on the hotel clerk’s face they were going to try something.

Attitude

I get my purse, go up to the counter say I have a reservation under my full name and the clerk looks at me questioning me but searches my name and she sees the reservation and asks to see my passport and the card used to pay for the accommodation. She verifies every and then even sees that I am a platinum rewards member.

Her attitude changes almost instantaneously with the ‘Ms Canoville’ this and ‘Ms Canoville’ that *insert eye roll* and tries to get someone to help with my baggage but I told her bluntly that it was too late for the fake niceness. If she had been accommodating at first then yes, but I didn’t want it; I just wanted my room key.

I get to my room, calm myself down with a hot shower and unpack. It was a nice big room as I am accustom to but I couldn’t help but think maybe if I was of a different hue how different my experience would be. I meditate and get myself into bed because by then it was about midnight.

The next day, I took the train into central and got to tour the Norwegian Opera Theatre and have brunch at the Theatre Cafe – that was an experience in itself. After that I was meant to go on a boat trip BUT I got lost and went to the wrong dock (typical me). So instead I spoke with the most amazing and helpful staff at the boat tour and they changed it for the next morning.

Exploring Norway

After arranging that, I went to the Nobel Peace Center – if you ever get a chance to go it is amazing! First is the history of how it came about (pay attention) and there is an activity upstairs. I am not going to say anything else but it is worth going – I learnt that there were 17 black recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize! I knew about 5 of them but its amazing to read their individual stories.

As this post is a bit longer than the last one I am going to stop here and post the final part on Monday at 12pm.

Let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are – was I being too sensitive with the hotel clerk or was it justified?

Love and Hugs,

Tillyah x