Alt for Norge Daily Journal: Day 60 - June 21, 2012 (Episode 10: The Finals!)

Today is the second stage of our last episode. It would prove to be the most mentally exhausting thing we’ve done!

A look out from our interview area that day. Later on, we actually watched
the King's ship sail by on it's way to Verdens Ende! Pretty cool!

I had an absolutely awful night of sleep. Probably the worst I’ve had since I’ve been here! The bed was too small, the room too bright and way too hot, and I had C.J. snoring away! (It was like I was sleeping in a greenhouse with someone mowing the lawn next door!) Plus, I had to get up at 6:30 to go to the government center to fill out the passport forms in front of a notary. (Speaking of that, the notary refused to fill out the form the right way. It was very simple, calling for her signature on the left side of the paper. She said that wasn’t how they did it in Norway and signed in a blank spot on the right! Really?! If I win this thing and my kids can’t be there because of this lady, I may have to go back and stick her face in a plate of lutefisk!) When I got back, we did breakfast on camera and discovered a note from Henriette. It said that today’s challenge would involve remembering the language and culture of Norway! Damn!! That plays right into Johnathan’s hands. We wrapped up breakfast and did some interviews. After interviews they said that we would do the challenge right there at our cabin. With that, I immediately went back and started studying everything we did this season. I went over every place we’ve been, everything we’ve eaten, every person we’ve met, and any Norwegians phrases we’ve learned. After lunch and a couple of hours, we went back out to get our official introduction.

A look at the "Final Four" with our buzzer board.

They filmed us walking up a small hill to find Henriette and C.J. standing next to a board of 36 photos. In front of that was a table with 3 buttons on it. It looked as though we were on a game show! We soon learned that Henriette would point to a photo and then ask us a question. Our answers had to be in Norske and if you got it right you’d get one point. However, if you guessed wrong you would lose a point. Also, only the first person to buzz in would get to answer. Regardless of whether or not you got the question right or wrong, no one else would get a chance to answer. First two people to 3 points move on to the final competition!

We did interviews and had an hour break. We all went back to study, but they wouldn’t let us grab our materials, so we just quizzed each other instead. Then, it was time.

As we walked up to the board, I made a decision to play the game risky! If it was a picture of something or someone that I thought there was only one possible answer to, I would buzz in the moment Henriette uttered her first word and make the best guess I could. I figured that would be the only way to beat Johnathan. The game got started.

First picture comes up, and Jessica buzzes in first. She gets it right. Second question, Johnathan beats us to the buzzer. He gets his first one. Third question, Johnathan buzzes in and gets it right, for his second point. I was freaking out! I though the game may move fast, but not this fast. Henriette then goes to point at the next photo. It’s a picture of Sputnik, from Episode 8. Without knowing the question, I figure the answer has to be “Sputnik”. I decide to make a move and go for it! Henriette says one word and I buzz in. I say “Sputnik” and wait to see if I’m right. I wasn’t! Henriette informs us that the question was to name the person that his song was about, which would be Johanna. Crap! I’m down 2 points to Jessica and 3 to Johnathan. This is not looking good.

The game continues on and the next question comes up. Jessica answers, but does so in English. She’s quickly reminded that the answers must be in Norske. She’s back to 0. Next question, name the statue in the photo. I went for it, but quickly realized that I only knew the English name. Oops. (A big oops, especially considering they just reminded Jessica about answers being in Norwegian.) I’m at -2 and down 5 points to Johnathan! Fortunately, Johnathan would get the next one wrong and make things a little closer.

Next photo looks like one that would only have one answer. I take a risk and buzz in early. It was a picture of the Swedes, so I said a phrase that we learned which means “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you beat the Swedes.” It had to be right! Nope. Damn! I’m now at -3! My strategy is completely backfiring. I would now have to get 6 points before Jessica got 3 and Johnathan got 2! Shit!

Obviously, my original strategy wasn’t really working, so I decided to put it on the back burners until I got one right. After that and if a picture came up that I was confident on, I would just go for it again! A few more questions go by and it’s now Johnathan with 1, Jessica with 2 and myself with the same -3, but that’s when I started nailing them! All the sudden, I’m at 0 with Jessica still at 2 and J-Rich at 1. I’m feeling more and more confident and buzz in early on one and nail it! Next question involves me counting to 10 in Norske. Correct! Johnathan misses two in a row. Next one, a picture of the Norwegian flag and a request to sing the first line of the national anthem. I beat Johnathan on the buzzer and sing a funky rendition, but got the words right! Now it’s me at 2, Jessica at 2 and Johnathan at -1. Both Jessica and I have a 3 point lead! Knowing that, no more guesses. Play it safe!

Two more questions go by, with Jessica and Johnathan buzzing in first. Jessica ends up getting one wrong and Johnathan gets one right. I’m at 2, Jess at 1 and Johnathan is back to even. Next question comes up and it’s a picture of a kid from our fairy tale. I let Henriette get some of the question out and I decide to go for it! The question was to name the child in that fairy tale. I immediately knew the answer, but then freaked out, because the answer I knew was in English! Holy $#%@! Fortunately, Henriette took a couple extra moments to break down the score and tell me that if I got it right, I would be moving onto the final competition. Those few extra seconds gave me just the time I needed to jog my think back and remember his name. “Aske Ladd”. I crossed my fingers and waited through the long pause. Henriette looks at me and said I was right!! I have 3 points and I’m now officially through to the final competition! I came back from -3 to be the first done! (The crew was calling me the “Comeback Kid” later!)

Jessica and Johnathan continued to go back and forth for a little while after with Jessica, who was then at 2 points again, saying one word wrong in a long phrase. She’s now incorrectly answered twice while being at 2 points! Next thing you know, both Johnathan and Jessica are at one point each. Then, Johnathan got 2 right in a row! He’s through! It would be Johnathan and I in the finals!! (That I’m good with, since I think Jessica would be much harder to go against, but I still feel really bad for her. She was a fighter and had the hardest road to get to this spot. However, I’m glad it’s not me!)

We did our interviews, then they had Johnathan and I change clothes and do some scenes as if it were the morning of the final competition. They even had me do a scene where I walk along the shore, skip some rocks, then sit on a big rock and look deep in thought! Hollywood, here I come!

After the reality shots, we changed back into our previous wear and they filmed us having dinner outside again. This time, we got to eat some good food, with pork chips and hot dogs. Much better! Then, we were done filming for the day.

The Final Four at our final campfire! A good way to wind things down.

We decided to spend our evening having a bonfire out on the rocks, near the shore. It was a really nice setting and the perfect night. Plus, Mama Ane had never experienced a S’more before, so we were insistent that we make it happen! C.J. and Jessica got drunk so that was pretty funny, but Johnathan and I kept it straight. We were both focused on tomorrow!

I ended up getting to bed at 1:00 a.m.. Probably later than I should have, but I was really having a good time and am starting to get sad that we know it’s coming to an end. This has been one of the best experiences of my life and it’s going to be hard when it’s over. I wish I could continue doing this forever with my family right there too! The best of both worlds!

Day 60 Over!!