You probably do not know this, but it is quite a big thing in Oslo. In a couple of months the new Opera house will open the doors to the public.

Naturally the newspapers are writing about this event, and about whom that will ever visit this part of the cultural world. So who is the typical audience for the world of Opera? According to the same newspapers there have been some resistance to the whole Opera house project. It is expensive and they claim it will be the playground for the elite, the upper class of society.

That cought my attention immidiatly. Would that be all it takes? Would listen to opera make me become one of the upper class of society? I could not make this tempring thought leave my mind.

So, one day a couple of months ago it happened. While standing in line at the cashier in the local and quote dull supermarket something made my heart beat a little faster. Could it be? After all this time wondering how to enter this wonderful cultural world of the elite. I picked it up and studied it carefully. Yes, it was. My ticket to a better life. A CD box-set of eight discs of opera. Not any kind of opera either, the box had the catchy title 'Peoples Guide to Opera'.

I bought it.

Back in the car I could not wait. I ripped the plastic right of the box. Carefully I put the first disc into the CD player. I were ready to start my journey, destination the good life.

I must admit that the first encounter became a brutal one. I am quite open to music, but this was a bit over the top. This was not only just classic music, it was also full of people screaming, trying to explain to me what the music was all about. It even used a ancient language completly foreign to me. I later learned that it was Italian.

I were prepared that it would not be easy to enter into the upper spheres of human living, but this was on the edge to the insane! But, I could not quit. Noboby has ever reach the top by giving up. I had to take this as a man, screaming back. So I started screaming on top of my loungs every time I drove the car.

After a couple of weeks my voice was gone. I could not speak and my ears were soar. I must confess, I was about to give up the whole thing. Maybe I should just keep my place in this society. After all I had not noticed any difference anyway. Hours of listen to the worlds most famous heart aches and people stilled called me Morten. Allright, I had not anticipated to be titulated 'your highness', but Morten!!

Then it suddenly revealed itself in all its glory. The final disc of the eight. Something wonderfull happened. The yelling was gone, only the music was left. It was called Overtures. If you do not know as much about Opera as I do, I can tell you that this is the Opera, before they start Opera-ting.

Having used months of my life trying to improve it by the means of Opera, I can tell you I have learned two things; It is no easy way to enter the upper class and that opera is quite nice music, if they could just avoid all that screaming.

Next time I will try to enter the good life by playing golf and collect expensive paintings.