Christmas is party time. For many Norwegians, celebrating Christmas is real rock`n roll, and the biggest rocker of them all is Santa Claus. Santa is the world's best traveller, but he is also the world's best dancer.

The bartender just brought me a huge whisky (November 2005). I am at '10 Downing Street', a pub on the second floor of a shopping mall in Pune, Maharashtra - India, the happening university city to the east of Bombay.

In Iceland, not only the sun stays up late, but pub crawls start when punters in England are already being thrown on to the street after last orders.

As one of the most welcoming, hospitable people in the world, the people in Jordan have their own rituals for guests. The first gesture which is associated with Bedouins hospitality is offering tea. The second is also related to drinking and it take you to new heights, or shall I say causes frightening visions.

The festival goes on from 28th April to the 2nd of May 2005. The Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival is now in its seventh year and this year is going to be bigger and better than ever, according to the Festival Co-ordinator Wendy Clements.

- Where else on earth can one walk from the Eiffel Tower to the Luxor Pyramid in just one day?

- Where else can one experience the scenic canals of Venice and the architecture of Monte Carlo as they mingle with Elvis?

- Where else but Las Vegas can one experience the extremes of The "Sahara" desert and tropics of "Rio"....

Only in Vegas, baby....

The self-proclaimed greatest party on earth has justed ended. The Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro has celebrated its annual carnival. This sunny carnival was arranged 5 - 8 February. Each year, usually in February though sometimes early in March, Rio erupts in an ecstatic fiesta of pulsating samba music, and exotic and erotic dancers, with colourful and radiant costumes. Some of them almost naked. These people really now how to party...

Prague has become an attraction for party lions, especially for they who like strong drinks as Absinth - Absinthe - and enjoy music from the 80s, Lucerna Music Bar is definitely the place. There is also opportunities for drinking with Devil himself and find out who will fall under the table first.....

Prague is one of the most pulsing capitals in Europe. The city has been one of the most beautiful European cities since the Middle Ages and got many nicknames as "Matička Praha" "'Little mother Prague", " City of 1000 towers", "City of thousand bridges", " Heart of the Europe", and " Golden Prague". Prague has been a crossroad, where many merchant, scientists, artists and poets met. The most famous Czech writer is undoubtedly is Franz Kafka.

Pragues highlights are crossing Charles Bridge, taking a boat tour on Vlatva River, praying in St.Vitus Cathedral, enjoying the Old Town Square, and meeting the 12 Apostles appearing from the Astronomical Clock (Orloj). Now the city has also become an attraction for party lions, especially for they who like strong drinks as Absinth - Absinthe - and enjoy music from the 80s, Lucerna Music Bar is definitely the place! There is also opportunities for drinking with Devil himself and find out who will fall under the table first.....

To have real fun in Helsinki, I could not think of a better place than Zetor. The discothèque is decorated with humorous interior and has a countryside style. Here the locals show what the Finnish word "Sisu" means. Soumi Rokkia is really great!

Santa Claus or Nissen as they call him in Norway is on his way to deliver his Christmas presents. He is the real Santa Claus and travels everywhere.

The Finnish people claim that he lives on the top of the Korvatunturi Mountain in Lapland in northern Finland, but is this true?

The highlight of the carnival show is the competition between the samba schools. Foreigners can also parade with the schools if they pay for costumes and learn the theme songs and dances in the weeks before the big party. The coming carnival in Rio will be arranged 5 - 8 February 2005.

Nissen as we call him in Norway is on his way to deliver his Christmas presents. He is the real Santa Claus and travels everywhere. Everybody look forward meeting him again. Santa gives presents to everybody - good, bad and ugly. It's impossible to imagine a Christmas without Santa Claus even though we are celebrating for other reasons. But what say the Finnish people about Santa?

So far I haven't succeed convincing Finnish people about that Santa Claus is Norwegian. They still claim that he lives on the top of the Korvatunturi Mountain in Lapland in northern Finland, not so far from Rovaniemi. The Finnish have made Santa Claus a big tourist attraction for people all over the world. Anyway if not Santa Claus drink too much Norwegian Akevitt (Aquavit) or Finnish Koskenkorva and Finlandia Vodka (Finland), he will show up on Christmas Eve both in Norway and Finland this time too.

Do you believe in Santa Claus? Visit Johns Bar in Oslo at Christmas time, and you will be convinced too.

Finnish humour indicates often that the inhabitants are reserved. Instead of doing small talk, they like to drink! Here is an joke that give an example of that.