The idea is simple: Follow a few of the newcomers to Norway as they learn the language and learn about the country they plan to live in.
Choose to follow Eva from Cypros (Norwegian boyfriend), Rafal from Poland (wife in Poland), Sophida from Thailand (Norwegian husband), Josi from Brasil (Norwegian husband) and Rudy from the Dominican Republic (Norwegian wife) and you make a funny and interesting TV program. There will be six episodes, we are told. We are about half way through.
The Norwegian language is of course one big challenge, but life outside the classroom shows how these Beginners also try to cope with the «Norwegian way».
Brazilian Josi goes to a football match in Oslo between Brazil and Norway, dressed up in her Brazilian costume, showing her Brazilian temperament, and saying relieved when the match ended 1 -1 : «This way both my Norwegian husband and I win a little!» And then «After the match the Norwegians went straight home, when we Brazilians wanted to party!»
Eva from Cypros prepared, together with some other girls from her Norwegian class, the recipee for Skjulte Pikekyss (Hidden Girls Kisses) she got from her boyfriend's mother. Her efforts to buy the right ingredients in the shop and the efforts of three newcomers to Norway to actually prepare the dish according to the instructions written in Norwegian, did not meet much success till they turned to their secret helper - the Internet. In the end, forgetting the difficulties, she exclaimed «That was sooo easy! Or was it?»
In another episode, the girls went to a mountain cabin (hytte in Norwegian) to spend two days hoping to learn how to ski. They discovered that the cabin had no electricity, an outdoor toilet and no running water! Only Sophida from Thailand knew a tiny bit about skiing from explanations given by her Norwegian husband, but despite falling again and again, the four of them did not give up. Quite impressive what they knew after such a short time!
Rafal from Poland finally had a visit from his wife from Warszawa. Only two days, but this included a visit to IKEA where his wife bought a few things to make Rafal's little apartment a little more stylish, and a visit to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump to first wave the Norwegian flag and then the Polish flag, as Polish Adam Malyrz won the ski jump competion!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
"Søndagstur" ( A Sunday Walk)
In my eyes, being Norwegian means being an outdoor person, coping with the changing weather.
On Sundays you see Norwegian families on their «Søndagstur» (Sunday walk).
Today, f.ex., I have seen a Mom and a Dad pulling two sledges behind them with one child on each sledge, and couples and single persons going for brisk walks.
If you are Norwegian and can see the sun while you are outside, no matter what the temperature is (minus five or minus twentyfive degrees Celsius), you will talk about «wonderful Sunday weather».
Personally, I prefer to be inside when it is cold, but realize that this is impossible and right out stupid in Norway. So I dress up to keep warm and venture outside, at work and after work, feeling like a mini version of a Polar explorerer, laughing at myself, the Mediterranean version of a Scandinavian.
On Sundays you see Norwegian families on their «Søndagstur» (Sunday walk).
Today, f.ex., I have seen a Mom and a Dad pulling two sledges behind them with one child on each sledge, and couples and single persons going for brisk walks.
If you are Norwegian and can see the sun while you are outside, no matter what the temperature is (minus five or minus twentyfive degrees Celsius), you will talk about «wonderful Sunday weather».
Personally, I prefer to be inside when it is cold, but realize that this is impossible and right out stupid in Norway. So I dress up to keep warm and venture outside, at work and after work, feeling like a mini version of a Polar explorerer, laughing at myself, the Mediterranean version of a Scandinavian.
Thickness of Ice
My Swedish greatgreatgrandfather was a colorful person. One of his «hobbies» was to be the first one to walk on the ice on the nearby lake in the autumn and the last one to do the same in the spring! On one occassion the old man fell into the icecold water. This was of course extremely dangerous, and could easily have taken his life. «So what happened?» asked the relatives when he returned home. «Well», he said, «first I called for help, but when nobody came, I had to get out of there myself!»
In December 2006 a famous Norwegian skier who had won medals in the Olympic Games, was not as lucky as my relative, and while skiing on a frozen lake a little north of Oslo, fell through the ice and drowned.
Following this tragedy, the newspapers told the public how thick the ice has to be to carry persons and vehicles, reminding everybody that even when you measure a certain thickness, the ice may be thinner in some places.
5 cm thick ice can carry one grownup weighing 75 kg
10 cm thick ice can carry a motorcycle weighing 600 kg
15 cm thick ice can carry one light private car weighing 1200 kg
20 cm thick ice can carry one heavy private car weighing 2700 kg
25 cm thick ice can carry one medium heavy lorry weighing 3600 kg
In December 2006 a famous Norwegian skier who had won medals in the Olympic Games, was not as lucky as my relative, and while skiing on a frozen lake a little north of Oslo, fell through the ice and drowned.
Following this tragedy, the newspapers told the public how thick the ice has to be to carry persons and vehicles, reminding everybody that even when you measure a certain thickness, the ice may be thinner in some places.
5 cm thick ice can carry one grownup weighing 75 kg
10 cm thick ice can carry a motorcycle weighing 600 kg
15 cm thick ice can carry one light private car weighing 1200 kg
20 cm thick ice can carry one heavy private car weighing 2700 kg
25 cm thick ice can carry one medium heavy lorry weighing 3600 kg
Depicting Sami Culture: John Andreas Savio (1903 - 1938)
In elementary school I had a class mate who wasn't very good at school, but we were friends and played together. Today I realize she also suffered from low selfesteem.
Her family was the only Sami family in our village. Her father was a wonderful skier. Her mother gentle and softspoken.
I remember we bought «skaller» (Sami shoes made of reindeer skin) with the help of her father. Those shoes were so light and wonderful to use in the snow! We were told the Sami themselves traditionally use dried grass in the shoes as isolation; we used at least two pairs of thick socks.
But my classmate never spoke about being a Sami.
John Andreas Savio is considered one of the greatest artists depicting Sami culture through his graphic work. He studied at Kunst – og Håndverkskolen in Oslo (The Art and Handcraft Academy). What a change for a young man who grew up in the wide open plains of Finnmarksvidda in the far north! His talent must have been exceptional for him to have been accepted at the school in Oslo.
Sadly this gifted artist lived as a poor man in the artist milieu in Oslo and died of tuberculosis, only 35 years old. He is represented at the Norwegian National Gallery in Oslo.
What happened to my friend during the last 40 years? Did she find a way to be openly proud of her heritage?
Note:
A Norwegian encyclopedia from 1980 estimates that 20000 Sami lived in Norway at that time, 10000 in Sweden, 3000 in Finland and 1800 in the Soviet Union.
From the beginning of the 1970's the Scandinavian Sami started to cooperate to protect their culture and interests and later contacted other groups like the Innuits and the Indians who also live in arctic or subarctic areas.
Her family was the only Sami family in our village. Her father was a wonderful skier. Her mother gentle and softspoken.
I remember we bought «skaller» (Sami shoes made of reindeer skin) with the help of her father. Those shoes were so light and wonderful to use in the snow! We were told the Sami themselves traditionally use dried grass in the shoes as isolation; we used at least two pairs of thick socks.
But my classmate never spoke about being a Sami.
John Andreas Savio is considered one of the greatest artists depicting Sami culture through his graphic work. He studied at Kunst – og Håndverkskolen in Oslo (The Art and Handcraft Academy). What a change for a young man who grew up in the wide open plains of Finnmarksvidda in the far north! His talent must have been exceptional for him to have been accepted at the school in Oslo.
Sadly this gifted artist lived as a poor man in the artist milieu in Oslo and died of tuberculosis, only 35 years old. He is represented at the Norwegian National Gallery in Oslo.
What happened to my friend during the last 40 years? Did she find a way to be openly proud of her heritage?
Note:
A Norwegian encyclopedia from 1980 estimates that 20000 Sami lived in Norway at that time, 10000 in Sweden, 3000 in Finland and 1800 in the Soviet Union.
From the beginning of the 1970's the Scandinavian Sami started to cooperate to protect their culture and interests and later contacted other groups like the Innuits and the Indians who also live in arctic or subarctic areas.
What Year is it? The difference between Sweden and Norway
Norway and Sweden are neighbouring countries and the languages are fairly similiar.
In the year 1999 Norway talked about «nitten nittini» (nineteen ninetynine) or «nitten hundre og nittini» (nineteen hundred and ninetynine), usually using the first version, without using the word hundred.
In Sweden they said «nitton hundra och nitti nio»(nineteen hundred ninetynine) keeping the word hundred.
More or less the same system.
In the year 2000 Sweden continued the system and talked about «tjugo hundra» (twenty hundred), and then «tjugohundra och ett»( twenty hundred and one).
But Norway changed their system radically as the year 2000 became «to tusen» (two thousand) and the next year «to tusen og ett» (two thousand and one).
Two neighbouring countries but two different ways of counting the years.
In the year 1999 Norway talked about «nitten nittini» (nineteen ninetynine) or «nitten hundre og nittini» (nineteen hundred and ninetynine), usually using the first version, without using the word hundred.
In Sweden they said «nitton hundra och nitti nio»(nineteen hundred ninetynine) keeping the word hundred.
More or less the same system.
In the year 2000 Sweden continued the system and talked about «tjugo hundra» (twenty hundred), and then «tjugohundra och ett»( twenty hundred and one).
But Norway changed their system radically as the year 2000 became «to tusen» (two thousand) and the next year «to tusen og ett» (two thousand and one).
Two neighbouring countries but two different ways of counting the years.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Swedish Death Announcements
I admit it: I have been reading the pages of death announcements from an early age, fascinated, imagining the life of the deceased, based on the name and age of the deceased and the list of the family members. Usually I did not (and do not) know those who had died. In the cases I do, the announcement forces me to confront what has happened. But even when the announcement means that somebody I knew is now dead, my focus is not only around their death, but also much around the lives they lived.
Perhaps this was one of reasons I later got interested in genealogy?
In Norway I grew up with very standard death notices in the newspapers – and they still look more or less the same! A cross on the top, inside a black frame and then the text. Often the text read: «Fell asleep peacefully» - a sentence that made me wonder, as a young girl, of any connection between death and sleep!
These death notices were only in the newspaper.
In my other country I discovered that the family, right after the death of a family member, printed A4 sized death notices, mainly to quickly announce the funeral that often took place within a day or two. These notices were put up outside the family's home, but also on public billboards. Perhaps it is my Norwegian background, but death notices next to theatre announcements, apartments to be let, still seem strange. In this battle of death and life on the billboard,the death notices often get covered by new life announcements!
In my other country the family also put death notices in the national newspapers, but in addition it is quite common that friends, neighbours and employers publish death notices – I see it as public condolences to the family of the deceased.
In Norway most death announcements the family publishes in the newspaper carry a cross. My impression is that the cross more symbolizes death itself than any specific connection to Christianity, but perhaps I am wrong.
On a random page in the Norwegian daily Aftenposten the 41 death notices had
36 crosses (all the same design), two birds(same design), two flowers (same design) and one heart. Aftenposten announced they have 27 symbols to choose from, most relating to religion.
In Sweden the pages with death announcements look like a catalogue of graphic symbols! On two random pages in the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter there were altogether 42 death notices (bigger notices than in the Norwegian newspaper...), but only 13 crosses, in many different designs. The same number, 13, had birds instead of crosses. The birds were also in many different versions. Variety! Then there were seven flowers, five hearts, a dog, a musical note, a tram and a hunter.
Additional symbols I have found in Dagens Nyheter included a black cat, a tree, a horse with a carriage and a rider, a cook, two masks, an eagle, a private airplane and a camera!
If you could choose, what would be your symbol?
Would you still stick to the traditional symbols of your religion?
Perhaps this was one of reasons I later got interested in genealogy?
In Norway I grew up with very standard death notices in the newspapers – and they still look more or less the same! A cross on the top, inside a black frame and then the text. Often the text read: «Fell asleep peacefully» - a sentence that made me wonder, as a young girl, of any connection between death and sleep!
These death notices were only in the newspaper.
In my other country I discovered that the family, right after the death of a family member, printed A4 sized death notices, mainly to quickly announce the funeral that often took place within a day or two. These notices were put up outside the family's home, but also on public billboards. Perhaps it is my Norwegian background, but death notices next to theatre announcements, apartments to be let, still seem strange. In this battle of death and life on the billboard,the death notices often get covered by new life announcements!
In my other country the family also put death notices in the national newspapers, but in addition it is quite common that friends, neighbours and employers publish death notices – I see it as public condolences to the family of the deceased.
In Norway most death announcements the family publishes in the newspaper carry a cross. My impression is that the cross more symbolizes death itself than any specific connection to Christianity, but perhaps I am wrong.
On a random page in the Norwegian daily Aftenposten the 41 death notices had
36 crosses (all the same design), two birds(same design), two flowers (same design) and one heart. Aftenposten announced they have 27 symbols to choose from, most relating to religion.
In Sweden the pages with death announcements look like a catalogue of graphic symbols! On two random pages in the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter there were altogether 42 death notices (bigger notices than in the Norwegian newspaper...), but only 13 crosses, in many different designs. The same number, 13, had birds instead of crosses. The birds were also in many different versions. Variety! Then there were seven flowers, five hearts, a dog, a musical note, a tram and a hunter.
Additional symbols I have found in Dagens Nyheter included a black cat, a tree, a horse with a carriage and a rider, a cook, two masks, an eagle, a private airplane and a camera!
If you could choose, what would be your symbol?
Would you still stick to the traditional symbols of your religion?
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Sweden: To Live in Two Worlds
A Swedish exhibition: To Live in Two Worlds.
From an ad in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter in January 2007:
To Live in Two Worlds
Is it true that Jews have a lot of money and big noses?
Do the Romi people* indeed live in caravans?
Is it true the the Sami people ** live in tents and only eat reindeer meat?
What are your prejudices about these three minorities?
In the exhibition "To Live in Two Worlds" you will have the
chance to listen to voices from young Jews, Romis and Samis
in order to help you correct your prejudices and find out
what these young people feel about their identities.
A Swedish text about this exhibition:
http://www.riksutstallningar.se/templates/Exhibition____5691.aspx
* Romi is now the more accepted term for what we used to call Gypsies.
** Sami is the term used by the ethnic group that lives in Northern Norway; Sweden and Finland. They themselves mislike the name Lapps.
This exhibition will travel around Sweden from south to north; and is, till January 27th 2007 to be viewed at the Jewish Museum in Stockholm http://www.judiska-museet.a.se
From an ad in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter in January 2007:
To Live in Two Worlds
Is it true that Jews have a lot of money and big noses?
Do the Romi people* indeed live in caravans?
Is it true the the Sami people ** live in tents and only eat reindeer meat?
What are your prejudices about these three minorities?
In the exhibition "To Live in Two Worlds" you will have the
chance to listen to voices from young Jews, Romis and Samis
in order to help you correct your prejudices and find out
what these young people feel about their identities.
A Swedish text about this exhibition:
http://www.riksutstallningar.se/templates/Exhibition____5691.aspx
* Romi is now the more accepted term for what we used to call Gypsies.
** Sami is the term used by the ethnic group that lives in Northern Norway; Sweden and Finland. They themselves mislike the name Lapps.
This exhibition will travel around Sweden from south to north; and is, till January 27th 2007 to be viewed at the Jewish Museum in Stockholm http://www.judiska-museet.a.se
A Different Kind of Dog: a Swedish rondellhund
SWEDISH TRAFFIC CIRCLE DOGS (RONDELLHUND in Swedish)
When the problems of daily life are not about surviving physically, you may look for ways to survive mentally. Perhaps you are bored. Perhaps Sudoku is not filling your need for a mental challenge.
Join the Swedes!
Make a traffic circle dog, sneak out in the middle of the night and place your little wooden doggie in the middle of a traffic circle and see what happens!
How to make the dog? No problem! You use pieces of wood you have at home, hammer the pieces together to make your creation look like a dog, and perhaps add a little paint.
The tricky part is to get it to one of the traffic circles without being discovered. That is part of the game.
This Swedish pasttime started in March 2006. A Swedish artist named Stina Opitz was paid and made a concrete sculpture of a dog. It was named "Circulation 2" and the authorities placed it in a traffic circle in the town Linkoeping. A sculpture to enchance the cultural life of the average citizen. Art to the masses.
In the beginning of the summer of 2006 somebody decapitated the concrete dog.The rest of the poor creature was removed by the authorities. End of chapter one.
Chapter two. An unknown person placed a homemade wooden doggie in that same traffic circle. A cultural protest by one person? The beginning of the doggie movement in Sweden!
Because suddenly other rough homemade doggies started to appear in other traffic circles, from the far north to the far south.
Local newspapers were delighted to report that now their town also had a rondellhund.
One commented that this way the general public could show how they cared for and wanted to contribute to public places.
Another pointed out that this proved that those artists paid by the authorities for their sculptures were paid far too much for what "others" could do as well.
In one case, the wooden doggie was hit by a car, partly destroyed and the pieces put on the stairs of a veterinarian. Please repair the doggie!
Sweden's most beautiful rondellhund was declared as being in the town Karlstad, but oy wey, was kidnapped!
The Swedish website http://www.rondellhund.se defines a "rondellhund" (traffic circle dog) as "non professional sculpture shaped as a dog or another animal in selfchosen material, that often is situated in a public place, preferably in a traffic circle, under the cover of the night". You may want to check out that website to see some of the models!
Enjoy a rondellhund! Perhaps you will make one where you live?
When the problems of daily life are not about surviving physically, you may look for ways to survive mentally. Perhaps you are bored. Perhaps Sudoku is not filling your need for a mental challenge.
Join the Swedes!
Make a traffic circle dog, sneak out in the middle of the night and place your little wooden doggie in the middle of a traffic circle and see what happens!
How to make the dog? No problem! You use pieces of wood you have at home, hammer the pieces together to make your creation look like a dog, and perhaps add a little paint.
The tricky part is to get it to one of the traffic circles without being discovered. That is part of the game.
This Swedish pasttime started in March 2006. A Swedish artist named Stina Opitz was paid and made a concrete sculpture of a dog. It was named "Circulation 2" and the authorities placed it in a traffic circle in the town Linkoeping. A sculpture to enchance the cultural life of the average citizen. Art to the masses.
In the beginning of the summer of 2006 somebody decapitated the concrete dog.The rest of the poor creature was removed by the authorities. End of chapter one.
Chapter two. An unknown person placed a homemade wooden doggie in that same traffic circle. A cultural protest by one person? The beginning of the doggie movement in Sweden!
Because suddenly other rough homemade doggies started to appear in other traffic circles, from the far north to the far south.
Local newspapers were delighted to report that now their town also had a rondellhund.
One commented that this way the general public could show how they cared for and wanted to contribute to public places.
Another pointed out that this proved that those artists paid by the authorities for their sculptures were paid far too much for what "others" could do as well.
In one case, the wooden doggie was hit by a car, partly destroyed and the pieces put on the stairs of a veterinarian. Please repair the doggie!
Sweden's most beautiful rondellhund was declared as being in the town Karlstad, but oy wey, was kidnapped!
The Swedish website http://www.rondellhund.se defines a "rondellhund" (traffic circle dog) as "non professional sculpture shaped as a dog or another animal in selfchosen material, that often is situated in a public place, preferably in a traffic circle, under the cover of the night". You may want to check out that website to see some of the models!
Enjoy a rondellhund! Perhaps you will make one where you live?
The smallest and richest local council in Norway
On the the western coast of Norway, on a small island called Utsira, 18 km outside Haugesund,
you find Norway's smallest local council.
220 inhabitants on an island where each person knows the names for winds of different degrees.
For the last two months, f.ex., it has been "kuling" (very strong wind).
In an enjoyable article in A-Magasinet from Dec 29th 2006 about life on Utsira,
we learnt that each inhabitant has his own key to the public swimming hall and that the librarian brings the books home to you.
Next year the island will get a new school for the 32 local students.
Cost: 15 million Norwegian crowns (more than two and a half million US dollars).
From fifth grade each student has his/her own PC. Six teachers work with these 32 students.
The former farmers and fishermen are now working in the offshore oil industry, giving the local council good income from taxes. Utsira is Norway's richest local council per capita.
Next year a 18 km fiber cable from the mainland to Utsira will bring broadband to the 220 inhabitants.
Are there any problems in this paradise?
"Well", says the head of the local council, after pondering a little,"the parabol antennas are often
turned over by the strong wind, and they rust much faster because of the salt from the sea."
A-Magasinet is the weekend magazine of the largest Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten
you find Norway's smallest local council.
220 inhabitants on an island where each person knows the names for winds of different degrees.
For the last two months, f.ex., it has been "kuling" (very strong wind).
In an enjoyable article in A-Magasinet from Dec 29th 2006 about life on Utsira,
we learnt that each inhabitant has his own key to the public swimming hall and that the librarian brings the books home to you.
Next year the island will get a new school for the 32 local students.
Cost: 15 million Norwegian crowns (more than two and a half million US dollars).
From fifth grade each student has his/her own PC. Six teachers work with these 32 students.
The former farmers and fishermen are now working in the offshore oil industry, giving the local council good income from taxes. Utsira is Norway's richest local council per capita.
Next year a 18 km fiber cable from the mainland to Utsira will bring broadband to the 220 inhabitants.
Are there any problems in this paradise?
"Well", says the head of the local council, after pondering a little,"the parabol antennas are often
turned over by the strong wind, and they rust much faster because of the salt from the sea."
A-Magasinet is the weekend magazine of the largest Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten
The dog is not suffering - for sure
Johnny Larsson from Halmstad in Sweden received a letter from the local authorities.
A complaint from one of the neighbours had told how Mr. Larsson kept his poor dog on the steps next to this front door. The dog had to stay there day and night and was not moving.
An official had discreetly investigated the case and from his car observed the poor dog sitting on the front step.He was indeed not moving around.
The official now wanted to come for an additional inspection.
The amazed Mr. Larsson phoned the local authorities and explained that the dog on his front steps was a porcelen dog that had earlier been inside.
He had decided to get rid of it, and as a first step he had put outside, next to the front door. The authorities decided to back off. Following this, Mr. Larsson has decided to keep the porcelen dog at his front steps.
The inspector who wrote the official report feels very embarrassed and explains that it was dark and raining when he saw the poor dog from a distance of around 30 meters.
As to the neighbor who wrote the first complaint, he can now calm down. The dog is not suffering - for sure.
(Based on a report in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Jan 14th 2007)
A complaint from one of the neighbours had told how Mr. Larsson kept his poor dog on the steps next to this front door. The dog had to stay there day and night and was not moving.
An official had discreetly investigated the case and from his car observed the poor dog sitting on the front step.He was indeed not moving around.
The official now wanted to come for an additional inspection.
The amazed Mr. Larsson phoned the local authorities and explained that the dog on his front steps was a porcelen dog that had earlier been inside.
He had decided to get rid of it, and as a first step he had put outside, next to the front door. The authorities decided to back off. Following this, Mr. Larsson has decided to keep the porcelen dog at his front steps.
The inspector who wrote the official report feels very embarrassed and explains that it was dark and raining when he saw the poor dog from a distance of around 30 meters.
As to the neighbor who wrote the first complaint, he can now calm down. The dog is not suffering - for sure.
(Based on a report in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Jan 14th 2007)
Thursday, January 11, 2007
The snow came - fifteen minutes too early
It is now January 11th and as you know, so far there has been no snow in Moss.
This morning, at work, it looked like this "green winter" would continue.
One of my young coworkers then told us she had heard that at one o'clock today it would start to snow.
It sounded like a joke - giving an exact hour when it would start to snow.
At a quarter to one, I looked out the window and saw - snow falling. Fifteen minutes too early!
First it was not that much, but then it was snowing more and more, and the wind started to whirl the snow - winter had at least come for a visit.
When I went home at four it was around ten centimetres of snow.
The same woman who gave the first piece of information had also heard that this evening it would start to rain....
Snow for a few hours this winter?
Exact meteorology?
This morning, at work, it looked like this "green winter" would continue.
One of my young coworkers then told us she had heard that at one o'clock today it would start to snow.
It sounded like a joke - giving an exact hour when it would start to snow.
At a quarter to one, I looked out the window and saw - snow falling. Fifteen minutes too early!
First it was not that much, but then it was snowing more and more, and the wind started to whirl the snow - winter had at least come for a visit.
When I went home at four it was around ten centimetres of snow.
The same woman who gave the first piece of information had also heard that this evening it would start to rain....
Snow for a few hours this winter?
Exact meteorology?
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