Tonight I will give a lecture.
First of all, the purpose is to meet my friends who hopefully will come to the lecture. :-)
But the subject matter of the lecture is an attempt to see how some of the persons and events in my early life made the foundations for what is an important part of my personality and life today.
On Norwegian TV I saw an interview with a young man from Voss in Western Norway. He spoke perfect Voss dialect. He was skiboarding. His life and future was in Voss. He was a Vossian.
But the color of his skin was very dark - he had come from Uganda to Norway as an orphan around the age of eight. He was Ugandian on the outside and Norwegian and Vossian on the inside.
I lived in Norway till I was around 18, living a typical "Norwegian" life.
But this typical Norwegian life had elements that unknown to me at the time would take on a special meaning years later.
I look Norwegian on the outside.
I speak Norwegian.
I have a Norwegian name.
At this point I feel that I have not found a way to express that other part, the foreign part, of me, in Norway.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
May 17th : The Norwegian National Day
THE NORWEGIAN FLAG
1814
May 17th 1814 at Eidsvoll, a little north of Oslo, at the southern part of the biggest lake in Norway Mjoesa, representatives from all over Norway signed the Norwegian Constitution.
The representatives in the Storting (parliament) also discussed the matter of a special Norwegian flag.
1821
The Storting appointed a special Flag Committee and the flag as we know it today was approved. The three colors were the same as in two other countries representing free nations at the time - the United states and France. But the flag was still not fully accepted.
1844
A version called “Sildesalaten” came into existance. This was a Swedish- Norwegian version used on ships abroad. On the Norwegian flag there was a Swedish symbol in the upper left corner.
1898
Norwegian ships could now use the Norwegian flag as we know it today.
1905
From June 7th, when the union between Sweden and Norway ended, the Norwegian flag became the official flag of the independant Norway
1941
Under the German occupation of Norway, you could not walk in the May 17th parade with the Norwegian flag or wear the flag or the color of the flag on you. Only flagging from a flag mast was allowed. My impression is that very few Norwegians used the flag during the war.
1945
When Norway was liberated from the german occupation on May 8th 1945, the Norwegian flag once more becanme a symbol of fredom and independence,
1814May 17th 1814 at Eidsvoll, a little north of Oslo, at the southern part of the biggest lake in Norway Mjoesa, representatives from all over Norway signed the Norwegian Constitution.
The representatives in the Storting (parliament) also discussed the matter of a special Norwegian flag.
1821
The Storting appointed a special Flag Committee and the flag as we know it today was approved. The three colors were the same as in two other countries representing free nations at the time - the United states and France. But the flag was still not fully accepted.
1844
A version called “Sildesalaten” came into existance. This was a Swedish- Norwegian version used on ships abroad. On the Norwegian flag there was a Swedish symbol in the upper left corner.
1898
Norwegian ships could now use the Norwegian flag as we know it today.
1905
From June 7th, when the union between Sweden and Norway ended, the Norwegian flag became the official flag of the independant Norway
1941
Under the German occupation of Norway, you could not walk in the May 17th parade with the Norwegian flag or wear the flag or the color of the flag on you. Only flagging from a flag mast was allowed. My impression is that very few Norwegians used the flag during the war.
1945
When Norway was liberated from the german occupation on May 8th 1945, the Norwegian flag once more becanme a symbol of fredom and independence,
May 17th: The Norwegian National Day
THE FLAG OF THE SAMI PEOPLE
Today on the Norwegian National Day of May 17th, Norwegians belonging to the Sami people were encouraged to use the Sami flag as equal to the Norwegian flag. A short film from North Norway showed a Sami family, dressed in their national costume, waving both the Sami and Norwegian flag.
The Sami flag is made for all persons of Sami descent, no matter in which country they live.
It is estimated there are around 60000 Sami, with around 40000 of them living in Norway.
The flag was made official by the 13th Nordic Sami conference in 1986. The flag was designed by the Sami artist Astrid Båhl and is based on a poem written by Anders Fjellner (1795 - 1876), a Sami from southern Norway. In his poem Fjellner describes the Sami people as the son and daughter of the sun. The circle is a symbol of the sun and the moon. The sun circle is red, and the moon circle is blue. The flag has the Sami colors of red, green, yellow and blue.
Today on the Norwegian National Day of May 17th, Norwegians belonging to the Sami people were encouraged to use the Sami flag as equal to the Norwegian flag. A short film from North Norway showed a Sami family, dressed in their national costume, waving both the Sami and Norwegian flag.The Sami flag is made for all persons of Sami descent, no matter in which country they live.
It is estimated there are around 60000 Sami, with around 40000 of them living in Norway.
The flag was made official by the 13th Nordic Sami conference in 1986. The flag was designed by the Sami artist Astrid Båhl and is based on a poem written by Anders Fjellner (1795 - 1876), a Sami from southern Norway. In his poem Fjellner describes the Sami people as the son and daughter of the sun. The circle is a symbol of the sun and the moon. The sun circle is red, and the moon circle is blue. The flag has the Sami colors of red, green, yellow and blue.
May 17th : The Norwegian National Day
BARNETOG = Children's Parade
The most endearing part of this day is, in my opinion, the children walking after the fanes of their schools, in special children's parades, singing, waving small flags. School orchestras and some orchestras for grownups make it a day of music and marches. As a little girl, you want to be one of the drill sergeants or to play in the orchestra!
This is the day Norwegian children dress up, often in national costumes, and eat a lot of icecream and other goodies!
In Oslo the school children walk up the main street Karl Johan , past the Royal Palace where the King and Queen wave to them.
The most endearing part of this day is, in my opinion, the children walking after the fanes of their schools, in special children's parades, singing, waving small flags. School orchestras and some orchestras for grownups make it a day of music and marches. As a little girl, you want to be one of the drill sergeants or to play in the orchestra!
This is the day Norwegian children dress up, often in national costumes, and eat a lot of icecream and other goodies!
In Oslo the school children walk up the main street Karl Johan , past the Royal Palace where the King and Queen wave to them.
That parade takes about three hours! This year 111 schools participated.
The kindergarten children usually have their own parades - smaller and shorter - on May 16th.
May 17th : The Norwegian National Day
HENRIK WERGELAND 1808 - 1845
Considered the "inventor" of the celebrations of May 17th .
Read about him on
Peter Opsvik designed Balanse
Another chair moved in.An earlier and simpler version of Duo.
In many ways it is easier to get used to than DUO.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Peter Opsvik designed the Tripp Trapp chair
In 1972 Peter Opsvik designed the Tripp Trapp chair - a chair my son grew up with. This is also the chair used in Norwegian kindergartens.
Peter Opsvik designed DUO
Today a strange chair moved in.It is called Duo and was designed by Peter Opsvik, a Norwegian who has been working on alternative ways of sitting.
I found the following link to show how Duo can be used.
http://www.opsvik.no/index.asp?page=home&ver=6
Now I must discover if it fits in my life - using the PC, reading, thinking.
To read more about Peter Opsvik, you can visit his homepage
http://www.opsvik.no/index.asp?page=home&ver=6
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Kalnes Agricultural School
The agricultural school Kalnes near Sarpsborg had an open day with very many visitors.
I was not there long enough, but here are some of the activities initiated by the school itself:
I was not there long enough, but here are some of the activities initiated by the school itself:
Piling plastic boxes, one of top of the other, while you stand on the pile. You wear a helmet and are suspended from a crane, because at some point your pile falls.
I saw 12 boxes one on top of the other. Last year's record was 18!
(See photos)
Jumping in the hay - small kids loved that.
Driving on minitractors (actually tricycles) along a marked path - success with small kids.
Demonstration of cutting logs with the machinesaw - making small chairs.
Watching girl students make horse shoes like old fashioned smiths.
Throwing horse shoes to sit around a iron rod.
Climbing a tall wall, suspended from two strong ropes.
Watching and petting small animals.
Look at old tractors - one from 1952, still in working condition.
Horseriding.
Some activities initiated by other organisations:
Sale of plants for the garden.
Free samples of waffles made with ecological spelt.
Target shooting.
Tasting three different kinds of smoked fish and then try to guess what was what.
Jumping in the hay - small kids loved that.
Driving on minitractors (actually tricycles) along a marked path - success with small kids.
Demonstration of cutting logs with the machinesaw - making small chairs.
Watching girl students make horse shoes like old fashioned smiths.
Throwing horse shoes to sit around a iron rod.
Climbing a tall wall, suspended from two strong ropes.
Watching and petting small animals.
Look at old tractors - one from 1952, still in working condition.
Horseriding.
Some activities initiated by other organisations:
Sale of plants for the garden.
Free samples of waffles made with ecological spelt.
Target shooting.
Tasting three different kinds of smoked fish and then try to guess what was what.
Inventing a hole
Read the following story that may or may not be true. I liked it:
A Danish inventor was asked by a bank to invent some kind of mechanism on their piggybanks that would prevent the money put on the piggybank to fall out through vigorous shaking. Indeed he invented the right mechanism. The inventor got paid a good sum of money for his invention.
Personal memory: I remember the frustration back around 1960, when I discovered the money would not come out.....
After some time, the clients reported to the bank that as far as keeping the coins in, the invention was great, but the bank notes often got stuck in the mechanism. They offered to pay the inventor the same sum of money if he could find a solution for the bank notes.
The new invention was extremely simple and smart: A simple hole, smaller than a pencil, enabled you to push in a rolled up bank note, but made it impossible to take out!
Personal memory: I also remembered that little whole on the side of the piggybank.
A Danish inventor was asked by a bank to invent some kind of mechanism on their piggybanks that would prevent the money put on the piggybank to fall out through vigorous shaking. Indeed he invented the right mechanism. The inventor got paid a good sum of money for his invention.
Personal memory: I remember the frustration back around 1960, when I discovered the money would not come out.....
After some time, the clients reported to the bank that as far as keeping the coins in, the invention was great, but the bank notes often got stuck in the mechanism. They offered to pay the inventor the same sum of money if he could find a solution for the bank notes.
The new invention was extremely simple and smart: A simple hole, smaller than a pencil, enabled you to push in a rolled up bank note, but made it impossible to take out!
Personal memory: I also remembered that little whole on the side of the piggybank.
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago
Cheryl arranged for me to stay at the Congress Plaza Hotel.
I liked this hotel built back in 1893 for the World Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.
This is their website http://www.congressplazahotel.com/
You can read about the history of the hotel and go on a photo tour.
You can of course make reservations, if you so like.
The location on South Michigan Avenue was very convenient.
We walked to the Chicago Cultural Centre and the Millenium Park.
The Loop, the downtown urban trains were close to the hotel.
The two hour tour of downtown Chicago on a double decker, started near the hotel.
The hotel is situated opposite a long and wide belt of parks, with Lake Michigan of the other side of the parks.
A chance meeting in Chicago
Just after I arrived in Chicago we entered the shuttle at the airport to reach the Blue Line to go into town.
A young woman standing next to us, looks at Cheryl and says : "You are Cheryl and Barak! Congratulations on getting married tomorrow!"
She is an Israeli who lives in Chicago and has been in contact with Barak through the email and by phone , but they still hadn't met each other in person.
She recognized Cheryl from the photos.
Imagine, out of the four milllion people in Chicago, a chance meeting.
A young woman standing next to us, looks at Cheryl and says : "You are Cheryl and Barak! Congratulations on getting married tomorrow!"
She is an Israeli who lives in Chicago and has been in contact with Barak through the email and by phone , but they still hadn't met each other in person.
She recognized Cheryl from the photos.
Imagine, out of the four milllion people in Chicago, a chance meeting.
Chicago and Norway
Imagine - four million people live in Chicago! Four million in one city.
We did a two hour bustrip om a double decker to get some impression of downtown Chicago.
It was worth it!
Downtown has a lot of skyscrapers where many work.
Around the centre you have endless areas with one or two stories dwellings - where many live.
Norway has around 4.6 millions - spread along a long and "strangely dimensioned country".
One city more or less with the same number of residents as a whole country!
And Lake Michigan - the size of it!
After the wedding ceremony we ate lunch at the Signature Room at the 95th floor of the Hancock building. That's where I could look down at the beach, watch the ships out there and had to remind myself this is drinking water in a lake and not salt water in an ocean.
We did a two hour bustrip om a double decker to get some impression of downtown Chicago.
It was worth it!
Downtown has a lot of skyscrapers where many work.
Around the centre you have endless areas with one or two stories dwellings - where many live.
Norway has around 4.6 millions - spread along a long and "strangely dimensioned country".
One city more or less with the same number of residents as a whole country!
And Lake Michigan - the size of it!
After the wedding ceremony we ate lunch at the Signature Room at the 95th floor of the Hancock building. That's where I could look down at the beach, watch the ships out there and had to remind myself this is drinking water in a lake and not salt water in an ocean.
Small family, big family
The bridegroom is a single child.
The bride has two brothers and three sisters.
Some of these siblings also have their own spouses and children.
Such a blessing to be part of a big family!
A nice big family!
The bride has two brothers and three sisters.
Some of these siblings also have their own spouses and children.
Such a blessing to be part of a big family!
A nice big family!
After the ceremonyTurbulence
Leaving Chicago on my way back to Norway, shortly after take-off my imaginary bus became a truck on a rough dirt road. The whole thing shook.
Turbulence made me hold the cup with apple juice in my hands, trying not to spill the apple juice. Drinking was extremely difficult.
Turbulence was good for my diet. Who wants to eat much when you feel like you will throw up any minute?
Turbulence made me reach for the safety instructions in the front pocket - rereading what to do in an emergency.
Turbulence also made me realise that whatever would happen, it was outside my control.
Turbulence made me hold the cup with apple juice in my hands, trying not to spill the apple juice. Drinking was extremely difficult.
Turbulence was good for my diet. Who wants to eat much when you feel like you will throw up any minute?
Turbulence made me reach for the safety instructions in the front pocket - rereading what to do in an emergency.
Turbulence also made me realise that whatever would happen, it was outside my control.
Across the globe for a weekend
Travelling from Norway to Chicago for my son's wedding on May 5th, made me realise that sometimes the numbers are so high, I "shrink" them to make them possible to live with.
Going so and so many kilometers in a metal box 11000 meters up in the air with a speed of around 900 km an hour for nearly eleven hours is too much for my brain.
So I imagine getting into a bus, watch the inflight movies like at a cinema, pretend it is a shorter trip, closer to the ground and step out of the bus/airplane in Chicago - here I am, and it wasn't that far!
Going so and so many kilometers in a metal box 11000 meters up in the air with a speed of around 900 km an hour for nearly eleven hours is too much for my brain.
So I imagine getting into a bus, watch the inflight movies like at a cinema, pretend it is a shorter trip, closer to the ground and step out of the bus/airplane in Chicago - here I am, and it wasn't that far!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Telephones in the fifties and now
A TV ad for cellular telephones on Norwegian TV, made as a black and white movie from the 1950's, something like this.
Little girl in classroom reading her essay about telephones in the future.
"They will be so small, you can put them in your pocket."
Classmates laugh at this stupid idea.
Little girl continuing her essay in front of the principal.
"The telephones will have tiny cameras in them."
Principal looks worried.
Little girl continues her essay in front of the family doctor.
"You will be able to watch TV programs on your telephone."
MD looks concerned.
Little girl continues her essay in front of the psychiatrist, with parents in the background.
"There will be some kind of grammophone inside the telephone and you can chose
the music you would like to listen to."
Mother bursts into hysterical tears.
Yes, who could have imagined this when I grew up...
Little girl in classroom reading her essay about telephones in the future.
"They will be so small, you can put them in your pocket."
Classmates laugh at this stupid idea.
Little girl continuing her essay in front of the principal.
"The telephones will have tiny cameras in them."
Principal looks worried.
Little girl continues her essay in front of the family doctor.
"You will be able to watch TV programs on your telephone."
MD looks concerned.
Little girl continues her essay in front of the psychiatrist, with parents in the background.
"There will be some kind of grammophone inside the telephone and you can chose
the music you would like to listen to."
Mother bursts into hysterical tears.
Yes, who could have imagined this when I grew up...
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