This article was written in Norwegian for NRK Ytring on the 05.05.2018 under the title Inneklemt-fest, and later adapted for this blog. May is a widely expected month for many Norwegians, because of something called inneklemte dager. Now this is a bit of a strange word to translate to English. “Klem” is a word used in different words. It can mean “hug”, and I really wondered … Continue reading Why do Norwegians love inneklemte days so much
The Winter Olympics are finally over. Hasn’t it been a blast? The answer is yes, if you are Norwegian. For us foreigners living in Norway things can look a bit differently. Here are a few tips I have developed for foreigners to survive Winter Olympics when living in Norway. Buy earplugs. You will need those not to die of a heart attack when Norwegians … Continue reading Survival Guide for Foreigners in Norway during the Winter Olympics
Last night I was at my boyfriend’s Birthday party, and when the Norwegians around me started singing “Hurra for Deg som Fyller ditt år” I thought “Oh damn, I still haven’t learned that song”. Then I fell in shame (as I usually do when this happens) and looked at other people and tried to remember the lyrics. I tried to hop and turn and stuff … Continue reading The Norwegian Birthday Song Officially the Hardest in the World to Learn. I mean, come on.
“Why don’t you learn Chinese or Spanish, or any other language spoken by more than a few sheep and 5 million people” asked my parents while I was learning Norwegian. My answer is always that Norwegian is a fantastic and very funny language. Some of the words the Norwegian language has created requires either a lot of imagination or high doses of hallucinative drugs to … Continue reading 8 Unbelievably Strange Norwegian Words With Meanings Foreigners Cannot Guess
The drilling of oil and gas in the islands of Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja in the Northern Sea has been a huge topic during the elections of September 2017 in Norway. Environmental groups such as Folkeaksjon, Nature and Youth, Friends of the Earth Norway and others have gone very strong to stop the research for drilling up North, claiming among other things that the oil … Continue reading Environmental Win: Oil Drilling in Northern Norway Stopped!!
A few days ago, Trump (President of the US for those not following) has said that the US would rather not accept immigrants from “shit holes” but rather from countries like Norway. Here are 10 reasons I believe he wants them to immigrate. Keep in mind this is a satire (wink wink): There is no Obamacare in Norway (there is something else way better but … Continue reading 10 surprising reasons as to why Trump wants Norwegians to immigrate to the US
When the #MeToo movement took off I really wondered what would happen in Norway. As I wrote several years ago, it can be a true joy to be a woman in Norway. It seemed to me like politicians, radio and television people as well as other people in power would be less likely to use that power in order to harass people sexually in this … Continue reading What do #MeToo Scandals look like in Norway, World Gender Equality Champion?
Morocco seems like an inexpensive country…until you get here and hear the price asked for just anything from taxi rides to food. Everyone in the tourism industry from hotel chains to the guy shining your shoes in the streets knows the exchange rates for Euro and USD to the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Although it is still way cheaper than European capitals like London or Paris, … Continue reading Morocco: How to Bargain and other tips to travel on a Budget
I am often asked by foreigners whether Norway is a champion or a devil when it comes to environmental protection. I can’t blame them, Norway seems schizophrenic on the topic of environment. On the one hand Norway has this image of champion at protecting the environment, with pictures of fjords and pure water to advertise for its country, which is undoubtedly one of the most … Continue reading Environment: The End of Norway’s Double Standard?
“Of course I am a feminist” says a man with a blond beard, in front of his colleagues. Okay, well. Thank you for sharing Bjørn-Olav! This scene is not from a science-fiction movie. It is an every day scene in the country where I have lived in for almost 8 years: Norway. In my home country France, feminist is a dirty word. Women don’t want … Continue reading Norway, the Country where Men are Feminists. Even Footballers.
