In the last weeks of 2015, I saw my Norwegian friends and colleagues happier than usual. Did a Norwegian skier just win a competition? Is the price of the Christmas ribbe cheaper this year? Almost better: the United Nations had just published its yearly report, showing that, once again, Norway is the best country to live in. For the 7th year in a row. Can you … Continue reading Norway is the best country to live in. Really?
After the interest of readers for the blogpost Weird things Norwegians do, I thought it might be funny to find out what’s going on with Norwegians when they are having work meetings. 1. Skiing In which other country do you see people coming to work, and therefore to meetings, with their skis on their shoulder? It doesn’t stop there: they will be cheered on their way in by all their … Continue reading Weird things Norwegians do During Work Meetings
Somehow I imagined Lithuania a bit different. The image I had in my mind was a country full of people queuing in front of stores, and big grey blocks as buildings. Sad people everywhere. And imagine, I went there in January, the darkest month of the year anywhere in Northern Europe. Continue reading Does Norway want to adopt Lithuania? (Please, it’s for a friend)
“I will tell your story if you die. I will tell your story, and keep you alive… I’ve always had the feeling we would die young” sings a soulful thin woman before me. At the first lyrics many people in the crowd, including myself, can feel tears in their eyes, remembering that on 22nd of July 2011, too many people died young. This song is … Continue reading Remembering Utøya’s First Anniversary
Dreaming of becoming a famous blogger? Or just wanting to get famous? It is completely possible in Norway if you follow this couple of advice I will give you. You might have to make some sacrifices (marry a footballer, get a boobjob at 17, adopt a cute pig pet, inject yourself with dangerous tanning products) but how much exactly do you want this?? Way no.1: … Continue reading How to Become A Famous Norwegian Blogger
Before anything, gender equality reaches out to drunkenness in Norway. So don’t expect Norwegian women to drink a little and leave all the fun to the men. The French saying “A bottle of alcohol is ugly in the hands of a woman” probably never existed here. Everyone gets wasted. So when I say “Norwegian” I mean women AND men. The first thing you can expect … Continue reading What to expect from a drunk Norwegian?
Some time ago I heard this little story: An Italian, a French and a Norwegian are asked to study the elephant. The theme is free but it needs to be about the elephant. So the Italian decides to study the eating habits of the elephant. The French choses to study the lovelife of the elephant, and the Norwegian decides to study what the elephant thinks … Continue reading Why do Norwegians Love Hearing about Norwegians?
There is an important concept one needs to understand and embrace when living in Norway: being “koselig”. Most English speakers translate it by “cosy” but that term doesn’t even begin to cover everything that “koselig” can express. This concept is difficult to translate to those who do not live here, but basically anything can (and should) be koselig: a house, a conversation, a dinner, a … Continue reading The Norwegian Obsession with “Koselig”
“This year my colleague did something really bitchy to us: she got pregnant” says the guy sitting across the dinner table in my French New Year’s Eve 2014. I almost choked on my slice of camembert. I’ve been living in Norway for 4 years and never have I ever heard such negative comments associated with pregnancy. “She left for 3 months on maternity leave. I … Continue reading The Joys of Being a Woman in Norway
Making Norwegian patisserie and konfekt as they call it here can take ages (just imagine how much time it takes to make blødkake, with all the layers and the cream, and the marsipanlokk). Anyway, this time I’ve tried matprat’s Sarah Bernard’s recipe and made a few modifications while also writing it in English. This recipe will make between 22 and 30 pieces depending on how … Continue reading Recipe: Sarah Bernard Norwegian Style
