The diary of David, a just-turned-30 Brit living in Norway
On Thursday the whole of Norway got together to celebrate its 198th birthday. Last year I had only been in the country for two weeks before the festivities began. I had little idea of what to expect and it felt like I was crashing a party. Fast forward 12 months and with my future in Norway assured, I was ready to enjoy myself :) So what is Norway's Birthday Party - Constitution Day - really like? Instead of embarrassing games of Twister … [Read more...]
Regular guest writer Gerry picks up his pen again, this time to tell us all about the process of a non-European getting a work permit in Norway. His tales do not surprise me one bit! I’ve always been kinda lucky when it comes to professional development. Even before finishing my graduate program, I had already been offered a position to work in Norway. I’ve already talked about the environment here, so now I want to describe a bit … [Read more...]
A whole year has passed since I packed my bags and headed north to Scandinavian lands. Some days I can't believe it's gone so quickly, other days it feels like I've been here a lifetime. But rewinding one year, I knew very little about Norway. The experiences I've had since then, many of which I've described right here on this blog, will stay with me forever. Here are 26 things I've learned about this wonderful country this year. Enjoy … [Read more...]
Here's the third installment of our monthly round-up of the best blogs from Norway's international community. Children of the Rainbow by Corrine on Northern Natterings This one passed most of the international media by. Last week 40,000 people gathered together in the rain to sign a song hated by Breivik, Children of the Rainbow. Just another example of the truly inspiring way Norwegians are dealing with the terror trial. One Year in Oslo … [Read more...]
I've never been that fussed for Easter. To a non-religious person such as I, it's nothing more than a day or two off, an excuse to eat some chocolate and perhaps a chance to see some family. But here in Norway, Easter is a big deal. I finished up at work this Wednesday and won't return until Tuesday. That's three working days off, which is the absolute minimum I could take. But most Norwegians packed their bags and left the office at … [Read more...]
We are quite Oslo-centric on this blog. Take last month, when we proclaimed the arrival of spring after a beautiful weekend in the capital. Gerry, our resident blogger from Trondheim, has a different view... It might very well have been an April Fools prank. After a Saturday above 7º C, in which I walked with my jacket open and just a t-shirt beneath, it came the mother of all snowfalls. Five days (and counting) of continuous snow. … [Read more...]
Here's the second installment of our new monthly round-up of the best blogs from Norway's international community. Take it away, folks! Springtime in Norway I wasn't the only one to get excited about the early onset of spring in Norway during March, it was a hot topic amongst the blogosphere too! In fact, Katy from Vent-elated went as far to say that summertime has arrived! She's also got a great picture of her road this March compared to … [Read more...]
The conversation goes by in a curious mixture of norwegian, broken norwegian, english and sometimes a bit of spanish. It amazes me how well Ana can speak so many languages apart from her native tagalog. As she finishes cleaning my office, I thank her and bid her goodbye, wishing her well in her incoming travel to the US. As I said before, I work in what is known as the “academic world”; but as the meme goes these days, what I … [Read more...]
Norway’s national diet harks back to its days as a poor country, with a focus on preserving fish and meats in salt, lots of potatoes and simple sauces. This heritage still dominates today with delicacies such as lutefisk eaten through choice rather than necessity. One of Norway’s best loved culinary treats is also one of its simplest and I’m surprised it’s taken me ten months to write about it. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I … [Read more...]
å pante (to pant) To pant in Norway is to return a drinks bottle or can to the supermarket and get a refund of the deposit you paid when purchasing. Simples! (you can of course pant in other ways too, but I won't cover those here) Returning items for the deposit has long been a part of Norwegian society. Most supermarkets contain "reverse vending" machines which take the bottles and cans in exchange for a receipt, which you cash in at … [Read more...]
He writes here about his new life in Norway: his observations and experiences, the language and culture, the people and places. [Read More …]
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