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...]
A further glimpse at the lampposts and bus-stops of Oslo... … [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...]
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...]
I'm a music man. I don't play an instrument, I can't sing, but I listen. A lot. Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube are as much a part of my daily routine as breakfast and there is rarely a quiet moment in my apartment. On this blog I've written a series of posts about Norwegian artists, such as Sondre Lerche, Erlend Øye and Datarock. Discovering new music (whether new to me or new to the world) has always been a passion, but sometimes it's good to … [Read more...]
As much as I love sharing my thoughts and observations on Norway and Norwegians, you've heard plenty from me lately. So here I present Life in Norway's second guest post, this time from Gerry. He works at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science & Technology) and moved from Mexico to Norway in April 2010... Through the window, snowy Norwegian roofs greet me as I enter my office. I take my coat off, toss the backpack on the desk, and shake … [Read more...]
Back in May I described the early stages of my Norwegian travel bug, including several places I'd like to visit. Since then, I've chalked up Bergen, Tromsø, Lillehammer, several visits to Trondheim and of course many of Oslo's nooks and crannies. But where next? I have several thoughts, but after successfully crowdsourcing ideas for my Tromsø trip on Twitter, I've decided to ask for your input! If there's somewhere you think I must go … [Read more...]
During my first weekend in Tromsø, I was determined to get under its skin. For a town of just 69,000 people it punches well above its weight in musical and cultural circles and I wanted to find out what makes it tick. Tromsø is a famous breeding ground for electronic music. Artists such as Röyksopp, Bel Canto and Mental Overdrive found their feet here and the city hosts the annual Insomnia techno festival. Check out this video for a little … [Read more...]
This is the story of Humon, a 26 year old budding cartoonist from Denmark. In 2009 she posted this piece of artwork on deviantART: Scandinavia Against The World was born! The comics tell the story of the relationship between the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark and Norway - and their relationship with the rest of the world - through the lens of stereotypes. At first it struck me as odd that all the characters speak English, but of … [Read more...]
This morning on my daily walk to Jerbanetorget, I wandered past the Norwegian restaurant Dovrehallen, as usual. Panic set in as I saw the latest addition to the menu - Lutefisk. Yes folks, Lutefisk season has begun. Perhaps the best way to explain Lutefisk is as the Norwegian version of Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Although I have a sneaky suspicion that those who claim to love it, really don’t. Lutefisk is basically rotting … [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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