Tag Archives: Norge

What's it like

What’s it like: Signs

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It’s always fun to check out signs when you travel – and even when you’re close to home.Here are some interesting, strange, and fun signs we’ve seen in this part of the world…

No ice cream, no hot dogs, no bottles or cans…?
(I especially like this one because it seems most Scandinavians
really enjoy ice cream and sausages!)

 

An important sign in our language school:
this is not a squatty potty!

 

Be careful, or you’ll drive into the water!

And a few others that have caught our attention over the years…

 

 

 

 

 

Language

NWotD: ingenting

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Ingenting
(adverb) Nothing.

Used in a sentence
Jeg har ingenting å gjøre.
(I have nothing to do.)

Related to popular culture
Here is part of a children’s song that uses inventing:
Vår Gud er så stor       (Our God is so big)
Så sterk og så mektig  (So strong and so mighty)
Finns ingenting Han ikke kan (There’s nothing He cannot do)

Related to us/to language learning:
Ingenting is one of the words that we include in the “False Friend” category.

Wikipedia defines False Friend as “pairs of words or phrases in two languages that look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning.” You can read the full Wikipedia entry about False Friends HERE.
Travel

Spania: a quick trip to Malaga

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We just returned from a conference in Malaga, Spain. Sunshine, temps around 15 – 18 C. Yeah, almost like Norwegian summer.We didn’t have a lot of time outside, as most of our days were filled with meetings. But we managed to take advantage of the breaks and explore a little bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a bit of Norwegian practice for myself, I have decided to occasionally include the Norwegian translation of a blog post. (Thanks to sweet friends here for helping me with my grammar!)

Vi er nettopp kommet tilbake fra en konferanse i Malaga, Spania. Det var sol, og circa 15 til 18 grader. Ja, nesten som norsk sommer!

Vi fikk ikke så mye tid ute, på grunn av mange møter. Men vi utnyttet pausene og utforsket litt.

Random

Olympics / OL – who are you rooting for?

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We’ve had quite a few people ask us lately…

Who are you rooting for in the Olympics?

We are primarily about the red, white and blue… okay, that’s easy to say when our home country and our current home utilize the same colors on their flags. So here’s a rundown of the countries we follow closely, and why:

USA
Zack and I are most loyal to the place we’ve called home most of our lives (it’s hard to change after 38 years!). There’s just something special when the US gets the gold, and you hear the Star Spangled Banner. And Zack really liked their (really loud and really odd) opening ceremony sweaters. I’m still a bit confused by them, but they definitely turned heads!

NORWAY
Then there’s our new home. We’ve lived here for a year, and we spent a couple of years preparing to get here. And you gotta give it the Norwegians: they own the Winter Olympics. They are the all-time leader in overall medals AND gold medals.

Plus, their curling team uniforms totally rock!

And Team Norway has really cool headwear this year, both in the ceremonies and on the medal podium.
 
(Check out this article from People Magazine about the Norwegian Olympic team:
6 Reasons Why You Should Root for Norway at the Olympics)

UKRAINE
Most of you know our history with this country. It definitely holds a big piece of our hearts. And combine that with the unrest in recent weeks… we just can’t help but cheer for the yellow and blue.

GERMANY
Yeah, why not throw one more in the mix. We have so many friends in Germany, both nationals and ex-pats. And we just love visiting Germany/Deutschland/Tyskland. But I do have to say I wasn’t crazy about their opening ceremony outfits.

So in the end, it’s pretty hard to disappoint us when it comes to the Olympics. We are just happy to get to watch and cheer!

cross-cultural living

Ex-pat living: Easy things aren’t so easy

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In the US, a trip to the salon was easy. Even relaxing.Paying at the grocery store didn’t require any special thought.

A trip to the bakery was something I wouldn’t think twice about. Other than the fact that we didn’t really have a lot of bakeries.

But when you’re an ex-pat, the simple tasks can be difficult. Stressful. Exhausting.

You think about what you need to do. Location. Best time of day. You think about what you need to say to accomplish your task. Will it require everyday talk, or perhaps some special vocabulary you haven’t learned yet? What might the other person say back to you?

And if/when you accomplish what you set out to do, there is definitely a greater sense of accomplishment. An enthusiasm for getting the desired result. And maybe a little bit of pride when you’re able to complete it all without switching to English.

Earlier today, I arrived home from the salon. Mentally drained from a 40-minute conversation with the stylist. Proud that we didn’t once switch to English. And excited that I got the cut that I wanted. It’s a good feeling to be able to do normal things.

Time will make them easier. And the emotional ups and downs will give way to the ‘no big deal’ attitude.

But for now, we’re still excited when we are able to successfully take care of the little things.

Today, the salon. Tomorrow, the world!

What's it like

What’s it Like: Nature

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The landscape here is really beautiful. And we look for every possible opportunity to get out and enjoy nature. Weather can become a factor if you let it. But instead, you must embrace what we jokingly call Norway’s national motto: Det finnes ikke dårlig vær – bare dårlige klær! Or in English – there is no bad weather, only bad clothing! And it’s true. As long as you go prepared, you’ll be fine!Rather than write a lot about the great outdoors here, I think it’s better to just share some of the pictures we’ve taken over the past year. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

celebrate, cross-cultural living, Day-to-Day

Ett år i Norge – Happy Anniversary to Us!

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One year in Norway – time sure does fly! One year ago today, we landed in Oslo. We flew from Vancouver to London to Gardermoen. Very little sleep during the flights. A 9 hour time difference. Eighteen bags and four backpacks.

 

 

 

But coming around the corner and seeing Torben, Espen and David was so sweet. And God is so good. He has provided in countless ways over the past 365 days. A good home with a kind landlord & family, who we are happy to also call friends. Good progress in language. A great school for the boys. Many local partners. A reliable car. A city we’ve come to love and call home. And many, many great friends.

A year ago on February 1, we were road weary and overwhelmed. This year on February 1, we celebrated with waffles (made by our little chef), skiing (on our own skis!!), homemade pizza (our family favorite here), and snowfall.

 

 

 

celebrate, friends

Gratulerer med dagen

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We had fun celebrating Daniel’s birthday this past week!We began with a taco night with some friends on Monday night. They gave Daniel legos and a magic set – a perfect gift for a kid who loves to perform! It was a fun evening.

On Tuesday, we spent [a lot] of time shoveling to get the car out of the driveway, so we could take something to Daniel’s class. No junk food allowed, so I made fruit & yogurt parfaits, and they were a hit!

When we got home, Daniel opened gifts from us, as well as cards from family & friends in several different countries.

He chose homemade Hawaiian pizza for dinner.

After dinner, several friends came by to help us celebrate. Daniel got some cool books and a gift card to the local toy store. My friend also graciously helped me make a traditional Norwegian birthday cake for Daniel. And I have to say, Norwegians know what they’re doing when it comes to cakes! I had fun learning to work with marzipan to decorate it.

On top of all that, our neighbors also supplied him with his first set of langrenn skis, poles & shoes. (So thankful to have sweet friends, who also happen to have older boys with hand-me-downs!)

Wednesday we were in a neighboring city for house church. Daniel was surprised with more gifts: a Norwegian picture dictionary, and a Norwegian kids’ cookbook. Perfect for our language learner, who also loves to help in the kitchen!
I think our little man
really enjoyed his first birthday in Norway!
cross-cultural living, Travel

Nordic Life: Langrenn

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This past weekend we experienced something that is very common and popular in Norway this time of year: cross-country skiing (langrenn).Our friends invited us to a cabin for the weekend. It was a good time of getting to know each other better, relaxing, eating lots of good food, and skiing.

Okay, more falling than skiing. But either way, it’s quite a workout!

We had fun, and I think the bug has bitten. We are working to get all four of us outfitted with skis so we can begin doing this on a regular basis.

And I have to say that if we are all still friends after the weekend, that’s saying a lot about their patience! They were great teachers, and we are very appreciative of their hospitality and support. And when I say support, I mean that in multiple ways: from encouraging words and pointers, to getting us up and down hills – literally!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

celebrate

9 years old?!?!

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Happy birthday to our spunky, energetic, and joyful Daniel, who turns 9 years old today! We are so thankful for him and the way he approaches everything with enthusiasm and excitement.