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The Two Flavours of Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 20, 2013
As some of you may know, there are two kinds of Norwegian: bokmål and nynorsk. (Okay, I’ve promised you this post for a while now!) There’s no need to worry – these are just two different ways of writing the same language. I mean, even English-speakers can’t agree on whether the mix of black and white should be…
Ut på ski! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 9, 2013
Liker du å gå på ski? [LEEKer doo aw gaw paw SHEA] Do you like skiing? The winter season is here, and nordmenn i alle aldersgrupper (Norwegians of all ages) are enjoying the outdoor activities made possible by snøen (the snow) and the wild Norwegian landscapes. In the most famous skisportsteder (ski sport places), like Jotunheimen or Lillehammer (remember vinter-OL in 1994? 🙂 )…
New Year’s Resolutions in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 31, 2012
As 2012 is slipping away, it’s time to set the record straight for 2013! 🙂 Many people are making nyttårsforsett (or nyårsforsett, the singular and the plural are the same), or New Year’s resolutions, about things to improve or achieve during the upcoming year. I asked some family members and friends about their nyttårsforsett [NIT-ores-fore-set]: å leve sunt (to live healthy)…
God Norwegian Jul! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 24, 2012
Hurra (hooray), it’s jul [yule] again! In Norway, julefeiringa (the Christmas celebration) reaches its zenith on December 24th. People leave their jobs early this day (around 12 o’ clock), and schools and kindergartens are closed. Everybody is getting prepared for the Great Evening, the julaften [YOOLaftn] or julekveld [YOOL-eh-kvel] (Christmas Eve). The whole day people are busy with the last forberedelser (preparations). The Christmas dinner has…
Norwegian – Getting Started Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 19, 2012
For those who are new to Norwegian, the whole language may seem a bit intimidating: There are so many words and dialects, so what is correct and what isn’t? And those bell-like but impossible-to-pronounce Norwegian sounds, won’t the Norwegians just be laughing behind my back as soon as I open my mouth (and they hear…
A Glimpse of Light Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 13, 2012
Svart senker natten seg I stall og stuer. Solen har gått sin vei, Skyggene truer. Inn i vårt mørke hus Stiger med tente lys Sancta Lucia, Sancta Lucia … Black the night descends in stables and rooms. The sun has gone away, the shadows menace. Into our dark house Rises with lighted candles Sait Lucia…
A Radiator for Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Nov 30, 2012
For many Norwegians, it is viktig å hjelpe andre [VEEktee aw YELpeh ANN-dreh] (important to help others). Norway is one of the world’s richest countries, and a lot of people feel they should share a bit of this rikdom (wealth) with fattige land (poor countries). Organizations like Røde kors (Red Cross), Redd barna (Save the Children) and Kirkens nødhjelp (The Church’s Humanitarian Aid) do an awful lot…