Archive for 'Culture'
Parental leave-a relatively new concept Posted by kari on Mar 13, 2009
As one of you mentioned in a response to the last post on gender equality, Norway implements quite a nice parental leave policy. The best part about the policy is how flexible it is. Parents are allowed to take either 44 weeks (10 months) of full-paid leave or 54 weeks (12.5 months) of 80% paid leave. Now, those months can…
Gender Equality in Norway Posted by kari on Mar 11, 2009
men = menn women =kvinner a man= en mann a woman=ei/en kvinne the men= mennene the women=kvinnene a boy=en gutt a girl=ei/en jente Many Americans think that since most Scandinavian immigrants settled in the midwest, they must resemble their Scandinavian-American decendants. One very prominent distinction between the Norwegian-American heartland and Norway lies in the area…
Alkohol & Norway Posted by kari on Mar 8, 2009
In all Scandinavian countries except for Denmark, alcohol monopolies control the sale and consumption of alcohol. Sweden was the first of these countries to institute governmental control of alcohol in 1850, followed by Norway in 1922. Norway’s alcohol monopoly is called Vinmonopolet or Polet for short (literally “wine monolpoly,” which can be misleading because it…
Norway in Houston Posted by kari on Mar 4, 2009
I was in Houston, TX over the weekend to visit my brother. We didn’t do any of the touristy things because it was more important to me to just hang out. My brother works for a construction company that follows storms and then contracts roofing work out. One of the homeowners that he built a…
En smakebit av Norge i USA Posted by kari on Feb 25, 2009
A taste of Norway in the U.S. That’s what you’ll get if you attend one of the Norwegian celebrations around the U.S. Go to Decorah, Iowa at the end of July and you’ll experience ‘Nordic Fest,’ a weekend to celebrate Norwegian and all things Norway. You will find music, dancing, fireworks, a parade, an antique and…
Janteloven Posted by kari on Feb 9, 2009
Don’t think you are better than us or that you are special. This statement is the basis of an old Scandinavian concept that has been engrained in Scandinavian societies since before WWII. The author Aksel Sandemose, a Danish/Norwegian novelist created the concept of Janteloven in his book En flygtning krydser sit spor (A Refugee Crosses…
Vigelandsparken Posted by kari on Feb 6, 2009
Vigelandsparken is part of Frognerparken, a large open park in the northwest corner of Oslo. Vigelandspark spans 80 acres with 212 bronze and granite sculptures designed by Gustav Vigeland between the beginning of the 20th century and 1944, when the giant monolith was finished. The park is one of the first sites I saw when…