Archive for 'Culture'
Exotic Easter In Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 31, 2013
Do you celebrate påske (”PAWskeh”, Easter) in your country? A lot of people around the world look forward to påsken (or påska) – even if they’re not Christian. They enjoy decorating their homes with påskekyllinger (Easter chickens) and eating delicious påskeegg (Easter eggs) of chocolate. These things are the same in Norway. But most other…
Chief Bouillon Cube Packaging Master Assistant Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 14, 2013
Spiller du gitar? (”SPILLer doo gheeTAR”, do you play the guitar?) If yes, why don’t you try to play a Norwegian sang? As I told you, Norwegians really are singing while they speak, so perhaps it would help you å synge (to sing) a little! In 1988, four of Norway’s most skilled gitarister (guitarists) joined…
Norway at the Oscars Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 28, 2013
Did you watch the Oscars last Sunday? This year, many nordmenn were following the American movie award show with a lot of spenning (excitement). Hvorfor? (Why?) Perhaps you noticed that a Norwegian film had been nominated in the category ”Best Foreign Language Film”… In Kon-Tiki the regissører (directors) Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg recreate the…
Happy Sami Day Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 6, 2013
Gratulerer med dagen! (Congratulations [with the day]!) Today is samefolkets dag – the day of the Sami people. Did you know Norway had an indigenous minority? ”We feel like Native Americans,” two Sami girls told a Norwegian reporter. Like many Native Americans, samene (the Sami) are fully integrated in the mainstream society. They go i barnehage (to kindergarten), på skole (to school) and work…
A Taste Of Nynorsk Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 27, 2013
Last week you learnt that there are two ways to write Norwegian: bokmål (”book language”) and nynorsk (”new Norwegian”). Bokmål ultimately hails from (upper-class) urban dialects and Danish, while nynorsk is based on rural dialects. Most Norwegians use bokmål, and that is also the Norwegian we teach here at Transparent. Nevertheless, since quite a few Norwegians do write in…
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)…