Archive for 'Nature'
Surviving the Sunless Season Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Nov 30, 2021
North of the Arctic Circle, there’s no sunrise in the winter sky. But do Northern Norwegians really live in total darkness? I asked Bjørn Farbu – a doctor until recently residing in Harstad – about life in mørketida (the dark season). What brought you to Nord-Norge (Northern Norway)? My girlfriend is from Tromsø. We met…
Summer Nights in Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 31, 2021
Gratulerer med vel overstått! (Congratulations with a ”well passed” [birthday]!) This belated greeting – a handy Norwegian lifeline for forgetful people – will have to do for all you fans of Norway in 2021. Due to technicalities, I was unable to wish you gratulerer med dagen (happy constitution day) on May 17th. Beklager tradisjonsbruddet! (Sorry…
Is Norwegian a Happiness Drug? Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 27, 2021
Blir du glad av å snakke norsk? (Does speaking Norwegian make you happy?) Although linguists don’t seem to agree to which degree the language we speak might shape our perception of verden (the world), I’ve often heard comments like: ”Norwegians are always so friendly,” ”Norwegians just sound so happy when they talk,” and even: ”Is…
Fun in the Snow Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 21, 2021
Mange ønsket seg en hvit jul i 2020. (Many people were wishing for a white Christmas in 2020.) Only this month, however, snøen (the snow) decided to grace large parts of Norge. Let’s get outside and have some fun! Det er ikke så vanskelig å gå på skøyter [shoyter]. (Ice skating is not that hard.)…
Up the Mountain Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Oct 30, 2020
What’s the most Norwegian thing there is? Above trolls, Vikings and brunost (Norwegian brown cheese), I’d put hiking in the Norwegian fjell [fyell] (mountains). Vil du bli med på fjelltur? (Do you want to go on a mountain trip with me/us?) Fjellturer are a sosial aktivitet which makes your heart go faster! Even if you…
How to Survive Heatwaves in Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 31, 2019
Huff så varmt! (Ugh, how hot!) Like many other places in Europe, Norge has also been recently hit by a hetebølge (heat wave). Here’s a tiny survival guide for the next time termometeret viser over 30 grader (the thermometer shows more than 30 °C). Husk å drikke mye vann! (Remember to drink lots of water!)…
Criss-crossing Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 28, 2019
If you look in an atlas, Norway looks like a very long vott (mitten – or do you see something else?) Add a lot of fjorder og fjell (fjords and mountains), and it’s easy to see how Norwegians can have a hard time getting around. 🙂 Fortunately, there are many ways to criss-cross the country……