I was on a bike ride this morning and rode past the Stanton airport, where pilots and their families were having a picnic.  Whenever I see small planes or helicopters, I think of my late friend (who was Norwegian) who died in a helicopter crash 2 years ago this summer.  The purpose of this post is not to seek sympathy or tell you about someone you don´t know or will never have the pleasure of knowing.  What I do want to share are my general thoughts aboutNorwegian men.

I have always found Norwegian men to be such gentlemen.  They are extremely respectful to the opposite sex and appreciate their relationships with women.  It´s not that the men I know in this country don´t share the same sentiments, but it is certainly more apparent, in my opinion, in Norway.  Rarely do you see a group of guys whistling at a girl walking by or hitting on another woman in the vicinity of their significant other.  It is very common to see a father out walking a stroller or playing with the kids.  There are couples romantically interacting all over the place in public.  There is no shame in treating your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband super well in public or in front of one´s guy friends, as there can be here in this country.

My friend was a sjarmerende (charming), kjekk (handsome), man who like many Norwegian men, believed ridderlighet (chivalry) is not dead.  I have found that most Norwegian men I have met or have come to know, regardless of their age, fit this profile.  They are stand-up dudes!

It seems apparent to me that the political landscape in Norway has positively influenced the way that men treat women.  I wrote in a recent post about Norwegian women and the remarkable equality they enjoy with men.  This equality certainly creates an atmosphere of general respect from both genders towards one another.

I think Norwegian women are excellent!  But as I was thinking about my dear friend, I simply had to write a short post about Norwegian men:)