Hydro power Posted by kari on Apr 16, 2009
As I was running through the woods this morning with my dog, although it was beautiful, I became nostalgic about the waterfalls (fosser) in Norway. At this time of year, especially, there is an abundance of fosser running down the sides of hills, cliffs, and mountains. It is so peaceful to wander through the woods and observe the…
Russeknuter Posted by kari on Apr 14, 2009
Knots. No, not the kind you tie. Or the measurement for nautical speed. Or the kind that make your back hurt. I’m talking about more or less badges of fulfillment of some kind of task or dare by a Russ during the festivities leading up to Syttende Mai. The knot itself is usually an item…
Russ-not short for Russell på norsk Posted by kari on Apr 8, 2009
It’s almost that time of year again. Russetid (Russ time, the ‘u’ pronounced like a short vowel with your lips pursed in a small circle). May 1st represents the beginning of a very important celebration in Norway-graduation from high school-which lasts until May 17, Norway’s Constitution Day. You are probably wondering what a celebration like…
Easter and crime? What a combo. Posted by kari on Apr 5, 2009
The sale of crime novels in Norway increases 500% in the week leading up to Easter. Norwegians simply love to read crime novels around Eastertime. When I first heard this, my first question was why Easter? Halloween seemed like the most reasonable holiday to be accompanied by a crime theme if I were to choose…
Thor Steinar Posted by kari on Apr 3, 2009
I do not know who the Thor Steinar is that is behind the clothing line ‘Thor Steinar,’ but wouldn’t want to be him. Thor Steinar is a German clothing brand which is represented by logos that have caused much controversy. They appeared strikingly similar to the swastika until the company changed their logos. Many more people would…
Skandinavians – the skiing pioneers Posted by kari on Mar 31, 2009
Seriously, what an awesome thing to be the first at. The earliest carvings of skiing date back to 5000 B.C. in the region of Rødøy, Norway where there was an image of a skiier with a pole. The earliest ski was found in Sweden and dates back to roughly the same time period. I’m not…
Religion-tror du? Posted by kari on Mar 23, 2009
Religion-do you believe? Tror dere på Gud? Do you (pl) believe in God? Any god? One of the headlines on ‘aftenposten.no’ today is “Absurd å tenke at det finnes noe mer” – Absurd to think that there is something else (finnes literally translates to ‘is found). The following excerpt comes from the article (which you…