Norwegian moment

This morning, Norway invited itself for breakfast:

BreakfastThe sun gets up at about 4 am these days. The little ones are the first to sense the rays of light despite our efforts to make each room as dark and fresh as a coffin. Ehem.

Here’s one of Sophie’s favorites: A “lompe” with brown cheese; though she cannot read yet, the newspaper is part of any nutritious Norwegian breakfast.

So, what happens when you cross a Gnocci and a Crêpe? You get a LOMPE or what I like to call “the Norwegian Tortilla”. It’s a thin pancake made of potatoes used mainly to wrap hotdogs (instead of bread). Its neutral taste makes it easy to combine with sweet foods as well. In this case: Brown Cheese (Brun Ost),  another Norwegian Classic.

The only thing brown cheese has in common with real cheese is that it’s made  of milk (goat milk); but the final product tastes more like caramel. It is chewy and salty at the beginning and leaves you with a sweet aftertaste as it melts away from between your teeth. The best way to appreciate it is in thin slices. Continue reading →

Congrats Norway!

1It took me 3 hours and a jug of coffee to get ready and out of the house. We were to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day, the biggest most respected national holiday. To be honest, I didn’t feel like loosing myself in the crowd to wave at the royal family. Were it up to me, they could have slept in today. I would have too, after a night of feeding a baby boy who wakes up every 3 hours.

But getting ready was the only way I could escape the sound of my mother-in-law’s heals knocking on the wooden floor. She had been ready since 9 am.

So I plucked my eye brows, put on some make up (it had been so long that my little girl asked: what is that on your eyes mom?) and a fancy dress with a distant smell of moth, so long had it been since I’d worn it last. Continue reading →

Book by Expats in Norway

The best way to get to know a culture, is to live in it for some time. The next best thing is to read stories from those who actually do. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a compilation of expat experiences portraying different points of view about life in Norway?
Starting June 7th, there will be!  Continue reading →

Making Friends in a New Country

Guest Post by Linda Cottrell: “I am a serial expat from the USA and UK, now living in Norway. I am married to a Brit, and we are looked after by two children, two cats and a small library.  I enjoy a wide variety of activities, both creative and sporty.  Although I am an engineer by trade (how else to move to Norway?!), I have also played ‘cello in a professional orchestra, done lawn service and gardening, worked as a machinist, and as a bicycling instructor.  Housework is the bane of my existence, so I ignore it and go out to play with the kids.” Enjoy!

The first time I moved countries, I didn’t know the profound differences culture and foreignness would make in forming new friendships. Continue reading →

Pregnant in the Nordics

This post was published a while ago but it didn’t stay out long because of a Hack-attack. I thought it’d be good to get it out again, this time for good. There is another reason why I decided to post this again. You may have noticed I’ve been quiet for a while. It is because I recently gave birth to my second child, the one who inspired me to actually write this. I hope it is informative at best and entertaining, at the very least. Thanks for dropping by and good day to you!

It was the night before monday and I couldn’t wait any longer. My husband made a quick trip to the pharmacy in the middle of the night to get me some Peace Of Mind at a reasonable price. I unwrapped it and did what I had to do. Eternity ended after 2 minutes and there it was, on the small gray screen: “Gravid” (As in: Pregnant). We hugged in the bathroom and smiled in silence while our 3-year-old slept: we were pregnant with our second child. My mind started racing: so much to think about! What do we need? what do we already have? What to eat? What not to eat? Check-ups, due-date… a new life as a family of four. It’s easy to focus on the planning and the must-dos of this 9-month transition, forgetting to enjoy being pregnant which is a shame. I interrupted the thinking-twister to remind myself what an enjoyable experience this can be in Norway! Continue reading →