Spring is here! Don’t be fooled by the snow everywhere. Norwegians have decided that it’s spring now, no matter how deep the snow is. How can you tell it’s spring? Here are five signs of spring in Norway. 1, Everyone talks about the sun We’ve been sun-deprived for months and when it’s finally here–even in …
After 6-10 months of snow, sleet and rain, something strange makes Scandinavians stare at the sky. A big yellow ball not only brightens up the day (and night) – it sends heat to our cold corner of the world. So what do we do when we’re no longer the place where the sun doesn’t shine? 1, …
Scandinavia is known for our generous benefits for people who get sick. You can take time off from work with full pay (you’ll need your doctor to sign some documents if you’re sick for extended periods of time) or almost full pay if you get sick. A common cold or cancer – you have a …
Did you ever wonder how IKEA finds name for all the furniture they sell? They have Kramfors, Imfors, Håbol, Leksvik, Hemnes, Sandnes, Roskilde, Björkudden, Kaustby, Helmer, Elmrik and many thousand more. Well, wonder no more – it has been revealed. And Denmark is considering going to war with Sweden over it (not really, of course, …
Did you ever wonder what the fox say? I mean, we all know what dogs and cats and cows say (even if there seems to be some national differences) but what does a fox say? This is the question Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis are asking us all in this funny video: I know they have …
I have been contacted by more than one person wanting to date Scandinavian people or even marry one of us. My reply? Tough luck! Because Scandinavians don’t date. We hardly even have a word for it. The Scandinavian word for ‘date’ is really old-fashioned and one my grandmother might have used but probably didn’t because …
A few years ago I wrote a fanfiction called Highway to Hell about road rage on a European highway. It described how the heroine was stuck behind a truck and had the hero of the story flashing his lights to get past her, much to her annoyance. But this summer I drove 6400 kilometers in …
Public transportation is very important here in Scandinavia. A lot of Scandinavians take the bus, tram, subway, train or boat to work every day. Watching this Danish commercial makes one look forward to taking the bus tomorrow morning :-).
I love the Danish cartoonists Mikael Wulff and Anders Morgenthaler who draw cartoons under the pen name WuMo. More often than not they are way out of line but I suppose that`s one of the things I love about them. They`ve made quite a few cartoons about Vikings and I used one a couple of …
I felt the need for something lighter. A song, perhaps. I found this song pretty cute – about the letter Æ, Ø and Å and how size matters, even when it comes to the alphabet 🙂 And I`ll add a comic: Read more of the amazing Scandinavia and the World comics