We have finally found a name for our Miss "Beansprout." Our guidelines were these:
1) It couldn't be a popular name.
2) It has to be pronounced the same or very similar in both Norway and the US.
3) It couldn't have any more than one spelling.
4) No ÆØÅ or rolling Rs. Mom has to be able to pronounce her daughter's name. ;-)
After going through baby books, websites, suggestions from friends and family and other lists of names, we found the name - something simple, cute and feminine and it's a short and sweet name for a short and sweet little girl. :-)
We were sitting at home and struggling with finding a name we both agreed on until I finally remembered watching some Norwegian-American dating show on TV several months ago (these type of shows bore me, so I only watched a few minutes) and I remember a girl on the show being named the name we chose and I thought it was adorable. So I blurted the name and Arild agreed with me on the name. We tossed the name around at home and only referred to the baby or "Beansprout" as Pia and we loved it. And so her name is Pia! :-)
The meaning of Pia is "pious", "law abiding" or "devout." However, it is a widely international name and the meaning of the name can be "lover" or "the most beloved" depending on where in the world the name is used.
Pia is the 183th most popular girl's name in Norway and it isn't even in the top 1000 in the US. The name is most popular in Scandinavia and Latin countries. There is only one way to spell Pia and even though to me it looks like a simple enough name to say, when I've typed it I've been asked how it's pronounced. It's just like the name Mia, but replace the M with a P and there ya go! :-) There are no ÆØÅs or those dreadful rolling Rs Norwegians like to use so well. :-)
So Pia it is!
May 21, 2013
May 20, 2013
Syttende Mai
This past Friday was a big day for Norway. It was the 17th of May or in other words the National Day where Norway gained its independence from Denmark 199 years ago by making their own constitution. Today it's celebrated with parades of bunad-wearing school children, marching bands, eating cake, ice cream, waffles and hot dogs all day.
I was very excited to be here to finally celebrate my first 17th of May in Norway! We went to the city center in time to watch the children's parade and left right as the Russ were beginning their parade. Ate ice cream, then went to my husband's old elementary school where we thought there would be a local parade. Instead there was no parade, so we ate cake. Afterwards we went and ate more ice cream and hot dogs. That sums up our 17. mai! We were also bombarded by a couple of sugar crazed 9-10 year olds who were wondering if we were Russ. Apparently Russ give out Russ cards (basically just a card with the student's picture and some of their personal quotes on it) to younger children who collect them because they look up to the older students. Anyways, it gave me a sense of hope in my recent extreme frustration with learning the language as I was able to carry on a conversation with a kid. :-)
 |
| Yep, this pretty much explains it! From: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/17%20mai |
I know there's been a recent political debate about the use of foreign flags for 17. mai. I felt a little uneasy about holding another country's flag (though I live here) and not equaling that with my own national flag. I didn't want to offend anyone or come off as rude or arrogant either. I asked some friends for advice and they all suggested I should just do what I want to do and they didn't see a problem with it. One good friend of mine who is from Bosnia told me a lot of Bosnians will wear their own national clothing to 17. mai festivals or they will wear a pin of the Bosnian flag alongside celebrating with a Norwegian flag. So that's what I did. I carried a tiny Norwegian and a tiny American flag with me that day! :-)
 |
| The beginning of the parade. |
 |
| The marching band. |
 |
| Together with the hubs. |
 |
| Stopping for cake. |
 |
| Russ gathering. |
 |
| 1st ice cream stop! |
May 18, 2013
Wedding Anniversary
I could say a million things about mine and my husband's one year anniversary. I could go on and on, but I'll just stick to something simple. It's been a year, a really great year! 2 years ago on May 18th Arild made his first visit to the US and that's when we met in person. When I met him, it felt like I had known him my entire life. 1 year ago we exchanged vows and said our I Dos. (Actually I had forgotten to write the "I Do" part in our vows, so it was never said!) I'd like to think only good things have happened for us since meeting 2 years ago.
If it weren't for my husband, the thought of moving to Norway would have never even crossed my mind. He's the sole reason why I'm living 4200 miles away from the US and would have only dreamed of living elsewhere.
Anyways, I think I'll just save the writing and say the rest in pictures!
If it weren't for my husband, the thought of moving to Norway would have never even crossed my mind. He's the sole reason why I'm living 4200 miles away from the US and would have only dreamed of living elsewhere.
Anyways, I think I'll just save the writing and say the rest in pictures!
 |
| Reunited on May 12, 2012. |
 |
| How we spent our May 17th last year. |
 |
| Married. May 18, 2012! |
 |
| My moving trip to Norway on May 24-25, 2012. |
 |
| Starting to look alike. |
 |
| Visiting Drangedal. |
 |
| Inside an old ruins of a church cellar. |
 |
| Honeymooning in Italy. |
 |
| Honeymooning in France. |
 |
| Visiting Bergen. |
 |
| Visiting Kristiansand. |
 |
| Denmark! |
 |
| Even though he's over a foot or 30 cm taller than me, I can still pick him up and carry him on my back. |
 |
| Denmark again!!! |
 |
| 6 months of marriage in Denmark! I just adore this guy! :-) |
 |
| First Christmas together... in person and without Skype! |
 |
| Germany! |
 |
| Taking a very cold hike! |
 |
| Being tickled at the Mumford & Sons concert. |
 |
| Celebrating 17. mai!!! |
 |
| And celebrating one year of marriage with a hike! :-) |
May 15, 2013
Bunads
With Norway's national day coming soon (May 17th) I thought it would be fitting to talk a bit about bunads. I just love old culture preserved in bunads! It's such a great dose of Norwegian culture to go to an event and be surrounded by people wearing bunads that in a way it kind of feels like you've stepped back in time a couple hundred years. In fact, it is what people wore a few centuries ago in Norway. Today the traditional clothing can be worn to weddings, folk festivals and church events like baptisms and confirmations, as well as on May 17th of course. What better way to celebrate nationalism than to wear traditional folk clothing from the 1800s?
I'm absolutely excited to celebrate this holiday for the first time. It's tradition for there to be parades with small children and school kids, some of which are dressed in bunads. Afterwards, the day is celebrated with ice cream and waffles.
I have been looking at baby bunads lately. I know it's too early to get one as I really don't know how fast or slow our baby will be growing by next 17. mai (May 17th in Norwegian). To get a custom bunad for an adult, you'd be looking at spending hundreds to thousands of dollars/kroner, but many stores sell inexpensive bunads for babies and children for around NOK 500 or $85 USD. However, you can find gently used bunads for babies and children at very reasonable prices - around NOK 150-200 or $25-34 USD. Anyways, I really look forward to taking our little one to next year's 17. mai parade dressed in a bunad for the first time. Of course, she'll have 2 national days to celebrate - 17. mai dressed in a bunad, holding a Norwegian flag and being treated to ice cream and waffles after a parade and 4th of July waving an American flag and eating barbecue. :-) (Sadly, when we celebrate July 4th in Norway, it has to be done without fireworks as they're only legal on New Year's Eve!)
My husband and I have been looking through baby pictures and before we were married his dad sent me some of Arild's cute bunad pictures. Here's one:
I'm absolutely excited to celebrate this holiday for the first time. It's tradition for there to be parades with small children and school kids, some of which are dressed in bunads. Afterwards, the day is celebrated with ice cream and waffles.
I have been looking at baby bunads lately. I know it's too early to get one as I really don't know how fast or slow our baby will be growing by next 17. mai (May 17th in Norwegian). To get a custom bunad for an adult, you'd be looking at spending hundreds to thousands of dollars/kroner, but many stores sell inexpensive bunads for babies and children for around NOK 500 or $85 USD. However, you can find gently used bunads for babies and children at very reasonable prices - around NOK 150-200 or $25-34 USD. Anyways, I really look forward to taking our little one to next year's 17. mai parade dressed in a bunad for the first time. Of course, she'll have 2 national days to celebrate - 17. mai dressed in a bunad, holding a Norwegian flag and being treated to ice cream and waffles after a parade and 4th of July waving an American flag and eating barbecue. :-) (Sadly, when we celebrate July 4th in Norway, it has to be done without fireworks as they're only legal on New Year's Eve!)
My husband and I have been looking through baby pictures and before we were married his dad sent me some of Arild's cute bunad pictures. Here's one:
However, little girls wear a dress similar to this:
 |
| From: http://www.foreldreportalen.no/forum/showthread.php?t=92077 |
Adult bunads look similar to the children's bunads, just bigger! Also, bunads come in many different patterns and it is generally worn to represent the area in Norway you're from.
May 8, 2013
That's a country?!? Huh, well, how about that!
In the past few years I've learned it's stereotypical of Americans to be terrible at geography. I greatly reinforce that stereotype. Really, I don't think it should be an American stereotype, but possibly just an individual issue. I have learned a little geography since moving to Norway, but mostly it's because my husband underestimated how terrible I am at knowing about other countries and he's given me geographic lectures upon more lectures.
At my Norwegian course the other day, my teacher asked me, "What did you think about Norway before you moved here?" I laughed. Did he really want me to try to explain how I didn't know the place was even a country, but possibly a place in Moscow or Morocco? Not sure why I once thought that, but it's almost embarrassing to admit that. I didn't know Norway was a country until my husband when I first met him said it was a part of Scandinavia... and that's when I thought, "Ah yes! It's in Sweden!!!" and felt proud of myself for knowing something about Scandinavia!
Anyways, that part was skipped when I was answering my teacher. I just explained to him, "Før jeg flyttet til Norge, trodde jeg det var is overalt og isbjørner gikk i gatene." (Before I moved to Norway, I thought there was ice everywhere and polar bears walked in the streets.) He nodded his head like he's heard that many times before. :-)
I try my best to avoid asking people where they're from now. It's a bit embarrassing to meet someone new in school and they tell me which country they're from and I have not a clue where it is or even which continent it's on. So, I'll just nod and smile while thinking, "I never knew that was a country" or if I really want to get involved I'll ask them questions about their homeland.
I'm not sure if my theory is right, but everyone seems to know so much more about the world than I do. My reasoning behind that is because America is such a large country, we spend our time in school learning about our own country, each state and capital. However, if we lived in a country the size of a state, it would make much more sense to learn about other places. Plus, America is well known and the top pop culture and entertainment provider in the world, so it kind of makes sense for other countries to know more about America, than America to know about the world. That's my theory anyways! :-)
 |
| Stereotyped map of the world. From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/feb/17/stereotype-maps-tsvetkov# |
At my Norwegian course the other day, my teacher asked me, "What did you think about Norway before you moved here?" I laughed. Did he really want me to try to explain how I didn't know the place was even a country, but possibly a place in Moscow or Morocco? Not sure why I once thought that, but it's almost embarrassing to admit that. I didn't know Norway was a country until my husband when I first met him said it was a part of Scandinavia... and that's when I thought, "Ah yes! It's in Sweden!!!" and felt proud of myself for knowing something about Scandinavia!
Anyways, that part was skipped when I was answering my teacher. I just explained to him, "Før jeg flyttet til Norge, trodde jeg det var is overalt og isbjørner gikk i gatene." (Before I moved to Norway, I thought there was ice everywhere and polar bears walked in the streets.) He nodded his head like he's heard that many times before. :-)
I try my best to avoid asking people where they're from now. It's a bit embarrassing to meet someone new in school and they tell me which country they're from and I have not a clue where it is or even which continent it's on. So, I'll just nod and smile while thinking, "I never knew that was a country" or if I really want to get involved I'll ask them questions about their homeland.
I'm not sure if my theory is right, but everyone seems to know so much more about the world than I do. My reasoning behind that is because America is such a large country, we spend our time in school learning about our own country, each state and capital. However, if we lived in a country the size of a state, it would make much more sense to learn about other places. Plus, America is well known and the top pop culture and entertainment provider in the world, so it kind of makes sense for other countries to know more about America, than America to know about the world. That's my theory anyways! :-)
May 7, 2013
Russ
Yeah... it's that time of year. Russ. To my understanding, it's a traditional celebration where students in their last year of high school take a few weeks in May typically May 1-17 (but they can get an early start in April) and complete a series of pranks and tasks to earn knots on a hat which completes their overalls outfit. The pranks can range from the innocent like eating breakfast or spending the night in a roundabout to the not so innocent like drinking games and um... well, other things. From what I do know about it, I don't think I feel too comfortable with young people (well, anyone for that matter) acting reckless and senseless.
Recently I've been told about a day where the girls were supposed to come to school wearing a mustache. If they weren't wearing a drawn on mustache they'd be chased and squirted with a water gun. Another task was crawling over a bridge. My husband sometimes talks about his alcohol abstinence and told me when he was a Russ, he received a knot for not drinking alcohol.
Red is the most popular color of overalls, but the color depends on the type of school the student attends. Red is a general studies school and blue would be economics and business, but there are other lesser known colors like green, black and white.
However, Russ will end shortly before exams and on May 17th, Norway's National Day where they can be seen in local school parades.
 |
| Trying on my husband's old Russ outfit. |
 |
| A typical Russ picture, red van and all. From: http://no.gosupermodel.com/frontpage/news.jsp?news_id=3021 |
Red is the most popular color of overalls, but the color depends on the type of school the student attends. Red is a general studies school and blue would be economics and business, but there are other lesser known colors like green, black and white.
However, Russ will end shortly before exams and on May 17th, Norway's National Day where they can be seen in local school parades.
May 5, 2013
Dugnad
A good sign spring has sprung in Norway is the neighborhood volunteering effort of spring cleaning called, "Dugnad." We had dugnad in our neighborhood on Tuesday where everyone took part in cleaning up something. I swept the carport and picked up trash while Arild hosed the carport and part of the driveway. Sometimes people paint, get rid of dead leaves or chip wood.
The idea of it is to have a community effort in doing something and also because wages are so high in Norway, it would be quite expensive to hire someone to do the work.
Afterwards we were treated to a cookout and we checked out a small playground in our neighborhood that neither of us had noticed too much before and talked about taking our little one there next summer.
The idea of it is to have a community effort in doing something and also because wages are so high in Norway, it would be quite expensive to hire someone to do the work.
Afterwards we were treated to a cookout and we checked out a small playground in our neighborhood that neither of us had noticed too much before and talked about taking our little one there next summer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)