the Inside this issue: NorwegiaN Norwegian & Mediterranean sounds in harmony american story on page 11

Volume 129, #1 • January 12, 2018 Est. May 17, 1889 • Formerly Norwegian American Weekly, Western Viking & Nordisk Tidende $4 USD The “cure” for the winter gray

What’s inside? The vibrant color of gravlax and its rich Nyheter / News 2-3 Ting skal gå i stykker, det « Business betyr lykke. Det er begynnelsen 4-5 salmon flavor wake up the darkest of days Opinion 6-7 på noe nytt. » Daytona Strong – Beate Grimsrud Sports 8-9 Taste of Norway Editor Research & Science 10 Arts & Entertainment 11 The cure begins with sugar, salt, and dill en- flavorings, I prefer to let the essence of the sal- casing the salmon. By the time the ingredients mon shine. With nothing aside from salt, sugar, Taste of Norway 12-13 are fully applied, there’s no trace of the fish. Thedill, and perhaps a bit of aquavit or vodka, the Norway near you 14-15 vibrant red of the sockeye is buried—as its name flavor of the salmon intensifies, transforming the Travel 16-17 gravlax (“grave salmon”) suggests—in a mound fish into an even more rich and luscious version Norwegian Heritage 18-19 that resembles freshly fallen snow. of itself. We’ve been making gravlax, a Scandina- When making gravlax, I know that I’m cel- Norsk Språk 20-21 vian cured salmon with roots that go back to ebrating something of my heritage, joining in a Fiction 22 the Middle Ages, for years around here. It’s our centuries-old tradition, albeit one that’s morphed Roots & Connections 23 go-to holiday appetizer, the constant fixture in considerably over time. Bulletin Board 24 our Christmas feast. The rest of the menu almost Thinking of the origins of gravlax—which doesn’t matter; no matter how complicated or appears in documents as early as the 1300s—I $1 = NOK 8.0753 simple I make the task of designing the menu, imagine Norway in the Middle Ages and see a gravlax is there. land of jagged topography lined with frigid wa- updated 01/08/2018 The beauty of gravlax is in its simplicity; In comparison while many recipes call for additional spices and See > gravlax page 12 0108/2018 8.0753 07/08/2017 8.3682 01/08/2017 8.5350 Photo: Daytona Strong the american 2 • January 12, 2018 Nyheter fra Norge NorwegiaN Nyheter Dyrere snop og brus i Norge Norge stanser våpeneksporten til Emiratene på grunn av Jemen- Svenske butikker krigen Utenriksdepartementet har besluttet å tror den nye norske stanse eksporten av våpen til De forente arabiske emirater som følge av landets sukkeravgiften vil gi krigføring i Jemen. dem storgevinst Det fattigste landet i Midtøsten, Je- men, er rammet av en brutal krig der sivil- Per annar Holm befolkningen er i fanget i en eskalerende, Aftenposten dødelig og menneskeskapt katastrofe. Norge har den siste tiden solgt våpen 1. januar økte sukkeravgiften med 83 og ammunisjon til en av Jemen-krigens prosent, mens avgiften på brus og andre sentrale parter, nemlig De forente arab- alkoholfrie drikkevarer gikk opp med 42,3 iske emirater, men nå har regjeringen prosent. snudd. Utenriksdepartementet besluttet NOK 2 milliarder beregner staten å ta 19. desember 2017 å suspendere gyldige inn på budsjettforliket mellom regjeringspar- lisenser for A-materiell (våpen og ammu- tiene, KrF og Venstre. nisjon) til De forente arabiske emirater. — For oss er dette veldig gode nyheter. UD skriver: «Utviklingen i den Godis, kylling og brus med og uten sukker er væpnede konflikten i Jemen høsten 2017hva våre norske kunder liker, sier butikksjef Foto: Per annar Holm / aftenposten har vært alvorlig, og det er stor bekymring Heidi Fouganthin på Nordby Supermarket, På Nordby Supermarket ved grensen i Sverige er søtsaker og brus blant de viktigste lokkevarene. for den humanitære situasjonen.» en liten mil fra norskegrensen. (VG) Nordens største dagligvareforretning på 6500 kvadratmeter bikket i 2016 en omset- svenske Systembolaget hadde åpnet her, avgiftsøkningene i Norge tror jeg enda flere Dyrere å slurve med last og snakke ning på NOK 1 milliard. men det svenske Polet vil hverken til Nordby vil fylle opp handlevognene med brus, sier i mobil bak rattet Over 90 prosent av kundene er norske, eller Töcksfors Handelspark. 59-åringen, som har 40 års erfaring fra Fra og med 1. januar ble satsene for for- og i snitt fylles hver handlevogn de 2,5 mil- Begrunnelsen er at de hovedsakelig skal grensehandelen. enklede forelegg økt. Det er blitt dyrere lioner kundene triller ut, for NOK 850. betjene de svenske kundene. både å holde for kort avstand til kjøretøy- Tar vi med hele det Olav Thon-kontrol- De siste fem årene har senteret økt med Se > SNOP Og BruS, side 21 et foran, og for å bruke mobiltelefon bak lerte Nordby Shoppingcenter, omsetter det for 5–10 prosent hvert år, og veksten fortsetter. rattet uten handsfree. over NOK 4 milliarder, eller ca. en fjerdedel — Mens våre svenske kunder handler English synopsis: As of Jan. 1, Norway’s taxes on Blant annet koster det nå fra NOK av den totale svensk-norske grensehandelen. for dagen eller helgen, driver nordmenn sugar and sodas increased by 83 percent and 42.3 per- 6800 og opptil NOK 10.000 kroner der- Senterledelsen tror at omsetningen ville hamstring. Spesielt har vi sett en økning cent respectively. Swedish stores expect an increase in som man har for kort avstand fram til ha økt med minst NOK 1 milliard om det på frosne grønnsaker og kjøtt. Med de siste Norwegian customers. kjøretøyet foran. I tillegg kommer et eventuelt beslag av førerkort, avhengig av tidsavstanden. Satsen økes fra NOK 6650, men Nok er nok Kinesisk superstjerne straffen på tre prikker i førerkortet er uen- dret. Oslo-politiet skriver at for dem er det på Slottet Skal lokke ski- å forhindre påkjørsler bakfra, et prioritert område. turister til Norge Politiet peker også fram endringen Kongeparet i satsen for bruk av mobiltelefon uten handsfree i bil. Den økes fra NOK 1650 dropper stor gull- mariann gjerDe til NOK 1700. NRK I tillegg endres også satsen for util- bryllupsfeiring Tidligere i år dukket kinesiske Wang strekkelig sikret last i motorvogn med til- Yuan opp i Time Magazine’s liste over latt totalvekt over 3,5 tonn, det vil si laste- VilDe HelljeSen, et al. bil. Der må man fra 1. januar ut med NOK NRK verdens 30 mest innflytelsesrike tenåringer. Det har satt han i søkelyset også utenfor Asia. 9000, tusenlappen mer enn tidligere. Etter å ha lagt bak seg en tid med feir- 5. januar landet superstjernen i Bergen, (NRK) ing av både 25 år på tronen og 80-årsdagene, melder Bergensavisen. Her er 17-åringen orker ikke kongeparet tanken på nok en ju- fordi managementet hans i høst tok kontakt To nye ulver skutt bileumsfeiring når de markerer gullbryllup med Innovasjon Norge for et samarbeid. 27. desember ble det skutt to ulver i Os- neste år. Yuan skal spille inn musikkvideo for å dalsreviret i Østerdalen. Dermed er totalt — Nei, da skal vi ha det så stort, sier promotere sin nye singel «Seventeen». fem ulver skutt før retten har bestemt om kong Harald leende til NRK mens han hold- Innovasjon Norge, i samarbeid med den omstridte jakten i ulvesonen skal er pekefingrene tett mot hverandre for å vise flere vestlandske turistaktører, håper på sin Foto: Pressebilde stoppes. størrelsen på den planlagte gullbryllupsfeir- side at besøket skal danne grunnlag for å Enormt populære Wang Yuan (17) reiser til Vest- Siden jakten startet ved årsskiftet er ingen. fremme skiturisme i Norge frem mot OL i landet for å spille inn musikkvideo og stå på ski. dermed fem ulver skutt i revirene i ulve- I fjor feiret kongeparet 25 år på tronen Beijing 2022. sonen. I tillegg ble det før jul skutt fem med ulike markeringer i løpet av flere — Vi når reisende vi aldri hadde nådd ulv utenfor ulvesonen. måneder. Det var blant annet skilek på gjennom tradisjonelle kampanjer, sier reise- og Bryggen, forteller Holm. Stortinget har åpnet for uttak av totalt Slotts plassen, en ti dager lang jubileumsreise livsdirektør Bente Bratland Holm i Innovas- De norske aktørene håper at flere kine- 42 ulv på landsbasis, 16 av dem i Hed- til seks fylker langs Norges kyst, og hage- jon Norge. sere vil rette nesen mot Norge også utenfor mark. fest i Slottsparken. Det har også vært storstilt Som en av de mest fulgte personene på vanlig turistsesong. Tilsammen er dette den største ulve- feir ing av kongeparets 80-årsdager. sosiale medier i Kina, vil Norge definitivt Kina har nærmere 12 millioner skien- jakten i Norge siden ulven ble totalfredet Ifølge kongeparet blir det en dempet bli satt i søkelyset under uken han skal til- tusiaster, samt en positiv utvikling når det i 1973. Stortinget har åpnet for i et totalt gullbryllupsfeiring med den nærmeste fami- bringe på Vestlandet. Med på laget er også kommer til interessen rundt skisport, særlig uttak på 42 ulver på landsbasis. lien. Sina Weibo, som er Kinas svar på Twitter og nå som OL er på plass i kalenderen. Verdens naturfond (WWF) mener — Vi synes vi har feiret så mye nå, sier Facebook. Yuan er en ivrig skientusiast og er aller- jakten er lovstridig og stevnet derfor stat- kongeparet nærmest i kor og ler høyt, før 6. januar reiste superstjernen til Flåm. 8. ede utpekt som ‘Winter Sports Ambassador’ en 13. desember. Organisasjonen ba om dronning Sonja slår fast: januar skulle han stå på ski med Kari Traa i for Beijing Social Sports Administration full stopp i jakten inntil retten får avgjort — Nok er nok. Myrkdalen. En seremoni herfra skal sendes Center i forbindelse med OL i 2022. om jakten er lovlig. live på Sina Weibo. Oslo tingrett skal i løpet av uken ta English synopsis: After a year of celebrations for Men 5. januar var det ingen media som English synopsis: Wang Yuan, a 17-year-old Chinese stilling til om jakten får fortsette. their 80th birthdays and 25 years on the throne in social media superstar with 34 million followers, has fikk være med popidolet, da han og crewet (Aftenposten) 2017, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have traveled to Western Norway to put on a pair of skis decided to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary var opptatt med filming. and film promotional videos to attract more Chinese on a smaller scale with their closest family members. — De gjør opptak blant annet på Fløyen tourists to Norway. theNorwegiaNamerican News January 12, 2018 • 3 Solberg’s New Year Norway’s IQs This week in brief Norwegian series “better than Game of are in decline Thrones” according to BBC list Prime Minister Erna Norwegian series Valkyrien has made its Solberg’s address to Intelligence levels have mark on the BBC’s list of top 10 television series in 2017. The series, which centers Norway, 2018 fallen in all Scandinavian on an illegal medical clinic in a disused countries, including bomb shelter, took ninth on the British broadcaster’s list, one place above HBO erna Solberg Norway and Denmark, hit Game of Thrones’s penultimate season. Government.no according to an analysis The series, set in Oslo, is praised for going “well beyond the usual tropes of Things are looking brighter for Norway. Nordic noir.” Since I held my New Year speech last tHe local “It is very nice to be remembered; a year, the number of job seekers registered lot of very good stuff is being made at the with the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Ad- The study was conducted by James moment,” Valkyrien series producer Eric ministration (NAV) has fallen by almost Flynn, a leading researcher of intelligence Vogel told newspaper VG. 14,000. More families can start the New Year quotient (IQ) measurement, writes Norwe- “There is something about the Unit- with a sense of security and optimism. gian news agency NTB. ed Kingdom and Valkyrien, it has been a The dramatic fall in the price of oil hit IQ in the Scandinavian countries had real hit there. ... The series discusses how us hard. Ships were laid up. Companies went been on the rise for decades, but the trend we react in complex times, and the British bankrupt. Thousands lost their jobs. has now been reversed, according to a report have experienced that themselves with I met many of those who were affected. published by journal Intelligence. Photo: Tore Sætre / Wikimedia Brexit,” Vogel said. They told me about all the applications they Measures taken as part of the study Erna Solberg at Central Bank of Norway Gover- An English-language remake is in had sent, but without success. They shared nor Øystein Olsen’s address in February 2016. have shown that, in Norway, fewer people the works, with the action moving from their feelings of uncertainty about the future. are reaching higher levels of mathematical Oslo to London, the BBC adds. Worries about mortgage payments, fears of and linguistic ability. The trend is similarly (The Local) long-term unemployment. one or two years ago are now in full-time prominent in both Denmark and Norway and In Norway, we are used to pulling to- work. But we haven’t solved all the problems. even more so in Finland. gether when we have to. That is what we did There are still people who are struggling to “This signals without doubt a deple- Norwegian carried record-high 33 this time, too. Employers and trade unions find work. The welfare society will cost moretion of people with high cognitive abilities,” million passengers in 2017 agreed on moderate wage settlements, to in the future, and revenues will increase at a Flynn said according to NTB’s report. Norwegian Air Shuttle reported its high- keep the price of Norwegian goods and ser- lesser rate than we have been used to. The IQ of Norwegians had been increas- est ever passenger figures in a single year vices down. A lower exchange rate for the And to top it all, we must prepare our- ing since 1950 until a turning point around with more than 33 million. The company krone also helped a lot. took delivery of 32 brand-new aircraft and Many of those who were out of work See > NEW yEar, page 24 See > iNTElligENcE, page 10 launched 54 new routes, mainly between Europe and the U.S. The group hired ap- proximately 2,000 new employees. Norwegian also received several inter- national customer awards in 2017, includ- Horse-drawn cabs in Oslo? ing two SkyTrax Awards: “Europe’s best low-cost carrier” for the fifth consecutive year and the “World’s best low-cost long- One company has haul airline” for the third year in a row; as applied to run a well as being named “Airline of the Year” by CAPA, the Center for Aviation. horse-drawn carriage (Norwegian) service in the Environmentalists lose lawsuit over Norway’s Arctic oil licenses Norwegian capital Oslo District Court has accepted the gov- ernment’s argument that awarding licenses tHe local to search for petroleum in the Barents Sea is not a violation of section 112 of the Nor- A riding center has applied for permis- wegian Constitution. The court held that sion to run a horse-drawn carriage service in the provision establishes an obligation for the Norwegian capital for the first time in 66 the authorities to implement measures to years. safeguard the environment but felt the au- The exit of Uber from Oslo’s streets thorities had in this case done so. could help pave the way for a more tradition- Photo: Norwegian National library Greenpeace, Natur og Ungdom (Na- al form of public transport to flourish. Horse-drawn carriages at Stortorvet in Oslo in the late 19th century. Photo by Marthinius Skøien. ture and Youth), and the Grandparents Lene Kragh, manager of the Alna Rid- Climate Campaign had accused Norway ing Center, has applied to Oslo’s municipal- of violating a new article of the country’s ity and urban environment agency for fund- resolved before carriage drivers can take the a large truck and a stable somewhere in the constitution that guarantees the right to a ing and permission to start a horse-drawn cab reins, press adviser Monica T. Olsen of Oslo city. But maybe there is now enough space,” healthy environment. service in the city, reports broadcaster NRK. Municipality’s urban environment depart- she said. “Whether Norway is doing enough Although a similar initiative by Kragh ment told the broadcaster. According to Statistics Norway, horse- for the environment and climate and if it in 2008 failed to get out of the gate, the rid- “We have received an application, which drawn cab services have not been available was sensible to open fields so far north ing center leader hopes that changing traffic will be processed. We expect Alna Riding in Oslo since 1951, when the last stands were and east are questions depending on com- circumstances in the city will make the plan Center to receive a response soon. They will removed as motorized traffic took over. posed assessments that are better assessed viable. probably have to apply for a type of holding Permission from several authorities through political processes that the courts “Oslo is going to be traffic-free, so we area, since they want to bring horses into the would be required to ensure their return. are not eligible to test,” the ruling says. think something should be done about the city,” Olsen said. “It may also be necessary to obtain per- “We are pleased that the court has city’s appearance. It could look very pleas- Kragh said that the city would not mission from the police. There are many given a clear meaning to the article ... that ant with living animals and horses,” Kragh be saddled with inadequate infrastructure practical things that must be resolved before can be used to stop harmful political deci- told NRK. should permission to set up the service be horse-drawn carriages are able to return to sions,” Truls Gulowsen, leader for Green- A number of practical questions must be granted. “We do not see it as just needing the city scene,” Olsen told NRK. peace Norway, told AFP. “At the same time, we are very disap- pointed that it has created a legal vacuum This issue’s news from Norway is brought to you through a partnership with: by claiming that emissions from Norwe- gian oil abroad are not covered by this provision of the constitution,” he added. www.thelocal.no (Staff) the american 4 • January 12, 2018 Business NorwegiaN Kistefos invests in blockchain tech: TradeIX brings the tech to the Nordics

oliVer belin Nordic Startup Bits

It is surprising how long it takes for the market to drive innovations in finance mod- ernization and digitalization. Today, many would argue that the flow of information and finance along global supply chains is still- us ing inefficient and outdated solutions with a fair amount of manual and paper-based pro- cesses, as well as numerous intermediaries to provide trust and security. While a lot of effort has gone into try- ing to address these antiquated systems and siloed communication challenges, there is still no viable end-to-end solution in trade- fi nance connecting all parties efficiently. One company tackling this is TradeIX. The firm is backed by Kistefos, a private investment company wholly owned by the Norwegian businessman Christen Sveaas. illustration courtesy of Nordic Startup Bits It consists of a TIX Platform that is set to rewire the trade ecosystem by energizing traditional players like financial institutions, From lumber mills to finance company started to focus on financial servic- New paradigm for private equity corporates, and their supply chains. Using Kistefos dates back to 1889 when the es in 2005 and since then has developed very In recent research, Accenture reported advanced communication channels, reliable Sveaas family founded the lumber mill Kiste- deep domain expertise across all areas of the that blockchain technology could help the consensus mechanisms, and distributed led- fos Træsliberi. Today, the company compris- financial-services industry. world’s largest investment banks cut their in- gers, TradeIX offers a high degree of secu- es wholly owned and partly owned industrial One of its recent investments is in frastructure costs by between $8 billion and rity, as well as transparency of trade assets. companies within offshore, shipping, and IT, Trade IX and its blockchain-enabled trade- $12fi billion a year by 2025. “We’re already These attributes could be very useful in trade as well as strategic investments in various nance platform. Erik Borgen, Investment Di- seeing significant levels of investment from finance, which can lead to benefits likein - listed and unlisted companies, mostly within rector at Kistefos, says: “We have followed private-equity firms and strategic investors creasing liquidity in the global trade market- the segments of offshore, shipping, finan- TradeIX and its management team for some all across the trade finance and blockchain place. cial services, telecommunications, and real time. TradeIX represents a unique invest- landscape. This interest is being driven by the estate, as well as financial investments. Thement opportunity with its experienced team rapid adoption and penetration of FinTech- and game-changing platform, scalable busi- related solutions in trade finance,” says Erik ness model targeted at an attractive market.” Borgen. For those not familiar, blockchain is a “There is real commercial interest in new technology that allows for the transpar- blockchain, especially in the trade finance- sec ency and direct transfer of assets and value tor,” said Richard Tynan, Managing Director, between parties without the use of an inter- TradeIX. “Venture capital investors moved mediary. Blockchain was created to be used fastest, but now we’re seeing an increasing Sealift Inc. for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but now number of financial-services companies- in blockchain is being used for all types of as- terested in deploying funds both directly and sets in different industries to track assets like indirectly through consortiums such as R3.” purchase orders, inventory, invoices, and After strong investor interest in block- • Ship Owners • more. It represents a completely new para- chain technologies in 2016, some investors digm in trade finance, one in which- coun are now looking for companies with solutions terparties collectively manage shared dis- that can be commercialized and scaled. Trade- • Ship & Cargo Brokers • tributed databases—known as a distributed IX is working on such a landmark transaction- ledger—instead of only relying on trusted leveraging blockchain that could herald a new agents to maintain, update, and reconcile era of simpler, safer, and more efficient trade • Steamship Agents • various proprietary databases. Transactions finance. leveraging the blockchain are direct and can settle almost instantaneously; they are faster, This article was originally published on Nor- more robust, and secure, virtually eliminat- dic Startup Bits at www.nordicstartupbits. ing counterparty risk. This could free up a com/2017/11/14/tradeix-backed-norways- great amount of capital for other uses. kistefos-brings-blockchain-technology-exec- utive-suites-nordics.

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Call 206-784-4617 or email [email protected] 68 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 to request a personalized advertising proposal Phone: (516) 922-1000 Fax: (516) 922-6526 www.sealiftinc.com E-mail: [email protected] theNorwegiaNamerican Business January 12, 2018 • 5 A tradition of quality seafood products Vesteraalens AS hopes to establish the leading value chain for cod and other white fish

throughout the entire value chain, from of-the-art facilities designed for the catch to the customer. All activity future-oriented activity. In addition raSmuS Falck must be based on respect for fish- to modern production facilities, Oslo ing quotas and regulations that the there will be a new information authorities lay down for fisheries. center for visitors. Here they will Vesteraalens Canning Factory One general goal is that the entire present the company’s 105-year was founded by Georg Ellingsen in fish shall be used in edible products history. There will also be a food- Sortland in 1912. With its location in and other applications. tasting counter and a retail sales Vesterålen in northern Norway and The company’s omega-3 oil in outlet for fresh fish products. perfect conditions for marine life, the stylish glass bottles is of the finest It is the abundant supply of company soon became famous for its quality and produced for demanding fresh fish that is so important for canned fish products. The company customers. The new consumer prod- the quality and hence the success produced supplies for Roald Amund- uct was just launched. There are also of Vesteraalens. Because of its sen’s 1918-22 expedition through the products for food production, namely unique location, the company can Arctic Northwest Passage, and its fish as an ingredient in food for babies and collect cod and livers directly from balls soon became a household prod- as a food supplement. According to the boats so they are fresh and can uct. studies, we need to increase our intake be processed within a very short Among the most dramatic events of omega-3 fatty acids as part of our di- period of time. in the history of the factory was a fire ets. Cod-liver oil may also have some Through strategic cooperation in 1991 that resulted in a shutdown of important therapeutic properties. It is with selected partners, the com- the factory. Norway Foods, the owner thought to help relieve joint stiffness pany’s vision is to establish the at the time, proposed moving seafood associated with arthritis, have a posi- world’s leading value chain for cod production permanently to Sweden, but tive effect on cardiovascular health, and other white fish. permission was not granted. In 2009, and help repair wounded teeth, nails, production was again stopped, the Nor- hair, and skin. Rasmus Falck is a wegian people protested, groups were The company has its own labo- strong innovation created, newspaper articles were writ- ratory—a work environment used to and entrepreneur- ten, and eventually the people won. Lo- perform scientific research, experi- ship advocate. The cal owners reopened the factory and will ments, and measurements under con- author of “What do open a new factory next year. trolled circumstances. The development the best do better” The new owner’s goal is to satisfy of new high-quality products requires and “The board customers demanding seafood of optimal high-level skills, and Vesteraalens pos- of directors as a quality and thorough documentation. The sesses these skills. They have three resource in SME,” he received his product must be manufactured with a mini- employees who are directly associated master’s degree from the University mum of energy consumption and without Photo: vesteraalens aS with research and development. In the of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently artificial additives and must be traceable Vesteraalens sells “prima kvalitet” canned fish balls. new factory, they will use modern state- lives in Oslo.

Exchange Rates Oslo Børs: Week at a Glance Business News & Notes (Jan. 8, 2018) Winners Losers Statoil bids for offshore wind this means increased profitability, lower -en Norsk Kr. 8.0753 Name NOK Change Name NOK Change Statoil has submitted a bid in the offshore ergy consumption, and additional jobs,” says Dansk Kr. 6.2236 Element 5,86 16,73% Wilson 13,00 -10,34% Eidesvik Offshore 8,60 -9,47% wind tender Hollandse Kust Zuid areas I Hilde Merete Aasheim, Head of Primary Svensk Kr. 8.2042 Polaris Media 21,80 14,74% Aluminum in Hydro. Team Tankes Intl. 10,00 13,64% Incus Investor 1,21 -7,98% & II, an up to 760 megawatt project in the Islandsk Kr. 104.59 Thin Film Electronics 2,47 8,83% Avocet Mining PLC 2,02 -7,76% Hydro Husnes today produces about Dutch part of the North Sea. This is the first Canadian $ 1.2417 Targovax 19,80 8,20% GC Rieber Shipping 8,50 -5,56% 95,000 tons of primary aluminum per year. non-subsidy tender for offshore wind proj- Euro 0.8375 For detailed information about the Oslo Børs, visit www.dn.no. ects in the world. With the re-start, the plant will produce Statoil intends to play a key role in shap- about 190,000 tons of aluminum annually. ing the future of energy and contribute to the The expected total investment for the transition to a low-carbon world. As part of upgrade and re-start is NOK 1.3 billion (in Statoil’s development from a focused oil and 2017 terms). Final build decision is expected gas company to a broad energy major, the in Q3 2018. company has an ambition to invest almost Hydro Husnes employs 245 people and became fully owned by Hydro in November $12 billion in profitable renewable and low carbon projects in the coming years. 2014. Statoil is partner and operator of some (Norsk Hydro ASA) Custom jewelry in of the largest offshore wind farms in Eu- rope, providing energy to more than 1 mil- Unemployment at 4.0 percent silver and gold lion households in the UK and Germany. In Adjusted for seasonal variations, there were October, Statoil also opened the world’s first 111,000 unemployed persons in Norway in featuring floating offshore wind farm offshore- Scot October. This corresponded to 4.0 percent of land. the labor force, down 0.1 percentage points Norwegian filigree, (Statoil) from July. During the last year, unemployment has Nordic designs and Hydro to resume production on Husnes decreased by 21,000 persons, from 4.8 per- line cent in October 2016. Scandinavian Last month, Hydro made the decision to The number of people registered as un- upgrade and start up the second production employed or on government initiatives to gemstones by line at Hydro Husnes. With both lines in op- promote employment with the Labor and eration, production of primary aluminum at Welfare Administration (NAV) decreased by Debra Carus Husnes will double. 4,000 persons from July (average of June– In the restart of the line, which was shut August) to October (average of September– down in 2009, Hydro will introduce new tech- November). According to the Labor Force Elentari-handverk.com nology that will give better results. The line is Survey, the seasonally adjusted number of employed persons increased by 6,000 per- [email protected] expected to begin operations in the first half of 2020 and will create 90 new positions. sons from July (average of June–August) to 971-221-8151 “We have great faith in continued alumi- October (average of September–November). num production in Norway. ... For Husnes, (Statistics Norway) the american 6 • January 12, 2018 Opinion NorwegiaN

A message from Editor-in-chief Emily C. Skaftun Editor’s Notes Join the conversation!

State of the newspaper

Another year, another set of unex- pected wins and losses for this paper. We started the year embarking on our second Indiegogo campaign. The first one, in 2015, was a smashing success, earning more money than I’d dreamed. It was a critical endeavor, as without that in- fusion of cash we might have closed, and people knew it. The second time around, even though we had better perks on of- fer, a better video, and the obvious proof that we use money wisely (just look how much better this paper is now than it was two years ago!), we made a lot less mon- ey. Perhaps our readers had started taking it for granted that we’d stay in business? Photo: Derek Willis Whatever the reason, that was the first un- Above: The silly video we made at the beginning of 2017 had me playing the role of “Editor.” expected loss of the year. Right: Our cookbook, A Taste of Norway, is probably the biggest success story of the year. However, it was also kind of a win. The generosity of some of the businesses we partnered with stopped my heart. Lexi go campaign turned out to be our cookbook, also spurred us on in another way. We real- Which, by the way, is Loss #4, from Old Ballard donated booze and even A Taste of Norway: Flavors from The Norwe- ized that we have to do something different though by no means an unexpected one— a swanky dinner, while Ingvill from Hov- gian American. Taste of Norway Editor Day- if we’re to make it, so we hired two market- the slow trickle of money out of our ac- den Formal Farm Wear proposed a design tona Strong was the hero of this project, and ing professionals to help us reach new audi- count. Friends, I’ve done everything I can of a waffle bandana and then ended up the only reason such a thing—which read- ences. One, who put together a mailing for do to cut costs. We need to raise revenue. donating their production to the cause. ers had been suggesting for some time—was us, didn’t net us a gain over what we paid Subscriptions are… maddeningly stable, We’d also been offering sets of postcards remotely possible. She went to great lengths out. Loss #2. at an unsustainably low number. Ad rev- we found in the office, provenance - un to make it beautiful, planning her family’s But the other, who’s working on increas- enue is way down. known—but advertising them caused meals around making and photographing ing our Google rankings and therefore web But let’s not end on a down note. The the maker of the postcards to come for- recipes for the book. We took orders for 170 traffic, has shown some impressive results. loss of Molly led to what I hope are Wins #3, ward. That not only shed some light on during the campaign period, ordered a few It’s probably too early to label this Win #3, 4, 5 & 6—in the four new people brought how cool they really were (see “Postcard extra, and quickly sold out. A second small given that it hasn’t yielded any concrete -fi on board to replace her. That’s right; it took mystery solved: Antique works of postal printing (of 50) was run off before Christmas nancial help… but I’m doing it anyway. one part-timer and three freelancers to do art get new life,” May 19, 2017: www. and immediately disappeared. Loss #3 hit near the end of the year, and what she did. And while we’re still in the norwegianamerican.com/heritage/post- But don’t fret! I’ve just ordered a third it was a doozy: the loss of Molly, who’d been learning phase of that transition, I’m hope- card-mystery-solved-antique-works-of- printing. You can pre-order at www.norwe- my right-hand woman for almost my whole ful that, like stock-shares splitting, this will postal-art-get-new-life) but also opened gianamerican.com/shop (books will ship in time as editor. The fear of this exact thing give us room for new growth. Many hands up a lot more copies of the postcards for late January) or by calling us at (206) 784- happening had kept me up nights more than make light work. sale, which Esther was kind enough to 4617 (we will eventually return all messag- once; I knew it was only a matter of time be- On a personal note, after four years, also donate. Learning how awesome our es), or by mailing a check to 17713 15th Ave. fore some other job tempted her away. You this has now become my longest-held job! friends are was the first unexpected win NE, #205, Shoreline, WA 98155. The cost is see, even though I’ve done my best to in- It’s remarkable to me that we keep coming of the year. $34 plus $6 shipping to the United States or crease pay for staff—and I’m still clinging to up with more and better things to publish (We still have sets of the postcards, $10 to Canada. the dream of 100 percent paid contributors, about Norway and Norwegian America, as well as very limited numbers of shot I think the after-the-fact response to this impossible as it seems—no one is making when—I confess—I’d been initially skep- glasses and notepads, also from the In- book has to do with how unexpectedly amaz- what they’re worth. The financial constraintstical that such a thing would be possible. diegogo campaign, available for sale at ing it looks. We’ll call that the second win of on the paper are just too great. Who could It’s this impressive community of readers www.norwegianamerican.com/shop.) the year. blame someone as brilliant and talented and and contributors that brings The Norwe- But the biggest win from the Indiego- The financial failure of the campaign hardworking as Molly for wanting more? gian American to life. I salute you!

The opinions expressed by opinion writers featured in “On the Edge” are not necessarily those of The Norwegian American, and our publication of those views is not an endorsement of them. Comments, suggestions, and complaints about the opinions expressed by the paper’s editorials should be directed to the editor. the NorwegiaN (secret) personal enrichment! american’s plan for global domination: shhh... don’t tell! Step 1—send^ us your Your Name: Norwegian-American Friend’s Name: friend’s address*** Step 2—???* Friend’s Address: Step 3—you PROFIT!** City/State/Zip: * Step 2 is that we send your non-subscriber friend a sample copy of the newspaper (no other nefarious purpose, we promise!) ** If your friend signs up for a year’s subscription, YOU get a free month added to your subscription *** Call (206) 784-4617, email [email protected], or mail 17713 15th Ave. NE, #205, Shoreline, WA 98155 theNorwegiaNamerican Opinion January 12, 2018 • 7

Letters to the Editor theNorwegiaNamerican Published since May 17, 1889 Do you have something to say? 17713 15th Ave NE, #205, Shoreline, WA 98155 Tel:฀(206)฀784-4617฀•฀Email:฀[email protected] Write to us at The Norwegian American, Letter to the Editor, 17713 15th Ave NE, #205, Shoreline, WA 98155, or email us at [email protected], subject line Publisher Letter to the Editor. Letters may be edited for style, clarity, or length. Ragnar Meyer-Knutsen Editor-in-chief Emily฀C.฀Skaftun฀ [email protected] Assistant Editor / Nyheter The Scandinavian way Brunost additions The “ostehøvel” as it is known today Lori฀Ann฀Reinhall฀ [email protected] in Norway was invented in 1925 by Thor Opinion Editor Dear Editor, Dear Editor, Bjørklund. The factory that still produces a Linn฀Chloe฀Hagstrøm฀ [email protected] I read with interest the letter to the edi- Thanks for another article on one of my large variety of cheese slicers is in Ringebu, tor in the Dec. 1, 2017, issue (about whether favorite subjects: brunost (“Brunost bless- Oppland, Norway. All of the cheese slicers Business, Sports & Travel Editor Molly฀Jones฀ [email protected] the Nordic economic model could work in ings,” Dec. 29, 2017). I wish to make a few made in Norway under various names such the United States). comments, not really critical but rather ad- as “Seland” or “Spar” and now “Bjørklund” Sports Editor I believe that Americans would be well ditional to the article. have been made by the same company start- Michael฀Kleiner฀ [email protected] served to remember that Norway plays a vi- The “Brunostbrannen” (the only one in ed by Thor Bjørklund. We visited the factory Taste of Norway Editor tal role in NATO by monitoring maritime history to date) occurred on Jan. 17, 2013, in August 2017 and were impressed by the Daytona฀Strong฀ [email protected] and aviation activity in the North Atlantic in Brattlitunnelen in Tysfjord kommune in wide range of slicers available. Many slic- Copy Editor and Arctic Oceans before dismissing the Nord land. The fire burned for five days,- leav ers are made for different types of cheeses. Becky฀Kruse฀Gjendem฀ [email protected] Norwegian military system of defense. The ing a small charred remnant of the original Many come with different types of handles Advertising best defense is a team defense, and Norway truck trailer reduced to about a 2-foot-high also. For wood carvers in Norway the oste- Rhonda฀Staton฀ [email protected] is a crucial team member. No country in the chunk of fused metal. The tractor hauling the høvel can be purchased “uten skarp” (with- Subscriptions [email protected] modern world can hope to maintain its long- fire and the driver escaped without injury or out handles). I have attached a picture of one Contributors term security without friends and allies. of the slicers with one of my new carved han- damage to the truck. The firemen could not Larrie Wanberg Grand Forks, N.D. I for one am very grateful for the heroic put out the fire and had to let it burn itself dles in “akantus stil” (acanthus-style wood Julia Andersen New York, N,Y. activity of the Norwegian resistance during out. The tunnel was closed for one month, carving indigenous to the Oppland area). Tove Andersson Oslo, Norway WWII. Without their efforts in sabotaging reopening on Feb. 22 for intermittent use Of interest in the town center of Ringe- Patricia Barry Hopewell Junction, N.Y. Melinda Bargreen Everett, Wash. the heavy water (deuterium oxide) facili- with repairs costing NOK 8.2 million. The bu is the world’s largest cheese slicer, made Terje Birkedal Anchorage, Alaska ties and trains, Nazi Germany might very tunnel’s final refurbishing was completed in by the Bjørklund factory. See ringebu.com/ M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway well have created a nuclear bomb before the October 2015 for a cost of NOK 35 million. no/attraksjoner/verdens-storste-ostehovel. David Burke Skoppum, Norway Daughters of Norway Members Various United States. For some good pictures and more informa- Gary G. Erickson Sunburg, Minn. Just saying, tion about the event see no.wikipedia.org/ Sincerely, Rasmus Falck Oslo, Norway Ed Simmons wiki/Brunostbrannen. David Elliker-Vågsberg Christy Olsen Field Seattle, Wash. Sunny Gandara Beacon, N.Y. Portland, Ore. Heidi Håvan Grosch Sparbu, Norway Rosalie Grangaard Grosch Arden Hills, Minn. Dear Ed, Kari Heistad Edina, Minn. Victoria Hofmo Brooklyn, N.Y. While it’s a matter of (rather heated!) Leslee Lane Hoyum Rockford, Minn. historical and scientific debate whether the Roy Jorgensen Hopewell Junction, N.Y deuterium from the Rjukan factory would Ilan Kelman Agder, Norway Scott Larsen New Westminster, B.C. have turned things around for Germany’s Thor A. Larsen Fishkill, N.Y. nuclear program, your point is well taken. Solveig M. Lee Seattle, Wash. Mutual defense is the idea behind NATO. Richard Londgren Thousand Oaks, Calif. Donald V. Mehus New York, N.Y. Sincerely, Christine Foster Meloni Washington, D.C. Editor David Moe Sun City, Calif. Maria Stordahl Nelson Seattle, Wash. David Nikel Trondheim, Norway Ken Nordan Batavia, Ill. Mona Anita K. Olsen Ithaca, N.Y. Barbara K. Rostad Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho Edward Thompson Gardiner NY rita Mccann Jorgensen John Erik Stacy Seattle, Wash. Rolf Kristian Stang New York, N.Y. Mary T. vangsnes Moose Jaw SK Canada Hopewell Junction NY Judith Gabriel Vinje Los Angeles, Calif. Dianna Walla Tromsø, Norway 16. januar 21. januar Linda Warren Washington, D.C. lydia almquist Minneapolis MN alf l. Knudsen Mukilteo WA Jo Christian Weldingh Oslo, Norway anne graven aws Madison MN Faith Skindelien New London MN The Norwegian American strives to make its Ellen M. Beck Seattle WA news report fair and accurate. If you have a ques- Karl Heistein Poulsbo WA 22. januar tion or comment about news coverage call (206) 784-4617. • The Norwegian American reserves ivik injerd Washington MI aldora Dryden Belmont NJ the right to edit any and all submissions for style, 12. januar William E. Mansell Springfield OR Orlando Erickson Baltic SD grammar, accuracy, and/or space, and the right clara asmus Binford ND roy Olsen Northport NY vicki l. grorud Portland OR not to print submissions deemed libelous, in poor Dag Blomdal Calgary Alberta Canada lucille Wendling San Diego CA taste, or not suited for publication in this newspa- per. • The opinions expressed by opinion writers Harry Jackson Whitehall WI 17. januar and letter writers are not necessarily those of The Todd a. Monson Minneapolis MN Marilyn andersen Centerburg OH 23. januar Norwegian American, and our publication of those connie ronning Stanwood WA gustav carlson Toledo OH Marilyn g. Haug Plymouth MN views is not an endorsement of them. Comments, suggestions, and complaints about the opinions Mrs. carl Nelson Staughton WI Jorunn Hoem Kristiansund Norway expressed by the paper’s editorials should be 13. januar Herman a. Olson Olympia WA Ben Muri Great Falls MT directed to the editor-in-chief. •The Norwegian Harald Breivik Farstad Norway lawrence c. Olson Tumwater WA Sverre rying Rock Hill SC American (USPS 679-840) (ISSN 2473-1293) is published every other week except the first issue in August by Norwegian American Weekly, INC. 14. januar 18. januar 24. januar 17713 15th Ave NE, #205, Shoreline WA 98155 Erling Berg Seattle WA Duane c. Hedal Great Falls MT Susan ragnhild Ericksen • Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, Wash. and alma S. 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NORWEGIAN AMERICAN WEEKLY, INC. Want to see your birthday in The Norwegian American? Email [email protected] or call (206) 784-4617. Must be submitted one month in advance to guarantee placement. NB: Has someone on our birthday list passed away? Please notify us! the american 8 • January 12, 2018 Sports NorwegiaN France takes handball title from Norway A thriller of a World Championship match ended with France up 2 points for the win

jo cHriStian WelDingH Oslo, Norway

On Dec. 17, Norway’s women’s hand- ball team played its ninth World Champion- ship final since 1986 in a packed Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg. The stands were colored in red, white, and blue, as thousands of Nor- wegians traveled to Hamburg to see what they thought was going to culminate in Nor- way’s fourth World Championship title. A thriller of a match ended with French victory, 23—21, over a disappointed Norwe- gian team, especially the keepers, who had been outstanding earlier in the champion- ships but played a weak final. “We lost to a good team today,” coach Thorir Hergeirsson said after the match. “Sadly, we were not able to reach our top level of performance. We’re missing the last couple of percent in all parts of our game. France plays a very good defensive game, and our offensive lineup lacks guts. As the game turned out, they deserved the victory today. It feels bad, but we have to acknowl- edge that much. Our keepers weren’t on top of their game either, but neither were our top offensive players.” Photo: Bjørn S. Delebekk / vg Team captain and Championship MVP The match was close, and often Norway was in the lead, but the team made more mistakes than usual and ended up two points shy of gold. Stine Bredal Oftedal was devastated when interviewed after the game. “It feels bad,” she said with tear-filled eyes. “We’ve had anbig favorites entering the final, but every- halftime break. They entered the room in nice dresses amazing championship and then, all of a sud- one knew that, on a good day, France was With ten minutes left in the second half and with “Simply the Best” playing on the den, we were not able to play our best in the capable of causing some trouble for the Nor- the score was 18-18. Neither team was able stereo, but it was obvious from the general final. I’m disappointed with myself because wegian team. to break away. mood of the players that they felt like they I don’t feel I was able to contribute today.” Norway struggled to play their own In the last minutes of the game, with had lost the gold, not won the silver. Norway missed four out of seven pen- game in the first half, as France did a Norwaygood trailing by a goal, France got two After the game, Hergeirsson spoke out alties during the final. Nora Mørk scored job disrupting their offensive plays and players sent to the penalty box, but Norway about the media putting too much pressure two, while Veronica Kristiansen scored one. played extremely aggressive in offense. was unsuccessful in taking advantage of on the Norwegian team. “A lot of people tell Mørk, Kristiansen, and Oftedal all missed France was leading at halftime. playing six against four. me that silver isn’t good enough and that we one each. “Norway is making more mistakes than With 30 seconds left to play, France in- should win every championship we’re a part After cruising through the earlier rounds, usual and France is taking advantage of it. creased their lead to 23-21 and both teams of,” he said. “That really bleeps me off. They winning most games by close to 10 goals, We’re inviting them into the game,” hand- understood that France was about to be World need to be more humble. I get sick of the me- Norway met their match in a tough French ball expert and former Olympic champion Champions. “The gold is lost,” Norwegian dia taking championship titles for granted.” defensive wall. The Norwegian women were Gro Hammerseng commented during the commentator Harald Bredeli proclaimed. Even though the Norwegian team was Jo Christian Weldingh grew up in Lilleham- disappointed after losing the final, they tookmer, Norway, and lives in Oslo. He has a their time in the press zone, trying to explain bachelor’s degree in archaeology from the what had just happened, and then a few hours University of Oslo and a bachelor’s degree in later they were all ready for a banquet at their business administration from BI Norwegian hotel in the center of Hamburg. Business School.

Vikings Vinland Norse Greenlanders Open Mon - Sat 9:30am - 5pm First Nations of Canada 2709 SAN PABLO AVENUE BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94702 510.705.1932 Vikings Reach America: First Contact email [email protected] Drama, Talks, Music

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Subscribe to The Norwegian American Weekly! uio.no/summerschool ∙ [email protected] ∙ (800) 639-0058 (206)฀784-4617฀•฀[email protected] the american NorwegiaN Sports January 12, 2018 • 9 Closing the Gap: Training through experimentation

Photos: Maks Zechel Left: Team Asker skiers recover as they run down an alpine ski slope during 10- x 4-minute Zone 4 bounding intervals, with one minute rests in between, at a recent training camp in Norefjell, Norway. Right: Team Asker held “King’s Court” style rollerski skate sprints (8 x approximately 1:30 minutes) at a Go Kart track during a recent training camp in Norefjell, Norway. makS ZecHel Faster Skier

There is something about passion that gian senior ranks begins with Norway’s things that are accepted by most coaches usually revolved around what faster people drives people to push boundaries like noth- junior skiers, and I am lucky enough to be across the country. In Norway, I learn a new were doing. In Norway I find myself having ing else. For many Canadians, this passion training partners with some of these top-lev- philosophy every time I speak to a different more discussions on what we individually lies in hockey. No matter your gender or el athletes. One of Team Asker’s most suc- coach or athlete. think we should be doing, and even if some- age, whether you claim to have been a AAA cessful junior skiers, Harald, has two medals From my perspective, training innova- one is superior at a certain aspect of skiing, hockey legend or have never skated before, from last year’s Junior World Champion- tion and experimentation doesn’t happen in they are usually eager to try what someone whether your family has lived in Canada for ships. To put his level of skiing into a senior- North America on the same small-scale level else thinks might be better. generations or if you are a newly landed im- racing perspective, he was 26th in the previ- as it does in Norway. In Canada we look to We have to seek variation in training migrant, Canadians are brought together by ously mentioned 10k race at the Norwegian those who are better than us, whether they and learn together to discover the things something that transcends sport. nationals—as an 18-year-old. are national-team members or World Cup that make us go fast as individuals or else National passion for a sport ensures that I believe that much of this ability stems skiers, and try to copy them from afar. This we suffer individually under the repetition of a large and diverse percentage of the popu- from the incredible amount of maturity in puts us decades behind the competition. uniform training that cannot meet all of our lation will actively pursue that activity in a Norwegian junior racers, although not nec- When I first came to Norway, the first needs. multitude of ways. It encourages creativity essarily in the traditional sense. Their matu- thing I did was try to copy how the best skiers and innovation. Similar to hockey in Cana- rity becomes apparent in how they approach on the team double poled. I copied them for Maks Zechel is a competitive cross-country da, albeit on a smaller scale, there are an as- training and races, ready to learn to push 12 weeks, but every time I looked at video skier who secretly wants to become a profes- tonishing number of Norwegian skiers who their bodies in the best way that they can. footage of myself, I still looked completely sional mile runner. He loves hiking and go- dedicate much of their time to just training With Team Asker, we discuss technique different. It wasn’t until my coach explained ing on canoe trips with his family, as well and racing fast, even without sponsorships or with our coach and we do group-technique a miniscule timing difference to me that I as peanut butter cups in ice cream. Johan national-team status. sessions, but then we are encouraged to try understood what the others were doing dif- Olsson is his favorite skier, and he hopes to This creates a field of close to 500 open things out by ourselves and see how we can ferently. With the switch flicked, my double race the Cortina-Toblach stage of the Tour men at the Norwegian national champion- adapt those basics of power transfer to how poling has improved because of things that de Ski one day. Follow him on Instagram @ ships. The depth of field at Norwegian andour individual bodies work. The same goes I could not figure out just by watching -oth makszechel. Scandinavian cups and national champion- with training plans. The spectrum of what ers ski. It is this type of interaction, between ships races rivals that of World Cup races, type of training makes someone ski fast is skiers and coaches of all levels, that causes This article was originally published on with many believing it to be more difficult toall over the place, and that is something that breakthroughs in technique. Faster Skier. View the complete post at crack the top 30 in the aforementioned three many Norwegian skiers seem to accept Most skiers love to talk about technique fasterskier.com/fsarticle/closing-gap-brain- than it is at most World Cups. In Canada, I have often heard repeated and the finer aspects of skiing, but when I training. The success that we see in the Norwe- “golden rules” to technique and training, was in Canada, I found these discussions

Sports News & Notes Tennis: Casper Ruud moves up Track and Field: Moen takes top dor Peterson. At the same time, Lotta Udnes Race after his motorcycle broke down during Casper Rudd moved up two places from 139 recognition Weng won the women’s sprint ahead of Jon- the fourth leg of the race on Jan. 5. At the na Sundling and Charlotte Kalla. same time, Ullevålseter was penalized with from 217 in the first ATP ranking this year. Sondre Nordstad Moen has been named (NRK) a time violation, which altogether makes it Casper Rudd played in the first round of male Athlete of the Month in European track impossible for him to compete for a place on the ATP tournament in Auckland, New Zea- and field for December, as reported by the land, against the Netherland’s Robin Haase. European Athletics Association on Twitter. Alpine Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin reigns the podium, as reported by the Norwegian The match took place on Jan. 2. No other European has ever run a marathon supreme ahead of Norway News Agency. (NRK) faster than Moen’s 2.05.58 in December. American skier Mikaela Shiffrin won the (NRK) (NRK) slalom with 1.64 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Ice Hockey: Rangers lose to Knights Frida Hansdotter at the Alpine Skiing World Soccer: Hegerberg scores four – wins Cup. Wendy Holdener of Switzerland took 20–0 Norwegian superstar Mats Zuccarello and Cross-country Skiing: Strong Olympic the New York Rangers lost 1-2 against the Games effort from Brandsdal the third place on the podium. From Norway, Norwegian Ada Hegerberg of Molde scored Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 7. Mika Zi- Nina Haver-Løseth came in ninth, and Mar- four goals as her Lyon team beat Besançon Eirik Brandsdal significantly strengthened banejad took the Rangers into the lead 13 en Skjøld landed in 22th place. 20–0 (!) when they played away from home his Olympic Games position with his victory (NRK) in the French Cup on Sunday, Jan. 6. minutes into the match before James Neal in the classic sprint in the Scandinavian Cup began to encroach on their lead. The Golden At halftime, Hegerberg’s team held a races in Piteå, Sweden, on Jan. 5, according Motorsport: Ullevålseter out of finals 9-0 lead, and after the break, they scored 11 Knights secured their victory nine minutes to the Norwegian News Agency. Brandsdal Pål Anders Ullevålseter is ending up far be- additional goals. into the third period. won ahead of Mattis Stenshagen and Teo- (NRK) hind his carrier’s third victory in the Africa (NRK) the american 10 • January 12, 2018 Research & Science NorwegiaN Profiles of Norwegian science: Combining anthropology and ecology tural traditions,” according to Næss. NIKU provides “A vibrant workplace, with the free- ilan kelman dom to pursue my own research, but always Agder, Norway with the goal of affirming the importance of cultural heritage within modern contexts.” People, communities, and governments All of which leads to widespread influ- continually navigate the political minefield ence. Recently, Norway’s Ministry of Agri- of managing land use and natural resources. culture and Food used several of his studies As today’s population shifts into cities, the as a basis for advice about reindeer husband- knowledge and traditions of nomads are in- ry presented to Norway’s Parliament. creasingly becoming undermined. “My particular interest lies at the in- Inspired by the Sámi, scientists in Nor- tersection of anthropology and ecology,” way have long pursued research on these describes Næss. “I often publish by myself, topics. This cutting-edge work combines but I also work in teams. Writing with others disciplines, methods, and locations. ensures that we do not miss perspectives. We Marius Warg Næss leads this innova- link ideas and learn from each other.” tion. Based in Tromsø, above the Arctic This balance of solo and ensemble work Circle, he is a Senior Research Scientist in produces top research. But it does not stop social anthropology at the Norwegian Insti- with internationally renowned scientific tute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU). publications. Næss’s public engagement and Næss describes how “Disciplinary outreach fulfills NIKU’s mandate of commu- boundaries don’t matter. I go where the idea nicating research to the government of Nor- takes me. That’s why I, for the moment, use way and the Norwegian public. evolutionary theory to understand coopera- Norway sees itself as a small country, tive herding among Sámi reindeer herders.” Photo: ilan Kelman but it can have a big influence on the scien- “The same goes for methods,” he notes. A reindeer in Tromsø: Marius Warg Næss studies the intersection of traditional and modern reindeer tific stage. Researchers in Norway inform “Anthropology has a long tradition of being husbandry practices. government policy, from local to interna- defined by its method of participant-obser- tional groups, synthesizing a wide and deep vation. For me, this puts the cart before the stream of information from Norwegian and horse. The research question or idea must nomads using livestock for income and food. way and China, despite different political other countries’ perspectives. guide the methodological approach and not This does not mean that the peoples are systems, have almost the same policy to- This work remains on top of evolving the other way around. Consequently, my re- mired in the past, unable to deal with any- wards their nomadic populations, namely developments, such as the latest climate- search uses everything from in-depth quali- thing new. Conversely, they join the best of privatization of previously common grazing change projections and new Norwegian and tative interviews to experimental economic modern technology and ancient techniques areas and the subsequent elimination of a European legislation. It must meld all this games.” to adapt to and thrive within changes forced mobile way of life.” His overall question is, disparate material to understand and articu- For Næss, the key is to avoid being pi- upon them. “What happens to these cooperative herding late top-down and bottom-up viewpoints, geon-holed by disciplines. Instead, he cross- Climate-change researchers see climate groups when land changes from commons to needs, and actions. By doing so, Næss serves es boundaries, recognizing how he can bring change as the main mechanism affecting private?” science in tandem with the people. his skills to new research collaborators while nomads in high latitudes and high altitudes. His answers, ranging from overgrazing learning from them. He has forged creative, Ecologists focus on ecosystem changes. to a worsening ability to deal with a chang- dynamic projects analyzing how environ- Marius brings everything together, “so that ing climate, have led to a long list of publi- Ilan Kelman (www.ilankel- mental change and governmental policies af- I combine quantitative and qualitative meth- cations, including several papers in the top man.org and Twitter @Ilan - fect pastoralists, the bad and the good. ods to give a full picture of people-centered anthropology journal Human Ecology. He Kelman) is a Reader in After detailed work with Tibetan no- problems and responses.” has also published in scientific journals- fo Risk, Resilience, and Glob- madic pastoralists, followed by investiga- This impressive approach was rewarded cusing on land use, ecology, and sustainable al Health at University Col- tions into Sámi reindeer husbandry, Næss by the Research Council of Norway in 2014. development, as well as producing several lege London, England, and observed the parallels between the Arctic and Næss received a prestigious four-year Young book chapters. a fellow at the University of mountain peoples. Deftly examining legisla- Research Talents Award to follow his inter- “This diversity brings exciting oppor- Agder, Norway. His overall tion, culture, and environmental change, he ests. tunities for completing world-class science research interest is linking disasters and health, recognized how numerous influences com- He explains that his project starts with while seeing the science help people to im- including the integration of climate change into bine to provide threats and opportunities for “the somewhat perplexing paradox that Nor- prove their livelihoods and to maintain cul- disaster research and health research.

< iNTElligENcE Don’t forget about digital! From page 3

1995, writes the agency. An annual reduction workplaces. of IQ by 0.21 percent on average has been But improvement of the quality of measured in Norwegians since that year, schooling has now stopped, he concluded. Your print subscription equivalent to a 6.5 percent decrease between “We have seen that work in schools is includes access to our generations. less demanding in many countries and that digital site, which contains According to New Zealand researcher students spend less time studying and doing Flynn, intelligence levels had been increas- homework,” Flynn said to Swedish maga- web-only content! Don’t ing steadily in Scandinavia due to more ab- zine Forskning & Framsteg, according to miss a thing—email stract and rational thinking in schools and at NTB’s report. [email protected] to set up your digital account today. The Scandinavian Hour www.norwegianamerican.com Celebrating over 50 years on the air! KKNW – 1150 AM Vesterheim Saturdays 9 – 10 a.m. PST the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center Streaming live on the internet at: • The largest collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world • A national center for folk-art classes • Open all year in Decorah, Iowa www.1150kknw.com the american NorwegiaN Arts & Entertainment January 12, 2018 • 11 Book review: Norwegian meets My European Family Mediterranean juDitH gabriel Vinje Hirundo Maris brings Hardanger fiddle to Los Angeles French Catalonia in a harmonious blend The age-old question—How did we get here?—fueled a Scandinavian science edi- m. micHael braDy tor’s search for her roots as she explored the Asker, Norway genetic, social, and cultural threads that con- nect and unite humanity, going back thou- Last September, a Hardingfele (Hardan- The concert included three Hardingfele sands of years. ger fiddle) was played in a medieval church solos by Johansen: a Norwegian folk song, Karin Bojs was head of the science desk in French Catalonia, in a concert by three “Eg veit i himmelrik ei borg” (I know there at Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s leading daily members of the Hirundo Maris ensemble is a castle in heaven), “Meditation,” and the newspaper, for nearly 20 years. Her experi- that splices the Nordic and Mediterranean Negro spiritual, “The Wayfaring Stranger.” ence came in handy when she wrote the book musical traditions. Hirundo Maris often performs at fes- My European Family: The First 54,000 years The concert was the 34th of the Festi- tivals around Europe and as far to the east to trace her own ancient roots, resulting in a val Musique Catalogne Romane (Catalan as Istanbul. Their CDs, from the first ofpicture that includes most of mankind. It also Romance Music Festival)* series. The ven- 2012, Chants du Sud et du Nord (Amazon. explains the distinct populations that inhabit ue, the church of the Benedictine abbey of com stocks it in two formats, www.amazon. Scandinavia. Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, in the Pyrénées- com/Hirundo-Maris-Chants-Sud-Nord/dp/ It was only a few years ago that it be- Orientales Department of Mediterranean B008HFDRTG) have become classics of the came possible to analyze a person’s genetic France, is one of the oldest in the country, Nordic-Mediterranean crossover genre. makeup in a matter of hours. Bojs has fol- first mentioned in the year 819. lowed developments in DNA technology as Hirundo Maris is a relatively new en- * Programs of previous and forthcoming a science journalist and describes the latest semble, founded in 2009 by partners Petter festivals published by Festival Musique findings in this highly readable book. northerly latitudes,” Bojs notes. Udland Johansen (1971-), an Oslo native Catalogne Romane, Place Salvador Allende, To conduct research, she traveled to 10 The forerunners of humans in Africa de- Norwegian tenor, composer, and instrumen- 66200 Elne, France. countries, pored over several hundred sci- veloped dark skin as soon as they lost their talist, and Arianna Savall (1972-), a Catalan entific studies, and interviewed some 70- re protective covering of hair, millions of years soprano and harpist, the daughter of Jordi Further reading: searchers. She traces her steps as she search- ago. “When some people began to migrate Savall (1941-), the Catalan conductor, viol • Hirundo Maris website: www.arian- es for the origins of her family—telling the northwards to latitudes where the sun’s rays player, and composer known for his per- nasavall.com (selectable in English, French, story of the Scandinavian people in the pro- are weaker, they were at less risk of being formances and recordings of early Western Spanish, German, Italian, and Catalan), with cess. The book is full of facts and theories burned. Indeed, their dark pigmentation music. biographies, discography, and videos of per- that shed new light on the area. It is all told could even pose problems by preventing the The name Hirundo Maris (Latin for “sea formances. in clear, colorful terms, with the scientific as- skin from producing Vitamin D.” Such a lack swallow”), mirrors the ensemble’s approach • “Hirundo Maris a fait un tabac” (Hirun- pects laid out clearly and with great warmth. leads to rickets and bone malformations. to music. Just as the swallow is a species do Maris sensational), article on the Sept. 19 First written in Swedish, the book was of birds found on all continents (save Ant- concert in L’Independant Catalan (French translated to English in 2017 and published The first Scandinavians arctica), Hirundo Maris wings its way from regional newspaper), Sept. 29, 2017: www. by Bloomsbury. It won the 2015 August Prize. Where did the first Scandinavians come North to South, from one period to another, lindependant.fr/2017/09/28/hirundo-maris- from? According to the latest DNA research, interweaving Nordic and musical heritages a-fait-un-tabac,3055797.php (French). vanishing land mass Bojs writes, “Today’s Europe bears the stamp in reflections on similarities and contrasts. When the Ice Age came to an end in Eu- of three great waves of migration, above all rope, the earth began to thaw. Within a gen- hunters who came here during the Ice Age, eration or so, the hunters of the Ice Age had farmers who came from the Middle East bring- to make a drastic change in how they lived. ing the earliest agriculture, and a third wave The warmer climate allowed the hunters to from the steppes to the east, who brought the multiply, and many began to follow the rein- Indo-European language with them,” refer- deer on their migrations north and eastward. ring to the region around the Black Sea. Those who went due north found themselves What makes My European Family so in Doggerland, a hunk of land that once ex- compelling is how the author weaves her own tended from Denmark to Scotland and which personal search for connections with scien- now lies beneath the sea. tifically imagined ancestors from the ancient Doggerland was separated from Norway past. She creates a poignant family tree that by a narrow strip of deep sea, which is now interweaves the results of the latest scientific known as the “Norwegian Trench.” Much of findings with her own heartfelt search for her European prehistory is likely to be preserved origins. These are grandmothers she is writing there, on the seabed. At the end of the Ice about, not just scientific data. Age, about 11,000 years ago, the sea level And for those interested in pursuing rose, and Doggerland shrank into oblivion. their own family’s genetic pattern, she has Norway’s genetic history figures signifi- included a chapter that is a guide for people cantly in the Scandinavian story. The oldest seeking their own DNA testing—explain- remains in Scandinavia were found in Nor- ing for a start what DNA consists of. It just way at Hummerviken in the municipality of might take you back 54,000 years. Søgne on the western side of the Oslo Fjord. Dating back 9,500 years, a human bone was found in the clay on the shoreline there. What did early Scandinavians look Minneapolis-born Judith like? Having blue eyes and dark skin is ex- Gabriel Vinje has been a tremely rare today, but many Ice Age people journalist for nearly 50 years, including a stint as seem to have had such an appearance. “Blue a war correspondent. Now eyes, dark hair and dark skin seem to have a Los Angeles resident, she been commonplace in much of Europe,” she started writing for Norway writes. She explains that many people among Times in 1998, and has Europe’s original population of hunters had been with the paper through its merges and such coloring. Thousands of years later, changes. An active member of Sons of Norway, nearly all Europeans were born with light Edvard Grieg Lodge, Glendale Calif., she is Photos: (top) courtesy of l’independant catalan, (above) courtesy of Hirundo Maris skin. The original gene variants from Africa also a member of Ravens of Odin, a Viking re- Top: Musicians at the Sept. 19 concert, from left to right: Petter Udland Johansen (Hardingfele), Ari- had undergone a transformation. “There must enactment group on the West Coast, and writes anna Savall (baroque triple harp), and Miguel Angel Cordero (double bass). have been factors at work that enabled light- frequently about Viking Age subjects for sev- Above: Petter Udland Johansen with Hardanger fiddle and Arianna Savall with baroque triple harp. skinned people to thrive better in Europe’s eral publications. the american 12 • January 12, 2018 Taste of Norway NorwegiaN Gravlax, cure for the winter gray

< gr av la x From page 1 ter that seeps into its shores and cuts through the landscapes. Those fjords are a landmark of Norway, as recognizable to the rest of the world as its medieval stave churches and Vi- king ships unearthed over the past century and a half. Some things are sure: The waters were cold. The winters were dark. People needed food. And that’s where preserved fish comes in. Gravlax, of course, gets its name from its origins: grave salmon, buried salmon. These days, preparations like mine literally bury the salmon in a coat of sugar and salt. But its roots go back to a different kind of pres- ervation, burying fish in the ground, where it would ferment, the pH changed with help from the birch bark used to wrap the fish. Today, a type of fermented fish, rakfisk, remains a Norwegian delicacy. The Swedes have surströmming. But the fish fermenta- tion of the Middle Ages has otherwise been largely replaced by today’s curing methods to draw out the moisture and transform the fish into the gravlax we know today, with its soft, velvety texture and its salmon flavor intensified by the salt-and sugar cure. The results are satisfying and sophisticated, yet simple and uncomplicated, just good ingre- Photos: Daytona Strong dients prepared simply. What food should I notice the beauty of the sockeye each time. We perhaps almost always be. always use sockeye around here, without excep- Over the years, I’ve come to see gravlax tion. The color is only a hint at the flavor and the as less of a recipe than a technique. It’s al- richness of the fish, whether grilled or poached, cured or sashimi-style. Each time I unwrap a fillet most a formula: high-quality salmon, previ- I marvel over the beauty of the fish—its vibrant ously frozen to kill bacteria or parasites, with color and silky touch portends of the delicious- a two-to-one cure of sugar and salt and tra- ness to follow. ditionally a scattering of fresh dill. All other ingredients are optional and vary. As with any traditional recipe, variations abound, sockeye salmon (frozen to kill the parasites), ranging from the simplest to ones that get then defrost it and cover it with a thick blan- fancy with fruits, vegetables, spices, and ket of sugar, salt, and chopped fresh dill. spirits that lend varying essences and hues to We generally leave it out in a cool spot for a the salmon. I’ve seen orange and horserad- few hours, then refrigerate it for about 24 to ish, and recipes that call for beetroot, which 36 hours before rinsing off the salt mix and lends the most gorgeous ombre effect to the slicing the salmon thinly). Making gravlax sliced fish. I’m sure they all yield excellent is so simple. It’s about using good fish,- un results, but I like my gravlax traditional, the derstanding the process, and not getting in- flavor of the salmon concentrated and accen- timidated by something that just looks fancy. tuated only with a hint of dill. For serving gravlax, it’s as easy as set- Years ago we read Mark Bittman’s ar- ting out some crispbread or crackers, lemon ticle about gravlax in The New York Times wedges, a dill-flecked mustard sauce sweet- (www.nytimes.com/1998/11/11/dining/the- ened with a bit of honey, and perhaps some minimalist-gravlax-without-fear-a-stunning- capers and chopped red onion so guests can dish-just-looks-hard.html) and have almost assemble it to their taste. Or serve it along- The Simplest Gravlax always used The Minimalist’s Gravlax rec- side potatoes, on smørbrød (open-faced ipe as our base, though over the years it’s sandwich), or as the centerpiece of a salad. 1 (2-pound) fillet of best-quality 2 cups sugar begun to feel less like a recipe, more like a No matter how you serve it, it’s hard to salmon, skin on, previously frozen 1 cup salt (I use kosher) technique. In a nutshell, we take a fillet of beat something as simple yet elegant as this. 1 bunch dill 3-4 tbsps. vodka or aquavit

Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap, leaving enough over the ends to wrap over Back by popular demand! the salmon. Top this with a layer of parchment paper similarly sized. Rinse the salmon and pat it dry. Remove any pin bones and transfer it to the prepared A Taste of Norway: Flavors from The baking sheet. Norwegian American cookbook: Thoroughly wash and dry the dill, then rough chop the whole bunch, including the stems. Now in its THIRD printing, a collection In a medium bowl, mix the dill, sugar, salt, and vodka or aquavit, then scatter it on top of and of recipes from the pages of The Nor- underneath the salmon, being sure to pack the cure ingredients on every part of the fish. Wrap the salmon, first with the parchment and then the plastic wrap. wegian American. This beautiful spiral- At this point you can refrigerate it immediately or take Mark Bittman’s advice and place bound cookbook covers main courses, it in a cool location (he recommends under 70 degrees) to rest for about 6 hours before refrig- soups and sides, and of course sweets. It erating it, which will shorten the amount of time it needs to cure. even has a few drink recipes! Check the gravlax every 12 hours or so, pouring out excess liquid (some is okay and can $34 + shipping be used to baste the fish, but drain some out if it’s excessive) and turning the fish. After the salmon has cured to your liking (at least 24 hours, or as long as two days), drain off the liquid [email protected], Email and pat the salmon dry, removing excess curing ingredients from the surface (alternatively, call (206) 784-4617, or buy it at: you can rinse them off and then pat dry if you don’t like the little flecks of dill left over). www.norwegianamerican.com/cookbook Slice very thinly. Leftovers, if you have any, should last about five days and can also be frozen. the american NorwegiaN Taste of Norway January 12, 2018 • 13 Notes of a food detective: Old-school Norwegian prune porridge

Daytona Strong Taste of Norway Editor

I can’t help but feel like a detective or a historian when I go digging into traditional Scandinavian recipes, trying to find clues to help me understand my heritage and family history better. My grandma—the one who left Norway in the 1950s—died one summer day in 2009, just as I was going to ask her to start telling me her stories. I’d had a lifetime to ask her questions—about life in Norway, what it was like to be a young woman during the occupa- tion and resistance, so many things. And just as I was getting ready to leave my house to visit her and ask if we could start talking, I got the phone call. I lost it all in an instant. As I grieved, I poured myself into all things Norwegian, trying to track down a floral Norwegian perfume I had smelled as a preteen, scanning bookstore shelves for Scandinavian cookbooks, drinking aquavit at a storied old bar (longtime Seattleites may remember Ballard’s Copper Gate), and blink- ing back the tears while walking through an exhibit about Scandinavian immigration at the Nordic Heritage Museum. Photo: Daytona Strong As time went on and the grief no lon- I thought I had it! Sviskegrøt, Norwegian With or without vanilla sauce, this prune porridge is a wonderfully old-school Norwegian dessert. ger seared my heart, I kept tracking down prune porridge with vanilla cream! I later all the Scandinavian cookbooks I could. learned that I had the elements reversed: Nordic home cooking hadn’t caught on in the dessert my mom was talking about was a mainstream sense yet, so most of what I riskrem, Norwegian rice cream, which my could find were old, yellowing books at thegrandmother had topped with stewed plums. library. But I grew my collection, book by I still need to try serving riskrem with plums Prune Porridge with Vanilla Sauce book, and began the process of making my in this manner (I’ve always used vibrant kitchen a Scandinavian one, like that of the raspberry sauce, since that was Grandma’s (Sviskegrøt med vaniljesaus) dear woman I had lost. That is how I came typical accompaniment for riskrem), but in to love Scandinavian food, and Norwegian the meantime I am thankful to have discov- porridge: vanilla sauce: food most of all. ered this wonderfully old-school Norwegian 6 oz. pitted prunes (unsweetened & 1 cup milk I vowed to make sure I wouldn’t lose dessert. unsulphured) 1 egg out on a chance to hear my other grandmoth- After much research that pointed me 3 cups water 1 tsp. potato starch flour er’s stories, and so Grandma Adeline, Mom, to prune porridge in many variations, some ¼ cup sugar 1 tbsp. sugar and I began to bake with growing frequency, with nuts, some accented with citrus, I de- ¼ tsp. cinnamon 1⁄8 tsp. kosher salt (optional) sometimes even weekly during the months cided to try it in its simplest form, prunes 1½ tbsps. potato starch* 1 tsp. Scandinavian vanilla sugar leading up to Christmas. While I lost almost simmered with sweetened water and thick- ½ cup cold water (vaniljesukker)** or vanilla extract all of Grandma Agny’s recipes along with ened with a bit of potato starch, adapting a her stories, quite the opposite is true with recipe by the beloved Norwegian food writer Start by making the vanilla sauce, as it will require time to chill. In a small sauce- Grandma Adeline’s, and I’m so thankful that and chef Ingrid Espelid Hovig. I couldn’t pan, whisk together the milk, egg, potato starch flour, sugar, and salt over medium I managed to learn some of the family clas- help adding a bit of cinnamon, as that’s the heat, almost to the point of boiling (you don’t want to actually let it boil, though). Stir sics—including lefse, vaffler, krumkaker, way I like my prunes, but aside from that, in vanilla sugar or extract. Remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Chill for several hours. sandbakkels, and many others—before the what you’ll find here is very traditional. The strokes tangled her brain (she passed away vanilla sauce is adapted from the Everyday To make the porridge, in a large pot, bring prunes, water, sugar, and cinnamon to last August). Vanilla Sauce (vaniljesaus) in Astrid Karlsen a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer until the prunes are tender, about 10 Each time I buy a new Scandinavian Scott’s Authentic Norwegian Cooking. minutes. Remove from heat. cookbook (these days they’re being released Apparently, prune porridge is becoming In a small bowl, whisk potato starch with the cold water. Pour it into the prunes in a with impressive speed), try a new recipe, or a thing of the past, “a dying dish in Norwe- steady stream while stirring. Return to heat and boil for a minute, then set aside to cool attempt to recreate one of the old dishes that gian cuisine,” writes Sunny Gandara of the slightly. Serve in bowls with the chilled vanilla sauce. Grandma Agny used to make, I learn a little blog Arctic Grub. But it’s deliciously retro, I Serves 4. more about where both sides of my family think, and the porridge alone—even without came from. When I walked out of the Oslo the vanilla sauce—is worth keeping in your Ingrid Espelid Hovig—from whom my recipe has its roots—recommends sprinkling airport and breathed in the Norwegian air for weekday repertoire, as it would be equally sugar over the porridge to prevent it from forming a skin. I haven’t found that mine the first time back in 2008, I was struck with good for breakfast, perhaps spooned over needs it, but you may want to keep that tip in mind. an overwhelming sense of home, that though yogurt (feel free to reduce the sugar if that’s I had never actually been to Norway until how you plan on serving it). * If you like your porridge a little thicker, use 2½ tbsps. potato starch. Keep it mind that then, the country was part of me, that in a the porridge continues to thicken as it cools. way it was mine. Daytona Strong is The Nor- I’m never going to get my grandmother ** Scandinavian vanilla sugar (vaniljesukker) is commonly used instead of vanilla ex- wegian American’s Taste of back. But she is still here in a way: in my tract in classic baking. Different from the vanilla sugar you might make by storing a Norway Editor. She writes spent vanilla bean in a jar of granulated sugar, it has the texture of powdered sugar and heart, in my genes, and in a legacy of dreams about her family’s Norwe- that informs my life to this very day. gian heritage through the is flavored with synthetic vanillin. Stores like Seattle’s Scandinavian Specialties stock it, but if you’d like to try making your own version with real vanilla, my friend Christy Mom told me a while back about a des- lens of food at her Scandi- recently shared a recipe in (www.norwegianamerican.com/ sert that Grandma Agny used to make. It in- navian food blog, www.out- The Norwegian American volved stewed prunes and cream, I remem- side-oslo.com. Find her on featured/an-almond-cake-for-any-occasion). Scroll past the recipe for butter almond bered her saying. I went down my typical Facebook (www.facebook.com/OutsideOslo), cake (which is delicious, by the way) to find instructions for making your own -hjem line of research, digging through as many Twitter (@daytonastrong), Pinterest (@dayton- melaget (homemade) vaniljesukker. Scandinavian resources as I could. One day astrong), and Instagram (@daytonastrong). the american 14 • January 12, 2018 Norway near you NorwegiaN What’s going on in your neighborhood? Calendar of Events ALASKA 1 p.m., with lunch available in the Kaffeestuga. Nordic Oscar Contenders and viola), Adam Johansson (guitar) and Jens Arctic Viking Lodge Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner Screening is free at the Scandinavian Cultural Jan. 17 & 18 Linell (drums and percussion). Tickets are Jan. 27, 4-6:30 p.m. Center Libraray; donations welcome. More info: New York available at www.sver.brownpapertickets. Fairbanks scandicenter.org/event/the-scandinavian-library- This January, Scandinavia House will be screen- com for $18/$16/$9, and are an additional $2 Enjoy a lutefisk and meatball dinner with Arctic presents-the-last-king. ing films chosen by Nordic countries to compete at the concert. More info: 1 (800) 838-3006. Viking Lodge at Fairbanks Lutheran Church. To for the Oscar nomination in the 2017 Best Foreign contact the lodge for more info, visit www.son- MICHIGAN Language film. They include this year’s shortlisted Vinterdans sofnorway117.yolasite.com. Polar Nights in Norway Oscar nominee for best foreign language film The Jan. 19-20, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, 4 p.m. Square (Sweden, 2017). More info: www.scandi- Lynnwood CALIFORNINA Farmington Hills naviahouse.org /calendar-of-events. Join the fun with the Skandia Folkdance So- At this Nordkap Lodge meeting at the Swedish ciety on Friday evening at the Cedar Valley Scandinavian Film Festival Fastelavn, Danish Mardi Gras Grange and continue with a dance workshop Jan. 20 & 21 Club, Merete Stenersen will give a presentation on Polar Nights in Norway. There will be a dinner of Feb. 10, 2-6 p.m on Saturday. On Friday, Tom Sears and Lisa Los Angeles torsk and meatballs, with fastelavnsboller for des- Brooklyn Brooks will teach Rørospols from 7:30 to 8:30 Join the American-Scandinavian Foundation sert. More info: www.detroitnorwegians.com. The Scandinavian East Coast Museum invites all p.m., with additional music by Seattle Lilla of Los Angeles for its 19th annual film festival, Nordics to its annual Fastelavn Danish Mardi Gras, Spelmanslag, who lead off at 8:30 p.m., then featuring Scandinavian films. Festival schedule, location to be announced. Dress in costume (op- Karin Code will play Hardingfele music, and passes, and tickets for indiviual screenings and MINNESOTA tional), decorate spring branches, hit the barrel, Hale Bill and the Bopps, until 11 p.m. More events are available at www.sffla.net. Norway and the United States: Partners in the and eat special cream buns for dessert. Music by info: [email protected], www. Polar Region Ellen Lindstrom, “The Swedish Meatball.” $40 in- skandia-folkdance.org, or (425) 954-5262. Jan. 19-Mar. 25 ILLINOIS clusive price, children between 5 and 16 are $10, Minneapolis Winter Ski Jumping Tournament and children under 4 get in for free. Reservations Poulsbo Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner Jan. 27-28 Visit this rotating exhibit in the Coltvet Room at are encouraged and can be made by calling Victo- Jan. 27, noon-5 p.m. Norway House celebrating more than a century Fox River Grove ria at (718) 748-5950. Poulsbo of collaboration and joint exploration between Gates open at 11 a.m. on Saturday for the Enjoy a lutefisk and meatball dinner with Norway and the United States. Many of the first Norge Ski Club’s weekend of family fun as ski potatoes, carrots, coleslaw, lefse, ice cream, discoveries in the Arctic and the Antarctic were OREGON jumpers from the entire world compete. Brats, and beverages at Grieg Hall, Poulsbo Lodge. made by Norwegian or American expeditions, or Oregon’s Nordic Ski History hot dogs, pizza, popcorn beer and wine. Ticket For more info call the hall office at (360) 779- by Norwegian and American explorers working now-Dec. 29 info available at www.norgeskiclub.com. 5209. together. This is a Fram Museum exhibition cour- Portland Learn about the history of Nordic skiing, from its tesy of the Royal Norwegian Embassy. More info: Leif Erikson Lodge Annual Crab Feed IOWA www.norwayhouse.org/calendar/exhibits/2018/ roots in Scandinavia to its prominence in the Pa- Koselig Jan. 27, 6 p.m. Exhibit partnersinthepolarregion. cific Northwest. Includes reproductions of both now-April 22 historical and contemporary ski equipment. At Seattle Enjoy a crab feed, silent auction, and desset Decorah In Play: Exploring the Active Lifestyle of Norway Nordia House Gallery. Free and open to the pub- Come get koselig with Vesterheim and discover lic. More info: www.scanheritage.org. auction, with dancing to Miles from Chicago, Jan. 19-Mar. 25 all in support of the lodge’s educational foun- the Norwegian secret to surviving winter. Ex- Minneapolis koselig dation. Tickets are $20 for students, $45 for perience in a series of immersive “liv- Come to Norway House to explore the tradition Finders, Keepers: Review the Basics ing room” environments and learn about this Jan. 20, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon adults, and $320 for a table of eight, avail- of Norway’s outdoor lifestyle. Learn about the able at Brown Paper Tickets, or checks may uniquely Scandinavian way of life. More infor- history and modern spirit of favorite Norwegian Portland mation: www.vesterheim.org/exhibitions/spe- Find your family from Finland, Iceland, Norway, be mailed to the lodge. For more infomation, pasttimes including activities from skiing, hiking, visit www.facebook.com/groups/LeifErikson- cial/koselig. - Denmark, and Sweden with the Scandinavian polar exploring, and games. More info: www.nor Lodge or call (206) 783-1274. wayhouse.org/calendar/exhibits/2018/inplay. Genealogical Society. Meetings are on the third Rocks and Hard Places: Emigration Through Saturday of the month at Portland State Univer- Wergeland Lodge Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner the Lens of Knud Knudsen Memorial Service for Former Consul General sity, Cramer Hall 124 (Finnish Room), with cov- now-Sept. 23 Feb. 3, 4 p.m. Thor Johansen ered parking available. Bring your trees and your Decorah questions: this meeting is a reintroduction to the Bellingham Jan. 19, 11 a.m. - Why do people leave their homes in search of a basic terms and sources used for Nordic family Join Wergeland Lodge for a dinner at Win Minneapolis dows on the Bay in the Bellingham Yacht Club better life? Join us at Vesterheim at an exciting Please join the Nowrwegian Consulate to say fare- research. new exhibit that explores emigration through building. Cost is $25 per person. Limited seat- well from Minnesota to former Consul General for ing. For tickets contact Elaine Grasdock at first-person accounts, family histories, and the Norway, Thor Johansen, who peacefully passed Sonja Lodge Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner stunning black-and-white photography of Knud Jan. 27 & 28 (360) 734-7753 or email Viking1kg@gmail. away at his home in southern Sweden on Oct. com. More info: www.wergelandlodge.com. Knudsen. More info: www.vesterheim.org/ex- 31, 2017. His wife, Kerstin, and daughte Christina Eugene hibitions/special/knudsen. The menu includes all-you-can-eat lutefisk, meat- Carelton, will be present. Thor was stationed in Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association Annual Minneapolis from 2001 to 2005 as his last posting balls, potatoes, coleslaw, lefse, flatbread, and Spoons: Carving. Community. desserts. There will be three reserved seatings Meeting before retirement. Everyone is welcome to attend. Feb. 4, 2 p.m. now-Nov. 4 on Saturday and five on Sunday. Call the lodge Following the service at Mindekirken, attendees Seattle Decorah - for tickets at (541) 344-1064 and leave a message will be invited to join the Joahnsen family at Nor Join Seattle’s Norwegian sister city at Wash- Humans have been carving spoons for millen- way House for coffee and cookies. for more details. Handicapped parking available. nia, but spoon carving has exploded in popu- More info: sonjelodge.org/events.html. ington Pioneer Hall to review the 2018 work larity in the last 10 years. Vesterheim’s Spoons: plan and elect a new board of officers. Free First Lutheran’s Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner coffee and light refreshments will be served. Carving. Community. captures the spirit of this Jan. 20 PENNSYLVANIA RSVP at Eventbrite. recent movement, showcasing historic and Columbia Heights Annual Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner modern examples of spoons carved in wood Dinner will include lutefisk with melted butter Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. and horn. More info: www.vesterheim.org/ex- Norwegian Love: A Valentine’s Concert & Tea and white sauce, meatballs, mashed potatoes, Lancaster Feb. 11, 2 p.m. hibitions/special/spoons - gravy, carrots, mashed rutabaga, herring, lefse, The Bondelandet Lodge is holding its annual lu Seattle - julekake, rice pudding, and cookies. Seatings at tefisk and meatball dinner together with Nyttårs Enjoy an afternoon concert at Leif Erikson MARYLAND 12, 2, 4, and 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 or 50 cents dag (New Year’s Day), complete with a resolution Lodge featuring soprano Laura Loge and pia- - Monthly Dinner Meeting per year for children up to 10 years. Tickets can box and the installation of their 2018-2019 offi nist Steven Luksan, performing love songs by Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m. be reserved by calling (651) 633-0679. Visit www. cers. Cost of the dinner is $15 for members and Edvard Grieg and Steven Luksan. Co-spon- - Timonium flcch.org for more information and directions. $20 for guests, payable at the door. For reserva sored by the Northwest Edvard Grieg Society. Join the Norwegian American Club of Maryland tions, please contact Jeanie at (717) 793-7428. Tickets are $15. More info: www.facebook. for its monthly dinner meeting a the Radisson NEW YORK com/LELodge Seattle or (206) 783-1274. North Baltimore Hotel. Cash bar at 6:30 p.m. The Experimental Self: Munch’s Photography WASHINGTON followed by a full-course dinner at 7:15 p.m. for now-March 8 SVER – Epic Norwegian Folk Music Concert WISCONSIN the cost of $35. RSVP to Einar Skretting at (410) Jan. 21, 7 p.m. New York Scandinavian Hygge 667-6235 before Friday, Jan. 12. This series of photographs, films, and prints by Seattle Jan. 18, 11:30 a.m. Edvard Munch emphasizes the artist’s experi- Expect epic, engaging and energetic Norwegian Amery - MASSACHUSETTS mentalism, examining his exploration of the cam- music by the Norwegian band SVER at the Phin Learn the simple pleasures of Scandinavian ney Center Hall, co-sponsored by the Seattle The Last King film screening era as an expressive medium. On view at Scan- cuisine and experience the uniquely Nordic - Jan. 20, 1 p.m. dinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, Folklore Society and the Skandia Folkdance Soci concept of “hygge” with chef Terry Kelzer in a ety. Olav Luksengård Mjelva (fiddle and Hardan- West Newton Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., cooking demonstration for all ages. More info: ger fiddle) leads the band along with Leif Ingvar Game of Thrones fans will not want to miss and on Wednesdays until 7 p.m., with a guided farmtablefoundation.org. Ranøien (diatonic accordion), Anders Hall (fiddle this high-stakes adventure film, presented by gallery tour at 5:30 p.m. More information: www. The Scandinavian Library. Listen to Norwegian scandinaviahouse.org. with English subtitles. Free refreshments at Send฀your฀event฀to฀[email protected]฀or฀call฀(206)฀784-4617฀ to be added to The Norwegian American! Check www.norwegianamerican.com/events for complete listings Event listings are free, but space is limited. Please contact us at least one month before event. theNorwegiaNamerican Norway near you January 12, 2018 • 15 DC fifth graders learn about Norway Waffles, heart ornaments, and chocolate sweeten the Embassy Adoption Program

cHriStine FoSter meloni Washington

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington is participating again this year in the popular Embassy Adoption Program, a partnership between the District of Colum- bia public schools and the Washington Per- forming Arts Society. Interested fifth- and sixth-grade teachers may apply for this pro- gram. A class is then adopted by one of the participating embassies. Angela Isom’s fifth-grade class at Burr- ville Elementary School was paired with the Embassy of Norway. Urd Milbury, the Embassy’s representative, has been working with this very enthusiastic group of children, who are eager to participate in all of the ac- tivities she plans for them. When Urd arrived at the school for her first visit, she was given a very warm wel- come. The children were holding a large “Welcome” banner and vigorously wav- ing little Norwegian flags. In the fall, the children enjoyed tak- ing part in “Waffle Night.” They were treated to traditional Norwegian waffles covered with a layer of sour cream and then one of strawberry jam. They de- clared the waffles very delicious! Just before the holidays, Urd went to the school with a Norwegian craft activ- ity. She brought along three helpers, her two children, Odin and Freya, and Odin’s friend Maxwell. She began by telling the children that they were going to create small, heart- shaped paper baskets. Norwegian children make these special ornaments to decorate their Christmas trees. She then gave a demonstration of how to make them. Next, she and her helpers distributed the materials to the children who then made baskets out of the circles and strips of colorful Christmas wrapping paper that Photos: John Olsen she had prepared in advance. They folded Top: Fifth-grade students from Burrville Elementary gather around the tree they decorated during the circles into the shape of a heart, sealed a visit from the Royal Norwegian Embassy last December. them with glue, and glued on the handles. Above: Urd Milbury helps students fold their heart-shaped baskets. Left: The students had prepared for the visit by learning about Norway and decorating the class- They became more excited at the room door with facts about the country. next step, and the chatter level undeniably increased. They were given a box full of many different stickers, which they used There is no Thanksgiving in Norway. Before leaving, Urd and her helpers The children are now looking forward to creatively to decorate their baskets. Last of But Norwegians have holidays that Ameri- gave each child a goodie bag with Norwe- their January field trip, a visit to the Edvard all, they were provided with boxes of gems cans don’t have. They celebrate, for example, gian chocolate. It was a sweet ending to a Munch exhibit at the National Gallery, and and glitter. They went all out with these the summer solstice, the longest day of the very enjoyable morning. learning more about Norway. items. The final products were stunning! year. Halloween was not a holiday in Nor- A small tree was brought to the center way until recently, and it is now a big deal. of the room and quickly decorated with their Freya said that she thought that Norwe- Community Connections small baskets. The children looked at the tree gian candy was much better than American with a delighted sense of pride. candy. One child asked if Norwegian chil- A very animated question-and-answer dren had Twix. When Freya told them that Happy birthday, period followed the craft activity, led by they didn’t, the children exclaimed with sur- Odin and Freya. The children asked many prise, “What? No Twix??” engagement, birth, questions about the schools, the weather, and After the Q&A, Urd showed the children holidays in Norway. They were very sur- a short Norwegian cartoon with no dialogue. family reunion, etc! prised at most of the answers. Here is some When she asked the children afterwards of what they learned. what the message of the film was, many of Norwegian children only have five them offered very insightful comments. Your name and hours of school every day and have recess Odin then explained what he was wear- every 45 minutes. But they have only one ing on the cord around his neck. It was a message here! month of summer vacation. They bring their small reflector in the shape of a moose. He own lunches to school from home, and they explained that, when he wears it, he can be are not allowed to bring any unhealthy food. seen in the dark. Norwegian children always For more information, call They have lots of snow but never have snow wear one of these reflectors or reflective us at (206) 784-4617 or email days. They play outside a lot all year round. clothing when they are outside after dark to [email protected]. In some places in Norway the sun disap- keep them safe. He thinks it is strange that pears for three months in the winter. Americans do not have this custom as well. the american 16 • January 12, 2018 Travel NorwegiaN Modern and ancient history in Alta Those with an interest in history should add Alta to their northern Norway itinerary

DaViD nikel Trondheim, Norway

Alta is the gateway to the vast Finn- marksvidda, which at 8,500 square miles is Norway’s largest mountain plateau. A func- tional town made up of several communities strung together along the E6 highway, you could easily pass through Alta without a mo- ment’s thought. So, is it worth a second look? There’s not a great deal here to keep you occupied beyond a one-day stay, un- less you’re a history buff. If you are, then this region of Norway holds a lot of interest. Beyond history, the town also serves as an obvious starting point to explore not only the vast Finnmarksvidda but also the Sámi com- munities of Kautokeino and Karasjok.

War history During the occupation of Norway dur- ing World War II, Alta was a key strategic lo- cation for German forces. The battleship Tir- pitz was based in the Altafjord for two years and served as one of the main threats against convoys delivering supplies from Western Photos: David Nikel Allies to the Soviet Union. A little awkward Above: The Northern Lights Cathedral was built to resemble the curves of the aurora borealis. - to find, maybe, but the Tirpitz Museum (tir Left: A model of the Tirpitz, a German warship pitz-museum.no) is worth seeking out. that was sunk in Norwegian waters. Many photographs are displayed along Below: Some of the famous Stone Age rock carv- with original uniforms and personal effects ings, which were painted red for visibility in the from the crew. A collection of model ships 1970s. and more general artifacts from the war are also on display, while a short movie in Eng- lish about the ship’s history can be viewed upon request. On your return to Alta, pull over into the David Nikel is a freelance parking area on the left-hand side immedi- writer based in Norway. ately after the impressive Gorsa Bridge. Take He runs the popular www. a short stroll along the hill and you’ll find the lifeinnorway.net website substantial crater left when a Tall Boy bomb and podcast and is the au- missed its target during the battles. thor of the Moon Norway guidebook, available now The world-famous rock carvings in all good bookstores. The other main historical attraction is the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Rock Art Center (alta.museum.no), a 2.5-mile drive along the E6 southwest from down- town Alta. Made between 2,000 and 7,000 years ago, the thousands of carvings indicate winter, the traditional lavvu tent is filled with that Alta functioned as a religious meeting various items of clothing, tools, and reindeer place in the Stone Age. The artwork depicts skins from Sámi life. Your charismatic host scenes from days long gone, specifically Nils Henrik will answer all your questions hunting and gathering, fishing, rituals, and about the nomadic Sámi lifestyle, reindeer social occasions. herding, and the Sámi culture, which makes A wooden pathway several miles long the NOK 50 entrance fee a bargain. has been constructed to lead visitors around The indigenous Sámi populations are the otherwise boggy ground where the rock spread over the north of Norway, Sweden, carvings are located. Many of the older carv- Finland, and Russia. Many visitors are spell- ings were painted red in the 1970s to make bound by the vivid costumes, outdoor life- them more visible, which was normal prac- style, and folk songs known as joik, com- tice at the time. However, this process is now pared by some to the traditional chanting of being reversed to preserve the authenticity Native American cultures. of the art, even though some of the carvings Although visible in Alta, the Sámi will be harder to see. The outdoor carvings culture really comes to the forefront in are accessible during the snow-free season Kautokeino, a small town of just a few thou- (typically May through October), but the in- sand people 80 miles to the south. Here, Downtown alta the northern lights. door exhibitions are open year-round. around four in five people speak Sámi as The Northern Lights Cathedral (alta. With little else of interest, downtown their primary language of everyday life. kirken.no) opened its doors to the public in Alta is nevertheless a good place to stay, a detour into Sámi culture Located 80 miles to the northeast of 2013 after more than 40 years of struggle to with a couple of chain hotels, good parking Immediately adjacent to Alta River Kautokeino is the similarly sized village get a new church for the parish. The unusual options, and shops and restaurants on your Camping, Boazo Sami Siida is a Sámi of Karasjok, home to the Sámi Parliament. architecture (a curved titanium exterior and doorstep. If that doesn’t excite you, the Hol- reindeer farm, café, pub, and museum all Opened in 1989, the Parliament acts as an coiled 150-foot spire) is designed to reflect men Husky Lodge (holmenhusky.no) to the rolled into one. Open only during the sum- institution of cultural autonomy for the Sámi the delicate ribbon-like movement of the au- south of the city offers husky-pulled sled mer months because its owners return to people through 39 representatives elected rora borealis. The simple interior is comple- rides by day and accommodation in purpose- Kautokeino with their reindeer during the every four years. mented with beautiful lighting inspired by built glamping teepees by night. theNorwegiaNamerican Travel January 12, 2018 • 17 Stavanger like a local: What to do in and around the oil capital

VaneSSa brune Stavanger, Norway

I’ve recently moved to Stavanger and keep hearing people say that Stavanger can easily be explored in a day as there “isn’t much to see anyway.” Now, maybe it’s be- cause I’m still in the honeymoon phase of living somewhere new, but to me Stavanger offers endless opportunities to go out and explore! While I haven’t managed to visit the more popular sites like Preikestolen and Kjerag yet, I have been exploring my own backyard quite extensively, which has plenty of hidden (and free of charge) gems to dis- cover! I live west of the city center in an area that’s called Madla, situated at the famous Hafrsfjord. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard about the fjord before, though—I hadn’t ei- ther! Hafrsfjord actually is the place where Norway was united in one kingdom after the battle of Hafrsfjord under King Harald Hår- fagre (Fairhair) in 872. It is a very historic place, and you can find lots of memorials of the battle all around the area.

Sverd i fjell Photos: vanessa Brune One of the most iconic monuments Above: The view from Stavanger’s peaceful bo- reminding of the battle of Hafrsfjord is tanical garden. the Sverd i fjell (sword in mountain) Left: Sverd i fjell is an iconic monument memori- monument that you’ve probably al- alizing the battle of Hafrsfjord—and symbolizing ready seen on postcards of Norway. peace. The three bronze swords were erected in 1983. They were created by the art- ist Fritz Røed and are 33 feet tall. Apart from serving as a reminder of the battle, the swords are also a sign of peace as they’re built into the rocks, making it impossible to ever remove them. Vanessa Brune is a German The monument at the beach has expat who’s recently moved become quite a popular tourist destina- to Stavanger after three tion and is not quite as off-the-beaten- years of life in Tromsø. She path as the other places on this list, but blogs about Norway and the it’s worth the drive to Madla anyway. Nordic countries on her blog How to get there: It’s a 15-min- www.snowintromso.com. ute drive by car and a 15- to 30-minute ride by bus, depending on which bus you take. Number 4, 6, and 7 go to Mad- as Tau and Jørpeland, which you might know walk to the garden. When going by car, you Stora Stokkavatnet lamark Kirke (Madlamark Church) from if you’ve visited Preikestolen before. have to park at Ullandhaugtårnet and walk Stora Stokkavatnet is an almost one- where you have to walk down to the fjord How to get there: Getting to Ulland- from there. square-mile lake that once served as the (a 10-minute walk), while number 16 goes haugtårnet is a 15- to 20-minute drive by car When to visit: The garden can be vis- tap water supply for Stavanger but now is a to Madlaleiren, from which it only is a five- and takes 20 to 30 minutes by bus from the ited anytime. popular recreational area. There’s a trail that minute walk. city center. Bus 4 stops at Tjodveien, from goes round the lake that you can use for hik- When to visit: The monument is popu- where it is a nice 10-minute walk past farm- Jernaldergården ing, running, or cycling—or you can also go lar year-round, though especially during ing land and through the forest to the tower. Jernaldergården is an Iron Age farm that for a swim in the lake. summer when the sun comes out, as it’s situ- When to visit: Any time of the year depicts life in the Viking days. It’s situated How to get there: Take bus 2, 3, 4, 6, or ated next to a small beach. If you’d like to really, but there are Christmas lights in De- amid a sheep pasture on a hill overlooking 7 to Madlakrossen and walk for five minutes avoid the crowds, visit at sunset, as that’s cember and the café is open on Sundays be- the city. It was here that I saw the northern down the hill until you reach the lake. when most locals and tourists have already tween February and June, as well as August lights this past autumn (who would have When to visit: Obviously, summer is left the site. through December. thought?), and it’s a place that’s full of his- the best time to spend a few hours at the lake, tory! but I’m sure it’s nice for a winter walk, too. ullandhaugtårnet Stavanger Botanical garden How to get there: Take bus 4 to Tjod- Ullandhaugtårnet has once been a tower Within walking distance of Ulland- veien and follow the road for about a mile to More information on visiting Stavanger reminding of the battle of Hafrsfjord. Nowa- haugtårnet, you can also find the botanicalthe entrance of the museum, or park there if Where to stay: Scandic Stavanger days, it’s used as a telecommunications tow- garden of Stavanger. It’s a 30-acre area ex- you come by car. Forus for cheap rates and delicious meals er—its upper tip being situated at 656 feet hibiting all kinds of plants and herbs from When to visit: The museum is open be- Where to eat: Restaurant Mexico for above sea level. southern Norway and other parts of the world tween 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day between tacos You can visit the viewing platform free where the climate is similar. It was opened late June and late August and also every Sun- Where to go for drinks: The Irishman of charge, anytime of the year, and there in 1978 and is situated next to the university day in September. You can visit the area out- or Newsman for a cozy pub experience even is a café that’s open on Sundays (ex- campus. Visiting is free of charge. side of opening hours too, though. Remem- Must-see sights: The Old Town, the cept in January and July). From there, you How to get there: You can go by bus 6 ber to bring rain boots or hiking boots, as you Canning Museum, and the Norwegian Petro- have a pretty stunning view of the surround- to University of Stavanger or bus 4 to Tjod- can’t really avoid stepping in sheep dung. leum Museum ing fjords and mountains and can see as far veien. In both cases, it’s a short 10-minute the american 18 • January 12, 2018 Norwegian Heritage NorwegiaN Bergen tackles the heroin crisis With treatment options, social workers, and safe injection sites, Norway’s second city is getting addiction off the streets and breaking the generational cycle of drug abuse

Photos: (left) lori ann reinhall, (right) courtesy of Strax-huset Left: Bergen’s mayor, Marte Mjøs Persen, cuts the ribbon at the dedication ceremony for the re-opening of Nygårdsparken on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, after three years of planning and preparation. Right: The injection room at Strax-huset provides a clean, safe environment and is supervised by highly trained personnel specialized in the treatment of heroin addiction. lori ann reinHall The Norwegian American

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in scene in the park became intolerable for the etly tucked away in a cul-de-sac, offering I asked the staff at Nesttun if they have a September, but rain never keeps the citizens surrounding neighborhood. Finally, in Au- privacy and repose. vision for the future. Their answer was with- of Bergen away from a celebration, especial- gust 2014, the park was shut down once and When you enter the house, you are out hesitation and unanimous: to see heroin ly not when one of the most beautiful parks for all. Bergen’s heroin addicts suddenly had struck by its cleanliness and lightness. Col- use decriminalized. Beyond that, it is their in the city is being dedicated. There was free nowhere to go. orful artwork and the smell of fresh coffee dream that even more centers will be built to coffee and traditional Bergen “skillings- But Bergen is not a city that leaves welcome you. We were greeted by Rasmus reach out to more of those in need and that boller” (cinnamon buns), a drum brigade set its citizens in the lurch. A comprehensive Litland, the center’s director, who is assisted they will want to come get help. They under- the mood, and lively musical performances program was put in place to build an infra- by a staff of committed professionals: nurs- stand that their clients are “social cases”— added to the festive atmosphere. Hundreds structure of drug-treatment facilities, as well es, social workers, and a cook. victims of broken homes, violence, and child were on hand, old and young alike, to watch as housing for those being displaced from The staff wears ordinary street clothes in abuse. Many are in a third generation of drug Mayor Marte Mjøs Persen cut the red, white, Nygårdsparken. Special residences for her- order to mix in with the clients, yet one can abuse, and the staff’s goal is to break this cy- and blue ribbon. After three years of refur- oin addicts are now subsidized by the mu- immediately recognize who is who. The faces cle. The staff sees itself as part of a humanitar- bishment at the cost of NOK 25 million, nicipality, with 24-hour on-site supervision of the addicts show the wear and tear of years ian effort to help those who have fallen victim Nygårdsparken was officially re-opened. by qualified social workers. Furthermore, of drug abuse and personal neglect; even a to unfortunate circumstances in life, including Five decades ago, things looked much two new rehabilitation sites were opened smile cannot hide it. Some look tired from criminal drug cartels. They view their work different in Nygårdsparken. In the late 1960s with plans for a third in the making, and a a night on the streets, others are ready for a as vitally important, and they like their jobs. the residents of Bergen could see drugs be- safe injection site was added to the munici- shower or a hot meal. All of this is available Much closer to the city center is Strax- ing bought and sold in the city’s largest ur- pality’s existing heroin-treatment facility. to them at the center. They can also lie down huset, the largest center for heroin addicts in ban green space. Ten years later, it was com- All this was done to help Bergen’s addicts, on a comfortable sofa for a rest. While all cli- Bergen. The facility opened in 1995, dating mon to see hash traded openly, and the park reducing their health risks and offering set- ents have subsidized apartments in buildings back to the earlier days of the HIV epidemic. was becoming a regular hangout for users. tings that encouraged them to receive further supervised by certified social workers, they Here the atmosphere is considerably more An attempt was made to shut down the drug treatment. don’t always find their way home. institutional, due to its size and sheer volume scene there in 1989, but as users made their Coming from Seattle, a city with its own Hygiene and nutrition are major con- of visits. Located next to a bridge and tun- way to the city center, there were concerns heroin crisis, I wanted to learn more about cerns at the center; heroin addicts have their nel where addicts displaced from Nygårds- about the negative impact on tourism and the the drug-treatment initiatives in our sister own special needs. Injection by needle car- parken now congregate, it has a reputation overall safety of Bergen’s citizens. city. I reached out to officials at Bergen Cityries the risk of infection, but having the as a rough environment. But I learn from the With time, police surveillance of the Hall and was put in contact with Marit Sagen proper equipment and a sterile environment facility’s director, Hugo Torjussen, that the park eased up. The situation degenerated, Grung from the Department of Social Ser- provides some protection. Clients may con- approach at the treatment center is much the and Nygårdsparken achieved notoriety as vices, a health-care professional and social sult with the nurse on duty for advice and same as at Nesttun. the largest open drug scene in all of Europe. worker with 18 years of experience working assistance with wounds, and they receive in- “Strax-huset” roughly means “the By the mid-1990s, heroin had found its way with drug abuse. Grung and I set off together struction on how to safely inject and avoid straightaway house” in the sense of imme- to Norway, and the park lawns were filled to visit two of three Bergen facilities special- overdosing. While medications are not dis- diacy or urgency. It is a place where heroin with needles and syringes. But while ad- izing in the care of heroin addicts. tributed, natural remedies are sometimes addicts can drop in and get help on an “on dicts were dying of overdoses, law enforce- Our first stop was Nesttun, a half-hour administered. The Nalokson nasal spray pro- demand” basis, providing they meet certain ment turned its focus away from them and tram trip from the city center, the home of a gram to reduce the effects of overdose is also criteria. When the center opened two de- directed its attention to drug cartels, deal- day rehab center. The facility is strategically a key part of the services offered. Finally, cades ago, clean needles were distributed to ers, and smugglers. Public health and safety situated near the main shopping area—easy three solid meals a day with healthy snacks curb the rising HIV epidemic. In December concerns mounted, and eventually the drug to access from public transportation, yet qui- are available. Clients can also wash their 2016, a safe-injection room was added, the clothes, or even get new clothes donated by second in Norway coming online more than volunteers. 10 years after the first in Oslo. Business and individual The staff at Nesttun believes that main- In 2017, the staff of 100 saw more than tax returns; audits; forensic taining a sense of dignity is key to recovery. 5,000 visits, servicing approximately 1,500 While most addicts never find their way, unique users. To receive treatment, you must accounting; financial there are some success stories. The next step be addicted to heroin; other addicts are sent statement preparation; is treatment at a methadone clinic. Some to facilities with programs designed to meet Certified Public Accountants litigation support. may never return to productive working life, their needs. Torjussen explains that different but there may be hope for the next genera- addictions require different protocols. The tion. Litland tells of a female client who still staff at Strax-huset is trained in dealing with 221 First Avenue West Suite 400 Lower Queen Anne location, easy parking. Seattle, Washington 98119 struggles with addiction but is proud that the heroin addict specifically. both her daughters are studying at the uni- Phone: 206.292.1747 • Online: loecpa.com • Email: [email protected] versity with bright futures ahead. See > HErOiN, page 23 the american NorwegiaN Norwegian Heritage January 12, 2018 • 19 “When are you coming back?” DNA test leads to new Norsk cousins

janell PaPe braDley Hawkeye, Iowa

It all began with a desire to get more connected with my Scandinavian heritage. While I knew my parents and grandpar- ents to be of German and Norwegian ances- try, I always felt more Norsk than Deutsch, with my blond hair, blue eyes and a proclivity for sweets like sandbakkels and pepperka- ker. On the flip side, I have very little - prefer ence for sauerkraut, hot German potato salad, bratwurst, or the cooked goose and knödel (dumplings) my Grandma Vagts traditionally prepared for our Christmas dinners. For my slightly Norwegian cousins and myself, it isn’t Christmas without a slather- Photo: Janell Pape Bradley Janell Pape Bradley with the sign designating the ing of butter spread on a warm lefse or po- city limit of Kvås in Vest Agder, Norway, home to tato cake, sprinkled with sugar. Fladbrød is a one branch of her Norsk ancestry. The village was staple too, even if we can’t pronounce it as a municipality from 1909 to about 1963. Before well as our late grandmother. that, and since 1963, it is considered a part of As a child some 40 years ago, it wasn’t Lyngdal, about 10 miles to the south. unusual to hear a Norwegian “brogue” at Photo: Janell Pape Bradley church or in the grocery store. Ole and Lena Above: Kvås Church, in the tiny community of Kvås in Vest Agder, where Janell Pape Bradley discov- jokes told by some of the farmers that visited ered several of her Norwegian relatives still reside. The village is home to Kvåsfossen, a waterfall with my parents’ implement and appliance store an almost 120-foot drop that prevents salmon in the Lygna River from swimming any farther upstream. were tolerated and likely returned with an eye roll. Until this past spring, I had pushed aside It wasn’t long before I connected with cousin!) welcomed us into their home for a learned Terje had spent much of his life as a suggestions to take an ancestry DNA test, Gunhild Baldersheim, who shares my pas- dinner of moose meat, winter vegetables and beekeeper and fish farmer. Growing beauti- because I thought it would just confirm whatsion for genealogy. Quickly, we began trad- homemade ice cream topped with lingonber- ful flowers and plants was obviously an art I already knew: 75% German and 25% Nor- ing emails and even daily messages through ries. As we delighted in this warm welcome he had honed, evidenced by the photographs wegian ancestry. My paternal great- great- social media. Because she could read Nor- to Norway, Gunhild described a telephone he shared. In an old black-and-white photo, grandparents were born in Norway, while wegian and decipher old church records, her conversation with a relative near Lyngdal he pointed out his siblings. I believed my maternal grandparents to be assistance was invaluable as I began to build who told her I had third cousins still living I asked Terje if he used email so we might both fully German, along with my paternal my family tree online. As the weeks passed, at Kvås! Although I’d booked us to stay near possibly begin a correspondence. “Computer, grandfather. Cousin Gunhild shared links to information Kvås so we could explore the area churches kaput,” was his unfortunate response. I never could have imagined how wrong about patronymics—the Norwegian method and cemeteries, I had not imagined I would After some minutes had passed, Terje those notions would be. To begin with, one of naming one’s son for his father, ie: Os- make face-to-face contact with living rela- invited us into his kitchen for a light lunch doesn’t necessarily inherit an exact 50% of mund’s son becomes Osmundson. tives! and a cup of coffee. He and a fisherman DNA from each parent. Getting my results in I knew my great- great-grandfather Knut The following day, we drove to Kris- friend who was visiting prepared generous late spring, I learned my Norwegian blood- Osmundson Fundingsland and his wife, Leva tiansand, where we met with cousin Chris, plates of smoked laks (salmon) and fiske that lines were intent on persevering as my pie Larsdatter (Hauge) had arrived in America in who like Gunhild, had acquired a “gård og had been in a brine for five to six months. We chart indicates I am 34% Scandinavian. My 1857. Sailing the seas with an infant son who folk” bygdebok on Kvås through her local li- also enjoyed bread spread with Norwegian German heritage wasn’t as clear-cut as I had died during the journey, they left their native brary. Some of the many pages in these local butter and Kvås honey. Nydelig! believed, with evidence of Irish, Scottish, Hjelmeland, a beautiful, but rugged terrain history books provided me with an interest- As we ate, Terje attempted to tell us a British, and Polish bloodlines. in Rogaland, in search of a new home where ing history on some of my ancestors, and the couple of tall fish tales that reflected his quiet From the ancestry program I’d chosen, they could better eke out a meager living. village where they had lived. Both cousins sense of humor. Not always understanding I received a list of 1,158 others known to But while I had recorded history of this kindly provided translation. Yet that after- his Norwegian, we might not have gotten the share my DNA—even if our common chro- one Scandinavian branch of my family tree, noon, we were once again on the move, driv- true meaning of the joke, but it didn’t mat- mosomes were slight in number. Excited to I had no idea where to begin searching for ing to the Lyngdal area. ter. It was evident my Norsk fetter enjoyed think I might find living relatives in Norway, other Norwegian relatives, with farm names Early the next morning, armed with only trying to put one over on his impressionable I browsed through the list and sent out a few that included Saeboe, Kvås, Kvitavoll, Åbes- a name and an address, my husband and I newfound relative. Seated at the kitchen ta- query emails to potential cousins with Nor- tad, and many others. drove to the little village about 10 miles ble of a Kvås cousin, I felt honored that this wegian-appearing surnames. As my emails with Gunhild continued, north of Lyngdal, where Kvås Kirke is a man who had been a complete stranger an I received a response from a query to a fifthcenterpiece amongst a scattering of homes hour ago had taken a chance on getting to cousin, Liv Kirsten Rølland of Kristiansand. set deep in a valley. After a walk among the know an American cousin. “Chris” and I were linked through my third gravestones, we drove a short distance up Not wanting to impose further, my hus- great-grandmother, Gjertrud Hoskuldsdatter the road and stood in awe of Kvåsfossen, band and I explained we wanted to explore Åbestad, who grew up on a farm near Kon- the waterfall. With a drop of almost 120 feet Åbestad farm and Konsmo kommune, so we smo, Vest Agder, in southern Norway. meters, the waterfall empties into the Lygna made our way to the door. With two cousins now illuminating the River, which flows to Lyngdal. As we stepped back outside into a crisp various branches of my family tree, I be- As the sun began to peek over the moun- morning offering a rare glimpse of Sørlandet came anxious to visit this homeland to bet- tains that shadowed the valley, we were sunshine in what had been a very wet au- ter connect the dots. After booking airfare to ready to seek out cousin Terje Kvås. Stop- tumn, It was heartwarming to hear Terje ask, Norway via Reykjavik, Iceland, I continued ping to ask for directions on the main (kind “When are you coming back?” to search out cousins. I began to correspond of the only) street, a kind man who spoke a My answer? “Very soon, I hope!” with a couple of other cousins, but due to little English suggested we follow him in his timing and logistics regarding their resi- car, and then he delivered us to Terje’s door- dences not being on our planned itinerary, a step and made the initial introductions. Janell Pape Bradley pub- personal meeting, sadly, had to wait. Although language posed a challenge, I lished several small weekly For five days in late October and early did have a printed page illustrating how Terje newspapers in Northeast November, my husband and I drove from and I were related. My great- great-grandfa- Photo: Janell Pape Bradley Iowa from 1993-2010. She Oslo, to Sandefjord, Kristiansand, and even- ther Lars Christian Quass (the Americanized Right: The author, Janell Pape Bradley, on the is currently an elected offi- tually Lyngdal and Kvås, discovering as version of Kvås) was a brother to Terje’s cial serving as a county su- left, and a Norwegian cousin, Gunhild Vefling Baldersheim, at right. The two women met for the much as possible about my ancestors. great-grandfather, Bernt Kristian Kvås. pervisor in Iowa. She loves first time on Oct. 31, 2017 when Janell traveled Our first night in Norway, Cousin Gun- As we worked our way through know- travel, gardening, kayak- to Norway. hild and her husband Tor Inge (also my ing only a little of one another’s language, I ing and discovering more about her genealogy. the american 20 • January 12, 2018 Norsk Språk NorwegiaN Norwegian Language Corner Nordic happy hour NORWEGIAN FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES ANd TROLLS Inside the Twin Cities’ no-pressure way to practice your Norwegian (or Icelandic!) Volume 1 With 18 classic folk tales, fairy tales and trolls from Norway in Norwegian and English, Tuss og Troll is now se- rialized in The Norwegian American’s Norwegian Language Corner. The stories are from the collections of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, and retold by Øyvind Dybvad, Gard Espeland, Velle Espeland, Johannes Farestveit, and Nana Rise-Lynum. Translated by Alexander Knud Huntrods and Odd-Steinar Dybvad Raneng. Illustrated by Solveig Muren Sanden and Jens R. Nilssen. Tuss og Troll was edited, designed, and published by Deb Nelson Gourley of Astri My Astri Publishing. Copyright © Norsk Barneblad.

Photo: anna Oksnevad Ross Johnson and Christina Melander sample the Julebrus at a recent Nordic Happy Hour.

anna okSneVaD Minneapolis

If you’re looking for a way to practice out it was open to everyone, so I thought I your Nordic language skills but don’t want would check it out.” I asked him what he to go to class or have homework, this is it. thought and his response was surprising, but The Twin Cities Nordic Happy Hour is a fitting: “I am shocked at how many Norwe- casual way for individuals to practice their gians in America don’t like pickled herring!” Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, Finnish, Since typically these events are held at and Danish skills with others. Hosted once a breweries or bars, drinks are purchased as month, all levels of experience are welcome. desired, however this event was BYOB, and The location rotates to different breweries individuals got creative. Christina Melander and bars, making commuting convenient for brought her own cocktail to share “I named as many people as possible. it Julebrus. It is a mix of apple cider, cinna- I recently attended my first one at Nor- mon, bitters, and Bulleit Bourbon.” She of- way House in Minneapolis, where I met a fered a taste of the Julebrus to each attendee. number of people with interesting journeys Richard Shakrea took Norwegian for that brought them to the happy hour. five years at Mindekirken Norwegian- Lu Jodie Larson has Norwegian heritage theran Memorial Church in Minneapolis, on both sides: “My grandpa was Norwegian, Minn., until there were no longer classes which is what got me interested originally. I left. He enjoys the meetings because “when KJETTA På DOVRE THE CAT ON DOVRE MOUNTAIN RANGE had worked in China for a while and couldn’t I travel to Norway I want to practice Norwe- del 1 av 3 part 1 of 3 pick up the language as quickly as I thought I would, so I decided at that time I would pick See > HaPPy HOur, page 23 Det var ein gong ein mann i Finnmark There once was a man in Finnmark, in a language that I had more personal interest som hadde fanga ein stor kvitbjørn. — Du the far north of Norway, who had caught a in,” she said. We connected on the desire to Anna Oksnevad is the creator skal vel slå i hel denne kvitbjørnen? undra giant polar bear. “So you will probably kill learn more about both our families and our- of Norwegian-American life- folk. this polar bear then,” people pondered. selves and feeling that learning the language style blog KeepingKoselig. — Nei, denne bjørnen vil eg ikkje dre- “No, this bear I will not kill,” answered is a great medium to do so. com, and also works as a pa, svara mannen. — Eg vil gå til kongen i the man. “I will go to the king in Copenha- Ross Johnson introduced himself say- Marketing Manager in the København med han. Ein dag la mannen og gen with him.” So one day, the man and the ing, “like a lot of Swedes, I’m a real char- corporate world. Anna is kvitbjørnen i veg på den lange ferda. bear went off on the long journey south. acter.” The previous get-together had been from Decorah, Iowa, and Så fall det seg slik at han kom til Dovre- As it happened, he arrived at the hosted at a brewery where Johnson works. “I now resides in Minneapo- fjell om julekvelden. Mannen gjekk og leita Dovre Mountain Range on Christmas Eve. learned a little bit about the group and found lis, Minn., with her husband, Tor, and two dogs. etter eit hus for natta, for han ville ikkje lig- The man walked about and searched for gja ute ein julekveld. a house for the night, because he did not Endeleg fekk han sjå ei lita stove borte want to sleep outside on a Christmas Eve. i ein snøhaug. Det rauk av pipa, så her var Finally he saw a small cabin by a snow- nok folk, skjøna han. drift. There was smoke coming out of the — Kan eg få hus til meg og kvitbjørnen? chimney, so surely there would be people — å, hjelpe oss, sa mannen i stova då in there, he reasoned. han såg bjørnen, — men du får no stiga inn. “Can I have a place to stay the night for — Vi kan ikkje låna hus til nokon no, for myself and the polar bear?” kvar einaste julekveld kjem det så fullt med “Oh my, oh my,” said the man at the troll her at vi må flytta ut sjølve. cabin when he saw the bear. “Well you had better come in then. “We cannot offer lodging to anyone just now, because every single Christmas Eve so many trolls come here that we even Tuss og Troll 2-vol set have to go away ourselves.” $35.95 with FREE shipping in USA. www.astrimyastri.com the american NorwegiaN Norsk Språk January 12, 2018 • 21

« Things will fall apart, but that means happiness. It is the beginning of something new. < SNOP Og BruS » Fra side 2 – Beate Grimsrud En annen forandring, sier Fouganthin, er at de norske kundene nå gjør en komplett Pondus by Frode Øverli handel, de jakter ikke bare på lokkevarene. — Jeg føler at nordmenn liker å planleg- ge litt lenger frem i tid og ha ekstra fryseva- rer eller tørrmat liggende, sier butikksjefen. Sukkerfrie leskedrikker som Pepsi Maxi og Cola Zero selges typisk for NOK 5 literen (NOK 29,90 for 4 X1,5 liter), mens brett med Ramløsa eller sukkerdrikker selges for under hundrelappen. Siden i høst har den svenske kronen styrket seg med 4–5 prosent og ligger nå nesten likt med den norske. Likevel er det absolutt penger å spare på å kombinere en tur til Sverige med en sving innom Nordby, mener familien Tveisme fra Nøtterøy. Do you think No “Desperate Housewives” — Vi har fortsatt igjen sjokolade fra the mood is Well, let’s sound tonight! We’re staying with right for it? them out! Chelsea-Fulham! julen, men brus, kylling, pasta og frosne grønnsaker er alltid greit å ta med, sier Bjørn Tveisme. Lunch by Børge Lund Et av Skandinavias største eldoradoer for snop og slikk er Godisfabriken og Got- tebiten, de enorme butikkene hvor tonnevis You use a nicer font? av sjokolade falbys: — Jeg liker både søtt og surt, jeg, og nå sier mamma at jeg kan få kjøpe litt ekstra siden det er nyttår, sier syvåringen Leo. En av dem som frykter at den særnorske sukkeravgiften vil skape trøbbel, er kondi- tormester Lars Forsberg hos Hval sjokolade- fabrikk i Sandefjord. Kakao og sukker vokser som kjent ikke i Norge, og en svak krone øker prispresset. —70–75 prosent av produksjonen vår er smågodt, og når vi på fjorten dagers varsel får en økning på over 80 prosent i sukkerav- Let’s take a look at the project giften, er dette totalt useriøst, sier Forsberg. plan, Kjell... What usually It’s a utopian conglomeration Right! So what separates Han setter sin lit til at NHO skal få drahjelp of random activities with the characterizes an in-house plan? my plan from that kind of fra ESA når det gjelder å tukte avgiftslystne common goal of creating random patchwork? misleading optimism! politikere.

Hjalmar by Nils Axle Kanten BUNADS FOR SALE:

Hjalmar has a nicer car than me?

Hjalmar has Hjalmar has a nicer car I hope she doesn’t a nicer car than me? ask me what I’m than us! thinking about...

Han Ola og Han Per by Peter J. Rosendahl, with new translations by John Erik Stacy Anti over.

Anti over.

• Adult approx. size 10 • Child size 8 • Made in Norway. Have appraisal of the adult one. It is of the Oslo area. It was my mother’s; she was from Arendal (Oppland- Gudbransdalen-Graffer area) I don’t feel like acting for Decorah Posten* today, Wait a bit, Dada, Ola. My back hurts so bad. let me throw first. Contact Reidun Kollen: (360) 808-8163 I don’t feel like acting either. My tummy isn’t so good. *Han Ola og Han Per was originally printed in Decorah Posten, a Norwegian paper based in Iowa. [email protected] the american 22 • January 12, 2018 Fiction NorwegiaN Where is Minnehaha

Avenue, anyway?fiction by Barbara Schlichting

tried to hurry her husband, Inga which was no easy feat. They were expected to be on time. After all, Nor- wegians were never late. That’s the crux of the matter. Martin still hadn’t finished milking nor loaded the two dozen donuts she’d made last night for her granddaugh- ter’s confirmation. The church, Minneha- ha Lutheran, was located on Minnehaha Avenue in that big city, Minneapolis. They lived in central Minnesota, Lowry. “Martin! Ja, hurry up!” Inga shouted outside to her husband. He was just leav- ing the barn. “All set now, Inga dear,” he said. Mar- tin walked in with a grin on his face. “The milking is done so we can go now.” “Ja, vell, it’s about time!” Inga said. She took a deep breath. “Go change now and hurry!” “Don’t hurry me so!” Martin hurried to the bedroom where he found his suit and tie all laid out on the bed for him. He quickly changed. “I’m coming!” “Ja, you look good,” Inga said when he reentered the kitchen. She glanced at the wall clock as it chimed six times. “We’ll make it just in time.” The 1952 Chevrolet parked in the yard hadn’t been any further than to town and illustration: liz argall back in years. Normally the kids visited them, but now they had to drive all the way to the Big City. Their daughter’s house was said. “I need something soon, I’m thirsty. Martin said. “How about another donut?” be a church,” Martin said. a three- to four-hour drive, if you didn’t get And, one of your delicious donuts, too.” “No! You’ve had your share for the People dressed in their Sunday best lost, and the church was nearby. “Ja, coffee but no donut, Martin. day.” She shook her head. clothes descended the nearby steps. Martin held the door for Inga to climb They’re for Magdalene, remember,” Inga “You’re a hard woman sometimes, “Magdalene must be with all those inside the car. When she was settled, he said. She carefully set the donuts between Inga dear,” Martin said. “I could use an- people. There’s also youngsters all dressed gave her the box of donuts. them as if they were heaven-sent, before other cuppa, Inga.” up, Martin. Hurry up and park the car!” “Where’s the coffee thermos?” Martin reaching for the thermos. Spreading her “Magdalene will be relieved to see us Martin carefully drove down the sce- asked. “I must have a cup, or I shrivel up.” legs wider, she leaned over to pour the cof- early, ja?” Inga said. She poured more cof- nic route until he reached the parking “On the seat already, plus your favor- fee so that if she spilled, it’d land on the fee. “I wonder what we’ll eat for dinner?” lot where he was able to fit the car into a ite sugar cubes,” Inga replied. She nodded floorboards. “Here, Martin.” She handed “Fried chicken with mashed potatoes spot. Inga didn’t wait for Martin to hurry at them. “Martin, do you know how to him the cuppa. and gravy,” Martin said. “Here now, we’re around and open her door, she climbed get to the church? Minnehaha Lutheran?” “Many thanks,” he said, and sipped on Olson Memorial Parkway, which is the right out with the donut box. Martin ar- Inga sniffed, and glanced down at her box from it. “I can’t hold it and drive right scenic part of the trip.” rived on her side just in time to shut the of donuts. “Smell good, ja?” now, Inga. There’s a barn coming up and “We’re going to Minnehaha Avenue, door for her. “You betcha!” the cows are out. I need both hands on the not Hiawatha,” Inga said. She took Mar- “Look at the waterfall, Martin,” she Martin put the car into drive and steering wheel.” He handed over the coffee. tin’s empty cup and tightened the lid on drove from the driveway. The Highway “I don’t see any cows,” Inga said. the thermos. The donut box she set back See > MiNNEHaHa, page 23 55 intersection went through town where Martin quickly sneaked a donut from on her lap, clutching it. he turned onto it. The day was sunny the box. “We’re going right through down- and bright, a lovely day for a long drive “See here now, Martin! It was an ex- town now, Inga, and onto Hiawatha.” Barbara Schlichting has through the country. cuse to make me hold it.” “It’s Minnehaha Avenue we want, always been dreamer, so she writes books. She likes “We’ll be on time, Inga, don’t you “Let me have the cup back, then.” Martin.” Inga broke down the opposite to wander through book- worry,” Martin said. He kept his eyes on Martin looked over to her and took the ends of the box as she clutched it. stores and fall in love with the road. cup. “Magdalene won’t mind.” “Ja, Inga, I know. First we go to Hi- fictional characters. She The winding road brought them “Rotten scoundrel,” Inga said. They awatha,” Martin said. “Don’t worry.” also loves to travel and has through more farmland and near the drove through the town of Paynesville and Martin followed the road signs and had an English penpal for town of Glenwood where Martin’s brother then Buffalo. “The Big City isn’t too far was soon at Minnehaha Falls. about 55 years. Barbara is the author of the First Ladies Dollhouse mystery series, as well lived. They kept driving. After a half-hour, now, is it?” “No church! Only water!” Inga said as as several published short stories. Originally Martin licked his lips and thought about “Highway 55 goes right through they drove to the lookout. “Martin, we’re from Minneapolis, she and her family moved his cup of coffee. downtown and will bring us to Hiawatha lost.” farther north to Bemidji, Minn. Learn more at “How about a cuppa, Inga?” Martin Avenue, Inga, then we’re almost there,” “It’s Minnehaha, isn’t it? There must www.barbaraschlichting.com. theNorwegiaNamerican Roots & Connections January 12, 2018 • 23

< HErOiN < HaPPy HOur From page 18 From page 20

Incoming clients are carefully vetted be- gian, but as soon as I get stuck on a word [his fore the staff oversees their safe injections. relatives] switch to English, and that is the Many of them overdose in the immediate sur- end for me.” roundings by the bridge, and there is an urgent We learned that we both have relatives need to teach them how to correctly use hero- on the island of Karmøy and swapped other in. Torjussen underlines that this by no means training opportunities. “I listen to NRK news constitutes an effort to encourage drug abuse, podcasts,” Shakrea said. “I may understand rather it is an attempt to save lives. Last year, all the words, but still not understand what more than 5,000 nasal-spray antidotes were they are talking about. I need context to help administered to prevent death by overdose. fill in the gaps, so I read one crime book in At both Strax-huset and the Nesttun fa- Norwegian every couple of months to keep cility, approximately 75 percent of the clients sharp.” are men. More than women, they suffer from Typically the event is mostly just con- loneliness and alienation, which may predis- versation and making connections, according pose them to drug abuse. Approximately 50 to Ethan Bjelland, Marketing and Develop- percent of those vetted suffer serious mental- ment Assistant at Norway House and one of health issues, and the staff is careful to screen the coordinators of the event. “It often starts for psychotic behavior that may put others at out with more language practice, but after a risk. Psychiatric treatment or psychological few hours it ends up being mostly English.” counseling is not provided at the center, but We both speculated that the switch was cor- those at risk are referred to other programs. related with alcohol consumption. Like at Nesttun, once admitted, the Bjelland also mentioned that there is clients can shower and wash their clothes. typically an Icelandic group that comes to- Strax-huset also functions as an overnight Photo: lori ann reinhall gether at the event. “I think they text each facility for those who don’t have a residence The artwork that adorns the walls at the Nesttun facility has been created by the clients as a form of other and plan to come as a group so they can or who are unable to stay at their homes. The art therapy that a creates a sense of self-worth and belonging. ensure they have someone to practice with.” rooms are simple, clean, and quiet. Meals Members have varying reasons for at- are also available. The clients may consult tendance. Lis Brotten said she attends happy with medical assistants in the health room, diate environment. When we arrived, a group cases of serious violence against employ- hour to maintain her roots, while Robin Cole, get a flu shot, or receive instruction on howof clients was busy cleaning up debris left ees have ever been reported. the Administration and Membership Develop- to safely inject or what to do in the case of there the night before, and some were paint- Without hard data and statistics, my ment Manager at Norway House, remarked, overdose. They may learn about the benefits ing over graffiti on the concrete walls under visits to the heroin treatment sites at Nest- “We at the Norway House want to get a differ- of smoking heroin as opposed to injecting it, the nearby bridge. They are allowed to work tun and Strax-huset left me with the im- ent population more involved at the museum. although, paradoxically, smoking must take four hours a day and receive NOK 50 (about pression that something positive was hap- ... Hosting a happy hour just made sense and, place outside the premises, which by law are $6.15) an hour in tax-free money. In the life pening in Bergen. Grappling with heroin personally, it is a platform for me to explore operated only for safe injections. of an addict, it is a very small amount of addiction is a difficult, perhaps unsolv- my Norwegian-American roots.” Currently, the facility is engaged in a re- money, with habits costing up to NOK 3,000 able, challenge, but it was encouraging Cookie Lithyouvong is there for the search project on hepatitis C, a major cause (about $370) a day. This leads to prostitution to meet highly trained, committed profes- friends: “I was told about this group through of death among heroin addicts. New drugs for women and criminal activity for men, and sionals dedicated to helping their fellow another member and thought it would be a have been developed, and the goal of the many addicts steal from each other to survive. citizens. Nygårdsparken is now a place great way to network and make long-term three-year study is to find a way to eradicate The program at Strax-huset has not been for families to gather, the streets of Ber- friends.” Lithyouvong doesn’t have Norwe- it within the next 10 years. The drugs are without critics. There are “moral” arguments gen are safer, and help is coming to those gian roots, but that’s okay. The group wel- expensive and normally a stable condition against drugs, with the reasoning that the in dire need. There is a general consensus comes anyone and everyone. is required for full efficacy, but all addictsNorwegian state should not embrace drug about the necessity to decriminalize hero- nonetheless receive treatment. addicts. The media have also put a negative in to focus instead on saving lives — and For more information, including dates and Another innovative program at Strax-hu- spin on safe injection sites in Bergen, report- they feel certain that the work they are do- locations for upcoming events, join the Nor- set is an effort to clean up the facility’s imme- ing of the dangers of working there—yet no ing is making a difference. dic Happy Hour group on Facebook.

< MiNNEHaHa Sandra.” “Don’t hurry me so, Martin!” Martin found a near parking spot in From page 22 “Aren’t you from Minnehaha Luther- Martin started the old car and off front, and they hurried into the church. an?” they puttered out of the parking lot and “No one’s here,” Inga said. said. They walked to the railing and gaped “No. I go to the Basilica.” into the street. Horns honked and some- “We’d better ask.” over the beauty of the falls. “Inga, we’d better hurry to the one waved a fist at them, but Martin kept They caught up to the minister and “Look down below, Inga dear.” church,” Martin said. He took her arm, driving. introduced themselves. “Vell, Martin, there’s the congregation steering her away. “Minnehaha Lutheran “The man just waved at us. Wasn’t “Ja, I’m Magdalene’s grandma. Where down the steps,” Inga said. “Just in time, must be right around the corner.” that nice of him?” Inga said. is she and the other confirmands?” Martin. We’d better hurry.” Martin hurried Inga so fast to the car After a few more horn-honks, Martin “The confirmation service is next “Ja, sure.” that she almost dropped the donuts. drove down Minnehaha Avenue. week.” They briskly walked toward the flight “Here we are, Inga dear. Climb in. “See the sign up ahead?” Martin said. “Gud i Himmel, Martin!” of stairs and descended toward the gath- Hurry!” “Ja.” “Ja, Inga dear, let’s go home.” ered group. A young woman reminded them so much of their Magdalene that tears came to Inga’s eyes. Norsk-Engelsk Kryssord Norwenglish Crossword Puzzles by Sölvi Dolland “You’re just lovely, my dear, and so Solution to last issue’s puzzle: Solution to puzzle #25: Solution to “Folke-vise” much like your mother,” Inga said to the young girl. The girl smiled sweetly and her dim- ples showed just like their daughter’s when she was that age. Inga smiled through tear- stained eyes. “Here’s your donuts, from Grand- ma.” Inga smiled. “Go ahead and eat one. They’re your favorite.” “But you’re not my Grandma,” the girl said. “Grandma’s over there.” She nod- ded to the flock of people. “Vell, aren’t you Magdalene?” “No.” the girl shook her head. “I’m the american 24 • January 12, 2018 Bulletin Board NorwegiaN

Where in Norway? Congratulations to Marta Polar Star cookie contest win Haugsten Hubbard, who ners was the only one to hazard a (correct) guess. This sculp- ture is indeed part of FLOKK (HERD), by artist Gitte Dæh- lin. It’s located in Sør-Fron, just across the road from the famous inn Sygard Grytting.

Carol Devito (left) won the first smakake (Norwegian cookie) bake-off contest last month held at Sons of Norway Polar StarPhotos: Lodge 5-472. al Benson Devito’s Orange Cardamom Butter Cookies were voted best by Polar Star Lodge members at the group’s December meeting at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery, Ill. Devito was awarded a Classic Recipes of Norway Nancy Andersen (middle) and Barbara Johnson (right). cookbook for her prize. Runner-up bakers were Lodge members judged cookies on taste, appearance, and presentation. Votes were $1 donations to the Sons of Norway Foundation. Devito said her recipe came from the December Viking, a magazine published by Sons of Norway. The contest was part of the lodge’s Juletrefest, an annual Norwegian-style Christmas party. Activities included trimming a yule tree, a potluck luncheon, a sing-along around the tree, and a gift exchange. Photo: Emily C. Skaftun Submit your photo for “Where in Norway?” to [email protected]!

< NEW yEar From page 3 selves for a very different future. A future tion with the church of the time. The Ref- there was always a newspaper or two lying our, full support. where modernization and digitization of the ormation highlighted the importance of the on the kitchen table. Today, it’s often a mo- I expect there are some worried parents workplace really take off. And where growth individual. And it promoted the development bile phone that is lying there. Will our chil- watching this. I know that you love your will have to be created in green and climate- of freedom of expression, education, and dren learn to keep up-to-date with current children. I therefore hope that you can also friendly industries. science. Without these values, our society affairs in the same way as before? Will they see how important it is to show them trust. We must ensure that the society we pass would be completely different. learn to be open to counter-arguments? And Let them try, fail, and grow. Focus more on on to our children and grandchildren is in at It is easy to take these values for granted to trust proven facts? This is perhaps even their happiness than on what other people least as good a state as the society we inher- in our everyday lives, but we should try not more important now, at a time when con- might think. Then your children will do well ited from our parents. This is why we need to to. Our democratic society is not currently un- spiracy theories and false news stories can in Norway. create a sustainable welfare society. der threat, but it is being challenged in various spread more easily. Change can be difficult, but it often It is today’s entrepreneurs, researchers, ways. Our freedom and our liberal values are To those of you who are parents, my leads to something better. A society that is and talented company employees who need to the most important things we have. We must message is this: the best way to bring up undergoing change needs something to unite come up with ideas and create opportunities. always be ready to defend them. young people to be discerning and critical around. In Norway, our beloved King and As politicians, we must play our part, We must combat radicalization and re- citizens is to lead by example. We should re- Queen fill this role. by ensuring good schooling and vocational cruitment to violent Islamism and right-wing member this when we are sitting at the kitch- Last year, the whole country celebrated training. A tax system that encourages in- extremism. Norway is a peaceful country. en table and when we are using social media. the King and Queen’s 80th birthdays. They vestment in Norwegian workplaces. And as Nevertheless, the effects of conflicts - else This is important for safeguarding our have reached an impressive age, and yet they little red tape as possible. where in the world are visible here, too. values and our democracy. still manage to view today’s society with In addition, we need people who are Earlier this autumn, I visited Haugeåsen Everyone in our society should be able open-mindedness and tolerance. They stand willing to take risks and invest their savings secondary school in Fredrikstad. The school to enjoy the freedom that we value so highly. for all that is constant, while at the same in start-up companies. And finally, we need a has a special course for young people on the But some people have to fight hard to do so. time encouraging us to be open to—and em- mindset in Norway that allows people both topic of radicalization. They discuss, for in- Last year, a number of girls and women brace—new developments. to succeed and to fail. stance, how the words we use in the public with minority backgrounds stepped bravely I send my greetings to the Royal Family, In almost all workplaces, tasks will debate affect us. I met mature and thoughtful into the public debate. This has not been and would like to thank them for being such change. We will also have to change if we young people who want to fight radicaliza- without its costs. Several of them have expe- an inspiration to us all. are to keep up with developments. More tion with knowledge and open debate. Many rienced serious threats and harassment. Some I would also like to send my greetings to of us will have to stay in work for longer, people could learn from this. of them call themselves the “the girls with Norwegians who are currently abroad. Sol- but our qualifications will become outdated We must strengthen the resilience of no shame.” In some communities, shame, or diers serving in other countries, aid workers, more quickly. Many of us will therefore have each and every young person, so that they what we call negative social control, is like diplomats, and others who are doing an im- to top-up our education, or maybe even re- can stand up against those who seek to lure a prison in which girls, in particular, may portant job, and working to defend the val- train from scratch. them with the promise of simple solutions to be sentenced to spend their whole lives. We ues we believe in. Many of you are probably We will work to make this possible. complex problems. have fought against this for a long time, but missing your families, friends, and partners Our aim is clear: to ensure that no one in the In order to do this, we also need free and culture is difficult to change. in this holiday period. You can be sure that Norwegian workforce becomes surplus to independent media that can help us to distin- Now, we are seeing the emergence of a we are thinking of you, and that we are grate- requirements. guish between what is important and what is new generation of girls with minority back- ful for the work you are doing. Throughout Norway’s history, there unimportant, and between what is true and grounds. A freedom generation. A freedom We should be pleased that things are have been changes that have left their mark what is untrue. We need free and indepen- generation who want to decide for them- looking brighter for Norway now. This on our society. Last year, we marked the dent media that can help us to understand selves what path to take, who to flirt meanswith that we can start the new year and ad- 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which that there are often many sides to a story. at parties, and who to share their lives with. dress the challenges we face with a sense of was initiated by Martin Luther’s confronta- Many of us grew up in homes where They should know that they have my, and optimism. Happy New Year!