syttende mai

One of the things i was most looking forward to on my list, was celebrating 17th Mai in Norway. Why? i hear you ask, because in Norway 17th May is a really big deal, it's the day Norwegians celebrate gaining their independence from the Danish in 1814(i think) and people really take it seriously here, it's not like england where on st George's day you see a few flags and maybe a few skinheads getting pissed in the name of our patron saint, here people don their bunads (national dress) or their smartest clothes and head out to watch parades and celebrate with family. So obviously with all this anticipation of Norwegian national pride i was very excited to go and join in the celebrations.

Changes

As you my loyal readers may have noticed, i have made a few changes to the ol' blogaroo. Mainly just organising it a little better so it is easy to find different posts. Also i have decided that seeing as i am not only blogging about completing my Norwegian list, but also my general life and soon some Daring Baker challenges, that it is better if i separate the different topics up and soon change the name (when i can get my designer/sister to edit the header for me)
I have quite a few different posts hanging around in my drafts which i have been meaning to post so i am going to try my best to get some of them done this week, but i do have a lot on at the moment as i am preparing to go and teach in finland for two weeks and then after that i am making a visit back to blighty to see friends and family. so i am a busy busy bee!

Pepperkakehus!

I går var jeg med Jeanette.

Yesterday i finally met up with Jeanette

Etter at vi traff hverandre på nesttun, drog vi på lagunen.

After we met each other at Nesttun we caught the bus to lagunen .

Hun kjøpte julegaver til venninene sine, og jeg fikk en liten ting også.

She bought christmas gifts for her friends and i got a little something also. 

Lefse

“Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. Tjukklefse or tykklefse (thick lefse) is thicker and often served with coffee as a cake. Lefse is made out of potato, milk or cream (or sometimes lard) and flour, and cooked on a griddle. Special tools are available for lefse baking, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves.
There are significant regional variations in Norway in the way lefse is made and eaten, but it generally resembles a flatbread, although in many parts of Norway, especially Valdres, it is far thinner. In central Norway, a variation called tynnlefse (thin lefse) is made, which is rolled up with butter, sugar and cinnamon (or with butter and brown sugar).”

Try smoked salmon

I actually tried this a few weeks ago and the experience was erm strange. not horrible but very different to anything i have ever tried and quite salty.

The reason i decided to try fish is because the last time i was in Norway everyone seemed to think i was completely crazy for not eating meat or fish and it definitely restricted my options at meal times so i have decided to be a lot more open to trying new things including meat and fish...we shall see how it goes!

Listen

Here is the list as it stands at the moment, I'm sure i'm going to add to it loads as i think of more things i want to do or see:

• see the northern lights.
• try hjemmebrent (karsk).
• read a whole book in norwegian.
• visit Alta.
• try lappe.
• celebrate 17 mai in Norway.
• go skiing.
• have a picture taken in Hell.
• try akevit.
• visit preikestolen.
• hold a whole conversation in norwegian.
• get a tattoo.
• see kaisers orchestra
• swim in a fjord
• try smoked salmon
  
• take fløybanen
• To run in the midnight sun marathon (probably 4.2 or 10k)

That's all i can think of off the top of my head.

kyss kyss

Selina

en idé

My housemate Linda and I were in the kitchen today talking about general things, when we started talking about different types of food she had tried since moving to England; crumpets, flapjacks etc, which got us on to the topic of the things i am looking forward to trying during my Exchange to Norway (if it ever gets sorted)which is when i came up with the idea of writing a list!

The plan is to write a list of all the things i would like to try, see and do while i am in Norway (from the huge and amazing things such as seeing the northen lights to the much smaller things like trying lappe) and then each time i am able to tick something off the list i will write an entry of my blog about it!

The List isn't fully compiled yet so that will have to be my next entry.

kyss kuyss

Selina.