MAY 3, 1999
In previous messages, I've written quite a bit about our boat operations. Here is some information about what it is like to live in Norway.
HOUSING: We are living in a duplex complex, two 2-story condominium with a little yard outside. In this complex, the homes are all painted light blue, light purple, or a beige color.
There are several apartment buildings but they are all fairly low, that is, usually no more than 4 floors, and their windowframes are brightly colored (yellow, blue, red).
There are many new buildings which, in a typical Norwegian design, have a beautiful combination of wood, metal, and regular construction material (<<<). There are always bright colors and wood trim somehow incorporated into the design. For example, the bathrooms at the Fisheries school are white with bright blue doors and large blue door handles.
Downtown has some beautiful old houses with slate roofs, lacey woodwork around the eaves. Some houses have basements, some don't. Some have saunas inside or outside.The old roofs have grass or moss growing on them for enhanced insulation!
CLOTHING: Norwegian people dress in a similar way to those in the U.S. Because it is still cold, the younger children are all still wearing snowsuits (>>>). They have changed to rubber boots though and yesterday I saw some walking through a big puddle, with water to their hips. It probably was cold but they sure seemed to be having a good time on their way to school.
This morning I rode the bus with an entire class of 5th graders. I saw a lot of blue, black, grey, and brown jeans, many loooooong jeans (yup, the kind one steps on...), many sneakers with thicker soles, just like many of you have; But many had completely loose laces, *really* loose, with the tongue/flap sticking way out, clearly the cool thing to do. They wore all kinds of sweatshirts and tops. None of the 5th graders wore Norwegian style sweaters, which all the college students wear all the time.
All boys had short hair but some had the top all "spikey". Most of the girls had shoulder-length hair and many had the very front piece of hair very flat on the forehead with three hair "clip-type" pins. This must be fashionable as I have seen many female college students with the same hair style.
Black is very fashionable among teenagers and college students: every clothing item seems to be black, day and night. But the jackets or wind breakers are all of very bright colors, for all ages. Every one takes their boots/shoes off when they get home or even work and stays with socks at home or wears sandals or flip-flops at work. The stores have the same fashions I saw in the U.S. before leaving and the same I've seen in Chile, France and Japan since last November!
For ladies, platform shoes and sneakers are in style. But no baggy pants, quite the opposite! I've also seen the smattering of pierced noses, lips, tongues, and the traditional ears that one can see at home ... but only one head with blue hair so far...
TRADITIONAL CLOTHING: When I went to visit a friend a couple of weekends ago, there were some people on the ferry, young and old, dressed in traditional Sami style with bright red tops, ornate belts, and backpacks made of fur. I've seen a couple of students at the university also with traditional Sami clothing.
Each region in Norway has a specific traditional style. It is a tradition for those who can afford it to have an entire costume made when they do their confirmation which is usually in April/May. There are stores which specialize in making such custom outfits. They are worn with each region's traditional jewelry such as pins, clasps, brooches and earrings, which are beautiful.
To learn more about Sami tradition, link tot the University of Tromsoe's Center for Sami Studies.
Link to any of these reports: