Settling In: Celebrating Small Successes and Beginning to Expect the Previously Unexpected

The delay in my entries is due to the fact that I have been running constantly since my arrival in Tromsø, and I have scarcely had time to process my own thoughts about settling in. So, here goes…

It’s now been two weeks since my arrival, and I feel as though the initial shock and awe sensation of being thrown into an entirely new culture and group of friends and coworkers has started to slow wear off. That, as well as the feeling of constant confusion. I can now confidently ride the bus from my flat to work or to the shops, and almost 99% of the time I take it in the right direction and get off at the correct stop. Success #1.

I have noticed myself relishing the sweet successes of small accomplishments, of which riding the bus is one. I have also prevailed through multiple confusing forms and waited in countless long lines to become an officially registered resident of Norway. I am the proud owner of a Norwegian bank account, Norwegian social security number, and mobile phone. Successes #2, 3, and 4. It really is amazing how difficult it is to initially navigate Norwegian bureaucratic system. But once you’re in, you’re set. With a system that provides you with so much support, it makes sense that they so closely safeguard it. Unfortunately I think that the less persistent or less informed are often the ones who are unable to figure things out, and I’m grateful for my contacts in the Fulbright office.

My time has been occupied by settling in at the office, setting up my flat, planning my upcoming field work and exploring the city in more detail. I have discovered that the city of Tromsø has a great deal to offer. This past weekend was the Bukta Festival, a rock festival that draws big name bands from as far away as the US, Australia, and the UK as well as popular Norwegian and Scandinavian acts. Planning and setting up a festival for over 5,000 people in the normally sleepy and laid back town of Tromsø is a massive undertaking, and one that is mainly staffed by volunteers. I took the opportunity to volunteer for a day and in return attend the festival for free, and had a great time listening to music and meeting other student volunteers. The festival drew concert-goers from all over Northern Norway, and even internationally. I have since found out that this is not the only major festival the city hosts. There are two more major music festivals this summer and early fall, in addition to the internationally renowned Tromsø International Film Festival in January. There is constantly something going on, whether it’s a concert at a bar or club in town, or a show at the theatre or opera house. And this isn’t even including university events, productions and parties, which haven’t yet started up for the school year. I think it will be a busy and culturally stimulating year! There’s a reason that Tromsø earned the nickname the “Paris of the North.”

During my various adventures around the island, as a result of trying (often vainly, but not always!) to interpret signs and maps written in Norwegian, my fascination with the Norwegian language has grown. I love the language – how it sounds, the various accents and dialects that people have, the vocabulary, and its appearance when written. I am so excited to start Norwegian classes in August, and am hoping that by the time my year here is up that I’ve attained some proficiency in speaking it. I’ve already noticed myself picking up things quickly; there are a great number of parallels with English. And with my Minnesotan accent, I’m well on my way to having Norwegian pronunciations. 

Upon entrance to a new culture you often stand on the periphery, a welcome but somehow distant new arrival. It can feel a bit lonely, but it’s not permanent. And it provides you the opportunity to straddle these two cultures, your old and your new, and make comparisons about the world you came from and the one into which you’ve just arrived. Sometimes the juxtaposition between these two worlds is radically different – my trip to India jumps to mind. Other times, the juxtaposition is less radical, but no less evident. I feel as though my observations while in Tromsø have been of this sort. There are subtle but poignant differences that I’ve noticed since arriving in Norway that have left me contemplating the lifestyle that we lead in the US.

Everyone here walks, all the time. Everywhere. Regardless of the weather (at least in the summer, I’ll report back once it starts snowing). They walk even if they are carrying groceries, or whether they are late to work. Or, if they don’t walk, they bike or take the bus. Certainly there cars on the road, but nothing compared to the density that we see in the States. And the frequently full sidewalks and buses attest to the fact that people lead a more communal and more active lifestyle. 

The level of physical activity in Norwegian life is not limited to transport; one a sunny day in Tromsø everyone is outside, playing, hiking, enjoying nature and the beauty of the polar summer. People’s lives revolve around what they are doing outdoors, and if a sunny day rolls around it is expected that you are outside enjoying it. I experienced this first hand. On my first weekend in Tromsø I went hiking with my lab group to Mt. Tromsdalstind, the highest peak outside the city. What I thought was a pleasant day hike turned out to be a mountaineering expedition. We started climbing, and then kept climbing, and kept climbing and kept climbing…as I was scrabbling up a talus slope practically on all fours I came to the grips with the fact that this was in fact a mountain summit expedition. Although completely exhausting and both mentally and physically challenging, it was well worth the hike. The view from the summit provided a view of the island to the west, the Lyngen Alps to the east, and a view all the way to the Arctic Ocean to the northwest. It was phenomenal. The best part – as I dragged my tired body up the last few meters, a pair of 60 year old men ran past me to the top. Physical activity and enjoyment of the outdoors is part of the Norwegian way of life, at least in the far north.

The level of international literacy here is astounds me, and challenges me to be more informed on not only domestic US politics but also current events from around the world. I have been following US politics with growing dismay, and I can definitely report back that people from outside the US are keenly following our unproductive political debacles. Most Norwegians and internationals here are not only informed about international politics, but they most often speak multiple languages in addition to their native tongue and English, and are aware of cultural groups and happenings in various places, especially Europe.

Perhaps the strangest, most unexpected difference is that for all intensive purposes, everyone here appears to be fairly well off. At least in Tromsø, there is no obvious poverty, no homeless people – I haven’t even run across a “bad” neighborhood. Maybe I’m not looking hard enough, but most people here seem to be doing pretty well. Maybe the strangest part for me is not the lack of poverty, but also the lack of almost any displays of excessive wealth. Most people have a pretty nice house, but there are no McMansions crowding out the fjord-front property. A lot of people drive nice European cars that are expensive in the US, but not so much in Europe. As hard pressed as you are to find a homeless person in abject poverty, you’re just as hard-pressed to find a millionaire driving his Jag up to his mansion. It just wouldn’t fit. The lifestyles that people lead here are much more egalitarian; you have what you need, and probably a little more but you don’t really show it. This mentality is quite refreshing, I think that maybe we should give it a try in the US sometime.

So, to wrap things up. Although I’ve been busy, this is in some ways the calm before the storm. I am currently on my way to our field site in Finnmark – more stories about this incredible journey to come in my next blog post. When I return, I begin lab work, orientation, language classes, course work, and of course meeting new people! I’m loving exploring this new place, and am gaining an appreciation for the beautiful landscape, language, and culture. You may have a hard time ever getting me to come back… :)

ps- Please pardon the lack of photos for now, I am posting this from Finnmark and the internet connection is a bit too shaky for uploading. Promise to post photos soon!