Fishing in Norge

This morning I went fishing with Leonard! I have wanted to go fishing since I got here, and I finally got the opportunity to go today. Leonard had acquired two fishing poles so he invited me to go fishing this weekend.

Since being here, Leonard has become a really good friend. He is from Belgium and is pursuing the first year of his Master’s in geology at the University. Leonard is a real gentleman and is very intelligent. In his spare time he likes to do trivia, in fact, he was on my trivia team during the first week of the Introductory Program. I am very fortunate to have gotten to know him.

Anyways, Leonard invited me to go fishing and we decided to go today. We got up early and then started walking north until we found a good spot along the shore. We had planned on going to a “fishing” spot that one of Leonard’s friends had told him about, but I did not have a bike and taking the bus wasn’t a good option. Therefore, we just walked along the shore until we found a decent spot.

View of the ocean from the metal dock we fished from

Once at the spot I walked out on the metal dock. The morning was beautiful and calm. The sun had risen over the mountains to the east and the rays of sun were shining on the ocean. Norway’s beauty keeps taking my breath away.

While admiring the beauty around me, I heard something about a ferret from Leonard. Here to my surprise a Least Weasel was sitting on the rocks behind us just staring at us. It stood there for a good minute just looking at us. I was amazed at how close it got to us, within arm’s length, and how still it was. Of course I wanted a picture so I slowly reached for my camera on the nearby rock. By this time the weasel had become board with us and weaved through the rocks and disappeared.

After our weasel encounter Leonard put his stuff on the metal dock beside him because he didn’t want the weasel to take anything. I started picturing this innocent little weasel taking Leonard’s stuff and giggled a little to myself.

 

Me fishing in Norway; look close I caught something  :)



Finally, Leonard and I began fishing. The water was clear so you could see the fish below us; however, they looked too small to hook. After about a half hour of fishing I had gotten a few nibbles, but I hadn’t caught anything. To mix things up I decided to try to hook the starfish that was below us. I knew it was a long shot, but I thought it would be fun to at least try. I slowly lowered the hook down and tried to snag it. Unfortunately I hooked the seaweed beside it instead. The seaweed here is very tough so I lost my lure in the battle between the seaweed and I. I plan on buying Leonard a new lure in the near future.

Since I was done fishing for the day, I just sat and enjoyed the morning. While sitting there our little weasel friend stopped by again. This time the weasel was on a mission so it was hard to get a photo of him. The weasel reminded me of my boyfriend David’s dog Bentley. Bentley is a tan dachshund that David and his family had adopted. He is very sweet and I miss both him and their other dachshund Milo very much.



You can see the weasel leaping from the rock in the left corner



Eventually we had had enough with fishing and decided to head back. It was a bummer that we had not caught anything, but also a relief. This was Leonard’s first time fishing in a long time and he barely remembered anything. On our walk he had asked what we would do when we caught something and how to fillet a fish. I learned how to fillet a fish in middle school and I could fillet a fish, but I wouldn’t be very good at it since I haven’t done it for so long. It was probably for the best that we didn’t catch anything today.

I plan on going fishing again with Leonard in the future after I brush up on my filleting skills.

The Darkness is Coming

After spending the weekend traveling, it was nice to relax this week. I worked on bioinformatics, history, and culture and took many breaks upon which I watched episodes of White Collar and Breaking Bad.

In the afternoon, I attended a session on living in Tromsø during the winter and dark period that was presented by the University Counseling Center. The first half of the session was on how to be prepared for the winter. The staff talked about the appropriate attire to wear during the cold and even showed where one could buy each piece of clothing in Tromsø. This session wasn’t as relevant to me since I have much experience with the cold and snow. The session was very helpful though for students from Africa and other regions where they haven’t even seen snow before.

The second half of the presentation focused on dealing with the dark period. On November 20 the sun will set in Tromsø and there will only be a couple hours of twilight each day. This will be a completely new experience for me. Already the days are getting shorter as we lose 10 minutes of sunlight each day. I have noticed the difference and I am not looking forward to the dark period.

Because the dark period occurs when exams are, an important topic was studying and sleeping. Another topic was getting the right nutrition and they gave us samples of different vitamins that we could buy to stay healthy. The counselors also talked about how important it is to be social since depression increases during this time period.

Even though the darkness seems so daunting it will be a great experience. I will have the opportunity to live in the dark which is something most people don’t get to experience. I will strengthen who I am as a person as I learn to cope with the darkness and the challenges it presents. Most importantly, it is only through darkness that I will be able to experience the full power of the Northern Lights. I have already seen the aurora borealis a few times, but they have been very weak. The darkness will provide many opportunities throughout the day to see the lights dancing across the sky.

At the session it was very nice to see a bunch of familiar faces and to catch up with friends I haven’t seen since they have been busy with school. After the session Callie, Holly, and I decided to make some pizza and watch Sex and the City. It was a great way to end the week.

Day 4: Waves on the Hurtigruten

Our last day of the trip began at 5 am. We all had gotten up early so that we could eat breakfast and board the Hurtigruten before 6:30 am. When we had checked in to the hostel we had informed the lady that we would be checking out early on Sunday since we were taking the Hurtigruten. At first she was very upset and I didn’t know how to react. We couldn’t change the time that the Hurtigruten was leaving. She soon explained that she was upset because she doesn’t like young people leaving without breakfast in the morning. Therefore, she prepared a small breakfast for all four of us the night before and placed it in the kitchen. We were very grateful that she prepared a breakfast for us. Again, the breakfast was a real treat.

Before leaving the hostel we signed the guest book and left a kind note from all of us. While looking from the book, there were signatures and lovely notes from people all around the world. This lady was a sweetheart and we were very fortunate to meet her.

Once at the port we boarded the ship and said goodbye to Honningsvåg. During our stay in the city we had met wonderful people and I will speak highly of the city in the future.



Watching the sunrise over the Norwegian Sea on Kong Harald

On the Hurtigruten we made camp at the front of the ship by the windows. We each had our own chair that we were basically glued to the entire journey. I watched the sunrise over the sea which was beautiful and then I fell asleep since it was early and outside it was cloudy.

Our designated chairs for the trip: Antonia, Callie, I, and Emely

On the ship I had intended to do homework or read, however, I could not do either because reading while on the waves made me dizzy. I can’t read in cars so it makes since that I can’t read on ships. Therefore, I alternated between playing chess on my nook, sleeping, people watching, and staring out the window. The last one at times made Callie uncomfortable. Staring out the window was a little boring since it was cloudy; however, I did a lot of intuitive thinking and reflecting on my experience here. While looking out the window I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing dolphins swim next to our ship.

In the afternoon Kong Harald stopped at Hammerfest for about an hour. Since we had been trapped on the boat for hours, we took the opportunity to stretch our legs. We walked around the Hammerfest city center for a while. On the walk we came across this cute dog with a red jumpsuit on. The dog reminded me of my dog Jasmine back home so of course I had to secretly snap a photo of the dog to show family back home.

The "Jasmine" twin in a red jump suit

In Hammerfest is the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society which was established in 1963. In the city people have the opportunity to become an official member of the Polar Bear Society. Outside the building were two polar bears and an arch. When we approached it we saw a line of older people from the Hurtigruten waiting to take pictures with the bears. Of course we wanted in on the action too so we waited our turn to take pictures with the bears.



Me riding a polar bear in front of the Polar Bear Society



Next we climbed a public hill at the edge of the town. The hill wasn’t too steep, but since the majority of the people on the Hurtigruten are older and retired, we passed a lot of people catching their breath on the path. Some of them were booking it up the hill faster than we were; reminded me of my grandpa John. At the top was a long line of fish drying racks. From January to May cod collected from the ocean are placed on the racks to dry. Once dried, the cod is shipped all across Europe. It was cool to see the racks up close.

The rest of the journey on the Hurtigruten wasn’t too exciting. The weather stayed crummy so it was hard to see the beautiful scenery around us. Finally, after another 17 hours on the ship we had arrived home in Tromsø at midnight. We boarded the last bus in Tromsø and soon arrived home.



The cod drying racks on the top of the mountain in Hammerfest



Although I have only been here for almost two months, arriving back at my flat felt like home. I love this place dearly and I am so grateful for my living accommodations and the people who have made this place feel like home.

Day 3: The Globe

This was the big day. We would be traveling to Nordkapp. Our day officially began with an elaborate breakfast that was provided by the hostel. I had been to breakfast buffets at hotels in the U.S. before, but this was nothing like them. There were different kinds of bread, meat, cheese, fish, seafood, cereal, yogurt, and condiments to put on everything. I could not believe the amount of variety we had to choose from. My favorite was the cereal with cold milk. I also enjoyed the toast with cream cheese and raspberry jelly. The breakfast was delicious and we all took advantage of the free meal.

Once we had all finished breakfast, we journeyed to the city to pick up our car rental. Nordkapp is the northernmost point of Europe, but unfortunately it is not a town. There are no hostels around the area, thus Honningsvåg is the closest city that we could have stayed in. The distance from Honningsvåg to Nordkapp is around 34 km. It was too far to walk so we had made arrangements for a car.



Our rental car, the driver Emely, the front seat navigator Antonia, and the back-seat bums Callie and I



Now most people in Europe if not all drive manual cars. I know how to drive a manual car, but I do not feel comfortable starting on steep hills. Since there are many steep hills in Norway, I was very glad that Emely was willing to drive since she had more experience than me. Our car rental was from AVIS and the guy was so nice. It seems like everyone we have met so far has been very welcoming and friendly. We had originally booked a tiny car (not sure which one), but the guy had decided to give us an upgrade to an Audi at no extra charge. All four of us were excited to ride in this extremely nice car for the day.

As mentioned, Emely was our driver for the day. In the car we listened to a mix CD that one of Antonia’s friends from Germany had made. I loved the songs on the CD and hope to get them from Antonia later. Some songs were mellow and were perfect for the cloudy and rainy day. The weather outside was cold and windy and there were scattered showers, however, it didn’t stop us from traveling to Nordkapp. We didn’t let the weather affect our wonderful day.

While driving on E-69 to Nordkapp we stopped at a few towns along the way. The towns were Skipsfjorden, Kamøyvær, and Skarsvåg. The drive through the first town only took a few minutes since it was so small.



Reindeer practice fighting on the road



Between Skipsfjorden and Kamøyvær we came across reindeer on the road! The reindeer were absolutely stunning and I loved getting a close up view of them. While in the car my whole body was basically out the window to get a better view of the herd and to take pictures. This moment reminded me of driving in Theodore National Park and seeing buffalo from the safety of the car. Even though the reindeer are probably one-tenth the size of buffalo, it was still a great experience to have a herd of reindeer crossing the road in front of us. While crossing a couple of male reindeer were practice fighting. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip.



A typical harbor of a small fishing community in Norway



Once all the reindeer had crossed, we headed to Skarsvåg. Since it had stopped raining, we decided to get out and explore the tiny harbor town. This town was a typical fishing town. There were many ships both docked in the bay and along the docks. Additionally, buildings that stored fishing equipment lined the shore. We walked through the town and came to a piece of land that jutted out into the bay. All four of us walked to the end of it, trying to avoid stepping on sea urchin and sea shell remains from the seagulls. At the end the view of the harbor and sea were gorgeous. We captured the moment and then swiftly receded back to the warmth of our car because it was windy and cold.

Visiting the little town was a treat since this is a more genuine picture of the traditional Norway. I also enjoyed driving through the countryside. The scenery was beautiful and I loved the freedom of the ride. Thus far we have been limited in our transportation to buses and class trips so it was a pleasure to be able to decide where we wanted to go and when. It was also a joy to ride in a car!



Panorama view from the shore of Skarsvåg

After about an hour we had finally reached Nordkapp. We paid the entrance fee and then walked around the parking lot while we waited for the main building to open. Originally we were going to hike to the true Nordkapp point which we could see from the parking lot; however, we decided not to since hiking for three hours in the rain and cold would not be a good idea. The true Nordkapp point is in the background of the picture with me on the fence below.



Me standing on the fence at Nordkapp



In the parking lot we ran into another group of international students from the university. This was the group that Callie and I were originally going to join, but after I found out it there were 17 people in the group, I decided it’d be better to make our own plans. It was a pleasure to chat with the group while waiting.

Finally the main building opened. Inside there was a souvenir shop, a café, a restaurant, a theater, a mini museum, and tons of seating here and there. Outside it was still raining so we explored the souvenir shop and the mini museum downstairs. We also sat through an amazing 15-minute panorama film. The film takes you on a journey through Norway’s countryside revealing its magnificent beauty through the four seasons. The film’s footage and music were breathtaking.

Outside was the world famous globe. The globe is an iconic image of Nordkapp and it was exciting to see it in person. The globe reminded me of the cages motorcyclists would ride around at the circus. Of course we all had to take pictures with the globe. Even though it was absolutely freezing, I had a blast taking the photos and goofing around.


The group with the famous Globe at Nordkapp



Also outside at the front of the main building is the “Children of the World” monument. The monument was constructed in 1989 and consists of seven stone slabs that depict seven children from different parts of the world to symbolize cooperation, friendship, hope, and happiness. In the front of the seven slabs is a statue of a mother and child which were sculptured by the artist Eva Rybakken.


"Children of the World" monument


We spent the whole afternoon at Nordkapp. Once we had explored everything that there was to explore, we headed back to our hostel. At the hostel we were still cold from standing outside while taking pictures by the globe. Additionally, we were cold so we curled up on the couches and watched a movie with Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in it.

While on the couches the lady who ran the hostel walked by. Later she came back with a bowl of peanuts and a bowl of chocolate. She said that we looked exhausted and needed an energy boost. The chocolate tasted delicious; it has been a while since I’ve had chocolate. The chocolate was of good quality and started to melt in my mouth. The lady was an absolute sweetheart and we appreciated the gift she gave us.

During the rest of the night we made dinner in the hostel kitchen, showered to warm up since we were still cold, and then headed off to bed.

Day 2: Hostel Adventure

The next day we arrived in Honningsvåg at 11:45 am. The 17 hour journey had passed relatively quickly. It was probably because I was asleep almost the whole time.



A view of Honningsvåg from the Hurtigruten





Once in Honningsvåg we had to find our hostel where we would be spending the next couple of nights. Since the directions on the reservation sheet were not very clear, we decided to ask the front desk on the ship. The lady did not know where the hostel was so she got off the ship with us and asked a local man where it was located. He gave us brief directions and told us to travel 3 km out of town. Since we were youthful, we decided to walk to the hostel.

 

Emely, Antonia, and I enjoying our 10 Kroner ice cream

 Before our walk, we explored Honningsvåg which didn’t take long since the city was small. In the city center we stopped in a grocery store to pick up a few things. At the grocery store was 10 kroner ice cream! Since ice cream is usually double or even triple that price we couldn’t resist treating ourselves. We all enjoyed our ice cream even though it was freezing outside.

After treating ourselves, we decided to begin the journey to our hostel. The directions seemed pretty straight forward, but after about an hour, we thought maybe we had traveled too far since there were no more buildings and all we could see was open road with mountains on both sides. We were out in the middle of nowhere with only a few industrial buildings here and there. Since we were clearly heading in the wrong direction, we decided to stop at a nearby bus storage facility. In the facility were three men who drove the buses. We explained our situation and showed them our reservations. After looking over them, they started laughing and said we had missed our turn and traveled way too far.

Our room at the hostel





We were prepared to walk back, but one of the men offered us a ride. The four of us were chauffeured in a coach bus to our hostel. The man was so nice and we were very thankful for the ride.

  

We had finally arrived at our hostel. The hostel was a tall red building located right by the harbor. Once inside the lady at the hostel checked us in. Originally, the four of us had booked beds in a dorm, but upon arrival the lady decided to put us in rooms together. Callie and I were assigned to a room and Antonia and Emely in another. The rooms cost more, but the lady gave us the rooms at no extra charge. It was extremely nice of her to do that.

Our rooms were very cute and cozy. After unpacking a few things, we decided to explore the hostel. The hostel was very clean and the second floor had an elegant dining room area and a section which had a ton of couches to hang out on. Callie and I then went on a walk to explore the harbor area. Even though it was raining, it was wonderful to explore another portion of the little town.

Small fishery along the coast of Honningsvåg


While on our walk we came across a small fishery on the coast. The ring on the surface is used to hold fish. The fish grow up in this ring until they are harvested. The ring allows the fish to remain in their natural environment while growing and makes it easy for the fishermen to collect the fish during harvest.


The old textile mill along the shore in Honningsvåg


On our walk we also came across this unique building along the shore. The building could have served a number of purposes such as a textile mill or storage facility. It probably played an important role for this fishing community about half a century ago.

Once we returned to our hostel we all took hot showers since they were included in our hostel fee. Then we headed off to bed early since we had a day full of adventure ahead of us.

Day 1: Birthday and Departure

Today was my birthday! I turned another year older. It’s crazy to think about how long I have been on Earth and what I have accomplished thus far. Even though you could list some of my accomplishments, they are nothing compared to what I still want to achieve in life. I have high aspirations that I will fulfill one step at a time.

 

Birthday "gift" from my sister Symone



Although it was my birthday, nothing too exciting happened. I went to my bioinformatics class in the morning at 8am and then went to my history class. For history that day we took a field trip to the Tromsø Museum which I had already visited with Callie a couple of weeks ago. After class I went back to my room to pack for our trip to Nordkapp.

At my flat, there was an envelope from my aunt waiting for me. In the envelope were a baloons, birthday mints, a gift bag, and a couple other things along with a pop up flower basket. I really appreciated the thoughtful gift on my birthday in Norway. The paper flower basket is a great touch to my bare room. I also received a little bag of goodies from Callie which included a couple of her grandma's molasses cookies that I absolutely love. My favorite “gift” of all though was from my little sister Symone who posted the above picture on my Facebook wall. The photo made me smile and was a great way to start off my birthday.

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It was my birthday, but it was also the beginning of our Nordkapp trip. Nordkapp or North Cape in English is the most northern point of the European continent at 71°10’21’’.Nordkapp is a popular destination and since I was so far in the Arctic already, I thought visiting was a perfect choice.

On the trip I was going with Callie and two young German women, Antonia and Emely. Although I did not know Antonia or Emely well they seemed like sweet young women and I was looking forward to getting to know them better. I was super excited for our trip and I was glad we had finally made arrangements before the snow and darkness come.

The Hurtigruten and more specifically Kong Harald

At 6:30 pm we boarded the Hurtigruten and set sail to the city of Honningsvåg where we would be spending two nights. The Hurtigruten is a company established in 1893 that runs ships along the coast of Norway. The ships depart from Bergen daily and sail to Kirkenes and back in around 12 days. Many people cruise the Norwegian coast on the ships for their vacation. In our case, we used the Hurtigruten to get from point A to point B. The Hurtigruten was the cheapest form of transportation to Nordkapp even though the journey would take 17 hours.

Our sleeping quarters on the ship

The Hurtigruten was huge and reminded me a mini Titanic. The ship we were on was named Kong Harald. The ship was built in 1993 in Volkswerft, Germany and could hold 622 passengers. Although the inside interior was outdated, the ship was still in good condition and the couches we slept on were quite comfortable.

After boarding the Hurtigruten we made camp on the couches of the top level. It was cloudy out so we couldn’t see the Northern lights. I was hoping we would be able to see them while on the ship. Since we were so exhausted we all fell asleep after a couple of hours on the ship.

Stir-Fry Dinner

Tonight was another dinner night with friends. Callie, Holly, Karolina who is from Canada, and I got together to make stir-fry. We had Indian naan bread to go with our meal and it was absolutely delicious.

Stir-fry dinner with Indian naan bread...yum

I love these types of nights where food brings people together. I loved learning more about these three wonderful ladies.

Catch Up with Callie

Today I got to see Callie! Callie had gone to Oslo and Bergen this past weekend so I did not get to hang out with her. I was originally going to join Callie on the trip, but unfortunately I had a mandatory class on Monday that I could not miss. They got back late Monday night.

Since being here Callie and I have really bonded and I have loved getting to know her. We both attend Concordia College back home which is something we both love talking about from time to time. It’s something we both relate to and miss dearly at times. For instance, we are missing being on campus right now since the leaves are turning colors. The campus is gorgeous in fall!

Anyways, after my culture class Callie, Rudi, and I went to Café Bodega to enjoy waffles and hear about Callie’s trip. I got to see pictures from the trip as well. She had a really great time, and I am looking forward to our trip to Nordkapp this upcoming weekend.

Cottages and Chomsky

Today we went on a field trip!! This is the first one of three for our history class. On the field trip, we visited two sites. The first one was the Folkeparken Perspektivet museum.

"In Cod We Trust"



Folkeparken Perspektivet museum is a collection of preserved buildings with some dating back to 1826. The building that we were able to enter was an Old Norwegian boathouse. In the boathouse were a couple of wooden boats that were once used by men to fish for cod, an important trade item for Norwegians. To emphasize how important cod was in the Norwegian life, there is a plaque within the museum that says “In Cod We Trust.” I thought it was funny, but most of the other international students didn’t understand the phrase.

 

Stockfish hanging on a drying rack



The main focus of this museum was the lives of fishermen. On the walls there were gloves, trousers, and boots from fishermen hanging. They also had a couple of wooden trunks that fishermen would carry on board the ships. In their trunks they would keep their food and clothes as well as a letter or picture to remind them of home. My favorite part at this site was the array of stockfish hanging on some wood. In my history and culture course, we have learned about stockfish and its importance in Norway’s trade. Stockfish is cod that is caught and hung to dry on fish drying racks. Once the fish is dried it is rock hard, not kidding. The stockfish is then shipped all around the world and sold. There are different qualities of stockfish; however, the ones that I saw looked pretty much the same to me.

The Folkeparken Perspektivet museum was very nice and I learned a lot more about the fishing history in Norway.

Our next site visit was a preserved Norwegian farm called Perspektivet Straumen Gård which means Stream Farm. This farm was located about an hour’s drive away from the city and was situated along the coast. The coastal farm consisted of 11 buildings and is among the most complete 19^th century farms in this region of Norway. The farm took me back in history and was beautiful.

I learned a lot about the Norwegian farming way of life from our guides and I will only include a few things.

Norwegian house on a coastal farm from the 19th century

 The farm was situated on the coast since almost everyone traveled by boat. This provided easier access to fishing and trading. Another common characteristic of the Norwegian houses was that that they were painted like the one shown in the picture. The house was only painted on the three sides of the house that could be seen from the sea. It did not matter what the back side looked like since theoretically no one would see it.



Living room in the main building



On the farm, there was the main building where the living room, kitchen, and main sleeping quarters are. There were other buildings, 11 in total on the farm, and each had a different purpose. One building was for potatoes, one was for the children, one was for the fishing tackle, one was for the animals, and so on. Additionally, similar buildings were situated in rows. For example, the boathouse, fishing tackle building, and fish cleaning shed were all lined up together.

Overall the site visits were really cool. It was a great hands-on way to learn more about the Norwegian culture and history.

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After my field trip with the class, I stayed on campus and went to the biomedicine meeting where pizza was served. The meeting was for the biomedicine students at the University. I was invited to the meeting by a student in my bioinformatics class. The bioinformatics class is a third year required class for the students.

At the meeting I sat at the conference table and listened to the professors. Luckily, they decided to give the talk in English since I was present. One professor at the meeting for the most part talked in Norwegian even though he knew I wouldn’t understand them. I was fine with this since this was their meeting and I was not a student in the program; however, I did not approve of how this professor communicated with me. The professor would talk for a few minutes in Norwegian, look at me and summarize what he said into like one sentence, and then ask me a question. After I gave my answer, he would sometimes say something in Norwegian and everyone would giggle.

Even though I was a little offended by the described actions, the pizza made up for it. There was no plain cheese or pepperoni or other typical American styles, but the ones they had included a different variety of ingredients. The pizza was good and I thoroughly enjoyed the treat.

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Thus far I have attended my bioinformatics class, gone on the field trip with my history class, and enjoyed pizza at the biomedicine meeting. To conclude my long day I went to Noam Chomsky’s talk on campus. Noam Chomsky is an internationally known linguist, philosopher, and political critic. He is also a professor at MIT. Because he is so popular, I had to stand in line at the University since only a certain number of tickets which were free would be handed out.

Picture of Noam Chomsky during his lecture

Chomsky’s talk was titled “Middle East Dilemmas: Simple Solutions, Difficult Obstacles.” The talk focused on the Iranian threat and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The talk was very informational and I liked listening to the question and answer period afterwards.

After being on campus from 8am to 11pm, I finally was on my way home. The day was exhausting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have been presented before me.

Walk Along the Shore

Callie and I went for another walk along the shore to look for sea shells. Although it smelled like fish and kelp, the smells subsided and the walk was much needed.

View of the shore from my walk with Callie

The views from the shore were wonderful and reminded me how much of a joy it is to live in a coastal city.

Reindeer Heart

Reindeer Heart

Again my culture professor brought us another snack. This time she brought dried reindeer heart, a common meal for the Saami. When they would travel across the mountains for weeks, they brought dried reindeer heart because it was high in nutrients and energy and was very light to carry. The reindeer heart tasted like dried deer jerky which makes sense because reindeer is a deer. It was definitely better than the seal I had last week. I wonder what exotic meat I will try next week.

While eating our reindeer heart, we sat in the modern Saami house on campus. The house was built in 2005 by the Center of Saami Studies at the University. The house includes the traditional aspects of a Saami hut like the central fire place in the picture. Additionally, carvings from each Saami region were on the woodwork throughout the building and each door was one of the colors on the Saami flag. This house was beautiful and it was an honor to be able to see it.



The modern Saami house on campus



Taco Dinner

As poor college students in Norway, it is nice to get together and have community meal that consists of more than just pasta and bread. Therefore, Callie, Rudi from California, Tina from Germany, and I decided to make chicken tacos.

Rudi, Tina, and Callie with our wonderful taco dinner

The meal tasted fantastic and we all ate too much. After the meal we sat around and chatted which is always fun to do. I love learning about what other people are passionate about and what they plan on doing. These girls have huge hearts and I know they will do greatness in this world.

Tromsø Museum

The Tromsø Museum is a part of the University of Tromsø contains exhibits on the history of the far North and the Saami. My friend Kurage from Japan is very interested in the Saami and has even learned a couple dialects of the language. In addition to Saami he knows Japanese, English, Norwegian, Italian, some Finnish, and a couple more languages I believe; definitely a linguistics. Kurage is not only a student at the University, but he also works at the Tromsø Museum. Today he invited us, Callie and me, to the museum since there was a Kven talk. “Kven” is the term for people from Finland that migrated to Norway in the 19^th century.

Once at the museum, there was a good amount to see. There were sections covering a broad range of topics including nature, people, and science. We looked around for a little bit and then attended the talk we had planned on seeing. Unfortunately the talk was not in English, in fact it wasn’t even in Norwegian, it was in Finnish! Even though I had no idea what this lady was saying, I sat patiently for an hour, making eye contact, and trying to be respectful. Afterwards, Kuraje gave us a brief overview of the talk, but even he had a hard time understanding her Finnish.

We spent the rest of our time there exploring the two Saami exhibits, one that focused on the old Saami and one on the modern Saami.

Reindeer pulling a sled with a Saami

The Saami are considered an indigenous people of Norway. The history and current situation of the Saami is very complex and is the focus of many researchers today. The Saami used to freely inhabit areas across the high North. There are two main types of Saami: the coastal and reindeer herders. The coastal Saami lived on the coast and used fishing as their main source of food and income through trade. The reindeer Saami on the other hand herded reindeer and thus were forced to migrate between the interior and coastal regions with the seasons. Although there are two main types, people seem to associate all Saami as reindeer herders. The reindeer herding Saami are the main focus of most tourist attractions in the far North.

As mentioned the Saami used to be spread out across the high North, however, today their territories are across the borders of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The formation of borders has had many consequences on the Saami including limitations in areas where reindeer can be herded. Additionally, in Norway there was a Norwegianization policy that was put into action from roughly 1945 to the 1970s. The policy aimed to assimilate non-Norwegian speaking native populations into an ethnically and culturally uniform Norwegian population. Therefore, the Saami and Kvens were repressed during this time period.

Sign showing invisible Saami discrimination; Saami is on the top, Norwegian on the bottom

Although today the policy is no longer in effect and efforts have been made to reverse the dramatic loss in culture, there are still signs of discrimination towards the Saami. For instance, the sign below was part of the modern Saami exhibit. As you can see, there are two languages on the sign, the top one Saami and the bottom one Norwegian. Even though Saami is considered a national language, people have shot at the sign making the Saami words impossible to read. This sign was added only last year. It is sad to think about the forms of invisible discrimination that are still occurring.