Vårt liv på Sund nå......

Det er veldig rolig og stille her. Vi er glade å ha snø og det er nesten minus 5 grader. Kjempefint vær med sol, men det blåser ikke som før. Dessuten har vi mye å gjøre på praksis plassen.Venner fra solidaritetsbrigaden har gitt best samvær. Vår rutine skiftet alltid. Men det roterer rundt tv titting og å spise mat og sove........

Norwegian Christmas!!!

Christmas is the most awaited time during the winter, when the sun is turning around & it would be brighter. This was also the reason for celebration, before Norway became a Christian country. This tradition is followed up to this day.

Christmas is the theme during December. From the first day of the month, everyone gets on to his or her toes to make the preparations & get into the “Julestemning” (Christmas mood).
I had received a Christmas calendar as a gift from my roommate’s mom. It had 24 chocolates & I had to eat only one each day. It was exciting to wake-up quickly in the morning just to eat chocolate. During these days, the ambiance at the folk school was very cosy & wonderful, with the Christmas tree & its splendid decorations, making cards & presents for family & friends, eating a lot of candies, drinking Julebrus & gløgg (special drinks for Christmas), baking cakes, reading folktales, choir concerts & the most lively Juleball (Christmas Party).

Celebrating Christmas with my Norwegian family at Fredrikstad remains a memorable experience for me. I was enormously overjoyed with all the surprising moments & family get-together. I felt very special to get an almond in the ‘Risgrott’ (rice porridge), which is the special dinner on ‘lille juleaften’, Small Christmas Eve that falls on 23rd December.

To wake-up in the morning & get a Julestrømpe (Christmas socks) from the Julenisse (Norwegian Santa Claus) filled with sweets, since I had been a nice girl last year, was beyond my imagination. Christmas Eve is the most exceptional day, when we, the children watched Christmas Calendar TV programmes & movies like Cinderella & the 3 nuts, travel to the Christmas Star, which are screened every year & the children never miss to watch them & the parents did all the cleaning & cooking.
Before the dinner my friend, her father & me attended the mass at church. This is the only day when many Norwegians go to the church. Then, I had a grand dinner, which lasted for almost 2 hours with all the family members, pets; which included a special Christmas wine, home made beer & a variety of traditional food & deserts. Following this, the Julenisse visited us & gave presents to each member of the family. All this was very exciting & I almost felt like being a part of a fairy tale. Simultaneously, I was slightly embarrassed to receive so many gifts, even from the pets of the family.

The Christmas day was much more calm & stress-free as we ‘bare spist, sovet, vært på tur og sett på TV’ (only ate, slept, went for walks & watched TV). Thus, the Christmas ended & I looked forward for New Year’s Eve to have another grand celebration.

Pictures from Heidal...

My Dream Destination…

Famous for its serenity & beauty, Heidal remains to be a place recognised for its long-lived culture and History. Declared as a cultural and historical heritage site, it remains to be rich in its traditions & customs, which have a special relevance during Christmas season. I was fortunate to get an opportunity to visit this exotic tourist destination and get memorable experiences that will last forever.
On my journey, I headed from Inderøy towards the south Trondelag and to my destination in the district of Oppland, travelling through Dovrefjell, one of the highest mountains of Norway towering to 1073 m & Snøhetta (2286 m) above the sea level.
Politically, Heidal lies in the Sel kommune of Oppland and Otta is the centre of administration. Sel Kommune has a population of 6000 people, while Heidal houses 1750 people.
On reaching, I was delighted to receive a warm welcome from my host family, Mr & Mrs.Rune and their children. Exploring more in depth, one finds a huge difference between Heidal & other places in the country. It is marked by the traditional houses that date back to 1700’s, the Lutheran church which was reconstructed in 1942 after a fire accident in 1933, the delicious ‘Gudbransdal Ost’, Elk, the national animal and the vast forest region and snow clad mountains. The rivers like Sjoa, Moro, Rinda & Trykjo also form the serene geographical base of Heidal. Farming, forestry and rearing of cattles are the main occupations of the local people. Apart from these, Heidal has also witnessed growing tourism in the recent years because of its topography that favours Ski-centres, River rafting & other water sports, attracting tourists worldwide.

Christmas at Heidal:
The season of Christmas is marked by glittering decorations at homes, streets and shops. Celebrating Christmas at Heidal remains to be a warm and pleasant experience for me. ‘Lille Julaften’ or the small Christmas Eve falls on the 23rd December which is important and special than the Christmas day. At the dawn of the day, ‘Risgrott’ or rice porridge is the special meal.
On the Christmas Eve, Mjølke-grynn (milk soup), Potatmos, Stekt flesk, Lute Fisk and Tomtebrygg are special for lunch. Dinner on the Christmas Eve is of great importance, for the very reason that the entire family along with the elders of the family come together. Reading the verse from the Bible marks the beginning of the grand celebration. Svineribbe (rib of pig), Medister kaker, Molte krem and Tyttebar syltetøy and Tomtebrygg are the special delicacies of the occasion.
Flipping open of Christmas presents, which lie high mounted, one upon the other, follows dinner. The celebration slowly recedes on the Christmas day.
Thus, I wave goodbye to this special place of Heidal, with the memories of experiencing a Norwegian Christmas.