Community Guide

Transcription

Community Guide

American
Coordinating
Council of
Norway
Community
uide
G
2016-2017
COME JOIN THE FUN AT ACCN’S 31st
ANNUAL AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, JULY 3rd 2016, 1200 - 1700, FROGNER PARK
www.accn.no
National Park Service 100 years!
Created in 1916
by the Organic Act
Yellowstone
ntains
More than 400
national parks
across the USA
Yosemite
Grand Canyon
Great Smoky Mou
Big Bend National Park
Everglades
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2016 –2017 www.accn.no
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The 2015– 16 ACCN Community Guide & Independence Day Program
Dear Reader
Welcome to the 31th annual American Independence Day Celebration in Frogner
Park on Sunday, July 3rd, 2016! On behalf of the American Coordinating Council of
Norway, we are very proud to present ACCN’s 2016-2017 Community Guide – designed
by Kristin Haanæs and edited by Rande Hansen.
Get ready for a fun-filled 4th of July! The event features a full schedule of children’s
activities, arts & crafts vendors, sports and live entertainment, as well as a diverse
range of delicious American food.
The ACCN Community Guide is a great resource for many Americans living here as
well as our Norwegian hosts. Not only will you find many articles of interest in the
Guide, but you will also find valuable information regarding clubs, groups, resources
and activities, which form the basis for the very unique organization that is the ACCN.
The ACCN would like to thank the Mayor of Oslo, the U.S. Ambassador, the USMC, the
City of Oslo and our sponsors. Without their continued and generous support, this
day would not be possible. On behalf of the American community, we would like to
give a special welcome to our new Ambassador, the honorable Ambassador Heins.
We further thank the ACCN Board, Committee Chairs and ACCN Delegates. You have
all selflessly and graciously volunteered your time, and were it not for your generous
commitment, incredible dedication, and hard work, this event would not be the tremendous success that it is. We appreciate each and every
one of you, and we thank you all from the bottom of our
hearts! This annual patriotic celebration provides our community the opportunity to bring our families and friends
together in a spirit of memorable fellowship while celebrating the festive American Independence Day holiday.
Happy Fourth of July! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Tina Rinde
ACCN Event Chair
Independence Day 2016
Organizing Committee Chairs
Event Chair Tina Rinde; Site Co-Chairs: Lully Hillestad and Bjørnar Wehn;
Treasurer: Karin Mandeville; Ad Sales Co-Chairs: Bruce Allen and Ron Krueger;
Arts & Crafts Chair: Christina Skovsgaard; Children’s Games Chair: Katie Coughlin;
Decorations Chair: Benjamin Kuban; Entertainment Chair: Greg Starr;
Food & Beverages Chair: Tina Rinde; Community Guide Editor: Rande Helgesen-Hansen;
Info Booth Chair: Nina Allen and Ole Hillestad; Publicity Chair: Lene Johansen;
Raffle Chair: Elaine Christiansen; Sports Chair: Bjørn Christian Thode;
Volunteer Coordinator: Mia Brunelle Jønnum.; Advisors: Jan R. Soderstrom and Bruce Allen
Event photos by Jeanette Førland, Øyvind Førland, Jeanine Førland Guide Design: Kristin Haanæs
Printed by: GRØSETTM
The Independence Day Celebration is a great example of the volunteer spirit.
Join the fun and make new friends.
Independence Day
2016 Program
Sunday, July 3rd
Frogner Park
12:00
Opening Ceremonies
12:35
Announcements
12:40
Music: Glory Days
13:10
1st Raffle Drawing &
Announcements
13:25
Music: Glory Days
13:55
Announcements &
Charities & Grants
14:20
Line dancing
14:40
2nd Raffle Drawing &
Announcements
14:55
Music: Moving Day!
15:00
Watermelon Eating
Contest
15:15
Announcements
15:25
Music: Moving Day!
15:45 SC Event announces
exhibition winners
16:00
Cheerleading
16:35
Announcements & Final
Raffle Drawing
16:55
Closing Remarks
Contact the ACCN at www.accn.no to volunteer.
Printing: GRØSETTM - Production is carbon-neutral. CO2 emissions have been compensated for.
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Greetings from
City Hall
Happy Independence Day!
There is a strong parallel in the way Americans and Norwegians celebrate their national days. Both commemorate decisive moments in
the history of our nations, and both put more emphasis on the social
aspect of the celebration, rather than showing off military strength.
The American Revolution, deeply inspired by the ideas of the Age
of Enlightenment, paved the way for a new understanding of individual rights and later led to democracy, as we know it. The American
declaration of independence famously states "that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
These ideas would later have a profound influence on all of Europe
inspiring revolutionaries and reformists across the continent.
Norway was shaped by reformists, who had studied the ideas of revolutionaries. Only two years ago we celebrated the bicentenary of our
constitution, which is the second oldest in the world still in continuous
force, after the American constitution. In both countries, our constitutions have laid the foundations for a pluralistic democracy with
freedom of the press and for the individual.
Former president Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be
achieved". Independence Day is a reminder of how freedom was achieved and how every generation must discover
the past in order to meet the future.
Our nations have strong historical, political, economic and cultural ties, and hundreds of thousands of Norwegians
have family members in the US. We all look forward to the celebration of the American Independence Day in
Frognerparken.
Marianne Borgen
Mayor of Oslo
Thank you, Thank you Oslo Vann og Avløp!!
Thank you for providing water to Frogner Park,
we are so grateful for this service.
Last summer at our Independence Day celebration, people in the park,
enjoyed the fresh cold water you provided .
We hope they will this year as well.
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Dear Friends
It is an honor to wish you a very happy Independence Day on the 240th
birthday of the U.S.A. It is an occasion that reminds us of fundamental
human values shared by the United States and Norway.
As Americans in Norway, we all share the pleasure and delight of living
in this beautiful country. Norway’s warm welcome by wonderful people,
beautiful landscape, exciting recreations, and great food are just the
beginning of a long list of reasons we are all so fortunate to be here.
During my time as Ambassador, I will work to enhance the wonderful relationship between Norway and the U.S. In particular, I will work
with our Embassy staff, and many of you, in developing important trade
and commercial relations. I also hope to continue my work to advance
international human rights law. I am also particularly interested in the
unique and skillful work of Norway in peace making around the world.
I hope the Embassy can be a catalyst for scholarship and exchange in
this vital work of our host country.
This year, of course, is an election year in the United States that has already generated much interest and excitement within both our communities. The embassy team is working
hard to ensure that U.S. citizens know how to register and vote back home. With the unprecedented interest
in this election cycle, it is more important than ever to remind Norwegians about the complexities of the U.S.
electoral system. We do this through school visits, briefings, interviews, and the AmCham’s gala election
night event.
We hope to open the doors of the new Embassy building at Huseby this year. We look forward to being good
neighbors at Huseby, and to expand the services we provide to our visitors in the new facility.
The American Coordinating Council of Norway continues to be a vital part of the wonderful experience of U.S.
citizens in Norway. Thank you for providing a home to our large U.S. citizen community and for all the work
you do to promote cultural exchange. The Independence Day celebration in Frogner Park is a long-standing
tradition and one of Oslo’s annual highlights, letting us all get together to celebrate our shared traditions.
Along with the entire American Embassy community, we hope you and your families have a wonderful Independence Day celebration. Gratulerer med dagen!
Best Regards,
Samuel D. Heins
U.S. Ambassador to Norway
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The National Park Service
Centennial
Article by Rande Hansen
On August 25th the National Park Service (NPS) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. On that
special day the NPS will host many activities in and around the U.S. as well as kick-off new
programs and challenges designed to bring the NPS through the next 100 years.
History
The NPS is a federal agency that maintains over 400 national parks, preserves, historical sites and monuments.
Scottish-American John Muir (1838-1914) is most often referred to as ”the Father of the
National Parks”. His letters, essays and books describe his adventures in nature, particularly in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Through his efforts, Yosemite
Valley, Sequoia park, and other wilderness areas were preserved, long before the NPS
was formed. Muir traveled extensively throughout the U.S., as far north as Alaska and,
on a 1000 mile trek, he walked from Indiana to Florida through ”the wildest, leafiest
and least trodden way I could find.” Not keen to stay too long in one place, he soon
boarded a ship from Florida to Cuba and spent his time there studying the flowers
and sea life. Returning to New York, Muir traveled to San Francisco and kindled his
interest in the Yosemite Park. Sadly, Muir died two years before the institution of the
National Park Service. In his honor, such places as the John Muir Trail, Muir Woods
National Monument, Muir Beach, and Mount Muir bear his name.
Business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, together with J. Horace McFarland then spearheaded the movement and publicity campaign for the organization
of the Department of the Interior. As a result, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill
John Muir (1838-1914)
that decreed the agency ”to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects
and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and
by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Mather was subsequenty
appointed the first director of the NPS.
Conrad Wirth became director of the NPS in 1951 and was instrumental in
improving the standards of the national parks. With the support of President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, he initiated a 10-year plan to expand and upgrade
park facilities in advance of the 50th anniversary in 1966.
Guess the Park Quiz
How many National Parks can you name? You get a few hints to help you guess…
1. The southernmost national park is on three islands and protects coral reefs, rainforests, volcanic
mountains and white beaches.
2. This park boasts 117 caves, the longest of which is over 120 miles long. The caves are home to over
400,000 bats.
3. The hottest, lowest and driest place in the U.S., with daytime temperatures of up to 130 degrees F.
4. Mountainous, ”stoney” park in Colorado.
5. Situated in three states, an expansive network of geothermal areas, hot springs, and a famous
geyser can be found in this park.
6. Sandstone canyons, rock towers and natural arches, this
park is in southern Utah.
7. Half Dome and El Capitan rise from the valley, this park
boasts North America’s tallest waterfall. An iconic talk
show host and her best friend televised their camping trip
at this park years ago.
8. ”General Sherman” is a main attraction in this very old and
very special forest in California.
9. The Painted Desert, and a great concentration of 225-million year old wood are two attractions at this park.
10. Rainforests, a diversified ecosystem, and site of a popular
series of vampire novels and movies, this park has the wet- Crater Lake
Photo: Rande Hansen
test area in the continental U.S.
11. An active stratovolcano, the most prominent peak in the
Cascades, this park lies near Seattle, Washington.
12. A part of the Appalachian Mountains, this range in North Carolina has 800 miles of trails and a
wide variety of activities for the whole family.
13. Carved by the Colorado River, one of the most popular national parks.
14. Mountains, fjords, and home of large populations of grizzly bears, mountain goats, whales, seals
and eagles this area in Montana was discovered by George Vancouver in 1794.
15. In a mangrove ecosystem, panthers and crocodiles are well known residents of this park in Florida
16. Centered around the tallest mountain in North America, this park has wildlife that includes grizzly
bears, caribou and gray wolves.
17. An ancient volcano collapsed 7,700 years ago and created the deepest lake in the U.S. There are
two more recent volcanic islands in the lake.
18. More than 2000 natural sandstone formations created by millions of years of erosion, the famous
Delicate Arch is undoubtedly popular with photographers.
Answers on page 48
National Park or National Monument?
Yellowstone was the first to be granted national park status in 1872, and
since then the list has grown to 59 national parks. Twenty-seven states have
national parks, as well as American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. California boasts 9 parks, followed by Alaska with 8. The most visited park is the
Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, followed by the Grand Canyon in
Arizona. The newest park is Pinnacles National Park in California, which was
upgraded in 2013.
The criteria for national parks are natural beauty, unique geological features
or ecosystems and recreational opportunities. National monuments are chosen for their historical or archaeological importance. Several national parks
are no longer designated as such or have been transferred and reassigned as General Sherman
Photo: Rande Hansen
state parks, national monuments, historical parks or preserves.
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Voting in 2016 U.S. Elections
Your vote counts!
Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate have been decided
by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters? All states
are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local
election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the 2016 U.S. elections:
1. Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA),
www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca2013.pdf. You must complete a new FPCA
after January 1, 2016 to ensure you receive your ballot for the 2016 elections. The completion of the FPCA allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal
offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) including
primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted.
The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories.
You can complete the FPCA online at FVAP.gov. The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to
your state. We encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Include your email address on your FPCA
to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website.
FVAP.gov will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper
copy with original signature. If you must return a paper version, please see below for mailing options.
2. Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election
for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states,
you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
3. Return Your Completed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and
others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you
can do so free of charge at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Place your ballots in postage paid return
envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient domestic U.S. postage,
and address them to the relevant local election officials.
You may drop off your ballot request or voted ballot at the U.S. Embassy in
Oslo for return to the United States between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or you may
have someone drop it off for you. Please note that it has to be the FPCA
(Federal Postcard Application) or FWAB (Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot) envelope found on www.FVAP.gov, and not just a regular envelope.
Regular envelopes will not be accepted. The guards outside the Embassy will accept the envelope. The person dropping it off must present
a valid ID and wait until it has been scanned before leaving. The Embassy will send it
back home without the need to pay international postage. Normal transit time for Embassy mail from Oslo,
Norway to the United States is currently from six to eight weeks. If it’s easier for you to use Norway’s postal
system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. You may also return your FPCA or ballot to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense.
Continued on page 49
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KVITSKRIUPRESTEIN –
The White Priests in Uldalen
Traveling to Trondheim on E6 this year? You won’t want to miss one of
the strangest attractions along the way. The white priest stone pillars in
Uldalen, just east of Sel, are worth a stop – while they still are standing!
How to get there
Take off from route E6 where marked and follow the dirt road to a toll
station. Here you can decide whether to hike or drive the 2,5 km. inn to
the attraction, depending on how much time you wish to spend. (I have
to admit that it’s not the most scenic stroll.) At this point, look up to the
left on the hillside and you will clearly see the white-clad clergy peering
down from above. There is a detailed information board at the parking
lot, describing how the clay pillars were formed.
From the base of the hill, it’s a somewhat steep hike up to the best vantage point. Since most of the trail has
recently been built up with wooden stairs and railings, access to the lookout platform has been greatly improved.
The Kvitskruiprestein area was declared a national treasure on June 24, 1977, and steps were taken to inhibit damage that could occur by tourists coming too near to the pillars. Please respect the boundaries.
Formed by erosion
The natural phenomenon is the result of rainwater erosion that has
rinsed the hard clay base away, except where large rocks have acted
like umbrellas, protecting the clay directly under. The result is a tall
pillar of clay topped off with a black ”hat.” Although new ”priests”
continue to be formed further up the hill, the both older and newer
pillars have been toppling over at an alarming rate, undoubtedly a
result of climate changes worldwide.
© Photo: Jeanette Førland
Charities and Grants – ACCN giving back!
The American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN) gives charities and grants to member organizations. They can
also nominate other charitable organizations to receive these donations.
ACCN giving back is based on a surplus of funds from
the Independence Day celebration of the previous year.
Every year applications are evaluated and voted on by
the ACCN Board.
On behalf of ACCN, I would like to give a very special
thank you to all of our sponsors, donors and to ALL of
YOU who bought raffle tickets during the Independence Day celebration in the Frogner Park, making it
possible for us to grant these awards.
2015 grants recipients were:
Untimely demise
My husband and I first visited the site in August 1994 after seeing
postcards in a kiosk in Sel. We just had to see the unusual pillars for
ourselves and took the short drive up along Uldalen. Then in 1997
we made a stop there together with our boys and my niece who was
visiting from the US. When my niece visited us again last summer with her partner, we made a new visit to the area and realized
that many of the pillars no longer stood. When comparing recent
photos from those taken in 1997 we could see that only 3 pillars
remained standing, and at least one of them had a deep crack in it.
In the spring of 2010 geologists studying the area presented a report that confirmed the fact that the pillars are crumbling away.
At that time they judged that all the pillars would have fallen within 2 years, luckily some have survived until 2015. It is, nevertheless,
a sad verdict for the many ”priests” who have stood on this hillside
near Sel for the past 200 years.
The “Stiftelsen Oslo Barnemuseum” wants to continue
creating a memorable day for the children with the
IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND here in the Frognerpark.
The American Lutheran Congregation wish to renovate
Hanson Hall, making it more meeting friendly with
new folding tables and the installation of a LED projector.
The Northern Lights Foundation will contribute their
funds to the organization’s ongoing work for terminally
sick children.
Jeanette Førland, Charity and Grants Chairman
E-mail: Charities-Grants@accn.no
International Summer School
University of Oslo
Come to Norway Experience the World
Summer School Program 2017:
June 24 - August 4
•Norwegian language courses
•Bachelor and Master level courses in Humanities and
Social Sciences (taught in English)
Courses for UiO credit, easily transferable to American
colleges and universities
www.uio.no/summerschool
Learn Norwegian at UiO
All Year Round
Norwegian for Academics
Norwegian language courses for academic credit offered
at the University of Oslo. Day or evening classes, both fall
and spring semesters.
uio.no/nora
Facta source: Wikipedia.org.
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I don’t know what to do. As a happily married fifty-five year old woman, I’m twenty years out of practice with
nasty-nasty flirting.
Last Train to Clarksville
I’m so flustered that I salute Axel with my half-eaten Brötchen, a gesture that immediately makes me a strong
candidate for Desperate Woman of the Year. Saluting with a Brötchen? The heat rises in my face as I step onto
the train.
I sink into my seat. I guess I don’t look so bad today. There are breadcrumbs on my black t-shirt, but still. Axel
is like, what? Twenty-eight? I wonder what would happen if I went up to his cockpit (is that what they call the
engine car of a train?) and knocked on the door. Not to jump on him or anything, just to ask him personally why
the hell he glad-eyed me. I’ve spent over a decade being ignored by guys like Axel, and I’m curious why today, of
all days, I’m a target.
Short Story by Robin Meloy Goldsby
Robin Meloy Goldsby, stripped of her middle-age invisibility cloak by an unshaven train engineer, tries to find her
way back home.
I stand on the train platform and wait for the 5:54 to
Overath. Rays of late summer sun cast crooked shadows on the determined faces of commuters. We’re at
the main train station in Cologne, Germany, and all of
us are trying our best to get home. Students in jeans,
musicians with guitar and trombone cases, office
workers in Esprit mix and match suits, and seniorcitizen shoppers lugging cloth bags of discounted
groceries—we crowd around information boards, benches, and vending machines. We are Germany’s middleclass—daytime travelers waiting to be whisked from the city to another place. A robust man with a rosy face
sells Bratwurst and Brötchen to those who have skipped lunch or are thinking about skipping dinner. I have
been eating all day, but still, my stomach growls at the smell of the grilled pork. I don’t eat meat—so I ask for
a plain piece of bread. It
is crusty, white and carbladen.
My fantasy conversation goes like this:
“Was it my linen pants?” I say. “Or the Brötchen crumbs?”
“I love mature women,” he replies. “And you, with those adorable little Ecco sneakers in just the right shade of
taupe? You, baby, turn me on.”
“Oh, thank you, Axel,” I say, feeling a little shy, but not the least bit tempted by him.
“You’re so youthful, so full of vitality,” Axel says. “Your face isn’t falling down at all. You’re hot.”
“Me? I’m hot?”
“You. You’re hot.”
Never mind that Axel would be speaking German—guys who look like Axel don’t need to speak English—his
words would be poetic and warm. He would be polite in a sleazy way. He would never once mention the term
MILF. He would smell like grease and engine dirt and Mennen Speed Stick deodorant, even though it’s not
available in Europe. He would run his fingers through his filthy hair, bat his sleepy (and slightly bloodshot) eyes
at me and say: “You, little lady, do something to me, and it ain’t just the shoes. Come on up here and sit next to
me; I’ll let you drive the train.”
I glance at the automated
board overhead. Good.
My train is coming. The
RB25 to Overath—right
on time. How I love rail
transportation in Europe.
Moving more slowly than
usual, the long red train
creeps into the station. I
chew my Brötchen as the
lead car, the one housing
the engineer, edges past
me. The engineer, let’s
call him Axel, leans out
the window. Axel is hot.
I go on and on like this, eyes closed, deep in a menopausal Thomas the Tank Engine fantasy. Funny isn’t it, how
one lascivious look from a train engineer could set me off this way. I have gone from Great Aunt Edna to Sydney
Leathers in a mere ten minutes. The words to “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” flash through my brain.
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah . . . ah, a mid-September reverie. I wonder if I should wave to him when I
get off the train. Or leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Just before I get to the Dinah won’t you blow part of the song
(an ill-advised lyric if there ever was one), I open my eyes to see how close I
am to home.
“Holweide. Next stop Holweide,” says the computerized voice over the PA
system.
“Holweide?” I say to no one in particular, but everyone hears my panic.
“Where is this train going?”
“Holweide!” several people answer in unison, a Greek Chorus with a smidgen of Schadenfreude.
I am on the wrong goddamn train. That goddamn dirtball Axel, or whoever the hell he is, tricked me. He did that tongue thing, I turned into a wobbly-kneed idiot, and I got on the
wrong goddamn train. He probably has a scorecard on his sooty engineer’s desk, where he keeps track of how
many pathetic middle-aged women he can confuse. I feel like charging into his cockpit and kicking him in the
caboose.
Axel knows he’s hot. Axel is literally hot, too—sweaty and dirty and just a tad unshaven, and he smiles in my
direction. Whoa. Smile is not the correct word. He leers in my direction. Shouldn’t he be watching the track? I
turn around to see where he’s looking—must be a college girl in short-shorts, or a super-model wannabe, or
an Eastern European pole-dancer in thigh-high boots—but I stand in a cluster of forlorn looking teenage boys
and men in dark suits. The brakes of the train squeal. I turn back around and face Axel. He grins at me again,
runs his eyes up and down my body, and does a funny thing with his tongue. He points and me and nods. Oh!
I’m fuming. While waiting for the train to reach Holweide, I have another fantasy conversation with Axel:
“What’s the matter with you?” I ask. “Do you think this is funny?”
“Not my fault you fell for it,” he says. “Works every time. You MILFS get all steamed up and just step right into
my clutches.”
“I didn’t step into your clutches. I stepped onto the wrong train.”
“Gotta double-check the board, lady.”
“I didn’t double-check the board, Axel, because you were drooling at me from your cockpit window and I was
distracted. Shame on you. And I am not a MILF. I am a well-adjusted and happily married mother of two grown
Source: https://geolocation.ws © Photo: Markus Feuersenger
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Reserved table for The English Lady
chose to stay in one of the historic rooms, which unfortunately
doesn’t have an en suite bathroom but has much more to offer.
French doors open from the room to
a private balcony with rattan peacock
chairs and a beautiful view over the
hotel gardens and Bandak lake. The
bathroom? A short walk down the
hall, donned in one of the fluffy bathrobes provided in the room, and you
have all the necessary amenities.
Biking the Telemark Canal
Are you looking for an active and memorable summer adventure with a
different twist? Sailing and biking the Telemark Canal will not disappoint
you. It combines a scenic boat ride, an overnight stay at one of Norway’s
most luxurious and historic hotels, and a satisfying workout as you bike
at your own pace a total of 115 km along the canal – luckily in the span of 3
days.
Our trip was booked on the internet through www.visittelemark.no. There
is also an English language link. We chose the ”Cycling tour – Grand Canal
Tour,” which includes the boat trip from Ulefoss to Dalen, bike transport,
and three overnight stays. There are many other package deals from which
to choose, but this is probably the ”granddaddy” of them all.
On an early morning in July, parked our car, unpacked our bikes and equipment, and eagerly awaited the arrival of the MS Victoria from Skien. In order to dock at Ulefoss, the boat must rise over 10 meters through three canal locks, all of which are manually opened and closed by a staff of summer
MS Victoria at the Ulefoss Locks
employees. The process of moving up the canal from Ulefoss is painstakingly slow, as 8 locks in total must be passed from Skien to Dalen in order
to raise the boat 72 meters above sea level.
Dalen Hotel There is little else to do but sit back, relax
and enjoy the spectacular nature along the
canal. You can pack sandwiches and drinks
to take with you and enjoy on the deck, but
the boat has a fine restaurant and cafe with
reasonably-priced fare. While the boat is
rising along some of the locks, disembark
and stroll along a trail and meet the boat
at the top of the lock. A great way to stretch
your legs and take photos and videos.
white shirts and tuxedos and the women wore demure empiredresses, daintily waving their paper fans. Unfortunately that
time has long since passed, but do pack presentable evening
attire in your bike bags to use when enjoying a sumptuous
three-course dinner in the hotel dining room! Each hotel room
is uniquely decorated with an exquisite attention to detail. It is
no secret that Dalen is one of Norway’s most expensive hotels,
but as part of the package deal the price is a bit cheaper. We
In the late afternoon, the boat docks at
Dalen, and a short bike ride leads to the hotel. Stepping into the Dalen Hotel, you are
transported back in time, to an era where
gentlemen dressed in their stiff collared
If traveling alone, you can reserve the most talked-about single room in the
hotel, room 17. But you may have to share your bed in the middle of the night
with its permanent resident, Miss Greenfield, the English Lady, the hotel’s own
ghost. According to legend, Miss Greenfield came to the hotel in the late 1800’s
and apparently gave birth to her illegitimate child right there in room 17. Miss
Greenfield suddenly moved back to England, without informing the hotel,
and barricaded the door. When the door was finally removed by the staff, they
found the deceased baby lying in the cradle. Miss Greenfield was to be brought
to trial in England for
the alleged murder of Room 17, The English Lady’s room
her child, but she took
her own life before the case came to court. It is said
that her ghost wanders the halls of the hotel and
is especially evident in room 17. A long tradition of
the hotel is to set and reserve a table in the dining
room at every meal for the English Lady.
After a long and delectable breakfast in the dining
room, the journey begins towards the next destination, Vrådal. The entire bicycle route is set out
along back roads and paths where you seldom
meet traffic. There is a good deal of elevation
changes
along
Straand Hotel at Vrådal
the way,
some
may find it necessary to push their bikes up the steepest inclines.
But with no time constraints, and 46 kilometers to bike, it is okay
to take your time, stop, and enjoy the scenery. The final kilometers in Vrådal to Straand Hotel follow the main road.
Straand Hotel was first built in
1864 and has been expanded
to 125 rooms, 2 restaurants and
many amenities. Perfect for
families. The original building
still stands, and in this section
the log-cabin walled interior is
decorated with rosemaling and
historic artifacts. Very cozy and
inviting.
Scenic part of the biking
trail on our last day
Photos: Rande Hansen
MS Victoria sails quietly along the Canal
Heading out along Bandak from Dalen
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“Sheriff ”Callahand
Buck Callahand er norsk, men har jobbet mange år bl.a. på ranch i USA. Han er
ACCN`s faste 4th of July “Sheriff”, og passer på alt- og alle under arrangementet.
Hesten hans står i stallen, men han kommer alltid med sin Chervolet Silverado,
som han også stiller ut.
En stor USA-venn, og som har bred utdannelse- og erfaring innen vakthold.
Hilsen,
Snorre Ø. Søderstrøm
English TranslationBuck Callahand, a Norwegian, has worked many years in the USA, including working on a ranch. He is the ACCN's steadfast 4th of July "sheriff"
who keeps an eye on everything and everyone during the event.
His horse is left in the stable and instead he arrives in his Chervolet Silverado which get placed in the
car exhibition.
© Photo: J. Førland
A huge US friend who has a broad education and experience in security..
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PILEGRIMSLEDEN – The
Pilgrim Paths to Trondheim
Probably the most famous or well-known pilgrim path is the El Camino de
Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a 10-day trek on Europe’s longest route.
But what many may not know, Norway has its own pilgrim paths, the Pilegrimsleden – St. Olav Ways – all of which lead to the Nidaros cathedral in
Trondheim.
St. Olav and Nidaros cathedral
In Nidaros, Trondheim, pilgrimages to St. Olav’s shrine started soon after his
death at Stiklestad in 1030 A.D. Declared a saint the following year, christians began trekking
to visit his burial
site. This is documented in a poem by Torarin Lovtunge
from 1031-1035 A.D. Within a few years, pilgrims from
Europe were also making the long trek to Trondheim.
the route from there. Our short Sunday stroll would take us just a
kilometer or two along the well-trodden trail.
The trails are well-marked with the cross symbol, but can be
both stoney, wet and slippery. Appropriate attire and footwear
is recommended, even for short trips. About 20 minutes into the
journey, we reached a nice spot to stop and enjoy a packed lunch
or snack. A rather new ”gapahuk” shelter with picnic tables was
probably constructed for use by 6th grade students who make the
traditional hike along the pilegrimsleden every year.
Behind the shelter is a model of a typical ”kullmile”, an installation
built for producing charcoal. Production of charcoal in this manner can be traced back for several thousand years. In Bærum,
the charcoal was essential for
melting iron for the Bærums
Verk Iron industry. Evidence of
charcoal burning can be easily
seen throughout the forests
«Kullmile», or temporary charcoal kiln
near Oslo. The charred ashes
Photo: Rande Hansen
have blackened the forest
ground and hampered growth
of vegetation.
Further along the trail to Lommedalen, a stop at Skriverberget near
Brunkollen cafe is a ”must.” This spot has gotten its name from the special
rock face that must have been a popular resting spot along the path. Here,
there are countless names of wanderers who have left their mark on the
stone mound. The oldest inscription, ”1786 HMS” also contains a mineral
mark or logo, perhaps indicating the hiker worked at the iron foundary.
When the reformation reached Norway in 1537, pilgrimages were banned. In the 20th century, primarily after
1970-1980, pilgrimages have resumed popularity. From
1993 til 1997, the paths have been clearly marked, and
the official opening of the St. Olav route was made on
”Olsok” – St. Olav’s day - July 29, 1997.
The Gudbrandsdalen Path is the longest pilgrim route,
stretching from Oslo to Trondheim, and was the main
road during the Middle Ages. The 643 kilometer route
can take up to 32 days to complete. According to the
website, the Gudbrandsdalen path passes many cultural
sites that have roots back to the time of St. Olav and the
christening of Norway.
Nidaros cathedral
Photo: Rande Hansen
Popular path in Bærum
It is not necessary to take the long hike to Trondheim to walk along the pilgrim trails in or near Oslo.
One of the more popular routes stretches from
Haslum church (built in 1190 A.D.) to Lommedalen
in Bærum and is a nice Sunday trek for the whole
family. On a drizzly weekend day we parked at the
Steinskogen cemetary (Route 168) and picked up
Haslum church
22
Center-city Oslo
Another fine trip is the one-hour trek in Oslo. Start at the Medieval Park,
with its ruins of buildings from the Middle Ages. The walk continues past
the boundaries of the Old City, to Tøyen and the Botanical Garden, the
St. Olav statue on the facade of Nidarosdomen
Photo: Rande Hansen
Museum of Natural History and
the Munch Museum. Crossing
the Aker River, follow the ”Love
Trail” to the wooden houses at
Telthusbakken Hill. The trip
ends at Aker Church, which is
one of the oldest marks of the
cross in eastern Norway.
Other paths on the pilgrims
trail
St. Olavs Path – SelangerStiklestad-Trondheim - 564 km
from coast to coast, spanning
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PILEGRIMSLEDEN continued from page 23
both Norway and Sweden, in St. Olav’s footsteps. Here, he traveled in 1030 A.D., returning to Norway from
Novgorod in Russia to christianize Norway and reclaim the throne.
Østerdalen Path – Trysil/Rena-Rendalen-Tynset-Trondheim, approx. 400 km. Said to be the route along
primarily untouched, wild nature, it leads through forests and valleys. The Østerdal trail will appeal to those
who seek the stillness of nature.
The North Path – Grong-Stiklestad – This stretch of the pilgrims trail is strongly connected to St. Olav. It
provides varied terrain and beautiful scenery.
Follo Path – Son-Oslo – From coastline beaches to the urban center in Oslo, the Follo Path passes ancient
burial mounds from the late Iron Ages, forrest and farmlands. The Leonardo da Vinci bridge will certainly be
a picture you will share on Facebook or Instagram!
Rombo Path – Tydal-Selbu-Malvik-Trondheim – The oldest path in Norway, it connects the two important
saints in Scandinavia, St. Olav and Holy Birgitta of Sweden. The path crosses the border of the two countries
and is popular for the lush Swedish forests and Norway’s wild and beautiful nature.
A short Sunday stroll or a long trek to Trondheim – there is something uniquely special with walking the
paths trodden by thousands of pilgrims en route to pay homage to St. Olav at the Nidaros cathedral in Trondheim. For more information, recommended walks and trip planner, log inn to www.pilegrimsleden.no.
There is an English language link.
Source: www.pilegrimsleden.no.
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25
Exploring the Nasjonalbibliotek,
Norway’s National Library
T h e m ed i c i n e
chest of the soul
-Inscription over the
door of the Library at
Thebes, Egypt
Article by June Edvenson
Arriving in Norway from the United
States to live, work and make a life can
be – no, is – a formidable experience.
Many of us gathering at this time of
year for Independence Day celebration also see it as a celebration of our
American community in Norway. And
not much is better for an American in
Norway than to EXPLORE Norway!
I like to explore both literally (ah, the
mountains) and through research and
reading. After all, this is our avenue
for both learning about our new
culture, and also its heritage. When
I arrived 17 years ago, I was drawn to
the Nasjonalbibliotek like a moth to
Norway's National Library, Soli Plass, Oslo
a flame. (I’ve been a library lover ever Photos Source- www.nb.no, press photos
since I wandered into the Northwestern University library in Evanston,
Illinois when I was 13 and requested to check out Kafka’s Metamorphosis. By the way, they let me.)
tioned in news in Norway (anywhere) from the 1920’s to 1994, an icon to historical
research methods in and of itself.
Q: “So, what is ‘the news’ at the National library, Siri?”
A: “We are in the process of digitalizing all of our materials. That’s our largest project. It is ongoing and it is really starting to be impressive. We are also shifting from
our online cataloguing system, Bibsys, to a new system, so that requires adjustments, but things are improving for users.”
Q: “What is the focus of your holdings?
A: “Well, we don’t have a focus. We have everything.”
Q: “Everything?”
A: Yes, everything published in Norway including all television, music and radio programs. The collection
goes back into the 1800’s and Norway holds many very old books.”
Q: “In this building?”
A: “No. We also have back-ups of everything – sometimes several – in the mountains at Mo i Rana. These
were old iron work mines that became available to us.”
Q: “And who is using your resources most?”
A: “We have many researchers using our collections. Also journalists and historians. Americans are especially interested in our Norwegian-American collection. We also have a very
special collection called “handmade materials.” All these are closed collections. One key of our collections is newspapers, used a great deal.”
A library is not a luxury,
Q: “Yes, you are a ‘closed stack’ library, right? How does that work?”
but one of the necessities
A: “Well, first, all of our materials are available to see by ordering them with
of life.
the library staff – and then they can be viewed in the Reading Room when
-Henry
Ward Beecher
they are ready for pick-up. Many items can also be checked out. As for digital
And so began my joy in finding the National library’s reading room. This building, located at Solli plass in Oslo,
goes back to 1914 when it was built, initially
as the University library, with Holger SindingLarsen as architect. It was added onto in 1933,
but it was only recently, in 1999, that the
University library moved into Sverdrups hus at
Blindern, and the National library could take
the space it also needed to breathe and grow.
For this article, I visited with library research
staff. I’ll share some interview notes and also
some of the library’s top resources of interest
to Americans in Norway. Let’s go to the library!
Of course, you have your own local library in
Norway. Now, more than ever before, you can
identify resources across libraries that can be
placed on reserve and brought to your local
library for you to borrow. This, in itself, is wonderful. Now let’s see what the National library
National library’s reading room is doing.
I’m sitting with Siri Røsbak Glosli on the second floor, next to the old card catalogue of all obituary names men-
26
27
Memories of '15
28
29
The 2016 ACCN Independence Day Celebration
The 2016 ACCN Independence Day Celebration
Entertainment & Raffle
Program & Schedule
Sunday, July 3rd, Frogner Park
Free Admission
Moving Day!
Entertainment
Glory Days
Emcees: Chrys Hellem and Greg Starr
12:00 12:35 12:40
13:10 13:15
13:25
13:55
14:00
14:20
14:40
14:45 14:55 15:00
15:15
15:25
15:30 15:45
16:00
16:35
16:45
16:55 Read about our
entertainment
on page 47!
Cheerleading
Our Line Dancers:
Ida
&
Kari-Elisabeth
Don’t miss ACCN’s great raffle!
Children's Activities
Grand prizes:
Icelandair – 2 round-trip tickets from Oslo to any
of Icelandair’s destinations in the U.S.A.
Norwegian – 7000 CashPoints to use anywhere.
Plus many other wonderful prizes.
12:45 - 17:00
12:45 – 16:00
15:00 – 16:30
Batting cage (charge NOK10) provided by NSBF
American Football activities:
provided by Oslo Vikings
Softball / Baseball (Bring your bat & glove!)
Hamburgers • Hotdogs • BBQ • Sandwiches • Ribs • Hot wings
Baked goods • Ice Cream • Soft drinks and much, much more!
INSTANT WIN
Try our lucky wheel Kr. 10,- per spin – everyone is a winner!
RAFFLE
2015 Icelandair Grand Prize winner
3 drawings with wonderful prizes, including 2 round triptickets to the U.S from Iceland air and 7000 CashPoints
from Norwegian
AND MUCH MORE!
ACCN reserves the right to make changes at any time.
Hands-on activities provided by Project
Oslo Children’s Museum
Pony rides: provided by Stall Nordstjena
AMERICAN FOOD FEAST
Don't forget to play our INSTANT WIN!
Try our lucky wheel Kr. 10,- per spin – everyone is a winner!
30
12:45 - 17:00
12:45 - 17:00
Sports Schedule
Tickets are NOK 20 apiece. Must be present to win.
Some conditions may apply to plane tickets and hotel stays.
Proceeds go to local charities selected by the ACCN.
Founded in 1985, the American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN) is a non-profit,
non-political, non-religious social and charitable organization comprised
of 19 member organizations dedicated to U.S.-Norway relations.
Opening Ceremonies
Announcements
Music: Glory Days
Announcements
1st Raffle Drawing
Music: Glory Days
Announcements
Charities & Grants – Jeanette Førland
Line dancing
Announcements
2nd Raffle Drawing
Music: Moving Day!
Watermelon Eating Contest
Announcements
Music: Moving Day!
Baseball Game
SC Event announces exhibition winners
Cheerleading
Announcements
Final Raffle Drawing
Closing remarks
Arts and Crafts • ACCN Member Booths • Information • American
Souvenirs • U.S. Consular Services • AWC Used Book Stand •
Classic American Cars • Other Exhibitors
31
Memories of '15
32
33
Oslo Barnemuseum
Introducing CityKids at Sentralen!
Memories of '15 Activities
with funding from
Article by Katie Coughlin,
leader for Oslo Barnemuseum, a non-profit organization to establish a hands-on
children’s museum in Oslo ( www.oslo barnemuseum.org)
Boston Children´s Museum. Minnesota Children´s Museum. Chicago Children´s Museum. Children´s Discovery Museum
of San Jose. Eureka in England. Musee des enfants in Brussels. Children´s Museum Jordan. Zoom in Vienna. Norway is
one of the world´s most family-friendly countries, so why isn´t there an “Oslo Children´s Museum”?
The number of children and families in Oslo is growing. The youngest from 0-8, however, still have just a small handful
of cultural offerings and most are seasonal. The younger the child, the fewer the choices.
In 2005, a group of Oslo parents and teachers organized
“Foundation Oslo Children´s Museum” (Stiftelsen Oslo
Barnemuseum) with the goal of creating Oslo´s very own
hands-on children´s museum, a unique arena for exploration
and play for children and families. The benefits are many:
learning, mastery, bridge-building, parent-support, inspiration and joy, just to name a few.
Since 2007, we have offered traveling children´s museum activities to schools, preschools and festivals. In 2015, we found
an amazing and vital partner, Sentralen, Oslo´s newest and
stunning culture house at Øvre Slottsgate 3.
In March 2016, we held our first solo public event called
“CityKids”. Cooperating with Sentralen, we offered 4 rooms
of hands-on exploration and play. This was both exciting and
scary. Would people come? Would they be pleased? Would they want to come back?
The entire weekend was sold-out. We had three times the number of visitors we had hoped for. The feedback was also
very promising: “Will you be here next weekend?” “We need this in Oslo!” Now we are developing more and regular
events for CityKids at Sentralen beginning autumn 2016.
We hope that this is a significant step towards opening a full-time and permanent place to celebrate
childhood and the value of play. Follow us on Facebook for information about our events at Sentralen.
www.facebook.com/oslobarnemuseum1 or contact me if you are interested to get involved:
katie@oslobarnemuseum.org.
We are grateful to ACCN and everyone who has supported us. Congratulations and thank you to ACCN in 2016 for again
organizing Europe´s largest (and best!) American Independence Day celebration!
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For Kids
Answers to crossword on page 48
36
. . . And the Young at Heart
© http://www.puzzles-to-print.com/printable-word-search/us-presidents-word-search.shtml
37
Biking the Telemark Canal continued from page 19
Last Train to Clarksville continued from page 17
The next leg of the biking trip, 32 kilometers, leads from Vrådal up a
long incline on route 41 and down exciting hairpin turns to Kviteseidvatnet. The country road on the south side of the lake eventually
crosses a bridge leading to the north side of Flåvatn and to Kilen Vacation Center, the final overnight stay. Here, your accommodations are
quite a change from Dalen Hotel, a rustic but comfortable camping
cabin with cooking facilities meets you. The vacation center is a popular family retreat and there are both camping cabins and permanent
camping trailers on the property. On a
warm, sunny day, take a dip in the lake
before breakfast!
Camping cabin at Kilen
The final 37 kilometers follows closer
along the canal, allowing you to stop and
see the locks your boat passed through
just a few days earlier. At Lunde, you can
buy baguettes, lunchmeat and soft drinks
at the grocery store to enjoy as a picnic
lunch along the canal before reaching
your final destination, Ulefoss.
With a per person price starting at kr. 3,600, the Grand Canal Tour IS a rather expensive mini-vacation, but one that cycling enthusiasts will not soon forget. For
more information about other package deals with MS Victoria and Dalen Hotel,
check the Visit Telemark website.
Well-marked biking trail
children. I don’t need looks from guys like you to
feel good about myself.”
“Could’ve fooled me. And it’s not a cockpit, you
know.”
“Whatever.”
***
I get off the train at Holweide, humiliated, tired,
and wishing I hadn’t thrown away the rest of
my Brötchen. Axel leans out the window, doing
his engineer thing, and pulls away from the
platform without giving me a second glance.
Maybe he never even gave me a first glance. I
wonder if I’ve imagined the entire episode. I am
now sure that my face really is falling down and
that these shoes are not very cute at all.
It’s not like I haven’t dealt with a leering man
before. It’s just that it hasn’t happened in ages.
I’m out of shape, so to speak. I used to sit at my
piano and laugh at guys who acted like Axel.
Buffoons! But now, a dozen years after donning
my middle-age invisibility cloak and my Great
Aunt Edna shield of elegance and eccentricity,
I’ve been reduced to blushing and performing
the Brötchen salute. And if that’s not punishment enough, I’m in some God forsaken place
called Holweide with nothing to do except wait
for the train in the opposite direction to get me
back to where I started.
Life. One step forward, two steps back. Just
once, I’d like to go sideways.
***
“John,” I say to my husband. “I am in Holweide.”
“What?” he says. “Hole what?” The phone connection is dicey.
“Holweide!”
“What are you doing there?”
“I got on the wrong train.”
“How in the world did you do that?” he says.
“Long story. I’ll tell you later.” I’m not sure if I’ll
confess or not. John—handsome, intelligent,
and the polar opposite of bad boy Axel—is
the love of my life. It seems pretty stupid to tell
him I got on the wrong train because a hunky
pervert with dirty hair and a long tongue cast
his roving eye in my direction. We hang up and I
sit and wait an hour for the next train.
I decide I must be the victim of the German version of “Candid Camera,” an awful show called
“Verstehen Sie Spass?”—the English translation
of which is “Do You Understand Fun?”
The answer is no. I do not understand Spass.
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39
Last Train to Clarksville continued from page 39
Out of boredom I fall into a Zen-like state that’s one stifled yawn short of unconscious. I wish I had another
Brötchen. Why oh why am I always so hungry? A man with a shaved head sits down next to me. He wears a
ribbed sleeveless undershirt—we used to call them muscle shirts back in the day: now they’re called wife
beaters. Tattoos cover the man’s burly arms. Sadly, one of his arms stops at the elbow. Little fingers stick out
of the elbow joint. The little fingers are also tattooed. I try not to stare, but I’m fascinated. There are skulls on
each of the little fingers, and right above the stump is a heart with an inscription that reads: Forever Christina.
With his other (full-length) arm the man removes a packet of American Mac ‘n Cheese casserole mix from his
jeans pocket. Grasping the packet with his teeny tiny tattooed elbow fingers, he begins to study the instructions. There are little American flags on the package, and a photo of a delicious looking bowl of Mac ‘n Cheese
on the cover. I have nothing with me to read, so I’m grateful to look over his elbow and read along with him.
This is what happens to women who end up in Holweide. It seems a fitting punishment for my gullibility.
Finally the train arrives. I nod a silent goodbye to the muscle man (he is still memorizing the Mac ‘n Cheese
packet), take the train back to the main station, and begin waiting again. Twenty minutes later, the train to
my village arrives. The engineer drives right past me, the breaks do not squeal, and the doors open efficiently.
There are no seats available—the car is packed with boisterous young people, returning home from Games.
com, a trade show that features the latest ways to waste time and have fun shooting virtual bad guys. I have
wasted a lot of time today myself, but I didn’t have any fun and I certainly didn’t shoot anyone, although at
specific points in today’s voyage I might have been tempted. My feet hurt, my back aches, and I just want to sit
on my living-room sofa and eat a bowl of Mac ‘n Cheese. But I don’t eat cheese anymore, so it would be Mac ‘n
Mac.
“Excuse me, Madame,” says a teenage girl in a tight black mini-skirt—exactly the kind of thing I would have
worn at her age. She radiates confidence and youthful energy. “Would you like to sit down?” She jumps up and
fluffs her hair. “I’ve been sitting all day, and you look like you could use a seat.”
“Thank you,” I say, in my best Great Aunt Edna voice. “Thank you.”
I sit back and settle in. I’m exhausted. In the course of two hours I have lost and regained three decades. I have
traveled back and traveled forth, on the rails and in my mind. Now, thank goodness, I’m traveling home.
Robin Meloy Goldsby is the author of Piano Girl, Waltz of the
Asparagus People, and Rhythm. Her new book, Manhattan Road
Trip, features a collection of short stories about musicians.
Goldsby’s career as a pianist has taken her from roadside dives
to posh New York City venues and exclusive resorts, and on
to the European castles and concert stages where she now
performs. Robin has four solo piano recordings to her name—
Twilight; Somewhere in Time; Songs from the Castle; Waltz of
the Asparagus People; Magnolia, and December—and has appeared on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland. Robin is a Steinway Artist.
She has presented her reading/concert program for numerous
U.S. Consulates in Europe; for Amerika Haus, e.V. NRW; and
for Steinway in New York, Berlin, and Vienna. Goldsby’s onewoman performance includes stories from her books along
with her solo piano compositions.
Visit her website at at www.goldsby.de and be sure to sign
up for her newsletter—a new essay every month! Her books
and music can be found on Amazon.
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41
Exploring the Nasjonalbibliotek, continued from page 27
materials, we have three levels of access. First, all materials of those who died over 70 years ago are in open
access and can be downloaded by pdf file online. This is available to any computer anywhere. Our second
level of access is through what is called the ‘bokhylle agreement’ – this is designed to protect authors’ rights
and allows online access of all materials up to the year 2000 to all Norwegian IP addresses. Third, digital and
non-digital materials since the year 2000 are available by request and they can be used in the Reading Room.
A quick check with the research desk showed that my own National library card is current. This leads me to
browse old photographs from Norwegian farms online. What a joy! I’m so impressed to discover the depth of
materials available.
Q: “How does this library compare – globally, would you say, with others?
A: “We’re actually in front of the pack. This is quite visionary, and our continued digitalizing work is really
moving forward. This was in part a priority initiative of our former administrator, Vigdis Moe Skarstein. Our
current administrator, Aslak Sira Myhre, is continuing in the same work.
Q: “Tell me an interesting angle on this capacity.”
A: “Well, for example, you can put a name into the system and it will return all documents that mention that
name. The searchability function with the pdf files is becoming very sophisticated. I also should mention
that we do have Americans who come to Norway regularly – in part to look up their ancestors and study the
materials here.”
I find myself in what is called the microfilm room, the room you pass through on your way to the Reading
Room. Here, arranged along the four walls are sections for each area of Norway with books listing the farms,
books on specific farms, and books on the history of towns and regions across the country. I then realize just
how deep this one room’s resources are. Perhaps it will lead back to the farm my father’s father’s father left,
near Stavanger in the mid-1800’s when he took a boat to the America and settled in Iowa. I’ll have to find out
someday.
Looking for your Norwegian Ancestors?
Resources available in Norway include the following:
g The National Library, www.nb.no
Start here with the name and birthplace of your Norwegian relative
Because the collections are closed and vaulted, start by sending a related e-mail to the library at: veiledningen@nb.no.
Resources include church parish registers of baptisms, marriages and funerals, census records, “bygdeboker” – village books commissioned to record specific area history, owners of industry and farms.
g The National Archives (in north Oslo), www.disnorge.no
See first their digital database, arkivverket.no/digitalarkivet
It is also useful to visit the Archives where you can look at materials pulled in advance for your use in their reading room and you can work there online.
g DIS-Norway, www.disnorge.no
This is the Geneaology Society of Norway, founded in 1990. Its largest database is focused on gravestones. Service is free to inquire.
g U.S. Resources mentioned include:
Ancestry.com
Findagrave.com
Familysearch.org
When I do, I’ll meet the Trappehall again, the stairwell of paintings that are a cultural treasure on painted
walls: Per Krohg’s the Norns of the Edda, memories of World War I, and the final panel, the better world of
the future as painted by Axel Revold. The library also holds an amazing music library collection, and sponsors
activities, presentations and exhibitions of works on book-related arts and culture. Just now this included an
exhibition of Morten Krogvold’s photographs of famous people.
To begin, it is best to contact the research librarian’s desk in advance by e-mail (at veiledningen@nb.no) . This
will help you to identify what you are interested in looking at, and arrange to get access either online or at
the library. If you’re looking for the Norwegian regional books room, research staff are on hand there to assist
you. As they say, Enjoy!
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43
The Oslo Vikings
The Oslo Vikings got their start back in 1986 when
a group of high school students from OHG, Ris and Ulleren decided to merge their three teams, officially making
the Vikings the second oldest football club in Norway,
and making 2016 a momentous year for our organization as we celebrate our 30th anniversary!
Over the years, American football and the Vikings have
increased in popularity here in Norway. In 1989, we
fielded our first youth team, and since 1994 our Senior
team has been competing on the international stage
(check out our historic development by viewing the
figure on the right).
Today, we field over 65 youth and 80 senior players
across 8 teams, all of which call Frogner Stadium their
home. In the Spring you’ll be able find our Senior and
U17 teams competing against the best Norway has to offer while our U19 and U15 teams battle in out in the Fall,
and our emerging U13 program participates in youth
development cups at different points in the year.
To this day, several of our founding members are still
proud supporters of the club and active across the
organization - from coaches to board members – exemplifying both the strength and the devotion of our OV
community. No differently, as a deep part of our club’s
rich history, our older players volunteer every year for
community events such as Tryvann, ByLarm, and this
Independence Day celebration today to help bring in
financial support! Our community engagement is not
only essential to our club’s sustainability, but core to
what our organization represents.
As Vikings, we have broad ambitions for the future of
our club and football in Norway. Our community is ever
growing and always welcoming. If you have an interest
to become a player, fan, booster, or club volunteer do not
hesitate to reach out to us! To find out more, please visit
our website, (www.oslovikings.com), Facebook page, or
come by our booth today.
44
45
Our Entertainment!
Moving Day!
Bluegrass growing on
the East side of Oslo?
You bet! Moving Day!
plays fresh originals,
well-known standards, and surprising
covers of anything we can get our hands on. Moving Day!
first saw daylight backstage at the Norwegian Opera
where two professional opera singers with bluegrass
music in their blood got together. Now several years later
the band Moving Day! is still going strong, with a fresh line
up of Paul Kirby on guitar and lead vocals, Øystein Imsen
on fiddle and backing vocals, Mikael Jonassen on 5-string
banjo and high mountain tenor vocals, and secret weapon
Lars Tormod Jenset on the dog house bass. Rip the carpet
up off the floor; it's Moving Day!
Glory Days
Glory Days is a cover band playing hits and timeless classics from the 80`s. They have been playing many different venues over the last 10 years,
and will for sure give you a musical trip back to
the 80`s playing artists like AC/DC, Whitesnake,
Guns N` Roses, Gary Moore, Bon Jovi, Toto, Tina
Turner, Europe and many more!
Get ready and Let`s Rock the 80`s
SC Event's AmCar Exhibition.
Street Car Event's objective is to offer young
people, regardless of age and gender, a positive
automotive experience. SC Event shall not limit
or exclude - but include and collect car environment across interests, types of cars, etc. The main
task of SC Event is to facilitate and provide positive
automotive businesses where the focus is on car
enthusiasts. For more information go to
www.scevent.no
46
Line Dancers
Ida Hovda & Kari-Elisabeth Vambeseth Skogen, both
from Valdres, live in Oslo. Both used to compete in Line
dance, but now they just dance for fun. Their best placement was a fourth place overall in duo (together) in the
World Championship a few years ago. Ida is now a dance
teacher in addition to her day job.
47
Voting, continued from page 12
Researching the Candidates and Issues:
Online Education for all ages.
edX
EdX offers free online courses and classes from
the world's best universities and institutions.
www.edx.org
Coursera
Free Online Courses From Top Universities,
www.coursera.org
Khan Academy
Learn for free about math, art, computer
programming, economics, physics, chemistry,
biology, medicine, finance, history, and more.
www.khanacademy.org
MITx
Free online courses from MIT.
www.edx.org/school/mitx
Academic Earth
Brings together top notch courses from many
different sources, and focuses on offering a
wide variety of subjects.
www.academicearth.org
Answers to Park Quiz
(on page 11):
1. American Samoa
2. Carlsbad Caverns
3. Death Valley
4. Rocky Mountain
5. Yellowstone
6. Zion
7. Yosemite
8. Sequoia
9. Petrified Forest
10. Olympic
11. Mount Rainier
12. Great Smoky Mountains
13. Grand Canyon
14. Glacier
15. Everglades
16. Denali
17. Crater Lake
18. Arches
48
Answers to Word Search (on page 36):
Online Resources. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates,
their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely
available and easy to obtain on-line. You can also read national
and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the internet to
locate articles and information. For information about election
dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP's Voting Alerts (vote@
fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP)
website, FVAP.gov. If you have any questions about registering
to vote overseas, please contact the U.S. Embassy’s Voting Assistance Officer at voteoslo@state.gov.
Remember, your vote counts!
AWC Oslo Christmas Market
Looking for a festive Christmas shopping experience? Look no further than the 2nd annual, distinctively American
Christmas market hosted by the American Women’s Club of Oslo. From handmade knitted products and funky
cloth bags to beautiful Christmas stockings and silver jewelry, you’ll be able to find something for everyone on
your Christmas gift list. We will also be selling used books in English. There is no entry fee.
Santa Claus will be available for photos at certain times throughout the weekend. Bring your own camera, or we’ll
take your/your kid’s picture and send you a digital photo file by email (perfect for your holiday greeting cards)!
There is no fee to have your picture taken, but a cash donation (to benefit the Oslo Crisis Center and our scholarship fund) would be much appreciated.
Location: American Lutheran Church, Fritznersgate 15, in Frogner, Oslo
Dates & Times: Saturday, 19 Nov. 2016 from 10-16 and Sunday, 20 Nov. 2016 from 12-16
10% of all vendor sales, and 100% of the Santa donations, as well as bake sale and book purchases will go to
benefit the Oslo Crisis Center and the AWC Scholarship.
Please visit our Facebook event page for more information:
https://www.facebook.com/events/130212127387514/
WHAT YOU’LL FIND AT OUR MARKET
 Silver jewelry
 Pottery
 Hand knitted and sewn products – bags, headbands, scarves and shawls, mittens, baby booties, wrist warmers, Christmas ornaments, Christmas stockings
 Handmade stocking stuffers, teacher gifts + baby items
 American Christmas food items – cookies, pies, Christmas breads, spices, jams, real vanilla extract, and more
 Tupperware
 Beauty products
 American memorabilia
 Other American products
 Sale of used books in English – books are just 10 kr each!
 Café serving grilled cheese sandwiches and warm drinks
 And don’t forget…SANTA will be there!
49
Resource Directory
Resource Directory
EMERGENCYNUMBERS
110 Fire
112 Police
113 Ambulance
ADVERTISING FLYERS
To stop unaddressed flyers from
filling up your mailbox, go to any
post office or in-store post office
and ask for a "Nei takk" sticker.
ALUMNI CLUBS
Johns Hopkins University,
School of Advanced Inter-national Studies (SAIS) Norway
Alumni Chapter
Contact the college for more
information
Luther College
Contact the college for more
information
MIT Club of Norway
Pres. John Samseth
Epost: Jon.Samseth@hioa.no
Web: www.alumweb.mit.edu/
clubs/norway
To list your alumni club or
organization with the American
Coordinating Council of Norway
e-mail: prame@online.no
AMERICAN FOOD
PRODUCTS
Centra Mat
O.H. Bangs vei 5, Høvik,
67 10 24 00
Centra Mat
Colosseum, vis-à-vis Colosseum
Kino, 23 20 55 20
Deli de Luca
Mega, Bekkestua
Jacobs Mathuset
Ekebergv 145, Oslo,
22 28 58 58
Vikamat Colonial (kiosk),
Klingenberggaten 7, Oslo,
22 83 48 48
Alternative foods
Helios, www.helios.no
Tip: For reasonably priced fruits
and vegetables and ethnic foods
check out the immigrant -owned
shops on Torg gate, Trondheimsvn,
Herslebs gate, Brugata, Grønlandsleiret and in Grunerløkka.
50
COOKING
Norwegian cookbooks in English
"American Accent" anniversary
cookbook published by American
Women’s Club.
"Trolldom in the Kitchen"
by Melody Favish.
Call 957 67 092 to order.
"The Norwegian Kitchen" edited
by Kjell E. Innli.
"Eat the Norway"
by Aase Strømstad.
"Norwegian National Recipes" by
Arne Brimi.
”Authentic Norwegian Cooking”
by Astrid Karlsen Scott
A few websites with Norwegian
recipes:
www.norway-hei.com
www.food.com/topic/norwegian
www.thanksforthefood.com
US Measurement
Equivalents
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce
4 tablespoons = ¼ cup
1 cup = ½ pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts (liquid) = 1 gallon
16 ounces = 1 pound
American to Metric
Conversion
1 tsp = 4.93 ml
1 ounce = 28.35 gram
1 fluid ounce = 29.57 ml
¼ cup = 60 ml
1 cup = 0.236 liter
1 quart = 0.946 liter
1.06 quarts = 1 liter
1 gallon = 3.785 liters
16 ounces/1 pound = 454 grams
2.2 pounds = 1 kg
Temperature Conversion
Fahrenheit – Celsius
250 120
300
150
350
175
400 205
450
230
Spices & Cooking
Ingredients
Allspice = allehånde
Baking powder = bakepulver
Baking soda = natron
Bay leaf = laubærblad
Basil = basilikum
Bullion = buljong
Cardamom = kardamomme
Chives = gressløk
Cilantro = fersk koriander
Cinnamon = kanel
Cloves = nellik
Cream of tartar = kremortartari
Curry = karri
Garlic = hvitløk
Ginger = ingefær
Horseradish = pepperrot
Marjoram = merian
Mace = muskatblomme
Mustard = sennep
Nutmeg = muskatnøtt
Parsley = persille
Poppy seeds = valmuefrø
Sage = salvie
Thyme = timian
Vanilla = vanilje
Tip: If you can’t find a condiment,
spice or herb at your grocery store
ask at a pharmacy (apotek) or
health food store.
CRISIS AND THERAPY
Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center,
www.866uswomen.org
Frogner English Speaking AlAnon Group, Mondays at
7:00 PM, American Church,
Fritzners gate 15.
Gamblers Anonymous,
6:00 - 7:30 pm, Frogner
menighetshus Schaftelokken
(yellow house), Solheimgaten 2b
(3rd floor), Phone: 95 81 09 34.
Overeaters Anonymous,
http://oanorge.wordpress.com/
english
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
Since 2007, most of the United
States begins Daylight Saving Time
at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in
March and reverts to standard time
on the first Sunday in November. In
the U.S., each time zone switches
at a different time. In the European
Union and Norway, Summer Time
begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It
begins the last Sunday in March and
ends the last Sunday in October. In
the EU, all time zones change at the
same moment.
DO NOT CALL LIST
Norway’s Do Not Call list is run by
the Brønnøysund Register Center
at www.brreg.no. Unlike the U.S.
phone number-based system,
each person has to reg-ister to be
protected against telemarketers.
Also, the list only covers consumers,
businesses cannot be protected. To
register, click on the “Reservasjon
mot reklame” in the right-hand
column of the website and enter
your 11-digit Norwegian identity
number. Next, check the next two
boxes to stop personally addressed
advertising through the mail and
phone calls. Although the major
humanitarian organizations like
the Red Cross and Salvation Army
are exempt, there is also a third
check-off box for other charities.
Repeat process for every member
of your household or the telemarketers can and will continue to
ask for unlisted family members. It
can take up to three months before
your Do Not Call listing is fully
effective. In addition to charities,
please note that you will continue
to receive calls from pollsters and
market research firms. While registration stops the majority of calls,
unscrupulous telemarketers who
do not consult the list may continue
to call, especially during the day.
ENGLISH-SPEAKING SOCIAL,
CULTURAL & PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS (NOT
AFFILIATED WITH ACCN):
Professional Women’s Network
(PNW) , meets first Wednesday
of each month from Sept. to June.
Website:
www.professionalwomen.no
The Canadian Club of Norway is a
social club for Canadians living in
Norway, their families, and anyone
who considers him/herself a friend
of Canada. The club's members
and activities are largely concentrated in the Oslo region. The annual membership fee is NOK 150 for
families, NOK 100 for individuals.
For further information, visit
www.canclubnor.info
International Forum, monthly
meetings with speakers, courses
and tours. Activity groups.
Website: www.iforum.no,
Norway International Network, organization for foreigners studying, working or living
in Norway, and for Norwegians
interested in meeting people from
different cultures, monthly meetings and social events at various
locations.
Website: www.ninside.org
Oslo Toastmasters Club, meets
every Tuesday from 6:00 pm.
www.toastmasters.no
ICON (International Club Oslo
Norway), formerly the Petroleum
Women's Club) is a friendly club
welcoming newcomers to Oslo.
Meetings typically take place every
third Tuesday of the month. For
more information please see
www.icon-oslo.com
EVENTS IN OSLO
Events List is a free list of events
distributed weekly to individuals of
the English-speaking community in
and around Oslo. To subscribe, send
an email with the word Request
in the subject line to events.list@
yahoo.com .
Other sources:
For complete listings of movies,
shows, concerts, events, festivals,
restaurants, museums, etc. go to
Oslo Promotion’s official guide to
Oslo at www.visitoslo.com and
click on English. Listings (in Norwegian) are also available in Aftenposten’s Friday Puls section
and online at www.oslopuls.no.
Another source - in Norwegian - is
Det Skjer i Oslo – www.detskjerioslo.no
Oslokino.no, which lists information on the movies playing in Oslo,
now has a page in English, www.
oslokino.no
The Cinemateket/Norwegian Film
Institute listings are available in
English at
www.nfi.no/cinemateket
FITNESS CENTERS
Oslo- Look under Trening in the
yellow pages.
FLEA MARKETS/
SWAP MEETS
Birkelunden Bruktmarked in
Grünerløkka, Sundays from 12.
Bærumshallen, Kadettangen,
Sandvika. Sundays year round
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Brukthallen, Sinsenvn. 11,
Thursday-Sunday.
Bruktmarked på Grønland, underneath the overpass
between Grønland torg and the bus
terminal, Saturdays,
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Selters, Bogstadvn 44. Every other
weekend. Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m., Sundays 11:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m.
Slurpen Bruktmarked, Lakke gata
79b, entry from Sarsgt. Last Sunday
of every month, 12 noon - 4:00 p.m.
Vestkantorget (Amandus Nielsens
plass, corner of Prof. Dahlsgt/Neuberggt., Oslo) Saturdays, March
1st through December 20th from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
www.vestkanttorvet.no
Local school music bands organize
large flea markets in the spring and
fall. Check your local newspaper
or roadside signs for upcoming
markets. It’s also a great way to donate useable items you don’t need.
For a comprehensive list of rummage sales, garage sales, bazaars,
etc. go to: www.loppemarked.info
HOLIDAYS, U.S., FEDERAL
• New Year’s Day, January 1.
• Martin Luther King Day, third Monday in January.
• Inauguration Day, January 20 every four years. (Federal holiday in D.C. area)
• Presidents’ Day,
third Monday in February.
• Memorial Day,
last Monday in May
• Independence Day, July 4.
• Labor Day, 1st Monday in Sept.
• Columbus Day,
second Monday in October.
• Election Day, Tuesday on or immediately after November 2. (Not a federal holiday)
• Veterans’ Day, November 11.
• Thanksgiving Day,
fourth Thursday in November.
• Christmas Day, December 25.
HOLIDAYS, U.S.,
WIDELY CELEBRATED
• Groundhog Day, February 2.
• Boy Scout Day, February 8.
• Valentine’s Day, February 14.
• Girl Scout Day, February 12.
• St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
• April Fool’s Day, April 1.
• Earth Day, April 22.
• Administrative
Professionals’ Day, Wednesday of the last full week of April.
• Arbor Day is often the last Friday in April (since 1872), but since planting conditions vary, it may occur from Sept. to May; please consult the National Arbor Day Foundation’s list of Arbor Day Dates.
• National Teachers Day,
first Tuesday in May.
• Cinco de Mayo, fifth day of May. •
• Mothers’ Day,
second Sunday in May.
• Armed Forces Day,
third Saturday in May.
• Flag Day, June 14.
• Fathers’ Day,
third Sunday in June.
• Parents’ Day,
fourth Sunday in July.
• Grandparents’ Day,
Sunday after Labor Day.
• Leif Erikson Day, October 9.
• United Nations Day, October 24.
• Halloween, October 31.
HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS,
NORWAY
Second half of 2016
Fellesferien (national summer
vacation). The last 3 weeks of July
when many businesses and factories close.
Olsok (St. Olaf’s Day) – July 29.
Høstferie (fall vacation). School
vacation at the end of September or
beginning of October.
FN Dagen (UN Day) – October 24.
Bots og bededag (Day og Penance
and Prayer) – October 30
Halloween – October 31. The holiday has become very popular
among Norwegian children, so be
prepared.
Allehelgensdag (All Saints’ Day) –
November 6
Farsdag (Father’s Day), second
Sunday in November.
1. søndag i advent (First Sunday in
Advent) – November 27.
Luciadagen (St. Lucia’s Day) –
December 13.
Lillejulaften (Little Christmas Eve)
(Note: most offices close at noon
on the 23rd )
J u l a f t e n ( C h r i s t m a s Ev e ) –
December 24
Juledag (Christmas Day) –
December 25
2. juledag (2nd Day of Christmas/
Boxing Day) – December 26
2017
Nyttårsdag (New Year’s Day) –
January 1.
Morsdag (Mother’s Day) –
second Sunday in February.
Valentine’s Day – February 14.
Is increasingly popular in Norway.
Vinterferie (winter vacation)
School vacation in mid- or late
February.
Fastelavnssøndag (Shrove Sunday) – February 26.
Palmesøndag (Palm Sunday) –
April 9
Skjærtorsdag
(Maundy Thursday)– April 13
Langfredag (Long Friday) – April 14
Påskedag (Easter Sunday) – April 16
2. påskedag (Easter Monday) –
April 17
1. mai (May Day) – May 1.
Frigjøringsdag 1945 (Liberation
Day 1945) – May 8.
Grunnlovsdag (Constitution Day)
– May 17.
Kristi himmelfartsdag
(Ascension Day, 40 days after
Easter)– May 25.
Unionsoppløsningen 1905 (Union
Dissolution 1905) – June 7.
Pinse (Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, 50 days after Easter) – June 4-5
Sankthansaften
(Midsummer Eve) – June 23.
Sankthans
(Midsummer Day) – June 24.
Fellesferien (national summer
vacation). The last 3 weeks of July
when many businesses and factories close.
Olsok (St. Olaf’s Day) – July 29.
Høstferie (fall vacation). School
vacation at the end of September
or beginning of October.
FN Dagen (UN Day) – October 24.
51
Resource Directory
Bots og bededag (Day of Penance
and Prayer) – October 29
Halloween – October 31.
Allehelgensdag (All Saints’ Day) –
November 5.
Farsdag (Father’s Day) –
second Sunday in November.
1. søndag i advent (1st Sunday in
Advent) – November 26.
Luciadagen (St. Lucia’s Day) –
December 13.
Lillejulaften (Little Christmas Eve)
(Note: most offices close at noon
on the 23rd)
Julaften (Christmas Eve) –
December 24
Juledag (Christmas Day) –
December 25
2. juledag (2nd Day of Christmas /
Boxing Day) – December 26
INTERNET CAFES
Oslo S main train station
INTERNET TV & RADIO
Wa t c h h u n d r e d s o f c h a n nels on the Internet for free.
www.livestation.com or
www.itv.com
C-SPAN
All three C-SPAN TV channels (1,
2 and 3) and C-SPAN Radio can
be watched and/or listened to at
www.c-span.org .
NRK
All NRK TV and radio channels can
be watched/listened at
www.nrk.no
NPR
All NPR content and public radio
content can be accessed via www.
npr.org.
Old Time Radio Shows
Hu n d re d s of v i n t a g e ra d i o
shows in mp3 format, all for free:
www.radiolovers.com
NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL
(Source: CIA World Factbook)
Area
Total: 323,802 sq km
Land: 307,442 sq km
Water: 16,360 sq km
Arable land: 2.7%
Coastline
25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650
km, as well as long fjords, numerous
small islands, & minor indentations
22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km)
52
Population
5,207,689 (July 2015 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 18,08%
15-64 years: 12,99%
25-54 years: 40,91%
55-64 years: 11,69%
65 years and over – 16,8%
Life expectancy (2015 est.)
Total population 81.7 years
Male 79,7 years
Female 83,81 years
GDP
Purchasing power parity –
$352,8 billion (2015 est.)
GDP per capita
Purchasing power parity – $68,400
(2015 est.)
Labor force
2.777 million (2015 est.)
Unemployment
4.4% (2015 est.)
Budget
Revenues: $220.2 billion
Expenditures: $193.9 billion
(2015 est.)
Industries – exports
Petroleum & gas, food processing,
shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber,
mining, textiles, fishing
Independence
7 June 1905 (Norway declared the
union with Sweden dissolved); 26
October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the
repeal of the union)
NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE
CLASSES
Adult immigrants in Norway have a
right and an obligation to complete a
minimum of 300 hours of Norwegian
language training. 50 of these hours
should be devoted to providing an
insight into Norwegian society in
the immigrant’s mother tongue.
www.introengelsk.cappelendamm.
no. Registration for Norwegian
courses for immigrants can be found
on your local kommune’s nettside.
NORWEGIAN NEWS
& INFORMATION IN ENGLISH
The Foreigner http://theforeigner.no/
Views and News from Norway –
www.newsinenglish.no
Norway News –
www.norwaynews.com/en
Norway Post –
www.norwaypost.no
Norwegian Embassy in the U.K. –
www.norway.org.uk
Norwegian Embassy in the
United States of America –
www.norway.org
Norwegian government press
releases – www.regjeringen.no/
en/whatsnew/news
Statistics Norway – www.ssb.no
ORIENTATION RESOURCES
“Living and Working in Norway,”
by Michael Brady, sold at bookstores
“Orientation Handbook,” U.S.
Norway Fulbright Foundation,
phone 22 01 40 10, e-mail:
fulbright@fulbright.no
The American Women’s Club of
Oslo website at www.awcoslo.org
contains a wealth of practical information for newcomers.
Doorway to Norway (relocation
and orientation service), website:
www.doorwaytonorway.no
See also social media for expats
RADIO CHANNELS IN OSLO
AREA
NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) – Please note
that all NRK radio channels also
can be listened to online. Go to:
http://nettradio.nrk.no
NRK P1 87.80, 88.70, 92.50, 94.80,
95.80, 97.40 (news, weather, sports
and music)
NRK P2 100.0, 89.10
(culture, news and special interest
programs)
NRK Petre 93.5, 101.5 (pop and rock)
NRK mPetre 97.0
(trance and beat)
NRK Alltid Klassisk 91.90
(24-hour classical music)
NRK Alltid Nyheter 93.00
(24-hour news) BBC World Service
from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am and
weekends.
NRK Storting 90.5 (Parliament audio when in session, otherwise P2)
NRK Utenlands-sendingen 90.10
Alltid Nyheter from 6:00 am to 10:
00 pm & P1 from 10:00pm to 6:00
am. Available overseas on shortwave radio and the Internet.
National commercial radio
Radio Norge 102.50, 103.90 (news,
pop/rock) - www.radionorge.fm
P4 Radio Hele Norge 94.50, 98.30,
106.10 (news, pop/rock) -
Resource Directory
www.p4.no
Plus many local stations,
www.radio.no
RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN ENGLISH
American Lutheran Church,
Fritznersgate 15, off Bygdøy allé
behind Frogner Kirke,
22 44 30 15. Sunday School for all
ages at 11:00 am. Worship at 11:00
am, http://alcoslo.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints,
Hekkveien 9, 0571 Oslo,
22 71 76 24
Sandviksveien 206, Sandvika,
67 56 87 50.
First Church of Christ Scientist,
Frognervn. 51, Oslo, 22 44 00 49.
Gardermoen International
Christian Fellowship,
Worship services are held at Nordby
Ungdomsskole, Trond-hjemsveien
122, 2050 Jessheim, 25 30 60/ 25
40 01.
Pastors Linda and Terje Aadne,
e-mail: linda.aadne@baptist.no
www.gardermoen-kristne-fellesskap.com
The International Baptist Church,
Løxaveien 15,1351 Rud, 67 56 57 74.
Pastor Robert Burns
Website: www.ibch.no
Greek Orthodox Church, Kirkeveien
84, Oslo, 22 46 37 06.
Jewish Mosaisk Synagogue, Bergstein 15, Oslo.
Kristensamfunnet i Norge
Oscars gate 84, Postadresse:
Inkognito terrasse 9, 0256 Oslo. 22
55 37 20
Kristi Freds Catholic Church,
Veståsen 18, Eikeli, Saturday evening Mass at 6:00 pm. , Sun-day
morning Mass at 9:30 am.
Quakers Society of Friends, Meltzers gate 1, Oslo, 22 44 01 87
St. Edmund’s Church Anglican
Chaplaincy in Norway, Møllergata
30 (near Youngstorget), 22 69
22 14. Sunday worship at 11:00
am.Website:
www.osloanglicans.net
St. Olav’s Church (Roman Catholic),
Sunday Mass in English at 7:00 pm.
Address: Akersveien 5, Oslo,
phone: 22 36 23 60.
Un i te d Pe n te c o s t a l C h u r c h
International, Livets Tabernakel
Address: Grefsenveien 26
Pastor: Gøran Andreassen
e-mail: lgoera@online.no
phone: 22151079 / 41203086
SATELLITE RADIO & TV
If you are interested in languages, consider investing in satellite
equipment that will pick up the
Hot Bird, Astra & Eurobird/Astra
2A /2B/2D signals. The over 600
unencrypted TV channels include
around 80 German channels, the
same number of Italian channels,
plus a wide variety of French, Spanish, Greek, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch,
East European, Russian, English,
and Asian channels. There are also
around 475 unencrypted radio
channels including NPR Worldwide
at 10.722H on the Hot Bird satellite
at 13 degrees east. To look up the
latest satellite frequencies go to
www.lyngsat.com
SCHOOLS
American College in Norway –
www.americancollege.no
Frogner International Pre-School,
Fritzners g 15, 0264 Oslo. Phone:
22 55 65 82, Fax: 22 55 81 08
International Montessori
Preschool – Skytterdalen 2, 1337
Sandvika, 67 54 81 20
www.internationalmontessori.no
e-mail: impss@start.no
International Baccalaureate
schools in Norway – go to
www.ibo.org and type in Norway
Oslo International School
Postboks 53, 1318 Bekkestua
Phone: 67 81 82 90
E-mail: ois.main@oslois.no
Web site:
www.oslointernationalschool.no
Rudolf Steinerhøyskolen (Rudolf
Steiner University College),
Prof. Dahls gate 30, 0260 Oslo,
phone: 22 54 05 90
www.rshoyskolen.no
Steinerskolene i Norge
(Waldorf Schools Norway)
phone: 22 54 25 40
www.steiner.no
University of Oslo Inter-national
Summer School – www.uio.no/iss
SHOPPING BUS
The free Ikea bus runs twice an
hour from Jernbanetorget syd in
Oslo. Top of the hour Mon. - Fri,
10:00 am -10:00 pm, Sat. from
10:00-8:00 pm to Furuseth, bottom of the hour M-F from 10:30 am
to 9:30 pm, Sat. 9.30 am to 7:30 pm
to Slependen.
SOCIAL CUSTOMS & BENEFITS
See the American Women’s Club
website at www.awcoslo.org
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES FOR
EXPATS IN NORWAY
FacebookNew to Oslo
Americans in Norway
ACCN Community
Yahoo GroupsNew_to_Oslo, http://groups.
yahoo.com/group/new_to_oslo/
Norskklassen, http://groups.
yahoo.com/group/norskklassen/
Websites:
www.easyexpat.com
www.expatinterviews.com
www.expatfocus.com
www.alloexpat.com
www.stavangerexpats.com
Blogs:
http://mylittlenorway.com
http://tressainnorway.blogspot.
com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist Information at Oslo
Central Station, Jernbanetorget 1
Tourist Information by the City
Hall, Fridtjof Nansens plass 5,
Phone: +47 24 14 77 00
E-mail: info@oslopro.no
www.visitnorway.com
www.visitoslo.com
The Oslo Youth Information The
Oslo Youth Information Centre,
www.use-it.no
USEFUL WEBSITES
NORWAY
Public sector information –
www.norge.no, www.norway.
info, www.regjeringen.no
Norges Bank (central bank) –
www.norges-bank.no
Customs – www.toll.no
Directorate of Immigration –
www.udi.no
Health Board –
www.helsetilsynet.no
Laws translated into English –
www.ub.uio.no/ujur/ulov
Library stocks –
www.bibsys.no
Den Norske Turistforeningen –
www.turistforeningen.no
Postal services –
www.posten.no
Revenue Service –
www.skatteetaten.no
Storting (Parliament) –
www.storting.no
NSB train schedule –
www.nsb.no
Gulesider (yellow pages) –
www.gulesider.no
Phone number directory and
directions – www.gulesider.no
(telefon-katalogen tab)
Public transportation in Oslo –
https://ruter.no/
Airport Express train –
www.flytoget.no
U.S.
American Citizens Abroad –
www.aca.ch
CIA – (including The World Factbook)
www.cia.gov
U.S. Government Search –
www.firstgov.gov
American Embassy –
www.usa.no
U.S. Customs –
www.customs.gov
U.S. Internal Revenue Service –
www.irs.gov
U.S. Social Security Administration–
www.ssa.gov
U.S. State Department –
www.state.gov
The Whitehouse –
www.whitehouse.gov
Media & Reference
ABC – www.abc.go.com
Arts and Letters Daily –
www.aldaily.com
BBC – www.news.bbc.co.uk
CBS – www.cbs.com
CNN – www.cnn.com
C-SPAN – www.cspan.org
Chicago Tribune –
www.chicagotribune.com
Drudge Report –
www.drudgereport.com
(has many links to conservative and
liberal columnists and newspapers)
FOX – www.fox.com
www.foxnews.com
Information Clearing House –
www.informationclearinghouse.
info
International Herald Tribune –
www.iht.com
The Library Spot –
www.libraryspot.com
National Public Radio –
www.npr.org
NBC – www.nbc.com
LA Times – www.latimes.com
Newseum –
www.newseum.org
New York Times –
www.nytimes.com
The Onion –
www.theonion.com
PBS – www.pbs.org
Wikipedia –
www.wikipedia.org
WALKING TOUR OF OSLO
For a different type of outing, contact
the Fulbright office at fulbright@
fulbright.no about its bilingual brochure for a self-guided walking tour
of Oslo featuring statues honoring
women from various fields. Great
for groups.
E-mail your suggestions and
comments to: prame@online.no
53
Th e American Coordinating
Council of Norway
ACCN 2016 Members Organizations
The American Coordinating Council of
Norway (ACCN) is a non-profit council
of Norwegian-American organizations
founded in 1985. Acting as an umbrella
organization, the ACCN offers its
member organizations the ability to
extend their horizons by providing
an information network to American
and Norwegian-American groups in
Norway. The ACCN’s common bond
and main objective is an interest in
furthering Norwegian-American relations in Norway through strengthening the bonds between Norway and
the United States. The corner stone
of the ACCN’s network is its monthly
meetings with delegates from member organizations, during which news
about upcoming events of mutual
interest is exchanged.
Board of Directors 2016:
Honorary Chairman: (Vacant),
United States Embassy
Chairman: Chrys Hellem
e-mail: chair@accn.no
Vice-Chair: Tina Rinde
e-mail: vchair@accn.no
Treasurer: Karin Mandeville
Secretary: Ole Hillestad;
e-mail: secretary@accn.no
Assistant Secretary: Bjørnar Wehn,
Communications: Kristin Haanæs
Web/Public Relations: Lene Johansen
Charities/Grants: Jeanette Førland
Advisors: Jan Søderstrøm and
Bruce Allen
Mailing Address: ACCN, Box 5064
Majorstua, 0303 Oslo;
website: www.accn.no
Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/accn_ oslo/
54
American Chamber of
Commerce in Norway
As a business networking, information and assistance organization, the
American Chamber of Commerce in
Norway (AmCham) actively develops Norwegian-American business
and supports trans-Atlantic commercial interests within Norway. The
non-profit organization, one of 117
AmChams globally, is comprised of
225 corporate members. AmCham
Norway is a fully accredited member
of the US Chamber of Commerce,
which is headquartered in Washington D.C. and represents over 300,000
companies. AmCham Norway’s activities include business facilitation,
advocacy, and regular gatherings.
Address: Lille Grensen 5, 0159 Oslo;
telephone: 22 41 50 10 e-mail: amcham@amcham.no website: www.amcham.no
American Lutheran Congregation
(ALC)
The American Lutheran Congregation in Oslo is a congregation of many
nationalities and denominations pastored by the Rev. Joel Rova-Hegener.
Sunday worship is at 11am, followed
by coffee and a time of fellowship.
We offer Sunday School for 3-14 year
olds, nursery facilities for children
under three and a variety of programs
and activities throughout the year.
Do visit us and consider making us
your church home. We would love
to connect with you. Our address
is Fritznersgate 15, 0264 Oslo, just
off Bygdøy Alle and behind Frogner
Church. telephone: 22 44 35 84,
e-mail: office@alcoslo.org
website: www.alcoslo.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alcoslo
American Studies Association of
Norway (ASANOR)
ASANOR is open to persons in Norway
with a scholarly interest in American
Studies. ASANOR brings together
teachers, professors, lecturers, students, and other professionals from
all over the country. Membership
includes invitations to the annual
ASANOR conference, and for a small
additional sum includes membership
in the Nordic Association for American
Studies (NAAS), and the European Association for American Studies (EAAS),
as well as invitations to the NAAS and
EAAS biennial conferences, plus the
NAAS Newsletter, and the opportunity
of subscribing to American Studies in
Scandinavia, the scholarly journal of
NAAS. ASANOR also has a history of
close cooperation with the Fulbright
Foundation and their Roving Scholar
program which provides wonderful opportunities for teachers and
schools across Norway at no charge.
website: www.asanor.com
American Women’s Club of Oslo
(AWC)
The AWC is a social and philanthropic
organization. It offers an opportunity
for American women living in Oslo
area, and women with some connection to the United States, to become
acquainted with other Americans, to
participate in various special activity groups and programs, to network
within a large resource group, and
to share the “Norwegian experience”
with American friends. With almost
200 members, we are a diversified
and dynamic group, ranging in age
from 20 to 96 years and hailing from
virtually every U.S. state and many
foreign countries. The Club meets
regularly on the second Tuesday of
the month (Sept-June), maintains an
English-language library, and awards
55
Council of Norway
a biennial scholarship of NOK 100,000
to enable a Norwegian specialist to do
advanced study in the U.S. in a field
which will benefit the health and/or
well being of women and/or children.
The AWC is a member of FAWCO, an
international network of independent volunteer clubs (www.fawco.org.)
Contact: Box 3138 Elisenberg, 0207 Oslo,
telephone: 944 89 544
e-mail: info@awcoslo.org
website: www.awcoslo.org
Christiania LodgeSons of Norway (SON)
Sons of Norway is a mutual benefit
society preserving and promoting Norwegian heritage, cultural programs
and family events throughout Norway,
the United States, and Canada with approx. 65,000 members with over 400
lodges worldwide. In Norway we have
15+ lodges. Our meetings are normally
the third Wednesday of every month at
the American Lutheran Congregation.
The church is located just off Bygdøy
allé, 2 blocks up the hill directly behind Frogner church. Fritznersgate 15,
0264 Oslo, . Mail address: Christiania
Lodge, Box 5247 Majorstua, 0303 Oslo.
website:
www.sonsofnorway.no/christiania
e-mail: w-allen@online.no
Democrats Abroad Norway (DAN)
Democrats Abroad Norway is a
non-profit organization whose main
goal is to reach out to the numerous Americans living in Norway and
help them vote in federal elections.
DAN works to support the aims and
principles of the US Democratic Party
by encouraging participation in the
American political process through
the organization of local events and
activities. The activities of Democrats
Abroad Norway are funded solely
by the voluntary contributions of its
56
members. One does not have to be a
registered Democrat to be a member
of Democrats Abroad. The organization organizes several local events
each year. To join, send an email to:
Chair@democratsabroad.no
website: www.democatsabroad.no
International Methodist Church
Oslo (IMCO)
International Methodist Church Oslo
(IMCO) IMCO is a part of The Norwegian Conference of the United Methodist Church. Ecumenical and open to all
people regardless of denomination,
race, nationality and cultures. All
programs are in English. IMCO was
inaugurated as a new church on May
2012. Now about 60-70 people from
12 different countries gather regularly. Sunday worship service starts at
2PM followed by lunch for fellowship.
Address: Thorvald Meyers gate
56 A, Grunerløkka, 0552 Oslo.
Phone: 407 66 038, 455 76 603;
e-mail: graciabilly@ymail.com,
mishelle.brillantes@yahoo.com
International Summer School
A wide range of courses, taught in English. Intensive language courses at a
highly ranked European university. Excellent facilities and a modern campus.
Boks 1082 Blindern, 0316 Oslo
telephone: (47) 22 8563 85
e-mail: iss@admin.uio.no
website: www.uio.no/summerschool
Monticello Society (MS)
The purpose of Monticello Society is
to study the history, society, politics
and culture of USA and work to improve Norwegians' knowledge and
understanding of American affairs.
Monticello Society is a nonpartisan
organization..
e-mail: president@monticello.no
website: www.monticello.no
New America House (NAH)
A non-profit, non-religious, nonpolitical organization founded in
1989 for the purpose of establishing a central meeting place for all
Americans and American organizations and companies located in
and around the greater Oslo area.
New America House,
Kirkeveien 114E, 0361 Oslo
e-mail: bruce@online.no
Norwegians Worldwide
Founded in 1907, Norwegians Worldwide is a global organization under
the patronage of HM King Harald. The
organization’s goal is to maintain the
contact between Norway and Norwegians residing outside of Norway.
Norwegians Worldwide publish a
magazine, organize Norgesskolen, a
three-week summer school in Norwegian language and culture for children
9 – 18 years old, and maintains personal
contact with members all over the
world in 48 different countries. The
organization has chapters and representative in nine countries. They all
work to strengthen the relationship
between Norway and Norwegians
living abroad, as well as informing
their communities about Norway,
Norwegian culture and language.
website: www.nww.no
Northern Lights Fund (NLF)
Was established as ACCN’s own charity
in 1992 and was reorganized in 1999 to
become an independent non-profit
fundraising foundation for special
wishes/special trips for young people
(6-19) with life-threatening diseases.
The three major hospitals in Oslo are
working with us: Rikshospitalet, Radiumhospitalet, and Ullevål Sykehus.
website: www.nlfund.no
Council of Norway
Norwegian Federation of
American Sports (NAIF)
NAIF was founded January 1, 2010
as a merger between Norwegian
American Football and Cheerleading
Federation and Norwegian Frisbee
Federation. Lacrosse has been included
as a new sport. NAIF is a member of
the Norwegian Olympic Committee
and Confederation of Sports, as well as
the European and international federations organizing American football,
cheerleading, disc sport (Frisbee) and
lacrosse. NAIF’s purpose is to organize
and develop the four sports in Norway.
Our member clubs, from Kristiansand
to Hammerfest, are growing in number
and members. For more information:
e-mail to:
naïf@amerikanskeidretter.no
website:
www.amerikanskeidretter.no Norwegian-American
Historical Association Norway
(NAHA)
founded in 1981, until 2014 a chapter
of the Norwegian-American Historical
Association in the USA, holds seminars
on Norwegian American studies and
publishes essay collections and other
publications in its series. Back copies
can be ordered from: Novus forlag:
www.novus.no
www.facebook.com/pages/Novusforlag/100436776674572
websites: www.welcome2.no/naha-norge
www.naha.stolaf.edu
website with Norwegian-American
history:
www.nb.no/emigration
The Norway-America
Association / Norge-Amerika
Foreningen (NORAM)
NORAM is a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1919, which
mission is to promote educational and cultural exchange between
Nor way and North America.
Annually NORAM awards approx 5080 scholarships for study/research in
Norway and North America. NORAM
can give unbiased guidance, and is a
part of the EducationUSA network.
Our aim is to help as many as possible
to achieve their educational dream,
and we host educational events, visit
high schools and attend education
fairs. The organization have scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, researchers, and professionals.
Address: Raadhusgaten 23B,
0158 Oslo; telephone: 23 35 71 60
e-mail: info@noram.no
website: www.noram.no
Project Oslo Barnemuseum
(ProjectOsloChildren’sMuseum)
Project Oslo Barnemuseum is working
to establish a world-class, interactive children’s museum in Oslo. The
non-profit project will fill a growing
need for year-round educational
and fun cultural activities for children through diverse experiences.
Oslo Barnemuseum will inspire
children’s creativity and self-confidence and build bridges between
children with different backgrounds.
e-mail: info@oslobarnemuseum.org
website:
www.oslobarnemuseum.org
Republicans Abroad Norway (RAN)
This is a chapter of Republicans Overseas, a worldwide organization of representing Republicans living abroad.
A service organization, its purpose
is to assist U.S. citizens resident in
Norway to register and vote in the
U.S. national elections. RAN sponsors political programs and social
activities and newsletters that are
distributed to members and others
interested in the U.S. political process.
P.O. Box 3137 Elisenberg, 0207 Oslo
e-mail:
chairman@republicansabroad.no
website:
www.republicansabroad.no
www.facebook.com/
RepublicansAbroadNorway
United States Embassy
Under the leadership of the U.S. Ambassador to Norway, the Embassy team
works to protect and promote U.S. interests in Norway through diplomatic
relations with the Norwegian Government, commercial ties with the business community, through public diplomacy to provide Norwegian audiences
with more information about U.S.
policy and culture, and through provision of consular services to U.S. citizens.
website: norway.usembassy.gov
American Citizen Services: e-mail: osloamcit@state.gov
U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation
for Educational Exchange (FF/N)
The U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation
for Educational Exchange, founded
in 1949, is a bi-national Foundation
established to promote mutual understanding between the United
States and Norway. The Foundation
awards study, research and lecture
grants to U.S. and Norwegian citizens.
The Foundation also operates an
Education USA Advising Center that
provides information about studying in the United States. Arbinsgt. 2,
0253 Oslo; telephone: 22 01 40 10
e-mail: Fulbright@fulbright.no
website: www.fulbright.no
57
Raffle and Event Donors
The ACCN would like to thank the following for donating
raffle prizes, food and other complimentary items. Your
support is greatly appreciated.
You can buy your ticket from a raffle seller or
stop by the Raffle Booth. Raffle prizes like
trips to the U.S. can be yours for a mere NOK 20
with proceeds benefiting charities selected by
the ACCN.
You must be present to win.
58
Alquema Fashion
Norwegian Air
Bilia
NSB
Coca-Cola Norge
Opland Steak & Burger
Dale of Norway
Peppes Pizza
Den Norske Opera og Ballett
PGS
Dominos Pizza
Pringles
Fjord Tours
Radisson Blu Scandinavian
Fursetgruppen
Røhneselmer
Grand Hotel, Oslo
Statoil
Hard Rock Cafe
Stena Line
Haugen Gruppen- Heinz
The Dubliner
Hos Thea
The Nighthawk Diner
Hydro
Tine BA
Icelandair
Universal Sony Pictures
Kaffebrenneriet
UPS Norway AS
Kellogg`s Norge
Vintage Wheels
Norgesgruppen, Jacobs
Weber Stephen
Norwegian Softball &
Baseball Federation
Wrigleys Scandinavia
Nærbakst AS
Norsk Folkemuseum
Some changes to this contributor list may occur.
Please see www.accn.no for a more detailed list of our friends.
59
60

Community Guide

Transcription

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