Sweden vs. USA

Just for fun:)… Enjoy!

Sweden: Part One

Sweden: Part Two

<table style=’font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5′ cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′ width=’360′ height=’353′><tbody><tr style=’background-color:#e5e5e5′ valign=’middle’><td style=’padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;’><a target=’_blank’ style=’color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;’ href=’http://www.thedailyshow.com’>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style=’padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;’>Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr><tr style=’height:14px;’ valign=’middle’><td style=’padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;’ colspan=’2′><a target=’_blank’ style=’color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;’ href=’http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-21-2009/the-stockholm-syndrome-pt–1′>The Stockholm Syndrome Pt. 1</a></td></tr><tr style=’height:14px; background-color:#353535′ valign=’middle’><td colspan=’2′ style=’padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right’><a target=’_blank’ style=’color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;’ href=’http://www.thedailyshow.com/’>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr><tr valign=’middle’><td style=’padding:0px;’ colspan=’2′><embed style=’display:block’ src=’http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:225113′ width=’360′ height=’301′ type=’application/x-shockwave-flash’ wmode=’window’ allowFullscreen=’true’ flashvars=’autoPlay=false’ allowscriptaccess=’always’ allownetworking=’all’ bgcolor=’#000000′></embed></td></tr><tr style=’height:18px;’ valign=’middle’><td style=’padding:0px;’ colspan=’2′><table style=’margin:0px; text-align:center’ cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′ width=’100%’ height=’100%’><tr valign=’middle’><td style=’padding:3px; width:33%;’><a target=’_blank’ style=’font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;’ href=’http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes’>Daily Show<br/> Full Episodes</a></td><td style=’padding:3px; width:33%;’><a target=’_blank’ style=’font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;’ href=’http://www.indecisionforever.com’>Political Humor</a></td><td style=’padding:3px; width:33%;’><a target=’_blank’ style=’font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;’ href=’http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/health’>Health Care Crisis</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Fotboll Final: Part 5

It’s pretty easy to blog about our experiences and observations here when I have a photo to help demonstrate what I’m writing about. More challenging is blogging about things that don’t exist, but do. As just one example:

Not once, after any of the multitude of soccer games or tournaments, did the parents bring “snacks” for the players. No goldfish, granola bars, doughnuts, chips, pretzels, juice boxes, or anything of that nature. Nada. Not once. Nothing.

During the day-long tournaments, you brought your own picnic of sandwiches and fruit or you bought a hot dog on location.

The focus is on fotboll, not food.

Fotboll: Part 4

One of Joakim’s fotboll coaches, Vidar Riseth, was a professional player himself. I use the past tense because, as of a week or so ago, he officially retired from the sport as a player.

Traditionally, the last week of the summer before school starts, each fotboll club throughout Norway hosts a fotboll clinic.

Vidar is incredibly dedicated, not only to his daughter’s team, but to all the kids at HUK’s fotboll club. He brought some of his fellow players to the fotboll camp and they talked about how each one of them started at a neighborhood club just like HUK.

It was inspiring for the kids to hear how the pros started out just like them. Vidar told the story about how he practiced extra hours, outside of practice, with his dog!

Before he retired, Vidar invited us to one of his last games. We had a blast rooting for him and his team!

But we were nothing compared to the die-hard fans!

Vidar has been an incredibly positive influence on Joakim. Thank you for everything, Vidar, and best wishes on all your new adventures!!

Fotboll: Part 3

As soon as spring sprung, Linnea and Mattias’ fotboll training moved outdoors.

Again, the fields are incredible here! No mud, no rain puddles–just perfectly flat, well tended turf.

One of Linnea’s best buds is the only other girl on the team. They have a ton of fun together!

But proper sport attire is what this post is really about;

or rather Linnea’s version of fotboll fashion:  Yes, you most certainly can play soccer in a skirt!

The general consensus among Norwegians is that Americans do not know how to dress properly.

When they see kids walking around in the snow with no ski pants and jackets unzipped, I guess I can understand their dismay. If only my kids would speak Swedish, dagnabbit! We did take them to Legoland afterall! That English gives us away every time!

Remember, I’m from California where frostbite was never an issue if we weren’t properly protected so I think it’s a cultural thing. I have enough battles to wage so if the kids are cold, I figure they’ll dress better the next time. That could be considered negligence or natural consequences depending on your perspective.

When one of our Norwegian friends saw our Besseggen post on this blog, she was incredulous that the kids didn’t have hats, gloves, and hiking shoes! (For the record, I had packed their caps, but Niklas forgot to put them on the kids.) Hiking shoes for kids? Never even crossed my mind! Aren’t tennies good for everything?

But keep in mind, Norwegians have special attire for every conceivable weather condition and sport activity–this assorted glove display is just one small example. Niklas likes to say they have a special glove to match each ski wax requirement (but you’d only understand that if you were a cross-country skiier–there are a lot of different kinds of ski wax out there)!

Sometimes I get lucky. At this practice, Mattias was dressed for the task at hand. He might not be paying attention, but he’s appropriately attired, by golly!

I swear, some of the other Norwegian kids were doing this as well, it wasn’t just this wayward American!

Or maybe I’m just saying that.

Linnea, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. She loves to play in whatever her creative mood dictates at the time, even if it’s tights and a dress!

But wait, something is missing. This soccer cone would make the perfect hat if I could just get it to stay on my head!

Yes, that’s it, I’ll use my head band to attach it to my head and then I’ll just hop this fence real quick!

I play so much better when I have some armor!

Sometimes I don’t get so lucky when Mattias joins his sister in her transgressions. I’ve never seen a Norwegian kid in kakis at practice. Maybe Americans reading this are just as perplexed as the Norwegians and would never let their kids go to soccer practice in their school clothes. Maybe I’m just a loose cannon mother who doesn’t make their kids wear the right clothes.

In any case, when Linnea and Mattias are both dressed so “wrongly” and they are chattering away in their American English, I fear we give credence to the general consensus that, “Americans don’t know how to dress.” To my fellow Americans, “Please accept my apologies!”

But in the grand scheme of things, I enjoy the Flashdance flashbacks and am delighted in the fact that the kids couldn’t care less what anyone thinks about their attire.

PS  It’s snowing and we’re back indoors again. Our sports fashion saga continues…

Fotboll: Part 2

Linnea and Mattias also played fotboll this year. Since they joined the league in the middle of winter and were on the youngest team, they started training indoors.

The sport facilities here are incredible, but that doesn’t surprise me given the intense role sports play in the Norwegian culture.

Special soccer shoes are required for training on the indoor floors.

What a bunch of cutie kids!

Linnea and Mattias were often put on different sides when they scrimmaged, but that just made it all the more fun for them.

I just loved that they had a place to run around and get some exercise! Waiting for the bus to get home afterwards in the dark, cold, snow, not so much, but it was still worth it!

Fotboll: Part 1

Fotboll, aka soccer, has been the predominate driver of our schedule during our time in Norway. It’s also been one of the most positive aspects of our experience here.

All thanks to the generosity of one woman, Wenche (pronounced Ven-keh) who, the first time I met her, invited Joakim to join her daughter’s co-ed team.

So for the past year +, Joakim has practiced 2 times a week and played games in rain or shine,

in the snow…

and in the dark. The fields are snow plowed, heated, lit, and kept in impeccable condition to allow for year round training.

Only day-long tournaments are moved to indoor facilities during the winter.

The artificial turf is high quality as are the stadiums.

Norway is such a beautiful country! What could be better than a forest and lake view during a fotboll match?!

Joakim’s fotboll schedule forced us into the Independence in a Day situation which ended up being a fantastic confidence builder for him.

It also helped that his coaches were so patient and encouraging. When he first joined the team, Joakim ran all over the field, but never, ever actually touched the ball. But during this past year, the coaches helped him develop new skills and more self confidence and now fotboll is his favorite sport!

Thank you, Wenche, and everyone at HUK Fotboll!

Never Give Up

CNN’s health page ran a story about a medical miracle here in Norway–the bottom line, Never Give Up! The tenacity of the Norwegians involved, especially in the harsh conditions, is consistent with my experiences this past year. It’s an inspiring tale. Enjoy.

Thanks, Anje, for passing along!

60 Minutes in Norway

In case you missed “60 Minutes” last night, there was a segment about birdmen–extreme sportsmen. I posted about the Norwegians doing this (video link in the post), back in February.  Of course the host focused on the good looking American in his interview, but there are some spectacular video shots of Norway as well:). Check it out: “60 Minutes in Norway”.

Congratulations Norway–Again!!

Yesterday morning, we woke up to this–Norway ranked #1 on the United Nations list of best places to live in the world. That doesn’t surprise me. This country is amazing.

I wasn’t going to post about it since this article was written in Swedish, but Anje sent me the article in English so why not?

Congratulations, Norway–Again!!

FN: Norge världens bästa land att bo i

Norska Verdens Gangs webbupplaga gratulerade i morse sina läsare med “God Morgen! Du bor i verdens beste land”. När UNDP, FN:s utvecklingsprogram, rankar världens länder efter faktorer som förväntad livslängd, läs- och skrivkunnighet och BNP per invånare hamnar Norge i topp.

Akerselva

Akerselva is this wonderful river that crosses through much of Oslo.

The best part is that there’s a path along the entire length of it which makes for a great walk, run, ride, or stroll. Although just 5 miles long, the river’s altitude changes by 589 feet!

There is one day each fall where the number of light hours is exactly the same as the number of dark hours. To celebrate the occasion, the city of Oslo holds a special candlelight river walk. All the overhead lights along the path of the river are turned off while thousands of candles are lit. The river is awesome to begin with, but it takes on a special feeling when it’s illuminated by candlelight.

On this night, there are performances all along the river: choirs, acrobatics, drama productions, and dancing.

The bridges are lit…

as are the tunnels…

Normally, the kids are asleep at this time, especially on a school night, but when you’re in a place such a short while, there’s no option to “wait until their older” or “it’s more convenient”. You have to drag yourself out there and experience things while you can. I’m glad we did.

*PS Apologies for the blurry photos. One of these days we’ll figure out how to take clear night photos without a flash.