The Citizen, 1989-02-22, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1989.
Seeing the world
Blyth youth discovers
Christmas Norwegian style
Blyth’s Stephen Souch is having
the adventure of a lifetime on a
year-long Rotary Club exchange to
Norway. He has been keeping
friends back home in touch with
what’s happening. Following the
Christmas holiday he wrote to
people back in Blyth.
Hi!
Christmas was great - different -
but great. My first “Jul” party was
with my “Russ” (graduating year
at school) class. We rented a
restaurant and disco and had a
“Julebord fest” (Christmas table
party). This was my first experi
ence with Norwegian Christmas:
food ... and more food. The main
dish was sausages, ribs and elk
patties. Of course there were the
other Norwegian specialities like
rak-fisk (raw cured fish) and lom-
per (floppy potato bread - like pita
bread, but thinner). After supper
we (120 students and teachers)
went downstairs to the disco for the
rest of the night. I made it home
pretty early - 2 a.m., but others
went right from the party to school
the next day.
My Rotary Club had a “fish
party” a few weeks before Christ
mas and I got to try all kinds of fish
- I’m still not sure what some of it
was. I know I did eat rak-fisk
(which you have to acquire a taste
for), pickled seal, etc. I also had
another Rotary party where the
wives were invited and we had
another “julebord” party.
On Dec. 22 I had to give a speech
for the Rotary members about the
differences between Christmas at
home and from what I’ve been told
about “Jul” here. It was in
Norwegian. It went O.K., but I
have to learn the difference be
tween “sukker” (sugar) and “sok-
ker” (socks). Did you know that
Christmas cake is made of fruit,
nuts, socks, etc.? and that you
hang sugar on the fireplace. It was
kind of funny. My Norwegian is
coming along well. My language is
coming along quite well, but it is
still frustrating at times when I
don’t understand or can’t express
myself.
On “lillejulaften” (little Christ
mas eve) - the 23rd, the Scout club
that I joined had their Christmas
table party. I didn’t realize (or
remember?) that we would be
eating so much so I had supper
before I went. Needless-to-say, I
was quite full when I was finished.
Since I was new I didn’t have to pay
for my meal (100 nok - $20) which
was very nice of them, considering
I was only at one other meeting
before. After the meal we went
downstairs from the restaurant and
all of the new people had to go
through a ceremony to become a
member. I’m not sure what I had to
drink, but it was green, fizzy and
tasted gross! I am now officially a
Norwegian Rover.
When I got home from this party
I saw that our Christmas (“real”)
tree was decorated. My host father
and sister and I went out a week
earlier and chopped down four nice
trees (mine wasn’t too nice, I
picked out an ugly one that I felt
sorry for).
The 24th is the big day in
Norway. My host mom had been
busy shopping and baking for
weeks. Here, they don’t decorate
their houses quite as much as we
do - but they have enough candles
to make up for it. The Christmas
tree didn’t have real candles
though, but electric candle-shaped
lights instead. I wasn’t as excited
about Christmas this year as I
usually am. It was probably be
cause they don’t have as much
commercialization as we do - no t.v.
commercials, no radio commercials
and, now that I think of it, I didn’t
see one “real” Santa Claus. When
I went to bed on the 23rd, I saw that
someone had put a stocking on the
end of my bed. I thought I had to
hang it up the next day, so I took it
off my bed and set it on a table in
my room. Late that night, I saw
someone in my room, feeling
around on the floor by my bed.
When I got up in the morning I
found a huge sock filled with
Christmas goodies - a day early.
On the 24th at about two we (host
parents, sister, uncle and grand
parents) ate our “risgrot” (rice
porridge), which you dig a hole in
and fill with butter and put sugar
(not socks) and cinnamon on it.
There was an almond in it and the
one who found it (grandpa) got a
bag of candies. We went to church
at 3:30 p.m. for a quick (45 min.)
Christmas service. It wasn’t much
different than at home. We sang
hymns, heard Christmas scrip
tures, sang, heard some more
scriptures, sang, more scriptures
and went up to the front to give our
offering. Going to church isn’t a
very popular activity here in Nor
way.
After Church, which was in a
nice, old, wooden building, we
went home and waited for my
advisor, his wife and two kids. We
had “glogg” first (a traditional
Norwegian Christmas drink - sweet
- nuts, spices and raisins.) We ate
Christmas dinner next - sausages,
ribs, elk patties, potatoes and
sweat sour kraut. We had pop,
akevitt (liquor made from potatoes)
and Christmas beer to drink. For
dessert we had yellow, forest
berries and creme and jello. Fin
ally, (actually it was early for me)
we got to open our Christmas
presents. We didn’t dance around
the Christmas tree and Santa Claus
didn’t come because we were all
too old. I received a lot of presents
from my five families (one at home
and five here). I got a nice book on
Norway, a carving knife and some
thing I really wanted - a Nor
wegian troll among many other
things. I should be getting paid by
the Canadian government for all
the promotions I do. All of my
clothes have “Canada” on them,
practically.
When I got up early Christmas
morning - 11:00 a.m. (Canadian
time - 5:00 a.m.!) I found yet
another stocking by my bed. After I
read that the first present was from
“Mom”, I thought that my family
here had forgotten to give the gift
to me the day before. But the next
present was also from home, and
then 1 recognized my stocking from
home - they had sent my whole
stocking from home, filled!
We ate our “koldtbord” (cold
table) Christmas morning. Besides
the cold meat from the night before
we had cold roast beef, pork hip,
salted elk, pork and pork fat meat,
pickled seal with onions, rak-fisk,
liver patte, and elk tongue. There
were also lots of breads, etc.
Later Christmas day we went to
my advisor’s for a trout and potato
feast. Gunnar (my advisor’s son)
and I went out to a Christmas party
afterwards. The Christmas celebra
tions don’t end until the new year,
and between Xmas and New
Year’s, people dress up in cos
tumes and go from house to house
(sound familiar?).
As you can tell, things are going
fine here. Take care. Have a super
duper New Year. See ya soon. Ha
Det Bra!
Yours Truly,
Stephen Souch
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