Impressions

Before we shift gears and really get into Svalbard, which is a world unto itself, lets consider what we have been able to grasp about Norway, and the Norwegians in particular. As for the land, I think we have discovered together that it is truly beautiful and a natural wonder. There is no surprise that it has been granted numerous tributes for it's exquisiteness; it is sincerely worth the trip.

It was more difficult for me to find a perception about the people that live here. At first I was struck by their amiable "distance". At times it seemed difficult to get a returning smile; sort of standoffish. Nothing hostile, mind you, just distant. It was more noticeable in the South than in the North, and nearly nonexistent here in Svalbard.

Claude and IdaWhen we arrived in Tromso I had some lovely conversations with Ida (pronounced EE-da). She was born here, and works for the tourist board. She arranged the kayaking trip for us. And then to my surprise she and another colleague, Claude (an immigrant Pastry Chef from France) also came on the kayak trip. It appeared that I was the only scheduled participant, so they came along, giving them an opportunity to try kayaking for the first time. I also spoke with a woman, who was a Polish immigrant, while we were on one of our road trips. These three gave me insights about Norway that you might never get from a book. I will share with you their perspectives... but keep in mind that the Truth of any situation, or experience, is always much more complex than our minds can usually comprehend... so these are only views, and certainly never judgements.

National pride is VERY strong in Norway. During WWII they were occupied by the German forces, and a lot of destruction ensued. Especially in the North, there was a lot of burning and ruination to prevent the Russians from crossing through Norway from that route. Following that adversity, the Norwegians rebuilt not only their homes, but an even deeper sense of nationalism. An example might include not joining the European Union. Even so, they are a prominent participant in diplomacy and international development, and remain one of the biggest financial contributors to the UN. Because they have a generous social system, many people like to come and live here, or study here. They didn't need locks on their doors in the previous generation. But the diversification of their cities and towns has brought some unsavory side effects. I suppose we could speculate that some element of fear has caused the native citizens to become even more conscious of not loosing their identity.  For some they may have created imaginary lines in the sand...

For someone looking to "blendtogether", that felt odd at first. Thankfully a level of understanding has really helped; even though I had already observed the melting of those boundaries after you get past that initial barrier. These wonderful, nature-loving, blue-eyed souls are fantastic. You know what has been said... "First impressions are only skin deep". And in almost every way that I could observe they are living comparably to any other progressive nation.

Sami womanThe saga of the Sami Culture is the flip side of the coin. The Sami's are one of the oldest indigenous cultures on our planet, and have inhabited the northern aspects of all of Scandinavia for thousands of years, often paying taxes to several nations at once. They are physically smaller than most; and have been semi-nomadic with reindeer herding, or coastal fishing, for centuries. They are traditionally unique in dress, and manner of living. When the vast majority of their homes were destroyed in the war the country re-built in a standard style for everyone. This only enhanced a slowly developing integration. Today there are less than 10% which still live in the traditional manner, and most people of Sami origin are indistinguishable from other Norwegians. Having written that, in recent times, it has become more fashionable to maintain a connection with our roots and respect the origins of others. In the mid 80's the Norwegian government allowed a Sami parliament to be elected, and the Sami culture, language, and customs are being preserved and represented. The Sami's are uniquely blending in.

I had three options for experiencing something traditionally Sami. First, drive to a few select cities that were over 8 hours away by car, during the correct time of year, for traditional activities. Second, attend a tourist-oriented Sami cultural event, or finally, go to the museum. It kind of reminded me of the Amish. Can you just drive to an Amish community and knock on a random door and expect to be admitted for conversation and a meal? Rather, it's more common to drive through Amish Land, take a tour, or go to a museum. As it turned out I'd need to schedule a lot more time to get the traditional Sami experience. But inevitably, the Sami's are a more ideal example of "blending", rather than being so drastically different. It always makes me smile when the lesson is the antithesis of what you expected.

So here we are in Svalbard, a genuine highlight of any life experience. Today we went dog-sledding. Did I collect video? Of course!