Peace, Love, and Lutefisk: Adventures i Norge

Just when I was getting a little home sick and sick of the grey rain of Tromsø who should step in, but Rotary!

I just got back from an afternoon with my host counselor Peter Drecker. It was so much fun! He picked me up at home and took me downtown to my rotary contact person, Sissel. Between the two of them, they are in charge of me and are supposed to help me get situated and help plug me into rotary events. Randomly, they are both optometrists and being in Sissel’s office reminded me so much of my aunt’s office. She had funky frames and was so kind! We talked a little bit about some paper work and I received my first Rotary scholarship check…40,000 Norwegian kroner! Almost $7,000, so that feels good carrying around.

After that I started a tour with Peter who drove me all around the islands. We also went to his office and met his son who works there as well. We also ate lunch, and I found out that I was with a pretty cool guy! He is originally German and came to Norway to optometry school where he met his wife on Syttende Mai (Norwegian Independence Day) four days after arriving in the country. He was the trainer for Tromsø’s football club, which would be the equivalent of maybe the Minnesota Twins. I was very excited about this so he took me to the stadium where he still knew everyone. He showed me around and took me out to the field. It was a big day for the football club because last week they advanced to the second round of the UEFA Cup, which is an all-European football tournament. It was a big deal for Tromsø because they are pretty small and not the best by any means, but they made it through the first round. Today they drew who they will play against in their bracket and it turns out that their first game is at home against Roma, which is one of the biggest clubs in Europe from Rome, Italy. And even better, Peter told me he wanted me to be his guest to the game on October 20th! I’m so excited to go to such a big game, especially with someone who has so many connections.

Then, the day got even crazier as I learned that his daughter was “en pop sterjne,” a pop star!. And it turned out he wasn’t exaggerating. His daughter is the lead singer of Bel Canto, which is a very popular group from Norway. They have been around for quite awhile and are probably second to A-Ha for the most known and longest lasting Norwegian groups. Peter also showed me his house and told me that I am welcomed to come to their house anytime and can borrow his car if I ever need to. Finally, he told me that he would like to give me a personal tour of Germany as well! He said we can stay with his family in Germany, drive the autobahn, and go to the island where my relatives are from. I had such a great time with him and it was so great to spend a day with an adult out on the town. I also felt great because we spoke Norwegian the whole time!

Besides Peter, I have also had some other great Rotary experiences lately. Yesterday, I went to one of the Rotary club meetings where I first met Sissel, my optometrist/contact Rotary person. It was a fun meeting and I had a great time talking with a few of the people there. The speaker for the meeting was talking about an expansion to the Radisson Hotell that we were meeting at, and half way through his talk, there was a knock at the door. It was the pizza delivery boy from the pizza restaurant connected to the Radisson. It was a great presentation move and it tasted so great! I have been thinking that I need to go grocery shopping for the past three days, but Rotary keeps helping me put off the inevitable.

The other great Rotary experience was a true Norwegian fest! I got a random phone call on Thursday from the president of the Tromsø Roteract, which is Rotary for people between 18-30. They were having a nation-wide meeting for leaders of different Rotary Clubs and they wanted to invite me to the party they were having after their meeting. It was a black and white party so I finally got to wear my suit and wing tip shoes. We met at an apartment downtown that was very funky Norwegian with all wood floors and ceilings. Everyone looked great in a variety of outfits ranging from suits and dresses to funky European shirts and pants.

All I can say is that it was a proper, high-class Norwegian party. We all paid 200 kroner so I was expecting a nice meal and maybe some wine, but instead we had traditional fish soup and TONS of wine and spirits. I hadn’t tasted good wine since I arrived so it was such a shock to be in a suit, speaking in Norwegian to these young adults who had either just started working or were just finishing up school, all while drinking great wine. We even had cognac and coffee after the meal. And this was, of course, a traditional Norwegian party, so after this “forspeil” or pre-party consisting of eating and drinking and talking, as well as presentation of some Roteract awards and a series of toasts (Skål!), it was time to go out. We went across the street to a local bar with some dancing, but to be honest it didn’t compare at all to the apartment, so after about an hour there we headed back to the apartment for the beloved “nattspeil” or post party. We came back and turned on the music and danced, drank, and talked. It was a great time. Again, it was so much fun to have a night all in Norwegian and night with some new faces and new people. They were so interesting, some having started their own businesses, but most just starting their first jobs. They were from all parts of Norway and were all leaders in their Roteract clubs. It seemed almost everyone had traveled to some part of the world or had a story for every occasion. In traditional Norwegian fashion, none of the guys danced, but I cut a rug with the girls who were dancing and we had a great evening. At about 6am, 10 hours after the festivities began, it was time to walk home along the water, as the seagulls were already out looking for the fish from the morning’s catch.

So, I can officially say my Rotary experience has begun. I have met some great people associated with Rotary and they have been very warm and friendly, a welcomed change from the impression you get of the average Norwegian on the street. I am excited to learn more about Norwegian culture from my new Rotary friends and feel like I now have a “family” here in Norway that will help take care of me. As we say in Norwegian, “Spennende!” (exciting!). That’s all for now, I have to go take some notes for our first exam which is on Friday.