85: South Sudan to Norway

Life in Norway Show Episode 89: Friend of the show Lorelou Desjardins is back to talk about becoming a Norwegian citizen and her latest book, 'How To Be Norwegian'. Lorelou from 'A Frog in the Fjord' is always a popular guest on the show. As she's just written and released a new book, it felt like the ideal time to invite her back to talk about all things Norwegian culture. We talk about her own journey to becoming a Norwegian citizen, and some of the cultural insights she shares in her new book, 'How To Be Norwegian.' Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/how-to-be-norwegian/ Lorelou's Book: https://afroginthefjord.com/book-how-to-be-norwegian/  

Life in Norway Show Episode 88: Artist Tania Winther joins the show to talk about the people and places of Trondheim and Trøndelag in central Norway, and what it's like growing up with a mix of cultures. Tania Winther is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, designer, and interior designer based in Norway. With a background that spans both science and the arts, she brings a unique perspective to her creative work, drawing inspiration from her training in biology and her passion for conservation. Tania's book, 'The Trønders: A Quirky Guide to Trondheim, Trønderland and Its People', is available now in selected bookstores in Norway, and online across the world. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/tania-winther-podcast/ Tania Winther: https://atelierwinther.no  

Life in Norway Show Episode 87: Matthew Tolley of Cycle Norway joins the shows to talk about the joys of cycling in the Norwegian fjords and beyond, and how to plan your own cycling trip. Matthew Tolley moved to Norway in 2016, after, as so many Brits do, having met a Norwegian girl. He was no stranger to living abroad, having spent time in several countries previously. After falling in love with exploring the country on two wheels, he began publishing videos of his adventures on YouTube. He quickly built a loyal following because of successful videos like this one about cycling in Fjord Norway: https://youtu.be/om-NSynX0I8 After building a loyal following for his videos on YouTube, he now runs Cycle Norway to share his passion for cycling with a community of others interested in planning cycling trips around Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/cycling-in-norway-podcast/ Cycle Norway: https://cyclenorway.com  

Life in Norway Show Episode 86: Prismatic Pages has made a splash in its first year of operation as the only English language bookshop in Norway's capital city. We chat to the owner. Originally from Seattle, Indigo Trigg-Hauger moved to Oslo in 2016, but that's not when her Norwegian journey began. She grew up with a strong Norwegian influence as her mother had spent some time in Norway. Despite many people having a lifelong dream to open a bookstore, Indigo says that wasn't the case with her. She did, however, work in a bookstore for a year, a job she says was the best she'd had. The store is in what Indigo describes as an "off-the-beaten-path" part of the Grünerløkka neighbourhood, north of downtown Oslo. It sells both used and new books, with an emphasis on a cozy environment and personalised service. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/english-bookstore-in-oslo/ Prismatic Pages: https://prismaticpages.com  

Life in Norway Show Episode 85: From the US to Horton via South Sudan, Nyagoa's story is a fascinating one. Today's guest is Nyagoa William Nyuon, a U.S. citizen who spent much of her adult life working in South Sudan. She now lives in southeast Norway working in international relations, but also helps to run a charity focused on raising awareness of child marriages in South Sudan. We talk about South Sudan, her charity work, the move to Norway, and her first impressions of the culture. Niagua is also honest about what life is like for a black woman living in a small Norwegian town. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/south-sudan-african-culture/ Catwalk to Freedom: http://www.catwalktofreedom.org  

Life in Norway Show Episode 84: Today's guest is Anna Kross, a landscape architect who works with the design of common spaces in the Oslo region. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/being-russian-in-norway/ But the reason Anna is on the show today is to tell her story of relocation from Russia, and what it's been like living in Norway as a Russian over the last few years. We talk about how the current situation in the world has driven Anna and her friends to start a podcast explaining the Nordic model to Russians, not because that is the solution but to show that there are other ways. We also talk about the experience of voting for the first time, and the relationship between Russians and Ukrainians in Norway.

Life in Norway Show Episode 83: Buying a house in Norway is not something you might think about early in your relocation, but for today's guest it was the main reason they chose to move. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/buying-a-house-podcast/ Christoph Graf is from Switzerland, and a big reason he chose to move to the Oslo region with his Norwegian wife was because of the better value housing than in his home country. On this episode, we talk about the house buying process. We cover research, viewing, and bidding. We also chat about some of the other reasons Christoph chose to relocate, including easy access to nature.

Life in Norway Show Episode 82: Florencia Meinardo from 'El Podcast de Noruega' joins us to talk about her relocation from Argentina, and the experience of native Spanish speakers in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/spanish-speaking-community/ Originally from Buenos Aires, Florencia spent some time living in the US before deciding to make Norway her home together with her Spanish partner. We talk about the relocation process, Florencia's decision to learn Norwegian as quickly as possible, and what life in Norway is like as a native Spanish speaker.

Originally from Canada, Kristine moved to Trondheim with her partner and is now happily settled working in research. But it hasn't all been plain sailing for her. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/challenges-of-moving-to-trondheim-podcast/ Kristine arrived in Norway just weeks before the pandemic, which led to a unique relocation experience. Everything from meeting new people to learning Norwegian suddenly became more of a challenge. On today's show, we talk about what to expect when job hunting as a foreigner, some of the cultural barriers you'll need to overcome, and the challenge of learning Norwegian. We also cover the things that Kristine likes about living in Trondheim, and those things she still finds challenging.

We often feature interviews with people relocating to Norway from the U.S., or like me, from the U.K. Today I welcome Surendra Thapaliya to the show for a different kind of story. He's originally from Nepal, and moved to Norway in 2016 to study at BI, the Norwegian Business School. He's since gone from strength to strength and now lives with his wife in Oslo, where he has a senior marketing position.  We talk about studying in Oslo, the differences between life in Nepal and life in Norway, and his own projects helping other from Nepal study abroad. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/moving-from-nepal-to-norway/ Links from the Show: Surendra's employer Culture Intelligence Our Complete Guide to Oslo Connect with Surendra on LinkedIn Surendra's videos for the Nepalese community on YouTube