Dec 18
Strange coincidence
Coincidentally, and for the first time since I got here, two people asked me for directions on my way to work today. I was able to manage enough Norwegian to apologize for not being able to help them.
I have a short walk at the end of my commute to work after arriving at Lysaker station. Right now, due to some construction, there is a detour that takes me through a residential area. I've taken pictures of some of the homes I walk by. Norwegians use a lot of wood in their homes, and they usually paint them with bright colors. Olve, one of my coworkers, mentioned that there is a certain degree of social pressure to keep your house looking neat and well-maintained, among other societal duties. Although it's not usually this extreme, there is a concept articulated by Norwegian/Danish author Aksel Sandemose describing this tendency called Janteloven ("The Jante Law"):http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jante_Law
Although the author described this tendency negatively, there are also plenty of benefits to this custom. Without at least some of this, communities can't hold together.
