Life in Norway Show

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  

Life in Norway Show Episode 79: Abby Noble shares her inspiring story of planning exactly how she would find a job in Norway, obtaining a job-seeker permit, and finding her ideal job in an Oslo architecture firm. Moving to Norway is a dream for many, but finding a job is often the biggest barrier. Today I'm joined by Abby Noble, an American who moved to Norway without a job in order to find one. She applied for Norway's job-seeker visa in order to carry out her plan. She joins me on the show today to talk about the visa, and her process for finding work in the architecture industry in Oslo. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/job-seeker-permit-success/

Life in Norway Show Episode 78: Daniela Laguniak, an expedition leader with Havila Voyages, tells us about her relocation to Northern Norway and her working life on the Norwegian coastal route. Originally from Germany, she is fluent in three languages and lives in a remote part of Finnmark, Northern Norway. Daniela worked a seasonal tourism job at the North Cape in 2012 and then made the decision to move to Norway permanently. She now lives in Tana, one of the most remote parts of Arctic Norway, with her Sami partner. She also talks about her working life on board the Havila Polaris, where she works for 22 days, followed by 22 days off. It's a shift pattern that wouldn't suit everyone, but it suits Daniela perfectly. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/moving-from-germany-to-arctic-norway/

This is episode 77 of the Life in Norway Show. Moving to Norway from outside Europe poses a whole heap of challenges, not least convincing an employer to take a chance on you. Today I'm joined by Isabelle Loh, originally from Singapore and having relocated to Oslo with her Norwegian partner, she shared her frustrations about finding a job on LinkedIn, and drew a big response.  We talk about life in Oslo, how she's gone about the job search and how that has changed over time, and some advice for fellow job-seekers. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/moving-from-singapore-to-oslo/

Life in Norway Show #76: From the Sami Parliament and efforts to keep the languages alive to the importance of handicrafts and song, we hear all about Sami culture in 2024. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/sami-culture-podcast/ The recent wind turbine controversy has brought Sami culture and indigenous rights back into the headlines here in Norway, and around the world. Bodø is about to start its year as European Capital of Culture, and the team has put Sami culture at the very heart of the program. So, who better to introduce us to the various aspects of Sami culture than Maria Hernes Bær, the coordinator of the Sami program for Bodø 2024. We talk about Sami identity, some elements of the culture including what tourists experience and what they don't, and the plans to showcase Sami culture at Bodø 2024.

Life in Norway Show Episode 75: One of the most common questions I receive at Life in Norway is about retirement, specifically the idea of moving to Norway to retire. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/retirement-to-northern-norway/ Now, while at the moment I plan to retire here, that's not the same thing as moving here when already retired. I always thought that was a difficult thing to do, but a Life in Norway reader recently got in touch to share their story, and I immediately invited them on to the show. Not only have they retired to Norway, but they've retired to a remote part of Northern Norway. In today's show I talk to Trevor Rulton about the benefits of challenges of living in a remote area, what everyday life is like, the admin process of moving to Norway, and lots more.

This show is going to be a little bit different because I don't have a guest, it's just me, as I look ahead to all things Norway in 2024. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norway-in-2024-podcast/ I'll talk a little about what to expect for those of you planning a trip to Norway in 2024, plus information on what's changing for those of us who live here in Norway. Finally I'll talk a little bit about what you can expect from us here at Life in Norway over the coming year. First things first, if you're not already a member at Life in Norway, head on over to lifeinnorway.net/weekly. You'll join more than 17,000 people who receive our popular Norway Weekly newsletter every Tuesday morning.

Life in Norway Show Episode #73: Agnes Erickson joins the podcast to talk about her move from California to Norway, and what life is like in a small town on the south coast. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/living-in-mandal-podcast/ Agnes works in the marketing team at Norrøna House, the headquarters of Norwegian outdoor clothing brand Norrøna. She works from Oslo a couple days per week and works the rest of the time in Mandal. Mandal is a small Norwegian town of about 10,000 people on the southern coast of Norway, about 30 minutes west of Kristiansand. As with many southern coastal towns, Mandal is known for its white, wooden houses, beaches, and busy harbour.

Life in Norway Show Episode #72: A repatriate to Norway joins the show to chat about her experiences returning to Norway after many years abroad, and how mentoring can help foreigners find employment in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/work-mentoring-podcast/ Tone Indrelid was born in Norway but spent many, many years living overseas in India, Oman, Syria and Borneo before she and her family returned to Norway. She now puts her years of experience as a anthropologist, interculturalist and language instructor to good use by becoming project leader in Stavanger for the organisation Sammen om en jobb. We talk about Tone's experiences, some of the challenges in adapting and finding work in Norway, and how a mentoring program could help you. Sammen om en jobb: https://www.sammenomenjobb.no/

Life in Norway Show Episode #71: Two recent hires in Norwegian gaming company Riddlebit Software join us to talk about game development and their journey to working in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/working-in-norwegian-gaming/ Today I'm joined by two newcomers to Norway who are working in a small games development studio here in Trondheim. I have got to know both Jordan originally from Texas and Lyubov from Belarus over the past months as they work in the same coworking space as me. We talk about the gaming industry in Norway, how they found a job in a small games studio and what life is like here in Trondheim. Read more about Setback: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1119780/Setback/ Read more about Riddlebit Software: https://www.riddlebit.net/  

Life in Norway Show Episode #70: A US-Poland dual citizen joins the show to chat through her process of moving to Norway, and why she wants to share what she's learned with you. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/unlock-norway-podcast/ Gabriella Mikiewicz is the founder of Unlock Norway, which she created to help fellow newcomers understand the country better. She said her experience of living in Norway has been enriched by her Norwegian partner and friends, who have given her so much content and context to understand the country better.

Life in Norway Show Episode #69: Captain Victor Stoica of the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship MS Borealis chats about life at sea, the responsibility of captaining a cruise ship and his favourite parts of Norway. I'm just back from a two-week cruise to the north of Norway in search of the northern lights. I'll write much more about the journey and experience in the weeks to come, but in the meantime I have an interesting interview for you. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/cruise-ship-captain/

Life in Norway Show Episode #68: Lasse Vangstein of Havila Voyages joins the show to talk about the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and the new Havila vessels introduced over the past year. The Norwegian coastal voyage has grown in popularity over the last decade. While still providing a vital transport service for cargo and local passengers, travellers from all over the world to come to Norway to experience the full coastal voyage. For many years Hurtigruten has been the only operator along the route. Now, Havila Voyages are putting brand new ships into service and travellers have a choice. Lasse Vangstein of Havila Voyages joins the show to talk about the history of the coastal service, what makes the trip so special and attractive to international tourists, and what Havila's new ships have to offer. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/havila-voyages-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode #67: We speak to an American ice hockey player living in Norway about ice hockey and how the sport differs in the UK, Germany and Norway. American Jordan George plays for Nidaros Hockey in Trondheim and also works in the club's marketing team. Previously he played professional hockey for several teams in Germany and Denmark and began by playing college hockey in the US. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/ice-hockey-jordan-george-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode #66: What is like to learn Norwegian as a teenager in the US and then move to Norway 20 years later? Find out on the latest episode of our podcast. Today's guest is Kari Nixon, a scholar of medical humanities and Victorian literature. She currently holds a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU here in Trondheim, Norway. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/learning-norwegian-at-summer-camp/

Life in Norway Show Episode #65: Norway is known worldwide as a great destination for discovering the great outdoors. Today we chat about how to make the most of those opportunities with today's guest, Kevin J Rosenberg. He runs tour company IAG Adventures and wants more people to discover the natural beauty in Norway and the other Nordic countries. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/adventure-travel-podcast/

Starting a business in Norway is challenging enough at the best of times. But doing so as an immigrant is a path that's full of uncertainties. Today we're talking about a gap in Norway's immigration rules which entrepreneurs can easily fall into and find themselves forced to leave Norway despite having built a life here. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/startup-visa/

Life in Norway Show Episode 63: The acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Norway joins the show to talk about her role and the relations between the two countries. Sharon Hudson-Dean is Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway. Sharon took a few minutes out of her very busy schedule when visiting Trondheim recently to become the fourth Ambassador to come on the show.

Life in Norway Show Episode 62: Peter Betlem from the University Centre in Svalbard talks about living on Svalbard and working as a researcher. We talk about the science that takes place in the High Arctic as well as what life is like in Longyearbyen in such a unique part of the world. If you've ever considered studying in Svalbard, this is the show for you. Happy listening! Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/researcher-on-svalbard/

Life in Norway Show Episode 61: Jason Turflinger of the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway joins the show to talk business culture in Norway and the US. We talk about the purpose and work of the AmCham organisation, and whether the stereotypes are true about the difference in working culture between Norway and the United States. Jason also offers up some tips for Americans looking to move to Norway and find work. Happy listening! Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/american-chamber-of-commerce/

Life in Norway Show Episode 60: The European Erasmus programme allows millions of students to study abroad. Here's the experience of a Dutch student visiting Trondheim, Norway. The EU's Erasmus programme has facilitated more than 6 million students to study abroad since its creation in 1987. Every year, hundreds of students from across Europe come to Norway on an Erasmus placement. If you've ever considered studying in Norway as a way to sample the lifestyle here, this is the show for you. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/erasmus-study-in-norway/

Life in Norway Show Episode 59: In the latest podcast episode, I chat with a Latvian who moved to Norway as a child and then decided to stay as a teenager, without his parents. Many guests on the Life in Norway Show have a relatively similar story. Someone who chose to move to Norway in their 20s or 30s because of a job or for love. Ernests Barons moved from Latvia to Norway with his parents at the age of nine. Several years later, his parents decided to return to Latvia. He chose to stay in Norway with his sister. We chat about his decisions, the differences between Latvia and Norway, life in Oslo, and his work for The Human Aspect. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/moving-to-norway-as-a-child/

Life in Norway Show Episode 58: Agathe from Find Your Norway joins the show to chat about planning a hiking trip in Norway. The mountains and the fjords of Norway attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year—at least in normal times. But a hiking trip isn't like a simple city break. It takes careful planning to get the best experience. On the show, we look at why you should look beyond the popular hiking trails and tips for first-time visitors. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/hiking-trip-planning-podcast/ Agathe's website is at https://www.findyournorway.com

Life in Norway Show Episode 57: Spanish architect Juan Herreros talks about the architectural choices of the controversial new Munch Museum in Oslo. I recently attended the press preview day of the new Munch museum. The striking building is the latest addition to Oslo's ambitious Fjord City project, which is slowly transforming the waterfront of Oslo over several decades. Many people have criticised the architecture of the new museum, so I took the opportunity to speak to the lead architect, Juan Herreros, of the Spanish architecture practice Estudio Herreros. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/munch-museum-architecture/

Life in Norway Show Episode 56: Moving to a new country has many challenges, but one that's not talked about so often is the psychology of adapting to a new way of life. On the latest episode of the Life in Norway Show, we dive into the psychological side of moving to Norway. I'm joined by Gabriela Sirbu from Migration of Emotion. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/psychology-of-immigration/

Life in Norway Show Episode 55: An introduction to Norway's fjord region with Victoria from the Norwegian Nature Centre Hardanger in Eidfjord. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/life-in-the-norwegian-fjords/

Life in Norway Show Episode #54: Satu from travel agency 50 Degrees North talks about future travel trends in Norway, along with the differences between Finland and Norway. International travel to Norway has been difficult to impossible for more than a year now. But we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. But will tourism trends have changed, and if so, how? Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/travel-trends-in-norway/

Life in Norway Show Episode #53: Lorelou from A Frog in the Fjord returns to talk about her new book looking back at her first year in Norway. Back in episode one, I introduced Lorelou by saying: "Lorelou is one of my favourite expat bloggers in all of Norway, mainly because of her hilarious and occasionally controversial thoughts of Norwegian society and culture." That still holds true today! Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/one-year-in-norway/

Life in Norway Show Episode #52: We take a look at the exciting plans for a year of cultural events in Bodø in 2024. Today on the Life in Norway Show I'm joined by Henrik Sand Dagfinrud, the program director for Bodø's year as European Capital of Culture. We talk about the bid process, what the plans are for 2024, and what Henrik hopes the legacy of the year will be for Bodø, Nordland and Northern Norway in general. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/bodo-capital-of-culture/

Life in Norway Show Episode #51: We look back at Norway's Norwegian American reality show with a participant from the seventh season. Alt for Norge, the show for Norwegian Americans exploring their Norwegian roots put a new spin on reality TV during its ten-season run. Although the show is now over, we take a look back at the show through the lens of former participant Kate Mills. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/alt-for-norge-interview/

Life in Norway Show Episode #50: The editor of Norway's Barents Observer joins us to talk about life in Kirkenes on the border of Norway, Russia and Finland. High up in the country’s far northeastern corner, Norway shares a border with both Finland and Russia. From political tensions to climate change, the Barents region is full of fascinating stories. Since 2002, the Barents Observer, now known as the Independent Barents Observer, has been reporting from the region in both English and Russian. Today I’m joined by its editor, Thomas Nilsen. We talk about some of the big issues in the high north, Norway’s relationship with Russia and what it’s like to live in Kirkenes within a few miles of the borders. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/living-in-kirkenes/

Life in Norway Show Episode 49: Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing joins the podcast to discuss folk music in Norway. Eldbjørg Hemsing is a Norwegian violinist who has lived in Austria and Germany and played all over the world. We talk about the fascinating world of music in Norway, specifically traditional folk music, and the role Norway's nature, mythology and languages play in it. Eldbjørg also introduces her own podcast, Nordics Unveiled, an English language look at what makes Nordic music, Nordic! Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norwegian-folk-music-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 48: British football coach Gregg Broughton joins us to talk about life in northern Norway working for the new Norwegian champions. The small Norwegian club FK Bodø/Glimt have just won their first ever Norwegian title after a sensational season of attacking football and goals galore. Gregg Broughton moved from the world of English football to take charge of the Academy at Glimt in early 2018. We talk about his decision to move to Norway, his role at the club, the keys to their stunning success this season, and the plans he and his colleagues are putting in place to try and sustain the success. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/bodo-glimt-champions-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 47: Paul Harrison from the Kelkoo Group joins the show to talk about shopping habits in Norway, from price sensitivity to mobile payments and more. We talk about how shopping habits differ between Norway and other countries, the supermarket experience in Norway, the state of online shopping in Norway, and a look at how our money and payments are rapidly moving online. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/shopping-habits-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 46: An American researcher living in Norway joins the show to talk about carbon capture and storage technologies. Norway is about to buy into the concept of CO2 capture, transport and storage in a big way. The government has announced plans to plunge $1.8 billion of public money into a full-scale implementation of the technologies, known collectively as CCS. American research scientist Amy Brunsvold has lived in Norway for more than 10 years, and now works at SINTEF Energy Research in Trondheim. She is on the management team of the Norwegian CCS Research Centre (NCCS) so is well placed to explain it all to us. We look at what CCS is and why Norway is spending so much money on it. Of course we also chat about what it's like to work as a research scientist in Norway, and what Amy thinks of life in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/ccs-co2-storage/

Life in Norway Show Episode 45: Scotland's Orkney and Shetland have a fascinating Norse history. But it's not just stories in the history books. There remains a strong Norwegian influence on the islanders' everyday life to this day. Donna Heddle heads up the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. We talk about the fascinating history of Orkney and Shetland, and how that legacy shapes the culture, place names and language of the islands today. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/orkney-shetland-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 44. The interviews with the Canadian and British Ambassadors to Norway have been some of the most popular episodes of the Life in Norway Show so far. So, I'm delighted to welcome another Ambassador onto the podcast today. Ambassador Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia is the Philippine Ambassador to Norway and Iceland. It's her third ambassadorial role and is the latest step in her globetrotting career representing her country. We talk about the links between Norway and the Philippines, the importance of the shipping and maritime industries to both countries, and the everyday life of a diplomat in Norway in 2020. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/philippines-ambassador/

Life in Norway Show Episode 43: Tour guide Emma Vestrheim joins the podcast to chat about moving from Australia to Norway, the experience of living in Bergen, and working as a tour guide in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/life-in-bergen-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 42: Co-writing duo the Lost Viking Writers to talk about Norwegian literature and the publishing industry in Norway. Today I’m joined by Brian Talgo and Brynjulf Haugan, two writers living in Norway. Brian is an expat New Yorker and Brynjulf grew up in Canada, but both have lived in Norway for much of their lives. They are co-writing a trilogy of historical fiction, the first of which is called The Salt of Ancient Tears. We talk about the publishing industry in Norway, including some of the popular authors and genres. We also look at what inspired them to write a series set in the world of the Vikings. Finally, we look at the challenges faced by budding authors trying to getting published in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/reading-writing-books/

Life in Norway Show Episode 41: It's time to talk Norwegian TV, including Okkupert (Occupied), Beforeigners and Ragnarok, among other favourites. Today I’m joined by Jack Esposito, co-host of a podcast all about Norwegian TV and film called Pod for Norge. His show began as an episode-by-episode breakdown of Okkupert (Occupied), a near-future thriller set in Norway, but has since broadened to cover many more shows and the occasional movie. We talk about several of the most popular TV shows in Norway, many of which are now available to watch all around the world thanks to streaming services like Netflix and HBO. Whether you're a fan of Norwegian TV or not, hopefully you'll end the interview with an expanded "to be watched" list! Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norwegian-tv-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 40: A look inside a research centre focused on the Viking Age. Just a few episodes ago I spoke to a Viking ship archaeologist. Today I'm returning to the subject of the Norsemen and talking to researcher Keith Ruiter who focuses his studies on the Viking Age. We talked about the importance of researching historical time periods, and just how we go about doing that. We also cover why learning languages, including how to read Old Norse, is so important to the work. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/viking-researcher/

Life in Norway Show Episode 39: One of Norway's most famous immigrants, Maria Amelie, tells us about her life as a teenage asylum seeker, how she got to return to Norway after being deported, and her new business Startup Migrants. If you were in Norway around ten years ago, chances are you'll know the name Maria Amelie. Around ten years ago, she was a household name. Her book Illegally Norwegian documented her story of her teenage years and beyond as an illegal resident in Norway. The media storm around the book and her subsequent deportation ended up changing many minds and even the law on immigration. Maria was quickly offered a job and obtained a work permit to return. Today Maria works on startup migrants, a book that has become a business with the aim of changing many more minds in Norway and all across Europe. Her story is controversial, inspiring and fascinating all at the same time. I'm delighted to say we finally found some time for Maria to come on the show. This one is a must-listen! Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/maria-amelie-interview/

Life in Norway Show Episode 38: An interview with Knut Paasche from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, all about finding Viking ships in Norway. When it comes to the history of Scandinavia, few things are more iconic than Viking ships. They turned the Vikings from farmers into explorers, raiders and traders, cementing their place in history. In recent years, more Viking ship burial sites are being discovered all over Scandinavia. But why now, more than 1000 years later? To find out, I invited Knut Paasche, an expert on Viking ship archaeology onto the show. He works as the head of Digital Archaeology at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU). We talk about what it's like to work as an archaeologist in 2020, and how digital tools are transforming the field and leading to more knowledge about the Vikings. We also hear about some of its favorite Viking ship archaeology projects to date. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/viking-ship-archaeology/