The day is glorious - postcard blue skies and blinding sun shimmering off the fjord in the distance.  I had my door open, to let in a breeze. Then I heard a deafening racket outside - a low rumble that grew to a roar.  It's always so placid here, I was startled then I remembered - there is an airshow in Oslo today.  They are celebrating 100 years of the Norwegian Air Force.  Norwegian and French planes will be conducting aerial maneuvers today and tomorrow over the fjord, which I can see from my window.  Mystery sound solved.  But I started thinking....why French?  Why not British? Or American? 

Of course, proximity - France is relatively close to Norway.  Although, no closer than Britain really, and we have major air stations in Germany.  I'm not sure if Norway buys its fighters from France, but that's always possible.  But maybe it's more than convenience and business deals. 

Norway and France had similar experiences in World War II - capitulation of a civilian government which did not reflect the desires of the population, followed by occupation.  Both had fierce resistance movements, and martyrs, which undeniably aided the Allied cause.  The exploits of Norwegian resistance fighters, skiing long distances in harsh conditions against hopeless odds has been the topic of more than one History Day project.  We Americans never denigrate the actions of Norway when faced with the juggernaut of the Nazi war machine.  We never mock their occupation; never doubt their courage,  We certainly never call Norwegians"cheese eating surrender monkeys" as some do the French.

Which led me another deep thought - dangerous, I know.  Why do Americans consider the Norwegians courageous, and the French cowards in the context of WWII?  The actions of the their governments and civilians were remarkably similar.  Why the disconnect in perception in the American popular mind?  If anything, the French suffered more; so many battles were fought over the same ground which had been soaked in blood only a generation before.  Norway saw no major battles, no wholesale bombing, no invading horde, not like France.  And from the Norwegians I have talked to, they do not consider the French cowards,  They save that distinction for the Swedes.

Thoughts?

I have to admit - I'm surprised my calendar has filled up as quickly as it has!  Most of the fall semester from September through November is filled and more than few weeks in January and February.  I and the other Rovers will be in Halden Tuesday observing classrooms at both ungdomsskolen (lower secondary) and videregåendeskole (upper secondary).  I think understanding the dynamics of the classroom will help me better prepare my presentations.

My first solo visit is September 11 in Mosjøen.  I will fly into Trondhiem, then transfers to a smaller plane on Monday.  The town is located about halfway up the neck of the spoon of Norway, on the seaboard side, if you can visualize that.  Not entirely sure which workshops I will be presenting....I have a sneaking suspicion it will be about the election.  Which will just pain me.....  ;-)

I have been so busy the past three days, I haven't had time to post anything.  Monday, I traveled to Halden for a meeting with Norwegian foreign language teachers and administrators.  That was a fantastic day - there will be a LONG post about the Norwegian educational system versus the American one later.  Our hosts were incredibly informative and hospitable.  We ended the day with a tour of the pride of Halden,the Fredriksten fortress.  We had an sumptuous meal at a small, intimate restaurant in the fortress, Curtisen.  If you are ever in Halden, a must-do.
 

Tuesday, I ventured to Rygge to a small, international airport to meet my aMAZing niece, Katherine.  She's been in France for a few months and popped over to see me before heading back to the States.  We have had quite a good time just walking around Oslo, peeking into shops, and marveling at the plethora of statues and art installations.  A former Fulbrighter here did a survey of the statues in Oslo - apparently it has the largest concentration of statues of women in Europe, which is pretty neat.  This lovely lady looks out over the fjord from the pier at Aker Brygge.  We tried to have an American dinner tonight - pasta with sausage and garlic, but it turned Norwegian.  We ended up putting the pasta concoction on bread as we ate.  When in Oslo.....

Tomorrow, I'm dragging Katherine to the Askerhus Fortress in Oslo, the sculpture park, and anywhere else I can cram in before she leaves.  Then, time to buckle down and Fulbright!

It's finally raining, at least raining when I'm awake.  Apparently, July was monstrously wet and these past two weeks of idyllic summer temps in the upper 70s and surreal blue skies was an welcome respite. There was mist wafting between the  mountains outside my window at sunset, but I couldn't get a shot that did it justice.  A few of the leaves are turning a little yellow - a sure sign of if not winter, at least autumn.  Given where I've spent most of my life - that will be a novelty worthy of many pictures.  Monday we go to Halden, on the Swedish border, to get a crash course in the Norwegian education system.  I will also be presenting a paper on the legacies of Jefferson and Hamilton in modern American politics in Halden in October.  Very exciting - I've always wanted to write about that topic but the dissertation consumed all for for so long.  Anyway - a very low key night.  Very quiet, very still except the for the rain.

UPDATE: As Brian reminded me, I had the door open to hear and smell the rain.  We had just opened a Skype video call when I saw something large and brown moving across my floor.  Norway doesn't have many snakes but there are a few that have poisonous, pointy fangs. And ginormous slugs.  This, however, was just a friendly garden toad looking for a spot out of the rain.  I picked him up to put him outside and of course Brian wanted me to ring him to the webcam so he could look at him!  After confirmation it was a toad versus a frog, back out he went, his escape root cut-off.

The hill which stands between me and the train station and I have come to a truce - I win going down, it wins coming up.  We're going with that until further notice.  I don't think my lungs will ever forgive me for this afternoon.

Give or take a couple of days.  :)  I arrived on Wednesday, the 9th, relatively early.  It was an uneventful crossing - a plane full of Scandinavians - and me.  And the nice couple from Indiana next to me and an incredibly fit young woman visiting with her college friend, who was... Scandinavian. 

I've been into Oslo several times - for orientation at the Foreign Ministry and Fulbright Office as well as to look around.  It is a beautiful city, Oslo.  Lots of construction, super-modern skyscrapers next to Belle Epoque apartment buildings.  The Oslofjord is breathtaking.  I can actually see the cruise ships heading north into the port from my garden. 

Next week I go to Halden, near the Swedish border, to get acquainted with the Norwegian educational system through observation.   That gives me time to finally update allthose lessonplans that say under constr