I hope you all are preparing for hell-week and finals, I believe in you!
I am also taking final exams here, I had my Norwegian language final on Friday, my Norwegian Life and Society final is on May 4th, and I have a lengthy final paper due the week after that.
Side-note: The US really should adopt an exam schedule like they have here, everything nice and spread out, no need to cram. It really makes way more sense than what we've got.
ANYWAY, back to the main part, the sun is finally here.
When I first arrived here, the sun rose around 9:15 am and set around 3:30 pm 😕
Today the sun rose at 5:40 am and will set around 9:00 pm 😁
These are happy times.
Speaking of happy times, during Marietta's spring break, Amanda flew all the way to Oslo to visit 😍 We had tons of fun here shopping and going to museums and sneaking into a world-cup ski jumping competition (it's very very common for people to hang out in the woods outside the stadium to watch where they can light a fire and cook hot dogs). We also traveled to a small port-city in northern Norway named Bodø (supposedly pronounced Baah-doo but I also heard people from there say Boo-dah so I really don't know). While we were there we went to the beach (it was a little frozen) and saw the Northern Lights (!) which I was unable to get a picture of but it was cool.
Norway doesn't have a spring break like we do in the US educational system. Instead, everybody in the country decides to abandon modern society for a little bit, and from the Thursday before Easter through the entire week following Easter (11 days total) everybody leaves town and either goes to their cabins in the mountains, their cabins by the beach, or out of the country (usually to a beach). Everything closes and the city was basically empty. My contact person here in Norway actually warned us to stock up on food before this apocalypse happened because otherwise we'd have a few hungry nights waiting for the stores to re-open. I did not leave town during this time, I instead had a couple of really nice days in the sun hiking around the islands in the Oslo fjord and in the mountains to the north-west of town.
This is also the time of year where Norwegian teenagers experience a rite of passage into adulthood. This is a tradition known as 'russ'. Russ is a tradition among high school seniors which takes place for about a month between April 17th and May 17th (Norwegian Constitution day). This celebration might be the single most foreign thing I have heard about thus far in Norway.
Russ is basically the personification of 'senior-itis' that involves groups of friends, matching clothes, a little bit of competition, large quantities of alcohol, and a van or bus. For the last month of school, seniors drive around in custom decorated vans, usually with some theme, wearing bright overalls, usually red, blue, or black, which loosely represent their field of study. Each group spends most of high school preparing for russ and going through the process of buying and customizing a van or bus. Once russ actually begins, there are unique (party related) challenges for the russ-ers to complete, contests for best decorated van, wars waged with squirt guns, and pranks and other acts of adolescent mischief. Part of this celebration is due to the fact that most high school seniors have recently turned 18, which in Norway is the legal age for both having a drivers licence and legally drinking alcohol. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Norway has a zero-tolerance policy for drinking and driving, and every russ car is required by law to have a designated driver.
If you're as curious about this tradition as I am, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russefeiring for more info.
That's basically all I've been up to the last few months. I'm really looking forward to May and June though, I have several trips planned, including one to Sweden next weekend.
I wish everybody back in the US a happy finals week and I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon!
--Tom 🇳🇴
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're having a good experience in Norway. When it comes to the education system in Norway, according to the six dimensional country comparison by Hofstede Norway is second in femininity behind Sweden, how does this play a roll in the education system in Norway where there isn't much competition or trying to be better than someone isn't socially nor materialistically rewarding?
Umm, I'm honestly not really sure. My experiences with the Norwegian educational system are limited at best, however I can say that most Norwegian schools offer (if not require) much more time outdoors than schools in the US. I also think that while it is not normal in the culture to be known for achieving high grades, it is still encouraged as much or more than in a culture like in the US.
DeleteHi Tom.
ReplyDeleteNorway is looking awesome. We've been looking at a few models for leadership that differ between countries. Norway is normally characterized as linear active on one model, meaning that they are task-oriented, highly organised planners who complete action-chains by doing one thing at a time, with a linear agenda. However, based on the break you had where everyone just left, I'm not sure that makes sense. What are your thoughts on that? Have you seen linear active characteristics in other aspects in Norway?
Gwyneth
I'm not sure that's entirely accurate, although it could be that the week-long break is just part of the plan! I think that it varies from person to person, but being linearly active is certainly part of the student culture at the University of Oslo.
DeleteTOM!!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you are having an okay time in Norway. Recently in class we have discussed the importance of developing a global mindset when it comes to leadership. This not only includes viewing other cultures as examples of what is "normal", but incorporating those cultural norms into your own cultural map. An example Dr. Perruci used was of Chinese culture and the use of chopsticks. On his first visit, he felt uncomfortable using chopsticks to eat and would rather have used a fork, but after several trips, he felt just as comfortable using chopsticks as he did a fork, thus developing it into a "new normal". Do you feel that you have been able to develop a global mindset from your experiences in Norway? What "new normals" do you see as part of your life when you finally return?
Please come back,
-Matt Chih
MATT CHIH!!
DeleteI think that there are two things that I have gotten used to:
1. Nobody talking to strangers, and generally being quiet in public. It will be weird to come back to the US where everybody is loud all the time.
2. The focus on nature and time spent outside. Norway and Norwegian culture is synonymous with nature, both being in it and conquering it. It will be strange to come back to the US where people aren't constantly carrying camping equipment on the subway downtown or eating 7 meals a week cooked on a portable grill by the lake.
I'll be back soon
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteI kind of wish we had similar coming of age practices here in the US. It interesting how Norway falls on the Linear Active side of the LMR model, but they have some cultural practices that seem very different from other Linear Active countries. Are there any other very different practices, beliefs, or examples that you have experienced there that diverges from what one would consider part of the Linear Active Style? Are there examples of leadership styles there that fit either of the other two categories?
Well I'm not really sure what the LMR model is or what other countries fall on the Liner Active side of it, but I can't really think of anything else that is particularly strange. Norwegians are usually quiet people who work hard during the week, party hard during the weekend, and love to be outdoors in almost any type of weather.
DeleteHi Tommy,
ReplyDeleteTo continue from Biru's point, both the United States and Norway fall on the linear active side of the LMR model, meaning that they are more focused on seeing results and everyone within a company or culture has a voice. In your experience in Norway does that hold true? Were you able to see many of the same types of leadership that you saw in the United States, or has the leadership difference been more extreme? Hope you are having a blast and I hope you have revolutionized the sport of dodgeball for all Norwegians.
Hi Benny,
DeleteOh I see. Norwegians (at least in my experience) definitely want to make sure everyone has a voice, but as far as I can tell results are not the be all end all goal of an organization. Although results are important to see, there are other factors at play.
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou had mentioned that there is a large emphasis on nature in the Norwegian Culture do you see this present in many aspects of the culture? I would be interested to know if this mindset extends through multiple classes or if it is something typically associated with the college age demographic. How do you think a mindset like this compares to one in the United States where camping and outdoor activities have been mixed thoroughly with amenities. I would think that with an emphasis on nature there would also be a large emphasis on social responsibility in areas where the environment is concerned. Social responsibility is a key factor of transformational leadership and I feel that simply due to this emphasis on nature there may be inherently more success in Norway than in the United States enacting transformational leadership. Could you maybe speak a little bit to this?
Hi Ethan,
DeleteNorwegians' love of nature is a trait which is held incredibly strongly by all generations, young and old. The mindset here is one which is totally unique from the mindset in the US. In the US, nature is seen as something almost exotic, and even then the 'nature' many (but certainly not all) people go to in the US is tamed nature, with well marked trails and marked camping grounds. In Norway, people actively avoid marked campgrounds; people purposefully go off the trails. Norway also has laws in place which allow people to move on, camp, and forage for food on any land except for people's yards within city limits and farmland while crops are going. It is common for people to backpack and camp along the side of the road.
I believe this goes hand-in-hand with the social responsibility held in such high regard in Norway, however I'm not sure this has much to do with transformation leadership on a large scale.
--Tom
Heyo Tom!
ReplyDeleteWe miss you so much in the physics here at Marietta! Pal’n around in the experimental room simply is not the same without you. I can’t wait to hear of all your tales when you’re back HOME here in Marietta.
So, this semester in leadership, we identified a number of different major themes in LEAD 203 including cultural competency. You talk about Russ in this post, which honestly sounds pretty sweet, but were there other Norwegian norms you, at some point, also had to get used to? How do you think this experience abroad helped your cultural competency skills?
Enjoy the rest of your time abroad!
David
Hi David,
DeleteMiss you too.
Well another Norwegian norm I had to get used to (if you could call it that) is that it is very common to hear numerous languages in a very small period of time. Norwegian, English, German, French, Czech, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish...
It was very overwhelming at first, but now I don't even notice. I think this helped my cultural competency because I've started to be able to pick out little bits of so many languages, and I'm more able to recognize where somebody is from based on the accent they speak English with.
--Tom
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteIn Lead 203 we've been talking about having to be flexible in other cultures and having to adapt to things that are not necessarily expected, such as the traditions you mentioned in the post, as a part of cultural competency. I was wondering if you noticed situations where you had to be willing to adjust or if there are parts of American culture that it is harder for you to be flexible on. Thanks!
Enjoy the rest of your semester abroad!
Rachel Ewing
Hi Rachel,
DeleteWell one thing that sticks out in my mind is, of course, the prices. Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. This is due to the nation importing a huge number of their goods and having a tax rate that is much higher than in the US. However over time this has just become a part of life. I still seek out good deals on groceries, but it no longer dominates my shopping. :)
--Tom
Hey Tom! It sounds like you're having a great time! Russ sounds like an awesome time and I wish we had something similar in the U.S.! In class, we recently discussed the VUCA Reality and Globalization 4.0. With Globalization 3.0 being clearly visible across the globe, do you believe that aspects of Globalization 4.0 are being seen in Norway, with advances of technology and so forth?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sebastian Ziaja
Hi Sebastian,
DeleteI agree, russ does sound fun. I actually got to work with a guy who is going through russ right now, very interesting to hear his take on it.
Well, I'm sorry to say, but I don't know what globalization 4.0 is, and I probably won't until next spring!
Sorry!
--Tom
Hey Buddy! i do not know who to be more jealous of: you or the guys in a Russ van. It looks and sounds like a grand time. While studying for the final exam ( I crammed) i went over Lewis's LMR model which puts Norway slightly closer to multi-active than the United states. So pretty similar but a little better at multi tasking. Have you found this to be true about the culture?
ReplyDeleteGood luck on finals and see you soon.
Isaiah Brady
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteLeadership wasn't quite the same without having you in class this semester. I got really excited at one point because I thought I saw you on the mall after not seeing you all semester, but then I remembered that you were abroad and I was sad. Moving forwards, in Global Leadership this semester we have learned about the concept of a global mindset. Dr. Perruci explains this as an individual who not only has knowledge of other cultures, but also integrated some of these cultures' values to form a new normal for the individual. There is also the international mindset which understands that other cultures have a different sort of normal, but does not embrace those other cultures norms. Finally, there is the parochial mindset, which understands ones own cultural norms and thinks that all the other ones are wacky. Seeing as you've gone into a new cultural context this semester as someone the "odd man out", have you noticed people from Norway to have a parochial, international, or global mindset? Also, do you think you've shifted from one mindset to another after going abroad?