The Monthly Moose

The magazine in English by ISU at UiO

In This Issue:
Survival Tips in Oslop.6
People Behind UiO Buildings p.16-19

Learn Norwegian on the Subwayp.22

And More...

Vol.3 Issue 5 — January 2011


Dear Reader,
January offers each and every one of us
a chance for a new beginning, a clean
slate for a new story, some pristine
snow to make snow angels in. Even
though I do not believe in the predic-
tions of the Mayan calendar, I admit
that it could be a good idea to live this
year as your last: to learn all the fun
skills you’ve been putting off, to read
the books you’ve never had the time to
read, to fulfil the dreams you’ve been
saving up for later.
“But what if I’m stuck in Oslo?” I hear
you say. Let me give you a puzzled look
before I give you the reasons why Oslo
is a great place to spend your last year
in. Firstly, it is a winter paradise -
which other city can boast a downhill
skiing resort, 2600 km of well-pre-
pared skiing tracks, and a bobsleigh
track?
Secondly, Oslo is a melting pot of di-
verse cultures from all over the world,
spicing up your life.
Thirdly, if you ever get tired of Oslo,
you can use one of the budget airlines
and see the Northern Lights in Bodø or
enjoy the sun in Barcelona. The world
is your oyster, so crack it open.
Have the time of your life with The
Moose of Norway.
Yours moose-ly,
Marija Cabuskina
2 \\ Editor's Note
The Monthly Moose — Villa Eika, Blindern 0314 Oslo, P.O. Box 1088. monthly.moose@gmail.com
Chief Editor: Marija Cabuskina — Writers: Agnieszka Pikuta, Aleksandra Guzek, Anita Iyer, B
Ria Tobing, Stephanie Müller, Wong Fafa, Yulia Pidlisna — Copy Editor: Anita Iyer — Proof Re
Rousseau, Marija Cabuskina, Stephanie Müller, Summer Choi, Vangelis Tasoulas — Cover Design: Iri
EDITORIAL
A New Year, the Same Responsibilities
In the final months of 2010, news coverage around the world
seemed driven at times by Julian Assange and the insights
into diplomacy highlighted by the leaked Wikileaks docu-
ments. However, alongside the diplomatic revelations and
scandals, the issues of responsibility, of the public’s right to
information, and the role of administrations, the media, and
activists in the spread of information have been highlighted.
We do not have the space or the inclination to go into a
full discussion of Wikileaks here. Indeed, seeing as we are a
volunteer-driven student publication, any attempt to place
ourselves in the same framework is somewhat delusional.
However, we mention the Wikileaks story because the issues
of responsibility and the right to information holds true for
the smaller sphere we operate in.
The Monthly Moose has a simple goal: to inform, entertain,
and champion the causes and experiences of the English
speaking student body in our pages. Last semester, we did
our best to highlight the woes of international students
forced to share overpriced and underfurnished single rooms,
provided summaries of articles published in Norwegian stu-
dent media, and did our best to build connections with the
Norwegian student body.
We did this because we felt then, as we do now, that students
who use English as their primary means of communication
at UiO have the right to a publication which is entertain-
ing and informative; which can serve as their voice as well
as their information source. While there is a world of differ-
ence between publishing diplomatic cables and Universitas
summaries, we hope that our efforts have helped to illumi-
nate the goings-on at UiO for those who do not follow Nor-
wegian, just as we hope our articles about the international
student experience have helped the administration and the
Norwegian student body understand how it feels to be new
to Norway.
However, we cannot do this alone. The end of the fall semes-
ter meant we had to say goodbye to some of our staff mem-
bers, as they left Oslo for home . It is up to you – be you
Norwegian, an International student, a member of the uni-
versity staff, or merely an interested party – to help us. We
are always ready to welcome new contributors, new readers,
and tips or suggestions for stories. 2011 will be an exciting
year for the Moose. We hope you come along for the ride!
 CONTENTS 8   Visit Oslo’s Hidden Mu-
seums!

4 Introducing International
Student Union
6 Survival Tips in Oslo
7 Meet Norwegians
8 Museums in Oslo
9 Norwegian Food
10 Where Mountains Touch the Sea
14 Poetry Section
15 Icelandic in Norway
16 Who’s Behind The Names
of The UiO Buildings? 16 Why do buildings in
Blindern have dif-
ferent names?
19 Famous Norwegians
20 What´s on in Oslo?
21 Bread and Games: Food and Fun
21 Cooking All’italiano
22 ElgInt: Learn Norwegian
the Moose Way
23 Moose Comic Strip 22 Learn Norwegian as
you take the subway!
Contents // 3

Blayne Sapelli, Francesco Spinalli, Hrafnhildur Hauksdóttir, Julie Rousseau, Leah Grambo, Marija Cabuskina,
eaders: Anita Iyer — Visual Content: Aleksandra Guzek, Élodie Brunet, John Modin, Julie
ine Osepashvili, John Modin, Marija Cabuskina — Layout: John Modin, Marija Cabuskina.
 Meet the board
of the
International Student Union
ISU UiO is a branch of ISU Norway, a
Elections were held at the Interna- non-profit organization run for and
tional Coffee Hour on Friday, Sep- by international students. On a na-
tember 3rd
President tional level we work in cooperation
with the Norwegian Students Union.
Vice President General Secretary

Daniel Rolin, Slovakia Radan Furiel, Slovakia

Why are you going to make the
best damn Vice President ever?
I was the author of the Kring-
sja 24 petition, but the ad-
ministration refused to meet
with me even though we col-
lected more than a hundred
signatures. Now, I have a
title, and that gives me lever-
age to make compensation
happen. I’m good at negoti-
ating. Basically, I’m going to
be the best damn president
ever’s right hand man!
What kind of experience do you
have?
I’ve worked as an Amnesty
International lobbyist.
Hypothetically, if some kind of
terrible scandal were to destroy
your administration, what
4 \\ Introducing the UIO
Lubica Rozborova, Slovakia Why are you going to make the
Why are you going to be the best best damn General Secretary of
damn President ever? all time?
I don’t promise, I just work. I have no ambition to say I’m
I don’t believe Slovakia is a real the best, that’s up to others to
country. I think it’s some kind of decide.
elaborate practical joke to confuse Hypothetically, if some kind of
Americans. terrible scandal were to destroy
Our country is so beautiful, and your administration, would it
if you don’t know about it, that’s more likely involve prostitutes or
your problem. cocaine?
Definitely prostitutes.
Social Affairs Minister Why are you going to make the best damn
Social Affairs Minister ever?
I want to get all students socialized in
addition to their studies, because it’s
important for everyone to have a bet-
ter understanding of the world, and the
best way to do that is by meeting other
people.
Considering your lack of Borat, why is

would it be? Azerbaijan better than Kazakhstan?

First of all, why did you ask that ques-
Utter negligence. Alizamin Jafarli, Azerbaijan tion? Why Kazakhstan as opposed to
any other country in Asia?

Political and Academ- Why are you going to be the best damn Political Affairs Minister ever?
ic Affairs Minister
I’ve studied political science for years, I have an avid interest in politics
of all kinds, and I’m going to do my very best to fight for the needs of
international students.
What kind of experience do you have?
I’ve worked for a US Senator dealing with constituents.
Hypothetically, if some kind of terrible scandal were to destroy your adminis-
tration, what would it be?
Money laundering with the Norwegian Mafia.
Jared Lennon, USA
Trips Advisor Why are you going to make the best damn trip advisor ever?
‘Cause I already am the best damned trip advisor ever. I have spent a homeless
night in the middle of Norway, gone dogsledding in Tromsø, to the top of Ber-
gen, and I know a bit about making the most of a trip. Seeing isn’t as important
as being and experiencing.
I have this weird football shaped rash on my elbow. What should I do about it?
Well, I’m no doctor, but what you do is get a few coconuts and crack them open
and make a small bath of the fluids, I find a bowl and three coconuts works
pretty well. You submerge the rash for about three hours while dining on the
interior of the coconuts, find the nearest beach party, and don a hula skirt, but
keep on your shirt and your cool, and hula dance up next to the prettiest girl
Schuyler Lystad, in the place and whisper in her ear and ask her if she’s ever felt waves lapping
on the equator.
USA
Unless you want to get rid of it. Then topical cream.
Sports Minister Why are you going to make the best damn Sports Minister ever?
Because I love sports! I was a part of both the badminton and cricket teams at
my home university
What kind of experience do you have?
I was the organizer of sports at my department back home.
Hypothetically, if some kind of terrible scandal were to destroy your administration,
what would it be?
Muhammed Attab No comment.
Javed, Pakistan
Why are you going to be the best damn Edi- Editor in Chief of
tor in Chief of the Monthly Moose ever? The Monthly Moose

ISU
Calendar
February:
5.2. - Oldies Party
14.2. Chocolate Factory Trip
14.2. - Valentine s Day Party
March:
6.3. Mausoleum Trip
12.3.Mini-Bottle Museum Trip
Because we’re worth it! We’re the only
media here on campus that publishes
exclusively in English. We have to do our
best to inform international students
here that don’t speak Norwegian.
Is there any conflict of interest inherent in
being interviewed by one of your own staff
members?
There certainly is, but I’m also writing
for the Moose, and it’s probably better
than interviewing myself. Marija Cabuskina, Latvia
Webmaster
Why are you going to be the best damn
webmaster ever?
Because I’m a IT-nerd
Why is making websites better than cook-
ing?
Introducing the UIO // 5

April: Because after designing websites you

don’t have to clean!
9.4. Beach Party
July: Anna Karpova, Russia
5.6. Hovedøya Picnic
What do we do?
• We mediate any problems or issues that might arise
between international students and other organisa-
Questions? Comments? tions.
Contact isu.oslo@gmail.com • We organize trips.
Join our Facebook group: • We organize sport events.
The International Students’ • We publish this magazine
Union at the University of • We coordinate cultural events.
• We host parties. Text: Blayne Sapelli
Oslo 2010/2011 Photos: John Modin
• We promote the weekly International
Reprinted from
Coffee Hour at Chateau Neuf. issues 1 ,2 2010
 Free Advice
11 Tips To Getting The
Most Out Of Life In Oslo
A new semester, a new country,
a new city– adjusting to life in
Oslo can be tough and expensive,
especially for for those new to
Norway. Here are some quick
tips to help you stay safe, save
money, and get the most out of
life in Oslo
1) Free food at Kiwi: By now, most
of you are probably aware that Kiwi
is one of the cheapest places to buy
groceries. But did you know that
you can get food there for free? Kiwi
guarantees that all the food sold in
their shops is fresh, and backs this
promise up with a sweet deal – if
you find anything which expires
today or tomorrow on the shelves,
you get the product for free. Expired
products can be traded for a fresh
version of the same product, and
expired cigarettes or alcohol net you
the equivalent value in cash. So start
checking those expiration dates!
2) Loppemarkeds: Secondhand
shopping in the fresh air is a great
way to find cheap furniture, clothes,
books, music, or whatever else you
need but don’t necessarily want
to buy brand-new. So grab some
cash and check out the weekly
Saturday market under the bridge at
Grønland (right next to the T-bane
station) or hit the Sunday market at
Birkelunden.
3) Grønland for Greens: In need
of fresh fruits and veggies? Then hop
the T-bane to Grønland! The small
immigrant-run shops routinely rank
at the top of the list of places to find
the best and cheapest produce. This
area is also the source of some of the
cheapest kebabs in the city.
4) Medical Assistance, 24/7:
Need to see a doctor? The 24 hour
legevakt (emergency clinic) at
Storgata 44 is always open. You’ll
also find a 24 hour pharmacy there.
You can find it right across from the
6 \\ Survival Tips
tram stop Hausmanns gate
5) Late T-Bane? Take a cab!: If
you are waiting for a bus, T-bane,
boat or tram in Oslo which is
running more than 20 minutes late,
Ruter will cover the cost of a cab up
to 500kr to get you to your location.
Read more about the guarantee here
www.sporveien.no/PageFiles/227/
travel_guarantee_feb2010.pdf
6) Shopping on Sundays: There’s
nothing that makes a Sunday
morning hangover worse than
awaking and realizing that you
are completely out of food/toilet
paper/coffee. Luckily, there are
several smaller grocery stores open
on Sundays, such as the Joker,
Bunnpris, and Ica at Majorstuen,
as well as many of the shops in
Grønland.
7) The Night Bus: Before your
next night on the town, familiarize
yourself with the night bus schedule.
The cost of the night bus is covered
under a valid monthly student
transit card. If you don’t have a
student transit card, the night bus
is still cheaper than taking a taxi
home. Check out www.trafikanten.
no for more info.
8) Cheap(er) Haircuts: Like much
else in Oslo, haircuts here are quite
expensive. Those of you unwilling to
trust the scissors to a friend (or go
the do-it-yourself route) can always
hit one of the styling schools in Oslo.
Here, students will style your hair
under the watchful gaze of seasoned
professionals, who will intervene
if necessary. Some places to check
out include the Auster Academy
on Karl Johan, or Adam and Eva,
located near
Jernbanetorget.
9) Free Enter-
tainment: It
might feel like
everything in
Oslo costs a
lot of money,
but things do
happen in this
city for free. The website Oslo
Pulse (www.oslopuls.no) offers
a searchable calendar of events.
Unfortunately, it’s in Norwegian,
but with the aid of a dictionary, a
translation tool, or a Norwegian
friend, even the least skilled
in Norwegian can navigate it.
Remember, the word for free is
gratis!
10) Embrace Friluftslivet!: Life
in Norway is all about embracing
friluftsliv, or literally the fresh air
life. Living in Oslo means that an
excellent selection of skiing, (and in
four months’ time, swimming and
hiking) opportunities are just a short
bus or T-bane ride away. Check out
DNT’s (Den Norske Turistforening)
website for more information.
http://www.turistforeningen.no/
11) Emergency: Hopefully, you’ll
never need this information, but in
case of an emergency, dial:
110 - Fire
112 – Police
113 - Ambulance
120 – Emergency at open sea
Text: Anita Iyer
Photo : Summer choi
Befriending a
Norwegian
Getting to know Norwegians can be like trying
to crack open a beer without a bottle opener. It
proves to be a challenge, but once the cap is finally
off, you savor it even more and it will bring you
much joy.
I also open with a metaphor on beer, because
getting to know Norwegians is typically founded
on the ability to consume alcohol.
When I first came to Norway, I was at a
folkehøgskole, a one year residence school. The
first week, everyone was shy, quiet, and bored.
Then came Thursday, and suddenly it was time to
drink. Coming from the states, going out involved
drinking at the bar. I missed the concept of vorspiel,
which is the phenomenon of getting drunk before
going out on the town. During vorspiel, since I was
empty-handed, I was constantly asked if I wanted
some of what they had, and when I said yes, they
immediately opened up to me. If I said no thanks,
they asked if I was pregnant or just super religious.
I was neither, thank you.
The following day, it seemed like we were suddenly
one big family and everyone had something in
common now, and had bonded overnight. I was
dumbfounded, but grateful. You see, Norwegians
rarely switch classes throughout their schooling,
so loyalty is in their blood, and the friendships I’ve
developed in my time here go deep.
Since then I’ve been on the prowl to find
additional ways to get to know Norwegians. I was
determined that there was another way! And the
good news is…there is! I’ve created a little reference
guide for those of you who would love to get more
acquainted with the evasive “Nordmann.”
First and foremost, I spoke a bit of
Norwegian when I landed, so that helped my
efforts immensely. Especially on campus and in
pubs, most Norwegians will respect that you even
bothered to learn the language and encourage you.
For some reason more men have been eager to
speak English with me than women, but I was firm
that that was not why I came to Norway! Snakk
norsk! Norsk is one of the ultimate friendship-
barriers to battle. But not everyone has that
option, so…
• Join an idrettslag, a sports team.
Innebandy [floor ball] is a popular activity,
but even a tai chi class can provide the
opportunity you’ve been looking for. Ask
a Norwegian to teach you how to cross
country ski, which is super fun and very
cultural.
• Join a theatre club or choir.
• Hyttetur! Another phenomenon, some
subjects here on campus do it, but it
depends on which department you’re in
and other factors.
• Study groups. If you’re taking a class with
many Norwegians, kollokviegrupper will
not only help you study but bring you
closer to your classmates.
• If you can, a part time job can take you a
long way. And you increase your vocabulary
immensely depending on what kind of
store it is.
• Join NORSAAS (www.norsaas.com)
or other Globally-conscious alliance
organizations. NORSAAS for example is
a Norwegian-American student alliance,
and members just happen to be a mix of
Americans and Norwegians!
• Marry one. Haha, just because I fell in love
with a Norwegian doesn’t mean you have
to. I only mention it because I actually Befriending a Norwegian // 7
met my husband where I first learned
Norwegian and later taught at Skogfjorden,
a summer camp in Minnesota, USA. You
can learn more about that here: http://
skogfjorden.villagepages.org.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but these
are things that I have found along the journey, and
I’ve tried every one of the points with at least a
little bit of success. I hope something in there is
something you’re willing to try, and that it works
for you, too!
Happy friendship-making!
Text: Leah Grambo
Photo: Marija Cabuskina
 Explore Oslo’s Museums
Oslo is well known for its cultural events and pos­sesses a variety of ca. 50 museums
wherebysomeofthemarefamousevenoutsideofNorway,suchastheNationalMuseum
and the Viking Ship Museum. However, there are also other smaller museums which
are sometimes overlooked, unjustly as this selection of museums will hope­fully show.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Museum books, costumes and magic equipment, some of
This museum offers, as its name implies, Norwe- them really rare. If you want to see some magic
gian arms presented chronologi­cally from the Vi- the museum arranges magic shows on Sun­day at
kings – rep­resented barely with three swords – over 2pm.
the Middle Age until the Second World War and If the show inspires you and you want to become
the War at Sea 1939- 1945. The Middle Age Sec- a magi­cian yourself then you can pur­chase books
tion shows a multitude of weapons from the old and magic equip­ment there.
castle, Akershus, and the war with Sweden in 1808, The entrance is for free.
such as pistols, swords and cannons. The constant Location: Take the T-Bane to Nationaltheatre
exhibition on the Second World War shows be­side and walk the street down to Aker Brygge. The
Norwegian, German and Russian machine-guns a museum is in Munke­damsveien 65b, 3.etg.
Nor­wegian Tiger Moth aircraft and a German com- Opening hours: every Sunday 1 - 4pm
bat vehicle. The last part of the museum is devoted
to the War at Sea 1939-1945 with a list of all 4500 The Theatre
fallen Norwegian seamen. Fur­thermore there is Museum of
also shown the convoys, a German torpe­do and an Oslo
anti-u-boat weapon. The Theatre Muse-
The entrance is for free. um situated in the
Location: Beside the Aksershus Festning. The clos- heart of Oslo has
est T-Bane Station is Stortinget. been located on
Opening hours: 1 Sep. - 30 Apr.: Monday closed, the second floor
Tue-Fri 11am - 4pm, Sat/Sun 11am - 5pm 1 May - of the old City
31 Aug.: Mon-Fri 10am - 5pm, Sat/Sun 11am - 5pm Hall since 1641.
Inside you can ex-
pect to expe­rience
a lively exhibi-
tion with original
theatre and opera
costumes from fa-
mous Nor­wegian
actresses of the last 200 years beside many other
original requisites from Oslo’s famous Christi-
ania Theatre in which plays of Ibsen and Bjørn­
son celebrated their premiere. In addition the
museum has a changing exhibition, which at
8 \\ Oslo's Hidden Museums

the moment is devoted to the living and hous-

ing condi­tions in Oslo over the last 200 years,
Norwegian Museum of Magic (Norsk including house models like that of the oldest
Tryllemu­seum) theatre, Christiania Theatre, from 1837.
Did you know Henrik Ibsen did conjuring tricks in The entrance is for free.
his youth? You can find out the whole story and Location: Take the T-Bane to Stortinget and
get information about more famous Norwe­gian walk to Kvadra­turen. You will see the muse­um
magicians if you come to the Museum of Magic. The right in front of you.
ex­hibition presents the history of Norwegian magic Opening hours: Tue - Sun 11am - 4pm
by a variety of posters, newspaper articles, photos,
Norway’s Resistance Mu­seum
On April 9th, 1940, a German warship was sunk
in the Oslo Fjord, which gave the Norwe­gian
King Håkon VII and his family, the Government
and Members of the Stortinget, time to escape
from Oslo be­fore the Nazis captured the city and
the whole country. This occasion is deemed to
be the beginning of the Nazi regime in Norway
until May 8th 1945, when the Second World War
ended. Norway was not prepared for the Ger­man
attack. However, as this museum shows
the Norwegians have been pretty active
in resistance movements: underground
newspapers have been printed, it was
listened to independent radio stations and
German Heavy Water operations had been
sabotaged. The exhibition also informs
under which conditions Nor wegians who
fought for freedom of their country had
been imprisoned in concentration camps
and the Møllergaten Prison in Oslo.
Furthermore the persecution of the Nor-
wegian Jews is detailed and recorded by
documents, posters, objects and pictures.
Finally the victory of the Allies and the
return of the King in Oslo completes the
exhibition with pictures of glory and joy.
The entrance fee is 15 NOK for
students.
Location: The museum is housed in an
old building in Akershus Castle.
Opening hours: until May: Mon-Fri
10am - 4pm, Sat/Sun 11am - 4pm Jun-
Aug.: Mon-Sat
10am - 5pm,
Sun 11am - 5pm
The Kon-
Tiki
Museum
This museum
is dedicated to
the expeditions
of the Norwe-
gian adventurer
Thor Heyerdahl.
You can view
the original
Kon-Tiki raft,
which crossed the Pacific Ocean (8000km)
in 1947 and the boot Ra II, a faithfully
recreated papyrus boat, which crossed the
Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados (ca
6000 km) in 1970. There are also artefacts
from Ancient Egypt and archaeological
finds from the Easter Island, Peru and
East Polynesia with the mystical Eastern
Island Statues called Moai. Or why not try
and find the 10m long whale shark?!
The entrance fee for students is 40
NOK.
Location: Take the bus 30 to Bygdøynes,
get off at the last stop and you will stay
right in front of the museum.
Opening hours: Jan. Feb. Nov. Dec.:
10am - 3pm Mar. Oct.: 10am - 4pm Apr.
May. Sep.: 10am - 5pm Jun. Jul. Aug.:
9.30am - 6pm
Text and pictures: Stephanie Müller
Reprinted from Issue 4, 2008
Food that matters:
Norwegian Cuisine
T
he scene: I was having dinner with a friend for the
first time, at a cozy place in Majorstuen. I’d ordered
salad with shrimps. But the weird combination of
seafood with raspberry sauce left an unforgettably pecu-
liar taste in my mouth.
And then this simple thought appeared in my head:
“What would life be without good food?” Automatically,
these delicious pictures from Italian cuisine popped into
my head: antipasti, pasta, fish, meat, salads and the sepa-
rate but GREAT topic of desserts…. combined with good
wine…
But what about Norwegian food? What could be honored
with the title of “norsk mat?” What does an average Nor-
wegian family eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
A visit to any local supermarket chain revealed a very sim-
ple assortment of fresh food and aisles of semi-processed
and fully prepared dishes of iconic Norwegian food - pølser
[sausage] or boring “Grandiosa” pizza. Traditionally, what
you need for the perfect Norwegian plate is meat, boiled
potatoes and vegetables with “tyttebær” [lingonberry]
sauce and/or gravy (also usually prepared from a package).
A traditional Norwegian dish typically involves a lot of
curing and drying. A good example, the “must try” Lute-
fisk , which can be eaten as part of a Julebord [Christ-
mas dinner], is a fish that has been soaked in lye and then
cooked in broth. Another good example is dried flatbread
stored on the shelf for months, called Lefse , which is
used for both special occasions and everyday eating.  Be-
side dried food, another sensation I traditionally associate
with Norwegian food is an unusual mixture of sweet and
salty tastes. Brown cheese [brunost] is a good example of
this concept. It tastes like caramel combined with cheese.
It is very strange, but usually can be found in traditional
packed lunches [matpakke]. However, despite Norwegian
cuisine relying on strange, dried, salty and sweet foods
there is one thing which saves it: Norwegian heart shaped
waffles and gløgg.
If we want to find an explanation for why Norwegian
cuisine is the way it is, we could look up back in history
and find two major causes. The first one is a lack of a his-
tory with aristocratic and bourgeois classes involved who
could have stimulated the development of more advanced
culinary traditions. The second explanation is one which
can be applied to almost everything - the weather condi-
Norwegian Food // 9
tions. Here we can use the weather to understand the lim-
ited variety of fresh ingredients typically available, which
also explains the favoring of dishes that could be stored
through harsh winters.
In conclusion, I just have one question and interesting
fact.
So, my question is: where is that supposed list of 101 reci-
pes of dishes with salmon?
Interesting fact: For a country without a good culinary
tradition, Norway does very well in cooking competitions.
Norwegian chefs are second only to the French when it
comes to the number of Bocuse d’Or wins*.
Text:Yulia Pidlisna
___________________________________
*http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125201428261684579.html
 Where mountains touch the sea
Oslo is a perfect place to start trips into the mountains. If you are hitch-hiking you can
go in every direction and very quickly stand in the main road. As we know, a hitch-hiker
should never get off the main roads, because it can cause many problems - like waiting
for a car for 4 hours.
This time I decided to go to the
Romsdalen Mountains. I took
road no. 4, which is situated on
the north-east side of Oslo. After
only fifteen minutes of waiting,
the first car pulled over! Great! I
had transfers in Gran, Raufoss, Biri
and Lillehammer, so it wasn’t too
good.  In addition, Lillehammer is
not a good place to catch a car. I was
standing in an alley with very heavy
traffic.
I hadn’t been waiting for very
long, maybe 3 minutes, when one
car stopped. A man very quickly
organized a nice place for me and
10 \\ Travelogue
packed my backpack in the trunk of
his car. There was almost no space
for my stuff, and a negative person
could say „ Sorry, I do not have
space for your backpack.”  But this
guy was very positive, and he really
wanted me to get into his car. It was
very strange.
Well ... the conversation was very
interesting. We talked about many
things, even about religion. In the
end he asked me whether I had a
gun, and if so, where. Of course I
didn’t have one, but I told him that
I did, but that I couldn’t tell him
where. From that moment, the
journey was very tense. In addition,
this “nice” guy started to talk about
sex …
Fortunately, I made it to Åndalsnes
safely – a beautiful town where
the contrasts between fjord and
mountains are stunning. It was
getting dark already but I had
enough time to pitch a tent before
the sun disappeared.
During the first day in the
Romsdalen mountains I tried to
reach the Frokostplassen because it
is the closest place for non climbers
to stand near Trollveggen – the
tallest climbing wall in Europe.
In theory, the path is marked on
the map, but in reality it is not
marked at all. I walked up to a very
steep area, but the ground started
constantly slipping under my
feet.  There was a lot of crumbling
rocks and unstable ground.  I
decided to turn back because I didn’t
know if I was going in the right
direction, especially when it started
to be quite dangerous. I wanted to
go down very quickly in order to
pitch a tent before the dark came.
I found the stores that I left before,
but on my way I lost my camera and
sunglasses. Fortunately, I found the
camera.
On the second day I decided to
go to Bispen. One man who gave
me a ride told me about this
summit, that it is a very popular
place for climbers and hikers.
Basically there are three routes
up to the summit to choose
from, with different levels of
difficulty. The red one goes
through the north ridge and it is
mostly walking and scrambling
your way up, but if you lose the
correct path you can end up in
much steeper terrain. The way
through the south ridge is the
shortest way with the simple
climbing on loose rocks. The last,
green line through the east ridge
is the most difficult and involves real climbing,
graded between a Norwegian 4 and 5. I didn’t
have any equipment and partner to climb with,
so I decided to take the easiest way.
The path on the map only leads half of the way
up and is well marked when we look around
carefully. From about 1100 meters above sea
level the way to the summit was only marked
with typical Norwegian cairns. Some of them
were mistakenly located.  I had to be careful,
because I could get into trouble very easily. It is
good that I left a store because I had to scramble
at high exposure. Finally I reached the summit
with very good weather conditions, and I had a
full view of all the surrounding area. On the top
there was a book which you can sign as proof
that you reached the Bispen.
The second day I decided to pitch a tent in
a different place  in the beginning of the
Langfjelldalen valley, which I crossed the next
day. It was a simple and nice path, with many
animals and sounds around. At the end of
this valley I met hunters who had spent the
last three days inside a cabin. This cabin was
beautiful and, by mountain cabin conditions,
very comfortable. Access to this cabin is free and
it is open all summer. Amazing! And 100 meters
further on you can launch a boat or swim in the
lake. In the heart of the mountains!

That is Norway!
Text & Photo: Aleksandra Guzek

Travelogue // 11
 The old Holmenkollen
12 \\ Holmenkollen: a leap of history

Winter sport fun

in Oslo
 Snowboarding // 13

Photo: Vangelis Tasoulas

John Modin

Norway: Home of the Outlander
Therefore she is the sea-maid,
ice-sword blinds her eyes, drifts
the glitter, frosty and bright.
Therefore the melted moon becomes the Ocean.
Cold, warm, cold, flow, eyeless,
unseen perception
eventually recalls her direction.
Therefore in the woods along the coast, I was there,
standing, solidify my waiting to fly,
to the sky, to water, therefore,
I imagine if somewhere above the deep frost
may grow the south flower bud under the cross?
Northern Birds therefore forget their soar,
nest with their pale longing,
start to sing the tropic songs.
Therefore she is the sea-maid
weaving through the crystal.
Exhausted darkness, eventually
she recognizes the colour through her skins.
Therefore I will gaze near the shore,
birds will be carved as the statue and
14 \\ Home of the Outlander
freezing the gloomy storm.
The falling sprig, the desire to bloom,
therefore it is the North, somewhere belong to nowhere,
home
of the outlander.
Text: Wong Fafa
Photo: Vangelis Tasoulas
Foreigner deluxe
– Being Icelandic in
Norway
It isn’t always a pure delight to be a
foreigner, no matter where on the
planet your feet are touching the
ground, but despite some complications,
Norway is definitely one of the best
places for an Icelander to be one.
Coming from a country where practically
nothing grows except for some very green
grass, neighbourly love and the most
adorable arrogance (...), it was mostly the
variety of living creatures that kept me in
a constant state of astonishment my first
few weeks in Norway. I could stare at a
sunflower for ages, admiring how it looked
just as cartoon-like in real life as it did in…
cartoons. And I never got tired of watching
the cheeky magpies (skjære in Norwegian),
the animal equivalent of the naughty
Icelandic Christmas lads. They still crack me
up, as do the pretty 18 year-old ballerinas
who insist on shoving tobacco under their
upper lip, as if it were the latest type of
accessories to their fashionable clothes.
Since Icelanders and Norwegians basically
look the same, Norwegians always seem to
assume I am one of them until I open my
mouth to speak. But boy, the look on their
faces when I, happy as a clam that some
stranger would start a conversation with me
in the park for no reason at all, reply in my
fluent, yet brutally rah-tah-tah sounding
Norwegian. Occasionally it has even caused
them to turn their backs and leave without
a word. But most of the time, after that first
look of confusion, people tend to become
curious, and often they even ask if I am
Icelandic. Once my nationality has been
established, I have, in the blink of an eye,
turned into their long lost relative and I get
to hear all about their grandmother falling
in love with an Icelandic sailor in 1923, and
how they have always wanted to go to Iceland,
or that they were there last summer and
bought some of that Icelandic brennivín (an
Icelandic type of alcohol a.k.a. Black Death,
a name it has been given for a good reason)
in the duty free store. Do I know their old
childhood penpal, Jón? And how are things
going with my family, with the crisis and all?
And how come I speak Norwegian so well
(even if they hardly understood a word I
was saying one minute ago). At the speed of
light, I have been promoted to an honorary
Norwegian, a foreigner deluxe.
When moving to a foreign
country, language skills are
vital. However, having studied
Danish at school for some years,
learning Norwegian is usually
not a language skill Icelanders
need to worry about. You see,
most Norwegians don’t have
a clue how similar the two
languages actually are, apart
from the pronunciation and an
extensive list of recently added
words that have to do with
technology etc. Take away all Norway
the complicated grammar from
Icelandic and what you have left
is basically Norwegian with -ur
at the end of some nouns. This
means that any Norwegian
with a good ear for languages
and a rah-tah-tah-filter would
probably understand at least
half of what you are saying
when you are chatting away
over a latte with your Icelandic
friends at the local café, if
he or she only realized how
easy it would be (something
I found out the hard way Iceland
shortly after I came here,
unfortunately during one of my less dignified even if we are used to talking in that
moments). Thankfully most Norwegians are deranged manner to our fellow Icelanders over here,
totally unaware of this and thus unable to use we better switch over to our native language when
it to their advantage, and I am counting on you, our mothers call us from the old country, so they
my fellow foreigners reading this, to keep this won’t start worrying about our health.
secret to yourself. Homesickness is not a good thing, but most people
To protect ourselves, many of us have come up living away from their home country experience it
with our own version of Icelandic, to get through at one time or another. Luckily for Icelanders living
the day without uncomfortable attention, or in Norway, there are plenty of other Icelanders to
even a bloody nose. So, instead of saying things meet up with, an Icelandic union and a priest. In
straight out and using our normal vocabulary the time of the Internet, with Skype, MSN etc., I
Icelandic in Norway // 15

like we usually would, when surrounded by don´t see why you shouldn´t manage to cope with
Norwegians we may choose to use unusual homesickness. But when we start suffering from it,
words and ways to get to the point, sometimes when someone’s sneezing sounds like Icelandic, we
it turns out to be total BS, but as long as our can always eat the pain away with a little help from
friends understand what we are talking about, Icelandic chocolate in Deli de Luca.
anything goes. Here is one example, translated
Text: Hrafnhildur Hauksdóttir
into English; You are at the grocery store and
Photos: Marija Cabuskina
you want to point out to your friend that the
guy standing next to you is the guy from your
Ex.phil. class that you’ve had a secret crush
on and have been raving on and on about for
ages. Instead of saying: “Look! That’s the cute
guy from Ex.phil.!”, you say to your friend: “A
being on the right side of my elbow is mighty
fine and has been mentioned quite frequently
in our conversations for the last weeks.” But
 UiO Campus Buildings:
Who are These People?
Have you ever wondered who is behind the names of the
buildings? Do you also say “See you in Niels Treschow’s!”
and “I can’t come, I have to study in Georg Svedrup’s” as
if the houses were owned by the respective people? On a
spooky night they might look as oversized gravestones
with a name on each.This article will try to satisfy your
hunger for information about these people.
Niels Treschow (1751-1833): History and
philosophy
As many students of his time, Niels picked philology
and theology, but his ambition led him to become a
prominent politician, philosopher and educationalist.
He opposed the foundation of Norway’s own
university, but when it was founded in 1813 he
became its professor of philosophy. Treschow was
one of the most notable men behind the Norwegian
Constitution. At that time Sweden claimed Norway
from Denmark as an aftermath of the Napoleon wars,
and the Danish royalty planned to give Norway political
liberties in exchange for loyalty to the Danish crown.
Niels Treschow did diplomacy between the prince and
the Constitutional Assembly in 1814 and wrote his
own draft of Constitution. He then was elected to the
first Stortinget (parliament). He is also the author of
the first Nordic monograph on psychology.
Georg Sverdrup (1770-1850): Library of
humanities and social studies
This freshly hatched Copenhagen philologist became
a professor in Greek language and literature and took
responsibility for the University Library. He acquired
6000 books in a few years, but a sudden discovery of 50
000 volumes, a gift from Denmark made the amounts
reach 90 000 books in 1828. A representative of the
Independence party, Sverdrup was elected leader of
the Constitutional Assembly in Eidsvoll. He was also
elected twice to Stortinget where he carried out several
educational reforms. However, a cocktail of political
activities and lecturing led to his “literary sterility”, an
absence of major written works.
Frederik Holst (1791-1871): Institute for health
care and social medicine
Frederik Holst was not just an M.D.: he had a sharp
eye for social circumstances and made use of foreign
16 \\ UiO Buildings
practices in order to beat health issues in Norway.
A professor, he taught a variety of disciplines to the
would-be doctors; a chief medical officer in Oslo
he ameliorated conditions in prisons and mental
asylums, and as a researcher he
showed how better social
conditions can improve national health. In his
PhD he nailed down the connection between
the “rade sickness” and lifestyles, climate and
nutrition along the Norwegian coast. Holst
is behind Rikshospitalet, Gaustad asylum,
Botsfengsel prison, and a medical magazine
Eyr. Holst was also a member of medical law
committee that submitted the draft of Health
Care System Law, the ancestor of today’s welfare
system.
Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829): mathematics
This brilliant mathematician died before his
time; however, his life might have ended even
earlier. Born 3 months in advance as a result of
his mother’s partying habits, he was sprinkled
with wine and wrapped in cotton for days “in
order to hold life within.” His father, a district
priest subjected him to home-teaching with his
own books where, ironically enough, we find
0+1=0. Niels was not good at humanities, so
his friendship with Holmboe, one of the best
mathematicians, was a gift to him. Amidst fam-
ily calamities, Niels published his first scientific
article and started his major work on quintic
equations. Math was not available at UiO, so
Abel traveled abroad, funded by Holmboe’s
friends. Abel ended up in Berlin where he met
Crelle, a self-made mathematician-architect
and a founder of Journal for Pure and Applied
Mathematics— nowadays still influential. In
Paris, the “mathtodons” were too conservative
for his complicated theories. Niels’ manuscript
was repeatedly lost, and he returned to Nor-
way as a failure with no positions in sight and
many family debts. Aged only 27, he died of a
lung condition.Upon his death, happy tidings
came: Crelle procured him a position in Berlin,
and the Academy of Paris issued a prize of 1500
francs, all of which went to Niels’ hard-drinking
mother. Despite his short life he left a big legacy
to math: discoveries in quantitative equations
and function.. Nowadays his name is borne by
streets in Oslo, Paris and Berlin, an asteroid
and a moon crater. His statue by Vigeland can
be seen in the Slottsparken, and Abelprisen,
a mathematical equivalent of Nobel’s prize, is
given out every year.
Henrik Wergeland (1808-1845):Nordic studies
Poet, playwright and populist, Wergeland is to-
tally unknown to foreigners, but affectionately
loved by Norwegians for his poetry, flamboyant
lifestyle and manifest patriotism. He studied
theology, but his career as a priest never took
off, due to his arguments with the authorities.
He even tried to pick up medicine in-
stead, which she quit when he got
was a job at theUniversity Library
and later in the archives. Later, the
king, Karl Johan, gave him a sti-
pend of 200 crowns
a year, for which
Wergeland offi-
cially promised to write more educative articles
for the poor. He instigated to improving the
conditions of students, the interned and Jews
(§2 of the Constitution disallowed their accep-
tance to the country). He built a house “Grot-
ten” near the Royal Palace, nowadays an hon-
orary residence for important cultural workers.
However, a final court decision on one of his
youthful delinquencies drained all Wergeland’s
money forcing him and his wife to move to a
little abode “Hjerterum”. There he kept writing
poetry suffering from tuberculosis. When he
died the gravestone was donated by the Jewish
society of Oslo, and six years after his death §
2 was removed.
Peter Andreas Munch (1810-1863): History
P. A Munch’s mission was to write a history Nor-
way could be proud of. His pen was a source of
monographs on a variety of topics, of which his
eight-volume thick “History of the Norwegian
people” stands out; however, he only got as far
as 1397. He is also the author of a speculative
immigration theory, where he explained the
democracy and equality in Norwegian society
as a result of Norwegians’ belonging to a sepa-
rate Germanic tribe that immigrated from the
North. His eagerness brought him to Vatican’s
archives.. Overwhelmed with his scientific en-
deavors, he had a lethal stroke when trying to
cool his head in a fountain on a hot day. He was
buried in Italy, and many of his manuscripts
from Italy were lost in a shipwreck.
Do not confuse P.A.Munch with the author of
“The Scream”: the painter was actually a neph-
ew of his.
Eilert Sundt (1817-1875): Social sciences
A young and uneducated person, E.Sundt came
across various social problems: lifestyles of
gypsies and tramps, alcoholism and illegiti-
mate children. He also wondered why there
are more and more children in Norway. Sundt
used statistics to prove that it was the natural
consequence of progressive increase, and this
wave-like correlation was called Sundt’s Law.
He journeyed around the country gathering
information, conducting surveys and linking
data to social status and location. His creative
and precise methods paved the way for more
statistical research in Norway and yielded data
about Norwegian society in the 19th century.
Sophus Bugge (1833-1907): Humanities’ library
Sophus Bugge was a many-
handed Shiva of Norwe-
gian humanities: he
studied Old Norse texts, runes, gathered contempo-
rary folklore, Norwegian and Swedish dialects, Ro-
man comedies, dead languages, middle age literature
of all sorts, wrote monographs on proper names and
was equally interested in Celtic culture. However, he
is most known for his controversial theory that Edda
verses, stanzas about Scandinavian mythology, were
inspired or influenced by Greco-Roman myths or even
Biblical narratives. Excited as he was about his fellow-
countryman’s, Ivar Aasen’s, quest for the “genuine
Norwegian language” (which later lay foundations for
nynorsk), Bugge argued for Danish to remain the writ-
ten language while still studying Aasen’s materials for
pure linguistic pleasure. He also did a lot of work de-
ciphering Old Norse texts and runes. He kept writing
up to his death, even after blindness ensued in 1902.
Sophus Lie (1842-1899): Auditoriumin Math-
ematics & Sciences
Sophus Lie was a master of math akin to Abel. He grad-
uated with excellent results, got praises from math-
ematic societies and offers from Crelles journal (the
one Abel had written in). To prevent Lie from leaving
to Sweden, the parliament made up an extraordinary
university position for him. In Norway Lie started a
reactionary magazine for mathematics and natural
sciences. The Norwegian parliament granted him a
double professor salary and the title, reflecting his im-
portant research in transformation groups (nowadays
named after him). With time, his theories got applied
to new areas: from gas and liquid streams to meteorol-
ogy, from electronics to optics and control theory that
predicts stability of industrial products. He received
the order of St. Olav and the Lobachevski award.
Vilhelm Bjerknes (1862-1951): Mathematics
Years back, weather forecasts were made according to
the law of precedent. In the beginning of the 20th cen-
tury researchers started looking for a mathematical
solution. Among those was Bjerknes, still renowned
for being the father of meteorology. Upon graduation
V. Bjerknes studied in Paris and Bonn, got a profes-
sor position in Stockholm. In 1904 Bjerknes argued
that it should be possible to predict weather accord-
ing to mathematic analysis of data and got funding for
research from Carnegie committee. Bjerknes started
gathering data on weather from different places and
insisted upon a unified measuring system. He man-
aged to set up meteorological stations in several static
places and on boats and he surveyed the results by
means of telegrams. His school came up with a three
UiO Buildings // 17
dimensional model of cy-
clones and put a start
to mathematical
weather predictions
as we know it.
 Kristine Bonnevie (1872-1948):Biology
Kristine Bonnevie was the first female professor at
UiO and member of Norwegian Academy. Her ap-
pointment for a professorship stipulated the par-
liament to change the law concerning females in
official positions and she founded a dormitory ex-
clusively or girls in Geitmyrsveien which still func-
tions in its original concept. She started as a zo-
ologist and then began studying human heredity,
researching isolated Norwegian populations, with
different gene pools separated by natural barriers.
She founded the Institute of heredity, and found
a disease called Bonnevie-Ullrichs syndrome. She
was also a gifted teacher, and in the absence of
powerpoint, she marked the blackboard with dis-
creet points that she later on connected to draw
pictures for her lectures. Kristine was also elected
deputy member for the Norwegian parliament.
During WW2 she put up a charity campaigns giv-
ing out food to the poor. For her achievements
Bonnevie received the Royal Order of Merit , The
Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, and “Fridtjof
Nansen’s reward. The last article came out of her
hand on the night before her death.
Helga Eng (1875-1966):Education sciences
Helga Eng started her carrier as a school teacher.
Then she decided to start studying child psycholo-
gy in Germany and wrote a PhD about abstract no-
tions in a child’s thinking. She founded the Peda-
gogical institute, and was one of the first research-
ers to use psycho-technical tests on children and
study children’s drawings. Although she reached
retirement age in 1940, she still continued work-
ing for 8 more years on the encouragement by the
University.
Svein Rosseland (1894-1985):Physics
A pioneer of theoretical astrophysics, Rosseland
started out as tinned goods factory worker. Thanks
to wealthy sponsors, he was able to study in school
and enroll as mathematics minor at the university.
Rosseland, only 26 years old, worked with
Nobel Prize winning Niels Bohr in Copenhagen.
Rosseland’s major discoveries included an
electrostatic field (Rosseland-Pannekoek’s field)
and a method for calculating the average value
of absorption coefficient for radiation – it was
used until computers made it possible to calculate
absorption precisely. When he got a flattering offer
to become a professor at Harvard, the government
18 \\ UiO Buildings
did everything to make Rosseland stay. And he
did. On the onset of WWII, Rosseland, however,
had to flee to USA, Sweden, USSR and Japan.
After the war he started popularizing astrophysics
and encouraging the government to build an
observatory in Oslo.
He was a member of foreign
science academies,
a member of NATO
scientific committee, NORDITA and CERN.
Rosseland was also founder of several scientific
journals
Harald Krabbe Schjelderup (1895-1974): Psy-
chology
H.Schelderup is a man of many talents. He started
out as a theologian, but chose physics instead, be-
coming Norway’s youngest philosophy professor.
Later he changed to psychology. In the 1920-1930
he travelled to Wien, Berlin and Zurich in order
to learn more about humans’ hidden drives and
hypnosis. Before the onset of WWII he managed
to evacuate some prominent psychoanalysts from
Nazi Germany. He also participated in a university
resistance group and spent 2 years in concentra-
tion camps. After the war Schjelderup founded the
psychological and psychoanalytical associations of
Norway. He wrote the first study of longitudinal
effects of psychotherapy and his book “The hid-
den human” became a bestseller.
Ragnar Frisch (1895-1973): Auditoriumout-
side campus, cinema
The reason R. Frisch took economy was because it
was “the easiest and the shortest”, even though his
father wanted him to become a jeweler. He trav-
elled to various countries in Europe and returned
to Oslo as a docent and then professor within the
newly founded Institute of Economics. It was Rag-
nar Frisch is the author of the terms “micro-” and
“ macroeconomics” along with other terms. He
was also an inspiring teacher: once he got into
full swing, he could go on for eight hours, giving a
short pause to students, out of sheer mercy. When
there was no space on the blackboard for new
formulae, he jumped over to the walls. If the last
train was gone, he could spend a night on a bench
in Majorstua. In 1969 he received Nobel Prize in
economics (with Jan Tinbergen) for his research
on economic cycles. The mathematical models he
developed are still used in planning the National
Budget.
Harriet Holter (1922-1997): Sociology
Harriet Holter is the Nordic incarnation of Simone
de Beauvoir. During the WW2, young Holter was
a partisan. Later on she actively participated
in politics supporting leftist parties. When
choosing a study program, she picked one of the
few with sociological focus,
socioeconomics. Her research
topics reveal an interest in
power structures, gender
roles, specifically
women’s issues. Her
PhD‘”Gender Roles and Social Structures” was the the academical, economical, social or cultural
most important one in the Nordic countries. Her needs of students.”
sympathy was always with the underdog and she
criticized conservative systems that put individuals Frederikke (Frederik VI: 1768-1839): Canteen,
into conflict with themselves and each other. Her Bunnpris grocery shop, Career Centre
personal life was also a challenge to the prevailing The name of this building was chosen by means
stereotypes of society: an active academician, she of a competition among students. Possibly the
managed to raise a child on her own and later in lifename is dedicated to Frederik VI, last king of Nor-
she settled with a partner much younger than her. way and Denmark who, quite reluctantly, founded
the university in 1811 – or his mistress, Freder-
Kristian Ottosen (1921-2006): Student ser- ikke Benedicte Rafsted. Few people know that the
vice, Akademika bookshop, Medical office square in front of Frederikke building is officially
During WWII Ottosen joined the resistance group called “Party Square” (Festplassen) .
Theta and was arrested by Nazis. He was saved
from concentration camps by the Swedish “white Lucy Smith (1934): Administration building
buss” operation. With his networking skills he A year ago, all new international students were
built an archive of all Nordic prisoners. In 1950 sent to what was known as Administration build-
Ottosen became administrative director of Stu- ing. Now this building, towering above Blindern,
dentsamskipnaden (SiO, Foundation for Student received the name of Norway’s first female profes-
Life in Oslo) and, using his many war-time con- sor and rector, Lucy Smith. A professor emeritus in
tacts, put the organization to the whole new level. law, she has contributed immensely to children’s
Nowadays it offers a whole range of services: ca- and women’s rights and presided over the commit-
tering and lodging, student book shops, health tee developing The Stock Exchange Act. When she
and sport facilities, carrier centers, kindergartens was not academically or professionally involved in
and student activities. Under his leadership Sogn, building a future for Norwegian women, she pre-
Kringsjå were built in the 60ies and the Norwegian sided over juries in a trivia TV show, “Kvitt eller
State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassa) was es- dobbelt” and was a devoted cyclist.
tablished. Ottosen also stipulated founding of Dis-
triktshøyskoler – work profile schools. He became
a rider of St. Olav’s order. In his name, an annual Text: Marija Chabushkina , Photos: Julie Rousseau
award is given to to someone who has “improved Sources: http://www.uio.no/om_uio/navn/, www.snl.no

Have you ever been standing in the check-out line at Kiwi or

Rema, idly scanning the newspaper headlines or glossy
pictures in the tabloids and wondered who all those
people are? If so, you're not alone! Join the
Moose as we continue to examine some of
those names and faces appearing in Nor-
wegian media, and learn more about
just what it takes to make
the headlines in Norway.

Norway’s Sexiest (Former) Weather was quitting her weather-presenting career to pur-
Correspondent sue an interest in photography made the head-
The end of 2010, like the end of most years, was lines. Clearly, Martinsen’s weather broadcasts
Famous Norwegians // 19

a time for reflection, celebration, and the chance have not gone unnoticed by Norwegians, particu-
for the more optimistic or resolute among us to larly the readers of Mann magazine, who voted
plan resolutions for the new year. However, for her Norway’s Most Sexy Woman ahead of a host
Norwegian weather enthusiasts, the end of 2010 of minor Norwegian celebrities many foreigners
also marked the end of an era, as Isabella Martin- – particularly international students - have never
sen’s decade-long career as a weather presenter heard of.
on TV2 came to an end on Those Moose readers interested
New Year’s Eve. in learning more about Martinsen
As anyone who has been can always check out the Decem-
in Norway for a prolonged ber 2010 issue of Mann maga-
length of time knows, the zine, or watch out for a photogra-
weather is an important phy exhibition which will include
(and occasionally the only) her work, scheduled to go public
topic of discussion among sometime this spring.
Norwegians. Hence, it
shouldn’t come as a sur- Source: www.dagbladet.no
Text: Anita Iyer
prise that the news that Illustration: Irine Osepashvili
the 31 year old Martinsen
 What’s On
in Oslo?
January
14 Guided tour of the Opera
House (Eng.)@ Den Norske
Opera & Ballett (www.operaen.no)
• Open ship: MS Trollfjord@
Søndre Akershuskai (www.
hurtigruten.no)
15 Winter Walk (No./Eng.): New
Design and Architecture @
Start: Oslo City Hall (www.winter-
walks.no)
• Norway Int. Meeting and Travel
Fair 2011@ Lillestrøm (www.
messe.no)
• Club in the Pub: Get Ready!@
John Dee (www.rockefeller.no)
16 Winter Walk (No./Eng.): The
Opera House & Akershus
Fortress@ Start: Thon Hotel Opera
(www.winterwalks.no)
• Frank Znort Quartet@Blå (www.
blaaoslo.no)
17 Special Events & Hiking in
Norway Meeting @Georg
Sverdrup Auditorium 1 (www.uio.
no/english/student-life/)
18 Winter Walk (No./Eng.):
The National Gallery@
Start:National Gallery(www.win-
terwalks.no)
19 Winter Walk (No./Eng.): Ak-
erselva & Old Aker Church
@Start: Anker Hotel (www.winter-
walks.no)
• Disney on Ice: Disneyland Ad-
venture @ Oslo Spektrum (www.
oslospektrum.no)
20 Winter Walk (No./Eng.):
Henrik Ibsen and His 289
Steps @Start: Ibsen Museum (www.
winterwalks.no)
• Hockey: Vålerenga – Stavanger
Oilers@ Jordal Amfi (www.vif-
hockey.no)
• Question Mark (Music quiz)@
Internasjonalen (www.interna-
sjonalen.no)
21
International Coffee Hour @
Chateau Neuf (www.uio.no/
english/student-life)
22 Tour of Old Christiania @
Christiania Torv (www.uio.
20 \\ What's On?
no/english/student-life)
• Inferno Metal Festival Kick-Off@ • Live Club Sessions: Koèju@Blå
John Dee (www.rockefeller.no) (www.blaaoslo.no)
• Djangofestival@Cosmopolite
(www.cosmopolite.no)
5 Book flea market@ Ila skole
(www.loppemarked.info)
• Tour of the Heart of Oslo@Main
23 ESN Cheesy trip to Sweden@
TBA*
• The world of Edvard Munch@
entrance to City Hall (www.uio.
no/english/student-life)
Munch museet (www.uio.no/
english/student-life)
• Holmenkollen Ski Marathon@
Skansebakken, Sørkedalen
(www.skiforeningen.no)
24 Endelig Mandag Band (Finaly
Monday Band)@ Alexandria
• Adresse Kristiania Univer-
6 The World of Edvard Munch@
The Munch Museum (www.uio.
no/english/student-life)
sitetsjubileet i 1911@ Galleri
Sverdrup (www.uio..no)
7 Human Rights Week @ Faculty
of Law (www.menneskerettig-
25wegian Academy of Music@
Lunch concert at the Nor- hetsuka.no)
Norges Musikkhøgskole (www.
nmh.no) 8 no)
Å forme en telefon@ Norsk Te-
lemuseum (www.telemuseum.
26ESN TBA*
Country presentation@
9 Cross-Country Skiing Course
@ Georg Sverdrup Library /
27wegian Armed Festning
The Staff Band of the Nor-
Ridehuset,Akershus
Forces@
Sognsvann (www.uio.no/english/
student-life)
• ESN Country presentation@
(www.fsmk.no) TBA*
• Carnival and Grand Opening@
Cosmopolite (www.cosmopolite.
no) 10 European Jazz Nights@ Nas-
jonal Jazzscene (www.nas-
28 International Coffee Hour @
jonaljazzscene.no)
Chateau Neuf (www.uio.no/
english/student-life) 11 ESN Skii trip@ TBA*
• Muscial: We Will Rock You@ • Raballder Cup 2011@NHI & Eke-
Folketeateret (www.folketeat-
eret.com)
berghallen (www.raballdercup.
no)
29 A Walk Along Akerselva Riv-
er - Lower part @ Bensebru 12
Norway’s CD and record fair@
Rockefeller (www.rockefeller.
(www.uio.no/english/student-life) no)
• ESN Latin Party@ TBA*
30Treasures of the National Gal-
• Eurovision Song Contest -
Norwegian final@Oslo Spektrum
lery @ The National Gallery (www.oslospektrum.no)
(www.uio.no/english/student- • Oslo Oriental Dance Festival@
life) Belleville (www.cosmopolite.no)
• A BusAbout Oslo @ Lucy Smiths
House (www.uio.no/english/stu-
dent-life)
13
Parksprint@Frognerparken
(http://parksprint.blogspot.
com/)
31
org)
Meditation@ Rudra Medtia-
tion (www.rudrameditation. Want to have an
unforgettable
Text: Ria Tobing
February semester in Oslo?
1
Join student radio and
Kiting (introduction course)@ get your unique expe-
Maridalsvannet (www.oslokites- riences broadcasted on
the air. Radio Nova is
kole.no) the student radio sta-
tion for all Oslo. You
2
can join Nova’s only
Master students’ concert@ student-made radio
Norges Musikkhøgskole (www. program in English: Snakker Ikke Norsk (SIN). We
need new journalists with interesting ideas and a
nmh.no) passion for reporting.
3 Oslo Winter Night Festival,
Oslo Chamber Orchestra@ Oslo
Come to Radio Nova’s information and
recruitment meeting at Chateau Neuf!
Monday, 17.01 at 7:00pm,
Domkirke(www.detnorskekammer- Thursday, 20.01 (look for signs when you get there)
orkester.no)
• M u s i c a l : Listen to SIN @ 99.3 FM
The Produ- Sundays: 10:00-11:00am
Mondays: 12:00
cers@ Oslo Nye http://radionova.no/programmer/snakkerikkenorsk .
Ho v e d s c e n e n Contact:snakkerikkenorsk@gmail.com.
(www.oslonye. We hope to see you soon, if you don’t hear us first!
no) _______________________________
*To be announced ( Time and place will be an-
4Rock Against
Cancer@
John Dee (www.
nounced on ESN’s facebook group page: ESN
University of Oslo 2010/2011)
**Some activities/events require registration.
rockefeller.no)

Bread:Creperie de Mari. Finding a cheap place
to eat in the center of Oslo can be challenge. How-
ever, sometimes you do not need to go far away
from Karl Johan to get a good offer. Moreover, you
can end up in Little Paris, also known as a teeny-
tiny pancake café “Creperie de Mari”, all lined up
with miniatures of Paris, an Amelie lookalike as a
waitress, French music and air filled with the smell
of fresh crepes.
The crispy, flat, porous pancakes are served with
a variety of fillings, both sour and sweet. Among
the ingredients you will find potatoes, salmon,
chestnut jam, coconuts, boiled eggs - not necessar-
ily in this combination. The crepe from Trøndelag
(with Norwegian brown cheese, goat cream cheese
and blueberries) is a must-have for an intrepid ex-
plorer of Norway, while the gourmands can caress
their taste-buds with “Mamma Mia” – a concupis-
cent combination of pesto, tomatoes, chicken and
cheese.
The creperie is situated in Torgata 7 next to
Folkeuniversitet and opposite Clas Ohlson. The
prices are very moderate (from 40 to 90 NOK) and
a student discount of 15% applies. Even though
the place is tiny, the crepes are easily eaten on the
go. Open on weekdays: 7.30am-8pm, weekends:
10am-7pm.Bon appétit!
Cooking all’Italiano
Pasta alla norma
Hi Monthly Moose readers! I am Francesco Spi-
nali, do you remember me from the last issue?
I hope so. This time I am also glad to give you
another delicious and appetizing Sicilian pasta re-
cipe, called “Pasta alla Norma.” It is originally Sici-
lian, but nowadays you can easily order and eat it
in every restaurant – both in Italy and abroad. This
is true even in Norway - and not only in my flat.
It is essentially very simple to make, so you
don’t need to buy a lot of expensive food, only an
Since Ancient Rome the “Bread and games!”
expresses two basic human needs:
food and entertainment. The
Monthly Moose gives you
both material and spiritual
nurture by publishing
a review of one (cheap)
food place and one fun
activity. We are finanically
independent from companies we
write about, so we are 100% impartial.
Games:Korketrekkeren(The Cork Screw)
Are you in need for speed? While Oslo remains
snowy, you should try out your bob-sledding skills
on the 2 km long natural track, “Korketrekkeren”
or “Korken”. It starts close to the Frognerseteren
metro station. Sleds and helmets can be rented out
for 100 NOK per day at The Sledding Organization
[Akeforeningen] close to the restaurant. However,
it is best to buy a membership card for 80 NOK,
which is valid throughout the season (sled rental
is included in the price). Keep in mind that only
debit cards and cash are accepted.
Do not underestimate the importance of water-
proof and warm clothes and shoes. Goggles can
be helpful too. The theory behind controlling the
sleds is clear-cut, but you will need a bit of practice
before you can go full speed. The track has many
dangerous turns and the presence of other people
contributes to the thrill, so be careful.
While you are dashing through the snow in a
rented open sleigh, you needn’t worry about hav-
ing to drag your sled back up, since you can take a
Italian Cooking, Food and Fun // 21
subway back to Frognerseteren effortlessly and do
it all over again! That is, if you dare!
For opening times and other information check:
http://www.akeforeningen.no/
Marija Cabuskina
aubergine, olive
oil, salt, garlic,
basil, a litre of to-
mato sauce, 100
grams of “ricotta
salata” – salty
ground Italian cot-
tage cheese, and
a kilo of “penne
rigate” (an Italian
kind of pasta) for
four people.
First you have
to brown garlic
and olive oil together in a large frying pan and the
tomato sauce must be cooked in another pot with
Continued on next page
 salt, basil and olive oil. cotta salata.” I personally advise you to also drink
Then you have to cut the a very full-bodied red wine, pos-
aubergine in cubes with all the Ingredients and prices: sibly Sicilian, like for example
peel and later you can also brown • 1 aubergine: Kr. 15- Nero d’Avola, Syrah or Nerello
it with the olive oil and garlic. • 1 kg of pasta “penne rigate” (or Mascalese. I hope that everyone
similar): Kr. 10-
When the aubergine is fried • 1 l of tomato sauce: Kr. 70- can try and taste this delicious
enough and the tomato sauce • 100 gr of ground “ricotta recipe – preferably with wine!
also cooked, you can put some salata”, ground cottage cheese*: If you need more information
water with a spoon of salt in a Kr. 30- . or advice for cooking it better,
• olive oil
pot and wait for it to boil. After • salt you can contact me by e-mail:
that, you can add the “penne ri- • garlic francesco.spinali@alice.it.
• basil
gate” or another kind of pasta _______________________ I will be waiting for all of you
you like better. *I didn’t find the right one in some in the next Monthly Moose is-
shops in Oslo, so I can suggest you to sue. See you soon!
When the pasta is well cooked, use ground “parmigiano”,parmesan
you can put all the food in the cheese or ground mozzarella cheese.
same large frying pan and let it **An equivalent of 1/5 dish in a
Norwegian restaurant. Text: Francesco Spinalli
cook for about five minutes, ta- Photo: Marija Cabuskina
king care to mix all the food well.
Finally, you can add fresh basil and ground “ri-

ELGINT0110: The Moose Norwegian Course

Learn Norwegian on your own, with a little help from the Moose.
“Neste stasjon Forskningsparken ” faster. For eager students, a ride on the T-Bane
If most public places names are a mouthful for re- lines radiating away from the city center makes for
cently arrived foreigners, you can get a couple of a good pronunciation practice. You even get bonus
minutes of free language training every day by us- points for venturing outside the ring and discover-
ing the public transport system. Every time you ing Oslo’s suburbs.
22 \\ Learn Norwegian with the Moose!

are in the train, repeat the announcements after Within a few days of public transit language train-
the T-Bane lady. It is fairly easy as she does speak
ing, you’ll be less scared of the consonant combi-
clearly, and you have the text in shiny red lettersnations and never get loss again in the city. Re-
to read from. quired textbook: Get your free copy of Rutebok for
Repeating after the Trikk guy might be considered Oslo at Traffikanten for detailed transport maps
as a “level 2” exercise, because he speaks somehow and schedules.

Text: Julie Rousseau, Picture: Élodie Brunet Idiom by: Marija Cabuskina
Moose Comic
Follow the adventures of a
mascot Moose working in one
of Oslo’s souvenir shops.

by Irina Osepashvili

Moose Comic // 23
24 \\ Bread and Games