Normal for Norway

After we experienced a very minor heat wave in July we really got familiar with the swimming spots of Oslo. The heat might have dissipated, but our verdict is in: here are all the places we like to swim, ranked (and don't come at us about all the ones we left off, there are simply too many to count so these are our personal go-tos).

Plus in news: a walrus in the woods and angry tourists.

Theme song: Whiddershins

Imagine our confusion when we realized Indigo (I'll take the blame) had ranked Nydalen so highly on the list. But maybe there is more than meets the eye? And in news: Norway is still (at the time of recording) in the world cup and bagel shops are going bust in Oslo.

Music: Whiddershins

It's time for a neighborhood that holds a dear place in our hearts: St. Hanshaugen, where we first kindled our friendship! This former rocky, uninhabited trash heap is now a gorgeous and thriving place to live, and we've got mostly positive things to say. Plus, a bit about Bislett.

On the news: why are doctors getting paid to keep us at work? Which street was flooded with sewage? And, a personal news announcement! 👀

Is it Majorstuen or Majorstua? And what does Frogner actually mean? Two of Oslo's posher neighborhoods get their day in the sun--but did we let them off easy?

On the news: where to go in an emergency, building density, and an update to Seamus's investigation into why our local grocery stores are so sad.

Music: Whiddershins

Can Sentrum even be called a neighborhood? According to the city, no! And we concur, because it's got very little going for it. But why is that? And who lives there besides rats?

We've also got news about an alcohol robbery and a pollen warning.

Stay tuned for our ongoing neighborhood rankings!

Music: Whiddershins

Next up on the Oslo neighborhood chopping block: we return to Carl Berners plass and discuss what it has to offer besides a squareabout. Indigo learns how bingo works, and we share a snow crab update, as well as concerning news from podiatrists.

Theme song: Whiddershins

Eeeeeveryone is about to be sending us objections, corrections, and maybe even hate mail, as we kick off our Oslo neighborhood guide series. Starting off at the bottom (according to us): Skøyen and Torshov.

Before the dragging begins though, we've got news and updates, including signs of spring, icy roads (isthis news??), and who's behind "I love sluts" graffiti.

This week is all about complaints:a loud waterfall, the people of Carl Berner's Plass don't want McDonalds, and Indigo gives a piece of her mind about Norwegians and small business. Plus, Sweden is salty about new cider standards.

This episode brought to you a day late by Indigo having a flu :(

Theme song: Whiddershins

What a week of celebrations! We do a brief dive into religious traditions and history. Foreigners can't drive in the snow, say residents of Troms. And also, crows invading the city. What do they want?

We are really bringing the most important news this week on a real breadth of topics: new tax and debt rules that could affect YOU, a kleptomaniac cat, a snus update (kind of?), and is it safe to walk your dog at Jernbanetorget?'

Music: Whiddershins

Haven't tried snus yet? We don't recommend you do, but in Norway it's ubiquitous, and the reason for strange bumps under people's lips, making them look like Whos straight out of Whoville. But what actually are these mysterious Scandinavian pouches? How do they convey nicotine into your bloodstream? And when did they get so popular with MAGA bros across the pond?

Happy new year, and it's certainly kicking off with a variety of news, from (questionable?) dating advice to the possible invasion of Greenland. We've also got warnings about icy stairs, a biting incident at Christmas, and the latest signs of winter.

Music: Whiddershins

This week 49 episode brought to you by Indigo fighting off a flu, our controversial takes on The Nutcracker, and a weird amount of news about cars in Oslo.

Music: Whiddershins

Another week of eclectic news has come and gone, and as week 48 closes out we bring you the answers to questions like:

And finally, did you ever want to hear 20 minutes of knowledge about snow crabs? Well now you're going to.

We aren't just covering the news now, we're creating it: Séamus has found a sign of week 47 that requires further investigation. Meanwhile, Indigo tries to cover the big news in sports out of Norway, reports on a runaway otter, and Séamus admits to attempting a crime.

Theme song by Whiddershins

Too much ribbe in Røst, breaking IBS treatment, toll and import drama, and northern lights in a "cannibal storm", we've got all your news for week 45*.

*46, because we didn't know what week it was actually.

Intro music by Whiddershins

So much has happened since we last spoke that we needed a whole other hour to cover it all. In part 2 we bring you killer party buses, post-apocalyptic party plans, and grenades in the streets of Oslo. A lothappened this year.

We bought a new mic, dusted off the podcast equipment, and we are BACK. What even happened the last year? Month by month we'll give you all the news you should care about including scamming children (they are the scammers), the many ways Norway is probably trying to kill you, and how to survive doomsday (hint: liters of vodka).

Theme music by Whiddershins

After all these years, it's finally time to bring in an actual expert. When we heard that Torleif Villmones AKA Norwegian With Tor wanted to share some Norwegian language wisdom, we were delighted to have someone who knows what they're talking about join us.

Tor shares some tips and tricks, experience in teaching, and of course teaches us about dirty idioms. He gets us.

Want to start learning?

Follow Norwegian With Tor on Instagram

https://www.norwegianwithtor.com/

A deep dive (or shallow, if you're a linguist listening) into one of the building blocks of Norwegian society: the language itself. How did it develop, do you write beiken or bacon, and what is actually the difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk?

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

New jingle: Christopher Helberg

Newsflash: it's cold in Oslo right now. Really cold. And we aren't sick of talking, complaining, and speculating about it. So buckle for the whys, hows, and also what do you DOs of when it's -24 degrees.

To support the establishment of Indigo's bookstore in Oslo, Normal for Norway recorded a very special LIVE episode! The topic of course: books. Did Vikings have books? What did they like to carve on rocks? How much did the new Oslo library cost, and why is it always overrun by the cast of Skam? All this and more will be answered.

You can still donate to help start the bookstore at spleis.no/prismaticpages

Find out more about Prismatic Pages at prismaticpages.com, or on Instagram and Facebook.

Don't get worms in your brain! Listen to this episode to find out how NOT to be poisoned or taken over by parasites when foraging for local treats.

Want to donate to Indigo's new English language bookstore to help it get off the ground? Visit this link: https://spleis.no/prismaticpages

And follow Prismatic Pages on Instagram @prismatic.pages

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

As autumn is soon upon us, it felt time to address a very cozy topic: foraging. Have you ever picked berries in the woods? What about mushrooms, or nettles? Warnings and tips abound, but first we dive into the history and significance of foraging (New Nordic cuisine anyone?).

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

It's summer and what does that mean? That nothing is happening. But we dragged ourselves to the mics to record this podcast just for our listeners.

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

We're back and weighing in on sensitive topics like sunglasses (if you know, you know, and if you don't we'll fill you in), ferry boats, and the odd things people get up to when there's bad weather in Oslo.

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

It's a Pride miracle! We're popping by with some stories of iconic lesbians, criminalization and decriminalization of gay sex, and of course the news in review (gay sex...in the forest?).

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

Do you have water in your mouth yet? Because you're about to hear about the beloved Norwegian freezer pizza, Grandiosa; reviled by many foreigners, yet seldom given a proper examination. We even do a taste test to determine whether or not this easy meal is worth the 55 kroner (the answer may surprise you). And Indigo investigates: how dangerous is it exactly to bake a pizza when drunk?

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

Here's a little selection of the wackiest news stories from the last month or so -- still not sponsored by Avisa Oslo, but we'll keep asking.

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

It's the episode that transcends language. We've all probably had tacos before, but have you really? Have you eaten...a Norwegian taco? This is the deepest dive you'll ever need (or frankly, want) into the national Friday dish. We go out on fieldwork, name drop academics who will soon be sending cease-and-desists, and put in the work to analyze the importance of a puzzling Norwegian obsession.

Theme music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

It's the Norwegian concept that simply can't be translated: pålegg. Can anything on bread be pålegg? How do they get those little fish eggs into a "kaviar" tube? Did Oslo schoolchildren start intermittent fasting before it was cool? And we're joined by a guest who tells us about growing up with that pålegg life.

Music: Fuji Fakes

News jingle: Christopher Helberg

This week we travel to Sweden: the land of plenty. Join us on an adventure to this EU neighbor and find out why Norwegians like to pop over the border for just about anything your heart could desire.

The episode that inspired it all. Are they hot dogs, sausages, or something else entirely — and why are they so important to this country's culture? Norwegians eat HOW MANY per year? And how many angry listener messages are we going to get for revealing the number?

Easter in Norway: at the cabin, or in the city? What do you eat? Why so much crime? And what was Jesus up to anyway?

Don't complain about the audio, this was recorded on a bunk bed with one mic between three people.

Music: Fuji Fakes

Concluding season 1, we finish discussing oil. What does it do for the average Norwegian? Is it true everyone is entitled to a Gucci bag? And how many ants do we need to figure this all out?

Up next, on season 2: food in Norway, starting with a trip to Sweden.

It's time to tackle the bedrock of Norwegian modern identity: oil. In part one we're talking about the history of oil in Norway and how this place got so damn rich.

Theme song: Fuji Fakes

All we can say is, remember to charge your electric car if you're going to the mountains. And bring plenty of hand warmers.

Theme song: Fuji Fakes

In this episode, we investigate the geographical, sociological, and philosophical space that cabins inhabit in Norwegian life.

Theme song: Fuji Fakes

In part two of the Vinmonopolet two-part segment we talk about whether or not it actually works, the shocking story of Norway’s most popular drink for 50 years and why your wine might smell like horse.

Music by Fuji Fakes

Buying alcohol in Norway is weird. We talk about how you do it, why it's like this, and how to get around it...kinda.

Music by Fuji Fakes

This week we investigate a national obsession—cross-country skiing. What is it? Where did it start? Why do thousands of people ski 50km every year with a 3.5kg weight in their bag? Tune in to find out!

Special thanks to Aiden Trigg-Hauger/Fuji Fakes for writing and performing our theme song!

Séamus and Indigo explain why they're in Norway and what they thought of the country before they actually moved. Also, proper tourniquet techniques, Estonian alcohol, and Norwegian boyfriends.