Friday, March 21, 2008

Påskeferie (Easter Holiday)


Påskeferie is celebrated dearly by every Norwegian. After all, it's one of the longest holidays in the country and it signifies the coming of spring. Norwegians consistently imbue Easter with a sense of bliss and thrill. There's a national fascination to Easter holiday plans and Easter symbols that is unique to the country. Some of which, if not all, are the following:

Gå på ski (going skiing): Thousands of Nordmen head to the mountains to ski and get some sort of Easter suntan. If the weather cooperates, you'll  find them in their shorts and sleeveless shirts while skiing. That's what 6 months of winter does to their mental and physical state:-). 

Oranges: Good old-fashioned oranges are ubiquitous in virtually all homes and supermarkets. And they are sold rather cheaply. Oranges and skiing are like bread and butter. They fit perfectly well. 

Easter egg:
This is perhaps a universal tradition. In Norway, parents give colorful easter eggs filled with chocolate and candies to children. 
Yellow, yellow, yellow: This is unofficially the color of Easter. From Easter lilies to Easter bunnies to Easter eggs to candles and serviettes used during Easter dinner, everything seems to be gloriously yellow. 

Reading crime novels and watching crime series: For some unusual reason, Easter signifies mystery and crime. TV programs usually feature detective/crime series, bookstores sell crime novels, and Norwegian passionately read these crime stories during the Easter holidays. 

Lamb steak: Easter is also the season of the lambs. Early spring is the time of the year that sheep begin giving birth ("lambing"). On a symbolic level, lamb represents Christ; the risen Christ known as the lamb of God. Before our roasted lamb dinner a few days ago, my husband half-jokingly said we are eating Jesus. 

Quizzes in TV and radio: Another unexplainable phenomenon occurring during Easter is the widespread airing of trivia and quizzing games. I presume this is linked to the nation's fascination of "solving crimes" during Easter. 

Apart from all of the above, we did a "harry" (this term is somehow untranslatable, it is roughly defined as "tacky") thing to do - Easter pilgrimage over the border to Sweden, where prices are lower, to buy kilos of meat and liters of alcohol. 

In the Philippines and other Catholic countries I believe, holy week (semana santa) is celebrated in solemn grandeur. It starts with Palm (Passion) Sunday and lasts through the days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and culminates on Easter Sunday. The week is replete with rituals and traditions and showcases a stately display of the re-enactment of the Passion of Christ -- a sort of "rites of passage"-- such as processions, passion prayers and plays, mass, and stations of the cross. 

It is the time to repent and renew vows and commitment as Christians. It's the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In other words, it's the time of penance, grieving, sorrow, and hope. 

For all its religious connotations, Holy week is in fact one of my favorite times of the year. There's something to the whole silent, solemnity and gravity of the affair. 

At any rate, it was great to get a much-needed respite from work and other temporal affairs of life. Happy Easter!



Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Immigration Douleur (Part II)

Two weeks ago, upon learning that I got the first job I applied for, naturally my heart soared high and I was floating up there in Cloud 9. Not for long, as I realized soon after.

According to one of those immigration rules in Norway with blurred meanings, a person who came to Norway and obtained a permit to stay and work based on family immigration is not allowed to commute for work or study on a regular basis. A married couple should "live together", literally speaking. This, presumably, is to rule out pro forma or arranged marriages.

Does this mean that if I'm away from home 2-3 days a week (or a month or year) would make my stay here in Norway illegal? Does this mean that if I move to Stavanger (where my job is), my husband should give up his job and inevitably move with me? Or does this imply that I (as the immigrant) can't commute but he, as a Norwegian citizen, can have more freedom to move around?

Many a time it has been proven that there's a hazy line between the written and hidden meanings of certain rules -- what's explicit and what's implicit.

For instance, a Russian researcher who has lived in Norway for 11 years was recently expelled because she commuted between her home and workplace (which is in a different city). Her punishment was outrageously harsh -- eternal ban from entering Norway and all Schengen countries.

Never mind if we have to move to another city. We have thoroughly thought that over and we gladly welcome the change. We don't mind selling our newly-purchased apartment either. My husband is also willing to give up his stable & interesting job, in worst case scenario.

What frustrates us beyond description, however, is that UDI is a faceless entity. We are unable to get concrete answers from our phone queries. And with different interpretations of rules - most of which can be rigid - we can't take the risks of crossing that certain line of uncertainty.

According to our lawyer, in UDI's eyes, someone like me with a Filipino passport is a PROSTITUTE, regardless of my educational background or work experience. Brutal but true. It was tough enough to be occasionally mistaken as a "japayuki" (Filipino entertainer in Japan) while living in Japan. But to be "profiled" according to nationality? That's a completely different matter. I understand there had been countless cases of Asians married to Norwegians through the internet or mail order brides or random meetings in bars. But seriously, can't they be a little bit more impartial and fair? Talking about equality and diversity in this country.

Anyway, I was gonna go on and express all my pent-up emotions on Norway's unnecessary immigration red tape and sometimes irrational (albeit well-intended) laws - at least a little bit more. But then, on the other hand, things are starting to shape up.

Firstly, I got my personal number/social security number within 2 weeks from application date. Now, I'm finally "id'ed" in Norway - my own identification number. Goodbye to my national passport - I won't need to bring it each day I leave the apartment - and "identity" anxieties. Hello to my new bank account, my personal doctor, my tax card, and other opportunities beyond what my brain can absorb.

Thanks heavens to people who are actually working behind the public offices' front desks.

Secondly, the public machinery is functioning well in regards to facilitating our purchase of apartment and relocation -- the bank that lent us the monies, the real estate agency which painstakingly paid attention to details of the paper works, the postal office which effectively diverted our mails to our new address, etc.

For all these notes of hope and "opportunity doors" opened, I remain grateful.

***

Important Websites
Work, residence, visa, citizenship, etc., see http://www.udi.no/
Taxes, wages, national population registry, see http://www.skatteetaten.no/
Work and labour market, see http://www.nav.no/
Information portal for work migrants and immigrants, http://www.nyinorge.no
Tourist information, see http://www.visitnorway.com
Statistics, see http://www.ssb.no
Customs, see http://www.toll.no