Spring in Norway

Beautiful yet peculiar sounds and sights greet spring in Norway. Starting early April, I was annoyingly awakened around 5:00 a.m. by a cacophony of barking & warring sounds, which turned out to be (to my bewilderment) bird sounds! The arrival of migratory birds beckons the coming of the warm season, and for that, I could be a bit forgiving about the strange noises that wake me up each morning.

I must admit, seeing so many human-friendly birds of all sizes and colors does make my day. And not a day goes by that I don't stop by and appreciate them flying high & low as I bike to work.

Meanwhile, an overwhelmingly powerful smell fills the air around April. No, I'm not talking about the blooming fragrant flowers. I'm referring to the ultimate sign of spring -- the smell of cow shit! Yes, it's the time for farmers to nourish their land with natural fertilizers. Holy shit indeed.

The smell is literally everywhere, there's nowhere to hide. It even haunts you in your dreams. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But it does take a while to get used to the smell.

And the spring flowers like hvitveis (small white flowers called wood anemone in English), tulips, and yellow spring flowers are now a pleasingly common sight.

And people have come out from hibernation! You can even catch your neighbors tending their gardens or drinking beer in their terraces. Outdoor cafes are virtually full. For someone from the tropical country like me, it's quite an amusing phenomenon that Norwegians remain anonymous and hide in their winter hole (aka home) during the long cold months and voila, they are all outside when the warm weather sets in! They even start smiling and saying hi to you!

Spring is also the time for all sorts of intriguing events and holidays, such as "russ", Labor Day, and 17th of May. Russ is the time for intense, crazy, and obscene partying of graduating high school kids. Dressed in blue & red overalls, they get loud, drink heavily, get injured, strip, dance, and have insane fun! For two weeks or so! Not to mention that they do this before their final exams. Oh well, the follies of being young and carefree. And the general public seems to be tolerant to the rowdy behavior of these kids on the loose.

1 May usually starts with a politician's speech, followed with a parade of marching bands and various groups carrying slogans related to working conditions, pension, social and ethnic issues. You are not supposed to work on this day...and if you do, it's a big blow to some.

And the winner of them all is the 17 May National Day celebration, yeah! It's a proud and colorful day for all Norwegians - a day exemplified by national flags, children's parades, traditional "bunad" costumes, royal family exchanging waves and greetings, royal guard parade, ice cream, hot dogs, and hordes of people. In fact, it appears like all 4.6 million of the population is put together in one place, in one event. The air of excitement, pride, and happiness is intoxicating. In spite of the nasty weather in Oslo this year, the day was still a memorable one...even for an "outsider" like me.

Going Green

Growing up in a third world country does not provide you the luxury of thinking and living green. You are most likely to ponder long and hard if you will have food in the table, if you can afford to send your children to school, if you have safe water to drink, if you have medical access when you're sick, or if you live long enough to see your grandchildren.

You don't think of separating your garbage, let alone think of cutting your carbon emissions.

So imagine how impressed I am when the Japanese religiously segregate their waste according to a litany of categories: paper/boxes, plastic bottles, cans, broken glasses, ordinary waste, bulbs, broken bicycles, biodegradable waste, electronic stuff, old furniture, etc. And it seemed to me that their minds are programmed to know exactly what day (and time) of the week or month is the garbage collection for these different items. It's a small wonder why Kyoto Protocol was born in this country of 127.4 million people.

If you bring your own recyclable bag and avoid using plastic bags when shopping at grocery stores, you get a point on your stamp card. And you get a small prize according to the number of points you collected. If you're really good, you may even get a food processor for free!

Norway also makes it a serious business to care for the environment. From CO2 taxes to carbon capture & storage technologies, name it and Norway has it. In fact, it has some of the world's strictest environmental standards and measures. And Norwegians had been aware of climate change even before Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth hit the theaters. I guess being close to the arctic circle, having dramatically high mountains, and surrounded by rough seas make them more susceptible to climatic alterations.

Empty cans and plastic bottles, for instance, can be returned to any grocery store in return for a few NOKs. It does pay to be environmentally-friendly. There are of course special bags for the organic waste.

Somehow I learnt to think and act green in my day to day life, in spite of (or owing to?) the fact that I come from a developing country. I rode a bicycle while commuting to work and school in Japan. I try to use public transportation, as opposed to taking taxis or driving a car (this makes it easy since I don't have a car anyway) here in Norway. Or I walk instead. And I started biking to work now that the weather is becoming more and more pleasant.

I must admit I preferred taking cabs while in Thailand. All the smog prevented me from walking, the hordes of people somehow discouraged me from taking the trains, and crazy drivers stopped me from taking the buses.

I turn off the tap while brushing my teeth. I recycle. I turn off the lights at home or work when not in use. I try to use the same towels when staying at hotels. And now I take part in carbon neutral or offset schemes when I fly.

I swap clothes with friends. I don't take bank receipts from ATMs. And I try to buy organic, fair trade and eco-friendly products. I bring my own grocery bag when I shop. I use my own reusable mug at work instead of disposable cups. And where possible, I drink water from the tap.

I'm far from being eco-savvy but at least I'm taking small steps and learning the ABCs of going green.

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!

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

The Permanence of Moving

Ideas move. Goods move. And people move -- in huge numbers. Our world today is defined by massive movements of people. Think of the hundreds of millions of refugees fleeing from war-stricken countries, labour migrants, and even tourists. In the process of constant moving, borders are either broken down or built, identities are lost and created or reconstructed, traditional communities are uprooted, and cultures blend.

My life is also symbolized by constant movement. Just when I was getting comfortable with the idea of settling down here in Oslo, I had to relocate again for work purposes.

Looking back, better educational opportunities prompted me to move to a city at the age of 13. Years later, I transferred to Japan -- my second home country -- to pursue my BA and MA degree. After finishing my studies, I ended up in Thailand, my third home country, where I worked for almost three years.

I had 5 different postal addresses in my 7 years in Japan, and moved 3 times while in Thailand. Imagine the physical and emotional baggage one carries in each move? Unquantifiable. All the loves and friends lost, undelivered letters, keepsakes gone, emotions forgotten...the list goes on.

And now, after being in Oslo for only 2 months, we have moved to our new apartment. Yes, a place I can finally call home. Isn't it wonderful?

But, as fate would have it, I will have to transfer to Stavanger in a month or two for my new job.

Just when I'm ready to get rid of my emotional baggage and get comfortable, I felt the rug has been pulled out from under my feet, time and again.

Ironically, the impermanence of life is characterized by the permanence of change.

Skiing sans falling...

...is just not possible. Believe me, you fall. And.you.fall.deep.

When you are 5 or 8 years old, learning how to ski for the first time is perhaps akin to building a snowman or snow-fighting. It's riotously fun!

When you are 30 (okay, almost 31) and you're trying it out for the first time, it's a completely different matter. Just think of a baby's first steps - awkward, clumsy, and rough.

As most Norwegians love nature and outdoorsy stuff, I thought I should give cross-country skiing (or langrenn, as they say it here) a try. My first attempt was at beautifully prepared paths in a deserted mountain ski area in southwest Norway. I didn't fall - not until we had to take a rest close to a lake and I had to go a steep 2 meters down in an unprepared slope. Still, I had to congratulate myself. That first fall didn't happen until an hour after we started!

Feeling more confident, my second attempt took place at this popular ski destination for Osloites in Frognerseter/Holmenkollen area. I will realize soon after that my hope of mastering the twists and turns is shattered. With dogs running around and throngs of families with kids, there were no coherent ski tracks and I feared crashing into someone at my every turn. Once, it took me full 3 minutes to have the guts to ski downhill at one junction. I didn't fall, luckily. But you should have seen the look of a dad and his kid as I was coming close to hitting them. Gosh I was embarrassed. And not to mention that I kept everyone behind me waiting.

My third ski attempt is even more painfully memorable. I went out with a bunch of kids from a transit camp (refugees and asylum-seekers waiting to be transfered) and other NGO volunteers on a Sunday ski trip. Yes, I shouldn't even have dared to volunteer! How can I assist first-time skiers when I can't even do it myself? Crazy me, I thought it would be more fun to "fall" together with these kids. And besides, who can resist the thrill of hearing the giggles of red-cheeked Norwegian kids playing nearby or the joy of making the refugee children laugh every single time I fall?

Well, so much for my philanthropic efforts. I ended up broken into pieces after 2-3 hours of skiing and sledding. It's like after my first yoga experience - I had body pains for days. But in spite of all the beating, I will do it again. And again and again.

Immigration Douleur (Part I)

Immigration - 'tis painful. And I'm not talking about the emotional, physical, and mental aspects of immigration but the paper processing - the formalities in short. In recent years, migration policies in Norway are getting strict, for understandable reasons of course. Why? Well, there's the principle of the welfare state's limited resources. As such, immigration must be restricted and all immigrants in Norway should have equal opportunities.

In a nutshell, immigrants in Norway are roughly composed of the following: labor migrants from the 60s to date (Pakistan, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Poland, Russia, etc.), refugees and asylum-seekers (Vietnam, Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Serbia, etc.), people who came through family reunification (this is me!), and others from neighboring Nordic countries, Western Europe, and North America. There are now approximately 415,000 immigrants in Norway.

Governed by the principle of equality, Norway strongly aims to "integrate" these immigrants into the society in order for them to be productive citizens of the country. Hence, language trainings are available for free, sufficient employment centers are available for use, universal health care is available, and other infrastructures/facilities are in place.

But the process of integration is made tedious by unnecessary impediments. Here's my experience:

1. I received my residence/work permit 6 months after I applied. And to think I am legally married to a Norwegian citizen already. Anyway, although I'm still lucky that it didn't take 11 months for UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet or Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) to process my case, I still have to wait another month to get my social security number from the National Registry. Thus, I can't open a bank account or work while waiting.

2. After getting my permit, I was informed that I am entitled to 300 hours of Norwegian language training (including 50 hours of Norwegian society and culture classes). However, I have to get a tuberculosis control (TBC) test first. Yes, this is compulsory but free of charge. Fine. But when I made an appointment at the designated public hospital, I was told that I have to wait for one month and a half. (Surely, I must understand that there is a long queue of newly-arrived immigrants.) I'm not supposed to take the test at private hospitals and no private doctors are allowed to do this. I should use the free service, in other words. Great.

3. Granted that I will get my TBC documentation ASAP, can I immediately start the language course?, I asked Voksen Opplæring which offers the language training. No, it will take 1-3 months from the time I register. Of course, why didn't I think about that?

So, for 4 months or so, one can't avail the free language training.

For half a year to 11 months that it would take to process a residence/work permit based on family reunification, no one is allowed to work. No temporary work permit is issued. And no health insurance.

In one year, Norway may have lost thousands of potential skilled workers. Just what the Kingdom needs at this time of strong economic growth and increasing labour demand.