Norwegian 101: Change (Endring)
Heidi Håvan Grosch
Sparbu, Norway
The new year (det nye året) has begun (har begynt), and as per usual (som vanlig) with it come many changes (mange endringer).
Climate change (Klima forandring)
Here in North Trøndelag we have been experiencing cold temperatures (lave temperaturer) which cause many (som forstyrrer mange) forced air wall heaters (varmepumper) to struggle (å slite). Those of us heating with wood (som varmer med ved) rejoice (fryder) when we can be home (kan være hjemme) for a few hours (for et par timer) in a row (på rad). We can then stoke the fire (legger i ovnen) so that it becomes possible (blir mulig) to go around the house (å gå rundt huset) without wearing a hat (uten å ha på en lue). We wonder if (vi lurer på) traditional Christmas seasons (tradisjonelle julehøgtider) filled with snow (fylt med snø) are a thing of the past (en ting fra fortiden) and keep fingers crossed (holde fingrene krysset) that the summer of 2016 will be dryer (tørrere) and warmer (varmere) than last year (enn i fjor).
Change in institutions of higher learning (Endring i institusjoner for høyere utdanning)
The university system (universitetssystemet) here in Norway is also facing new challenges (står overfor nye utfordringer) as university colleges (høgskoler) merge with universities (universiteter). It is not surprising (det er ikke overraskende) that often heated discussions (heftige diskusjoner) about future organization (fremtidig organisering), administration and focus (administrasjon og fokus) are hot topics (hete tema) in almost every institution of higher learning. HiNT (or North Trøndelag University College/Høgskole i Nord-Trøndelag) has joined forces with (har gått sammen med) HiNe (or the Nesna University College/Høgskole i Nesna) and the University of Nordland in Bodø. Now all fall under the larger umbrella (større paraply) called Nord University (Nord universitet / www.nord.no/en). HiST or South Trøndelag University College has merged with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (or NTNU/Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet) in Trondheim, as well as the University Colleges of Ålesund and Gjøvik.
Change in the map (Endring på kartet)
As there is also serious talk (alvorlig snakk) about merging (sammenslåing) some provinces/states (fylkeskommuner), the question becomes (blir spørsmålet) where lines will be drawn (hvor linjene vil bli trukket). Some wonder if (noen lurer på om) they will follow the area (området) covered by universities. This would mean, for example, that North Trøndelag would then merge with provinces/states (fylkeskommuner) to the north such as Nordland, instead of merging with South Trøndelag to become just Trøndelag. That would mean (dette betyr) that I would change (jeg ville endre) my address without ever having packed a box. Nothing is certain (ingenting er sikkert), and the politicians (politikerne) have many discussions ahead of them (mange diskusjoner i forkant av dem) before you need to purchase a new Norway map (et nytt Norgeskart).
Change in Norway’s demographics (Endring i Norges demografi)
Norway has experienced a very large wave (en veldig stor bølge) of asylum seekers (asylsøkere), refugees (flyktninger), and immigrants (innvandrere), and with that comes the need to adapt (behovet for å tilpasse) both on the part of Norwegians and newcomers alike. Adult education (voksenopplæring) programs are growing rapidly, and teachers in elementary schools (lærere i grunnskolen) are trying to figure out (prøver å finne ut) how to address the needs of so many new children.
2016 promises to be an adventure (å bli et eventyr), and who else to report on it than the Norwegian American Weekly! So keep tuned…
This article originally appeared in the Jan. 15, 2016, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
