大象传媒

13听础辫谤颈濒:听

The season of dissonance

Norwegians are used to staying indoors听a lot as we have long, cold and dark winters. Maybe that is why we have the concept of 鈥榟ygge鈥� and 鈥榢oselig鈥�, which for me means to stay indoors and make myself as comfortable as possible. As spring arrives, you are expected to spend more time outdoors听and sometimes this makes me uncomfortable. As I said to my friend one day: "Some听days, the only reason I go out of the house is because听it makes staying indoors feeling so much better. Nothing is like coming indoors听from the cold, light up the fireplace and make myself听comfortable the rest of the day.鈥� Today was a day like that.听

I decided to go for a hike on a mountain nearby听so I could get an "extreme outdoor experience"听before staying indoors cooking the rest of the day.听As we started to walk,听the wind听calmed,听and we got too warm.听I was starting to get a bit disappointed, I wanted to feel the cold and the wind all the way to听the top. All this at the same time as I for weeks have been complaining about the rain and wishing for a sunny day. I guess the shifting weather of spring invites for cognitive dissonance in terms of听activities I want to do.

Anyway, on our way to the top, we met quite a few people carrying their skis听as skiing was not possible the first part of the track. For me, this is also a sign of seasonal change as only during spring you will see people carrying their skis for quite a distance, not willing to let go of skiing opportunities even if the snow is gone in the听lowlands.听

As听we got further up, we walked on snow听almost like ice as it had been melting during the daytime the last couple of days and then frozen again during the night. Typical skiing conditions in the spring. The wind was back so strong it was difficult to stand up.听Finally,听it felt like an "extreme adventure"! We听even听had to turn around a few hundred meters before the top due to the strong wind. Very satisfied about having an "extreme adventure", we spent the rest of the afternoon indoors and made a nice Easter dinner with crepes suzette for dessert听听

How to know what the weather is like when no one is walking in the streets?听

Comment听from a friend:

"It is difficult to know what the weather is like听and what to wear when there听is no听one walking in the streets鈥� (e.g.听spring jacket? Woollen sweater? Just a shirt?). A normal way to know the weather is to look outside and听see听what people on their way to work听in the morning听are wearing.听

13 April:

Delayed Easter egg hunt today in the garden. Such warm weather, and more of the spring smell in the air.听We talk with friends who came over for the egg hunt and we realized we鈥檝e never been so healthy as under lockdown. The first half of March, like all of February and most of听January, we had blocked noses and sore throats and greasy coughs. All of us. My youngest turned one on 1 March, and听it鈥檚听like her whole first year she was a coalminer's daughter; I听can鈥檛听think of a time she wasn鈥檛 at least a bit sniffly.

But then my oldest is home from kindergarten, stops bringing home whatever sloshes around in that petri dish of 50 kids, and the听youngest听enters a golden age of good health. But the last couple of days听I鈥檝e听started sniffing and sneezing听some;听which has different connotations in these times, but I think听its听just mild hay fever. And it got me thinking that perhaps the lockdown has coincided with a month-long period between the flu and cold season, and the hay fever season.听

Unfair with snow in April.听Returning from Oslo,听a听week of blue skies,听and even wearing shades a few听times听,听I met听a "snow" storm in Bergen.听It feels unfair.听Feels like听I听can accept winter听(or "winter" as we don鈥檛 have much snow, or cold temperatures, just a听heavier听greyness)听in听January,听February, and March, but听it听feels unfair in April.听It should be lighter and greener and less grey, certainly not snow!听听

14 April:

Today it was 鈥渂ack鈥� to school and work after Easter, meaning home office and home school. The weather forecast is looking good and the local newspaper have headlines like 鈥淧repare for nice weather鈥�,听听鈥淗ere comes the sun鈥澨� - in the follow up articles about the weather, they emphasize how we really need some good news now. Being used to bad weather most of the year, no one gets as excited over nice and sunny weather as the people of Bergen! On the first sunny day of spring, people go to the city听centre听to听get听their first well-earned pint of beer in the sun at the outdoor bars. The restaurants and bars are preparing for opening their outdoor spaces this weekend, but obviously it will be a bit different with only half of the seats available due to the social distancing measurements. I bet the people of Bergen will enjoy their outdoor pint anyway!