A Swedish song about Norway

john_kidder

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
University of Bergen. Those are the luckiest kids in the world.
Not only that, but the inherent internationalism in modern European means that, for instance, Julia will do a semester in the fall at Berkeley, and hopefully another next fall in Mumbai (Bombay). She picks up her living expenses, the rest is part of the Norwegian approach that education makes citizens, and so all student citizens should have access at no cost to the best there is. Education is an investment, not an expense.
Darryl Hattenhauer said:
The song is a satirical parody of those few Swedes who really did think Norwegians were inferior. There were a few Swedes who liked it because they missed the humor and thought it was serious. And when the singer performed it in Norway (in 1968), a few Norwegians got steamed because they, too, couldn't tell it was a joke.
Anyone who can't tell that that's a joke must be astonishingly dumb. But if it was from 1968, then my wife is wrong about the Swedes feeling badly done by because of Norwegian oil - Norway is the third largest oil exporter in the world, but it didn't start really pumping until the '70s.
Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Maybe my experience is atypical, but the last time I was in Europe, the old 1960s stereotypes of the various nations were all but gone.
I agree, but old jokes die harder.

Europe is tremendously exciting right now - far and away the most promsing political movement in the world, towards a real inter-nationalism with real respect for the many cultural and political traditions that make it up. I'm envious of my kids, and not only for their youth.
 

JerryR

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john_kidder said:
I'm married to a Norwegian, have two kids who are therefore Norwegian citizens (and are now at university in Bergen). I send that song around (thanks Darryl), and got a few comments:

I really liked the petty hatreds I found all around Europe. The people from Rotterdam think the Amsterdamned are idiots. The people from Masstricht think all northeners are idiots. The Bohemians dislike the Moravians. The French are snotty and nobody likes the Germans. It's a fine and healthy sense of boyish bravado. It's a lovely lyric and I hope to hear you play the melody some day, perhaps with word sheets so we can sing along.
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And everyone hates the Brits for supporting the US in Iraq. There's a song contest every year - the Eurovision Song Contest. Britain used to come high but the last few years we get no votes at all - all political :evil:
 

Graham

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JerryR said:
Graham said:
JerryR said:
And everyone hates the Brits for supporting the US in Iraq.

Come on Jer, there's many more reasons than just that. :shock: :wink:

Traitor - and we still let you use our Queen :shock:

elton.jpg


We're done with him now, butt thanks. :wink:
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Not only that, but the inherent internationalism in modern European means that, for instance, Julia will do a semester in the fall at Berkeley, and hopefully another next fall in Mumbai (Bombay). She picks up her living expenses, the rest is part of the Norwegian approach that education makes citizens, and so all student citizens should have access at no cost to the best there is. Education is an investment, not an expense.

Meanwhile, back in the USA, students work an average of 30 hours a week to pay tuition, so they don't have time to learn.
 

Jeff

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[quote="Darryl Hattenhauer Meanwhile, back in the USA, students work an average of 30 hours a week to pay tuition, so they don't have time to learn.[/quote]

Tis much cheaper to utilize imported education from China & India.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Jeff,

As I understand it, that's why the US has more Asian doctors lately. Which is ok by me because my current doctor (from India? Pakistan?)tells me to take my thyroid pill in the morning with a full glass of water and nothing else for a half hour. It works. And no other doc told me that.
 

clark bjorke

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Sometimes the rivalry is not so good natured. When my brother visited Sweden he went into a restaurant wearing a Norwegian sweater, there is a distinct pattern to a Norwegian sweater that any Swede can easily recognize. He was ignored by the staff for a long time until he began to loudly demand service - in English. "Oh, you are an American! We're so sorry. With that sweater , we thought you were Norwegian."

I was working as construction superintendent on a condo project. A Swedish surgeon bought one of the units and was always mildly unpleasant to me. My boss told me that in conversation with the good doctor he was told that "Clark seems to be pretty smart for a Norwegian." I wouldn't expect much better from a surgeon, though.

My dad has a favorite phrase. "It's not whether you win or lose, as long as you beat the Swedes." And he is a third generation American.
 

clark bjorke

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Clark,

Sorry I missed this.

Where in Sweden did those lame brains live? Must have been far north where they still believe in trolls.

dh

Stockholm, unfortunately. It was a classic case of eating while Norwegian. :)
 
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