We were travelling through Sweden. The way north was laid open before us. Once we crossed the Norwegian border, I was mesmerised by the natural wonder ahead of us. That was only a brief introduction of what would be coming.
For a while, we did not encounter any housing. There was only pure nature. The trees were grown as if the God Pan seeded them. Although Nordic air has proven to be quite refreshing, this was at its apex here in Norway. For a while, the road ahead was the only thing reminding us of civilisation. And, of course, some Teslas.
The first human greeting was the homes around the farms. Before the oil was found, Norway was an agricultural and fishing country. Although this remains the case in most of Norway, the oil discovery positively changed the capital inflow. One could mention the Arabic capital in Oslo. I laughed at the dilemma designers faced when adjusting between Nordic and Arabic tastes. Arabs wanted balconies, while Norwegians did not want an extended fridge. The result was small balconies for decoration.
For some time, we travelled across the roads to reach the capital of Norway, Oslo. The god's whisper was not the initial capital of Norway. Norway became its state in 1905, separating itself from Sweden. Usually, around the world, you see nature subjugated to the will of man. The roads and buildings usually replace nature's parcels.
In contrast, Norway had a reverse method of planning. Throughout the country, most roads and buildings were built secondarily after considering nature. This fact tells many things about Norwegian people. Only this fact makes me fall in love with this country and its sons and daughters. It is a shame this country is known for its oil or coming to the world stage with richness brought by the oil itself. Perhaps oil was nature's gift; I believe the Norwegian spirit must characterise this country.
After witnessing Sweden, I was not surprised to see Oslo's human sparsity. The only exciting thing was that employees in the shop were not native, e.g., a Chinese in a pharmacy and an Italian in 7eleven. The place where Nobel prizes were granted is in the city hall. Now, they are given in Oslo University's atrium.
Every home seemed quite cosy, even in summer. I can only imagine how they are in the winter. We met with some people who moved to Norway. Some claimed they were not pleased here because of the Long Dark and the culture. Some others said they liked it here and wished they were born here. The standard deviation was significant. Introverted and risk-averse culture? That has its benefits and challenges, yet this could be a barrier for people who have joined society from elsewhere. In my opinion, they should never forget Gaia and Pan.
The way to FLÅM was quite long again but very delightful. Seeing all the nature and the nicely built houses can never be boring. You always notice that Norway is an agricultural country. You could see all the farms and homes again and again throughout the land. The red houses were usually for the stuff or animals to reside, while the white ones were where the family stayed. I have not seen many people out there; there were only some jogging or walking while listening to music. Seeing the great individuality in the people was another great discovery. Though this holds in Sweden and Denmark, here, maybe because I was biased, people seemed like they are living ultimately entirely individually.
You always see the recurring theme of praise for nature in Norway, from the Flåm Line to the newly bought electrical ferries that do not disturb the wildlife that their predecessors had used to. Many Italians, Deutsche people, and other fellow Americans were in Flåm Line. The spirit of the waterfall greeted us two times.
Vigeland Park was beyond any expectation. The way he carved out the granite and the essence he demonstrated are must-sees. I want to extend my interpretations of his work in detail. From afar, you notice something like an obelisk. Later, it is revealed that this is a cylindrical mountain made by humans. You can see babies and people at the bottom, squeezed.
On the other hand, people at the top hold their babies to the sky. My friend said that was to show that, even though all people want their children to be better and at the top, some children and people are always squeezed at the bottom. You may take away others' well-being by trying to become the best. The masterwork perhaps indicated why Jante laws were so common in Scandinavia. All were aware that you might ascend for the cost of others. If there is an ascension, then naturally, there is a descension. High exists because of the low. Vigeland's brilliance made all of us think about this truth.
There is much meaningful work here that everyone should visit to harvest the interpretation. The last thing I will mention is the struggle between two serpent-draconic figures, men and women. If you descend into the park, you will first see the men's fight. In one, the man fights the monster without facing it. He struggles and seems to be losing. In the next, you see he has lost the battle, and the monster reigns over the man.
When you come down, you see a woman. She seems more resistant to this monster. She even looks eye-to-eye with the serpent-like monster. One might say that she had won the battle. Suddenly in the next one, you see she had also lost the war.
My friend mentioned that the monsters were the will of those people. He said that although humans fight with their will, they always lose. Women are more powerful when fighting against their will, unlike men, who barely fight against their will without even looking directly at their will.
There have been moments in Norway where I believe I will never be able to communicate those profound experiences. May circumstances make you visit Norway, perhaps even more. I came to realise that I hadn't known what love was until Norway.
No gratitude can ever be sufficient for dear Stian, who taught me how to breathe and helped me keep raising the stakes.
If you enjoyed sharing my experience, you are welcome to read my Journey recorded by clicking on the country you want to visit:
Initially published for Polyhedron on 9/7/2022
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