Dear Norway...
Jun. 7th, 2005 09:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
misscamEast of the Sun, West of the Moon has been updated with ch. 22 here (CSI Forensics) & here (ff.net). It's another killer POV, this time from a Norwegian.
Speaking of Norwegians - today is June 7th 2005 and it is exactly 100 years since Norway split from Sweden after a union of nearly 90 years (before that, we were in a Union with Denmark for about 400 years) and the modern, independent kingdom of Norway was born. And thus, I'm about to go into a sickening love declaration for my country, so run screaming away unless you really want to read patriotic dribbling.
My darling silly little country of mine,
today you are 100 years on your own in the modern world. Hurrah for you. I don't think anyone in 1905 would have guessed from the Norway then that we'd be considered one of the best places in the world to live now. We were poor and the backwater of Europe in so many ways. We're still a bit of an oddity, but we're also properous, peaceful and fairly decent. And for all our moaning, I think most of us are happy here.
I know I am. You are my cradle, my home, my land. You have shaped me, and thus you're forever a part of me. I love your mountains and fjords and sea crashing into the land, your rough, enduring nature and yes, even the crappy weather that made me love the good weather even more. I love your midnight sun and northern lights and silence and peace of winter. I love your silly, self-involved people of which I am a part, even with our obsessions for sport and Eurosong and frozen pizza. I love our naivite in thinking we can improve the world and our trying to do so, too, even if we sometimes fail.
I don't love everything about us or my country. Everything has flaws and you certainly do. But they cannot change the fact that you are my country and your sun is framing my life. Happy 100th, Norway. I hope that at your 200th, Norwegians will still be fairly happy, prosperous and peaceful. But maybe with not as many zero-point entries for Eurosong, no?
Sincerly,
Camilla
Links:
Official Centennial celebration site
Norway marks its '100th birthday' (BBC)
In Norway's centennial year, try the triangle tour (CNN)
Speaking of Norwegians - today is June 7th 2005 and it is exactly 100 years since Norway split from Sweden after a union of nearly 90 years (before that, we were in a Union with Denmark for about 400 years) and the modern, independent kingdom of Norway was born. And thus, I'm about to go into a sickening love declaration for my country, so run screaming away unless you really want to read patriotic dribbling.
My darling silly little country of mine,
today you are 100 years on your own in the modern world. Hurrah for you. I don't think anyone in 1905 would have guessed from the Norway then that we'd be considered one of the best places in the world to live now. We were poor and the backwater of Europe in so many ways. We're still a bit of an oddity, but we're also properous, peaceful and fairly decent. And for all our moaning, I think most of us are happy here.
I know I am. You are my cradle, my home, my land. You have shaped me, and thus you're forever a part of me. I love your mountains and fjords and sea crashing into the land, your rough, enduring nature and yes, even the crappy weather that made me love the good weather even more. I love your midnight sun and northern lights and silence and peace of winter. I love your silly, self-involved people of which I am a part, even with our obsessions for sport and Eurosong and frozen pizza. I love our naivite in thinking we can improve the world and our trying to do so, too, even if we sometimes fail.
I don't love everything about us or my country. Everything has flaws and you certainly do. But they cannot change the fact that you are my country and your sun is framing my life. Happy 100th, Norway. I hope that at your 200th, Norwegians will still be fairly happy, prosperous and peaceful. But maybe with not as many zero-point entries for Eurosong, no?
Sincerly,
Camilla
Links:
Official Centennial celebration site
Norway marks its '100th birthday' (BBC)
In Norway's centennial year, try the triangle tour (CNN)
