Life in Norway Show

Life in Norway Show Episode 47: Paul Harrison from the Kelkoo Group joins the show to talk about shopping habits in Norway, from price sensitivity to mobile payments and more. We talk about how shopping habits differ between Norway and other countries, the supermarket experience in Norway, the state of online shopping in Norway, and a look at how our money and payments are rapidly moving online. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/shopping-habits-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 46: An American researcher living in Norway joins the show to talk about carbon capture and storage technologies. Norway is about to buy into the concept of CO2 capture, transport and storage in a big way. The government has announced plans to plunge $1.8 billion of public money into a full-scale implementation of the technologies, known collectively as CCS. American research scientist Amy Brunsvold has lived in Norway for more than 10 years, and now works at SINTEF Energy Research in Trondheim. She is on the management team of the Norwegian CCS Research Centre (NCCS) so is well placed to explain it all to us. We look at what CCS is and why Norway is spending so much money on it. Of course we also chat about what it's like to work as a research scientist in Norway, and what Amy thinks of life in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/ccs-co2-storage/

Life in Norway Show Episode 45: Scotland's Orkney and Shetland have a fascinating Norse history. But it's not just stories in the history books. There remains a strong Norwegian influence on the islanders' everyday life to this day. Donna Heddle heads up the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. We talk about the fascinating history of Orkney and Shetland, and how that legacy shapes the culture, place names and language of the islands today. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/orkney-shetland-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 44. The interviews with the Canadian and British Ambassadors to Norway have been some of the most popular episodes of the Life in Norway Show so far. So, I'm delighted to welcome another Ambassador onto the podcast today. Ambassador Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia is the Philippine Ambassador to Norway and Iceland. It's her third ambassadorial role and is the latest step in her globetrotting career representing her country. We talk about the links between Norway and the Philippines, the importance of the shipping and maritime industries to both countries, and the everyday life of a diplomat in Norway in 2020. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/philippines-ambassador/

Life in Norway Show Episode 43: Tour guide Emma Vestrheim joins the podcast to chat about moving from Australia to Norway, the experience of living in Bergen, and working as a tour guide in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/life-in-bergen-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 42: Co-writing duo the Lost Viking Writers to talk about Norwegian literature and the publishing industry in Norway. Today I’m joined by Brian Talgo and Brynjulf Haugan, two writers living in Norway. Brian is an expat New Yorker and Brynjulf grew up in Canada, but both have lived in Norway for much of their lives. They are co-writing a trilogy of historical fiction, the first of which is called The Salt of Ancient Tears. We talk about the publishing industry in Norway, including some of the popular authors and genres. We also look at what inspired them to write a series set in the world of the Vikings. Finally, we look at the challenges faced by budding authors trying to getting published in Norway. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/reading-writing-books/

Life in Norway Show Episode 41: It's time to talk Norwegian TV, including Okkupert (Occupied), Beforeigners and Ragnarok, among other favourites. Today I’m joined by Jack Esposito, co-host of a podcast all about Norwegian TV and film called Pod for Norge. His show began as an episode-by-episode breakdown of Okkupert (Occupied), a near-future thriller set in Norway, but has since broadened to cover many more shows and the occasional movie. We talk about several of the most popular TV shows in Norway, many of which are now available to watch all around the world thanks to streaming services like Netflix and HBO. Whether you're a fan of Norwegian TV or not, hopefully you'll end the interview with an expanded "to be watched" list! Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norwegian-tv-podcast/

Life in Norway Show Episode 40: A look inside a research centre focused on the Viking Age. Just a few episodes ago I spoke to a Viking ship archaeologist. Today I'm returning to the subject of the Norsemen and talking to researcher Keith Ruiter who focuses his studies on the Viking Age. We talked about the importance of researching historical time periods, and just how we go about doing that. We also cover why learning languages, including how to read Old Norse, is so important to the work. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/viking-researcher/

Life in Norway Show Episode 39: One of Norway's most famous immigrants, Maria Amelie, tells us about her life as a teenage asylum seeker, how she got to return to Norway after being deported, and her new business Startup Migrants. If you were in Norway around ten years ago, chances are you'll know the name Maria Amelie. Around ten years ago, she was a household name. Her book Illegally Norwegian documented her story of her teenage years and beyond as an illegal resident in Norway. The media storm around the book and her subsequent deportation ended up changing many minds and even the law on immigration. Maria was quickly offered a job and obtained a work permit to return. Today Maria works on startup migrants, a book that has become a business with the aim of changing many more minds in Norway and all across Europe. Her story is controversial, inspiring and fascinating all at the same time. I'm delighted to say we finally found some time for Maria to come on the show. This one is a must-listen! Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/maria-amelie-interview/

Life in Norway Show Episode 38: An interview with Knut Paasche from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, all about finding Viking ships in Norway. When it comes to the history of Scandinavia, few things are more iconic than Viking ships. They turned the Vikings from farmers into explorers, raiders and traders, cementing their place in history. In recent years, more Viking ship burial sites are being discovered all over Scandinavia. But why now, more than 1000 years later? To find out, I invited Knut Paasche, an expert on Viking ship archaeology onto the show. He works as the head of Digital Archaeology at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU). We talk about what it's like to work as an archaeologist in 2020, and how digital tools are transforming the field and leading to more knowledge about the Vikings. We also hear about some of its favorite Viking ship archaeology projects to date. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/viking-ship-archaeology/