

Life in Norway Show
David Nikel
An English language guide to living and working in Norway, featuring interviews with both expats and Norwegians. Find out what it's like to live and work in Scandinavia, and whether Norway really is the happiest country on earth.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 11, 2020 • 41min
49: Norwegian Folk Music
Life in Norway Show Episode 49: Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing joins the podcast to discuss folk music in Norway. Eldbjørg Hemsing is a Norwegian violinist who has lived in Austria and Germany and played all over the world. We talk about the fascinating world of music in Norway, specifically traditional folk music, and the role Norway's nature, mythology and languages play in it. Eldbjørg also introduces her own podcast, Nordics Unveiled, an English language look at what makes Nordic music, Nordic! Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norwegian-folk-music-podcast/

Nov 23, 2020 • 35min
48: Bodø/Glimt's Sensational Season
Life in Norway Show Episode 48: British football coach Gregg Broughton joins us to talk about life in northern Norway working for the new Norwegian champions. The small Norwegian club FK Bodø/Glimt have just won their first ever Norwegian title after a sensational season of attacking football and goals galore. Gregg Broughton moved from the world of English football to take charge of the Academy at Glimt in early 2018. We talk about his decision to move to Norway, his role at the club, the keys to their stunning success this season, and the plans he and his colleagues are putting in place to try and sustain the success. Full Show Notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/bodo-glimt-champions-podcast/

Nov 13, 2020 • 44min
47: Shopping Habits in Norway
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/

Oct 16, 2020 • 20min
46: Norway's CO2 Storage Explained
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/

Sep 18, 2020 • 40min
45: The Norse History of Orkney & Shetland
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/

Sep 4, 2020 • 25min
44: The Philippine Ambassador to Norway
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/

Aug 14, 2020 • 32min
43: Life in Bergen, Norway
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/

Jul 23, 2020 • 44min
42: Reading & Writing Books in Norway
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/

Jul 3, 2020 • 32min
41: Norwegian TV - Occupied and More
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/

Jun 19, 2020 • 36min
40: Researching the Viking Age
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/