Відео

Wow, what a kind and thoughtful comment. Thank you. I appreciate that you took the time to watch, and the story resonated with you. The fork thing may be more of a European v. North American contrast. In the states we are taught to switch our fork back and forth between our left and right hands - left hand when cutting, right hand when shoveling in the food. When I started venturing beyond the isolation of my American cultural reference points by traveling the world, it struck me that in many cultures you keep your fork in the left hand for most two-utensil meals. Far more efficient. Although I was amazed the time I was sharing a meal with someone who was so skilled at the endeavor he could eat peas off the blade of his knife. If I had tried that I would have probably flung them around the room. Again, thank you for watching.

Thanks! That is very kind. I have shot a ton of footage, but I am trying to find a storyline that makes sense. The good news is we have purchased a home here in Bergen. The bad news is with the pace of renovation it could take a long time to get it ready. My kids want me to document the process, but we'll see if I can find enough content to make it more than a home fixer upper channel. :) That said, there are definately more stories to come. Thank you for watching.

Thank you very much. It can be difficult to adjust to any new culture. We have been here almost 3 years and I still have days where I wonder, "Will I ever figure this out?" But those moments are fewer in number as Bergen becomes home. We feel very fortunate to have found a place in the world that feels right to us. This is a great community.

I forgot to add, I've been a Formula 1 fan since I was a kid. Not sure why, but I have always found it very engaging. For me it has always felt like the best drivers with the best technology on tracks steeped in history. The sport has evolved, with each era having benefits, but my interest has never waned. And now I follow the series that are feeding the next generation of drivers into the sport - F2, F3 and the W series. Always interesting.

Well thank you, that is very kind. I think at that time I was using a Zoom h6 audio recorder clipped to my belt in the back (by today's standards, it is huge) and a Countryman lavalier mic hidden in my clothes. In editing I then synchronize the audio from the digital recorder to picture, using the audio on the camera as a reference. I did a video about how to do this process (double system audio) a while back that you you can find here: ua-cam.com/video/PeADzGdo2lI/v-deo.htmlsi=ENZdk9C-CZNT1gdj I use this approach with a lot of different digital audio recorders - from a Rode to my iPhone. With practice it can be second nature. Thanks again for watching.

Thank you for the question. This question is difficult for me to answer as I do an odd combination of things. For this one I first outlined the basic structure of the video. After I had an outline that I thought would work I then wrote out ideas for what I planned to say for each scene, and thought about how to best illustrate the point (what shots and angles I would need). When it came time to shoot I would read through out loud what I wanted to say in the segment, memorized the key points, and then threw away the paper so I could adlib each on-camera bit. I didn't want it to feel too formal, and I didn't want to read off prompter. When I do that I am pretty stiff and it feels rather disingenuous. In editing I string out all the segments, figure out what might work better as a voice over, and then write scripted parts to glue everything together. Because this is more of a "how to" or skills based video it usually needs to have some structure so I don't ramble too much. I have a completely different approach for something like my "Moving to Norway" series. For that, I shoot like crazy as events unfold. Whether it is moving or not, I shoot it. I may speak directly to the camera (off the cuff) if there is a feeling or description that could prove helpful to the story. Once I have an idea what the story should be that I want to tell I collect all the footage I've saved - anything that could be relevant to the story - and I start stringing it out in editing. For a 15 minute video I may have over 2 hours of footage on the timeline. I begin the process of organizing the parts that could fit together, and mostly discard footage that isn't relevant. I refine, and refine, and refine until I have moments and images that tell part of the story. From there, I start writing my voice over/script for the scene I am working on. At times I may write something that directly explains what is happening on screen. And other times I may to tell one part of the story with video while I advance a different story with my voice over. I continue this process of writing, revising, and revoicing, allowing the story to evolve during editing. It is messy and time consuming, but I find the stories I tell this way have a little more integrity, honoring the feeling of being in the moment that I captured. I am not forcing the story to something it is not. I'm not sure if this information helps. One approach is very systematic, the other is organic and difficult to describe. Thanks for watching and for asking the question.

@TheStoryGuide this is beyond helpful for me. I've been meaning to start creating videos for my youtube, but I find it hard to figure out the best process from pre, in prod, and post-prod

Thank you so much for these insights

Damn if only she could have went anyway. You would have grown up in the States in the golden years.

Thank you for watching. I am sorry my point of view as a storyteller strikes you as self-promotion. You have an interesting perspective, as these videos are neither monetized nor focused on advancing a specific agenda. When I share my experiences they are nothing more than that, personal observations about life's rich pageant. Still, I can understand how someone on the outside looking in could categorize my stories as "promote so much". I find it curious that your channel info directs folks to your website, which is focused on promotion. I hope you are successful in discovering content and storytellers that better meet your expectations. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Same

I would imagine the experience will be different for everyone, but hopefully you will have fewer unpleasant surprises. :) We love the life we are building here, and I wish you the best of luck. It is a great place to live. Thanks for watching.

@@TheStoryGuide did you ever have any unpleasant experiences?

@@Trillionsssssss Not with the folks here. The unpleasant parts were my lack of preparedness and underestimation when navigating the systems here. Banking, healthcare, point of sale, shopping, liquor stores, getting my drivers license, and the like are completely different what what I knew in the States. It is an incredible system that works astoundingly well. The challenge for me was the system seemed so opaque from the outside. I didn't always understand what I needed to do or how to find an entry point. It felt like everything is so interconnected that you need everything at once (ID number, bank account, driver's license). The challenge is understanding the best sequence - ID number, then bank, then apartment, then doctor, then drivers license. The wheels moved very slowly compared to what I was used to. In time I learned they move slowly so there are fewer mistakes. Once you have all the parts in place things like Vipps (digital payment system), mail, and banking are a marvel. I can't help but wonder why other countries don't have this level of infrastructure.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your life for giving me advice.

I would love it if you said "hei". I am always a bit surprised when someone mentions they have watched these stories, and flattered when they mention they enjoyed them. I can not imagine driving with my belongings in a station wagon. It must have been a long and exciting trip. What a change from Italy to Bergen. I look forward to bumping into you here. Thanks for the message.

Thank you for the welcome home. I envy that you have always called Bergen home. But perhaps my appreciation for the community comes from my experience living in many different places in the States. It makes it easy to recognize all that is good about this town. Thanks for watching.

Best of luck with your journey. Thank you for watching.

Interesting. As you probably know, Drammen had a bad reputation in the 80s,90s, and early 2000s., So it was a lot "easier" to establish yourself there in those days. I just saw the first flat that i rented for 4500kr in 2005, being listed for 23.000. 55m2 by the train station.

Well thank you! We do feel welcomed by so many of the amazing people here. For us, this is the perfect balance of culture, community, nature and society. Each day we are reminded how fortunate we are. I have a feeling we will never take this opportunity for granted. Thank you for watching.

I really appreciate that you took the time to comment here. I have mentioned to family and friends how humbled and flattered I was that you took the time to say "hello". When we spoke I was nearly done with this episode and was wondering if folks would watch it since it was less about life in Bergen and more about our commitment to live here. Our intent is this move is final. Let's hope our efforts with Norwegian classes and meeting the other requirements ensure we can stay. The fear is getting here may be the easy part, staying may be the difficult task. But for now, we are good and take the task one day at a time. Thanks again for watching and for the kind words. See you in town.

You are not the only person to mention that UA-cam did not surface this video with subscribers. My guess is too much time has passed since episode five was released. Disappointing, for sure. But this series has a pretty long shelf life and folks tend to find them over time. I started this series for my family and friends, and I am still surprised that others have shared they enjoy the stories. The reasons for moving here are rather nuanced and touch on a wide range of reasons - personal, cultural, social, political. Darcy and I are struggling a bit how to tell that story without casting aspersions on those who might feel differently. We don't want to stand on a soapbox preaching about how things are "awful" in one place or "perfect" in another. We do want to tell the story of "why", but with a global audience we want to be sensitive to how we present it. It will come, but I am not sure how it will land. Stay tuned. :) Thanks again for watching and the kind words.

Finding an opportunity for work can be tricky. I am certainly not an expert, but my understanding is if you are not from a country in the Schengen Area (most of the EU countries, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein), to work in Norway you will first need a residency permit. This means you will either need to secure a job before you come or enter on a temporary permit like as a student. The system is not really set up for someone to move here and then look for a job. Additionally, your employer will be the one to manage and coordinate securing your visa. As that can be expensive and complicated, many employers will choose instead to look for a potential employee who is a Norwegian citizen or already has the right to work here. Honestly, that is why the system exists - to ensure that Norwegians have the best opportunity to fill Norwegian jobs. Your advantage is there is demand for tech workers, therefore that should afford you a better path. There are plenty of resources available online to help you create a strategy. UDI's website clearly outlines the requirements. Websites like Life in Norway have a slew of articles that outline where to look and what to do. Most every available job will be posted on Finn.no, and you can filter by location, skills, and requirements. That might be the best approach to finding an opportunity that meets your needs. No matter what, start learning Norwegian now. Even rudimentary language skills will help you land a job. It is true that many folks here speak better English than most Americans. But while your workplace may accommodate non-Norwegian speakers, to acclimate and thrive in the workplace basic language skills are a must. The conversations over lunch, after work, or in the hallway will be in Norsk. The focus here is on collaboration and respect. Beginning the process of learning Norwegian will signal to both an employer and coworkers that you want to be part of a team. Don’t be dissuaded by the effort because it is certainly worth it. Best of luck and I hope this helps a little.

Ah... my struggles with the language. Funny you should ask. My wife is doing well. She will take her B1 exam in the next few months. For me, the primary challenge (excuse) is that my daily environment is in English. As I work remotely for an American company, and the program at the university is in English, every conversation, every meeting, every memo is in English. Most days the only Norsk I hear is from the news, on television, or online. I am envious of your flatmate. It is just my wife and me in the house, so there is little use trying to practice here. Too often we fuss a little because neither of us are sure who is right. It appears that we accomplish little more than reenforcing our poor skills. An additional excuse I tell myself is that in having responsibility for two jobs I find creating the time for things like språkkafé can be challenging. When out and about Darcy and I do our best to speak Norsk. I am amused when someone immediately switches to English. I can't help but assume that listening to my Norwegian is so painful they use English to save their ears. OK, more likely they see it as a favor so I am not struggling. I must admit I am amused when trying to sift through the more formal bokmål as opposed to the bergensk I encounter on the street. More than once I have had to refer to Study Bergen's learn-bergensk glossary to sort out what folks are saying. This year my focus is on bearing down and getting better. I have never been great at memorization or the "rules" of language (grammar, spelling, etc.) so that is something I will continue to overcome. Despite all these excuses, learning the language is important to me for many reasons. Not just for assimilation and communication, but also because I want folks to know that I am truly invested in my life here. Despite the struggle it will come. Just not fast enough for me. (In rereading this it appears I've become rather defensive. Lots of excuses and not enough action. Guess I better get in gear.) Thanks for the nudge and for helping me publicly share my commitment to get better. And most of all, thank you for watching and the kind words.

If I switch to English around someone it is never as a reaction to their skill, but more an accomodation to them. I honestly have a lot of respect for people who are learning Norwegian as a second/third/etc language, because I know how difficult our diverse dialects make it for them (I've heard from people that relocating to a different part of the country can almost set them back to the beginning in terms of learning the language because the new dialect will be so very different). I attend the boardgame club at Nordnes most weeks, and we have a bunch of members who primarily speak other languages than Norwegian. Some of them are competent enough in Norwegian that it doesn't matter whether I speak Norwegian or English with them, but other members have not yet reached that level and would not understand (much) if I spoke only in Norwegian. So any public announcements at the club is done in English to accommodate them and for me, whenever I sit down to play with people who I know don't have Norwegian as their first language, I ask if they prefer I speak Norwegian or English with them. Sometimes they tell me to go ahead with Norwegian, other times they need me to use English and I'm honestly fine with either (plus I love any opportunity I get to speak English, lol) To be fair, bokmål doesn't really resemble most dialects at all (even nynorsk which is technically based on a myriad of dialects don't do that good of a job either, least of all with my dialect). That's just how it goes with written versus spoken Norwegian. Don't expect them to match up all that much. And don't worry about what people think, most of us will just appreciate that you are trying and give it time.

Too true. Ha ha ha. Honestly, I used to watch NRK's slow TV from the states. I was fascinated by the "Hurtigruten minutt for minutt", mostly because, at the time, I was really impressed with the drone camera operators. I kept telling myself, "Hey, they're on a boat. If they crash that thing they aren't going back for it." Now that I live here, I'm afraid the charm of the premise has worn off for me. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to give me a laugh.