National Day

In case you didn’t notice, yesterday was the Norwegian national day, May 17th. What to some is a cute, non-violent, children focused, inclusive and innocent celebration of Norwegian society, is to others a self-obsessed, self-celebratory, nationalistic and exclusive ritual – with no charm whatsoever – reminiscent of other times and regimes with which we would normally not want to be compared. I have a foot in both of these camps, I do enjoy the celebrations, albeit I take part with modesty, and am sensitive to the self-celebration.

This year’s 17th, I met many of the ambassadors in Oslo, who fall very much in one camp (a diplomatic trait?), those who emphasize the charm of the child parades. As a Director, one of my privileges is to be invited to the Foreign Minister’s reception in Parkveien. It is a nice reception, but also a fantastic place to discuss and network with people from the ministry, the research council, the government, the embassies and elsewhere. Intensive, interesting, and useful.

Other PRIOites chose to spend the day reaching Norway’s highest peak, Galdhøpiggen! On skies! Craig, Hans Olav, Svein and Lars Even left Oslo for Juvasshytta on Monday afternoon, from where they departed in the morning on the 17th. Lars Even’s bulky backpack revealed that champagne was on the menu for the rituals to be performed on the top of mountain. An adventurous gang indeed.




My predecessor, Dan Smith, pursued a side interest in the anthropology of the Norwegian. May 17th was a strategic research site. Among all the inexplicable phenomena that you have observed on this day – and in the run up to it – is the ‘russ’, the red-clothed, drinking, rude youngsters who ride around town in disco-buses and vans 24-7. These are high-school graduates, doing their best to ruin whatever grades they had by turning the exam period into the world’s wildest party. One of them, Anna, is my daughter. The russe-celebrations are officially over by May 17th, and I am relieved she has come out of it in one piece. Home shall be a quieter place.