A Frog in the Fjord
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My name is Lorelou Desjardins. I am The Frog in the Fjord: a French lady who lived in Denmark for a bit before moving to Norway for good. This blog is about all these new realities foreigners like me face when trying to adapt to a new culture, language, country and most of all to new people.
A Frog in the Fjord
2w ago
The short answer to this question is, “yes, but not always.” We all have that one friend who has a high-paid job in some tech company or the oil industry, has been living here for 10 years, and can barely say a full sentence in Norwegian. But this is the exception, not the norm, and ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
2M ago
The New York Times has just released its list of 52 places to visit in 2025. Some are cities (like Benin City, Nigeria), others entire countries (England takes the top spot), or even rivers (such as the Magdalena River in Colombia). Interestingly, the New York Times recommends visiting not one but two Norwegian destinations in ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
3M ago
I have lived in Norway for exactly 15 years, and I have worked here the whole time. My salary increased, mainly when I changed jobs. In these years I have witnessed the Norwegian krone weaken, and weaken, and weaken more. When I think it’s come down to its lowest, nope. The Economist has even written ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
4M ago
Once, I invited a Norwegian acquaintance over for a short visit—she was just coming to pick something up. She looked around and said, “Oh, what a nice home you have, there’s so much… life here.” I didn’t quite understand what she meant. What life is she talking about? Then I remembered that Norwegians aren’t direct ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
4M ago
Many of us parents in Norway grew up in countries where there’s neither “bad weather” nor “bad clothing.” (In reference to the Norwegian saying “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”). In France, for example, there are no 100% wool garments for children, and a winter suit might be rented once or twice in ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
7M ago
Painting exposed in the National museum in Oslo, by Lena Trydal “Folkekongen”. Picture in the museum taken by Ionut Burchi. I don’t often write about the Royal family, but today a Norwegian princess got married! Time for some updates and thoughts on recent scandals and what they mean in today’s Norwegian society. The Norwegian Royal ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
7M ago
Norway can be expensive, and whether you are a tourist here or living here, you might need tips to save money when eating and drinking. I have lived in Norway for 15 years, these are the tips I can give you to eat and drink on a budget. 1- Drink tap water Tap water is ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
8M ago
Are you wondering why your Norwegian neighbourhood is empty, your colleagues have disappeared and your local train has been replaced by a bus coming a few times per day with the name “Buss for tog”? Welcome to fellesferie!!! One of the many perks (or annoyances, depending on how you see it) of living in Norway ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
9M ago
Picture credits: Lorelou Desjardins It is finally summer in Norway and I wanted to buy fresh vegetables. I came home with enough to make a good salad, but when I took a closer look at my basket (see my picture), I realised it is obviously not coming fresh from the farmer’s market. Every single item ..read more
A Frog in the Fjord
10M ago
Skam deg! Shame on you! There are surprisingly many words and expressions in Norwegian that are related to shame. Skamløs, å bli skamfull, bringe skam over noen, leve i skam, gjøre noe for skams skyld, det er både synd og skam, bite hodet av all skam, skamme seg over noe.. Even the housing market has ..read more