General Discussion Thread

[Fimbulvarg]

isn't that the price of any food in norway

Cabbage is kind of cheap-ish?

[SectoBoss]

Trees are valuable in wind-swept Iceland!  Ownership of a forest is actually a plot point in the current chapter of "Thistil Mistil Kistil," a terrific online comic about Scandinavia in Viking times. 

I just hope the current tree theft doesn't grow into some big saga-esque feud.  Is there an equivalent for weregild for trees?  A fine in pounds of CO2, or something?

Recommended Scandinavian method for dealing with tree thieves.

[Sunflower]

That's rich.  Does anyone recall who said "Mr. Henry James writes as if it is his sad duty"?   

Haha.  Probably Mark Twain (right after he finished demolishing James Fenimore Cooper). 

[Solovei]

It was a joke. The price for maple syrup here (which I suspect isn't proper maple syrup at all) is pretty close to a million a gallon.

But why would you want a gallon of maple syrup?
(I don't actually like the stuff at all. I mean, I'm the last person to say that anything is "too sweet", but maple syrup definitely is. Like, gross. Also sticky. Ewwww)

[Haiz]

Note to self: consider saving up more money than planned for that holiday in Scandinavia

I'm not kidding when I say I almost cry with joy at czech supermarkets because the food is so beautifully cheap
or that we stop to shop in finland whenever we drive northwards to visit my norwegian half of the family

Cabbage is kind of cheap-ish?

this one time when I had two friends visiting and we had to buy or own food for dinner, it was this bizarre hunt for things we could afford. like. "GUYS I FOUND A CAN OF BEANS FROM THAT CHEAP BRAND" or "maybe if we all cash in on that naan..."

[viola]

How much do books cost in Norway?

[Laufey]

BY THE WAY MAPLE SYRUP IS DELICIOUS. This has been an announcement.

Reminds me of the time when someone broke into a maple syrup refinery and stole a bunch of the stuff

Sounds like the Most Canadian Crime of All Times.

This sounds like something out of a Terry Pratchett novel. if they need birch that badly they could just plant some.

To be fair birch grows super slowly up here, that's a ten year wait. Maybe they just wanted to skip the waiting-part...

That's rich.  Does anyone recall who said "Mr. Henry James writes as if it is his sad duty"?   

Oscar Wilde.

I just hope the current tree theft doesn't grow into some big saga-esque feud.  Is there an equivalent for weregild for trees?  A fine in pounds of CO2, or something? 

Most likely public ridicule will do, plus returning the stolen goods, that's the typical Icelandic way of dealing with theft. Although a mage punch probably wouldn't go amiss...

[Haiz]

How much do books cost in Norway?

depends entirely on the book, but a lot. around 300 crowns for a normal hardcover novel, I think?
most books I buy are from the internet, or the geek/comic book store where they have cheaper english books. oooor on kindle.

I also like to hang out at the library, I know pretty much all the workers in the kid's section there^^"

[viola]

Most likely public ridicule will do, plus returning the stolen goods, that's the typical Icelandic way of dealing with theft. Although a mage punch probably wouldn't go amiss...

My friend and I were talking about people being on waiting lists to go into the jail in Iceland because it doesn't have enough space, so people just walk around while their names are on the waiting list.

[Fimbulvarg]

But why would you want a gallon of maple syrup?
(I don't actually like the stuff at all. I mean, I'm the last person to say that anything is "too sweet", but maple syrup definitely is. Like, gross. Also sticky. Ewwww)

To be fair birch grows super slowly up here, that's a ten year wait. Maybe they just wanted to skip the waiting-part...

Eh, we chopped down like 10 mature ones in our garden last year. Maybe we should have tugged them to Iceland with the boat.

[Laufey]

Eh, we chopped down like 10 mature ones in our garden last year. Maybe we should have tugged them to Iceland with the boat.

Norway: providing Iceland with timber since 874.

[Haiz]

speaking of norwegian trees, here's the easternmost tree in norway, situated in vardø:


it's the only tree on the island
it's in the middle of a fortress
it's shorter than me, because they had to plant it anew in 2003
and they have to cover it up most of the year. they have a ceremony when kindergarteners unwrap it late june

...and according to the tumblr post i wrote last summer i gave it a high five

[Fimbulvarg]

Norway: providing Iceland with timber since 874.

Timber and fugitives. What Iceland lacks the Old Country produces in plenties!

speaking of norwegian trees, here's the easternmost tree in norway, situated in vardø:


it's the only tree on the island
it's in the middle of a fortress
it's shorter than me, because they had to plant it anew in 2003
and they have to cover it up most of the year. they have a ceremony when kindergarteners unwrap it late june

...and according to the tumblr post i wrote last summer i gave it a high five

What's its name?

[Haiz]

What's its name?

it's a rowan, not sure if it has a Name name...
*googles*
wikipedia says only this:

Tidligere stod Vardøs eneste tre, ei rogn, bevart på festningen. Treet som ble plantet av en soldat på 1950-tallet, er sagt å ha vært det best bevoktede og mest fotograferte tre i Norge. Rognetreet ble forsvarlig innpakket om vinteren. I dag er det plantet flere trær på Vardøya. De står alle i private hager og blir på samme måte passet på i de meget værharde vintermånedene. Det berømte rognetreet på festningen ble hugget i 2002, da det ikke lenger taklet de værharde vintermånedene. Det ble plantet en ny rogn i 2004 av barnehagebarn.

so I was wrong about 2003 there
and it being the only tree on the island
woops

[Fimbulvarg]

it's a rowan, not sure if it has a Name name...
*googles*
wikipedia says only this:so I was wrong about 2003 there
and it being the only tree on the island
woops

Yes, the species is obvious, I'm just surprised they haven't named it considering how much they fuss with it.

Did you know the Norse name for that species is Reynir?