Meeting the Norsks
When my friend Jodea told me that she’s coming home with her whole Norsk family. I was a little excited, aside from the fact that i’m gonna see her, but the fact that i’m gonna meet her Norsks family – meaning, learning new culture and personalities from [new] country. As i do my research, i only knew Norsk as part of the coldest country there is in Europe as it is located almost near in the North Pole. They will be coming home for their second wedding in navas and of course, a grande vacation for the whole Raastad family.
The day came for their arrival [june 27, 2011]. I was actually hesitant to be part of the ‘welcome troupe’ at the airport as i may look “feeling close,” since me and Jodea became so close during facebook [only] days even if we knew each other back then.
Finally, i met them! It was actually awkward to be entertaining people when you are not part of the family and at the same time meeting people whom, just barely know them. But they [the Lambino family] didn’t make me feel that i’m an outsider [even if i am].
One of there guests that I met is – ate Ana, which i fondly hear alot about her from Jocno and i’m curious as well to know and met her in person. And Joc, was right! She is actually fun to be with or in our dialect ‘babaeng bakla liwat.’ Til now her first sentence still puts a smile in my face whenever i remember her looking at me and sayng ‘so, finally we met! You’re Aina.’ Her expressions made me giggle and i feel that there is no hesitations on her part. A woman with good heart. Joc was so right about her. . . she is indeed a lovely and nice woman.
After the brunch that we had at the cardenas residence, we headed to the beach called – tamburosan so Raastad family will have a better view of the beaches here. While there, Jodea’s “anak” – jens, had a little difficulty about the heat and he has to stay under a roof and stay fresh. While waiting for everyone to be back from the beach, Jodea and i had a little time to talk about life and anything there is to be talk about. While Jens keep on playing with Jodea, and Jodea keep on telling him “ikke” [also the first Norwegian word i learned] which means NO. Then Jens gave me a naughty smile and came next to me and started what he was doing to Jodea to me. I like kids, so it was not hard for me to deal with him except that there is a barrier – language.
I wasn’t able to say no when jodea asked me to go with them to las navas that very day, and arrived later on that afternoon.
Kids swarm in as they saw foreigners in jodea’s front house. I guess, if i was a little girl on that town, i would also have the same reaction as everyone else. People from that place never get to see white and tall people every day unlike people from the centre. Kids would follow the Norsk [maria, ella, jonas and jens] kids wherever they go. It’s more of a pied piper in the Hamelin view. They were like celebrities with paparazzi following them and looking at them like they are from a different planet. And all they know is they are Americans. Poor kids, but it was fun to see and hear their reactions at the same time.
I get to talk and entertain them bit by bit and answers questions that they have about the place. But one thing that attracts me is their language. Listening to them, and just trying to figure out from bits and pieces of their conversation, i get to pick up some words that is just similar to most words but just has different pronunciation. Right there and then i told jodea, “dea, can you teach me how to speak your language” and she laughed at me and said “i have my Norwegian dictionary here, you might wanna borrow it while im here.” Good point dea!! Ahahahaa. Really! I’m not a fanatic of language, but i was curious with their language. So yeah, i wanna learn to speak the basic.
Came to the preparations for the wedding. Everyone is busy, and everyone has their tasks to do before the big day comes. Mats and his dad learn how to dance the kuratsa, in which Mats will be dancing during the ‘money dance’ or most popularize to the name of the first couple dance. It was nice of them to just shrug off their shoulder and said “they wanna learn how to do it.” While most or some of the people will see it as something not so necessary but this father and son is definitely have the courage and fondness to learn the local dance and explore more of what they can learn from this town. I told them the meaning of the dance so it would be easy for them to do their own tricks and move to chase their partner. As mats mother – mama rita, tried to learn the dance and enjoyed it, she then said she had two left feet that made her not into dancing. But the good thing is that she tried to learn from it.
The wedding day came. Everyone are so pretty with their gowns and make ups. It was a colourful wedding except that it rained. I had a rehearsal with the Norsk for them to know what they will gonna do during the ceremony. From the practice, i never heard them complained [or could be i just didn’t understand what they say...lol]. It’s nice for them to be just appreciatively followed whatever the priest would tell them to do. It was actually their first time to have the kind of wedding that Filipinos have even, if there are also a little similarities with their wedding ceremony. It is not usual for in the Norsk culture to have all the bridesmaid [and the rest of the entourage] and principal sponsors walking down the aisle right before and after the groom and the bride.
The wedding ceremony at the church was more of a celebrity wedding, where all the townsfolk are there to witness the vows of two people who belong to the different parts of the world but is one at heart. People were amazed when mats do the vows in our vernacular – ninorte samarnon. It might be a little hard for mats, but for his love to jodea and his willingness to give jodea a great wedding in navas, he did that without second thoughts.
Reception followed. Which the people of navas also followed and watch as guests eat, dance and give speeches. As the reception area gets crowded, mama rita was worried that people are just starring to those who are inside the reception hall. She wanted the server to give food to the people who are bystanders and watchers of the reception. Jocno and jodea had to explain it to mama rita that it’s normal that they will just stay at the side and just plainly watch. See the difference of the Filipinos and Norsks?
They stayed and danced the night away. Good dancers, and definitely keep the navas people amused on how they enjoyed the moment.
The whole week of accommodating the Norsks give me impression on them, that even if they are having a hard time coping up with a different environment, weather and people, they stayed very warm and never heard any complaint [guess, i didn’t understood them when they do]. But they never blatantly told us that they don’t like the place, nor they are disgust about the place. They’re being educated and refined shows in their actions that even if they are having a hard time, they indeed enjoyed what they are doing. The fondness of mama rita to jodea is evident, seeing her touching jodea’s face makes me think that my friend is indeed in good hands with the Raastad. She may be far away from home, but she found a second home with Mats family.
I have seen mats do things that he never did in his entire life – pag bayo (pounding of rice), pag tahop, paglampaso (scrubbing the floor). And had tried eaten some food that is only found in navas.
Indeed, love could conquer all.
the host of the reception km & jayneil with chin, ate ana and mam ondette
jens and me at tamburosan
with the newly weds jodea and mats right after the reception
the Raastad family
Anders and Kristie Eggens. Jodea's boss
paal and ann-elin raastad
jens as the ring bearer
ella as a junior bridesmaid and her partner
quisha as a junior bridesmaid with her partner jonas.
maria as the bridesmaid and her partner
The day came for their arrival [june 27, 2011]. I was actually hesitant to be part of the ‘welcome troupe’ at the airport as i may look “feeling close,” since me and Jodea became so close during facebook [only] days even if we knew each other back then.
Finally, i met them! It was actually awkward to be entertaining people when you are not part of the family and at the same time meeting people whom, just barely know them. But they [the Lambino family] didn’t make me feel that i’m an outsider [even if i am].
One of there guests that I met is – ate Ana, which i fondly hear alot about her from Jocno and i’m curious as well to know and met her in person. And Joc, was right! She is actually fun to be with or in our dialect ‘babaeng bakla liwat.’ Til now her first sentence still puts a smile in my face whenever i remember her looking at me and sayng ‘so, finally we met! You’re Aina.’ Her expressions made me giggle and i feel that there is no hesitations on her part. A woman with good heart. Joc was so right about her. . . she is indeed a lovely and nice woman.
After the brunch that we had at the cardenas residence, we headed to the beach called – tamburosan so Raastad family will have a better view of the beaches here. While there, Jodea’s “anak” – jens, had a little difficulty about the heat and he has to stay under a roof and stay fresh. While waiting for everyone to be back from the beach, Jodea and i had a little time to talk about life and anything there is to be talk about. While Jens keep on playing with Jodea, and Jodea keep on telling him “ikke” [also the first Norwegian word i learned] which means NO. Then Jens gave me a naughty smile and came next to me and started what he was doing to Jodea to me. I like kids, so it was not hard for me to deal with him except that there is a barrier – language.
I wasn’t able to say no when jodea asked me to go with them to las navas that very day, and arrived later on that afternoon.
Kids swarm in as they saw foreigners in jodea’s front house. I guess, if i was a little girl on that town, i would also have the same reaction as everyone else. People from that place never get to see white and tall people every day unlike people from the centre. Kids would follow the Norsk [maria, ella, jonas and jens] kids wherever they go. It’s more of a pied piper in the Hamelin view. They were like celebrities with paparazzi following them and looking at them like they are from a different planet. And all they know is they are Americans. Poor kids, but it was fun to see and hear their reactions at the same time.
I get to talk and entertain them bit by bit and answers questions that they have about the place. But one thing that attracts me is their language. Listening to them, and just trying to figure out from bits and pieces of their conversation, i get to pick up some words that is just similar to most words but just has different pronunciation. Right there and then i told jodea, “dea, can you teach me how to speak your language” and she laughed at me and said “i have my Norwegian dictionary here, you might wanna borrow it while im here.” Good point dea!! Ahahahaa. Really! I’m not a fanatic of language, but i was curious with their language. So yeah, i wanna learn to speak the basic.
Came to the preparations for the wedding. Everyone is busy, and everyone has their tasks to do before the big day comes. Mats and his dad learn how to dance the kuratsa, in which Mats will be dancing during the ‘money dance’ or most popularize to the name of the first couple dance. It was nice of them to just shrug off their shoulder and said “they wanna learn how to do it.” While most or some of the people will see it as something not so necessary but this father and son is definitely have the courage and fondness to learn the local dance and explore more of what they can learn from this town. I told them the meaning of the dance so it would be easy for them to do their own tricks and move to chase their partner. As mats mother – mama rita, tried to learn the dance and enjoyed it, she then said she had two left feet that made her not into dancing. But the good thing is that she tried to learn from it.
The wedding day came. Everyone are so pretty with their gowns and make ups. It was a colourful wedding except that it rained. I had a rehearsal with the Norsk for them to know what they will gonna do during the ceremony. From the practice, i never heard them complained [or could be i just didn’t understand what they say...lol]. It’s nice for them to be just appreciatively followed whatever the priest would tell them to do. It was actually their first time to have the kind of wedding that Filipinos have even, if there are also a little similarities with their wedding ceremony. It is not usual for in the Norsk culture to have all the bridesmaid [and the rest of the entourage] and principal sponsors walking down the aisle right before and after the groom and the bride.
The wedding ceremony at the church was more of a celebrity wedding, where all the townsfolk are there to witness the vows of two people who belong to the different parts of the world but is one at heart. People were amazed when mats do the vows in our vernacular – ninorte samarnon. It might be a little hard for mats, but for his love to jodea and his willingness to give jodea a great wedding in navas, he did that without second thoughts.
Reception followed. Which the people of navas also followed and watch as guests eat, dance and give speeches. As the reception area gets crowded, mama rita was worried that people are just starring to those who are inside the reception hall. She wanted the server to give food to the people who are bystanders and watchers of the reception. Jocno and jodea had to explain it to mama rita that it’s normal that they will just stay at the side and just plainly watch. See the difference of the Filipinos and Norsks?
They stayed and danced the night away. Good dancers, and definitely keep the navas people amused on how they enjoyed the moment.
The whole week of accommodating the Norsks give me impression on them, that even if they are having a hard time coping up with a different environment, weather and people, they stayed very warm and never heard any complaint [guess, i didn’t understood them when they do]. But they never blatantly told us that they don’t like the place, nor they are disgust about the place. They’re being educated and refined shows in their actions that even if they are having a hard time, they indeed enjoyed what they are doing. The fondness of mama rita to jodea is evident, seeing her touching jodea’s face makes me think that my friend is indeed in good hands with the Raastad. She may be far away from home, but she found a second home with Mats family.
I have seen mats do things that he never did in his entire life – pag bayo (pounding of rice), pag tahop, paglampaso (scrubbing the floor). And had tried eaten some food that is only found in navas.
Indeed, love could conquer all.
quisha as a junior bridesmaid with her partner jonas.
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