Blog

Yes friends, this is me and my peculiar accomplishments!

I have spent years observing, laughing with, and (let’s be honest) sometimes scratching my head at the people of Mid-Norway: The Trønders.

Their accent is as charming as it is impossible to fully decipher, their traditions delightfully odd, and their everyday quirks endlessly fascinating. And me? I’ve been writing about them in various forms and versions: essays, little books, even a blog (because really, there can never be enough info...

(Photo taken from Adresseavisen, August 28.)

Move over, students. Trondheim has a new scholar in town. Meet Kent Ranum, the mayor who decided that running a city wasn’t quite enough mental stimulation. So, he’s taking a three-month leave to join a prestigious study program.

Do not worry though. We can afford it.

Here’s the fun part: the program is completely free. Norway’s public higher education doesn’t charge a thing. The only cost? His own board and room. And for a man who earns way more...

(Apologies in advance – this post is in Norwegian and relates to the upcoming election.)

Velkommen til Trøndelag. Ett fylke, mange meninger og enda flere dialekter. Selv om Nord- og Sør-Trøndelag ble slått sammen i 2018, er det fortsatt like stor forskjell på nordtrønderen og sørtrønderen som det er mellom sodd og fårikål. (For ordens skyld: sodd er trøndernes stolthet, fårikål får bare være hele Norges nasjonalrett.) Trønderriket er altså langt fra ensartet. Men nå er det valg, og plutselig...

Let’s be honest. When you live in Trøndelag, you don’t pack for summer with the same blind optimism as your southern counterparts. You know better. You've learned to keep a raincoat in the same drawer as your bathing suit, just in case. Because here, summer is often a fleeting whisper, a two-day miracle sandwiched between sleet and mild despair.

But this year?

This year, the summer gods gave us a plot twist.

2025 delivered a Trønder summer so hot it made history, and possibly a few people faint....

Ja, det er smittsomt. Nei, det finnes ingen vaksine. Og ja, jeg fant opp ordet selv.

Trønderisme: substantiv (uttales: Trøhn-der-isme)

En mystisk tilstand kjennetegnet av en urokkelig kjærlighet for ullsokker, en dialekt tykkere enn en god sodd, og en merkelig evne til å si “æ e klar” mens man på ingen måte, overhodet, er klar.

La oss bryte det ned.

Du vet at du har med Trønderisme å gjøre når du går inn i et rom og noen grynter “mhm”, “mmmm” eller “hmmmm” i fem forskjellige tonefall som på...

Workshops & Talks

Exploring Identity & Cultural Belonging

Do you want to understand the layered experience of being from everywhere and nowhere at once?

Welcome! I offer workshops and talks that explore the complexities of Norwegian culture, cultural diversity, and third culture identity, all through a personal, poetic, and often humorous lens.

Topics I cover:

Norway with Nuance

A deep-dive into the quirks, contradictions, and quiet beauty of Norwegian culture from "dugnad" and dialects to...

Trønderen - En løssluppen guide om Trondhiem, Trønderland og trøndere.

"Æ e klar," sier trønderen. Men betyr det egentlig det?
Dette er ikke bare ei bok – det er et kjærlighetsbrev og en skråblikk-guide til et folk og et språk som har forvirra meg hele livet… og som jeg likevel kalle hjem.

Å skrive The Trønders, ei bok, et eventyr og et skråblikk tilbake til røttene mine.

Noen bøker skriver man fordi man må. Ikke fordi man nødvendigvis vet hvordan, men fordi man går rundt med ei uro, en latter...

Yes, it’s contagious. No, there’s no vaccine. And yes, I invented the word.

Trønderism: noun (Trøhn-der-izm)

A mysterious condition marked by an unshakable love for wool socks, an accent thicker than a ‘sodd’ stew, and the uncanny ability to say “æ e klar” while being absolutely, 100%, not ready.

Let’s break it down.

You know you’re dealing with Trønderism when you enter a room and someone grunts “mhm” or “mmmm” or “hmmmm” in five different intonations, all of which somehow mean “hello,” “how are...

It’s a strange thing, to belong to a place and still feel like a guest in your own language. I’ve given it time. Given it space. Given it wool, windproof layers, and cautiously optimistic smiles. And still, the recognition, the resonance, the yes we see you!—it always seems to arrive from somewhere else.

Abroad, they get me. They always have. The doors open. The ideas flow. The conversations spark and crackle with curiosity. It’s where my work is seen, heard, and held. It’s where I feel most...

Trøndelag - A peculiar region in Norway

If you’ve ever visited Norway, or even the region of Trøndelag, you might have noticed something peculiar about their way of speaking. It’s not just Norwegian, it’s Trøndersk. And if you think you understand Norwegian, well… think again.

My new book explores the language, culture, and quirks of Trøndelag. The middle region on the map of Norway.

In recent months and last few years, international eyes have turned to Trøndelag. From The New York Times T...