Well hey there, everyone! I know it’s been a few…months since I last posted, but I’ve spent that time gaining all sorts of valuable information about Norway and Norwegian society. Here is just a small sample of what I’ve learned:

1. It is illegal to keep reptiles as pets in Norway. However, if you can demonstrate an allergy to a sufficient number of furry animals (I was unable to determine the exact number or severity of allergies required), you can apply for a special reptile license.

2. The King of Norway is not allowed to smoke in the palace. Instead, he goes outside. Of his own royal palace.

3. In Norway, deer are hunted with dogs, but the legs of the dog cannot be longer than a certain length specified by law. (I was unable to determine the exact length allowed, but it is not very long, meaning that the dogs allowed to hunt deer can’t be any bigger than a beagle or so). The reason for this law is that while the dog drives the deer towards the hunter, it cannot go fast enough to excessively stress the deer. What this means in practice is that deer hunting dogs (as far as I have seen) are generally small, white and fluffy.

Besides gathering valuable insights into Norwegian society, I have also been having a couple of adventures here and there. Among others, I have spent a weekend skiing with the other Fulbrighters, hosted a Frisbee tournament, played a hell of a lot of ping pong, spent an inordinate amount of time searching for a toaster oven (the holy grail of kitchen appliances if you, like me, do not own an oven), and attended both a Norwegian sushi party and a Norwegian pizza party.

I also went on a trip to Croatia.