A few years ago, we had the opportunity to travel to Norway and stay two weeks with our Norwegian friends, Ivar and Astrid, who live outside of Oslo. As a typical American, I have trouble speaking English, much less understanding Norwegian. Fortunately for us, most Europeans speak English as a second language… With a “foreign” accent, of course! (Isn’t it interesting how we, as Americans, deem everything is foreign, no matter where we are?)
Ivar, who was a high-ranking government official, spoke fluid English but with that darn “foreign” accent! Being from the Midwest, I have trouble understanding people with accents from other areas of the U.S…. this Norwegian accent really threw me for a loop.
One of the things we got to do was take day trips around the countryside with our local tour guides. What a wonderful experience! Norway must be one of the most beautiful countries on Earth.
In the rural areas, it was not uncommon to have to stop for free-ranging flocks of sheep in the roadway. Ivar explained they have the right-of-way by law and each sheep has an ear tag with a serial number on it. If you are unfortunate enough to hit and kill a sheep, you are obligated by Federal Law to report the accident, notify the owner and pay for the sheep. It’s an honor system that works well with few problems.
Ivar also liked a “good deal”. As we waded through the maze of the Norwegian monetary system and tried to figure out the rate of exchange, he would tell us if it was a good deal… or, as he would say: “It’s really cheap!” Here’s where the foreign accent got me in trouble. “Sheep” and “Cheap” sounded identical to me. Often I would have to stop and determine the context to decide which word he had used. We had some good laughs over the problem.
Ivar loved cartoons and took me to a museum in Oslo featuring the artwork of a famous Norwegian cartoonist. It was really fun and informative. Before we left to come back to the U.S., I drew him this cartoon. It seemed to sum up the problem. To this day, I never hear the words “cheap” or “Sheep” without thinking about our friends in Norway. It was one of the most memorable experiences in my life. If you get the chance to go to Norway, don’t miss it! It’s an incredible place you’ll never forget.