Well, it turns out that my language “breakthrough” was, sadly, quite momentary, as I learned on Tuesday when one of my bosses called to ask if I could take on a new cleaning job. At least, that’s what I finally figured out she was asking me, after 10 minutes of the two of us working very hard together to help me understand. I will give myself a break there, because speaking another language on the phone is notoriously difficult; without facial expressions and hand gestures to provide clues, it’s easy to become very, very lost---and quite frustrated---during telephone conversations. But, even so, I knew I was in trouble again when she took me in to meet the new cleaning client. After introductions, the two of them were chatting pleasantly while I stood waiting and, suddenly, they stopped talking and turned to me with those alarmingly expectant looks that always mean someone has asked me a question and I totally missed it. Plus, I had no idea what they’d been talking about anyway, so had no hope of faking it. Ahh well, it won’t be the last time that happens. No worries. It just means I’ve got to spend more time practicing, watching norsk TV, reading the newspaper, and pouring through children’s books.

And, can I tell you, I am profoundly enjoying the children’s books. The library here has loads and loads of them, so I could read two a week for the next year and still have more to choose from. (Sandefjord, like all of Norway, is VERY child friendly.) I am a little puzzled, though, that many of the books I have brought home turned out to be, um, a little dark. Granted it’s been a long time since I was a regular reader of preschool literature, but I don’t remember the books my mom picking out for me being so, shall I say, serious.

For example, I recently read, “Bjarne Elsker Katta Si,” (“Bjarne Loves His Cat”) about a man, Bjarne, who lives in some sort of institution and spends a lot of time dictating poetry (I guess he can’t write?) into a cassette recorder. All of his poems are about cats because he loves cats and really wants to have a cat. One day, a nurse at the institute brings home a cat for Bjarne. Bjarne is so happy! He names the cat Siri and loves it so much. And then, one day, he lets Siri outside for the day and Siri is eaten by a fox. Here is a picture from the book:

Wouldn’t that give a kid nightmares? Bjarne is sad, of course, but it’s okay! Because the nurse brings him another cat, who Bjarne promptly, and rather irresponsibly in my opinion, allows to get knocked up. He spends the rest of the book trying to find homes for the kittens while dictating poetry into his cassette recorder. What an odd book. Perhaps it’s a warning to children not to purchase animals for their crazy uncle who lives in a group home? Anyway, isn’t Bjarne a lot like one of the characters in my favorite Norwegian movie, “Elling?” They’re both a little retarded and they write poetry. But Elling didn’t have a cat. Oh well.

Continuing on the institution theme, I happened upon another book titled, “Ingen Finner Svein” (“No One Finds Svein”). Svein is another adult Norwegian man living in what looks to be an assisted-living facility. The book is an account of his adventures one day after he wanders away from home. He walks around town, hops on a train, gets thrown off the train when it is discovered he doesn’t have a ticket, strolls around another town, innocently chats to a small boy, and then, when he realizes he is lost and hungry, he sits in the road and cries. A kind passerby takes him to the hospital, where the police question him. Here is Svein at the start of his big day:

And here he is at the hospital with the cops:




What happened to his pants? Poor man! What kind of a children’s book is this? And it gets worse… Svein is returned to his facility, where the nurse locks him in his room (!) and he cries again.







I’m not sure I would read this book to my child, if I had one. I mean, I think it’s one thing to teach a child to have empathy for special people, but it might be confusing to combine that with good advice about not talking to lost, lonely men walking around without their pants. Maybe I can find more about this subject in another book. Time for a trip to the library!