Middle Norway checking in

[Alf Torp]

Hello all,

51 year old guy from the Trondheim area of Norway here. Been tinkering with computers since my late teens when I first could afford it. Macs have been the default choice - with all the pros and cons - since then, and even more so after a couple of 3-5 year stints working on Windows... I'm also faffing around with some Arduino and Raspberry Pi stuff when I can. Worked about 20 years in various IT functions, as well as some sound engineering, radio production and suchlike.

I've recently started my own boat service company that I try to get off the ground, as a completely logical and natural extension to my former IT work. That has to do with the fact that I have also tinkered with all sorts of motorized mayhem since I was a kid and since my interest in boats has been growing as of late I figured I'd give it a go. I primarily focus on outboard engines (not so different from any other engine) and 12/24V boat electrics, but also some fiberglassing and light interior woodwork.

My current little computer related headache is to get my PowerMac G4 450 Cube up and running with Adélie Linux. I ran head first in to the graphics wall that is ATI Rage 128 Pro, but I happened to have an nVIDIA GeForce mx card from a desktop PMG4 laying around so I fitted that. First hurdle done. Now I am stuck at "Setting keyboard mode (UTF-8) [ok]"... on the install cd boot, with no prompt or anything. If I try the live boot I get to roughly the same place in the boot process - I say "roughly" because the screen just goes... black.

Hmm... I'm probably missing some tiny detail somewhere...

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Hi & welcome! I always loved the thought of hanging out in & eating/drinking my way through Norway/Scandinavia after watching this cooking show many years ago. Something about eating atop a fjord next to a wood fire that captivates my senses and feels like home.

New Scandinavian Cooking | Cooking Shows | PBS Food

New Scandinavian Cooking is a cooking show that offers a rich visual tour of Nordic cuisine, culture and history. Learn more about the program at PBS Food.

www.pbs.org

 

[Alf Torp]

I've never heard of the show, but very often the image of Norwegian food is hyped beyond recognition by excellent marketing companies... It seems very difficult for some of them to comprehend the fact that we are at heart a farming and fishing community and that our food were "designed" to last us through the winter. If it did not, neither did the people who lived here. These roots are very often forgotten (or ignored) by those who want it to be something they can make money on...

As you probably understand by now, I am weary of these shows and I HOPE it is without just cause

My mother and aunt runs an old school diner serving rather traditional food, to everyday workers. The diner has been in continuous operation since 1956, two years after my mother was born. This might indicate that I am somewhat... shall we diplomatically say biased in a certain direction.

There is a lot of good food and drink to be had in Norway, without a shadow of a doubt. I was unable to view any of the shows, but based on the descriptions given on the website you linked, they were - again being diplomatic- pretty far off the mark.

Sure, lots of great food here. But very little of what is described in the episode notes is authentic, nor what would have been eaten traditionally.

As you might be able to tell by now... this is a subject close to my heart, and as you described yourself, there are wonderful, wonderful times to be had by a campfire with food and drink.

I would like invite you here to try freshly caught trout, straight in to the frying pan, served with potatoes, sour cream and melted butter. I must warn you though, I'm an extremely lousy fisherman...

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Hmm, when you are making a show for a foreign market, the goal I think is to drive interest and tourism and with that certain creative liberties are taken. Assumptions on the content creators side to produce a product that will be palletable and easy to consume to the target culture/audience (so it is appealing and you want to go there right?). Without living or being exposed to Norwegian culture, I am sure there are parts that you know of intimately and are glossed over, or absent all together. I run into the same where American US cultures are portrayed overseas.

Anyhow, the show is interesting. The US is deifnitely a Beef-Chicken-Pork-Potatoes nation generally speaking. I personally enjoyed the programs use of game animals, seafood, cold weather vegetables and other odds & ends like lingon berries for example - stuff Americans anyhow, are not eating consistently or really exposed to. From a food culture POV, I am sure it is lacking as most 30 minute programs do, none the less the food culture that was presented to us was very interesting.

When I go to Europe, I will take you up on that offer though & don't worry, my Dad's people are all New Englander fisherman, so I grew up in a strong islander fishing culture and can catch more than enough fish for the both of us (on a good day)

 

[Alf Torp]

Hmm, when you are making a show for a foreign market, the goal I think is to drive interest and tourism and with that certain creative liberties are taken. Assumptions on the content creators side to produce a product that will be palletable and easy to consume to the target culture/audience (so it is appealing and you want to go there right?). Without living or being exposed to Norwegian culture, I am sure there are parts that you know of intimately and are glossed over, or absent all together. I run into the same where American US culture is portrayed overseas.

Anyhow, the show is interesting. The US is definitely a Beef-chicken-pork-potatoes nation. I personally enjoyed the programs use of game animals, seafood, cold weather vegetables and other odds and ends like lingon berries for example. From a food culture POV I am sure it is lacking as most 30 minute programs do, none the less the food culture that was presented to us was very interesting.

When I get to Europe, I will take you up on that offer though & dont worry, my dads side of the family are all New Englander fisherman so I grew up in a strong islander fishing culture and can catch more than enough for both of us (on a good day)

Awesome, at least I'll supply the spuds and the sour cream Maybe you can help me get the Cube up and running with Adélie Linux while you're here. On the off chance there's no fish... there's a pizza shop not too far away

We are extremely lucky, we have a neighbor who hunts moose, elk and deer, and we're frequently gifted various cuts that are... well, delicious. I am very grateful for this as I'm no hunter either... Rest assured we'll be able to swing some authentic Norwegian meals no matter what!

 

[Daniel Hansen]

Welcome to the forum! And welcome from a fellow boater (sailor, really,) and Norwegian (well, my father is, born in Larvik... I'm Canadian though).

What you describe as food culture rings true to my experience - my grandmother and her father were bakers, a lot of that food tradition has been passed down to us. That food culture - like fresh pan-fried trout - is also generally descriptive of where I live, in Thunder Bay on the north shore of Lake Superior - beyond the strong Scandinavian connections here (LOTS of Finns, Swedes, and Norse here), boating and fishing and a general resource industry culture defines us. Skiing too, downhill and cross country...

As for your issue with Adelie, I can't help... but perhaps @Action Retro can?

(edit - I see you're seeking assistance in another thread)