About Home

Do me a favour and give this vid at least one minute of your time. Believe me it is impressive once you get into it.

Now...My parents and brother came home, finally. They have been away since early morning Friday. And I have been in more or less isolation. My interaction with people friday was less than an half an hour, yesterday a bit better an hour maybe two, and today was rather good. But I think I surprised the guest today with my chattyness. Apart from that I have slept a lot to make time pass. Yes, I am not cut out for solidary confinement. Yes, I have no problem being alone for a few hours or maybe a day, but when we are talking 48 or 72 hours... I crack and go crazy...
When I walked to and fro work today I stopped at the bridge and looked at the place I live. Listened to it, a trick from Michael in 7th Son. And what I felt was a feel of never changing. Now you need to know that there have been people here for really ages. For about as long as there have been Norwegians in Norway. The place got it's name from King Svein who is burried here. Now there have not been a king Svein as long as Norway have been one kingdom, which places this place as a big setting before 930 AD. If you ever come I'll point you to his burrial mound. This place have been more or less the same since then.
Home is never the same once you have left home. It is not home in the same way. But I love it even more than when I lived here. Now it is home in a completely different way. It is something never changing. When I need a break, somewhere to escape to, this is it. I can go into the forest, walk along the old trails and paths made by animals, at those moments I am the young kid who went elf hunting again. Well I never actually went elf hunting, don't dare to. You see, the is this one place in the forest that gives me the creeps, it is a top of a hill which the trail I used to train my horse along and is the trail I run on snakes around. One late fall evening, in the twillight I was out with my horse and I looked up there are I could have sworn I saw something humanoid up there. Tall, thin, and looking straight at me with a look that said "Don't you dare come any closer." Which of course resulted in me walking up there. I have never felt that I didn't belong so much. Not even at family dinners in Hong Kong with Cheryl's family where they all spoke Cantonese. The only way I can describe it was that it felt like I was trespassing... Needless to say I have never been there again. But I am rambling.
I love this place, don't care much for the people but the place, this is where I belong, maybe more than the people who's families date back to King Svein. Because I am not a local, I paid attention to the place, learned to love every tree and twig and stone. And now the place loves me. I finally understand the line of our national anthem that goes like 'even we when it's demanded for its peace will encamp'. Actually I am gonna give you the entire national anthem. Because I think it is a rather beautiful anthem.
JA, VI ELSKER DETTE LANDET (Yes, we love this country)
1
Ja, vi elsker dette landet, Yes, we love this country
som det stiger frem, as it rises forth,
furet, værbitt over vannet, rugged, weathered, above the sea,
med de tusen hjem. with the thousands of homes.
Elsker, elsker det og tenker Loving, loving it and thinking
på vår far og mor about our father and mother
og den saganatt som senker and the saga night that sends
drømme på vår jord. dreams to our earth.
Og den saganatt som senker, And the saga night that sends,
senker drømme på vår jord. sends dreams to our earth.


2
Dette landet Harald berget This country Harald united
med sin kjemperad, with his army of heroes,
dette landet Håkon verget this country Håkon protected
medens Øyvind kvad; whilst Øyvind sung;
Olav på det landet malte upon the country Olav painted
korset med sitt blod, with his blood the cross,
fra dets høye Sverre talte from its heights Sverre spoke
Roma midt imot. up against Rome.


3
Bønder sine økser brynte Farmers their axes sharpened
hvor en hær dro frem, wherever an army advanced,
Tordenskiold langs kysten lynte, Tordenskiold around the coastline thundered
så den lystes hjem. so that we could see it back home.
Kvinner selv stod opp og strede Even women stood up and fought
som de vare menn; as if they were men;
andre kunne bare grede, others could only cry
men det kom igjen! but that soon would end!


4
Visstnok var vi ikke mange, Sure, we were not many
men vi strakk dog til, but we were enough,
da vi prøvdes noen gange, when we were tested sometimes,
og det stod på spill; and it was at stake;
ti vi heller landet brente we would rather burn our land
enn det kom til fall; than to declare defeat;
husker bare hva som hendte just remember what happened
ned på Fredrikshald! down at Fredrikshald!


5
Hårde tider har vi døyet, Hard times we have coped with,
ble til sist forstøtt; were at last disowned;
men i verste nød blåøyet but in the worst distress, blue-eyed
frihet ble oss født. freedom was to us born.
Det gav faderkraft å bære It gave (us) father's strength to carry
hungersnød og krig, famine and war,
det gav døden selv sin ære - it gave death itself its honour -
og det gav forlik. and it gave reconciliation.


6
Fienden sitt våpen kastet, The enemy threw away his weapon,
opp visiret for, up the visor went,
vi med undren mot ham hastet, we, in wonder, to him hastened,
ti han var vår bror. because he was our brother.
Drevne frem på stand av skammen Driven forth to a stand by shame
gikk vi søderpå; we went to the south;
nu vi står tre brødre sammen, now we three brothers stand united,
og skal sådan stå! and shall stand like that!


7
Norske mann i hus og hytte, Norseman in house and cabin,
takk din store Gud! thank your great God!
Landet ville han beskytte, The country he wanted to protect,
skjønt det mørkt så ut. although things looked dark.
Alt hva fedrene har kjempet, All the fights fathers have fought,
mødrene har grett, and the mothers have wept,
har den Herre stille lempet the Lord has quietly moved
så vi vant vår rett. so we won our rights.


8
Ja, vi elsker dette landet, Yes, we love this country
som det stiger frem, as it rises forth,
furet, værbitt over vannet, rugged, weathered, above the sea,
med de tusen hjem. with those thousand homes.
Og som fedres kamp har hevet And as the fathers' struggle has raised
det av nød til seir, it from poverty to victory,
også vi, når det blir krevet, even we, when it is demanded,
for dets fred slår leir. for its peace will encamp (for defence).

You know.. There is really only one word to describe this place. It is home.