Adventures in Reading

Not so long ago, I was reading a book that I got for Christmas. It's called Snømannen (The Snowman). I needed some help with a few unfamiliar words.

The conversation went something like this:

"What are brystvortene," I called into the other room, where Seven was doing whatever it was he was doing in the other room.
"Brystvortene? Those are nipples," he called back.
Hmmmm. So this character has no nipples. Bizarre.

A few minutes later. . .

"What's a smekken," I asked as Seven walked into the room.
"Oh, that means a zipper," Seven responded, while gesturing zipping his fly up and down for emphasis. I guess it's slang for the pants zipper.

Not so long after. . .

"What does pule mean?" I was pretty sure I knew from the context, but wanted to be sure.
"What are you reading?!"
"Porn," he joked.
Yeah, right. He wished.
"No, that book I wanted for Christmas," I said. As if I have time to sit around reading porn.
"Oh," he said. "Well, anyway, pule means fuck, as in fucking someone."
Aha! I DID get it from context!

No wonder I hadn't learned these words in my Norwegian class, and that's just the prologue! The possibilites for my vocabulary, if I can manage to finish this book, are endless!

Not that any of those words will come in handy in conversations with the in-laws.

The Water Cups

What does this mean in Norwegian? Anyone want to take a guess at what these are?

Actually, I'll just tell you.

No one is playing this game with me, and it's becoming a little embarrassing. It's like being an annoying guest at a party. "Wanna play Trivial Pursuit with me? Wanna play Yahtzee with me? Wanna play 'Guess That Word in Norwegian' with me?" No one does.

So anyway, vannkopper, literally water cups, are what the Norwegians call the chicken pox.

Strange names, both, if you ask me. Anyone know if the pox have a weird name in any other language?

Anyway, I have apparently had the chicken pox twice. That's not supposed to be possible, but then it means I was misdiagnosed the first time. What did I really have, then? Was it measles? Was it some new disease that imitates chicken pox? We'll never know. It will remain one of my life's great mysteries.

The "second" time I got them I was six, maybe seven. I had been sick for two days when the doorbell rang. One of the kids in my class had come to the house with a bag full of handmade "Get Well" cards. The kids in class had made them for me. They'd drawn pictures and wrote nice messages. I was so surprised and extremely touched. I read them over and over again. My first get well cards, and they really did make me feel better.

I can't imagine that any of the kids that drew those cards remembers doing it. The teacher that had them draw them probably doesn't remember either. I don't remember many of the kids from my class nor do I remember the name of my teacher. I do remember those cards and how good they made me feel.

It's amazing how such small gestures can have such a profound effect on someone. How much the power of kind words and good will can move them -- so that almost 30 years later when they remember having the chicken pox, they don't remember itchy pox, a high fever, or being sick. They remember the sweet feeling of reading a bunch of handmade get well soon cards.

For those that wondered, the answer to the BH question is in the comments section of that post.

Mother Cake

Do you know what a Mother Cake is in Norwegian?

Want to take a guess? It's quite funny really.


*Answer is Comments.