THE NORWEGIANS ARE COMING!! - GOTLAND, SWEDEN - DAY 19
The Norwegians are coming!!!
The prepping is rather anti climatic actually... As with everything in Gotland, things move at a snails pace and there’s never any panic to rush.
Dad and I go into town again to pick up lunch for the family. I get to drive again- I LOVE it! At the grocery store, I remember what we need to buy. Mona and Åke say that “I’m the brains”. I offer to pay again, and in the utmost Swedish fashion Dad just looks at me and says, “Du vill gör om du vill” (You’ll do what you will / do whatever you want). He seems to welcome the gesture, but still throws me 100kr. Thanks Dad.
We roll out, and by the time we’re back, the Norwegians have come in the classic ‘69 Cortina, or Tina as she’s come to be known. I’m so thrilled!! I’m so happy to see Ove and Anita again, and to meet Roger for the first time. I’m actually unable to pronounce his name in the beginning because in Norwegian, it’s pronounced phonetically the way Americans spell it. Good job USA. I stick to the American English way of pronouncing his name as Roh-jur so as to not embarrass myself. To me, Roger is quite the anomaly. All the Norwegian Gudding’s have red hair, light eyes, and fair skin. But I’ve been reading “Norse Mythologies” by one of my favorite authors Neil Gaiman that Andrea has lent me, and I swear by Odin, Loki and all the Gods, Roger is Thor’s reincarnate. As described by Neil Gaiman, Roger has a fiery red beard like Thor, and he’s a HUGE, built Viking. He eats over 3,000 calories per day, works out, and then does labor in concrete. Each arm is bigger than my leg, and made of muscle, his legs are like tree logs, he’s about 6ft 2” or 3”, and walks with a sway like it takes effort and muscles to move all his muscle. I pity the guy who ever crosses him...He’ll just be dead- Crushed or something. I admire him and would adore a chance to work out with him and his gym buddies, and attempt to eat what they eat. He’s like Thor or another Viking warrior that just walked straight out of a history textbook. Ironically he also loves the show Vikings on the History channel. We bond over this. I fantasize over a photo shoot of scrawny, petite little me with him and all of his Viking friends in Norway- It would be the Vikings show but IRL and so, SO badass- Like we're dropping the next best mixtape. Roger even wears a gold chain necklace and bracelet- Like modern day Torques. And has biceps covered in Norse tattoos. If I were a dude, I’d want to be just like him. I’ll be happy if I can manage the female version of.
Anita gives me one of her paintings. It’s blue of course, and she did this because I commented on Instagram, “I love it”. I have no idea how the hell I'm going to get it home but I’m so very touched. Lastly, Ove and Anita pull out a bag of Smash just for me! It’s a Norwegian specific treat, and it’s basically corn chips dipped in chocolate. It’s so good!
We start with a tour of the house, unpacking and as per usual in Scandinavia, drinks- Or as I prefer to call it, the best possible social lubricant for socially awkward Nords.
Everyone is downing wine, beer, and Red Bull and vodka (Roger). We sit out in the sun and as our genes would have it, we all share and lather up in sunscreen, but all to walk away with a farmer’s tan and pink arms regardless. We’re definitely family.
We talk about the family with the boys first- Me, Dad, Ove and Roger. I tell Dad that Ove has watched my documentary. Ove carries on about how he got so emotional watching it, and how he grew up hearing about this cool “uncle” in the States. Dad of course was very flattered. We hear about Roger and apparently Jarle, Roger’s dad, and another cousin, and Ove and Anita’s brother, has turned away from the family. Ove had since become like a father to Roger. Funnily enough though, Roger looks more like Ove’s son, and Ove’s biological son Thomas looks more like his brother Jarle, it’s like the boys switched dads on their looks. Thomas was meant to come as well, but he took a new job and suddenly couldn’t make it. I’m still glad it’s the three. Gebba, Åke and Mona join us and we discuss our program on the trip, the Norwegians speaking Norwegian and the Swedes speaking Swedish. The language is so close, everyone is able to understand and respond to each other in their native tongue. I’ve only seen this once before, 10 years ago in Rome, Italy when a Spaniard and an Italian were having a very passionate and public argument about being a tourist at a tourist attraction.
As for the plan, we’re doing Visby, the old town tomorrow, and down south Sunday where Ingmar Bergman had his summer place in Fårö. I haven’t been south on the island since I was maybe 10. I’m VERY much looking forward to this!
After our plans are solidified for the weekend, we spend the next hour or two with lunch deciphering how we’re all related. All of this is in Swedish, and I can understand most of it, until things trail off with, “My mother’s sister’s cousin’s ex-boyfriend’s brother...etc”. Even Dad and Åke can’t follow this part of the family lineage.
I’m only drinking a beer, but the empty cans from the boys keep blowing away. I motion for them to give me the cans, and crush them. Apparently this is wrong and only something done in the States. You’re meant to keep the cans and bottles intact so as not to ruin the barcode, and recycle it properly to get some money back- A good system. Mona comes over and she tells me in Swedish that I shouldn’t do that- “We care about the environment here”, and laughs. Savage. But I agree. The US is abysmally behind in having a good recycling system.
At this point everyone’s getting pretty happy. I haven’t seen Ove drink this much if at all when I came to visit in Norway. He’d have a beer, if anything. I take it that he’s having a super good time and enjoying himself. He takes a minute to walk off the booze, along with Roger and I. (I’ve only had one beer and don’t need to walk off anything, but I do want to spend more time with the boys). We take the dog, Alfons too.
We chat about going to the gym, healthcare, and vacation time and compare them in both countries. Ove also wants more of the family to come to Gotland in the future. I do too, but that’s not fair for me to invite as many people as I can- It’s Mona and Ake’s property. I try to persuade him that the Swedes would love to come to Norway as well- This is true. Seems like a good idea at least. Roger then reiterates exactly what Dad said yesterday about what a different life it is here compared to California. I couldn’t agree more.
We eat lunch of grilled chicken and veggies. Roger and I share some Capri Sun that he bought. It’s the funniest thing in the world to see a mountain of a Viking hunched over his muscles, wearing a sun hat, and crushing a Capri Sun with the straw being devoured by a raucous red beard.
Back again and everyone chats about the family lineage some more. I’m only understanding about half of it, but it’s sweet to hear how the Gudding family tree came to be, and to see the physical genetic relations right here at the table.
It’s been but two hours since we last ate, but dad’s on a schedule and suggests dinner. Dad and Åke resort to pasta and korv (sausages). Anita hops on her phone, Ove, Roger and Alfons go for another walk, and I have a bit of whiskey with Uncle Åke which I really love. I enjoy the flavor of whiskey, but now I get to spend some time and bond with my uncle. It’s busy in the kitchen- I’m helping Faster Gebba with plates and setting the table, and sort of assisting and talking with Uncle Åke. He makes a combo sauce of ketchup, mustard and mayo mixed. It’s surprisingly really good. Almost as quickly as he makes the sauce, the food is done and ready to be eaten.
Roger takes a helping that would feed me for an entire day. Everyone else enjoys the simple and delicious meal. Roger shares his Red Bull and vodka with me, but after having perhaps a shot of whiskey, I’m mindful not to mix much, and instead I just get a headache. Other than that, we’re all really enjoying ourselves, and I take a moment to appreciate seeing the family back together. I forgot to mention that as the day has gone on and all of this wining and dining has been taking place, we’ve been sitting outside and chasing the sun wherever it goes. Throughout the day, we’ve been migrating to wherever the sun shines. It’s a funny sight for us to continuously pick up and move tables and chairs, mix up our seats and glasses and play musical chairs as we move along, but in a time lapse video, I imagine this would look hilarious.
A Swedish summer indeed when the day is gone and everyone is wrapped in jackets and blankets still sitting outside as though refusing to accept that summer is allowed to be cold up north. Dad, Roger and I take out the drone for fun, and after, we all eventually move inside. Before Roger joined us for drinking and droning, I was able to ask Dad what he thought of today and of the newly found family. He simply responded with “Its pretty cool and really fun”. That made me happy.
Inside, Roger has his third Red Bull and Vodka like it’s a sleepy tonic, and we chat more and show each other family photos in everyone’s iPhone. I pause when in the midst of Scandinavian chatter, I hear Mona say in Swedish, “But how many ARE you”?! It turns out, our Norwegian family is WAY bigger than we thought. It’s full of half siblings, cousins and the family tree goes on-It’s huge, and no one really knows just how big it is. Oj! Oj! Oj!
The men drop like flies, and one by one each go to bed. The women are the last, (and the strongest), and talk until we can’t any longer. We get ready for bed, and just before my head hits the pillow, Faster Gebba says in Swedish, “It’s so great to have this day and meet everyone. It’s all because of you Emilie, when you traveled to Norway”. I’m so happy to hear this!
The relatives seem to like each other and I’m thrilled. I’m so happy I could bridge the gap and make the connection for everyone. What a special day!
