I know in these times of eco-friendliness, where we are all trying to save the planet more or less, buying a machine that spews out gas like there is no tomorrow might not be a very value-based decision. But it for some reason doesnt seem to cross my mind as the sound of the engine drowns out my thoughts and i fly over fields of bumps and jumps.
I have gone over to the dark side, forgotten all my friluftsliv values and been reincarnated as evil itself. A pure manifestation.
I have bought myself a snow scooter. And its purple.
Yes, you are allowed to loathe me. I mean, first of all i live on Svalbard, the most environmentally unfriendly place you could live in the world, and i now zoom back and forth on this precious island on a man-made motorized spewer of gas that leads back to the oil companies who so cruelly suck it out and is the root of evil and corruptness in this world. You can send me thoughts of utter disappointment of my lack of responsibility, morals and judgement if that needs be. I will give it some serious thought... for a minute. These thoughts can be sent while picturing me with the wind whipping my face, teeth sticking out everywhere from the hopeless grin spread across it, eyes concentrating under goggles, snow spreading out like waves on the sides and powder flying in the air. If you want.
I have become a wild post-modern cowgirl, in this crazy texas i now live in and there is nothing that is going to keep me from discovering all of this glacier covered island on my purple stallion.
Did i mention the ducktape on the seat covering up the tracks of a nosy polar bear? Thats what i call a trophy! This babay has had an interesting previous life, which im sure is just going to get even better in the upcoming months.
Snow scooter season has just started here last week, and the normally quiet place in which i live is now, right in the middle of the track. I am not the only one going buck wild and so day and night goes by to the sound of zooming scooters. Just another reminder that winter is upon us and the time for fun and games has started. The scooter course for kids is starting up next week, only requirements are personal equipment and the child has to be older than 5. This is Svalbard.
If the sensation to try this wonderful beast becomes to great, the even more horrible flying machine touches down in longyearbyen every afternoon and i will happily be waiting outside on the stallion. The back seat even has handwarmers.
But caution should be advised; the enjoyment can lead to a lack of morals and eco friendly judgement. Zoom Zoom
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Captain Friluftsliv comes to svalbard
Friluftsliv is a very special norwegian word. Its something etched into every norwegians heart and is so personal and serious that there is a whole philosophy, or one could say, ideology around the subject. Friluftsliv is a word that is un-translatable to any other language, it is a feeling, a state of mind and a way of life.
It all started with the noble savages of the mountains, the people living off and for the nature. Apparantly Norwegians are the last noble savages still living in Europe, and we will always be as well, because of Filuftsliv. Friluftsiv is the joy of being outside, the feeling of wonder that can be found and the learning processes that arrive from spending un-planned time without rules in free nature (nature that has no human interference). Friluftsliv is the anarchy of outdoor-life, and is not definable.
A lot of people all over the world love nature, love being in it and love the mystification that nature is, but none like the noble savage. The Danish love nature, but they dont care that theyre boat isnt made out of wood, and the beer they might bring is a sure sign that theyre only a poser, a fake. This is not friluftsliv. The noble savage knows this. He knows that Friluftsliv is a seriuos buisiness, not something you enjoy a cold beer while doing and that to become a true noble savage, the equipment used is of the biggest importance. (Of course, the subject is supposed to be un-defined, but every rule has a loop-hole and by defining what it isnt, one can get a picture of this un-defined-defined thing.)
The equipment is like i said, of the greater importance, because as a true norwegian and noble savage, only the purest and most natural equipment is allowed or approved. This means fibre clothing, cotton, wool and natural products like wooden skis. plastic skis will never come close to natural wooden skis and gore tex made from the dreaded oil that the same noble savages were the inventors of, is a NO-NO, windproof or not.
This is a part of the norwegian identity, the norwegian culture and heritage. No other place in the world are people born with skis on their feet, a love for brown cheese and friluftsliv in their heart. nine out of ten say so, its a fact. This is tree-huggers universe, Norway.
Of course there are ways of learning Friluftsliv, but like any education, one has to learn from a proper master. This being a CONWAYER, not a convayer, there is a huge difference. Con being the latin or spanish word for "with" and way, just meaning that exactly, "way". Put together you have a with-wayer, which is supposed to mean, "somenone to show you the way", in Norwegian its called a "Vegleder". Of course translating this is also very hard. At least an attempt has been made. The norwegian mind being as complicated as it is, its hard to express certain things in languages that just aren't as adequate. But back to the CONWAYER; his job is to pass on the knowledge, the philosophy, the life of this tradition to en extent that the "conwayed" becomes a noble savage, or as close to one as possible. It is a spreading movement started at the heart of this very long but un-populated country, however it is also a dying movement, as the amount of "free nature" is decreasing rapidly all over the world. We might, yet again, be stuck with being the country that invented the cheese slicer and oil.
The problem lies in all the unspoken rules attached to Friluftsliv; that man should be alone in nature, planning is ruining the moment, and the exclusion of a lot of activities. For example, once you have planned going from point A to B, it is no longer Friluftsliv, because of the time pressure.
Climbing is the holy grail of noble savages, it is the one true sport, no matter that today climbing is an equipment eldorado, and nothing near as pure as it once was. In comparison sports like surfing and downhill skiing are not Friluftsliv because of the wetsuit and skis used. Snowscooters should not even be used as a means of transport to get places because the noise may ruin another skiers experience as you zoom past. Experiences are ruined because of little uncontrollable things like a boat passing in the far distance, because the complete solitude is a must.
These rules dictate what in theory is a rule-free place. A sanctuary from the rules and conformities we experience in every day life. Most norwegians, be they noble savages or not, have a special kinship to nature, as most people on the planet. We are not special in that sense, all humans are drawn towards the natural, the ancestry notions of our past. Being outside, whether it is snowboarding whilst wearing gore tex, eating candy instead of an orange, surfing in a wet suit or climbing with heaps of gear, the factors are still the same. Human enjoyment in the outdoors. Of course it is important to stop and think over once in a while what our values are; why we are doing what we are doing, why we choose to wear what we wear and what words we choose to use. Surrounded by choices, money and time we have the opportunity to do almost whatever we please, whenever we please. the traditional Friluftsliv values might have something going for them, as long as one can put them in a context that fits in with the values one holds. Being "Conwayed" into thinking that this is the only way of experiencing nature, without using ones brain to mull it over, might be just as dangerous as being the ignorant equipment freak who cant experience nature without it.
It all started with the noble savages of the mountains, the people living off and for the nature. Apparantly Norwegians are the last noble savages still living in Europe, and we will always be as well, because of Filuftsliv. Friluftsiv is the joy of being outside, the feeling of wonder that can be found and the learning processes that arrive from spending un-planned time without rules in free nature (nature that has no human interference). Friluftsliv is the anarchy of outdoor-life, and is not definable.
A lot of people all over the world love nature, love being in it and love the mystification that nature is, but none like the noble savage. The Danish love nature, but they dont care that theyre boat isnt made out of wood, and the beer they might bring is a sure sign that theyre only a poser, a fake. This is not friluftsliv. The noble savage knows this. He knows that Friluftsliv is a seriuos buisiness, not something you enjoy a cold beer while doing and that to become a true noble savage, the equipment used is of the biggest importance. (Of course, the subject is supposed to be un-defined, but every rule has a loop-hole and by defining what it isnt, one can get a picture of this un-defined-defined thing.)
The equipment is like i said, of the greater importance, because as a true norwegian and noble savage, only the purest and most natural equipment is allowed or approved. This means fibre clothing, cotton, wool and natural products like wooden skis. plastic skis will never come close to natural wooden skis and gore tex made from the dreaded oil that the same noble savages were the inventors of, is a NO-NO, windproof or not.
This is a part of the norwegian identity, the norwegian culture and heritage. No other place in the world are people born with skis on their feet, a love for brown cheese and friluftsliv in their heart. nine out of ten say so, its a fact. This is tree-huggers universe, Norway.
Of course there are ways of learning Friluftsliv, but like any education, one has to learn from a proper master. This being a CONWAYER, not a convayer, there is a huge difference. Con being the latin or spanish word for "with" and way, just meaning that exactly, "way". Put together you have a with-wayer, which is supposed to mean, "somenone to show you the way", in Norwegian its called a "Vegleder". Of course translating this is also very hard. At least an attempt has been made. The norwegian mind being as complicated as it is, its hard to express certain things in languages that just aren't as adequate. But back to the CONWAYER; his job is to pass on the knowledge, the philosophy, the life of this tradition to en extent that the "conwayed" becomes a noble savage, or as close to one as possible. It is a spreading movement started at the heart of this very long but un-populated country, however it is also a dying movement, as the amount of "free nature" is decreasing rapidly all over the world. We might, yet again, be stuck with being the country that invented the cheese slicer and oil.
The problem lies in all the unspoken rules attached to Friluftsliv; that man should be alone in nature, planning is ruining the moment, and the exclusion of a lot of activities. For example, once you have planned going from point A to B, it is no longer Friluftsliv, because of the time pressure.
Climbing is the holy grail of noble savages, it is the one true sport, no matter that today climbing is an equipment eldorado, and nothing near as pure as it once was. In comparison sports like surfing and downhill skiing are not Friluftsliv because of the wetsuit and skis used. Snowscooters should not even be used as a means of transport to get places because the noise may ruin another skiers experience as you zoom past. Experiences are ruined because of little uncontrollable things like a boat passing in the far distance, because the complete solitude is a must.
These rules dictate what in theory is a rule-free place. A sanctuary from the rules and conformities we experience in every day life. Most norwegians, be they noble savages or not, have a special kinship to nature, as most people on the planet. We are not special in that sense, all humans are drawn towards the natural, the ancestry notions of our past. Being outside, whether it is snowboarding whilst wearing gore tex, eating candy instead of an orange, surfing in a wet suit or climbing with heaps of gear, the factors are still the same. Human enjoyment in the outdoors. Of course it is important to stop and think over once in a while what our values are; why we are doing what we are doing, why we choose to wear what we wear and what words we choose to use. Surrounded by choices, money and time we have the opportunity to do almost whatever we please, whenever we please. the traditional Friluftsliv values might have something going for them, as long as one can put them in a context that fits in with the values one holds. Being "Conwayed" into thinking that this is the only way of experiencing nature, without using ones brain to mull it over, might be just as dangerous as being the ignorant equipment freak who cant experience nature without it.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Darkness
The sun has left Longyearbyen a few weeks ago now, and darkness is pulling its thick dark blanket over us a little more for each day that goes by. Winter is slowly creeping in through the crack in the front door, and the face numbing chill arrives ever more often, with more fervor than before. Soon there will be no destinction between day and night, it will all be as one, complete dark, and only the steady tick of the clock will let us know if we are supposed to be moving somewhere. Candles are burnt more often, sleep comes more frequent at uncertain times of the day and creative productivity rises with the notion that time is standing still in this constant state of dark. There is no need to hurry anywhere, time is no longer going, its coming. Music played loudly becomes the sign that a new day has arrived, getting softer through out the day. Headtorches become the new accessory along with reflective clothing. We are all a mix of reflections and light, bobbling along, huddled together, trying to minimize the effects of the constant wind that makes the cold seem even colder and cuts in to the bone. The paleness of the skin becomes ever more evident for each day passing, and the pictures taken portrays us like ghosts. No function on the camera can take away natural paleness. Soon we will be as white as the mighty polar bear itself, and blend into the harsh white environment with only the darkness of our pupils giving a sign of life.
But the blanket of darkness is not all black. Stars fill the skies, the moon reflecting in the ocean and the snow seems to absorb the darkness ever so much. Northern lights play across the sky most nights. Light is in a different phase, it portrays itself in more diffuse and softer tones than the sun can muster and plays along with the darkness rather than cutting it short.
I will be under this thick blanket for the next four months, untouched by natural sunlight, enveloped in shades of white, gray, black and blue. The number of inhabitants is decreasing rapidly, the tourists gone, and while the thought of complete darkness is still a romantic one, time will tell if these thoughts are seen in the same light, come March. Will creativity persevere or will I be overwhelmed in darkness of both mind and soul?
But the blanket of darkness is not all black. Stars fill the skies, the moon reflecting in the ocean and the snow seems to absorb the darkness ever so much. Northern lights play across the sky most nights. Light is in a different phase, it portrays itself in more diffuse and softer tones than the sun can muster and plays along with the darkness rather than cutting it short.
I will be under this thick blanket for the next four months, untouched by natural sunlight, enveloped in shades of white, gray, black and blue. The number of inhabitants is decreasing rapidly, the tourists gone, and while the thought of complete darkness is still a romantic one, time will tell if these thoughts are seen in the same light, come March. Will creativity persevere or will I be overwhelmed in darkness of both mind and soul?
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