...I Talked to an American Today...

As I stepped off the bus downtown, I almost walked straight into a small group of enthusiastic American women. I muttered “sorry,” while thinking anything but merry thoughts about annoying tourists, and meant to hurry down the sidewalk. Before I was able to escape, however, a loud “excuse me” reached my ears, and I was obliged to be of service. “Could you please show us the way to this adorable church?” one of the women said. Her finger was pointing to a tiny picture in a traveler’s guide, but I couldn’t focus on it at first as I was momentarily overwhelmed by her bright makeup and a disturbingly strong smell of perfume. When I finally took hold of myself, I realized the lady was pointing at the picture of the building that we were all standing less than a hundred yards away from. I hid a smile and assisted the group while resisting the temptation of going into details about how the “church” they wanted to see was really a cathedral built in the 1200s. The ladies seemed surprised at how close everything was to the town center. I told them that after all, the town only has a little more than a hundred-thousand inhabitants. “This is a small town, isn’t it!” was their reaction as they walked on.

This is what could have happened on almost any day during the summer months here in my hometown of Stavanger, Norway. Yet, meeting tourists here never ceases to amaze me somehow. American tourists in particular. Even though Stavanger is Norway’s oil capital, it is neither an ancient historic place of particular importance, a site of beautiful weather and warm summers, nor a large and exciting metropolitan area. The name itself is seldom known abroad, and there is a story about an English-speaking businessman who when he came to Stavanger was convinced that the name of the town was “Saint Avenger.” Still it seems as though the town is flooded with Americans, especially during the summer. This is largely due to the oil-industry. Many American employees of oil-companies live in Stavanger for a number of years before moving on to a different country. One reason for the large amounts of tourists is mainly the visits of large cruise-ships, and the different European or Scandinavian package-tours.

As their plane lands or their boat arrives in the harbor, this relatively small Scandinavian town must necessarily make a rather “small” first impression on Americans, particularly those from important cities like New York and Los Angeles. Stavanger does not try to boast of any kind of “grandeur.” It meets you with open arms, not really noticing you, but not at all dismissing you. Its people may seem hard to reach, but once a contact has been established, it will most likely never be broken. Stavanger does not make that instant impression of awe, but instead you find yourself being drawn more and more into its way of life.

The reasons why anyone likes Stavanger are hard to pin-point as they are so many, so different, and mostly centered on details: maybe it is the many “pedestrians only” cobblestone streets finding their way between the wooden houses, converted into retail stores; maybe it is the odd mixture of modern catamaran boats transporting people up and down the coast, next to weather-worn fishing boats from where gray-bearded, rugged men sell what they have caught of crab, lobsters, fish, and shrimp during the day; maybe it is the old part of town with its tiny, white houses, its numerous orphan cats, and its humble cannery-museum; or perhaps it is simply the cheerful tone among the inhabitants downtown on week nights as well as on weekends, even if the rain is pouring down.

Stavanger lies on the west coast, so the incidence of rain is high. Either people are driven away by the constantly gray skies, or they are enthralled by the beauty of the ever-changing painting of the sky, the wind, the ocean, and the glimpses of bright sunlight contrasting with the black clouds during rare thunderstorms. Although the ocean is merciless, the life on the coast is kind. The temperature is usually mild. Never too hot in the summer, and never to cold in the winter. The inhabitants like to say that it is either spring or fall all year long, with the exception of a week of winter and two or three weeks of summer.

The people in this part of the country have their own saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” But I have seldom seen people above ten years of age wearing boots or rain-cloaks during the frequent downpours. It seems as though they’ve all become accustomed to getting wet. And although they don’t necessarily like it, they appreciate the warmth of a house when coming in from the rain. They look forward to receiving a dry blanket and a cup of hot chocolate from a concerned husband or wife, mom or dad. And somehow, the sacrifice of being outside in the cold rain is worth it to them upon receiving these simple gifts. Whenever the rain takes a break in favor of snow or sunny weather, they appreciate it more. As a result, two minutes after the first snowflake has fallen during winter, the neighborhoods are crowded with children all ready with their sleds and skis. And on the hint of a sunbeam during summer, the beaches crowd up to the limit within a couple of hours.

In the midst of these people lies Stavanger. Its citizens are generally pleased with their hometown. In fact, a recent poll conducted over the major towns in Norway, showed that the people of Stavanger are more fond of their town and less likely to leave. Americans also sometimes become so fond of the town that they decide to stay, something that is welcomed readily by the inhabitants. Stavanger is indeed at the time the fastest growing Norwegian town. And the message that people who have found their home here send out to the rest of the world is evidently effective as the tourists keep on coming, year after year.

If you ever decide to spite the chance of rain and you find yourself walking along the streets of Stavanger, you may be surprised to see that most of the signs on stores have English titles. You will notice baseball-hats on many a Norwegian’s head. And if you talk to a passer-by, they will generally know English, often quite well, and most of the younger people will also be rather eager to talk to you. America has historically been the land of opportunity to Scandinavians. And this view is still present among the Norwegian people, particularly in Stavanger that has seen such an influx of Americans because of the oil-business. However, America’s huge influence on the Norwegian way of life also alarms the population, and so they grow hostile at the same time as they deep down love what they are opposing. It is an ineffective self-defense mechanism, and it is readily detected by any American who tries to speak to an inhabitant of Stavanger. At first the Norwegian may not seem very friendly, but soon his inherent admiration for anything American will shine through. And later that day you can be sure that he will say to a family-member or a friend: “Guess what! I talked to an American today!”