“Please allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Kiel, Olga K’s son and my mother passed away not that long ago. I found the enclosed card in my mom’s lounge and also saw your card next to it”.

A few days ago, several Christmas cards came through my letter box and I instantly recognised one of the envelopes and guessed who sent. Alas! It wasn’t just a seasonal greeting card but that contained a sad news.
 

Olga and Bjorn. About 25 years ago, a Norwegian friend of mine recommended me a 10-day package coach/ boat trip that covered the fjords in Southern Norway. I never saw a fjord before and took it up with some enthusiasm. There were about 25 in all, two of us from England and 1 Danish lady and the rest were Norwegians. Elsa was the guide, a Finnish lady who was married to a Norwegian.

We, two of us, didn’t expect much of the trip as the language barrier would be in the way but soon learned that most of the others had reasonable English language skills. As the time passed, I sensed the mood how it was developing in the group and concluded that the Norwegians were rather very shy people in general. I was quite bored stiff for the first couple of days as the silence took over in hotel and other gatherings. But then my curiosity of Norwegian language soon led to a bit of mischief. As soon as I grasped certain words, mimicked one by one when the appropriate situation arose. When they heard me, laughed and found funny and I was quite good at it. From that moment, they started to relax and their faces brightened up a bit by bit. Gradually, they were counting on me something for cheering them up. They even came to me but cautiously to talk about any futile matter about the trip and even their personal stories.

I knew by then that they clearly wanted to engage in some social contact with me whereas no communication with each other amongst their own country people. It was quite something to watch the attitudes of these fully grown adults who were mostly middle aged, were so pure, innocent and even mystical. I turned out to be their social director unwittingly in this strange situation.

Olga and Bjorn were the shyest ones. They always dilly-dallied at the back and kept some distance from the group but watching the rest curiously which made me feel sorry for them. I once approached them and started to talk casually about the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. They soon got blushed but were so eager to back up the subject to how exciting it was to go and watch the games almost every day especially the skiing. Apparently, Norwegians learn skiing from a toddler like Mongolians start to ride a horse that early. After that talk, they took every chance to tell me more about Norway and other things so proudly.

Last night of our trip was something so warm and moving. We first gathered in the hotel reception area after the dinner but people were just standing silently like a bunch of party poopers. I again broke the ice by singing “Pål sine høner på haugen ut sleppte, høna så lett over haugen sprang” which was a well-known Norwegian folk song that I had memorised in Norwegian before. They obviously didn’t expect my sudden performance and just roared with laughter but joined me singing. Then they asked me where I had learned it. I said that it was one of the most popular songs amongst children in South Korea sung in Korean of course. They were simply amazed “how come?”.

They soon volunteered to do their own performance in singing, playing the piano or flute and telling jokes. Then they were willing to give feedback of the trip with still shy faces and motions. Before everyone heading for their bedroom, Elsa the guide took out a huge troll mascot and a wreath and gave to me and said “Thank you for the pleasant trip you contributed to”. I simply started to interact with people because I had got bored myself. Thus, I was so touched by Elsa’s sincere comment and knowing it fruited quite positively that people enjoyed themselves and appreciated my intervention (?). Many of them wanted to keep in touch with me by asking my contact address and in fact we all exchanged our addresses one another.

It was Olga who sent me the first letter since I returned home. Since then, we had exchanged our postcards and Christmas cards never missing one until this year. She lost Bjorn about ten years ago and has now gone to join him.

Kiel kindly explained to me how his mom had died. She went to the hospital for an annual check-up, was waiting for a Dr’s call but, then collapsed from the chair and died. Although she didn’t survive there but her death was looked after beginning to end entirely by the hospital that he thanked for. He also added that his parents often talked about the fjords trip from time to time in his younger days. And he also learned about me from his parents that ushered him feel knowing me quite(?) well. He obviously wanted to stay in touch with me sending his postal address even including his sister’s. I don’t know what Olga and Bjorn told him about me but feel very touched and privileged in his warm consideration.

Erik and Stephanie, then the shy young couple have also sent me Christmas card every year for the last 25 years.