Jeg forsvinner or how I went to National Theater in Oslo

I am in Norway again. Arrived some days ago. First I was in Oslo one night and I came to Vidaråsen

Camphill village.

Oslo is a wonderful city, not like most of other European capitals I have visited. It has its special rhythm and way of being. Slowness and personal touch, something that I appreciate very much. People are beautiful and well dressed. They move on the streets as if just stepped out from a fashion magazine cover or an expensive boutique. Even the beggars on the street sides wear cloths not older than a year or two. It seems even little bit unfair to give them something as if it was a joke of some kind.

Anyway. I had some time in the evening and I decided to go to the National Theater. Partially also because it was just five minutes walk from my hotel. Not just any walk but a tour through the park and by the palace of Harald V who is the King of Norway (I put a capital letter just in case...).

Since it was an Ibsen festival in Oslo I decided to see a play related to the festival. The name of the play was "Jeg forsvinner".


This was in autumn...

the blog post was waiting unfinished.

Now it is spring, I am back in Sweden, Järna. I have been in Norway many times in between but never really had time to return here.

Today I finally decided to write some lines about the play back then because it was a great experience for me. First I googled hoping to find some links with videos to share with you, instead I found an article about the play in Norwegian. I am quite good at understanding the language by now. It has been a great journey. I do feel much more able as I did in last summer when I first started to collect some lines here about my learning.

The name of the blog where I found the article is "IDALOU". She starts her article with a good description of how it was there in the National theatre.

Malersalen er mørkegrå og naken med bare noen pinnestoler langt framme på gulvet. Gisken Armand kommer inn og langsomt, nærmest rituelt, lukker hun først det ene vinduet som vender ut mot verden, så det andre. Så går hun bort til stolen, setter seg, og begynner å snakke. «Jeg er en kvinne. Jeg er alene i et rom». Snakker hun til oss tilskuere? Kanskje. Det eneste sikre, er at Lygre bevisst leker med teaterillusjonen.

IDALOU continues with giving us a taste of what was there... A lonely woman, alone in her childhood home, it is dark and empty, there are no decorations. It is just her, she is present in a most fragile way. As if disappearing any moment. She is speaking with us, who are sitting in rows quite close. I could nearly touch her, because I am sitting in the very first row.

I am trying hard to be with her in her story. The language is still a stranger to me. I understand more intuitively than with my intellect. The effort is making me tired but I just keep focusing trying to melt into what she is sharing.      

Hun forteller at dette huset er hennes barndomshjem, og at det er her hun har tilbrakt hele sitt liv. Hun sier at hun er lykkelig, hun har en mann, en venninne som igjen har en datter, sammen er de «nesten som en familie».

When some more people enter the stage I feel overflowed with what is happening. There is nothing special, just two more women have entered but it is so very much happening. Too much. I try to relax and just be there. It is not only about my language disability...

 Venninnen (Laila Goody) kommer inn. «Jeg» forteller at venninnen bærer på en koffert. Litt senere kommer venninnens datter (Stine Marie Fyrileiv), også hun med en usynlig koffert. Hun skulle hente kvinnens mann på kontoret, men han dukket aldri opp. Vi skjønner at et eller annet oppbrudd nærmer seg. «Vi må dra», sier venninnen, og selv om kvinnen nøler, hun vil jo ikke reise uten mannen, blir hun til slutt med de to andre.

The story what was told there in Oslo back in autumn was telling me so much about the Norwegian way of life, their struggles. Introducing me the very best way to some of the problematic with wealthfare. It is not simple to be a human being even though you might have no special issues with the food or the roof over your head. Human condition in itself is a struggle.

«Jeg forsvinner» er en interessant, men krevende forestilling, og opplevelsen blir nok best dersom man setter seg inn i teksten på forhånd.   

I had no idea what the play was about when I arrived nor had I seen the text, read much about the author but it was a good experience. Probably the best theatre opplevelse what I had in year 2012.

"Dagbladet" has an interesting introduction to the play. They have interviewed the author who, as they claim, is one of the young successes of Norwegian playwright, not only in his homeland but even abroad. Arne Lygre introduces his play as follows:

Å være eller bli, det er spørsmålet. Hvordan blir man den man er? Hvordan vet man at dette er den man skal være?           

He is studying language while writing. What will the words bring? It is quite much about the form.

FOR MEG ER det å jobbe med litteratur i stor grad en språkutforskning. Konstruksjonen av setningene, ordforskyvningen, passasjene, strukturen. Det handler mye om form. I alle verkene mine har jeg jobbet med det jeg kaller «det andre fortellerperspektivet», sier Lygre.

 Well, seems that I had a possibility to see one of the most interesting plays in Norway in 2012. That was a good "accident" (if there exists such a thing now).

I promise now to post here more often. I have collected quite some materials to share. The road to new languages is bumpy and it most certainly takes time. I still feel like a beginner even though I can understand so much. Babysteps.

In the meantime I have started to blog much more seriously in English, taking part some mooc courses (see http://coursera.com), I am continuing my writing in Swedish and I do little bit less in Estonian (see Kirjed or Loov ja Vaba).

This is a real challenge but I want to start to write in Norwegian one day. I promise you will notice when that day has arrived.