I love the smell of baby in the morning.

Fredrik Strage starts up a column by taking a starting point in two famous movie quotes in today's DN. (Paper format one slightly different from web version)

I love the smell of napalm in the morning

Robert Duvall in Apocalypse now

Nobody puts baby in the corner

Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing

And goes on to discuss gender differencies based on that. How you would never hear a girl quote that line from DD but they still carry it in their hearts. Their hope to be rescued away from their safety and day-to-day boredom by a hunk with strong arms.

Yupp, those arms seems strong enough

And how on the other hand you'll hear every man alive - at least every stereotype heteronormative man - toss the Apocalypse Now-quote in whatever context possible:

The meat is getting burned on the bbq honey
Don't worry sweetheart - I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Or while at the gas station, gasoline fumes dense as a fog:

Ah, I love the smell of napalm in the morning

And well ... I would place myself somewhere in between, I love the smell of you in the morning. I love the subtle smell of a girl I on the bus' perfume. I long for a neck to hang on to and pick a trail of flowers left there, be it Kenzo's or a rosescented shower gel. Let me wake up by your side, but if you go please leave a fragrant trace on my pillow as you rush off.

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This is also when I feel the most abroad, when reading Swedish papers like DN. I get in to the discussion and can relate to it. Like Zarembas discussion on the Lärarhögskolan and how everyone that can will go and report the school for violation of his or her's rights.

I have given it a try on reading Aftenposten, Dagens Næringsliv and other magazines back home in Oslo but I don't get drawn in to them that easily. Leaving the hotel after a good long breakfast with an hour's read in for instance DN or SvD. leaves me revitalized and ready to face a new day with endless possibilities.

Perhaps I haven't tried hard enough, but I have been subscribing to Aftenposten and peak in to Dagens Næringsliv as often as I can. But there are still too many unfamiliar faces and too many themes I can't get a feel for.

I haven't been bred in a society where discussions are about the Oil Fund and the "problem" that the government never seem to use it as much as people wish. I am born and raised in a Sweden with debths over their ears where media yearly lists how much the National Debth is on each and every one of us etc. (120 000 at the end of 2006)

-Is this even a problem? Well perhaps not, I don't see myself n o t beeing able to find and date a Norwegian girl over this. But I feel that I participate slightly less in discussions, I care slightly less about Stoltenberg and miss Halvorsen but I do know what I feel about Sahlin and Reinfeldt.
I suppose it will get better over time, I will assimilate and slide in to my new home. I am definately not fighting it. Kvikklunsj-eating langrenning Norwegian as I have become.