Franca Oeler - Germany

(Dale Videregåande Skule, Dale, Fjaler)
Email: francaoeler@mac.com

Why are you a volunteer?

I can learn about another country and learn another, new language. And it is more or less for charity, what I’m doing. Stereotypes are confirmed or broken. You see your host country, but also your home country from a different perspective.

Why did you choose Norway?

I applied for Sweden and Denmark, and I came to Norway…

What did you do?

I’m joining the German lessons at Dale vgs and I try to bring the German language a bit closer to the people. And I work with "open skule", that means that the school is opened during the evenings. Pupils can play pool, surf in the Internet, meet each other… My task is mainly to make Pizza if they want to and to see that everything is in order. And I make soup two days per week and sell it in the cantina. During two project periods I’m also working in the primary school. There I also join one time per week the "Uteskule"= school in the forest.

What is bad about being a volunteer?

Everybody fears that you could work too much or too hard before you started working at all. And if you don't speak the language people think automatically that you are stupid.

Three typical norwegian things?

To take off your shoes when you come in a house (also at work) Drink coffee the whole day, also very late in the evening To walk up a mountain just to write your name in the book that is lying on the top, and to see who else has been there before.

What was your first phrase?

Jeg er fra Tyskland.

Your best norwegian experience?

Way up to Nipebu with sun and a perfect blue sky, way back with 50 cm of snow and snowstorm.

Your favorite norwegian food?

Fiskekake, Rømmegraut, Rømme, Solbær Syltetøy.

If you had optional things to do, what would you do?

Learn skiing
Have a car
Read all the books in the library

The most important phrases in your job:

Hva heter det på norsk?
So sagt das in Deutschland kein Mensch!

Picture below:
Three volunteers in Bunad (Norwegian traditional costume) on the 17th May 2003. From the left:
Franca
Lise
Wendy