Introduction from Norway...

[Guest guest]

Hi Carmen! I live in Houston (originally from Chicago), but I have friends in

Stavanger. They are not vegetarian, though (he is from Scotland and she is

from Brazil - countries that don't have a lot of traditional vegetarian

cuisine)! Welcome!

 

 

Tracey

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone!

 

My name is Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey and I am a US citizen who has been

living in Stavanger, Norway for the past 3 years. My family includes my

sons Sam (5yrs), Aleksander (18 months), my husband Bill and our two

cats. We live here because my husband took a teaching job here at The

International School of Stavanger.

 

Our sons are lifelong vegetarians and Bill and I have been for almost 8

years now, started when we were living in Maine and I read " Diet for a

new America " by John Robbins. While living in the US we were making the

move to being vegan but since living in Norway are at a standstill with

being vegetarian (very much an oddity in this country).

 

I have been reading the messages on this list for sometime now but due to

our computer having crashed was unable to participate. I'm here now! Is

there anyone else out there on this list living in Norway or another

Scandinavian country?

[Guest guest]

I am surprised vegetarianism is not common in Norway. I spent a month this

summer, while 6 months pregnant, visiting family in rural Finland. I also spent

some time in

Helsinki. I was amazed at the variety of vegan foods available, even in the

tiny village grocery. There was more variety, and the offerings were of a

higher quality than I

find at the coops and specialty stores here in Minneapolis, MN. Also, no one

critisized my decisions to remain vegan during pregnancy and raise my daughtor

as a vegan. It was

also easy to get amazing vegan meals at restaurants. I am sorry to hear that it

is not so easy to be vegan in Norway. leahp

 

CrenHov wrote:

 

> Hello everyone!

>

> My name is Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey and I am a US citizen who has been

> living in Stavanger, Norway for the past 3 years. My family includes my

> sons Sam (5yrs), Aleksander (18 months), my husband Bill and our two

> cats. We live here because my husband took a teaching job here at The

> International School of Stavanger.

>

> Our sons are lifelong vegetarians and Bill and I have been for almost 8

> years now, started when we were living in Maine and I read " Diet for a

> new America " by John Robbins. While living in the US we were making the

> move to being vegan but since living in Norway are at a standstill with

> being vegetarian (very much an oddity in this country).

>

> I have been reading the messages on this list for sometime now but due to

> our computer having crashed was unable to participate. I'm here now! Is

> there anyone else out there on this list living in Norway or another

> Scandinavian country?

>

>

> For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.

>

>

[Guest guest]

My husband went to Helsinki last month for a conference and was in lovin'

life there due to all the vegetarian options! Not at all like here.

Maybe one reason is that with only 4 million people here in Norway the

demand just isn't there? There's 1 veggie restaurant in Bergen and 2 in

Oslo, that's it for the whole country!

 

In the International School's bi-weekly bulletin I put an ad for a veggie

potluck social - two families have signed up for it hopefully more will.

I am hoping to try to get a network going so we can share with one

another where we can find various foods. I have met many who moved here

as vegetarians and " fell off the wagon " due to their finding it so

difficult here. The health food stores here are way behind those in the

rest of Europe, largely due to Norway not belonging to the European Union

- they have very strict laws about what is allowed in (vitamins,

preservatives, etc). Throughout Europe you can buy tofu and meat

substitute items (veggie burgers & dogs) in regular grocery stores - here

you have to go to international food stores or health food stores

-although some of the grocery stores are carrying rice & soy milk now and

some canned products of veggie balls and spreads. All of the cheese here

contains rennet, there is one brand of Mozzarella from Denmark that is

sold here that is free of it. The soy cheeses taste like something from

the 1970's. Our 5 week vacation through Great Britain this summer was

veggie heaven!

 

Anyway, after 3 years of living here we are used to the struggle and do

not mind helping our puzzled Norwegian friends to understand our

lifestyle choice. I would though enjoy moving to a more veggie friendly

country for my husband's next teaching position - but Norway is a

wonderful country, especially for families, and we will miss it!

 

Carmen

 

>I am surprised vegetarianism is not common in Norway. I spent a month

>this summer, while 6 months pregnant, visiting family in rural Finland. I

>also spent some time in

>Helsinki. I was amazed at the variety of vegan foods available, even in

>the tiny village grocery. There was more variety, and the offerings were

>of a higher quality than I

>find at the coops and specialty stores here in Minneapolis, MN. Also, no

>one critisized my decisions to remain vegan during pregnancy and raise my

>daughtor as a vegan. It was

>also easy to get amazing vegan meals at restaurants. I am sorry to hear

>that it is not so easy to be vegan in Norway. leahp

 

 

" Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world

we want to live in. " - Frances Moore Lappe

 

Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey

Bill, Sam & Aleksander Hovey

Buseneset 22

N-4048 Hafrsfjord

NORWAY

 

+47 51 59 33 98

 

CrenHov

whovey