The Norwegian StoryTELLER
Welcome to The Norwegian StoryTELLER
A podcast with storytelling perspectives from the North.
Hosted by Line Konstali, pardon my NorwEnglish
I have always told other people’s stories. They have been able to use me as a tool to reach out. Now, I tell fragments of my own story. At the same time, I also give you perspectives I have gained from participating in all the stories that are told.
I also encourage you to tell your own story. Because I have seen that the world needs these stories. So what are we waiting for?
Let’s tell stories together! Follow this podcast for inspiration.
The Norwegian StoryTELLER
Reminiscing Love and Conquering Speech: A Nostalgic Voyage with the Norwegian ‘R’
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As I navigate the ebb and flow of life, I can't help but reminisce about the moments that have sculpted me, from the tender echoes of '90s love songs to the triumphant conquering of speech sound hurdles. Aboard this episode, you're invited to a nostalgic trip to 1998's Norway, where the romance of Titanic stirred more than just cinematic hearts. I weave you through my own love story with Anders, a narrative shimmering with the innocence and passion of Rose and Jack's affair, and how those reenacted scenes bound us in a way only true love letters to celluloid can. Join us for this tender chronicle, as we affirm the worth of each small victory and the collective embrace of our personal milestones.
Ever wrestled with a challenge that seemed to define you? My journey with the English 'R' might echo within your own tales of linguistic loops. Over 43 years, this storyteller has embraced the 'R' and, with it, a world where my tales traverse borders. It's a testament to perseverance and the magic of language, a narrative that resonates whether you're from eastern Norway or elsewhere on this vast globe. In sharing my breakthroughs and inviting you to share yours on my Patreon community, we stitch a rich tapestry of human experience. Tune in to this chapter and let's journey together through the brighter and shadowed paths of our lives, narrated with the newfound clarity of a storyteller who has found her voice.
Follow me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ContentCreator185
Small Bumps in Life's Journey
Speaker 1Sometimes we experience hard times in life . Just getting out of bed in the morning can feel like a monumental effort . Our souls may be heavy with sorrow and despair . Life itself is difficult , but what truly constitutes our everyday existence are the small bumps along the road , those challenges that lie there waiting to be addressed . If too many bumps accumulate , it can become problematic .
Speaker 1In this episode the topic isn't quite as serious . I'm only talking about a small bump in my own life's journey . As I'm about to expanding my storytelling beyond Norway's borders , I had to overcome a rather significant hurdle . I'll come back to this and eventually you'll understand what it's all about . First let's discuss something entirely different , but you'll see the connection soon the characters Rose and Jack from Titanic . What do they have to do with my personal bump in the road ? Well , you'll find out . Just listen Afterward . I encourage you to join the discussion on my Patreon . What bumps do you have in your life ? How did you work your way out of those situations ? Life is filled with big problems , but sometimes it's worth celebrating the small ones , as they don't drain as much energy to resolve . So let's begin with a story from the lightness in my life .
Speaker 1It was the summer of 1998 , and I was madly in love . Titanic had been rolling on film reels for several months . When I did some background research , I was surprised to discover that the film's first screening was in Tokyo , november 1st 1997 . Later it was shown in the USA on December 19 , 1997 . However , it would be a couple of months before us Nordic people had the opportunity to witness the wondrous love story captured amidst a tragic event . Sweden and Denmark were ahead of us . Of course . At that time , we Norwegians were still accustomed to being slightly less continental than our big sisters and brothers in Sweden and Denmark . Sweden was the land of entrepreneurs , producing cars and furniture and dominating the global market in ways we could only dream of . Additionally , they had all the celebrities and rap artists the world had forgotten about , the Norwegian rock band A-ha . During this period , the Danes , being closer to the rest of Europe , were more continental than us mountain-dwelling northerners . Little Norway had to patiently wait a whole month before finally witnessing the beautiful yet tragic moments between a young , love-struck couple from a bygone era and a sunken ship and a sunken ship . January 16 , 1998 was a day when both the Swedes and Danes could settle into their cinema seats and hold their breath as the iceberg struck the unsinkable ship . February 13 was a day when we , the northern hillbillies , could finally watch the film .
Speaker 1The first time I saw the movie , I was 17 years old . Together with my girlfriends , we went to the cinema to find out if this film was truly fantastic or just overhyped . I don't really like Leonardo DiCaprio . I don't think he's that handsome , I said . My friend just rolled her eyes . However , my opinion changed as the film unfolded . Every glance Jack sent to Rose , the way he spoke to her , held her and fell in love with her everything a girl could dream of . When Jack and Rose played Flying on the Edge of the Deck , I was sold . Okay , I admit it , he's incredibly handsome , absolutely fantastic , I said to my friend . She smiled and returned and nodded .
Speaker 1The gripping drama centering around the ill-fated RMS Titanic would go on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time . It also catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to international stardom . The film , directed , written , produced and co-edited by James Cameron , incorporated both historical and fictionalized aspects , based on accounts of the sinking of Titanic in 1912 . It revolves around the lives of two passengers from different social classes Jack Dawson , a poor artist in third class , and Rose Duvett Bucheter , a first-class teenager who is engaged to a wealthy but abusive . As the ship sails towards its tragic collision with an iceberg , jack and Rose meet and fall in love . Their romance unfolds against the backdrop of the luxurious yet doomed Titanic . The film beautifully captures their relationship , the ship's grandeur and the heartbreaking events that follows . Ultimately , the Titanic sinks and Rose memories intervene in the fate of the heart of the ocean diamond .
Speaker 1So why am I telling you all this ? Didn't I start by saying this was about the summer of 1998 ? Okay , I admit it , I'm a master of digressions , jumping in and out of stories . This personality quirk hasn't diminished , especially since I worked as a storyteller throughout my career . Back to the story . Since my birthday is in March , I had already turned 18 by that time . It was the summer I met Anders and we're still married today . Lucky for me , as I'm about to launch myself as a Norwegian storyteller in the rest of the world that I'm married to a man with such a typical name Typical Norwegian name , as Anders writes . Anyway , our love blossomed around the same time as the film Titanic reached its peak .
Speaker 1In Norway , people were flocking to theatres to watch the film for the second or third time . Anders and I were , no exception , newly in love , we immersed ourselves in the roles of Jack and Rose . We even reenacted the scene with a flying machine at the end of the deck Over and over . Thank goodness we didn't have Instagram back then . So why am I sharing this ? Well , because I've chosen a very special scene from the movie .
Speaker 1In this scene , jack dresses in his first class attire and goes up to the deck where the upper class people are . He eventually finds Rose and takes her into the room where no one can see her . Rose is clearly affected by the situation . The two lovers know they can't be together , but Jack doesn't seem willing to give up anytime soon . With these marvelous words , he declares his love for Rose . Rose , you're no picnic , all right , you're a spoiled little brat even , but under that you're the most amazingly astounding , wonderful girl woman that I've ever known . Translated into Norwegian , it would sound like this Rose , du er ingen søndagstur , eller vad Du er ? En bortskjemønt liten drittunge Men under det så er du den mest fantastiske , imponerende , vidunderlige jente kvinne jeg noensinne har kjent .
Speaker 1Before I get to the point , I just want to warn all of our female listeners If you're even remotely interested in the musing of a 40-year-old , you'll never get a man like Jack . In the musing of a 40-year-old , you'll never get a man like Jack . Jack is portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio , who's now known to date girls around the same age as Kate Winslet was when she played Rose in Titanic . So he might not be quite the same heartthrob as in the movie , you see , but anyway , romantic films exist for our dreams , don't they ? And right now , jack's line reminds me of something very essential as a Norwegian storyteller trying to reach the heart of people elsewhere in the world .
Speaker 1You see , up until last fall I couldn't pronounce the English R . Yes , you heard that correctly . I spoke a lot of English , especially in professional contexts , but that English R , it deluded me . It was as if my tongue twisted every time I attempted it . Words like rural were a nightmare to say until last year . So in this podcast episode I had to find an R word that sounds the same in both Norwegian and English . To emphasis a point Rose was the word . I broke the R-code in October last year In my job as a storyteller for a Norwegian organization . I travel to Nepal once a year . During a conversation with a Nepali entrepreneur , I stumble over my own words repeatedly . Suddenly the lady said oh , the Norwegian R . And for the first time I understood why I could never pronounce the English R . You see , I come from the eastern part of Norway .
Speaker 1The dialect we speak involves rolling R's , which means we use the tip of our tongue when saying R . Listen to me now . In the southern and western parts of Norway they speak quite differently . There they're gatorally pronounced the R using the innermost part of the tongue . Listen to me now .
Overcoming Speech Challenges Through Storytelling
Speaker 1The fact is that several children growing up in eastern Norway struggling with saying the R . Some need to see a speech therapist and they practice something called tongue gymnastics . Eventually most of them learn to pronounce R , but not all . In such cases the speech therapist often teaches them to say the southern and western R . Compared to the English R , the Norwegian R in the south and west is much more similar to the eastern R . Also , the English R is pronounced using the innermost part of the tongue .
Speaker 1So let's just listen to me when I say rose . Now . I say rose in English and I use the innermost part . Rose , and I say it in Western European rose . You see , I also use the innermost part , and now I want to see it in the eastern Rose . I use the tip of the tongue . Okay , that's a fun fact , let's move on .
Speaker 1So in the fall of 2023 , I became my own speech therapist and for the first time , I managed to pronounce the English R . It took me a whole 43 years old to understand this connection . Now , after months of intense training and tongue gymnastics , I can proudly say the English R . Drum roll , please . This comes in handy now as I venture out into the world to try my hand at storytelling beyond Norway's border for the first time .
Speaker 1You see , I'm a Norwegian storyteller who has shared stories from various places around the world , always with a Norwegian audience . I've always used my own language to tell stories . Now I'm sharing this story with you , no matter where in the world you live , and in English . Thank goodness , I finally conquered the R . I'm also very interested in hearing about your bump in the road . Therefore , I have created my own profile on Patreon and you're more than welcome to become a part of my community there . We will talk about the bumps in the road and how to solve them , because the world needs these stories . This was a story from the lightness of my life . I will be switching to the darkness sometimes . Follow me and guide me on my personal storytelling .