Blowing my own horn

When I first started learning Norwegian just over a year ago, I just thought it was one long word that sounded remarkably like huffuknuffuduffu. Or something similar. It certainly didn't sound like a proper language to my ears. And then I started to listen to the radio and actually recognised a word. And another and another. I got (sort of) the hang of the easier grammar and managed to make small easy sentences. 

I then took a class in February/March: four days of intensive training. I went to Norway in April and tried my best to speak Norwegian. I kept on doing my correspondence course (without the correspondence by the way) while at work and in July/August I did another four days of intensive training, after which I went to Norway again. But since then: nothing. 

Not completely nothing of course, I kept reading the diaries of Roald Amundsen and I read the subtitles of any programme available with Norwegian subtitles. But I didn't study anymore. Not the best thing to do of course, but there you have it. 

I have been here little over a week now and I do get complimented a lot on my Norwegian knowledge. I notice that I understand more and more, although only in conversation towards me and not in general. And the main reason for that is the dialect here. They definitely don't speak the way I have been taught. Then again, I knew that before coming! The funny thing is though, some of the words they use over here, sound a lot more like the Dutch words than the original Norwegian words!

Anyway, just blowing my own horn here, but I am getting along better and better. I spoke Norwegian with Norwegians today. As well as with a Dutch person, a Polish person and a 50% Afghani person! Toot toot!!