15-10-2022 7:30pm

Denne lang-helgen deltar jeg på AUFs landsmøte som delegat for første gang. For de som kjenner meg og særlig min mor, høres det kanskje ikke overraskende ut at jeg følger i hennes fotspor inn i politikken. For meg har jeg stort sett vært tilskuer på de ulike politiske møter jeg har deltatt på, siden jeg var liten.

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17-09-2022 11:30 pm

How can the happiness place on earth be also the saddest?

We are a family who have travelled literally all over the world. In 2013, we travelled around the world for an entire year. And yet some of my most cherished childhood memories is from the summer that we spent in Denmark. It has been more than 12 years since we last visited Legoland in Billund. The last family summer vacation that we had with our big sister Sharidyn before she was killed, was our holiday travelling through Denmark in 2010.

Click here to read more about our trip to Legoland.

10-09-2022 4:00 pm

Today as President of the New Zealand Association Norway, I had the honour of signing the protocol of condolence at the British Embassy in Oslo on behalf of New Zealand citizens living in Norway.

In memory of Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II and her incredible legacy and remarkable life. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies to Queen Elisabeth's family and all her mourn her.

Click here to read more about Queen Elisabeth II.

06-09-2022 10:45 pm

I kveld deltok jeg og foreldrene mine på et flott arrangement i hagen på Aschehoug Villa i Oslo med hovedtema Ytringsfrihet i 21. århundre.

Det var spesielt koselig å kunne slå av en prat med bl.a forsvarssjef Eirik Kristoffersen, Dansk-Kurdisk forfatter og aktivist Sara Omar og forfatter Malin Stensønes for å nevne noen.

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22-07-2022 06:20 am

How do you remember 22nd July dual terrorist attacks? Most people in Norway are on holiday during the summer month of July. Commemorating the worst day in Norwegian history since WWII is most often memoralised by a photo frame and hearts on Metas Facebook.

11 years on since 22nd July 2011, today is no easier or harder than it was last year when we commemorated the 10 year anniversary. Every year is equally as difficult as the last. As my mum says every year: We have just gotten better at hiding how terribly devastated we are.

Click here to read more.

04-07-2022 9:40 pm

Straumsnes is a rural farming community where my mum's grandfather and my great-grandfather, Ottar Svebach (born Strømsvåg) family is from.

We visited Straumsnes church and cemetary where my great-great-grandparents, Jørgen and Johanna Strømsvåg and the rest of our ancestors are buried.

Click here to read more.

18-06-2022 11:15 pm

Today my family and I attended the unveiling of the new 22nd July monument on the mainland across from the island of Utøya.

For people who have never visited Utøya, it may be difficult to imagine where the new monument is located. Another 22nd July monument?, you may think. The distinct difference with this monument, is this was the first national monument that the Norwegian government had originally planned already in December 2011.

Click here to read more.

25-04-2022 11:30 pm

Today my family and I commemorated the 107th Anzac Day at the Commonwealth War Graves in Vestre Gravlund, in Oslo.

This year I had the honour of holding the 4th Response speech on behalf of the New Zealand Association Norway. Nerves (and one line in my speech) got the better of me towards the end of my speech.

Click here to read more.

14-01-2022 11:30 pm

Today (another) close friend of our family, Lars Emil Bergum released his debut song, Remembering you.

I feel extremely honoured that I can highlight yet again another up-and-coming Norwegian artist/music producer on my blog.

If you still haven't heard his song, here is your chance!

Click here to read more.

16-10-2021 23:00 pm

This is one of the most difficult blog-posts I have written in a while. I wasn't even sure before now if I would publish it. After talking through the events of the other night with my parents, I decided to publish my thoughts here.

The unthinkable has happened ... again! This time in a neighbouring town, only 40 minutes from my hometown of Drammen.

Click here to read more.

05-09-2021 6:30 pm

Alot has changed since I updated this part of my blog although my interests are relatively still the same. The covid-pandemic has had a huge impact on my life-choices, just like for others my age. If the pandemic wasn't enough of a challenge, my dad getting sick put an extra spanner in the works for our family, that we were in no way prepared for.

It has been en emotional roller coaster to watch our dad slowly decline from being physically active in all areas of our family life, to barely being able to get out of bed because he is exhausted from his treatments or in general just tired. I have learn't alot over the past year - about myself but especially how important my family is to me. ❤

Click here to read more.

24-06-2021 10:30 pm

This afternoon Sydney and I were invited to meet with Norway's Prime Minister, Erna Solberg at the Prime Minister's residence in Oslo.

A little nervous but mostly excited, Sydney and I walked hand-in-hand up to the PM's residence with our parents on each side of us.

Click here to read more.

10-06-2021 9:00 pm

I am so proud of my little sister, Sydney! She is 11 years old, and already has held 5 speeches/presentations about July 22nd and our big sister, Sharidyn.

I will never forget what Sydney says in her speech: I choose to hold a speech and tell you about my sister, Sharidyn because I don't want anyone else to lose a sister they love, the same way we lost Sharidyn. I like to talk about Sissi and all the wonderful things that she did, but it hurts that I don't remember Sissi in the same way as Savannah, because I was so little. He took Sissi's life, but all our memories of Sissi will live long after her death because we choose to talk about our sister - even when it is sad to talk about how and why she was killed.

Click here to read more.

09-06-2021

Have you heard Othilie's new song, Inspire me? I feel very honoured to highlight on my blog Norway's up-and-coming artist, and a family friend of ours, Othilie Raaen Oegema.

If you haven't heard of Othilie or her song, here is your chance. 

Click here to read more.

15-03-2021 3:00 pm

After dad’s last surgery, dad was convinced that he was now cancer-free. Mum refused to be fooled. Life isn’t always that kind, she said. 6 weeks later, and dad was told that he now had three new cancerous tumors in his liver.

Over the last 4 weeks, he has been preparing mentally and physically for yet another surgery, and it hasn’t been easy. Anyone that knows my dad, would most likely not describe dad as a “fighter”. My mum is! Survivor, fighter, superhero – basically the same. Maybe my dad isn't the "fighter-type" like my mum, but I know dad won’t give up fighting - because we won’t. 

Click here to read more.

19-07-2020 9:00 am

We are a family that likes to travel alot. We have been really fortunate to visit different countries in and around Europe, as well as in 2013, we travelled around the world following the sun for an entire year.

I have shared a few photos, some travel-tips and a little about our west and south coast adventures/holiday in one of the most beautiful parts of Norway. Thank you to our parents for always giving us our wonderful experiences and precious childhood memories we will always treasure.

Click here to read more.

17-05-2020 10:30 pm

Just like everything else, the global corona-pandemic put a kink in the works for celebrating Norway's national day.

But like everyone else in Norway - it didn't stop my family from celebrating our constitution today, minus all the usual speeches.

Click here to read more.

05-05-2019 8:18 pm

When is hate speech, hate speech? Is it only hate speech when a mass murderer uses the words fucking socialists, but it is more acceptable as a joke when the Norwegian Minister of Finance uses the exact same words at a party?

To make matters worse, the same comments spread like weed throughout my news feed on facebook, almost like the Minister of Finance's comments had started a movement/trend and people were making jokes of her comments.

Click here to read more.

04-05-2019 9:15 am

In little over a month, it will be my 15th birthday. Last year I celebrated my 14th birthday, and was officially older than my sister, Sharidyn. This past year I dedicated to my sister - simply put, I chose to live for me and for Sharidyn.

For more than a year, I have had a blog where I have shared what's in my heart about Sharidyn, about what life has been like for families like mine, and all the things that I've done to create awareness and advocate for the victims. It has been a very long road, and it has NOT been easy. Not everyone I know, or met have been kind or compassionate. I've experienced "things" in the past year that would horrify most normal people. ❤

Click here to read more.