Hey, I’m a Norwegian girl trying to learn writing right English. At school we started to learn English already the first year. Now, I’m in 8th Grade, (13 years old) and I would be very pleased if someone here could learn me a little more. Of course I don’t know what you think of my English, but here’s something I like to make people think more about:
ANIMAL RIGHTS. Here in Norway (of course all of you know that Norwegians do whale- hunting. But I want all of you to know that all Norwegians isn’t like that. Many Norwgians (like me for example) is against that.
What do you mean?
I don’t want to sound patronising, but Great Debates is quite a difficult forum - read the “stickies” in the other forums which might be a more appropriate place to get started.
As for whale-hunting, well, I eat pigs for breakfast myself so I’d be a hypocrite if I objected to it just on principle.
Welcome Hilde!
I would like to compliment your English language skills. While I speak three languages I can’t even say Hello, in Norwegian.
While I am an American, I can not in any way speak for other Americans, but I feel it is safe to say that most Americans do not base their opinions of Norwegians on the practice of whale hunting.
As a new menber to this forum, I am not really in a position to give advice, but I would suggest that the advice offered by SentientMeat is worth heeding.
In an unrelated matter, what do you think about the Norwegian author Josten Gaarder (I probably did not spell his name correctly) who wrote Sophie’s World?
My wife and I honeymooned in Norway last Spring; it’s a wonderful, wonderful country. I envy your getting to live there.
I was pretty disturbed when I saw the whale meat at the Bergen fish markets. It was an emotional response, not a reasoned response: bacon and hamburgers don’t upset me. But whale meat did.
For some good English conversation, try checking out the MPIMS or In My Humble Opinion forums.
Welcome, Hilde from another American! You should know that this board is not necessarily American by nature; there are simply a lot more of us than from anywhere else. We are always glad for other views, and we do have a lot of participation from non-Americans and non-native English writers.
Your English is excellent for someone your age, so don’t worry about it. The best way to improve might be simply to read a lot by English-language authors, looking for what they say and how they say it that is different from yours, and copy them. If there is something you read here that you have trouble understanding, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
But this forum is for debating issues. Let’s discuss the hunting and eating of whales, since you brought it up, and why some people think it’s important. You must know that there are foods commonly eaten in any country that people from somewhere else might find disgusting. Southeast Asians eat insects, French eat snails, Americans eat hot dogs, there’s no end to the list. So I don’t see why it matters that Norwegians and Japanese and Icelanders eat whale meat - it’s just a difference in culture.
But I do think there is a strong argument against the hunting of animals whose numbers make their existence as a species endangered. By eating them, even if we like the taste, we are destroying them, and eventually we won’t have the opportunity to eat them. Whales used to be hunted all over the world, by American ships as much as anyone else’s, for their oil as well as their meat, and there was no real concern raised about it until they became endangered. There are other animals that once were hunted widely until they nearly or totally disappeared, too, such as the bison of the American plains. They are still eaten here, but are now raised on ranches instead of hunted in the wild. Whale-ranching does not seem like a real possibility, though.
Now help us out, Hilde - what do *you * think? Is it wrong to eat whale meat? Why?
Hi Hilde - another congratulation on your language skills. Puts me to shame
I can’t profess to any real understanding of the issues surrounding whaling, but coincidentally there was an article in a newspaper today about it, here, with a very well-known and respected TV wildlife broadcaster making very strong statements.
I love the fact that Norway ignores animal rights activists which IMO include most TV wildlife broadcasters and continues to hunt whales. I don’t care about animal right activists’ arguments about humane killing since they are not human. Now if they were decimating a species that wasn’t causing commercial or human health damage (eg., coyotes or cockroaches) then I’d be a little ticked off.
Lots of ‘Macheteros’ (machete users like sugar cane cutters, not the Puerto Rican Marxist/Leninist group BTW) are usually quite dark skinned due to ethnicity or just the sun. Using ‘monkey’ almost seems like you’re spouting comments of a racist nature.
I assure you my comments were in no way intended to infer any racist intent. Frankly I am not sure I follow your logic, but it does not matter. What is important to me is that you and everyone else understands that I meant no racist slur and that if my comments could be interpreted as racist I sincerely and humbly apologize.
I don’t care about the dicitionary definition. Killing whales commercially should be done in the most effecient manner. Not in a manner that makes animal rights crowd the least upset. It doesn’t matter to me how because they are animals and not humans. I have no problem eating veal or faqra either, though if you treated humans in a similar manner it would be barbaric.
Askeptic,
I believe that name calling posts go in the BBQ Pit.
Yes, Jostein Gaarder have written Sophie’ World (Sofies verden), The Solitaire Mystery (Kabalmysteriet), The Christmas Mystery (Julemysteriet), Through a Glass, Darkly (I et speil, i en gåte) and a lot of other books. I have read these, and I love them!
Jostein Gaarder is very famous here in Norway (of course), and he is a perfect author, I love his books!
Here’s dome sentences in Norwegian (just for fun):
Jeg heter… (My name is…)
Jeg er … år gammel. (I am … years old)
Jeg bor i … (I live in…)
Jeg elsker deg! (I love you!) “Jeg elsker deg” is only used when you’re talking to a person you really love! If you want to say to your child that you love him/her, you say: “Jeg er glad i deg!”
All the best,
Hilde Andrea (My first name is HILDE ANDREA, not HILDE, I USE BOTH!)
Yes, I mean it’s wrong killing animals just for money or just for fun.
As you prabably know, Norway is quite rich, there’s no need for extra money from the whale- hunting!
I have never eaten whale, it’s not very normal among Norwegians eating whale, why not let the animals live their lives, and we can live our own lives. What have they done deserving that! NOTHING!!! I think it’s wrong taking an animals life no no matter how, what’s the point doing that?
Ps: Is it true Americans eating a lot of pizza and hamburgers, or is it only in all the Ameriacan shows which is running on Norwegian telly? (Like Step by Step).
Do you know that all the American shows is on Norwegian TV too, like Ricky Lake, Dr. Phil, The Bachelor, and a lot of others. It’s quite rarely you can see program’s where they’re speaking Norwegian…
I am 100% Norwegian, but the Viking blood disappears when the little Viking from Norway is trying to discuss whale- hunting (The Vikings… did they whale- hunting? Little Viking is on her way being confused…)
