A visitor’s voice: Oerjan Olafsen

Accustomed to the round-the-clock Norweigian summer sun, Oerjan (pronounced uhr-ree-on) Olafsen says he has had no trouble adjusting to the late and lively Ramadan nights of Damascus.

Oerjan, a 33-year-old carpenter from Norway, has, though, had some troubles explaining what he does for a living: “Everybody here seems to misunderstand and think it has something to do with carpets,” he said. Living in Bodoe (prounounced boo-dah), a city of about 47,000 people above the Artic Circle known for its aviation museum, Oerjan enjoys ice fishing in the winter, ocean fishing in the summer and hunting grouse and moose. Here is Damascus, he spends his days caring for his four-year-old son, Espin, taking Spanish classes and searching for places to watch his favorite sport, football.    

What brought you to Damascus and how long are you here?
My wife, Hanne, brought me here. She’s a UN observer and I’ve been here for three months. We are here for one year. 
What were your impressions before arriving? When and how did you first hear about Syria? The only thing I knew was the information we got from the Norwegian government and they are very “worst case scenario”. So, I was sort of frightened that there were suicide bombers on every corner, people staring at you everywhere, wanting to kill you.  
How have things changed today after having lived the Syrian experience?
It’s nice to come and see there are actually normal people. People are very friendly and curious. They are just normal people, living their daily life. It’s very interesting to see how they live their lives because it’s very different from how we live our lives in Norway. Being here, it sort of demystifies the culture. This is why we came. We realized we didn’t know anything about it.  
What are the most outstanding features or impressions you have found during your time in Syria? What are the stories you are going to take back home?
The most crazy part is traffic. That’s really hilarious. I am impressed by the driving every day.  You know the history is good. The culture is very rich. We went to Palmyra. That was really nice. Of course, I will spread the word that Muslims are really cool people and friendly and there is nothing to be afraid of.  
What’s one word that comes to mind when you think of Damascus? Positive, vibrant, and old-fashioned at the same time. I can’t pick just one word for it.