Meanwhile...

Here's another thing that came to mind recently as I took a number of bus trips around the area. The topography of this place demands patience. You see the place You want to go, it looks quite near, but then it turns out it's another 40km away because You have to take a roundabout (land) route instead of hoping across the fjord. I think this contributes to the general relaxedness of the Norwegians around me. You grow up in a place where instant gratification is unlikely, You learn to take it easy and expect that Your goals will be eventually met. As opposed to those whacked-out Poles, who don't take anything easy because their past is filled with frustration and rivalry.