#lovleg: gunnhild's notes

[lovlegskada]

Note 39 April 12

“Who do you believe you are?” assignment Norwegian

You can come up with several terms if you are to define yourself as this assignment asks. You can say something about looks, social status or astrological sign. You can emphawise sexual orientation, gender or what kind of home you have grown up in. We are always asked to define ourselves. Who am I really? Lately I have thought that I will never really find out. Yes I can hang parts of my personality up on hooks like everybody else. And each of part will be correct and each part will tell you something, and I do not want to be ashamed of any of the parts. But none will say all of it either. I am a strange, colourful, embarrassing, poetical, queer girl from the countryside who says the wrong tings all the time and sometimes is terribly egoistic and sometimes is the kindest person in the world. I make some smile and laugh and some hide their face in their hands and ask me to be quiet. I spent a lot of time thinking that I ought to be quiet and pleasant, ordinary, someone everyone could look at and think “that is who I am”. But now I am beginning to understand, slowly, that everybody does not need to fully understand me and I do not need to be only one thing. I can be many different things at once and what really makes me me, is what happens when I meet other people. I have spent so much time thinking about what I am like, and whether that is good or bad. But I do not exist in a room alone with a mirror.

Right now the head of my best friend is resting on my shoulder. We are going to my home for the Easter holiday. She is drooling a little. I am trying to sit perfectly still so she can sleep.

When I met her I thought that we could never be friends. I thought that she was a popular girl who fit in and cared about clothes and makeup and selfies. And it was not like I suddenly realised that all of that was wrong. That it was one big misunderstanding. No it was actually correct, but there was just so much else there as well. A whole universe really. When I met my ex girlfriend I thought that she always knew what she wanted and was going to do and think about everything. And in a way that was true and in a way it was not. I understood that when she seemed most certain, was when she was most uncertain. When she gritted her teeth and insisted that the world was going to be like she saw it it was because she was scared. And now when it is over, at least for now, I am thinking that I have learnt and grown so much because of her. That the bad did not erase the good but that I learnt so much from being loved and it was worth it. Because now I am a slightly different person, and she is a slightly different person while we still are ourselves. Even though it hurts I am looking forward to seeing her after the holiday because I feel like I actually see her now, and the other way around. I don’t know. Everyone I have met since I moved away from home has been exactly who they were at first sight and still so much more. And I am thinking that the whole point of it all, if there was one, probably was to understand that nobody really knows, and that you need to be generous to each other, and honest and kind. That you should try to find those who are different from yourself, not those who are precisely the same. Those who are strange in their way. Everybody is strange. I do not know what will happen from now on or who I will end up being. Some times I picture that I have cables from my heart to many other hearts I never see. That it is like powerlines over mountains and through valleys. That they end up somewhere where they warm someone I may never meet. Or turn the light on. Or maybe give them electric shock so they get hurt. But at least there is some sort of connection there. Not just to those I spend time with every day, but that the line goes out to places I have never been. Maybe they are there to pull me in that direction one day. That one day I will get to hear their stories, what they think about right and wrong, what they feel, what matters to them, what upsets them. And I do not know who I will really end up being in a year, or two or ten. But I am thinking that I just want to be something to somebody. That maybe I can help somebody. And that is the most important hook I can hang my personality up on. That the one I most of all think I am, is a friend.

Translator’s note: there are some misspellings in the original text, and I’ve tried to translate the intention of those. It’s written in an assignment-like style, so I’ve tried to make it a little more formal than usual.

[alterlovleg]

how can you sleep

in moonlight

when blue comes down

is (like?) a shower

andgives goosebumps

all over the body

and that the hair on the body

stands up

wakes up and wants to do things

how do you sleep then

[als-vuur]

Banan gogogo

19:45

[lovlegenglish]

Lovleg S02E04 Clip 1

Spoken word

She cannot know that every word

you choose to say

ran a marathon in your imagination.

That for every possible combination

of words that win and make up a sentence

you’ve weighed every possible outcome

so her reaction never

lives up to your expectation.

Perfection’s not important, it’s a lifeline,

and you’re in deep waters.

The waves pull you under

you fight your way up, need to reach land

You swim backwards and look up

at the sky, and it’s filled with sand.

As if the sky is taunting you:

the safety you’re seeking,

is above you,

not ahead.

Are you there?

The sky asks.

You stop swimming.

Is everything OK?

Mina: Oh my God, thank you so much! Like, I still get nervous. Teacher: You know, that was awesome. Thank you. It was wonderful to listen to you. Teacher: Guys, if you’re thinking about taking part in her course, go talk to Mina. Mina: I can see some of you thinking: “That’s not for me”. But there’s different types of slam poetry. You need to find your own way of expression. In this course, we’ll find out what that means, and work on how to perform it. G: I would like to participate. Mina: Cool. G: Gunnhild Kvam. Mina: OK. Awesome. Bring the text you want to work with tomorrow, and we’ll take it from there. G: Tomorrow? So, do I have to read the text out loud…? Mina: That’s kind of what it’s about. But it’s going to be so much fun. Maybe you’ll get to know something new about yourself. G: I need to get better at expressing myself, so I don’t just blurt out things when I’m drunk. D: I can relate. Mina: You can? That’s good. So you’ll also participate? D: Yeah. Sign me up. David Ketema. Teacher: Mina, we have some sandwiches in the teacher’s room. Mina: Cool. Some danish pastry as well? G: All right, I’ll be going, then. D: I didn’t know that was your thing? G: It is. I write poetry all the time. Thanks for the support. D: Gunnhild, I was wondering if I could ask for your advice? G: Me? D: You’re together with Luna, aren’t you? G: Yeah, why? D: It’s just… Tina wants to move into my flat. What’s your opinion on that? G: That’s lovely, though. Luna and I technically live on top of each other, as she lives on the second floor. But do you want that? D: I just think it’s a bit too soon. But how do I tell her? G: Then tell her. She’ll notice you’re not keen. D: Just tell her straight up? G: Yeah, you know what? That’s actually what I would do.

Edit: Translator’s note

The actress who plays Mina is actually a slam poet named Evelyn Rasmussen Osazuwa. She did a talk at TEDxOslo and this is the description of the video:

Evelyn Rasmussen Osazuwa is a Norwegian-Nigerian slam poet, spoken word artist and actress. Born, raised and currently living in Oslo, Norway, she has appeared in various theatrical and on-screen productions since she graduated from Nordic Black Theatre Xpress in 2011. In 2017 she represented Norway in the Poetry Slam World Cup "Grand Slam Paris" and became the first Scandinavian as well as the first woman to win. At this TEDxYouth event in Oslo she is performing the spoken word piece "I Wish". (link to video)

The poem is in English, so if you want to get a sense of her style, we recommend you give it a watch!

[hjertetssunnegalskap1]

Hi! I keep seeing posts about lovleg but what actually is it? And could you sort of describe what s1 is all about? Thank you!

Hi! Thank you for asking!!

You might already know that Lovleg is a web series, just like Skam, and it’s a show about teenagers that feels real. It’s also in a format much like Skam - we get clips and extra material like Insta posts and chats in real time throughout the week. 

The clips end up in full episodes every Thursday. Also, the characters have social media profiles. Also, I must mention Gunnhild’s notes. I love Gunnhild’s notes. She writes what she thinks, almost like a diary, and it’s really good. They are really good, funny and sometimes even poetic. Another addition compared to Skam, is that the character Alex has a profile on urort.no where we can hear some of his music.

There are many similarities to Skam. However, unlike Skam, both season 1 and 2 seem to be about the same main - Gunnhild.

Here Gunnhild is in yellow and one of her new flatmates, Sara.

Lovleg is a really good show. It’s similar to Skam because of the format and the real feeling of it, but it differs in several ways, too. It’s kinda cringey and funny, but heartwarming and beautiful as well. The first season follows Gunnhild who moves to Sandane, a different town/ city, for her high school year at Firda. She has to live in a flatshare and adapt to the new place and all the new people while managing school.

Here are most of the characters (at least the ones in the flat share), from Sara’s Insta. Gunnhild is in the middle, in the white top. There are so many interesting characters, and they are all played by teenagers!!!!

This is a show you can relate to, with real issues. Season 1 is a lot about Gunnhild figuring out things. She feels awkward and struggles to find new friends. There are rumours about her from her home place that she wants to escape, and she basically wants a new start.

Gunnhild with Alex and Ivar on a little roadtrip.

Awesome scene with Alex.

During season 1 Gunnhild figures out that she’s stronger than she thinks and that others can have their own issues. I don’t want to spoil too much, but she grows a lot.

A scene with Luna from the apartment above Gunnhild. There’s some really good connection between the two of them.

So. Is this show worth watching? YES. And here’s why: It feels real. The characters are intriguing, believable and real. I love how Gunnhild interacts with all the characters and discovers friendships where she didn’t think she could find any.

Also, the show is well written, the dialogue is really good and I don’t know what happens next. The cinematography is amazing, especially in the most important clips. The soundtrack is really good. And the beautiful is often mixed with the weird, and good stuff with sad stuff, and I love that.

I have said it before, but I’ll say it again: I love how the show deals with subjects like feelings of alienation and struggling to fit in, having questions about legal age and consent, that boys can say no, too, the myth of “losing the virginity”, to be not seen and seen, the reality of abortion, what is to be loyal toward friends, and mental struggles like panic attacks. And it’s done in a very down to earth way. No spoon feeding, no pointy fingers.

Also, this:

Gunnhild flirting with Luna. :)

No spoilers, but there might show up some w/w in this show.

So, where can you watch this? This is the official website: https://lovleg.p3.no/

If you want to watch it in English you can catch up with season 1 here and follow @lovlegenglish and @lovlegskada for updates on season 2.

[whatadaze]

what is lovleg about and how do i watch it?? :))

hi anon! well i’m glad you asked :-) lovleg is a norwegian series with a similar set up to skam and follows a young teenage girl named Gunnhild. she moves into a flatshare with three other teens and begins attending a new school in a town called sandane. the show basically follows her pov as she adjusts to this new school and makes new friends. 

i’m only on episode 4 but i’m going to rewatch it from the beginning again and follow along with the note entries, text messages, and other social media posts. there is SO much detail put into these posts and i highly encourage that you follow along with all the entries while you watch the clips. it’ll help you have a better understanding of the clips + you also get into gunnhild’s head when reading her note entries (they’re SO cute jalsjfla) 

you can follow along with all the posts + clips here

go watch it! it’s sooooo good and i’m kinda late into the game so i’d love to have someone to fangirl with <3 

[kosegruppaa]

what’s up with støvsugaren??? 

støvsugar (lit: dust sucker(yes this is how norw. works)) - vacuum cleaner

ok - so i feel like many people have noted this already, but something is up with the vacuum cleaner at the white house. 

first we have this, in gunnhild’s notes, talking about her new years resolutions: 

so just a mysterious, singular word. no descriptions, no actual resolution?? seemed weird, but like not too weird, could just be interpreted as maybe “fix it” or “get new bags” or something. 

but then luna enters the scene during saturdays party and mentions it again: 

AND NOW!! our sweet peter is back, who is responsible for the flatshare, and he insinuates that there is a reason behind the broken vacuum cleaner and that this reason is not something we want to share: 

THE PLOT THICKENS!!

what are your vacuum cleaner theories, lovleg fandom?? 🕵️🕵️🕵️

[shaydixons]

Please watch Lovleg. The first season does not have an actual plot, but it's still great. The second season is about this lovely wlw couple. One of the characters has just released a song on Spotify. Gunnhild[the protagonist] writes poetic notes on her inotes and we are allowed to see them. It's so great. Watch it now

kjhgfgh ok queen i will!

[lovlegskada]

Note 38 April 6

I have a pillow heart its soft and sinking I want to feel your head and the entire world in there rest on it and take a break do you want to close your eyes for a while? come and rest on my heart and when you get up and go out into the day it bounces back to the same shape isn't there something strong in this being soft?

and do we have magnets inside us? in the lungs maybe on the edge of the stage feet dangling just want to breathe don't want to see only feel you thought it ceased to burn and I thought it ceased to burn until I leant in and now we're here words tumbling out waves against the rocks

or does it work or not? the light is flickering here in the waiting room

NB! we'll see each other anyway. same house and same school.

[alterlovleg]

[als-vuur]

I miss Lovleg so much :( Just wanna see my babies Gunhild and Sara and Alex and Peter again

Oohh hard same!! This was such a beautiful comfort show and I loved all of the characters so much. I really wish we could have seen Gunnhild continue to grow as a person and explore Sara and Alex's stories and I miss Peter's sense of humour!! Ugh same, anon.. same..

[aimitis]

sketching pad?

Okay, so the best part of having lots of stuff in your queue and forgetting about them, is that you get to return from a tumblr hiatus (ish) to an inbox full of asks! Tricky ones too, been thinking about them for quite some time now… I’ll gve it a try :)

sketching pad: describe yourself from a stranger’s point of view -You know what, I was thinking about this the other day when watching Lovleg and reading Gunnhild’s notes. Gunnhild is so damn clever and funny. Humour and intelligence are very strongly connected, after all. But she’s also awkward and childish-looking and sometimes inappropriate, and that’s what people see! I’m not saying I’m like Gunnhild, because I’ll never be as ballsy as she (sometimes) is, and I’m pretty sure she’s smarter too :P But I’ve got humour, and I’m not completely dumb. BUT, I’m socially awkward and not very interested in clothes and make-up and things like that, and that’s what strangers see! The quiet one, with unflattering clothes, who occasionally makes lame jokes. So yeah… that. Haha. Thank good for internet friends.

Send me stationary themed asks!

[inmyarmswrappedin]

lovleg, blank, 17

After Skam finished, NRK greenlit several other shows in the real time clip format. Out of a desperation/desire for people to watch these really good shows (I have no problem deeming them all superior to Skam), I've written a post to signal boost.

lovleg follows 15-year old Gunnhild Kvam as she moves to Sandane from Høyanger for high school. Gunnhild moves to a shared house (the "White House") with Sara, Peter and Alex in her floor, and Luna, Torstein and Ivar in the floor above hers. Lovleg means "lawful" in Norwegian, but in this specific case, it refers to turning 16, i.e. the age of consent in Norway, that makes sex between 16 year olds and anyone older than them legal.

I wouldn't know how to explain what makes lovleg so special without spoiling major plot points. The characters live in rural Norway, so they're connected to the world thanks to technology while their actual world is small. Gunnhild chooses to go to Sandane for high school to escape the bullying and social exclusion she experienced at Høyanger, and lovleg shows how Gunnhild does in a more accepting environment.  

DO NOT watch this show without the social media content. You'll simply miss out.

You can watch lovleg at @lovlegskada​ and @lovlegenglish​.

[SPOILERS: lovleg contains an abortion storyline, a wlw storyline and portrayal of an anxiety disorder.]

blank is an anthology series and its mains have no connection with each other. This makes it a good show to watch if you're only interested in one of the seasons. blank deals with the immediate period post-high school where people working out what to do with their lives.

Season 1 follows Ella Correia Midjo, who has moved to Oslo after high school with her obnoxious boyfriend Mats and her best friend Susanne. Ella neither studies nor works. Watch season 1 if you want to know what a post high school Eva Mohn season looks like. (Note: Ella is not a woc. She’s just half-Portuguese. 🤪)

Season 2 follows Zehra Demir, a second generation Turkish Muslim in Oslo who's studying Pharmacy in uni. Zehra DJs on the side in the hopes of getting discovered. Her best friends are Amina, who's engaged, and Nadiya, who's a queen. Watch season 2 for a WOC led season. Zehra’s season is easily the best of all three blank seasons and a marked improvement over Sana’s season in Skam, as agreed by all 3 people who have watched it. 

Season 3 follows Markus Berg, former Russ president and all around most popular guy in school, who moved to Oslo after high school and who moves back to his hometown Hadeland in the first clip. Markus' high school crew have all moved to different places, so he only has his girlfriend Karoline and his former classmate Fredrik for company. Watch season 3 if you want to know what a Skam-style season about a straight cis abled white guy looks like.

You can watch blank at @nooraiskind​.

Last but definitely not least, is 17. The reason I have listed it last is because there are no English subs for any season yet (only the first two episodes of season 1). 17 follows boys from Stovner in western Oslo, also known as the neighborhood where Muslims and immigrants of color have settled in.

17 changes its name every season, to reflect both the age of the main character and the number of episodes each season has. Every season counts down to an event in the finale episode.

17 (season 1) follows Somalian-Norwegian Abdi. 18 (season 2) follows Turkish-Norwegian Emrah. There's a third season coming this fall called 16, but I haven't been able to find the name of the lead.

You can watch 17 on the NRK website if you are Norwegian and speak Norwegian.

If you speak Norwegian and would like to help us translate and sub this show, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

[lovlegenglish]

Lovleg S2E8 Clip 4

Innfall (Idea)

G: Good morning. I fell asleep in your bed. L: I slept on the couch. G: I got your note. L: What note? Gunnhild, I told you I needed time to think, and here you are, lying in my bed. G: Yeah, but you said that you wanted a break… and that you would answer, and then you sent me flowers. L: Flowers? G: Yeah. L: I didn’t send you flowers. I can’t do this, Gunnhild. G: Hm? L: I’m done, G: You’re going to break up with me just because I slept in your bed L: All of this… This whole thing was just a stupid idea anyway. G: You don’t mean that.

The yellow poem:

MIRROR

I stand alone in rooms full of people

There are too many voices speaking at the same time

And there are too many days that merge into each other

And there are too many times I stumble on the stairs or ---

And there are too many things I have forgotten to do and ---

And I think that I don’t really know what it takes

To be a human being

To be someone to look at

Listen to

But I can see my stupid face

In your clear eyes

And suddenly there I am!

Whole and worth something

Because I live in you

May I ---

Translator’s note:

Thank you so much to dear Immy from @lovlegskada who transcribed and translated the parts of the poem that were visible in the clip <3

[hjertetssunnegalskap1]

Can you explain Loveleg to me? Someone told me Aleks was like Even. What does the name mean? Where can I watch with subtitles? Is it as good as Skam? Gahh so many questions 😄

Ah, I can try, sweet anonymous friend! :D  Lovleg is a show about kids from Firda high school in the west coast of Norway.  A lot of the teenagers who go there don’t live with their parents, but share flats with other teenagers.

Just as in Skam we get real time clips and content from Insta. First season is about Gunnhild, who moves into a flatshare with the weird musician Alex, Christian athlete Peter and social Sara. She has also gotten to know other people, like Luna and Ivar on the next floor. Gunnhild’s private notes are something that really adds a lot to the show and gives us even more of her mindset. Gunnhild has a way with words. She is very awkward (but funny, too) and she struggles to get friends. A rumour follows her from her home place. She also has panic attacks that she struggles to get over. 

When she starts up at Firda, she hopes to change things and get new friends, but it proves to be difficult, especially since she offends everyone. It’s awkward, but I love it (and I hate awkward shit). I think it works because it feels like it’s done with love. The show has an amazing mix of humouristic and beautiful, sensitive moments. The acting is amazing and the cinematography… damn… When it comes to relationships I have shipped Gunnhild with almost everyone, except her older boyfriend who dumped her in the first episode. At the moment I have a hope for Gunnhild with Luna, but I haven’t seen enough of them together yet.

I don’t think I want to compare Alex to Even. It’s a bit too early yet, anyway. Alex is a character that seems a bit odd (in his own head or in his music), maybe a music snob, or at least a huge fan of David Bowie. He likes to wear makeup and dress up so he stands out from the crowd. So far he seems intelligent, compassionate (to a degree), creative, impulsive, and he really really is a good support for the main character Gunnhild when she has a panic attack. Well, that’s my thoughts on Alex so far, anyway. 

And yes. In my eyes, this is as good as Skam. Better, even. It has the Skam magic. But that’s my opinion! 

You can find clips with subtitles here, at @lovlegenglish . 

Hope this was helpful! :)

Here are most of the characters, from Sara’s Insta. Gunnhild is in the middle, in the white top. 

[imminentinertia]

Hello! I've been thinking about how great lovleg is and also about how I think only 'the office' is comparable in terms of how much second hand embarrassment I've felt for a character from one scene to the next. Ah, bless everyone who is generously providing translations

YES ISN’T IT GREAT

And this is even worse than The Office for me, because it’s so relatable. I always managed to at least look cooler than Gunnhild (mostly. Some of the time.) but I was flailing like Gunnhild on the inside. Second hand embarrassment is a sign of AMAZING TV though, because you don’t get particularly embarrassed for a character that doesn’t move you in some way.

Also thank you! I’m really pleased that @fxckxxp, @liteogstort and @mynameisnotthepoint are translating and subbing the clips and making transcripts, and now my translations of the chats and notes can team up with their clips