Is it all attitude?

I am in awe!

Norway is a beautiful country, I am sure you've heard about it a dozen times. But as any country it has its ups and downs. While living here for the past 25 years, its easy for me to criticize this country on some issues and get blase about that which we initially appreciated this country.

View from our room

Today, what I wanted to tell you about this place that I am stayed at, a health resort for both physically and mentally challenged children and young adults and their families.

Its a place called Beitostølen. From the moment I arrived, I was made to feel that anything I demanded, whether it was vegetarian food, or that our medicines are stored carefully in a fridge and a specific time to collect them was not a problem. Everything could be accommodated. We were personally taken to our room, shown the important places that we would need immediately. The cook in the restaurant noted down that we were diabetic, that we were vegetarian and we were Indian. There were some cleaners in the corridor and they were cleaning away and chatting with each other. I saw a group of young people, two in wheelchairs and several sitting around in the lobby. while we were waiting to register ourselves, these youth were talking about hair and how to maintain it. After a long time, I was so happy to hear young people, whom I know have several health issues (that's why they are here in the first place) talking about simple everyday issues. It brought a smile to my face as I saw this young very beautiful girl, in a wheel chair tossing her head, letting the boys see her bountiful mane and drawing attention to herself by saying - but my hair gets ruined so easily. And of course receiving compliments to the contrary.

View from the restaurant 

The second day I was there, I took a walk with my daughter who was very ill last year and therefore qualified for this stay, paid entirely by the state for her and myself for three full weeks As I was walking with her I told her that I wish I could build such a place in India. She smiled and said, would it not be expensive? Yes it would, but as I thought more about it, I realized that it is actually easy to build a building and make sure that all the equipment etc is installed. But the beauty of the place was not the building or its setting (although that too helps in creating the total picture). It was the people who worked there.

Its all in the attitude, in my opinion. Whether you are a cleaner, doctor, nurse, cook, or the receptionist: you were important to the smooth running and in creating that relaxed atmosphere. Everyone was equal. That I realized is what makes Norway a unique place. Its how they treat all people - equally. A cleaner is not looked down on, she/he are given due importance. The nurse often has better command over the needs of a patient and guides the doctor, the receptionist knows who is in what room and what their special needs are. Of course, I have not even began to talk about the activity leaders, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and students who are under training, or the stable personnel.

So while I can build the building, I wonder if I can bring similar attitudes to the place I want to build. Will these patients be looked down on? Will the cleaner be shouted at simply because the receptionist is higher on the social ladder? Will the doctor ignore the nurses' advice simply because she is just a nurse? And the sports instructors and students, the stable persons, all of them with their important roles that make everything run so smoothly and are experts in their areas?

These are just some of my questions and thoughts. What do you think?

Love and Peace

Prasantha