Seamen's church still keeping watch over flock of tunnellers, teachers, executives and artists
Norway's band of globetrotting church ministers may be feeling blessed that their flock is not often caught between a rock and a hard place these days.
But one group of Norwegians will soon be making it their business to be amid stone and all that is geologically challenging. Between 40 and 50 specialists from Norway's rural north will be descending on the city over the next month to dig sewage tunnels from Aberdeen to Sai Ying Pun.
When not navigating for the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, they may well join a small but vibrant community of Norwegian expats, ranging from teachers and artists to engineers and executives. The social focus for many Norwegians here today is Klubb Norge rather than the chapel. But Norway-Hong Kong links stretch back to when the country was the world's third largest seafaring nation, and the establishment of the first Norwegian Seamen's Church here in 1864. That era saw the Scandinavian-style chapels dotted across the world's seaports.
'We still use the name seamen's church because every Norwegian knows what it stands for. The church is known to be tolerant, inclusive, hospitable and reliable,' says Rune Birkeland, a Norwegian pastor. 'We also use the name as an honour to the seamen. We feel they taught us to run the church in a particular manner. The sailors were direct and honest. They spoke out if the seamen's priest seemed to live apart from the real world or behaved superficially. The seamen's church grew to be a tolerant, warm and trustworthy church.'
Hong Kong's last Norwegian church closed in 1984, but visiting chaplain Birkeland meets members twice a year and takes in South Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the mainland.
The links also gave rise to the Norwegian International School in Tai Po which was originally founded to teach the children of Lutheran missionaries.
While Norwegians living here admit their numbers have fallen, and the Seamen's Church is now only active a few times a year, Birkeland's focus is drawn to the small port of Okpo in South Korea where 800 Norwegians now live, working with the shipping industry. 'We closed our church in Hong Kong in 1984, but it is important for us to keep the contact with the [Norwegian community] through the ambulant chaplaincy.'
A spiritual gathering of another form can be found at The Keg in Lan Kwai Fong. 'You can find a large group of Norwegians there every Friday ... mainly because the manager agrees to show downhill skiing films when we drop in,' says Trond Vagen of Klubb Norge.
One major concern among Norwegians, Vagen says, is the lack of a consulate general to issue new passports after the mission closed here and was replaced by an honorary consulate.
He says this means a trip to Guangzhou to obtain biometric passports.
The club is popular among Norwegians such as Ingjerd Ytterdal, who cultivated her love of painting by opening a gallery and studio in SoHo. 'As we have such a small community here, it's easy to keep in touch,' says Ytterdal, who runs art and jewellery design courses at the Elgin Street premises she runs with Australian artist Helen Boyd.
More bitter snowfalls, even by Norwegian standards, seen recently are inspiring Ytterdal's latest works, which are usually based on life drawings.
