The NST, located in Taichung, had two classrooms and a dormitory to meet the needs of 13 students, who boarded at the school and went home every two weeks. At that time there were less than 100 Norwegian nationals living in Taiwan, most of them missionaries and their families.
The Taiwan Journal recently contacted Haugenes at her home in Vegarshei, southern Norway, where she was busy preparing for the arrival of 90 members of her family, spread over five generations--some coming from as far away as California--to witness the presentation of a family tree containing about 4,000 names compiled by herself and her cousin. The following are edited excerpts from the interview that took place by email over the following week.
Taiwan Journal: Perhaps we can start with when you arrived in Taiwan. How long were you there and what were your initial feelings? Haugenes: Myself, my husband Per Reidar and our two sons, Kristoffer, six years, and Einar, almost three, came to Taiwan for the first time in the fall 1982 to stay and work for four years in the Norwegian School.
It was a very extreme change for our kids to leave family and friends and go abroad. First, two months in England for improving our English and then to another new place in Taiwan. The first year we lived in the village isolated from other Norwegians, and they attended Chinese kindergarten, since we thought it would be important for them to learn Chinese and to make Chinese friendships. Einar also wanted to go to kindergarten, and we sent him with his older brother. After a short time, we discovered he had been crying a lot every day, and we took him out.
Kristoffer, who could read and write at that time, refused to do his Chinese "Bo-po-mo-fo," telling me that "I want to continue the spelling I have already started." Then he wrote Norwegian letters where the characters were supposed to stay. He also complained about the teachers beating him when he didn't do things correct, even when he didn't understand. But he continued until springtime, and he also went to Chinese Art in kindergarten one afternoon a week. Next fall, it was time to attend the Norwegian School, but he didn't learn to speak very much Chinese unfortunately. He also told me he preferred to play with a Finnish boy, since they could speak together in English a little. Coming to Taiwan the smallest son, in particular, also reacted to all the sounds and noises. But he, most of all, learned to love all sorts of Chinese food and snacks. One day I found him with a chicken foot, prepared like snacks, and given to him by a stranger.
We worked in Taiwan for six years altogether: 1982 to 1984; then home one year since the number of students had gone down more than expected and since we then could come back just in time to help for another two years when the principal and family went to Norway to stay for two years. I was therefore principal from 1985 to 1987. And our youngest son, Ingemar, was born in Taiwan in February 1987. Back in Norway from summer 1987, we were asked to come for another period. We promised to take two years, because it was difficult to stay longer since we were building our new house which we then had finished only outside, and since we had promised a half-Chinese half-Norwegian girl to stay with us for three years going to Norwegian high-school from 1991 to 1994. Our last period was therefore 1989 to 1991.
Q: Why was it important to have a Norwegian school? How was it funded, and is it still in operation? A: The Norwegian School was owned and run by four Norwegian Christian Missions in Taiwan, including the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway, to which we belonged. Our salaries were paid by a board consisting of members of all four missions. Money was collected as gifts from people in Norway who wanted the gospel of Christ to reach new people in other countries. It was a private school, and it was, of course, expensive to run, although we received some Norwegian governmental money as well.
At that time, the leaders of the missions believed it was very important to have a Norwegian School. Most of the families were on the mission fields for four-year terms, and then went back to Norway for a year before returning to Taiwan. The Norwegian families were spread all over the island. In their parents' neighborhoods, the children often heard or spoke very little Norwegian, and some of the kids even had problems with Norwegian when they started school.
The Norwegian School was a base for Norwegian language and culture, and many of the kids wanted to start a year ahead of the compulsory school age just to be with other Norwegians. They were afraid not to be just like the other Norwegian kids in Norway when they came back to Norway for shorter or longer stays.
It was also possible to stay as a guest for a while in the Norwegian dormitory. Mostly parents did that either if they helped out at the dorm or if their child got homesick. But other Norwegians came to stay for relaxation. It became like a Norwegian Center--"a green wonder-island." But in the late 1980s, the Norwegian Missions in Norway received new knowledge of problems for missionary kids in different countries staying in dormitories away from their parents. After intense discussions and periods of trying out home schooling for the smallest kids, supervised from the school, the Norwegian School was stopped in the early 1990s. We had been renting rooms at Morrison for teaching, but we owned our dormitory. The dorm was first rented out, but later sold in 1995.
In the early 90s, the Norwegian missions were about to stop sending missionaries to Taiwan. The Norwegian mission work in Taiwan had been going on since the early 1950s; churches had been planted and were ready to take over the work without help from Norway. Some missions were sending people for short trips of weeks or months maybe, but the families often stayed back in Norway.
At that time I was doing teaching, and my husband and I were pushing the process to stop having small kids in dorms. We were therefore happy to hear the resolution of stopping the school in the existing form. Later, our mission sent a Norwegian teacher out to teach the children at home or through the Morrison school. They taught the Norwegian language, Norwegian culture, and about plants, nature and history. By that time, Norwegian kids were attending the American school. We also thought about trying to make arrangements with Chinese schools, but found the written language too difficult and different, and also the school culture and discipline were further from Western. It was also of importance that Morrison was a Christian school.
Q: Have you been back to Taiwan since? A: I have been back for vacation twice: in the spring of 1995 and fall of 2005. The last time our whole family went together--my husband and I, our three sons and our two daughters-in-law--it was exciting.
I found I could still speak a little Chinese, but our kids had forgotten almost all. Remember, they lived in the Norwegian community primarily, and did not have the same chance to learn Chinese like kids who grew up in Chinese circumstances. Of course they would have loved to know more Chinese, and so would I. I cannot read or write, only talk a little everyday language.
We had traveled a lot all around the island. We also took visitors to see different parts of the island. It's really a beautiful country. Going back now a year ago, we had to select a few places. We then went to Taipei, to Puli and Sun Moon Lake and to Kenting. We also went to Tungshih and to Kukuan. Earlier, we have also visited Alishan and Yushan. That was very special, too. That is the highest I have ever been on foot. Taiwan is really beautiful and so different within few miles' drive.
We all love Chinese food, and the greatest meal when we were back last year was maybe the food made by our former housemaid. Everyday food was best, even Taiwan has wonderful meals for weddings and big festivals. We are fortunate and can also go to Chinese restaurants in Norway, but we are never offered chautse or Chinese New Year cake. We also love the green "see-grass," for instance. I'm afraid I haven't learned to love either the goat-stomach soup or cow-stomach, which I have also had, but in general we love Chinese food, and we think the Chinese restaurants in Norway often change the recipes too much toward Norwegian style.
Q: Did you learn much about Taiwan's local religions while there? Did you witness spirit possession and writing of blood talismans and so forth? If so, was this a shock? A: I had several Chinese friends who came to me weekly to learn some Norwegian and to talk English and ask about my religion. In that way I also learned about their religion. One of them said: "It seams like there is nowhere else such a peace to be found like in Christianity".
Yes, we saw different kinds of possessions, and it made me feel awful and sorry. Also, one of my Chinese friends told me how much fear they had in their families for spirits, and all they had to do to stay out of trouble.
I therefore feel so fortunate to know the way to salvation through Jesus. "Come to me, and I will give you rest," Jesus says in the Bible. Another place he says: "Peace be with you!" That peace is a wonderful peace lasting in all situations, and given by only grace, without anything I need to do first.
Q: What have you been doing since you left Taiwan; are you still teaching? A: Yes, I'm still a teacher in Norway. In fact, I've been working with schools for 31 years, but this year I'm going to take a year off. Actually, I've not been teaching every year. I've also been working at the county school office, helping the superintendent concerning students with special needs and the development of pedagogical programs for different schools. I've also, for a shorter time, been helping out as a principal at the local school here. But I love the kids, and I love teaching.