Joy Drop: If you’re ever in Norway, try the skrei

Friends, as I mention all the things that brought me joy this week, I am mindful of all the struggles that people face in our society. I have watched a precious industry be squeezed, and recent layoffs and cutbacks in various media spaces makes me value this platform even more.

I once wrote that “hope is a cousin of joy” and if so, then gratitude would be joy’s grandmother. Thank you for reading and sharing my happiness in the smallest things to the greatest shows of compassion and humanity through this column. 

I will start with a recent trip I took to Trondheim, Norway for a conference. I am from the Maritimes and as such, have a natural fondness for fish. I learned about the very specific type of cod from the region known as skrei. Of course, I tried some at a delightful little restaurant in town with some colleagues. It was incredible. Far less salty than traditional cod dishes. 

My friend, Dr. Maddy Orr, explained that the more northern the water from where the fish comes, the less salty it shall be. I looked online and there are other explanations as well. 

In any case, eating was one of the highlights of my trip. I did not know about brunost (brown cheese), or that Norwegians are famous for waffles. I enjoyed walking around a very old town (more than 1,000 years old) and taking in the beautiful and frigid sights. 

There was much excitement from a few colleagues at the conference because as we were meeting and learning, they were very tuned in to the last few matches of AFCON. The African Cup of Nations final is set for this Sunday with Nigeria facing the Ivory Coast. 

Of all the stories at the tournament, the one of Sebastien Haller is truly incredible. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 but has returned and now will lead the charge against tournament favourites and African giants, Nigeria. I can’t wait for this final.

In addition to the match, I was enamoured with Sarjo Baldeh, a young photographer who rented a camera to take photos. Her story is lovely and I just can’t help but truly think she’s wonderful. Here’s to women winning in spaces that weren’t made for them!

Sunday also happens to be the Super Bowl. While I am not a huge fan of American football, I am intrigued and delighted by the hordes of new young fans brought to sports because of the infamous love story of megastar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. 

Fashion and football has been a cool intersection, including these custom-made jackets from Kristin Juszczyk, whose husband plays for the San Francisco 49ers. I appreciate someone with so much skill taking time to handcraft clothing and doing it with so much care and love. 

There have been incredible strides in Canada with regards to sports and one of my favourites is Summer McIntosh breaking the Canadian 800-metre record in the freestyle on Thursday. Even more amazing are my colleagues Devin Heroux and Brittany MacLean watching her dethrone American superstar Katie Ledecky. I’ve watched it 10 times. Have a wonderful weekend full of wins!