Hey Bergen, where are the colours? 

Yesterday morning I caught my reflection in a shop window. My former colour-loving-self was combining black with black again. 

– What happened?, I thought to myself. Have I become one of them?

It seems like people here in Bergen want to match their style (and perhaps even their attitude) with the weather. Black, white, and grey seem to be the recurring palette, mirroring the tones of rain, clouds, and snow.

Do people here even know that there are more colours than black, white, and grey? And I don’t mean beige and dark blue (even though that’s a beginning). 

Perhaps Norwegians prefer not to draw attention to themselves. And it appears that if fitting in is your goal, then removing red, orange, and yellow shirts – and possibly along with them, all the joy from your life – might be the way to go. 

So I find myself wondering: Are people here afraid of colours, or is it simply a manifestation of the Scandinavian style that coincidentally mirrors the personalities of the people? To me, it somehow signifies a sense of detachment, restraint, and simplicity. 

Or were the words I was looking for monotonous, inconspicuous, and boring?

Hey Bergen, it’s already raining most of the time here, you could at least try to let a bit of sun in your life. Take a risk and start with adding some vibrancy to your wardrobe – it could be a small rebellion against the monotony and an expression of individuality within the confines of conformity.

Oh and by the way: These cold and dark tones make you look even more pale ;-)