10 telltale signs that you are from Sandnes

We start our series on ‘ten telltale signs that you are from…’. Credits to byas.no

It is coo-coed “Sannis” at the stadium. Here we will build and here we will live. Sandnes, baby!

The neighboring town of Stavanger, and on the top ten list of largest cities in Norway. Highly loved, mildly hated. Grown up a stone’s throw away from the bus station and the sound of “Ingenting” (Nothing)? Look here.

#1. You do not think Ruten is scary

While Stavanger people consider a stay at Ruten as an invitation to blind violence, being tickled to death and tetanus shots, a “Sandnesbu” sees Ruten as exactly what it is: a place for transportation and flirting.

We like that

#2. You are proud that Kvadrat is situated in your town

Newsflash to the uninitiated; both the shopping mall Kvadrat and Ikea are located in Sandnes. So, proud “Siddises”, where do you go to panic buy Christmas presents while dusting peppercake sweat of your chin?

In the neighbouring town, that’s where

#3. You have rented movies at Showtime, Filmspesialisten and Hana Videosenter

Ah, the nostalgia sprinkles like soft ice-topping. For those who are not old yet grown up: while you crawled around wearing diapers, and long before Netflix, it occured that you RENTED movies.One went out of the front DOOR, arguing with your friends and / or girlfriend, and chose a title that either jazzed up or spolied the evening. The video shops have left us, but the memories of rancid sweets, VHS cassettes weighing 10 kgs and fights around the Ace Ventura shelf lives on forever.

#4. You have trawled Amfi Vågen in search of a vorspiel (pre party)

When the testosterone secretion was at its worst, you strolled along Vågen looking for someone to share six packs and lick faces with. «Hi, what are your names? Going out tonight? Can I join in?”

Oh yes, it can happen to the best of us.

#5. You dig Ivar Skei

In the heart of the center (or at least in the lung), Ivar Skei was located; The cozy indie shop that pushed LP’s, notes and songs about Jesus and company. Where else could you go in the morning and find Raga Rockers on a brand new CD for the price of three pints of beer? No where else.

Ivar Skei, we never stop digging you!

#6. You have warmed up to the weekend with a half baguette at Ingvars

The good old baker. A baguette with cheese and ham. And piffi spice. Add butter for those who were not worried about the summer body. A little ketchup for those who have missed the point completely.

Ingvars delivered.

#7. You say “I’m from Stavanger!” To Easterners

… but they are not the ones with Oslo dialect as the sharpest knives in the drawer either. You say that you are from Stavanger for a very simple reason; dimwitted people from the middle of the country have not heard of our dear Sandnes either.

#8. You dig Ingenting (Nothing)

The band, thus. Sandnes Rock that scared Clearasil of youths and school principals in Sandnes area in the early nineties, and who constantly removes anything deemed bad manners and top of the pops out from your ears.

Are you trying to tell me that you do not have ‘squinted against the sunset’ and ripped off a line or two from ‘It is you that I want’ ‘4 man (and a song)’ or ‘Liden’?

Of course you did!

#9. You are laughing at Stavanger people who have nightmares about taking the driving test in Sandnes

I can take you back to a school cantina in high school, somewhere in Stavanger. “Arh, drivers test the next week! Oh shit! Hope I don’t have to drive in Sandnes! “.

And was this because the Siddis were worried about being bound to a pole of and covered in eggs and flour, then to be sung hits from the nineties while the cuckoos performed a rain dance around the camp fire?

Not at all

But Sandnes city center is well known for its many cross roads and the right hand priority rule. For a true Sandnesian, this is ZERO stress by the way.

#10. One horse,several…?

Horsa! A girl, several …? Girly. The small inequalities between jargon and dialect between our two neighboring towns is one of the most charming of all. And you can take rats poison that a Siddis is struggling to say “Sannis” as anything but Sand-neees.

And that’s tootaly wrong.