Category: Blog of Norway
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Are Norwegians direct? Nope. They go around the porridge.
Once, I invited a Norwegian acquaintance over for a short visit—she was just coming to pick something up. She looked around and said, “Oh, what a nice home you have, there’s so much… life here.” I didn’t quite understand what she meant. What life is she talking about? Then I remembered that Norwegians aren’t direct,…
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The Ultimate Norwegian Daycare Challenge: Dressing Your Child Right
Many of us parents in Norway grew up in countries where there’s neither “bad weather” nor “bad clothing.” (In reference to the Norwegian saying “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”). In France, for example, there are no 100% wool garments for children, and a winter suit might be rented once or twice in…
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The Shaman, the Angel Princess and the Violent Coke-Kid. What is happening to the Norwegian Royal Family?
Painting exposed in the National museum in Oslo, by Lena Trydal “Folkekongen”. Picture in the museum taken by Ionut Burchi. I don’t often write about the Royal family, but today a Norwegian princess got married! Time for some updates and thoughts on recent scandals and what they mean in today’s Norwegian society. The Norwegian Royal…
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11 Tips to Eat and Drink in Norway on a Budget
Norway can be expensive, and whether you are a tourist here or living here, you might need tips to save money when eating and drinking. I have lived in Norway for 15 years, these are the tips I can give you to eat and drink on a budget. 1- Drink tap water Tap water is…
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What is Fellesferie, the Norwegian sacred holiday?
Are you wondering why your Norwegian neighbourhood is empty, your colleagues have disappeared and your local train has been replaced by a bus coming a few times per day with the name “Buss for tog”? Welcome to fellesferie!!! One of the many perks (or annoyances, depending on how you see it) of living in Norway.…
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Why is there so much plastic around food in Norway?
Picture credits: Lorelou Desjardins It is finally summer in Norway and I wanted to buy fresh vegetables. I came home with enough to make a good salad, but when I took a closer look at my basket (see my picture), I realised it is obviously not coming fresh from the farmer’s market. Every single item…
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How Shame is Used by Norwegians to Force you to Conform
Skam deg! Shame on you! There are surprisingly many words and expressions in Norwegian that are related to shame. Skamløs, å bli skamfull, bringe skam over noen, leve i skam, gjøre noe for skams skyld, det er både synd og skam, bite hodet av all skam, skamme seg over noe.. Even the housing market has…
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The Joys and Miseries of Raising Children in Norway
Image credits: Shutterstock license When I had my baby in Norway, I thought “this country is the best to be a mother, and the best to raise kids”. At least that is what every single Norwegian person I met told me. (To read this article in French, see Elever des enfants en Norvège: à quoi…
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Moving to Norway or Canada: What differences and similarities?
Image credits: Shutterstock license Pine trees, snow and lakes, how different are really Norway and Canada? Quite a bit actually! To read this article in French, see S’installer en Norvège ou au Canada: quelles différences? Canada’s territory is huge. Norway is less isolated Canada is almost as big as a continent. It is 6000 km…
