Norway Questions?

Question

Have you been there? Did you like it? Is there any quirkly little culture notes you could share? What were the people like? What do tourists do there? Answering one or more of the above questions would bring me much joy. Thanks!

Answer 1

- Have you been there?  Did you like it?

Yes and Yes.  I've lived here for a year and a half now, and I like it very much!

- Quirky little culture notes?

Where to begin?!  How about food?  Eating reindeer and whale aren't that unusual, but lutefisk is pretty weird!  Also, there's a brand of chocolate bars called "Quick Lunch" that are basically Kit-Kat bars, but thanks to a long history of sport-related marketing ("It has the same amount of energy as a salami sandwich!"), some Norwegians still think that it's kind of healthy.

Cross-country skiing is so popular that in the summer, people use special poles and skis with wheels on the bottom so that they can still ski without the snow.

Most people know that Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, but it leads to some interesting shopping habits!  The Duty Free shop in the arrivals area of the Oslo airport is set up like a grocery store with shopping carts, and it seems like almost everyone who comes through is stocking up on alcohol, cigarettes, etc.  Also, meat is so expensive that people regularly drive 2 hours to the Swedish border to stock their freezers for a month.  Last year there was a "record meat bust" at the customs checkpoint, as someone was trying to drive an entire van full of meat back into Norway!

Another thing I find unusual (but good) is that Norway still preserves the right of public access, and you can use or pass across any uncultivated land in the country, even if it's private property (assuming you don't cause any damage).

But in my opinion, the weirdest thing about Norwegian culture is the Russ!  Each year, the school graduates spend a month in the spring partying, but they have an official uniform for it and all kinds of traditions that go along with it.  They wear colored overalls that designate their area of study, and for nearly an entire month they party, drink, make lots of noise, and cause general mayhem.  In the richest part of the country, west of Oslo, many of them spend huge amounts of money outfitting Russ Buses with massive sound systems and turning them into mobile discos that drive the streets of the city and compete to see who has the most extreme bus setup!  All of this revelry culminates on the national holiday, when the Russ have their own crazy parade and hand out Russ Cards (like personal business cards) to the younger students who collect them feverishly.

- What [are] the people like?

Norwegians are very outdoorsy.  They really appreciate nature and find all kinds of ways to spend time outside from hiking and camping to sailing and skiing.  They tend to focus on the group rather than the individual, making a very productive and pleasant working environment.  While Norwegians are not usually particularly outgoing, they are still friendly and usually very gracious and sincere.  Almost everyone speaks fluent English, and I've found that people here in general are extremely helpful and tolerant.

- What do tourists do there?

Many, many tourists come to visit the fjords.  The most popular route is to take a train from Oslo to Bergen stopping off at FlÃ¥m and Sognefjord along the way.

In Oslo, there are a number of great museums, my favorites of which are the Viking Ship Museum (housing the remains of ancient Viking burial ships), the Folk Museum (an outdoor museum showing the history and architecture from all over Norway), the Kon-Tiki Museum (illustrating Thor Heyerdahl's famous raft voyages), and the National Gallery (the FREE national art museum, housing one of the copies of Munch's 'The Scream').  Bergen also has a few museums and is best known for its historic waterfront warehouses from its heyday as a major shipping port.

Much of the big draw in Norway is outside the cities, though.  All along the southwest coast are beautiful fjords (two are UNESCO heritage sites: Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord).  The country is split down the center by a mountain range topped with the largest glaciers in Europe.  Farther north, the Lofoten Islands are home to more spectacular scenery and colorful historic fishing villages, and even farther north is Nordkapp, known as the northernmost point in Europe.  And still farther north are the islands of Svalbard, the last stop before the North Pole and home to more polar bears than people.  We spent two weeks traveling along the coast and up to Svalbard, and every place we visited was beautiful and unique!