codes and modes... norwegianness

[insulinshock]

hello out there´s

i am not born but am surviving in norway. i am a uteledninger (smile)

am still with my foreign hard disk trying to understand the way of living in noway (the codes of behaviour and the modes of thinking).

the why of what and how life happens here in the north.

so easier to come here and call whatever else stupid because it makes no sense.

 

for example. people are reserved. why?

 

please help me and others who come here with not the whole truth but the holes in my truth.

 

thanking us

 

piece, glove and misunderstandings.....

[Hamnli2]

Reserved as in? Could you give some examples please?

[Petrvs Romanvs]

I recommed SSD when it comes to OS, much more snappy and handle I/O better because the lack of head(s) as in old HDD.

[Harald Husum]

Yeah, we're a strange people, alright!

Where are you from? (Just to give me an idea of how big the cultural gap is..)

I know we are a bit reserved compared to people down south, this doesn't mean you have to be too. (It isn't something we're proud of ) Usualy it's just because we're a bit scared of people we don't know; so the trick is to get to know people.

 

Good luck surviving

[Timeo]

I would look into the Jante Law.

1. Don't think that you are special.

2. Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.

3. Don't think that you are smarter than us.

4. Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.

5. Don't think that you know more than us.

6. Don't think that you are more important than us.

7. Don't think that you are good at anything.

8. Don't laugh at us.

9. Don't think that anyone cares about you.

10. Don't think that you can teach us anything.

 

In short: Don't get up on your high horse, or else you'll be in trouble. If you think you are something, people will make you into nothing.

Endret 19. mars 2009 av Bellicus

[Atald]

Please do not listen to Bellicus advice, janteloven is not all that present in the society today. It's a set of morale codes made up by a author way back, and most peoples do not act that way. Sure, you might meet a guy, or girl for that sake, or two that do follow those, but I'm pretty sure they are present everywere in the world.

Endret 19. mars 2009 av Atald

[Harald Husum]

I would look into the Jante Law.

1. Don't think that you are special.

2. Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.

3. Don't think that you are smarter than us.

4. Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.

5. Don't think that you know more than us.

6. Don't think that you are more important than us.

7. Don't think that you are good at anything.

8. Don't laugh at us.

9. Don't think that anyone cares about you.

10. Don't think that you can teach us anything.

 

In short: Don't get up on your high horse, or else you'll be in trouble.

 

Ok, this is a load of bullshit. Pretty much. It is a set of moral kodes made by some author long ago. You might meet a hillbilly or two, that thinks like this, but every country has those..

[insulinshock]

Reserved as in? Could you give some examples please?

 

oh! i was sloppy. saying reserved without specifics. thank you.

 

 

the zulu (kenya) have a cute saying...

how happy are you?(how many times have you smiled today)

how happy is your people? ( how many people do you have to meet to collect 100 smiles)

 

you have to walk far to find smiles in oslo town amongst strangers.

any small place wherever is different. i´m talking urban living.

 

ok? can we start here

 

piece, glove and misundetstandings....

[Blue Scholar]

Reserved as in? Could you give some examples please?

 

oh! i was sloppy. saying reserved without specifics. thank you.

 

 

the zulu (kenya) have a cute saying...

how happy are you?(how many times have you smiled today)

how happy is your people? ( how many people do you have to meet to collect 100 smiles)

 

you have to walk far to find smiles in oslo town amongst strangers.

any small place wherever is different. i´m talking urban living.

 

ok? can we start here

 

piece, glove and misundetstandings....

 

Yep, it's way different up here... seems like the more south you go, the friendlier and more open people are. And the poorer the people get too... to be honest, I think its our lifestyle which segregates us from eachother in general. Since we are rich, we have all these other things that poorer countries do not have. You have the Internet, which is much more frequently used. We can talk to likeminded people and block those who are different out. We live in different places according to how much money we make, seperating us from different people. And many other things like that... basically it makes our tolerance lower towards different or even new people. Of course there are exceptions.

 

Really though, just try talking with people. All social barriers are psychological. Once you break them, you'll find things a lot easier.

[insulinshock]

Yeah, we're a strange people, alright!

Where are you from? (Just to give me an idea of how big the cultural gap is..)

I know we are a bit reserved compared to people down south, this doesn't mean you have to be too. (It isn't something we're proud of ) Usualy it's just because we're a bit scared of people we don't know; so the trick is to get to know people.

 

Good luck surviving

 

hello harald

my cultured blood is indian sikh.

my walk is african( born in kenya)

my eyes are masai( a african women showed me how to see... mostly as my parents worked hard)

my tongue is english( later grew up there)

and i breath norwegian air and plan to die here( the next generation grows here mixed with blonde blue blood).

 

many like me wish to know how to know the norwegian movement that appears so underground.(smile).

so out with the tricks ...please.

 

scared. sure. what of?

a stranger is no longer a stranger if you can dance with him.

 

piece, love and misunderstanding.... thanks

[Petrvs Romanvs]

Liar, liar, singing fire making music like a choir.

[Harald Husum]

hello harald

my cultured blood is indian sikh.

my walk is african( born in kenya)

my eyes are masai( a african women showed me how to see... mostly as my parents worked hard)

my tongue is english( later grew up there)

and i breath norwegian air and plan to die here( the next generation grows here mixed with blonde blue blood).

 

many like me wish to know how to know the norwegian movement that appears so underground.(smile).

so out with the tricks ...please.

 

scared. sure. what of?

a stranger is no longer a stranger if you can dance with him.

 

piece, love and misunderstanding.... thanks

 

A facinating person in other words

 

England and Norway isn't that culturaly different, are they?

Dancing with them might just be the trick.

[Timeo]

Many Norwegians would be suspicious to anyone smiling at them. They might think that the person smiling is hiding something, want something from them, want to use them for something. So by smiling, being friendly with no reason etc. might make them confused or just ignore you. I don't know the reason for this or how to change it or handle it. I smile a lot and try to be friendly and often find that many people simply don't like that. If I am warm and touch their heart they get uncomfortable, but if I keep a distance to them and respect their personal bubble it gets easier.

 

If you are Indian many people would not like you simply because you are not white. And if you keep on to your cultural identity and have problems speaking Norwegian, they might like you even less. People that are not white might have more problems finding work in Norway then those that are white. And even the slightest error could be used against you, to prove that since you are not white, you are not as good. But if you dress and talk like a Norwegian, work hard and pay taxes,law-abiding and neutral, cold and grey and anonymous like the others, then those people might like you more.

 

But of course both the smiles and the racism is not how every Norwegian is. So the best way would be to look for those that are not like that, even if there are a large distance between them, and just ignore the rest of them.

[aklla]

hi and welcome to Norway

 

in the every-day life you wont see much smiling and happy people, its probably worse in Oslo than other places in Norway.

some of the reason may be the problems everyone have, usualy just "small" things like bills, car, work...

 

probably alot of it has to do with strangers, everyone i dont know is a stranger, so why shuld i talk to them?

everything that is unknown is scary.

i realy dont know why its like this, but it is and i hate it(i love to be in other contries).

i think its just some kind of tradition or something.

 

but, usualy when we get some alcohol, we get alot more sosial and happy.

 

 

just my thoughts about the issue...

[Petrvs Romanvs]

Norway is way up north, winter means planning ahead. Food is not plentiful, nor is the smilies, nor anything for that matter.

 

Hviler man på laurbærene så er det ikke bære lækkert, man dør i snøen.

 

Edit: Goddamit Freud.

Endret 19. mars 2009 av Ba'al

[Hamnli2]

I'll give you a point of reference, just so you know what you are getting into... This is then how to be a norwegian

 

You know you have been in Norway too long when...

..you start believe that if it wasn't for Norway's efforts the world would collapse.

 

...you only buy your own drink at the bar even when you are with a group of people.

 

...you can't remember when to say "please" and "excuse me".

 

...you always prepare to catch the closing door if following closely behind somebody.

 

...a stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that:

a) he is drunk

b) insane

c) American

d) all of the above

 

...silence is fun.

 

...you use "Mmmm" as conversation filler.

 

...you actually believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

 

...you know Norway's results in the last three years in the "Melodi Grand Prix" song contest (Eurovision Song Contest).

 

...it seems nice to spend a week in a small wooden cottage up in the mountains, with no running water and no electricity.

 

...you know at least five different words for describing different kinds of snow.

 

...an outside temperature of 9 degrees Celsius ( 45F ) is mild in mid June.

 

...you know the difference between Blue and Red ski wax.

 

...you don't fall over when walking on ice.

 

...you associate Friday afternoon with a trip to the Government liquor store.

 

...you think nothing of paying $50 for a bottle of 'cheap' spirits at Vinmonopolet ("the wine monopoly").

 

...it's acceptable to eat lunch at 11.00 and dinner at 15.00.

 

...it no longer seems excessive to spend $100 on drinks one night.

 

...you know that "religious holiday" means "let's get pissed".

 

...you find yourself more interested in the alcohol content than in the name of the wine.

 

...you enjoy the taste of lutefisk (jelly-like, bad-smelling fish) and cod prepared in any way, including fried cod tongues.

 

...you like to wrap your hotdog in a cold pancake.

 

...you associate warm rice porridge with Saturday and Xmas-eve.

 

...you can prepare fish in five different ways without cooking it.

 

...you wear sandals with socks.

 

...your wardrobe no longer has suits, but blue shirts and mustard coloured sportjackets.

 

...you don't look twice at business men in dark suits wearing sport socks.

 

...it feels natural to wear sport clothes and backpack everywhere, including the cinema, bowling alley, and to church.

 

...you find yourself speaking halfway Swedish with Swedes.

 

...you can't understand why foreigners haven't heard about Bjorn Daehlie.

 

…you don’t question the habit of always making “matpakke” (sandwich in paper – some sort of lunch packet)

 

…you know the meaning of life has something to do with the word “koselig” (cosy)

 

…you get scared when a stranger randomly starts up a conversation with you.

…you can’t stand leaving the country because people everywhere else are so nice, it’s annoying.

…you look away when you walk by people on the street.

…you vigorously defend whaling and enjoy consuming whale meat.

 

…you have two cars, a cabin and a boat, if not more.

…you think it's weird if a house isn't wooden.

 

…you earn more than you spend.

 

…you associate Easter with cross-country skiing with friends and family in the familys mountain cabin.

…you are shocked if it's not 2 months of snow every year, at least!

…you can see mountains and the ocean, no matter where you are.

 

…you expect all dinner parties and meetings to start precisely on time, if not before.

 

…you fall 3 meters, and don't get hurt. If you do, you're not worried at all.

 

…you get your hands on Norwegian chocolate and guard it with your life

 

…you are more afraid of the Customs than terrorists.

 

…you would rather miss your flight than not have enough time to buy the duty free alcohol quota.

 

…you order drinks at Gardemonen (Oslo Intl Airport) at 6 am

 

……you say ”oh well, down it goes” when served bad wine.

 

…you actually think that fishballs have taste.

 

…you barbecue when it’s raining.

 

…you have bad conscience if you’re not outside when it’s sunny

 

…you get dozy after only two days of sun

 

…you go for a swim when it’s only 12 degrees Celsius (53F) in the water and claims that it’s “fresh”

 

...in winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark - while only working eight-hour days.

 

 

 

The bold ones are the hardest differences for me, as I no longer live in Norway

[RWS]

I love Norway!

 

We are a strange and suspicious people that are hard to get to know, but when you do you will have a friend for life that will do anything for you! We are not a cold people, just hard to come by when we first meet and very warm and welcoming when we get to know you.

 

I had an American friend for 5 years and he described us just like this. Hard, stubborn and suspicious at first but warm, honest, welcoming and very friendly when you get to know us.

 

So welcome to Norway, the land of the midnight sun 

[Dorian Gray]

but am surviving in norway.

Aren't we all..

[Myagos]

am still with my foreign hard disk trying to understand the way of living in noway (the codes of behaviour and the modes of thinking).

 

The law of Cardemon:

 

You should not bother others,

you should be nice and kind,

otherwise you can do as you please.

 

Follow those simple rules, and you will do just fine.