About Katy67

Status:

Considering a Move Abroad 

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Norway

Citizen Of:

Norway

Some Forum Posts:

Norway: moving to Norway:

Hello. I'm a Norwegian born citizen, and my mother is German. I know a lot about Norway looked through foreigner's view, both through my mother's experience with the country (she moved here in 1960), but also through several contacts we have had through my childhood. I look upon my family as beeing quite "international", since we have had friends from many different countries. Coming here in 1960 for my mother was beyond easy. She was pregnant and didn't speak the language, and also the Norwegians hadn't forgotten World War 2. She was used to the very social life in Germany, all the restaurants, all her friends and family, and came to a kind of "closed" country feeling very isolated and alone. I have heard her story many times from her. Being a child of a German mother wasn't always easy either, as she learned raised her in kind of a German way, which many times collided with the Norwegian standards that most Norwegian kids, whose parents were both Norwegian, were raised. And sometimes I heard that I was a "nazi child"... That has changed of course, and it IS much different today. We also used to have American neighbours who were based here through NATO. They got all their services they needed through NATO and the American school, but I spent alot of time together with those kids, and learned American English in a jiffy. I got to come with them to the American school and the American shops and arrangements, and had one of the best times of my life whilst they were our neighbours! I remember everytime my German family came to Norway, they thought that Norway was too regulated, too expensive, the roads were terrible, and they complained alot about the Norwegian system. For US to go to Germany was almost like coming to heaven... Just to listen to the radio which actually had pop MUSIC, several TV channels (YES - WITH advertisement - but I can't remember that it HARMED us...), the German freeway, all the restaurants we visited without being ripped off, the cheap shopping, etc... FREEDOM! The car was usually loaded every time we returned to Norway... Now I have never tried to LIVE in Germany myself, and my mother never returned. Many things HAVE become better in Norway, but I DO recognise much of the critizism given above here. My mother has lots of friends here now though, both Norwegian, German and from other countries. She likes it here now, but it took a long time to really get settled... The work ethics here: Well, nothing's "black or white". I know many who work really hard, but I also know that many abuses the Norwegian system. Many Norwegians who live in the country have difficulties finding jobs. Then it's easier to get benefit and pretend that you're sick... Near the cities people usually work hard, as it's more expensive to LIVE near the cities also. If you don't have a cheap place to live, you have to work quite hard, or get a well paid job. The prices of a house or apartment near the cities where the jobs are, are getting insane, and it's still rising. Norwegians are also hard to get befriended with I think. Even though I have lived here all my life, I find it difficult to get to know new people. I stick to my old friends who I have known a long time, but I actually find foreigners easier to get in contact with... Although most of the posts above here are quite negative, I understand why. It's not all negative here in Norway though, but it depends what you work with, where you come from, etc... I can't really imagine HOW difficult it can be for some immigrants, but I DO understand that it's very difficult for many. To get in contact with UDI or Skatteetaten IS actually very difficult, even for us Norwegians. You can't expect to get proper help in the local offices, and are just being told to call another office in another city, after having spent up to 1 hour trying to get through on the various switchboards. I have tried several times myself. I am now a local politician who wants to contribute to change this. But I'm just afraid that I'll bang my head against a brick wall. It's NOT easy to change anything. But maybe getting help from the media (like Bergens Tidende) could help? But the scandal of the Norwegian state should be written in national newspapers, and not only in the local press. I have tried to contact several national newspapers, but the answer has been that it's probably too much work to find out of all this, as the newspapers don't have the resources to get journalists on to these digging jobs. Only when there are scandals, and the stories can be really good, then the newspapers invest in using time on digging. One day I'd like to move out of Norway myself. When my kids get older, as THEY are quite happy here. I just have to figure out WHICH country to move to. Some place with stable, nice weather I think ;-)

Date Joined:

7/2/2011

Total Posts:

2

Posts/Day:

0.00