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Norway: moving to Norway:
Wow, alot of weegie bashing here. I am British and my husband is Norwegian. I lived in Norway for 6 years, and we moved to the UK in 2008 and have been here since. We could consider a move back to Norway in the future. By no means is life any easier in the UK, infact life in Norway is alot easier. I have 3 children. When I lived in Norway I had full support from the government to take 1 years maternity leave, gave birth in a lovely hospital, was supported with breastfeeding and did not have to put up with anti-breastfeeding attitudes in public, was able to go back to work with ease due to a great childcare system, and was able to work more flexi hours to work around my family. My husband too. I fionsihed work early Fridays, and spent more time with my family than the UK. Since moving to the UK I have had 2 births, and one was all that is bad about a UK hospital, overcrowded and a lack of midwives. My maternity leave was cut short due to money, although finding childcare that was affordable was a nightmare. In the end, i decided to stay home, and struggle along. My husband does not get home until 7 due to a commute to London for his job, and I hated breastfeeding in piblic due to prudish attitudes of the British public. I was given little support from midwives too.
Norway supports the family, the UK does minimally, and childcare in Norway is scoieties issue, in the UK it's a womans. Uk is very conservative comapred to Uk with regards to these things.
Yes, Norwegians on apperance do not come across always as open, but I have gotten to know many Norwegians, and they are the kindest and lovliest people. Going to a aprty people meet each other with a hand shake, and great friends with a hug and kiss. In Uk, it's always a bit uncomfortablea as noone knows whether to kiss or hand shake, and so usually just stand there and nod their heads with a 'hello'. Once you know Norwegians, they will do anything for you,a nd look out for you. They are loyal and can be trusted.
My 2 eldest children go to school in the UK. Yes, they started earlier than in Norway and my daughter is now 6, but my boy of 4 is struggling. He finds school very draining, long days, being forced to read and write when he is clearly not ready and very little play outside. The kids in British school are often stressed and if yur child is more on the hyper side, this behaviour is often labelled as 'naughty' in British schools. The teachers even admit that thye wish they could go down the scandinavian route and have more learn through play, and less classroom based activties, fewer tests, and more focus on outdoor learning. Many British parents hate sending their kids off to school (or shoudl I say babies) when they are only 4, when they are clearly not ready for it. The Norwegians start later, but they catch up. My husband has done well with his career, and he started to learn to read at age 7.
British children spent aloty time in organised activties. they don't play outside anymore, and there iusn't that much access to lovely countryside if you live in the cities - it's a drive out. Norwegian kids appear more balanced and agile, whereas British kids often are molly coddled, because of fears of child molesters and traffic.
Norwegians do have a strong work ethic, they are productive, and i have seen more time wasting in a British office. Norwegian attention to detail is excellent, and product knowledge of shop assistants is far better than a British persons. often people in British shops do not know their product.
I don't unbderstand why people judge Norwegians as being 'shallow' because they don't strike up a philisophical conversation from the start. Firstly, people are different and all people like to talk about different things. I have met logical Brits like I have met logical Norgies who don't talk like this, but I have also met emotional types of both nationalities who do....But generally, with both nationalities, we talk about life in general, kids, work, whats happening in the news, plans etc,,,,I don't recall breaking out into big deep discussions about the meaning of life with every Brit I have met. Maybe when i was a student there was a lot of thta going on, but as woman in my 30's, people discuss life as it is......
No, Norwegians are not as demonstrative when they speak, but for me Spanish people can be quite exhausting because they are the extreme to Brits. You learn the codes of behaviour, and go along with it. The people who are critical of Norgies are the same people who would not like Czechs because they too come across as rude and customer services isn't like the US for example. Or would find the Spanish direct and not easy to trust (I have lived in all this countries by the way). You can find negatives in all nationalities, but at the same time you can find the positives. It is easier to focus on the negatives when you are strugglin living in the country, just because you yourelf are feeling home sick, or unsure of yourself, or just fed up of not being with 'your own kind'. I understand all this, I went through it too. But living inUK, my bitterness that I have felt in countries has gone, because now I feel OK, and can identify fully with the Brits. I now just moan about the system, and the rubbish public services :-D
The main point is that living abroad is never smooth running. You have good and bad days. Good days you get along with the people, see all the positives in them, and lvoe the country. Bad days you hate all of it and long for home. Since being inUK, I have the classic reversed culture shock. I have Brits annoying too now, they too can be reserved and distant, and rude, although the pleases and thankyoushave been refreshing. BUT, I honestly believe there are not many countries as overly polite as us. the spanish and Czechs and Finns (lived in finland too) were certainly direct and not too many pleases etc.....Brits will alwats physically react to this, because we are extreme with them. we also love to queue, and I have ot met another nationality who does this either.
Fact is, Norway is Norway, it's abeautiful country and the infrastructure is excellent. Yes, it does not have the shabbiness of Brit streets, but to honest, with 3 kids who I fear for every day, it's not important. i just want a good [place for them to grow up. What with university fees and pensions and jobs for the young dissapearing in the UK, I am not quite so sure what kind of future the UK has for them.
Try Norway, get into the heads of the people and just learn how thei opinions are shaped by just their environment. They are not arrogant, they are just proud of their country....I would be too. brits put the UK down all the time.....but that's also just part of our humour, but good god, don't Brits moan!!!!!!
Positives of UK - diversity, great pub culture, concerts, good education if you want it,
Positives of Norway - baeutiful country for the outdoors types, good education if you want it.
As for Norway having an air of superiority about them,,,,,all nationalities have that to some extent....it's just called being proud of who you are, and what';s wrong with that? Oh, and kids are not a nusiance in Norway, as often treated so in UK.
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