Norway Forum

Gorm
Joined 2002
Posts: 10

21 years ago

Norway

21 years ago

Hei! I'm a third-generation Norwegian-American.
My great-grandparents came to the United States
at the turn-of-the-century. As I have heard we have
many close relatives in Norway, I am planning on
going there next summer; 2003. We don't know our
family in Norway, so it should be very exciting to meet
them and to, of course, see Norway. ("We" being me,
my mother, and my grandma; her mother).

Over the past year, I have been doing a great deal of
research and reading on Norway and the current situation there. I have spoken with some Norwegians
(from Norway) about such things as well.

Of course everyone has their opinions and paints their own picture of these things, and one must first go to this country to truely know what it is like.

Here is a short 'summary' of basic things I have heard of the situation in Norway - taxes are among the highest, government/political is socialistic and left-wing (interpret as you wish), Norway has the highest living standard, crime is low but on the rise due to recent asylum seekers coming in (and some immigration), possession of fire arms is illegal, although many asylum seekers and foreigners come in with weapons and cause trouble, Norway has joined the EU (is that true?), Oslo is a culturally diverse city despite many articles claiming Norway to be one of the most homogenous countries, church attendance is 5% or lower but 87.5% claim membership to the Evangelical Lutheran church; state church,
there is a large Muslim church in Oslo and many Arabs
live in Oslo (and even outside of Oslo). Many of them are responsible for the crime in Norway (I've heard)..

With this I have no intent of 'stirring up' any feelings or anything negative in any way..
These are things I have read and I am curious about them as I have a cousin moving to Norway this year and I have gotten sooo many opinions and sides to these topics..

Mange takk og hilsen fra Tennessee,
Gorm Knutson

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