Q: What part of Norway are you from?

A: I’m from Stavanger, so it’s the southwestern coast.

Q: Are there any unique customs or traditions from where you’re from specifically?

A: Norway is full of very distinct dialect so there’s a very distinct way of talking and a lot of words and phrases that other people [within the country] don’t understand. Theres things that I’ll say being from Stavanger that people from Oslo won’t understand.

Q: What types of foods are common (for example what would be a quick meal)?

A: A quick meal versus traditional food are very different things; if its just something quick that’s pretty similar to the US, but theres also a lot of traditional food especially a lot of seafood. Until we found oil, about 50 years ago, we were pretty poor so a lot of people lived off of the ocean. My favorite food is salmon, and yeah. We have a lot of friends who come out who don’t like fish and we serve them fish without them knowing it and they love it. So yeah, lot of seafood, but also id say the most traditional is kjøttkaker, which is very similar to Swedish meatballs, except the meatballs are much bigger so we call them meat cakes (there are small local variations). Also a lot of stews, because of cold winters.

Q: What’s the general social atmosphere like?

A: I feel like I have a unique position being married to an American, and we’ve lived there so I get his take on a lot of things. A lot of people’s first impressions of Norwegians is that we’re very anti-social. Time is a very important element, you want to respect peoples time so you don’t really stop for small talk, you don’t do all those things because they might be in a hurry and you don’t want to interrupt. Its kind of a way of politeness but to most foreigners its perceived as kind of rude. The one exception is when the weather is really nice (which isn’t very common because its so far north and very cold) but when its sunny and nice then people are outside and they’re being social and the streets fill up with people.

Q: Going back to the social atmosphere, what does a typical “night out” look like?

A: That probably depends on what kind of age group you’re in. If you’re a kid its probably hanging out with your friends or family, if you’re in end of high school/early college, you go out clubbing. It’s a lot of drinking and going out partying with your friends. That goes mostly through college but once you start to settle down you usually hang out with your family/significant other. There’s a transition period though where you start to go to nice dinners at each other’s houses and less clubbing.

Q: What’s the education system like?

A: You start in elementary school when you’re six through seventh grade, then a youth school from 8th through 10th and then you have advanced school? From 11th to 13th grade. When you start college, you apply directly into a program and you don’t do generals. Those are incorporated into the high school system. Because education is free, most people are required to get a master’s degree instead of a bachelor's degree to get a job, unless its somewhat specific (like nurses for example).

Q: How common is religion?

A: Culturally, its very Lutheran so growing up in elementary school or through 10th grade you go and have a Christmas service, so society in general is pretty Lutheran. That said, individuals are less religious I would say. Culturally its more religious but personally its less.

Q: Are there any other aspects of daily life that feel different than you have noticed here?

A: People drive a lot in the US. Its very common in Norway that you’re outside and you walk around so people are just more active and use their bodies while here if its cold outside you don’t go outside, and you drive everywhere (even if walking takes the same time). Obviously food tastes different, its very evident that there’s more preservatives in food here. I think the [societal] view of the outdoors is very different here.

Q: What’s the political climate like in Norway?

A: The political system is a multi-party system so in order to form a government (I don’t know if that’s the right way to say it), but in order to seize power you have to have the majority and no party alone will ever have the majority, so they are forced to collaborate. Debates are still very heated and you have the full spectrum of political views, but none of them will be able to have power alone so they will have to moderate and meet in the middle.

Q: Is there anything else you want to share?

A: In terms of society there’s a big difference of culture. The US is a hodgepodge I feel like, while in Norway its like there’s national costumes, and more historic literature, and more of a heritage. This is something my husband has pointed out a lot that there’s a lot more diversity of opinions in the US because it is a hodgepodge, while in Norway it’s a bit more of conformity culture, where if you want to join us, (in terms of immigration) you have to actually join us and be different and actually integrate. Theres a distinct language and integration process and food etc. and showing up and contributing to society without getting paid with it, things like that that people have to learn to adapt to.