UN says Norway still best place to live / News / The Foreigner — Norwegian News in English.
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| Reine, Lofoten, Norway Photo from Wikimedia commons |
Curiously, while Norway may be a wonderful place to live (though I've one Norwegian friend who has made it very clear he has no desire to return), many immigrants appear to be giving up on the country. I'm hearing things like this more and more about the Nordic countries: they're fantastic places to live, if you're Nordic.
I'd love to hear comments on this from Norwegians (I know some of you read this blog).
I think what you say is true. Several of my immigrant friends have said that one of the most difficult problems to overcome in Norway, is getting in touch with Norwegians. We're a rather reserved lot, as far as stereotypes go.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't help that the job market pretty much requires you to speak Norwegian, that the winters are dark and cold, and that you're welcomed by a wall of bureaucracy. And if you're from one of the countries that create lots of asylum seekers, Norwegian eyebrows will be raised a little extra. :-(
I guess that moving to Norway without already having a decent network can be very depressing. Getting a job in an expat-friendly company helps a lot though, and if you're one of those "make things happen" people, you'll probably have an easier time. :)
But once you're "in the loop", this country can be quite wonderful. Especially if you're the outdoors kind of person. People tend to become friendlier the further into the wilderness you get. :)
Very true. And now, even with the lowest amount of immigration in Europe, (~2% for Finland), the Nordics are voting for nationalistic parties like the SDP in Sweden and the "True Finns" in Finland. If the economy really stalls or tanks, it might get even less friendly for foreigners.
ReplyDeleteHi, I am an immigrant who came to Norway basically because I got married to a Norwegian. Now, I have been here for 4 years and I have been working here for 3 years. I believe that to speak the language, to adapt to a new weather and food, all of this is doable. What for me is not doable is to adapt to the way people deal with each other, to their minds full of prejudice against the new and lack of sense of adventure. As time goes by, I have just been learning of dealing with this by ignoring it and doing my job the best I can and being a good citizen for this country in which now I live.
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