My cultural experience

I learnt some things about the Norwegian culture last week.

*Flips through Intercultural workshop lecture notes*

Norwegians are:

1) Egalitarian (equal opportunities for all)

2) Independent and Self- reliant

According to my friend who has a romanian toilet mate, he tried opening a door for a norwegian woman struggling to open the door while both her hands were occupied with grocery bags. So then she looked at him coldly, and uttered these words :" What the fuck is wrong with you? I can open the door myself ." Jeezes relax lady.

3) Have a rural mentality

Due to the fact that they've traditionally lived in isolated small farms throughout the huge country. FYI, the country is currently populated with 4.5 mil people, as opposed to the 4 mil in the 2 million times smaller Singapore

Side-track in case you're bored already:
I visited a norwegian cultural museum a few days ago..here's some pictures of their rural settlements in the past.. prob around the 1800s.

They're all original huts brought here from all over norway, and all made of wood. It's a wonder they haven't gone rotten.

Oh and they sleep in these tiny beds, about 1.7m by 1.7m, with 3- 4 people in it! Apparently people last time are much smaller..and also they sleep curled up, and not in the 'dead man' position. And about what they eat everyday: bread with glue-like porridge. Eaten hot for the first meal of the day and cold for the rest. Ew. Talk about balanced diet.

Back to their characteristics.

4) Appreciation of nature/environment

My lecturer told me that his friend came to oslo a few years back and struck up a conversation with a norwegian at a bus-stop. The norwegian then exclaimed to him:" don't you think this is the BEST city in the world?". His friend: " why?" Norwegian:" you can get out into the forest in just 10 mins!!". Sounds good to me =). They also like to disappear off into the mountains to enjoy their own quiet time in nature when it comes to weekends. Well i really wouldn't mind that either.

Regarding their love for their environment, plastic bags at supermarkets here cost 0.50 Norwegian Kroners (NOK), which translates to about 0.128 cents in SGD with a 3.9 exchange rate. And you can recycle their plastic bottles and get from 1- 2.50 NOK (0.256-0.641 cents). Not much, seeing that one macdonald meal costs about SGD 17 (so it's true!), and bus fares cost close to $8. Thank god for student concession.

5)Individualistic

6) Conservative

No stories about these. yet.