Today I am writing from the comfort of my airbnb in Budapest, while outside it pours with rain even though it’s 80 degrees. This will be my last official post and I have two items on the agenda. The first is an interview with my friend Laura who is in her last year of high school in Oslo. The second is a little list of things I’ve learned over my year abroad.
Laura is the younger sister of my friend Agnes who I met in Seattle while I was in high school and she was studying abroad at my school. Laura has lived in Oslo her whole life. Unfortunately I couldn’t sit down with Laura to conduct the interview as I am on a trip, so we did a little Skype session last night instead.
The Interview
How old are you and what year are you in school?
I’m 19 and I’m doing my finals for my last year of videregående skole (upper secondary school).
What are the different levels of public school in Norway?
There are three called barneskole (primary school), ungdomsskole (lower secondary school), and videregående skole. You start the first when you are 6 years old and it is seven years long. Then you go to the second, which is three years long. The final one is also three years long. It is basically optional but everyone goes because you must go if you want a job.
What is the name of your school?
Foss Videregående Skole. Some high schools specialize in subjects but mine is just a regular public school.
How long have you been studying English?
All schools have their students start studying english when they go to primary school. I started learning when I was six. I also started studying German in lower secondary school but my German isn’t as good as my English.
What other subjects did you enjoy?
I enjoyed learning languages the most but I also enjoyed science and maths classes.
What do Norwegian high school students do for fun?
(Laughing) Normal teenager stuff! We go parties on the weekends and just hang out with friends. Lots of people also participate in sports and clubs.
Do high school students have jobs?
Sometimes but not often. I haven’t had a job yet.
Did you participate in russe and what were some highlights for you?
Pretty much everyone has to participate in russe and so did I. I was very tired by the end of it! The concerts that were just for us were very fun and so were some of the challenges. I was ready to take off my red pants by the end of it though (students have to wear the same red pants for the full 30 days of russe). I slept for pretty much three days after the 17th of May.
Do you plan on going to university?
Yes but first I will take a year off. I will probably go to university in Trondheim where my sister goes.
Do you want to study abroad in university?
Yes! I am very jealous that my sister got to spend a year in Seattle. It’s my turn now. I want to go to America as well.
What are some of your favorite things about Oslo or Norway in general?
Oslo is okay but I want to move somewhere smaller and more Norwegian. It’s the least Norwegian place in the country! I love all the fjords on the west coast around Bergen.
At this point the interview segued into a conversation about Norwegian stereotypes…
Do you think Norwegians (in general) are reserved and need structured activities to make friends?
Yes to the first part and no to the second part. Structured activities are good but alcohol is better! It also depends on the person. I don’t think I am very reserved but I know many people who are.
A lot of international students think Norwegians are passive aggressive. Do you agree? (Ex. not expressing their irritation to people who sit too close to them or are being rude to them)
It’s not passive aggressive, we just don’t like to bother people. Also, since many people are reserved they don’t like talking to strangers, which is normally necessary if you want to tell someone to sit farther away from you. I guess it would come off as passive aggressive if you weren’t used to seeing it!
Do Norwegians actually follow Janteloven and believe they’re not better than anyone else?
We like to think that we follow Janteloven perfectly! But we are also competitive. I think individually we don’t think we are better than each other but all Norwegians think Norway is the best country in the world and think our culture is the best. We also think all our sports teams are the best and always want them to win!
What are some differences between the younger generation of Norwegians and the older generation?
The older generation is more traditional and we are moving away from some of those traditions. More of the younger generation wants to move to cities and the older generation is happy staying in smaller places in the mountains.
Do you have a hytte (cabin) in Sweden?
(Laughing) No, but my family has one in Hordaland!
What stereotypes do you think of when I say ‘American’?
The bad ones are things like fat, ignorant, and Trump. There’s lots of Americans in Norway though and in general we like Americans! As long as they aren’t too loud or disruptive…
Any last thoughts for anyone wanting to visit/move to Norway?
Come visit! It’s beautiful and we will show you a good time. Don’t move here if you get bored easily! We like to be relaxed and sometimes people from other countries don’t understand that.
What this year has taught me…
- Humans are very adaptable
I was so worried about not making any friends when I moved to Oslo or not fitting into the new culture. After a month or so I was fully settled and everyone I’ve met along the way has felt the same way. It’s empowering to know that we are able to uproot our lives, pack a bag, move across the country, and be fine! - Not everyone needs to follow the same path for a successful life
This is a huge one for me. I have always struggled with this idea of going to school until you’re 25, going directly into a career, getting married, having a couple of kids, and then dying. America makes it seem like that’s the only way to have a life you’re proud of. I felt forced to conform to this ideology. Outside of the USA there’s so many other beliefs about how to lead a good life. It’s been refreshing to talk about it with people from other cultures and I’ve come to the conclusion that I have no desire to follow that route. It’s kind of scary and freeing all at once! - Everyone is pretty much the same
All throughout life (especially high school) we’re taught to catagorize ourselves and group ourselves based on common interests. Mean girls showcases this very well. The more people you meet and the more experiences you have… the more you realize that there’s always at least one thing two individuals can use to become friends. It’s such a ridiculous concept to assume that we’re all different enough to seperate into different groups. When it comes down to it we can all probably bond over the same stupid picture on the internet no matter what we look like. - It’s important to appreciate where you are and what’s around you
There’s been so many times this year when some beautiful, natural landscape has left me standing open-mouthed in awe and then seconds later I’ve realized it looks exactly like a sight one might find in the Cascades at home. We get so stuck in our routines that we forget to acknowledge the beauty of where we are. When I go home I plan on spending more of my time being aware of and appreciating everything the PNW has to offer. - I could probably move into a hut in the woods and be perfectly happy
Pretty self explanatory. I’ve always loved the outdoors but this year it’s turned into a weird obsession. I’m okay with it though!
This concludes my formal reporting of my time in Oslo (although I might continue posting just for fun so stay tuned!). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed telling you all about my experiences and learning about you through the comments section. Any last topics you need me to write about?
I’m looking forward to doing the final celebration next week and getting to put faces to names!
Ha det,
Megan