If someone came and sat next to me on an otherwise completly empty bus, I wouldn't be offended as much as freaked out. Norwegians are usually very reserved, and become uncomfortable when having to speak to strangers.
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" lol that is so American, I don't think a European will ask that question. Asking that question is not understanding the European mindset
Actually, a small note, when it comes to easter, we don't usually leave the country. Most of the time, we travel to the mountains and, basically, into the wilderness.
Norwegians do not celebrate "Christmas" - in the Nordic countries we celebrate Jul (Yule), what used to be Winter Solstice celebration in heathen times - a week-long affair. For over a thousand years this holiday has been a Christian holiday, but the Church never managed to completely eradicate the heathen element.
I think the women on the bus Was really bad in speaking english and just solved it in that rude short matter. As a norwegian, I apologize for all of us!
Even though in the comments section of Norwegian news pages on facebook , you find dozens of donald trump type norwegians. But in my personal experience they are a very kind , honest , ethical and maybe an ideal nation. Being a country of just 5 million people Norway is doing humongous things for the world's welfare. I have alot of respect for them.
Middle east , is a very comprehensive debate and cant be taken up here in comments. I was born in Libya (no offense but) it was an even better welfare state than Norway , and now whole Libya is turned into a stone age country with ISIS savages getting control with every passing day. Its not our fault , we didnt invite USA and NATO to bless us with democracy. Maybe thats how its supposed to be , maybe thats how the world is gonna end , maybe thats just the start of Armagadon, i dont know.
Norwegian celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, as they do in a few other European countries as well. We don't really do anything on the 25th, maybe if you've celebrated Christmas with your mum's side of the family you will go and see your dad's side of the family on the 25th and have leftovers, cause there are always leftovers at Christmas! But every family is different! And I wouldn't say every day leading up to Christmas means something different, it's only really the 13th (St. Lucia), the 23rd (night before Christmas) and 24th that are special. But you are right that we have the spirit of Yule throughout the whole of December. Streets are filled with lights and town squares will have a big Yuletree (Juletre) That is a big difference as well, even though churches are packed on the 24th (in bigger cities they have to have multiple cervices, at least they do in mine) for most people it's not about Christ. It's about celebrating Yule, the turning of the season, family and friendship. Now I must admit that I am not a Christan myself, altough I grew up Christan, but I'm always happy to teach people about my country, so if you have questions you can always message me here on RUclips :)
Norwaycat91 I don't know about your family, but in my family, the 3 days following christmas eve are reserved for spending time together with family first, and friends second. The Norwegian christmas traditions vary slightly based on which part of the country you're in. For example, I've never been served seafood on christmas eve, but I see several Norwegians on the internet claim that "all norwegians" eat whatever it is that they themselves happen to eat on christmas eve. Not all Norwegians eat Lutefisk, Ribbe and/or Pinnekjøtt on christmas eve. Most Norwegian families that include kids (and sometimes even young adults) have christmas themed calendars where they can keep track of each day leading up to christmas eve, starting from December 1. These calendars, which can be bought pretty much anywhere where they sell food, typically contain chocolates inside of each "cardboard window" that represents the days. Some families make their own calendars, though. When I was a kid, my mom or stepmom would buy me small, wrapped presents instead of the chocolate calendar. They would contain anything from edible items to small gadgets or comic books. I really appreciated that my parents did it this way, as it was definitely more interesting and surprising than just getting a differently shaped chocolate every day. We have tons of christmas-related traditions and rituals, here in Norway. It's a shame that I've forgotten about so many of them, since I've stopped practicing them as I've gotten older.
Norwaycat91 > You forgot about Advent Calendar and Advent light each Sunday last month. Especial the calendar thing with small gift are all over Norway.
+DillaryHuff Same here, First Christmas Day is a really important day as well for family get-together, although not as important as Christmas Eve. You can see that on the business hours as well, where next to nothing is open on First Christmas Day since just about everybody is home and celebrating with their family. It is not until Second Christmas Day things start to loosen up a little and business' actually have a market to cater to, like cinemas, which has become a Christmas tradition for some.
If there was another norwegian that sat next to me on an empty bus, i would get a little irritated. But if it was a tourist that started to talk to me, i would love to! They may not know all the nice places to go and you could make their holiday much better!
It's more common to go to the family cabin during easter, not out of the country. Unless you want to go to Switzerland or Austria to ski. In summer vacation on the other hand, a lot of norwegians travel to warmer countries such as Spain.
The woman who said: "doesn't want to talk to you" was rude. Your question was polite and valid, and should get a answer other than "don't want to talk to you"
David Larsen It might have been rude, but the reason might be more complicated than you think, and saying that I don't want to talk to you, just means that they don't know you, and that they don't want to talk to strangers. It was probable the best way to say it without verbally attacking her.
+David Larsen in Norwegian culture this is a polite way to stop speaking to u .. its not polite to walk away ..or hanging up, unless u say good bay in a proper way .. in norwegian culture it is not considered polite to bother people ..
I am Norwegian Stian, and no way this woman bother anyone with the comment of her boots. If someone says something nice to you, it's polite to say thank you. But then this woman could follow up with something like "I'm occupied with something"
+David Larsen It depends on the circumstances, which may be more complicated than a simple complement of the boots. For instance, few Norwegians like conversing with a stranger who is obviously pushing an agenda they do not agree with. This is not a good country for neither sales people of any kind nor bible pushers. Anyway, if you do not want to engage in a conversation with a stranger it is actually polite to tell them straight forward that you do not want to engage in a conversation. Simple, effective and polite. Few Norwegians will hold it against you if your reply to a conversation invite is a straight forward decline, on the contrary, most Norwegians will actually respect you for your honesty. Engaging in conversations with strangers is definitely not a social right in Norwegian culture, it is quiet the opposite.
I am speaking for people from Oslo, and don't you know it is considered bad form to upvote your own comments? I mean, nobody would have seen that one in less than one hour and thought that it was a good comment. If you haven't seen this phenomenon, you either live in some miserable place like Northern Norway, or you just don't get out much. OR, seeing that you subscribe to mostly hispanic channels, probably not even Norwegian.
Restless Ø Well, if it is this incomprehensible, you might want to try and educate people with more cleverly written texts than what you are currently doing. I don't see any important points in what you wrote, so if there is one, feel free to elaborate it. If not, feel free to return to northern Norway and stop pestering decent people.
Erik McAwful Pestering "Decent people". How lovely. What makes you so "decent" compared to anyone else? Also, It's not about more "cleverly" written texts as you claim, you evidently try to place yourself higher, and this, based on the facts where you claim to be so "decent", also indirectly a bit "better" than everyone apparently. .. because if you really want to educate a certain audience, then you might want to drop down to their level of knowledge based on the situation as well, to make it easier for them to understand. Certainly my points here would be easier for you to understand if you didn't act so close-minded. The points are infront of you, but you don't seem to get it. So let me guide you on your way, i can be your teacher, let me "educate" you (since that's what im supposedly so good at), by telling you to: Reflect. Bring me the chalk
I am a Norwegian who is living in Spain, I would say you described us really well, atleast the buss part, we're very conflict shy, we could say we are like eggs, hard to break but soft inside, when you become a friend with a Norwegian, then you have a very loyal friend, who wishes your best. But, there has been many situations where Norwegians haven't involved in situations that they've should been, but we could say there is a battle between those those rates. P.S, with the woman on the buss, I would say you were a little unlucky.
23 is the start of Cooking the meal for me, 24 is the day we celebrate, 25 is the day Family get to getter for a good breakfast. We dont celebrate for the religion (Our Family) we celebrate the Family and the time we can spend With Our Family.
Yes about Christmas!!! Being an American from California originally, I noticed it is a Christmas fiesta!! So many decorations and just sooo much Christmas stuff. Also saying "Bless you" when Norwegians sneeze makes you sound weird. They just don't say that. I must say I love Norway and son glad I moved here!! 🇺🇸 🇳🇴
That woman on the bus who told her that she didn't want to talk to her would be considered rude according to any country's social norms. It makes more sense that the woman didn't speak/understand English very well, and she didn't know how to properly convey that to Sadie. Either way, it was a really disrespectful response from the woman on the bus, and I would've been quite frustrated if it had happened to me. It's a shame that something like this would happen to a seemingly charming and likeable person like Sadie.
DillaryHuff it was not rude or disrespectfull. people in Norway consider talking and asking about one's appearence is rude. not to mention how it creeps norwegians out. if you are in norway, then you are going to have to adapt to Norway. Norway should not have to adapt to you. we are who we are, and if you're visiting you should not expect us to have the same social norms as in the u.s. we're all different kinds of people.
i have no doubts about that, but you can't say norwegians are more reserved than americans. i must agree she could have been a little nicer, and perhaps put it in another way, but americans and others visiting should not expect others to change their ways. before you go visiting another country, be sure to check what is socially acceptable, and what is frowned upon. though this woman was a little harsh. visitors should expect nothing but being let down if they suddenly start speaking to someone. perhaps they find an individual who actually likes conversing, and is happy to talk.
Watlock Me I agree that one shouldn't visit a foreign country expecting people to change their ways or adapt to the visitors' norms. With that being said, what Sadie did was definitely within socially accepted boundaries. Sure, Norwegians (are generally not used to) being approached by strangers in public, but it's not against our norms to do so. In fact, it's quite common for strangers to talk to each other in certain parts of Norway - just like it's common for strangers to talk to each other in the mid-west, but not so much in other areas of the U.S. The woman on the bus either reacted in a spiteful way because she was insecure about not being able to respond well in English, or she was just an outright grumpy old hag. This had nothing to do with country-specific mannerisms or norms, in my opinion. Some may argue that publically attempting to strike up a conversation with a stranger in Norway is against our norms, or that it's an unwritten rule that you should not do so.. but that's bullshit. I've witnessed people here being approached by strangers in public on several seperate occasions in my life, and yes, in most cases the person being approached by a stranger typically tends to act all surprised about it - at least, initially. However, I've never seen it actually instigate a spiteful or angry reaction out of someone. That's just not normal.
DillaryHuff you're right. but if you choose to strike a conversation with someone, do not expect them to want to talk to you. i for one would love to talk if the opportunity came, but as you said there are some grumpy hags here, and if they want nothing to do with you, you don't attack them with conversation
Let me clear some things up here: #1: Christmas does not last a month (the shopping spree lasts longer though, as induced by malls etc) On the calendar half of 24th, and all of 25th and 26th are red. Thats all. When the calendar is 'right' (24th being a monday) many 'steal' from their holiday-days to get an extended holiday as Dec 31th is half red and Jan 1st is red. Still you are not even close to a month. #2: Easter does not last a month either. Thursday trough monday is red. Thats all. All other days are black on the calendar, but many 'ovalize' the holiday and take the beforecoming mon to wedn off to make it a week-and-half off. This also on cost of their total allowed days off. Again: Not even close to a month.
Hello, thanks for the video. I have to say that in general no one speaks to strangers on buses. There is a general rule of thumb, "don't talk to strangers"... if you make eye contact the most a person should do is smile and nod or smile and maybe maybe smile and say hello. Even that is pushing it. So to ask a personal question is going beyond the comfort zone. A person who regularly speaks to strangers, in places which are not their home community, where you are not known, especially if you have a foreign accent is really pushing it. The bottom line is respect. You cannot go around and start up random conversations or expect other people to feel the same way you do. And discussing religion or politics or any kind of personal question is a no no. This is the ultimate insult to another person because it is a type of challenge to their privacy and is interpreted as an intrusion. If you want to win the trust of others, whether in Norway or any other country please remember that respecting other people is all important. If you have a group of friends where you are introduced to new people, even then you have to tread very carefully. Your attitude will show through and people will distrust your motives. What you see as being "friendly" will be interpreted as "nosy". Thanks.
17 th of may is not the independence day, it is our constitution day... at christmas we are celebraiting that the sun is turning.. this is the land of Tor and Odin..we are the true Vikings!
On May 17th Norway celebrate constitution day, not independence day. Constitution day celebrate the signing of Norway's constitution at the town of Eidsvoll in 1814. Independence day(and Veterans Day) is celebrated on May 8th and marks the end of WW2. Independence day is not a public holiday, while May 17th is.
Hey! As a norwegian its such a blast watching these videos! Sort of puts the way im thinking of life in to perspective. But you are right we do need our space and we might come off as "stand-off-ish" but once you get to know us we are a friendly bunch. The woman with the shoes, hmm... who knows she might have had a bad day who knows but I think thats rather rude, even in norwegian standards.. My mom allways say "sometimes its good to just shut up and say thank you.. " we need to learn that i guess :)
Please don't call the Norwegian independance celebration and the women's traditional dress "crazy", you can surely find a more repectful and accurate adjective. You might also brush up on the Advent practice of keeping a "countdown" calendar up to Christmas so it is not such a mystery to you. I would be suspicious of of anyone commenting on my boots on a bus of wanting to sell me something.
Fun to listen to your videos of comparing US and Scandinavian life/values. On the 17th of May, only rich women have "bunad" dresses. People have insurance on them, and they cost about 18 000 dollar (+)...!They are heavy to wear, and very warm (wool). Usually "bunads" are also inherited, and people who do not have rich parents/inherit "bunads" or can't afford to buy one, may feel outside or not good enough on the national day of independence 17th of May. Many single mums that buy a "cheat bunad" to the kids, which is an less expencive, and not "real bunad", may feel the same thing. But it's a great day, and it's ok to be proud of their country and being Norwegian, which is not really acceptable to talk much about in Sweden. In Sweden they use very much energy to insist/convince/be welcoming to migrants, and somehow loses little of themselves because they are even more afraid than Norwegians to be called racists. What is really nice in both Norway and Sweden is that compared to many countries, you may feel pretty safe. In Sweden crime and rape has exploded because of migrants and people not liking migrants, but it's still a very good country. What do you think would be the most challenging things for a Norwegian person who would move to US?
the reason why the boot lady dont wantet to talk to you, was probably because she didnt feel comfortable talking english.. 99% sure of that. :) Have a great day:D
Being in Sweden, I understand that Nordics are very in tune with the Spirit. They follow their heart meaning their conscious. They have a pure and well-efucated conscious because close to nature., earth, water, mountsind, forest... So one could understand that when they say they believe in themselves, their God (ultimate guide, security, provider of truth) is the Holy Spirit... Could be useful for missionaries
Norwegians saying they believe in themselves must have been saying it sarcastically. That's the only way I can think of as a Norwegian. xD At least in response to if they believe in God.
I would say the woman om the bus was very rude to you, but then it could be that she didn't like to speak English, I don't want to judge strangers. Norway was one of the last countries in Europe to be christened, and further north it doesn't have a very strong foothold in comparison to further south. However, we are a country of traditions so some of our Norse traditions and folklore has merged into celebrations such as Christmas. A typical Norwegian celebration of Easter is reading criminal novels watching detectives solve mysteries on TV, go skiing up the mountain and spending a week or two in a cottage in the wilderness. I think the minority of Norwegians are religious if I remember correctly and I have had some conversations with Jehova Witnesses and they say that to the religious in Norway their faith is a very personal and private matter, they are rarely up for debates or discussions on the subject. Despite our secular society churches are visited during Christmas and Easter the most and other celebrations usually take place there too. If you're religious or not it may be a beloved tradition to go to church on Christmas Eve with your family. After the kids at Utøya were massacred the church was used a lot in memorials, some criticized that they may have been used too much afterwards. So now, some key christian aspects seem to have merged themselves into Norwegian culture and they seem to be just as beloved by Christians and atheists/agnostics alike. Weather it's visiting church for Christmas singing Christmas carols of baby Jesus or skiing in the mountains with oranges and kvikk lunsj in our backpacks it seems we treasure our traditions regardless and other than that we agree to disagree and that's that. At least according to how I have experienced it, being born in the south east, raised in the north and now live in the western part of Norway.
That woman on the train didnt have manners AT ALL.... im so sorry you had to experience that.... Norwegian aint like that at all. There is just some people who doesent have manners!!
Sure you’re not norwegian yourself? You sure look like a beautiful norwegian woman. My favourite country is your country! Been there many times. 🇺🇸 Greetings 😃🇳🇴
If someone came and sat next to me on an otherwise completly empty bus, I wouldn't be offended as much as freaked out. Norwegians are usually very reserved, and become uncomfortable when having to speak to strangers.
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" lol that is so American, I don't think a European will ask that question. Asking that question is not understanding the European mindset
Actually, a small note, when it comes to easter, we don't usually leave the country. Most of the time, we travel to the mountains and, basically, into the wilderness.
Norwegians do not celebrate "Christmas" - in the Nordic countries we celebrate Jul (Yule), what used to be Winter Solstice celebration in heathen times - a week-long affair. For over a thousand years this holiday has been a Christian holiday, but the Church never managed to completely eradicate the heathen element.
I think the women on the bus Was really bad in speaking english and just solved it in that rude short matter. As a norwegian, I apologize for all of us!
Even though in the comments section of Norwegian news pages on facebook , you find dozens of donald trump type norwegians. But in my personal experience they are a very kind , honest , ethical and maybe an ideal nation. Being a country of just 5 million people Norway is doing humongous things for the world's welfare. I have alot of respect for them.
thanks, Sultan 😸 apreciate the comment 👍
Middle east , is a very comprehensive debate and cant be taken up here in comments. I was born in Libya (no offense but) it was an even better welfare state than Norway , and now whole Libya is turned into a stone age country with ISIS savages getting control with every passing day. Its not our fault , we didnt invite USA and NATO to bless us with democracy.
Maybe thats how its supposed to be , maybe thats how the world is gonna end , maybe thats just the start of Armagadon, i dont know.
Norwegian celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, as they do in a few other European countries as well. We don't really do anything on the 25th, maybe if you've celebrated Christmas with your mum's side of the family you will go and see your dad's side of the family on the 25th and have leftovers, cause there are always leftovers at Christmas! But every family is different! And I wouldn't say every day leading up to Christmas means something different, it's only really the 13th (St. Lucia), the 23rd (night before Christmas) and 24th that are special. But you are right that we have the spirit of Yule throughout the whole of December. Streets are filled with lights and town squares will have a big Yuletree (Juletre) That is a big difference as well, even though churches are packed on the 24th (in bigger cities they have to have multiple cervices, at least they do in mine) for most people it's not about Christ. It's about celebrating Yule, the turning of the season, family and friendship. Now I must admit that I am not a Christan myself, altough I grew up Christan, but I'm always happy to teach people about my country, so if you have questions you can always message me here on RUclips :)
Norwaycat91 Thanks for the kind comment!
Norwaycat91 I don't know about your family, but in my family, the 3 days following christmas eve are reserved for spending time together with family first, and friends second. The Norwegian christmas traditions vary slightly based on which part of the country you're in. For example, I've never been served seafood on christmas eve, but I see several Norwegians on the internet claim that "all norwegians" eat whatever it is that they themselves happen to eat on christmas eve. Not all Norwegians eat Lutefisk, Ribbe and/or Pinnekjøtt on christmas eve.
Most Norwegian families that include kids (and sometimes even young adults) have christmas themed calendars where they can keep track of each day leading up to christmas eve, starting from December 1. These calendars, which can be bought pretty much anywhere where they sell food, typically contain chocolates inside of each "cardboard window" that represents the days. Some families make their own calendars, though. When I was a kid, my mom or stepmom would buy me small, wrapped presents instead of the chocolate calendar. They would contain anything from edible items to small gadgets or comic books. I really appreciated that my parents did it this way, as it was definitely more interesting and surprising than just getting a differently shaped chocolate every day. We have tons of christmas-related traditions and rituals, here in Norway. It's a shame that I've forgotten about so many of them, since I've stopped practicing them as I've gotten older.
Norwaycat91 > You forgot about Advent Calendar and Advent light each Sunday last month. Especial the calendar thing with small gift are all over Norway.
+DillaryHuff Same here, First Christmas Day is a really important day as well for family get-together, although not as important as Christmas Eve. You can see that on the business hours as well, where next to nothing is open on First Christmas Day since just about everybody is home and celebrating with their family. It is not until Second Christmas Day things start to loosen up a little and business' actually have a market to cater to, like cinemas, which has become a Christmas tradition for some.
+Norwaycat91 Bra forklart, miss :)
If there was another norwegian that sat next to me on an empty bus, i would get a little irritated. But if it was a tourist that started to talk to me, i would love to! They may not know all the nice places to go and you could make their holiday much better!
Why would you Get irritated? Never Been to Bergen?
maniac577 I forgot to mention that i would get irritaded if there was other seats that were free. i live in drammen and know all about full busses.
It's more common to go to the family cabin during easter, not out of the country. Unless you want to go to Switzerland or Austria to ski. In summer vacation on the other hand, a lot of norwegians travel to warmer countries such as Spain.
We are not so rude as that woman on the buss
TF141GHOST02 Yes we are.
You might be...but im not :/
The woman who said: "doesn't want to talk to you" was rude. Your question was polite and valid, and should get a answer other than "don't want to talk to you"
David Larsen It might have been rude, but the reason might be more complicated than you think, and saying that I don't want to talk to you, just means that they don't know you, and that they don't want to talk to strangers. It was probable the best way to say it without verbally attacking her.
+David Larsen It's way more ruder to bother strangers minding their own business. "I don't want to talk to you" is way more polite than I would react.
+David Larsen in Norwegian culture this is a polite way to stop speaking to u .. its not polite to walk away ..or hanging up, unless u say good bay in a proper way .. in norwegian culture it is not considered polite to bother people ..
I am Norwegian Stian, and no way this woman bother anyone with the comment of her boots. If someone says something nice to you, it's polite to say thank you. But then this woman could follow up with something like "I'm occupied with something"
+David Larsen It depends on the circumstances, which may be more complicated than a simple complement of the boots. For instance, few Norwegians like conversing with a stranger who is obviously pushing an agenda they do not agree with. This is not a good country for neither sales people of any kind nor bible pushers. Anyway, if you do not want to engage in a conversation with a stranger it is actually polite to tell them straight forward that you do not want to engage in a conversation. Simple, effective and polite. Few Norwegians will hold it against you if your reply to a conversation invite is a straight forward decline, on the contrary, most Norwegians will actually respect you for your honesty. Engaging in conversations with strangers is definitely not a social right in Norwegian culture, it is quiet the opposite.
the woman on the bus was clearly a freak, that's not normal anywhere.
and who are you to speak on behalf of all norwegians?
I am speaking for people from Oslo, and don't you know it is considered bad form to upvote your own comments? I mean, nobody would have seen that one in less than one hour and thought that it was a good comment. If you haven't seen this phenomenon, you either live in some miserable place like Northern Norway, or you just don't get out much. OR, seeing that you subscribe to mostly hispanic channels, probably not even Norwegian.
Erik McAwful i was the one who upvoted his comment Erik :)
Restless Ø Well, if it is this incomprehensible, you might want to try and educate people with more cleverly written texts than what you are currently doing. I don't see any important points in what you wrote, so if there is one, feel free to elaborate it. If not, feel free to return to northern Norway and stop pestering decent people.
Erik McAwful Pestering "Decent people". How lovely. What makes you so "decent" compared to anyone else? Also, It's not about more "cleverly" written texts as you claim, you evidently try to place yourself higher, and this, based on the facts where you claim to be so "decent", also indirectly a bit "better" than everyone apparently.
.. because if you really want to educate a certain audience, then you might want to drop down to their level of knowledge based on the situation as well, to make it easier for them to understand. Certainly my points here would be easier for you to understand if you didn't act so close-minded. The points are infront of you, but you don't seem to get it. So let me guide you on your way, i can be your teacher, let me "educate" you (since that's what im supposedly so good at), by telling you to: Reflect.
Bring me the chalk
I am a Norwegian who is living in Spain, I would say you described us really well, atleast the buss part, we're very conflict shy, we could say we are like eggs, hard to break but soft inside, when you become a friend with a Norwegian, then you have a very loyal friend, who wishes your best.
But, there has been many situations where Norwegians haven't involved in situations that they've should been, but we could say there is a battle between those those rates.
P.S, with the woman on the buss, I would say you were a little unlucky.
23 is the start of Cooking the meal for me, 24 is the day we celebrate, 25 is the day Family get to getter for a good breakfast. We dont celebrate for the religion (Our Family) we celebrate the Family and the time we can spend With Our Family.
Is it normal in america to go up to a stranger and ask super personal questions?
Yes about Christmas!!! Being an American from California originally, I noticed it is a Christmas fiesta!! So many decorations and just sooo much Christmas stuff. Also saying "Bless you" when Norwegians sneeze makes you sound weird. They just don't say that. I must say I love Norway and son glad I moved here!! 🇺🇸 🇳🇴
That woman on the bus who told her that she didn't want to talk to her would be considered rude according to any country's social norms. It makes more sense that the woman didn't speak/understand English very well, and she didn't know how to properly convey that to Sadie. Either way, it was a really disrespectful response from the woman on the bus, and I would've been quite frustrated if it had happened to me. It's a shame that something like this would happen to a seemingly charming and likeable person like Sadie.
DillaryHuff it was not rude or disrespectfull. people in Norway consider talking and asking about one's appearence is rude. not to mention how it creeps norwegians out. if you are in norway, then you are going to have to adapt to Norway. Norway should not have to adapt to you. we are who we are, and if you're visiting you should not expect us to have the same social norms as in the u.s. we're all different kinds of people.
Watlock Me
I'm Norwegian. I've lived here for 27 years, so I think I know what I'm talking about...
i have no doubts about that, but you can't say norwegians are more reserved than americans. i must agree she could have been a little nicer, and perhaps put it in another way, but americans and others visiting should not expect others to change their ways. before you go visiting another country, be sure to check what is socially acceptable, and what is frowned upon. though this woman was a little harsh. visitors should expect nothing but being let down if they suddenly start speaking to someone. perhaps they find an individual who actually likes conversing, and is happy to talk.
Watlock Me
I agree that one shouldn't visit a foreign country expecting people to change their ways or adapt to the visitors' norms. With that being said, what Sadie did was definitely within socially accepted boundaries. Sure, Norwegians (are generally not used to) being approached by strangers in public, but it's not against our norms to do so. In fact, it's quite common for strangers to talk to each other in certain parts of Norway - just like it's common for strangers to talk to each other in the mid-west, but not so much in other areas of the U.S.
The woman on the bus either reacted in a spiteful way because she was insecure about not being able to respond well in English, or she was just an outright grumpy old hag. This had nothing to do with country-specific mannerisms or norms, in my opinion. Some may argue that publically attempting to strike up a conversation with a stranger in Norway is against our norms, or that it's an unwritten rule that you should not do so.. but that's bullshit.
I've witnessed people here being approached by strangers in public on several seperate occasions in my life, and yes, in most cases the person being approached by a stranger typically tends to act all surprised about it - at least, initially. However, I've never seen it actually instigate a spiteful or angry reaction out of someone. That's just not normal.
DillaryHuff you're right. but if you choose to strike a conversation with someone, do not expect them to want to talk to you. i for one would love to talk if the opportunity came, but as you said there are some grumpy hags here, and if they want nothing to do with you, you don't attack them with conversation
It is really fun to see how other cultures see norwegian culture! :D love these videos
Let me clear some things up here:
#1:
Christmas does not last a month (the shopping spree lasts longer though, as induced by malls etc)
On the calendar half of 24th, and all of 25th and 26th are red. Thats all. When the calendar is 'right' (24th being a monday) many 'steal' from their holiday-days to get an extended holiday as Dec 31th is half red and Jan 1st is red. Still you are not even close to a month.
#2:
Easter does not last a month either. Thursday trough monday is red. Thats all.
All other days are black on the calendar, but many 'ovalize' the holiday and take the beforecoming mon to wedn off to make it a week-and-half off. This also on cost of their total allowed days off. Again: Not even close to a month.
Hello, thanks for the video. I have to say that in general no one speaks to strangers on buses. There is a general rule of thumb, "don't talk to strangers"... if you make eye contact the most a person should do is smile and nod or smile and maybe maybe smile and say hello. Even that is pushing it. So to ask a personal question is going beyond the comfort zone. A person who regularly speaks to strangers, in places which are not their home community, where you are not known, especially if you have a foreign accent is really pushing it. The bottom line is respect. You cannot go around and start up random conversations or expect other people to feel the same way you do. And discussing religion or politics or any kind of personal question is a no no. This is the ultimate insult to another person because it is a type of challenge to their privacy and is interpreted as an intrusion. If you want to win the trust of others, whether in Norway or any other country please remember that respecting other people is all important. If you have a group of friends where you are introduced to new people, even then you have to tread very carefully. Your attitude will show through and people will distrust your motives. What you see as being "friendly" will be interpreted as "nosy". Thanks.
Im from Norway. I dont mind. I come from a city in Norway where this is much more accepted. I will discuss politics or whatever
Its not an insult at all. The insult is saying things like That woman did. I have never heard That kind of answer before
17 th of may is not the independence day, it is our constitution day... at christmas we are celebraiting that the sun is turning.. this is the land of Tor and Odin..we are the true Vikings!
On May 17th Norway celebrate constitution day, not independence day. Constitution day celebrate the signing of Norway's constitution at the town of Eidsvoll in 1814.
Independence day(and Veterans Day) is celebrated on May 8th and marks the end of WW2. Independence day is not a public holiday, while May 17th is.
The bible belt in the western/southern parts of Norway, yep :p
Hey! As a norwegian its such a blast watching these videos! Sort of puts the way im thinking of life in to perspective. But you are right we do need our space and we might come off as "stand-off-ish" but once you get to know us we are a friendly bunch. The woman with the shoes, hmm... who knows she might have had a bad day who knows but I think thats rather rude, even in norwegian standards.. My mom allways say "sometimes its good to just shut up and say thank you.. " we need to learn that i guess :)
Please don't call the Norwegian independance celebration and the women's traditional dress "crazy", you can surely find a more repectful and accurate adjective. You might also brush up on the Advent practice of keeping a "countdown" calendar up to Christmas so it is not such a mystery to you. I would be suspicious of of anyone commenting on my boots on a bus of wanting to sell me something.
We ARE here because of a scientific explanation! And we stop believing in Santa at around 6..!
Fun to listen to your videos of comparing US and Scandinavian life/values.
On the 17th of May, only rich women have "bunad" dresses. People have insurance on them, and they cost about 18 000 dollar (+)...!They are heavy to wear, and very warm (wool).
Usually "bunads" are also inherited, and people who do not have rich parents/inherit "bunads" or can't afford to buy one, may feel outside or not good enough on the national day of independence 17th of May.
Many single mums that buy a "cheat bunad" to the kids, which is an less expencive, and not "real bunad", may feel the same thing.
But it's a great day, and it's ok to be proud of their country and being Norwegian, which is not really acceptable to talk much about in Sweden.
In Sweden they use very much energy to insist/convince/be welcoming to migrants, and somehow loses little of themselves because they are even more afraid than Norwegians to be called racists.
What is really nice in both Norway and Sweden is that compared to many countries, you may feel pretty safe.
In Sweden crime and rape has exploded because of migrants and people not liking migrants, but it's still a very good country.
What do you think would be the most challenging things for a Norwegian person who would move to US?
Wow, she is lovely
We don't do anything the 25th. The bil celebration is on the christmas eve
Big
Norway=Goal
the reason why the boot lady dont wantet to talk to you, was probably because she didnt feel comfortable talking english.. 99% sure of that. :) Have a great day:D
+Preben Finnestad im norwegian myself ^^ we all dont feel great about our english. a specialy old people.
Being in Sweden, I understand that Nordics are very in tune with the Spirit. They follow their heart meaning their conscious. They have a pure and well-efucated conscious because close to nature., earth, water, mountsind, forest... So one could understand that when they say they believe in themselves, their God (ultimate guide, security, provider of truth) is the Holy Spirit... Could be useful for missionaries
Radinika great insight, thanks Radinika!
+Radinika Uhhh, just no.
nope
Joda :)
Nabium
They search for meaning but they usually only find alcohol.
Nisse!! Norway's Christmas elf!!
dude, this is cool
Norwegians saying they believe in themselves must have been saying it sarcastically. That's the only way I can think of as a Norwegian. xD At least in response to if they believe in God.
+Smooth Dog good to know, thank you!
+Smooth Dog come to drammen, norway and ill discuss ur ignoranse
+Stian Grimsrud Nicolaisen What are you smoking?
+Smooth Dog You have newer meet a person from Bergen have you?
+Meg Deg LOL, they're not that bad.
What denomination are you?
You forgot about Black Metal.
You are very beautiful btw! ^^
I would say the woman om the bus was very rude to you, but then it could be that she didn't like to speak English, I don't want to judge strangers.
Norway was one of the last countries in Europe to be christened, and further north it doesn't have a very strong foothold in comparison to further south. However, we are a country of traditions so some of our Norse traditions and folklore has merged into celebrations such as Christmas. A typical Norwegian celebration of Easter is reading criminal novels watching detectives solve mysteries on TV, go skiing up the mountain and spending a week or two in a cottage in the wilderness.
I think the minority of Norwegians are religious if I remember correctly and I have had some conversations with Jehova Witnesses and they say that to the religious in Norway their faith is a very personal and private matter, they are rarely up for debates or discussions on the subject.
Despite our secular society churches are visited during Christmas and Easter the most and other celebrations usually take place there too. If you're religious or not it may be a beloved tradition to go to church on Christmas Eve with your family. After the kids at Utøya were massacred the church was used a lot in memorials, some criticized that they may have been used too much afterwards. So now, some key christian aspects seem to have merged themselves into Norwegian culture and they seem to be just as beloved by Christians and atheists/agnostics alike. Weather it's visiting church for Christmas singing Christmas carols of baby Jesus or skiing in the mountains with oranges and kvikk lunsj in our backpacks it seems we treasure our traditions regardless and other than that we agree to disagree and that's that. At least according to how I have experienced it, being born in the south east, raised in the north and now live in the western part of Norway.
That woman on the train didnt have manners AT ALL.... im so sorry you had to experience that.... Norwegian aint like that at all. There is just some people who doesent have manners!!
Celebrate christmas everyday? No lol
clean? I used to be married to a guy from North Norway, he used to shower only once a week and seldom brushed his teeth...needless to say we divorced!
you have bette davis eyes........
Sure you’re not norwegian yourself? You sure look like a beautiful norwegian woman. My favourite country is your country! Been there many times. 🇺🇸 Greetings 😃🇳🇴
Hahahahahahahahaha
can't get over how beautiful this girl is, right out of Asbjørnsen & Moe - she must have Norwegian ancestry...sorry if I said something weird...
This lady must be of Norwegian descent because she looks like a very typical Norwegian.
No she doesnt
Do you know her?
+Opteryx No but Im a norwegian. I know how Norwegians normally look like
Jeg er også norsk så argumentet ditt er ugyldig.
+Opteryx Hun ser ikke typisk norsk ut