The Boy in Bergen

December 18 2006

-Where were you born?
Hereford, England

-In which country and city are you living now?
Bergen, Norway
 
-Are you living alone or with your family?
Alone with two cats (which makes me sound weirder than I think I am)

-How long have you been living in Norway?
Four and a half years

-What is your age?
39

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Norway?
I was presented with an excellent job opportunity, they made me a professor at the age of 34. I would have had to wait at least another ten years to get that in the UK. Also I was getting a bit bored and restless, in a relationship that wasn’t going anywhere and I fancied a fresh challenge. I also love outdoor sports.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No, not all, no visa required and just the usual form filling and traipsing from the police station to the council, to the tax office, back to the police, etc., for the other bits. In reality it was all very easy.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Didn’t need it, at least I hope I don’t!

-How do you make your living in Norway? Do you have any type of income generated?
I came to the job so that was pretty easy. Since living here I have also started a company with a couple of other people from the university. I now work 50:50 (or is that 80:80) between the Uni and the Company. We employ about 30 people, many of them expats.

-Do you speak Norwegian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I have been really bad at learning Norwegian, it’s so easy to get by with English and you keep promising yourself that you will make more effort and the time flies by. I do think it’s really important to learn the local language, you will never really integrate with the locals until you do. I am really pushing the young people joining our company to make the effort and am now pushing myself.
 
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Only family in the UK is my bro, we talk on the phone every couple of weeks and he visits every year for a week. There are some things I miss about the UK, nice pubs, good veggie food, the humor, but on the whole life is better here.
 
-Do you have other plans for the future?
I will stay here for a couple of years until the company matures and then may move again. Maybe somewhere warmer and dryer! I don’t see myself staying here for ever but will defiantly not be going back to the UK.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
Rented for a year (about 700 UKP/month) then bought a house, 150 SqM, three bedrooms, big terrace, great view, boat mooring, cost about 160,000 UKP. Housing is one of the few things that aren’t too expensive.

-What is the cost of living in Norway?
This is Norway! It’s competing with Japan to be the most expensive country in the world. You get used to it but you have to stop comparing prices and except that whatever it costs, you have one of the highest standards of living in the world.

-What do you think about the Norwegians?
They are mixed, as anywhere. On the whole I would say people are very friendly, very welcoming although it can take a long time to really get to know people. There is a tendency not to move around very much and so people are much more family orientated and have the same friends they had when they were 5. Hence it takes a while to make good friends. 

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Norway?
That’s an interesting question, it’s easy to complain about high taxes and prices but say that you love the excellent welfare state; to moan about people being lazy and motivated while admiring their “work life.” Overall I would say 

Positive:
Great outdoor life (skiing, climbing, kayaking hiking, etc. etc.); long summer evenings, very high standard of living, very low crime (to the extent that it is almost comical), friendly locals, pretty girls, good work life balance (normal to work 8–3 each day and take 6 weeks off in the summer), they all speak English, great health care system, no really poor people, women doing as well as men in the work place, 11 months of fully paid holiday every time you have a kid, good education system

Negative:
The weather; terrible driving – they manage to drive both slowly and dangerously; draconian speed enforcement; poor understanding of personal space – especially when drunk; inability to understand the concept of a queue; bad beer; vile hotdogs--“pølser” for sale everywhere; a strong tendency to be a bit nationalistic, in a drum beating, flag waving type of way; but worst of all, they eat whales! 

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Norway?
Bring a rain coat…