The winters can be harsh, but for American expatriate Tim, other aspects of life in Sagvåg, Norway, more than make up for them. The people are family-oriented, the way of living is healthy. Here, he gives his insights on other issues of interest, such as cost of living and learning the language.	Tim

September 28 2006

-Where were you born?
Gary, Indiana, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Sagvåg, Norway (90 km south of Bergen)

-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my Norwegian wife

-How long have you been living in Norway?
Approximately five years

-What is your age?
33

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Norway?
It had been almost immediately after September 11th. I had been already experiencing layoffs from work, and they were guaranteed to all of the employees to come soon afterwards, including in other industries in the area (we’d been living in Dyersburg, Tennessee at the time). There were other financial and security issues that my wife and I had been tired and frustrated from dealing with, so we decided to create a more secure and safe financial future in Norway. Not an easy decision, but faced with this again, I would not hesitate to make the same decisions.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No, it was quite easy, actually. Being married to a Norwegian helps. It depends on your situation. I cannot speak for people who are single with or without working permits. I believe I have heard if you are single without family here, and do not intend to start with a work permit, it can be rather difficult. However, compared with other countries, it goes fairly smooth. That will soon change, unfortunately, due to new laws being passed. They’re cracking down on those who only immigrate here to collect welfare.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I did not have the need for any sort of medical insurance. Insurance is nonexistent in Norway, as it is paid for as a social system with taxes. However, if you are only visiting or on a student visa, I am not entirely sure how that works. Insurance would definitely be a suggestion.

-How do you make your living there? Do have any type of income generated?
At the moment, I am attending school in a change of careers. I’ve injured my knees on three occasions, and the last time did me in for the industry and more physical career I’m accustomed to. At any rate, getting a job in Norway is fairly easy, if you get yourself into the employment agencies and are not shy. Otherwise, they will not give you a glancing notice. There all sorts of job searching tools at hand: websites, agencies, networking, etc.

-Do you speak Norwegian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I have discovered that for the English-speaking people – England, U.S., Ireland, Australia, etc. – it is very difficult to learn how to speak the local language. Learning to understand it and read it is not such a challenge, but the English have a fairly lazy dialect, which makes it twice as difficult compared to someone from Eastern Europe or elsewhere, who are used to pronouncing hard vowels and consonants.

The hardest time for me was learning one style of dialect, then moving to another part of the country and having to learn all over again. What many don’t realize about Norway is that it has two official languages. You can read about that here: Five Million Voices.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Well, sure I do. But then, we I’ve been away from here, I miss my home as well. So, where I came from is no longer home in the permanent sense. Norway has become my home. I think I look at the U.S. as a preparation now.

-What is the cost of living in Norway?
High; EXTREMELY HIGH. However, the general public also has a much higher income in comparison, as well, even after the high taxes. For instance, you can take a job such as your average industrial warehouse job in the U.S. making around $12 per hour and compare it with a very similar job here in Norway, you will often see the position paying almost 2.5 times as much, plus you have no medical insurance to pay.

-What do you think about the Norwegians?
:) That’s a rather vague question. I’d have to say I like them as much as any other people in the world that aren’t extremists or hateful. You have a percentage of chipper folks, grinning everywhere they go, you have the moderates, then you have the number of people that could depress a rock. I think one could make assumptions about people from another country based on what they’ve read, seen on television, etc., but until they’ve lived around, worked with and have been in their shoes, they understand next to nothing.

It really all depends on where one visits in Norway, considering on how locals treat foreigners. Of course, the capital, Oslo, is like any other major city in the world. You will be ignored, trampled on and treated rudely just as one can in New York, Paris, L.A. or elsewhere. But this doesn’t mean the whole country is this way. On the contrary, I have found the Norwegians to be a deeply passionate, family-based, humanitarian and environmental-minded folk. They will bend over backwards for those they feel close to, but don’t expect to peel away the layers for a closer look if you’re a stranger. You might find some that are open, but generally they’re a closed but polite people to outsiders.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Norway?
Positive aspects: nearly everything! Seriously, a citizen or legal immigrant has no need for medical insurance, the food is generally healthier, education is steady, crime is very low and poverty is not a large problem.

Negative: well, of course there is the darkness of the winters. If you have an easily depressed personality, this latitude is not for you (but then, the summers make up for it). Medical technology quality is up to date or perhaps even surpasses many other countries; however, the efficiency and organization amongst hospitals and clinics is most certainly lacking.

Going back to the subjects of winter, your heating bill can often be extremely high. Within the cities, most use an electric heat or boiler system, and since the government seems insistent on selling all of the electricity to other countries, it often leaves our bills very, very high. On the same note, those of us that heat with wood stoves/fireplaces can also have a high bill if you happen to live inland. Wood isn’t necessarily expensive, but the length of winters can cause one to have to buy large quantities of wood.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Norway?
As with any country, speak with the natives or others that have had the experience of living there. However, do not take every account at face value. Every person’s experience is different from the other’s, leaving you to have to decide for yourself based on your needs and tastes.

Also, always study up on the location you plan to stay, laws, customs, etc. – besides that, leave some mystery for the experience of learning new things!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Norway?
Well, of course there is my own site, A Tennessee Redneck in King Harald's Court, which the title of is only a play on words. Yes, I lived in the southern U.S., but I am not a redneck. If you’ve read anything by Mark Twain, you’ll understand the title. Besides that, my blog is more or less about me, my wife and daily living in Norway or just life in general.

I do not know many immigrants from the U.S. or elsewhere living in Norway, however I do know of a few. Amongst them are:

Astroblog
Tales of a Texpatriate

Otherwise, if you’d like to find more about Norway, go to:
ODIN
norway.no
Norway - the Official Site