The cultural differences between France and Norway, because yes, dear reader friend (or non-binary friend, or whatever you want: we don’t give a damn), it is essential to know the differentiating elements of our cultures, so that you don’t look like a rude hick in your host country, or misunderstand something and get angry during your whole stay because of a cultural misunderstanding. So, a bit of reading takes 3 minutes and saves you from looking at your ex’s Instagram photos while you wait.
The discipline
So, how can I tell you that in France, the Norwegian discipline could almost pass for magic. And even then: we are not Italian (hello, Grandma!). In Norway, cars let pedestrians pass, there are no hierarchical differences at work, everyone is on the same scale, and even better, they are so disciplined that they share a collective responsibility. What does this mean? That it’s up to the parents to educate the children, for example, in a primary school, no barriers, the kid can play outside. If he gets hurt, the responsibility lies with the adults present (passers-by, onlookers, etc.) and the parents, but not with the teacher. The teacher transmits knowledge, he is not there to educate. NB: following this article, 1 in 3 teachers in France decided to leave their country to go to Norway.
Meal management
In France it’s three meals, in Norway it’s four: breakfast in the morning, lunch at around 11am, dinner at 4pm and finally the second dinner at around 9pm. Why is that? Because when it’s -30 in winter, it’s better to eat a lot to keep your strength up and allow your body to fight the cold properly. I say this as if it was as simple as possible … I lived 6/7 months in Finland, I never managed to get used to the hot meal at 4pm; but, I recognize that it is not only useful, if not appreciable when it is very negative temperatures. Despite the Gulf Stream, temperatures, especially in the North, are sometimes freezing.
evenings
If in France we have the worldly alcohol and the easy terrace, we have to wait until the weekend to get drunk in Norway. But here, watch out champion: when we have an aperitif, they get their heads turned upside down at the weekend, and that, regardless of age. So don’t be surprised to see people of all ages waiting for a drunken taxi on the streets of Oslo at the weekend. It’s just that in Norway, you only do weekends. On the other hand, don’t forget that Norway is very (very, very) expensive, so arm your bank account before you go, otherwise you’ll get bored quickly.
There are others, but we’ll spoil it all for you, because travelling is also about adventure; to go to Norway: contact us!