Moving to Norway for Work
As a software engineer I’m thinking of moving to Norway.
Employment won’t be an issue. However, I only know a few Norwegian phrases. How is the English comprehension, especially in a professional context? Will I be able to get by?
I’m also interested in the dating scene, I find Norwegian women in general to be beautiful. Is the dating scene quite different from let’s say American or more Central European? I will eventually be looking for a long term relationship, but as a middle aged, balding guy I might not be the most desirable!
22 comments
[ 0.27 ms ] story [ 55.7 ms ] threadThe dating scene is a bit different, more gender equal perhaps, and plenty of people are into middle aged bald guys. You may have to exercise a lot to keep up with the average citizen though.
Didn't know there's substantial immigration into Norway. Is it as diverse as, say, the United States?
You also have to deal with sunset/sunrise being different from what you are used to, except you are from Alaska or similar high latitude.
Best to travel there first or before making the jump.
[1] https://www.lifeinnorway.net/things-you-must-know-before-mov...
It's on a short list of countries I wouldn't mine laying roots in. I'm American if that makes a difference.
You can browse Finn.no or the who is hiring HN threads.
But if you're planning on living in Norway long term, I strongly recommend making a serious effort becoming at fluent in possible in the language. As in start learning now, take intensive classes while there, set aside 30 mins every day for structured learning, and keep all that up for a few years.
• It's isolating having every new person start speaking to you in Norwegian, then you having to interrupt them and ask to switch to English. A group of Norwegians talking will change languages when you join them, which can make you feel guilty or make you feel less like socialising.
• Many Norwegians are nervous or self-conscious to speak English (even if they speak it better than some native speakers!) so you won't get to experience their true chatty self.
• Children learn Norwegian before English, so if you have kids in Norway with a Norwegian partner you may not be able to communicate with them as well as your partner until they're a bit older. You also won't be able to communicate with your kid's friends or other children.
• Lots of humour, pop-culture, memes, puns, graffiti is gated behind Norwegian.
• If you're looking for a relationship, not speaking Norwegian limits your options.
And finally the obligatory: really think this through. It's a massive life change to live in a new culture, perhaps unimaginably large if you've never done it before. That you find Norwegian women hotter than your local dating pool is (aside from being gross) such a small factor compared to all the differences between your life now and moving to Norway.
Spend a month there in an Airbnb, read the local news every day, follow local influencers/subreddits/tiktockers, watch local tv. Again, the effort of doing all of this is miniscule compared to uprooting your whole life and moving somewhere you have no ties.
I moved to Germany many years ago, and picked up the language along the way.
Yes, people often speak English, but they subtly dislike the burden of translation to be shifted upon them. People became markedly nicer when I no longer needed English, even if I stumbled often.
It's harder to get things done, harder to make friends, harder to know what's going on. You're missing an awful lot of the country's rich cultural context. You end up sheltered in the very real "expat bubble".
As you said, expect to put a lot of work into it. I worked harder than many to learn German, and I'm still ashamed of where I stand. If you start in the expat bubble, your colleagues and your friends speak English, and regular practice is more difficult.
I tell people about as much on my website about moving to Germany. Your comment gave me much better words to explain it. Thank you!
You seem like a nice person, but this phrase comes off as creepy. I would recommend NOT saying things like this if you're looking to meet people.
> I will eventually be looking for a long term relationship, but as a middle aged, balding guy I might not be the most desirable!
This immediately makes me like you! If you end up creating a dating profile, lean into this spirit.
> this phrase comes off as creepy
How could you possibly interpret that phrase as creepy? What's creepy about it?
It's obviously okay to have preferences, but it's safer to stay away from certain phrasings if you want people to feel safe around you.
Ever heard of a concept of compliments? I've been praising appearance of beautiful people since I was a teenager - never once I encountered anyone who would get upset about it.
It's perceived as creepy because it's an odd way to bring up your interest in a country.