Today was my first day of Norwegian language training, so I'm finally ready to immerse myself in all things Norsk. And even though my departure date is many months away, that hasn't stopped me from learning a little more about this place that will be home for two years. So here is a short list of things that I've learned.
1. It's Spendy!
I don't think I've been able to mention moving to Oslo to anyone without them immediately reacting to the notoriously high cost of living there. Yup, it's one of the most expensive cities in the world, putting even New York, DC, and London to shame. I've become accustomed to price shock here in DC, but I'm not sure you can really prepare for $15 beers and $40 pizzas. A friend of mine referred me to this funny piece that compares prices in Oslo vs. Portland.
1. It's Spendy!
I don't think I've been able to mention moving to Oslo to anyone without them immediately reacting to the notoriously high cost of living there. Yup, it's one of the most expensive cities in the world, putting even New York, DC, and London to shame. I've become accustomed to price shock here in DC, but I'm not sure you can really prepare for $15 beers and $40 pizzas. A friend of mine referred me to this funny piece that compares prices in Oslo vs. Portland.
2. The accent is NOT the same as Swedish
When I was back home I had the privilege of talking to the local Daughter's of Norway Lodge. It was a ton of fun, and my first chance to really talk about my future work to people outside of the government bubble. After my talk, I got a lot of questions about the State Department and learning Norwegian, and somehow got off on a tangent about the differences between Swedish and Norwegian (you could throw Danish in there as well). Having studied Norsk previously, I'm very familiar with the sing-song accent, which differentiates it from the other scandinavian dialects. I even mentioned at some point during my time home that spoken Norwegian sounds a lot like the Swedish chef from the muppets. Apparently the Swedes agree, as detailed in a Slate.com article about the rival languages.
3. The scenery is out of control beautiful
The land of the midnight sun and fjords. Norway is unquestionable a place people visit in order to appreciate nature. As a lover of mountains and water myself, I really can't wait until I can get out there and "gå på fjell." I've even done some research into Den Norske Turistforening (DNT or Norwegian Trekking Association), which manages the hundreds of hytta (cabins) around the country. Hiking is a communal, civilized affair in Norway. A long day trek is rewarded by a night in a clean, affordable cabin where you can share stew and wine with your fellow hikers. The English version of their site is here.
And because I lack pictures of Norway (for a little bit at least), I leave you with this hilarious YouTube video titled, "This is Norway."
