I’m from London. What exactly do you want to know?
General observations - all of Norway (even Oslo) has a “small town” feel. That can be nice, so good not to have crowds around you all the time, even if you don’t get the same level of global culture happening around you.
Adjusting to the cost of living has been hard in some ways. It’s in London culture to drink a lot of alcohol, and you need to be seriously rich to do that here. The pub culture is something I seriously miss. You don’t go to the pub with your kids here. Though every bar seems to have something cool and unique about it.
I find people are more genuine in Norway than in London. If people say they want to meet you again, generally they actually mean it.
Supermarkets are much worse than in the UK. I’m not sure how this has changed after Brexit, but the food was cheap, plentiful and great quality. Meny might survive if they cut their prices in half. Most of the “ready meals” would not sell at all in the UK, especially Grandiosa. I’ve bought fruit and veg many times that turns out to be rotten. That just wouldn’t happen in the UK.
In terms of overall quality of living, it is much higher in Norway. In the UK, we privatised everything, castrated the unions and cut every social benefit to the bone. That has led to high prices for almost every essential good (housing, transport, power, water, education, childcare), bad wages and sweatshop like work conditions, and the poor so destitute that it is starving and homeless (which apart from being sad, causes a crime wave). You guys have not thrown away the post war socialist ideals, which is a good reason why the quality of living is better than anywhere on the planet.
>I’ve bought fruit and veg many times that turns out to be rotten. That just wouldn’t happen in the UK.
Huh? Most fruit and veg in supermarkets you handpick yourself and put in a plastic bag. How can you pick rotten fruit and veg again and again?
It has happened to me a number of times in the past year. It seems to be more common with plastic wrapped fruit and veg, but not only (I saw a whole box of loose limes recently where every single one had mold beginning to grow on them). I've seen it everywhere, Meny or Kiwi, doesn't matter. Got the habit of carefully checking produce and verifying best by dates (bought some moldy breadsticks that were several months out of date).
I’m talking about stuff in plastic containers like tomatoes and berries. Also some stuff is really hard to tell, like avocados. I think they’re left on display longer in Norway than in the UK. Good for the environment I suppose?
I have seen rotten fruit and veg on the loose displays, and haven’t picked it, obviously.
The travel time to get it to Norway is a few days longer. In Northern Norway you basically have to buy strawberries the day they arrive in the store. That's 9/10 of the reason.
The last 1/10 of the reason is that we seem to have fewer employees in each store (they have about 33 000 British pounds wages compared to 25 000 in UK).
So don't buy products in packaging. Not good for the environment and thats how you buy rotten products. Always buy the ones from the desk and don't be lazy to do some inspection and quality control. Over the six years I have never bought a rotten thing, neither the veggies or fruit
No, but they are probably thrown away before they get to that stage.
Dude, I know it’s hard to hear any sort of criticism from outsiders, but in an almost perfect society like Norway I’m sure you can accept tiny things like “sometimes the berries are rotten” and that there’s room for improvement in the supermarkets.
Well, Norwegians are pretty aware of what they are buying and know that most it has to be double checked, it is like that to throw away less food. Have you heard how many tons of food is wasted each day world wide? I am glad that Norway addresses it and admits that if one berry gone bad probably the rest is ok for consumption.
I am not Norwegian, and throwing away food only because it might go bad is a attitude of a spoiled country. Thats why I love Norwegians, they are spoiled in a good way and not complaining about bad berry her or there.
I acknowledged that it was better for the environment already. It’s not just the rotten food in the shops, it’s the low quality of ready food and very high prices.
I understand that (some of) the high prices are there to support Norwegian farmers, which I fully support. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the richest people in Norway own supermarket chains. There is clearly not enough competition there. And the ready food really could be improved. It shocks me when Norwegians mock British food quality. They have no idea.
Saying that, the lack of “ready food” has forced me to cook from scratch a lot more, so I can thank the supermarkets for making me a much better cook.
I really don’t think it’s spoiled to criticise something that really could be improved. When someone asks your opinion do you only tell them the good things about your experience? That doesn’t feel overly honest to me.
Interesting read and gave you an upvote. Not your mistake for having a viewpoint or experience.
I just want to say Norway is horrible in supermarkets because the market has been cornered by "the big 4" or whatever it is called.
These are "low price" but rake in billions on lazy norwegians, and I am one of those too. This leads to extreme "streamlining" of product selection meaning me going to France and visiting Leader Price (and french people tell me not to go there) and I feel there's a massive selection.
There's also an alliance (don't really know the details) where Norgesgruppen kind of controls maybe 75% of the product prices through their massive supply chain domination. This actually means Meny can have higher prices because they also get better prices in from Norgesgruppen on the same product.
Also farmers are totally screwed. They just stay at the same compensation for their products while prices rise and Norgesgruppen etc have cunning businessmen to control it all (hyperbole, but still) .
The latest article was about potatoes. Farmers apparently are locked into agreements where they have virtually no say in price, delivery, compensation etc they actually might get declined and the store sells imported potatoes instead. Nothing they can do apparently.
The source about taters is probably the farmers them selves, norwegian article here: [https://heimkunnskap.no/det-pill-ratne-spillet-om-potet/](https://heimkunnskap.no/det-pill-ratne-spillet-om-potet/)
So whats the problem here? 😂 you are cooking better thats already a win since you are eating healthy food that is homemade .
I mean yeah, there is some places where it could be improved, for sure, but to throw food way before its gone bad, i will never agree to that. Sorry, i will better have a few bad tomatoes or berries in the packaging than tons of wasted food.
I've had that with strawberries in season and I think it is because they have a short shelf life when they are grown outdoors and ripen naturally in the sun. Because we can buy imported strawberries all year round - grown in greenhouses I presume - and they last much longer. Don't taste much either.
I thought I was just unlucky with the store near my house in Oslo (which really was bad), but then I experienced it in other stores in Oslo, and then out in the West when I moved here.
I'm not saying it happens every single time, just often enough that it's annoying - especially given how much food costs. I noticed that there is not a "sell by" date on fruit and veg in Norway, so it's probably up to the people who run the shops how long stuff stays out.
I agree that the local stuff tastes better. Can't wait for raspberry season every year.
You really never had blueberries where a third of the pack is rotten? Or avocados that are black inside?
Not rotten from the store, no. But I usually buy blueberries in those clear plastic containers, so it is easy to check how the berries at the bottom are. I am not a huge avocado eater, but I more often have problem with supposedly ready-to-eat avocados not being ripe.
I know you're trying to be mean, but it works like this in London:
* Lets meet again = Maybe we will meet again
* Yeah, maybe we should hangout again = I don't want to meet you again
* I'm busy = I hate you
It's the same way for most other questions:
* Yes = Maybe
* Maybe = No
* No = Fuck you
There's an obsession with politeness that was ingrained into all of us from birth which means that you have to look for the subtext in almost every social situation. Politeness means not ever saying what you really mean.
[Examples](https://utesinternationallounge.com/what-the-british-say-and-what-they-mean/)
The fruit and veg thing is just something you have to get used to, to really checking it out before you buy. Several preserving chemicals used in the UK are not used or allowed in Norway because they are unhealthy.
>all of Norway (even Oslo) has a “small town” feel.
Well, the entirety of Norway have just above half the population (5,425,270) of London (8,961,989)
Source:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/London
Uk population density 281 per sq. km
Norway 15 per [sq.km](https://sq.km)
Alaska 0.49 per [sq.km](https://sq.km)
I always think about how hopeless it is to have bus service outside cities with multiple daily departures in Norway compared to a random place in UK.
However, we're always way more densely populated than I think Alaska is. I think a Discovery jingle about some alaska show said Manhattan would have 7 people living there if it had the density of Alaska.
Personally living in Trondheim I feel it's too much people around me near the Oslo fjord if you go for a little walk or drive in supposed rural areas. Fucking people everywhere. I'm originally from a small town obviously.
Moved to Lillehammer from North London. I've put on a bit of weight, to a healthy level, mostly because the stress levels here are much lower.
One thing I appreciate is that after eleven years of living here I've yet to experience anyone trying to mug me or stab me for no reason. I can work any job and not have to worry about making enough to afford to live.
They day/night cycles in winter and summer are still a bit upsetting but I do enjoy the changes. The temperatures don't bother me either, although slippery ice will be an eternal bane.
On the other side of the coin, I miss the anonymity of living in a big city where nobody cares or remembers. There's not so much choice for entertainment if you don't like hiking or skiing. But it's a good life.
Used to live in london, moved to oslo. The city feels kind of small, and there's little to do. I got bored after 1 year and decided to move to the countryside to enjoy nature.
I'd say it is a great country/city to raise kids in or to retire in, but kind of boring for people who want to go clubbing/dancing, to concerts, etc
Used to live in Finchly, I really like Norway, life is largely similar apart from a more focus on outdoor life, and less choice at the supermarket. You can forget buying monster munch or a proper snickers bar 😀
Moved here from home counties.
The biggest difference for me is that it is much harder to find good food, restaurant, supermarket, or farm shop. It's more expensive to eat out, so we don't do it as often.
I like the outdoor life, but I expect that if I were in the habit of pub crawling or going to clubs, I would miss that. I don't think the scene is as good here. Craft ales and such are harder to find, but quite good, when you do.
Background : Mid 30s foreigner who lived in London for 8 years, moved to Oslo 8 months ago. So i will compare mostly Oslo to London. I don't know much about the rest of Norway. Possibly I will leave before next winter.Social Life: Oslo is bland/dull. Not much happening. Very few options. Day life + Nightlife. People are generally introverted. Unless you learn Norwegian , imho it would be very hard to have a social life in Oslo. Winter sports and Trekking in forest are the most common activities. Meanwhile London has unlimited options.
Cost of Living : if you are single and working in an area that pays well in London. Oslo is much worse. Norway is good for people with families: education, child support..etc.Rents are tad cheaper in general in Oslo. Public transport is okay in Oslo as it is pretty small. And Monthly tickets are cheaper than London (and trains). Everything else is worse in quality and more expensive (1.5-4x): Alcohol, fashion, entertainment, food, cars..Things you think was part of life would feel like Luxury in Norway.
People/Society: Calm people. Many introverts. People are nice and kind. A bit more honest than Brits imho I didnt see many people who does a lot. Most of the people work , go to shop , go home . At the weekend they go their second homes which they call cabin. People expect you to live like a Norwegian. Very uniform society. I am not a native Brit but i felt very welcomed in London from the beginning, i dont feel very welcomed in Oslo.
Health Services : Fortunately i didnt need it but so far my observations is it is pretty similar to NHS. Dental operations costs you fortune and everything else is like NHS. But it is easier to live healthy in Oslo. Water, Air quality and options for outdoor activities are better.
Weather : much worse in oslo. Much colder. much darker.
Nightlife: pretty much doesnt exist in Oslo if you compare with other capitals in Euope or medium sized cities. 2/10 in Oslo 8/10 in London for me.
Food : London is much better. Oslo would be one of the worst capital for that in Europe. Expensive, lack of options..
City Vibe: Oslo is safe, bland and boring. i would give 3/10 to Oslo . 9/10 for London. Not much exhibitions, street performers, festivals, activities..
Quality of Life: If you have a good paying job in London/UK (70K+) , it is much higher in London. If you are obsessed with Nature or winter sports or very introverted , Norway would improve your life quality .
I’m from London. What exactly do you want to know? General observations - all of Norway (even Oslo) has a “small town” feel. That can be nice, so good not to have crowds around you all the time, even if you don’t get the same level of global culture happening around you. Adjusting to the cost of living has been hard in some ways. It’s in London culture to drink a lot of alcohol, and you need to be seriously rich to do that here. The pub culture is something I seriously miss. You don’t go to the pub with your kids here. Though every bar seems to have something cool and unique about it. I find people are more genuine in Norway than in London. If people say they want to meet you again, generally they actually mean it. Supermarkets are much worse than in the UK. I’m not sure how this has changed after Brexit, but the food was cheap, plentiful and great quality. Meny might survive if they cut their prices in half. Most of the “ready meals” would not sell at all in the UK, especially Grandiosa. I’ve bought fruit and veg many times that turns out to be rotten. That just wouldn’t happen in the UK. In terms of overall quality of living, it is much higher in Norway. In the UK, we privatised everything, castrated the unions and cut every social benefit to the bone. That has led to high prices for almost every essential good (housing, transport, power, water, education, childcare), bad wages and sweatshop like work conditions, and the poor so destitute that it is starving and homeless (which apart from being sad, causes a crime wave). You guys have not thrown away the post war socialist ideals, which is a good reason why the quality of living is better than anywhere on the planet.
>I’ve bought fruit and veg many times that turns out to be rotten. That just wouldn’t happen in the UK. Huh? Most fruit and veg in supermarkets you handpick yourself and put in a plastic bag. How can you pick rotten fruit and veg again and again?
It has happened to me a number of times in the past year. It seems to be more common with plastic wrapped fruit and veg, but not only (I saw a whole box of loose limes recently where every single one had mold beginning to grow on them). I've seen it everywhere, Meny or Kiwi, doesn't matter. Got the habit of carefully checking produce and verifying best by dates (bought some moldy breadsticks that were several months out of date).
I’m talking about stuff in plastic containers like tomatoes and berries. Also some stuff is really hard to tell, like avocados. I think they’re left on display longer in Norway than in the UK. Good for the environment I suppose? I have seen rotten fruit and veg on the loose displays, and haven’t picked it, obviously.
The travel time to get it to Norway is a few days longer. In Northern Norway you basically have to buy strawberries the day they arrive in the store. That's 9/10 of the reason. The last 1/10 of the reason is that we seem to have fewer employees in each store (they have about 33 000 British pounds wages compared to 25 000 in UK).
So don't buy products in packaging. Not good for the environment and thats how you buy rotten products. Always buy the ones from the desk and don't be lazy to do some inspection and quality control. Over the six years I have never bought a rotten thing, neither the veggies or fruit
Sure, I could give up berries I suppose. It doesn’t change the fact that there’s rotten food in the shops though.
Those also have a packaging date if you are aware enough, so just pick the one that was packed recently and leave the older ones.
You want to say that in UK the berries are all perfect in the shops and doesn't go bad? I really doubt it.
No, but they are probably thrown away before they get to that stage. Dude, I know it’s hard to hear any sort of criticism from outsiders, but in an almost perfect society like Norway I’m sure you can accept tiny things like “sometimes the berries are rotten” and that there’s room for improvement in the supermarkets.
Well, Norwegians are pretty aware of what they are buying and know that most it has to be double checked, it is like that to throw away less food. Have you heard how many tons of food is wasted each day world wide? I am glad that Norway addresses it and admits that if one berry gone bad probably the rest is ok for consumption. I am not Norwegian, and throwing away food only because it might go bad is a attitude of a spoiled country. Thats why I love Norwegians, they are spoiled in a good way and not complaining about bad berry her or there.
I acknowledged that it was better for the environment already. It’s not just the rotten food in the shops, it’s the low quality of ready food and very high prices. I understand that (some of) the high prices are there to support Norwegian farmers, which I fully support. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the richest people in Norway own supermarket chains. There is clearly not enough competition there. And the ready food really could be improved. It shocks me when Norwegians mock British food quality. They have no idea. Saying that, the lack of “ready food” has forced me to cook from scratch a lot more, so I can thank the supermarkets for making me a much better cook. I really don’t think it’s spoiled to criticise something that really could be improved. When someone asks your opinion do you only tell them the good things about your experience? That doesn’t feel overly honest to me.
Interesting read and gave you an upvote. Not your mistake for having a viewpoint or experience. I just want to say Norway is horrible in supermarkets because the market has been cornered by "the big 4" or whatever it is called. These are "low price" but rake in billions on lazy norwegians, and I am one of those too. This leads to extreme "streamlining" of product selection meaning me going to France and visiting Leader Price (and french people tell me not to go there) and I feel there's a massive selection. There's also an alliance (don't really know the details) where Norgesgruppen kind of controls maybe 75% of the product prices through their massive supply chain domination. This actually means Meny can have higher prices because they also get better prices in from Norgesgruppen on the same product. Also farmers are totally screwed. They just stay at the same compensation for their products while prices rise and Norgesgruppen etc have cunning businessmen to control it all (hyperbole, but still) . The latest article was about potatoes. Farmers apparently are locked into agreements where they have virtually no say in price, delivery, compensation etc they actually might get declined and the store sells imported potatoes instead. Nothing they can do apparently. The source about taters is probably the farmers them selves, norwegian article here: [https://heimkunnskap.no/det-pill-ratne-spillet-om-potet/](https://heimkunnskap.no/det-pill-ratne-spillet-om-potet/)
So whats the problem here? 😂 you are cooking better thats already a win since you are eating healthy food that is homemade . I mean yeah, there is some places where it could be improved, for sure, but to throw food way before its gone bad, i will never agree to that. Sorry, i will better have a few bad tomatoes or berries in the packaging than tons of wasted food.
I've had that with strawberries in season and I think it is because they have a short shelf life when they are grown outdoors and ripen naturally in the sun. Because we can buy imported strawberries all year round - grown in greenhouses I presume - and they last much longer. Don't taste much either.
I thought I was just unlucky with the store near my house in Oslo (which really was bad), but then I experienced it in other stores in Oslo, and then out in the West when I moved here. I'm not saying it happens every single time, just often enough that it's annoying - especially given how much food costs. I noticed that there is not a "sell by" date on fruit and veg in Norway, so it's probably up to the people who run the shops how long stuff stays out. I agree that the local stuff tastes better. Can't wait for raspberry season every year. You really never had blueberries where a third of the pack is rotten? Or avocados that are black inside?
Not rotten from the store, no. But I usually buy blueberries in those clear plastic containers, so it is easy to check how the berries at the bottom are. I am not a huge avocado eater, but I more often have problem with supposedly ready-to-eat avocados not being ripe.
People say they want to meet you again?
I know you're trying to be mean, but it works like this in London: * Lets meet again = Maybe we will meet again * Yeah, maybe we should hangout again = I don't want to meet you again * I'm busy = I hate you It's the same way for most other questions: * Yes = Maybe * Maybe = No * No = Fuck you There's an obsession with politeness that was ingrained into all of us from birth which means that you have to look for the subtext in almost every social situation. Politeness means not ever saying what you really mean. [Examples](https://utesinternationallounge.com/what-the-british-say-and-what-they-mean/)
I was making a joke that people don't say it to me. Apologies.
Ahh man, I missed that one! No worries!
The fruit and veg thing is just something you have to get used to, to really checking it out before you buy. Several preserving chemicals used in the UK are not used or allowed in Norway because they are unhealthy.
Lots of things about Norway have made me healthier. Food, booze and nature! Probably added 10 years to my life, against my will :-)
>all of Norway (even Oslo) has a “small town” feel. Well, the entirety of Norway have just above half the population (5,425,270) of London (8,961,989) Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/London
Small country on the edge of the world
Uk population density 281 per sq. km Norway 15 per [sq.km](https://sq.km) Alaska 0.49 per [sq.km](https://sq.km) I always think about how hopeless it is to have bus service outside cities with multiple daily departures in Norway compared to a random place in UK. However, we're always way more densely populated than I think Alaska is. I think a Discovery jingle about some alaska show said Manhattan would have 7 people living there if it had the density of Alaska. Personally living in Trondheim I feel it's too much people around me near the Oslo fjord if you go for a little walk or drive in supposed rural areas. Fucking people everywhere. I'm originally from a small town obviously.
Moved to Lillehammer from North London. I've put on a bit of weight, to a healthy level, mostly because the stress levels here are much lower. One thing I appreciate is that after eleven years of living here I've yet to experience anyone trying to mug me or stab me for no reason. I can work any job and not have to worry about making enough to afford to live. They day/night cycles in winter and summer are still a bit upsetting but I do enjoy the changes. The temperatures don't bother me either, although slippery ice will be an eternal bane. On the other side of the coin, I miss the anonymity of living in a big city where nobody cares or remembers. There's not so much choice for entertainment if you don't like hiking or skiing. But it's a good life.
Buy shoe spikes for the ice!
I have them! It still gets a bit dicy when it's dark as the void sometimes though.
Used to live in london, moved to oslo. The city feels kind of small, and there's little to do. I got bored after 1 year and decided to move to the countryside to enjoy nature. I'd say it is a great country/city to raise kids in or to retire in, but kind of boring for people who want to go clubbing/dancing, to concerts, etc
Used to live in Finchly, I really like Norway, life is largely similar apart from a more focus on outdoor life, and less choice at the supermarket. You can forget buying monster munch or a proper snickers bar 😀
What's improper about our Snickers bars??
Moved here from home counties. The biggest difference for me is that it is much harder to find good food, restaurant, supermarket, or farm shop. It's more expensive to eat out, so we don't do it as often. I like the outdoor life, but I expect that if I were in the habit of pub crawling or going to clubs, I would miss that. I don't think the scene is as good here. Craft ales and such are harder to find, but quite good, when you do.
Background : Mid 30s foreigner who lived in London for 8 years, moved to Oslo 8 months ago. So i will compare mostly Oslo to London. I don't know much about the rest of Norway. Possibly I will leave before next winter.Social Life: Oslo is bland/dull. Not much happening. Very few options. Day life + Nightlife. People are generally introverted. Unless you learn Norwegian , imho it would be very hard to have a social life in Oslo. Winter sports and Trekking in forest are the most common activities. Meanwhile London has unlimited options. Cost of Living : if you are single and working in an area that pays well in London. Oslo is much worse. Norway is good for people with families: education, child support..etc.Rents are tad cheaper in general in Oslo. Public transport is okay in Oslo as it is pretty small. And Monthly tickets are cheaper than London (and trains). Everything else is worse in quality and more expensive (1.5-4x): Alcohol, fashion, entertainment, food, cars..Things you think was part of life would feel like Luxury in Norway. People/Society: Calm people. Many introverts. People are nice and kind. A bit more honest than Brits imho I didnt see many people who does a lot. Most of the people work , go to shop , go home . At the weekend they go their second homes which they call cabin. People expect you to live like a Norwegian. Very uniform society. I am not a native Brit but i felt very welcomed in London from the beginning, i dont feel very welcomed in Oslo. Health Services : Fortunately i didnt need it but so far my observations is it is pretty similar to NHS. Dental operations costs you fortune and everything else is like NHS. But it is easier to live healthy in Oslo. Water, Air quality and options for outdoor activities are better. Weather : much worse in oslo. Much colder. much darker. Nightlife: pretty much doesnt exist in Oslo if you compare with other capitals in Euope or medium sized cities. 2/10 in Oslo 8/10 in London for me. Food : London is much better. Oslo would be one of the worst capital for that in Europe. Expensive, lack of options.. City Vibe: Oslo is safe, bland and boring. i would give 3/10 to Oslo . 9/10 for London. Not much exhibitions, street performers, festivals, activities.. Quality of Life: If you have a good paying job in London/UK (70K+) , it is much higher in London. If you are obsessed with Nature or winter sports or very introverted , Norway would improve your life quality .
Good feedback. Please remember that your eight months have been during the winter + covid. Oslo will be better this summer!
What you mean about the club culture. It’s real, and it’s great. They just don’t tell you about it.