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Oslo, Norway Data Sheet
#1

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Hi guys.

I have been reading the forums for a while but never actually posted anything. So I thought I would give something back to the community during my lunch break, because lunch breaks in Norway usually last for an hour and a half.
I did a search for Norway data sheets and couldn’t find much. Most probably because “travelers” will have a hard time affording a sex / partying vacation in Norway.

I came here from Australia about 2.5 years ago because I wanted to live in Europe, work and travel. However there was no way I was going to work for less than 30€ an hour, and since I am not a banker headed for Switzerland, Norway seemed like the only choice.

There is a lot to say about Norway, almost none of it is good.
I’m no novelist so a lot of this will probably come out like a list or some kind of rant. But hopefully I will give you the information you will need if you are headed for Oslo.


Money

The Norwegian Kroner is reason enough not go to Norway. $1USD = 6 kroner. What can you buy for that? Fucking nothing! What can you buy for $5USD? Fucking nothing!
No matter how rich you are, everything here costs more than you would like to pay for it. Especially when the quality is worse than most third world countries.

A Big Mac meal at Mc.Donalds will cost you about $19.
A beer in the supermarket will be about $10 and in the pub, anywhere from $14 - $19. If you want something good (something from a different country) then you are definitely paying more than $20

If you have a Norwegian bank account, there is no bank fees here. There is no transaction fees when using a card, or using a different banks machines and there is no minimum transaction amount. This means that nobody carries cash. I don’t even remember what Norwegian currency looks like, it has been years since I have seen it.
But this does not stop the streets being filled with gypsy beggars.

Language

Its written almost exactly the same as Danish, though it sounds nothing like it. It sounds a lot like Swedish and is written nothing like it.
It’s a pretty easy language to learn as far as learning languages goes. Although you would be wasting your time as the only subject anyone ever talks about is the weather and on the rare occasion, traffic (2 years in this job and I have had the same conversation every day at lunch time).
Absolutely everybody speaks English to a very high standard.

People

Generally they fucking suck!!
You know when you go to America and you hear people saying “Yeeaah America is the best country in the world man!” and you are just like “Cunt, do you even own a passport?”
Its even worse than that because the people are so narrow minded.
The locals all stay friends with the same people they went to school with, and that is it. They rarely make new friends and they will rarely go out for a beer with their colleagues.
After 2.5 years of living here, ALL of my mates here are other foreigners.
Roosh hit the nail on the head when he wrote something about The law of jante in his book Dont bang Denmark.

Being fat is very unpopular, which is one of the good things. That’s a result of fast food joints being few and far between, having ridiculous opening hours and being too expensive anyway.

Racism is wildly accepted. I thought everyone in Australia was really racist, well they are. But here in Norway, nobody has a problem with being openly racist. It’s not even a swear word to say “nigger” and it’s not uncommon to hear it coming from your boss at the lunch table.
Pretty much all foreigners are looked down upon, unless you are white and come from a cool country, or another Scandinavian country. Which I thought was weird considering foreigners make up about 50% of the work force here and all the locals do is sit in office jobs.

Another standard rule you must remember is that if somebody asks you “how do you like Norway?” Lie your ass off!
If you say one bad thing about Norway (even if it is 100% true). They will have a look on their face like they have been butt-fucked whilst chewing on a lemon. They will seriously hate you for it and never give you a chance to redeem yourself. The people here are living under a bubble.

Most people from up in the mountains (what you would normally consider a hillbilly or redneck), they are usually the more laid back and fun people. Because they don’t subscribe to the typical Norwegian lifestyle (because its fucking boring) and they have to make their own fun by any means necessary.

Norwegian people are very different when drunk. Its normal to meet some people when you’re out, talk with them, get along with them and have a good time. But if you walk past them in the supermarket the next day, they will just avoid you and go back to being socially retarded. Or just ignore you all together.

Safety

It’s a really safe place. I have not even heard of someone being mugged here. I have never seen a bar fight or even any form of masculinity here in the last two years. Once Vikings, now just a bunch of pussies.
Although petty crime is huge here on account of Norway not having a justice system, but its mainly just bike theft from foreigners.

Accommodation

There aren’t many hostels around because most tourists here are old people taking a 2 week vacation. But expect prices to be more than double anywhere else.
ALL the hotels are the same. They are all basic and expensive. There is nothing that I would recommend when it comes to accommodation.

Going out

Regardless of it being winter or summer, the bars are empty until 11pm and they close at 3am. This can be very beneficial if you don’t mind being squashed in a small bar with no room to move at all.

I could list bars to go to, but they are all pretty much the same; small, smelly and overcrowded. No one bar stands out from the others.
The areas with the most bars in Oslo are called Grunerløkka and Bogstadveien.

A typical Norwegian night out starts with a pre-party at somebodies apartment. Bring your own beer from the supermarket, it only costs about $45 for a sixpack of local swill that nobody likes. Then everybody drinks as much as they can before heading out at around 11pm. They line up to get into some small bar, and once they get in they only buy one or two $18 beers after that.
There are no other alternatives, it’s the same across the whole country. All the bars are small, there is no clubs, just bars and pubs that will most certainly disappoint you.

But it’s not all bad! Think about it.
Anywhere else in the world, you would go out on a Friday, maybe from 7pm until close, perhaps the same on the Saturday, and then maybe some beers on the Sunday. All up, the common party animal or sex maniac (or whatever you want to call it) will be out drinking and chasing pussy for up to 25 hours a week.

In Norway, they only have 3.5 hours a week, and they are just as horny as you are.
Also worth noting, is that in Norway it’s not frowned upon for women to have a one night stand. It has been normal for as long as they can remember.

So the girls are happy to have a one night stand, but they only have 3.5 hours every week to find someone. All you have to do is keep the girls attention until they close the bar and it’s on!

Prepare for a hangover. Something in the beer here makes it taste like shit and gives you a headache the next day 100% of the time. It is seriously the worst beer in the world.

Shopping, Alcohol and Restaurants

If you like variety, Norway is not the place for you.
Norway is not part of the EU, there is no free trade agreement with Norway. Which means there is import taxes that nobody wants to pay. So everything here is locally made, which is usually a good thing, usually.
There are pretty much 4 mens clothes shops, 4 womens clothes shops, 4 shoe shops, 4 sports shops, 4 hardware shops and 4 supermarkets. Every shop sells exactly the same stuff as the next one. Prices may vary, but no more than 10 kroner.

The supermarkets are awfull. They have the bare essentials. The fruit and vegetables are always about 1-2 days away from being thrown in the bin. It’s not uncommon to find rotten vegetables in the supermarket. I think it has been about 1 year since I last ate a piece of fruit.
the only foods that are of excellent quality are the milk and the bread.

Buying alcohol is fucked. You have to plan ahead. Beer is sold in the supermarkets until 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends.
Liquor is sold in a separate shop until 5pm on weekdays and 3pm on weekends. The standard price for a bottle of liquor is around 400 kroner which is about $72.
Also, don’t even think about bringing some across the border from Sweden, that carries a 10 year jail term if you bring more than 1 six pack of beer or 1 bottle of liquor.

All the restaurants are very average. High prices and average food. There is a reason why Norway is not known for its cuisine.
The only place worth recommending in Oslo is called Amundsens Bryggeri & Spiseri. Hundreds of beers from all over the world and great food. But bring your credit card!

Getting around

The one thing they do right here is public transport. Until midnight when it all shuts down.
Buses go everywhere in the country and are always on time.
There is a metro train system, trams and buses all throughout the city and there is bus stops and tram stops just about every 200 meters (I guess they don’t like to walk far).
Any trip within the city is going to cost you about $5. It’s expensive.
I personally haven’t paid for it, ever. If I get caught, they start writing me a ticket and ask for ID, I give them my passport and play the stupid foreigner card. If I don’t have a local social security number, they can’t fine me.

The Women

This is the one thing that is not disappointing in Norway. It’s the first thing I noticed when I arrived.
Practically all of them are attractive. I would say that fat chicks and uglies make up about 10% of all the women in Oslo. None of them are into that self mutilating crap either.
They all go to the gym or exercise a lot in groups. This is because any other recreational activities like going to the movies or going out for a meal or a beer is too expensive and unaffordable. So in the summer, you are in for a real treat.

The women don’t really dress up like eastern European women do. It’s just standard H&M clothes. They don’t usually put on a lot of makeup either. They usually already have good skin and a nice face.

So the best part about them is; when you go out drinking, there are hot girls everywhere. They are all out to get laid just like you are. So when you’re talking to some girl and she turns out to be a snobby bitch, that’s fine. You just go and talk to the next girl. No doubt she is going to be very attractive also. The girls here know this.
Its not like in America, UK or Australia where if a girl is hot, then all the guy will be chasing her no matter what her personality is like.
Here, it’s not enough to be good looking, she has to be a nice person and good to talk to if she wants to get laid.

As I said earlier, women are not shamed out of one night stands, its normal here. But you WILL catch Chlamydia. Every single one of my single friends here have said “I never had an STD in my life… Then I came to Norway”.
It even says in the Newspapers here that Norwegians are the worst when it comes to sexual health. Almost all young people in Norway have Chlamydia at some point.
Going to the sexual health clinic is quite a treat also! It’s just full of hot girls!

Approaching is very easy in Norway. Once they are drunk, they are friendly and they like to show off how good they are at speaking English.
But the women are quite humorless, or at least they don’t pick up on jokes told in English.
Another good thing is that they never get attached. I often describe them as soulless / humorless, prom queens. Don’t expect to hear from them after you have slept with them. Even if they find out that they have infected you with Chlamydia.

The women here possess no housewife skills either. They can’t cook for shit, they never clean and they will fuck up all of your clothes if they attempt to do laundry.
It’s like they have given up and just accepted that their only skills in life are riding on cock and pumping out babies.

Activities

Everything is too expensive.
Norwegians most common hobbies are hiking up the mountain, sitting in a cabin on the mountain, going to the gym / exercising with friends and sitting in a park in the summer. This is because it’s free.

Cross country skiing is really popular: If I had to guess, I would say it’s because you don’t have to pay for a lift pass and you get to dress up like a dickhead.

Going out to a restaurant is usually only done once a month, alcohol is only drunk on weekends, going to the movies isn’t so popular and having all your friends over for a party is usually only done once a year.

I keep myself from going insane by snowboarding as much as possible and drinking a lot of Tax-free alcohol.

Drugs

If you go to any music bar or hipster pub, you will usually find people outside smoking joints.
You will also see junkies dealing heroine, shooting up on the side of the road and OD’ing on street corners.
That’s basically all there is in Norway

Relocating here and getting work

Basically you are going to need a shitload of money, a good attitude and someone to help you out whilst you are getting fucked over and over by the worlds most incompetent bureaucratic system.

About 90% of expats here are here for a Norwegian girl. The rest are engineers in the oil & gas industry and then there are a few dumb asses like me.

So the general rule for being allowed to live in Norway is that you need to have a job. Once you have a job, you can stay. If not, you have to leave after 3 months (I don’t know for how long) or after 6 months if you have an EU passport.
I don’t know if this means just crossing the border to Sweden or actually getting your passport stamped and dated somewhere else.
I didn’t bother with any of that shit. I am pretty sure I lived here illegally for about 4 months. But there was no way to prove that I didn’t leave and re-enter the country.

So anyway, without a job contract you have no rights in Norway. You can’t get a tax card, residency permit, or a bank account.
This is stupid, because who the hell is going to hire some dirty foreigner who doesn’t even have a residency permit in the first place?!

So when you finally get a job contract, you take it to the immigration department and the bitch working there doesn’t know what to do because you aren’t Swedish, Polish or a refugee and she has never seen that before. So she will make up some bullshit just to make you leave and come back another day. After doing this about 6 or 7 times, you get your paperwork that says you can live in Norway and you get a social security number.
Then you can get a bank account and drivers license and all that crap. But the staff at those places are just as retarded and you will have to keep on going back, trying different employees every time until someone just does their job properly.
This whole process takes about 4 – 6 months and you would have spent all the money you had saved up before coming to Norway.

BUT now you have all the same rights as a local.
Everything in Norway is run like a socialist workers union. All the rules when it comes to working and getting paid, are set in stone. You will always get paid fairly, you will always get paid penalty rates, you can take as much paid sick leave as you need, you can’t get fired without 3 written warnings (and you need 3 verbal warnings to get a written warning), you can take 9 months of holidays if you have a baby, 5 weeks of holiday pay plus public holidays, the list of benefits goes on and on.
There is no work ethic at all, a normal day is 7.5 hours where at least 2 of those hours are coffee breaks.
It is probably the best country in the world to work in.

Summary

The girls are hot, and will be have one nights stands with you easily, but they are boring and will give you Chlamydia.
It’s too expensive to come here for longer than a weekend and enjoy yourself.
Go to Sweden instead because the best part about Norway is the departure lounge.

The less fucks you give, the more fucks you get.
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#2

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

It is so weird to hear that Chlamydia is very common in a country is well developed and people are well educated.
I think they cannot afford to buy cheap stuff like condoms [Image: smile.gif]
Widely accepted that infected person shouldn't have sex 2-3 weeks after cure but i don't think norwegians follow this rule.

Do you have some daygame tips?
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#3

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

haha, love it [Image: biggrin.gif]

Quote:Quote:

Norwegian people are very different when drunk. Its normal to meet some people when you’re out, talk with them, get along with them and have a good time. But if you walk past them in the supermarket the next day, they will just avoid you and go back to being socially retarded. Or just ignore you all together.

This is very true. It makes it a bit difficult to get new friends.

I don't agree with everything you've said, like the racism and conversation part, but you paint a fairly correct picture of Norway.

What kinda people do you work with who can't handle that you don't like Norway?

Don't agree with the no fighting. Fights outside and inside clubs are very common in many Norwegian cities. Taxi stands can also be a dangerous place.

Quote:Quote:

Going out to a restaurant is usually only done once a month, alcohol is only drunk on weekends, going to the movies isn’t so popular and having all your friends over for a party is usually only done once a year.


Is this what you do or how you see Norwegians?
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#4

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Not sure how accurate it all is, but is certainly entertaining and fairly well written. Crazy how expensive everything is...I assume that part is true.
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#5

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 10:22 AM)Menace Wrote:  

Not sure how accurate it all is, but is certainly entertaining and fairly well written. Crazy how expensive everything is...I assume that part is true.

It is crazy expensive, but our wages are also high. This makes Norway an excellent country to travel FROM.

I have mondays off, and I still LIVE LIKE A KING! [Image: tongue.gif]

For me, that is having an apartment in the city, a good car, and the money to go out and have fun. I don't think I would be able to live this life anywhere else in the world. Bonus: I love my job.
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#6

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Entertaining rant OP.

What about spots? Any data to share on venue selection? Favorite day game locations?
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#7

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Ha I had to laugh at this. Good humor!

Brings back some memories, especially dealing with residency permits and the girls there not having a clue what to do with me because she
Quote:Quote:

doesn’t know what to do because you aren’t Swedish, Polish or a refugee and she has never seen that before.

I should pay you to do a data sheet on a few other places as well. Like where I live and maybe Bangkok.
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#8

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

While entertaining I'd give the OP more credit if he could have stayed objective.

The chlamydia epidemic is obviously exaggerated. The chlamydia rate in Norway is actually lower than both the US and Australia.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats12/chlamydia.htm
http://www.fhi.no/eway/default.aspx?pid=...70:1:::0:0
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/...10Jun+2012

Along with lines such as "something in the beer gives you a hangover" this rant mostly sounds a lot like bitterness to me.
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#9

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Is it really so bad? OP you paint a very grim picture of Norway. Maybe you have gotten into a boring routine? I can't really comment as I haven't spent much time in Norway and never Oslo, but it seems like there should be more benefits to living there than what you stated..
Maybe you can give some venue/club information?
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#10

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 07:15 AM)wishmakerman Wrote:  

Do you have some daygame tips?

Day game tips are a hard one because it changes depending on the season and weather.

In the summer you will find that everybody is a lot more open and friendly.
Everybody is usually at an inner city park and there will be hot girls spread out all over the place in bikinis. It might actually be worth visiting Norway just to see this.
I usually just go up to girls in the park and ask them if they have some sun cream. They are usually shocked that I am speaking english and then they ask "Where are you from?", and then the question "how do you like Norway?" almost always follows. Then talking about Norway usually keeps them happy.
As boring as it sounds, starting a conversation about the weather will go a long way. Norwegians LOOOOVE talking about the weather.

The 9 months of the year where it is cold and miserable however are a different story. People just want to get from work, to home where it is nice and warm. Day game is almost impossible outdoors.
But there are lots of cafes that are filled with gorgeous women meeting their friends.

There is one thing that has ALWAYS worked...
I don't know how to describe being on public transport here. You would find more life in a grave yard.
Most people would rather stand up on the bus or train for 20 minutes, rather than sit down next to a stranger. They will do whatever they can to avoid contact with a stranger.
So If I see a hot girl on her own on the bus, I go up to her and first say "is it alright if I sit here?" whilst I'm already sitting down. They will say yes out of politeness. but I quickly add "I know how you locals usually freak out about sitting next to random people" and 10 times out of 10 the girls has said "ohh no I'm not like one of those typical Norwegians" and then they usually carry on to seek your validation.


Quote: (02-10-2014 10:16 AM)freshcream Wrote:  

haha, love it [Image: biggrin.gif]

Quote:Quote:

Norwegian people are very different when drunk. Its normal to meet some people when you’re out, talk with them, get along with them and have a good time. But if you walk past them in the supermarket the next day, they will just avoid you and go back to being socially retarded. Or just ignore you all together.

What kinda people do you work with who can't handle that you don't like Norway?

Don't agree with the no fighting. Fights outside and inside clubs are very common in many Norwegian cities. Taxi stands can also be a dangerous place.

Quote:Quote:

Going out to a restaurant is usually only done once a month, alcohol is only drunk on weekends, going to the movies isn’t so popular and having all your friends over for a party is usually only done once a year.


Is this what you do or how you see Norwegians?
Norwegians... These are the people that can't stand to hear a bad word about their country. No matter how factual it is.

Pretty much every time I have even heard a story about people fighting here. It has been about people that are from out in the country side, coming to a major city to drink and then they get into fights.

But I still think its soo uncommon compared any other place I have been.

As for the going out part. That is how I see Norwegians.
Most people earn roughly the same, there are barely any people here. So nobody can really afford to go out for dinner / drinks more than a couple of times a month.


Quote: (02-10-2014 12:25 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

While entertaining I'd give the OP more credit if he could have stayed objective.

Along with lines such as "something in the beer gives you a hangover" this rant mostly sounds a lot like bitterness to me.


There was a shit load of bitterness in this rant. But any expat here will tell you the same information. Its all we talk about! How much we dislike the place.


Quote: (02-10-2014 02:47 PM)RenewalMan Wrote:  

Is it really so bad? OP you paint a very grim picture of Norway. Maybe you have gotten into a boring routine? I can't really comment as I haven't spent much time in Norway and never Oslo, but it seems like there should be more benefits to living there than what you stated..
Maybe you can give some venue/club information?

It is a grim place mate. For 9 months of the year it is very grim. The 3 warm months on the other hand, the place is very different.
Almost all expats will tell you the same things. We all liked it for the first year or so. But after that, the little things start to build up and get to you. The simple things like:
Why can't I buy anything on a Sunday?
Why can't I buy alcohol when I want to drink it?
Why can't I order anything on the internet without having to pay a 40% tax on it?
Why is the quality of the fresh produce so bad?



As for Venue information:
Here are my top places to go

1) Horgans
Nice bar, bigger than most, but they will squeeze as many people in as possible.
Downstairs there is lots of places to sit and a dancefloor.
Pretty much every friend I have here, has gotten laid at that place more than once.

2) Soliis
In a richer part of town. It has a mix of higher class women and your average women looking for a rich man
Its not a big place, nothing fancy. But it is known for always being filled with hot girls that like to dress up a little more than your average local.

3) Bjørungs
It is just another bar. _A little better than most. But on Fridays it is filled with people having after work drinks.
It is almost always filled with a good selection of women

4) Stratos
The only real nightclub in Oslo that is open all year round.
It sits on top of one of the socialist workers party office building. Its a big nice venue. But as it is one of the only nightclubs in the whole city, you get a real mix of people up there.

In the summer, there is lots of bars down by the harbor called Aker Brygge. They are always filled with people trying to get some sun and some drinks.
But apart from that. All the other bars are pretty much the same. None of them really stand out.

The less fucks you give, the more fucks you get.
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#11

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

To be fair, some US states also have these laws where you can't buy alcohol on Sunday and you can't buy liquor and beer in the same place AND you have to go to separate store for alcohol; can't just buy in grocery store.
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#12

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

It appears I mistook bitterness for a good sense of dark humor.

While I laughed while reading this, in my mind I was translating this to be tongue in cheek.

I thought the dark Norwegian humor was rubbing off.
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#13

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

I think the OP has an axe to grind.

I visited Oslo a few years back and had a great time, I didn't feel a hint of racism. To be honest I got a lot of love and found the people pretty chilled.

The place is crazy expensive, $28 for a salmon burger at my hotel.

The population is not too large, so I am sure you have that small town attitude. I wouldn't rush back there but I can think of a lot of worst places to be and the women are sexy.

I wish people would stop quoting facts about diseases, I wonder how many dudes on here have something they are unaware off.

Our New Blog:

http://www.repstylez.com
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#14

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

I read it all in the voice of Jim Jeffries. Quality reading time.

You take vitamin D?

A lot of BS and a lot of truth.

Funniest part:

Quote:Quote:

Cross country skiing is really popular: If I had to guess, I would say it’s because you don’t have to pay for a lift pass and you get to dress up like a dickhead.

Wrongest part:

Quote:Quote:

Also, don’t even think about bringing some across the border from Sweden, that carries a 10 year jail term if you bring more than 1 six pack of beer or 1 bottle of liquor.

To get a 10 year jail term you need to murder a small village.

Since you actually ARE bitter then I will gladly tell you to go back home to Australia if you don't like it. You came by your own will. My country isn't there for you to get free $ (that's my axe to grind).
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#15

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

I also didn't get a hint of racism even I was in Oslo two summers ago. of course there are a lot of immigrants but everyone was more along the lines of "aww those poor refugees don't know any better" and not "I hate those Somalis"

I will agree that most nordswill pretend like they don't know you later. But I met a group of girls one night and saw them the next day an they were just as friendly. I met a lot of random people that were sober and friendly actually.

I bought a bunch of alcohol at the airport before I came into the city. I already knew that liquor stores were state run.

also. where do you shop. I went to the grocery store inside the train station or whatever in the city center and everything was fresh...expensive...I gazed on fruit and pastries and even opened a bag of cheese in the store..nothing was old [Image: biggrin.gif]

it's been said in other parks. I can day game in the city center or the grynnerlokka park/market
at night..You can play stand outside bar game. women were hitting on me walking around late at night. sloshed.

I remember a girl passed out drunk on the tram .I've heard police will take people home.
I had a girl straight give me her address with her phone number so I could come over.
and it wasn't a race thing..I'm black and my friend is white. We both had the same experience.


two interesting things I did see was the Viking museum and the Nobel prize museum. the whole theme while I was there was restrepo.

besides that, yea..the city is pretty boring. one weekend was more than enough time to literally see everything in Oslo

I am the cock carousel
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#16

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Dupe
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#17

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Funny report I like your writing style.

What kind of work do you do? And as you clearly don't like it there, why do you stay?
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#18

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 03:41 PM)spalex Wrote:  

It is a grim place mate. For 9 months of the year it is very grim. The 3 warm months on the other hand, the place is very different.
Almost all expats will tell you the same things. We all liked it for the first year or so. But after that, the little things start to build up and get to you. The simple things like:
Why can't I buy anything on a Sunday?
Why can't I buy alcohol when I want to drink it?
Why can't I order anything on the internet without having to pay a 40% tax on it?
Why is the quality of the fresh produce so bad?

All of these things are also problems in Sweden but I actually really enjoy myself here. The attitude of the people is also the same. However, Oslo is also smaller than Stockholm (around 550,000 versus over 1,000,000 people), so I'm sure that has some effect.. Granted Norway is more expensive, but if you're getting paid in NOK its comparable to living anywhere else, and trips abroad become very inexpensive.

Besides that, I hear what you're saying, but I still think that your distaste for Norway may have something to do with the fact that you've gotten into a bit of a rut yourself. Do you regularaly train and take vitamins/supplements (vitamin D especially)? How about hobbies and such?

I'm not trying to be a dick here but it seems like you have the wrong attitude and/or friends... I hung out with a group of expats for a week or so who just shit all over Sweden and the culture in the same way that you're doing to Norway and to be honest, it brought me down. Needless to say I distanced myself from them and now I surround myself with people who enjoy life and the country, culture, and people here.

Just trying to share some perspective man. Everything is what you make of it.


Also, Thanks for the venue information! Will be sure to visit some of those places when I make it up to Oslo.
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#19

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-11-2014 04:31 AM)draguer Wrote:  

Funny report I like your writing style.

What kind of work do you do? And as you clearly don't like it there, why do you stay?

I work with electrical generators that power oil platforms. I engineer the safety systems.

At the moment the only reason why I am staying here is to save money. Which isn't even a good enough reason to stay as I am sure I could save more money by working in another country where I would earn less.

It is just the easiest thing to do right now. Re-locating takes a lot of work to get set up. Doing the whole immigration thing, learning the language, finding accomodation and finding work.

I plan on leaving after the summer. So I am just trying to save until then.




Quote: (02-11-2014 04:35 AM)RenewalMan Wrote:  

Quote: (02-10-2014 03:41 PM)spalex Wrote:  

It is a grim place mate. For 9 months of the year it is very grim. The 3 warm months on the other hand, the place is very different.
Almost all expats will tell you the same things. We all liked it for the first year or so. But after that, the little things start to build up and get to you. The simple things like:
Why can't I buy anything on a Sunday?
Why can't I buy alcohol when I want to drink it?
Why can't I order anything on the internet without having to pay a 40% tax on it?
Why is the quality of the fresh produce so bad?

All of these things are also problems in Sweden but I actually really enjoy myself here. The attitude of the people is also the same. However, Oslo is also smaller than Stockholm (around 550,000 versus over 1,000,000 people), so I'm sure that has some effect.. Granted Norway is more expensive, but if you're getting paid in NOK its comparable to living anywhere else, and trips abroad become very inexpensive.

Besides that, I hear what you're saying, but I still think that your distaste for Norway may have something to do with the fact that you've gotten into a bit of a rut yourself. Do you regularaly train and take vitamins/supplements (vitamin D especially)? How about hobbies and such?

I'm not trying to be a dick here but it seems like you have the wrong attitude and/or friends... I hung out with a group of expats for a week or so who just shit all over Sweden and the culture in the same way that you're doing to Norway and to be honest, it brought me down. Needless to say I distanced myself from them and now I surround myself with people who enjoy life and the country, culture, and people here.

Just trying to share some perspective man. Everything is what you make of it.

Also, Thanks for the venue information! Will be sure to visit some of those places when I make it up to Oslo.

Oh, I am the first person to admit that I have a shitty attitude about the place.
But it is very hard not to.

As for getting paid in NOK, this isn't nearly as much as an advantage as it sounds, or as locals would have you believe.
If your pay is 30% higher, than the living cost if 50% higher

I do train 2-3 times a week, take fish oil and Centrum and I try to go snowboarding after work 1-2 times a week (that is the best part).

I go take the train to Gothenburg 3-4 times a year and this is going to be hard for you to believe, but Sweden is a fuck-load better.
I don't know how an imaginary line in the sand can make such a difference.
But the things that I instantly notice are diferent in Sweden is that the people are A LOT more laid back, relaxed and friendly. Recreational activities are a lot more affordable.
food and drinks are a lot more affordable and pubs, bars and cafes generally have a lot more life in them in sweden.

The less fucks you give, the more fucks you get.
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#20

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 02:47 PM)RenewalMan Wrote:  

Is it really so bad? OP you paint a very grim picture of Norway. Maybe you have gotten into a boring routine? I can't really comment as I haven't spent much time in Norway and never Oslo, but it seems like there should be more benefits to living there than what you stated..
Maybe you can give some venue/club information?

Norway (or at least Oslo) sucks pretty badly. Loads of slutty girls, but personally I wouldn't want to spend more than a weekend here or there.

If it's money you're after, you'd be better off going to Switzerland. Swedish-equivalent prices with Norwegian-style salaries. And lower taxes obviously.


And whatever you do, don't go to Stavanger.
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#21

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Greetings fellow Viking =)

A lot of truth in your post. When I came home from 5 months in SEA, I felt like I entered a library! However, there is a lot I love about this country as well. But as an engineer, Norway is the country who earns less compared to other wages in the world, statistics borrowed from my ass. A taxi driver/teacher earns roughly the same amount in the first few years.

I have to disagree about the racism here, saying the n-world is highly unusual.


... Why not go to Stavanger?
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#22

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-11-2014 01:34 AM)Norset Wrote:  

Since you actually ARE bitter then I will gladly tell you to go back home to Australia if you don't like it. You came by your own will. My country isn't there for you to get free $ (that's my axe to grind).

He's a working productive member of Norwegian society, is he not? You're kind of making the Op's point for him about Norwegians being irrationally defensive when foreigners discuss legitimate problems in the land of trolls.
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#23

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

I remember I paid $50 for a pizza in Oslo. But had some GREAT experiences in the countryside through a local connection I met while traveling abroad. Got to crash her house and go party in the summertime in a fjord. Was pretty sweet. They literally drank ALL DAY till late at night. So many blondes. Too bad logistics fucked it up and my game was absolute shit back in the day.

If i were Norwegian, I'd do the typical live with parents, save up all the salary and go to a cheap country during the winter time. As an american, quite jealous how pretty much in most countries the youth get to mooch off the parents for free rent until they get married. Hence lots of guys blowing their whole salary on alcohol and non-essentials. Be happy you are a citizen of such a prosperous country.
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#24

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 04:35 AM)spalex Wrote:  

About 90% of expats here are here for a Norwegian girl.

Here's your problem.

You hang out with guys that make it their purpose to land their unicorn.
For obvious cultural reasons only a scant few are actually going to end up with a Norwegian girl.

As a result they become embittered and they bitch about how wrong the place is. That negative energy will undoubtedly be passed on.

Cut out these losers.
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#25

Oslo, Norway Data Sheet

Quote: (02-10-2014 03:45 PM)Menace Wrote:  

To be fair, some US states also have these laws where you can't buy alcohol on Sunday and you can't buy liquor and beer in the same place AND you have to go to separate store for alcohol; can't just buy in grocery store.

In my experience, it's worse in Norway. I was in a town of 50k people and they had only 2 state-run liquor stores, and they closed at 3pm on Saturdays. The locals I spoke to said liquor is so expensive that some university students resort to drinking moonshine.

Also, I'm not sure if it's still the case, but a bartender told me it's illegal to serve a double cocktail (like a screwdriver with 2 shots of vodka), because it's too easy to get drunk (never mind that such a cocktail costs a sobering $20). People get around it by ordering a single cocktail and a shot of vodka, then pour the shot into the cocktail after they've been served.
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