[Sourcecode]

I paid like 20 bucks for a hamburger and a coke at a 7/11

No one has mentioned it yet here..But Norwegian chicks..at least in Oslo were pretty thick.
Some of the widest hips and fattest asses ive seen on women in europe.
of course they are also taller and sometimes wider than say..polish chicks or something.
But I was really surprised with how plump their butts were

[El Rey]

Call me different and weird, but OP's data sheet actually made me want to visit Norway, even though Norway has already been on my radar for a little while.

[Norset]

(02-11-2014 01:58 PM)SpecialEd Wrote:  

(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.

Norway is a funny place. Most lower- middle-class jobs are subsidized by socialism (via the oil); you are paid much more than what your labor is actually worth in another Western country. So having such a job allows you to save up much more $ than in another country. E.g. a grocery store employee is paid 20+ dollars an hour. Therefore, "free" money.

[Vicious]

(02-13-2014 12:56 AM)Norset Wrote:  

Norway is a funny place. Most lower- middle-class jobs are subsidized by socialism (via the oil);

That's not correct.
It's subsidized by high cost of living. People have been mentioning the prices throughout the entire thread.

[spalex]

(02-13-2014 12:56 AM)Norset Wrote:  

(02-11-2014 01:58 PM)SpecialEd Wrote:  

(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.

Norway is a funny place. Most lower- middle-class jobs are subsidized by socialism (via the oil); you are paid much more than what your labor is actually worth in another Western country. So having such a job allows you to save up much more $ than in another country. E.g. a grocery store employee is paid 20+ dollars an hour. Therefore, "free" money.

A grocery store employee is more like on $30-$35 an hour. So is the person who cleans the floors at the grocery store.
A university graduate will be on $40 an hour.

Neither of these people will be saving more than 15% of their monthly income.
Which in another reason why I think this place is shit.

People in most other european countries will also be saving about 15% of their monthly income. But the difference is that these people will be going out for dinner 2 nights a week, going out drinking 2 nights a week, they will be able to have a bottle of wine with dinner during the week and they can go out and do social activities with their friends. they are actually enjoying life.

Norway is more like "hey you want to go out to the movies and then grab some beers?"
"Noo, I did that last week, its out of my budget"

Or my reply is usually more along the lines of:
"Fuck, did you win the lottery or something?"

[spalex]

(02-13-2014 02:09 AM)spalex Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 12:56 AM)Norset Wrote:  

(02-11-2014 01:58 PM)SpecialEd Wrote:  

(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.

Norway is a funny place. Most lower- middle-class jobs are subsidized by socialism (via the oil); you are paid much more than what your labor is actually worth in another Western country. So having such a job allows you to save up much more $ than in another country. E.g. a grocery store employee is paid 20+ dollars an hour. Therefore, "free" money.

A grocery store employee is more likely on $30-$35 an hour. So is the person who cleans the floors at the grocery store.
A university graduate will be on $40 an hour.

Neither of these people will be saving more than 15% of their monthly income.
Which in another reason why I think this place is shit.

People in most other european countries will also be saving about 15% of their monthly income. But the difference is that these people will be going out for dinner 2 nights a week, going out drinking 2 nights a week, they will be able to have a bottle of wine with dinner during the week and they can go out and do social activities with their friends. they are actually enjoying life.

Norway is more like "hey you want to go out to the movies and then grab some beers?"
"Noo, I did that last week, its out of my budget"

Or my reply is usually more along the lines of:
"Fuck, did you win the lottery or something?"

[Vicious]

Would those "other European countries" be Spain, Italy or perhaps Greece?

[RenewalMan]

Since reading this datasheet and being very skeptical of it, Ive talked to several people who have lived in Oslo and/or spent a lot of time there. They all confirmed spalex's stance, though most without the same vitriol. Every person I've talked to has confirmed that the feeling in Norway is completely different (in a negative way) from that the feeling in Sweden.

However, this is probably only true in the winter months. I think spalex alluded to this in the OP. So am I correct to surmise that Oslo is quite pleasant in the summertime? Most people who visit Scandinavia or Norway from the forum will be doing so in the summertime, so I think it's important to distinguish.

[Saga]

RenewalMan Wrote:

So am I correct to surmise that Oslo is quite pleasant in the summertime?

I passed through there in spring...it was "nice", but that's it, nothing in particular to do or see. So yeah, boring and overpriced would be my description, and other cities in the region (Stockholm, Helsinki...) are far better destinations.

[unbowed]

The recurring theme is that Oslo is insanely expensive. I wonder how similar the second tiers like Bergen or Trondheim are. There's a Bergen datasheet from 3 years back, but I'm not sure if it's still relevant. Looks like a quaint city to visit.

One time I met up with a group of Norwegian girls from Oslo at this hipstery bar/restaurant/club thing in nyc. Got there just as they were settling their bills. 5 girls, $400 bills each. I had no idea what they ordered except seeing 'truffle pizza' on one of the receipts. They weren't even drunk so it couldn't have been the alcohol.

It seems hard to justify a ticket to Norway from the States unless it's part of a greater journey to see other spots. I like to get a feel for a city instead of weekend warrioring it. But I just can't see myself spending more than a week in Norway, for the sake of my wallet's health . I've read Sweden isn't that much cheaper, but say a 3 week trip, 1 in Norway, 2 in Sweden would be a hefty bill indeed.

[rudebwoy]

Call me a travel snob, but I like the fact the place is expensive. I don't want to see fellow Canadians when I travel, although I ran into a few Americans the times I visited Sweden.

Norway is a nice looking and clean country, in Oslo I saw a lot of nice chicks and they were friendly to say the least. If you like Scandinavian women (what's not too like) then it is worth a visit. I went around November time, Gore had just won the Nobel Peace prize.

[shotgun]

Oslo seems too expensive even for Scandinavian standards. Other capitals like Reykjavik and Helsinki seem to offer better value for the tourist.

[spalex]

(02-13-2014 03:03 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

Would those "other European countries" be Spain, Italy or perhaps Greece?

I can't say for sure as I haven't lived / worked in any of those countries.

But I can say that the other countries I have lived and worked in: Australia, Afghanistan, England and Germany. That I earn't less money, but saved more. I also partied, ate out, drank and had fun a lot more. (excluding Afghanistan of course).

(02-13-2014 02:48 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

Call me a travel snob, but I like the fact the place is expensive.

There is nothing wrong with that. Most people are happy to pay more, IF you are going to get your monies worth.
I would be happy to pay a lot for a good meal on the Swiss Alps.
But in Norway you do not get any value for your money.
Paying $45 for a pizza that is no better than your average pizza hut is not on anyone to-do list.

[Sourcecode]

whoever said they like places to be expensive sounds irrational.
there are places all over the world that don't have tourist. even in Prague you can leave the tourist area and not hear English all week.

I didn't meet one English speaker my whole week in Budapest.

expensive places really aren't worth it .
I want to knock down this myth that Oslo is a good place to visit.

it really isn't...you will be bored out of your mind ..if you really want to bang one...go to where they vacation.

also..I've been asked by young players on the board.
if you are under 24. Oslo is NOT worth it.

you may be able to buy hard alcohol at 20. but I never even found the state run stores that you can but it. they close at like 6pm anyway.
every bar you go to well have a age limit of like 23. some 25.

the places closest to the university will charge you something like 15 dollar cover...to a dive bar. then you still have to pay 10 bucks for a cup of beer.

I walked right past the student bars.

the only way Oslo would be worth is if you have lots of contacts there.. s Norwegian that might pay your bills.

the weather also sucks most of the year.

to be honest..I had a better time in Copenhagen...and that should tell you a lot

[Vicious]

(02-14-2014 04:20 AM)spalex Wrote:  

I can't say for sure as I haven't lived / worked in any of those countries.

But I can say that the other countries I have lived and worked in: Australia, Afghanistan, England and Germany. That I earn't less money, but saved more. I also partied, ate out, drank and had fun a lot more. (excluding Afghanistan of course).

I don't doubt it. The people of Norway has simply chosen a more sustainable economic model. Which they gladly pay for. Downside being that ex-pats/tourists in the country are not reaping the full benefits of the high cost of living.

(02-14-2014 10:13 AM)Sourcecode Wrote:  

whoever said they like places to be expensive sounds irrational.

There's a point to it. It's not easily understood by people who try to keep costs down when they travel. But it's one of the same reasons I love NYC. You're keeping the general hostel hopper away from venues. Of course, it doesn't make a place good to visit by itself.

[rudebwoy]

@Sourcecode - I was the one who stated that I like expensive places, no doubt the prices are through the roof and there is no value. If I want value I can go to an all inclusive hotel in the caribbean or better yet Thailand.
Prague is played out with tourists, how many discount airlines go there? How many horny euro guys flock there? Budapest is a great city with some interesting sights, but the talent is alot lower than Oslo.
I am not saying Oslo is a world class city, it is however worth a visit if you have a few bucks in your pocket. Most young guys wouldn't be able to afford going there for a week, I myself went there for a few days when I lived in London. I also found the girls decent looking and friendly, the girls I hung out with would be 8 or 9's in my city (Toronto).

[loveblondes]

(02-11-2014 02:14 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

(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.

Not to forget they probably expect to game and have the same responses in norwegian women as they do back home.

[BlondeChaser]

(02-16-2014 05:01 PM)loveblondes Wrote:  

(02-11-2014 02:14 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

(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.

Not to forget they probably expect to game and have the same responses in norwegian women as they do back home.

Exactly. Norway and gaming European chicks isn't as easy as showing your ass up in a 3rd world southeast asian country.

If you can't get laid in the states with at least a 6 occasionally, you ain't going to do much better in Europe. South America / Asia, perhaps, depending on the type of girls you like.

Then you hear people complaining how xx city is shit.

But in terms of travel arbitrage Norway is probably the worst in the world (use that big mac index). Much better places to live for the money.

Socialism is great when you a have a small population with a big natural resource with decent leadership. I would kill to be a Norwegian.

Oslo girls were DEFINITELY stunning though. I was in paradise on a short visit hop. Use the SAS "youth" flights if your under 26. Save a lot of money on last minute flights.

[spalex]

A little side story:

I was in Warsaw this weekend. I was getting fucked-in-half drunk at the Tortilla Factory when I noticed something.

As soon as I walked in I noticed it was a very international place. I was ordering a drink when I noticed that the guy next to me was from New Zealand and he was talking to three Australian girls. There was a group of British guys behind me, and a group of British guys to my left.

I decided to talk all of them. Telling them that I was considering moving the Poland and I wanted to know what they did for a job and how they got by.

Without even asking if they enjoyed it there, all of them said "Yeeah man it's awesome, you should definitely make the move....."

I thought to myself. I have never suggested that anyone should move to Norway.
I asked 6 of my expat mates here, they all said that they have never told their friends that they should move to Oslo.

I have heard "Yeah its awesome here, you should come and move to London, Prague, Stockholm, Hamburg, Lisbon, Vienna"

But never have I heard "Yeah, you should move to Oslo"

[jasond]

I've been thinking of visiting Oslo later this spring, and found a seemingly great low-priced hotel. It's called CityBox, and they offer rooms in both Oslo/Bergen for less than $100/night. If anyone has had experience with them, please chime in.

http://citybox.no/?lang=en&loc=Oslo

[rudebwoy]

(02-17-2014 05:58 AM)spalex Wrote:  

A little side story:

I was in Warsaw this weekend. I was getting fucked-in-half drunk at the Tortilla Factory when I noticed something.

As soon as I walked in I noticed it was a very international place. I was ordering a drink when I noticed that the guy next to me was from New Zealand and he was talking to three Australian girls. There was a group of British guys behind me, and a group of British guys to my left.

I decided to talk all of them. Telling them that I was considering moving the Poland and I wanted to know what they did for a job and how they got by.

Without even asking if they enjoyed it there, all of them said "Yeeah man it's awesome, you should definitely make the move....."

I thought to myself. I have never suggested that anyone should move to Norway.
I asked 6 of my expat mates here, they all said that they have never told their friends that they should move to Oslo.

I have heard "Yeah its awesome here, you should come and move to London, Prague, Stockholm, Hamburg, Lisbon, Vienna"

But never have I heard "Yeah, you should move to Oslo"

London is a tough city, it can feel like a grind at times. The weather sucks and so does the food, sometimes you don't see the sun for weeks on end. I was born there and am partial to the place, it is a great hub for visiting places in Europe.
Lisbon is a great city but lacking in females.
Oslo is not that bad, I am sure I would get bored quickly there but that can be said for alot of places.
The quality of girls is higher than most North American cities.

[sheesh]

(02-10-2014 04:35 AM)spalex Wrote:  

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.

Nordic hotties who go out to get laid and put in the effort to be nice to you as there is so much competition from other hot girls...err how could it ever get better than that, lol ?!

[Biologist]

Thanks for the datasheet Spalex. Probably the funniest one I've read on RVF so far!

I'm definitely crossing off Norway from my list of as a potential travel locations.

[DoomsdayIlluztrious]

Great datasheet, laughed out loud a few times. My experience so far is only a week in Oslo, and now a month here in Brekstad.

-I totally believe you on the STD rate. My roommate made out with a couple girls two weeks ago. Has been sporting a fresh herpes breakout ever since. Another guy is complaining of possibly being roofied and it feeling uncomfortable while pissing.

-If Norwegians are racist, they hide it really well. I actually feel like everyone is overly nice. People fighting over whose after party I'll be attending, women approaching you in bars, etc.

On the positive side, I think the nature up here is beautiful. All of the fjords, unspoiled forests, etc. Would love to check it out during the winter.

[Chengiz88]

Great thread. Wanted to add my 2 cents

Met 3 different Norwegian girls in London (planted my Asian flag in 2, lamely missed the 3rd even though it was on) - Def agree with the horny factor mentioned here. These girls are wild, like nothing I have experienced. They are direct and to the point. They drink like crazy and once lubricated are looking for dick. I'm south asian and all 3 girls digged the fact I was different looking from their guys back home. They also loved the fact that I opened them and had swagger in approaching them, while their guys were shy (according to these 3 girls) and would not approach like how me and my boys did.