Annonse
Melting stereotypes — and brunost
They told me Norwegians were cold, but somewhere between the silence and the small talk, that stereotype melted away.
Publisert
Annonse
This is an apropos. Apropos is the free column where Studvest journalists can write about whatever they want. The language is often informal and playful. Note: satire, sarcasm, and irony may occur, and the apropos should be taken with a grain of salt.
At the welcome day in Bergen, we were handed what felt like a survival kit for life in Norway.
Rule number one: don’t say «hi» to strangers — unless you want them to look at you as if you’ve lost your mind. Norwegians are cold and reserved, so don’t expect much small talk (at least not before a few beers).
I heard that line so many times I started to wonder if «emotional distance› was a part of the national curriculum.
But here’s the thing — that’s not what I’ve experienced in Norway at all.
When I first arrived in 2019, I was basically a walking Duolingo owl with a dream. My mission: order a waffle with brunost — in Norwegian. I nailed my line (I think), and the café worker replied with a noise that sounded like a mix of kindness and pure dialect chaos. I didn’t understand a thing.
Annonse
Still, instead of the famous Norwegian silence, she talked to me. A full conversation! And I swear she was Norwegian. And that was only the beginning.
A train to Oslo? Small talk.
A train from Oslo? Small talk.
A hotel in the north? Small talk.
A hotel in the south? Small talk.
Even at a ski jumping hill — small talk.
Maybe my clumsy Norwegian helped. People seemed curious. Or maybe they just wanted to make sure I wasn’t a lost Swede. Either way, I’ve had more random chats here than in countries famous for being friendly. Looking at you, Italy.
So maybe Norwegians aren’t cold — just on «energy saving mode». Because once you get past that frosty intro screen, they’re actually pretty warm.
Warm enough to melt brunost — and definitely a few stereotypes.
