American Reacts to What You Should NOT do in Norway
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- čas přidán 2. 09. 2022
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I never thought I would find a list of things you should not do in Norway, but here we are! I am actually extremely interested to learn and react to this video because I don't have any idea about what these things are. Is this a list of things that are against the law.. or merely social customs that you should follow out of respect? I am ready to find out. If you enjoy my reaction feel free to leave a like, comment, or subscribe for more videos like this!
in norway we were really happy when the covid mandatory 6 feet distance ended and we could go back to the regular 15 feet distance between people.
Its all over europe nothing special
What?
It's very windy in Norway, so there's no point in an umbrella when it's raining sideways. It's better to dress appropriately, which is why we have the saying "there is no bad weather, just bad clothing".
The "on and off" thing with rain coming down is basically a West Coastal thing - especially the area
around Bergen. The Eastern part of Southern Norway - and especially the South area : "Sørlandet" -
has usually much more n sunny weather during the relatively short summer months.
Some summers can be very rainy though.
Yeah in Trondheim it’s less intense but it is fairly constant.
Though what he said is kinda contradicting to what he said a few seconds before.
The weather is unpredictable.
So it is useful to have one with you just in case.
In places like Bergen the rain can just come and go so it is more inconvenient to always wear rain clothes, or carry it with you (unless you know there will be rain)
Actually the area I live recently experienced some sudden rain where I wish I brought an umbrella, but I forgot it at home.
(I am in the eastern parts of Norway, relatively close to Oslo)
Also, if its hot out during summer I love walking in the rain without any rainwear. It happens like 2 times max per year.
@@GnosticAtheist It rains like every other day here atm
Working as a waiter in Norway, never heard about an automatic service charge though! I think they tried saying that the prizes are set to account for the higher waiter wages!
Most American server jobs are very, very low wage and you make all your real money through tipping a gratuity paid by customers according to the quality of your food and the service. Which means you have to hustle.
Tipping does not exist in Norway because if it did, then Norwegian servers would starve because they suck at good service, because it is not a government dream job sitting in an office on a computer eating cake and coffee holding meetings to talk about the weather. Which is why the best servers in Oslo are Swedes and foreigners.
@@inquisitor4635 Seriously? This is bs! We were at Peppes just a few hours ago, and had excellent service, so we also tipped him. He was Norwegian.
I’ve also worked as a waitress, and I always got tips. Even when I worked at a hotel as a maid I got tips.
When we lived in Bergen, we went out to dinner at least two days a week. Only time I remember we got bad service was at Dolly Dimple’s. And I let the owner know about it, and we got compensated 👍😉
@@lillm6874 that's awsome i also work at Peppes! On behalft of my coworkers, thank you!
@@martinsevaldson2583 🥰
It’s not a service charge, but a tax called moms.
It’s a tax you pay to the goverment.
So for service it’s 25% added to the price. This goes to the goverment, and not the server/business.
A bad explenation in the video…
In norway we dont expect the tip. Its more for a good gesture if you liked the service or the food :)
My boyfriend moved here from The Netherlands, We live a little North in the country and I've experience the Northen Lights a bunch of times, he naturally was looking forward for the experience, but it took 2 years after he moved here to actually got to experience it himself. The look on his face was pure happiness.
For the tipping, there is no "service charge" in Norway either... You pay the restaurant for the food, and the restaurant pays their workers a fair wage from the get-go.
Yes, but to be nice we always tip 5-20% depending on how “fancy” the restaurant is.
@@AdamHalvo we don't tip in Norway
I’m a Norwegian and I tip in Norway. Both in restaurants where I live and also when traveling around here👍🏼I usually give a little tip to be nice or if the service is extra good. (if it’s possible to add a tip to the amount when paying with a card. I normally don’t carry cash) I don’t tip at McDonalds and typical fast food places, certain bakeries etc. though. Usually in other types of restaurants where we sit down for a nice dinner etc. But not only in «fancy»places.
If you think norwegian waiters pay is fair compared to other norwegian professions, you are in for a surprise…
@@Whiskypapa Not compared to other Norwegian professions, but compared to that of a waiter's salary in almost all other parts of the world. The restaurant industry (except for huge chains and expensive places) generally have poor working conditions with long hours and low pay. However, bigger chains which generally have higher turnovers (such as McDonald's, Domino's etc) do pay a fair wage imo
That "tiny little bus" is an automated bus (aka no driver) that is used for a few specific routes in Oslo.
It must be, cause I’ve never seen it before 😅
@@lillm6874 I think it's still a prototype
7:16 That picture is from Sweden, somewhere in the Stockholm area. It says "Biljetter". In Norwegian it would be "Billetter".
There are exceptions to the don't haggle rule. When buying a car you're expected to haggle. Also for other second hand items it's not uncommon.
🙏 React to: norwegian king's speech - norway is one 🙏 👍😁👍🇳🇴
It should be part of the compendium of life. I would like Norway to abandon monarchy in principle, but King Harald V is awesome.
Yes do react to the kings speech. It's a must.
Always get a tear in my eye when I hear that speach.
Not a fan of us still having a monarchy, but I do love the king. He Truly is a great and kind person
@@silentdeath7847 Hi ther neighbour, greetings from sweden...another Democratic Monarchy....
Our monarch is great and our monarchy shall remain.
Alt for Norge.
We do tip in Norway.
in Norway if you want something stronger than 4.7% you have to go to "Vinmonopolet", where you can get wine, champagne, gin, vodka etc. As for food, Norwegians use their hands for a lot of food, like burger, fries, pizza, hot dogs. Cashless public transport is (at least in my city) a measure against robbery. Instead we have machines you can purchase tickets from, apps, and numbers you can text for tickets. Train to to and from gardemoen is usually cheaper than taxi. TIP, absolutely tip, IF you enjoyed the service. (unless the restaurant/bar doesn't accept tips) Private homes, no shoes, public buildings, keep 'em on. Personal space is beloved by Norwegians. Don't expect to see the northern lights, but it is out a lot in Tromso during October-february, but it can't really be timed and planned.
Takk for at jeg slapp å skrive dette selv 😅👍
@@lillm6874 haha værsågod! 😁
@@TheNemesez La du merke til at han i videoen sa 4,7 grader alkohol?😂
@@lillm6874 ja, beit meg merke i den, men lot den gå😅
@@TheNemesez 👍😂
I have to say, as a Norwegian it is amusing to see your reactions to things we see as being just normal for us.
Have been watching most of your Norway videos here today and really enjoy them :)
If you want to ask anything from a Norwegian born and raised person, feel free to ask me.
if Norway is anything similar to Denmark, which they are in most regards.
The service charge goes to the restaurant which then gives a decent salary to their employees. we don't see it as rewarding the individual worker only as paying the price that the restaurant value the meal and the service they expect to give you. if the worker is not working up to that set standard they are not expected to be keeping their job for long. the other thing is we do not count chatting with the customers as part of the service we just want to be left alone while we eat.
I have run my own pizzeria from 2016-2021 here in Norway(like dominos) In 2017 a new law passed giving restaurant/hotel workers minimum $17 (170NOK) today it is 198NOK($20) per hour. I did not have an extra service Charge on my bills. I mostly had 18-19 year olds and they had a claim of minimum $17. last year when it went up to almost $20 i had to sell the business. Average large pizza (2-3 pers) was about $20-25
@@linkpsto123 I expect that there were other factors that played a role as well, e.g. covid?
@@arne1958 only the first few months of 2020 we noticed a 30% decrease. Summer of 2020 we had more sales than 2019. We saw that more people ordered delivery/take-away. The costs was to high. If an employee made 20 an hour we pay almost 50% of that in tax/innsurance/hollidaypay ect. Headquarters took 10% of our sales, 15-25% sales tax ontop of that. And the business has to pay that, not the customer. (We put the price on the customer, but i have to make sure i pay that every quarter. Around $400k a year in sales. After paying my self $2500 before tax($1800 after) and all expenses i still was at a loss.
Exactly!
@@linkpsto123 well it sounds like a healthy business only issue I see is that when your cost goes up so should your prices to the customer.
The Aurora Borealis depends on the the solar storm activity , and the local weather.
Alcohol regulation is for historical reasons mainly. And the "its not good for you" angle is of course a thing too.
As for the Northern Lights, I lived in Tromsø in Northern Norway and we usually got the Northern Lights an average of twice a week. Of course it is often overcast, so you aren't guaranteed. I have often been in Northern Norway for over a week without seeing any Northern Lights, or other times seeing it most days of the week.
Norwegians aren't against alcohol, it's remnants of a time similar to the US prohibition, where religious types were very anti alcohol in the 20s, originally Vinmonopolet was established to make sure there was access to alcohol everywhere, then the Norwegian prohibition happened, and it remained in some form.
Alcohol is kinda separated in "classes" here, the weak alcohol like most beers, wine coolers, ciders, etc is sold in normal supermarkets, and is available from when you're 18 years old.
Stronger alcohol is only in Vinmonopolet, which honestly isn't at that weird opening times to us as we're used to it, they're similar to banks in when they're open, so if someone needs alcohol on a Friday they just buy on their way home from work, but for these stronger drinks you have to be 20 years old to buy.
But we ain't no prudes when it comes to drinking, it's basically part of our history, to the point that back in the day, farmers were bound by law to always have beer available on their farm to offer guests, and we still have traditions for our "Christmas" celebration where the adults have Akevitt before or after the food (basically aperitif or digestif,) a strange spirit from Scandinavia, originally also known as Aquavit, or Aqua Vitae, water of life.
To quote someone I used to watch online a lot when he tasted it "It tastes like it's been distilled through a sock..." as it's an odd spiced alcohol, I think they use dill seeds or something? and depending on brand, or if it's Norwegian, Danish, or Swedish, various other things like anis, cumin, fennel, etc.
Weird tangent brought to you by ADHD, sorry about that, sometimes I don't erase it and keep it, as it's at least somewhat on the topic. :P (Sometimes it can go way off topic and I just don't post it.)
Edit:
Just realized I put Christmas in quotation marks, it's because we don't technically celebrate it, Christianity instead tried to latch onto existing pagan celebration, so we celebrate Jul, originally a feast at the end of the year to celebrate the sun turning and the days about to grow longer, so they'd have a feast with good food.
Some traditions even kinda coming out of it, like putting out food for Santa, to us it's putting out food for Nissen, a small creature similar to Redcaps, or even garden gnomes, they would cause mischief on a farm, but if you put out food for them, they'd keep your farm safe.
A lot of things have some weird origin in Norse myth, like... Elves and Dwarves, Tolkien took those from Norse myth.
Or the word nightmare, in Norwegian, mareritt, a Mare was a creature that would sit on your chest when you slept, pinning you down, so mareritt literally translates to mare ride, as they ride your chest, likely stemming from sleep paralysis, and the mare part of nightmare coming from there.
...seems even edits aren't safe from ADHD, sorry again.
Fy faen for et reddit-svar. Fedoraen din må være veldig stram!
There is no dill in Akevitt, but «karve» (Don’t know the english word for it). The Gulating law from West-Norway (900-1300, the oldest preserved law in the Nordic countries) demands the brewing of beer. And the restrictions in the sale of alchohol is based on researc that shows there is a link between availability of alcohol and health problems related to alcohol such as liver damage and alcoholism. Norway is fairly low on this compared with other countries😎👍
The prohibition wasn't because of religion, but to prevent farmers from using potatoes and other produce to make spirits. In other words, to make sure food production actually fed the people.
The amount of alcohol when you're russ too
21 is the age not 20
1. Umbrellas get torn to shreds unless the weather is just right. It is more useful in the southeastern and inner lowland parts of Norway; weather is less harsh.
2. Alcohol is expensive. Taxed and controlled. US banned alcohol for a while, we at the time chose a solution that stuck.
3. Do haggle.. but only where expected to; when buying cars, or expensive TVs (You can always get 10% off expensive items in the electrical stores with the green logo; the salesperson is authorized to do that. The manager can do more.)
4. Sandwich thing; they tend to be loaded.. stuff will fall everywhere. Cutlery will always be made available when this is the case, so just use it when it is there.
5. Yeah, just the system.. Pro tip.. bring a debit or credit card and KNOW YOUR PIN CODE.. in most cases it doesn't work without it.
6. no added info needed
7. Do tip, you don't have to, but it is appreciated. It is however not necessary. The place employ and pay them and they get paid regardless.. so the place charges you for having to employ people to serve you. Think of it like their livelihood being secure, but you only add a tip, a bonus, when you are satisfied.
8. obvious
9. IMPORTANT .. if we back away a bit, it isn't because we are unfriendly. Eye contact is more frequent than autistic low levels (I'm autistic). Americans do attempt to keep more eye contact with me than the locals do, but to the locals the difference isn't larger than me being perceived as a bit shy. As an autistic person I get this wrong all the time and stand too close or too far off.
10. Northern lights appear strongly after a solar flare hits Earth and mostly above the polar circle. there's a site named spaceweather dot com that tracks solar flares.
You are such a polite and nice young man. I wish you all the best in life! I live in Norway's southernmost city and last night I saw the northern lights. We are entering a longer period with more northern lights.
There is an exception to the no haggling thing. At used sales, antique markets and yard sales or when discussing similar transactions online, people expect some haggling and will often agree to lower the price as its more pragmatic to get rid of the item right now than sit on it for potentially months. However if their response is no, you just have to accept or leave.
This was not the best information (more of a good advice video)
1. Umbrella: depends on where in Norway you go, some places it's quite windy, but it's more practical to pack a waterproof jacket with a hood.
2. Alcohol is sold if you go to a resturant or club it can be served as late as 1 till 2 am depending on the day, and location (middle of nowhere will often close earlier)
3. Haggling: sure, don't haggle, but go somewhere else than the tourist traps, stores does offer good competition with each other.
4. Don't use your hands: What goes in the US, goes in Norway, its not uncommon to eat sandwiches with you hands as well.
5. Train tickets: we are more electronic, Norway use a lot less cash than US, and an equivalent to Winmo called "vipps" is a well trusted thing run by the DNB (The Norwegian Bank)
6. Taxi is expensive: Public transport is really good in Europe
7. Don't tip: tips are always welcome but the salaries (while not the best) are good enough to survive on- please check out some "worklife in Norway" video -
8. Shoes indoor: What you said
9. Personal space: had a meme about Covid being over where it said "Covid is over, good we can go back to our comfortable 9 feet distance" though, what your view on distance is right.
10. Northern lights: don't go during summer months, then you will only see the midnight sun, and a sun that never sets is actually not as special as Northern lights, but for Americans, I'm sure Alaska have Northern lights as well, with a lot less of a travel cost.
As far as personal space goes in Norway during the pandemic we were all told to stay 2 meters apart. We all got confused and asked why we had to get closer to each other ;)
I believe part of the reason people outside of USA walks more, is because of how USA city planning works.
It's usually designed with driving in mind. Where city planning in Europe might have taken walking into account.
Yup. That's pretty much it. The car is central to everything. One obvious reason is the sheer size of north america so I do understand. It does.. however create unsolvable problems in the bigger cities.
That could be part of the answer for sure, but in Norway it’s also a cultural thing. A lot of people go hiking on weekends for instance, or skiing during winter. Despite of the climate (that isn’t as bad as some people think 😉) we’re an outdoorsy nation
@@kirstenh9865 Hiking is a thing for sure. But that might not be all that relevant when it comes to the day to day stuff. I think even avid hikers would take the car to go grocery shopping (for instance), even if it was less than a kilometer away.
When it comes to the more spontaneous walk around stuff, I don't know if we are all that special here in Norway.
And when it comes to weather...
I don't know if this is just in my head, but I recall Bear Grylls mentioning one of the big obstacles in Norway is the treacherous weather. It can shift rapidly. Our weather reports can be entirely wrong about whats going to happen in the next hour even.
There was some small flooding here (Southern Norway) Friday last week.
It was about an hour of unexpected rain. And then it was over.
This isn't a common thing. But it is a thing we know can happen. And since we are living in it, we might not see this as something special (I don't know. It's hard to see your own blind-spots).
Don't get me wrong... I also think the video exaggerated some of the points. But I guess it could be perceived as a bigger deal for visitors.
Believe me, the Norwegians do love their alcohol 😅
We just buy it when it’s open to buy, no problems with that👍
I live in the southern part of Norway, and for a week now we’ve seen the northern lights. So you can see it in other parts of Norway than in the north, but it’s more rare😊
I don’t haggle if I’m buying food, clothes….but if I’m buying a new tv or something, I assure you that I haggle😁
Eye contact is important, but of course not staring😅
Yes, binge drinking is a problem.
@@inquisitor4635
That’s a problem i many countries, has nothing to do with when we can buy alchol.😉
Yeah but our opening hours for buying alcohol is a bit too strict
You haggle at Elkjøp/Expert?
Think they would get pretty annoyed if i tryed that.
I only haggle at the FarmersMarket i norway.
@@8bloppy8
Selvfølgelig 👍
Ingen problem å prute på elektronikk😅
Sist jeg kjøpte tv så fikk jeg den 1000 kr billigere + at jeg fikk med en blueray på kjøpet😁
Skader ikke å prøve👍
6:30 eating sandwiches with fork and knife is very much about context, and the type of sandwiches.
Like just a normal sandwich, is usually enjoyed without knife and fork.
Sandwich with filling between bered, is commonly eaten using hands.
Some cafés and diners serve sandwiches like a slice of bread and a mountain of topping. They quickly become messy if you dont use knife and fork. Same kind of sandwiches can be served as more casual food at an event/party, then knife and fork can be considered appreciate too.
It's about weighing: setting, convenience, messy
Don't pack an umbrella is not true. Norway has a big mountain crossing the long country on the longest part. Behind the mountain it's safe to use an umbrella, but in places on the west coast it's a waste. In Bergen wind blows together with rain so the umbrella is going to blow away or be ruined, and the rain will find you even below the umbrella because of the wind. In the capital it's usually going to be just fine, unless it's windy as well, which it might be once in a while.
Most people eat pizza and sandwiches with their hands. The alcohol part is true, so is the haggling and tipping part, you don`t have to tip because waiters are paid a fair amount. They also get tips, but it`s usually collected all night and then shared among the waiters at the end of their shifts.
eating with ur hand:
same in sweden, eating burgers/fries with ur hand...NO NO...unless ur a foreginer or a slob.
tipping:
the service charge thay refere to can be either that the tax part is usually printet out on the bill, americans could comfuse this with tip/service charge, in the nordic workers get payed so the prices r slightly higher ofc...so one could say the "service charge" is a part of the prise...but there is rly nothing as a service charge...thats just bolongna..
personal space:
ya same in sweden, and dont stare or be noosy or loud...
During the corona restrictions we had to keep 2m apart,
tankfully its now over so we can go back to our usuall 3m....
We do haggle in used stores or pawn stores.. any day.. also with vehicles.
And any store people put up in the middle of the street.
We eat food with our hands.. sandwiches, chickenwings and any other easy to hold food, it matters on the person.. most people outside cities do not bother too much. Personal space.. we are extremely reserved.. most appreciate people that talk to them, even if they do not like to talk first themselves, they may look startled, but don't think that they are lol.
You will be fully able to buy alcohol. We usually have stores of it at home. Because here the "winemonopoly" (vinmonopolet) is only open 8:30-18 on normal days and 8:30 - 15:30 on Saturdays and closed on Sundays, this is to prevent already intoxicated people from buying more alcohol and getting too drunk
Yeah no Wonder norway is garbage
That red buss is a autonomous electric buss. Being tried out on specific routes now.
I was laughing about point number 3 :D
I have haggled for a lot of things, even PC's in a regular store for stuff like this. There's always a little discount one can get, just asking politely :)
Shopping at Lefdal (which sadly don't exist anymore) was just fun with haggling :)
But otoh it's true, many people here just don't like to haggle.
2. is true, but we do drink, probably more than most Americans do. But it's somewhat more regulated. You can buy as much as you like in opening hours, but in a (somewhat successful) attempt to reduce alcohol consumption you can't have ads of alcohol, and you can only buy them at a store (or vinmonopolet) at certain hours. You can still visit a pub or similar to have a drink until 3 am at the latest, but other than that you have to plan ahead and buy in advance. Alcohol is also significantly more expensive here. a 6-pack (ca. 1 pint each) of beer will cost you 15-20 USD at the store and a beer at a pub will probably set you back 8-12 USD for a pint of pilsner.
3. Haggling at a store isn't going to take you anywhere and would be considered rude. Haggling when buying something from a person directly is fine, but perhaps less aggressively than what you'd see in other countries around the world.
4. is a bit misleading. There's a lot of finger food in Norway. However, eating a burger in a nicer restaurant would be frowned upon by some, and be completely fine by others. If you go to a McDonalds or something less fancy, or street food, eating with your hand is practically mandatory as you wouldn't get any cutlery.
5. We have more or less fully adopted digital solutions. Everyone has a debit card and most likely a credit card, which is usable more or less everywhere. Additionally most public transport companies (split between private and public companies) has an app you can use to buy your ticket. You can use you debit/credit card everywhere and would probably never need to take out cash. I hate having cash, because I forget to use it myself.
7. Tipping is fine, but most people earn a normal wage and there's no "service fee", their wage is included in the cost of the meal. It's quite common to round up to tip at a bar or add 10-15% of the cost if you're at a "above average" restaurant. If you feel like the service was "above expected" it would be considered nice to tip as well.
9. I'd say that when socialising with someone, like a conversation, it would be very similar for Americans. However, we are much more reserved about strangers. We have a mentality of not disturbing strangers. Don't get in their way. So on a bus you'd never sit next to someone if there are places where you can sit where you aren't next to someone. At a stop you'd also be expected to have some distance between each other if possible. You shouldn't talk to strangers either, unless you have to. So asking for directions is fine, but starting a conversation with someone you don't know, without alcohol involved, is frowned upon.
I love these videos cus as an Norwegian i love how other ppl says about Norway ❤️🇳🇴🇺🇸
I have family in Stavanger, beautiful city.
Nice i
I was born there so Nice to know😀
I live in stavanger
You are not automatically giving a tip. In Europe, waiters earn a living wage, which allows them to live decently, and do not depend on the charity of customers. You pay for what you get, and if somewhere you are not well served, the next time you go to another restaurant.
The restaurant owner is the one who must pay his employees, and the customers pay for the goods and services they receive.
When it comes to Northern lights it also depends on the activity on the sun. When there is sunstorm (and of course dark and clear sky) you may see Northern light everywhere in Norway.
Norway is very quick and digitizing our currency. Cash is usually seen as a hassle and many people don't have it. Most people pay for transit through the phone. And cards in stores. And yes, stay away from taxis. They're great, but beyond expensive 😂
You need to listen to an amazing song from Norway!
Sissel Kyrkjebo & Plácido Domingo - Fire in your heart.❤
Yeah. As some commenters have already said:
When it comes to tipping. There's no pre-added tip or service charge. There is a flat cost for the food / drinks etc. And the resturaunt pays the server a decent wage.
If you like the service you got, you usually tip, but it's not mandatory. If you think you got exceptionally good service, you tip more.
If you didn't like the service, you just ask for the bill, pay up straight, and leave, usually without saying anything, and never coming back. If the service was absolutely terrible, you might want to make a complaint, but that is incredible rare.
A resturaunt that keeps their customers happy, usually get repeat customers that help the place stay in buisness.
Another thing that mmany people don't quite know about / don't follow, but it is kind of nice to follow if you do know.:
If you liked the service and food. You bring your utensils together neatly on the plate when done. If you disliked the service or food, intentinally lay them across one another in an X shape.
This is something rare that even the server might not know about. But it's nice to keep in mind the next time you are at a resturaunt.
Fun fact: In Norway, taxis are primarily for drunk people and old people.
"Is that a tiny little bus". No, its a autonomous/driverless bus in Bergen.
i live in the middle of norway and see the norden lights very often. 3 days in a row a few weeks ago
Where I grew up on the Norwegian west coast, umbrellas were mostly useless. Generally, when it was raining, there would be a considerable wind at the same time, making the rain nearly horizontal. If you used an umbrella, you would have to point it dangerously against the shifting wind, instead of holding it above your head. Besides, the lifetime of the typical umbrella would be rather short...
As a Norwegian, this video was, without a doubt, made by someone who hasn't been to Norway but has heard a few things about it and maybe read a buzzfeed article. It varies from somewhat true to plain false. Like the "service charge/tip", that's just tax on services. Tipping exists, but isn't expected, as people in the service industry make enough money to not have to rely on tips.
"Dont eat with your hands" is also just a weird tip. Like a lot of places in the world, you'll get weird looks if you try to eat a rice dish with your hands, but no-one's gonna care if you eat chicken wings, fries, or hamburgers with your hands, or other foods that dont necessarily require a fork.
No haggling greatly depends on where you buy. Anything that already has a set price printed on it generally isn't haggled for. If you're in an antique shop, second hand shop or some kind of market, you could definitely haggle without it being seen as rude.
"Dont expect to buy alcohol" makes it seem like it's impossible to get. You know, apart from the fact you can get it every day of the week except sundays. Unless you can't get out of the house before 6PM. There are liquor stores in almost every town (Vinmonopolet) and they also have online stores.
Dont wear shoes in the house is just common sense. Why would you drag all the dirt from outside inside the house?
Don't get too close. Pretty normal in a country with a population density of 15 people per square km (38 people per square mile)
Don't expect to see the northern lights is partly true. The arctic winter season is from September to March, and increases the visibility (low light conditions, polar nights), but you can see them at any time of the year. The 2 week thing is true though, you'd probably have to stay 4 weeks or so for a good chance at seeing it.
Yeah, I must say I prefer to eat things like pizza or burger with fries using utensils. :) There is no built-in service charge in restaurants. The prices are set and the servers are paid by the hour. But extra good service deserves an extra tip. The good thing about not being tip-based, is you get to eat and enjoy your meal in peace.
The usual tip for service is 10%. That is not included when you pay, but most restaurants present you the price for the meal and let you type in a number you want to pay when you pay, so the customer can decide the tip themselves. Yes, the wages for waiters and other people working in the service industry are higher than in the US, but that is also to compensate for the high living costs here. The 15% or 25% that people are tanking about, that is included in the price for meals etc, is not however tip, but a percentage all businesses in Norway are required to pay to the state if the business has passed an income of approx. 5000usd. The tip that is left by the customers are also not going to the individual taking the payment, but is added up monthly by the restaurant and divided upon all the employees based on their worked hours each month.
7:15 That ticket machine is Swedish, NOT Norwegian. "Tickets" in Norwegian is "billetter", not "biljetter".
7. Don't tip. The service charge will always be included in your bill
Worst bullshit I've heard in a long time. You NEVER EVER have to tip in normal cafes, where you usually order and pay by the counter. At finer restaurants, tipping is a little more common (though not common), but it's ILLEGAL to FORCE you to pay tip / service charge.
8. Don't wear shoes indoors
True for PRIVATE homes, NOWHERE else.
10. Don't expect to see the northern lights
Partially true. If you go to Northern Norway (the more north, the better), you'll drastically increase your chances to see it, BUT you CAN see them almost everywhere. Note that they mostly appear in cold, clear nights, the colder the better chance. And you won't see much in lit cities, you'll need to get away from artificial lights.
Northern lights are most common in the wintertime.
And you CAN see it even in the most southern part, of Norway, but as I said, in cold, clear weather.
I am from Norway and I own several umbrellas. I even use it during winter because I do NOT own a jacket. When you go outside and it snows allot. Then you get extremely wet with you dont have a jacket on and since I dont. I use an umbrella. Cardigan, gloves and a scarf is enough for up to -5c, in my view. Not that I bother even at -10c, but then it some times is a bit cold.
If I’m talking to someone and they don’t make eye contact I find it rude. Off course don’t STARE, but that goes without saying….doesn’t it? 🤔
The alcohol is a health issue. And as you have seen in another video, the welfare system meens that hospital bills are taken care of by the state, so the state try to regulate things that will increase bad health issues. Like alcohol and tobacco. High taxes and reduced opening hours.
Yes it goes in a circle like that. Less alcohol means better health, means less taxes for us.
Most of the tips were surprisingly accurate
I was in northern Norway, near the Finnish border during winter. The northern light displays were awesome.
"Don't expect to buy alcohol"? That is a exageration. Vinmonopolet close at 18.00 during the week. If you dont get the drink in house by then, you are not looking to get a drink.
There are many states, within the U.S. that have state regulated harder alcohol. The beer sold in grocery stores in those states, are less than 4%. Anything stronger would need to be purchased at a state ran liquor store and the hours are far more restricted, then states that sell hard liquor in the grocery stores. Check states like Utah and Oregon for restrictions like what I mentioned.
the umbrella depends on time of year, during authom it will probably be destroyed from strong wind, summer on the other hand its more likely not to get destroyed. winter depends same with spring.
ah the haggle, yea DONT DO THAT. you will just be told "the price is what we saying" it might be different on a used car or something like that (not sure never needed to look into it myself) but for regular items dont haggle. not even on a flee market or garage sale, if you sound a little hesitent they might lower the price for you a little there but the prices is 99% of the time realy good there. like 3000 pices jigsaw puzzles for 5 dollars
northern light depends on the sun, if there is basicly no acctivity from the sun in the period you there your most likely out of luck also need to be clear weather or mostly clear to see it so ofc you not guranteed to see it even far north.
4:40 It is not completely unheard of, but it depends on the setting.
Usually more acceptable with high value purchases. Cars, and larger electronics, etc.
Also if it is like asking to match the price of a competitor, it is also an acceptable request.
Some stores chains even have price matching guarantee, if you prove lower price at a different store within X days, you get money back.
It isn't usually like a long haggle, but more like a request then accept or decline.
For second hand market it is more common, but sometimes not appreciated.
For second hand stuff
The northern light thing is just like going to southen France during the summer and getting a week of rain..its not normal but it can happen..so if you spend a week in Norway during the winter and the weather is clear...you will probably see some northern lights..
03:20 Alcohol sale is from when the stores open till 8 PM on Weekdays and 6 PM on Saturdays, Vinmonopolet is open till 6 PM on Weeldays and 3 PM on Saturdays. Most stores close between 8 PM and 10 PM and some at 11 PM, but none later than Midnight. It is also not allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays, holy days, 1st of May, 17th of May, on the following voting days; parliamentary elections, county council elections, municipal board election, or the day of referendum.
04:15 This is, generally speaking, true. But it is occasionally good to, maybe not haggle but, ask for discounts like a package deal if you buy two or more things - like, but not limited to, a washer and dryer, dishwasher and freezer/fridge - as you may end up getting it cheaper than the original price. More than once in my life while shopping at stores have I done this myself and come out of it with a special deal of either getting free shipping and carrying into home service that normally would have cost me around $75, or a $100 - or more - discount. I think the trick here is to not be unreasonable, nor too pushy, and accept whatever you get in reply even if it is a "Sorry, we can't give any special deals." For instance, just recently, my friend bought a $1500 TV, I mentioned that no matter how good the TV is, he won't get much out of the TV if he wants to plug his PC into the TV, unless he has an HDMI Cable that is qualified to support the specifications of the TV in terms of it being a 4K TV. When he brought this up with the sales guy while I was standing next to him, the guy didn't even hesitate in going over to the media cable isle and grabbing an HDMI cable for my friend and adding it to the receipt free of charge, that saved my friend around $60(+-$10) right there.
06:30 Ok, no, kinda yes, it's more complicated but not really. Yes, if you go to a restaurant - an actual restaurant, not a fast-food chain restaurant or gasstation restaurant - you would normally be seen as weird if you ate a hamburger, hotod, or other such typical "finger-food" items with your hands. But, then again, you go to these types of places because you are fancy and have etiquette and higher standards than the average Joe person, or you are a "poor snob" that have decided to make your once-a-year visit to that local 5 star restaurant for good - but exaggeratedly expensive - food and don't want to look bad while there. But other than that, it is extremely normal to eat hotdogs, hamburgers, or other "finger-food" items with your hands, although it is also pretty normal to eat such with knife and fork at birthdays, weddings, or similar gatherings, too, but then these are all special occasions.
09:46 Someone covered the history of tipping in a different YT Video I watched a while back, apparently it stems from the time of slaves in the USA, where some slaves wanted to have an opportunity to earn their own money on the side of their slave duties, and the only typical places they could get work at was busboys or waiting jobs at restaurants. But the restaurant owners didn't want to pay mere slaves proper money, so a law was made that allowed for restaurant owners to pay their waiters a wage far below minimum pay, forcing the waiters to work extra hard in hopes of earning extra money through tipping - which apparently hardly ever happened, - and it just hasn't been changed ever since that time, even though the rest of the country and the world has long since passed by the age of slavery.
10:15 This is weird, I can't remember having ever seen anything called a service charge when going to restaurants. I think what he meant to say is just that all workers - waiters and such, - are paid proper wages from the get-go, having no need for tips to be able to pay their bills and have plenty of money leftover for other stuff afterward. That is why tipping is generally frowned upon, cause it would occasionally be seen as the tipper trying to claim the worker is poor and needs the extra money to live, or something like that. The waiter's boss pays them in Norway what they in the USA would normally have to work extremely hard to make in tips, basically.
13:00 This is generally in terms of out in public, if you don't know a person and you just stare at them, keeping eyecontact for long, they'll start wondering what the heck is wrong with you or feel awkward. But if you know the person and are talking to them, or someone stops you to talk to them, having eyecontact is generally wanted except for if you stare at them a lot. A lot of people will keep eyecontact with you, but also occasionally swivel their eyes here and there to give a short break from looking you in the eyes, this is often done for your benefit as much as for their own, as many people don't feel comfortable holding eyecontact for long periods at a time even when in a lengthy conversation.,
There are states in the US using a similar system to Norway actually. However it's a little more lenient since they do sell wine in stores. Still only the state can sell stronger stuff and there are restructions on when you can buy alcohol in general.
i saw the Northern lights couple weeks ago just 2 hours from Oslo
The difference in tipping is that service people are paid a decent salary. Of course the bill has to cover salaries. We tip extra if we are pleased in restaurants, pubs and bars, however it not anymore common in i.e. taxis .
We don't use raincoats though. We just have normal jackets that can withstand water and keep us warm :P
If you're at a fleamarket, you'll haggle. But at a store or booth, the price is what it is :)
Only reason to use utencils on sandwiches, pizza or hamburgers, is when you're at a finer restaurant. Most italian restaurants don't even cut the pizza, because you're supposed to eat with knife and fork :P
The so-called 'service-charge' is just not there. Employees are paid, so they don't have to rely on tip. I personally tip a little, just to round off the bill.
Personal space is important. Having two years of this pandemic, with 2 meter distance was hard. Finally we are back to the usual 5! :D Eye-contact is not intimidating. It's just uncomfortable.
The Northern lights can easily be seen in the south aswell, but of course, the further north you go, the higher the chance is.
Best thing to do if you want to see it, is to download an Aurora Borealis app. That's what we use here in the south, and then just hope that it's a clear sky xD
I've been ordering all my tickets online or through an app for a decade.
I've actually not seen a ticket machine in years. Not for trains, ferries or buses.
Haggeling is perfectly viable, if you are shopping anything but food. In an electronic store you can say "I like to buy that TV, but if I buy that DVD player, that soundboard and a that phone". Normally the seller will look at the calculus and check what theyr earning is, and if it is within the acceptable they will give you a discount. You cand o this with every kind of product except food. The philosophy is that "it is better to have a costumer that is happy and will come back later for more shopping than squishing as much as possible out of one who will never come back again". I know Americans often favor short term earning over a bigger earning over time".
10:40 including service charge is more common in tourist business, as a way to tell you don't have to tip, while it is not at all common to specify that in general.
Tip is not uncommon if service is better than average, but the base salary is acceptable and therefore tip is usually not that big.
Common tip is just rounding up to nearest bank note
Well, you can see it in the south parts as well. This october I saw it right over Fredrikstad. But the last time I saw it before that was at least 13 years ago. I know some of my family has seen it those years tho
As a norwegian ive never seen the northern lights
Please react to Norwegian prisons 😃
Not all prisons in Norway are like halden and bastøy ;)
If you haggle in Norway it would just be weird and you'll probably just be told to go somewhere else to see if you can find a better price if that's what you want. However if you buy something from a person in private because this person wants to get rid of the thing they're selling and it isn't from a business they're running, then it is ok to haggle. And I often use my hands when eating if the food won't mess up my hands while holding it, I think the hands thing is wrong - but some Norwegians like to use cutlery often. But I also prefer to use cash in most situations I can, but train tickets I buy online. And the service charge isn't tipping. Because you are paying for the food, and the food is more expensive because the restaurant have to earn money to cover their employees their salary in addition to the ingredients of the food they're making. If you don't like the service in a restaurant, then you can choose to go somewhere else. I lived in NOrthern norway a year, and I saw the northern lights a few times. But it was such a rare occasion that you should probably set of a month if you want to be sure to see it.
OK:
Regarding umbrellas.. they are more of a hastle than anything
Regarding alcohol sales: The goal is to reduce alcohol dependence, and alcoholism, as a result the strict laws.
Regarding haggling, just don't..
Eating a steak with your bare hands is considered rude, However if you eat a burger, or sandwitch, or chicken. Go for it
Regarding cash: we use more electronic payments. However they should have specified no cheques as they are not accepted in Norway at all since September 2021
Taxis are pricey, if you can walk it in less than an hour... just don't waste your money.
The licence plate on the bus in the image tells you that the bus is electric..
Regarding tipping, we have a mandatory living wage for all employees. Service charges are included and it ticks people off..
In Norway you can see people lined up at about 1m distance from each other waiting for busses, etc. However no one will sit down next to someone they do not know on the bus unless the buss is full.
Rregarding eye contact, norwegians are kind of known as starrers. We value eye contact, but to much is to much.
Safe travels in Norway
Most of these apply to Finland too (and I guess other Nordics too) except the weather since the Scandes make the rain mostly fall on Norway's side I think.
Northern lights are space weather phenomenon so it depends on solar activity but true, the norther the higher probability to see them.
The alcohol restriction is made to prevent people from impulse buying it and that’s because impulse buying is much more likely to lead to excessive drinking.
Personal space in Norway is from one mountain top to the another in the horizon
We norwegians were pretty happy when the corona mandated metre distance was dropped, and we could go back to the regular three metre distance instead…
Honestly as a norwegian american i would say americans are generally worse. They just have a facade instead but dont actually want to talk with you. Norwegians if you approach them in the right way will tell you their life story
But i know you guys will always deny that. That is our meme amongst norwegians americans. Norwegians and claiming being introverts
I don't think people my age or lower do a lot of haggling, but my dad is pretty good at it when it's appropriate. It's very subtle though, it's a real art knowing when you can, and how you should.
About the alkohol: in the centuries before, Norway was a poor and touch country to live in. So many man drank up all their sallary and/or became violent. As a countermassure alkohol was restricted and that is still the case.
That´s why many norwegians shop lodds of it at the airport when travelling abroad...or making their own, esp. in rural areas
As a Norwegian, i would be surprised if most people didnt have an umbrella laying around. Umbrellas are not ideal when its windy though, and by wearing a rainponcho i dont have to hold up the umbrella. We still dont wear raingear waiting for it to start raining though, lol!
When it comes to giving tips to waiters, i have never done this, and i dont remember having seen anyone else do this either. I guess some restaurants may allow you to eat the food before you pay for it, but i dont even carry cash anymore, and always pay up front when i order the food. It would be pretty embarrassing if my card was suddenly declined after i had eaten the food - and giving people the option to eat the food and just walk/sneak away without paying seem very strange to me...
I don't know where you go. But in restaurants you always pay after you've finished with your meal. In cafeterias and shops for fast food and take away, you pay up front. I'm pretty sure that if you want to pay as you order in a restaurant, you'd seem weird. But they would probably let you, as it's a service profession and they want your patronage.
An umbrella does not help the wind is to strong. Rain gear is the best option
That little Red Funny Car is actually a driverless public transportation minnibus if im not wrong
There is no servicecharge. That is wrong.
Northern lights depends on sun activity. There is apps that tells you if it will be alot of lights or not.
Yes. Upps for common knowledge. :)
Regarding tipping, it is not my job that the owner of the restaurant hires staff who are good at their job. If I get bad service, I will not eat there in the future, and others even leave bad reviews on the net. Provide the staff with a reasonable salary, and leave the responsibility that you get a good service to the owners. Then you also get automatic waiters who are good at their job.
As we say in Sweden; Good that the COVID-restriction with 2 meter distance ended, so we can go back to normal 3 meter………
It's totally accepted to haggle on markets/fleamarkets, or garagesales.
use an umbrella if you like, no problems, it is used everywhere, we eat hot dog, pizza, hamburger, shrips and so on WITH HANDS, we ofcorse don't eat cod with our hands, or soup hehe :-) i have never eaten a sandwitch with a fork, there is a few exeptions here, sandwitch with eggs, or Karbonade, it is kind of an hamburger in sandwitch, but the taste is a little diffrent. you can of corse try to eat this with your hands, but it is a mess so a fork and knives is better.
As for soscial distance, I was happy go from 2 meters during COVID, back to the usual 5 meters....
one good reason not to have higher than 4.7 in stores. and to close the sale earlier is to avoid people going on benders, and or drunk customers. norwegian culture is high alcohol consumption on weekends, and if the alcohol is always available. you risk benders, etc etc
In most Nordic countries only old people use cash generally. Sure from time to time you happen to have cash around but, for example, I only have just few small coins currently and very rarely carry any cash
The reson for the alcohole rule is to prevent alcohole abuse, it somehow work, if you have not bougth the alcohole you need for the evening before 6pm then its better you do not go buy late night, your probably not sober at that time. I have experienced something similar in Brazil, you can't use most ATM after 8pm, if you think of getting cash after 8pm your probably not sober and would regret it.
Yes... you must go north ...and generally the further north the better when it comes to the chance to see the northern light.
But actually it does not matter much because the northern light is a function of the solar activity/solar storms. So if the solar activity is low there are simply no northern lights to see whatever far north you go.
The thing about the State monopoly on selling licor with a higher percentage than 4,7 % dates back to
the time that France was threatening Norway to stop buying our fish products if we didn't allow France to
sell their wines here in our country.
The solution the Norwegian government came up with was to establish their own governmental controlled shops that had strict rules on when and who was allowed to buy stronger alcohol.
The background was that alcoholism was (and still is) a huge sosial problem.
The Christian and Worker's Unions together tried to clean up the country by trying to ban as much of it as they could.
Some years ago it was even made illegal to advertise for any bewerages that contain any alcohol over 2,5 %.
The same with any type of tobacco.
In Norway you can't buy alcohol (beer) after 20.00 (8pm) on week days. Or after 18.00(6pm) on Saturday. To buy stronger drinks you have to go to Vinmonopolet. You can of course buy alcohol at different times at restaurants and pubs. I see it's mentioned in the video now. But it's also not allowed to sell alcohol on election day.
These aren't absolutes. Of course plenty of people use umbrellas. We have plenty of "fingerfoods", and the only place you might eat a sandwich in with utensils, is in a restaurant (or something hot like a cheesemelt). You can absolutely use cash for tickets many places, and taxis are fine. No one will think you rude or terrible if you tip; most waiters would appreciate a 10% tip, at least.
Also, people get close all the time. Sure, we might not stand next to each other at the bus stop if we can help it, or take a seat next to a stranger in a café or on the bus if it can be helped. But I think Norwegians have this IDEA that we are very cold (and of course, next to the "Hey, how are you doing? I'm fine, thank you, have a nice day, honey" rote greetings that Americans have, we might come across as "stand-offish"), but most people really aren't.
Also, if you as an American started to talk to someone on the street, I think most of us still sorta have that ingrained mindset that "Hey, itæs an Americans, how cool! We wanna talk to them, and also they probably need help with finding something", and so it would likely not be weird or "cold". Sure, if people feel like they can't communicate in English, then there might be some awkwardness, but most people under, say, 70, have a pretty decent grasp of English, certainly in the cities, but most other places too.
A lot of this is exaggerated :p but not completely wrong 😂
And btw, Northern lights usually show up when it's really cold with a clear sky. Can be northern lights every day as long as it is the right conditions.
That tiny little bus is a shuttlebus, its without a driver, its driving all by it self :)
Im from the north, grew up close to North cape
1. i have not seen anyone with a rain coat outside young kids.
2. alcohol sale is strickt but we do drink alot!
3.haggling is not a thing if you buy from stores, but ofc if you buy something from a private person or fleemarket you can haggle a bit if you want.
4. ofcourse we eat hamburgers, fries and hotdogs and such with our hands.. and i would not use utensiles for a sandwitch…
5. no comment on trains, as we dont have trains in the north
6. taxies are way too expensive.. and we aldo have no metro in the north.
7. tipping is really not a thing. I worked as a bartender before, and ofc we do get tips, but you are not expected or obligated at all to give any tip at all.
8. what animals wears the shoes inside!? 😂
9. yeah personal space is improtant, like you would never, ever sit next to someone random at a buss unless you had to, and you dont really talk to someone you dont know. i actually dont live in Norway anymore, as i found Norwegian people to be so closed off people.
10, in the north we do have the northern light are really comon, how often you see it im not really sure as its so comon i dont pay attention to it.
Vinmonopolet is open during normal business hours like most shops, but never on sundays. No beer after 8 on weekdays at the grocery store, 6 on saturdays (because you get a lot more drunk on beer bought after 6 …. 😬)No alcohol/beer on sundays. Also on the day before elections you can’t buy beer after 6. I guess they want us to be sober when voting. It’s not hard getting the alcohol you want, no limits to the amount you buy etc, you just have to be aware of the time
You have to be 18 to buy beer or tobacco in Norway, 21 to buy liquor. The staff in grocery stores and Vinmonopolet are obligated to check your ID (if they are in doubt)
Vinmonopolet is just a state run liqour shop for anything above 4.7*. They have normal opening hours, its not even close to as "hard" to get as the video made it seem, and the "not using your hands" thing is just wrong lol, we use our hands for normal things like hotdogs, pizza, burgers etc. and as someone who worked in the food industry, there is no "inbuilt" charge instead of tips, and tipping is normal if you like the service, but it is not expected since the servers and cooks are paid properly.
It's not that normal to eat sandwiches with forks and knives in Norway, only if you're either trying to be "fancy", in a fancy restaurant or if the food is too hot or messy to hold (depending on the person)
No haggling. Do you haggle when shopping at walmart, target or similar places? How about 7-11 or circle-k? Do you haggle for petrol at your gas stations? It doesn't seem like it would be a difficult concept for most of the western population to grasp?