Culture Shock in Norway- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Vlog#25

[@bobmalibaliyahmarley1551]

When it comes to ''dress code'' on 17th of Mai, the standard is basicly ''dress nice'', so whatever clothes or dresses you have that are nice looking, it's definately enough. While many do, definately not everyone owns a ''traditional garment'' or ''bunad'' themselves. Dress nicely and wear a small garment pin in the traditional colours of red, white and blue and/or wave a small hand-held Norwegian flag and you will blend right in at the celebration.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes we did get our flags! 😊🇳🇴

[@jabeztomer]

stay at home in your pajamas and watch the parade from your balcony

[@bjrgjohannessen5184]

The reason that shops are closed at holidays is because we want all to have the time off.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes that is an adjustment I can appreciate 😊

[@heatherclark8668]

In Australia a lot of retail workers and restaurant staff work on public holidays too and I think it is unfair. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and back in those days everyone got a holiday and we all survived

[@santiagonavesgomez8332]

Yes your country makes war e wry where

[@jjinwien9054]

Hi Heather, many thanks for your insight. I can see that you are a very open, receptive person and are very much aware of your current surroundings. I would wish that more USA citizens would share your openness. Living abroad really makes a person grow and realise that the whole world is NOT the USA - something that US citizens seem oblivious to. BTW, we also have radon emissions in Iowa. Unfortunately testing is not done on the same level as in Norway and it has led to the deaths of many people, so be happy that testing is done where you are.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! Happy to know to be on the look out for it now, but it was quite a shock to learn about it all. So it does have a positive twist for the future! 😊

[@Youtube_Stole_My_Handle_Too]

@@heatherabroad I am surprised you're unfamiliar with radon, fallout shelters and iodine tablets in the US. Radon kills 20,000 every year and detectors are sold in every hardware store. Shelters were built all over the country in the sixties and all schools are required to have iodine for all their pupils. Shelters are not a priority today and most are used for storage, but this is also the case in Norway. Rich cities like Stavanger may have money for fallout shelters for their pupils or maybe these are services that are first brought to your attention as a foreigner, like a talking point. In any case, I can guarantee that there are not enough shelters for all Norwegians - not even all Norwegian students. Should anyone say otherwise, it's indoctrination from party speeches and not part of reality.

[@Aiziee]

Every house owner has to take care of the testing themselves, no one are ordered to. Landlords are obliged to though, but no one checks if they do, so renters should ask for documentation.

[@lpdude2005]

Radon can be found in large concentrations in the USA as well. The EU and therefore Norway have a maximum limit for the type of natural gases and radon barriers in newly built houses and maintain a certain amount of control. There are very few places where this is above the danger limit. There is nothing special about this - other than that we have some control. About 10% of all houses in Norway are located in the area with radon and are therefore examined through a time perspective

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching. In the US where I have lived I have never heard of it, so it was quite a shock to learn that it is a thing.

[@vikinnorway6725]

@@heatherabroad Where is radon most commonly found in the world? 1. Alaska: 10.7 pCi/L. Because radon is emitted from material like rock, soil, and water, Alaska's glaciers, crisp waters, and fertile volcanic soil make it the perfect bree

[@vikinnorway6725]

@@heatherabroad What areas are most likely to have radon? Basements and crawl spaces under the houses allow more opportunity for entry of radon gas from soil. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 6%, or approximately 6 million U.S. homes, have concentrations of radon above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) (EPA 2009c).

[@vikinnorway6725]

@@heatherabroad i guess because norway pay for healthcare they want to prevent all things getting people sick and costing the healthcare system money i guess😅

[@lpdude2005]

@@vikinnorway6725 On mountains or on solid ground - where large parts of the petrification are in slate. All places where oil is extracted in shale layers

[@Crozz22]

There's nothing stopping you to just walk into the Legevakt. You don't have to call. But you would need to get triaged there and wait a while.

[@allikin75]

I just want to point out that we generally get a total of 25 vacation days a year (5 weeks) and the three weeks during summer is included in those days. There is a mutual responsibility to take 3 consecutive weeks of vacation - the employee has the right to do it, and the employer also has the right to enforce it. However, if both parties agrees on another duration or moving it to another time of the year, it's quite alright. Additionally, we have a few bank holidays. The number can vary from year to year, as sometimes they fall on the weekend.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for clarifying that. 5 weeks! How awesome. 😎

[@Aiziee]

@@heatherabroad That's nothing, the germans have 6. And BTW, most stores are closed on Sunday also in Germany.

[@peterc.1618]

@@Aiziee We need to remember that if you want to shop at midnight, someone has to work at midnight to facilitate this. There can't be too many occasions when food and booze can't be bought in advance with a tiny bit of planning. Not being 'open all hours' gives retail staff time with their families, too.

[@kilipaki87oritahiti]

@@Aiziee Well this isn’t about Germany🙄

[@oh515]

Some of the points contribute to concern for Norwegians as well. Charcoal tablets have not been talked about much since the 80s. This reminder was probably received with shock by many Norwegians, this time in connection with the war in Ukraine. There is radon worldwide, but fortunately, there are not high and harmful levels everywhere. Nor in Norway. There are also areas in the USA with high values of radon. Especially states in the north. The reason why the shops are not open 24/7 has a lot to do with the fact that we value our free time with the family. Especially the weekends. It is about as many people as possible having that opportunity as often as possible. It also applies to the shop staff. With less space and products on Sundays, it is unnecessary to have many at work. That's the main idea behind it today. It can probably change when self-service checkouts become the norm.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you!

[@Luredreier]

Maybe, but the religious argument won't go away, so KRF probably will oppose that even if self service stores becomes a norm. But yeah, the labour party might be more open to the idea then.

[@oh515]

@@Luredreier Yes, but I can't see how they can find a plausible argument.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes it is a shift to from the convenience of the shops in the US but I do appreciate the value Norway has of the free time and vacation.

[@Luredreier]

@@oh515 Maybe, but being a centrist party they honestly don't *need* a particularly good one. Giving them that concession is a low hanging fruit for both the conservatives and labour. We're all used to it by now anyway, so just keeping the status quo works fine for all of us. And compare that to messing with abortion or same sex marriages etc... Yeah... Best not to. Both sides *wants* a good relationship with KrF as they genuinely do switch sides and are generally good coalition partners with much less conflicts to deal with then other more radical parties.

[@ludvigvaneik]

The iodine tablets comes mostly from when the nuclear power plant that is located today's Ukraine exploded in 1986 and much of northern europe was affected by the winds from that direction that was radiated. But these days the tablets is just an in case of it should happens again, but with the political climate today there is now sadly again a mild fear of fallout

[@steinarhaugen7617]

The nuclear weapons tests of the United States were performed from 1945 to 1992 as part of the nuclear arms race. People in these areas were hit by dangerous radiation, but no one received iodine tablets. Instead, they got cancer.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes it makes since! Just a bit of a shock!

[@bflyw74]

Thank you for your wonderful videos. 😁 The iodine tablets being distributed at school is a new thing. I've had kids in school in Norway since 2012, and the first (and only) time I've received information and a slip about it from school was in March/April 2022 as a result of the situation in Ukraine. To be honest, I wasn't aware about radon either until about 8 years ago when I randomly read about it and then tested my house (which were OK). But a Google search show that radon is also a thing in all states in the USA. While 1 out of 10 houses have too high concentration of radon in Norway, the numbers in the USA seems to be 1 out of 15 as a whole, and the in Alaska the numbers are the same as in Norway (10%).

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching and for the information! Yes I am learning that I will have to look out for radon potentially when moving back one day.

[@benttranberg2690]

Not quite a new thing. I was born in 1960. Iodine tablets was a thing when I was in school in the sixties and seventies. It was again a thing in the eighties, following the Chernobyl accident. And now it's a thing again because of that bastard Putin's war against Ukraine.

[@siv-nataliekravikamundsen3939]

Most bombshelters build on our schools are used daily so the kids don't get scared of the room IF something happens + some schools need the extra space for storage, a quite place to calm down if there's special needs kids etc (a few i think was used as extra classrooms during corona regulations etc )

[@h.o.7741]

- Most Norwegian supermarkeds are open every day until 22:00 or 23:00, many of them even on Sundays. Most other kinds of stores close earlier, though, and are usually closed on Sundays. What's convenient to us, is to make sure we have what we need for the weekend BEFORE it arrives, and then spend the weekend with family or friends - or in peace and quiet all by yourself. The kind of almost hysterical consumerism found in the US simply doesn't exist here. - Following the reactor explosion in the Chernobyl nuclear plant (in Ukraina, then part of the Sovjet Union) in 1986, radioactive dust blew in across Scandinavia and many other European regions and contaminated great parts of our flora and fauna. In Norway we still have to feed our livestock uncontaminated feeds for a long period of time before slaughtering them, to avoid transfering radioactivity through their consumption of contaminated funghi, which are part of their diet on summer pasture in the mountains. The radioactivity is taken up in high quantities by these funghi. The Chernobyl disaster was an eye-opener that such accidents can happen again, and we have plenty of reactors much much closer to us than the one in Chernobyl. Children especially are at risk for certain types of cancer that radiations cause. Hence the supply of iodine in schools. - Avoiding the radiation from a reactor accident like the one in Chernobyl aside, we also have a lot of bomb shelters because we remember WWII. Simple as that.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching and sharing this information. I like learning about where I live. 😊

[@Gazer75]

The opening hours do vary a bit. Most stores are open until 7pm Monday - Friday these days and maybe 3pm or so on Saturdays. Grocery stores vary a lot depending on where you are. The small ones in very rural places might close at 6pm, but in general they are open (7-9)am-9pm. In any sizeable town at least one stay open until 11pm. My nearby Kiwi store is open 7am-11pm Mo-Sa and closed Sundays. They used to close at 9pm on Saturdays. Back in the 80s, and maybe early 90s, all stores were usually open 9am-5pm. At some point they started having open until 7pm on Thursdays here. I believe the opening hours was regulated by each municipality. In 1985 there was a law passed on national level to let any store be open 6am-8pm if they wanted. This slowly resulted in more and more grocery stores extending their opening hours. The Sunday stores is due to a law that was passed back in 1998 to allow stores up to 100 square meters to be open on Sundays. This caused some grocery stores to get creative and have either a part of the normal store or a separate section for this purpose. One of the Kiwi stores here has a separate section they open up on Sundays. It's open 9am to 9pm I believe. This Christmas it's only closed on Christmas day (25th). The other "red" days they use the regular Sunday mini store and its opening hours. This got a lot longer than I intended, but hope this explains it a bit :)

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching and Thank you for the information!

[@Luredreier]

13:22 If you adopt the germanic culture of airing out the house regularly (few times a day) by opening windows on opposite sides of the house and just exchanging all the air quickly before walls etc has a chance to cool down you'll have zero problem with that. It improves the air quality and reduce potential issues with molds etc in the house if you do so on day when the air outside has a lower humidity then inside the house (admittedly not something that happens often in your part of the country). And yeah, it's expensive these days...

[@heatherabroad]

Good advice!

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Yikes, electricity prices are reaching record levels this week, so perhaps wait with following that advice till that changes?

[@Crozz22]

The national day dress customer service story is funny to me, I think the misunderstanding here is that you seem to expect the person in the store to make small talk or compliment you. And I can also understand their non-answer regarding you question whether the outfit was "correct" or not because there is no "correct" answer so they might have found it uncomfortable to tell you what you should wear.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah I see! That makes sense! 😆😊

[@altavn]

"Radon is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for over 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. You can take steps to reduce high radon levels in your home".

[@janmorganfroynes5032]

Yeh, it's not that we have a lot of it, it's that we take health more seriously and try to reduce radon exposure.

[@oh515]

I forgot to mention the dress code 17. Mai. There isn't any. It's all up to you, and no one will judge you by whatever you wear.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah well I didn’t want to stick out by being underdressed! Good to know. Thank you. 😃

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Just wear something nice. So clean, no holes etc. Perhaps not gym cloths while in the areas where there's actually festivities going on. But something generally comfortable is perfectly fine. Perhaps dress up a little bit more if you plan to attend the citizen march. But honestly you'll get a feel for it by just going there and looking around a few times. (There's *some* controversy about the march every year as *some* people think that they should represent Norwegians, our clothes, culture, flags etc, this is a view held mostly by nationalists, people who are generally on the political right, others, myself included think that's silly. The day isn't our independence day or about the *country* pr say but about our constitution and therefore freedom, rule of law, democracy etc, not nationalism, *most* people therefore are not going to care what you wear as long as you're trying to dress nice, and honestly the ones who complain about this kind of things honestly sounds like they just don't want people they consider foreigners in our marches, and I honestly suspect more then a little bit of racism involved in their motivations there, they're allowed to talk about the marches, but people attending just looking at it all honestly is non of their concern and if they object they'll grumble about it in private and you'll never hear about it nor should you care in my view as I doubt that they're the kind of people worth getting to know...) When dressing nice for anything formal in Norway a good rule of thumb is trying not to try to stand out too much, so single colour dress with a colour that doesn't stand out too much is a good choice as a woman. And perhaps something you'd feel comfortable with in a middle ground kind of church (so knee length rather then ankle or hip length etc) You absolutely don't *need* to go with that for 17th of May, no one will judge you for going in a different direction, but that's something that no one would fault you for if you want to use something universal. Honestly don't worry about heels, just pick nice shoes etc.

[@heatherabroad]

@@Luredreier thank you for the advice!!

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad You're welcome. :-) And again, this is just a suggestion, not rules at all. Basically our esthetics in the Nordic countries tends to be simple and functional more then anything. You'll see that in things like Ikea furniture and in clothing too. Doesn't mean that other options aren't equally valid though. Just that it's a common preference. So please just take it as a suggestion, nothing more.

[@larsiparsii]

@@heatherabroad I would suspect the original comment to be sarcasm, since there's *definitely* _a_ dress code. But that dress code isn't too specific. You're supposed to dress in a nice and somewhat somewhat formal outfit. People often wear their bunad if they have one (although the majority of bunad wearers are women). If you don't have/want to wear one, it usually boils down to the boring black suit and tie, a ribbon in red, white, and blue on the chest, and black dress shoes for men. Women wear a dress/skirt with a nice pair of shoes (avoid the highest of high heels since you'll most likely walk a lot, but don't wear your dirty sneakers). In general, just dress appropriately for what is our national day and the country's largest celebration. You *will* be judged if you go out in sweat pants and a hoodie! They don't call it the bunad police for nothing! ;)

[@TullaRask]

When it comes to 17'th of may. It really depends on what you're going to do on the day. There isn't any rules you brake really. That's probably why the shop assistant was a bit confused :)

[@heatherabroad]

Ah okay. I was told to look nice, wear a dress and most men wore suits… which was true. But for women that can very. It all worked out. 😃

[@jjinwien9054]

@@heatherabroad vary

[@irenestrmnss4496]

The girl in that place maybe was not so good in english

[@HS-su3cf]

Vinmonopolet was made in 1922, when it was clear that prohibition failed. Norway had prohibition from 1916 to 1922. Quite a bit of leading members of the prohibition activist in the US were of Norwegian or Scandinavian decent. Most bomb-shelters were used as storage from c1990 to 2022. They were built because of the Cold War. In the US you could "duck and cover" with Bert the Turtle.

[@heatherabroad]

😃 Thanks for watching!

[@helga8439]

Thank you for your videos, it is intersting to hear your reactions. There are bomb shelters in many schools and some other buidings used by the state or local communal services. They have not been used as shelters since the war 40-45, I think. Mostly they function in otherways. I have not heard about iodine before, only the last years. So these things are quite new and unfamiliar for most of us. The newspapers have written about it, but there has not been lot of focus.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! I’m glad your are enjoying them.

[@themetricsystem7967]

@@heatherabroad historically the origin of bomb shelters I suspect comes from the Cold War period and the fact that Norway borders Russia

[@heatherabroad]

@@Selendeki yes NATO is very much a thing in the Stavanger area, however, I am not sure if they still practice the drills. The doors are still massive metal vault looking doors. Thanks for watching! 😄

[@janhansen6195]

You can go to Legevakten/ emergency room without any apointment also, but they like you to give them a call first lol and there is radon in all houses all over the world, but we are careful about measurements in Norway because this is legislated by the state. If the USA had done the same, you would have discovered that the levels of radon are actually much higher in the USA than in Norway because they build houses there in a completely different way, and they don't take radon into account there when they build either. Those of us who are a little older and grew up with the Cold War and the Russians as neighbors got used to this with shelters and tablets/medicine against radioactivity, and this has been maintained. As Norwegians, we are used to being prepared for the worst and at the same time being open about it to both children and adults, the children actually learn about this in school too and we have annual air raid alerts that are notified all over the country as well. Remember that Norway was occupied during the Second World War and all countries in Europe have learned from this and therefore have practice in the home defense of their country today because of this. Finland currently has the most comprehensive program for home security of the Scandinavian countries

[@heatherabroad]

Yes and my neighbor tells me stories about WWII. She was a child here in Stavanger then.

[@christy4616]

It is not necessarily a true statement to say that homes in the US have more radon than homes in Norway. Radon levels vary greatly in the US, as the country has a very diverse landscape . I live in a place that is very radon heavy, as there is a lot of granite, and radon testing is very normal when purchasing a home. I grew up in an area, though, with almost no radon. It's very much a regional issue in the states.

[@runeaanderaa6840]

When it comes to your effort to fit in on the 17th of May. The shop assistant ought to have told you that you should just put on some nice, and not too extravagant. Don't expect to get much appreciation for trying to fit in. You are not the first American they have seen, and certainly not the foreigner. It reminds me of when I travelled through Europe a long time ago on an interrail ticket. I hooked up with some Americans for a while. I thought it was weird that the first thing they did when they came to a new country was to pop into a McDonald's to read the local word for "thank you" on the litter boxes. I even asked why they were so obsessed with that specific word. They answered that the locals would appreciate that they made an effort to learn the language. ONE WORD!?? I remember thinking that no one would be impressed with that.

[@heatherabroad]

Haha that is a bit small minded of them to think one word would help. But I have found that when I say I’m going to try so speak Norwegian, in Norwegian that people are more receptive to me trying. Before people would just switch to English. My main goal was to blend for May 17th as respect for my, then, new home country. 😊

[@ulf5738]

You don’t need to call “Legevakt”. You can just show up if you feel unsafe. In Oslo you also have private alternatives.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for the information. I have also found private options in this area as well!

[@kespens]

School permissions for field trips, school photography etc for the year is signed when school starts in August. If your child start during the semester - you might have to ask for the permission forms from the school.

[@Jorge_i_Norge]

The early closing is also a thing here in the UK, most of the shops close at 17:00 or 18:0 except for supermarkets and convenience stores. And Sundays they run 10:00 to 16:00 mostly. Something that at the beginning was a problem to me and more than a Sunday when to bed without eating. (Pubs were too expensive at that moment in my economy). Radon is also a problem here but I do not know if the use of radon membrane are mandatory.

[@GreyMinerva]

The "Legevakten" is basically the ER, although some of them are more of a doctor's office, and some of them are more mini-hospitals/clinics or even part of a hospital where you can get simple treatment like sutures and bandages, tests like EKG and so on, and if the matter is too serious they'll pass you on to the hospital proper, and you CAN just walk in, although most people with sick kids at night want to avoid bundling their kids in the car and driving a long distance in the cold. That's why most people do the phone triage first, because they just need a second opinion on "should I risk making my kid worse by dragging them outside, or am I risking their life by staying home?". I've done both - travelled there during the day or late in the evening, even been taken there by ambulance, and I've called in and been told that what's happened is harmless and I've been treating it correctly and please be alert for these symptoms but otherwise call your doctor in the morning. Well, the US had their whole "Duck and cover!" era when the kids practiced hiding under their desks in case of nukes... ;) In Norway, we've been living right next door to one of the two first nuclear nations in the world, and the Chernobyl meltdown brought home just how close we were in terms of fallout and contamination of wildlife, rainfall etc. We never talked about it in school pre-Chernobyl, and as someone who grew up in the south, it wasn't that big an issue AFTER that either. Our school had a bomb shelter, my over-active imagination made me write a short-story for one of my Norwegian exams in junior high where the alarms went off and we had to take shelter... But it never really caused me a great deal of fear or stress. We NEVER had a bomb shelter drill, ever. The iodine tablet situation would obviously be relevant if the schools were suddenly notified of fallout of some sort while the kids were at school, and also in the event that people didn't have a stockpile at home. Norway is also big on not making a big deal out of "safe" outings (going to the museum, to the local forest, etc.) although it will usually be featured on the weekly school schedule they sent out with lessons and homework - although not every school does this. We have been notified and occasionally given permission slips for "risky" outings like going on a boat trip or doing rescue drills in the water/by boat, and for trips that include a night or more away. Although it's partially a joke, Norwegians are generally considered really bad at service jobs, and the popular saying was that if you wanted service, you'd have to look for the Swedish employee. However, most Swedes went back home across the border during the pandemic, so we have to take our chances with the Norwegian staff these days. ;) (There are LOTS of good, serviceminded Norwegians working in retail and the food industry, don't get me wrong!)

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! And for the information/feedback. Very insightful. 😊

[@stephenadams6455]

That is so good that they value the work life balance. That stores have normal hours is such a good thing. Good job Norway

[@peterjorgensen3]

The Radon and Iodine are both a thing in the US as well, but you're on your own to address both. Bomb shelters were super common in the 70s in the US but aren't as common now. My high school had one.

[@SverreMunthe]

We do have emergency services here as well, it’s just that most of is use the phone first. Your local «legesenter» will probably have emergency hours until 6 or 8pm, after that you will have to go to the closest hospital. That can, of course, be way off, so the phone will in most cases be the best way. Ambulance services will never be far off, and an ambulance with highly qualified personnel is always better than a desperate mother that might get in an accident trying to get to the hospital.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for the information. And true about a scared mom!

[@samen4411]

The health care system is kind of funny. When you call them, they are pretty good at picking up if you are a mother of one child and a bit overprotecting. You will then get common advice on what to do. But if you call in panic as a mother of four kids they will push the big alarm button. The thing with may 17th dress code is kind of easy. I'm used to see all kind of "styles" depending on origin of the wearer, like scottish men wearing kilt. There is no right or wrong, the point is to enjoy the day wearing what you feel is representing you in a way you feel comfortable with. Radon is not a Norwegian phenomenon. You will find it all over the world. But with focus on health care it is important to ensure that your house is not polluted with that radioactive gas. Again, typical Norwegian universal health care and focus. In Norway it is important to have focus on radioactive pollution and fallout. Most of western Europe got lots of radioactive pollution after the Chernobyl disaster. Norway was hit hard, and you can still find traces of that in the nature. There is also still a lot of nuclear power plants that has potential to create same pollution. Now with the war in Ukraine with several of those power plants being bombed the threat is very real. The bomb shelters was built during the cold war. Due to both being a Nato ally and close to Russia it was important to build protection all over the country. They still test the nationwide alarmsystem a couple of times a year. But in stead of demolishing the shelters they have been reused and kept, just in case.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for watching and all of the information! I need to get some iodine tablets for our home.

[@samen4411]

@@heatherabroad Red boxes with salt has a small content of iodine (jod). Milk and yoghurt are also good sources. But if there would be an incident again you will see widespread information telling what to do, and not to do. I don't worry until they tell me to :)

[@heatherabroad]

@@samen4411 that’s a good philosophy if you can remain calm 😆🫣

[@samen4411]

@@heatherabroad As soon as you learn to trust our public health service you will be fine too. They are very proactive when it comes to protect us.

[@theuniversewithin74]

I'd choose having some bomb shelters here and there over knowing I'm surrounded by 9 trillion guns 24/7... I NEVER think about the existence of bomb shelters, but being surrounded by guns all the time would definitely affect my fear levels. Most of the things you listed as negative really aren't. Norwegians don't really consider any of your negative points or think about them at all.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes. I can see it your way as well. But try thinking of it from someone’s perspective who has never seen anything like it and raised differently. It is all about perspective. I can agree that some of the shock can be turned into positive but still a learning curve none-the-less. Thanks for watching!

[@monicabredenbekkskaar1612]

Norway is close to Russia... submariens with newclear energi and ships. Newclear powerstations in Finland, Sweeden and Russia.

[@hwplugburz]

On the bombshelters and iodine-tablets,: Norway was occupied by a hostile power during ww2, and we have a bully-state neighbour who likes to attack its smaller neighbouring contrys and also have 6000 nuklear weapons. Also we got quite a bit of fallout after the chernobyl disaster in 1986. So a little bit of organised preperedness is just common sence realy. When I was in grammerschool in the late 70`s early 80`s, we used to have bombshelter drills at school. The level of awereness on this realy dropped after the wall fell, but now after russias attack on Ukraine the government is taking it seriously again, and the they are now mapping the currant availebility to the public. Almoest all the shelters are from the coldwar era.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes, I do like that they are prepared. But definitely a shift from what I was raise with.

[@monicabredenbekkskaar1612]

We do fill out permitions online, at the start of the year. Typical questions would be: can your child drive with other psrents on school trips? Can your child be on public photos on schools homepage? Can the child swim/bath in lakes with guards present? Can your child ride on a bus on school trips? And if nessesery the school will ask by e- mail to you😊

[@heatherabroad]

Ah good to know! Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@tuttasb]

The bomb shelters was build very much because of the cold war so you could say the US is partly to blame, the last 25 years very few bomb shelters have been built. I've never heard about iodine tablets in schools before (can't even remember it being a topic when Tsjernobyl happened), the first time we heard about iodine from the school was after the recent invation of Ukraine. I totally understand that closed shops is unusual for many but there is plenty of reasons why it is that way. We don't want employees to work at unfavorable hours unless it's absolutely necessary, we try to limit work during the weekend, sunday is a day for leisure and spending time with family (and in the old days going to church) - not for working or shopping. That might also be why shops and Vinmonopolet is packed on fridays, "helgehandel" is when we go bulk shopping so we have everything we need for the entire weekend (or even the next week). Radon? Probably a local problem? I've lived many places and owned several homes but I know nothing about radon. Yes, we're lucky to live in a pretty safe society. Kids missing for 20 minutes is pretty normal (to be honest many of us wouldn't even notice if they were gone for 20min). If my kids are 1 hour late walking home from school I wouldn't consider them missing, after 2 hours I probably would start calling around to see if anyone have seen them, not panicking but trying to get them to come home.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for your feedback! And yes I have learned to relax a little with the kids.

[@AnneLisbeth]

The shops closing early is not just a Norwegian thing. It’s in many countries especially in Northern Europe. In southern Europe they often have siestas, closed for several hours in the middle of the day. Groceries and general shops close at 5pm on weekdays, supermarkets close normally at 11 pm on weekdays

[@clairegroenink3362]

Not really true, since you just have to go over the border in Sweden to find the shops to be open on Sundays.

[@heatherabroad]

I have found that I just get used to any of the quirks where I live. And then plan accordingly!

[@eckligt]

Regarding Legevakten, I think this varies a lot from city to city, but they have generally shifted from a drop-in model to an appointment model in just the last few years. There was a big public reaction when Legevakten in Bergen stopped offering drop-ins just in the last two years or so. Are you sure the one at SUS doesn't allow drop-ins?

[@heatherabroad]

I haven’t talked with anyone allowed to walk in. So far we have all had to call.

[@teddsellerno7625]

@@heatherabroad Ive never heard of a legevakt that doesnt have open doors to drop in to get checked. I live in a small town. might have to wait a good while, but you will be taken care of.

[@eckligt]

@@heatherabroad I searched a bit on the typical news websites now, and the change-over was actually in April 2022 here in Bergen. I obviously don't know how it has been organised in Stavanger, but the articles I found about the Bergen situation pointed to Trondheim also having a call policy. They received some praise and some criticism for the change. (Personally, I hate this new policy, and I've dropped in several times in the past.) Maybe if you ask around, you can see if a colleague or friend knows if Legevakten in Stavanger used to have drop-in, and if so how long ago that was. By the way, from my recollection, when the topic of how to properly use Legevakten has been in the media in the past, the general jist has been "oh by the way, did you know you can also _call_ Legevakten?" ... the inference being that drop-in has been ubiquitous as the norm in the country. Services like Legevakt are organized locally, and the details may vary from place to place. Another thing that seems to differ is who actually runs it. In Oslo they have for many years distinguished between "skadelegevakt" (roughly "injury legevakt") and "almenlegevakt" (roughly "general legevakt" or "GP legevakt"), where the former is run by the hospital and the latter is run by the kommune. In Bergen we didn't have this distinction, but it was introduced in the last couple of years -- although they are still in the same building, with the same waiting room. I don't know how it is in Stavanger, but since it seems to be located on the campus of SUS, I assume it is run by SUS with just some small involvement from the kommune?

[@heatherabroad]

@@eckligtyes I have heard ours used to have walk-in slots but the rumor is that it changed because of COVID and then just remained that way.

[@Black3ight]

norwegian here. so for the closing times of ''Vinmonopolet'' we do hate that it closes so early etc but we do understand why(atleast one reason why) we do close early. it's to prevent already drunk people from buying more when they clearly shouldn't have anymore. It's a pain we just accept i guess.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for the information! Yeah I get it, but I’m sure the ones who really want it already stocked up. 😳

[@bjokvi91]

@@heatherabroad Also to have less noisy and disrupting drunk people walking or driving around town for more alcohol in the evenings. The ones who have already stocked up are at least much less likely to disturb or put others in danger. And to add one more thing, i guess it would create problems for bars, pubs, and nightclubs if people could just walk down the street and buy a bottle of vodka for the price of two drinks. Why pay close to 300 NOK for two vodka redbulls for example (2 x 4 cl of vodka), if there's a place closeby where you can buy a 70 cl bottle for roughly the same price

[@heatherabroad]

@@bjokvi91 ah good point. 👍🏼

[@themetricsystem7967]

@@heatherabroad regarding vinmonopolet and the other stores not being open 24/7 the flip side of that is “workers rights” for those working in stores. They too need some free time and holidays in between. However, the last years they have had long hours the last days before Christmas. But not forget they too want to prepare Christmas at home like everyone else.

[@lubedtuber]

You have Radon in the US as well. You just didnt know ;)

[@heatherabroad]

But now I do! 👍🏼😎

[@StickManCP-Grorud]

This presenter kind of made an interesting point. In the US, kids have active shooter drills but not on Norway. Yet she seems to deride their methods of preparedness. In Portland Oregon, the kids have earthquake drills. I have radiation detection devices, haz mat suits, periodically do Radon detection tests, lhave plastic sheeting and duct tape, each have a backup generator, filters so I can get water from the river, go bags and semi auto rifles for everyone in my family so why is any bit of Norwegian preparedness considered a negative? Seems to me like what a reasonable and prudent person would do.

[@heatherabroad]

It isn’t necessarily about being a negative but more of a shock! Where Norwegians are shocked to learn I would never let my small child walk alone anywhere in the US where we lived due to safety. Just different issues in each country. Thanks for being kind with your response as I just make the videos for fun and this was early on in my posts. 🇳🇴❤️

[@stranger.granger]

I live in Norway and I've never heard of Radon testing before, but some googling does show that the radon levels are above average for western countries. However, 1 in 15 homes in the US have high radon levels. For example, Iowa probably has some of the highest levels with an average of around 300 Bq/m3, while in comparison, Norway has 88 Bq/m3. Regarding the bomb shelters, I believe these became standard due to WW2 and the Cold War, and would likely make for a much better solution to a potential nuclear attack than the US' duck and cover technique. One might consider these things 'bad' or 'ugly' coming from an outside perspective, but it's just the government taking measures to make sure its citizens are safe.

[@nissenusset4134]

There is Radon in many states in USA also. The states with a high concentration of Radon are Iowa, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The states with moderate levels of Radon are Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Utah, Wisconsin, parts of California, Oregon and New England So there is Radon in the US too..... 😊

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I have since learned! Thanks for watching!

[@nissenusset4134]

​@@heatherabroad Hi from Kristiansand S 🥰 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇 Have a Happy Easter Heather!! 🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥 ❤ Love your videos!! ❤

[@heatherabroad]

@@nissenusset4134 happy Easter to you too!

[@nissenusset4134]

@@heatherabroad Thank you so much 🥰 🐥🐤🐥🐤🐥🐤🐥🐤🐥

[@zicada7661]

Most Norwegians i know, myself included would agree we coddle kids too much now compared to 25 years ago. We had so much unsupervised freedom to explore and grow social bonds etc. Most of my American friends would take Heathers position, especially Americans used to large cities. I get the impression people who grow up in the countryside in the Us generally have more freedom at a young age. I keep using this word because it's one that usually resonates with Americans. Shouldn't it be as important for kids ? I recommend watching Harald Eias English speaking video on yt about this.

[@zicada7661]

The video i mentioned: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpjYe2Ciopmogsk

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I can agree. I grew up in a smaller town and could “get lost” on my bike for hours at a time with no worries. But I don’t think I would let my kids do that in Houston. And if I did, they may be too old to want to ride their bikes with friends.

[@zicada7661]

@@heatherabroad Hopefully you'll feel like you can in Stavanger with time :)

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

IIRC 1 in 15 buildings in the US has Radon levels above the recommended threshold

[@heatherabroad]

I have since learned it is a thing in the USA. Just not where I am from.

[@vikinnorway6725]

Be prepered for war is a good thing, its not something anybody is afraid of. Its all about safety IF something should happen

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I agree, but it affects you differently mentally when you aren’t raised that way and never talked about it much growing up. It is different over here given the long history and many countries so close.

[@faust82]

The shelters were more of a thing before though, when the law demanded any building above a certain size should have a bomb shelter. That was abolished in 1998, so for construction newer than that it's entirely optional. Just a consequence of being stuck in the middle of the pissing match between the Soviets and the US. Same for the iodine. The last time Ukraine had a nuclear whoopsie (Chernobyl, 1986), a fair bit of the fallout was swept northwest on the wind and ended up over Poland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This time around, we're a little bit better prepared. I don't think the teachers are really having the conversation, but if stuff goes down it's convenient to have the stockpiled where the most vulnerable group is.

[@Idkwtf255]

One of the four reactors in the nuclear power plant exploded, and radioactive iodine and cesium spread over large areas in Europe. In Norway, the areas in the northwest of Eastern Norway, in the north of Trøndelag and in the south of Nordland were hardest hit by the radioactive fallout, it was bad and thats why we are preperd if something happends its better too be safe than sorry

[@heatherabroad]

Yes. I am glad they are prepared and have since accepted this as a good thing. It is just overwhelming at first when you have never experienced such a thing. Thanks for watching! 😃

[@stevenjohnson7086]

@siril andersen What nuclear power plant are you referring to?

[@jonnor6883]

@@stevenjohnson7086 she is talking about the Tjernobyl disaster in the 1986 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

[@helenconklin7522]

Interesting to me that some of the differences you name between Norway & the US are more reflective of your youthfulness than from cultural differences. The school I attended K-9 had a bomb shelter under the shop classroom, well marked from the outside; we went on field trips without having parental permission slips signed; little kids played out of sight of their Moms, and the panic button was only pushed if they didn't come home for supper or by dark. That was a different day, people talked to/knew their neighbors and didn't take every available opportunity to bring a law suit. Check for Radon? Look at Flint, MI, they didn't even check their municipal water for lead.

[@kimkong86]

Always cool to hear other nationalities take on living here and I many of the bad points are stuff most Norwegians also are annoyed about 😄 thankfully most food stores now are open to 23:00. But the Vinmonopolet stuff is a bit annoying and yes, the service when buying clothing etc is very varied 😄 mostly young girls🙈 But the ugly side I really dont get, these are only good for you and your family's safety.. I do understand that just being reminded about these things can get you a bit nervous the first times though. But imagine if shit hits the fan, you will be very thankful. Anyway, i enjoy your videos and hope you and your family like it here and will stay😊

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! And yes, the “ugly” I am grateful for but it definitely effects the psychological aspect of moving somewhere new. Especially from the US since we are relatively young as a Nation. While we understand the reason, it is still quite an unease shift at first. At least from my perspective upon first impressions. 8 months in, I can now appreciate it all better 😊👍🏼

[@EspenX]

Really cool to hear about your culture shocks! Stavanger legevakt is the ER, so I would be surprised if they wouldn't see you if your child have croup etc. At least in Oslo, it is a given you go to the legevakt if you can't wait until your GP can see you. There are also private hospitals and legevakt offices open at night/weekends. I just googled and in Stavanger Dr Dropin have an emergency room. I am sure there are others as well. But the public legevakt would be my first call for any medical problem that can't wait for my GP.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for the information. Sometimes it is all just overwhelming and the simplest of information I have trouble processing. 😆

[@oh515]

@@heatherabroad It takes some time to know all the details.

[@EspenX]

@@heatherabroad It is really interesting to see your videos and how you adapt to living in Norway. Unfortunately I and most Norwegian have the 'Actually, in Norway we...blablabla' explaination gene. It is probably because we are such a small and insignificant country and most foreigners don't know or care about Norway. So when someone actually talks about Norway, we all flock to your channel and comment. And now I am one of them. Sorry about that. I really find your videos interesting, please ignore people like me in the comments :)

[@heatherabroad]

@@oh515yes… it is coming along 😅

[@heatherabroad]

@@EspenX😂 I can appreciate it all though. I keep learning more from each person who comments with legitimate information. No “trolls” yet 🤣.

[@vikinnorway6725]

Shops are closed so people gets to relax and enjoy life😊

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I understand!

[@siv-nataliekravikamundsen3939]

Just a hint about the 113 number You CAN call the number, but there is another number they prefer you to call instead 116 117 if its not a life and death situation where you need an ambulance. But you still need medical advices I tried to add a link for you to read about it in English but couldn't post it i guess

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you. I will look into it!

[@Henry-Bukenya]

I grew up in uganda, and I used to take myself at school since I was 4. When I reached years old, I moved to another school that was 3/4 miles away. And this normal in uganda. Peace just started taking their kids to school recently, and most kids like going to school by themselves.

[@heatherabroad]

It is definitely interesting to learn what is normal in other countries/cultures. I wish the US was better in this area.

[@bjrnjensen7074]

Some immigrant shops here in Oslo are open on sundays as well- AND during Easter. I went shopping in one of those shops two days ago, they have excellent choice in fruits and vegetables (including some that you don`t see in the "normal" Norwegian grocery stores), HUGE variety in different types of pasta, pulses, oils, dried herbs&spices, many types of teas that I never saw before.... oh, and those yummy pide bread- the shop is run by immigrants from Turkey. GOOD prices. "Cons": you won`t see many of the typical Norwegian products in here-but that is hardly something I miss, as I can buy those products on other days. Namaste from Oslo

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching!

[@EspenX]

Service in Norway often sucks - especially compared to the US. It is sort of an unwritten rule here that you don't provide much service in your job and you don't expect much service either as a customer. No store workers are working on commission, they all have a living wage no matter if they sell or not. The fun part is the one place you will get great service, is Vinmonopolet. The state liquor store have highly trained service staff, you can ask anyone in there for a suggestion for a wine, tell them your budget and what you will be having for dinner and they will give you excellent wine pairing suggestions. If there is something wrong with the wine you bought, you can bring it back and they will give you a new one. And if you break an unopened bottle and you bring the bottle neck and cork/seal intact, they will often offer you a new bottle. That is likely a big reason for a majority of Norwegians politically being in support of the Vinmonopolet system.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah that is great information. Thank you and thanks for watching! 😃

[@bjokvi91]

Maybe that's different from town to town, but i haven't really experienced much bad service here in Norway, except for at bars and nightclubs where the bartenders often seem completely incapable of maintaining any sort of order to who is next in line to get served, and you can order a popular and simple drink only to get a look of confusion, followed by a "we don't have that", despite the ingredients standing on a shelf right behind them.

[@heatherabroad]

@@bjokvi91 yes I find that during the summer if we asked for espresso shots over ice it blows a baristas mind here in this area. Even at Starbucks where that is a common drink in the states. (Not at the pub but same issues… it’s so simple 🤷🏻‍♀️)

[@VistasdelMar2008]

thanks for this. I guess the biggest difference is that in Norway the bunkers are public, and there are about 20000 of them, mostly inopperable. But there are over 4 million "preppers" in the US and the Bunker movement is huge, but you aren't going to know or see them, becasue that's precisely their purpose :-) so I wouldn't be surprised if, culturally speaking, Bunkers were "more" USA tha Norway.

[@heatherabroad]

True. You may be on to something… 🤔

[@Fjord_Driver]

In the US, we have the lovely system of balance billing by anyone in the medical profession. What that means is, you sign a form stating that you will pay ANYTHING, over and above the amount the insurance company doesn't cover. Rest assured, the insurance company won't cover much. You have an emergency operation, insurance company says, all those costs should realistically be no more than $6,000. They send the hospital and doctors money totaling that amount. For the next 6 months or more, you will get billing statements saying you owe and owe and owe and owe, from everyone who even looked in your general direction who is on staff at the hospital. Your out of pocket costs will be 20..30...40...50 thousand dollars. Welcome to screw you health care in the US. Many doctors in the US are in it for the money. When some of them want to take a fancy vacation, suddenly all their patients need bronchoscopies or whatever because, you know, Spanish holiday at the winery is expensive. The whole US health care system is a disaster.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes but when the opposite is that they decide if you should have surgery or if you can then that isn’t good either. It seems the ethics board gets to decide for you in some cases (verified). I worked in the medical field in the US and have experienced the system here in Norway. Both have pros and cons.

[@thepirate6211]

You get shocked easy :-)

[@heatherabroad]

I have never lived or traveled outside of the US until now 👍🏼

[@thepirate6211]

@@heatherabroad I get it ,but still, its not realy ugly, if u think about it. More comon sence. I have lived in the US so i get your point. BUT ur in Norway now so relax and enjoi 🙂

[@torrust]

Yeah, there is a huge difference between USA and Norway when it comes to control, Norway is like this first time mom that is afraid of everything which can happens to her children, the angst is through the roof, she is a super control freak, the laws on alcohol, gambling, drugs, gun laws, speed driving, drunk driving etc etc. When she have to punish her children, will send over police with no firearms, if her children need to go to jail, the goal is to heal, not punish. Also, she is old school Christian, on Sunday and Holy days all shall rest and she close down everything. I can tell you, she become far more relaxed with Christian values these days. She is super annoying, but means well. There is one exception, the Norwegian mom trust her children when they are outdoor in nature, you can ski, hike, run, jump off cliffs, camp almost everywhere. No Ranger permit needed. After a winter with lots of accidents in the mountains, she made guidelines for her children, only guidelines, not laws. This split personality, I think have to do with the national heroes, the biggest one being Nansen, so yeah, biggest hero was skier, scientist, polar explorer and humanitarian. Norway is the only nation where skiing to the Poles or across Greenland would give you hero status, lol.

[@heatherabroad]

😂😂😂

[@B.Brekke]

Radone gass assessment is a normal thing we do here in Norway. Its do e in every house/apartment pre rental. We do t want anyone to get hurt. Its safe here. We do t carry guns. Your kids can roam free en the streets and no one will even look at them in a bad way. Healthcare is free because we pay for it over our tax. And we are all happy to pay 30-55% tax to have free school, healthcare and sosial needs.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! I am enjoying living here.

[@RogerBengtsson75]

Some of those "bad" thing is even a adjustment for me that's from Sweden (neighbor country to the west) when I lived in Oslo for 6 years (2010-2016): * Stores are closed on Sundays - In sweden I have been so used to go shopping every sunday so this was a huge shift. Some like this but I don't. * No open for all medical emergency - This was a big shift, had some medical problems that required me to be fine then 4 hours later have so much pain I couldn't function. In sweden I went to the emergency and they always booked me a small surgery (30 min) same day and this was NOT the case norway. In norway I had to beg the "legevakt" that takes the phone calls and then is supposed to judge if you can come in or not and that ended up with me having many night crying in pain from not being admitted to surgery in time. I have now been operated by a specialist in sweden to permanently correct my problem after I moved there again. Norway is like Swedens little strange brother but I still love my brother. :) Btw I'm 75% norwegian in my bloodline going 3 generations back and almost all my relatives are in norway but I grew up in sweden 8 miles from the norwegian border.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I can see where the healthcare here can be frustrating. Thanks for watching and sharing your perspective. We have Sweden on our “to visit” list. Hope to make it there!

[@Lekmannphoto]

Hi. Im Norwegian. 45 years. Never heard about the radon thing. Maybe some places have that problem, i dont know. But that is not a normal thing in Norway. I have a house(Stavanger). And the tablets was a thing that happened when Russia attact Ukraina. Then the gouverment sent out letters to parents about that. Just in case solething would happen. But that is not a thing. And there is not really many bombshelters in Norway. Its not that many. It was in the news when Russia, bla bla bla, that we didns really have enough. That the shelters was used to other stuff. So these 3 things is not a normal thing kn Norway. 😊 Thomas

[@heatherabroad]

Interesting you say that. Radon definitely feels like a thing when the first thing the rental company does is hand you a paper proving the levels in the house are safe and regulates acceptable levels in order to rent out your house. Bomb shelters also feel like a thing when you move here and two of the first buildings you walk in have one. Just my perspective as it is my first time living in Europe. 🤷🏻‍♀️😊. Thanks for watching!

[@atleyri]

Bombshelters became mandatory in all public buildings built after WW2. Many norwegian cityes were bombed back to the stoneage during WW2....

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I am learning to appreciate this about Norway. 😊

[@robinbugge4240]

Radon is actually more common in the US than in Norway...

[@heatherabroad]

I think it depends on where you live. But I have since learned it is an issue in the US as well. 👍🏼

[@mari97216]

Very interesting. Since Im Norwegian I probably don’t see it all. But I can understand and agree on the opening hours, both for stores and for vinmonopolet. You have to plan a bit more because of the opening hours. Especially for alcohol. I also can agree that the customer service here in Norway is worse than in the US. But it varies on an individual level and from city to city. Its also a nice thing that you are hassled less when you are just looking around and not needing help. So it goes both ways. I disagree on radon though, its not nice to think about but its better to be proactive than not being aware that its a thing, like it might be in the US. I also disagree about legevakten. You can totally do drop in. If you are not happy with them theres also a few private clinics. My experience with legevakten is mediocre, but I have had help when I needed it and I was pushed along in the line out of urgency. Never had a bad experience but sometimes Ive waited for a very long time. Anyways, I understand you are more used to safety, like with excursions and all that. I agree they should probably write it on a plan so parents are aware of their schedule.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching! Yes the radon is a ugly positive I guess. I am happy that they care enough to measure it here! Good to know that about the legevakten. We were told ours here no longer does walk-ins but now I will confirm that information. And we are getting used to the school trips. But for example, Friday they took the kids sledding and you don’t find out until after. I am glad my kids are getting more independence here where I trust the surroundings more. 🇳🇴

[@mari97216]

@@heatherabroad I havent been to the emergency room in like maybe 2 years. So things could have changed without me knowing it, but pretty sure Ive heard of people dropping in like before. Maybe it depends on the city? 🤔

[@Goregaltha]

I believe the radon thing is actually a "good", simply because it's being tested for. In the states, it exists as well and should be more of a concern, but it's not widely known or tested for. Thanks for the video, very helpful insight on the culture.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for watching. I have since learned about it being present in the US and I agree that it is good that Norway is at least more aware about it. However, it does seem that the levels are fluctuating in our house so much that the average seems “okay” but sometimes it is very high for a day or two. Stressful checking the levels. 😰

[@Goregaltha]

@@heatherabroad Ah man, that would definitely be stressful, well wishes to you and your family. You've inspired me to get a testing kit for our house, but maybe it'd almost be better not to know! Lol

[@Luredreier]

Hum, consider watching the news service for children with your kid on NRK Super perhaps once they're the right age? It's intended for kids age 8-12. It's named "Supernytt". It might also be worth watching for you perhaps since it's intended for children it's perhaps less filled with advanced words then regular news and includes a bit more context.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah thank you. I haven’t heard of that yet. I’ll look into it. I have heard of NRK but just keeps slipping away when it comes to putting it on the TV.

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Slip away? May I ask what you mean with that?

[@Aiziee]

I think kids get enough indoctrination at school, and NRK is just a continuation on that track. But of course, it's better than TikTok.

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Right... NRK is sometimes accused of not being a neutral and independent broadcasting service by the political right in Norway. Members of FRP and H makes this accusation the most frequently. You better evaluate the validity of this accusation yourself. NRK, TVNorge and TV2 are the three oldest broadcasting services in Norway. I recommend watching all of them at least to some degree, as well as external news sources around the world. I like using BBC as well as various less known channels in Singapore, Japan, Germany, France, USA, India and Russia (the last two are the least credible ones I occasionally watch. I'm not really watching any Chinese media although I enjoy watching content made outside China by people who speak the language and has contacts in the country. I *wish* I could say that I'm watching more countries, but honestly it's just so infrequent that it's not really worth mentioning... I usually check out local channels etc when something happens somewhere and I can find a source in English. The talks about changes to the South African constitution was interesting for instance.

[@luciwaves]

Hahahaha the "bad stuff" is that you have to be LESS PARANOID 😂😂😂😂😂

[@heatherabroad]

Yes.. learning… 😅

[@lmr1300]

My sisters says the same thing about Scottland. That everything closes early.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah, I hope to visit there soon!

[@Luredreier]

9:26 The flip side of that is that there's no paperwork to fill in for the ER before treatment. And little in the healthcare system in general as the system tracks you the whole way.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I have noticed they seem to already know everything they need… 😳😆

[@MacaldaReye]

I’m looking to move to Norway but the raydon this is scaring me, what are the chances of getting cancer simply from living in Norway?

[@heatherabroad]

I do not know but it is definitely something to look into. Not everyone is sensitive to it. And Norway seems to have longevity in the general population.

[@Andy20125]

The nuclear fallout was more of 50‘s and 60‘s thing in the US. Like duck and cover drills and I have seen pamphlets from the 50‘s or 60‘s how to build a makeshift bomb shelter.

[@steinarhaugen7617]

We check for radon so that people can avoid cancer. Radon is a thing here, you say. Same in the US but you don't get to know about it. Perhaps one of the reasons why people live 6 years longer in Norway than in the USA, on average. Is it ugly to protect people from bombs in case of war or natural disaster?

[@heatherabroad]

Ah I can see where that comes across wrong. I supposed it isn’t ugly but it is quite a shock when you are not used to it at all. Gives a feeling of constant pending doom until you get used to it. But yes, glad to have them just in case.

[@steinarhaugen7617]

@@heatherabroad Okay. In that way, yes. Good clarification. Fortunately, it has not been necessary to use these rooms after the Second World War, but at that time several thousand lives were saved because of these shelters. Nevertheless, many died needlessly because at the time we had too few shelters.

[@EspenX]

Dude, ease up. She is coming from a country that has not had German air raids. Pearl Harbour was bombed and I wouldn't be surprised if there were air raid shelters there now because of that. But on continental US, air raid shelters are probably not a big priority so it would be culture shock.

[@Aiziee]

@@EspenX and English bombing and Soviet bombing.

[@janhaheim1348]

well we do share border with russia , they have a lot of bombs.. not that russia show aggresion towards norway, but if usa and russia would go to war norway would be cougth in the middle and both american and russian bombs and missiles would be a potential treat to us,. so it is just common sence to prepare some means to protect our children, and also most of europe was bombed to ruins in ww2, so bomb shelters just seems like a good idea to us

[@heatherabroad]

Yes I definitely understand, but it was a bit of a shock when several things I volunteer for are held in these spaces. I’m used to it now and appreciate the preparedness. 👍🏼

[@The-Vega-Islands]

I enjoy your videos, keep it up!!!

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you!!

[@ulf5738]

People don’t steal too much in Norway because we have a better safety net. No one lives on the street because they have to. Same for the other Scandinavian countries. This affects the mentality.

[@heatherabroad]

😃

[@tommarnk]

have you heard about three mile island or chernobyl accidents? thats why there is iodide tablets in schools just in case

[@heatherabroad]

Not of 3 miles island, but yes I now understand.

[@lovelyswan80]

How did you find work there? Sending hello from Montana!! 😊

[@heatherabroad]

My husband was asked to come here. I do not work since I would have to first learn the language fluently and then take a language medical exam in order to work.

[@floro7687]

How in the world have you steered clear all the radon business in the US? Norway is small fry.

[@heatherabroad]

Somehow I have never heard of it!

[@TomKirkemo-l5c]

And if you have to call 113...there is not a bill in sigth! It's all about free, about 30 USD I believe.

[@heatherabroad]

I like to think of it as prepaid considering the crazy amount of taxes we are paying. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to make a video about that. 😳😆

[@leivrichardbystl-hill910]

Actually we have walk inn clinics, however they are private and expensive and phew.

[@heatherabroad]

Slowly learning the medical system…

[@NA-lr5wb]

The most important thing is we treat humans like humans here, misogyny is nonexistent. Treating race and sexuality with equality is our mission. React to the king of norways speech on equality.❤

[@heatherabroad]

I think Norway has similar issues as everyone else. They are just better at controlling the narrative.

[@Luredreier]

14:35 Norways, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland are the countries with best nuclear shelter capacity in the world. In case of a nuclear war you're safer here then in the US as we actually have room for the whole population. That said, some of the Norwegian bomb shelters are in disrepair and needs some maintenance before they're good comfortable places to live long term as they've been underfunded for years due to the fall of the USSR. (Some news reports have even shown some that has water dripping into them and mold on the walls, most aren't in *that* bad a condition though...)

[@heatherabroad]

Yes. I am grateful that they are an option here. So a guess a positive twist to the Ugly of my nerves. 🥴

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Yeah, don't worry about it. Even in the case of a war between NATO and Russia you'll be fine here. There's a small area in northern Norway, northern Sweden and northern Finland that's just indefensible terrain, and that part of Norway is expected to be conquered fast in case of war as there's a radar station there used by NATO to monitor Russian activity, and holding it would help Russia defend their northern coast and their northern military bases, they'll probably take parts of Finland too if they've joined by then. There's also a couple of military bases around Norway used by NATO that might be bombed with conventional bombs to reduce our military capabilities and the support for our NATO allies coming to aid us. But honestly Russia is in no position to challenge NATO in a conventional war. And in case of a nuclear war we're just not important enough here in Norway. No, the pills is more a response to worries about a nuclear accident in one of the nuclear power plants in the war zones in Ukraine. When Chernobyl blew up it caused radiation here in Norway, and meat from certain areas still has to be tested for radiation to be allowed for human consumption to this day. If something happened to a nuclear plant in Ukraine that could impact us depending on the weather. And we've learned our lesson since last time. Iodine, charcoal, food (dry or canned) and water for a week, alternative heating options other than electricity and a few candles and a first aid kit is generally a good idea to store, just in case anyway, because you never know what might happen. Avalanches may cut off roads etc. And just in general being prepared is good. But our government *will* look after you if something happens.

[@Aiziee]

Some here think they will survive a nuclear war. Well, you will not: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqmteZiZrr51pNE

[@Luredreier]

@@Aiziee There's a number of assumptions in the simulation that's just wrong. For one, Russia is going to need most of their rockets to saturate NATO defenses. While those defenses are definitely overrated and *will* let many missiles through they'll block *some* of them at least and Russia doesn't know how many up front, meaning that they'll have to use more pr location to guarantee a successful outcome. Secondly, Russian maintenance is sorely lacking, many missiles simply won't function. So even more is needed for the targets in question. Furthermore, Norway is insignificant. That northern attack is unrealistic as they'd simply *conquer* that base with conventional weapons or bomb it with *regular* weapons. Throwing a nuke at it is wasteful when there's more important targets... As for the central Norwegian target... I'm guessing that's the air base at Ørlandet? Of all the targets in Norway that's probably the only one that's remotely likely... But again, Russia is going to have its hands full elsewhere... I very much doubt that they'd have spare nukes for Ørlandet... As for the nuclear fallout and nuclear winter... True that *is* a problem, and I don't think Norway is prepared for that. I believe that the shelters got air filters, stored air, stored water and food etc. But it's still a limited supply intended to keep people alive till help arrives from outside. Not long enough to endure a nuclear winter. Although who knows what is available in classified locations...

[@adrianbowden]

I never heard about radon bomb shelters or iodine tablets - maybe my wife got the message about the iodine ?

[@heatherabroad]

Maybe? I have been told the tablets were an old thing brought back this past school year.

[@tomkirkemo5241]

Actually we have too few bomb shelters in Norway today.

[@heatherabroad]

Yes, I guess the population has grown but not the number of shelters.

[@ThorbjrnPrytz]

You can go to Legevakten if you feel it is urgent, but without appointment and they find it not life threatening you might have a long wait...

[@heatherabroad]

I think I am understanding the system better through everyone’s feedback. Thank you for the help. I thought it was like a US equivalent to the urgent care but it seems more equal to our emergency room.

[@ThorbjrnPrytz]

@@heatherabroad LV is the first line of emergency care, they do assesments and treat minor injuries. Major injuries get sent on to hospitals ER for surgeries, scans and more higher level care.

[@heatherabroad]

@@ThorbjrnPrytz ah okay. Thank you. 😊

[@GnosticAtheist]

Sidenote, you can just take your child to the emergency "inntak". They will see the child, although you might get a few comments if it wasnt serious. Its usually careful comments, as a mother overreacting is what she is supposed to do, so they are used to it. That said, calling is the best for everyone, as 99/100 its not actually serious, but the parent(s) are naturally reacting as if it is. But I do understand that it can feel wrong that social economy seems to affect healthcare availability, in that the point of it is to minimize waste of public resources. There are stories out there of people who have suffered and died because "it wasnt serious enough" when it was. However, wrong calls like that happen in every country, inside hospitals as well. Statistically, this system seems to work well comparatively to client funded systems where people are fooled into buying to much out of fear. As for the service industry, thats just a mixed bag. If someone truly suck at their job you can go all Karen and ask for the manager, but I just take my money elsewhere when someone is being useless. Actually, going karen might be better for that place, but I dont have time to help shops. They deal with their useless employers.

[@Halli50]

I can just imagine your panic when your child did not show up on time, seeing that you had relatively recently moved to Norway. It takes time to become used to such a totally different environment. The good news: You WILL eventually get used to the level of safety that is just a fact in the Nordic countries.

[@heatherabroad]

I have not let my guard down, but I am definitely better than I was the first year here. 😉

[@norkannen]

Iodine tablets is not a thing in schools in Norway or Stavanger normally. We have not heard about them when our kids went to school. And i have been a teacher and have not heard about it when i was. If it is its just now because of the situation in Ukrain / Rus. And if we end up needing them US will also need them because then it will be worldwide radiation 😐

[@heatherabroad]

Well it is definitely a thing currently. 😳 but glad to have modern medicine to help with the possible issues.

[@NinaIsaksenJohansen]

we dont talk to our kids about iodine tablets. And it's a brand new thing, happened firstly about 2 yrs ago.

[@heatherabroad]

Ah okay! I haven’t told mine about it yet.

[@beldin2987]

The thing is, that shops when all are open 24/7 don't really sell more as if they are only 10/6 open, but they have to have way more employees and they maybe need to work more hours, and in the end they will mostly get payed worse and the prices for the customers are higher. So in the end its worse for everyone because some people just can't plan their week to go grocery shopping on friday or saturday instead of sunday. Also .. americans always do as if they are sooo damned religious but they don't even know their bible even though they do as if they read it every day, else they wouldn't be always so "shocked" about all those "no work on sunday" rules _______________________________________________________________________________________________ "Exodus 35:2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death."

[@heatherabroad]

Every country has their issues… I have heard Norway is trying to remove all the religious Holidays because Norwegians do not use them for what they are intended for as well… I often swing by the REMA or Extra Sunday after church for a few items I may be missing or have forgotten during the week. Thanks for watching!

[@beldin2987]

@@heatherabroad That would suck of course. I live in a state of germany that has the least religous holidays, and even since i'm an atheist i was (when i was still working) of course envious on the states that have more since less workdays are always welcome, as long as you are not an USAsian 😄

[@Luredreier]

So, regarding healthcare. For kids it's free I believe. But for adults there's a tiny mostly symbolic copay to discourage misuse of the healthcare systems resources, with a yearly ceiling for how high it can get. I think it's something like a maximum of about 300 dollars worth pr year or something like that. A lot less pr visit to a health care facility. Also, dental care is *not* included in the system for adults. Although poor people *can* apply for help with paying for that if there's issues.

[@heatherabroad]

Thank you for the info again. I recently learned that about the dental.

[@Luredreier]

@@heatherabroad Some parties wants it included, others don't. It's currently "Red" that's fighting the most for the inclusion of dental care in the welfare system. (Red is the result of a merger of multiple left of SV political parties that was unable to get parliamentarian representation alone, including the communist party of Norway, but also other parties) SV used to be part of the Labour Party but split away due to internal disputes. I'm not sure about the view on dental care among the centrist political parties right now. If you have any questions about Norwegian politics I'd be happy to help (or try to at least). Regarding my bias, I'm a former SV voter who switched to voting MDG, I'm not an active member in any party, although I do pay for a membership in MDG and get invitations to local party meetings etc (in case I ever wish to become active). I'm a Icelandic citizen, and you like me will have voting rights at a local and regional level even without a Norwegian citizenship once you've lived here for long enough in one area. You'll get the voting documentation in your mail automatically once you're eligible. National elections requires a citizenship in order to vote or run.

[@irenestrmnss4496]

Difference between norwegians going to USA versus americans coming here is that we know alot about America but americans dont know much about other countries then their own. Sorry but true.

[@heatherabroad]

So true! We learn American history, which is young. We learn very little about European history. Mainly about events leading up to America. Thanks for watching! 😄

[@78Ranyran]

You have legevakt if theres not too serrious and no rush, and if youre kid is really sock or injured you can take him to akutten, thats if it cant wait.

[@siv-nataliekravikamundsen3939]

Next time you need an advice for May 17th or dresscode for anything try getting an opinion from an other person working there. (I don't know in your situation but maby the salesperson wasn't comfortable talking English, not everyone knows or feel confident enough) My mum doesn't speak English so when I had a English friend visiting, I had to translate for them both

[@heatherabroad]

You may be right about that. This persons was older and may not have learned from a young age. It is hard in Stavanger though when most people say they only know a little English and then help you in very good English. I have to remind myself that does not apply across all people.

[@kilipaki87oritahiti]

@@heatherabroad It’s a stereotype that every Norwegian is good at English. They may understand, but fluent, no. Of course Millennials like my self and Gen Z, no problem, and even my mom who is now in her 70’s are “fluent”, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is comfortable conversing in English, as most Norwegians doesn’t have to speak English on a daily basis. I know people who can joke in perfect English, yet when they are confronted to speak with a native speaker, they completely freak out, and become super insecure and refuse to speak out of fear of embarrassment.

[@user-mithrals]

The may 17 thing just sounds like bad service, or bad people skills to me.

[@heatherabroad]

That and maybe because she was older and maybe not as confident with English. And at the time I had a little to no Norwegian!

[@user-mithrals]

@@heatherabroad Thats a good point, when I went to study in england, the families me and my fellow students lived at was "warned" that we might seem rude, but that was only due to us not being confident in english and shy.

[@alejandromoreno5056]

hi 😍

[@SverreMunthe]

Do you seriously think that there isn’t radon in the US?! The thing is that we take it seriously here, while you don’t care in the US!

[@heatherabroad]

That’s the information I am receiving on here. Now I know to look out for it when we move back one day. 😳 Truly never heard of it while living in the US. So maybe this is a positive!

[@zicada7661]

A few things I'm curious about your perspective on: The Jante law. Ask some Norwegians and consider the pros and cons. Jante esque ideas have affected Scandinavian thinking The us idea of having freedom: do you ultimately have more or less of it in USA vs Norway?

[@heatherabroad]

Interesting… I just looked it up. I’d be curious to know if this is still “taught” or “suggested” in schools now, maybe even indirectly. I have some thought about it…. We will have to see if I am brave enough for a video about it. 🫣😆

[@steinovehaugnes3922]

@@heatherabroad, The Jante Law has newer been taught or suggested as a law you have to follow. It is a description of the unwritten rules in a fictional village named Jante, from a satirical novel written in 1933. The fiction and the rules is based on a typical village in Denmark. The rules reflects what is already there, in the culture. As viewed by the author Aksel Sandemose. And the culture in Denmark, Norway, Sweden is very much alike when it comes to these unwritten rules. That you should not brag and so on.

[@heatherabroad]

@@steinovehaugnes3922yes that is what I gathered. That it began as satire but actually held a bit of truth.

[@Traslan]

On Sundays you're supposed to take your family out and enjoy nature 🏞💚🌲 It's a good thing most ppl don't have to work on weekends. Enjoy life 🥰 Not just work...

[@heatherabroad]

Yes, extra family time is nice. 😊

[@TullaRask]

The government probably decides on what the kids are suppose to do, so you might not really have a choice. That's different from the US I suppose where you can take your kids out of sex education for instance.

[@Aiziee]

Not the government, but the schools/teachers.

[@Michael-uk2qw]

You probably have walking centers in the US because they know they can make money on it.

[@heatherabroad]

Thanks for watching. What kind of walking centers?

[@Michael-uk2qw]

@@heatherabroad Sorry I meant Walk in clinics , as I understand Healthcare in the states is big business.

[@heatherabroad]

@@Michael-uk2qw ah that makes sense. Healthcare is a business, but you can also think of it as funding the best technology. For example, I know people who have chosen to pay more for what is offered in the US because of the difference in what is offered here in Norway (more invasive or personal experiences with higher infections after procedures here and/or lack of needed medications). Neither is perfect. One makes money and one protects money. 🙁

[@Michael-uk2qw]

@@heatherabroad I never thought of it that way. Partly because I didn't think there was a huge difference in the quality of equipment/medication.