A Norwegians view of America....

I had a nice conversation with a co worker yesterday. She told me she dreamed of going to America one day... but with all of the guns & serial killers, it made her a little nervous.......

***sounds of crickets*** Ummm what do you say to that?

I told her that I have never owned a hand gun...or known anyone who owns one.
Nor have I ever met a a serial killer..(luckily)
I could see her face relax a little, thinking... maybe... just maybe.... she could do the ROUTE 66 trip without being killed.
So how do a lot of the Norwegians I encounter, see the U.S?
Many of them think everything in the U.S. is BIG.... yes... I agree.. why not?
Americans... depending on who you ask... are regarded as "Hollywood FABULOUS"...(guilty)
or fat & frumpy...
(Norwegians who have not been to the states before, form many of their opinions from TV... Sex in the City, Jerry Springer, Forensic Files... N-I-C-E ....)
America is convenient... with stores open 24 hours a day & a shopping MECCA (true true true...)
WALMART was acutally in the newspaper the other day as a "MUST SEE" on your trip to the states...
Americans are friendly... & loud... (guilty...guilty)
Americans are proud of where they come from.... true. (Being American & from where we immigrated)
They think it is funny that Americans say... I am German-American... or Irish American.... (must be a bit boring for them to say... I am Norwegian-Norwegian...)
And generally we will tell them... Oooo I am Norwegian-German-Irish too. My great, great, great grandma was (insert nationality)
Americans are only interested in America... (sad but kind of true...
the majority of Norwegians can name most of the American Presidents..)
Can anyone name the Norwegian Prime Minister ? (without googling it?)
answer...Jens Stoltenberg... Or aka...MR. Y-U-M-M-Y
as I like to call him.(just a little eye-candy for you...)
Helllloooo Hottie..
Americans eat a lot of fast food.
Yes true...but that is because we work 40 hour weeks & it is cheap.
Reason Norwegians don't eat a lot of fast food is because it is too darn expensive! ($60 for 2 happy meals & a #3 value meal?) I would rather cook.
Americans drive everywhere.... with gas so cheap in the states... (yes, I said CHEAP... try paying $12 a gallon & then come crying to me...) Think of all of the places we can drive through... Restaurants, dry cleaners, pharmacies... WEDDING Chapels... sigh....God bless the US...
(I have to actually park to go into the bank...)
This is just the tip of the iceberg without getting into politics...
I am sure I will add more as I come up with them.... because this is something I encounter on a daily basis.
** And for those of you who are going to POOP on my PARADE... & tell me the US is not perfect... I KNOW THAT... but dammit... it is home...& I love it!
Did I mention 3 weeks til I Go Home??? (Wonder if I am going to throw that into every post for the next 3 weeks?)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Most people get their information based only on what they see on the news and tv. So we wall have distored opinions of other countries. It is true even within the U.S.

I am surprised when in the West the misinformation people have about the East.

Fast food is still super expensive in Norway? I was trying to remember if it was just me or if it really was expensive. I think when I was there I ate out twice.

I sometimes bought a hot dog from the Kiosks. Hot dog only. Do they still have the little Kiosks on the streets.

I have also wondered in this day of ATMs if they still have PostSpare bankboks?
Rhea said…
Is that a photo of the prime minister? NO way! He's hot! I mean, for a guy in charge of a country and all. hehe

This was a neat post. Interesting to see what Norwegians think of America.
Unknown said…
OK Cyclingred... you are going to have to fill me in about your days in Norway. Yes it is CRAZY expensive to eat out... well... almost everything is CRAZY expensive. There aren't really that many Kiosks around, however Hotdogs are still the Norwegian National Dish... (Most popular form of Fast Food) We tend to buy them at gas stations...
And we do use our bank cards all over the place...

RHEA... Yes that is the Prime Minister... & He is even better looking in real life... (TV)
Angie's Spot said…
Oh my, that PM is totally hot! I might have to add him to my Monday Morning Eye Candy segment. I'm always interested to hear what others think of the U.S. My Swedish friend usually has some great feedback for us when he visits annually. :-)
Angie's Spot said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said…
Angie... Had to remove the post so my little sister wouldn't go looking for the video. It is Richard Marx. Not sure what the name of the song is but it is from the movie Anastacia... So you really liked the video? Thanks! ; )
Candid Carrie said…
Alright, do you remember Jeffrey Dahmer? Of course you do. Well at that time we had Korean foreign exchange students living with us and they would have to reassure their parents constantly that no one tried to ... I'll just say it like this incase anyone else is reading ... go all Dahmer on them.

I know, creepy right?
Angela said…
So glad you're getting to come home for a visit soon. And what an interesting look into Norwegian's thoughts on the US. I am always fascinated by other cultures, and fascinated to see what they think of us crazy Americans. Even my cousins in Canada (lovingly) call us crazy Americans, LOL!
Makes you appreciate home, for better or worse!
Anonymous said…
I followed you from SITS. I am afraid I am one of those awful English people that cannot understand why Americans say 'I'm Irish-American" or "Italian-American", but I know I am not the only one as I have friends from Argentina who think the same! So I'm sorry!!! But I do love America and have lived here for 11 years, so there must be plenty of good things keeping me here!
Unknown said…
I think that TV shows and movies give foreigners some really weird ideas about America. I know I had a couple of misconceptions shattered, when I first moved to the US.

I will admit, that the habit Americans have of calling themselves Irish-American, French-American, Greek-American or whatever, seems to be a bit weird to me.

I'm a New Zealander. My ancestors mainly came from Scotland, with a little bit of English, Irish and Greek thrown in the mix. But I am a New Zealander. That's my identity.

It kind of facinates me as to why Americans want to tack another country on to their identity. It's rather like some aren't completely comfortable in their skins as Americans.

Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Americans over that. I'm just interested as to why.
Anonymous said…
To answer a little about my time in Norway. I remember the hot dogs from the Kiosks. They were much better than what we get here in the U.S. And we got them wrapped in wax paper as I recall. Just the hot dog and nothing else with it. What was really good was the middags pulse that came in a ring.

The postsparebank bok was a passbook savings account through the post office. This was before ATMs so you could go to a post office and get cash. It was rather convenient.
Heather said…
Please, for all of us Americans, set the record straight about Wal-Mart. And I just saw on the news the other day how much you are paying for gas there. WOWZA! I won't complain about $4 a gallon any more.
WheresMyAngels said…
Any shirtless pictures of him??
Anonymous said…
I had an experience like this with a Canadian, who was appalled when I suggested that her husband might end up with a job in the states one day (he worked with my hubby). She said, "Over my dead body! Do you think I want my kid getting killed at school?" I pointed out that my kids had never been killed at school, but she had her heels dug in, so I gave up. :)
Unknown said…
I just found your blog via The Perlman Update. Too funny. This post is so me right now. Except I'm in German and going home in two weeks. I miss miss miss my drive through atm, Starbucks, Chilis-To-Go and my beloved Target. I hate that I have to go into a parking garage and pay 1.20€ just so I can use the atm machine. Or pick up the dry cleaning or get food. If they actually have a parking lot here you better believe it isn't free.

14 more days 14 more days....

I sure hope your days until you go home improve!
KatyTexasMommy said…
HEY thanks for leaving me a comment, Holy Moses, FIRST, I spent YEARS in the UK , first to get a graduate degree and then had to work there for awhile

everything you posted about norway is the same in the UK, EVERYONE expected me to have these glowing "once in a lifetime" stories to tell, regaling them with mystery and the beauty of being "british"

nice- sure, but the TRUTH is that I HATED IT and could not wait to be back home, OMG

I only recently started to actually admit it! high gas prices, weird economy, small salaries and old school mentality made me go bonkers, and if you werent drunk at the pub or at the club you were worthless there!

anyway, GREAT read and I gotta add you to my blog list!

I came back to America, after fleeing thiking "so much more cultured, European flair is what I need....international travel... sexy!!"

to screaming to go back home arriving with $43 in my bank account and moving in with my FATHER at the age of 28 (with a MBA and consulting under my belt)

and not caring at all either, I was that glad to be back and what seemed to mysterious and grand before I lived there - well the reality came up quickly and the beauty of USA and being American warts 'n all has seriously turned me into the biggest patriot.

LOL
Kelli
Anonymous said…
Little, I really relate to this post. Japan is a very insular country for all of its exposure to Western culture and their history of immigration is really short compared to America's. They see us as a lot of the things Norwegians do and, yes, a lot of it is based in truth. Because we look so different, though, we get a lot of stares, as though we're zoo animals, and have to endure a lot of stupid questions like, "Can you use chopsticks?" With all of the nonsense going on back home I'm sometimes glad to be living abroad but, as you say, America is my home, dammit! It's like my family - I don't always like it, I don't always agree with what it does but I will always love it.
Anonymous said…
Oh, and yeah - YUM re: your PM. Take note, Japan.
Wow. Jens IS a hottie! :)
Scrago said…
So, I stumbled here a while ago and this post is a little old, but still.

I have to say that being in Norway has made me happier with America.
Plus everything you say is true. they really do think that... So it's rather funny when they talk to me and realize that I speak proper English, know about the world, and am very quiet.

This is generally in response to "Oh you're from Texas?" In that bizarre I can't tell if you are British/American/Norwegian accent.
Anonymous said…
It's funny that Walmart is a must see when coming to the states!
Great sense of Humor, I've enjoyed reading.
Ash said…
If they think Walmart is cool, Super Target must be shangri la!

Howdy from one Texas girl to another!!

Em
Unknown said…
I wouldn't count on it...

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