As I am living for over a year in Norway now, and my best friend is living in the Netherlands, we cannot help it but complain a lot about the lack of spontaneity in those beautiful countries. At first I started aking my self ‘What is wrong with these people?’… after that I switched into ‘What is wrong with me?’ … Until I came to the realisation (trust me it takes time when you move to a different country) that the mindset in the North is totally different and there is nothing wrong with anybody, it’s just how the cultures are built and how they are operating on a daily basis.
So, imagine this scene - you are somewhere in south Europe - anywhere from Bulgaria to Spain, it is the middle of a summer afternoon and you are wondering where you should seek salvation from the devouring 40 degrees heat. All of a sudden your phone rings and some of your mates are telling you that they are drinking lemonade (a.k.a mojito) in some bar at the center of the city. You grab the thinnest cloth you see and run straight to the named bar. You start chatting, soon a couple more friends are joining and all of you are laughing loudly, drinking and don’t give any worries in the world. Later, you decide to have dinner somewhere and then meet some other of your favourite people. And just like that the clock is suddenly showing 11:00 p.m and you finally decide that the temperature is cool enough to go back to your apartment and get some rest before the next day.
‘What a nightmare!’ - shout my Norwegian friends. ‘How is it possible that you are not having middag* at home?! … and you recklessly stay out and meet all of those people?!’ . Yup, I am not exaggerating here. In the North people have tight schedules and for them it is just unthinkable to “waste” time.
The first major difference between the two worlds, that creates this colossal misunderstanding between one other is the level of investment in their homes.
In Norway for example, the home is a sacred place, where you have to build as much kos* as possible - candles, cushions, dozens of plants, fire place, blankets, wool carpets and wool socks. I mean in Norway 80% of the stores are home design oriented. Don’t get me wrong - Norwegians are highly sosial, but they like to have a time limit of socializing. They are creatures of habit who need to go back home and just take a bath and cuddle with their cat in peace. Another thing is that in northern Norway late autumn and winter are connected with the so called polar nights, which means that you have around three-four hours of a normal daylight before you have no choice but go home, because it simply is not pleasant to be outside.
In the south you can also see a lot of incredible, colourful and cozy homes, but the key role our homes are playing is as just another arena of sosial gathering. Big family dinners with at least 10 people is something everyone experiences on a regular basis. Also, we do not get so crazy about all the sundries we can fill our home with, simply because we want to be out all the time. For us roaming the streets and meeting people is way more appealing, than sitting at home. We stay at home for two consecutive days only if we are severely sick.
Conclusion: the more north you go, people will be looking for excuse to go home, while in the south - to stay out a little longer.
The second very important difference is the price and availability of food and alcohol. For example in Bulgaria it is way cheaper to eat in a restaurant, than it is in the North and this is why it is common for people to meet after work to eat out. Also, alcohol is literally available 24/7 in Bulgaria, while in Norway you have a complicated system (rules are the best!) about buying what and when. First of all, you can buy strong alcohol exclusively in one store chain, which closes at latest 6 p.m on week days, and 4 p.m and Saturdays. Everything is closed on Sunday, duuuh. In the regular supermarkets you have access only to beer and ciders, which are available until 8 p.m. on week days, and 6 p.m on Saturdays. In the restaurants, bars and clubs you can order alcohol, but it is usually so expensive that you rather stay sober and cry later. South Europeans don’t even realise how spoiled (blessed) they actually are!
Third, working hours are influencing everyday life in a different way. In Norway, people usually work until 4 p.m. That includes kindergartens and schools too, so families with children are having early dinners and have sports activities in the evenings. That creates a highly organised week schedule and there is literally no time for surprises. In Bulgaria, people usually work until 6 - 7 p.m. With high school classes finishing around 7 p.m, teenagers tend to chill out with friends before going home, so dinner is expected around 8 p.m. Keep in mind that in Bulgaria people usually have warm and rich lunch meals, while in Norway just a quick snack is enough to keep them concentrated until it’t time for dinner at 4 p.m - 5 p.m.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of bricks (and many more in the upcoming articles), involved in the build up of the biggest cultural shock, which makes the south europeans think that the northerns are cold and reserved, while the northerns see the southerns as reckless loungers. Understanding each other takes time - a lot of funny and awkward situations are involved, but after all it is lovely to navigate trough the unknown waters.
Photo credit for the cover: xavi_cabrera via unsplashed.com