A well-known stereotype about Norwegians is that they are cold and reserved. When I need to go to NHH, my school, I have to take 2 buses. The path is approximately 30 minutes. First point in public transportation: it’s very impolite to talk to an unknown guy in a bus, as reported by a Norwegian friend. But don’t worry if you need to ask for information in the street or if you are searching for a shop people will help you. Furthermore, according to my personal experience, most of citizens speak a good English.
Above you can see typical example of a Norwegian bus stop! Each morning when I take my first bus there are maximum 2 persons in the bus stop and others people waiting outside even when it’s raining. It’s quite funny!
There is another different between Norway and France. When the bus is nearly full, Norwegians going beside of you instead of going in front of you. It’s to avoid eye contact like Dan, a Norwegian explain me. Erasmus experience allowed you to discover this kind of cultural differences. Several masters in international business have courses about managing international diversity and difference. It’s important to respect and understand the culture of your partner. For example, something I learn here is Asian people are not use to say no when you ask something. It’s can be necessary to know it before a group work for instance. I find really interesting to meet people who have another way of thinking and other cultural habits. That’s why, I really want to travel to Asia soon in order to discover new countries and cultures.
Have a nice week 🙂
Pierre
