Up North: An Interview
The Nordic countries are known for topping all sorts of indexes - democracy, healthcare, quality of life, education, you name it. Not only that, but they’re known for little quirks like saunas and smorgasbords, and songs about foxes. With all that wintry weirdness at hand, I decided to conduct a little interview with Victoria Westvik and Mikael Lindbom, two pilots currently residing in Norway, who shared some thoughts about everyday life up north as seen from both within and without.
Hi guys! So first, let us know a bit about yourself - where are you from, where are you living now?
Victoria: I'm from Singapore, but I am half Norwegian. I was born and raised in Singapore before moving to Norway where I have lived for the past 10 years.
Mikael: I am from Finland. I moved to Norway to study and have been living here for the past 2 years.
So, Norway and Finland are known for topping all sorts of indexes - what do you think about these? Do you think they accurately reflect life in your countries?
V: I think that they are quite accurate. Life in Norway is very good and you do have the support you need most of the time. There are of course some areas where there is need for improvement, however, these areas are in my opinion still much better than in other equally developed countries.
M: I think they are correct, but still people like to complain even though it is free. People don't realize how good things actually are compared to developing countries.
What about stereotypes? For example, are Nordic folks really as "cold" as people think? Which stereotypes do you think are funny? Or offensive?
V: Nordic folks I think can be split in two categories when talking about the "Nordic coldness". Those who have travelled quite a bit, and those who have either not travelled outside the Nordic countries or have only travelled to "Syden", which is basically the Mediterranean, like Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Croatia, or Greece, for example. I feel like those who have been more exposed to other cultures and experiences are much more open and are easier to talk to. Stereotypes... Well I suppose one of the biggest ones is that its always dark and winter here. Granted, it can be quite cold some summer evenings, but during the summer the sun does not even fully set, we have "midnight sun".
M: I actually kinda agree with the stereotypes or at least like to laugh at them when someone takes them up. However not all nordic people are cold, there are people who might be for example mixed with different cultures in different ways. Either they might have a parent from another culture or they have gained some knowledge and experience by traveling. I can totally get why it is described as being cold, we directly answer to questions rather than small talk. Also there will be some awkward quiet moments when talking with Nordic people. Usually getting through this "hard cover", Nordic people are very warm and friendly. I don't see any stereotypes as offensive, I like to make fun of Finnish people myself and laugh when others do so. The funniest stereotypes in my opinion are of course all stereotypes about the Swedes. One funny stereotype is the need for personal space, and I can guarantee that you will see and feel it when using public transportation.
There’ve been many Nordic life philosophy books coming out recently - I'm thinking of the Danish 'Hygge', a concept alike to happiness and comfort, and Swedish 'Lagom', alike to harmony and balance, that many may have seen in airports and Relay outlets. Riding on that wave, I've got a special question for Mikael - can you explain the Finnish concept of "Sisu" to us? It's quite different from those other Nordic philosophies, isn't it?
M: Sisu is a bit hard to explain but I will try my best. Sisu is a word to describe something you are going to put all your effort into and then even a little bit more. It’s also something to do with odds and how you are still willing to fight the odds and not giving up even an inch if it's getting hard or seems to be impossible. One good example would be the war against Russia. It is to be said that for every dead Finnish soldier there were 10 dead Russian soldiers. And not only that, but how bad our equipment was and how little our army was compared to the big bears army. Probably no other country believed that small Finland could fight so well against big Russia but we had faith in ourselves. With sisu in our minds and hearts we managed to beat the odds. Also one thing about sisu is that if you get "knocked down" it just kind of adds fuel to the fire and it’s for sure that you are not going to give up.
Victoria - I've met many Norwegian IE students who are reluctant to return to Norway for at least the beginnings of their careers, just as I've met many non-Norwegians who want to move there! You’re half-Norwegian and you grew up abroad - do you have any thoughts on this?
V: I can completely understand the ones who are reluctant to come back to start their careers. I myself would prefer to move abroad now that I will be starting my career. I feel like after having grown up in a city such as Singapore and then having spent my own formative years here in Norway, I really would like to return to Singapore. Norway would be a good place to live when you're older and slowing down a little. At least in my opinion, I prefer something bigger and more vibrant. I crave variety and that is something that Norway still lacks. I have seen some small changes here and there, so things are starting to happen, but it is slow going. With that being said, there are some wonderful things about Norway which I think are very appealing to non-Norwegians, the nature and the "koselig" things - cosy things like cabin trips in the mountains, enjoying coffee and clementines after walks in the snow, things like that.
Finally, what is an aspect (or aspects) of living in Norway or Finland that you wish more people knew about?
V: I'm not actually sure if there is anything special about living here that people don't know about. It is a very good and safe place to live. Cost of living is high but the pay usually matches that. What could prove problematic is when you no longer are able to work for various reasons and the struggle is then to get support from the government. It it supposed to be very good, however, there are so many who still struggle despite the welfare system. So I would say that even though it is generally a very good life, it's not as perfect as some people might think.
M: I can not think of anything else right now than the Swedish language. I have been talked to many times in Norwegian or Swedish when visiting different Nordic countries after telling I am from Finland. Yes it is true that we have 2 official languages in Finland and that we have to study both of them in school. Despite the mandatory Swedish language, or actually I feel like it is more of its fault, many people don't speak Swedish even after studying it in school for 9 years. I also belong to this group and I feel like many people think we are able to communicate in Swedish. So yes I kind of wish that less people would assume that we speak Swedish.
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