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FAQ: Oslo is freezing cold all year, right? Fact: It's not Spain, you know, but in summer we can get up to 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit (and all the Norwegians will complain about the unbearable heat like there's no tomorrow). In winter the average temperature is probably around -5 to +5 degrees Celcius/23 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. As Oslo is quite close to the coast, we only get a little snow in winter (it sure rains a lot, though). But like the rest of the world, Oslo has experienced very strange weather lately. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: And Oslo is full of cold and reserved Norwegians who aren't interested in getting to know new people? Fact: This used to be true (to a certain degree), but people in Oslo today love to meet new people from other cultures. Mostly. You might still find some cold and reserved people here, but they're probably Swedish (hehe). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Is Oslo the most expensive city in the world? Fact: Probably. It has recently been rated as number four in the world, but also as one of the safest. Just don't buy any alcohol, cigarettes, souvenirs, food and all that stuff, and you'll be fine. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Are there polar bears in the streets? Fact: You won't believe how many people actually ask about this. And how many will believe you if you tell them about the time you met one just around the block. There are no polar bears in mainland Norway. On Svalbard we got some. Here we only have regular brown bears (further north, and we share them with Sweden, apparently they cross the border as they please) and tons of moose. The tourists looove the moose, and Norwegians can't seem to get enough of them either. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Why is the brown cheese brown? Fact: Not many Norwegians think about this (and most probably won't know the answer either). But it's probably got to do with the amount of caramel, as it says in the wiki. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Why are there no stray dogs in Norway? Fact: Uhm ... probably cause they'd freeze to death in winter. We got plenty of stray cats, though, and they always seem to land on their feet. Or at least their feet are not cold. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Why is alcohol soooo expensive in Norway??? Fact: I can tell you loads of Norwegians and tourists alike have been asking the government about this. But it has to do with the taxes on alcohol (and tobacco and "luxury goods" such as sugar and other things that are fun and/or bad for you). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Where are all the vikings? Trolls? Nisser? Fact: The former are in the history books, the two latter in fairytales. Actually a lot of people ask about this as well. And again, some have believed a story or two about the trolls of old in the Norwegian woods. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: I'm in Oslo. Where are the fjords??? Fact: On the west coast, and it's quite a long trip. You need at least one day to see even a small fjord with for instance Norway in a nutshell. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Where's the midnight sun? Fact: North of the Polar Circle. And only from late April until late August (best in the middle of this period!). Be warned: It is just the regular old sun. Only it doesn't set for a few months. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FAQ: Why are the Norwegians getting so drunk every weekend when the alcohol is that expensive? Fact: We prefer to drink like the vikings. Very quickly until there is no more left. Only then we'll take our chances with the opposite sex. Norwegians tend to have a (literally translated) "foreplay" on a Friday or Saturday night before going out, meaning a warming up party, as alcohol is a little cheaper in shops than in pubs. And because the alcohol is so expensive, you do not want to share it with anybody, nor leave it at the party when you're going into town. So you down it all before you leave (quickly now before the taxi comes, that's expensive too, you know), cause you don't wanna risk getting a ridiculously high fine for drinking in public either. |
