[uzziah]

my thread got cancelled i guess; maybe i got politcial so i'll drop it i guess


anyway, i was born there and just discovered that i still have norwegian citizenship (as well as USA).....i thought i had lost my norway citizenship when i turned 16, but i guess not.


my grandma owns a wonderful little cottage on a tiny island off the southern coast, near the town of Arendal. no cars, just a walking path and like 40 summer cottages; this year there are no longer anyone living year round on the island; it may be the south coast of norway, but that's still damn cold; the ocean still freezes over sometimes

..............anyway, my grandma has two kids, my mom and my uncle. my undle has no kids and my mom only has me; they've already decided that when my grandma passes on my mom will get the cottage; so that means it will be mine. it needs a lot of maintenance but i could potentially live there, do a ton of fishing and crabbing, rebuild our big vegetable garden, live there semi-subsistence like. maybe figure out some way to make a little money selling fish or on a website or writing/editing or something

which leads me to this question: right now i'm unemployed except i do a little reselling on ebay; i've been horrifically sick for 6 years; but hopefully i'm getting better; anyway, i could use some advice figuring out a job that i can TELECOMMUTE. if i can do that i could potentially move to norway without too much upheaval. i'm thinking about maybe a call-center type job that you can do from home. i need to ease back in as i have no assurances as to what my disease will do and it can be totally debilitating and painful.

the good thing is that norway has universal health care and very good disability/welfare; my family has always been very hard workers and would die before using welfare, but i've learned that you don't always have options

i have some family there, but for now i have to do one thing: LEARN TO SPEAK NORWEGIAN



ok, that's enough for now. peace and thanks for all the help

 

[ronnielee54]

Except for the benefits, it doesn't sound very apealing to me. Sounds kind of cold, boring, and lonely. I would have to think long and hard about that one.

 

[limpidglitch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnielee54 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Except for the benefits, it doesn't sound very apealing to me. Sounds kind of cold, boring, and lonely. I would have to think long and hard about that one.

You never know before you've tried

That place near Arendal you're talking about, could it be Lyngør? That place is pure heaven.

 

[krmathis]

Looks like a golden opportunity. Considering that you are currently unemployed, have a Norwegian citizenship and a place to go/live over here.

I have never lived in another country, so I am not the right guy to talk about how it is to live here compared to elsewhere. But I have been traveling quite a bit and I conclude that we have far less to complain about than in most other countries.
We are taxed quite heavily, but then again we get a lot in return. Free medical care, good disability/welfare, free schools (even on university level), ...
The crime rate is low, people are friendly, blondes are cute

, water and air is clean, and more.

Climate wise there may be more attractive places, as the winters up here are long and cold. But then again we have 4 full seasons and know to appreciate the summer finally arrive. And for all I know you may enjoy winter activities, being from CO that is?
Not to mention the closeness to nature if you like such. Wild and scenery..

Of course learning Norwegian would help, but since most Norwegians speak English you will manage quite well without. I have lots of foreign colleagues (PhD candidates, Professors and more) at work that do not speak more than a handful Norwegian words and they seem to manage just fine.
They say learning Norwegian is hard, but I am sure you manage.

Whatever you do, think thoroughly through it before making up your mind.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Why not? Look into a Norwegian crash course - there are a few available for diplomats and you might want to look into the methods of the LDS' Missionary Training Center. They put people through the paces in a variety of languages and are very good at it. Once you get the basics, go over and go for full immersion.

It's a nice place to live. I haven't been, but have some extended family in Norway and Sweden we stay in touch with. They're wonderful and they seem quite happy there.

 

[apatN]

Isn't it nearly impossible to buy a simple beer in Norway?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't it nearly impossible to buy a simple beer in Norway?

I see the smiley, but still..

Beer is relative freely available, although not 24/7 like in many other countries. Grocery stores sell beer from 9am to 8pm, while pubs, restaurants and like are allowed to serve beer from 9am (i think) until 3am.

Plenty of time to get drunk if wanted!

 

[Happy Camper]

Do they have cheeseburgers?

While romantic to think about, it is a sacrifice of conveniences you are now used to. I think I'd do it though.

 

[grawk]

beer is easy. Takes about a week to make if you have the right equipment.

 

[The Monkey]

It sounds like you need to first consider logistics. I think you would need to answer the following, at a minimum:

1) How remote is the location?
2) Would it have the type of phone/internet service you would need?
3) Given the debilitating and apparently unpredictable nature of your disease (and I'm sorry you have to suffer that by the way), is there easy access to medical care?
4) If there is access to medical care, is it in the specialty that you would require?
5) Are you prone to depression? If so, the long winters and the accompanying lack of sunlight could be an issue.

This is not to dissuade you from trying; it sounds like an opportunity for an adventure. I would just advise you to make sure you conduct sufficient due diligence. Good luck and keep us posted. And get us some good prices on Electrocompaniet gear.