As promised, I am asking to international travellers and people living and working in a foreign country to share their life stories with me to know why they decided to leave families and friends behind to explore new realities and meet new cultures!
Are you curious about how they managed to adapt and settle in their new countries? Then follow my expat interviews categorised by country! Are you an expat wanting to share your tips and experience with the rest of the world and be a source of inspiration? Then fill in the expat interview form: I would love to hearing from you!
“Travelling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” Iba Battuta
Let’s meet Daisy: an expat living in Oslo
Introduce yourself briefly. Tell us who you are!
I’m Daisy, from India. I moved to Norway on family immigration. My passion is my career and currently I’m pursuing Interaction Design at university.
That’s what excites me, thrills me, and I dream of. I think future cannot be planned, therefore I believe in the present 🙂
My heart is still in the colourful and wonderful land of cultures, India, but I today feel rooted in beautiful Norway. And, I feel great!
Why did you move to your current country?
My husband found a job in Oslo, so we decided to move there with our child leaving our beautiful India behind.
What do you do for a living? How was the job hunting?
At the beginning I spent some time learning the language which I think is essential to become part of the society and integrate with local people. I then freelanced for a short while and, at the moment I’m studying Interaction Design, a subject of my interest.
I believe the job-hunt process is difficult for everyone in Norway, not just expats, but locals too. To find a job, you can use useful websites such as Linkedin and Indeed.
How is the social life in your city, is it easy to make friends?
The local social life in Oslo is really amazing from my point of view. I believe once you learn and start speaking the language, it gets easier to connect with locals and make friends. Oslo is a multicultural city where many expats live in harmony with Norwegian people.
Why should people move there? Why did you fall in love with this place?
All I want to say is that I love Norway. It’s a beautiful place, nurtured by the love of its people. And, I’m so proud that I’m a part of it now. It is a land that gave me a lot of opportunities to grow my personality, discover myself, know new people, their culture, and lifestyle.
I think travelling and living temporarily in different places like Norway, can make you grow stronger, and develop you from within as you get out from the cocoon of your sweet home.
I think there’s no place like your home country but if someone makes an earnest effort to understand and accept a foreign culture (in my case the Norwegian one), it is possible to integrate into the society. The society too adopts you as much as you adopt the society.
What do you want to say to people looking to move there?
I suggest you to start connecting with people thanks to Facebook groups which organise activities, trips and meetings. It is important to learn the language as soon as possible to be able to find a job and be part of the local community.
Oslo is a city which has something for everyone: If you are moving to Oslo alone, I would recommend you to do trekking and a lot of other outdoor activities you might be interested in. If you have children, then you’ll find a lot of child-friendly farms and museums to explore.
How is the health system? Is it a safe place to live in?
Oslo is a very safe city. The health system is good here. Public hospitals are not expensive and everyone can afford it.
How is the general cost of living, what is the average rent?
The general cost of living is high in Norway, so you need to be able to support yourself financially with a high salary. Food, transports and rents are remarkably more expensive than the rest of Europe.
For example a coffee costs 3/4€, a beer around 12€, a one-bedroom apartment costs from 800€ to 1150€ or more per month according to its position. A transport monthly ticket costs around 70-80€ per month.
Tell us something you don’t like about where you live and the difficulties you came across when settling in
The cost of life here is very expensive and the language is hard to learn. For me, moving to Norway was like starting life from scratch: a new language to learn, make new friends, a new culture and lifestyle…it was not easy but I managed to settled down very well here in Oslo. When I look back, I feel much stronger and amazed at myself and my achievements.
Tell me an unmissable thing to do in your city over a weekend
If you ever come to Norway, be sure not to miss these landmarks: the legendary Lofoten islands and stunning Northern Lights, enjoy the lively nightlife in Oslo and take a riverside walk along the Aker River.
Did you find Daisy’s experience useful? Then check out the upcoming expat interviews in other cities!
