I have moved around a fair bit in my life. One thing this means is that I am a classic people-pleaser. Trying to fit in and adapt and be likeable is pretty deeply ingrained into my behavioural psyche. This means, socially speaking, moving to Norway went kind of smoothly for me.
I am a talker, a conversationalist. Comfortable silences are NOT my thing. Unlike many Norwegians I have met, those silences make me anxious. I find it frankly odd that Norwegians seem perfectly at ease when the conversation comes to a standstill. Not me. I panic. I am all about the chat.
As an experienced chatter I have some go to topics that always work. Here are my top 3:
(Caution: Not recommended as pick-up chat. You´re on your own with that)
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Language
When you look foreign and then crack out the Norwegian, this is the biggest all time crowd pleaser. It doesn´t matter that you don’t have a perfect Norwegian accent. Norwegians love that you have made the effort, so no matter how many years you have lived here you will often meet a – “wow, your Norwegian is so good”. I milk this for all it is worth and bask in the praise.
I talk about those funny little language quirks that I have noticed. For example the “ja” spoken on the in-breath that indicates agreement and understanding – something I am not quite sure Norwegians realise that they do. I also like to refer to the melody of the Norwegian language, pronunciation of that funny i the one that looks like a y and the weird shapes you need to make with your lips when you say it.
Oh and I always mention all the different dialects – this, is probably the most reliable source of solid conversation about language. Throw in a funny story of when you thought you knew Norwegian and then you met someone from the West coast and you have your audience hooked.
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Nature
Norway is beautiful. FACT. Norwegians are super proud of it. FACT. So, of course this is a goldmine of a conversation starter. I usually start with asking about what people have done recently, at the weekend on their most recent holiday and it probably involves some kind of activity in the great outdoors. I of course have my own stories to tell. I am one of those outdoorsy types or I became that in my late-twenties. I talk to people about the parts of Norway I have seen – the beautiful fjords and the challenging mountain climbs like Besseggen and Galdhøpiggen.

Besseggen – one of the popular and every Norwegian has done it kind of hikes.
Anything nature related is pure dynamite. BOOM!
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Where you come from
One of the questions that comes up pretty quickly in a conversation is “where do you come from?” Here I´ll admit I have had to brush up on my Cyprus and UK knowledge.
Norwegians are travellers, explorers, they have been pretty much everywhere – so do not think you can get away with peripheral knowledge about your country – it won´t work. I mention Cyprus and I often find myself going into the politics of Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, talking about the divided country and the latest round of peace talks. I also get questions about the weather in Cyprus, the food, the language – I might start sending a bill to the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs for my services.

Cyprus in all its glory – the blue lagoon off the coast of Latchi (western Cyprus)
I also need to make sure I am up to date with the news – because Norwegians follow what is happening in other countries. I mention the UK and I need to know about the Brexit saga and latest developments with that or at the very least have an opinion about it. The UK election has been a recent hot topic. If I thought moving to Norway would give me a break from being inundated with Theresa May and Boris Johnson antics, I now know much better. I do not get to avoid the media frenzy. Thank you UK for being so incredibly newsworthy recently and providing excellent chat.

London my spiritual home
Reading your blog, I can hear your voice, your laugh, and see your smile…. love you always amd miss you often -muuuua! (Nadine)
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Don’t forget your time with us in the US. That should give you PLENTY to talk about. ❤
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So true. Especially these crazy days.
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