A lot of tourists miss some of the more subtle differences between the US and Norway. Sure, it's easy to see that there's less water in the toilets and people talk about lifts and aerials instead of elevators and antennas (they use British English instead of US English), but there are a number of other things that you have to stick around for a bit to see. So, here are some of the finer differences I've noticed while living here for a year. I'll be adding new things periodically, too.
- Meter readers
- In Norway, you read your own electric meter. There's a panel in the hall on our floor that has all the meters. Every two months, I get a note in the mail that I have to read my meter on a specific date. I then send in the reading to the electric company via e-mail or SMS.
- In the US, the electric company has workers that come around and read your electric meter to see how much power you've used.
- Mobile phone charges
- In Norway, you pay a small subscription fee for a mobile phone, then pay per minute for every call you make or per SMS. Also, you only pay for outgoing calls.
- In the US, mobile phone subscriptions usually include a set amount of talking time for a certain rate and additional talking time is billed per minute at a higher. Time is deducted for both incoming and outgoing calls.
- Movie theater seating
- In Norway, there's assigned seating in movie theaters. You pick your seats when you purchase them. It makes life much easier for those that plan early.
- In the US, theater seating is first-come, first-serve. If you show up late, you may find seats together or you may not.
- Clothing sales
- In Norway, if a clothing store is having a sale, they put nude mannequins in the windows in addition to signs announcing huge discounts. There's some speculation that the clothes may have been sold off the mannequins' backs, but I'm not convinced.
- In the US, if a clothing store is having a sale, they put big signs in the windows announcing huge discounts.
- "I fart"
- In Norway, "I fart" means "in movement". For example, if you're in an elevator, it could have a sign saying "I fart" while moving between floors.
- In the US, "I fart" means, well, you know.
