USA to Norway! 6 differences I have found while adjusting to life in Norway! Vlog#18
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ค. 2024
- We are finally in our house and settled in! In this video I talk about and share 6 things that I have noticed to be different here in Norway than in the US. I hope you enjoy!
Just a little heads up: I saw you putting plastic in the "rest"-disposal. Most plastic can be recycled, there are own bags for that! You get them at the dumpster place, or just hang a plastic bag at your "restavfall" trash-can and you will get the plastic bags for recycling plastic.
Thanks for the advice. 👍🏼
Don't mistake the logo with the arrows around a number, as the recycling symbol, it's just the symbol for what type of plastic it is. A lot of plastic can not be recycled. The similarity in the logo is a marketing ploy to help people believe it's more recyclable that it actually is. You still get asked to separate it, to cut down on the local governments landfill costs. That which does not get recycled can end up in a Chinese landfill.
Or do like me trow alle the garbage in 1 place :)
The waste recycling plan differs a lot between "kommuner".
@@rofferdal "kommuner" = "municipalities"
And they differ more from region to region.
Toilets comes in all variations, and the type with a lid atop the cisterne you're used to from the US, is still very common here too, but are getting rarer.
A tip about bills and payments:
If you have gotten your Norwegian bank-ID, you can easily set up automatic paying of common bills. Just log onto the bank first. If you are getting paper invoices/bills from companies, you can set up "e-faktura" (electronic invoice), which basically sends the bills from that company to your online bank, and cancels the paper version. This you will have to accept payment of. BUT: If you also set up "avtalegiro" for the same company, it will be paid automatically, and you don't need to worry about it at all, just make sure you have the money on your account the day it's paid. You can usually also set it up so you get a sms notification when a bill is added and what date it will be paid. It's a fantastic system, I pay most of my bills this way, like utilities, phone, insurance, internet, etc.
If the dryer is not of the type with a "self cleaning condenser", you can install a hose to direct the water to the drain, usually same drain as the washer uses. Then you bypass and don't have to empty the tank on top. It also might be that the hose is installed, and just need to be detached from the tank and connected to the drain.
When I was in the US, I was surprised about how weak the toilets flush was, using huge amounts of water to do almost nothing :P
Typical American style.
That depends on where you are in the US
Out west, water is often scarce, but the demand for it always increases. One method to save water is to create low-flow toilets. Looks great on the drawing board, but as you found… it doesn’t do shit. (haha!) So we flush it twice… or thrice :)
The dryer is a heat pump dryer. It uses 3-5 times less energy than a vented dryer
A lot of those thing like the dryer and toilet top are specific to the house where you live I think, different places also have a separate container for sorting plastic.
I’ve just binged watch most of your vids. Super interesting as a Norwegian! Subscribed of course as well. Anyway, a few suggestions for future videos that would be cool to see: 1) Car park Norway vs. The U.S. What do you think of the amount of electric cars here versus in the states? And what about the size of both cars and roads comparing the two countries? 2) Climate/weather. How is the weather and climate in Stavanger compared to Alaska during different seasons? And what about sunlight? 3) Opening hours of stores and alcohol sales. How has that affected you, and what do you think of it? 4) Last: would be cool to hear a little bit more about you guys! What do you and your husband do for a living? How long are you planning on staying? And what do your kids think of living in Norway so far?
I live in Oslo, but my sister lives in Stavanger with her American husband and their two kids, wonderful city!
Best regards, will continue to watch for sure!
Great ideas!! And much appreciated! I am working on our weekend in Bergen for the next video but will definitely consider your topics moving forward. 👍🏼😊
And thanks for subscribing!
About the clothes dryer, you can get versions that empty into the drain rather than collecting into a tank.
I think the main reason for not wenting humidity outside are the freezing temperatures during winter.
I believe you can make an arrangement for the water to drain into the sink if you want it to. So you don't have to empty the resoire.
As soon as you get outside the city's, it's more common to live in a house instead of an apartment.
Hi Heather, thank you for a very interesting video. I am a Swede and will agree with most of the other guys that the Nordics are pretty alike... Regarding the toilet the top tank have like a "hood", held with screws to the seat, so to manage the inner parts, you loosen the screws and lift off the "hood".
How many trashcans you have will be different for every city, sometimes for every neighbourhood, depending on what sort of recycling infrastructure is in your area. Most people will have something similar to what you have, but it can also be even more separated, or there can be no separation at all (though that is rare).
The models of washers and dryers and how they get rid of heat/water depends on your living situation and what sort of building it is. Modern houses have dedicated laundry rooms with hookups for venting to the outside, older buildings might have the washer and drier combo in the bathroom, with manual emptying of water tanks and venting hot air straight to the room itself.
In the municipality I was from, there was only 3, paper, food and "rest" + plastic, which you just set out with the bins, ready to be picked up.
In the region where I am now, there's 4, same as before just with the addition of glass and metal.
It's not about being a small or big country, it's rather being smart and efficient. I love their online authentication system, way easier than the USA.
Yes it is definitely a good banking system!
If you have a problem with the toilets in Norway you call a plumber lol and if its a big problem it is coverd by the house Insurance
Not all doors, keys, driers etc. are like the ones in your home 🙂 Our drier has it's own outlet for that water. I believe that is quite common. I don't think I have ever experienced a broken toilet, but I suppose you would call a plumber if anything were to happen to it.
Our drier vents out, guess it just depends which you prefer, or if it's easy to make a vent if there isn't already one.
Most dryers also have a hose connection in the back. Down rigt on the back there uasually is a small hose that is connected to a plastic tube that then again enters the tank on the top. This small hose can be loosend and connected to another hose ,(a bit of a garden hose ) and placed in the sink , where you usually empty the watertank. That way you don`t have to boder with it .
Thanks for the advice. Maybe I can check with the owner.
Wall mounted toilets are much easier to keep clean, and look more modern and sleek (in my opinion). They are popular in all modern bathrooms in Europe, don't know why they didn't really catch on in the US. Concerning driers, they are not so widely used in Norway and Europe as in the US. Most use a drying rack for clothes, mainly using a drier for linen and towels.
I have noticed more hanging racks sold here. I do like the racks but I would need more space/racks for a family of 4! Or I guess do laundry daily.
Our house has 2 wall mounted toilets only concern is if you ever needed to access the tank in the wall.🤷♀️
We have a drier, like most people in Norway. But we only use it for towels, sheets and underwear, because it makes the clothes shrink and also really shortens the duration of the clothes. So that’s why most people in Norway who have a modern house have their own “vaskerom” or “washing room”, with extra space for hanging clothes to dry as well as good ventilation.
@@Gran_Torino yes I have to hang dry the clothes in the hallway. Ours is small as the house is older.
@@brynnmoe4040 Or had a very obese visitor !!!
Most of Europe will do small talk, but not with strangers we most likely never see again.. So if you live close by we will often make do small talk as you now have Value to us.. Its like when my family go for a trip the neighbor's or someone living close by will feed the Cat and bring the mail in from the mailbox.. they might park their car here so it looks like there is someone home and we do the same for them .. I lived in the US for 1 year, and found it annoying that people I did not know, and would never see again would just start speaking to me for no reason. I do not care what some total stranger do for a living or where they went to school..
I am an American, 95% ancestry Danish/Norwegian, and I have never enjoyed small talk. Maybe it's genetic! ?
@@jmann8182 I`m 100% Norwegian, and I love small talk! that is; it depends on the day (my energy level on that particular day. I enjoy my own company as well-depends on). I just came from the gym ,and there was a lot of small talk going on in the sauna, for instance (very often the case). I have access to an allotment garden here in Oslo, and I usually have a little chat with some of my neighbours whenever I am there. There are exceptions everywhere. Greetings from Oslo.
I agree. There are days I don’t love small talk. But for the most part I do enjoy friendly small talk. 😊
@@jmann8182 It’s not genetic, but culturally. I’m not ethnic white Norwegian, but adopted. Grew up here, and it’s just annoying. Why bother unless you have no value to me? Neighbors is different, but depends. We can do small talk to be nice and social, but we mostly only do this, if in a good mood, we kinda know you etc. This is easier if you’re in a store or you’re talking with a client. But again different from person to person, setting and context.
2:35 I've seen a comment here telling you about E-faktura and Auto-giro which is handy. But if you do get a paperbill sent to you you can avoid weighting in the long KID number by using a function on you mobile app for your bank where you can scan the bill with you camera and it automatically fills in all the details. You can also use this function by a digital bill version where you either download the bill and/or take a screenshot of it and then use the app to "scan" you bill/screenshot and do the same that way.
The skeleton key is not that usual anymore, but is used sometimes when one is not bothered to upgrade say all the doors in the house.
Socially we are not cold per say... it depends if you are in the city walking around or it is you neighborhood or are located in smaller towns with few peoples.
It could also change from on geological place in Norway to another.
Usually we are more concerned about being left alone for the time being and it is seen as just as pleasant as a good conversation I suppose.
It's also worth mentioning how we value more the people in our closest vicinity rather than being precived positively by ghe larger group.
This would mean the people in our neighborhood, parents of children that attend school with our children, close friends, co-students and such.
But we like to separate these groups into people we want to talk to, those we must talk to and those we would like to have some kind of relationship with for benefits fir example. Which more often goes both ways and is just normal accepted (keep in mind this is heavily broken down and stupefied)
The toilet you couldn't figure out how to open is probably just hard because of the design.
It's seems like the whole top is a lid you lift upwards and slide of.
Trash you seemed to have controlled over.
But if it is of jnterest this is how it is.
Glass is for glass, pretty easy.
Paper is for paper or paper stuff of course.
Plastic is plastic.
But restavfall is simply trash that's cannot be classified as something by itself. Like food, un-recyclebal materials, dust, rags and such.
Some places even have food separated in its own category.
And of course!
Was fun stumbling over your video and get to know what your perspective on this was.
Wish you a great day and a good summer aswell!
Thank you for the information and glad you enjoyed the video. We are enjoying settling into our new home city. I appreciate the input about Norwegian culture around friends and community. 😊
Hey, Heather! I've just seen a few of your videos. It's interesting to see how our (Norwegian) culture is viewed by foreigners. :) I think it's funny how you as an American find European toilets strange. I've always found American toilets to be strange ... Especially how public bathrooms very often don't have full doors/walls (everyone can hear everyone and everything), how low the toilets are and how much water is kept in the toilet bowl (splash, splash). I've actually had a rant about them in a travel letter I wrote on a travel forum a few years ago. Ha-ha. I much prefer the European toilets. Thanks for putting in the work! I'm looking forward to following your adventure in Stavanger.
Yes! We all have a different perspective of normal. And I love that the stalls have full length doors here!
US public bathrooms don’t have full doors so that no one can be assaulted in there, no one can grab a child and hide them in the bathroom, etc. It’s a society safety issue here.
@@schoolingdiana9086
Things like that rarely happens in Norway so we are lucky not to prevent it by cutting off doors 🙏🏼
@Schooling Diana Good to hear! I wonder how your society will continue to change with so much influence from around the world, including the US.
I think you can flip open the button on the top of the toilet to get access to the inside
on your Dryer you can add a hose so that you dont need to empty the container it does it automaticly. not all dryers are like this. this is heatpump dryer that is ment to put the hot air back to the room. and normaly a little bit more expensive. if you want to find the hose just go to elkjøp or power to find it.
My wife and me hav a joint bankaccount. Both got cards for it, bothe got access through net banking and we both got full access to transfers and everything. And we both need to sign and confirm with bankID.
Interesting… was this recently or in the past? I can transfer in and out of his to mine and vice versa but they wouldn’t put my name on his account, only give me a card.
@@heatherabroad we have it now, and got it maybe in 2018.
It can be different in different banks though. But I had to ask specific to open full access for my wife
Here in the UK I lived in a house with dryer and had the same system to deal with the water. But any other place I had live there was no dryer. I hang the clothes.
In the UK, most driers are combined with the washing machine into one unit. It's common for them to condense the moisture and turn it back into liquid, but usually this would simply be pumped away automatically, in the same way as the wash cycles. Regarding the toilet flush - I'm pretty sure you have a choice of two buttons to press! One for small flushes, one for bigger ones! (Water saving)
I find even the small flush to be a bit aggressive 🤷🏻♀️😆 but less splashing.
Most people in the UK have no no place to stack a drier, as they use the kitchen for the washing machine. In Norway you either keep it in the bathroom, or have a designated laundry room.
We have a similar system with the bank ID here in Finland. It's very convenient way to identify yourself in any city/goverment service and most big companies use it too. So you can easily go to see and change your tax information, see and renew your prescriptions and read what your doctor has written about your last visit, check out your bills at the energy or phone company and so on. It makes it easy to take care of things when you can make contracts online or send secure messages to medical care without making a call and waiting for someone to pick up or call you back.
The dryers here are similar to yours and I don't know anyone who would have a dryer ventilated outside. Dryers are getting more popular but many people still use drying racks to dry their laundry. Toilets are similar here but I think the big flush is a model thing and I would just get up and close the lid for the flush.
Recycling is a big thing here too. Bio waste is requered to be recycled and all appartment buildings have a bio waste bin outside. The rest of the options are different in different cities but for example in my building we have bins for the general waste (which goes to be burned for energy), bio waste, paper waste, carboard and plastics. Then we have a neighbougrhood recycling spot for metal and glass a block away. And every store that sells bottles and cans has to also receive them (and give back the deposit money).
We invented the bottle deposit, just wanted to say that :P
😆
Condensation dryers like the one in the video are very common around here. Most of them work this way, with a large reservoir that needs to be emptied out every once in a while
Attaching a hose have been an option in the past 20 years that I know of.
In many small communities they have sort of removed the banks and even minibanks .. so like in my town we have not had proper bankservices since well for a few years now, we work around it with mostly digital payment .. like swipe card at the stores, and Vipps ... You can also pay your bills through Vipps... atleast I get my bills shown up there just to accept them when I want... the steady bills that is.
Having no cash is bad if the payment systems are down, or if you want to pay someone without Vipps
We have vented dryers in Norway as well...
All tumble dryer I have seen in Norway including mine empties the water directly into into the drain pipes
If you go back 20years venting dryer to outside was normal. Bu the heathpump became standard due to fire/electricity.
If you look on the backside(or with the manual) you often find a hose for the water to drain directly to a drain so you dont have to empty the canister. Its not default. ^^ also you forgot to sort the plastic in restavfall🤣
So does the kommune sort out the plastic when they get the restavfall?
@@heatherabroad Yes, they have huge new facility at Forus.
in general…regarding inside the home…your experience would be ‘quite’ common throughout Europe with small variations; some quaint even…….
2:35
If you have a account in a big bank like DNB you might want to check out if you can get a e-faktura for your bills.
That way it'll be sent directly to your bank with everything (including the KID) already filled in.
It's not a option for every firm or bank.
But it's oh so convenient.
And you can set your bank to automatically pay bills to certain accounts when such a e-faktura shows up.
I just heard about that this weekend! I will look into it!
@@heatherabroad Most companies bill you extra if they have to send an invoice by snail mail these days.
Will show up as "fakturagebyr" or something like that.
@@heatherabroad e-faktura is connected to your bank id. You get it in any bank. You simply go to the billing message board(menu) and accept or deny the payment requested through the e-faktura system. You can even choose what account you want to do the payment from.
@@ShrekThePimp I have now started receiving them!! 😊
@@heatherabroad you can also pay e-faktura with Vipps. Because Vipps is also connected to your bank ID.
If the toilets break in Norway, you typically calls the plumber to come help you out.
You remove the push button covers and access the repairable components through the hole.
The recycling of trash is regional, each kommune has its own setup. Some are more advanced than others.
I actually just now noticed she didnt have plastic separate.
We only got private glass and can containers a few years back. Before that we had to bring it to the nearest recycling container spot.
Downside is they removed it when everyone got their own, so now tourists and people passing through have nowhere to recycle these items.
I’m in Mexico, washer-dryer seem to be catching on here, no exterior vent, it uses the draining tube directly. It’s all electrical, though
I didn’t understand what was the issue with the boys and the toilets 🤔
Well… when sitting and needing to flush because it’s stinky, the water is so aggressive that is splashes and gets all the boy parts all wet.
@@heatherabroad It is not normal to flush here while you still sit at the toilet, never thought of this as a possibility even...
Banking in European countries is much easier, we can transfer money to other (European) countries via bank IBAN numbers as well. Works like a treat.
Moneytransfer is not only between european countries by using IBAN/BIC number. This is processed through the SWIFT-system wich is worldwide.
To get rid off light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and batteries you can eighter bring them to a landfill (they have specific boxes for then there) OR bring them to a foodstore where most have a some kind of a tall box with holes in it, 😀 often where the trollies are. Please don't put them among glass and metal waste 👍👍👍
That’s good to know! Thanks for letting me know.
This is also something you have to be told, the only poster Ive seen regarding exactly this, were taped EXACTLY over mentioned box at the grocerystore. (Im sure its mentioned in one of the annual recycling pamflettes you will be recieving in the mailbox.)
One of my toilets is 50 years old. It just recently broke. We have to call a plumber, but these things last!
Good to know!
I am Norwegian, but live partly in Norway, partly in the Netherlands and partly on Crete, Greece. I have a bankaccount in all three countries and I can use my cards all over Europa. I can pay my bills and transfer money from one account to another without any problem at all. About the dryer....you can connect it to the drain of your washing machine and you never have to worry about the water container any more. Wall mounted toilets are used in all modern houses in most of Europa. I would never want anything else. Easy to keep clean and just looks much better in my opinion.
I do think the banking system is quite advance over here!
That's probably a heat pump dryer. They are available in the US, but are small load units.
Not necessarily - ours simply flows cold water through the hot-air path, and condenses the vapour that way. Suprisingly simple, and effective.
Restavfall means:
rest = leftover (kind of)
Avfall are the same as søppel = trash/garbage
= leftover trash from an item eg. a box that mince comes in
And not everyone has 4 garbage boxes
(i Have 3, leftover garbage where the food goes , glass/metals and paper/ cardboard)
but some also have plastic recycling, this depends of the area or town you live in.
Ah okay. I thought maybe everyone separated food waste. This is the first time I’ve ever had to do it.
good explanation, alot of Norw.words and terms WILDLY need an explanation.
@@heatherabroad "avfall" is actually cognate with the English word "offal", which of course not only refers to guts but any kind of waste that "falls off" from a process.
Velkommen ❤
It's always fascinating to see how someone from the outside sees how we live. A fun way to learn more about ourselves, and others. So thanks for the vid :D
For #1 - joint accounts. Each account does normally have to be "owned" by someone, but after that you can add other people to the account. While the first person "owns" the account, added people can see and interact with the account and can withdraw or add cash to it.
#1.5: BankID is awsome. I love it.
#3: Different areas of Norway do trash separation differently from each other. In Tromsø we have more bags and they are color coded.
#4: I think we don't air stuff outside from the dryer because we so seldom have air conditioning.
#5: We very seldom use skeleton keys for doors outside, but yes. For doors that are on the inside - if we want to lock them - we often use skeleton keys.
#6: Norwegian men don't sit down while flushing :) You either stand and close the lid or do some sort of half-hover.
#6 interesting… thank you for sharing. I was wondering. Sitting in the stink while yet not finished is something we do not like to do.
lol tenkte ikke på den måten (lol, didnt think about that method) @ #6
What the…? Obviously, finish your business… completely.
THEN get up, pull your pants up and flush the toilet.
This needed explaining? 😅
I must say that was surprising little adjustments needed.
And some of them specific to your house, more than anything. Wasn't aware that toilets in the US doesn't hang on the walls. I guess the weight requirements might be a reason...
Norway's financial sector and the BankID is just great compared to a lot of other nations.
In the US I have seen the floating toilets in a few places, like airports and malls. And they always have shorter stall doors. I must admit the banking system here is next level!
I assume it's not the weight requirement. It should withstand 250kg/550lbs (according to the standard) and that is at the very end of the bowl.
1. Some places use skeleton-keys, many places don't (some even use cards)
2. Don't show the shape of your key online, that's generally what the security is in
Security? Dude you can open the door with a knife, scissors, pen, key for the front door, nail clippers. Even with plastic straw😂 and further more most of those keys ar for the inside Doors. Mostly a 6,8 or 5 key.
The American and European toilets uses two different principals. When Americans say they flush down the toilet, it is not really true. The water in the cistern makes an under-preassure and suck the water out off the bowl, but in Europe we really flush the bowl out, passing a water barrier (using pressure). In short, American pull stuff out, while Europeans push stuff out. That is why it looks so different.
Ah!! I see. But American toilets still push water through the bowl and down. Maybe just not at the same volume. We know because if it gets clogged it will overflow.
most things in Norway are the same in the rest nordic states, with exept maybe here in Finland people are moor reserved towards strangers and dont come to greet new neighbours if they dont know them beforehand etc.
Not sure if someone has already mentioned this, but if you want to assist your flushing with more force, you can fill a bucket with some water and pour as you flush.
I’m American who recently visited Norway. I loved it and had a wonderful time, but my one frustration was that I went to a music festival in the park and was dying for one of the delicious-smelling hot dogs they were grilling, but I couldn’t have one because VIPPS was the only kind of payment they would take, and as you know, you can’t get VIPPS unless you have a Norwegian bank account.
Yes. The first few months here are hard not having Vipps. I can see it being a problem visiting and doing local activities.
There is an ongoing discussion about this, and it has been going for years:
Norway has been moving steadily towards electronic payment as the preferred method, which has both pros, and cons. This accelerated during Covid to the point where approximately 97 % of transactions were made electronically, but even before that cash payment was reduced to a fraction of the total. Vipps was popular for exchanging money between people, small businesses, and organizations/associations even before Covid, but during that time it shot up as a payment option for stores as well. Renting debit card readers has always been very expensive in Norway, so Vipps was perfect for small organizations that didn't make a lot of money (little league teams, raffles, street sellers, etc.) as all they needed was a smart phone, and a bank account.
Of course it doesn't work well for situations like the one that you describe, but for bigger organizations you usually have multiple options like Vipps, debit cards, credit cards, Google Pay, Apple pay, etc. Cash is still legal tender in Norway, and most places you can still demand to pay in cash, but there is an upper limit to how much cash they have to accept, and I believe some organizations are exempt from these rules. It's definitely not a perfect solution, but at least now you know some of the reasons why it is like this, and why it will likely never go back to cash being the preferred payment option.
If you had cash, you should have asked just about any Norwegian between the ages of 12 and 85. Most people would've paid for you in exchanged cash.
jeg skulle ønske jeg hadde tenkt på det! But I didn’t. 😕
So how does a tourist navigate and enjoy Norway without a Vipps account?
You can get both drier types, but for many there is no access to a vent outside. Some of them can also drain to the same one the washing machine use instead of a tank.
Just don't consider a combi wash/drier. They are usually problematic in some way.
I've never had a more modern toilet fail in my 40+ years. Some old ones that you pulled a knob up to flush could fail at times. I know my dad fixed some floater problem in the one I had outside my room in the basement.I'm also thinking its probably meant to be serviced by an authorized person. Usually a requirement for electrical and plumbing stuff due to insurance and such. A built in toilet would be a nightmare if there was a leak for sure.
The locks in general are different here as they are usually two separate bolts. One holds the door normally and one comes out to lock it when you turn the key.
Surprised you didn't talk about windows and how they open :)
Ah yes! Good point on the windows! That is a miss on my part!
Well, our combined washing machine and drier works just fine as long as I keep the amount modest.
@@Luredreier Mine clogs in the rubber tube from the drum housing to the air filter. Wet lint stick to it.
Not even the AEG service guy figured that out before I asked while he was actually replacing a control board and pump to try and fix it. It was almost completely clogged up so the drying process stopped with a message to empty the drain filter...
Only way to keep it open is a very long stick with a bottle brush at the and that reach into the tube.
The alternative is to remove the top and rear to get access and disconnect the tube for cleaning. Its a very tight fit and it took the service guy quite a while to get it mounted again.
I guess if yours just dump the lint in the water its better.
@@Gazer75 Mine filters it.
You're supposed to clean some parts every wash, some weekly and some monthly, some a couple of times pr year.
I just follow the instructions (probably clean things out a bit more then instructed to be honest)
Also, I'm planning to buy a filter to stop microplastics from reaching the sewer system to add to it.
Often the drier can have a tube going to the drain, then you don't have to empty the reservoir.
We are renting the house so I probably won’t make any adjustments, but thanks for the advice. 👍🏼
I don't think anyone actually uses the skeleton keys. Our house has ten doors with skeleton locks (had to count 😄), but I have never seen a key for any of them. Never thought about it before now either.
They come with the doors (cheapest option, I guess), but you only get them for inner doors that you don't actually lock. Some people use them for bathroom doors, but you can easily swap them for a thumbturn for about 100 NOK.
We are renting the place so we won’t make any modifications but thank you for the information. We don’t really use the keys in our house but I have used them to lock the bathroom when visiting someone.
We used to have access to the water tanks before, but now I have no idea how to do that either... Then again, I can not for the life of me remember the last time I heard of or experienced a toilet failure. They just don't happen. Also Norwegian toilets will flush anything. Powerful, magical things they are🤣
Also, pro tip: If you want to avoid back-splash, and poop quietly, just drop a sheet of folded toilet paper in the puddle before you go 😉
These are the comments I enjoy reading! Insightful and funny. 😆
It really just depends on what toilet you have
Never seen this water reservoir thing in my 46 years long life in Norway. I think it depends on the brand of the machine, how it's handled.But I have never had a dedicated dryer machine. I have had a combo machine.
Instresting how they are different.
If you never had a dedicated dryer, how would you have seen the water reservoir ;P If you have a machine that does both, it has access to purge water by default, so you wouldn't need a water reservoir. :)
@@haakonness same as with the washing machine. I know it's there, but is never operated by me😎
Probably because you went from a machine where the moist air was blown straight out without any need for condensing and over to a combo. Most people went through a period of a separate dryer because the combo solution wasn't reliable in the beginning. Large ones, 6 kg or more, they ain't reliable even today because they can't dry a full wash load in a reasonable time and energy. Thus, you will need to remove some clothes before you start a dryer program. A combo is not a good idea for another reason. They tend to burn soap into the drum so that soap is fed back in when rinsing on the next washing load. This is especially a problem when using dry soap, but isn't solved even using a liquid type. A combo is only a good idea if you absolutely don't have the space.
We have 2 different floating toilets in our Stavanger home and 2 «regular» toilets in our Spain home and they flush equally «intens» on the low setting equal to your toilet. As in not intens at all. My grandchildren 4 boys aged 1 to 12 havent complained about any of the 4 toilets and neither their own toilets in their own homes which are similar 😜😎😈🇳🇴
Well we are currently in Bergen and these toilets don’t splash up as much. 🤷🏻♀️
Wait, could you please explain the online bill paying process in the US? You have to verify your, I suppose, living address? Then they send a physical check to your home? And only then can you pay online? Or does it all happen online, but with a lot of going back and forth?
I live a few countries Southeast from Norway, in Estonia. We pay everything online here, some of our bills can be paid automatically so you don't even have to open the bill or anything, it just pays itself. We can also vote online, on our phones, for example. You just log in/verify yourself to the voting system, and choose your candidate. Takes 5 minutes tops.
That’s awesome since they have verification processes online. In the US you either have to create an account on the company website and pay on their site or you can create a check through your bank bill pay. Depending on the company, the bank will print and mail an actual check or pay them electronically from your account. I hope that helps you understand it.
The most common dryers have the ability to transport water directly to discharge pipes
Yes that sounds lovely!
@@heatherabroad Yeah pretty much all dries comes with this drainage hose. I guess where you live, you haven't connected the hose to a drain, so the small tank is used instead. If the drainage for the washing machine only takes one hose, you can remove that and install a T-piece that takes two inputs, and hook up the drier to that. The tank is just if you for some reason can't have a drain connected to it.
The dryer situation: pretty sure that’s a European thing. We usually buy german or dutch machines, the same as the rest of the continent. As for the toilets, there usually are no problems that need to be fixed. They just work. And I don’t really understand the «flushing problem». It gets rid of everything in one push. Like, 98% of the times:p
Sometimes the guys take a little longer, and if they flush early to help with the stink it splashes “them”… 🤷🏻♀️
@@heatherabroad You must close the lid while flushing!
I really didn't like the toilets in the US as the waterline is always so high. Not very nice having a splash.. Never heard of anyone flushing more then once in one sitting but maybe they can stand up flush and sit down to continue? But I would recommend just getting used to it haha save the water 😅 (btw don't worry about the toilet I have had the same for 7 years not ever needing to have access to opening it)
Glad to know the toilets here are dependable! 😆. I think I prefer the toilet flushes here. Very efficient!
The first things about banking is pretty much the same throughout the nordic countries, small differences from country to country, but all variations on the same. Rest of Europe is different in most of it, but using cheques is just americans these days, in many countries they're completely gone, as in you can't issue or cash them in anywhere, including banks. The dryer thing is a dryer model thing, and people just choose it based on if they can knock a hole in the wall, like if it's a rental you may have to close up a hole on the wall when you move out, so quite costly, also for some this was just the model they liked. The toilets are pretty much the same in flushing throughout Europe. Germans do have a poopshelf though...
Interesting fact about Germany! 😳
Re. the inaccessible tank on top of Your toilet. I think You will find some mounting nuts if You look at the back of Your toilet under the seat.
Then You remove the entire visible porcelain top witch sit like a shell over the actual tank.
If You look on TH-cam for Your toilets make and model (if known) You should find some pretty instructive video sequences telling You how to do it.
The wall mounted toilet is great for cleanliness of Your bathroom floor. But to access the tank You need to remove the buttons panel and then using Your for foot lang 3-elbow arm You will be able to reach anything and repair it if needed. Ohh… An remember to bring a magnet on a flexi-arm as well. You’ll need if You accidently drop a tool behind the wall.
Sometimes though, You will find a bigger trap door on the wall outside Your toilet to access the mechanism. But looking at Your particular model I would not be surprised if You don’t have that. Your toilet and bathroom look like a renovation of an older bathroom.
Yes I believe you are spot on with the renovation. We are renting the property. Thanks for the practical advice. As previous home owners, we are used to fixing things ourselves. 👍🏼
The dryer is condenser. It's just easier installation wise and safer (the vents in usa get clogged).
The flushing is due to the different mechanical design. UK europe and NA use different designs. I think there is a steve mould video on this.
Vigerous flushes are good for keeping the sewage pipes healthy though.
The thing about the flushing made me laugh haha not sure what to say about that as the toilets can have different intensity of flushing. Regarding the other toilet, it’s the first time I have seen a toilet that you cannot open a lid to the tank and I grew up in Norway. I would not say that is a Norwegian thing and I would not say it’s a European thing as it’s the first time I have seen that.
Interesting about the toilets! 🤷🏻♀️
How did you move to Norway 🇳🇴? I had the hardest time trying to get my visa to stay. I'm going back next month, but only for a visit.
My husband’s job.
you could have a joint account in the past, but now the law is such that all accounts must be linked to a social security number or a organization number.
Politicians love coming up with stupid laws
What part of Norway do you live in? Do you live in Bergen?
No, not in Bergen. South of there.
Modern toilets don't tend to break. They also have two buttons. One button for #1 and one button for #2, obviously #2 needs more water. As for the dryer, it's a common design all over Europe. Norwegians beeing aloof and keeping to themselves is in large part a myth.
The small button typically has two different functions depending on the brand. Either it is a reduced amount of flush from a push or the flush depends on how long the button is held. The condensing dryer is an environment thing where both the air and water are filtered to stop the spread of particles and waste of energy. Makes sense in a cold country like Norway, but makes no sense whatsoever in a warm country. Then you would like to stream the warm air out of the house as you say, but still, it will pass through the particle filter. Most machines got a cover on the back you can remove and attach a 4" flexible pipe. You would also have to feed air from the window or the intake on top of a window. Very important if you are running an A/C.
Your toilets have 2 flushings.. half and full. Simple as that. Our sewage system is much better and bigger pipes, so needs more water. If something brakes, you call a plummer.
The big flush in the toilet has a reason: Norwegians love their waterfalls and they have a secret wish to pee into the waterfalls but are too shy to do it outside in the nature. So they brought the waterfall into their house :)
🤣🤣
Many things, Are US Americans "warm", while Norwegians are "cold"? Those interior dors are from the '60, but the same kind of keys are still common. The dryer... cheap models just have the ventilation hose still. Flushing... Well, we flush our toilets with Voss water, so... Still, two buttons at most modern toilets. Save water! Hope you have a great stay!
Thank you! I guess people from the US tend to be more outgoing towards strangers, where Norwegians save that for close friends. I, however, have found them to be quite friendly.
The drier thing is just .. modern. That design recirculates the hot air internally and thus saves on power. Older models just vented it. In my experience our little nation of merely 5.5 million people isn't a large enough market to cause this kind of innovation, so I would bet on it actually being an EU thing. Norway has many deals with EU so we tend to follow suit.
You expected us to be shy, so you probably didn't act scarily gregarious :p. I think we tend to shy away when people appear too friendly too quickly, but we are curious, so someone tend make contact sooner or later. It also depends a bit on exactly where you are, just like anywhere else. Some communities are more welcoming than others, or at least that's how it used to be. I think there's been a general turn towards accepting meeting new people over the past couple of decades.
Yes. My neighbor is 86 and commented today that we seem much more willing to make friends than Norwegians, as we have had friends over twice this week. She knows we are from the US. I explained to her that we have to be open to new friends when moving often or we would be very lonely. 😊
You should really tell you viewers about Efaktura and Autogiro. That will really blow their minds. And while on the subject, do you have tapping in the states ? With the cards I mean.
Ah yes, good idea. And I am not sure what tapping is?
@@heatherabroad "Tapping" is when you just hold the card close to the "payment unit" instead of entering it into the card slot and type the pin (if required). And yes, tapping is used in the US as well, I saw it in Florida a couple of weeks ago.
@@Muchoyo ah yes! We definitely have that but is still rolling out in some areas.
@@heatherabroad Where you just tap your card on the terminal, no sticking the card into the machine and no code. Just tap and go. Wait you haven't tried that yet ?!? 🤯
The most people don’t have a dryer ‘you hang it outside. Better for the environment !!!
1. You can have joint accounts. However it is normal to have at least one personal account and one joined.
The lady at our bank said no to us. But it seems some other banks do it. Others have also commented that they have a joint account.
@@heatherabroad I wonder if it could be something that was lost in translation at the bank? AFAIK (but do note that I'm from Sweden and not from Norway) most banks in Norway have joint accounts (the Norwegian name for it is "felleskonto"), I just googled up both DNB and Sparebanken 1 and they both offered it, at least they did on their websites.
My wife and I share bank accounts, one of us is the main holder, but the account is open to both of us. We also have one account that is not open to the other, in which we receive our personal tax-returns.
* European toilets last longer than American toilets :=)
* Some water pipes have higher pressure than others, it all depends on where you live in norway
* A little pro tip, if you have vipps you can scan your bills with camera or pdf and get it automatically filled in
Bill pay is a dream here!! So easy!
Hei har du det bra i norge ? and = Hi, are you doing well in Norway?
We are doing well😃 and thanks for the new phrase!
What! That’s not normal. My dryer goes into the system, not empty anything. What’s wrong with the toilet
I guess it kinda depends on WHERE in Norway you live. Yes the "cold and distant" attitude was the typical Norwegian a few decades ago... But as Norwegians travel more, and more immigrants have started to move to Norway, anf the media that we consume from other countries, that has shifted a bit I think. Now, I asked where, because The mid to southern part of Norway seems a bit more... How should I say... influenced(?) but this phenomenon. While the Northern part of Norway, where I'm from, It is a little more rural, colder, and we live further apart, and there aren't THAT many foreigners here. That's why you sometimes get the jokes like "I had a next door neighbour for over 10 years until he moved away.... Didn't even learn his name.... Best neighbour I ever had" kinda jokes. But once you DO crack our northerner's shell, we tend to be a friend for life once you do.... Just takes a while for you to do it. But yes, Norwegians in general is more open now than before.
*EDIT*
I'm such a bastard for always commenting before I finish the video because I am afraid I'll forget if I wait until the end, but you forgot that we also forst plastic waste as well, so there are 5 different wastes. 7 if you count during Christmas times, because the county DO pick up your discarded christmas tree, and gift wrapper waste (as aparently that's not regular paper waste).
And about vipps.... If you're extra lazy, you can use vipps to pay your bills... Just use the phone camera and take a picture of the bill and it is proicessed righgt away... No need to enter that besky 43245763223 didgit KID number :P
*EDIT 2*
About the drier, I can understand that European driers can be a bit differen't for you, but most newer driers, like the one you have, does have a vaule at the back where you can attack a hose to and direct it directly to the drain if that's doable in your location, then you will avoid the issue you might have if you have extra wet stuff in the drier.
Yes here the plastic is sorted out at restavfall. Thanks for the information about Christmas time. I’ll be sure to keep the wrapping paper separate. And vipps! But I think I may not be getting paper invoices anymore.
@@heatherabroad strange. Don't know which county you're in, here we have a separate big transparent bag for all plastic waste that's picked up on the same days as glass/can waste. The more you learn right?
If you establish a e-faktura in your internet bank, you won't receive bills in the mail.... Which is a hood thing since most charge you 35nok for the paper bill.
@@NorseOkies we have to take the glass and cans to a drop box/shoot area that collects them. I have read you can pay for a can at your house but I don’t mind taking it every week or so. Also, there are PANT receiving areas where you can get money back for recycling your plastic bottles. We haven’t done that since we don’t drink soda or bottled water. Tap water is amazing here, as it is also in Alaska.
@@heatherabroad yes, I've heard that TOMRA (the Norwegian bottle recycling company) has installed a few PANT machines in the US now. But these are just for PET bottles and cans. The glass are handed in at recycling stations for free, or it's picked up. In my county the local government does it for us.
Still fun to see how you adjust and view Norway from a different prospective.
And you're right. I also grew out of soda and the like, so I mostly just drink water myself. The only PANT i hand om is beer cans basically.
@@NorseOkies Regarding plastic recycling, that's apparently something special with recycling in the Stavanger region, where they break up the restavfall waste bags and use image recognition to separate out plastic. It's been a bit in the media, and based on what I remember having read, it was met with some skepticism, but it apparently performs better than when citizens separate plastic themselves.
9:38
There's two buttons for a reason.
Use the water conserving one unless you have something that needs a bit extra omph.
You pressed the "extra omph" button there.
Yes we have that in the States as well but it doesn’t splash up like it does here. 💦
@@heatherabroad Probably because toilets in the US are half full of water :)
@@Gazer75 😆 maybe
I live in Norway and my husband and me have a joined bank account. But it is not our main accounts.
Oh nice. Maybe it is just our bank. 🤷🏻♀️
@@heatherabroad There can only be one legal entity (person) who actually owns a bank account here (Norway) , but you can share access to it. My wife and I have several shared accounts, but practically there is no difference who its registered to. If I had to guess, I would say it's tax-related.
Oh, and I guarantee you have an option to discharge the water from your dryer directly to a drain. It's super easy, you can do it yourself. Talk to someone at your closest Elkjøp or Power (or the like), and they'll show you.
Velkommen til oss i Norge!
English here when in the US for work the banking system was light years behind the U.K. and Europe. For a “free” country they were also very intrusive as well as costly. Walls in the US are weak, plasterboard usually “sheet rock”. Have you tried the saunas and hot tubs yet? Naked only. Lol.
I dunno…. Norway may know more about me than the US based on the Visa process and the fact that everything is forced through the electronic system. There is not really an “off the record” system here.
All this Norwegian approval with smooth electronic information sharing and refusing cash is gonna hit a brick wall if some powerful entity, elected or otherwise, decides to hit Delete. Funny how no one saw Putin’s dance moves coming.
• What if his team hacked into Vipps?
Won’t even be able to catch the tram home.
It’s best to not depend on systems that can be controlled or hacked. Stay with cash.
I like the idea of no joint bank accounts. I suspect joint bank accounts in the U.S. are the cause of most divorces.
That’s a whole other conversation! 😆
Have you used felleskjøpet dress already?
I don’t think so since I had to Google translate the word. 🤷🏻♀️
@@heatherabroad it is the green suite in my video, it is the second most popular dress in Norway next to "Bunad"
Re flushing: Big button gives you a bigger flush than the small button
With the bank system I think is only a Nordic system. I'm a foreign who married and live here in Sweden, but again Sweden and Norway have some similarities in their systems.
With the small chats. I would say you're lucky because I think you're an American. My husband's mothere was Norwegian and this means that he still has a lot of families/relatives but I've had the very much the opposite.
About the toilet, when we used to live in Dubai their toilets are very much American and I can tell you, they used to get blocked ALLL THE TIME and I think because they're never have that power flush. Oh by the way, this are NOT European thing, it's the Nordic way😉.
We do have the same hanging toa. They're popular nowadays.
US toilets do clog up a lot 😳
Could you please explain what you mean when you say that the boys have to navigate the toilet because of the 'intense' flushing, what does this mean? Is this an American toilet thing, where the boys have to flush twice for some reason?
Sometimes the guys take a little longer, and if they flush early to help with the stink it splashes “them”… 🤷🏻♀️
In the US toilets use a different system. There is more water in them to begin with, and when you flush, the water raises, and there is a vacuum which empties the bowl, there is non of that splashing of water from all sides as in Europe.
Wow, I did not know that, so the US toilets basically look like they are constantly blocked, how unusual? As a man I can't fathom my junk being immersed in water every time I went to the loo, how uncomfortable that must be. It's almost as If the US toilets where only designed for female anatomy, sorry I don't mean to offend any Americans but it just seems very strange to me that's all🙄
@@muddymaker3721 I don't think men's "junk" is immersed all the time, it's not that high up, but it depends on size, I guess...
@@muddymaker3721 in the US the water does not come up high enough to get your “junk” wet haha, but here it splashes enough to get it wet… according to my husband and children. 😆
It's very rare for me, an adult male, to need more than one flush in the toilet. Occasionally, if I have a bad tummy, I have what I call a two-flusher, that's pretty bad, and worst I've ever had was a four-flusher. Believe me, that's bad.
How about salaries? Did you earn more in the USA? Would you rather Norway? Why?
Hmmm that’s a good topic! But we do only have one perspective.
Actually the toilets. Surprised😄. I don’t like the American ones. They are super clunky and old school looking and the sound is worse in my opinion. Plus they dont flush properly. Clogged toilets is not really a common thing here. I mean, unless someone stuff a toy in there or something.
Usually you can choose between «long flush» or «short flush» so if you need to flush twice maybe do the long flush and short flush right after:p
The wall ones are so much easier to keep clean, and they are suppose to handle a lot of weight. Never heard about anyone breaking one by sitting on it.
Anyways, I guess we are used to what we are used to in our own country😂.
I like your videoes! :) keep going💪🏼
I totally favor these toilets now!
@@heatherabroad awesome😄
Hi Heather. Your fellow American expat youtuber in Europe, Hayley in Germany, actually posted a video just today about the differences in the toilet situation: th-cam.com/video/qrlDNlAYhdU/w-d-xo.html
What she didn't mention, but I think explains the entire difference (except the bit about the tank not being accessible, which I think is a valid criticism), is that America and Europe uses very different toilet designs, the siphon type and the wash-down type respectively. This wikipedia article describdes the different types: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flush_toilet#Bowl_design
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
The tank-thing is spesific to that model, it is just a porcelain cover over a plastic tank, if you lift up the buttons on the top, there is a large screw that holds the porcelain down, and if you remove the screw you can lift the cover off and it is just like a normal toilet.
and the "floating" toilet is made so that you remove the panel with the buttons (it is just held on by clips) you can remove the whole mechanism through the hole.
One reason why Norway is so advanced on technology is that Norwegian labor is expencive. So reducing labor heavy processes is very motivated.
Also enginering is not very expensive.
I have notice more jobs here removed for technology than in the US.
@@heatherabroad Its actually two reasons. One, labor costs allot. Two, higher educated labor is actually cheaper than other nations because of lower skilled labor making more. So it is beneficial for the company to advance ahead with more "experts" and machines than a large cheap workforce, like some other nations do.
wat state you from?
From Louisiana originally.
As you are renting the place, if the toilet breaks, call the owner :) You will probably need a plumber.
Yes! I will defer to the owner for sure.
10:16
It's not meant to swirl.
I have figured that out here, but in the States they all swirl! So this is new to us. 😊
Its more of a swallowing thing😂😂😂
edit: It doesnt swirl in Europe,I think? Or Asia? Ive never seen one to be honest
That’s not true, we have an account together. I can see all the accounts on my Visa card.
As a American you can look forward to a positive surprise if you ever need a doctor or a hospital. :)
The same goes if you have kids that need education.
That is very true. And a great thing for sure. On the negative side, you will need to pay 40-50 % of your income in taxes + 25 % sales tax on everything + a lot of other taxes on cars, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, over US $ 12 per gallon of gas etc. This is how you pay for all the "free" stuff like healthcare and education. But if you need healthcare, you will have to settle for what the state desides is right for you. No free choice in that case.
@@IamMagPie I usually pay 28% tax, but some times i have payed 33% tax.
Also, there is private hospitals here for those that want to use that.
In 2 of the jobs i had, it followed free insurance for this with the job, so i have used both state hospital and private hospital.
I live here so i know, have you ever even visited Norway?
@@HrRezpatex I live and work in Norway. I pay 46 %. I know we have private hospitals here, but since I already have paid for the state hospitals through my taxes, it seems like a waste to pay double by going to a private clinic. I have also visited all US states over many years, and like to think I know that country as well. Unce needed to use a hospital "over there". Surprisingly inexpensive and the best care I ever received. Having said that, I would never move from Norway to the USA. Norways is the best (for me).
@@IamMagPie That sounds insane, i don`t know anyone that pay 46%. (beside from those that have two jobs, and pay that amount on their second job, and that is if their main job is a 100% job)
But i do not want to say or believe that you lie, so i believe you, i just do not understand how that can be.
I know that if you earn much much more then common people, you must also pay more percentage.
The situation for me is that i am a self employed, so therefor i seldom pay more then 28% company tax.
But i do work for other now and then, but never for a long time, so it can have something to do with that.
But most people i know pay around 33%.
I agree with your view in the private hospital situation, if the companies i worked for had not payed it for me, i would not use those neither. The private hospitals are mainly for rich people, but still much cheaper then in US.
I shall be honest and say that there is people i know that do not make all the money they earn officially, because they pretty much look at the government as the greatest gang of bandits in this country, and by that keep their official income at a low level so that the bandits can not claim more then around 28%..
They probably learn how to play the game from the best bandits.. lol
@@IamMagPie If there is some sort of operation you need, and the waiting time is 3 months in the public hospitals, I would prefer to pay extra to get operated in the next couple of days in a private clinic (like Volvat).
Many of the bigger companies also offer health insurance for their employees that would cover this.
The point is that you have the option.