Hello

Bonjour

J'ai remarqué que vous avez mentionné dans votre mail que vous êtes d'origine française. On pourrait communiquer en français si vous le voulez.

je pourrai aussi continuer en français si vous préférez.

Je suis vietnamienne, mariée avec un norvégien, et a vécu 7 ans à Oslo avant de déménager à Singapore où nous avons passé 4 ans et ensuite à HK, encore 4 ans, par la suite des postes de mon mari. On est de retour en Norvège depuis 2010.

En tant qu'étrangère vivant en Norvège, je pourrai peut-être vous donner un petit aperçu de ce que c'est la vie en Norvège.

Avant tout, pourriez vous me laisser savoir si vous préférez que je vous adresse en anglais ou en français.

En attendant à vous lire

Cordialement

C'est très gentil à vous de prendre le temps de m'aider.   
Comme je l'ai mentionné dans mon introduction,  j'ai déjà  été en Norvège, à plusieurs reprises, mais je ne connais  pas la réalité de la vie dans le pays.
Je suis en train de me renseigner sur  les possibilités  pour  une femme seule avec un enfant,  sans emploi et ne  parlant pas la langue,  de déménager en Norvège et  commencer une nouvelle vie.
Merci de votre aide.

As it has been written at length on other subjects, finding a job in Norway without speaking Norwegian or having a very sought out expertise (read oil industry) is really not easy. you will be in competition with immigrants from all around the world. Norway is a nice and helpful country for single mother as everything is made here to make your life easier when you have to raise children but again finding the job will be the most difficult part. One shall also remember that life is very expensive, much more than almost anywhere in the world, and one must therefore come with significant savings in order to survive before finding a job.

Hello cherryblossoms & london02013.

As this is an English Speaking forum, it is better to communicate in english so that other members can understand and participate.

@london02013 -> Here is the French Speaking forum where you can communicate in french.

I invite you to read our code of conduct.

Thank you,
Aurélie
Expat.com Team

Dear Aurelie,
Thank you very kindly for taking time out your very busy duties to send me the link to the code conduct on this forum. I shall consult it immediately to avoid any further mishaps.
Yours sincerely

My aim in the long term (3-5 years plans) is the open own spa/retail store in Oslo. I will be financing this with my personal funds.
Ideally, I would like to find employment with a luxury department store or boutique to familiarise myself with the shopping habits of Norwegians in order to offer a bespoke service when setting up my business.
I have a lot experience in this field, I have been Beauty Manager in Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.
I lived in Tromso for 2 years in the 90’s, I was almost fluent in Norwegian at the time but I have not maintain it  but I hope to pick it up again quickly.

Hi Aurélie

Thanks for the reminder and for steering our conversation to the french forum. I didn't even know we have one.

Best regards
ADPT

Hi london

I think AuNordDuMonde has explained almost everything there is to know about your inquiries.

Good luck,
Cherry

Hello everyone,

Few weeks ago I joined this website and since I have been reading the posts religiously,I have to say they are not favourable endorsement of Norway as a country from the foreigners view. I am starting to have serious doubts about moving there.

I am a prof, single black woman, French national, 42 years, single mother of a 7 years old mixed race daughter. I lived and work in London 15+years. My daughter is the main reason I wanted to move to Norway. She is extremely active in sport and love the outdoors. She rather be cycling, swimming, playing football then seat in front of the TV or playing games. She speaks French and I would like her to learn a 3rd language. Norway seems to be a better environment for children then St john's Wood London.

I have a very heavy work load and work long, long hours. I make a very good living but I am not enjoying it and i would like to work for myself. My daughter spends more time with her child-minder and sport coach then with me.

Last year, after a lovely 3 days camping week end near Tonsberg, my daughter and I were very sad about leaving Norway and going back to London. I made the decision to give up the rat race in London and start planning a new life for us in Norway.

I have been doing my research regarding the business side of things and it is very promising. I have enough funds to set up a small retail store and purchase a flat in the Sandvika area.  But I am hoping to work for someone else first and learn how it done in Norway.

It is the social side of this that scarring me, I am yet to me 1 person that thought Norway was a welcoming  country to foreigners, including native Norwegians I have met here in London. Everyone tell me about how cold and isolating Norwegian are. We don’t know a single person in Norway and for what I am learning it is near impossible for a foreigner to be assimilated into the Norwegian society.

As a black woman, I am also concerned about being stereotype as single black mother on the dole or as a looking for rich Norwegian husband to esccape hardship. I moved from California to the UK 15 years, I did not know a single person in the UK and that turned out to be great. 

Moving to Norway would be for ever or at least very long term.  But is Norway the right place for us?

Thank you to all for your honest feedbacks.

I do not see much to add to what you write yourself. Yes this is a rather closed country and it is not always easy to find a job without the good contacts and language skills. We start to feel also the economic crisis that has affected the rest of the world and unemployment starts to rise here.

But at the end of the day, if you have the good ideas, knowledge, willingness, you may succeed and may have a better life in Norway than in the UK. It is always hard to forecast the future.