how much do you Vikings know about USA?

I was completely set to go back in October, but I am contemplating (once my norwegian gets a little better) spending a summer in Scandinavia instead of just two weeks.

I am still considering going this year though. I need to see if I have enough money to go to school and pay for living expenses for the rest of next year.

Does anyone here go to the University of Bergen or Oslo? If so, is it possible for a non registered student to sit in a class? (here, for example, if the class is really big, anyone can just go in and sit down)

Now back to the thread

Americans (myself included) complain about our country too, but it is not so much about the country itself, as it is about the government and lawyers.

I think that is an interesting cultural difference. In the US, if you are unpatriotic, that is considered highly, highly negative!

Here, Neo-Nazis are anti-American.

--Joey

edit: I was going add, if any of you plan on coming to Florida, let me know

 

Actually, I´ve been thinking about going to Florida to study. I´ve always been interested in the "mamals of the sea". Florida (or Australia) is the best location to study Bottlenosed Dophins, Sharks and big coral reefs. I was thinkin about an Institute in the Grassy Keys, but I would have to pay 60.000 USD every year... over a period of 6 years, so we´ll see about that

Anyhow... I´ll let you know if I´m going there

 

Actually, I´ve been thinking about going to Florida to study.

Sounds good! My school, the University of South Florida, is pretty cheap and is near two major aquariums. Marine biology is a pretty big program.

I´ve always been interested in the "mamals of the sea". Florida (or Australia) is the best location to study Bottlenosed Dophins, Sharks and big coral reefs. I was thinkin about an Institute in the Grassy Keys, but I would have to pay 60.000 USD every year... over a period of 6 years, so we´ll see about that


Ouch, 60k a year?!?! I think my school is 3000 a year if you don't have scholarships.

--Joey

 

I think that is an interesting cultural difference. In the US, if you are unpatriotic, that is considered highly, highly negative!

Well, I think that is the biggest problem of all.

 

Does anyone here go to the University of Bergen or Oslo? If so, is it possible for a non registered student to sit in a class? (here, for example, if the class is really big, anyone can just go in and sit down)

I go to the University of Stockholm, but anyway, here you can come and sit in a class, at least in some subjects. I have no idea if you're actually permitted to do this, but when it's a big class the teacher never checks that everyone belongs to the class... at least not in my experience.

It would be cool if you came to Sweden, maybe then we'd have an excuse for an FFS meeting...

 

Obi-Anne - Okay, mark one up for Sweden

Dark Overlord - I hardly think that is our biggest problem. We encourage dissenting opinions, but when unity is needed, we expect all Americans to be on board.

Enji - Yeah, I don't think it is specifically "allowed" here either, it is just that no one cares. We don't check attendance. I would be curious to see how much I understand

Sometimes, it shocks me how little I can "get" but other times I have a good handle on what is being said.

--Joey

*disclaimer (sorta) I use "Americans" often incorrectly. Americans refer to any one from Hudson Bay, Canada, to Tierra de Fuego, Chile. When I say "Americans" I mean citizens of the "United States of America".

 

I have a question for you guys.

Do you find it easier to understand Yanks or Brits? I know that you learn British English, but American tv/movies are popular.

Or is it about the same?

--Joey

 

Well, it's pretty much the same. I don't have any troubles with either one of them, although some dialects can be difficult... *cough* scottish *cough*

But of course, I guess the trouble with dialects are the same in every language, there are dialects of swedish I don't understand a word of...

 

Well, since im a big fan of Scottish I find it pretty easy to understand both of em´.

And. we are flooded with american tv-series, movies, books, cars you name it.

But on the other hand, UK´rs and Swedes have the same kind of humor. So Monthy Pyton has a big part of many ppl.

But, the new generation ( 1988-2003 ) have been more influented by the US than other countrys. So. in a couple of years. It wouldn´t surpice me if the english will be thought in an US style.

 

I have found that to be true with Norwegians and Swedes. Though people like Hans Blix sound very British.

I remember hearing a middle age Norwegian man say that he could not hear a difference between British and American english.

It stunned me at first, but then I thought about how I had a hard time distinguishing between different dialects of spanish which are equally distinct.

--Joey

 

You should hear my mother... she sounds more British than the Brits!

Myself, I don't know if I speak American or British english, I simply speak it... although, I did learn english in Hong Kong, so perhaps I have a slight chinese accent... (I am the only one in the family who can understand the english they speak in Hong Kong... )

 

Do you know of a voice board that you can do a recording on? I can give you my "not-so-expert" opinion.

You need a mic though...

--Joey

 

I think its realy sad that more and more speak with an American accent.

Not that its so horrible, I just think that the English accnent sounds better.

 

An English accent sounds more sophisticated (notice I said English not British) in general. However, in my opinion, a mid-American accent is ideal. Something like Natalie Portman's accent.

Now for a "Did you know..." type question.

Did you know that Americans and Brits sounded the same for a long time? Our dialect is more like what the British spoke during the 1600s. English royalty (or maybe Welsh?) decided that a soft "ahh" is prettier than a harsh "aaahh". People imitated the royal family and now we sound very different. However, Australia, which had closer ties to the motherland (and more recent ties) sound very similar to modern English-English .

--Joey

Boring scandinavia one forum at a time

 

Actually when I was in "mellan och högstadiet"(have forgotten what your equivalent in america is) they taught us mostly american english.

Anyway I think that most of the british dialects sound really stupid and unserious rather than sophisticated (and I don't think that is Monty Pythons fault (though that they may have a part in it)).

 

mellan och högstadiet probably means "middle school" if my pseudo-norsk pseudo-engelsk translation is right.

Interesting that you think most Brits sound unsophisticated. (You should tell them that )

--Joey

 

Middle school would be my guess as well (not that I would know anything about the swedish educational system)

I agree to a certain extent that english sounds unsophisticated... in York it just sounds vulgar (spelling...?). If someone does something out of the ordinary, the average person here would say "What's ya like?"



Oxford- english, on the other hand, upper class english, sounds quite different, sophisticated and lovely. middle to lower- class people have a tendency to be a bit more... careless in the way they speak.