Welcome to NorwayThis booklet includes information on preparations you need to do before you leave India and a brief description on what to do when you arrive in Norway. It also includes an introduction to Norway, its culture, atmosphere, climate and environment. This covers also general behaviour, places to see in Oslo etc.
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This booklet includes information on preparations you need to do before you leave India and a brief description on whatto do when you arrive in Norway.
It also includes an introduction to Norway, its culture, atmosphere, climate and environment.
This covers also general behaviour, places to see in Oslo etc.
Clothing as per the season : For winters - Jacket, sweaters, shoes, cap, gloves etcCopy of Invitation letter
Health and travel insurance
Ticket, Passport
Photograph
Contact Numbers of Key people in Norway & India
Office & Apartment address
Custom clearance certificate. If you are carrying more than 2 laptops at the India airport, you should have anauthorization letter on company letterhead mentioning that you are carrying 2 laptops for official purpose.
Important items:
Norwegian SIM card- (if it is available in India), if not your Onshore manager will provide it to you when you arrive
Converter for charger (European converter from 3 pin to 2 pin – Very important)
Medicines as per your requirements
Debit & Credits cards with activation of international Usage
Activation of Cards for Internet TransactionsToiletries
Food items (tips)
Take ready to eat food packets from MTR (if employees are going for long term assignments or want to cook on their
own)
Rolling pin (belan) for making chapatis
Flour (Atta), Sugar, Rice (1/2 Kgs. initially) if you know cooking and want to eat homemade foodTiffin box, foil in case you are carrying your own lunch
Arrived Oslo Airport - collect your baggage and exit customs, you will enter into the arrival hall, turn right and walk to the
end.
Take the Airport Express Train (Flytoget) to Oslo Central Station (approx. 20 min). Ticket is available for 170 NOK at ticket
vending machines at the airport and can be bought with Credit card or cash.
From Oslo S (Central Station) take a taxi up to your apartment location.
If you travel by your own, you should take the Airport express train to Oslo S and then a taxi to your apartment. If morepeople travel together, you could take a taxi directly from the airport to your apartment (approximately 45 min to 1 hour
drive).
You can pay the taxi with either cash or credit card.
The size of these apartments, are from studio and upwards.It’s possible to prepare Indian food in the apartments; however apartments for short-term stay 1-3 weeks might not have
these facilities.
One is responsible to clean the apartment properly and follow the guidelines given by the landlord:
Clean the hotplate after cooking
Switch off all the lights and heaters before leaving the apartment
Empty dustbin in designated containers located in Ground floor
When you cook food remember to switch on the exhaust fan, else the Fire alarm will be initiatedIn case Fire alarm is initiated by you because of smoke, open all the windows and go to ground floor and switch off the
On your first day at our office, you should report to the office at around 8 am and contact your respective manager.
He/she or the security officer at the reception will assist you in getting a visitor card which you need to get access to the
office.
Canteen
Our canteen is open from 10 am to 1 pm and on a daily basis, they offer warm soup, 2 warm dishes, salad bar, yogurt,
bread and a large range of different side orders. Please note that there is also some machines near by the canteen from
which you can buy chocolate, chips, soda, yogurt or ice cream
Fire Protection
In every floor you will find information related to our “brannvern”. You should make you self -aware of our escape plan
and emergency exits.
Smoking
It is not allowed to smoke inside the office at NETS.
Clean desk
You should try to keep your desk tidy and cleaned when leaving the office in the afternoon.
Dress code
Normally there is no strict dress code at our office, but we suggest that you wear business-casual clothing in the office. Incase of customer meetings you should check with your Norwegian manager regarding dress code requirements.
Norwegians view themselves as egalitarian people whose culture is based on democratic principles of respect and
interdependence.
They like people for themselves and not for what they do for a living, their professional accomplishments or how much
money they earn.
They have simple tastes and are not prone to ostentation or excessive showiness.They pride themselves on being honest and sincere in their personal relationships.
Etiquette & Customs
Meeting and Greeting
Norwegians are very prompt and it ’s considered rude to be even a few minuteslate. If you are delayed for any reason, it’s very important to inform the meeting
organizer prior to the meeting. Greetings are casual, with a firm handshake, direct
eye contact, and a smile. Norwegians are egalitarian and casual; they often
introduce themselves with their first name only. In some circumstances people may
use the honorific title "Herr" (Mr.) or "Fru" (Mrs.) and their surname.
You can wait to be invited before moving to first names although most people will start with this.
Shake hands and say good-bye individually when arriving and departing.Shake hands with people on a first come first served basis.
Gift Giving Etiquette
If invited to a Norwegian's home, bring flowers, chocolates, pastries, wine, or imported spirits to the hostess.
Flowers may be sent the morning of a dinner party so they may be displayed that evening.
Do not give carnations, lilies or white flowers as they are used at funerals.
Norwegians are transactional and do not need long-standing personal relationships in
order to conduct business.
Nonetheless, they prefer to do business with those they trust, so it is important that youprovide information about yourself and the company you represent prior to meeting
your business colleagues.
Relationships develop slowly and depend upon the other person being professional
and meeting all agreed upon deadlines.
Giving a well-researched presentation indicates that you are serious about conducting
Appointments are necessary and should be made as far in advance as possible.
Appointments may be made in writing or by telephone.
If writing, address the letter to the head of the division, even if you do not know the person.
Punctuality is imperative since it indicates trustworthiness.
If you are delayed even 5 minutes, call and explain the situation. Arriving late without prior notice can damage a
potential relationship.
It is often difficult to schedule meetings during July and August, which are popular vacation times; during the two weeksbefore and after Christmas; and during the week before and after Easter.
Meetings are rather informal.
Send an agenda before the meeting so that your Norwegian colleagues can be prepared.
There is not much small talk. Norwegians prefer to get to the business discussion quickly.
Presentations should be precise and concrete, and backed up with charts, figures and analysis.
Avoid hype or exaggerated claims in your presentation.
Leave time for Q&A at the end of a presentation. Norwegians do not interrupt and will save their questions until you
have finished speaking.
Negotiating
Decisions are consensus driven.
Expect decisions to take time as your colleagues must weigh all the alternatives.
Present a firm, realistic, and competitive initial price and expect a minimum of bargaining.
Price is often the most important deciding factor.
Norwegians do not generally give discounts, even to good customers or for large orders.Norwegians are detail oriented.
Maintain eye contact while speaking.
Negotiations are frank.
Avoid high-pressure sales tactics.
It is imperative to adhere to deadlines and commitments. If you do not, you will not be considered trustworthy, which
will destroy the business relationship.
New concepts should be shown to be high quality, practical, and already market tested.
Oslo has a great location at the head of the Oslo Fjord, surrounded by forested hills. The city is a great destination for
those who enjoy outdoor activities.
Even in the city centre, the nearest park is never more than a few blocks away. A ten-minute boat ride from the centre
takes you to lovely beaches on the Oslo Fjord islands. In the winter Oslo has hundreds of kilometres of cross-country
trails within the city boundaries, in addition to eight ski centres.
In 2007 Reader's Digest ranked Oslo as number two on a list of the world's greenest, most liveable cities!
At the same time Oslo has everything you would expect from a capital.
The city offers an abundance of attractions, shopping possibilities and a flourishingcultural life, and a choice of restaurants which is almost unparalleled in
Scandinavia.
The possibilities are always many – whether you want to enjoy a sumptuous meal at a
Michelin-starred restaurant or you prefer a brisk, refreshing dog sleigh ride in the snow-draped winter forest.
Climate
Thanks to the Gulf Stream bringing temperate water from the Gulf of Mexico, Oslo's climate is milder that what itslatitude would imply.
Many people see Oslo as the winter capital. But Oslo is just as much a summer city. On a
summer's day the small boats crowd the Oslo Fjord and the parks are full of picnickers –
Oslo’s citizens really make the most of it when the sun appears.
Oslo's history begins in the Middle Ages; the first town-like settlement probably appeared
around the year 1000 AD. The medieval town was located below the Ekeberg hills, on the
east side of the Bjørvika inlet. Around the year 1300 AD Oslo had about 3000 inhabitants.
The town was the residence of King Haakon V (1299-1319) who commenced the building of
what is today known as the Akershus Fortress.
In the part of town called Gamlebyen (the Old Town) you find remains of medieval Oslo in the form of ruins, building parts
and cultural layers. Here you also find Oslo Ladegård's Medieval Office, a Middle Ages information office which also
organises guided tours of the medieval town. Close by lies the memorial park with ruins of the St. Hallvard cathedral (from
the 12th century) and the St. Olav convent.
The renaissance Town
From 1536 Norway was in a union with Denmark. After a dramatic fire in 1624, the Danish
King Christian IV decided that the town be rebuilt below Akershus, so the fortress could
function as a defence for the town. The town was named Christiania, after the king himself.
This part of Oslo's centre between the Akershus Fortress and Oslo Cathedral, Øvre Vollgate and
Skippergata is today known as Kvadraturen ("the quadrature") because of the rectangular
street pattern of Christian IV’s renaissance town. Several well-preserved buildings from the 17th century can be seen here.In Kvadraturen you can see the building that housed Oslo's first town hall, and the city's oldest restaurant, Café Engebret.
As a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark in 1814 had to cede the territory of
Norway to the Swedish king, Karl Johan. This year Norway got its own constitution,
on 17 May, and Christiania got its official status as the capital of Norway. King Karl Johan
initiated the building of the Royal Palace in 1825. The palace was completed in 1848 under
King Oscar I. In 1866 the Parliament building in Karl Johans gate was finished.
The industrial era started along the river Akerselva around 1850. In the years between 1850 and 1900 the population
of Kristiania increased from about 30,000 to 230,000 mainly due to an influx of workers from rural areas.
Historical Oslo
As older cities Oslo has gone through big character changes as a result of fires and
redevelopment. Most of the original town is lost, but in some neighbourhoods you can stillget a feel of the past.
The more than 700-year-old Akershus Fortress is an important cultural monument.
Here the memories of World War II also come out strongly. Many Norwegian patriots were
executed here, and Akershus was surrendered to the Norwegian resistance movement in the last hours of the war. After
the war Vidkun Quisling was held in prison here. Thus it is natural that Norway's Resistance Museum is located
at Akershus.
In Frogner Park you find the Oslo City Museum. If you want to increase your knowledgeabout the history of Norway's capital, this is the place to go. The museum presents
models, objects and photos that together paint a comprehensive image of city
development, commercial and cultural activities, street life etc. through Oslo's long
history.
The river Akerselva was the cradle of industrialism in Norway. A walk along the river is
a pleasant experience and offers interesting meetings with living cultural memories.Cascades and old wooden houses provide a contrast to the enormous industrial buildings.