Sizes

(A rerun of an early article - )

They have a saying in Norway that, “Everything is bigger in America,” and while that may be true, from my perspective, things are just smaller in Norway.  The roads in Norway are very narrow, and often have only one lane.  Every so often there will be a little bulb-out spot where one car needs to go when encountering another car so they can pass each other.  Often times that means someone has to back up to reach it.

The cities are much smaller.  Oslo, the largest city in Norway, has just over 600,000 people.  And to my knowledge, there’s not a single “McMansion” or “Starter Castle” in the whole land.  Houses are very moderately sized and when Norwegians have come to visit us in America, they just laugh at the lavish homes we have here.  They also laugh when we arrive at the airport with our many large pieces of “American luggage.” Norwegians usually just travel with one small carry-on bag, even if they are crossing continents.  Cars are smaller in Norway, too, as are parking places, so I’m always challenged to find a spot big enough for our American made “mini” van. 

I do see a lot of wisdom in the smallness of things, though.  The washing machines in Norway are much smaller, and as a result, don’t hold as many clothes, so I have to do laundry more often, which means I need less clothes, which is good because the closets are smaller and don’t hold much. 

The refrigerators are smaller and that’s good because I never lose track of anything in them, which saves us money on our grocery bill, which is otherwise HUGE.  

The size of products available in the store is much smaller than in America.  (Oh, how Norway needs a Costco to really shake things up.)  Mayonnaise comes in a tube the size of toothpaste and the largest container of flour or sugar in the whole land never exceeds a kilo - about two pounds.  At first I was frustrated by this, but one time when I needed to take the bus home after grocery shopping, I realized why everything was so micro sized.  Many people don’t have cars, so walking or taking public transportation is their only option.  Groceries are heavy.

I buy Oxi-clean at Costco in America in a two gallon bucket, but in Norway it comes in a container the size of yogurt.  Cookies also come in a much smaller pack but that actually works to my advantage because when I get stressed out and eat a whole package – it isn’t nearly the same number of calories.  I guess that’s why the people in Norway are smaller, too.