When you moved to your new overseas home, what would you REALLY wanted to have been told about your new home country?

[QuintessentialShadows]

As some of you know, I have moved back to my native Norway after 15 years of living in London.

Moving to London was exciting, as a 20 year old student, life was not so different to live as a student in Norway.

But, moving back to Norway, with a husband, and children, and having to deal with "adult" stuff such as housebuying, taxes, childcare, etc, was hard enough, even if I did actually speak the language. My husband didnt though, and did a 1 year full time course.

I am currently involved with my local chamber of commerce here, devising a fast track Norwegian language course, which should also contain important facts about Norwegian society.

It is very exciting, and I am really eager to get a good course off the ground, especially as my students will have to pass an accreditation exam.

My question to you guys, is the following:

What aspect of your new culture would you really have liked to learn about, if you were on a language course, with other adults from all over the world?

happychappy where are you?

I wish somebody had told ME to NOT buy the Italian car when I moved back here. It would have saved me a lot of money and a lot of trouble, and I would possibly not been bambi on ice for 7 months of the year.

Im in Italy, In marche if that means anything to you

I would have loved to know that I would meet two distinct types of people in shops/offices etc - ones that are charmed/at least accepting of the fact that I am English and am trying my best, so will be a bit patient or speak a little slower/explain how things are done and those that are royally pissed off the second I open my mouth and am clearly not native and try as hard as possible to make things difficult, all while being rude and obnoxious/eye rolling, huffing and puffing etc.

It's almost making me want to move back home to be honest.

fascinating
why do wine shops shut at 4?
do german shops still shut all the bloddy time?

How can shops close at 4 when most people work till 5??

Here the supermarket is open till 10 pm, my parents who live in UK have a 24/7 Tesco down the road, which is great!

guys,
thank you so much for all this.

This is my new thread, after the event.

I am so pleased it went so well

so many good ideas from you lot.