@Cheri I remember the American friendliness with part glee, and part “suspicion’s high command”. (Compared to Norwegians, even Swedes are on the spectrum towards Americans.) Not knowing PSW manners, I was somewhat afraid my wallet would disappear when some random people just asked to sit with me and my two friends outside a bar in SD. (It was the bar from “The sleazy bar scene in Top Gun” a plaque said inside). We had some friendly interaction with the three, but I couldn’t help thinking “what do they want?”. That’s my Norwegian suspicion saying they can’t just be friendly without reason. We just don’t talk to strangers, unless we’ve had a few, that is.
@odd Understandable! There are a lot of regional differences in the US. In Southern states, a stranger might want your whole life story while you're in the check-out line at the grocery store. Here, people are friendly and will make small talk, but friendships develop quite slowly.
@Cheri @odd I’ve always assumed the character of our area reflects to some extent the large number of Nordic immigrants that ended up here, like my grandparents and their kids. Maybe there was even something about fishing and timber that kept people cautious about each other. I don’t know where the passive-aggressive came from, though.
@Pilchuck Have you been to the new(ish) Nordic museum in Ballard? I hadn't realized how many PNW institutions were founded by Nordic immigrants. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
@Pilchuck @cheri That may be part of the explanation at least. The weather has perhaps something to do with it(?) Maybe the passive-aggressive, (which I’m certain is not a common trait for all the people there), could maybe an import from the Atlantic side, but where the first aggressive- is replaced with passivity(?) We do have passive-aggressive over here too, so, IDK.
@Cheri Yes, I have. I think I liked the old museum better where each country was a separate room. It’s more combined now. But, yeah, the Nordic immigrants had a big impact here. Hard workers (until my generation, at least 😉).
@Cheri Welcome back, almost, or maybe it is back by now.
My Mom just moved to Seattle, or Bainbridge Island I should say, where my brother and sister both live. Looking forward to yearly visits to your fair city now that the family is consolidated.
@Pilchuck I always get annoyed when they treat "the Nordic" or even Norway as a singular entity. The cultural difference is very big, even if you move relatively small distances.
@hjertnes I hear you. The Seattle “National Nordic Museum” predecessor had a little more detail, but even then not enough to really capture regional differences The new incarnation is more about what people did here after arrival, and less about who we are or were. There is another museum in town that is about indigenous peoples, and they too have lumped all nations together and even brought in some Pacific Rim island artifacts to - I think - show similarities, but it is mostly confusing.