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I kinda feel like if you figure out that you really, really want to be with her, everything else is details and logistics. Brazil is also a happening place and it might not be a bad idea to consider that as an option. You're young, you can make fresh connections anywhere you go at this point.

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Ah, maybe I wasn't quite clear. The options are staying here or finding a job in Sweden. I would consider going to Brazil too, but she would never let me do that.

After a lot of talking and soul-searching, I've landed on the fact that it wouldn't be worth being here without her. So I'm gonna try my best to find a position in Sweden, probably as Norwegian-speaking phone support.

I think at least if I find a random job, I'll use my spare time to create stuff, maybe tell Norwegian media "hey, I can freelance and stuff", etc.

It's gonna be really hard, but giving her up would be way, way harder.

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Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. And in any case, you're young and you have a ton of options available in your future. Working a few years as phone support won't do any harm and will let you be with the person you love. That's a pretty good trade-off! And you're not even that far away from home.

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Regarding language barriers, it's a very tricky thing. Most Scandinavians speak great English, and even with her working in such a diverse and international field (Architecture), she's hard pressed to find a job without speaking proper Swedish. It just gets easier for them to hire someone native.

The worst part is that she has focused on city planning and urbanism, and those jobs are mostly within the counties and other official offices, who ESPECIALLY want Swedish. =/

She'll also have a hard time getting service jobs, because people will be offended if they go up to a counter and is forced to speak English. For me, on the other hand, it's no problem, since Norwegian and Swedish are so closed (thousands of Swedes cross the border each summer to work in restaurants and such, because of the better wages).

At least when I go there and get a job, she'll be entitled to full time Swedish lessons, not just twice a week night courses.

Language: A Weird Thing.

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Regarding language barriers, it's a very tricky thing. Most Scandinavians speak great English, and even with her working in such a diverse and international field (Architecture), she's hard pressed to find a job without speaking proper Swedish. It just gets easier for them to hire someone native.

The worst part is that she has focused on city planning and urbanism, and those jobs are mostly within the counties and other official offices, who ESPECIALLY want Swedish. =/

She'll also have a hard time getting service jobs, because people will be offended if they go up to a counter and is forced to speak English. For me, on the other hand, it's no problem, since Norwegian and Swedish are so closed (thousands of Swedes cross the border each summer to work in restaurants and such, because of the better wages).

At least when I go there and get a job, she'll be entitled to full time Swedish lessons, not just twice a week night courses.

Language: A Weird Thing.

Move to the UK?

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D'you get Eurozone employment eligibility, or would everyone need work visas?

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Members of the EU have full employment eligibility in EU countries, but Norway isn't a member (boo-hiss!), so I don't really know how that works. My bet is that it won't be a terrific problem. You're still faced with SOME paperwork of course, but nothing as bad as the trouble you'd face trying to get into the US. I researched that and it really is next to impossible, requiring expensive sponsorships and many hoops to jump through for you and the US-based company.

On a political note, I'm very curious what will happen with France now that president Hollande (what is inside a name, am i rite?) is elected. The general feeling is that he'll cooperate with Merkel for stability's sake, but there is a strange and frankly dangerous current of ideas running through France that is much alike an ostrich putting his head in the sand. Crisis, what crisis? We can still live like we used to and don't need cutbacks!

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Well, there are some real theories that think that austerity is not the answer. Hollande follows those.

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Well, there are some real theories that think that austerity is not the answer. Hollande follows those.

Yeah, Germany actually already pretty much "willed" itself out of the recession, largely by spending as if there wasn't one in order to kickstart the economy. It's possible France might manage the same thing.

Alternatively they might dig themselves deeper into the hole. Isn't economics fun?

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Members of the EU have full employment eligibility in EU countries, but Norway isn't a member (boo-hiss!), so I don't really know how that works. My bet is that it won't be a terrific problem.

Norway is in the EEA, I think that does the trick. I know Norwegian students who've had jobs here.

Fun diagram: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Supranational_European_Bodies.png

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Norway is in the EEA, I think that does the trick. I know Norwegian students who've had jobs here.

Fun diagram: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Supranational_European_Bodies.png

Yup, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland largely gets included into most EU-rights because of the EEA.

We talked a bit about England, but we have no idea about what chances she has to get in/be employed there, or how the job market is. Any input? Also, how do people, employers or otherwise, view Latin-Americans?

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Yup, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland largely gets included into most EU-rights because of the EEA.

We talked a bit about England, but we have no idea about what chances she has to get in/be employed there, or how the job market is. Any input? Also, how do people, employers or otherwise, view Latin-Americans?

The job market is fairly crap, but probably not significantly worse than the rest of Europe at the moment. Global recession, you dig?

As for Latin Americans, I don't think there are too many fixed perspectives on them, because they're very rare here. Though that may be less true in the south. It's probably a good thing she's not Argentinian, though.

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I've hardly met any Latin Americans here, although there was weirdly a tiny Brazilian grocery shop on my street in Oxford briefly a couple of years ago. I wouldn't have thought her nationality would be a disadvantage with people/jobs generally as long as can speak English/get visa, but I know nothing about architecture etc.

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I talked to my advisor and he said he'd talk to my professor but that he can't really do anything about my grade. Which is about what I expected.

So I guess I have class at 5pm today. Ugh.

On the plus side, it's Advanced Game Engine Design and never been taught before. Maybe it won't be completely horrible and I'll get a game engine out of it that I can use for making games in the future. Although I expect it'll be a 3D engine we're making, which makes it infinitely more complicated, and also not something I particularly want right now. Hummm.

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But it will be something for the future!

the future!

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I made this for my girlfriend. Our relationship turned into a long distance one for the next six months or so.

294969_3696154078355_1110446723_33645460_1129270354_n.jpg

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Nope, but at least I can be safe in the knowledge that she's not back to playing music through her laptop's speakers or some crappy plastic boxes :P

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Plus, the hidden microphone and camera will allow you check if she's cheating on you. Smart move.

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Why did you attach a cat to it?

I thought the cat was the thing he made for her.

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I demand more reverence for this awesome thing I made with plywood from an old couch with tooth and claw as my only tools! OK, a part of that sentence isn't true.

Hermie, a few years ago I was in a situation that was very vaguely similar. I can't offer any advice, but you have my sympathy and best wishes.

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