Meet local expat: Panthea
Panthea is studying. Photo: Gwen Elliott
A whole 12% of Trondheim’s population has an international background! We caught up with some of these locals to get a sense of why they are living in Trondheim, and why you might want to too!
Panthea
Age 49, married
Time in Trondheim?
-Living in Trondheim for 9 years
What do you do for work?
-Studying, a Master’s in Sociology/Gender Studies
Where are you from?
-From Tehran, Iran
Are you here long-term or short-term?
-I am here long-term, I have migrated here. I have not been happy with my situation in my own country as a woman. It’s about women’s rights. I decided to live in a place where women specifically and generally human rights are better respected.
What do you like to do in Trondheim?
-My husband and I usually get updated by musical events in Olavshallen. In case there are events that interest us, we won’t miss those events. I know that Solsiden is a good place for nightlife. Skiing during the winter.
What are the advantages to living here?
-It feels like you live in a modern village. This means that you get the benefit of having the kind of most updated technological facilities, like a comfortable life, but still skip the hustle and bustle of a big, crowded, busy city. It has the comfort of a village and still the facilities of modern cities.
What are the disadvantages?
-For me, as someone who comes from a big city, with a population of almost 15 million, it feels kind of boring here. Not much to do in the city. Just imagine that I don’t like music or theatre. There is nothing more for me to do here. So apart from walking, skiing, and small gatherings, you can’t do much in Trondheim. I feel happier and more excited when I visit Oslo.
Here is an example. My husband and I decided to have a more interesting summertime. We are museum people and we decided to find out what museums you can visit in Trondheim. We found we could buy a ticket package for all the museums in Trondheim and some a little bit farther outside the city. Some of the museums were closed even though we had bought the tickets. Some had nothing interesting to offer. There were only two or three places where we were excited after we visited them. I think the city is becoming more and more interesting, though.
It has the comfort of a village and still the facilities of modern cities.
- Panthea
Gwen Elliot
Gwen has lived in Trondheim, Norway for seven years. She is studying for her Master's in Gender & Equality Studies and volunteers for Amnesty International in her free time.
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