Robinson Graduate Heads to Norway, Takes On U.S. Embassy Summer Job

Alex Rice, 17, didn’t expect to repair doors when he came to work at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, this summer. Still, this task has become part of his regular routine as an embassy maintenance crew member.  “I had no idea I’d be in a basement doing physical labor,” Rice said. “I thought I’d be sitting at a computer.”

Rice’s family left his hometown of Fairfax after he graduated from Robinson Secondary School in June, arriving in Norway on June 20. His father, Carlos Rice, was assigned an undisclosed military position at the embassy about two years ago, Alex said. Alex and his brother Chris – a student at George Mason University – participate in the embassy’s summer hire program, which provides American teenagers an eight-week summer job if their parents have embassy jobs.  

All female teens at the embassy this summer assumed office work, but as the only males in the group, Alex and Chris received maintenance jobs, Alex said. Working with several Norwegian men, they complete numerous tasks, such as changing light bulbs and cleaning. Their assignments take them all across Oslo, Alex said, because they work at embassy properties such as the ambassador’s residence, where the embassy head lives.

Alex said he enjoys the assortment of duties that come with his job. “The work in maintenance is a lot of fun,” he said. “I don’t have to stay in one place all day.”

Navigation around Oslo proves challenging, though, because not all assigned jobs come with clear directions to the embassy properties.  “I’m learning as I work my way around the city,” Alex said.

Alex said his maintenance team co-workers have a “good sense of humor," and individuals at the embassy treat him well, too. The maids and the chef at the ambassador’s residence provide lunch and coffee for his work crew. He enjoys interacting with the embassy security staff, which consists of U.S. Marines and Norwegian security guards. “They love to joke around,” he said. “We get to watch a lot of their training exercises.”

Embassy security is tight, though, he said, which creates frustration. For instance, the maintenance group unloaded tables one day, and a Marine security member yelled at them because they propped open a door, Alex said.

Still, Alex has met some foreign diplomats - for example, he discussed Spanish tourism with a Spanish Embassy worker, he said. Another memorable moment was his tour of the ambassador’s residence, which was a “really cool” chance to learn about the 100-year-old building’s history, he said on Facebook.

Alex works from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays. Norwegian culture stresses timeliness, he said on Facebook.

“Work hours are sacred,” he said. “I see this with the guys I work with – they are always on the job before I arrive. They are great workers during their normal hours, but as soon as 4 [p.m.] rolls around, they are gone. Around 3 [p.m.] they start getting everything put away to get out at exactly 4.”

Alex’s co-workers have told him that Norwegian job supervisors exercise less direct oversight than American job supervisors, Alex said on Facebook. He himself has observed this at work, he added.

“They say that in America, the supervisor watches you do your job and makes sure you are always doing the right thing,” he said. “In Norway, the supervisor tells you what to do and trusts that it gets done without having to watch you. They leave us to do our work without micro-managing us.”

The embassy closes on weekends, and that's when Alex explores Oslo – from its Aker Brygge area shops to the Viking Ship Museum. The sun stays out until midnight, leaving him time to visit Oslofjord and Vigeland Sculpture Park, which contains works of Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland.

Venturing around the city helps Alex cope with homesickness, he said. “Homesickness sets in when I’m really bored.”  “I go outside the house – that’s the best thing.”

Alex intends to continue working at the embassy when the summer hire program ends in mid-August, and take online college courses. He plans to attend George Mason University or Virginia Tech once his family returns to the U.S. in about three years.  In the meantime,  Alex hopes to continue with a maintenance job, he said, learning “the dynamic of the embassy.”