I have all the Mexicans, and all other sensible people out there, screaming at me through their screens now, but I’m afraid Sweden has claimed and appropriated tacos. This is old news, I assume, but this blog post is to confirm it: there is no food more Swedish than tacos. What does gunpowder have to […]
Should I say ‘ni’ when talking to a superior in Swedish?
Swedish grammar is hard. The other day I received a request for language courses. The email started off with Respected Madame. This made me laugh. At that moment, I had just locked myself in the bathroom to escape my children – and to check my email, and I was trying to shut out the banging […]
Is there such a thing as something genuinely Swedish?
With the winter solstice around the corner and the streets waiting for snow glistening like Christmas cards, the Swedes are turning inwards, in space and time. Knowing there is no way we can overcome the darkness, we embrace it. We collect and bring home warming fragrances of citrus, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, saffron, conifer needles. Stars […]
What is considered healthy in Sweden?
Food is fascinating in many ways. Of course, eating it – I am a huge fan of this activity, but also as a manifestation of culture. Everyone who has been homesick must know how much the food of the place you call home means. And what efforts you will go through to re-create a dish from […]
The mystery of the Swedish identity during the summer holidays
Sweden is infamous for shutting down during the summer months, and often earlier – and longer, than in most European countries. Why is that so, and what consequences does it it have? The answers are called industrisemester and sommarlov. These are two heavily institutionalised concepts that are deeply ingrained in our work culture and personal […]
The Swedish attitude to weather
However much I have lived abroad and worked with people from all over the world, I am still painfully Swedish, especially when it comes to my relationship to weather. And I am not only talking about going for a walk in rain without grasping the absurdity such a stupid enterprise. I am talking about the fact that right […]
How to make a good impression at work – in Sweden
I once had a student who told me – with enthusiasm, that her impression of Sweden was ‘like Germany, but better’. A few years later, her opinion has changed. Sweden, she said recently, is ‘not at all like Germany, and not better’. Nor worse, she added. Just different. Especially when it comes to relationships at […]
What to expect from a Swedish visitor
Although you might see Swedish cities full of cafés and bars that are frequented all day and night, many Swedes would argue that the best place to meet and hang out with friends is still at home. I would even say that many otherwise seemingly reserved Swedes warm up a little bit in a nice, […]
When will spring arrive to Sweden?
Spring in Sweden is profoundly looked forward to every year! There is no fixed date for the first day of spring. Instead, SMHI (svenskt metrologiskt och hydrologiskt institut), who is in charge of Swedish weather and climate, defines the start of spring as seven consecutive days with rising temperatures between 0 and 10 degrees Celsius […]
Are Swedes really shy and reserved?
When asked about a national character, almost any newbie – or oldie, is likely to describe the typical Swede as shy, reserved and almost uninterested in human contact. Although everyone is a unique individual, and generalising is always a risky pursuit, I believe this topic might be worth investigating, bearing in mind the limits of […]
