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Tag archives for Swedes

Going “home”

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Well, I’m back.

Fifteen hours of flight time, a five-hour delay in Washington D.C. due to thunderstorms, and I’m back in Oregon. My student visa has expired, meaning my studies in Sweden have come to an end.

It’s been a long, strange journey, but it seems it has reached its end. Or has it?

The last 302 days have brought some of the greatest joys of my life – from meeting new friends to seeing the world outside the United States for the very first time – and some of the greatest challenges (having to learn a new language, making new friends, having to cook for myself). There were times where all I really wanted to do was leave Sweden, to go back to the familiarity of the Pacific Northwest, but somehow I stuck through it. And because of it, I’ve emerged a wiser, better man.

The hardest thing I did in Sweden? Leaving.

It’s no secret that I fell in love with the country. The landscape, the people, and yes, even the climate, grew on me in a way I could never have imagined. If I had my way, I would stay forever.

For the first time in my life, I actually felt at home. Like all my life I had been away, and had finally come home.

But unfortunately I had to leave. I still have one more year of studies at Boise State, and without a job, I had run out of money.

So I went back. Was I happy about it? No. But it’s what I had to do.

Jag alskär Sverige - I love Sweden. Photo: Martin Winberg

I’m already dealing with reverse culture shock. Let me tell you: integrating back into the culture of your home country is much harder than assimilating into Swedish culture. That’s what no one can prepare you for, what no study abroad advisor can tell you: that sometimes you don’t want to go back, and when you do it can be almost overwhelming.

I’ve found I’ve changed in ways I could never have imagined. In just the few days I’ve been back, friends and family have commented more than once on my newfound accent. Seriously, I now speak English with a noticeable Swedish accent. I never thought about or noticed it before, but I’ve spent so much time in Sweden that it rubbed off on me so much that I even picked up the habits and mannerisms of native-born Swedes, permeating my very being and changing how I perceive the world.

It astonishes even me.

It feels like I’ve left a part of myself behind, like I don’t really belong in the U.S. anymore. I’m trying to keep myself busy to help bury my feelings, but I admit it’s not easy.

“Lord of the Rings” is one of my favorite movies. The other day I was watching “The Return of the King,” when something happened to me that’s never happened before while watching it: I cried. It was the conclusion, when Frodo and his friends return home after destroying the One Ring, and they were sitting in a pub. The characters silently shared a toast, the music was simple and unpretentious, and suddenly I cried.  Like a light bulb switching on in my head, the parallels became instantly stark: Frodo and his friends had experienced things nobody else would understand, travelled to strange lands much farther than anything they had ever known, and now they were home. The journey was over, their lives had been forever changed, and no one else would ever understand. The same, I realized, had happened to me. It hadn’t really sunk in before, but now I knew that I was back.

The best part about studying abroad? The people you meet. Photo: Ben Mack

The list of people who I’d like to thank could literally fill an entire novel, but to name just a few I’d especially like to thank University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) for helping me realize my dream of going abroad, Lennart and Katrin Nordmark (my host parents) for helping create a home away from home (not to mention providing more “cultural experiences” than I can count), Karin Siöö and the rest of the International Office at Linnaeus University, Professor Jerald Catt-Oliason for teaching me to remember to listen, Katrin Ruffing for inspiring me to go abroad and being such a gracious host when I visited Germany, Jana Lepple and Clementine Monet for also inspiring me to cross the Atlantic, Sari Kiviharju and Sara Vanaikka for giving perspective to things, Foluoso Abbey for helping me see inward, John Harrigan for reminding me that the world is not flat, my parents for all their love and support (both financially and emotionally), my wonderful corridor mates – from both the Fall and Spring semesters – for helping make me feel like part one big, dysfunctional family, Martin Winberg for being my best mate in Sweden and keeping me sane (and for teaching me more than a little Swedish), Julie Blomberg for encouraging me to have faith in myself (not to mention question everything), Corrine Henke and the International Office at Boise State University, Christine Deppe for always being there when I needed to talk to someone, Tamar Amashukeli for helping me see the world through new eyes, Alina Merinscu for being a doppelgänger for so many of my adventures, and of course the people of Sweden for putting up with me for the past year.

For anyone else I neglected to mention, I haven’t forgotten you. I blame human nature for not having the patience to go through all the names. I also want to thank you, readers, for following this blog. Writing for the Swedish Institute has been an incredible, and unique, opportunity, and I’m glad to have shared with you my experiences and tips and tricks for surviving – and thriving – in Sweden. Hopefully you won’t make all the mistakes I did!

My immediate plans are simple: in August I will return to Boise State for my senior year, where I will also be working as Opinion Editor of The Arbiter (the university’s student newspaper) and living on-campus in the Global Village Community, a special housing program for international students and those who want to gain new perspectives from them and help them adjust to life in the U.S.

And after that? Who knows?

Maybe I will return to Sweden one day. Perhaps I will never go there again. But whatever the future might hold, I know this: I am better off for having studied in Sweden.

Studying abroad is not merely a physical journey – it is also an academic, cultural, emotional, and spiritual journey. In other words, it is personal. No two people have the exact same experience, and no two people reach the same conclusions afterwards.

But what exactly are those conclusions? No one can really say until one has gone abroad, and even then there’s no guarantee conclusions will ever be reached. It is an enigma of a most individual nature.

The Swedish sunset is one of many things I'll miss. Photo: Anne Balonier

I am not a celebrity. I have not been, and probably never will be, President of the United States. I am just an ordinary, average person who has had an extraordinary experience. But so, why then, am I bothering to write this? The answer to that is simple.

By studying abroad, you will gain an increased appreciation for the interdependency of the world today, the commonality we all share as human beings

While no one else will ever have the exact same experiences I have, studying abroad is nonetheless something that is more attainable today than at any other moment in history.

If you do decide to go abroad, dear reader, Sweden is an ideal location. I think my blog posts, and those by fellow student blogger Kristin Follis and other bloggers at the Swedish Institute, speak for themselves as to the reasons.

But know this: there are many more reasons why you should study in Sweden, reasons which words cannot possibly begin to describe.

In the words of St. Augustine, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Tack så mycket, och hej då.

On the coast of Öland the day before going back to the U.S. Photo: Ben Mack

Ben Mack — Student

June 27, 2011

Top things I’ll miss in Sweden

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While studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the hardest part isn’t going to your host country: it’s coming back home.

Meeting new people from around the world is just one of the many advantages of studying abroad. Photo: Ben Mack

I’ve been studying in Sweden for about a year, and am definitely going to miss a few things. Here are the 14 I’ll miss most.

_____________________

1. Strawberries

 Back where I come from in Oregon, we’re known for having some of the best-tasting strawberries in the world. But even they pale in comparison to the Swedish variety, which taste like a combination of ecstasy, fulfillment, and a satisfaction in knowing you will never have better.

2. Winter

I know what you’re thinking: how can anyone love a season where temperatures can dip below minus 20 Celsius, snow is almost a meter thick, and it’s dark 18 hours (or more) a day? That’s precisely why I love the Swedish winter: it’s so different than what I had been previously used to. In Oregon, winter is marked by over 100 centimeters of rain, and in Boise if it’s snowing… well, if it’s snowing, then that’s the least of your problems. But in Sweden mayors don’t declare a state of emergency when it snows, and the glistening white stuff is also, I’ve discovered, a lot of fun to play in.

Swedish pancakes are, in a word, delicious. Photo: Anne Balonier

3. The food

Sweden may not usually be the first place that comes to mind when people think of tasty national cuisine, but I’ve found Swedish food to be surprisingly scrumptious – and much more diverse than herring and köttbullar. It’s much more affordable than it is in the U.S. (where you usually have to go to a specialty store or IKEA), and obviously more authentic too. And, when I was tired of traditional Svensk mat, grocery stores carry foods from all over the world, including the artificially preserved,  flavorized, prepackaged, hormone-treated, sugar-infused fare I – unfortunately – was raised on.

4. The people

This one comes as a no-brainer. Life isn’t just about what you do: it’s about who you meet. And in Sweden, I’ve met some amazing people, from Swedes such as my host family and close friends to fellow exchange students who’ve helped me broaden my horizons and taught me a lot about myself, too. If it wasn’t for this motley cast of characters, there’s no way my time abroad would have been as magical as it was.

Any time is a great time for a fika! Photo: Anne Balonier

5. Fikas

A uniquely Swedish creation, a fika is a great way to spend time with friends, family, classmates, coworkers, or just about anyone. It’s also a great excuse to consume more coffee and sweets than your mother would have ever allowed you to have growing up.

6. The queue system 

Back home, when you go to someplace like the bank, housing office, etc. you have to wait in line. And wait. And wait. And wait. But in Sweden, you just take a number and wait for your number to be called.  It’s great for people such as myself who can never stay in one place for more than three minutes.

7. Traveling by train 

Trains in the U.S. are few, far between, and incredibly expensive. In Boise, a city of more than 200,000 people and a metro area of half a million, there isn’t even a single operating train station. Pretty much every town in Sweden has a train station, and – in my opinion – paying 400 kronor to travel from Växjö to Göteborg seems pretty cheap. It’s a great way for students without cars to get around.

Kronobergs Slottsruinen, located north of Växjö, dates back to the 15th century. Photo: Ben Mack

8. The history

Some Swedes may gripe that there isn’t much history in Sweden, but it’s a whole lot more than where I come from. Back in Boise, the oldest building is an old log house from the 1800s. In Sweden, people live in houses older than that. Heck, the Växjö Domkyrka (Växjö Cathedral) was built in the 12th century – more than 300 years before America was even “discovered.” Every town has its own rich and unique history.

9. Allsvenskan football

Few things are able to match the passion — and intensity – of Allsvenskan football matches. It’s one of the rare times you’ll see Swedes lose all emotional control, and is certainly not to be missed.

Few things match the passion and excitement of Allsvenskan football. Photo: Ben Mack

10.  My host family

Host families are a fantastic way to see the “real” Sweden, and I had a great time with mine. From going to football matches, to barbecues, to fishing, to speaking to secondary school students and to jumping in frozen lakes, I will miss them greatly.

11.  The summer

If the Swedish winter is spectacular, then the summer is even more so. Photo: Ben Mack

If the Swedish winter is spectacular, then the summer is even more so. Temperatures around 20 Celsius, clear skies, 18 hours of sunlight, Midsummer… what could be better?

12.  Nature

Swedes have a special connection to nature, and it’s easy to see why. Never in my life have I seen a country as green as Sweden is. From the forests to the meadows to the thousands of lakes, it’s hard to imagine more beautiful scenery anywhere else on earth.

13.  Teleborgs Slott

Sure it’s not that old (built around 1900), and sure it’s not that big, but it’s the first castle I’d ever seen. And when it’s only a five-minute walk from your flat, you tend to spend a lot of time there. Truly, it’s the most magical place I’ve ever been. No matter the occasion – whether I was having a bad day, was stressed out, wanted to enjoy nature, meditate, hang out with friends, take a girl on a date, study, or whatever – I could just walk through the castle’s spacious grounds or inside to have a fika. Every moment spent there was spent in timeless bliss.

Though not very old, Teleborgs Slott is nonetheless magnificent. Photo: Ben Mack

 

14.  The Swedes

Whether it’s their closeness to nature, tolerance of others, friendliness, ingenuity, or helpfulness, it’s obvious the Swedes are special. Never before have met friendlier, more tolerant, or helpful people in my life. With them, the glass is always half-full. And their smiles can power a small city. And they’re the most loyal friends you can ever have.

My advice to anyone coming to Sweden: enjoy every moment of it. Because when you’re gone…

You’re not in Sweden anymore. And that’s what I’ll miss the most.

When you're in Sweden for a year, you tend to meet at least a few Swedes. Photo: Tiina Syränjen

Ben Mack — Student

June 26, 2011

True confessions of Swedish dating disasters

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Ask any expatriate, exchange student, fellow traveler, or even the guy selling strawberries down at the Saturday market, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Swedish women are confusing, even more so than… well, there might not be anything more confusing than Swedish women.

Dating in Sweden can be... well, complicated to say the least. Photo: Tamar Amashukeli

And you know what? I agree. I’ve gone on a few dates here, and every time found myself more and more perplexed. Christ, even O.J. Simpson’s police chase makes more sense.

Let’s save ourselves a lot of time here and just agree that Swedish women are incredibly attractive. They have terrific personalities, million-dollar smiles, and are more in shape than 99.99% of everyone else. They’re well-educated, know exactly what they want in life, and usually speak with an accent that makes us men melt every time we hear it. Oh, and did I mention almost all of them look like they should be modeling somewhere? Seriously, Tyra Banks has nothing on them.

But damn, they are enigmatic. Allow me to illustrate by sharing my personal experiences.

I’ll admit I’ve always been a little nervous courting the opposite sex, probably due to watching – as God is my witness – more romantic comedies than quite possibly any other heterosexual male on earth. But I held firmly to the popular U.S. stereotype that Swedish women go crazy for American guys, and let my friends do the rest to inflate my ego to levels perhaps only rivaled by Muhammad Ali or Zlatan Ibrahimovic himself. I was young, I was in good shape, and I was American: when I arrived in Sweden, the ladies wouldn’t stand a chance.

But as the weeks went by, I gaped in paralyzed horror as my self-esteem was quickly ground into mush. Not only did all my previously held notions turn out to be totally wrong, but it seemed the opposite was true; compared to the endless number of good-looking, well-muscled, and much better dressed Swedish guys, it seemed no woman was interested in a pale, skinny American with absolutely zero fashion sense and a shaggy haircut.

Eventually, however, I drummed up enough courage to ask a girl from one of my classes for a fika in Teleborgs Slott. We talked, laughed, and I somehow managed to pay for her – something many Swedish women, I knew, were not used to. We hung out a few more times and, in my mind, there was no way I could fail. I was IN.

Just because you had a fika with a girl in a castle does not mean she will see it as a date. Photo: Ben Mack

But then disaster struck. I asked her to dinner, assuming the answer would be an automatic “yes.” Instead, I received a text message explaining that dinner would feel “too much like a date.”

In all my 21 years, I had never been so confused. Would feel too much like a date? Really? I mean, c’mon, we had coffee at a freakin’ castle!

A good way to get to know a girl is to spend time with her, even if it involves freezing half to death. Photo: Johannes Feldmann

In one swift blow, my self-esteem returned to its liquidous state. A few weeks later, it evaporated entirely when, after getting the phone number of a girl I had warmed up to, she rejected me by flat-out saying I wasn’t her “type.” Looking back on it, I probably asked her out for the wrong reasons anyway, but if I had known what I know now I could’ve gotten a lot more sleep.

A few weeks after her – whom my friends only refer to as “Miss A” – there was yet another girl. Unlike the others, she took the initiative of “first contact” by talking to me after a class we shared. A hopeful sign? Perhaps. But then again, I’m pretty sure I’m not psychic. And later events would certainly validate that.

The two of us had something in common right away: both of us studied journalism. She seemed to spend every moment picking my brains on life in the U.S., determined to study there one day. We had similar tastes in music and movies, and even shared a secret passion for documentaties.

Travelling to places such as Kalmar Slott is also a good way to get to know a girl. Photo: Ben Mack

We hung out every day for about a week, and finally one night she spontaneously invited me over for dinner. We ate a nice meal of chicken and rice, and then we talked for a bit. And talked. And talked. And talked some more. By the time I finally excused myself and went home, it was past 4 a.m. She had poured her heart out to me, displayed the entire spectrum of human emotion, told me things she said she had never told anyone else – or so I thought.

A couple weeks later, she told me she was seeing someone. A guy whose name I never learned, of whom she and her friends had never spoken, and of whom I didn’t even see any evidence of on Facebook.

Jeez, how cruel can a girl be? If you want to say “I’m not interested,” then just say it! Mentioning possibly fictitious boyfriends only makes it crueler!

But that’s dating in Sweden for you. If I’ve learned one thing from my time here, it’s that I don’t know anything.

So everyone, I’m with you: I’m just as clueless as you are. If you can decipher the mystery of Swedish dating, let me know.

I’ll be drowning my sorrows in coffee.

Ben Mack — Student

June 21, 2011

An Unforgettable Year!

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I have studied all night, I have partied, I have barbecued, I have given (what feels like) a million presentations, I have survived days with only 4 hours of sunlight, I have had a trillion fikas, I have tasted sill, I have made meat balls, I have survived snowstorms, I have travelled around Sweden and I have even learned some Swedish!

It is without a doubt that the memories created over the past year will never be forgotten. From walking into the first lecture with 100 other students from 52 different countries to celebrating a completed year with those same people you started with.

What I have really learned over the past year is that studying abroad is not just about sitting in a classroom, taking notes and having discussions. But, even more important, it is about what you learn outside the class. It is truly about meeting people, learning another language, living in a new place and really just trying something new.

I am thankful for all the people I have met and all the friends I have made.The possibility of traveling all over the world to visit friends and past classmates is nothing short of exciting.

I am especially thankful to all those Swedes who shared their traditions and cultures with us foreign students. The best way to truely understand and experience Sweden is to have your own personal tour guides, and who better then the Swedes who have enjoyed it all their lives.

My Swedish tour guides! Photo by: Daniel Lövgren

For all of those who have to say goodbye and go back to their home countries, it is not easy. It is hard to leave everyone you have met here and the adventures you’ve had for the calm and familiar life back at home. But, just remember you can always return. The last time I left Sweden I missed it so much I had to come back!

For all of us Masters students who are still sticking around for at least another year, we look forward to many more exciting times to come. A year full of internships, thesis writing, and I’m sure a few more parties.

While studying in Sweden this year has been full of both successes and setbacks, it is without a doubt that the friends and memories I have made will be around forever!

A great trip to the coast! Photo by: Kristin Follis

Kristin Follis — Student

June 7, 2011

Sitcom syndrome

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Temptation. Ever dealt with it? You know, it’s that feeling you get every time the weather warms up, or whenever you walk inside H & M. In my case, it’s also what I deal with when I see anything with a combination of the words “free” and “food.”

But there’s another temptation too. And no, it has nothing to do with clubs located on campus, cheap travel to foreign destinations, pool halls, and/or the worldwide phenomenon known as herring.

When abroad, try to meet people who aren't all from your home country.

That temptation, faithful readers, is the temptation to remain complacent. It’s the temptation to not go out of your comfort zone, to only hang out with people who come from the same country, speak the same language, or wear the same brand of skinny jeans as you.

There’s a lot of sad stories out here in Växjö. Students that come to Linnaeus University and only spend time with other students from their home country, never making an effort to meet any Swedes or even learn a word of Swedish. It’s a dark, lonely existence, and unfortunately happens more than you might think.

Sure, going abroad might be scary. Sure, it can be hard to try and learn a new language. And sure, the typical Swede might not exactly be as talkative as , say, the average Italian. I know this sounds horribly cliché, but that fear can be overcome. Because I did it.

Spending time with Swedes is a good way to learn Swedish.

Hey, come closer! Yeah, that’s right: get over here. Now lean over. Closer. Just a little closer. O.K. That’s perfect. Now listen to this. Let me let you in on a little secret: I’m not the only American in Växjö. It’s true. No I’m not lying. But while there are other Americans here, I don’t spend any time with them.

Sounds cruel, doesn’t it? But it’s the truth. The logic is simple: if I wanted to hang out with Americans, I would have stayed in a certain country that happens to have over 300 million of them called America. But in Sweden I prefer to meet, well, Swedes.

Once you take that first step of conquering your fears, everything else seems to fall into place in almost fairy tale-like fashion. O.K. so it’s not quite Cinderella corny, but it’s still pretty cool.

Going out of your comfort zone is vital for success abroad.

Let me give you two different scenarios. Billy and Bob both came to Sweden for a year from a small college in Kansas. Billy didn’t know any Swedish, but went out of his comfort zone, joined a choir, and now speaks Swedish more than he does English.

And Bob… well, when Bob came back to the U.S. and shared his adventures with me in a fictitious Seattle sports bar, I turned to my equally fictitious server and asked if the place served crow. Alas, the kitchen was closed.

Take my advice. Be bold. Go out of your comfort zone. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with what I hereby christen Sitcom Syndrome – the state of being where you’re forced to watch boring reruns on TV because you didn’t take the chance to live life to the fullest.

How’s that “Lone Ranger” box set treating you, cowboy?

Ben Mack — Student

April 28, 2011

Spring is the Season

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Upon the sun’s return to Sweden, many people have begun to flock outside. Any open green area is covered with people trying to soak up all of the sun they can while it lasts.

Everyone enjoying the sun at Slottsparken in Uppsala. Photo: aten/Flickr

But not only do people just sit outside and enjoy the sun, they also go biking, hiking and climbing to take advantage of the good weather.

In the spring and summer months I believe that a lot of Swedes spend their free-time more outdoors than anywhere else. This could be because they are simply afraid of how long the good weather will last or they just enjoy being in nature.

Coming to Sweden, one thing I really noticed was the relationships most Swedes have with nature. Growing up as a kid we always played outside in the trees or the parks, but the difference is Swedes know so much more about their environmental surroundings.

Our first class outing of the year was to the forest. We were supposed to just enjoy the environment and try to understand more about the ecosystem. It became clear after 10 minutes in the forest that the few Swedes in the class were nothing short of experts. Most of them could differentiate between the numerous varieties of mushrooms, distinguish between the edible and non-edible plants, and show which berries were which. They also further explained which plants were most prominent because of the season, which ones had just finished flowering and which ones were about to.

I was nothing short of astonished with their wealth of environmental knowledge. Swedes often ask me if we have a certain species of trees in Canada and beyond the obvious maple and birch I usually cannot answer.

The focus on early environmental education for children both at school and at home really has a positive effect on the relationship between Swedes and nature.

So as the sun begins to appear more often and the snow is finally gone, most of the Swedes flock to any green spaces, forests and lakes to take advantage and learn about the environment surrounding them. And this spring I will be close to follow, hoping to learn more as I go!

Hiking through the forest. Photo: VisitSweden/Flickr

Kristin Follis — Student

April 19, 2011

Befriending the Swedes

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A common feeling from many international students is they find it difficult to ‘get in’ with a the Swedish crowd.  While in Sweden, it is typical that you want to meet the locals and experience the culture first hand. Even though most Swedes have excellent English skills, it can be hard to break that barrier and meet Swedish students.

Swedes have been plagued with a stereotype that they are cold and difficult to get to know. I have to say this stereotype is untrue. Swedes are both friendly and polite, but can also be introverted when getting to know them. Swedish culture cannot be compared to the cultures that are more extroverted and lively. While they may be more reserved than other cultures, it cannot be said that they are unfriendly or cold.

It can be difficult for international students to meet and befriend some Swedish students because they tend to be more shy with people they do not know. Some also tend to stick to their familiar crowd of friends.

 

Learn some Swedish! My Swedish teacher Lillemor, one of the best I'm sure!

 

However, when you get to know them it is easy to see that these stereotypes do not hold true. So here are some tried and tested strategies for meeting Swedish students:

Homemade Thanksgiving dinner feast with my first successful stuffed turkey!

 

  1. Join a sports team! There are many sports teams through student nations or student gyms. Swedes love to work out, so get out there. There are also many city teams if you want to meet people outside of the student circle.
  2. Talk to the Swedes in class! One of the best ways to meet people is in your classes, just say hi!
  3. Go to a gasque/sittning! All student nations have gasques and many student organizations have something similar. This Swedish tradition, including a three course meal with songs, games and drinks, offers the perfect place to meet new people!
  4. Try learning some Swedish! Swedes are very open to helping foreigners learn Swedish. Go for a fika and practice a new language. (Take any excuse to have a fika really!)
  5. Work at a nation! While the job might pay enough to support student living in Sweden, it is the perfect opportunity to meet Swedes.
  6. Share some of your traditions! Invite some Swedes in class to your Chinese New Year or Thanksgiving celebrations.

 

While it might seem difficult at the beginning, when you do you get to know Swedish students, introverted might not be the word used to describe them.

 

Kristin Follis — Student

April 5, 2011

English, nej tack — Swedes should stick to Swedish

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Bromma Blocks shopping mall — not to be confused with a prison.  Bromma Blocks shopping mall — not to be confused with a prison. Photo: KF Fastigheter
Bromma Blocks shopping mall (left) — not to be confused with a prison (right). Photos: KF Fastigheter and possan/Flickr

Most Swedes speak fluent English, true. But it’s also true that many Swedes overestimate their English abilities, especially in writing. Sometimes the best solution would be to stick to Swedish and let the non-Swedish speakers figure out the correct translation themselves.

I subscribe to an amusing newsletter for language nerds like myself, Computer Sweden’s Språksamt (only in Swedish). I just giggled through the last issue, which highlights the fact that English may sometimes be a really bad idea. Two examples are mentioned.

1)       Along the new tramline that runs through central Stockholm, pedestrian crossings are marked “Look up — tramcars passing.” Not only may tourists be confused by what “tramcars” means, but the warning would also have been more efficient had it said “Look out” instead of “up,” which is simply the wrong word. Not to mention the fact that Swedish lives seem to be worth less than tourists’ – as the sign is only in English.

2)      The rebranded shopping mall next to Stockholm–Bromma Airport west of central Stockholm is now called Bromma Blocks. Newsletter editor Anders Lotsson sees this name choice as a sign that the mall is not planning to attract any tourists. The word “Blocks” makes it easy to think of prison blocks rather than shopping. And, as Lotsson says, tourists who want to visit prison blocks can go to Långholmen instead; it’s both cozier and more central.

I can’t help wondering what kind of hubris it is that makes Swedes so sure that their English skills are top-notch. Especially since we’re so keen on making fun of, for example, Asian signs in more or less incomprehensible English.

So, fellow Swedes, please consult a native English speakers before you print a sign in English or give a shopping mall a new name next time. Or stick to Swedish.

Emma

October 19, 2010

The language of love

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“Kommer du hit ofta?” It’s a line you may want to learn in case you ever catch yourself in a crowded room, swooning over a Swede. But wait a minute before you start dashing off to boot up Google translate or purchase a pocket dictionary.

First things first, the chances of meeting an attractive Swede are fairly high. Sweden’s reputation as a nation of beautiful people precedes them. I live here. It’s true. And I’m used to it.

After a number of years living here up north – and complete with my own beautiful partner – I no longer feel the need to walk down the street, in constant amazement at the symmetry of chiselled jaw lines.

On that note, my sambo just walked through the door and told me he had been whistled at by a group of teenage girls. It made his day.

You can't really say they're ugly. Photo: Nicho Södling/Image Bank Sweden

A slightly more scientific case in point – but by no means conclusive – is the number of Swedes accepted to the Denmark–based dating website beautifulpeople.com

Applicants are judged on face value alone. They can join if other members deem them attractive enough to mingle with other beautiful singles.

A recent survey found that Swedish men have the highest rate of acceptance to the site. Swedish women also fare well, coming in second place to their stunning Scandinavian sisters in Norway.

All that being said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and seeing is believing. Which is why British dating coach Jeremy Soul ended up moving to Stockholm last year.

We met when I was assigned to write an article, following him and his protégés in action. Their mission was to test techniques to chat up women on the streets of the capital.

I recall he thought Swedish women were some of the most beautiful in the world. They also found him hard to resist, not because he’s tall, blonde-haired and blue-eyed. He isn’t. But he was able to charm them through the language of love. And apparantly, that’s not Swedish.

The fact that Swedes love to converse in the English language and practise with native speakers gave him the upper hand with the opposite sex.

So he never bothered with “kommer du hit ofta?” as an opening line. And his style was far too sophisticated for the English equivalent “do you come here often?”

As for whether the people are really beautiful as they say, I guess you’ll have to pay more regular visits to Sweden to find out.

Christine Demsteader

July 11, 2010