I want to move to Sweden: will I find a job?

I get this question every week, sometimes 2-3 times a week. And I thought it would be a whole lot easier to write in a post here than copy/pasting my answers.

Let’s say you visit Sweden on a vacation. You fall in love with the country. You decide you want to move to Sweden.

You google a bunch of stuff on making a Swedish friendly CV, wondering about the hiring process, and planning your move across the world to the north pole.

And then you email me a bunch of questions (great questions) about finding jobs, interviewing, and moving […] Continue Reading…

Fika Runt Stockholm – A Map!

You probably already know that Swedes loves their coffee. And they love to fika.

Which got me thinking that, there should be a map to all the popular, or in some cases only, cafes in Stockholm.

I took the SL’s tunnelbanan’s karta (metro map), removed all the stations, and inserted cafes. Surprisingly, it was a lot harder than I expected. There were tons of cafes in innerstaden (central city), but once you hit the förort (suburb), it becomes a coffee desert.

What I would love to do is have your input for coffee shops at […] Continue Reading…

National Anti-Bullying Month – My Story

October is national anti-bullying month in the US. But as most of you know, bullying isn’t restricted by borders, or languages, or culture, or even religions. Bullying is a nasty part of childhood, that for many, persists until adulthood. Swedes, Americans, whatever, bullying is everywhere.

I was bullied in school. A lot. I moved a few times before college, and those were not easy moves. As a result, I often spent my time being the new, different kid in school.

Before I get to the bullying part, let me tell you about my teenage self. […] Continue Reading…

The United States is Closed

If you are currently visiting the United States on vacation and are hoping to see the Statue of Liberty, Lincoln Memorial, or even Alcatraz, well, sad news, they are all closed.

That’s because of the clusterfuckery of House Republications holding the budget hostage so they can “negotiate” with the Senate to delay the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, by one year.

Does it makes sense now? No? Me either. Honestly, it’s just a bunch fucktards in the right of right of right Republican party that are making everyone facepalm. Of course, the tea party is jumping for […] Continue Reading…

10 Offbeat Spots to Visit in Stockholm

I received an email from one of our readers about hitting up off the beaten path spots in the city. Of course I would love to share a few of my personal favorite spots, but it won’t be so private anymore!

The best part about Stockholm is that it is a walking city. Truly. The actually city can be walked in a day. Yes, a whole day. Of course, if you go out to the suburbs and the islands, then you may need more time.

My top offbeat places in Stockholm, in no particular order.

Drop Coffee […] Continue Reading…

A Tight Squeeze – Driving in Stockholm

Sometimes I love Europe. Love it because it is crazy. Although not like craziness is restricted to Europe, America is plenty crazy, we have oodles of craziness.

But when you add together Stockholm and driving, you know it cannot be good.

Like this one lane road in a residential part of Södermalm. It’s a small road, enough to fit a car driving and a car parking.

But sometimes we get this awesomeness.

Why use the parking lane when you can park on the road itself! Brilliant!

16 Funny Swedish Insults

Swedes have a colorful way of insulting one another. And most of our insults hail from the pre-industrialization time, when most of the population were farmers or worked outside.

This means, Swedes love insults relating to dumb geese, stupid donkeys, and gossiping sheep. And in a time when cities were distant, and the countryside was full of peasants, you cannot go far from the forest.

I split the list of insults into phrases and words. Next time you want to get angry with a Swede, you are armed with a list!

Insulting Swedish Phrases
Skita i det blå […] Continue Reading…

Supreme Court Stikes Down DOMA, Paves Way for Vows in California

This morning (well Washington DC time), The Supreme Court of the United States announced its deliberation on two of the most explosive issues of the term: gay marriage rights and due process.

Specially, two cases were debated in front of the judges earlier in the year: the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, and Proposition 8.

To backup a bit, the United States is a behind when it comes to gay rights and equality. While in Sweden and most of Western Europe has legalized gay marriage, people in the US are embroiled in a bitter controversy […] Continue Reading…

Timeline of California Proposition 8 – Ban on Gay Marriage

The Proposition 8 lawsuit is an interesting case. The case reached the Supreme Court by ways of proponents of the proposition who were unsatisfied with the lower courts decision.

To clarify how this case made its way up the ranks, here’s a quick timeline of Prop 8.

November, 2008 – Proposition 8 passes on a statewide ballot measure in California. It immediately bars gays and lesbians from marrying in the state.

Immediately after – Hollingsworth v. Perry case filed. Perry was one of the lesbian couples refused a marriage certificate in Alameda County. They served as […] Continue Reading…