40 things I learned in Stockholm one year later

It’s been one year since i first visited Sweden. Some of my opinions changed, some are still the same. Check out 2007’s 40 things in Stockholm to get an idea.

Let’s see, what did we learn in one year:

  • Stockholm people cannot drive, obey traffic signals, or stop for pedestrians
  • Males who are from Stockholm have the slick backed, douchy, hair
  • Men love wearing pointy-toed leather shoes
  • Stekare is term used to describe snobby, stuck up, douchy haired males (usually from Stockholm)
  • The T-bana is a chaotic mess on Friday and Saturday nights
  • Crayfish is pretty darn tasty…pour down that aquavit
  • Systembolaget has a line to enter the store on Fridays…buy your beer earlier!
  • Swedes are lying (okay deluded) when they tell you Sytembolaget has a great selection of alcohol. And you can place an order for things not in the catalog too!
  • Females still wear the stupid looking leggings from the 80s
  • Swedish pizza is the best food that the country can offer
  • Men won’t flirt with women unless they are on the verge of blacking out
  • Everything is fucking expensive in Stockholm; if you are not broke in one week you really weren’t in Stockholm
  • Swedish men in general have issues showing emotions
  • Females still wear the baggy t-shirts from the 80s
  • Some men carry “purses”
  • Friday and Saturday are reserved for getting completely wasted. Drunk isn’t good enough
  • Swedes freak out when things are late
  • Some Swedes are passive aggressive. Other Swedes love to get pissed off
  • No one holds the door for you; watch your nose
  • With one of highest life expectancy rates in the world, they sure drink, smoke, and drink coffee like there’s no tomorrow
  • Drivers still don’t understand the meaning of “pedestrians first”
  • Sill is a delicacy according to the Swedes
  • One only eats candy on Saturdays
  • Mexican restaurants are no where to be found
  • Swedish men have issues talking; sometimes you have to kick them in the balls to hear them speak
  • There’s no such thing as a discount
  • Forget flirting with everyone, you will just look stupid
  • Walk fast and look at the sky and hope others don’t talk to you
  • Meeting the boyfriend’s family is no big deal
September 20, 2008 | Tags: | 9 Comments »

While the Cold Winter Waiting

The leaves are beginning to fall in Stockholm. And first signs of autumn are coming into force as the equinox approaches. I love this time of year. The air turns crisp, the leaves descend to the earth, and the clouds begin to hover lower in the sky. I miss the pumpkin patches and the apple orchards of the northern states; it is a part of me that makes me nostalgic every year. The smell of the air reminds me of a romantic, innocent yet changing time of the year.

As I continue my journey in Sweden, I am reminded of what I gave up to be here and what I see as part of my new home now. I miss my friends and my home environment daily and go through the ‘am i still here’ phase when walking around the city. I still feel I am neither here nor there and the autumn weather is increasing that feeling in me.

So here it is now, waiting for the winter, enjoying the air.

And thank you Trentemoeller for the title.

September 18, 2008 | Tags: | No Comments »

Don’t forget your bolaget bag

When walking around the city on a Friday or Saturday night, I noticed everyone has a little purple or blue bag. It is almost fashionable to have one of those small bags filled with hidden liquor. At the same time, it’s entertaining. In a country where beer can run you $100 in one night at a bar, people are very protective of their alcohol. And there’s some etiquette involved.

If you are invited to a party at someone’s house, you are expected to bring your own beer. (I’ve learned this the hard way) This isn’t the BYOB days at college house parties where the hosts were too poor to afford kegs for hundreds of people. These are nice birthday parties, house parties or even a poker night. Hosts expect you to BYOB, and literally it means beer or wine or cidre. No real liquor please. You could but then you would be seen as a true alcoholic who has money to spend. [reflecting that a 700ml bottle of Absolut costs $44]

So you get invited to a Swedish house party. Plan on bringing enough beer to last two or three hours. After that, the group will head out to a bar. You want to be buzzed enough before heading out to not drop $10 per beer at a club.

But, there are couple exceptions. If you are going to a formal dinner party, your hosts will probably have organized the wine and beer for the evening. Yippe! And most corporate engagements I have attended also cover the alcohol. Be sure to check.

Finally, Friday night: battled the cold, stood in long lines to get in the bolaget and out, and beaten the other crazy Swedes to get the last bottle of Stella. What happens next is weird. I get to the party, expecting lots of rambunctious swedes and instead get… people sitting, drinking beer, and minding their own business. Little purple and blue are placed securely between the owner’s legs for fear of grand theft beer by other guests. No one really talks to me and people just mumble a bit with each other. I compare it to a wake; without someone to mourn. It is really bizarre and yet reflective of the dependence (or perceived dependence) to get these funny people to socialize.

Eventually, people make it to their third beer. and OMG! life! The Swedes wake up from their comas and start chatting, walking around, mingling with others. Finally someone will say, “tjena! i heard you are from the US. how do like my country??” And there’s a chance you can speak to a male without him running away. Pretty awesome. But if you wait too long to talk to folks, you may end up having some very drunk conversations. And Swedes, as we all know, have some issues when it comes to human interactions.

And if you forget the bolaget bag…? Well, hope to god that some Swede misplaces his bag and you can steal that lovely Swedish beer and begin conversing with people. Like how you’re supposed to do it. With beer.

September 7, 2008 | Tags: , , | 8 Comments »