(edit title) Why I Love Sweden! Let me count the ways Options

[sometimesinsweden]

aside from schools and childcare, im ambivalent about sweden. can either take it or leave it. dont hugely love it or hate it. im there due to meeting a swedish bird 12 years ago and having a family and if it wasnt for that, wouldnt be fussed about living or visiting there. for me, as a country, it doesnt particularly stand out in anyway. personally think the food is appalling, but its related to what you used to. now if only id gone for the italian waitress instead back in 2000...

[Schomberg]

pretty much the exact same. Life with a family is easy in sweden. Other than that? meh. Miss the good (but not always healthy) food from home and miss decent TV. I also miss the fact that theres always something to do. I don't find that here, it's work, weekend, sunday - wait for work and die.

Right now I can't stop thinking about having a KFC or going for a pint in a proper pub.

[Svensksmith]

"now if only id gone for the italian waitress instead back in 2000... "

Ahh, she's probably grown fat and has a mustache by now.

[sometimesinsweden]

Ha true, on the other hand, Im separated from the original Swede now and its cost me a fortune...despite her still looking good, so i've lost both ways. on the positiive side, beautiful family in sweden so cant complain.

my point was, posts seems to swing to the love it or hate category on here - the curse of anonymous debate, i dont hate the country at all - theres things i like - the old dagis for my son, healthcare, good housing etc. however, do i place that over the things i selfishly miss in the UK when im in sweden...cant say i generally do. would never move my boy or his mother, my ex, back to UK...which shed never do anyway...but if they did come and we all stayed in london (i commute between gothenburg and london and have done for 6 years now) id certainly be more happy.

uk is good if you earning money, sweden is better if you not. i got no problems with swedes as indivduals - got a few friends i get on well with...but maybe im a homeboy at heart and love the social shit i have with british and irish friends a whole lot more...nothing to do with drinking or language or humour...,maybe its character developed in adversity - we're all from a working class rough background in theUK (of people im close to) whereas my swedish mates seem to have had it a lot easier regarding education, cash., housing etc. im guessing here...

generalising massively here, but it is my experience. current missus is sri lankan origin but london through and through and detests when she brings out kid over to sweden to meet his half bro - not because of any language or racism, just that she gets lumped with the 'immigrants' in the playground and treated as 'different' in her paranoid eyes (i cant comment as am white so dont notice anything)...as i said, not racism at all as when she does talk, they are nice enough...just a general feeling of being different...whereas in london (and dublin where we lived for a bit) anything seems to go. few less social barriers no doubht broken down by alcohol and maybe just that joie de vivre attitude i think lacks a bit in gothenburg.

appreciate some will dispute what i written and experiences are different - im not talking for all, juist what i notice. to emphasise for third time..dont hate it..dont even dislike it..but fuck me, if i met a bird from sardinia/corsica/bari/madrid - id rather live there etc.different courses for different horses or whatever..somewhat envious of the brits/paddies 100% at home in sverige.

[skogsbo]

, if i met a bird from sardinia/corsica/bari/madrid - id rather live there

but she would have gained 5 stone, looked like her mamma and had half a beard by the time she was 45!

However - Smörgåsbord versus Tapas? Sweden loses everytime!

[byke]

He may then be 65, half blind and happy.
(just a thought)

[ljtaylor88]

I used to live up in the highlands of Scotland and where I am now (Västra Götaland) seems pretty similar. I really like it. I'm really into hiking, climbing, camping, skiing, and generally being outdoors: if you love all of those things, Sweden is amazing for it.

The pros:

1. The cycle network is awesome. None of this "let's whack a 5m strip of red paint in the road and call it a cycle path nonsense". Cycling here is a joy rather than a game of Frogger (maybe not always in urban areas, but, less so).

2. People finish work around 5pm and there isn't a massive culture of "I must stay in front of my computer until 8pm or the boss'll think I'm lazy" that my mates and I endure in office jobs back home. Additionally employers seem to have a much greater respect for their workforce.

3. Summer holidays. Woo.

4. The coastline is awesome. You can swim in lakes in the summer, virtually unheard of in the UK, we just have paddle boats in Windermere or similar.

5. Houses are well insulated. Triple glazing! This makes a major difference to me as my every winter as a student taught me that hoodies and thick socks sometimes just aren't enough...and it wasn't like I was ridiculously far up North.

The cons:

1. I am really glad I live in Gothenburg because honestly, where is the social hub (i.e. a pub or similar) if you live in a small town or village? Even some Swedes note that this is missing.

2. Being a Brit, it seems a common thing to miss the food. Not the good food, though, just the awesome-but-not-so-healthy stuff like pork pies.

3. And speaking of food it costs a fortune, seriously (among other things). But the cost of living has gone up in the UK too. That said I don't feel poor here, at all.

[skogsbo]

He may then be 65, half blind and happy.. (just a thought)

there is still no disguising a furry top lip! But, yes all things are relative.

[Hisingen]

Generally speaking this has been one of the more positive threads for some time, bringing to mind the song from 'Life of Brian' - "Always look on the bright side of life."
To many seem to come to Sweden expecting Utopia or something like that, and as such are often disappointed. They become bitter, and can't wait to run the country down. The list quoted points out - for the OP - what are considered to be the best features, and many here now are agreeing, which makes a very pleasant change.
Many things are not as 'back home', but why should they be? No doubt many Swedes say things about the countries they emigrate to, also. I came here to work umpteen years ago, knowing nothing much about the country, and have been learning about it ever since. I have only been called a 'jävla utlänning' once, and that by an ex-Jugoslav! Back in the '60s when there was a definite shortage of accommodation, there was an interview on the radio and the guy interviewed gave his reason for the shortage. Forgive the spelling but this is an attempt to match his dialect. 'Dett er alla desse ootlenningaar som komma heet ock ta alla voora leegenhedder.* A real Göteborgare ! ! !
No, after my many years here I prefer it to the UK, and many of the reasons are given in the OPs list. Insulation yeh. My house there had it - 25 - millimetres of the stuff, and the windows - the joinery was such you could see daylight between the sash and the frame.
The snow here - well there is a bit too much of it at times, and it tends to stay around a bit too long for my liking, but it does make the winter seem less dark, so it is not all negative. But having spent over half my life here I guess I am getting used to it, and still liking it.
Thanks for the post. It was like a breath of fresh air for once, with friendly reactions, too.

[cogito]

1. The Fresh Air[/b]It’s so clean, even in the capital city. I especially miss (and appreciate) this when I travel outside the country to big cities all over Europe, Asia and ... (show full quote)

1. The Fresh Air[/b]

It’s so clean, even in the capital city. I especially miss (and appreciate) this when I travel outside the country to big cities all over Europe, Asia and North America. Breathe it deep my friends. Best of all? It’s free! ... (hide full quote)

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the air in Stockholm is more polluted than that of Los Angeles. (And air is free everywhere, as far a I know.)
http://www.thelocal.se/36394/20110927/

Never trust air you can't see.

[Ashlito]

I am never amazed the biggest whingers are always bloody poms ...here it's less than 2 hours to go home, at least in Australia they can use the distance as an excuse not to go home if they don't like it..go home and leave the country to people who actually love it or just shut up about it...the UK is definitely not a paradise either...get a hobby or something...all the brits I know here that love it, all have multiple interests that keep them occupied & keeps them from bitching...I don't think it's perfect here either, but NOWHERE is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ashlito]

Stop polluting with hate

[Programmeny]

Counter-argument:

Swedes were slightly shortchanged on summer this year, with Stockholm only enjoying six days of temperatures over 25 grader Celsius, compared with 28 days in 2011.

/thread.

[byke]

I am never amazed the biggest whingers are always bloody poms

Good to see so much intelligence has been passed through generations of DNA.
BTW the post you are referring to wasn't by a "POM" - but given your disadvantage, we wont hold it against you.

[skogsbo]

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the air in Stockholm is more polluted than that of Los Angeles. (And air is free everywhere, as far a I know.)http://www.thelocal.se/36394/20 ... (show full quote)

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the air in Stockholm is more polluted than that of Los Angeles. (And air is free everywhere, as far a I know.)
http://www.thelocal.se/36394/20110927/

Never trust air you can't see. ... (hide full quote)

Stockholm needs to set up a Smog warning alert system, just like LA, with different alert levels. Never trust the stats when the sources aren't easily accessible.

Yeah, air is still free, untaxed and available in a limitless supply (for normal human consumption). Whilst supermarkets can sell bottled water to those who live by lakes, they haven't managed to sell air yet. Most of it today was rushing on by.