Sweden has changed me in all sorts of ways. In no particular order, here’s a list of examples:
1. When I walk into the pharmacy, deli or other small shop, I immediately look for a queue number machine.
2. I leave my shoes by the front door, even when I am back home in the US or in Australia.
3. When someone smiles at me on the street, I think they must be either American or not from Stockholm.
4. I accept that cole slaw drenched in vinegar is a salad at a pizza restaurant.
5. I willingly pour filmjölk or soured milk on my cereal.
6. I understand that Extrapris goods are cheaper even though my American brain translates this as “extra price.”
7. When someone sends me a package, I accept that it won’t be delivered to my door and that I have to go to pick it up a local grocery store with a post office outlet.
8. I no longer think it’s strange when someone tells me they can get together in vecka 39 or during the last week of Sepetember.
On the other hand, I still refuse to be part of:
9. Drinking beer at 7 in the morning at the airport.
10. Eating lunch at 11am.
11. Enjoying the taste of julmust.
12. Eating any of the herrings except for the one in the senap or mustard sauce.
And most of all, I refuse to stand in line at the airport to wait for boarding to be announced. If a boarding pass says the boarding time is 8.15, Swedes will start lining up before 8 and will stay in line even when an announcement is made that boarding will not begin for another 30 minutes. I just don’t get it.
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But who (except from construction workers who eat at 10) eats lunch at 11? 12 is by far the most common time for lunch. And maybe I am missing the point entirely here… 🙂
Too bad about the julmust. Did you know there are some 30 different brands? I bet you can find one to your liking.
Calatan: I had no idea there were so many different brands. Maybe there is hope for me!
Live ish, Most of my white collar, non-construction coworkers liked to go to lunch around 11 to 11.15 and by 11.30 at the very latest!
Since I am up at 6am and eat my breakfast sandwich at 7:15 when I get to work, I am starving by 11! I stopped eating filmjölk when I was pregnant 26 years ago and it made me nauseous (never really liked it to begin with so was glad for the excuse!). The thing with the weeks (I have vacation vecka 30-31-32) still means nothing to me after 30 years. Give me dates! I didn’t think it was possible to order beer and alcohol until 11:00 in Sweden? And there are plenty of people on the street who smile at you – do you smile at them first? And I now think it’s actually pretty disgusting to walk in the house with your shoes on…
Very funny Sharon! Like you, while I understand the vecka thing, I still need the actual dates or a calendar in front of me to figure out what days are being talked about. And the American in me does still tend to smile at passersby, whether they smile back or not! (Maybe this is more of a city thing?) I never did make an inroad with the grumpy old lady who lived in the building next door, I did find plenty of other neighbors who were willing to say hej!
Finally, I also eat breakfast somewhere around 7.15, but am just not ready to eat lunch by 11!
I’m with you, I wouldn’t eat until 13 if it was up to me! And the other way around – I really don’t like the am/pm thing, so confusing, when it can be so easy (with 24 hours)!
lv, The military time is another thing that I had to get used to living here!
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