Weird things about Sweden as an American Part 1 - 10
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2024
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Something I find ironic (and not a stab at you) is that Americans tend to want people to adjust to their customs when in the US, but when they live in other countries, sometimes they want you to still adjust to their customs
Quite right - and it's very disrespectful coming to another country and complaining about the customs they have there (regarding food e.g.) The fact that you don't eat lingonberry in the U.S. doesn't mean it's weird that Swedes do i. It's called tradition. Compare it to the American tradition of pouring ketchup on everything and not drink anything else but Coke. That's weird!
Isn't that a bit same with all that go abroad? 😎✌
Well…. Risk 2 is where you learn to drive on ice. Something that I assume rarely happens in Miami. 😉
Also, the not talking to strangers thing is common in large parts of Sweden, but at its very strictest in Stockholm. In eg Göteborg (Gothenburg) you definitely do talk to people at your bus stop. The first time you see them you may just nod. The second or third time you say ”hi” and by the fifthe time you defintely know eachother well enough to strike up a conversation.
In rural areas you definitely nod or say hi to everyone you meet.
Take it as an opportunity to learn how to drive a manual, sorry for assuming but generally you only drive automatics in the states. An other thing we do differently is tires, the law is that need to be swapped twice a year. Ones when winter comes, you need to put on winter tires (and no thiese ones do not resemble the all weather kind you got in the US, they have a completely different rubber mixture and you have the option to have them studded with metallic spikes.) and when spring comes you need to put your summer tires back on. I can see that all this might seem cumbersome but keep in mind we have much lower fatalities in traffic then the US even though we have more difficult driving climate in general. Being a safe driver is a steeple in Sweden.
Eyo don't trash brown sauce. That is hella delicious (we use this a lot in DK as well)
Also, if you ask someone "how old they are" they WILL answer their age. If you ask what YEAR they're from, they will answer with the birth year. Just ask in the correct way.
As someone stated earlier, it's completely true! Our smalltalk revolves around the weather! If you open small talk with something about the weather you won't seem like a creep!
We are supposed to walk on the left side so that we "meet" the traffic. Walking on the right side, you're gonna get cars coming up behind you on the same side. Ofc if there's a sidewalk it doesn't really matter.
I'm 100% with you on the weeks. I've lived here my whole life and I still have to look it up every single time.
But most people do not talk about the week number - they use the date mainly.
I also think week numbers are weird and have no idea what week it is except for my summer vacation because you have to request which weeks you want. And I agree, never complain about hot weather. Just be happy it’s not winter.
Thanks for sharing!!
I think it's perfectly doable to have small talk in Sweden but yeah I too would find it weird if someone struck up a conversation at a bus stop by introducing themselves. Maybe it's a very Swedish thing but unless it's in a professional setting introductions tend to come after you've already established a rapport with the other person. Like, at the point where it feels awkward to keep talking without knowing the other person's name XD
I think the key to small talk in Sweden is commiseration. We love to air grievances, typically about the weather.
About reindeer. I think that in the US this animal has received a mythological status despite being a real animal. In Sweden they're just livestock. In fact, in traditional Swedish depictions of Jultomten his sleigh is drawn by goats.
Have never answered with my birth year when someone asked about my age, but maybe the younger generations does? About surströmming, I have never eaten it and never would 😄
Complaining about the weather is our idea of small talk 🤭 so don't mock it, it's the best we can do.
My gods! I’m Swedish, and I NEVER got the weak number thing. I’m 30 now so I gather it’ll never stick. I’ve no clue what week it is now. Like, end of February I’m guessing we’re at like week 7 or so? But come May I’ll have no bloody clue.
Just give me a concrete date, man!
It's mandatory to walk on the left side of the road in Sweden, but some people either don't give a shit or didn't know for some kind of strange reason.
Mandatory? I would say it’s recommended to walk on the left if you need to walk in a road without footpath. Otherwise no.
Yes, you walk on the left side of the road. If your on a bicycle you're technically in a vehicle and should be on the right. Not all people know or follow these rules.
And for most things on the list , most Swedes probably agree with you, I don't understand the fixation with weeks and telling you you're born in 72 is just rude 😀
Lingonberry and cranberry is about as similar as coke is to dr pepper, same goes for brown sauce and gravy; different things, but looks similar - and people who never have had both think they are similar.
(For those of you that know basics of french cooking - the swedish brown sauce is basically a variant of espagnole with some cream added)
As someone who grew up in a region with surströmming festivals I consider the smell of it to be rather homely, but I can't for the life of me stand the stench of boiled lobster or crab.
That "side of the road". It is actually a system to it - the pedestrian lane is to the left, but within the lane the walking is on the right-hand (or put another way - whoever will face the oncomming traffic will be the closest to it). So if people are walking on the right-hand-side you most likely are in a "only pedestrian" stretch, but if they are walking on the left they probably are not to the extreme left and there is a bicycle path on the side (might just have been a sign waaaaay back however). (Yes, if you are in a divided pedestrian/bicycle path and the bicycle path is to your right you are expected to be just left of centre, but if that bicycle path isn't there then be at the right)
About the driving license. In 2018 us had 12.4 death/100000 citizens and sweden had 2.4
That is a huge difference
I dont know where you live in sweden, but all those things you mentioned would be annoying for most swedes also.
Most swedes do not eat surströmming, it should not even be referred as food.
Walking all over and randomly stops is not an typical thing, as we are for most very organized, such as walking/standing in escalators, bus stops, cueing..ect ..but there is bad apples everywhere.
Small talking part is true, no need for fake friendliness, say what you want and then leave. Get things done with as few words as possible = effective and fast
I think at least 99,99% of swedes would have said hi and talk a little to you at that bus stop, maybe you being a foreigner made him uncomfortable or him just being weird, dont make assumption everyone is like that guy
Yes I am an swede
Born and raised in Stockholm.
I have Lingonberry jam on Pancakes and Blood Sausage, and that's about it. With other meals, eg Roast or Turkey, I have "gelé", a kind of Jelly I guess.
Surströmming doesn't taste much more than salt. By not opening the tin under water (as some suggests) you chock your system with the initial spray, and after that the smell is much more bareable. Traditionally the drink with it is Milk.
On roads without sidewalks, you're supposed to walk on the left (so that you face the traffic), but some (especially young people) disregard that.
A fun fact is that Jaywalking technically is illegal, however ther's no punishment for Jaywalking, go figure
As a Dutch person I'd be super creeped out if someone randomly introduced themselves to me. I LOVE having conversations with strangers I meet out and about. But I'll only want to know your name after more conversation and/or if I know I'll be speaking to you again soon. Otherwise I really don't care about your name. I've seen a lot of backpackers from the US introducing themselves to an entire hostel dormroom within seconds of walking in. It makes things very awkward for everyone in the room, especially those whose conversations were just interrupted. Just make small talk & get to know people first (in some countries this means you complain about the weather^^). Are you able to have an actual conversation where the other person is actively participating? Then sure, maybe introduce yourself. But if it's unprompted it just feels weird.
This is very much the Swedish way too. Introducing yourself without first getting to know the other person a little only happens in professional settings.
Welcome to Sweden 🇸🇪 bruh✌🏽
Thank you I appreciate it
You better hope you can already drive well enough to pass the driving test, cause if you need to book lessons at a driving school expect to pay 700+kr per 50 minute lesson lol. I'm trying to get my motorcycle license right now and it sucks how expensive the lessons are. If it weren't for me having some savings and inheritance money I wouldn't be able to afford it. I'm currently driving a manual transmission moped as a way of practicing to hopefully save money on lessons.
Coming to any new culture / land can be ’weird’ and confusing. People think and behave differently and food is different. At least our countries are ’well of’. The culturechock is more intense when travelling to other countries. Seeing the poverty brings another perspective, some people would do anything for eating lingonberryjam, but maybe not surströmming 😉
The issue with chaos pedestrians who can't tell left from right are a quite new thing, they walking on the cycletrack& look at one direction & step out right in front of your bike!! Bad! A new thing to are that people started to ride bikes& electric vehicles at the sidewalk& excpect you that walk shall move!! We are backwarding our society in many ways, the problem is those who let it go on, like the "blue man group" that don't wanna do a peasents duty!! Only cruising in cars!! I chrashed so many times with my bike in the city, with almost every moving thing! They turn without looking& it makes me fed up! A 5 year old knows those rules! It sickens me a bit that Sweden turns in to a onlookers type of society! People rather film or watch a beating or a pickpocket in action, than react & act..! Hejpårrä Lexx! 😎🕴✌
The problem with walking is they changed the rules on where you walk and bike recently and about half knows about it the other half.. is on the other side. Also the rule is on a shared path (with bikes) you walk on the left but a lot of times you don't know what path it is and bikes are on the pavement as well... But yeah walking thru a swedish city center is annoying af.
Well i have Neighbour from USA, meet him outside one day and he basicly told his life story in 5 minuits, that was rly awkward... wouldent had surpriced me if he told the staus of his stool this morning, but he thanckfully didnt... mouth diarrhea...
I never learn weeks my self except from 1-10 and 48-52.
This is of course done for humorous purposes, but if you don't want to end up wasting a lot more money you should probably take those tests seriously.
It's not just EU countries that convert their licences, it's also other places with rigorous testing. The U.S. isn't on the list because getting a licence there requires no effort.
Laughed so hard at this, excellent
No, it really isn't.
0:40 So instead, what you should have Lingon berry jam with. Blodpudding & bacon, Potatisbullar & bacon. meat balls, mashed potatoes and gravy(brunsås) and a more rare dish called kroppkakor. There could be more dishes but those are the dishes i use Lingon jam with.
And as a Swede i think Surströmming smells like shit and kinda tastes what it smells like.
Cranberries is "Tranbär" in Swedish (wich isent lingonberries)
Lingonerries is "Lingon" in Swedish
..its like comparing Blueberries with Raspberries .. they taste entierly different
Swedes complain about everything...
ya well, when u quite litterally have nothing to complain about in life ...
we must find something to complain about ...
yup swedes love complaining about the weather,
its usually never perfect, the few days it is we find something else to complain about,
its also a good conversation starter ...
for Swedes its the 'Normal' everything works just fine and everyone do performs adequatly,
(no wer not going to give u a parade for doing whats expected) ..
If a random american introduces themself to me they are usually called "Elder" and want to talk about some guy called Joseph Smith and some Moron-I.
I used to say that the difference between USA and Canada is that Canada seems to have schools. You just seem to be very uneducated.
I bet the first guy couldn't speak english..!😨😁✌
This smalltalk thing is a problem for some sweds to, like me. People are så stiff.