Things I've noticed that are new experiences to me as a swede visiting the US: 1. American media and news is total craziness. 24/7 fearmongering would make me feel on edge all the time too. I knew that it was crazy but I never watched an actual broadcast of Fox or CNN until I visited the US, and it was horrifying. 2. Diners. There's something about the American style of diners that I've never experienced anywhere else. It's cheap, it's charming and calm, the food and service is fast fast and yet you can sit there for hours on end if you wanted to. There's just something special about it. 3. Fast food is cheap as hell. A dollar for a taco bell colon cleanse? That's freedom! 4. HALLOWEEN. What an experience. I've never seen so many trick or treaters in my life. The streets were filled with people in unique and funny costumes and the decorations all around was just awestriking. It made swedish Halloween look like.. Idk, just lame. 5. Roaches. I've never seen a cockroach in Sweden (I'm sure they exist somewhere in Sweden but I've never seen it). I've seen quite a few cockroaches in the US though. The worst one are the ones who fly. I didn't know they did. Imagine my terror when I first encountered one that could.
Good observations of America. You’re right the News here is Fake fueled propaganda. Fear is how the people are controlled although were suppose to be free. Hope to visit your country.
Many Swedes that leave their lights on are afraid of burglars. Or they just don't give a crap. I believe electricity is more expensive in your country so people are trying to save a buck as much as possible. Just my thought.
Elmakz that makes since, I suppose a few Americans do that as well when going on trips... but usually it’s just like one or two lights in the whole house 🙈
I live in Florida and was in Stockholm for 10 days in Nov. It was so refreshing not having to listen to all the negative news stories that are wall to wall broadcasts in America. No crime, no politics etc.
We always turn all the lights off when leave the house, but in the windows we have timers on them so then automatically turn on when it starts to get dark outside and then they turn off in the late evening. We have that so it looks nice and so you don’t have to come home to a super dark house I think🤷🏼♀️
I would never leave anything like that on a train totally unattended, but usually you ask someone in another seat (even if its a stranger) if they can keep an eye on it, and ofc they say yes cause they are swedish 😂 And usually everyone around hear you ask that person to keep an eye on it, so everyone kind of helps out
I leave a light or two on because it's DARK ALL THE TIME. When I leave for work it's dark, when I come home.it's dark. It's just pleasant to come home to a place that isn't completely dark.
@Mannen i den vita hatten Har du hört talas om google translate eller? Vi ska inte behöva anpassa oss hela tiden för att alla ska behöva förstå oss, det är väl bara att kolla upp det på google translate. VI BOR I SVERIGE
I live in the Swedish countryside, owning two houses. I always have a lamp in the window connected to a timer, so that no house is completely dark. This is both for safety reasons (that´s what I imagine myself) and for feeling welcome when I come home, not to a completely dark house. I have been to my cousins in America several times, and just like you say, every time I am astonished of the sweetness of the food and drinks there.
You're absolutely right about these 5 differences. Yes, America is a more dangerous place as it has more crime, but then again, the people are so much friendlier and more outgoing than Swedes, with a few exceptions. I'm Swedish and American, like Joel Kinnaman, so I get to say this :-). Great video!
IceysMoment It’s insane, but as long as you don’t live in a no go zone you’re fine. And also, all those bombings are not real bombs and such, many of them are like fireworks bangers, just a little more power. They count those as bombings for some reason.
@@Katzenmutter Det stämmer säkerligen det du skriver. Jag tänkte inte på det eftersom jag är bosatt i Nederländerna. Tack för påminnelsen och ha en fin helg.
I've been to Sweden twice and while it only really was a factor the first time, the security thing is absolutely true. I went out around 9 PM in the middle of the city in Karlskrona to go to ICA, and I felt absolutely no concern for my safety whatsoever. Were it the same time in the city in America I'm from I'd feel totally uneasy. There's just something about the atmosphere in Sweden that made me feel a whole lot safer.
I have been living in Sweden for about 8 years now. Definitely number 2 was striking to me, having specially the window lights on, as now I understand it, and I myself do it, during the long dark winter days, we want sun light!! Please more lights!! I refuse to give up my sweet coffee with milk thanks:) And it is general knowledge that people in Stockholm dress very nice! Great video!
About the social thing, I live on the outskirts of a medium sized city and I see a BIG difference between downtown and out where I live! Here, you say hi to strangers and it's not uncommon to start a conversation with a random person you don't know. If you meet another car on a smaller road, you wave etc. Drive for 20 minutes to the actual city and people won't even meet your eye
Precis! Bor 40 min buss från närmaste centrum och då åker man genom skog och fält för att komma hit - det är en enorm skillnad i hur folk beter sig mot varandra även om det faktiskt inte är så långt mellan!
It very much depends on where you're living and who you are if you're open or not. Where I live in a small community we all talked and wave to each other and even to people passing through. Then I as a person talk to people even when I come to Stockholm or wherever. We don't leave our lights on as much as you think. It's probably your friends who do that. Well most of us do dress up a bit when we go outside. The food I don't know because I have not been in USA. But I think pastry is sweeter in England for example. Fun you see so much differens.
Mayvor Tjärnberg I agree and also how you live. I’ve noticed that when you live in an apartment building you tend not talk to your neighbors as much as if you would live in a house in a neighborhood. I think it is mainly because the walls aren’t that soundproof so you want to keep your life as private as possible. Now I live in a small neighborhood and you always say hi and talk to your neighbor and let them know that if you going on holidays you let them now when you’re going and how long you’ll be gone so people can keep an eye out if something strange will occur.
I'm ready to give you your Swedish badge because you had a Stockholmish accent 2-3 times in your intonation in this video ;) Don't worry my Swedish sounds American now too, welcome to the foreigner adjusted club xD The lights... Swedish people seem way more into energy saving bulbs imo so we can have the winter decorations in the dark. I was raised to shut off unnecessary lights but now when I live in the Minnesota woods with no lights in the yard I sometimes have to leave on lights just to have better clarity in the yard in the evenings. It's just more efficient than flashlights. The sweetness I think evens out because Americans use sweet creamers but Swedes use a sweet thing on the side so it's not very far off as far as intake goes. Salt I think both sides can be pretty extreme. Sweden used to use salt to preserve food in the past before freezers were a thing especially meats and I think a taste for salty foods stuck around culturally to some extent (like how a lot of people like their popcorn) but some US fast foods hide the salty taste with grease and sweetness so it's lurking more and is definitely formulated to be more addicting. I recently had KFC for the first time in ages and it tasted like a rock of salt in grease and hint of sweet so whether you crave sweet or salty you might still crave the same fast food. Even the US McD big mac is both sweet and salty. If you are reading this far - I'm wondering if you feel fluent enough to enjoy Swedish comedians and if so would you like to compare American humor to Swedish humor as a culture difference? I'm very curious if you experience the same difference that I do. :) Cultures fascinate me so much and I love that it fascinates you too. You have become my home sickness medicine and helps me stay connected with home away from home. Due to my responsibilities I haven't visited home in the 7 years I've been here so your content means a lot. ⚘ It would be cool if you one day did something on Swedish dialects but that's mostly wishful thinking. ^^
Very interesting observations. This shows how we can learn from eachother, the good and the bad. You are lucky in a way to get this knowledge and experience.
Those times I have been in the US I absolutly noticed the same things. Have spent about 2-3 months total living in Ohio. My thought on the thing with leaving lights on in Sweden is that it is for security. Nobody can see if you are home or away. Great video Stefan. Have an amazing week, Andreas 🇸🇪
In the countryside in Sweden where I grew up (Gotland) and where my parents live now (Ångermanland, in the middle of nowhere), people always wave to cars and say hi to people they meet on the road. Even where I live now, on Ingarö in the Stockholm archipelago, most people wave/say hi to eachother. And I'm only 20 away from the city center. The smaller the community gets in Sweden, the more we interact with eachother. My theory is that as an introvert culture, we get social overload just by being around so many people at once, and shut down just to cope. It's easier to handle one stranger at a time. :P
I'm Swedish but now living in Australia and I so agree with that swedes are very well dressed. It can drive my aussie husband nuts, that I will change clothes before going out for anything. He will happily go Shopping in flip flops and tracksuit pant, which is something I would never do not even at home. However when I go home to Sweden my mother will ask me, " if I'm really going to go out looking like that" . Here I am thinking I'm well dressed but not by thve standards for the area they live in. They live in Skanör-Falsterbo, where everyone is dressed to the nines. Now it doesn't help that I dress in 50's style, which mean I do stand out even though I am very properly dressed. Then again as you would know people don't like to stand out and look different than the rest of the people. However at 46, I do think I should be able to dress however I want but no, my 71 year old very stylish mother will refuse to go out with me unless I really tone down my style to her liking. When it comes to leaving the lights on, I think we don't like to come home to a dark and dreary house, well at least that was my thinking at the time. Leaving the lights on is a no no in Australia as well, I often gets asked why I don't turn the lights off after myself.
Fared Dolpane he freaking asked if this is something people agreed with and if so comment. Well so I did. BTW obviously you care or you wouldn’t have replied...
Ah yes, the Swedish aversion to standing out is definitely noticeable ;) I myself dress in a relatively extreme alternative/"goth" style but luckily my family has no problem with it, my mom even thinks I look cool and will frequently compliment me. But, what I really like is that even though Swedes generally like to fit in, I don't really get negative attention for the way I look and can go about my day without being affected by it. That's most likely due to the Swedish phenomenon of not talking to strangers (when I go abroad I get way more comments, whereas back in Sweden people hardly ever acknowledge how I look), and perhaps also the fact that we're often very nonconfrontational so it would be weird to say anything about it. Probably depends on where you live though, I live in a more sparsely populated area, and I get more attention if I go to Stockholm or whatever.
KreeZafi spending most of my time in cities in Sweden, it is funny because I do get compliments every time I’m out with my mother. It is mostly from people who are older then myself who says it is so nice seeing someone dressing so feminine without have more of half my body on display, even so my mother certainly doesn’t agree 🙄. The thing is I have to conform to my mother’s standards when I’m home. She pays for my ticket and all my expenses, except for my own shopping while I’m there. So I kind of feel I owe it to her to conform as much as possible to please her, and to be “invited” back under the same circumstances 😳🙏🏻. I couldn’t afford to go home every year otherwise. However dressing like this in Australia, there isn’t a time where when I leave my house where I don’t get lots of compliments for how colourful and feminine I look. I just don’t think Swedes are used to colourful clothing that isn’t conforming to the norm of how the rest of the Swedes are dressed. I don’t care, I’m at my happiest when I’m dressed like me and if people don’t like it it’s their problem not mine. I’m so happy to hear that your mother is so supportive, it warmed my heart to read that 😍. Take care and continue being you, because everyone else is taken 😉 xx
@@swedishlina Maybe you get more of that positive reaction for that exact reason, even though it's unusual it's more "conventionally pretty" if that makes sense! It stands out, but it's still fairly appealing to most people. Whereas I'm wearing ripped fishnets, leather, spikes and studs, chokers, straps, boots, really heavy dark makeup etc etc, which might be less aesthetically pleasing to most people. Plus I sometimes almost feel like people are consciously trying not to mention it, kind of like if someone has a huge birth mark on their face or whatever and you're pretending like it's not there because it would be rude to point out, haha. At least when I do get comments they are always positive! I know many alternative people are unfortunately met with varying degrees of abuse, which is awful, but luckily I've never had that experience myself
American food does taste sweet, I noticed that when I came back from a month trip to sweden. Everything tasted sweeter in American... Hell even the sugar free stuff tasted sweet 😂
Since it's so dark half of the year most swedes I know have timers for lights. It makes you a little bit happier when you come home to a lit home than a dark home
When you live in the far north of Sweden, you have about 2-3 hours of light during the winter season. It's much nicer to come home when a light is turned on. Plus, it shines out through the window, making it a little brighter for people walking by.
I am from Germany and we would NEVER go out in sweatpants to run errands or wear them all day to go about our business. I now live in in England and we have an US airbase nearby. I recognise Americans immediately because the way they dress! (although British youth wear sweatpants as well.) I lived in Stockholm for 3 months and sadly I did not have the money or space in my luggage to shop for clothes.
I'm Swedish and lived in Germany, Köln, for some time and compared to Germans we dress like something the cat dragged in. Shoes. How many Swedes care if their shoes are polished or not. Germans do 😂
What I noticed when I went to New york and watched the news was that they are showing the face of the criminals as in " This person is wanted" .. While here in Sweden, they can't just show the faces of the criminals like that. They also showed more detailed videos about things that had happend, they are a bit more restricted here .. hehe!
I think that is partly because of swedish law ”innocent until proved guilty” They cannot show the face in case a judge would say not guilty then the TV shows that showed the face would have to pay ”skadestånd” to the person for bad reputation.
barbroder r cats in the wild don’t have lights and they are fine. They will be fine. Especially since they have soooooo much better night vision than humans.
I know exactly what you're saying.. I noticed the EXACT same things but in reverse when I moved from Sweden to the US. When it comes to electricity it's way way way cheaper in Sweden mostly due to the hydro, solar and wind power being so efficient and over producing electricity. I was chocked how expensive electricity is over there.. at least in the region I was in. Also it makes the house look nicer and more inviting. When it comes to clothing I've noticed that Americans dress more polar.. it's either a suit to work or way dressed down while swedes dress more "smart casual" both for work and leisure.
Currently been learning Swedish on Duolingo for 6 months or so as I want to work there in a few years. Progress is super slow and it feels like I'm never going to be able to do it. Seeing people learn the language from scratch as an adult gives me hope!
aggressivegeek I’m going through the exact same thing again trying to learn Spanish! It’s tough starting from scratch but once you come here it gets easier
Learn as much as you can, but don't worry. When you get here you'll soon pick up on the grammar and pronunciation etc. If you can't say it in swedish you can always switch to english since basically every body speaks english to some degree. Also don't be afraid to ask if you can't find a word or jumble the grammar up! No one will judge you and will be happy to help😁 good luck!
The main part a electricity bill comes from: stove, freezer, fridge, washer, dryer, heating (very few have AC in Sweden). The cost of lighting a home is miniscule in comparison, especially since everyone is using led lighting nowadays. Also, before we had led lights there was a consensus that turning a bulb on and off would shorten it's lifespan and that you might as well have it on and save some money since you wouldn't need to replace your bulbs as often. Also, the electricity is fairly cheap in Sweden. And it's dark. And it makes it look as if someone is home.
So very interesting to listen to. A fab posting. Everything you stated made me think a bit over again. Have not commented for a while but felt it was time. Thx for the video. See you next time.
I can relate to the first one. I was one a cruise once when I was like eleven, in the dining hall grabbing food from the bufé, and I couldn't open a jar or something. So then an American woman (assuming she was American because of her accent) came up to me an said: "Oh I'll help you with that, *honey* !" Kind of her, but as a Swede that struck me with surprise because such a word is super unusual, and a bit scary, to say to a stranger 😂
Hej! Ursäkta mig för min skrivning på svenska. Jag är från Bulgaria och jag har lärt mig svenska i kanske ett och ett halvt år. Det är svårt för mig för att jag kan inte hitta människor att träna med. Men jag upptäckte din youtube kanal för några månader sedan och den hjälper mig verkligen.Tack så mycket för att du gör den ansträngningen att presentera Sverige! Jag måste säga det när jag blir frustrerad över min brist på uppenbara framsteg, tänker jag om dina videor och ansträngningar. Tack för hjälpen! ^^
I'm shocked how much more common it gotten to go out in sweatpants in Sweden. While growing up my mom taught me to never go out "undressed" and undressed is everything that aren't "work or school" ready cloths. I would never even consider going to school in sweatpants either, that also changed lately and more and more sport wear showed up everywhere.
Thank you for creating great content! I live 30 kilometres outside Malmö, and when I’m out walking everyone says hello to each other when we pass each other, so there’s a town/countryside difference.
Hey! Your videos are excellent! and I have been watching several Swedish mystery and detective series on TV and I became very interested in the language and culture. I am a language buff so I have checked out Swedish. Ok, yeah, now I can swear very well in Swedish!😀 I did notice some of the cultural differences you discussed in your videos on the TV series. What impressed me was that the cities look so very clean. Not sure if this is true. Anyway, I am an educator and I have subscribed to your channel. Hopefully, I can travel there sometime in the future!
Why (at least I) leave the lights on: 1: I only leave the ones outside and inside the front door 2: Robbers may think someone is home if you leave the lights on 3: Since it gets really dark in winter It's nice to come home and not have to fumble for the light switch 4: We don't leave the lights inside the house on when we are on vacation, mostly only the porch light.
You forgot! Table manners! The first thing I noticed when we moved from Sweden to California was you can’t eat with a knife and fork and other table manners like over loading the plate at a buffet or smörgåsbord instead of going several times. About the dressing nice, hardly anyone dresses up to go to restaurant’s even very nice restaurant’s.
@@Jubellymmel High fructose corn syrup. Rena giftet för kroppen. Det finns saker, typ dricka och godis, med "äkta socker" i, men de är oftast tre-fyra gånger dyrare.
I believe it's more common to greet strangers on the countryside in Sweden. When I'm in the city I tend to ignore people, but on the countryside I wave or say hello to people that I pass by.
I'm Swedish and my family always leaves lots of lights on. When it starts getting dark outside they turn on the lights in every window. They also like leaving the lights on if they're away from home, because it feels more welcoming when they return home. Personally, i turn off all the lights in rooms I'm not in.
1. Generally the way it works is that in small towns people will say hi to acquaintances, and in rural areas they will greet everybody passing by. In cities, especially Stockholm and Gothenburg, you will find that it also depends on which area you're in. Specifically, I noticed a lot of similarities when moving from a small town to the more well off suburbs of Gothenburg (Askim), and a lot of differences when I moved closer to the university (Johanneberg). 2. For me the lights thing really depends on how soon I'll be returning. For instance, if I'm just going out to get some take out and head home in less than 15 minutes, then I might leave the hallway lights on just to make it easier to find my way in. On the other hand if I'm going for a 2 hour lecture at the University, I'm turning the lights off to save energy. 3. As for clothes and appearances, I think a lot of Swedes don't actually know that Americans don't typically dress like celebrities. The few Americans we are exposed to in real life are usually either students who are quick to adapt to how we dress, or business connections who are wearing formal attire. In contrast, we see Americans on TV shows that are supposed to be average people who are dressed well, often quite similarly to how we would dress, and draw conclusions from that. 4. I think safety concern is growing in Sweden currently. We have gone from being, together with the other Nordic countries, one of the safest countries in the world, to a country with specific "unsafe" areas, at least with regards to theft, burglary; and even worse, arson, gun violence and gang rape; not unlike bad neighborhoods in America. Now, I'm not surprised if people feel safe on public transportation, because generally crime is very local, so the vast majority of people are not actually exposed to and affected by it. That said, as crime has been spreading and expanding, and people have been hurt and lost property because of it, people are slowly getting more conscious about it. It just takes a lot of time, because for the longest time Sweden was a very safe country, and in many ways it still is in the vast majority of the country and for most people. Also regarding media reporting on negative issues, it's something that has changed within the last decade. There was a time when journalists were not allowed by the editing board to report on certain issues, because it would confirm the narrative that the Sweden Democrats were pushing. It backfired, of course, and the Sweden Democrats was able to claim "victimhood" of a dishonest media. Now almost every party is agreeing with the narrative, although not the extent of it, and they have different ideas for how it should be solved. As such we are seeing their growth slow down, because now the voters are actually offered alternative solutions to actual problems. Certain newspapers are still clinging to the old idea of not reporting on those problems, while others have begun doing so. This is why I personally recommend everybody to subscribe to more than just one newspaper. Additionally, you should also consider if the media has an agenda with their news coverage. If you think they are unreasonably focusing on negative events in America, then perhaps it's because they want to prove a point. For instance, a lot of those negative events you mentioned are types of gun violence, and one topic that is always on the top of the agenda in America is gun law. It is not unreasonable to think that the newspaper has decided to highlight gun violence, to raise awareness of what the American gun laws are doing to society, to create popular support for change. 5. Here I have a question for you. Is this sweetness that you notice in American food the case only with traditional American household cuisine, or do you notice this difference even when you eat cuisines of various foreign cultures, e.g. Asian, Indian or Latin American?
It's so damn dark when we get home from work/school that's it's nice to come home to a little light. Oh and the only reason our news are more uplifting is because nothing that dramatic ever happens.
I live in Sweden (in a big city) and I also leave the light on for too reasons as I see it. One is for it to look like some is home for burglars. The other one is for other people so it looks a little bit nicer for them to look at my apartment, it’s just leave a much cozier feeling to look at apartment complex if the lights are on. And while writhing this I realize that we Sweden are weird😂
You do a great job teaching us about Sweden. I worked with many top executives from Scandinavian countries for many years, here in San Francisco. The Swedes were the best dressers by far. I liked the men’s sportswear jackets in pastel colors. The Swedish government actually paid for Swedes to travel for business to bring back new ideas to the enhance native culture. Another thing I noticed was that the Swedes always included me, the guide, with meals. This is not true generally in the business. I always felt equal with everyone. They respected my ideas and wanted to know my opinions. Also, they were very loyal to me. They always asked for me when they came to America. I like that we could discuss everything, or anything really and it always kept going with great ease. Even, when we disagreed. I think that is the most wonderful thing; in America everything seems so polarized and we have so much resentment if someone doesn’t agree with us. Thanks so much for doing these RU-vids.
You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your energy waste. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is protection against burglary and fairy tales of leaving the TV and music on. How dare you!
When I leave the lights on it’s because otherwise it’s so dark and unwelcoming to come home. There’s also a security aspect to it - leaving the lights on would make burglars less likely to pick your house, as they think you might be home.
I'm not aware about leaving regular light on when you leaving the house, but in general many people have their "window lamps" on in every windows. It's more common on country side, but companies do that too. It just feels cozy. And for many Swedes it worth more than electricity :) Same with candles. Amount of tea lights they burn is wasting so many resources, so they even come up with idea of battery-powered tea light like candle :)
This Swede does not leave lights on when leaving the apartment, nor do I have many lights on while at home. In fact, I usually only have the lights I need on, like right now. I have only my desk light on by the computer, and that is it. Of course, since I live in apartment, there is less need to try to appear being at home compared to a house owner. Also, I do leave the hall light on sometimes just to greet me coming home, at least in the darker times of the year.
A random Swede here. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think people leave their lights on much. When I look at the windows of the apartment where I live the light are often out. And about people dressing nice. I think it’s actually mostly a cultural thing. People dress nice because they see people dress nice. Not sure where that started though. Though now that I think about it, there is kind of an expectation of people looking presentable. Other than that I agree (though I can’t speak to the sweetness). And btw. I wish more people would talk to strangers. I think lots of people would like it. It’s just that isn’t done. So it’s kinda a catch 22.
I’m from Sweden, and yes, we orten leave the lights on😂 In Sweden it get’s very dark during the Winter and many find it depressing so we leave the lights on cause it feels less sad. But that may just be me
When I visited California a couple of years ago I was so surprised when it was dark at 8pm in the middle of summer. Usually in Sweden the sun doesn’t set until around 10-11 at night during the summer months
You are right on the target with your comments. It is these qualities, and many more, that had me buy property in Sweden and get ready to move over the next 9 months. There are many, many things that I've experienced in Sweden that make me feel more at home than I have ever felt in my 70 years in the US. The other thing is that your perspectives are generally urban or suburban insights. I've spent most of my time in Sweden in the rural areas because of my interests, preferences and my work. My experiences are very similar and yet offer another twist to life in Sweden. I love it all! .....and yes, Swedes do leave a lot of lights on. I've had several conversations about this and the custom seems to go back several hundred years. I know that my friends would sometimes leave their house to go to work before I got rolling in the morning. At first I would go around and turn off all the lights only to find them all on again, even in the daylight hours, when I came home. I grew up in a pretty poor family and leaving a light on was a VERY big deal. I think there is a book waiting in here somewhere!
Many people are leaving some lights on to make it seem like they are home and reduce the risk of burglary, also its really dark out in the winter so it can also light up the neighbourhood a little. For energy consumprion it is not too bad because you can only buy low energy bulbs.
I'm swedish. I never leave the lights on when I leave the apartment. But you're 5 things in this video is pretty much correct 😊 I like a lot of what you do. Please continue 👍
I'm in Canada but the 'leaving the lights on' behaviour resonated with me. I think when you're in a place where it's so dark for so long each day, leaving lights on becomes bit of a psychological aid. I leave some lights on when I leave the house, partly to make it look like someone's home, but more because it feels more welcoming when you come back. And I leave lights on in different parts of the house even if I'm not in the room because it makes the house feel 'warmer'. I do this a lot more than I used to, now that most of the lights in the house are LEDs - guilt free light :-).
We leave the lights on for several reasons. 1. To indicate that we are not away on vacation, travel etc. 2. It looks a lot nicer than having a totaly blacked out house. 3. To prevent unwanted visitors and to prevent breakins. There may be other reasons as well, but these are the most common ones...👍
In my apartment electricity is included in the rent so it won't cost me anything extra to have my lights on. But some might do it to make it look like their home, lots of stores and restaurants do that as well to look as if their open, otherwise it might also be especially in winter when it's so dark just to have some more light, and to come home to a home that's not completely dark, I guess. Also in many other countries they might close their curtains when they are home as well in the darker seasons but here we tend to not close our curtains, just to have some more light in the street and a nicer atmosphere in the darkness, not caring too much if people walking by can see a bit inside our house through the windows.
Hey Stefan! Have you ever been to Westfield Mall of Scandinavia? If you haven't I recommend going there, it's really big and there's so much to do there. -A fellow Swede
The Dragon I hate Mall of Scandinavia. I’m a local in Solna. No one here go to that hell, only tourists and lantisar lol ask me for directions and I still don’t how to find it. It’s on the other end of Solna, I live more close to innerstan.
Anna Kaunitz thats.. not true at all. Maybe you go to stan more because you live closer to it, ever thought about that?? Because literally everyone else goes there and it’s nice to have stores close to each other in one building.
@@AnnaKaunitz I'm a local in Solna too, I live about 10 minutes from Mall of Scandinavia(Frösunda). I don't think it's that bad but I respect your opinions, you have the right to think whatever you want and that's completely fine :)
Swede here! The light-thing is a thing. We are so bad at turning off the light for some reason. I often come home from work with the kitchen light on and the bathroom light is on almost all the time
2:27 I live in a flat and you need to have a code to get in so we always turn the lights off. My grandparents live in a house and they have timers that automatically turn the lights off when they’re not home so no one will break in.
You normally leave one lights on so it looks like some one is home so no one braking in, or it’s going to be dark when you get home. But we still turn off the light when you leave. I live in Sweden
Interesting that you noticed that we Swedes often don’t turn off the lights when leaving a room/apartment/house. Me and some friends have picked up on this when abroad. I think big part of the reason is that the electricity bill is mostly fixed costs, taxes and charges, which makes the incentive to turn off the light to save some bucks minuscule.
Im swedish and we leave window lights on if we go away for an evening. If its over night we have timers on the lights in the windows. Its to make it look like someone is home so we dont get robbed, but also its nicer to come home to after an evening out.
Nice video! Always interesting to hear someone else's views on things. 😊 1. I've actually always been a bit confused about the whole "Swedes are standoffish" thing since my experience is so different - strangers talk to me all the time! But I've also been told I look "nice", so maybe I just have one of those faces. But I would definitely say that people in smaller smaller societies and out in the countryside are more about social niceties than people in larger cities. Though I feel that's probably a universal thing. 2. Many reasons for this. Lamps are low-energy; electricity is mostly green and (in rentals at least) cheap; it's dark a lot of the year and coming home to a light feels nice; leaving a light on to help ward off the darkness outside for others in the neighborhood is nice; and lights help keep burglars away (house-owners often have timers). 3. I think this has something to do with communal awareness. Swedes in general try not to offend each other and being well-dressed and clean is only polite when in public - makes things nicer for everyone. 4. Sweden is what's called a high trust society in sociological terms. Crime and corruption are low on average and there is a certain homogenous code of conduct. You simply don't steal someone's laptop at a café or on a train because someone will see and stop/report it. It is an unspoken agreement that people look out for each other in that way. 5. Yeah, this is just weird. I don't really understand why you use so much sugar, sweetener, corn syrup and so on. Supposedly it has to do with the diet culture that took off in the 50's. Apparently they removed fat from food to market it as healthy, but added extra sugar for flavor. Then came tv-dinners which were more of the same and somewhere along the line people got used to food tasting sweet so everything had to be sweet or the taste would feel "off", I guess.
I love these videos. I truly believe that learning about people from other countries promotes understanding and healthy relationships to these countries. Now, about the electricity and lights in Sweden. It's kind of an individual thing. I always turn off lights, not only when I leave the house but also when I leave a room I know I wont go back into for a while. My girlfriend is the very opposite, she turns on all the lights and leave them lit.
I never leave lights on. I usually turn off the lights when I leave the room. But I’m also fond of smaller moody lights during the evening like a couple of floor lamps.
Its nice to have the lights on, Y when its dark outside. we save energy in other areas to be able to keep the lights on. Especially if you have low energy consuming lights like LED.
Not all lights would be left on, but if you are leaving and returning in the evening you might want to keep some lights on. Lights in windows for example, andsome lamps is usually on a timer. Some might do it to make the appearance of someone is home, to repel burglers. Having lights in the windows is apparently very swedish or nordic. Its also dark and grey and gloomy often.
My family lives in a apartment in Sweden. We always turn off our lights. And in my family usually turn off the lights when we leave rooms. I have only seen one person with a smart watch in Sweden. Leaving things unattended is part of being swedish, true. Unfortunately society is getting worse so we start doing it less.
Got smart lights that turn off when I leave home and back on when i get back. Though before them I usually had a couple of lights on all the time. Yeah, now when you mention it it is pretty weird. Especially how environment friendly people in Sweden tend to be with recycling etc.
In my family we always turn of all the big lights wheen we leave the house, but we leave most of the smaller window lights on. If I turned of the window lights as well, my mom would complain when we got home because she thinks it looks unwelcoming when the house is completely dark. And I kinda of agree with her, because one of our neigbours doesn't live in their house so all of their lights are always of, so to me it is so clear that noone lives there and you don't want to get that feeling from your own house. And since we live more on the countryside there aren't many streetlights, so without some small lights in the house it's barely visible from the road
1) People generally wave and even says hello to total strangers in Sweden too, but in the countryside. And especially if you encounter somebody in a desolate area. There you'll actually strike up a conversation. :) 2) We leave the lights on to get home to a cosy and nice house, I guess. The house looks more friendly with lights on even if nobody's at home. So it's a courtesy to the neighbours as well. 4) It might be trust, but it's also an ingrained idea that you simply don't touch somebody else's stuff. You. Just. Don't. Especially when it's obvious that the owner is coming back shortly, as on a train.
4 года назад
It is your friends, most people in Sweden turn of the lights, unless it is a decoration light that use very little energy, some of mine lights is using less energy than a TV or a Microwave oven on standby, but during the winter I often turn on my (smart) light before I come home so I enter a well lit home and not a dark small rat hole.
Leaving the lights on is a cheap and effective insurance, it won't protect you from the most eager thieves, but if the neighborhood is dark, and your house is lit - chances are the burglars will go for the easiest target where they can work unnoticed. As for talking to people, it depends on where you are in Sweden, I can imagine Stockholmers being very reserved (I live in Sweden and people tell me that too), but the further SOUTH you go, you'll notice they become more "Danish/American", so it's easier to start a conversation with someone random. I loved that about America.
I used to think that people in Sweden were social and not shy because I always have people asking me for the time or the way or simply chatting about random stuff. Then I lived in the US for a few years and saw the difference!
With coffee in Sweden, most people like you said usually drinks it black or with some milk. Some put a sugar cube in if they want it a bit sweeter, but I've noticed that's more common with older people. Back in my grandparents days, there was this special way you would drink coffee during fika. You basically poured the coffee on the saucer, put a sugar cube between your teeth, and then sip the coffee from the saucer. This tradition is not common anymore but i think that's why mostly older people have their coffee with a sugar cube, while younger people prefer only black or ith milk. Also Swedes are known for drinking a lot of coffee, I drink 2-3 cups a day and my dad sometimes consumes 3 cups before noon since we started school and work from home. If you drink several cups a day and have all these creamers and stuff, the amount of sugar would quickly add up to an unhealthy level in the long run.
Well... You point out. Love it. I live in the north of Sweden. We do not "talk" much, only the essentials BUT! When You are invited you can not stop us :)
About the lights: Yeah, sure, I look at the energy reading when I BUY the light, but in every day life, I'm forgetful... I once forgot to put on underwear when I went to work (I did have pants on, so there's that), so being commando at work was... an experience. You really expect me to remember the lights all the time? Also, I think some use it as a burglar deterrent. If you have the lights on, that indicates someone is home, and the burglar goes for the safer option, the dark apartment/house nextdoor.
I was very surprised by the “leaving the lights on”-thing. Im from Sweden and I would never do that, and I don’t think l know anybody who does. Maybe one small lamp if they are afraid of the dark, or for a pet 🤷♀️
oh the light thing, I live in a decently small appartment, and the light in my hall can light every room enough for me to move around and see without turning any other lights on. its a LED light that is longlasting and low energy usage, i just forget to turn it off sense its a part of the appartment now. The guy on the train: Was the train moving or at a stop? if the train was moving the guy aint going anywhere, and he will get caught (if there is a witness to the theft). at a stop, ye thats pritty crazy, dosnt matter where your from imo.
Of course I leave the lights on, they take like 0 energy if you buy a more expensive lightbulb, closing fridge/freezer is alot more important, that’s what I learned at least
If you live in a house in Sweden you'd usually leave the window light on to "show that someone is home", even tho they're not. My guess is its to prevent burglary.
Hey Stefan, I'm from US and living in Porto at the moment. I see you're now working with 360Player. I played D2 and know a lot of people around the college and club soccer circuit (Noticed you're connected with my buddy, Gary Curneen on LinkedIn). I'm planning a trip and will be stopping by Stockholm in the next few months and wanted to know if you'd want to grab a beer! Let me know!
