Australian & Americans Discuss The Pros & Cons of Life In Sweden 

Here is my take on Swedes being reserved, as a half American raised in Sweden: Part of being polite here means you don’t disturb others. In the US people will say “excuse me” all the time, if they for example pass in front of you, even if they are not bumping into you. But in Sweden people don’t do that. Why? Almost every time I say excuse me when I want to pass by someone, I get the response “Oh, I’m sorry,” That’s because what they are hearing from me is “Excuse me, you are in my way,” and so they are apologizing. So by passing by and not saying anything, I am in fact saying: “You’re good, don’t worry!” But a lot of Americans find that very rude, because it communicates something totally different to them. This also plays into how people are more social in the evenings than in the days, I believe: in daytime, it feels like it’s not much allowed to disturb other people unless you really have to. But evenings, nights and parties are for socializing, so then it feels more culturally appropriate and thus “allowed” to engage with strangers. Culture gives us a very strong emotional sense of right and wrong, good and bad, and for anyone it can be an emotionally challenging thing to do something counter-intuitive to your own culture.

No no no! Go out with friends for a beer is absolutely not Fika, that’s called going out for a drink. Fika is when you take a break from work to sit down, relax and eat a sweet pastry with coffee, tea or soda.

Why is it so difficult for many to understand why one should pay taxes? What else should pay the fire brigade, police, all other social functions? Taxes only become a problem when corruption takes a large part of your paid taxes!

I'm a swede and never heard of 6 hour workdays, 8 is standard.

I have run two businesses in Sweden and am starting my third and I love the taxes here. Easy to understand and pay (tax admin is sooo complicated and expensive in other countries). All employes are taken care of through the tax system so I don't have to fiddle around with benefit packages for them (or myself if I was a freelancer), which includes medical coverage, pensions, parental leave, sick leave, child care, unemployment benefits and so much more. The tax on capital gains is relatively low (great for me as an owner) and there is an abundance of qualified ppl to employ as the whole damn population is so well educated (relatively speaking). There is a reason Stockholm, barre only Silicon Valley, is the unicorn capital of the world. The unicorn factory they call it. That's not despite of the tax system. The tax system and how it benefits the population is one of the main drivers!

We really dont have those 6 hour workdays, dunno how that conclusion were drawn

Tax planning through countries like Andorra is usually viewed as quite immoral by Swedes, just saying.

So, in effect, you like to reap the benefits of a country with an excellent and well organised society and infrastructure, great healthcare, parental support, clean streets, a working commuting system and clean air but you don't like the taxes?

Fika is literally only a longer coffe break with biscuits and bread

If someone goes "hi my name is XYZ nice to meet you!" Then my mind goes "shit do they want money? Is it a scammer or a cult or a church trying to recruit me? Am I in danger? What's my escape routes? Will this be long now, will I be late?" It is freaking petrifying since the daytime approach culture isn't a thing. :p We love respecting personal space and not taking up their time because we don't know where they need to be but are too polite to flat out say that you are causing them to become late so it's just kinder to not strike a conversation when you don't know unless it's a quick short question.

As others have said, working 8 hours a day is the standard, or 40 hours a week. You can have "flex" which means you can be more flexible with your work hours but that should still sum up to about 40 hours a week. Maybe one day you'll have a shorter day but then you've got to work longer an other day to make up for it

That awkward moment when they casually start talking about tax evesion and your Swedish soc-dem heart starts racing in anger.

Nah, I need my winter too. I couldn't stand it if it was hot all the time here lol. I need seasons and change thank you very much 😜

I've lived and worked in Sweden for over 10 years now (from the USA). But I will only comment on a few insights over the years that I think are vital to be happy and understand the culture. 1. Swedes aren't anywhere near as closed off and reserved as people say. If you speak Swedish, you will quickly see how often people joke, comment & small talk in public etc. 2. There are enormous differences between north/middle/south of Sweden and even larger differences between people living in cities vs in the countryside/outside of town. I've lived in both now and can say that countryside living is really not that far off from countryside living in North Carolina. Neighbors are chatty, helpful, and not at all reserved. 3. Sweden is FAR MORE capitalistic than the world thinks they are, look it up. It's a very open market with very little regulation on wages etc. In fact there is no min. wage here. So I think so many large businesses coming from Sweden has very little to do with the weather and mostly to do with how businesses are able to function. Starting and running a small business is incredibly easy here-I literally did all of it from my laptop in a few minutes.

Hygge is the danish version of the swedish word mys, for example fredagsmys. Yes, it is correct, it can be with your boyfriend/girlfriend or it can with your girl squad. No, hygge is not partying. Fika is absolutely not taking beer with your friends.

I live in the north of sweden (Kiruna) and I’d highly recommend everyone to come here and see the midnight sun! Also Björkliden/Abisko is very beautiful, especially at night! 🥰

6 hours working day in Sweden??? I’d be so lucky! 😂😂😂 No, normal working day in Sweden equals 8 hours, and there are tons of us working more than that.

we don't have 6- hours workday. Swedish people work 8-5.

How can the salery be lower here when even the shittiest work here give you a descent life? No the salery even after tax is higher here than in the US for normal work. But yeah, if you only take high educational work in mind. Then yes you get better paid in the US. But any working Swede can live on what they get from one normal workplace.

Danmark - Hygge Norge - koselig Sverige - Mysig

i heard Luleå, i am satisfied. shoutout from norrland

As a Swede I hate air condition. I'm living in Australia during the last 2 years and whereever I go with air conditioning I start coughing and feel sick. Maybe you get used to it?

Don't forget Max Martin when you talk about Swedish music 😊

with regards to our social circle: Im a swede who moved to Norway with my wife and children some years ago. who do I call at home (sweden)? mom, dad and some of my simblings, (whenever i have had friends be it from childhood/school/work, I left them behind everytime I went to something new and I thinks thats quite common over here) How many new friends did I accuire since comming to Norway? I talk to some at work but never meet them out of work. My wife befriended some neighbours I have to hang out with, but i rather go fish, take photos or stay at home. Norwegians are so similar to us so I don't get bothered if they also want their own space. Due to corona, we've had some restrictions in Norway , nothing much changed in my current life, practicing social distance since birth.

Luleå is almost 8-9h from Stockholm with car

As a dane living in Sweden. Fika is a prolonged coffee break. Often whith something sweet to eat. Hygge in Denmark is something else. It is a state of mind. You can just hang around or do something together. As a child we had "hyggeaften", where we did things together in the family. Building LEGO, baking, cooking the dinner, playing games. Doing things together, not because you have to, but you want to. You can have a "hyggetur" in the city. Just walk around, go to a café, visit a museum, shoping. Doing relaxing things together, just because you want to do it, with just these people, right now.

Fika = short break in the work day marked by coffee and some form of pastry. Hygge = a comfortable/pleasant state of being, maybe with friends, family, or maybe alone.

Intressting talk guys! Regarding high taxes for entreprenours, I would say it is not that simple as you explained it. Corporate tax is very low in sweden in comparison with most other countries. However, there are other costs to take into account.

I know that Sweden and Australia love each other during Eurovision xD

The over friendly waiters in the US is the thing I dislike the most about the country. It just seems (and is) so fake. It kinda even makes me cringe. But all in all I really enjoy the friendliness of the American people, although it can leave you with a shallow feeling.

Normal work hours a week is 37 to 40 hours, no more.... 40 hours is still the standard in Sweden but more and more we are going to 36 hours a week...

I would never say i'm having a fika if its not a fika. Fika is a traditional fika! It can be like a panini or something but it needs a coffee or tea in that case. Fika is definetly not beer haha 🤣 Love your channel though and I love that you love fika 🙌

902km till Luleå från Stockholm... Drygt 9-10h 🤣 men bra chansning 🌷😊

They’re amazed that some Swedes haven’t seen the northern lights... I’m amazed Americans don’t realize we have them in America too. 🤣 Go up north, we can see them even in Minnesota. I am sure they’re prettier there, but they’re still beautiful here!

So Adrian left Finland for Sweden to experience a European country that was open, just when Finland opened up. Ok.

At about 18:00 you are talking about that we do not have the typical 9-5 but with some people like my dad who is a “skolchef” which is the boss of all the principals of all the schools in our region and some months cause we do not have set times he have 7am to 9pm work. I think that people in boss positions get too much work in certain times and too little in other times. I sometimes wish that it was always a 9-5 situation

I just want to say Thank you for this lovely video! ❤️ Sure, there are some misconceptions and wrong statements you’ve made but that’s just your perception of your time here so ignore the negative comments here from frustrated ego-minded people. I’m a swedish woman and I loved this video and to hear your views makes me love and appreciate my home even more. THANK YOU! 🙏🏼

Jag älskar sverige. Dalarna det är de bestas for mig :) (I'm still learning swedish so I apologize any grammar mistakes)

If you want to compare skandinavian culture., especially Swedish, we have more common with Japanese culture than american. We do not look strangers in the eye, we try to be diplomatic, do not were shoes in my home if it's not a official meeting etc ;)

My grandma is too much. Fika after breakfast, fika after lunch and fika after dinner....

Swedish work hours are generally 7-16 for smaller (one shift) industries (basically "verkstadstider"), hospital day shifts and similiar. 8-17 is mostly offices hours and a standard Swedish work week is 40 hours.

I so agree with the australian guy about the coldness of us swedes. After backpacking Australia I TOTALLY noticed the same thing, in OZ y'all are SO friendly and sweet from the get go, so easy to make friends! When I moved to Oslo the year after I got depressed bc it was SO hard to make friends and I went in thinking it would be like in Australia, lol (I was young and stupid ok, haha). Will had alot of interesting things to say aswell!

We used to have 6 months of snow 10-15 years ago both in central and southern Sweden so a was not a priority because the summers were never this hot

Lol, my cousin went to Australia and picked up a (soon to be) husband. 😜

You are so right about the Fika, being a mindset, but there needs to be food or coffee/tea involved. Oh, and I'm half danish half Swedish, Hygge and Fika have kind of the same mindset, but hygge doesn't have to involve food or drink. Hygge is many things, its when you read a book with your child, spending a weekend with all your cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents or just being with your closest friends chatting the night away.

Luleå är 100 mil från stockholm :)

Fika can be a lot of different things, but never includes alcohol. 😱🤣 I think due to how Swedish people relate to alcohol, fika and alcohol just doesn't belong together. Fika is for relaxing, and although having an alcoholic beverage might just do that for you, it's not typically the norm, and it's more likely that you're relaxed due to being under the influence of alcohol. Therefore, a completely different ambiance. I miss the typical Swedish fika.

Luleå is more like 8-9 hours by car north of Stockholm. I’m 55, never had a 6 hour workday, 8 hours is the normal.

Just wanted to point out that Sweden is raked higher than the USA and Australia when it comes to which country business prefer. Sweden also has the most amount of dollarmillionaires per capita after tax havens IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Sweden also has more billionaires per capita than the Us. In Sweden employers know that thier employees are taken care of by the goverments which makes them more likely to take some risks so that the company can grow. Same with an normal person. Let’s say you want to start a business but you don’t know If your Idea is going to work or not. In Sweden you are more likely to take that risk because of the socialsafteynetwork while in the Us people choose to abandon their Idea because they know that If it faliles they are screwed (poor people of course) . In addition in sweden even poor people can get an education and than fulfill their life dreams. Sweden was also ranked the most innovative country in the world which just proves that the high tages doesn’t stop productivity because of the benefits.

I am a native New Yorker of Middle Eastern descent....being polite to stangers and being welcoming and helpful pervades every part of my culture and how I was raised...being reserved is fine I dont expect everyone to be my best friend but being purposefully unfriendly is insulting to people of my background.

My take on Swedes being reserved: We're not really that reserved and shy. Hell, me and my friends are usually the loudest at a restaurant/movies/and so on. It's more about us being practical, pragmatic, respectful, analytic, and understanding. If we like the situation and people around us we will relax and enjoy, but if we don't like something... yeah, good luck to get us to relax and enjoy. 😅😝

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_model. That's the reason why life in sweden and other nordic countries is much better. It's a hybrid of capitalism and socialism, sadly in the U.S it's all about the hustle and money. (Turbo-Capitalism) You guys should read some Karl Marx maybe.

I'm not sure if us being "closed off" has got anything to do with the weather. We just like our own privacy, and respect others'. If someone comes up to us and starts talking, we might think that person is weird. Why would they come up and disrespect my privacy? The truth is though, if I didn't want to be on my own, I'd be most likely to have made plans with someone, so if I am on my own, I want to be on my own. The problem is you never know how long the conversations will last, and then you're stuck thinking about how to politely get out of the conversation. I remember waiting at bus stops and always worry about meeting someone and having to talk. 🤷‍♀️ However, when you do get to know a Swede, they are very friendly.

Hi stefan, please have you been to trolhatton ? Would like your take on the small city. I just got admitted in to the university of west. Would not mind your view. Thank you.

Swedes should open up more in general I think. Create a more positive enviroment. Not that you have to take home a totally unknown person after meeting them in the subway but just look at people and realize they are there with you. I remember taking a long walk last summer. After walking for perhaps an hour I saw a beautiful girl walking her dog across a big open green area. I thought there was NO WAY she even notice I was there. But she did notice me, smiled and even said hello. Just that little thing did light my day and I guess many Swedes are pretty lonely and a thing a simple as that could make a difference in someones life. I realize you can't live in a big city and greet everyone and try to be everyones friend but just that constant looking down your phone, looking straight ahead make the enviroment around so cold. Sure. You are not going to like everyone and some could be dangerous (stalkers or such) but most people will just smile back and think "Hey, he/she seemed nice". Don't think to much - Just do it!

Anledningen till att vi inte är högljudda är att vi är uppfostrade att ta hänsyn till andra och inte störa folk runt omkring. Det har ingenting med blyghet att göra. :)

Hey guys! Where did you get the 6 hour work day from? I don’t know a single person working for 6 hours? Maybe if they work part time. A full time work day is 8+ hours. Especially if you’re a preschool teacher/school teacher and a lot of other professions, we’ll be rocking 8-9 hours at work only to some days a month follow that up with 2+hours of meetings etc. Please get your facts straight. 🤗 I enjoyed the discussion and comparison about how we are, cause being a swede travelling in the US can be mentally exhausting. ”Y’all talk too much”. Yup. I felt like swedes/americans were total opposites, but then when I travelled to South Korea - I felt more at ease. Even if we’re different in a lot of ways, we have several similar cultural aspects; like removing our shoes before we enter houses, we’re respectful and reserved etc. 🙏🏼 And Fika is literally a glorified coffee break. If someone brings alcohol to a fika, they’re an alcoholic. 😂 Going out for drinks is a totally different thing. Enjoy your stay in Sweden!

Working time in Sweden is 40 hours, Denmark 37 hours.

Spiders in Australia are more common in the country than in cities. I hardly saw a spider living in Melbourne CBD.

The not being too loud is about respecting other people in the restaurant for instance, respecting their need for privacy and not needing to hear your conversation. If you're happy and enjoying yourself that is great and you should do that but don't do it so loud you're disturbing someone else's day and meal. It's hilarious to see you talk heat and summer because when we in the north complain about sweating and it being too hot no one gets it. lol

The Americans let the mouth go without having anything to say, as the mouth acts by itself without connection to the brain. They say a lot that they do not mean, but only because they are terrified of the silence.

Swedish metal music is pretty good :)

Omg the guy to the right. I’m swedish but stuck in Sydney Australia... I’m trying to get home. No luck so far.... missing my country. But btw Finland isn’t a Scandinavian country!

I'm not so sure we're all that reserved, but you are all English speakers, and it could be that a lot of people here in the Nordic countries are uncomfortable in having a conversation in English, so to avoid the risk of that happening, they avoid contact with people they hear use English.

Come to Australia! I live in Sydney. If you go walking in the Australian outback, yeah sure, you may find a reptile or an insect. But in the cities, you do NOT see reptiles & spiders on a daily basis. That's a ridiculous assumption. I've lived here pretty much all my life. I've only seen a live 'red back spider' once (& I'm middle aged). In the summer, I've seen the odd non dangerous 'tree spider' or a 'huntsman' here & there, but not regularly. In terms of reptiles, besides the tiny backyard skinks who are scared of people, I have rarely seen any reptile on the loose; maybe a bigger lizard-type twice in my whole life. So, please do not worry about these creatures. Most buildings, houses & tourist accommodations are pest controlled yearly. & you will definitely NOT see any of this in the central business districts.

I think one reason why people in Sweden are more reserved its because we usually have the same friends from a young age. Children that start school usually go with the same friends from kindergarden and we continue to join those friends in many years. We also learn in a young age to respect other people. PS I love our four seasons. I could NEVER live in a country that is hot all year around. The cold and dark winter makes you appreciate spring and summer more.

Why is trust so prevalent in Sweden because Sweden used to be really hard g place to live in, it developed because of survival

So in conclusion. Extroverts should move to hot places and introverts move north. lol

Nope 8 hour workdays are standard in Sweden, though depending on the company stance on fika breaks that can often mean 7-7.5 hours of actual work. As for the whole Hygge-Fika comparison, they are very different though you are right in saying that the mentality is the same, Fika is very specific to taking a coffee break

Swedish neuroatypical here. I talk too much, I feel too much and too little. I prefer people respecting me, and my choices.

I mean, you say the pay in Sweden is lower than in the US, yet I've never met a Swede who has to work 3 jobs and still barely be able to make ends meet.

I live in Luleå at the moment, and yeah, the winters are extremely dark over here - the sun can rise as late as like 9-10 AM or something, and then set at around 1-2 PM. It can be tough sometimes, but I decided that I might as well try to learn to enjoy the darkness, like this cozy part of the day with pretty stars in the sky etc, haha.

One winter when we drove up to our relatives when i was a teenager we drove under the northern lights for 5 hours that night.

Now youre getting really Swedish talking about lagom summer weather 😉

Speaking of healthcare , last time I spent time at a hospital in sweden, they sent the bloodtests to australia, got the results the day after.

I live in Luleå. If you want to travel here some time and wants to see the northen lights, the midnight sun and so on. Send me a message.

I met an Australian girl when I was down under.. So I was the one moving... lol.. I eventually moved back, but I agree.. I met way more Canadians than Americans down under, and a lot of Germans. :)

Taxes are insane. But we dont pay tax everytime we go to the store...

Super interesting, I'm swedish but I've never seen the midsummer sun or the northern light (just i little glimpse of it in Sunne Värmland (where I come from). Which you said, it's kind of weird. Thank you - that will absolutely be on my "before I die list"!🤗 Why we are so productive can actually be just because of the "socialbidrag". I read an article about it, and worries steal a lot of capacity from your productivity. It also (temporarily) lowers IQ, so problem solving becomes more difficult. As a swedish employee, it's also a lot more ok here with faliures compared to many other countries. Which paradoxically leads to less failures. Again - worries... But definitely pros and cons in all three countries. Never traveled to the US or Australia but I would love to!

I think this fika is a thing in most of Europe. French also has this coffee break thing. European knows how to take a break and come refreashed back to work. The Spanish even has siesta. Many other cultures outside Europe also knows how to relax in between.

Thanks for you interesting and fun youtube channel Stefan. Kulturskolan (former Musikskolan) is a subsidized institution giving Swedes great opportunities to learn instruments, sing and dance at an early age. Kulturskolan has a long history and is a major factor to why Swedes produce so much music per capita. Best Regards, Harriet

Swedes are not more shy then other people I think. Im an outgoing person with no problem what so ever to talk to people I do not know. And most of my friends are the same. But. I like my personal space and time. I have shit to do, things to think about, places to go, people to see.. I dont like/have time for random people (99% men) coming to talk to me about shit Im not intersted in. Small talk is not my thing. I HATE when Im in the middle of an awsome podcast waking/on the buss ect and I have to stop listening becous a random dud wants a chat. That is my "me time". I want to be alone with my thougts/podcast/audiobook/whatever. At night, if Im out in a bar thats different. Thats "socialtime". I made an active choise to go somewhere to meet people, hang out and be social. Then I like talking to people. But keep your distens when Im going from point A to point B. Hahaha. Its a sighn of respect in nordic countrys not to be in peoples faces all of the time. We like beeing alone for a bit and keep to our selfs and just chilling without constent chit chat 🙂

The distance Norrköping - Luleå is about 11 hours, not 5 hours ;)

This was soo interesting!! Väldigt underhållande video 😁 (have relatives in Australia so i guess the aussie-part catch my attention a bit) 😝

Luleå is basicly 1000km from Stockholm so it takes about 10 hours to drive there 5 hours will take you to Sundsvall

Scandinavians will be scandinavians no matter where we are ;) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_nice en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Freeze

luleå if you want se the northen light. Dalarna is not that north. 10 hour car drive from stockholm to luleå. 45 minutes by plane. northen light is best in winter time and its have a sound too, sparkling sound. Like ski then go to Hemavan or Riksgränsen (this is the very northen part, 16 hour drive to) there you can se the northen light and in the same time ski downhill or countryside. Summertime Piteå havsbad is a good trip then go home to stockholm passes Högakustenbron is a beutiful countryside.

First of, I think it would be a good idea to experience more than Stockholm to do a comparison, take a village somewhere and see how things are :) Really enjoy videos like this though! I like that we have different weather and seasons, but I hate the darkness and it makes me weather depressed.. Fika is not having a beer.. Fika is still about taking a break, and it doesn't have to be coffee and cinnamon rolls.. but, it's still about a drink like coffee/tea/coca-cola and then like a pastry or a small sandwich. It's great and I don't understand how people don't have this everywhere. We do not have 6-hour workdays, but we wish we had, I don't know anyone that only work 6 hours, we still have our 40 hours per week as the normal time. We're not closed off or shy, it isn't our norm to just go up to strangers and talk to people. Same as sitting next to people on the bus, we don't like it because it's not our thing. Just very different cultures, Sweden and England are more alike in that sense. But I do think it is something about the weather since Spanish people are more open and talking to people and they have warmer days all year around. Don't forget Ludwig Göransson and Max Martin for music producers...

Businesses have a shit ton of loopholes to skip the taxes while the regular hard worker has none. I couldn’t possible feel sorry for an entrepreneur when the differences between the workers and the entrepreneurs have grown exponentially for the past 40 years. It’s time we take back the welfare state from the bourgeoisie. It’s time for solidarity 🚩

The reserved-thing is true. I think it has a lot to do with expectation. During the day people don’t expect others to be open so when someone suddenly talks to you it can feel like they want something dishonest. But it’s not always true. If someone asks something concrete, like the way, the time or recommendations I think most people happily help. Also, we have the picture of russians as rude and non-social, haha. Probably not true though. I’ve never been there. :)

Fav youtubers in one screen❤️

Excellent observations as usual in Stefan’s videos. A bit disappointed in the inaccurate tax evasion discussion. As others have commented, it is generally considered highly immoral to evade local taxes. I personally see it as theft. If you spend 180 days per year (or employ people) in Sweden, then you pay taxes in Sweden. No legal way around that. Nor should there be.

The United States are 1 of only 7 countries in the United Nations that do not require employers to provide paid time off for new parents. In Sweden, couples are entitled to 480 days (70 weeks/16 months) of full paid parental leave, and this time can be shared between parents

There’s a saying (Sweden is the overly perfect big brother, Denmark is the drunk funnier little brother, Norway is the nicest little sister and Finland is the re***ed cousin) It's like sibling rivalry but we love each other and if anyone else picks on one of us than we stand together! The biggest rivalry is in sports.

14:25 that's because "hygglig" doesn't mean the same in Danish as it does in Swedish. Hygglig is "behaglig" in Swedish which is more like "pleasant".

It’s flattering to hear you discuss this.. ☺️ Tell me, do you know if there are any communities in Sthlm for people coming from English speaking countries? I am Swedish but I like you people better than Swedes ♥️🌟

I guess we´re not that used to random ppl coming up and start talking to us, and yes, you are loud at restaurants, which can seem a little disrespectful to all the other costumers, being more quiet and sticking to your own group is a way of respecting others that might just want a quiet dinner (or lunch) with their family or friends, however, I can agree on that we kinda are too quiet and closed off at times. With that said, personally, I´m open to chat and maybe make a new friend when someone comes up like that, I´m always interested in ppls stories, where they come from, why they came here, who they are as a person, the only turn off is when someone is too loud and kinda pushy, that´s just my personal opinion tho, I´m Autistic, so I can´t really deal with loud ppl in general. I find us Swedish ppl are somewhat reserved, not only towards ppl from other countries, but towards other Sweeds too, but I think that our new generations are beginning to open up more. Oh, and if you go 5h up, by car, you´ll only get to the Sundsvall area ;) maybe Härnösand if you have a heavy foot lol if you take a plane tho, then you can get to Umeå pretty fast. By car it´s about a 7h drive from Stockholm.... You should REALLY take a weekend and go see the northern lights!!! it´s beyond beautiful!

As a swede i have moved alot along the country, starting in Stockholm where i was born, then Gothenburg for 1 month, then Luleå for about 6 months and now a new city near Dalarna. Luleå was so nice, thats were I was northern lights for the first time! And my new city, wow its perfect!

We don't work 6 hours a day as a rule.Sweden has 40 hours a week as a standard. If you just had a child sometimes the mother work 6 hour days when they start working again. Otherwise it's really just people who can afford it that choose to work 6 hours a day.

Yeah, I believe that the Ozzie-guy is on to something. I'm a native Swede, and my thinking about us Scandinavians being so reserved - I'm convinced it's THE WEATHER! I've noticed this 'behavior' in myself: whenever it's summertime, or when I've been on vacation to Australia, Portugal or any 'sunnier' place - I always feel happier and more sociable. Sure - we might still have the cultural thing of being kind of 'quiet', and perhaps also more reserved in general - but socially we open up a lot more whenever the sun is shining!