Here you get to know REALLY much about swedes

WORDS:

* Associations

* Death:

"Suicidal Sweden" is a myth.

The swedish church is "liberal".

* Drinking:

"Fika" is a swedish word.

Swedes are NOT moderate drinkers and alcohol is romantized in general.

Systembolaget, called "Bolaget", is the alcohol monopoly operated by the system.

* Dull

* Empty

* Entertainment:

Swedes read a lot of detective fiction.

If you are a real sucker for Sweden (a couple of my readers are), see Stockholm movies without knowing the language just to SEE them.

Swedish comedy is relatively brutal.

"Chilly" Sweden may have produced one of the most emotional artist and fans in international music history (and can do it again)...

...but the biggest majority listen to Bruce Springsteen (and Ulf Lundell).

Those who are so rural that they actually turn out to be in minority, may very well listen and dance to dansband music, the scandinavian answer to american country.

* Even

* Everyone

* Family:

A recent history of only two national tv channels has contributed to the swedish nuclear-family phenomenon of domestic "cosy evenings".

Swedish peoples' close relationships may be closer than you think - see how we do it in the different lovelife fields.

Swedish men think it's manly dare being traditionally unmanly, and loads of Stockholm men pushing babystrollers in the street (on their long parental leave) reflect that.

* Fashion:

Sunglasses both feel and don't feel swedish.

Sweden's eurotrash rate is pretty low.

* Fear

* Global or local thinking:

Swedes mix up and really don't know much about the differences between Slovakia and Slovenia, and it's pretty much the same as when americans refer to Sweden as Switzerland.

Sweden is an extreme place, although many swedes tend to think that it is "lagom" ("moderate").

The english language is everywhere in the public sphere and in web communication, but swedes aren't as good at english as they think.

In many ways Sweden have much of "village mentality".

Are swedes nationalistic - yes or no?.

Maybe swedes think their country is more "default" than other people think about their homes.

Like the rest of Europe, swedes don't see themselves as europeans, only as swedes.

Swedes don't call themselves scandinavians.

* Good.

* Homogeneous

* Modern

* Perfectionism

* Politics:

It's a myth that you "don't have to work" in Sweden.

A "fritidsgård" is a public-funded teenage hangout place, with adults employed as "hosts".

Swedes often choose the "progressive", as the political elite suggests, but here are exceptions.

The swedish softness on crime and the laidback european way of ignoring minor offences can be named by the expression "freedom under responsibility".

The debate on the wiretapping FRA law was an example of swedish unswedishness.

Stats on how much various swedish public sector workers made in 2008.

The ayatollas of the Stockholm Beauty Council are guarding over the city.

Political Feminism has replaced The Swedish Sin.

The politically run public service media company SVT has created an entire radio channel for non-white "immigrant" youth in the ghettoes.

Swedes are homogeneous people in a society that officially encourages and arrange heterogeneity.

"Swedish socialism" is actually social democracy, and this text about the party - The Movement - is also a text about our political history.

Short info on the swedish government and all the parliament parties.

High salaries and high taxes result in high prices.

Big-city people are more "blue" (pro-small government) than rural people.

* Rude

* Socializing:

There are reasons being suspicious over a swedish guy claiming to be a "fan" of an english football club, since he may just "be" it to get excuses to join in at the "male talk" among his buddies, or at his workplace.

The mentality expressed in this seemingly jackass Facebook group actually gives a clue to why swedish civil courage is underdeveloped.

Swedes are extremely interested in interior decoration.

"Hej" and "tack" - the only social phrases you may need to use - are kind of as far as possible from the southern-european cheek-kisses.

"The whole" country gather anonymously at the Flashback web forum to discuss taboo-kind of topics.

Swedes don't know their neighbours - checking the peephole before exiting your apartment, as to avoid having to chit-chat with them - is common practice.

After-work gangs play brännboll (like baseball) and kubb (like boule) in green spaces in summertime.

Swedes talk about "swedes" and "immigrants" instead of different races.

The historically strong Jante Law is fading - it is more and more ok to brag (or just being objective) about your own success.

Stockholmers have longer stop-and-chats than rural swedes.

Swedes socialize within the non-profit associations called "föreningar".

In Sweden you don't talk about money.

The alternative people-fear of being called pretentious, serious or elitists.

Few defend "the average swede".

The domestic long-distance trains have quiet sections.

Stockholmers look at nothing while riding the subway.

Behaving "unswedish" is considered a good thing in Sweden.

* Trends

* Voice:

The native Stockholm accent is "flat", and the swedish relocaters make it even more flat by creating an elitistic type of non-accent.

* Work:

Swedes don't know very much about the east asian hi-tech competence boom.

The flat organisation style rules in swedish companies.