Tag Archives: Culture
The Wash Post Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 25, 2008
I am still away and still receiving calls for help from my dearly beloved. Last night it was the wash that required five urgent phone calls to get my urgent attention. We don’t own a washing machine. Actually, our apartment is not even set up for one. Instead, there is something in our building called…
The Diary of Dairy Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 23, 2008
I am out of town for a while, actually I’m out of Sweden for a week, and I’ve been gone for only one day and my dearly beloved already managed to call me four times. “I need milk,” he says, “I’m at the store and I don’t know what kind of milk to buy.” Errr……
Hej Kära Peter! Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 19, 2008
Peter’s comment on the post below made me think. I don’t write that many letters in Swedish. In fact, I don’t write that many letters in whatever language – I’m probably the world’s worst correspondent, as my friends no doubt can tell you. So, in order to properly answer Peter’s question I had to dig…
Jante Something or the Other Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 4, 2008
Sooner or later when you write about Sweden you will have to address the topics of “lagom” and “Jantelagen” and I’ve been mulling over how long I can practice avoidance and not talk about them. Why? Because I don’t know what the big deal is all about. Really. Two goofy phrases that supposedly “define” the…
Stick It To The System(et) Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 21, 2008
So, I’m half way through this Bill Bryson book “Neither Here Nor There” about his travels in Europe, and it is really interesting to read his observations about Sweden. With some of them I disagree (he thinks that driving even during sunny days with the headlights on is stupid) and with some I totally agree…
Swedish Customer Service Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 17, 2008
Few topics can fire up an expat living in Sweden as much as “Swedish customer service.” Or not even an expat. Swedes, who lived abroad for an extended period of time, like to discuss it, too. Really, it’s one of those ever-green subjects that can go on forever. And just what is it about the…
A Little Bit About Greta Garbo Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 2, 2008
I had to go to Stockholm recently to take care of some very boring business. But because I arrived there about 5 hours before my meeting, I decided to visit Skogskyrkogården – the Woodland Cemetery. Why? It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and if that’s not enough for you, then Greta Garbo is buried there…