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

[@deakeller]

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.

[@deakeller]

Forgot to mention that Stockholm is very different from most of Sweden when it comes to interacting with strangers. Most other places, even large cities like Gothenburg, have a different atmosphere and people there are usually more comfortable interacting with strangers. Stockholm can be a small culture shock even for Swedes :)

[@jennye8833]

Hmm i always say ”sorry” when accidently bumping in people and most people say sorry back 🤔 in sweden

[@robin2thek]

Andrea Keller I’m Swedish. What you are saying is correct. 100%

[@martah5369]

@@deakeller You are right. About 15 years ago, in Stockholm they were having the rule "stand to the right, walk to the left" for escalators. I thought it was so cold! Why wouldn't they just say ursäkta? A few years later the rule came to Skåne as well and now it's very normal.

[@carlkolthoff5402]

Totally agree Andrea! Often when I hear visitors complaining about the cold, reserved anti-social swedes I'm thinking: "Oh, so you visited Stockholm only?"

[@plutopingvin454]

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.

[@tetea7257]

So fika have to be a break from work? Can't you also do it in weekends?

[@sprinklesandwrinkles]

@@tetea7257 no. It doesn't have to be a break from work. But very often a break from what you're doing. If you get company, you will most likely take a fika break and serve some coffee to go with your conversion.

[@tetea7257]

@@sprinklesandwrinkles Does cake have to be there or is just coffee also fika?

[@sprinklesandwrinkles]

@@tetea7257 very often theres cookies, crackers, biscuits, cakes, pastry, buns etc. In workplaces theres usually a tin of gingerbread cookies for example on the designated fika table. But you could technically have a fika with just a cup of coffee or tea. Children will usually have a sweet beverage at a fika gathering. Most swedes will have fika 2-3 times a day.

[@sprinklesandwrinkles]

@@tetea7257 if i had just coffee by myself, i would not call it fika. But if i had company, i probably would. If i was slone and i had coffee and a cookie, i would call it fika. If that makes sense.

[@runecanberger913]

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!

[@owo1744]

Problem with Swedish taxes is that it's difficult for a person to save up money, to, let's say, buy a new car, that costs 50k-ish euros, without having to take a bank loan, especially with the fact that if you amass a certain amount of money, you'll need to pay even more taxes. Also, I'd count giving tax money away to other countries and helping hundreds of thousands of immigrants that should be relocated to another country, corruption, when it could be used to increase the pay for doctors, nurses and teachers, which is an actual problem FOR SWEDEN right now.

[@robin2thek]

Wilhelm Stenvall you should have a surgery in the USA. And then talk about cars...

[@ninofakurlaif5455]

@@owo1744 All the good things that the taxes gives you tho shouldnt hinder u from getting a good job that allows u to save money for a car. For example the CSN student loans have low rates and give u alot of time to pay it. CSN being a government agency is funded by taxes. A 50 000€ car is pretty ambitious but on the other hand Sweden makes alot of things free for the public and also from the beginning giving equal and good conditions for its citizens to achieve any ambitions or dreams. Thanks to high taxes. We still have alot of problems to adress and immigration and enviroment and healthcare are one of the biggest problems to adress for us but thanks to the infrastructure we have built a good foundation to be able to tackle any issue. Coming to Sweden from Peru, I and like the great majority of immigrants, are very grateful for the opportunities given here in Sweden and I gladly pay my taxes to support our great nation.

[@Zandman26]

@@ninofakurlaif5455 Yeah, the only thing when it comes to taxes that I'm somewhat against is the burden it brings to small businesses

[@ninofakurlaif5455]

@@owo1744 CSN IS A SCAM KEKW

[@jsvensson8234]

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!

[@jaquelinemccarvill8233]

This is great to know. I hope to move to sweden and open a business and I was worried about how things are for an entrepreneur there. Thank you!

[@ash3rr]

People say the only way to get ahead in Sweden is to be self employed. If you are an employee you are supporting everyone else, self employed tax is only 20% and you get access to all the same benefits

[@nadjajasmine7297]

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

[@bjoardar]

It was an experiment that went on for some months and it got world wide media attention. That's probably where the misunderstanding comes from. The result was that the staff felt a lot better, the amount of sick leave dropped drastically, but in the end, the cost was too high so the experiment was discontinued.

[@Dinstyvmorsa8539]

@@bjoardar Exactly! If I remember correct it was tried in Mölndal, and it was in some elderly care home. With quite good results, but never implemented after the trial period.

[@jsvensson8234]

@@bjoardar But that was only in one work place. The experiment was only done large scale in one single place (some part of a hospital in Gothenburg I think but don't quote me on that). Talk about bowing things out of proportion. Most Swedes havn't even heard of it and now all the rest of the world thinks it's a permanent thing? 🤔

[@Ellie-jw3mr]

Working in IT our company is trying it out. It's really great for productivity.

[@denniskarlsson444]

Work in company that makes rearaxels for Volvo here in Sweden. Depends what shift u have. Night shift is 7ish hours but we don't have payed lunch break so basically 6 hours 23:00-05:48

[@AriAhokas]

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.

[@wotcherfrida]

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

[@Terraceview]

I worked 60-70 hours in Australia.

[@I_am_right_tho]

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

[@StefanThyron]

But somehow it’s still way cooler

[@eur0be4t3r]

and cookies

[@jageskgalund4949]

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! 🥰

[@andvil01]

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.

[@markstevenson4030]

Was looking for this comment. Bless you Hälsningar från Sverige

[@sandrawinberg7701]

Har aldrig hört talas om ”hygge” men undrar om det skulle kunna översättas till svenskans ”mys”? Det du beskriver som ”hyggeaften” låter lite som våra myskvällar många familjer brukar ha.

[@plutopingvin454]

Sandra Winberg Vi har ett ord för det i Sverige, Hyggeligt. Äldre svenska och används inte så ofta, men det är ett svenskt ord och betyder samma.

[@andvil01]

@@sandrawinberg7701 I "mys" ligger att man varvar ner, tar det lugnt, dimmar ner ljusen. Fredagsmys. Det KAN och gör det ofta i "hygge", men det behöver inte vara det. Närbesläktat iaf.

[@FireAndLightning]

I didn't know that about hygge, thank you for teaching me something new!

[@AmbiCahira]

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.

[@shumaticrevolution]

If someone approaches me like that I am ready to fight, not what I thought I would be doing but oh well. I also start thinking about cancelling all my appointments.

[@jsvensson8234]

So true.

[@NedransVikingar]

My mind goes to "leave me alone, I don't like being social with people -- it doesn't give me anything. I'd rather be at home right now. I wish I could skip whatever I'm going to right now and just go back home. I'm tired" but the person talking to me would think that I'm a typically Swede that doesn't want to talk because I am afraid of being robbed or something.

[@gollese]

@@NedransVikingar Yeah, so true.

[@G0LD.]

@@NedransVikingar whats the difference? 😂

[@sannaolsson9106]

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 😜

[@Mrvanderspank]

The cold makes us appreciate the warmth!

[@tazmosdahaba1611]

swedish winters sucks but it´s not because of the cold weather it is because of the depressing darkness specially if it is gray rainy and windy winter without snow. I always leave in the winter if I can afford it and there is no freeking corona bullshit.

[@gollese]

@@tazmosdahaba1611 I only get depressed if the weather is grey in winter, somehow adapted to the dark, i kinda like it when it gets dark at 16:00.

[@martah5369]

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

[@I_am_right_tho]

Marta Holgersson ofc it is. Living in Sweden and utilizing the country and not paying taxes to help the country that provide for you? Very immoral indeed

[@tetea7257]

It's illegal in Denmark. Several campany owners have gotten HUGE tiggets for this and I think also jail.

[@martah5369]

I was just trying to shame them lagom for suggesting it 🤷‍♀️

[@jsvensson8234]

So, use all the benefits and then scam the provider? I'm so not with you on this one. It's so weird cos Stefan you and your friends come of as very friendly and caring guys, but then the subject of taxes comes up and it's like y'all lose your minds. Everyone just does a 180 and starts thinking like a self centred moocher. "How can I get me a free lunch?" kinda thing... There are no free lunches!!! If you really think about it, it's stealing, plain and simple. You use all the benefits we buy collectively, through our taxes, but then you want to sneak of and leave the rest of us to pick up the tab? And all that "self made" BS some people bring up. There is no such thing! I have three companies that I all started from scratch. Am I self made? Hell No! All of my employees are well educated. Who payed for their schooling? Not me! Where would I be without them? Nowhere! And that's just one tiny aspect. There are countless more. Well managed taxes are awesome. Let's celebrate them, not berate them. Yeyyy Taxes 💕

[@zpokie123]

@@jsvensson8234 yeah i also love taxes but i am discusted when we send them to other countries as aid in the billions. And the. Close down hospitals or care homes because we have no money. Or undersköterskor getting super low salerys. Taxes should go 100 % back to the country that paid them.

[@KungKokkos]

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

[@Sara-tk6rt]

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.

[@SuperMarkusparkus]

Fika can be beers

[@sarawarlestedt7242]

superkrabban no it can’t

[@SuperMarkusparkus]

@@sarawarlestedt7242 sure it can. Ive had fika with beer.

[@Sara-tk6rt]

superkrabban then it is just ”barhäng”, ”ta en öl med en kompis” and if it is with your co-workers then it is AW (prononce AV swedish letters)

[@SuperMarkusparkus]

@@Sara-tk6rt fika is kind of loosely defined so it can definitely fit also when beers are involved. a fika doesn't stop being a fika if somebody drinks a beer.

[@neyvonswe]

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.

[@1weirdsister]

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.

[@lottalarsson4121]

Fika can be for hours when you're not working.

[@fredyyfredfreddy]

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

[@fredyyfredfreddy]

@@ThunderboltDragon Yes that is true.

[@neonsvampen1]

Depends if you got a full time or part time

[@alexstromberg7696]

Eller 7-4

[@Carro501]

Naeira K Men så är det ju överallt?!

[@ericanoren5212]

Jag jobbade 6-15.00 😅

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?

And 'fika' doesn't include beer. It's not a state of mind (like the Danish 'hygge'), it's something one does (including coffee, tea, sweet pastry, normally).

[@xein89]

Agreed. Honestly a bit sick of hearing people constantly whine over our taxes. I mean, most people who live here don’t even notice the damn tax anyway because the tax is pulled before our salary gets put in our bank accounts. So long as we get the salary our contracts promise us who gives a shit anyway? I mean, it’s not like we don’t get a pretty penny every April from tax returns like a pretty and juicy bonus each year. I mean, I got 14k Swedish crowns from tax returns and I felt like I’d done fuck all to earn them from my part time job. Was grinning for a week straight after I got that letter. People are so ungrateful it’s unreal.

[@jsvensson8234]

I think the mindset on taxes is different. Swedes se taxes as payment for social benifits bought collectively (which they are!). Foreigners, that are used to paying for more of that stuff out of pocket, forget to calculate those things they no longer have to pay for individually, and just see the taxes as a deduction from their pay. If you take your US-pay and deduct the real cost of all those things you have to pay for out of pocket in the US, you quickly realise that you end up with more 💵 in Sweden than in the US...

[@adamsjoberrg]

It's a very odd debate. If you're debating those things, for the american side you should include costs för insurance, medical care, daycare, school, school lunch, lost payment from parental leave, free work weeks etc. I'm pretty sure in the end it isn't more expensive. I'd even wager a swedish family of four with 2 salaries and 2 kids would have more % of their income left after taxes is paid than an american one, IF the standard of living and safety would be on the same level.

[@demonlordd9079]

I think you guys might be a bit extreme. It's okay to not like something but still think it's ultimately for the better. As well as pointing out the problems with it. They're simply discussing the negative side of the welfare system, not saying tear it so down like you seem to be saying

[@Astronic]

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?

[@Terraceview]

Nope, you don't. I hate living in aircon and much rather live in a cooler climate like Sweden.

[@HannaTh80]

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

[@marielleo86]

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! 🙏🏼

[@donkeycat4010]

i heard Luleå, i am satisfied. shoutout from norrland

[@cbx360]

I agree

[@viktor821]

Norrbotten represent

[@Chihiro33333]

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.

[@carlwallback6209]

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.

[@historie123]

Danmark - Hygge Norge - koselig Sverige - Mysig

[@bjoardar]

This. It's a "feel good" time.

[@SusannaCaleklint]

Fredagsmys 😁

[@pernilleroos5453]

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.

[@Malfashoud]

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

[@michaelafischer6177]

Aussie in Sweden (2/3 of the time. I have a Swedish partner). I don't understand this at all. We have roughly the same system, and you pay tax to receive it. We even have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Sweden that allows citizens of each nation to receive free universal healthcare within the other (while on any form of tourist visa or permit). Anyway, tax evasion makes me wanna scream. You only get these systems (and you should get them) because you and the nation at large pay for them *through tax*!

[@Sannive]

Jag reagerade på det jag med ...

[@ThunderboltDragon]

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.

[@MRJEP70]

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...

[@martah5369]

It is true however that in some jobs if you do what your tasks are and work faster than expected, you can be more flexible with the hours.

[@MRJEP70]

Marta Holgersson But still its normal... 😊 people need the freetime too! Working faster and faster its not the key, all people diserve to live and enjoy!!! All!!! 🙏😊

[@TullaRask]

In Norway normal work week is 37,5 hours.

[@masterx145]

Luleå is almost 8-9h from Stockholm with car

[@StefanThyron]

Okay obviously need more help with geography 🤦🏼‍♂️😂

[@Ljorlen]

If you drive for 5 hours from stockholm you would probably end up near höga kusten

[@Melkimund]

@@StefanThyron video idea! Play Geoguesr and try your skill at swedish geography!

[@mackanocj]

Dude, Åre is like 8 hours with a car from stockholm and that’s in the middle of sweden. Luleå is like 16-18 hours from stockholm with car. I know from experience.

[@Ljorlen]

Depends on how fast you drive, traffic and how many stops you make

[@johnnorthtribe]

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.

[@Al-B-n1m]

John Northtribe Ekström Because when you graduate you have to pay for your tittle, education here in US is a business, you make more money but you also have to pay for your diploma and make a living in the same time

[@jsvensson8234]

It was a totally irrelevant comparison as they forgot to calculate in all the things you have to pay for out of pocket in the US. Transportation (no subsedised public transport in most places), health care, child care, education, parental leave, elderly care aso. If you add that stuff in, you have a lot more left over from your earnings in Sweden. We all pay for those things, in Sweden we just pay for them though taxes, which is a much more cost effective way to do it. Much more cost effective! But we all pay...

[@TullaRask]

Yes low pay work in the US wouldn't even pay the shittiest accommodation. Americans often have more than 1 job. That is far more unusual in Scandinavian countries. We have better salaries for "poor" people, while high paying jobs have lower pay. At the same time the gap between rich and poor is lower as a result. It all hangs together.

[@Xamufam]

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

[@vincentivarsson1818]

And that is proof how much the global warming is happening. But if i remember correctly. But on FaceBook did i saw an article about that the northern hemishere are getting hotter and southern hemishpere colder. Not sure if that is true or not tho..

[@michaellust]

Det här var riktigt roligt att se på. Tack för en trevlig stund!

[@siljamickeify]

I must say I think you pretty much nailed it with your analysis! It was fun to watch. I feel proud of my country. I hope we get to keep you guys here for a long time!

[@I_am_right_tho]

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

[@MewDenise]

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

[@Peter_1986]

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.

[@sonjaolofsson2682]

To be honest I kinda like the darkness. There is something about waking up when its dark and missing out on the 1 hour sun because you're working or in school and then going to bed when its dark. All days just kind of like float together and its quite comfy.

[@malin89]

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

[@AdurianJ]

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.

[@harriettornkvist6369]

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

[@neverlandtribe235]

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!

[@annikaoliveskog]

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.

[@vincentivarsson1818]

Couldn't have agreed more on that one Annika. I love all seasons as well, even winter if there is alot of snow and maybe down like -10 degree celcius. And it is also a good thing to have 4 seasons cuz the human body gradully adjust to the temprature, that is if the temprature are slowly rising or lowering week by week that is. In my opinion other wise it can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming if the body isn't used to it.

[@ismaela.6973]

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

[@annikadson]

Not so bad you try is the matter. I not love my land I want to live in UK, AU and/or USA.

[@ismaela.6973]

@@annikadson Thank you for your input :) USA is a little crazy right now, I from chicago btw so sweden is a good place for me

[@captainjex4769]

@@annikadson What about Canada? Where are you from?

[@annikadson]

@@captainjex4769 I'm from Sweden but not all Swedish my mother is from Karelia before WW2 Unfortunately I want to go to the heat. Canada is nice but the winter is like in Sweden and my joints do not like it.

[@delongtsway953]

I’m from Seattle. The places I’m most interested in moving to are Maine, Denmark, or Sweden.

[@jagelskardey]

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!

[@Terraceview]

Australia had gone to complete shit now though, people are also not as friendly anymore after the immoral and violent lockdowns.

[@linn.lonngren]

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

[@linn.lonngren]

And im not a mad sweed after watching 😜

[@michaelafischer6177]

As an Australian in Sweden, I don't understand the Aussie in this video at alllll. He seems like such an American dude-bro.

[@MrPickledede]

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.

[@mariajonsson5499]

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 🙌

[@rebeccamadsen4509]

Jag skulle typ dock kalla det fika om jag går på espresso house o köper en bulle och en snapple så vet inte om kaffet/teet är nödvändigt 🤔🤔

[@mariajonsson5499]

@@rebeccamadsen4509 Absolut! Syftade mer på om man äter något matigare så kan det behövas en kaffe eller te för att det ska kallas fika 😊

[@rebeccamadsen4509]

Maria Jonsson aha du menar så 👍🏼

[@mariajonsson5499]

@@rebeccamadsen4509 Slarvigt skrivet av mig 😅

[@jaes8148]

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.

[@markgee9902]

Your videos are so helpful in one day I learnt more about life in Sweden than that I thought possible. I can't wait to move there in December. Keep up the great content

[@martinostlund1879]

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.

[@7kakan]

About temperature and AC. I think that European people developed their culture around the climate of their area. As example, the south European people developed this "siesta" where they actually pause the day because it's to hot to do anything but instead developed a great evening and night culture. In the Nordic countries, we usually only have to live in super hot weather for like 1-2 weeks a year. No need to invest in AC then. However in America, many North European people moved to the south and stuck with their culture developed for a colder climate, hence the great need for AC-units.

[@Jaws195]

What I like about fika as a swede is that it's not just coffee specifically and not just a cinnamon bun specifically, it often gets translated as such but to accurately translate you'd have to say so many things. It can be coffee, or tea, or hot chocolate, usually a hot drink but it can also be juice or lemonade, and you pair it with something sweet usually, but it's also okay to not eat anything with. There's range and variety. If you ask in english "wanna grab a coffee?" it seems so limited, because, maybe you wanna hang with them but you don't wanna have coffee, and of course you can explain that, but compare it to fika where the choices are implied and fika is more the activity. It's a break that isn't a full meal like breakfast, lunch or dinner. And also not just mellis. I wouldn't agree to your idea that you can call anything fika. Use the word meal if you wanna refer to just anything, but not fika. Fika is a specific thing, but it's got options.

[@TheAustralianHealthShow]

I had a great time as an Australian living in Sweden. Worked at Globen as a stage hand for bands and music events and played Rugby at Arsta faltet.

[@TullaRask]

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.

[@LunarProxy123]

As a swede Fika is just a coffee break but i think tje difference is that workplaces are legally requiered to have it. Its very common in sweden but its basically just a coffee break. If i went to starbucks and bought a latte and a cookie i would call it fika.

[@Terraceview]

In Australia you get 30mins on a 12 hour shift.

[@TullaRask]

@@Terraceview In Norway it's all about unions on both sides of the table negotiating for pay and breaks and everything. Where I've worked we had 30 hour with 8 hours work, while 15 minutes at 6 hours work.

[@Nallebjorn1]

Thanks for al the complements!!

[@Leo-im9oz]

If you are working ”a normal job” then the standard in Sweden is 8h workdays. But alot of tech companys and so on have what we call ”flex” it means that you manage your own time that you work, as long as you get your work done. For example somedays if i’ve worked more one day i might be able to work only a few hours the next day, and so on. Because ive finished my tasks and im ahead in work.

[@Itsmenatthalie]

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!

[@delete2647]

In my experience, those big cities (especially Göteborg och Stockholm) are only good for two things: easy to find a job and lots of parties/messing around. I would never settle there.

[@Itsmenatthalie]

whatever G not even jobs! Very very difficult! I love the smal town/village life! You can see so much more of the actual swedish culture

[@delete2647]

@@Itsmenatthalie Yeah I would agree with you on that one. It's also a less stressful environment you know.

[@PureVikingPowers]

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

[@-42-47]

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

[@linneasyren3340]

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.

[@johannespettersson821]

Väldigt intressant! you make a really good trio and gets a great discussion. Like to see more of these guys!

[@CALLE92JOHANSSON]

Watched this video back to back! Great deep discussion and fun to hear different perspectives from so well-traveled guys. Adding to the last music point. Obligatory music studies in school 1-9 along with the "fritidsgård" music production avalibility (folkhögskola too) makes for an easy way to learn music and play it often, even recording can be cheap for younger people. Must have made wonders for Swedish music output quantity and probably quality too. I wonder if it's as common in other countries that maybe 1/3 of students end up learning to play instruments fairly competently (mostly basics but still) when they're 16-18?

[@mjurakova]

Hi Stefan! Loved the video! I am from Slovakia and I spent 4 months in Sweden during my university studies (exchange student program) and TOTALLY agree with everything you said :D Especially the difference between their behavior during the day and night :D

[@kenji214245]

Personal space is the biggest most important part of Scandinavian culture i would say. You are expected to be very self sufficient here (many live alone) Also i think you don't want to stop a friend and hold them up when out in the cold (likely old behaviour from before big towns). Perhaps they have been outside for a while already. But inside a pub for example you are 1 not busy, also in a warm comfy place. So it's fine to step in and talk. Which has become ingrained in our culture

[@chalphon4907]

So about the Swedish music industry. Sweden is the third largest music producer in the world (not per capita, in TOTAL) after the U.S. and the U.K. Personally I think it has little to do with the outdoor temperature and more to do with the Swedish school curriculum where everyone study music from pre-school till ninth grade. Also, taking music lessons as an extra curicular activity to learn how to properly play an instrument is very cheap because it's subsidized (by the municipal governments most of the time) so most Swedes do that growing up and most Swedes can play something at least a little bit.

[@markleon411]

Winter experiences are what Australian tourists look for when they travel because we just don't experience these things. We have low mountains and some snow but not the kind of alpine or arctic experiences that you can find in northern Europe or Canada.

[@MrZenGuitarist]

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!

[@heureuse8568]

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!

[@pelol1074]

It’s in what sentence you put the word fika that change the meaning of the word. 1. ”Should we take a fika break?” Meaning that you and your friend will take a little snack in between something. So that includes coffe or juice(saft) with some bread or whatever snack you like. 2. ”Should we go grab a fika?” Meaning that you’re going to a fikaplace to sit down with coffe, bread or whatever you choose but in this sentence it can be just a coffee, just a juice or just some bread beacuse it’s a qestion. It dosent mean all togheter, it’s more like ’I can take just coffee and the other person can take it all.’ But if both of you just wanna grab a coffee and you already know that, then you say ”should we go grab a coffee”. 3. ”Im craving for fika right now” Meaning that the word fika only stands for the fika bread and not the other stuff. Fika is the fika bread, juice, sandwich, coffee, soda, chocolate and so on but never alkohol or just the break. It has to be 1,2 or 3 to call it fika😂🥰 Also, remember that fika is when you eat and drink. When you’re taking a break and just drink water it’s a waterbreak. When you’re taking a break and only gonna get coffee its a coffeebreak but the second you put a snack to it, then it becomes fika. Ps. sorry for my bad English! Love your channel

[@racheldelarosa8196]

My husband lives in Denmark and it tripped me out when I visited him for the first time last summer and it was still daylight at 9:00 pm.

[@johnnorthtribe]

Even more higher up like in Stockholm there is light at 11 pm or midnight. And in the very middle of summer the light does not even disappear.

[@gollese]

@@johnnorthtribe Glad we get the dark at 22:30 ish in the summer in the south!

[@sarkastin2783]

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. 😅😝

[@bingo000]

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

[@CharitySharlene]

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!

[@FireAndLightning]

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...

[@ronhan9]

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

[@Noramaja]

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 ;)

[@divinanonadversa]

To make it easy. The first 20 years of your life you just a cost to the country ( Birth,maternity leave,preschool school doctors at no or very low cost) The same your last twenty years.(Health care,pension, maybe some help at home)That means that during the working period of about 40 years you have to give it back to the country (sorry if the spelling is bad)

[@wahaha6961]

Yeah, Stefan. You're in STHLM, right? By car, Dalarna are 5-6 hours west of here - Luleå, try 12 hours..! I can tell you from experience, riding in a car for 12 hours when you are a kid can be a great time. However, if you get bored or impatient, talk about being stuck..! Just gotta wait it out, try to sleep when you're not tired. God forbid it's a hot day when you go, or worse the ac breaks down... Hahaha Usually people take breaks along these roadtrips, but my family just did it all in one go (8 am - 8 pm), like two or three stops for food and bathroom - that was it!

[@fazeennazeer9821]

Fav youtubers in one screen❤️

[@SirIdot]

As an entrepreneur you can pay yourself dividends instead of salary which is taxed at 20-22% depending on type. Although stuff like pension and unemployment benefits are calculated based on salary so it advisable to pay yourself at least some part as salary.

[@rip591]

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

[@rip591]

Working hours per week, of course, not daily.

[@mytube001]

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.

[@drew4021]

The only other place I've lived in for any length of time besides the US is Mexico. And I think your theory is correct, the warmer the climate the more open people are because I found Mexicans to be very open and friendly -much more so than Americans but what I also found was that also applied to people who had relocated there from colder countries.

[@Cikeb]

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

[@TheJonasbz]

Very intresting to listen to youre thoughts about us scandinavians and youre probably right about it, the darkness and the also the distanses between us in the past made us like this

[@MewDenise]

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

[@sina2714]

That's gonna be me when I'm old xD I could do fika all the time xD

[@sonjaolofsson2682]

Taking a cup of coffe after almost every meal is fine, pastry or cookies after every meal might be a bad idea.

[@sina2714]

@@sonjaolofsson2682 Yes true! xD

[@annaconda78]

Before back in the day like 30 yers or more, FIKA was coffee but sometimes with and a bulle (cinnamon bun )or kaka (cookies ) now you can have a juice smoothie acai bowl or coffe) it’s a break from work or at home when people come over it’s fika time, or you meet a friend for a fika but the coffee here is super important here I think we drink the most coffee int he world ( I have heard before) ☕️☕️☕️

[@nettiplett]

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.

[@gucare]

I think the perceived shyness is more about the population density of the Nordic countries than the climate. Sweden has always been quite sparsely populated compared to other countries, such as Brazil, Nigeria or the US.

[@robhobsweden]

Remember that you pay VAT (moms) too, plus other taxes that are not income taxes. For instance energy taxes, climate taxes, car taxes and so on...

[@julia3061]

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 ♥️🌟

[@MatsPhoto]

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

[@Kkardemumma]

I work in Sweden and I would consider a ten-hour day a short work day. The majority are eleven to twelve-hours days.

[@annaisaksson5902]

Swedes do work about 8 hours per day. But we get extra hours from our employer, klämtid in swedish, that we can use when we need to have some time off. These klämtimmar you have to use within the year and if you haven't used them at the end of the year you will get as salary. These hours extra is what, in teori, should be used to work less. I think the number of hours you get varies from employer and what kind of work you do.

[@MrZnarffy]

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. :)

[@JohannesYtterstrom]

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!

[@rebeccamadsen4509]

I think a lot of people think like me :p I'll explain. I rarely say hi to people I pass on the street or in my neighbourhood mostly because 1. I like my space and so I assume others do too and 2. I don't think my day would light up like yours did for a simple hello. Might sounds weird but I just don't see how getting a "hi" or "hello" from a stranger would somehow make my day better. :p and so I assume others think the same and don't say hi back. I kinda also have this thing with "don't say hi unless you want something" but that's just for me :p I sometimes get confused by people who say "hi" or "good morning" and then continue to look at me as if they want to say something more but they never do 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@ros8737]

More than weather, I think the closed mentality relates to population density. Unless there are obvious signals otherwise, you have to assume the do-not-disturb-sign is on. Like a silent agreement where it is expected to be a very good reason, having to bother someone else. Swedes love their space.

[@danielkindstrom2897]

8 hours work day. 1 hour break so we spend 9 hours at work usually monday- Friday

[@guldmedadhd8907]

We don't mostly have 6 hour work day. We mostly have 8 hour workday + 1 hour lunch break. People that work less than 8 hours/day is probably working part time.