I emigrated to Sweden AMA

[FatCatThinCat]

For @SquirrelFan and anyone else with an interest in my very boring life.

Where in Sweden and why?

I'm so jealous. I'd love to move there

@MorningNinja

Where in Sweden and why?

Gothenburg area. Husband is a scientist and was offered a job at the university.

Sweden always comes up when comparing the uk to other countries.
It is said to be cleaner, happier, people are well paid, childcare is amazing from a young age, healthcare is better than ours.
Which of these have you found to be true?

Do you find it super expensive? Do your neighbours hang their duvets out the window to air? (I think I read that was Sweden)

I’d absolutely love to live in Sweden. I went to Stockholm and fell in love with everything about it. I have no questions as we picked the brains of every Swede we met that holiday. I love the social care system they have. I’m very jealous.

What is the swede sense of humour like?

How are you finding the daylight hours?

We went to a wedding and it was so weird being light at midnight :)

Oh I’d LOVE to live in Sweden again (lived there when I was little). Are there any opportunities in finance for English speakers?!!

What industries are thriving in Sweden and what are the in demand jobs?

Is housing fairly priced (in other words, could you buy a property on one reasonable salary that is above the average, but not hugely, or do both parents need to work FT to make ends meet?)

What do you like best about Swedish people/traditions?

Can you speak Swedish? Is it as difficult to "break into" Swedish social circles as I've heard? Or do you hang out with the international academic set?

@alphabeticalabc

Sweden always comes up when comparing the uk to other countries. It is said to be cleaner, happier, people are well paid, childcare is amazing from a young age, healthcare is better than ours. Which of these have you found to be true?

In my experience all of them are true. Although possibly not the well paid bit. My husband's salary isn't that much different to what he'd get in the UK but the cost of housing and childcare is way lower than the UK so he still has more in his pocket at the end of the month.

Are people's daily interactions different to the UK? I'm thinking about:

Body language, gestures, facial expressions
Personal space
Touching/ hugging friends and relatives
Social etiquette - holding doors, making room for others in the pavement, pleases and thank yous; is it like in France where you say "bonjour" when you go into a shop?
Queueing
Public shows of affection with partner (do people hold hands or kiss in public?)
Do young people "hang out" on the street or is that frowned upon?
Attitudes to public drunkenness?
Do people swear?

Etc

Thanks

@JedEye

Do you find it super expensive? Do your neighbours hang their duvets out the window to air? (I think I read that was Sweden)

I think it's expensive to visit but not to live here (although people in Stockholm may disagree). Because some things are more expensive like food and days out. But housing childcare is so much cheaper. For example, we have a 3 bedroom detached house with a massive wrap around garden, which is quite a small property for here, and it cost us approx £50k 10 years ago. That maximum you pay for childcare is around £120 per month, and less for a second child. I had to pay that for 2 days in the UK.

@Taoneusa

What is the swede sense of humour like?

I can't really answer that as I'm not sure I've found yet. They seem to laugh at me quite a lot. There does seem to be quite a bit of 'seaside humour' which I don't particularly like.

Wow! That is amazing!

@FiloPasty

How are you finding the daylight hours?

We went to a wedding and it was so weird being light at midnight :)

We're in the south so it's not such a problem for me. It gets dark early in winter and is a bit gloomy during the day. I'm told it's the same around here as you would get in Scotland. I'd love to go further up north and see what it's like to have 24 hour darkness.

What do you like the most about living there, what do you see as the main downsides?
Can you picture yourself staying forever?
Do you work as well?
What, if anything, do you miss from the UK?

@feesh

Oh I’d LOVE to live in Sweden again (lived there when I was little). Are there any opportunities in finance for English speakers?!!

No idea, sorry.

Do you speak Swedish?

What do you mean by seaside humour?

Can’t believe how cheap the childcare is, thats amazing!

@SmashingBlouson

What industries are thriving in Sweden and what are the in demand jobs?

Is housing fairly priced (in other words, could you buy a property on one reasonable salary that is above the average, but not hugely, or do both parents need to work FT to make ends meet?)

What do you like best about Swedish people/traditions?

We're surrounded by Volvo, there's plants and offices everywhere in this region. Tech is doing well. The most in demand jobs are carpenters (houses are built of wood here), teachers, nurses, care workers etc. Similar to the UK I think.

Outside of the big cities houses are really cheap. Normally both parents work because they want to and childcare is so cheap but you could easily buy a lovely home on one salary. Our 3 bed, detached house cost £50k 10 years ago. Also renting is very different. My DD is a teacher, when she was offered her first job she applied for a council flat in the town where the job was. 6 weeks later she was offered a lovely 2 bedroom flat. Renting from the council is a realistic prospect for anyone who wants to here.

I like the gentleness of the Swedish people the most. It's really opened my eyes to how aggressive we are as a people (myself included). And I think I now like a Swedish Christmas julbord better than turkey dinner.

@ItllBeOverByChristmas

Can you speak Swedish? Is it as difficult to "break into" Swedish social circles as I've heard? Or do you hang out with the international academic set?

I can get by with my Swedish but I'm not fluent like my kids.

It can be very difficult to break into Swedish social circles. In fact that is the number one complaint I see from immigrants here. However that's because they socialise in a very different and a lot of immigrants don't realise that. They do it in a very formalise structure for people wth similar interests. The council keep a register of associations and you have a look, see what you're interested in and sign up. And once you get that it's much easier. My husband is in a bat spotting club. They go out of an evening with their sound machine thingies that pick up bat noises and then sit around a fire, eating hotdogs while tallying up how many they heard.

@MythicalBiologicalFennel

Are people's daily interactions different to the UK? I'm thinking about:

Body language, gestures, facial expressions
Personal space
Touching/ hugging friends and relatives
Social etiquette - holding doors, making room for others in the pavement, pleases and thank yous; is it like in France where you say "bonjour" when you go into a shop?
Queueing
Public shows of affection with partner (do people hold hands or kiss in public?)
Do young people "hang out" on the street or is that frowned upon?
Attitudes to public drunkenness?
Do people swear?

Etc

Thanks

Some of these I can't answer as I have autism so am a bit oblivious myself. I'm told that Swedes are a lot more reserved in things like body language, but I don't notice it.

Social etiquette is a funny one. Immigrants find Swedes can be a bt rude, for example watching you struggle to get a pram on the bus and not offering to help. But they're not, it's just a different culture. Offering to help with the pram is rude because you're implying that the person can't do it themselves. If they can't do it, they'll ask for your help. But being independent and doing things yourself is very important to Swedish people. Hence the love of flatpack furniture.

Queueing, Swedes don't queue they wait their turn. Ticket machines are everywhere, even on market stalls. Take your number and wait your turn. DH says getting on the train in the evening is survival of the fittest.

Where I live you don't see people hanging out on the streets. Communities often have volunteers who round up errant teens and take them home. I've never seen anyone drunk here. I'm sure there are drunk people about but I've never seen it. Drinking in public is not acceptable, I think it may even be criminal. When there's an event like a fair in our town and the bar does outside service, they have to put up temporary fencing which completely screens the alcohol consumption from public view.

Swearing in Swedish is not really acceptable but my god, the swearing in English does my fucking nut in. Even on mainstream, daytime tv and radio it's 'fuck this and fuck that'. They really don't get how unaccpetable this is in English, they just hear it all the time in Holywood films and off the go.

@mairiflowers

What do you like the most about living there, what do you see as the main downsides? Can you picture yourself staying forever? Do you work as well? What, if anything, do you miss from the UK?

I like the peace the most. It feels very calm and peaceful here. As an autistic person this is heaven to me. Even IKEA on a Saturday is a relaxing day out, not an endurance test.

The main downside is the lack of diversity and the impact of that. Sweden has zero tolerance of racism however they are decades behind the UK in their understanding of what constitutes racism. They're very scared of what they don't know and mass immigration is only just happening in Sweden.

We only can to Sweden on a four year contract but I expect we'll be here forever. 14 years so far. My DD is now grown up and has a Swedish partner and this is her life. My DS was born here so it's all he knows.

I miss fish and chips and Cadbury's chocolate. Sometimes I even miss the noise and hustle and bustle of the UK. It is very quiet here. One time we arrived at Harwich to sound of police sirens and two women scrapping in Morrisons and rather than being horrified it almost felt comforting, like a sign of being home.