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AMA

I emigrated to Sweden AMA

199 replies

FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 11:36

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

OP posts:
PearlyRising · 10/09/2021 19:20

Id love the challenge of learning swedish as soon as possible.

FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:21

I love Ryvita!

Let me introduce you to the Swedish knäckebröd dancers:

Grin
OP posts:
starlilly88 · 10/09/2021 19:26

I would love to move to Sweden, but the thought of moving the kids always stops me from leaving the U.K. Do you think it would be easy to integrate into an international school? They are approaching exam times unfortunately

felulageller · 10/09/2021 19:30

Is having a downstairs bathroom the norm?
How expensive is home gas/electric?
What's the class system like?
Are school classes streamed?
Do you need to drive/own a car to get about?
Are men really less sexist? (A Swedish woman told me this is a myth)

Pantaloony · 10/09/2021 19:34

Do you fika?

FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:36

The international schools seem to be dominated by kids who are here temporarily. DD started in one but we moved her after a few months to a closer Swedish school but where part of the curriculum was taught in English.

Swedish schools aren't heavily exam based. Most subjects are graded by the teacher. National tests are only done in Swedish, English and Maths I think and teacher still has the power to adjust the grade up or down if they think it doesn't reflect the child's ability.

The Swedish education system isn't as concerned with grades as the UK one. They're more concerned with turning out happy, well rounded, well adjusted kids. It's quite an adjustment when you first come here. My DD's grades dropped quite a lot as she wasn't being pushed and there was no homework, I got quite cross about it at first. But then I realised that she was much happier than before so I learnt to accept that doing enough was good enough even though I knew she could do better. But she ended up exactly where she wanted to be and doing better/getting higher grades wouldn't have changed that. So maybe the Swedes are on to something.

OP posts:
imjustsoworried · 10/09/2021 19:38

What's the art world like? DP is a photographer and filmmaker and I work in community arts, and we're both freelance. Do you know anything about how popular and significant the arts are?

ImInStealthMode · 10/09/2021 19:42

Thank you so much for this thread OP! Reading with great interest as my soon to be DH is Swedish and while he's lived in Britain since he was a teen we're not ruling out a move to Sweden somewhere down the line for a better quality of life.

The fact that we could sell my 1 bedroom flat and buy a family home with a garden outright is extremely tempting. My absolute lack of Swedish beyond 'älskar dig' wouldn't be as much of a problem if I didn't have to work Wink

FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:48

@felulageller

Is having a downstairs bathroom the norm? How expensive is home gas/electric? What's the class system like? Are school classes streamed? Do you need to drive/own a car to get about? Are men really less sexist? (A Swedish woman told me this is a myth)
Both houses we've owned have had downstairs bathrooms. I think this stems from the time when upstairs wasn't used in the winter as it was too expensive to heat.

We don't have gas. Some areas of big cities do but most people don't. I've no idea how much the electricty costs but DH never stops moaning about it. Our house is heated through district heating. The council have a giant boiler somewhere and then pipe hotwater under the streets which we use to heat our house. DH never stops moaning about the price of that either.

There isn't really any class system here. Everyone is seen as equal. There's no hierachy ar school or work. DH is very senior but still has to take his turn at cleaning the kitchen area at work just like everyone else.

I don't know what you mean about classes being streamed. All children go to class in Sweden, Homeschooling is against the law. There's no need to stream classes.

I need a car as I'm disabled and live in the arse end of nowhere. But lots of people don't. My DD doesn't have a car, she uses public transport which is cleaner, cheaper and less crowded than in the UK.

I think men are a lot more involved in raising their children, because they're also entitled to more than 6 months parental leave at often full pay. Are they less sexist? The men I know here aren't sexist, apart from DH's boss but he's not Swedish. but the men I knew back in the UK weren't sexist either.

OP posts:
FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:50

@Pantaloony

Do you fika?
Every single day. Twice if I can get away with it.
OP posts:
CtrlU · 10/09/2021 19:50

I’m not gonna lie...I clicked this thread thinking “here we go - another AMAHmm” but actually I’m really quite interested. Thank you for this and I think I may have just decided IM MOVING TO SWEDEN 😃

PearlyRising · 10/09/2021 19:53

And an OP who answers the questions!!!!

You'd think it went without saying but many OPs on AMA threads dont answer the questions!

FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:55

@imjustsoworried

What's the art world like? DP is a photographer and filmmaker and I work in community arts, and we're both freelance. Do you know anything about how popular and significant the arts are?
I don't know a huge amount to be honest. We used to live next to a Danish artist and his pictures are everyone. DS's school even has one hanging in the dinning room. The local library always has exhibitions running of local artists.
OP posts:
FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 19:57

@PearlyRising

And an OP who answers the questions!!!!

You'd think it went without saying but many OPs on AMA threads dont answer the questions!

DS is complaining he's hungry. I've told him he can't have dinner as I've got lots of questions to answer.
OP posts:
ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 10/09/2021 19:58

My DD studied and worked in Sweden for over 2 years. We visited 3 times, and I was gutted when she returned to the UK (I think so was she really).

Funnily enough, her job involves surveying for bats using those very listening machines!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/09/2021 20:15

he has more in his pocket at the end of the month.

Are there banks in Sweden or does everyone have to carry around their money in their pockets?

As a side note are the coins quite light (like the old French Francs) or are they very heavy (like the William IV pennies?)

FindingMeno · 10/09/2021 20:17

Is it genuinely the case that a more active lifestyle of bike riding and swimming in lakes is enjoyed?

Lessthanaballpark · 10/09/2021 20:30

OP this is such a lovely thread. Flowers Thanks for starting it!

SquirrelFan · 10/09/2021 20:30

Let me introduce you to the Swedish knäckebröd dancers

Shock
FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 20:35

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

he has more in his pocket at the end of the month.

Are there banks in Sweden or does everyone have to carry around their money in their pockets?

As a side note are the coins quite light (like the old French Francs) or are they very heavy (like the William IV pennies?)

I can't remember the last time I saw a coin in Sweden but a 10kr coin is almost identical to a £1, they stopped all copper coins a few years ago. You can't even go into most banks to withdraw cash, most don't have cash desks anymore. I pay for everything with Swish, put the payee's phone number in my phone and click and swish, it's gone.
OP posts:
FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 20:36

@FindingMeno

Is it genuinely the case that a more active lifestyle of bike riding and swimming in lakes is enjoyed?
Yes and it's the reason a lot of Brits relocate here.
OP posts:
FatCatThinCat · 10/09/2021 20:37

@CtrlU

I’m not gonna lie...I clicked this thread thinking “here we go - another AMAHmm” but actually I’m really quite interested. Thank you for this and I think I may have just decided IM MOVING TO SWEDEN 😃
Me to. I wouldn't normally dream of being so forward as to start a thread like this, but it was by special request. I did think it would drop off the bottom of page quite quickly.
OP posts:
SquirrelFan · 10/09/2021 20:43
Grin
fuzzymoomin · 10/09/2021 20:51

Is it true that a lot of companies/businesses use English as their working language, so an English-speaker can work there easily with speaking excellent Swedish?

fuzzymoomin · 10/09/2021 20:51

Great thread btw, really interesting!