Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Five signs you have been living in Sweden too long



  1. You go on vacation in another European country, you rent a 'compact car' and marvel over how big it is.
  2. It takes you thirty seconds to realize that the strange person you pass on the sidewalk who is talking to some random person on the street, is actually trying to talk to you– and not the person behind you.
  3. You pay 9 dollars (60 SEK) for a crappy beer and don't bat an eye.
  4. Every time you enter a shop, you make sure there isn't a machine where you have to take a number and wait your turn.
  5. Every discussion you have with an acquaintance begins with an in-depth analysis of the weather – and you really mean it – this weather is truly horrible or absolutely fabulous.
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7 comments:

  1. MazuiMay 11, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Are compact cars larger in other European countries than they are here? It's been a while since I went abroad, but if I remember correctly they are smaller, if anything.

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  2. Steel City AnnaMay 11, 2011 at 2:10 PM

    I like your list, number 4 especially!

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  3. Surviving SwedenMay 12, 2011 at 4:41 AM

    @Mazui - perhaps I should have mentioned that I regularly drive a Ford Ka, which is pretty much smaller than any other car on the market than Smart cars, and isn't sold in the US probably because it is so small. So it has been smaller than any car we have rented on vacation in other countries, but probably here in Sweden as well :)

    @Anna - Thanks!

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  4. MazuiMay 12, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    I hereby declare the first point invalid. :) Foreign rental cars should be compared with Swedish rental cars, not your own car which is a micro model and American too.

    I use Hertz Freerider a couple of times every year. So far it's only been Volvo and Saab, which are reasonably spacious. I guess there are smaller rental cars here too, but they don't seem to be very common.

    https://www.hertzfreerider.se/unauth/HowItWorks.aspx

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  5. AnonymousMay 12, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    I would point out though that the car is not actually sold in America though. And just because it is American made does not mean it cannot be compared to other cars.

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  6. MazuiMay 12, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    I'm just saying that you should compare apples to apples. And having a tiny car can be a sign of anything from caring about the environment to being a lousy parallel parker, but it's not a sign that you have lived in Sweden for too long. :)

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  7. Surviving SwedenMay 14, 2011 at 6:32 AM

    I'm sorry that some of the comments from this post have disappeared in the Blogger update debacle - I hope they will show up soon - it was a fun discussion that brought me a lot of laughs -

    :)

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