You might be a Swede if you…

Oh, you Swedes can be surprisingly funny (or is that fun?). Oh well… Swedes use the same word for fun and funny and often get it mixed up in English. At times, it makes me go hmmm???

I thought I might post something totally light since this is one of the first posts of my blog! After living with a Swede for nearly 20 years and being in Sweden for 5, here’s my compilation of observations from the non-Swede.

You might be a Swede if you

… suck air in quickly as a positive response to a statement.
… have no idea what I’m referring to in the above statement.
… think ketchup has a dual purpose – a condiment AND a pasta sauce.
… think living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere is a “vacation”.
… make long pauses in between sentences and aren’t bothered by it.
… wonder why you should get married, when you don’t have children?
… think your neighbor shouldn’t be richer than you.
… think your neighbor shouldn’t be poorer than you.
… like to compete on who has the most hanging plants displayed at your window.
… are 21 and up and still go and buy bulk candy at the candy store.
… still drink milk.
… must have your ritual 3 pm coffee and sweet (dax för fika!!!)
… must have at least 3 cups of coffee per day in the summer and double that in the winter.
… have been with your partner for more than 10 years, have children and still not be married.
… don’t twinge when you see nudity on TV.
… don’t mind walking around town for several kilometers, yet are lazy to drive around from store to store shopping (dedicated to you my love!)
… have trouble multi-tasking
… LOVE Swedish summer but cannot bear a Texas summer.
… cannot go out the house in sweatpants and t-shirt.
… must dress in the clothes they wear all day as soon as they wake up. No lazy days in pajamas all day!
… drink sodas with NO ICE!!!
… drink lukewarm water from the tap by moving the lever toward hot water!

Oh and much much more… what are your Swedish peeves?

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