Ion Ciorici

When asked about stereotypes about Sweden the first thing foreigners often think about Swedish population is blond hair and blue eyes, which actually coincides only with a small percentage of the population.

During the dinner organized by International Committee at Stockholm School of Economics we were advised not searching for many blond girls, because they represent a small percentage at the university and it’s better not to call them Swiss, because we are now in Sweden .

I believe Swedes are quite good at ice-hockey:

or maybe not :

they like to ski on asphalt:

they enjoy canoe at -10C:

they wear interesting jeans and they are very fashionable :

they still protect the Queen/King against some viking invasion:

they like stiff paper:

they drive modern medium of transportation:

they enjoy watching the government building:

they play nice songs to attract more customers in the shop:

they don’t need to have 21 years to drink adult juices :

…they also love animals – especially dogs. It seems that everybody has a dog or a cat :

and finally somehow, somewhere you’ll find nice famous Swedish blond girls :

Beatrice sorry for posting the picture without your permission

Despite these likes and dislikes after spending 2 weeks in Sverige and meeting few local inhabitants I found for them these typical characteristics:

- punctuality is very important characteristic for Swedes.

- it is very rare for two Swedes to strike up a conversation in an elevator.

- reserved

- serious

- no matter what the weather is like, a Swede would rather get soaked to the skin than cross an empty street when a red light is showing.

- a Swede also likes to think he is well informed and spends hours finding out all he can about such things as nuclear power, the Third World, pollution, South Africa, etc. while at the same time paying little attention to unimportant matters – such as the name of his neighbor or whether certain types of beer should be banned or not.

- most Swedes when it comes to keeping fit and regularly spend their weekends running through the nearest forest or cycling for hours in the cellar on a bicycle fixed to the floor. With his health in mind, he has also given up smoking, sugar, drinking coffee in the evenings, going to bed after 10 o’clock, and mixing with strangers.

- but perhaps the greatest thing about a Swede is his sense of equality – of everyone being the same as everyone else. To help this, most Swedes have the same surnames – Svensson, Nilsson, or Persson – earn the same amount of money after tax, have the same taste in furniture, dress alike (fancy jeans), think alike, drive a Volvo or a Saab.

Finally, a Swede loves the sun, gets a kick out of being first on the bus, detests winter, enjoys sex, only gets drunk when the System Bolaget is opened, is patriotic, visits his parents at Christmas, goes to English classes, and, inevitably, is deeply offended by an article such as this .