Yesterday was a day very Swedish.
An Italian friend of mine has a friend here in Sweden with whom I strongly "recommended"), and finally we managed to get to know yesterday. He invited me out to do "fika" (not bad ... you think! Do fika in Swedish for a coffee!), Then we found ourselves in a nice cafe near Nordstan named SoHo with her and her sister.
While drinking a nice tea with mango, we talked and I got to get some more information on Swedish culture and my adventure here. First, as they are doing more or less since I got here, is reassuring me, telling me not to worry about work, that since they are very open-minded and I speak excellent English, I should not have trouble finding work in 'IT offices just come back from holiday after Christmas.
addition to this we talked about the crisis in the end is coming here as well.
Saab has closed, and the Volvo seems to have been sold to the Chinese. However I was told that she had worked at Volvo, and that they were already several years that they had cut all the extras to employees (in fact, a job the employee is expected some standard extras such as mobile phone company, year-end bonuses, etc.).
The closure of the Volvo and SAAB in these conditions will (or are already leading) a ripple effect not only against the workers of the factories, but also for all the companies leading satellite services to these two giants of the automobile.
As the Swedish market will adapt, and how this will influence my life, I do not know, but I can say that looks more like the crisis that hit the car market more than the Swedish labor market in general, but I presume for other reasons in addition to the global financial crisis (see the rising cost of oil, international awareness on air pollution and almost complete absence of alternative fuels, etc.). However I still have little information so I can make an accurate idea.
There is also to say that the Swedes are used to having a very high salary, they are people who like to work (and work environments are not like those in Italy, of course). For example, we talked about the Swedish unemployment benefit, which amounts to approximately € 800 per month for those who demonstrate they could not find work, and they told me that a Swedish medium will not profit ever, is a moral issue, either because we survive with 800 €, but we do not live. Not for a speech you're on a tight food or renting, but simply because the shopping is an integral part of the way of life here.
also told me (and I think when I find a good job I will for sure) that here you can take out insurance on their salary. Practically paying a monthly salary rate, at the time when one is unemployed, receives a monthly compensation for not running out of money, he is looking for a new job.
As I was leaving home to go to meet the two girls, however, I was stopped at the door by my host, I was invited to Christmas dinner with his family in the evening. How nice!
One of the Swedish customs which still had not talked about is the respectful remove their shoes when entering the house. Each home has a Swedish shoe entrance, where one takes off his shoes just entered. The house has always
carpet, parquet everywhere but more frequently, often hot water pipes running under the floor heating it, then it becomes a nice thing to be barefoot, and in addition the house is incredibly easy to clean, I even the floor of my house perfectly clean! And no, I've never smelled of feet.
At 18.15 dinner was ready, and I took place at the table with them and some relatives.
addition to the landlord and his wife, there were four children (twin girls of 22 years, a daughter of 10 and Hurricane in miniature, a child of 5 years in full storm energy, which did nothing but run everywhere and require everyone's attention!:)), a colleague of the owner and his brother's wife.
The first big difference to our traditions is that they do not have first, second, etc., but practically a meal in a buffet. In fact the food had been prepared and placed on a table near the table where everyone got up and just like a buffet if they have filled the pot.
I ate:
- Swedish Herring: I thought I did not like, it was really good but I did not hit much
- shrimp sauce (mayonnaise, and other stuff): exaggerated. exceptional. I stayed in were great!
- smoked salmon and salmon cooked: very good, slightly better than the salmon that is found in Italy (the fresh one that costs a bundle but not that cheap) here they pay 10 euro per kilo. I liked the idea of \u200b\u200bputting the smoked salmon slices, while the salmon was cooked directly on the plate half-fish ... was soft! You could cut it with a spoon!
- köttbullar: are the famous meat balls which are found at IKEA ... no sauce However this time. They are generally served with mashed potatoes and raspberry jam or the like. Really good, seem meatballs, but they put a little 'spice rather than change the flavor.
- Swedish Ham: I do not know if it was ham, roast seemed, the hostess said "ham" ... cmq good, and he knew he looked like roast roast (but not too much), it is probably something like that. They gave me all the mustard, which, as I put a pin in his mouth me numb face and tongue and made me cry. I have not had the courage to eat more. cmq good but not as much as the rest, perhaps because I was already accustomed to the taste dell'arrosto Italian.
- Along with the roast also gave me a slice of bread Swedish (which I think we put the sugar in too, if I did not read wrong) dell'arrosto soaked in broth. she told me that many do not eat there, I have found it tasty.
knäckbröd seasoning, bread, crackers such as IKEA Swedish, small potatoes to peel, hot dogs / sausage (which I did not eat).
to drink carbonated water, beer, christmas champagne, cocaine and a kind of Swedish Christmas.
I must say that after almost 6 months since I touched alcohol, beer, Christmas was not much of a start. In the end it was nothing more than a light beer (3.5 °) more or less the taste of beer Lidl.
How sweet a carrot cake with lots of cinnamon and THE ABOVE Philadelphia. When the hostess told me I was going to throw up, but eating it was not so terrible.
snapps I also wanted to taste it, which is a kind of typical Swedish vodka but made from different herbs, but unfortunately it was done. (
The house was huge, 380mq! I'm aware of what could cost you, and I was told that we are around € 500,000. Not so!
I had heard from home instead of purchasing cooperatives, and I wanted to learn more. In big city like this, some cooperatives and companies buy and build buildings with apartments inside. If anyone wants to buy the apartment, the walls do not buy, but simply the right to live there forever, inherited by the children. But anyway the walls remain the property of the coop. This has disadvantages, but also many advantages, such as you spend a lot less to buy, that you should not piss in repairing (here the Swedes repair the house itself), etc..
During dinner, I discovered that one of the daughters lived with his girlfriend. While talking with his father after dinner, I was practically alone answered the question without that I did it to him: that when they knew and for the first time was weird enough, not hard, just weird, but that the end is very much in love and love each other, and then they are so happy.
I just came by to ask how many families in Italy have reacted so positively to it.
After dinner one of the twins and the girl were made to play Guitar Hero, and eventually I was pulled in as well.
At the end of the match I found myself practically sitting in the middle of the room, with the whole family around, which of course he decided to open their Christmas gifts at that time (I have explained the motivation, it seems to me that the girl's sister had to leave in the days later and then have anticipated all this year). Madonna embarrassment! I was there in the middle of the room, I did not know do!
the end it turns out that one of the gifts Hero Band is a new game like Guitar Hero, with all the drums, microphone, guitar, etc., and practically put me to fit everything! : D I was sgam well here!
The appearance of a pair of chopsticks from battery allowed me to pull out a couple of old tricks like a drummer, which led to the amazement of the family: D anyway, a couple more matches and then to bed.
E 'was a very interesting day, finally something that would allow me to have contact with people born here. Also because we have come to do in Sweden, where then I spend my time exclusively with the Italians? E 'instead of just being able to divide between both, and find a balance in this.
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