It has seriously been a long time since I have posted a blog. I would go on and say how extremely busy I have been, but I don't like to make excuses. I just haven't made the time to blog. :) So my commitment is... 3 blogs this week.
I was going to do a blog comparing America to Sweden. and I actually posted one for a day. But I realized after I posted it that, I am biased, and I am going to make Sweden kick Americas ass, and ultimately, my goal is not to make people dislike America, it is to show people how AMAZING Sweden is!! :)
So... Today I shall make a list of the things I find AMAZING in Sweden :) and perhaps elaborate on some of them. (btw these are in no order, just as how they come into my mind..)
1. Sweden let's their citizen's run their twitter account. They rotate various citizen's into the seat of @Sweden on twitter, and they allow them to say WHATEVER they want. Check out How @Sweden has inspired Twitter. Needless to say, with free reign to say anything, it has raised some controversy when the first curator wrote "Listen up, folks! I'm @kwasbeb, a regular swedish dude, and I'm taking over this goddamned account for a week! Expect bad sex and slapstick.", and "Well, ok, I'll swede the LOT of you: meat balls äre guud, änd naked girls make me sæy "jaa!"." Last weeks @Sweden went out known as the "Sex crazed Swede" who said "fuck" enough to make me blush... and that takes talent. :) I think it is great!! and I love that they are pushing the envelope to even say that @Sweden is the "most Democratic Twitter account!" well done Sweden!!
2. Sweden's taxes come mailed out to you already FILLED OUT!!!! I'm still shocked by this one, and I found it out like a month ago. As long as you agree with how everything is filled out, you can send a text message and pay it!!! I am very tempted to write about how horrible America's system is, but I will leave it with just the awesome fact that SWEDEN ROCKS!!
3. Saturdays in Sweden are a special day, especially if you are a kid. It’s Lördagsgodis, translated in English as Saturday’s Candies. It is the day to stuff yourself silly with candy (in swedish: godis). As a Swedish child, Saturday is a special treat day to eat sweets and go to the candy store.
Shopping for candy is more of an adventure than eating it for me. The colors, the shapes, the sizes! Truly is eye candy of candy. Swedish grocery stores have bins stacked 10-20 bins wide and 6 bins tall. That can be as much as 120 different varieties of loose candy! It’s Jelly Belly madness for Americans who have seen the Jelly Belly bins at the candy store. Loose candies can be jelly, hard, chocolate, licorice, gummy, marshmallow, sweet, sour, just about anything you can imagine. I am not a big candy freak.. but I can imagine as a child I would have been in heaven :)
4. 5 weeks of vacation!!!!! Enough said
5. Parental leave (mammaledgit/pappaledgit) is 15 months…paid! AND kid's get free daycare - I don't have any children, but this is pretty awesome.
6. Socialized Healthcare.
7. Fika
8. Göteborg - the water, the harbor, the bridges, the canals, boats, the gorgeous views.
I am in love with this city.
9. Lagom är bäst" - I have always lived by this popular Swedish philosophy. Unlike most Americans. Which means "just the right amount." or "less is more" per say, because it has Lagom has no direct English translation. Most Americans live in EXCESS. I am happy as long as I have perfect balance :)
10. allemansrätten - Every man's right, or Freedom to roam. Allemansrätten gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land with few exceptions.
I shall end today with 10 reasons why Sweden is the best country, only 9842 to go!!
Oh I also wanted you all to know that I purchased Rosetta Stone to learn Swedish. I have made it through lesson one and received a 70% , mainly because I can not roll my R's very well ;) but I am determined, and I will rock this thing!!! Flicka springer!!
Hej då!!
I was going to do a blog comparing America to Sweden. and I actually posted one for a day. But I realized after I posted it that, I am biased, and I am going to make Sweden kick Americas ass, and ultimately, my goal is not to make people dislike America, it is to show people how AMAZING Sweden is!! :)
So... Today I shall make a list of the things I find AMAZING in Sweden :) and perhaps elaborate on some of them. (btw these are in no order, just as how they come into my mind..)
1. Sweden let's their citizen's run their twitter account. They rotate various citizen's into the seat of @Sweden on twitter, and they allow them to say WHATEVER they want. Check out How @Sweden has inspired Twitter. Needless to say, with free reign to say anything, it has raised some controversy when the first curator wrote "Listen up, folks! I'm @kwasbeb, a regular swedish dude, and I'm taking over this goddamned account for a week! Expect bad sex and slapstick.", and "Well, ok, I'll swede the LOT of you: meat balls äre guud, änd naked girls make me sæy "jaa!"." Last weeks @Sweden went out known as the "Sex crazed Swede" who said "fuck" enough to make me blush... and that takes talent. :) I think it is great!! and I love that they are pushing the envelope to even say that @Sweden is the "most Democratic Twitter account!" well done Sweden!!
2. Sweden's taxes come mailed out to you already FILLED OUT!!!! I'm still shocked by this one, and I found it out like a month ago. As long as you agree with how everything is filled out, you can send a text message and pay it!!! I am very tempted to write about how horrible America's system is, but I will leave it with just the awesome fact that SWEDEN ROCKS!!
3. Saturdays in Sweden are a special day, especially if you are a kid. It’s Lördagsgodis, translated in English as Saturday’s Candies. It is the day to stuff yourself silly with candy (in swedish: godis). As a Swedish child, Saturday is a special treat day to eat sweets and go to the candy store.
Shopping for candy is more of an adventure than eating it for me. The colors, the shapes, the sizes! Truly is eye candy of candy. Swedish grocery stores have bins stacked 10-20 bins wide and 6 bins tall. That can be as much as 120 different varieties of loose candy! It’s Jelly Belly madness for Americans who have seen the Jelly Belly bins at the candy store. Loose candies can be jelly, hard, chocolate, licorice, gummy, marshmallow, sweet, sour, just about anything you can imagine. I am not a big candy freak.. but I can imagine as a child I would have been in heaven :)
4. 5 weeks of vacation!!!!! Enough said
5. Parental leave (mammaledgit/pappaledgit) is 15 months…paid! AND kid's get free daycare - I don't have any children, but this is pretty awesome.
6. Socialized Healthcare.
7. Fika
8. Göteborg - the water, the harbor, the bridges, the canals, boats, the gorgeous views.
I am in love with this city.
9. Lagom är bäst" - I have always lived by this popular Swedish philosophy. Unlike most Americans. Which means "just the right amount." or "less is more" per say, because it has Lagom has no direct English translation. Most Americans live in EXCESS. I am happy as long as I have perfect balance :)
10. allemansrätten - Every man's right, or Freedom to roam. Allemansrätten gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land with few exceptions.
I shall end today with 10 reasons why Sweden is the best country, only 9842 to go!!
Oh I also wanted you all to know that I purchased Rosetta Stone to learn Swedish. I have made it through lesson one and received a 70% , mainly because I can not roll my R's very well ;) but I am determined, and I will rock this thing!!! Flicka springer!!
Hej då!!
Körtni
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