NRI Voice: Sweden Stories

By Asmita Sarkar | May 8, 2018

Agneev Guin experiences a different perspective of the world every single day in Sweden. The journey of the 26-year-old robotics engineer started in Sweden in August 2015 when he first moved to the country as a masters student in robotics at KTH University in Stockholm.

One of the first things that shocked him was the nudity, Guin tells Little India.

“It was a culture shock! My first entry in the changing room of the gym was extremely disturbing,” he recounts. “Forget about cabinets for shower, everyone was walking around nude. Kids or adults, everyone appeared to be normal  about being naked. Initially, I would wrap a towel around myself but later I too let go. I realized the taboo of body shame doesn’t belong here.”

Guin recalls how he did not have a very smooth transition into his life in Sweden:

Uncertain weather

You can have cloudy, rainy, snowy and even sunny weather within a day. The first year was manageable, the next year quite harsh, and this year’s winter seemed like never ending. Eventually you will hate your life, curse it like anything, to live through a grey and dull life, where darkness prevails all throughout the day, 24×7.

I have seen sunrise at 2 am and sunsets at 10 pm in Sweden. This happens during the midsummer in June.

After almost nine months of cold weather, the summer is the long awaited time of the year. I switched from ‘I cannot tolerate sun’ (in India) to ‘I just love the sun.’ People move from indoor gyms to open air free outdoor gyms. You will find everyone sunbathing, barbecuing or swimming, including skinny dipping, during this time of year.

However, the weather is the best conversation starter. It works every time, with a pretty girl over the counter, or the hot crush at the beach.

Simple delicacies

Swedes cannot tolerate Indian chilies and spice, but it wasn’t so hard for me to adjust to their delicacies made with salt and pepper. I love simple food and the Swedes prepare very delicious yet simple dishes. They don’t have any typical Swedish preparation but they love to eat meatballs. Meatballs with mashed potato and (lingonberry) jam is one of the combinations that Swede relish. I enjoy whatever dish is available, provided someone cooks for me.

The limited Indian stores across the city are enough to provide our basic necessities. You can find Indian students at the mandir or gurdwara for Friday prasadam and Sunday langar. We went there shamelessly every weekend and ensured we had homely food to sustain us through the week.

Self-dependent society

Children around the age of 12-15 years reach a stage where they start to make their own decisions. Ikea, the world’s largest furniture retailer, is a Swedish firm. Their ready-to-assemble products have a simple concept. You fix the jigsaw pieces and build your own furniture . Everyone does their own job, whether it is doing your dishes or renovating your house. I am still dependent on my roommates for help in cooking, but I have learnt to live by myself.

Multicultural friendships

I still can’t say that I have any Swede friends. Swedes mostly have their groups of their own and are not very social but it’s still quite normal to see multicultural communities and groups of different nationalities.

I have mostly Indian friends. After missing home during festivities, me and my friends  started the first international association of the university, celebrating Holi and Diwali.

Free hugs

It took a while to get used to. People here hug when they meet, when they’re saying goodbye, but now I know that it’s the best feeling when you connect to a person heart to heart.

Fika sessions

Swedes love to talk over fika. It means to have coffee with kanelbulle (cinnamon buns) or anything sweet. If you ever feel afraid to talk to your professor or your boss, just invite him/her for some fika, and blurt your heart out. They listen and understand you more than the normal times.

Cashless country

I haven’t seen the Swedish currency for over 12 months now. The last time I saw it was when I emptied my wallet of all the remaining change, and saved it in my currency collection. I am living in a cashless society and I love it. Most wallets are cash empty, and I end up with many cards — for public transport, debit, credit, ID, company, gym-pass cards, to name a few.

There is one card to ride the bus, tram, metro, train and even boat. There are boat services within the city, which you can take with your monthly public transport card. The card is transferable and the balance can be retrieved even if you lose the card. I just have to get out of my home, and the card takes me everywhere.

Work-life balance

Swedes enjoy 480 days of parental leave, which can be distributed between both the parents. The father gets to spend time with the child as much as mother. Work-life balance is given the topmost priority. My manager leaves office at 3 pm on three of the five workdays to pick up his child from school. Sweden is even trying for a six-hour work time.

Quirky memories

One time I saw a squeaking Pomeranian in the lap of a girl in the computer lab of the university. Pets are allowed unless specifically mentioned. There is also no concept of private property unless it’s barricaded so once I walked into someone’s lawn and rode the swings.