Sweden

[bren586]

Are you Swedish, bren?

If so, much respect for your accomplished use of the English language!

Love it!

Sorry no - I am one of the vast herd of ex pat English men living (smugly) in other countries.

However I have been amazed by the level of English here.

When I first moved here from France I asked, in a clear and slow way, "Excuse me, do you speak English?"

The answer was always "Yes I do". With the sub text - What! do you think I am thick, not been to school, of course I speak English!

[NotAllThere]

Funny old site that one - you a regular on Mothers Against Munchausen Syndrome site then NotAllThere?

Interesting article too, written in 1999 - shame the link to the original no longer works either ...

Nah. I knew there were issues with their child protection policies actually causing harm to children (rather like family courts here), so I just did a quick google for some plausible-sounding "facts".

Sorry no - I am one of the vast herd of ex pat English men living (smugly) in other countries.

And I thought it was just me that was smug.

However I have been amazed by the level of English here.

When I first moved here from France I asked, in a clear and slow way, "Excuse me, do you speak English?"

The answer was always "Yes I do". With the sub text - What! do you think I am thick, not been to school, of course I speak English!

I love it when the tourists come up to, and ask me if I speak English.

I was in Norway once. People behaved embarrassed if they couldn't communicate well in English. Kind of nice.

[tim123]

IME (18 months of living there) Swedes are very happy with their lot.

They like their high tax, high benefit system.

They like the fact that employers are obliged to provide family friendly working conditions and (generally) accept the lower salaries that seems to be the result of this policy. (I would guess that the guarentee of two "lower" salaries is better than one higher one and a partner who can't get a job that fits around child care).

They like the fact that the price of rental accomodation is regulated at a very low level and are prepared to suffer the inconvenience of the long waiting lists that this policy produces, for the longer term benefits. (This is a bugger for job mobility, but once you are "in", you have decent affordable accommodation for life)

They like the weather (um perhaps not!)

tim

[tim123]

So everyone has the same standard of living as everyone else, you all live in regulation housing and abide by a million laws, give all your money to the government, want for nothing, aspire to nothing and no one can be better or worse off than anyone else?

Sounds like communism and you can keep it. I aspire to something more than a grey average.

But most people don't.

It is still possible to "make it" in Sweden, if you aspire to do so. There are no rules stopping you (except if you want to BTL) and there is no "culture" stopping you.

But it has to be recongised that even with aspirations, most people don't "make it". So for those that don't, the average for "the rest" is much higher there, than here.

tim

[AlfredJPruffock]

But most people don't.

It is still possible to "make it" in Sweden, if you aspire to do so. There are no rules stopping you (except if you want to BTL) and there is no "culture" stopping you.

But it has to be recongised that even with aspirations, most people don't "make it". So for those that don't, the average for "the rest" is much higher there, than here.

tim

Aye Tim

Well put "But it has to be recongised that even with aspirations, most people "don't "make it". "

Theres room at the Top
They're telling you still
But first you must learn to smile as you kill
If you dont want to be
The Fool on the Hill