Cultural notes

I wanted to meet Sweden with an open mind. So before we arrived I decided to try to disregard peoples' generalizations about Sweden or the Swedes. (Not that there were that many generalizations to disregard since lots of people we told thought we were going to Switzerland, and the rest said "Oh, Swedes are so nice!") Having no familial or other connection to Sweden I thought it would be best to just wait and see what cultural surprises awaited us. So, having been here a whopping 7 weeks, here are some of the things we've noticed:

• Swedes like to take a number for everything. At the library you take a number to return your books. At the little store up the street, you take a number to pay. It's actually very practical because then there's never any confusion about who is first in line and therefore no need to ever say to anyone "Hey, buddy, you cut!" which would be MYCKET un-Swedish.
• Swedish technology is awesome. At the tax office, you walk in and a guy with a mobile tablet asks how he can help, then taps away, gives you a number (of course) and Bob's your uncle. And when you get a prescription, the doctor just sends an e-prescription to all pharmacies and within 15 minutes you can pick it up at whichever location you like.
• Swedes loves their sweets. Man! Ice cream, bulk candy, cinnamon rolls, muffins, chocolate. They love 'em ... multiple times a day.
• Swedish food is tasty but pretty basic and not varied. Potatoes, fish, sandwiches, strawberries. Ho hum. We are spoiled in San Francisco.
• The concept of "lagom," translated something like "good enough" or "adequate," is a very Swedish idea and pops its head up in lots of places. For example, you don't wear super showy clothes, because a Gucci handbag would mean that you maybe have a little too much extra money, and that you are trying to stand out, a no-no in many ways. This can create some weird internal strife when, say, you want a promotion at work -- I mean you're not supposed to stand out, but you want to be recognized for your performance at the same time. What to do??
• There's no cheap labor. This means manicures cost $50 and a cleaning lady will cost you $600/month. I'm all for a living wage in principle, but you should see my poor feet and the state of our kitchen! I really hate cleaning.