things to do in denmark
30 Jun
Hej,
I am a young Political Science and Journalism student from South Africa. I will be coming to Sweden in 2 months and would love whatever information possible.
I know information an be easily attained from the web, but I would like to hear from locals.
I will be taking a year break to Au Pair with a Swedish family in a small town (Sandviken) approx.2hrs away from Stockholm.
My questions are…
What are Swedish people like on the whole??
Are they friendly people?
What are some of the things that I should do to get to know locals?
I have been to Sweden before, but only on holiday.
Also, as an Au Pair I will earn 5800kr pocket money per month. I know this is not even a handful, but keep in mind that my flight is paid for by the family and living expenses (room and board) and Swedish lessons etc. SO I don’t need much. I am not very "indulgent". I intend to save as much as I can. Since I won’t be paying rent etc.
What is a reasonable amount of money to use on cellphone and skype (I will download)??? Are they any cheap cell networks that offer affordable international calling and text messaging?
I have already travelled around Europe, I lived in Denmark for 15 months…so I am not going to travel much this time. Is 3000kr a reasonable amount to save?
What is the cost of living like?? figures will be appreciated.
Also, I will be attending Swedish lesson , I intend on doing well. Will Swedish people welcome my attempts at speaking the language or will they be impatient?
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
I look forward to hearing from you.
My ex is from Sandviken, it’s a very small town without much nearby. For this reason, you’ll probably not have a problem saving money, because there’s nothing to spend it on. Stockholm is a few hours away by train, and other than that you’ll be living very rural. Think industrial area surrounded by nice countryside farm houses and lots of sheep.
Swedes tend to be nice but reserved, which means it can be difficult getting to know them. Don’t mistake their shyness for rudeness, it’s not meant that way. If you want to become integrated and make Swedish friends, it’s very important you join groups and clubs that revolve around your interests. Most Swedes have very busy lives, so it’s easier if you fit into their schedule (like a weekly meetup) than if you expect them to make time for you specifically.. at least until you get to know people better. Look for local art/craft classes, music groups, gym classes, etc.
Cost of living shouldn’t apply too much, if room and board are paid. Normally, food costs 1500-2000/month per person, rent ranges from about 2000 for a studio to 4500+ for a place with 2+ bedrooms, and bills should be under 1000/month. You can get great internet for about 200kr, and my mobile plan was 150kr. Cheap clothes can be found at H&M, for under 200kr/item.
Skype or Vyke will be the cheapest way to call international. The other option is an international phone card, I wouldn’t use a mobile plan for this purpose because it will always be more expensive.
Swedes are likely to speak English to you until your Swedish is good, they usually appreciate the chance to practice their English and find it easier to converse that way. It can make learning Swedish hard, but if someone answers you in English, just continue on your part of the conversation in Swedish. Eventually people will understand that you want to speak Swedish, and maybe switch back over.
2 Responses for "SWEDEN…SWEDEN..SWEDEN!?"
There girls are very sexy man!
Also yeah they are friendly and good people
References :
My ex is from Sandviken, it’s a very small town without much nearby. For this reason, you’ll probably not have a problem saving money, because there’s nothing to spend it on. Stockholm is a few hours away by train, and other than that you’ll be living very rural. Think industrial area surrounded by nice countryside farm houses and lots of sheep.
Swedes tend to be nice but reserved, which means it can be difficult getting to know them. Don’t mistake their shyness for rudeness, it’s not meant that way. If you want to become integrated and make Swedish friends, it’s very important you join groups and clubs that revolve around your interests. Most Swedes have very busy lives, so it’s easier if you fit into their schedule (like a weekly meetup) than if you expect them to make time for you specifically.. at least until you get to know people better. Look for local art/craft classes, music groups, gym classes, etc.
Cost of living shouldn’t apply too much, if room and board are paid. Normally, food costs 1500-2000/month per person, rent ranges from about 2000 for a studio to 4500+ for a place with 2+ bedrooms, and bills should be under 1000/month. You can get great internet for about 200kr, and my mobile plan was 150kr. Cheap clothes can be found at H&M, for under 200kr/item.
Skype or Vyke will be the cheapest way to call international. The other option is an international phone card, I wouldn’t use a mobile plan for this purpose because it will always be more expensive.
Swedes are likely to speak English to you until your Swedish is good, they usually appreciate the chance to practice their English and find it easier to converse that way. It can make learning Swedish hard, but if someone answers you in English, just continue on your part of the conversation in Swedish. Eventually people will understand that you want to speak Swedish, and maybe switch back over.
References :
American in Norway, lived in Sweden 5 years
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