Swedes VS Irish...

Now that I have lived in Sweden for 6 years (can't believe time has gone so fast!), I have come to terms with the fact that there are some differences between Swedes and the Irish that are just carved in stone.  I remember enjoying my first Paddy's day in The Foggy Dew (now closed) only 17 days into arriving in Stockholm, and I started a conversation with the girl in the queue to the jacks.  She left the queue.  Which is when I realised that you just don't speak to people unless you need directions or have a life threatening emergency. 

This is indeed quite opposite in any queue, anywhere, in any part of Ireland.  So 1-0 to Ireland, cos friendliness wins!  Here is a great article about what defines a Swede, and let me say that it is bang on!  It takes some getting used to!

 More points are awarded to the Irish for warmth, generosity, attitude, humour, off license, sausages, Penney's, Marks & Spencer's, open mindedness, the West of Ireland, sausage rolls, live music and the thing I miss the most 'the banter'.  I love watching Irish movies where no one I'm with can understand the slang unless they read the subtitles, or listening to 98fm in the morning on my iPhone to catch up on the latest haps.  Another thing I enjoy is watching Des Bishop doing stand up, he nails it every time.  For a bit more on what makes the Irish, I stole this from another blogger.

So lets see...Ireland is still in the lead but maybe not for long.  Sweden is definitely ahead when it comes to having and raising kids.  Telling your boss you are pregnant is a celebration and then you get 80% paid maternity for 15 months, which the man needs to take at least 3 months of.  Having the baby is free and dealt with very efficiently by midwives.  Natural childbirth with little or no intervention is encouraged, as well as breast feeding for as long as possible.  Day care mostly only starts after that long maternity and is 1200sek (120euro) per month.  All food and diapers included.
The weather is brilliant and broken into 4 seasons with cold winters and hot dry summers.  Although dressing a kid in winter is no fun at all!

There is no better holiday than Midsummer and the whole of Stockholm is surrounded by water which means you can swim in all the lakes.  Life is really great in the summer and the people open up just a teeny bit more!

A few more good things are: public punctual transport,  excellent restaurants, hot dogs (see how much Tilly likes them) and my personal favourite, organisation.

But I think the banter is still something I need to feel totally satisfied.  Maybe if I could move all my lovely friends and family here it would be a draw!