Swedish News

What about our neighbors to the west? Stronger Swedish Krona after FED announcement. On your way to nowhere? Royal frills and flounces.  

• What about our neighbors to the west?
  Swedish people’s interest in Norwegian culture and society equals zero. Zilch. Nada. The only time we perk up our ears is where Norwegian oil money is concerned. But we’d better watch out! Norwegians are getting tired of this treatment, and their interest in us is on the wane. Perhaps jokes best describe our relationship to each other.
  Here’s a Swedish joke: When the plane from Stockholm to Oslo is due to land, the captain says, "We’re preparing to land. Welcome to Fornebu, Oslo. Please remember to set your watches back 10 years to Norwegian time." The Norwegian joke goes like this: “Why do Swedes rush out whenever there’s a thunderstorm? They think they’re being photographed.”
  Swedes think of Norwegians as a bit behind, Norwegians in turn, think of Swedes as full of themselves. But the worst part may be the unbalanced cultural exchange between the countries. “In Norway there are Swedish features everywhere—if you’re at a café, you hear people talking about Sweden, and you hear Swedish music. Sweden is more noticeable in Norway, much more so than Norway in Sweden,” says former Oslo correspondent Beatrice Janzon. And Norway’s ambassador to Sweden, Anne Lund says, “It’s easier to present Swedish culture in Oslo, than for us here in Stockholm to try to get Norwegian culture through.” Retired theater critic Tove Ellefsen Lysander confirms that Norwegians' interest in Sweden has calmed a bit, but “Norwegians still sing Evert Taube songs and watch Swedish TV.”
  The one exception is Swedes' interest in Norwegian oil money. “The Norwegian oil and the financial situation in Sweden have changed the relationship between the two countries,” says Simon Saetre, who has written the book “Petromani” about Norway’s relationship to oil. “Swedes come to Norway to work, while Norwegians buy real estate in Sweden. It’s a new dynamic.”

• Stronger Swedish Krona after FED announcement
  The dollar weakened sharply, not the least against the Swedish Krona, after an announcement from the U.S. Federal Reserve that more money will be pumped into the American economy. "The Krona is a currency that benefits a lot by better times and reduced risk," says Johan Javéus, chief strategist at bank SEB. The strengthening of the currency risks to weaken Swedish exports but is still good for the Swedish stock market and the economy at large, according to Javéus.

• On your way to nowhere?
  If you’re driving in Sweden you could be driving to nowhere. Or at least to Nothing. Some think roundabouts are tricky, and the new one in Örebro didn’t make things easier when the word “Nothing” was added. Look at some photos of the funny street signs that readers sent in to the daily, Aftonbladet.

• Royal frills and flounces
  You want to be royally fashionable this fall and winter? Get hooked on the trend with flounces and frills on jackets and coats. Just look at Crown Princess Victoria’s fuchsia coat with a discreet frill topped with a mandarin collar, or Norwegian Crown Princess Mette Marit’s beige jacket with a wide, soft flounce. In this case we say go with the royal flow. Flounces for fall are feminine, pretty and totally wearable, no matter your age.