You know you are Swedish when…

We follow up the 'You know you are Indian when.....'-list with the 'You know you are Swedish when.....'-list. I would say most items on the list are very distinguished for Swedish people; especially when you have spent some time outside Sweden.

1. You go seriously sentimental when entering an IKEA store, outside the borders of Sweden.
2. Whenever discussing international problems you always, without exception state that “why don’t you do it like we do it in Sweden?”
3. You get guilty conscience from throwing things in the dustbin that could have been recycled.
4. You take your shoes off when entering a house.
5. You find the ads for Coca Cola during Christmas completely useless since no one would consider drinking any other soft drink than “julmust” during Christmas anyway.
6. You find it normal to have to go to a special store that is owned by the government, that’s only open during daytime to buy a bottle of wine, or other alcoholic beverages.
7. You split the check by the exact penny after eating at a restaurant.
8. You consider Sweden the best place on earth and that Swedes are the most intelligent and beautiful people in the world.
9. You have been accused of being from Switzerland. Repeatedly.
10. You just love singing “snapsvisor” while drinking any kind of alcohol.
11. You generally consider the pre-party better than the night out in a club that follows.
12. You look forward all year for August when you get to gather your friends, put on stupid paper hats, drink vodka, sing and eat crayfish.
13. It’s raining and you hear yourself say your grandmother’s wise words, “There is no bad weather, just bad clothes”
14. You constantly have to point out that not EVERYONE in Sweden is blonde; in fact you add that most people are not.
15. IKEA is home away from home.
16. You find it OBVIOUS that a mile is 10 kilometers.
17. You go to the downtown during a Sunday and don’t expect to meet a single soul during a 30-minute walk.
18. You know almost every other country in the world as well as most capital cities, or have at least studied this for a Geography test.
19. Every time you see a Swedish brand/actor/company/phone/car/furniture store you feel compelled to point that out to your friends (with badly hidden pride in your voice).
20. People say your name in fifty different ways, but no one can get it right.
21. You instinctively spot ‘Swedes’ from a distance just based on looks and what they’re wearing.
22. You think going to the pub for a drink is a waste of time if you’re not going to get drunk.
23. You brag about the free healthcare and the free school system to every non-Swede that you have a political conversation with.
24. You have absolutely no idea what is meant by” Swedish massage” that keeps being advertised as a hot item in spas all over the world.
25. You feel bad if you’re not outside on a sunny day.

Point no. 19 is very on spot for me; whenever I hear a Swedish song on the radio in the car I feel compelled to tell this to my driver. Funny thing is that last two weeks a lot of Basshunter songs has been played on the radio, but I feelt no need to tell the driver that this is Swedish artist...........Hmmm, wonder why