A Svarga called Sverige

(Svarga is a Sanskrit word which means heaven!)

Over the lockdowns during Covid, I had a lot of spare time and I used some of that to know more about things like circular economy and climate goals. One can not go deep into understanding climate goals without bumping into the things/people/events related to the tiny Scandinavian nation of Sweden (or Sverige in Swedish). This year (2023), I was extremely lucky to have spent four months in Sweden in a small town called Trollhättan near Gothenburg. Each day I came to know more about Sverige and each day I came to appreciate the land and the people ever more. 

The Climate!

The first thing people mention when I utter the word "Sweden", is the climate. I spent January to April in Sweden. Before I arrived there I was pretty scared. I had read all about frost bites! I had read about depressions caused by long nights as well! Well, I wont say that the weather was not challenging. But, it was way better than what I had imagined. I have lived in Edinburgh and have visited many cities in Germany and the UK. These cities are mostly mildly cold but mostly overcast all the time. It is depressing to be in a place with cold weather and no sun. Compared to that, most places in Sweden have a lot of snow but also a lot of sun shine. With sun and snow even mundane places look magical. And, if you are healthy and have a decent jacket then its not that bad. This one evening I lost my way and had to walk for one hour in snow. The temperature was -10C. And I just had a good pair of trousers and a very good pair of shoes. No inners. It was not challenging at all! 

The People

The Swedes, in general, are very humble and down to earth. Internet says that the Swedes are cold and do not like it when you greet them. It is not correct, at least not in West Sweden! I have been approached by random people who start conversation on many occasions. And these are usually pretty deep and personal conversations. On one occasion, a guy in his 50s started talking to me in the central library in Gothenburg. He told about his times in many countries. On another instance, a young guy started talking to me when I was hiking alone in a forest. Before long, he was telling me about his family and his job! This does not happen in South Africa where everyone greets you on the road but no one really cares to chat.

Another interesting character of the Swedes is well summarised by a Swedish word, lagom. It basically means in moderation; not too much and not too little (kind of like the middle-path preached by the Buddha!). It is reflected in the way the Swedes live and think; and is also a driving philosophy behind the famous Swedish minimalistic design. Have you ever thought why IKEA designs look so appealing? Its because of this moderation in every aspect. 

Lagom is also one of the reasons the country is egalitarian. I had the good fortune to work with a few officials from the local municipality. Each one of them is concerned about how best to save public money. A mind-blowing result of this mentality is the cycle-pool system in Trollhättan. The municipality bought some bicycles, fitted them with sensors and used them to run a bicycle sharing system in the town. Nothing novel. The surprise comes when you know about where did they buy the cycles from! They took the pain to shop extensively; found a bike-sharing company in Stockholm which had gone bankrupt and was selling the cycles at a reduced rate; ended up getting the cycles for less than 60-70 EUR each! 

The Swedish Design and Architecture

Swedish designs and architectures are minimalist, functional and "cute"! The elegance with which they design new buildings besides old ones (so as to create a mellifluous design) is amazing. 

Wires to deter seagulls from seating and shitting! But, look at the design. Someone has applied some creativity and it looks like a reindeer...."cute"!

Above two are architectures from Malmo. Note how elegantly the modern architectures blend into the older ones.

The ubiquitous IKEA lamp!

Swedish Food

It is surprising how unique Swedish cuisine is and how many interesting food and food cultures are there in this small country. There is fika (coffee but with a panache) and there is fikabröd (a sweet confectionary eaten with coffee). There is lördagsgodis which literally means Saturday goodies! This is a mixed bag of candies that Swedish kids get on a Saturday! Being health conscious the Swedes also have a nut version of lördagsgodis (mixed bag of nuts). And there are many different types of cakes. I am a big fan of cheese-cake (made the American way). I was looking for cheese cakes for a long time. Then, I discovered the range of Swedish cakes like ostkaka (literally means cheese-cake but its a much healthier version!), kladdkaka (Swedish style chocolate cake), kanelbulle (Swedish cinnamon bun) and my favorite chokladbollar (chocolate ball but made from oat!). Swedes are also famous for their meatballs and a mind-blowing range of fruit ciders. After all, its the home of the famous Rekorderlig ciders!

lördagsgodis in a local shop.

Fika with kladdkaka!

The Industries

Sweden throws its weight in international arenas thanks to the big industries which call Sweden their home (from IKEA to Volvo to Scania to Northvolt). One thing I noted was that most big industries try to operate from small towns. So much so that I would like to call Sweden the land of small towns. This is a great thing that other countries/industries can learn. This can give rise to more uniform growth of a country.  

Sweden also comes in news, often, due to its climate-actions. The good thing I found in Sweden is that many people actively endeavour to live a sustainable and low-carbon life. Many use bicycle and public transport. One of my colleagues is so committed that he tries to avoid aeroplanes as a matter of principle. He even goes to his in-laws' place (in Italy) in summer taking a three-days long train trip! I have seen elderly people carrying their bigger waste items to the waste collection centres. Many new cloths also note how much water has been used in making them! And, of course, the government does its best as well. 

I have lived and visited many developed nations. None, so far, has impressed me as much as Sweden. I hope more nations try to follow Sweden as much as possible (and of course in their own ways (e.g. India can not just copy Swedish policies for obvious reasons)).