The secret
about Stockholm is to always find a new spot, where you can chill, enjoy the
sun, the combination of nature and calm evoked by the sound of water with a
shade of the buzz created by the traffic somewhere in the background. Good
books and coffee will complement the quality state of mind of being just with
yourself and your own thoughts.
@ Alvik Strand
And a few words about the book, Swedishness by Bengt Anderson, which I read while I was there.
This book
will prepare you both for the personal and professional life in Sweden. As the
management style is different in comparison to other parts of the world it is
essential to get accustomed to it before working for a Swedish company.
Reading
this book after already living in Sweden for almost a year enhanced my
understanding of the Swedish culture.
From the
personal perspective I must say that when I started reading this book, I
assumed it will help me to understand better the Swedes, but what I have truly
came across was understanding myself. There are certain facts and situations I
have come across, some in which I felt different than others, but now I truly
understand why. It is because sometimes, where you come from can have no
meaning and your way of being can be different. That is why it is so important
to find the culture which you feel it suits you the most and crowd with the
people you feel most comfortable with. Now, I am more than convinced that I
have found it. There was so much swedishness in me, without acknowledging it. The
only thing differentiating me is that usually “Swedes do not believe in fate”,
but I do. No matter what and where you look for it, what is right for you will
find you first.