Summary

Tessachar's travelogue reveals seven surprising aspects of Scandinavian culture, including the prevalence of biking, diverse culinary options, reasonable costs, a laid-back lifestyle, sun-seeking behavior, similarities in Nordic languages, the popularity of Velo nicotine pouches, and the cultural practice of bringing personal food and drinks to parties.

Abstract

In a reflective piece on her travels through Scandinavia, specifically Denmark and Sweden, Tessachar shares her unexpected findings. She is taken aback by the bike-centric lifestyle and the well-designed urban infrastructure that supports it. The author is pleasantly surprised by the variety of international cuisines available, challenging the notion that Scandinavia is culinarily homogeneous. Despite preconceived notions of high costs, she finds that with careful selection, one can enjoy meals at reasonable prices. The pace of life in Scandinavia strikes her as notably calm and organized, a stark contrast to the bustling energy of Istanbul she experiences later. She observes a sun-worshipping culture, with people making the most of sunny days by sunbathing in unconventional places. Tessachar also notes the mutual intelligibility of Nordic languages and the popularity of Velo, a brand of oral nicotine pouches. Lastly, she describes the unique custom of guests bringing their own food and drinks to social gatherings, which differs from the communal dining she's accustomed to in other cultures.

Opinions

The author appreciates the bike-friendly nature of Scandinavian cities, noting the ease of access and availability of bike-sharing programs.
She enjoys the diverse culinary scene, highlighting the wide range of international cuisines available at places like Reffen in Copenhagen.
Tessachar acknowledges her privilege in comparing costs to US dollars and finds that Scandinavia is not as expensive as she initially thought, with affordable meal options and public transport that, while pricey, is within reason.
She admires the calm and orderly lifestyle, suggesting that the Swedish policy against after-work contact contributes to a stress-free environment.
The author finds the sun-seeking behavior of Scandinavians amusing, especially their willingness to sunbathe on concrete surfaces.
She is intrigued by the similarities among Nordic languages, which allow for mutual understanding among speakers of different Scandinavian languages.
Tessachar is curious about the cultural phenomenon of Velo nicotine pouches, noting their popularity and variety of flavors and strengths.
She expresses surprise at the custom of bringing personal food and drinks to parties, contrasting it with the communal dining norms of other cultures she has experienced.

7 Things That Surprised Me About Scandinavia

Expect to take things slow and enjoy the sun

Welcome back to another installment of things that surprised me when traveling. Having done two of these now (Spain and Singapore), I’m realizing that as much as these pieces are for you, dear reader, they also serve as an important reflection point for me to practice my noticing skills and become more cognizant of the lens I view the world in as well as the biases and privileges I carry.

As I close out two weeks in Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden), it’s time to pen down those impressions.

1. Biking is a lifestyle

I was flabbergasted by the number of bikes everywhere and how all of the cities were built in a way that makes biking so accessible. There’s ample bike parking and clearly defined bike lanes everywhere. And if you don’t have a bike? No problem — bike (and scooter) sharing is abundant and you can rest assured you’ll be able to get anywhere on your two wheels.

2. The culinary scene is surprisingly diverse

I visited Reffen, the street food market in Copenhagen, and happened to be in Malmö, Sweden during the annual festival, and the food options and cuisines were so diverse. At Reffen, food options included more than just European options and ranged from Afghani to Moroccan to Korean, while the festival in Malmö had great worldwide representation as well.

When I searched for other cuisines in the cities I was in, there also seemed to be a healthy range of non-European options available, and having tried some of those options, I’d have to say they’re not bad at all!

An Afghani dish I picked up at Reffen in Copenhagen! Photo by author.

3. It wasn’t as expensive as I expected

This is perhaps where my privilege is talking — the privilege to convert and compare to US dollars when it suits me. When I think about Scandinavia, I think — it’s going to be so expensive. And yes, meals can be expensive. But there are well-priced options available.

While public transport is on the higher end of what you’d pay in the US, you can definitely find meals for under or around $15, which I found to be a really decent price.

4. It’s the slow life capital

Okay, maybe the slow life capital is a stretch, but you get what I mean. All the cities I visited were orderly, calm, and organized, and people never seemed stressed or in a rush. They’d chat leisurely at coffee shops and enjoy sitting by the water. My friend also told me that apparently in Sweden, it’s illegal for your employer to contact you after work hours (someone fact-check me on this please, but if this is true, I could do with this culture!)

The calmness and slow life were made even clearer to me when I flew to Istanbul after Stockholm and entered a completely opposite bustling energy (stay tuned for a Turkey list soon!).

5. Folks will do anything for the sun

I visited a few bodies of water when I was there, and I was surprised at the number of people sunbathing and excited to be in the sun. Coming from a country of white sand beaches lined with picturesque beachside cafes and beach chairs, it was funny that people were sprawled out on slabs of slanted concrete to take in the sun. It seemed super uncomfortable to me to be laying on the concrete, but hey I get it — you gotta soak in the sun when you can.

If you look close enough, you can see all the people enjoying the sun (on the concrete) by the waterfront. Photo taken by author in Malmö, Sweden.

6. How similar the nordic languages are

Having not known very much about nordic culture and languages, it was interesting to learn that the languages are very similar. I had picked up a few words in Norweigan from a friend, and was surprised that those words were also the same in Danish and Swedish! (For example, thank you is tack in all three languages). So, it’s common for folks from all three countries to be able to understand each other.

7. Velo

Smoking wasn’t too prominent, but you know what was? Velo. They’re these oral nicotine pouches that are super popular there. They come in different flavors — like licorice, mint, and fruits — and different strengths — one to four. The Swedes I hung out with described them as giving you a kick of energy when you take them. You put them in between your gums and your lips and when you feel the kick, you take them out.

I didn’t partake in trying them, but was happy to learn about them and the culture!

8. Bonus one you bring your own food and drinks to parties (and you don’t share them)

I’m calling this a bonus one because I don’t want to generalize on one experience, but when I was there, a friend invited me to a kräftskiva, a traditional summertime celebration where you get together and eat crayfish.

I’m used to American potlucks where everyone contributes a dish and you all share, or gatherings where the host provides food and you show up with a bottle of wine in hand. Then in Asian gatherings, you show up to someone’s house and they’ll feed you until you’re about to burst. In both situations, all of the food and drink at the party is up for grabs and shared.

At this crayfish party though, everyone brought their own portion of crayfish and their own drinks and they ate what they brought. Sure, you can ask to try some of your friend’s wine, but the general rule of thumb is that you bring what you want to eat.

I suppose it is convenient in the sense that you know you’ll have something there that you want to eat, but coming from cultures where sharing food is pretty much a love language, it was weird to not be able to share and eat freely.

Perhaps that was just this one instance, but it was an observation to share nonetheless!

Thanks for letting me reflect and share my impressions with you all. Anything else I missed? Let me know!

P.S. I only visited Denmark and Sweden so my list comes from those two countries only.

If you enjoyed this, check out my referral link to become a Medium member to support my labor of love. If you’re already a member, your comments keep me going, so I’d love to hear from you!

You also might also enjoy:

10 Digital Nomad Essentials You Need on Your Next Adventure

From the practical to the personal

medium.com

8 Things That Surprised Me About Singapore

With the high prices of alcohol, you may never get drunk again

medium.com