About

Sweden as I see it.

On Monday Jan 15th 13.30 hrs I took off from Stansted bound for Stockholm Skavsta to start a new life, well maybe that’s a bit dramatic – certainly a new chapter in my life.  I head up the Online Sales team for a large travel.com for the Nordic market.  We have opened a new office in Stockholm and I was encouraged to move over and build a team from there. I have agreed to a six month stint but I think it will be a year.

Update: Dec 2008. OK so it was supposed to be six months so how come I am still here?  Its amazing the way life goes, I was promoted to head the Nordic office within a few months of being here. This was never my plan or ambition. So I have gone from enjoying six months in Sweden to starting to think about buying a place and even what political party I should support. The football team was sorted very early on, Forza Bajen, the Political Party I am still researching.

Through this blog I hope to collect my thoughts and experiences as something to look back on, as well as to show friends and family my life in Sweden and hopefully help other exiles that maybe moving to Sverige. It will include some social commentary and no doubt my political thoughs…you can just skip those if you want.

The name of this blog is indeed a nod to the Stranglers, a great band but they also wrote a song called ‘Sweden -All Quiet on the Eastern Front’. Hugh Cornwell was at Lund University for some time but I am hoping things have changed a little since he was in Sweden.

Sweden (All Quiet On The Eastern Front)
Let me tell you about Sweden
Only country where the clouds are interesting
Big brother says it’s the place to go

Too much time to think, too little to do
Too much time to think, too little to do
Too much time, too little to do
‘Cos it’s all quiet on the Eastern front

Fluctuations at a minimum
Hypochondriac tombstone
Sense of humour’s gone astray somewhere

Too much time to think, too little to do
Too much time to think, too little to do
Too much time, too little to do
‘Cos it’s all quiet on the Eastern front

Cumulus nimbus floats by

Fluctuations at a minimum
Hypochondriac tombstone
Big brother says it’s the place to go

It’s all quiet on the Eastern front
(All quiet on the Eastern front)
It’s all quiet on the Eastern front
(All quiet on the Eastern front)
It’s all quiet on the Eastern front
It’s all
Quiet

To be fair I really like Stockholm and Sweden and at this moment in time see no reason to leave!