Meeting my neighbour (a very Swedish experience) 🇸🇪
Hej hej, Reader!
Last week, I had my first run-in with my next-door neighbour—and had a bit of a rude awakening to what some would agree is quite classic Swedish culture. May at least in big cities...here’s how it went down:
I ran into him one morning as we were both leaving for work. The Aussie side of me went right in with, “Oh, good morning! I can’t believe we haven’t met in the four months I’ve lived here! What’s your name?”
He seemed a bit caught off guard, reluctant to even tell me his name, and didn’t ask for mine back 😅 Instead, he just said, “I haven’t seen you, but I’ve heard you.” (This is when I wanted to roll my eyes - we do have two kids, after all). It felt like a pretty Swedish way to make a slightly passive-aggressive point about the noise. Then he ended the conversation with, “Well, you seem to be alive and well,” before heading down the stairs. Like fast.
After I posted about this on TikTok, the comments were full of mixed responses, but I was surprised by how many felt I had definitely come on a bit too strong, that it was too forward to ask a neighbour’s name. It was the perfect reminder of the cultural differences between Sweden and Australia when it comes to socialising - even with the people you live next door to!
Swedish Privacy vs. Australian Friendliness
This whole experience got me thinking. In Australia, I got to know our neighbours really well; daily chats and check-ins weren’t unusual at all. But in Sweden, most people really do like to keep to themselves - even if they live right next door to you! And it’s funny because, despite this reserved nature, Swedish records are so public that you can look up the name and birthday of anyone, anywhere. Shouldn't that make us more nervous than your next door neighbour wanting to know your name?
So, here I am again, caught between Swedish privacy and Aussie openness - a very interesting and at time awkward balance 😅
How About You?
Do you know your neighbours, or do you prefer the Swedish approach? Hit reply and let me know - I’d love to hear your perspective on this cultural divide.
Talk soon,
Linn
If you're on TikTok (if you're not, good for you - you don't need it), you can check out the video and read the comments by clicking on the pic below.
