Brunnen

SWEDEN

SVERIGE
SCHWEDEN
SWEDEN
SUEDE
...and then this:
RUOTSI

A dear child has many names, so has Sweden. For Finns, the country is RUOTSI. Stockholm is TUKHOLMA, Umeå UUMAJA, Luleå LUULAJA, Uppsala UPSALA, king Carl Gustaf KAARLE KUSTAA. It's not hard to draw the conclusion we've been there more than once. Working, shopping, exploring, travelling, just 'observing' the wealthy kingdom.

I thought to write a few lines about Sweden. This week, I spent a few days on the western coast of Finland in a Swedish-speaking region. In a Swedish-speaking region. What does the expression "Swedish-speaking region" indicate to following people:

a)a statistician
b)a doctor
c)a Finnish-speaking guy living in a Savonian village in Eastern Finland
d)for the people living in the Swedish-speaking region themselves?

For a), it means statistically healthier people, higher life expectancy, slightly (one might argue about this) wealthier families, lower population flow from this region to other regions inside the country.
For b), it means, again, healthier people, and more specifically, for psychiatrists, less work due to the strong social network of the people. It means elder patients since they simply live longer - and of course, the need to take a very hard state-regulated exam on Swedish language in order to be employed in the region.
For c), it means a region completely unknown, lots of speculations about rich elite and unfair division of tax payers' money. It means "pakkoruotsi" - the compulsory Swedish courses in secondary and upper secondary school, complains, envy and feel of being inferior. (Actually, inferiorism compared to any nation west of Finland...)
For d), it means... I dunno what it means! All I can say is what I've observed: a more joyful attitude, strong social network, open mentality, love of (Baltic) sea, singing together, big family trees, lack of Slavic menthality.

The Swedish-speaking region(s) of Finland are not Sweden but they are the closest Finns can get to be Swedes. THIS IS MY OPINION, based on statistics.
Then, why would we aim for being (like) Swedes? And do we?
Well, it's easy to say we do. If the question is set as "If not born in Finland, then in which country...". For Finns, though occasionally hard to admit, Sweden is the closest we can get. The most natural option for a new home. A stable option with no drama or insecurity. Long live the word "hyggligt"! Role model indeed - it's still common to wait a few years until Swedes judge a new system or rule and then to copy it if successful.

Ruotsi cultivates many opinions among Finns. Many emotions, depending on when you ask them. Sweden is interesting and I don't know how they do that - being so close and still so different at the same time.

How do Swedes differ from Finns? Physically, I can tell the difference -- sometimes. We do look different. With most people, I could never tell the difference but with some, I can with certainty tell they're Swedes - or rather - that they are not Finns. I know this might sound strange to, say, Asians, but I also agree with Yumiko who told me Chinese and Japanese look different. Most of them really do, and (even) I can see the difference. I tried to find a typical Swede on google to illustrate what I mean but it turned out to be hard. So, just believe me when I support my argument by telling that Finland was inhabited by some 1,000 only ancestors who are the genetic great-grandparents of 99% of us. The rest is a mild mingle mingle with some random Scandinavian encounters now and then but that hasn't made the phenotype identific with our western neighbour. Yet.

There is one more thing I shall mention about SVERIGE. They have the third largest industry of the field in Europe and they are incredibly good at it. Svensk musik.
Eller borde jag säga, Den Svenska Musiken. Swedish bands are the masters of catchy tunes and what ever they compose, that sells. I strongly assume many of these pop ballades and other master pieces have been strategically calculated and coldly created to fill the radio stations, but they have the talent. If you then happen to like the 80's, your way leads to Sweden and Sweden only. They are so good that Madonna wrote a letter to Ulvaeus and Andersson and kindly asked if she could use a part of "Gimme gimme gimme" in one of her pop songs, the Hung Up.

Sweden is an easy neighbour to live with. If you've got trouble, you can ask her for favour, ask for a piece of advice. Sweden is a stable country, as mentioned earlier, and it has its advantages. Safe, joyful, punctual, functioning, rational, diverse yet familiar. As long as we don't talk about ice hockey, the relationship is really very special. Och nu ska jag sluta med det här, allt för mycket om Sverige på en gång!

posted by Anicko @ 10:41 PM