Who studies Italian in Sweden?

One day I was talking to the human resources responsible for an institute that hired me to teach Italian and when she told me “We teach 28 languages in this school and after Swedish and English the Italian tongue is the most taught with 55 courses every semester” I couldn’t believe that and I wondered “Who the hell would study Italian in Sweden?”. Here they are, some of my students!

Movie making in Stockholm

What do people do in Stockholm during a typical Sunday afternoon?

Someone doesn't do anything, just relax after being drunk two days in a row

Someone else goes to a coffee shop to meet some friends and have a chat with them

The most banal meet up and watch a football match

But there's also a minority who does something else: they make a movie!

Here they are, planning the next scene of the movie

Lunch break in Stockholm

What happens during a lunch break in Stockholm?

You go for a walk, trying to avoid any falls due to the snow which makes the pavement very slippery.

Then you return to the office and maybe your lift card doesn't work properly...

Is snowy weather fascinating?

For those who were born in places where the snow is non-existent being in a landscape like this is incredibly thrilling.

The problem arises when this sort of landscape lasts 4 months a year. After a long period being surrounded by this snow can be annoying but still fascinating.

Here is how it feels like being there!

TALLIN, A LITTLE JEWEL

The first time I had a chance to go to Tallin was nearly 10 years ago.

At that time I did not know much about life, about countries, in fact I didn't know much about anything. I was just an Erasmus student convinced that Sweden was the best country in the world and Swedish girls were the most attractive women in the universe (how naive!).

Since then I returned to Tallin twice and the impression was similar and different.
What is similar is the beauty of the historical city centre and of the girls.
Tallin looks like those places who have a foot in the past and the other in the future: the monuments remind of the greatness of the empire Estonians belonged to; walking in the non historical city centre gives the clear impression to be in a Scandinavian city, colonised by the Banks and typical shops you may find in Northern Europe.

The people seem to be happy of what they have, they look like simple human beings that don't demand too much.

The girls are among the most gorgeous in the world (currently my favourite but I love women from all the countries!) and they look pretty confident too.
The only drawback in the capital is the cost of living which seems way too high for the possibilities of the inhabitants.

To turn Tallin into the ideal place to live takes 2 things: a significant economic growth due to investments from abroad (which is not easily predictable), and English improvement by the Estonians who have all the means to accomplish this task (films are shown in the original version)

In that case I would have no refrains to move there right away!

Christmas time in Biblioteksgatan

The central streets in Stockholm are pretty busy during Christmas time.

Here is Biblioteksgatan a few days ago. People run from one side to another and usually don’t manage to do what they planned.

This is what Christmas is about: rushing, spending money and meeting up relatives you wouldn’t meet for the rest of the year. Waiting for another identical Christmas!

Is Odenplan a real alternative to Stureplan and Södermalm?

Is Odenplan a real main square in Stockholm? Hard to answer.

Odenplan is a famous square in the neighbourhood Vasastan, it is quite central, prestigious and pleasant. But it doesn’t give the inhabitants of this area the status which Stureplan and Södermalm do.

Why? Maybe because there isn’t enough night life down there, or it’s better to say that people don’t usually think about Odenplan when they decide where to go in the night.

But in Odenplan you can even find cool pubs. So what’s the drawback of this square? Maybe just stereotypes, as usual...

Marta, an exchange student in Stockholm

Here is Marta, a Polish student.

Marta is about to finish her master program in Warsaw; she also studied at Stockholm University some time ago.

Marta has been studying philology, theatre and dancing.

Lets’ hear what she thinks of Stockholm

Stockholm Universitet, where the dreams come true

A place I do recommend university students apply for is Stockholm Universitet.

I studied there one year and the feeling I had was just fantastic, I felt in the future with a look in the past.

In the future because I had all the technology and means I needed to study properly

In the past because I could interact with many people from many countries: life, despite any technological evolution, will always be about friendships, love, sex and human contacts otherwise it wouldn’t be life, it would be something else, something unworthy.

Many faculties are in the Frescati area together with several places to have a decent lunch, plus three coffee shops and a big computer room

Follow my advice, if you have a chance just study there!

Stureplan, the status symbol

The main status symbol in Sweden is the neighbour you live in.

You are not a lawyer, an employee nor a doctor; you are a Stureplan or a Södermalm or a Vasastan person.

The most prestigious area in Stockholm is Stureplan: the most expensive for accommodation, the fanciest part of the city where people go to show off and try to prove that they are somebody while clubbing in the night.

I never go to Stureplan because I judge it a chicken trap. However it is a good looking neighbour and sometimes I like to walk there, but never in the night!