Silent streets

One of the most striking differences between living in the US and Sweden is how people act toward strangers - at least where I lived in the US (suburb of Southern California, home to a large university and a lot of ridiculously wealthy people).

If I was walking down the street, walking my dog, and met someone walking the other way, there was always acknowledgement of the other person's existance. Whether simply a nod, a hello, or a "good morning", SOMETHING would pass between me and this stranger.

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Here, it is not so. People will look away in order to avoid eye contact. I see a lot of people simply staring at the ground as they walk. Statistics say there's a lot of lonely people here in this country, and I can totally see why that is - it's difficult to meet new people.

The cashiers at the supermarkets barely make smalltalk, let alone carry conversations, with the customers. You cannot walk up to a stranger in a bar and introduce yourself - the stranger would probably be horrified. Hell, a friend of mine (moved in from Greece) said "They wouldn't just think you're cracy - they'd probably ask if you have a fever and need to see a doctor."

On the other hand, once you DO get to know people, people are RIDICULOUSLY kind, thoughtful, and oftentimes, hilarious. It's just hard to get to that stage.

Unless they are drunk, in which case Swedes manage to let go, and then they won't stop talking. Swedes get drunk often. Maybe I need to get out more.