F So what is it like?
J Well, it is cold, very cold in winter, sometimes as cold as –26° and of course when you go out you wrap up warm, but inside, in the houses, it’s always very warm, much warmer than at home. Swedish people always complain that when they visit England the houses are cold even in a good winter. In Sweden the houses are much better insulated than in Britain and they always have the heating on very high.
F And what about the darkness?
J Well, yeah, around Christmas time, in December, there’s only one hour of daylight – so you really look forward to the spring. It is sometimes a bit depressing but you see the summers are amazing – from May to July, in the north of Sweden, the sun never sets, it’s still light at midnight, you can walk in the mountains and read a newspaper.
F Oh, yeah – the land of the midnight sun.
J That’s right. But it’s wonderful, you want to stay up all night and the Swedes make the most of it. Often they start work earlier in summer and then leave at about two or three in the afternoon, so that they can really enjoy the long summer evenings. They like to work hard but play hard too. I think Londoners work longer hours, but I’m not sure this is a good thing.
F So what about free time? Weekends? Holidays? What do Swedish people like doing?
J Well, every house in Sweden has a sauna ....
F Every house!?
J Well, every house I’ve been to. And most people have a country cottage, so people like to leave the town and get back to nature at weekends. These cottages are sometimes quite primitive, – no running water or not even toilets and ....
F No toilet ?
J Well, some don’t have toilets but they all have a sauna and all the family sit in it together, then run and jump into the lake to get cool.
F What!? Even in winter?
J Yeah – Swedish people are very healthy.
F Brrr! Or mad!
How do they enjoy the long summer evenings?They start working earlier and leave earlier too.
How is the heating in Sweden houses?Very high.
Is it cold in winter there?Yes, it is. What can people do at midnight summer?They can walk and read newspapers. What country is called the land of the midnight sun?Sweden. What do Swedish people like doing on holidays or weekends?They like having sauna.
What do the Swedish people complain for when they visit England?For cold. What do they like to do after sauna?Jump into the lake.
What do they prefer?They prefer both working and playing.
What is famous in Sweden?Sauna. What is the weather like in Sweden?It's cold. When do you see only one hour of daylight?In December.
