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Comment by FundementalBrit | Hacker News Reader

What didn't you like in Sweden? I'm a brit looking to buy land out their for the hunting opportunities.

Don't know anything about hunting other than it appears to be a very popular hobby here. There is a really strong brand of Sweden being a "come here, everyone speaks perfect English here" type of country but the reality is something completely different. In my experience, you definitely get treated differently based on how accented your Swedish is or if you speak any at all (and I live in the largest city here in Sweden where there a lot of people with a foreign background).

In what way are you treated differently?

Usually it's very subtle, definitely not in your face. For some it will be the glass ceiling at work they'll never manage to break,no matter how good they are, for others it will be people simply not wanting to interact beyond 'hi, bye' level.

Sounds like you've been unlucky. Not my experience at all.

I wouldn't say I had bad experience myself, but then again I haven't lived there as long as I did in the UK. As I said, things are usually subtle and underneath the surface,so not everyone can/want to see.

Maybe I've just been unlucky and come across the wrong people but here are some things that left me a bit disturbed tbh

- medical staff demanding to know if I'm Polish or Ukrainian in the middle of a big medical procedure where I am already in tears and in pain

- easier to get things done at banks and other admin places if you call the customer service number and speak (good) Swedish

- first thing that anyone asks in any social interaction is "Where are you from and what are you doing in Sweden?" Might not be malicious, but it's starting to grate on my nerves. Where I am really from is probably the least interesting thing about me.

And by the way, I am originally from another Nordic country and look Western European. I can only imagine what it's like for someone who looks different.

There's definitely a difference in people if they hear you have an "English", Indian(?), Arabic, Finnish, "eastern" or others.

As in, some of those accents are treated better, some worse

Can you find a country in Europe, where the majority of population does not treat non-tourist people with a foreign background, if not with hostility, then at least as a strange specimen, not sure what to make of them?

Actually I think that’s true of every country, EU, US, and elsewhere, to varying degrees. I think it’s much better in Western countries than elsewhere though - nobody would treat a foreigner as “normal” in eg Thailand, Turkey, Philippines, etc.

The exception is melting pot cities like London and NYC - where you are likely not interacting with the native population at all.

Serbia, Bosnia

Come to Norway instead. Much less judgemental.

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