Marie Lund
@Minerva909
Polish expat in Sweden
Forum posts
82
Contacts
3
About me
Polish
Lives in Landskrona
Speaks English, Polish, Swedish, German, Russian, Spanish + a bit of French and Italian
Registration: 19 September 2007
About
My expat journey
Landskrona, Sweden
I recently work for a nonprofit organization in Belize and live there for a few months a year
Brunswick, GA, USA
I moved to USA in 1982 and reside here permanently, even though I often live and work abroad (in a total of about 50 countries on 5 continents, but mostly in Europe and the Americas
I had three occupations during my post-student lifetime: 1. international "think tank" researcher 2. international for profit consultant (mainly high tech) 3. international non-profit consultant = my retirement encore "career". As a student i worked as a tour guide and a journalist.
It is big, comfortable (if you have money), lots of choices and opportunities.
It's miserly towards the poor exploiting them blatantly, lately also increasingly miserly towards middle class, equally blatantly benefiting the rich. Huge - and mostly unjustifiable - income and wealth disparities, excessive conservatism, excessive religiosity, persistent remnants of racism now expressing themselves in a growing anti-immigrant attitudes.
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
I worked there with three different non profit organisations in different parts of Puerto Rico - two on the west coast in Aguada and Mayaguez and one high in the mountains in easter Puerto Rico in Patillas district
Climate, beaches, the jungle, fruit, San Juan's old town with its graceful Spanish architecture
Roo much garbage on the streets, too many stray animals that nobody seems to care about, nonchalant driving (and I am trying to be nice here), extensive bureaucracy, surprising? lack of fresh vegetables.
Almunecar, Spain
I was living a life of leisure contemplating early retirement, roaming the coast of Spain with forages to Portugal and Morocco
leisure = retirement-in-training ;-)
An absolutely delightful Spanish white village, almost 3000 years old with largely undestructed charm, 25% of populations being expats from other european countries, so that everyday I could speak several different languages when socializing and having fun - quite a refreshing change from unilinguall USA.
Buildings without heating and AC - though in fact they needed both. Spanish TV using only Spanish language. Absurd levels of bureaucracy.
Munich, Germany
I worked in the European HQ of a German-US-Japanese high tech company
management consultant
Munich and Bavaria is an area full of cultural and natural treasures.
Stores closed on Sunday. When I went to downtown Munich to a museum or to any event, I could not do any shopping at the same time :-(((
Stockholm, Sweden
I have moved to Sweden from - then communist - Poland, got married and lived there for 8 years until I emigrated to USA. But I lived in Sweden again in the early-mid 90s (in Ystad, Skaane) and in mid 2000s (in Simrishamn, also in Skaane).
Sweden is my country of citizenship and I visit often
Egalitarian, democratic, the beauty of the North.
Poznan, Poland
I was born and raised in Poland
a "think tank" academic
it was communist at the time: oppressive regime that wouldn't let you go wnywhere, poverty, gray dullness
Activity
I am totally confused and I need help on this one by elinabio
our son is born at November 1997. when I read about maltese education system I thought he is supposed to be in form 3 in a secondary school as he is 15 and not 16 years old. however today my husband went to St Clare College and he was told that our ...
Good luck, elinabio, I am sure you made the best possible choice! :-) Read More
I am totally confused and I need help on this one by elinabio
our son is born at November 1997. when I read about maltese education system I thought he is supposed to be in form 3 in a secondary school as he is 15 and not 16 years old. however today my husband went to St Clare College and he was told that our ...
It is not an easy situation. Both I and several of my friends and former coworkers have been in your shoes when we decided to move for the sake of career in a time that was inopportune for our kids' education. The most frequent choice was to let the ... Read More
Domestic services: availability and cost by Minerva909
Hi, I am retired, recently returned to Europe after 30 years in the USA and the Caribbean, and... suffering from a climate shock and a price shock (especially cost of simple services, which in Sweden cost around $50 per hour = blatant robbery!) and ...
Thanks all for the advice. I shall heed it and ask around once established. Asking early about cost and availability of such services I wanted to avoid unwelcome surprises as I found in Sweden, where hiring someone legally (due to a combination of ... Read More
Domestic services: availability and cost by Minerva909
Hi, I am retired, recently returned to Europe after 30 years in the USA and the Caribbean, and... suffering from a climate shock and a price shock (especially cost of simple services, which in Sweden cost around $50 per hour = blatant robbery!) and ...
Thanks, George. :-) Read More
Domestic services: availability and cost
Hi, I am retired, recently returned to Europe after 30 years in the USA and the Caribbean, and... suffering from a climate shock and a price shock (especially cost of simple services, which in Sweden cost around $50 per hour = blatant robbery!) and ... Read More
details on living expenses by ravibilgi
hello all, this is ravi from hyderabad, india. i will be moving to malmo on a work permit and would like to know what is the day-to-day expense like - for e.g. : - how much does a loaf of bread cost? how much does a liter of milk cost? how about ...
In Swedish Krona Read More
details on living expenses by ravibilgi
hello all, this is ravi from hyderabad, india. i will be moving to malmo on a work permit and would like to know what is the day-to-day expense like - for e.g. : - how much does a loaf of bread cost? how much does a liter of milk cost? how about ...
here is a recent week's advertisement from a large Swedish grocery chain: coop.ecbook.se/coop/konsum/?store=101610 It is in Swedish but illustrated, so you can see what cost how much. Read More
how much is enough?! by ravibilgi
hi, again, everyone, as indicated in my previous post, i am scheduled to travel to Malmo in the coming months. i would like to know if a salary of roughly 25,000 SEK per month will suffice for a couple? i am in a position to negotiate, so would ...
Ravi, please do not overdo negotiating with a Swedish employer (if your employer is Swedish). Swedes abhor haggling. They pride themselves on being just and fair and making a fair offer, so the negotiating margin in Sweden on the average is only ... Read More
details on living expenses by ravibilgi
hello all, this is ravi from hyderabad, india. i will be moving to malmo on a work permit and would like to know what is the day-to-day expense like - for e.g. : - how much does a loaf of bread cost? how much does a liter of milk cost? how about ...
Ravi, Sweden has excellent health care, don't worry. Read More
how much is enough?! by ravibilgi
hi, again, everyone, as indicated in my previous post, i am scheduled to travel to Malmo in the coming months. i would like to know if a salary of roughly 25,000 SEK per month will suffice for a couple? i am in a position to negotiate, so would ...
Uff, i worry for your wife with that super austere saving plan. She won't be working, you say. What, if I may ask, is she going to be doing? Sitting alone in a budget apartment in a strange city and a strange country, with nobody to talk to all day ... Read More
Helsingborg by ladyB
Is there anybody in or close to Helsingborg? Would love to meet some people!!
Hi, Lady B I will be returning to Sweden ( I am Swedish citizen) in a few months and living in Skane (perhaps in Helsingborg). I am half German and would like to practice it more than I do now. Read More
how much is enough?! by ravibilgi
hi, again, everyone, as indicated in my previous post, i am scheduled to travel to Malmo in the coming months. i would like to know if a salary of roughly 25,000 SEK per month will suffice for a couple? i am in a position to negotiate, so would ...
It depends what do you mean by "enough". Many Swedes make less, but in Sweden usually both members of a couple work, so if it is only you to make money, it might not be much, since most goods and services cost a lot in Sweden. A one bedroom ... Read More
Living in Georgia by travellers
Hello all! My husband and I are considering relocating to Georgia from Germany. Any other Germans living there? Many other Europeans? Any tips and advice on good neighbourhoods to live would be great... Also tips and ideas on how to intergrate with ...
Savannah is picturesque, historical, touristy most of the year, but particularly in the summer ... very, very southern, which means very conservative, high percentage of African Americans but very little (still) social integration crossing the race ... Read More
who can survive in culturally different environment? by tuyatsetseg
Hello everybody It is known that some expatriates effectively survive in culturally different environment while some of them have failed. Please answer me who can effectively survive?
Oh, erin, it is not a question of understanding - patriarchalism, its causes and its manifestations have been widely studied and are well understood. My - a tad convoluted perhaps - point was: not to exaggerate open-mindedness to the point of ... Read More
Conside moving to sweden and want to know about life there? by moika
I am greek, living with my housband and 1 year old son as a permenant citizen in Finland. Before having child, finland was heaven, abit cold and dark but nice place to live. we were happy with our life and our work. How ever having a child have ...
I was an immigrant in Sweden - several times actually, but only the first time around I did not speak Swedish (now when I go to Sweden I appear so Swedish to the locals they tend to think my Swedish accent is that of a Swedish-American, not a ... Read More