Get to know your neighbors � Allt f�r Sverige

One thing that takes ages in Sweden is getting to know your neighbors. This might be because some Swedes admit to hiding behind their doors waiting until you leave the hallway before they exit their apartment. But really, its just because if you get more than a nod and eye contact, you are �in�.

I feel a bit bad writing this because my neighbors are really great. And while I don�t know them well, they are mostly retired, and they know EVERYTHING that is going on in the neighborhood. So they will often fill me in on who is getting divorced, who had a grease fire, and where there was a robbery down the road.

But I really love this little film clip about how Swedes react to strangers at the door, even when they come equipped with a television crew.

This is a show called Allt f�r Sverige, a cute program about Americans who come to Sweden to learn about their family heritage. There are a bunch of absurd overdramatic moments with people proclaiming �My great great long lost cousin�s husband�s cow might have lived in this barn� followed by tears.

But it is also full of cute and fun cultural observations, not so far off from what I try to do with this little blog.

Here is what happens when the American contestants try to bring baked goods to their new neighbors.

Check out the clip at around 20:30 for the event. Most of it is in English, with a bit of Swedish thrown in.