Tjena!

Tjena! (Hello in Swedish ) How are you? I hope those of you who were celebrating your “New Year’s Day” in April (like Songkran in Thailand) had a great holiday. I would like to hear more about the festivals in your countries

Here is my first posting from Stockholm, Sweden.

The Glass House - view from inside the Telenor Sweden office in Stockholm  

Spring in Stockholm
I arrived in Stockholm end of March. It was still quite cold then, and it even snowed a little the week after I arrived. The relocation this time was  ‘easier’ from the first time I moved abroad. For once, the flight only lasted an hour and I was flying in the same time-zone. No jet-lag excuses this time around

The city of Stockholm is built on an archipelago. Each island is unique in its own ways. From the office we have a beautiful view over the archipelago. Last two weeks we were blessed with good weather, and almost every Swedish is outside during the weekends to enjoy the Sun. After a cold and dark winter, I too am very much looking forward towards Spring and Summer.

Telenor Sweden
On my first day at work at Telenor Sweden, I found myself in a wave of intensity. It was the closing and reporting week for the Finance department. In the midst of this, managers were running from one management meeting to another. Then I was told that there are some changes in the plans for my traineeship here. Nevertheless, I was happy to learn that many colleagues were expecting me in Telenor Sweden.

I will be working in some projects in the Finance Department in Telenor Sweden. This will be entirely different from my previous experience where I dealt with products and customers. I must say that my knowledge built during my first assignment in Norway certainly helped me in the work I’ve done so far.

Stockholm vs Oslo?
Having been in Oslo for six months, I am curious to find out how different Sweden is from Norway - these two countries being situated next to each other, having similar languages and share a history of Vikings.

I have been warned to pay attention to the more formal and hierarchical way of working in Sweden. It seemed a little intimidating at first, but after three weeks I find myself fitting in comfortably. The Swedes are friendly and inviting, which made fitting in a new city a lot easier. The familiar differences from Oslo, like having warm meals during lunch and traffic jams on big highways remind me of Kuala Lumpur. Stockholm is also very active in the art scene which is a feast for me. In fact, I am planning to watch “Footloose” next week with some colleagues, although it will be in Swedish!Â

Having said that, I have to admit I was ‘homesick’ during the first few days since I arrived in Stockholm - I missed Oslo