Dear Swedish Parents,
You would think in a country of only 9 million people, you wouldn't run out of names. Swedes are generally quite innovative, except it seems in the naming of their children.**
I know it's a little late to undo the damage done in the mid 70s, but for the sake of future Anglo-Saxon daters in Sweden, please try to diversify in the future.
It just makes my job all-that-much more difficult. At the moment, I am chatting with The Guy with the Name, The Guy with the Same Name, and The Other Guy with the Same Name. I must say, it gets rather confusing, and I'm certain that one of these days, I'm gonna screw up. Big Time.
I've already almost gotten myself into trouble.
Me: "So, you grew up in Malmö, right?"
Guy with the Same Name: "No, Stockholm. I just told you that. It must be someone else who grew up in Malmö."
Gulp. Too many slip-ups like that, and I'm not going to be talking to anyone with The Name.
And then there are the phone calls. When I see "The Name" appear on my phone, I am really not sure who it is I am going to be talking to when I pick up.
Me: "Hej du!"
The Other Guy with the Same Name: "Hej hej. Should we take a fika tomorrow?"
Me: "Ummmm, sure. What were you thinking?"
Me [to myself]: Please, please, please give me some kind of clue.
The Other Guy with the Same Name: "After work. We could meet in the center."
Me [to myself]: Damn. I hope he means the center of Stockholm.
I still don't know which of the three I'm having a fika with tomorrow. Let's just hope I recognize him.
So Swedish parents, please, I implore you: get a little creative when picking your sons' given names. It would have made my life so much easier.
Love,
F. Curiosa
**Click here for a list of the most popular Swedish girls' names and boys' names in 2004.
I know it's a little late to undo the damage done in the mid 70s, but for the sake of future Anglo-Saxon daters in Sweden, please try to diversify in the future.
It just makes my job all-that-much more difficult. At the moment, I am chatting with The Guy with the Name, The Guy with the Same Name, and The Other Guy with the Same Name. I must say, it gets rather confusing, and I'm certain that one of these days, I'm gonna screw up. Big Time.
I've already almost gotten myself into trouble.
Me: "So, you grew up in Malmö, right?"
Guy with the Same Name: "No, Stockholm. I just told you that. It must be someone else who grew up in Malmö."
Gulp. Too many slip-ups like that, and I'm not going to be talking to anyone with The Name.
And then there are the phone calls. When I see "The Name" appear on my phone, I am really not sure who it is I am going to be talking to when I pick up.
Me: "Hej du!"
The Other Guy with the Same Name: "Hej hej. Should we take a fika tomorrow?"
Me: "Ummmm, sure. What were you thinking?"
Me [to myself]: Please, please, please give me some kind of clue.
The Other Guy with the Same Name: "After work. We could meet in the center."
Me [to myself]: Damn. I hope he means the center of Stockholm.
I still don't know which of the three I'm having a fika with tomorrow. Let's just hope I recognize him.
So Swedish parents, please, I implore you: get a little creative when picking your sons' given names. It would have made my life so much easier.
Love,
F. Curiosa
**Click here for a list of the most popular Swedish girls' names and boys' names in 2004.
posted by Curiosa at 2:49 PM
9 Comments:
try too add last name in your phone
yes, one would think we would have gotten to that point...
Number them. Or use a distinguishing characteristic. Any nicknames you can use to your advantage?
Generally speaking, in some (well, many, to be honest) instances, Swedes are like sheep. Introduce a reasonably new sounding name in a TV show and every Tom, Dick and Harry will name their kid using that name.
As was the case with the name Wilma after the TV show Skärgårdsdoktorn was a big hit during the late 90's or whenever it was. Huge peak for girls with the name Wilma. (Sadly the name Fred wasn't big at the time, so a disappointingly low rate of couples named Fred and Wilma is to be expected when they all grow up.)
I also suspect this lack of imagination is tied directly to the fact that once the power goes out, Swedes living in couple relationships, always seem to end up having sex. Sometimes I wonder if the gov't isn't using this fact to aid birth rates. Too few kids? Cut the power. Blame power companies.
you mean swedes don't have sex with the lights on?
Perhaps it's more along the lines of Swedes being an easily distracted people?
Once there's no TV, Internet and other sources of distraction, the fallback behavior is sex. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, though. But wouldn't it be nicer if people had sex more even when the power wasn't out?
Swedes are morons:D
kaptanen, i never said that!
No, but I do:D
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