When I am away from Sweden, things change.

One year, I came back and everybody was wearing ugly glasses. Last year, when I came back, cash was suddenly not an option when riding the bus (you buy an SMS ticket or charge some kind of top up card). This year, I came back and wherever I looked, people were walking around sporting oversized, colorful headphones – like they were DJ:ing a rave party.

It looks ridiculous – really, are you a grown up walking around with purple, giant disks over your ears while doing errands in town?

It is very anti-social – hello, excuse me do you know where I can..? (response: blank stare plus head-bobbing).

It is strange – you go to town to…listen to your favorite song?

But then a month passes and actually no one talks to me anyways, it is pretty cold, especially for my ears and my favorite song is just very good when walking from the bus.

Where can I get a pair of hot-pink, big-ass headphones?

Hello?

Anyone?

Image borrowed from here.