#MySweden: 'I enjoy having a chat with a random person, but it's difficult to do that here'
Every week one of the The Local's readers takes over our Instagram account. Today Google engineer Abdel Sghiouar from Morocco shows us his part of Stockholm.
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I'm 33 and work full time at Google as an engineer, so I spend most of my time at work I travel a lot around Europe, so when travelling it's usually work, food with colleagues, then watching a movie at the hotel before bed and gym if I can squeeze it into my schedule.
When not travelling I have a better schedule. I always hit the gym for one hour, then home to eat and relax with a movie, documentary or book. I've been spending my weekends so far cooking for the week (batch cooking saves time and money), exploring some new areas around Stockholm (not much in winter) and/or meeting friends for a drink or food.
When and why did you move to your city?
I moved last year in July for work. I was working for Google in Belgium and after four years I wanted a change, so I applied for an internal transfer and ended up in Stockholm. The choice is not by chance, I had visited Stockholm before for work and tourism and liked the city and I wanted to explore what it means to live in a Scandinavian country. No regrets so far.
What do you love the most about your city?
Stockholm is nice. I like the international vibe and the size of the city makes it very convenient to go almost everywhere on foot or by bike; everything is very efficient in Sweden (administration, health care, public transport…). I live in Vasastan and I like it a lot, because it's very quiet, green (there's a forest ten minutes from my home where I go to run) and very clean.
What annoys you the most about your city?
I think the fact that everybody is minding their own business makes it difficult to make new friends. Most of my friends are expats and I have few Swedes in my social circle. I'm a very open, talkative and outgoing person and I enjoy having a chat with a random person, but it's very difficult to do that here.
How should I spend a day in your city?
Museums would be the best to do here. Go visit the Vasa Museum – a must-see in Stockholm – walk around Djurgården where you can find a few free ones. Visit Gamla Stan to get a glimpse of how old Stockholm used to be, on the way to the city centre stop by the Royal Palace. Food-wise there are a lot of restaurants serving all sorts of food. To name a few: Midan (Middle Eastern), Cloud Nine (Fusion), TAK (nice roof top with an amazing view), Barrel Burgers, Koreana, Waza, and Pressklubben has a great selection of Belgian beers.
What's a fun fact everyone knows about your city?
The city's subway is also known as the world's longest art gallery, with the majority of its stations adorned with paintings, sculptures and mosaics.
You can follow Abdel Sghiouar on Instagram here. Do you want to be The Local's next #MySweden Instagram takeover host? Click HERE to apply.
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How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I'm 33 and work full time at Google as an engineer, so I spend most of my time at work I travel a lot around Europe, so when travelling it's usually work, food with colleagues, then watching a movie at the hotel before bed and gym if I can squeeze it into my schedule.
When not travelling I have a better schedule. I always hit the gym for one hour, then home to eat and relax with a movie, documentary or book. I've been spending my weekends so far cooking for the week (batch cooking saves time and money), exploring some new areas around Stockholm (not much in winter) and/or meeting friends for a drink or food.
When and why did you move to your city?
I moved last year in July for work. I was working for Google in Belgium and after four years I wanted a change, so I applied for an internal transfer and ended up in Stockholm. The choice is not by chance, I had visited Stockholm before for work and tourism and liked the city and I wanted to explore what it means to live in a Scandinavian country. No regrets so far.
What do you love the most about your city?
Stockholm is nice. I like the international vibe and the size of the city makes it very convenient to go almost everywhere on foot or by bike; everything is very efficient in Sweden (administration, health care, public transport…). I live in Vasastan and I like it a lot, because it's very quiet, green (there's a forest ten minutes from my home where I go to run) and very clean.
What annoys you the most about your city?
I think the fact that everybody is minding their own business makes it difficult to make new friends. Most of my friends are expats and I have few Swedes in my social circle. I'm a very open, talkative and outgoing person and I enjoy having a chat with a random person, but it's very difficult to do that here.
How should I spend a day in your city?
Museums would be the best to do here. Go visit the Vasa Museum – a must-see in Stockholm – walk around Djurgården where you can find a few free ones. Visit Gamla Stan to get a glimpse of how old Stockholm used to be, on the way to the city centre stop by the Royal Palace. Food-wise there are a lot of restaurants serving all sorts of food. To name a few: Midan (Middle Eastern), Cloud Nine (Fusion), TAK (nice roof top with an amazing view), Barrel Burgers, Koreana, Waza, and Pressklubben has a great selection of Belgian beers.
What's a fun fact everyone knows about your city?
The city's subway is also known as the world's longest art gallery, with the majority of its stations adorned with paintings, sculptures and mosaics.
You can follow Abdel Sghiouar on Instagram here. Do you want to be The Local's next #MySweden Instagram takeover host? Click HERE to apply.
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