January 2012: Stockholm and Vallingby, Sweden : Meeting Timo, Daniel and Kristiana: Time Twins #2, 3 and 4

Timo, Daniel and I in Stockholm. Photograph: Simon R Jones / Culturpology

So the Time Twin adventure was up and running.  Meeting Dan in New York had been a great experience, and to my surprise, his lifestyle and outlook mirrored mine in a number of ways.  I had now caught the Time Twin bug, but could I meet any more?

Chatting to a  tourist in New York about the project, I learned that, to my amazement, data protection legislation in Sweden is very different to that in the UK.  It would be unthinkable, for instance, in Britain, for the name, date of birth and address of every citizen to be published online, but this is just what happens in Sweden (and, I later found out in Norway).  Only one thing to do then: send every Time Twin in the country a letter and an invite to meet up!  Again, to my surprise and delight, three people responded.

Kristina and I  Photograph: Simon R Jones / Culturpology
Kristina and I in Vallingby.  Photograph: Simon R Jones / Culturpology

So, in January 2012, I travelled to the cold of the Swedish winter and was warmed by the hospitality of IT professionals Daniel and Timo in Stockholm  and Kristina – a lawyer living the 1950s model town of Vällingby.  Speaking with Time, Daniel and Kristina gave me a fascinating perspective into Swedish life and culture – into the importance given to family , the pressure this can put on people in their young adulthood, and the implicit contract between the government and the people to provide world class services, in return for high taxation.

I was delighted to hear in May 2012 the Kristina’s first book
‘Som man sår’, about her garden  has been published to great reviews.