How to Talk to a Random Swede

Sweden gets it own ‘Hotline Bling’.

Sweden’s ‘Hotline bling’ (Photo Courtesy: thedailybeast.com)

Getting bored, are you? Having an existential crisis? Got nothing better to do? Here’s a plan. Call a random Swede and, well... just be random. Trust the Swedes to think of a scheme that’s been taking the internet by storm since 6 April. A new initiative by the Swedish Tourist Association to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s abolition of censorship allows you to call a number and call a random Swede. All of whom have downloaded an app and signed up to take your calls to talk about anything, and I mean anything. Moose, meatballs, northern lights, Swedish massage, sex, etc.

Dial to connect to a random Swede (Photo Courtesy: thejournal.ie)

So that’s exactly what I did. I called the number above and it went something like this:

“You will soon be connected to a random Swede, somewhere in Sweden.”

That’s what the pleasant female voice on the other end told me. Have to say though, I did have a brief “Oh my God what the hell am I doing” moment which dissipated almost immediately when I heard 54-year-old HR consultant, Marie’s voice on the other side.

Here’s a list of random words that were exchanged.

Adopt a girl from India, Gothenburg, how cold is it in Sweden, to spank or not to spank kids, Indian-style parenting, weekend boyfriend, divorce rates, friends, spoilt brats, come to Sweden, travel tales, relationships, women problems.

Makes me wonder; what if India came up with something similar? Dial a random Indian. Things would go very differently. Hello myself Jignesh, where you from? Are you white woman? I want to do pleasant innocent friendship. Will you have sex talk with me? *Dialtone*