Movie Review: The Cottage

Well, well. I was completely deceived by the false promotion of the film. I was expecting blood, blood and some more blood. I wasn't disappointed though. An interesting plot line.
After quite sometime, I got to see some good blend of British comedy and full-blooded horror.
Though the plot kicks in with the kidnapping of a 42-inch breasted girl and her locking up in a cottage, little else happens in the cottage. Admittedly, the movie could have been better-off with another title.
50 minutes into the movie and there is a massive turnaround in the storyline. What was looking like a classic Brit comedy, begins to turn out to be one of those classic Number 13 series of movies. There is no element of comedy after that.
Blood oozes out from everywhere and some never before seen footages of tissue chops and spine wreckages surface.
The "mad-man" sure does use his blades at will and chops men (and the girl) like "cottage cheese."
Couple of scenes at the end of the movie are brilliant.
This one is a watch.
My rating on a scale of 10 is 5.5.

Easter Weekend Special

When the cats are not in the cradle and stainless spoons are the order of the day...

Living expenses in Sweden

SAFE HARBOR (Date: 2008-02-16): The estimates given here are based on personal past experiences and with some inputs from locals. Use it for estimation purposes only.

Details pertaining to Taxation and Living Expenses in Sweden

Taxation:
The Tax % varies depending upon where you stay in Sweden. Higher the population in the Kommune(area/city), lower the tax % and vice versa.

To illustrate, the average income tax in Northern Sweden is the highest, since the human population here is the lowest. Therefore, the Government has to invest more per head to provide the uniform conveniences, translating into higher taxes.

In southernmost part of Sweden, (Like Malmo, Lund) where the population density is higher, the tax percentage is moderate
In Stockholm (Central part of Sweden) its higher
In Lulea (northern Sweden) it’s the highest.
The % varies from 28%-55%
But the biggest factor determining the tax % is the person's Gross Salary figure itself.
Like in many countries, higher your salary, higher is your tax liability.
Tax % in Lund for a person getting 325000SEK/annum = 31% (approx)
Tax % in Stockholm for a person getting 296000SEK/annum = 30% (approx)
Tax % in Lund for a person getting 400000SEK/annum = 33% (approx)
So, for all practical purposes, it is ideal to consider 32% as the Tax Liability

(Note: This Tax % again has components within called State Tax and Municipality Tax. I suggest all newcomers not to break their head on this. In order to arrive at their TAKE-HOME 32% is the number they should summarily deduct from their gross)

Summary: If people are deputed to Sweden, then they get to take home 67%-70% of the gross salary offered by most companies having their R&D HQ in Bangalore.

Living Expenses

Housing:
It’s not the money that’s an issue but getting a house itself for stay is the biggest challenge.
Sweden is an immigrant-friendly nation and there is a sizeable number of people coming here from all parts of the globe. Unfortunately, there are not enough houses/apartments available to sustain the demand.
Having said that, getting a place to stay in Lund is easier than getting one in Stockholm (voices from the locals here)

Average Furnished: An average apartment will be equipped with Bedding, Ordinary Sofa, sufficient lighting, heating/electricity, Microwave, potable water (water in Sweden is the sweetest; only Canadians can complain), heating pans/Gas connection ready, basic kitchen utensils/cutlery, other amenities like Cable television, Iron box/table, furnished bathrooms, WC, wardrobe, broadband internet, etc.

Good Furnished: Basic Furnished + More elaborate Wood work/Sofa, expensive glassware, Bar-counter, etc

Excellent Furnished: Good Furnished + Sky is the limit

All apartments will have common Washing area + dryer in the basement. One needs to book their slots to use the machines. Nobody charges extra for these basic services.

What decides the rent?
The area one lives in (whether in the heart of the city, excellent view or away from the city with maximum commute time)
The level of furnishing in an apartment (Average/Good/Excellent) will decide the pricing
The Size of the apartment

For a bachelor or a spinster, it is recommended that he/she takes up an apartment with one bedroom, one living room, kitchen & bathroom. The size of the apartment can be 35 sq.m. If they are unable to get one, then they should look for a Studio apartment, the average size is 25sq.m

For a person coming with his/her spouse and/or a kid, a larger apartment with one bedroom, one living room, kitchen & bathroom is recommended. Though it sounds like the same config as above, one can looks at apartments with carpet area greater than 50sqm. Note that, maintenance can be an overhead in Sweden and therefore people here like to live in such spaces which they can easily maintain. A very large house(in excess of 70sqm) is only recommended for a family comprising of family members in excess of 4.

Rents in Lund:

Range for Studio Apartment:
· 3500 SEK/month (average) – 5000 SEK/ month (good)
Range for 1 Bedroom+1living room+kitchen:
· 4500 SEK (average) – 7500 SEK/month (good)
Range for bigger Apartment:
· 7000 SEK(average) – 15000 SEK/month (super-luxurious)

For all calculation/estimation purposes, it is recommended that as expense towards house rent
· A bachelor/spinster considers 5000 SEK/month
· A married person moving with family(1+1+1/2) considers 8000 SEK/month

Rents in Stockholm:

I think one should be least worried about the rent and more concerned about getting an apartment to stay by itself. Latch on to every opportunity of getting an apartment. The pricing of rents are irrational here and you can get it for all sorts of prices. Once again, I recommend people to use the following estimation
· A bachelor/spinster considers 5000 SEK/month
· A married person moving with family(1+1+1/2) considers 8000 SEK/month


Food Expenses:

The assumption I make is that a techie is also a decent cook apart from the wonderful code he/she makes or breaks. Also, they may not be going out to eat more than 6-8 times a month, which will definitely cost him/her more.

The money spent on groceries is higher in the first couple of months as one is trying to settle in. Once a person reaches "steady-state", it will be lighter on the pocket.

The average expenses (Lund and Stockholm) on food for
· A bachelor/spinster can be 1500 SEK/month
· A married Person moving with family(1+1+1/2) can be 2500 SEK/month

The average meal for a person going out to a restaurant in Lund can cost 85SEK while the same in Stockholm can cost 110 SEK (based on personal experience). A dinner for 2 in Stockholm can cost around 400 SEK-500 SEK (Excluding alcohol).

Alcohol: They are expensive in this part of the world. Always buy them from Systembolaget (fair price shops) or go out with your friends and treat yourself.
Couple of glasses of beer in a Bar may cast you 104 SEK.

At systembolaget: A bottle of Famous Grouse can cost you 299 SEK.

Misc (mandatory) expenses:

Costs incurred due to purchase of items, that are more like one-time investments (decorative, non-electronic devices) can cost you anywhere between 200 SEK/month-500 SEK/month.

Getting a pre-paid mobile connection is easy and cost-effective. I recommend using calling cards, which are cheaper.

Commute Expenses:

Average expenses in Lund: 350 SEK/month
Average expenses in Stockholm: 680 SEK/month


One can always consider an additional 500 SEK/month for all calculation purposes going towards some unplanned/unexpected expenses.



Summary: After considering all this, I feel
A bachelor/Spinster in Lund should take 7500SEK/month as his monthly outgo
A bachelor/Spinster in Stockholm should take 8000SEK/month as his monthly outgo
A person moving with family to Lund should take 10000SEK/month as his monthly outgo
A person moving with family to Stockholm should take 11500SEK/month as his monthly outgo


FINAL NOTE: All expense considerations are on the higher side. There is a good probability that the expat can actually incur costs less than what is quoted here.
Traditionally, most companies have discouraged sharing of rooms amongst friends (which is healthy) and the above mentioned configurations were explained keeping that in mind. Sharing apartments would definitely bring down the expenses by 40%-50%.

PS: Under the social security in Sweden, education (crèche, schooling, etc) is free.

Swedish Breakfast-Nothing Swedish about it!

After a hiatus, I am back.
It started off this morning; with me in my usual mood..thinking what's beyond the sun at my dining table.
That's when I realised I have an interesting piece of information to share with all.
The Breakfast I was having had the following components:
Muesli imported from Norway
Milk from Norway
Salt from Denmark
IKEA cutlery (Imported from Thailand)
Stainless Steel spoon...did not get the details (I guess it must be from Israel)
Oranges from Egypt

and then I wondered, what is Swedish in Sweden? I am from Bangalore, India.

Life in a Metro

The Metro network is the Lifeline of Stockholm. Ever imagined what happens to Mumbai if the trains come to a halt? Well, it is somewhat similar here.
Better known by the name Tunnelbana or T-bana, the rail lines are connecting the entire Stockholm city (and smaller towns) making it look like a place to live. It is considered the most cost-effective and fastest means to commute in Stockholm. I bought the 30-days pass for 620 SEK from Pressbyran.
I made best use of their service when I had to check-out of the company sponsored hotel at Kista to a friend-sponsored apartment in Farsta. It takes 1 changeover, 20 stopovers and approx. an hour to commute one way.
I did 3 up and down trips to move my luggage. This experience started on the 1st evening and culminated at 3 pm on the 2nd.
The weather was better than expected as it was only drizzling during the early afternoon.
One of my friend was very enterprising; he offered me help but also explained that it may jeopardize his office work on Saturday.
Yeah right! people work on weekends in Scandinavia..give me a break.
But he was from a place called Bangalore(aka Bengaluru), where people work on weekends and weeknights and spend their weekdays at the company's coffee bar.

This is Life in a Metro. 'We' spread the disease to all the Metros of the world.
I am the cure. Consult me for more details. You can reach me except on weekdays and weekend-nights.

Movie Review: Aliens Vs Predators 2

Terrible! Terrible! Terrible!
I've watched all the movies in the Alien series and in Predator series.
Being a big fan of this cult series, I decided to experience my first theatre experience in Stockholm, as the SF (Filmstaden), Kista. It was the 21.30 hrs show.
After having watched the AVP1, expectations were very high from AVP2.
But it comes down with a big thud.
Dont watch it even if you want to blow your monies!
Ratings (on a scale of 10): Minus3

My longest Window shopping session at Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd

I have been off-colour since the last few days.
Lost 226,229.70 Japanese Yen to a guy who was smarter than me and was figuring out how to earn it back. I will save that story for some other day.
I woke unusually early at 5.20 am and switched on IBM T43. Reason: to follow what was cooking at the WACA. It looked good. jumbo has just trapped Symonds plumb in the front. IT was dubious but who cares..we had enough in Sydney.
I finished my breakfast at the Lewinsky's and headed straight back to my room. To check the scores again. I checked the scores once again. Wickets were tumbling but runs were coming too.
Jumbo's daring move to bring Sehwag on was the turning point of the match. Once again Gilly proved is vulnerable against spin bowling getting bowled around the leg stump.

I had a Red bus to catch at 9.42 am. Destination IKEA, Barkaby. I was all excited.
I stepped out of the hotel and was greeted by the irritating Stockholm drizzle. To add to my woes, it was aided by gusty winds. Later in the day I read that forecast for the day was 100 km/hr winds. I thought it was a Cyclone. Or was it a typhoon. I don't know what they call it hear.
The bus bearing number 567 came 40 seconds earlier than the scheduled time. I was supposed to reach the destination Flottiljområdet at 10.05 am. On the way, the bus stopped at about 10 places. The Lady-Bus driver (who also happens to be in one of the highest-paid profession in Sweden) does not bother stopping at all the stops. Reason: Nobody to get-in and nobody presses the stop button to get down.
All roads lead to IKEA here.
I got off the bus and landed straight on a puddle of water. My Levis got dirty. My next step was on another puddle. There were hundreds of them. And then I looked up. There were flags all around. Colourful. High-flying aided by the gusty weather. IKEA embossed on all flags.
It took me 5 minutes to cross the IKEA parking lot. I could have been faster, had it not rained.
I got in at around 10.13 am.
I always believed that Stockholm though the most populous city in Sweden had hardly any people. I was wrong.
All Stockholmers on a Saturday can either be seen at their respective homes or at an IKEA.
The sight was a reminiscence of the typical Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike office at 1100 hrs Monday morning.
Walking in an IKEA store without a parental supervision can be an arduous task for kids. It was a Nygma's maze. Easy for kids to get lost. Maybe they should learn from the Danish LEGO WORLD guys- to put a RFID tag on every visitors wrist. Only after couple of hours I realised that there was a large playhouse within the IKEA campus, where the parents can drop their kids off and peacefully move around to shop.
I took a IKEA pencil and a piece of paper. Reason?: To note the prices of the essentials so that I can come back later well-prepared. I gave up after an hour. It was tiring. It was like getting into Kids Kemp at Du Parc Trinity and coming out of Bombay Store.. with some 50 shops in between them. Easily said that they are all on M G Road.
IKEA had it all and at prices everybody could afford.

I came out at around 2 pm and headed to a Pizza Hut. Ordered a buffet for 109 bucks.
In came Salads, Pizzas and Coke. I emptied 1(one only) Heinz Ketchup bottle onto my pizza(s).
I wanted to crash, so headed back to the bus stop. I was too tired to visit other giant shops around like the INTER SPORT, NIKE FACTORY OUTLET, STADIUM, ECCO, LEVIS, etc, etc, etc.
I reached my room 1155 at 3.30 pm.
Venky had called me in the meantime to give me the happiest news in the last 8 days: India bead Australia at the WACA.