Day 3: Copenhagen & Malmo

Matthias, Camille and their 5 month old son, Wilder from Copenhagen

Matthias and Camille are a young family who are about to get married; Matthias explains that life is very expensive now – especially with having a baby and paying for a wedding.

They have both lived in Copenhagen for a number of years but have also spent a lot of time overseas travelling and studying.

Matthias works for an oil company and travels a lot for work. He doesn’t enjoy travelling as much nowadays and prefers to spend time at home. He is planning to take 3 months paternity leave so he can be with Wilder more often.

Camille has travelled a lot in the past and would often use couchsurfing websites as a way to get around.  She often used to travel by herself so found that it was a good way to meet people in cities where she didn’t know anyone, and to get a local perspective on the area.

As Matthias and Camille have travelled a lot, they have friends all over the world and often have friends from around the world come to visit them. This makes them feel like they are part of a global community, especially with the use of Facebook, which enables them to keep track of what everyone is doing around the world.

They live on the outskirts of Copenhagen and with the arrival of Wilder have recently bought a car in order to be able to get around more easily and visit family in other parts of Denmark. They decided to buy a VW because they are trustworthy cars and not as expensive as some other models like Audi.

Matthias and Camille seem to have experienced a lot of their lives and are extremely well travelled but when asked what luxury meant to them, they both said happiness and spending time with Wilder – it was the little things such as a hearing him laugh for the first time or getting a cuddle in before work.

Ola, a Librarian from Malmo

We found Ola in a small organic, vegetarian café in a quite area of Malmo. He was sitting at a table by himself quietly reading a large book and sipping a tea.

Ola has lived in west Sweden all his life. His parents moved there when he was one and he’s been there every since.

He feels like he is part of a community in Malmo, albeit a small one compared to the rest of the world. His community is the people he has known for about 20 years through university, literature, writing and living in the area his whole life. To him, going to his local café and seeing a friend unexpectedly is what community feels like. He connects with these people through social and cultural experiences.

Ola feels there is a strong difference between the west and east coast of Sweden and that in each big city (Malmo, Gothenburg and Stockholm) there is a distinctive difference in culture. In Malmo he feels that people are quite laid back but practical in the way they do things. In Stockholm he feels that people are putting on more of an act – saying  “In Stockholm people just listen to the instruments whereas in Malmo they play them”. Ola feels that in Gothenburg there is a similar culture to Stockholm where people exploit the fact that it is a historically industrial town, so they like to "play the part of a working-class person".  

Luxury is about quality of life to Ola. The café he was sitting in is luxury (even though it's very affordable) because it’s his favorite café – a very cozy authentic environment. The food is organic and fair trade and he feels that it’s healthier. He feels it is luxury more than going to an expensive fancy restaurant.

Ola mentions that his parents come from a wealthy background but are no longer interested in a high-class lifestyle. In a way he feels spoilt because he has been able to experience both sides of life. However he seems to prefer the smaller things in life, opting for a quiet organic café in his neighborhood that “feels real” as opposed to the expensive restaurant down the road.

To Ola, luxury is not about exclusivity but about having a purpose behind what you do.