I landed in Umea on one of its coldest and darkest days, so things just got better from there. Having said that, my previous 6 years were spent in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, where temperatures usually hover around 40 degrees with absolutely no distinct winter season whatsoever. It was indeed a shock but trust me it was fun too.
Cold conditions:
Before coming here I read a lot about the extremely low temperature but as I found out, low temperature conditions are over hyped. I have met at least 50 Asians here and none of them had any major issues with the cold. Every place including the apartment, office rooms, labs, buses, super marts are heated up using the thermal radiators. As long as you are well dressed with some winter jackets, you will have no major issues. The trick is, you should have multiple layers of clothing, so that the air is trapped in them, which in turn acts as an excellent insulator.
I would advise you to buy your winter wear from Stockholm or Umea. Indian jackets may not be warm enough and may look funny. So if you don't want to be an odd one out, come over here and shop. Just come with some basic winter wear like Jacket, thermal shirts and pants, gloves, shocks, winter cap and a muffler. The Swedes have a distinct style when it comes to winter wear and am sure you would love them. By the way 1500 SEK should be fine for an average jacket, gloves and winter cap.
You may need a pair of good snow shoes as well. I have a pair of woodland shoes and I feel they are perfect. Whatever you buy make sure that they are thick, strong and that they should have a good grip. There can be sudden warm days which can make the snow very slippery. No matter how good the shoes are nothing can save you from slipping :-). I have not heard of anyone who has not slipped on the snow :-P. While occasional slips can be fun, they can at times be very dangerous.
Darkness:
Umea is as much cold as dark. While cold can hit you physically, the darkness is going to be a silent emotional tormentor. I have seen people getting depressed. A close friend of mine usually calls Umea as the city of "suicidal nights". People coming from tropical countries can suddenly miss the sun a lot. Loneliness, silence and darkness can be a lethal combination. While you cannot do much about the darkness, you can certainly do a lot to avoid being alone and being silent.
Having said all that, I would like to repeat that it is more of a psychological thing. Although there is no sun, Umea is hardly as dark as our nights back home. The snow carpet acts as a beautiful light radiator. The sky usually glows and the entire set up has a charm of its own. Besides it is just about 2 months, after which you can again enjoy a fair amount of sunlight.
I had personally no problems with the darkness. All you need is some good friends and trust me you would love to walk around the Nydala lake to get a glimpse of the amazing Northern lights. Sometimes a simple walk in the evening, some fresh air, coffee or a good companion can help you connect to a whole new world.
So in short if you love getting into a rajai(quilt) or love eating pakodas(fries) with chai (tea), while watching the snow flakes cover the world around you in a beautiful white blanket, Umea is the city you should not miss! The feeling of the snow gently falling over your face and melting away, those silent shivers when the cold wind somehow manages to enter your body through the layers of your clothing- its just amazing! If you are a nature lover, then this is the place where you can see her, in her wedding gown - Close your eyes, shut your brain & start packing!
