Carter’s blog: Svenska dagen 2010-04-12

Blog 2

So what’s new? Since Blog 1 I’ve only received a few comments direct and indirect about the blog and since it appears that everyone else who has read it is too shy to comment I think I should take the feedback I have into account and perform some self-critique. So, the first blog was too long, lacked clarity and I overused the exclamation mark! Now that that is out of the way I’ll get on with it.

In the last couple of weeks I managed to let Jehovah’s Witnesses into the building where I live then had to negotiate them back out with a heated discussion otherwise they were going to go around knocking on people’s doors, now that would have done wonders for my popularity wouldn’t it? I also attempted to go for a 9km run; what I didn’t account for is the topography of Tullinge. Tullinge is hardly mountainous but definitely hilly; suffice to say I had to stop twice, exhausted. In my defence I hadn’t been running in about a year and in the meantime Sarah has been fattening me up with fast food takeaways. The next day I had the mandatory achy arms and legs. Hopefully I can get myself fit and running regularly again now.

In other news it snowed on the 5th April, although it was snowing in the UK the previous week so this doesn’t seem as ridiculous as it should. I’ve now found a satisfactory loaf of bread, slice size is still not ideal but it tastes normal (for my British palette). My iMac still hasn’t arrived. I now have a Swedish bank account and I’ve finally been paid!! (I was saving these exclamation marks up). I got paid after overcoming several hurdles of Swedish bureaucracy; I’ll leave that for another blog though. I’ve had my first mobile phone bill since coming here and it was only £32 so that means next month’s bill is likely to be a whopper.

The biggest event since Blog 1 was the arrival of Princess Sarah Wood to Stockholm, my first and only favourite visitor. It was great to see a familiar face and although Sarah brought her permanent ongoing illness with her we still had a good time. After a quiet Saturday which only involved going to the supermarket we managed to watch a Liverpool game (I’m so romantic) and go for a meal in fashionable (apparently) Sodermalm with a couple of workmates followed by cocktails before catching the train back to Sticksten. Before I knew it though Sarah was heading back to Manchester, I won’t see her again until the 30th April :-(.

Ok then, today’s lesson about Sweden is going to be about access to alcohol or the complete lack of it. While Sarah was visiting I would have liked to buy a bottle of wine but because it was Easter weekend this wasn’t possible. In Sweden they have what are called red days when you can’t buy alcohol that is over 3.5% strength from anywhere; red days are typically on public holidays. To compound matters you can only buy booze over 3.5% strength from the Systembolaget which is a state owned monopoly of shops that sell wine, spirits and cans of strong lager etc. The only booze you can buy from the supermarket is basically weak lager. My nearest Sytembolaget is…wait for it…4 miles away. Now just to give you a bit of perspective; for the Mancunian readers that’s the equivalent of having to go from Didsbury clock tower to the library on St Peter’s Square or for the Scousers going from my Dad’s house in Kirkby to Walton Vale for a bottle of wine or even a can of Stella. I’ll explain the reasons for the Systembolaget in another blog but basically unless you’re drinking in a bar or restaurant getting a decent bevvie is not easy!

Right after today’s lesson I think that’s about it for now. When Sarah left I think might have had my first bout of homesickness, I say might as processing emotion is not my forte but it only lasted a day then the stiff upper lip was firmly back in place. It also helped that I received a letter from my Mum on the same day; she’d got my address wrong which made me laugh and that cheered me up a bit. Generally things are still going well over here in Stockholm. Still no progress with the exchange student neighbours although a couple of them seem to be saying hello (Hej in Swedish) a bit more freely than before so maybe, just maybe a conversation will take place over the next two weeks.

PS this blog is 22% shorter than the first.