It's been close to a month now since I've written and comparatively little has happened. Alex is in Japan until mid-August and I am living here just north of Stockholm in Danderyd with his brother Ike: the caveman/viking boy. The past few weeks have been rather uneventful mainly because I am broke. So my activities have been limited to job hunting, watching movies and tv at home and going out maybe twice a week. The day after Alex left for Japan I broke the washing machine by overfilling it. That was over 3 weeks ago now and only today is there a guy here trying to fix it. Have you ever tried to hand wash clothes? I don't recommended it.
That, by the way, is a picture of what the view from Alex's apartment would like like on foxy.
Things are starting to look a little more normal now that I have secured myself a job at the Hard Rock Cafe, I start classes in just over a week and I am actually getting out of the house on a regular basis.
Work is pretty hectic, I had no idea the place would get so busy so often. I was originally hired as a bartender who would do one or two shifts in the restaurant but after seeing how the tipping goes; I think I will try to wait tables more often than not. They're a good group of people working there and we've been going out for drinks a few times. The staff is pretty international really. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Philippines, USA and about 1/3 to half of the staff are actually Swedish.
I start language classes on Monday. I have picked up a fair bit of Swedish already but I am looking forward to having a solid foundation to work from. Most of the time at work it's ok but from time to time someone will come in and get pretty pissed off they can't speak their own language in their own country. Bloody cars... you'd think the road was made for them.
The weather here is pretty fickle. It's hot and humid one day, cool and rainy the next. I keep meaning to go out and get some scenic photos but it always ends up that when I have time/am prepared its one of those rainy days. When the sun is out the waterways around Stockholm are pretty spectacular... I will make sure I get some shots before summer starts to fade.
The more time I spend here the more I like the way the Swedes do things. My only complaint so far is that they are just a little TOO organised. For example; everyone in the entire country gets paid on the same day; The 25th of each month. So there is this monetary cycle that goes around: drinks, food and partying in abundance right after payday followed by frugality as the next approaches. It has its advantages I suppose. But I am not going to get paid a cent until the end of August so right now I am living on tips. I suppose it is making me a good waiter, I will give you that.
So many shops and services use a ticket system. Some places at home -a bakery for example- you take a number, and you wait for it to be called or pop up on the screen. Here that is pretty much everywhere. The bank, computer stores, Skatteverket (government office for social security, tax etc.) bakeries... just about anywhere. I like it. Instead of standing in line you can just sit down and chill out for a bit.
Cafes and restaurangs (restaurant in Swedish) give out little blankets for people to wrap around them while they are eating their lunch and drinking their coffees. The Swedes appear to quite like this; I see people donning the flowery little bastards even when it's not that cold at all.
I am reasonably sure this is the land from whence metrosexuality came. We aren't just talking moisturisers, hair gel and cologne either. We are talking some serious time put into clothes shopping, ironing, hair do's and - wait for it - some of them, I'm talking straight guys here, wear make-up. A bit of foundation is common. But I am pretty certain I have seen eye-liner. We aren't in Australia anymore kids. If I come home looking just a little too pretty (well prettier than usual at least) someone please slap me.
Hopefully is just temporary and once the staff at work is back to normal (new recruits and people back from holidays) I can cut back to 3-4 days a week. You may not notice it but my classy colleagues are pressing their bare asses against the glass. Bare in mind these are not Swedes: but rather South African, American and Swiss.
