Today there has been a lot of focus on the Iraqi election in the Swedish media. When sitting in a warm and comfy flat in a very safe country it is hard to imagine how it must be to wait outside a polling station in Iraq.
Speaking about comfy flats, the system for renting or buying flats in Sweden is very different from in the UK. When I came to the UK I thought it amazing with al the buying and selling property programs on TV: “Location, location, location”, “Property ladder”, “To buy or not to buy”, you name it.
In Sweden it is not as common as in the UK to buy a flat and we do not have the expression “Property ladder “ in Swedish. In the Stockholm region it now starts to be more common to buy but still there are lots of good quality flats for hire, i.e. they are not like council houses in the UK even if the council owns them. Also, it is not as common in Sweden as in the UK to share a bed-sit or to have a private landlord. If you have a private landlord he/she usually owns the entire building (with several flats). To get a flat in Sweden, or at least in Stockholm or Uppsala, you either have to queue for it several years or you have to buy it, which is not cheap in this region. This is of course a problem if you come here to work for just some months.
There are some fresh photos for you under “Photos from Sweden and Brighton” (if you whant to enlarge them,just klick at the photo). Just see how green the grass is in Brighton (I saw 6 men in shorts a week ago!) and think of that we still have snow in Sweden. I don’t now, there is something wrong with our climate. I saw a BBC production about climate changes on TV in the UK, it was very interesting and very disturbing. It is clear that we cannot go on like we do, then something dreadful will happen. To start with you and me at least can think about the small things, do not overuse electricity, do not use the car more than you have to etc. etc. Think about it! And by the way, speaking of snow I do like it better when it is cold with snow than grey and damp.
As you can see I have put out some photos from our visit in Camden as well. I just love Camden with its energy, different styles, crowded streets and funny ideas. See for example the big fly attached to the wall outside one of the shops or the gigantic chair attached to a corner!
I am back in Sweden after a much-needed visit to the green hills (yes they are green even at this time of the year) of Brighton. If I had any doubts that I was in Sweden when arriving in Skavsta my doubts disappeared when trying to get a seat at the airport bus to Stockholm. Well, at least I hoped that it was the bus to Stockholm because there where no sign and the bus driver did not tell us where we where going. In fact I was just happy to have managed to get a seat at the same bus as my suitcase. Unfortunately I have been forced to use this bus before and I know that you have to fight to get your suitcase and that you have to guess where the bus are going, I felt sorry for my less experienced and very confused fellow passengers from the UK. Maybe it would be a god idea for the managers of the Skavsta-Stockholm airport bus company to go on a study tour to Stansted.
At last I arrive in Uppsala and on my way home I pas a guy taking a piss a few meter from my pathway. Well, I certainly am back in Sweden again! I wonder where English guys go when they need to, not to mention both Swedish and English girls?
...and a happier one than the last for the world I hope. Unfortunatly the old Swedish saying "En olycka kommer sällan ensam" i.e. "A disaster comes seldom alone" appeared truer than ever 2004. Lets make 2005 a disasterfree year: no terror, no wars, no natural catastrophies. Let this year be as we say in Sweden "Kolugnt" i.e. Cow-calm :0)
Happy new year