Before I knew what hit me, a month has passed since I arrived in the Scandinavian Capital of Stockholm. I’ll try my best to chronicle what it is like living the European life and the small nuggets that piques my interest and curiosity before all these slip out of my appallingly short memory.

A brief introduction of Sweden:

Sweden

Nickname: Sverige

Capital: Stockholm

Population: 9.4 million

Currency: Swedish Krona (SEK)

Standard of Living: Pretty damn high

Best Swedish Words So Far: Hej (Hello), Tack (Thank You)

Arriving in Sweden, the first thing that greets you will be the blast of merciless cold air. Coming from a country that basically sits on the equatorial line, it was a huge difference of 30+ degrees. Surprisingly, having zero knowledge of Swedish did not hinder our progress. Navigating in a country where Swedish is the national language (meaning any signs or maps are in Swedish) did not become a hindrance due to the kindness and helpfulness of the locals. Along with the fact that most or some Swedish words are vaguely similar to English, letting us assume the hell out of most words. For an example…

Hello = Hej (I always thought they meant Hey at first)

Toilet = Toalett

Fruit = Frukt

Hungry = Hungrig

Chicken = Kyckling

Beef = Biff

Adapting here was simple, Stockholm being an urban capital city like Singapore, I did not feel displaced at all. In fact, Stockholm taught me one very big thing and that is by showing me how a country should be.

I love Singapore, it is my home and will always be but sometimes you just wonder if is that really how life should be all the way? People here are relaxed, whenever I people-watch while waiting for the metro, I can just feel the aura of calmness and contentment emitting from the Swedes. They walk casually and are always in good temperament, dispensing smiles and greetings freely to both friends and strangers. It takes some getting used to but I can feel myself gradually becoming like that, sitting and just letting my thoughts flow freely. Back home, people walk with a mission, look as black as a thundercloud and you’re considered lucky if you get a warm greeting instead of an irritable TSK or glare. In almost every shop I’ve entered here, I generously receive a warm smile with my favourite Swedish word of “Hej!”.

Transport

The Stockholm Metro and the buses are being run by the government under the company SL and it is obvious that profit is the last thing on their minds. It is efficient, clean and has very long opening hours. From Monday – Thursday it runs from 6 till 12 and from Friday – Sunday it goes all the way till 4am. Once the metro closes, they provide buses from station to station until the metro is reopened. In total, they have 100 stations exactly and they run underground, over ground and underwater.

Unlike certain countries, the metro is relatively spacious, usually culminating with my ass being comfortably placed on the seat. My favourite seat will always be the one by the window, to enjoy the view from the stop of Alvik to Kristinberg as it will be crossing over a bridge, treating us to a view of some of Stockholm’s archipelago.

Taking buses here is now a different experience. No longer can we just walk to the bus stop and expect to wait for 5-10 minutes for a bus because they now run on timetables, 4 an hour while off peak and 8 during peak. Missing a bus or any waiting time is no longer just a minor rant on social media, lambasting the government for it’s inefficiency. Now, you have to face the full wrath of the winter, the cold wind seeping through your multiple layers and giving you the jillywiggles. Whipping out your iPhone to bitch is no longer an option when it means your hand has to be exposed to the bitter cold. I usually just end up dancing on the spot, trying to warm myself up and wishing the agony will pass.

There is also this interesting sense of selflessness that everybody shares here. Newspapers are left behind on seats not due to their laziness, but because they are leaving it behind for other people to read.

That’s it for now, till the next time I feel like writing again!