PART IV. Aside from a few run-ins with intoxicated Swedish hockey fans, and the occasional mishap in everyday communication, I do feel I have managed to somewhat force myself into Gothenburg's society. I doubt I will at any point fully mould into the tapestry of Swedish culture. Yet that may have more to do with the fact I am still the ‘uneducated decadent hedonist' that followed the Swedish honey-trap across the border.
My Gothenburg experience has not solely been that of red faced encounters. There have been moments which have led me to become more open-minded and understanding within everyday life. The ability to recognise what language best suites what situation, has allowed me to generate Swedish sympathy in sticky circumstances. One would be surprised to see how much patience is given to a confused Englishman, as opposed to an incomprehensible Dane who's probably up to no good.
Another acquired skill of mine, has been to first survive, and then adapt to the collision of a quintet of road kill scenarios when driving around in Gothenburg City. Not even the hardened veterans of ‘Place d'Etoile' in Paris can begin to imagine the mind spinning everyday occurrences on the streets of Gothenburg. Trams fly at you from every corner, while self righteous cyclists and arrogant jay-walkers stroll across the roads like it is their god-given right. Marry that with the high speeding drivers, and ‘red-running' rebels and you begin to understand the challenges of surviving the Swedish roads. These combined aspects deliver a five piece orchestra of potential carnage, carelessly plucking away on their strings of death.
Survival skills are always useful; however there will always be some social practises within Sweden that I will never understand. Why, for example, MUST one plan everything weeks in advance to establish set times for a social call or dinner? While this may be common practise for a Swede, we expats of differing cultural backgrounds (such as myself) have found ourselves forgetting about the meticulously diarised events anyway. It seems that Sweden's desperate need for organisation, has led them try to tame the uncertainties of a distant future, as opposed to the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Admittedly, I have been hugely impressed with Sweden's ability to integrate the digital age into everyday situations. The Post Office alerts you through phone text messages of parcels that have arrived. Supermarket shopping has become less and less reliant on paying at the till, rather allowing people to create electronic tabs for desired commodities, which they scan themselves with handheld laser guns. Cinema seating, DVD renting, grocery shopping, event organising, and even setting up medical appointments, can all be done at the click of a button. While all of this is indeed highly remarkable, it's also slightly farcical that a bus driver has to refuse the use of legal tender for a ticket, as the only way to purchase one, is through your mobile phone or a credit card.
Despite Gothenburg's eccentricities and technological quagmires, there is a great deal I respect about the Swedish way of life. Other than the weather, Swedes rarely complain. In Sweden, there is no problem that can't be fixed. There is no job that can't be done. There is nothing you can't recover from. Simply put, in this country, nothing is impossible. On top of that, when you walk along the streets of Gothenburg, there is not one overweight individual strolling around the city. Everyone works out, plays a sport or rides a bicycle.
One would wonder what kind of a world we would live in, if human beings were as active as Scandinavians are. I have only lived in Gothenburg for some 3 months now, and while I have found aspects of Sweden to poke fun at, there are plenty of things to admire as well. I may not have diarised my plans for future years ahead like Swedish citizens have, but there are far worse things here in life, than living here in Sweden.
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