Stockholm
After months of deliberations, considerations, discussions, negotiations, sitting on it a while, and back to more deliberations, considerations, discussions and a little bit of persuasion, finally I'm in Stockholm, Sweden.
People asks me 'why Sweden?'. Opportunity presented itself. I took it. Driven by my own curiosity, I wonder how is it going to be like. So why not go and find out? Plus, I've been craving for excitement in life, constantly fantasizing about being Bruce Willis in his Die Hard movies. OK, I'll never get to be Bruce Willis. Firstly, my wife thinks I'm too chubby. Secondly, a chinese guy can be a hero only if he knows kung fu. According to my dearest wife, only my tongue-fu is superb. I'm an expert in licking food off my plates and bowls clean. Anyway, the opportunity to go to Sweden is exciting enough. Maybe my plane will be hijacked by some terrorists, they kill the pilot and it's up to me to overpower those scums and land the plane to save everyone.
Naah, nothing happened. Flight MH090 landed at Stockholm Arlanda International Airport on 6 Dec 2007, 2.30pm safely, and uneventfully. I wasn't anywhere near the cockpit. Will someone please try to take over Arlanda Airport instead? Nope, nothing either. Everybody looks decent and friendly except the stern security officer. Is he a terrorist in disguise? I walked slowly, hoping he will take out his hidden grenades and uzi before I leave the airport........ Nope, he's a good guy. Sigh....
And so I resign to the fate that I will never get to do a 'Die Hard', not even in Stockholm. I'll just have to contend with behaving like a tourist for the first few weeks, and thereafter try to find my way around things in this place I will call 'home' for the next couple of years.
I took the Arlanda Express train from airport to Central Station. It's only 3.30pm in the afternoon, but it's already dark. I can't see a lot of things from inside the train. But I can tell trees here have no leaves. At the Central Station, the moment I step out of train, it hit me. All my years of training at Genting Highland, Cameron Highland and office and shopping malls air-con were useless. Try pressing an ice-cube onto your skin, and hold it. It's worse when I walk out of the Central Station to hail a cab. But cabs were plenty, I didn't have to wait for long. They use Volvos as cab here. Mine took me to Runtunavägen (The Runtuna Road), my apartment in Örby. Mr. Thomas Eriksson, my landlord, has been waiting for me. Mr. Eriksson showed me around and taught me how to operate a very important appliance. First time in my life, I appreciate heat.
After a good night's sleep of 12 hours, the first thing I did was to explore the public transportation system. They have this 30-day pass which costs 620kr and you can take any trains and buses to anywhere in Stockholm any number of times - unlimited rides for 30 days! The subway is known as Tunnelbannen or T-Bana. I walk to the Bandhagen station and took the subway to T-Centralen, the Central Station. My exploration has begun....
People asks me 'why Sweden?'. Opportunity presented itself. I took it. Driven by my own curiosity, I wonder how is it going to be like. So why not go and find out? Plus, I've been craving for excitement in life, constantly fantasizing about being Bruce Willis in his Die Hard movies. OK, I'll never get to be Bruce Willis. Firstly, my wife thinks I'm too chubby. Secondly, a chinese guy can be a hero only if he knows kung fu. According to my dearest wife, only my tongue-fu is superb. I'm an expert in licking food off my plates and bowls clean. Anyway, the opportunity to go to Sweden is exciting enough. Maybe my plane will be hijacked by some terrorists, they kill the pilot and it's up to me to overpower those scums and land the plane to save everyone.
Naah, nothing happened. Flight MH090 landed at Stockholm Arlanda International Airport on 6 Dec 2007, 2.30pm safely, and uneventfully. I wasn't anywhere near the cockpit. Will someone please try to take over Arlanda Airport instead? Nope, nothing either. Everybody looks decent and friendly except the stern security officer. Is he a terrorist in disguise? I walked slowly, hoping he will take out his hidden grenades and uzi before I leave the airport........ Nope, he's a good guy. Sigh....
And so I resign to the fate that I will never get to do a 'Die Hard', not even in Stockholm. I'll just have to contend with behaving like a tourist for the first few weeks, and thereafter try to find my way around things in this place I will call 'home' for the next couple of years.
I took the Arlanda Express train from airport to Central Station. It's only 3.30pm in the afternoon, but it's already dark. I can't see a lot of things from inside the train. But I can tell trees here have no leaves. At the Central Station, the moment I step out of train, it hit me. All my years of training at Genting Highland, Cameron Highland and office and shopping malls air-con were useless. Try pressing an ice-cube onto your skin, and hold it. It's worse when I walk out of the Central Station to hail a cab. But cabs were plenty, I didn't have to wait for long. They use Volvos as cab here. Mine took me to Runtunavägen (The Runtuna Road), my apartment in Örby. Mr. Thomas Eriksson, my landlord, has been waiting for me. Mr. Eriksson showed me around and taught me how to operate a very important appliance. First time in my life, I appreciate heat.
After a good night's sleep of 12 hours, the first thing I did was to explore the public transportation system. They have this 30-day pass which costs 620kr and you can take any trains and buses to anywhere in Stockholm any number of times - unlimited rides for 30 days! The subway is known as Tunnelbannen or T-Bana. I walk to the Bandhagen station and took the subway to T-Centralen, the Central Station. My exploration has begun....
A view of the Central Station. Just like train stations all over the world, full of people. Should be easy to blend in....
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Oh look, McDonalds right in the Central Station itself. Let's check out what's available.
Frukost Mackan?? Meny förslag???? Frukostmenyer???????? |
My first meal in Stockholm.
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After the meal, time for a walk......
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The next day, I had this burning desire to go somewhere. How can anyone claim he's been to Sweden if he's not visited IKEA? So I asked for directions, bought myself a pocket map and managed to get to IKEA at Skärholmen.
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And how can anyone claim he's been to IKEA if he's not eaten the original meatballs from IKEA in Sweden??????
I'm so happy. I think I'm gonna like Sweden. |
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