Hey Hey...
That's how all the people in Stockholm say "Hi" apparently. They go "Hey hey" to each other. Cute huh? And the Swedish word for 'good' is "bra". I think one might have some problems saying that in Singapore...
Anyway, 2 days in Stockholm now, and it's COLD. This morning it started raining so now all of us have to bundle up good before we go out. The Swedish idea of "hot" is like our idea of "Really cold airconditioning". It's like 15deg here but Greg says it's considered hot here. Good grief.
The weather is also extremely dry, and Jordan's jar of vaseline has been in great demand. I've also been using lip balm like nobody's business. The advantage is that being so dry, you don't sweat, and you don't have to bathe as often. :p I've been bathing every other day and I wash my hair here every 2 days. When you go out, it's like walking in air-con most of the time, but pretty unpredictable. When the sun is shining, it's pretty warm, but when the wind blows, it's freezing cold... brrrrr
Yesterday Greg showed us some of the sights of Stockholm. The streets are full of the quaint, old-city charm that Paris has. The difference is that Paris is like an elegant noblewoman, but Stockholm is like a friendly fisherwoman. Well, fisherwoman because it's full of lakes and ports. When we exited the train station yesterday, the first sight that greeted us was a widespanning lake, blue sky and gulls flying overhead. The city also has a very relaxing air about it. The people don't rush, they're not kiasu, so though it's also a city area, the pace is more lax than Singapore is.
And we went SHOPPING!! Finally! Or rather, Sophia, Wiki and I went shopping, while the guys sat somewhere. :p THere's one shop where the 3 of us were shopping inside, while the 3 guys sat outside the shop in one bored row, with all the shopping bags full of groceries for the dinner. :p
Buskers are also pretty common in Stockholm. We passed by a couple of them, no, they probably don't need licenses, and they're very bra! If anyone needs to earn money, come to STockholm with your guitar and choose a street corner to perform... hahaha... Took some photos but will have to wait till I come back to Singapore.
Stockholm also has this scheme where you can recycle old bottles at the supermarket for rebates on your food. You insert the bottles into a machine, and it hands you a discount voucher. This has meant that Jordan has been going around rummaging in every rubbish bin we come across for bottles and cans that he can recycle for a few krona.... Macham like karang guni man lor... and putting it all in his bag while he walks around... good god...
Gotta admit though, for all the suanning I get from him, and his cheapo attitude :p, Jordan's a damn good cook. Dinner the past 2 nights has been totally orchestrated by him ( while yours truly who is culinarily challenged volunteered for wash duty ) and it's been fantastic. Last night we had really good spaghetti with meatballs, and tonight we had spare ribs with baked rice. Wah cow, best dinners we've had in Europe so far man...
One thing learnt from this: When choosing hostels to stay in Europe, it's important to choose one with kitchen facilities that one can use. :p
One of Greg's friend asked me whether I preferred Stockholm or Singapore, and I was totally stumped by the question. To be fair, both have their advantages. One is safe, convenient, and totally familiar to me. The other has beautiful scenery, and has a very slacker pace of life that I really like. :p When you're walking around in Stockholm, you don't feel like rushing. You feel like taking a nice stroll, enjoying the breeze, and the sound of the lake and its companion gulls. It's a totally beautiful and underrated city.
I guess both aren't too bad in their own way, but in terms of lifestyle and way of thinking, Stockholm has to win. They aren't as competitive and fast-paced as in Singapore and not as materialistic either. I guess I would like to live in Singapore, but have a Swedish way of thinking. :p
Bra, ain't it? :p
