Please take a number and do your laundry

As the weather has started to change, a slower pace and cadence has taken hold. I’ve been here for over a month now and have settled most of the adminstrative items that I need to reside here. Yesterday I finished my application for a Swedish ID, got my picture taken, and was given a receipt as proof to bring with me to pick it up when it’s ready.

Life here is different in some of the most odd ways compared to the US. I don’t get packages from the post delivered to my door, but instead it is delivered to a nearby checkpoint that I have to go to for collection. During the last decade I was fortunate enough to live in a duplex and was quickly spoiled by Amazon direct delivery. Amazon is in talks with developing a location in Sweden, but I still don’t know if the accessibility will be quite as good as it was in the US.

I’ve had to make a lot more trips out to stores to get silly things I would just click and order instantly, like a slow cooker, a knife sharpener, and office supplies. The funniest thing about all the places I go to that require any sort of customer service all rely heavily on the Take a Number system. It’s hilarious! If I place a pickup order with Webhallen I have to wait for an email confirmation that my order is ready for pickup. When I get there, I have to navigate to a kiosk that asks if I need help, if I have an order to pick up, or would like to check out! Even when I went to Cervera, I had to take a number to pay for my items. Government buildings now require an outdoor queue first, and when the capacity is allowed, a person is escorted inside, and, you guessed it, asked to take a number. The only place I frequent that doesn’t have a Take a Number system is the grocery stores, but everywhere else, “Please take a number!”.

I’m also getting used to being in a communal building again. I think my neighbor was gone for the last month because in the last few days the noise and door-slamming on this floor has gone up by 100%. They also seem to keep odd hours; chatting and watching TV late into the weeknight evenings but up early on the weekends. Because of this new stimuli that has come into my existence I’m also trying to be more cognizant of the amount of noise and possible intrusive behavior I may have on my neighbors, too.

Speaking of neighbors, I showed off the building’s laundry scheduling system but didn’t go into further detail. There are a lot of unique items in the laundry room here that I’ve never seen before, including a giant dryer room with a big fan that basically airs out your clothes, and some other machine that turns out to be for ironing. I’ve found that laundry in Sweden is really a big deal, with countless blogs and Youtube videos detailing the experience. The most common aspects are this: You schedule your time in the shared space in blocks of 3 hours, you are required to clean up after yourself, and frequently, the space is located at the end of a long hallway in the basement of the building. Always be on time with your booking! People are very particular about this space and don’t like it when you run over your alotted time. The best news though is that once you book the space you won’t be bothered, you don’t have to babysit it, but just tend to it when the timers are up, and as long as you maintain the area your neighbors will be happy. After a few cycles it’s a cinch, but just don’t expect to find any dryer sheets around Sweden; they don’t seem to exist!

I also got to experience a recent Swedish holiday called kanelbullens dag, or Cinnamon Bun Day! It’s like the official start of winter, but with baked goods! Swedes love their pastries, and absolutely love flavoring them with cinnamon and caradamom!