A stranger in a Swede land

First to all our family and friends I want to let you know we have arrived, are safe and starting to settle in. We do not have internet yet (so this is posted late), and only a local phone. Beth has had a rough couple days but is finally beginning to sort out her days and nights. She also loves mackerel, but not so much the Wasa bread. I will write more on our specific adventures in coming entries, but wanted to devote today to things I have learned about Swedes....

I have been living in Sundsvall, Sweden for 3 days now and it is a contradiction of exactly what I thought and the opposite of what I thought it would be.
Firstly, Ikea is a wonderland. At the Ikea here you can get ice cream out of machine, coffee out of a machine and buy almost anything you could think of. Poang, the chair we all love, means point, and I don’t know quite how they connect. Delivery is brilliant, when you have 4 carts of things. Finally, 8 hours is too long to spend in any one place, even if it is Ikea.

What else have I learned. Most Swedes truly are tall, blonde and gorgeous, as opposed to being reserved they are very touchy feely. They are not overly warm to strangers, but many will offer to help when you look truly lost. It’s a very safe place to walk around in, but half of the women have been physically assaulted. Alcohol (and everything else) is very expensive, but they do like to drink. Strangely, herring is not the major food group in their diet. In fact they don’t even really like fish that much except for salmon. They are obsessed with tacos and pizza. Grocery stores do not carry white vinegar or peanut butter, except for maybe one lonely jar in the international section. Everyone here has a car even though most live in walking distance of everything. They love to sit outside in the sun and swim in any available water. Laundry is very serious business where you need to reserve your spot in advance, and they have all manner of appliances in the laundry room I have no idea how to use (watch for Sunday’s instalment).

And most fascinating discovery of the day...all apartment buildings seems to have a skyddsrum, or air raid shelter. Does this concern anyone else? The signs look maintained so I don’t think it’s just a leftover from WWII. Maybe the Finns are attacking?