The first snow and "peace-keeping"
It's winter in Sweden. The first snow fell only a couple of days ago. It's already raining away, only small areas of the roads and sidewalks are still covered by ice. But still. Snow is an ultimate sign of winter.
If I needed more signs I could just look in the general direction of Liseberg, the biggest amusement park in Gothenburg and Sweden. There, a tall christmas tree is enlightning the view. The tree is around 116 metres high, and when I first saw it I was amazed. Where did they find that tree? And how did they transport it to the park? In my curiousity I asked some neighbours about it. They looked at me as if I had two heads. "Are you joking, or do you really not know that it's the Liseberg Tower they have dressed up in lamps?!" Oops. At least I could hide behind the fact that I'm new to the city. This is my first christmas here, after all.
Yesterday night there was thunder and lightning. Thunder in November? I wouldn't think so. Together with the unusual warmth of the first weeks of the month it seems to be evidence enough of a climate change. I hope it's a change to the better. Come to think of it, most changes to the swedish weather would have to be to the better. What could possibly be worse? Swedish weather stinks.
And as if there wasn't enough reasons to hate Sweden, here is another one. Despite all nice talk about neutralism and 200 years of peace: We are actually sending military troops to another country. The first "KIA" came home two days ago. So what are we doing in Afghanistan, one might ask. "Helping out with reconstruction", our media reports. How come we are sending commandos then? Shouldn't we be sending engineers? Construction workers? "Well, it's reconstruction and peace-keeping", they say. Right. Peace-keeping in an occupied country. Why are we on the occupants side, then?
By the way, the swedish armed forces are called Försvaret. That means "The Defense". I thought defense was something you were doing on home ground.
If I needed more signs I could just look in the general direction of Liseberg, the biggest amusement park in Gothenburg and Sweden. There, a tall christmas tree is enlightning the view. The tree is around 116 metres high, and when I first saw it I was amazed. Where did they find that tree? And how did they transport it to the park? In my curiousity I asked some neighbours about it. They looked at me as if I had two heads. "Are you joking, or do you really not know that it's the Liseberg Tower they have dressed up in lamps?!" Oops. At least I could hide behind the fact that I'm new to the city. This is my first christmas here, after all.
Yesterday night there was thunder and lightning. Thunder in November? I wouldn't think so. Together with the unusual warmth of the first weeks of the month it seems to be evidence enough of a climate change. I hope it's a change to the better. Come to think of it, most changes to the swedish weather would have to be to the better. What could possibly be worse? Swedish weather stinks.
And as if there wasn't enough reasons to hate Sweden, here is another one. Despite all nice talk about neutralism and 200 years of peace: We are actually sending military troops to another country. The first "KIA" came home two days ago. So what are we doing in Afghanistan, one might ask. "Helping out with reconstruction", our media reports. How come we are sending commandos then? Shouldn't we be sending engineers? Construction workers? "Well, it's reconstruction and peace-keeping", they say. Right. Peace-keeping in an occupied country. Why are we on the occupants side, then?
By the way, the swedish armed forces are called Försvaret. That means "The Defense". I thought defense was something you were doing on home ground.
posted by Angry Swede at 21:08
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