Sweden the First Time: year 2000

Dick took a 6 month short term assignment (STA) in Nacka Strand, a suburb of Stockholm in 2000. The Ericsson office, since closed after the telecom downturn in 2001, is shown in the photo on the right. There is a large statue spraying water over 100 feet high shown on the little "island" just above the boat. The statue was built by an American sculptor for some government in Europe. The government decided to decline the purchase so it was sold to somebody in Sweden, I guess the Stockholm city, and placed in Nacka Strand. The boats are part of the public transportation system: you buy tickets just like they were buses. The boat shown below is one that goes to a small island nearby that has two very good restaurants. You can view the island and the statue a little better in the second photo (unfortunately, there's no person in the picture to provide scale -- the statue is at least 100 feet high.



When Lloyd visited me, we kayaked from Nacka Strand but found it unnerving to be among the gigantic boats.

My office was on the tenth floor of the building shown. I could look out windows and be "even" with the decks of some of the larger boats! Swede's love boats, especially sail boats. I heard (but never verified) that there are 1.6 boats per capita in Stockholm. I believe it.

There is a phenomenology with extended visits. The first month is pure adventure. During the second month you begin to see flaws and become annoyed at anything that's not they way you're used to. Then in the third month, you start to appreciate the new way of doing things and begin to make friends. You find some things that strike you as better than the way you're used to back home.