Viking Diaries #2 - Of Street Parties, beans and pulses..

Ok the previous post sounded all rosy and ideal. Wrong. The law of averages makes sure it is. Never is. I mean, its just the light we see it in, or the mood we are in. And not that my mood right now is very different now compared to previously, but just that it’s a different take on this still wonderful city.

For starters, its the most diverse cities I’ve known or seen. Its so very multicultural, that from what I’ve seen, there’s no clear majority. And one major thing is the tolerance to each of these cultures. This part of it is very heartening, and something I’d love to see all over the globe.

On  a personal front, there’s a small little mix in my hostel itself. 6 Chinese(duh!), 5 Indians, two Iranians, a Russian, a Mexican and an Israeli guy. That’s 16 people, and 6 different backgrounds. And we Indians will just increase that count! And even when you’re traveling, observing the passers-by in itself a tour of its own. Diversity is clearly the mantra here. Apart from that, there was Quarnevalen at KTH, which was basically a rally through the streets of Stockholm on a lazy Saturday, just as a fun expo.

Anything on wheels, modified with a pinch of humour, sauteed in creativity and simmering with enthusiasm. That basically Quarnevalen for you. Preparations are on for a couple of months, and at the end is a promise of a crazy party. And the week leading to it, a beer tent is set up with local Swedish bands, as a motivation for the people, and to attract crowds. All for fun! I’m beginning to like the Swedish idea of fun! It was wonderful on the whole, often reaching out to the funny bone. Some  snaps from the event –

 EthanolBus - an ecofriendly option - basically its a cycle, and all guys on the vehicle are "driven" by Ethanol!

 This one can't pass

 Super Mario. A new take!

Taking a dig at the iPhone

Followed by this was a street party – Mosquito – with a rag and flag theme. Images again, speak for themselves. This was high energy, high enthu stuff. Brilliant again. This guy was the leader of the party, and in simple terms, its jumping around with a piece of cloth grooving to some nice music.

Mosquito Street party - Stockholm's Rag and Flag Day

Being a vegetarian is like the stupidest thing to do in Sweden. One of the locals told me about how she saw a carrot for the first time at the age of 15. Yeah! And the options at restaurants and eateries outside are so minimal that  it makes a chaat shop menu look elaborate! Examples, McDonalds, the only thing I can choose is fries. I’m not kidding. Fries, and coke/icecream. Done. Burger King goes one better. Nothing edible. SO yeah, its basically a tough life on the sustenance front. This spells one thing – cook your own food. Now that runs two risks – a lotta hard work, and more, the risk of eating food cooked by you. Well I’m no pro, and it isn’t the best to start the experiment here. After twenty years, in a place where people haven’t heard of beans and pulses. Add to that packing your lunch daily, because surprisingly, there is no proper canteen/food court of sorts on campus that you can rely on. (The profs here bring their own lunch. Its that bad.) That just makes it worse for me. But all the same, a wonderful experience. Cooking is slowly becoming simpler and more mechanical. Still, a pain right down there.

Again I’m telling you this, but this city is so beautiful in the summer. Even if I pass by the same place everyday, each day I feel like clicking a pic or two. Somehow the water all over the city adds to the beauty. Or maybe it’s the humdrum of the concrete jungles of Bangalore or  the boring layout of Surathkal that’s made my point of view this way. Still, beauty lies in the eyes of the behold. Or beerholder for that matter. Sorry. Ripped off joke.

Post is getting long again. Hope you had a good time reading, though this is a very personal opinion, might differ for sure, and written at one go. I shall update soon, on more interesting topics. Till then, adios!