Swedish Roaming: 2014 Over and Out

The first week of November was a busy one for us. On Wednesday we finally received an offer for our house in New Zealand, on Thursday we had the first real snow of the season and on Friday we popped into the city and Loiuse arrived in our life. Sydney, Berlin, Christchurch, Stockholm. Reads little like a Hard Rock Café t-shirt doesn’t it, not that I’m a particular fan, however it is in fact a list of birth places for our wee family.

We handled the lack of light better this year. Whether that was due to the fact that we were better mentally prepared for the greyness (I think the first 3 weeks of November had 5 hours of sunlight recorded in Stockholm), the fact that it wasn’t as cold as last year, it was due to the excitement of the arrival of a new member of the family, or whether it was due to the fact that we were popping drugs (vitamin D for the whole family), I don’t know. It was a probably a combination of all of these things but I was definitely not as miserable as the same time last year.

If you were to have a child in a country where you can’t speak the language – yes my Swedish is flagging at the level of a two year old, Sweden would be the place to have it. An excellent public health system and the widespread ability to speak near native English among the populace, it really wasn’t that much of a drama at all (I know, it’s easy for me to say that). Our biggest worry was who was going to look after Ana when the time arrived? Our neighbours of whom we have never set foot in their house kindly offered to take Ana in as did several other friends who live nearby. But we and most importantly Ana, really didn’t know anyone well enough to really leave our mind at rest. In the end, Karin and Micha helped us out on that department and kindly flew in a week before D-day to spend several weeks with us in what is generally regarded as the most miserable month to visit Stockholm.

BB Sophia is a maternity unit in central Stockholm. Louise was a text book case. Tina called me just as I was going to lunch at work on Friday afternoon. It was the last day in our present office before we moved to new digs. So I returned to the office, finished packing, changed into my cycling wares and rode home. There was time for a relaxed lunch (imagine if I had missed out on that!) before we called the taxi and headed in the city. I’ll spare you the details, oh well OK I won’t. We were served ice-cream smoothies and freshly made sandwiches. After Louise was born, we requested more ice-cream smoothies, fake champagne and given a hotel like room to catch a few hours of rest before taxing home the following day.

Hosptial Food in Sweden. Mmmm.... no wonder the taxes are so high

We were both a little nervous to how Ana would react to the competition in her life, or even if she really understood what ‘we are going to bring home a baby’ meant. We had already had one false alarm earlier in the week and returning from kindergarten she quickly scoped the house and asked us “Where is the baby?”, obviously disappointed that it had decided to not come out. Well, we didn’t disappoint this time and her reaction, caught on film, was over and above our expectations and could really only leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

The two sisters

So then were two. It’s quite different to have one isn’t it? But fun and rewarding and insanely hectic and busy as well. Kind of like it was when there was only one, or when there were none if truth be known. I guess you are either busy people of not busy people and busyness is really just a relative term. However, there is definitely more washing to do!

Is this a sign?

Parental Benefits are pretty sweet in Sweden. Out comes one baby and wham, there you go, 480 days paid holiday… thank you very much. Well, OK, perhaps it isn’t all one long holiday. Apparently there is a Swedish television commercial where the father to be is busy conjuring up plans for his parental leave. It exists of fishing expeditions, long days at the pub and other likely manly activities – I have actually never seen it as we don’t have a television, but you get the picture. Then it fast forwards to the man battling a screaming baby, overflowing laundry, a sink full of dishes, dirty nappies and his dreams quashed. Well, being our second, I wasn’t blind to the actually practicalities of looking after a tribe of young children (is two a tribe?) But I hope to at least spend part of that leave enjoying it out in the forest, on short bike trips or other such pleasurable activities. There is definitely a hum-dinger of a summer holiday planned for next year! One thing that made us laugh a little is that men actually get more leave than women. What? Well, on top of the 480 days which is shared any way you want (although 150 days are reserved for each and cannot be used by the other and also includes any time the expectant mother takes off work leading up to the birth of the bundle of joy - I know outrageously ungenerous), the father gets an additional two weeks to take off immediately following the birth to ~~catch up on sleep~~ help out at home, paid of course. And yes we have two children so yes that amounts to 960 days of paid leave. Yes I know, Ana wasn’t even born in Sweden, but I don’t make the rules.

Off on an adventure...

Due to imminent journey to Germany for Christmas and the finalisation of our house sale, a one week old baby couldn’t prevent us from traipsing around the city in what is generally the gloomiest month in Sweden to visit various lawyers and embassies to get all the paperwork in order.


Christmassy stuff

At the lawyers we had to get a whole heap of documents witnessed to finalise the sale of our house, however the Lawyer refused to sign a statement saying we appeared of a ‘sane mind’ … apparently lawyers aren’t allowed to make such judgements in Sweden, well that’s what they told at us least. With one day to spare, I luckily found someone at work who did actually think we of sound mind and the four year battle with our insurance company, tenants and a million bits of paper was over and our earthquake damaged house was no longer our problem. I know we are incredibly lucky to sort it out so fast… yes depressingly enough I think we both consider four years fast. We both still know way too many people in Christchurch that are a still way off and I can’t help but feel a tinge of guilt.

Budget airlines have really gone no-frills in Scandanavia

November merged into December and… I actually don’t really have any recollections of December apart from doing loads of washing, before we jetted off to Germany for Christmas. Did you know that with certain car rental companies, if you are five minutes late to pick up your pre-ordered and pre-paid car, they will rent it to someone else and then put you on a lucky dip waiting list for the next available car. I won’t mention any names but it’s needless to say we won’t be using THRIFTY ever again. Opps, damn, it just slipped out. Just what you need after a 4.30 am start with a tired and hungry 3 year old, a six week old, a lot of luggage, a tired and grumpy mum and dad and a reasonably long drive of Germany’s Autobahns ahead. At least I had the option to drive at 500 km/h if I so wished.

Germany, as last year was light. That was despite it pouring down with rain the day of our arrival and extensive cloud cover. I don’t think too many German’s would agree with us… they didn’t, but we are Swede’s now you know. Well, kind of, not really actually.