Sublime Stockholm

Track Record for Songs Stuck in my Head

1) "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk

2) "Santeria" - Sublime

3) "Broken Heart" - Motion City Soundtrack
4) "Power Glove" - Knife Party
5) "I'm Shipping up to Boston" - Dropkick Murphys
6) "The Compromise" - The Format

We go about our days without cell phones or mp3 players. Occasionally, we hear music on the radio or from the speakers of a passing car, or the rare moments that we have a secure WiFi and are able to plug into a power source. Songs get catchy, and they stick into the folds of my brain. These are a few of the songs that have got stuck on repeat over the past few weeks.

Stockholm Life

It was incredibly peaceful in Sweden. As I walked around the streets, I felt safe. The sun doesn’t leave during the summer time, but it does take breaks to hide behind rain clouds. Saturday afternoon, Chris and I checked out of the City Backpackers Hostel and headed for a park. We didn’t get as much sleep as we wanted due to some unruly and boisterous German fellows, so a nap on the cool, shaded grass sounded quite nice.

The park was set up fantastically. On the east side, a putting course for golfers lies in the shadows of a grove of tall trees. Just south of it, a large field with several soccer goals was packed with people and families, kicking around the ball, playing pick-up games, or with packs of kiddos battling it out in leagues. On the sides in the open grass, tons of people sat and soaked up the sunshine. West of the soccer field was a sloping hill that lead to a playground (complete with trampolines and a climbing wall).

The hill seemed to be the popular spot, and I could see why. You lie down, watch the clouds or the games on the field below, and breathe in the clean Stockholm air.

 

It reminded me of those pictures in history books and retro-clips of America after World War II. The typical family value is ever-present with smiling portraits and barbeques outdoors. The sun is always bright, kids are battling it out in football games in the streets, and the steel-shells of cars in the 50s roll by happy neighborhoods. Overall, I think the best way to say it is a “Golden Age” of sorts. Stockholm, at least to me, felt like a city in its prime. Friendliness aplenty and fresh, summer weather.

I am Not Heisenberg!

We stayed in a twelve bed dorm Friday night. The past few times Chris and I have done this, most of the beds have been empty. Here, at the City Backpackers Hostel, all the beds were full. There were these eight guys from Germany, all about partying, loving America, and Jim Bean Whiskey. One of them had a low, flat brimmed hat that was a dark tan color. At a point in the night, he reached that level of drunkenness to where he began to say very silly things and lock-in on certain phrases. Breaking Bad was mentioned and then he slung his hat on my head. For the rest of the time they were in the room, he kept repeating the phrase, “I am not Heisenberg! I am not Heisenberg!” in his German accent. It was great.

Patrick

Contrasting the loungers and the relaxers are the homeless and the job seekers. One could easily hangout at the park and miss them- they are hard to see behind the veil of sunshine and picnic time. There is a group of men, five or so, that does laps around the park with garbage bags and raggedy clothing. Their mission is to collect cans to make an income so they can buy food. It’s positive that they clean up the park but it is also sad to see them struggle.

I was curious about it, so I walked over to a dark-skinned man in a tan coat and politely asked him about his background and past life. His name was Patrick and he was from Italy. He had a stable job there for a long time, but when the economy started to decline he lost his job. He’s been on the road for seven years now in multiple countries, just trying to find something stable and make a living. Patrick said that he had been in Stockholm for a little less than two weeks.

For sleep, Patrick, as well as several of the other guys that pick up the cans in the park, rests at the central train station during the later parts of the day. He said it is a safe place to crash, but they can only stay there until midnight or so. Afterward, they are kicked out of the station and have to either find a place to stay on the streets or get back to looking for aluminum and recyclables.

Patrick seemed like such a nice guy. He spoke great English and also Italian and was quick to smile and shake my hand. I wished him the best of luck in finding a job here in Stockholm and continued on my path.

See ya,

Sam