LostInTheWoods

I have been working from home now for the last two and a half years, and it terms of mixing with Swedes and integrating with the society in which I have chosen to live, that was the worst thing I could do. But when people offer you work, it is hard to turn down.

So anyway, in the meantime, I have been doing things like posting my CV on Swedish job agency websites on a regular basis, and applying online for jobs, Over the past year, I guess I have applied for about fifty. A reasonable effort I would say, but I have not had a single interview. Until a couple of weeks ago....

I was putting some shopping in the car, and my mobile rings. Sounds ordinary doesn't it, but my mobile NEVER rings. It always gives me the willies when it does ring, good news never comes from an infrequently ringing phone. Anyway I had to get my brain in gear as it was a woman from an agency who had stumbled across my CV and she was asking me lots of tricky questions in Swedish. She was saying that she had a job for me that I may be interested in, “..er OK” I said trying to close the close the boot of the car with my chin.

She asked me down to meet with her in Gothenburg, which I duly did, which involved mainly padding out my CV and discussing “what kind of person am I”. It seems she was keen to get me to an interview at the company. So we agreed a date/time over the phone, apart from the oddness that Job Agency Lady (let's call her ”Jal”) was going to go to the interview with me, I really didn't think any more about it.

First thing, on Monday, I drove down to Gothunberg, it takes about an hour and a quarter, for a stress filled day in a real city. Got to the general location of the job agency, no parking places. Tried to phone Jal on her office and mobile, nothing. Great start. Drove to some multi story parking and the mobile rings. Jal tells me to meet her outside and I will follow her in her car. Originally I was going to ride with her in her car, which would have been a lot less stressful than following an ordinary looking Swedish car (a Saab) through a city full of Saabs.

We arrived at the my potential employers' premises without Jal losing her self-imposed tail (me). I shook lots of hands and we sat in a reception area, which turned out to be the precise location of the interview. Jal knew the level of my Swedish, and suggested that we did the interview, half in Swedish, and half in English. The boss suggested we start in Swedish... which tends to mean in my experience that that was the language of choice, and I'll be lucky to hear any English at all. And so it was. But, people nodded at my poorly constructed answers, they didn't laugh at my awful grammar, they seemed to understand what I was saying, even though I could hear mistakes after I said them.

The interview seemed to be over, and the boss showed me around the company, and soon Jal had to go and pick up her young child from day care, so I was left alone, just the boss and me. We discussed what the business did, a little more of my experience, and I think I was offered the job. The offer was lost a little in translation, I though I was being asked what I felt about the company, but what I was really being asked was how would I feel about working there. Well, I kept nodding and smiling, so I got the job.

I don't start for another month, but I am really excited. I have done what none of my peers have done, work for a non-UK company, outside of the UK full time, and I did the interview in a second language. On the way home I was way proud of myself.

I am doubly proud of myself, as often the first job an immigrant secures, is often a low skilled position, even if they have skills and a good education, getting an interview without having fluency is really difficult.

I start in a month, so I have time to learn what I said I knew on my CV.

Joke.

That is all.

LostInTheWoods

Today I had a religious experience. Well kind of.

I am not a religious person, although I was brought up going to Sunday school, going to church as being part of the duty of being a Scout and our family having a particular pew in church. I guess my mind on this was made up through my experiences in younger life, too many inconsistencies in religion and the fact I was being asked to believe in things that cannot be proved. So I guess what I am saying is that I am an antsiest.

My position is not like some of the people out there, who find themselves being agnostics, or lapsed this or that, through being basically lazy. I have thought about this a lot, for a long time, and I am a non-believer.

OK, this morning I found myself home alone, and the door bell rang. I was expecting one of our friends who sometimes comes around, but as soon as I opened the door I realised who it was..... Jehovah Witnesses. Swedish Jehovah Witnesses. A middle aged lady with her VERY bored, hyperactive son (about 10 years old I would guess). Straight away I played my trump card, no point wasting each others time

[Me in Swedish]: “I am sorry I don't understand, I cannot read so good, I am English.”
[JW in Swedish]: “Oh, erm really?”
[Me in Swedish]: “yes.”
[JW in Swedish]: “But you are not an Englishman?”
I reckon she thought I was Swedish and I was pretending.....
[Me in Swedish]: “Yes I am. I am an Englishman”

Her son said “cool!”, I didn't know what to say, I am guessing the fact that they had found a “engelsman” had made is day. This tells me a lot about how exciting he was finding “spreading the word”.

At this point I thought, “Yes!”, I wouldn't have to discuss my lack of believe, and she would not have to see me as a challenge.

[JW in Swedish]: “Have you learnt any Swedish?”
[Me in Swedish]: “Erm, yes I have been to school, swedish for immigrants.”
[JW in Swedish]: “Oh OK, I think I have got something here you can read....”

She produced a booklet in 42 languages!!! On one page was English, and I scanned it, to me it read:

“blah blah blah... Jesus... blah blah blah...God... blah blah blah... pray...blah blah blah...”

Dang it. So had to explain in Swedish my position. Which according to Jehovah Witnesses means: “Any who are not deemed faithful by God will be destroyed with no hope of resurrection.” So our conversation came to an abrupt end. Hey, I thought God was supposed to be a nice guy?

I have no objection to people believing in what the believe, but I will never knock door to door preaching my beliefs. I have always wondered whether Jehovah Witnesses would be more successful without their house to house preaching? I have no idea. But I do remember my Dad used to invite them in for a good old chat for hours about his church. Never once was he interested in converting, but I guess he saw it as giving as good as he got.

That is all.

LostInTheWoods

We currently live in a one bedroom apartment, and I have my 'office' in our main living room. So we are a little cramped. This was meant to be only a short term stop gap for when we first moved here, as it was cheap, and neither of us had gainful employment.

Over two years on, it is time to move. A change is as good as a rest, and we have decided to move to somewhere bigger and a little better located for public transport. In Sweden, rented accommodation is quite reasonably priced, and of a good standard. So we have been looking at a few places, and the viewings are held with everyone who is interested, all turning up at the same time.

Yesterday, there was a flat available, but I had to go alone to view it as Renee had to work. So I got on my bike and cycled the 7 km to the apartment. Upon arrival I met a guy from the company who owns the apartments, but once he twigged Swedish was not my native tongue (it didn't take him too long), he spoke with eyes wide open, and at a very slow speed.

This annoys me a little. The west part of Sweden is where the people talk quickly, sometimes too fast for me, words get merged. So “my name is” becomes “ma-nar-is”, it happens a lot in the English language too. But I don't want to be spoken too like my IQ was equal to my age either. I want somewhere in the middle. It is OK with people who know me, but strangers take on the famous “talk slowly and loud” tactic that so many of my fellow countrymen employ when they go abroad.

Anyway the apartment was OK, and we have applied for it, it will take a couple of days to get a decision. Here are a few of the pictures I took:

We are looking to buy a house sometime in the future, when one of us finds that elusive “steady” job, but for now we just need to move.

That is all.

LostInTheWoods