Solo in Stockholm
Today I wandered around Stockholm all by myself. I love that I know the city well enough to do so. One of my favourite things in the world is to lose myself in a city environment. Melbourne used to work well enough, especially as I knew it so well, but Stockholm is much more exciting, as I'm even more anonymous and can get lost if I'm not paying attention to where I'm going. Besides, there are so many places that I haven't explored yet.
It makes me feel so free and independent to traverse a foreign city all by myself. I love having time to go and look at things on a whim and eat wherever I want and do whatever I please. It gives me a kick. I love the feeling of being one tiny person in a big city, part of the flow, anonymous and able to wander about wherever I want to.
I ended up getting in earlier than I thought, finding the cinema in Hötorget (massive square in the middle of the city) and getting both my ticket and lunch and then wandering the square. There's a massive market every day, I think. Heaps of fruit stalls and plenty of fake Gucci handbags. I got a punnet of raspberries for the movie and then discovered a free photography exhibition in the Konserthuset.
The photography was stunning, I was completely enthralled. Everything was in Swedish, but it didn't matter. The pictures spoke for themselves. There were a series on the New Orleans floods, several portraits and one sequence that almost overwhelmed me. There were six or seven photos of a young boy, who was obviously ill. The photos seemed almost random. There was a photo of him laying asleep in bed with his sister, I'm assuming, curled up next to him. One of him being injected with something. Several of him in a hospital bed. One taken at the moment of his death, I think. The anguish on the faces was devastating. And then, one of his casket. I started crying, even though I couldn't read the piece next to the photos.
I've decided that as soon as I can afford it, I'm buying a decent camera and getting back into photography. I studied it in year 12, and did fairly well at it. It'll be annoying to not have a darkroom, but I'm sure I can play with digital manipulation enough to keep me satisfied. The whole way back to the cinema and home I was taking mental pictures.
After that, I saw Superman Returns. What can I say about that? It was OK, I suppose. Not really exciting and not terrible. There were a few plot holes that I noticed, but I usually take movies like that as able to 'break the rules' so it doesn't annoy me nearly as much as it would normally.
I feel so much more confident now with interacting with the Swedes. I've realised that it's fine that I don't speak Swedish. Everyone is happy to speak English as soon as they realise I'm a tourist. Also, I usually ask if they speak English before I say anything else. It saves me getting horribly embarrassed because I can say hello, and they assume I speak the language. I'm also always careful to thank people for speaking English. Hey, they don't have to. And besides, I appreciate it.
Wow, there's a lengthy post. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading.
posted by Emma @ 5:28 am
5 Comments:
I like the sense of being alone in a foreign city too. There's a kind of "how come I'm just allowed to do this? Wander about on my own in a strange country?" feel to it. I like arriving in a city by plane at night, so I can fly in over the lights. It feels like I'm creeping in unnoticed, and when the city wakes up in the morning - there I am!
The whole way back to the cinema and home I was taking mental pictures.
I do that all the time. All. The. Time. Sometimes I go back and try to take the mental photos (the cherry blossom I posted on my blog was one like that), but most of the time I never get around to it.
I feel insecure and vulnerable in cities. I'm not a city person. Smaller towns with lots of interesting things to do - lovely! But cities, although I love briefly experiencing them, are not my favourite places. One exception to that rule may be San Francisco. I think I could quite happily wander about there on my own. In fact, I think I did one afternoon when we were there. It just doesn't feel claustrophobic and city-like in the same way that other places do. It's odd... I adore London, but wouldn't want to be there on my own.
Hmm... that got rambly. Glad you're having fun, Em. :)
Rian gets dizzy and nervous AWAY from a city. Unless there is an ocean nearby. But the middle of country gives Rian vertigo.
the middle of country gives Rian vertigo.
It gives me boredom. Oh look, there's some grass. And over in that direction - more grass. And hey, a fence. I'm definitely a city wanderer.
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