Memories of the Past vol. 3: God bless Riksten

Hej igen, folks!

I forgot all my pics at home of course, but on the lab laptop there r several which i copied few days before. This post i love already from beginning, cause it's dedicated to the kommun where i'm so happy to live in, Riksten Friluftsstad. First a little story to understand the reasons of my unconditional love.

Forests around Riksten

In the beginning of April 2011 everything went smooth with the embassy and official stuff, i knew where i was going to work in and etc. The main problem, however, remained - i completely didn't know where to live. Socialistic system of accommodation in Sweden is based on the municipal queues ("bostadskö"). Basically here you don't have to buy an apartment, u can get ANY flat from governmental public fund and pay only rent all your life (it's called "hyresrätt"). For example you can have a flat in center of Stockholm with view on the Palace, though to have it you must remain in the queue for... 25-30 years. 

Not the very center of the city, but in center still - ... 15-20 years.

Suburbian areas - ... 8-10 years.

And if you r a student, don't even dream about ANY accommodation if you have remained in the queue for less than 2-3 years.

So this is a nightmare for upcoming students. I know several people that hire the sleeping place in someones kitchen for 3'000kr. 

Of course you can try to get the flat from second-hand contract ("uthyres andra hand") - it means that you hire a flat from person who got it previously from kommun. Theoretically it's ok, but practically on each such apartment there is a queue of 20-30 persons. So when u come to Sweden, u r automatically find yourself in a crap because you don't have a place to live. And nobody cares. And your money is not an object - unless you will try to give a bribe. But then the police will catch you by the balls and u will be excluded from all queues forever. So simply wait in the queue or fuck off.

And i was feeling the same in April, one month before coming to Sweden, i didn't even imagine how i'm going to live there. And thanks God the miracle happened - on the Easter days 24-26th April i received a letter from landlord asking me to prove that i'm studying here. There was only 6 or 7 hours left before the deadline, so i called my professor, Johan, and he was on barbeque at that time, and so on and so on... Finally i got it (and i had only 40 days in the queue that time). I'm still thanking God every day when i come home at evening :) 

In Academgorodok in Russia i lived almost in the forest, he-he. Well, here i live in pretty much the same place :) it's clean air, rabbits and squirrels are scurrying around. A little bit far from central Stockholm, but it's nothing, 15 min bus to the train station, and then i take 150 km/h pendeltåg (eng. "commuter train"), which reaches Karlberg station in 17 minutes. So it's 1h door to door. 

So there is a place in Sweden which i'm happy to call my home :)

heh, these were first days in my flat :) assembling furniture, carpets and IKEA's bed. The flat is 20sqm, with kitchen and bathroom (no bath, shower only (sv. "dusch"), very little flats in Sweden have bath, it's rare)

50m from my home to swimming pool

This is a pic from 29th May, when 2 days before i got the keys i went to Riksten to see what is this place :) and this is my house. And this is my neighbor from the first floor (i live on second).

Unfortunately due to my Mac fail in July i've lost the most of my pics which were about my accommodation and Riksten :( but i hope folks you know have an idea of where i live. As i was lucky to get it, all i just want to wish you is good luck! And never stop thanking life of what it gives you :) see Pic-of-the-Week on Friday as usual and see u!

P.S. 

One day as usual i was returning home late, it was 22-22:30 i guess. In the bus i met drunken politian from Socialistic party, he just returned from boat cruise with his mates. We were chatting funny and became good friends :) one day he asked me:
- Well, as u know, Anton, i'm the politician from the glorious Socialdemokratiska Arbetarparti, and i want to ask you what do you like to improve in our motherland kommun of Tullinge?
I said:
- Well, it's not for me to complain, i'm just so happy that i got the place here!
- Ah, tell me tell!
I was thinking a little and said:
- You know, Peter, it's good to have a express bus from Tullinge station to Riksten directly, without driving on all these back streets and making a huge hook. Actually you live on the "Krokvägen" (eng. "Hook street") and u know this problem.
- Ah, yes-yes, good-good, nice idea, we can discuss it at the municipality..
So this is how it was.
I've never seen Peter since that talk in the middle June.
But from the 25th August there is an additional bus 721X, which goes 5 times/day directly to Riksten within a 5 minutes (against 15 min of common 721' bus).

Meet more drunken people and tell them your wishes.
And they'll probably come true :)))
Cheers!