The Danes and Swedish are reserved. Speaking softly and calmly is expected, do not do anything to draw attention to yourself, so demonstrating strong emotion in public is not socially acceptable. Conversely, traversing the brief train ride from Copenhagen airport to Malmo, Sweden just across the bridge there was an anomaly and my visceral response was deemed as appropriate. But more about that later…
Our first stop on this quest is Malmo, Sweden as Rick calls it “his second home”. It is a city of 303,873 people located just across the Øresund Bridge (one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World) from Copenhagen, Denmark. The city is refined yet understated and in more recent years super chic and hip. For us as a family, and when we were just a couple, it is very effortless to feel at home and tranquil. We know the layout of the town and the culture, as well as our favorite coffee houses. Our friend Dan, one of Rick’s longest students, has a martial arts academy in Malmo in which Rick will give a seminar once again later this month. Dan greeted us at the train station and escorted us to a friend of his apartment that we are renting in an ideal location in town.
Almost instantaneously we get into our vibe and groove. Hitting the grocery story in the most modern mall in town sums up some of the aspects that I personally love about Malmo and Sweden, it is “Green” in lots of ways and does it in an esthetically beautiful and effortless way. The shopping center has a living wall consisting of lovely greenery and utilizing lots of skylights and natural light utilizing the plenitude certain times of the year due to the position nearby the North Pole. Also, all the sustainability practices are integrated into everyday life. Bottled water is not cool, bikes are cool, recycling is expected, and all of it integrated into everyday life and is easy and prevalent as is local, traditional food.
As a family we can feel comfortable knowing that children are an accepted and respected part of society not an inconvenience. Parents in this progressive country received 480 days of parental leave and an amount of that is reserved just for the fathers and a large percentage take advantage. As we hit the parks everyday in between the rain showers (we try a new one everyday as there are a whopping 14 large theme playgrounds in the city) there are an equal number of dads in the parks as moms for this very reason. Even the playgrounds are esthetically beautiful, function with individual creative elements. Upon seeing one Ilaria, at the pure site, told me it was the best park she had ever seen and upon entering loved it even more. Sweden is fantastic!
Now back to the cliffhanger…
The public trains of southern Scandinavia are neat, sleek, and timely, created to support and sustain a travels needs and baggage transport. On the day we arrived traveling to Sweden’s 3rd largest city it was unexpectedly brimming with masses of travelers and luggage, perhaps some arriving for the HUGE Eurovision competition in Copenhagen as hotel occupancy saturated and attendees spilling into the surrounding areas. Groggy, as my sleep was altered from the fact that we drilled the mantra into Ilaria that she was going to “sleep on the plane overnight, sleep on the plane overnight, sleep on the plane overnight” but did not mention it meant in her own seat and not curled on my lap. Never the less, we managed to heave and cram our bags and ourselves onto the train without a minute to spare.
Never in the many years we have taken this route, even in rush hour, has it been so crammed or the energy been so discombobulated. To create a visual these trains have cars that have fold-down seats lined on either side with open space for bikes and luggage to the back of the car is some, for lack of better description stadium seating with a narrow 3 step rise to enter the area. I set down the soft duffel bag down off to the side of the stairs and placed Ilaria seated onto it so she would be A) seated so not to be thrown around, B) resting from lack of a full nights sleep, and C) entertained by the Swedish girl approx. 2-3 in her stroller. Here is the turning point as I stood to stretch my tired and cramped legs.
A dubious character entered our car by way of descending the 3-step rise and seemed wobbly and intoxicated lumbering around. His stocky build and large, stuffed backpack forcing its way into too small of a space gave a sense of his unawareness. Being the detective that I am, note taken that he had a 3-year-old and wife in tow, which in some way validated him – big mistake. In a matter of seconds the train pitched to the side and Mr. X violently lurched forward causing a domino effect slamming into me as I was holding the metal bar for stabilization but his mass and the velocity were no match for me. Not a chance as myself and another tumbled to the ground. In a split second the visceral response, a desperate beckon to my child in pure desperation for I could see no sign of her from my vantage point only Mr. X with his large backpack juxtaposed in the air.
Horror struck my thoughts for that brief moment could she be bent forward and crushed? No word from the little voice I revere, as people lifted Mr. X in a desperate attempt to free the rest of us a burly voice announced to the onlookers, as if they cared, “I am OK, I am OK”. A sigh of relief as the mother of Ilaria’s new playmate liberated her and lifted her to freedom holding her closely as the natural instinct of a mother from anywhere around the world would do. Still no words, Ilaria must have been in shock from the event or from the screeching call from my voice in a tone she had never heard prior. Then a few tears and she was handed over to me. He crashed onto her leg but the softness of the duffel absorbed the impact.
Välkommen tillbaka! (Swedish for “Welcome back!”)
Living Wherever We Are 