Stockholm vs London
I’ve had today and yesterday off, since I just worked for 10 days straight in the military.
I actually earned one extra holiday for each day on my mission, so the whole experience is starting to feel worth it now. And I’m yawning less today.
At the moment I’m in Stockholm, where I’ve had a casting session with a voice-over agency. It felt great to be back in the studio again and taking on different roles with my voice. I really love that type of work.
I’ve also been working on my Visual Communications project here, as part of my course at Konstfack. Having acted as models with a photographer yesterday, we’ve discussed the whole experience today and I will spend the rest of the weekend writing it down for our memo.
I really feel at home when I am at the art school. I get the same feeling when I am inside the studio or whenever I arrive in London.
Although I grew to like living in Stockholm last year, the city doesn’t make me feel at home. It’s a beautiful city in places – especially in the summer – and with some wonderful buildings and closeness to the sea. However, I prefer to walk in cities, and I don’t enjoy walking in Stockholm. The city has too much traffic and condensed grey building blocks in my opinion. There aren’t enough places to stop, breath and enjoy the city. And if you do, there’s polluted traffic noise right next to you. On top of this, there aren’t any free toilets, not even in the malls! Such a rip off place...
London is packed with inviting squares, free toilets, benches and forest like parks where people happily enjoy a break. Despite having dressed smart for my high-pressure jobs all over London, I’ve always been able to walk to a nearby park and lay down for 20mins during lunch. Where could I do that in central Stockholm? And if I did, I’d probably be considered a freak. That’s actually how I feel when I’m here. I just can’t identify with any groups of people in my capital.
I love “Vita Bergen”, but it’s kind of far from central Stockholm. In the centre, I feel like I am constantly walking in a hurry and getting crap in my eyes from traffic – like Oxford Street or Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps Stockholm is just too small to have any walking-only sections, big parks or recreational areas in the centre? Or, I will just need to move close to “Vita Bergen” in the southern part.
However, people are too segregated here. If I live on “Söder” in the south, I’m meant to be extremely hip with a radical haircut, or a bohemian lover of vinyl records hanging out at book swapping cafés.
If I move to “Östermalm”, I’m expected to have at least one aristocratic friend, wear Tommy Hilfiger pants, party on Stureplan and have dinner at Riche – preferably several times per week, as only regulars are welcome when it gets crowded. I’m not exaggerating.
“Kungsholmen” is perhaps a more neutral area, and that’s where I lived last year, but its got heavy traffic and loud trucks right next to the beach walk. What a waste!
I know it’s not of any use to be comparing cities, but after two days in Stockholm I really miss London. I miss the variety and eclecticism. I miss the people, huge parks and quiet leafy streets with pretty houses. I miss the range of learning and entertainment on offer, as well as the nightlife – not because I enjoy going out every night, but knowing it’s there. The nightlife in Stockholm is lame. People are too cool for school and it creates a too stiff or too drunk environment.
Man, I feel homesick now... Enköping here I come! hahaha
