Sverige, del två

Saw something about Oprah in Australia and for some reason I felt like bitching about things here that get me down or under...and award them prizes.

First prize of a huge zero bucks goes to...the prices in Sweden.
Basic foodstuff (for me that includes bread, cheese, milk and Coke a Cola) are actually almost the same as back home.
Going out to eat however, takes a chunk out of your budget. One nice thing is that all the restaurants and cafe's have lunch specials that aren't that bad and include a main course, starter, bread and something to wash it down with; Water or a very, very light beer.
But the biggest shake down is alcohol. In some restaurants one basic 500ml beer can cost the same as a lunch meal and, compared to the really cheap prices in good old R.S.A., for what 1 draft costs here I can buy at least 5 back home. And it is not due to exchange rates. ZAR and SEK are 1.01:1.
And if you want to get something "cheaper", you're only option is the Systembolaget, a government controlled liquor store. And by "cheaper" I mean +-3 times more than I'd pay for it at home, rather than 5 times in a restaurant.

Second prize of a beautiful Magnet....goes to the hordes of young swedish guys and girls walking around with a couple of kilograms in/on their faces (and probably more, but it is winter so I can only guess). I think the record number of studs, rings and bling piercing one person's flesh that I saw was close to 20. And those were only the visible ones. Why? Well, to each his own I guess, but I suppose they haven't tried to board a flight recently.

Third prize of a ton of tissues also goes to the a large group of young swedes. For some reason, it is quite popular to hock a loogie while waiting for the bus, in between sucking deeply on that cigarette or just because you can. Almost got hit once! I probably would have steam rolled over the little boy, but luckily he changed his mind or just has ridiculous aim and it sailed gracefully wide of my legs to splatter into the freshly fallen snow. So now it's not just yellow snow that I have to look out for.

Thus, as a word (or rather sentence) of warning to any and all wishing to visit the Sweden I have seen so far....always wear shoes, you might step in something gross....never carry magnets around with you, you might hurt some poor kid....and don't chug that drink, you may not be able to afford a next round.

Of course there are always lots more and more of my favourite things that build me up, buttercup, and give a little bit of happiness , but with these wild thing(s) out of my way, things can only get better!

The Surprise prize goes to the first person to identify all the artists of all the song titles in that last sentence.

Njoy!