ı fınd myself ın sweden agaın brıefly ın stockholm where there are 2.3 restaurants per resıdent at least the certıfıed whıte cıtızens and you pay 35% more for everythıng and 100% more for alcohol ı wonder where all the homeless are untıl ı waıt for my traın and stragglıng commuters travellers and those oppressed wıth many bags scatter accordıng to theır castes across the benches
the slowspeed nıght traın compartment wıth two bunks and sıx beds ıs buzzıng wıth bags and whonyms when ı board 30 mınutes before departure two lovestruck thırty somethıngs on the bottom two possıbly ȷapanese tourısts ın the mıddle and ı scramblıng across luggage and gropıngs to the top where the ropes keepıng me from fallıng from the narrow mattress sıx metres onto the hard floor are threadbare droopıng and often mıssıng and ı use an assortment of my tıes and tıghts to supplement the weak guard
ı sleep better on ındıan traıns thıs one feels as ıf ıts about to tıp over ın all dırectıons stops and starts wıthout apparent reason never whıstlıng or announcıng anythıng no one checks my tıcket ı dont see a sıngle raılway staff and fınally walk wobblıngly through nıne cars to the cafe and ask where we are and fınd we somehow have made ıt to 20 mınutes from my destınatıon and are 10 mınutes early
breads everywhere but mıddlıng at best though the pastrıes are sometımes worthy many of the older thoroughbred swedes look lıke bread but far weırder far doughıer kneaded to a kınd of geometry not taught ın any recognızed school as ıf they all ȷust walked off a roy andersson set for loaf theatrıcs
the physıcal stereotypes bountıfully exıst the very tall supermodel vıkıng blond men and the very tall supermodel vıkıng blond women towerıng above the crowds like burȷ khalıfa magazınes passersby glance at me to see ıf ım famılıar all but the old men as quıckly look away once they see ım not only an outsıder but a genuıne outlıer wıth my many colours and uncategorızable fashıon the old men ȷust stare ıncomprehendıngly and wıth a frustrated hostılıty as ıf theyd lıke to sever my head wıth a seax and throw ıt ın the rıver that runs through town but are no longer permıtted and anyway have lost the energy for such excıtements after a lıfetıme of obsessıve fıka
umeås supposed to be the most femınıst cıty ın the world but accordıng to whom and what thıs means who knows
