Sometimes, you just have to laugh...
One of the things that was told to me by GEM (the mission that I am in Europe with) before I left, was that doing everyday things are going to take 10x longer, and it's going to be way more mentally straining...
The mentally straining part came from shopping for food. I can't speak Swedish, therefore reading all the labels is out of the picture. So, I must pick items to where I think I know what they are! I have to constantly divide by 7, because that is the exchange rate (1 US dollar = 7 Swedish Crowns). And just when you have no idea what to do, you have to then speak English to a guy who's native language is Swedish... I defintely chuckled there.
Today came other half of the equation: Taking 10x longer to do something. In my apartment complex, I have a blocked out time of 3 hours to do all my laundry, where I have to check into an electronic system via my keys that magically unlocks 3 doors (steel, by the way) and allows me to get into the laundry room. I threw the first two loads into the 2 washers that were available for my use, and suddenly, I decide to take a look a the dryer. There was a sign on it, that I couldn't read. I called the missionary family that I work with, and she said that the rough translation was this: "This machine is broken"
Then I laughed! 2 loads of wet laundry and no dryer to dry it with! Good thing the missionary family lives a 10 minutes walk away!
Sometimes, I just have to laugh at myself....
The mentally straining part came from shopping for food. I can't speak Swedish, therefore reading all the labels is out of the picture. So, I must pick items to where I think I know what they are! I have to constantly divide by 7, because that is the exchange rate (1 US dollar = 7 Swedish Crowns). And just when you have no idea what to do, you have to then speak English to a guy who's native language is Swedish... I defintely chuckled there.
Today came other half of the equation: Taking 10x longer to do something. In my apartment complex, I have a blocked out time of 3 hours to do all my laundry, where I have to check into an electronic system via my keys that magically unlocks 3 doors (steel, by the way) and allows me to get into the laundry room. I threw the first two loads into the 2 washers that were available for my use, and suddenly, I decide to take a look a the dryer. There was a sign on it, that I couldn't read. I called the missionary family that I work with, and she said that the rough translation was this: "This machine is broken"
Then I laughed! 2 loads of wet laundry and no dryer to dry it with! Good thing the missionary family lives a 10 minutes walk away!
Sometimes, I just have to laugh at myself....
posted by Steve Pyfrom at 6:27 AM
6 Comments:
you know, in italy there are no dryers and you just have to hang it out. give it a try.
Steve, you make me laugh. Hooray for wet clothes...
Chuck
Now as a girl who dreams about laundry rooms of various shapes and sizes (I do just ask Marcie) I never even considered the idea of a "Get Smart" version. (Do you even know that show? ... Maxwell Smart and Agent 99)
At any rate ... a pastor once shared that as long as you can laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of entertainment ... clean clothes perhaps, but not entertainment. =)
Yeah Steve, we like to laugh at you too!! I work with a native Swede...I'll try to get some tips from her!
Miss you!
Couldn't you find a little Swedish girl to take care of your laundry... get busy your only there for the summer!
Here you go Steve...
Just say to a cute Swedish girl, "Snalla gor min tratt. Tack!"
I'm sure you'll get a big hug for it!
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