Scandinavia In Retrospect

——Written in April 12, 2018.

Among my insufficient life experience, The Scandinavia has left it with a refreshing yet reminiscent taste. Whenever it floats into my mind, this place feels so intensely enthralling and benign.

Aloofness, if not anything else, can describe the temperament of this vast area of land and of its people. It stands far north on the European continent and due to its such high latitude, daylight, especially in winter, is a scarce bestowal by nature. Thus, summer is most cherished. Homes and offices are left empty early in the afternoon as people have dashed out to relish the sunlight, either by wandering into the woods accompanied by exotic birds chirping and crystal creek running, or, sitting alongside the bank of the lake, with beers and some pastry at hand, lounging themselves and occasionally peeking the shimmering surface of the lake with satisfactory warmth.

Cafes are dotted on the streets, exhibiting a sense of leisure and ease. People proceed these activities either alone, or in scattered small groups. There is no hoopla, perhaps just some intimate murmurs between each other. Even in this most flourishing season, you can hardly sense any kind of bustles.

Winter seems to be most fitting to represent Scandinavia’s disposition: busy, nonchalant and keeping to itself. Overcast constantly features the day. Towns are shrouded by darkness as early as at 3 or 4pm. Only a few pedestrains are at sight and they usually stride directly for a planned schedule, without much idling.

From time to time, there flies out of the smell of cinnamon toast from some window, bringing a fit of coziness to the passer-by. The only place that remains alive at night is perhaps the students’ club, where young fellows line up to get the entrance, after one shot or two, they are just about to unwind themselves a little. Stored energy, excitement or sentimentality get to be revealed to the accompaniment of loud, heavy music.

I was born and live in a culture where conviviality and boisterousness are valued highly as a sign of hospitality and friendliness. While people in Scandinavia display an opposite demeanor: they always seem to keep others at arm’s length and they remain hard-headed without showing much of their emotional feelings. But it would be senseless to accuse this demeanor as heartless. Beneath Scandinavia’s aloofness there lies, as I find, an authentic individuality and egalitarianism.

I used to be a loner at home. My own bashfulness and stubbornness had induced me some criticism that I was too aloof to fit in. Indeed, I was reluctant to show a “heartfelt” welcome and respect by getting on my feet and applauding to the corporate bureaucrats who condecended themselves only a few minutes at the lavish dinners just to show their authority and receive employees’ obedience (faked or not). I felt stifled and outcast on those occasions.

So the memory of being in Scandinavia often overwhelms me as uninhibited and free. A day back, I hopped on the bus that timely arrived and ready to drop coins into the slot. “Oh, high-schoolers don’t need to pay, just go ahead.” The driver said emotionlessly. His inability to discern my real age did not offend me at all, instead, I felt grateful for his reminding. At the evening party held by the city council to welcome international students, the mayor and his staffs greeted everyone with amiability. We dined together and had wonderful time conversing.

 

After dinner, the officials, most of them senior, with hair already tinted silver or white, began to deliver the finished dishes back to the kitchen and clean the tables. I was amazed by this gesture: why leaders in the city government had to deal with this chore? Wasn’t that left to the paid cleaners and officials just remained as privileged as was the case in my country?

 

I went up to the mayor, the aged man with his sleeves up and agilely busying himself in help, and asked about the unusual scene in my eyes. He stopped and smiled: “To serve people is our duty as well as our pleasure, and that’s why we choose to do the job. Since we don’t have budget to hire extra hands in this banquet so we like to happily volunteer. No big deal isn’t it?” Though A few years have elapsed, somehow I could still vividly recall the mayor’s uprightness and his kind patience.

Scandinavia, the word itself encompasses the nordic countries. As for me, it’s an embodiment, embodiment of composure, aloofness as well as benignity. Alas! How I miss that quietude and how I miss the cinnamon toast!