My 1st Day on scandinavion soil !!!

When i landed in sweden i felt i am at home without any reason at that time and still the feeling strengthened when i travelled from stockholm airport (ARlanDa) to vasteras city. When i was travelling all the way to the city i was seeing all forests with green trees and cultivating (?) land not the skyscrapper buildings. Perhaps this may be the reason i felt i am at home since i am basically from a village where people are nature oriented.

At the time when landed in airport the time was around 2:30 PM. I was confused for not giving any imigiration and health declaration related forms in the scandinavion airlines which i got from frankfurt. I expected those forms since i was given during my 1st international visit i.e., to beijing.

With that thinking i was walking in the airport towards the exit where people were walking towards. At some point of time some people stopped aside and waiting for the baggage. I was confused whether i should also wait there or some where else. Luckily there was an english board 'information' and went there and asked in english 'i am from bangalore and where can i get my baggage?'. He did not understand my slang and also the word 'bangalore'. Suddently i realized and revistied my information. 'I am from frankfurt and would like to know where i can get my baggage' with forign slang which i was bit comfortable by attending telecon with my SECRC counterparts and PM. He replied your baggage will arrive on Belt 6 and directed me there.

With a long breath i walked towards the board 'Belt 6'. There was a digital display shown the LH6226 baggage will arive on belt 6 in another 3 mins. Baba count down starts now !. Waiting for the timer to reset to 0 and keep waiting even after 20 mins. After 2 flights baggage, few of our flights baggage. Got really iritated, no other words to describe it.

After collecting the baggage, thought there will be some check points where we need to show the baggage and its contents ( i had made my mind to throw some of the food items or tollerate the throw by these scandinavian guys). surprisingly no such check was there and i was walking on the way which lead me to an exit. My mind was fully occupied with the past experience that the next stage is to get the imigiration clearance stamp. I was searching for the stamping center on my way. I could find a 'customs' board where nobody was there. On the way some people were waiting with welcome board. Really surprised and thought myself how these guys are allowing the receivers till these stages ??!!?? since i have not been asked for not even passport for imigration clearance stamp. I saw a guys who was having a board with Kumar LH6226 and i did not realize since my mind was fully targetting the imigration clearance.

No ...No way to find the stamping place. After that i went back to 'information' desk and asked for the place where i can get the imigration clearance stamp. They explained clearly, this is europe and schegen country. You would have been asked for the passport in Germany- frankfurt airport ( wherever u land first in the schengen country). So its required to show only passport there no need to get the imigration clearance in schengen countries. here also we will not ask for your passport.

So no passport or visa check also there is no baggage check ( i could eat some home country foods for few week..thanks for that)

The information guy shown me the way to exit and i walked towards the exit to see my vistior and had an impression in my mind that he will have a board in his hand with 'sasi' and 'ABB'. No such person was there. Since i landed in terminal 1 instead of terminal 5 (prposed and this info was conveyed to my SECRC PM) i walked towards trerminal 5. There is no single sign of a person who waits for me.

With great disappoitment i went out of airport where taxis were standing. Some taxi drivers were callling me but they did not have any receiving board with them. I felt not to go with them for safety reasons. Again went back to the pavilion the same information center without having 1 SEK to make a call to my SECRC ( decided to convert my $ into SEK, but thought of giving a retry).

By this time 2 hours have crossed and the taxi driver who came to receive me called my SECRC manager and asked 'shall i come with empty hands?' My PM enquired lufthansa flight and confirmed the taxi driver that we are somewhere in the airport.

On my way to information center i saw the 'same' guys who was waiting with a board ( as i said earlier in this page) kumar, LH 6226 (very small..u will find this word only when u go near to him). Suddently realized that let me enquire him whether he is waiting for me. Unfortunately he speaks swedish not english..what a tragedy...? I spoke to him and confirmed that he is from vasteras and waiting for me. He lead me to his taxi ...since his information was convincing me i enquired him before getting into the taxi. Am i the right person u're waiting for?. he noded his head and got in. With partially satisfied mind i got into the taxi and luckily the driver understood that i'm bit confused. So he shown the digital diary sort of things fit into the taxi which shown me my name, my flight no, termianl of arrival and destination, PM name and his contact no. Thats the place or moment i got relaxed completely.

The taxi went towards vasteras on the way i described in my initial paragraph for nearly an hour. For the entire travel myself and the driver did not speak not even a single word for the good sake of both of us.

He stopped the car in my apartment i saw an young man instead of an old man (i percived my PM will be a bald headed person, etc.,) He recived me with nice smile and asked my AMEX to pay the taxi fare of 1558 SEK i.e., 9816.4 rupees. After seeing the bill almost i shocked and recollected the GPS and all the other stuffs of the taxi wolks wagon....

I went into the apartment where i will be put up for the next few months..without knowing that there will be a surprise waiting for me...