A 30-minute train ride from Copenhagen Central Station will take you to another Scandinavian city called Malmo in Sweden. The journey along the scenic Oresund Bridge connecting the Continental Europe and The Nordic countries, was a really smooth one and almost noise-less. My travel companions speculated something technical about the rail technology and the gliding manner which, obviously too abstract to me. Well, the frequency of the train (every 20 minutes) indicates that this free movement has been in practice for ages and I heard that, some Copenhageners will actually retreat to their real home in Malmo for the weekend.
Being in Sweden is a dream come true as I always admire her Socialism philosophy and not to mention, her state welfare system. Oh yeah, you pay a really high price in taxes but ask all Scandinavians, they trust their govenrnments in providing the best healthcare, education and other welfare products in their country. All Scandinavians actually feel safe and secure in their own country which I think it's due to the gradual enlightenment process that takes place in the society. And of course, having politicians under public scrutiny all the time, which only a very enlighten political system can achieve.
Despite being a socialist country, Sweden also proves to be a counter-thesis of what we always regard that only capitalist capitalism will prevail. The unsteadiness of Capitalist economic system may indicate to us that, socialist economic system can also be an equally competitive one and not to mention, the stability and equality as their by-products. Well, already the Scandinavian economies are proven to be the most competitive and sustainable first-world economies in the world. No surprise actually. But I'm curious, with the growing influence of the right-wingers like what we see happening in France (I still hope Royal will win the election), will the Scandinavians remain in their amirable position forever? Judging from the investment in technological advancement (R&D)and successfully transitioning into a post-industrial economy, knowledge is what they possess here. And for this, they will remain relevant for another long long time.
One of the more memorable encounter was the visit to a souvenir store in Malmo Central Station. We were greeted by a big Viking doll, some hand-crafted products of Sweden and also, the China-made cute stuff. A vending machine selling flowers also made an impression. And the store-keeper was kind enough to brief us on Malmo must-sees and gave us a city map. A really kind gesture!
We toured Lilla Torg and saw the transition from being a sleepy cafe hang-out in the morning to a full of vibrant life hang-out in the afternoon. We also visited Malmohus where we purchased a ticket to grant us entry to all the museums there. We went to the Technology Museum (went into a real World War 2 Submarine!), Aquarium, Art Museum and saw the Turning Torso from afar. We also took part in an experimental sound orchestra where we encountered music, the combination of sound and noise that was so different from our familiar classics. A truly eye-opening, out of this world orchestra!
