Gothenburg-Halmstad + Elliott Erwitt On Puerto Rico
View from my window
In early November I moved from Halmstad to Gothenburg. Last Friday, about a week ago, I did the opposite. My last apartment contract in Gothenburg expired at the end of January and finding a new place turned out to be quite a challenge. Apparently, every online ad for an apartment in the center of the city receives 1,500-2,000 replies. Rooms and apartments in less attractive neighborhoods often get hundreds of replies. The apartment situation in Sweden’s three largest cities Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö is far from optimal. Even if you portray yourself as the ideal tenant and write an excellent email of interest, you generally must reply as soon after the ad went live as possible to have a fair chance.
Since I hadn’t found a new apartment, I considered staying in a hostel or cheap hotel. Fortunately I could stay at a couple of friends’ place some time. In the end I found a small first-hand apartment in Halmstad. The owner later told me I had called only minutes after they put up the ad, and incredibly many people had replied afterwards.
I don’t know how long I will stay here but it feels good to have a little place of my own. And even though I like living in Sweden, I sometimes daydream myself away to foreign destinations. Earlier this year I came across renowned photographer Elliott Erwitt‘s photos from Puerto Rico. At 26, Elliott was asked by David Ogilvy to travel to Puerto Rico to take photos for an ad campaign. Since then, he has photographed cultural icons, presidents and dictators, kings and queens, and various street photography — life as you see it. Not too long ago, Elliott Erwitt returned to Puerto Rico to find out what has changed and what has stayed the same since his previous visit. On seepuertorico.com you can see his photos on History, Culture, Romance, Beaches, Activities, and Gastronomy as well as fascinating Videos.
Cuartell de Ballajá, San Juan © Elliott Erwitt
Ah, yes, the awful lack of apartments. It really is not good. It must change soon, poor young people that never will be able to move away from their parents!
He takes incredible photos. Full of life. *admirable sigh*
Exactly! And finding an apartment in Stockholm is probably more of a challenge than in any other part of Sweden. Second-hand apartments are often overpriced and I recently read that people usually que for 10+ years for a first-hand contract.
And yes, Elliot’s photos are certainly special.
I can see why David Ogilvy asked Elliot Erwitt. Good luck with your new place.
.-= Cate´s last blog ..Auckland Sky Tower – worth a visit? =-.
Thanks, Cate. I do miss Gothenburg sometimes, but am glad the weather here in Halmstad is often much sunnier!
Sounds like quite the struggle :-S Glad you got something though. And a truly beautiful photograph
Thanks… It wasn’t much of a struggle actually. Since I had a plan B (stay in hostels) in case I wouldn’t find an apartment, I felt pretty calm. I recently read an email newsletter on the subject of struggle. Here’s a quote from it by the writer Dr. Robert Anthony.
“When you give up struggle it involves letting go of both the past
and the future to activate what is needed right now.
It is not your hard work that creates the results, but your ability
to give up struggling and forcing things to happen.
Flow happens when we accept and embrace “WHAT IS”. Flow happens
when we release our death grip on resistance and insistence and
instead step back and take more conscious actions.
Flow is the lack of resistance. It is effortless. The magic in life
is believing in possibilities and the getting out of your own way.”