Taxichauffören har rullar med växelmynt intill växelspaken. Sådana där som de har i mataffärer, att ladda kassaapparaten med.
Det heter ju växelspak, så visst, kanske är det för att man ska strö småmynt kring den.
”Är du inte rädd för rånrisken?”, frågar jag.
Hans leende glimmar i kvällssolen.
”Nej. Nej, inte här. Kanske när jag jobbade i Stockholm. Det var lite hårdare klimat där.”
Det kan jag nog tro att det var.
*
En dag talar jag och ett gäng ålänningar och en annan svensk om kriminalitet. Jag pratar om den där tidningsnotisen om någon som ryckt i bildörrar i Kattby. Och nu sa polisen att folk faktiskt borde låsa sina bildörrar – åtminstone om man befann sig i Kattby.
”Där jag bor spelar det ingen roll om man har låst bilen, de slår in rutan och stjäl den ändå.”, sa svensken.
”Där jag bor spelar det ingen roll om man har låst bilen, de slår in rutan och stjäl den ändå.”, sa svensken.
”Åjo, nog har vi sånt på Åland också”, kontrade en av ålänningarna. ”Det var ju de här bilstölderna, för ett tag sen -”
”Men det var ju folk som lämnat bilen olåst med nyckeln i tändningslåset.”, sa en annan ålänning.
Jag känner mig ännu inte överväldigad av den åländska kriminaliteten.
*
En kompis jobbade här sommaren innan jag kom hit. Innan jag sökte mitt första jobb här korsförhörde jag honom om hur det var.
rätt ofta är det som Truman show, sa han.
Alltså den där filmen om en kille vars liv är en dokusåpa och alla är skådespelare utom han. Och alla omkring honom är så trevliga, så oerhört trevliga, i den manusförfattade superidyllen.
Och jo. Ibland är folk så oförblommerat trevliga att man nästan vänder sig om och letar efter kamerorna. Man blir ständigt erbjuden hjälp och råd. Av främlingar på stan, patienter, grannar, kollegor. Mycket handlar om Åland, själva livet på Åland, allt fantastiskt med Åland, vad man kan uppleva på Åland. Kärleken till den egna geografiska platsen är så stor, den kan genomsyra allt, ibland tänker jag att kanske är det därför folk är så vänliga. Precis som kristna har tryggheten i sin kärlek till Gud har ålänningarna tryggheten i sin kärlek till Åland, och klampar man på genom livet med en sådan grundtrygghet blir det bara en godmodig gemytlighet kvar.
Blandat med lite skvaller förstås – vems småkusin (syssling) känner vems gamla högstadiekompis, man bläddrar igenom lokaltidningen för att se vem som köpte det där huset på den där gatan och är det någon man känner med jo titta där var minsann grannen med på bild på sida fyra, det går bra nu minsann.
*
Mina barn kunde aldrig den svenska flaggan men efter några månader på åländskt dagis pekar de vilt när vi passerar Ålandsflaggan där den vajar på flaggstången utanför Hotell Arkipelag. Ålandsflaggan! Det är ÅLANDSFLAGGAN!, ropar femåringen, på gungande diftongrik åländska, det är VÅR flagga!
Vår flagga!, ekar treåringen.
Åland., sammanfattar ett-och-ett-halvtåringen, man behöver inte levt länge för att ha begripit att det är Åland som är grejen.
*
Och det är solen och havet och klipporna, det är att träffa samma patient på hälsocentralen och på akuten och på medicinavdelningen och på geriatriken för att litenheten ger en automatisk kontinuitet. Det är Östersjöfisken som serveras överallt. Den som svenska rekommendationer säger att man bara ska äta tre gånger per år om man är barn eller ammande eller gravid men som finska rekommendationer säger att man kan äta tre gånger per månad, och trots allt är den ju åländsk.
Det är känslan av att finnas i ett sammanhang där alla vet vilka andra är och att det är en trygghet. Det är känslan av att finnas i ett sådant sammanhang och tänka att tänk om jag är alldeles för mycket för att få plats i det här, vem blir man här om alla vet vem man är men ingen vill en väl. Och samtidigt – det är Truman Show. Mest är ju folk snälla.
Men visst händer det att man skulle vilja knacka hårt på himlen för att se om en dörr öppnar sig och det visar sig att allting bara är en kuliss.
*
Det är barnen på gatan som kan springa tryggt mellan husen, barnomsorgens personaltäthet, att oftast kunna stå på akuten och fokusera på vilken patient som behöver läggas in, inte vilken avdelning man kan tjata sig till en plats på.
Det är ett äventyr som just har börjat, det är att inte veta hur det slutar.
Det är att ha bott här tillräckligt länge för att veta hur det är att vara på den här platsen, men inte länge nog för att veta hur det är att bli kvar på den här platsen.
Det är så mycket som återstår att upptäcka.
Det är Åland.
0
26 Comments
[…] Alandica och pratar om skrivande och Ålands kulturliv sett ur ett utifrånperspektiv. Samt läser den här texten högt. Kom gärna dit, då blir jag också […]
I and also my buddies ended up analyzing the best information from your website and so immediately I had an awful suspicion I had not expressed respect to the web site owner for them. The women became for that reason very interested to read them and have honestly been tapping into those things. Thank you for turning out to be quite helpful and also for selecting this sort of high-quality useful guides most people are really wanting to understand about. Our sincere apologies for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.
I wish to voice my respect for your generosity for individuals that should have help with this important concept. Your real dedication to getting the message all through ended up being incredibly helpful and have really permitted associates just like me to attain their endeavors. Your valuable recommendations implies much a person like me and even more to my mates. Regards; from each one of us.
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an extraordinarily special possiblity to read critical reviews from this blog. It is always very pleasant and jam-packed with a great time for me and my office co-workers to visit your website no less than thrice in 7 days to find out the latest tips you have. Not to mention, we’re usually fulfilled with the effective points you give. Some 2 facts on this page are basically the best I’ve ever had.
I truly wanted to send a small comment in order to express gratitude to you for the superb tips you are writing on this website. My time intensive internet search has finally been honored with useful insight to share with my great friends. I would declare that most of us visitors actually are rather endowed to exist in a very good site with very many marvellous individuals with helpful solutions. I feel pretty blessed to have seen your site and look forward to really more enjoyable times reading here. Thanks once more for all the details.
Thanks for every one of your labor on this blog. My mum delights in carrying out investigations and it’s really simple to grasp why. We learn all relating to the dynamic manner you render rewarding guides on the web blog and even recommend contribution from the others on that topic and our favorite child has been learning a lot of things. Enjoy the rest of the new year. You are conducting a terrific job.
Thank you a lot for giving everyone such a brilliant possiblity to read from here. It is often very nice and also packed with a great time for me and my office colleagues to visit your blog at least three times in one week to read through the latest tips you have got. Of course, I am at all times astounded for the unbelievable suggestions you serve. Selected 2 facts on this page are basically the simplest I have ever had.
Needed to send you a very small word to be able to say thank you yet again for all the beautiful methods you have documented here. It has been tremendously open-handed of people like you to grant easily all a number of people could have offered for sale as an e-book to generate some dough on their own, and in particular seeing that you might have done it in the event you wanted. Those thoughts in addition worked like a good way to realize that the rest have a similar interest just like my own to grasp more pertaining to this matter. I am sure there are several more enjoyable opportunities in the future for individuals that check out your website.
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an exceptionally remarkable possiblity to check tips from this website. It really is so awesome and also full of a great time for me and my office co-workers to visit your site minimum thrice in one week to learn the fresh items you have got. And lastly, I am also actually fascinated for the astonishing pointers you serve. Certain 1 ideas in this posting are truly the best we’ve ever had.
Thank you for every one of your work on this web page. Debby delights in going through investigation and it’s simple to grasp why. Almost all know all about the compelling ways you present reliable tips and hints on your web site and as well as boost contribution from the others on this concept then our favorite simple princess has always been studying a great deal. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the new year. You’re carrying out a useful job.
I must show my respect for your generosity in support of men and women that should have help with this concern. Your special dedication to passing the solution all through appeared to be unbelievably functional and have always helped others like me to arrive at their aims. Your new insightful instruction can mean a great deal a person like me and even more to my mates. Regards; from everyone of us.
I have to get across my respect for your kindness in support of men and women that really need guidance on your content. Your personal commitment to getting the solution across appears to be surprisingly informative and have enabled most people like me to realize their objectives. Your new helpful help and advice indicates a lot a person like me and even more to my peers. Thanks a ton; from all of us.
A lot of thanks for your own work on this website. My mom really likes doing research and it’s really simple to grasp why. My spouse and i hear all about the lively form you create vital guidelines through this website and as well as welcome participation from others about this matter plus our own girl is in fact understanding a lot of things. Enjoy the remaining portion of the year. You’re doing a powerful job.
Thanks a lot for giving everyone an extraordinarily superb opportunity to read in detail from this blog. It really is very cool and also stuffed with fun for me personally and my office friends to visit your blog really thrice weekly to learn the fresh stuff you have. And definitely, we’re certainly contented with the awesome guidelines you serve. Some 4 ideas in this article are really the best we’ve ever had.
I needed to put you this very little note to say thank you once again just for the fantastic ideas you’ve discussed in this article. It is certainly strangely generous of you to make extensively what exactly a few people would’ve marketed for an e book in making some dough for their own end, mostly given that you could possibly have tried it in the event you decided. The tips in addition served to be a good way to know that some people have similar dream just like my own to see more and more in terms of this condition. I believe there are many more fun occasions ahead for folks who read through your website.
I not to mention my friends ended up following the nice items found on your website and instantly I got a terrible feeling I had not thanked the website owner for them. These young men came for this reason happy to see them and now have extremely been enjoying these things. Appreciation for turning out to be really accommodating as well as for deciding upon varieties of awesome areas millions of individuals are really wanting to discover. Our own sincere apologies for not saying thanks to sooner.
I must convey my respect for your kindness giving support to those who should have help with your niche. Your special dedication to passing the message throughout turned out to be certainly insightful and has all the time allowed people like me to reach their pursuits. Your insightful recommendations means so much a person like me and further more to my mates. Regards; from all of us.
I wanted to send you the bit of word to be able to thank you very much the moment again for the beautiful secrets you’ve featured at this time. It’s quite incredibly open-handed with people like you to present unhampered what many of us might have distributed as an e book to generate some money for themselves, chiefly considering the fact that you might have tried it in the event you desired. These principles likewise acted to be the easy way to understand that someone else have the same desire the same as mine to learn more regarding this issue. Certainly there are millions of more enjoyable situations up front for folks who look over your blog.
I not to mention my buddies have already been going through the best information and facts from your web page and then all of a sudden I got an awful suspicion I never expressed respect to the blog owner for those tips. These men appeared to be certainly very interested to read them and have definitely been taking pleasure in those things. Thanks for genuinely indeed accommodating and for obtaining these kinds of notable guides millions of individuals are really wanting to learn about. My very own honest apologies for not saying thanks to you earlier.
I wish to get across my passion for your generosity for folks that require help with the area of interest. Your very own commitment to passing the solution throughout was really invaluable and have really helped associates like me to realize their goals. Your own helpful key points implies a lot a person like me and extremely more to my office workers. Warm regards; from all of us.
I just wanted to jot down a quick word to express gratitude to you for all the pleasant items you are sharing on this website. My time-consuming internet research has now been rewarded with professional points to exchange with my partners. I would mention that most of us readers are truly blessed to be in a very good place with very many brilliant people with interesting secrets. I feel extremely grateful to have encountered your site and look forward to tons of more fun minutes reading here. Thanks again for all the details.
I intended to compose you the little word to say thanks a lot over again for these unique strategies you have featured in this article. It is certainly pretty open-handed with people like you in giving freely what many people could possibly have made available for an e-book in making some cash on their own, primarily considering that you could possibly have tried it in case you wanted. The tricks as well served to be the fantastic way to be aware that many people have the same desire much like my very own to see good deal more when considering this issue. I believe there are several more pleasurable periods ahead for individuals who scan through your blog post.
I simply had to thank you very much once again. I’m not certain the things that I might have taken care of in the absence of the actual secrets documented by you over my theme. It truly was a real scary scenario for me, however , taking note of a professional tactic you dealt with the issue forced me to jump with happiness. I’m happier for your work and believe you really know what an amazing job your are doing teaching others through your blog post. I’m certain you haven’t met all of us.
I intended to put you one little observation to be able to thank you so much again for your great ideas you’ve discussed here. This is certainly particularly generous with people like you to give without restraint all that numerous people would’ve made available for an ebook to end up making some bucks for their own end, even more so seeing that you could have tried it if you ever wanted. The basics additionally served like the fantastic way to understand that other people have the identical eagerness really like my very own to learn lots more when it comes to this issue. I’m sure there are many more pleasurable periods ahead for many who read your website.
I must express some thanks to the writer just for rescuing me from such a problem. As a result of scouting through the world-wide-web and coming across suggestions which are not productive, I figured my life was gone. Existing without the solutions to the problems you have solved by way of this site is a critical case, as well as the kind which might have badly affected my entire career if I hadn’t noticed the blog. Your primary expertise and kindness in playing with all things was crucial. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had not come upon such a point like this. I’m able to at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks a lot so much for this professional and effective help. I will not hesitate to propose your web page to any individual who should get direction on this subject matter.
My husband and i were very comfortable that Louis managed to carry out his studies from your ideas he got from your very own web page. It’s not at all simplistic to simply possibly be freely giving tricks some other people may have been selling. We really already know we need the writer to appreciate because of that. The illustrations you have made, the easy website menu, the friendships your site give support to engender – it is mostly unbelievable, and it is leading our son in addition to our family recognize that the idea is fun, which is pretty serious. Many thanks for the whole lot!