The wonder of IKEA...

So, I have long heard of the wonder of IKEA. You know, that Swedish based store where you can get stylish, serviceable furniture that you put together yourself. But I had yet to actually set foot in the place. I'm a member of a web community called The Community of Sweden. We're people from all over the world who have an affinity for Sweden, Swedish style, Swedish food, and, well, sometimes Swedes. The sub-group I hang with from that site is called the "fikaganget". Fika is the Swedish equivalent to a coffee break. Ganget is a made term for gang. We have never met but we know all about each other's lives, where we are in the world, what we do for a living. We send each other warm greetings, laugh at each other's jokes, cry when one of us is ailing or experiencing something bad in life. We just get along and all came together because of our love of Sweden.

But I digress...the reason I brought the fikaganget into this blog is because every last one of them, but me, had already had the IKEA experience. So, last Saturday, Alex and I made the 90 minute drive to Schaumberg, IL to what I can only describe as the second happiest place on earth. IKEA loomed over the highway like a giant blue and yellow monolith. Swarms of eager shoppers, people searching for just the right lamp, or dresser, or end table were teeming in from all ends of the LARGE parking lot. We entered the glass front doors and were immediately swept up the escalator by the throng. Actually, going up at the entry way was the only choice we were given. What laid before us as we ascended was amazing! I mean, we were literally in furniture Valhalla.

We knew exactly what we wanted. We had staked out our plan via the IKEA website before we even left Kenosha. But the yards of bedroom sets put before us was unbelievable. Ironically, the bed we wanted was the first one right off the escalator. We got the specs and the numbers and off we went. As we headed toward the self serve aisles. (Oh, IKEA is all self serve, did you know? I mean totally self serve...even for large items like the pillow top mattress we purchased.) Anyway...as we headed toward the self serve aisles, we filled our cart with pillows (like heaven!), a comforter (like heaven!), new bedding, (heaven again!), new waste baskets, lamps, garbage can, end tables....until our cart was almost toppling over. Then we got two flat carts and loaded it with the bed frame, beams, slatted matt, and queen size mattress! We shuffled all of that to the check out line. Paid up, hauled it all across the store to the Home Delivery line (no way could we get all that home in my Dodge Neon!) and then...we loaded up the car, moved it across the lot, nearer to the door, and went back inside the store to load up a cart chock full of Swedish food! We got meatballs, gravy, potatoes, chocolate, Bilar (chewy marshmallow cars, yum!), cookies, coffees, cereal, hard bread and, yes, the best thing to ever come in a tube, Kalles Caviar. A mere four hours later, we were done. But I tell you, I would go there again in a heart beat. For all that we bought, we paid blessed little. And now, tonight, at last, I will be sleeping on a brand new queen size pillow top Swedish bed with new bedding and new pillows.

Leave it to the Swedes to come up with an idea that reaches the inner recesses of the American consumer. It has it all - style, low price, convenience and food. What's not to love!!?

Crossing lives via the world wide web...

This thought came to me last night as I was watching "Survivor". My favorite player on the show pulled off yet another brilliant move and I thought - "I bet Paul is jumping outta his seat right now!" Now that thought isn't much really except it dawned on me how my first thought was about someone - namely Paul - that I have never even met. Paul's someone I only know via the Internet who, I also know, happens to be the biggest fan of Survivor ever.

Something else happened yesterday too. I "know" a group of people from a website called "Community of Sweden". I joined there because I am trying to learn Swedish and all things Swedish for an eventual move to Sweden. Anywho...what I found was this great, funny, caring little group that always keeps in touch via email. We call ourselves the Fikagänget which loosely translate to the "coffee break gang". Yesterday, Asa - one of the gang, shared some good news. Some of her nature photos were chosen for her local newspaper and she was being featured as the photographer of the day. I was genuinely thrilled she got this honor and, again, I have never met Asa. Or Celia, who shared her woes about having to move from Sweden back to her native country due to financial issues. Or Lilly, who is working double duty to finish school and struggling because Swedish is her third or fourth language. Or Sherry who's house in Rhode Island is flooded right now due to the inclement weather they've been having.

There are others too. People I have never met who I think of as if I knew them. Take Van, for instance. I "met" Van on a site called DMusic. Started following his blog and love reading about his adventures with Abbe and the kiddos. He shares his ups and downs and his strange and wonderful links. Then there's Esther, now in Sweden but longing to be back in her beloved Niger. She's shared some of the most amazing photos and stories of Africa and, lately, some very personal turmoil.

My point is, I've come to think of all of these people as friends. I really do come across daily situations, like that Survivor moment, when I think to myself "Oh I have to let so and so know about this one!" and so and so is someone I know only on the Internet. Hell, I met my husband on the Internet so I do know what a powerful tool this is to draw people together. It's just always a pleasant surprise to feel like my small world has gotten just a bit bigger - one interesting person at a time.


By the way, if you do not watch Survivor, you really should. Just ask my friend Paul! :)