The Swedish Incident

This incident is more than a year old but definitely worth a narration.

The time was Feb 2006 and I was working out of the Volvo IT premises in Skovde, Sweden.
Quite close to my apartment where I used to stay with two of my fellow Minds, there was a large building on a small hilltop, we could never figure out what was it for as when we used to leave for office in morning it used to be dark outside and when we used to come back in the evening then also it used to be quite dark and hence we missed out on any human activity that
took place in and around the building.

It so happened that one day one of our Swedish colleagues invited us over to his home for lunch and he came to pick us up, after picking us he was briefing us on the various landmarks in the area and in the process he pointed out to that building and said that’s the "Gymnasium". I was like Wow, such a huge gym! Man these guys are something, they really are too much of fitness conscious.

So, the next day I left from office early so as to go to this gymnasium and inquire about their working times and membership charges and all. I parked my cycle at the foot of the hill, climbed the stairs and started searching for the entrance. There were many doors and as is the case with Automatic doors they open from inside only and from outside if only I know the code. So now started my process of testing each door .. In vain.. Now I resorted to next step, of peeping into various rooms and searching for a human soul… again in vain… I was beginning to think that whats wrong with these people, they build such huge gymnasiums with no-one in rooms, no information signs outside when I noticed light coming from one of the rooms.

I peeped in through the Window and hallejulah there were 3-4 pretty girls inside, now this was an even better incentive for me to become a member.. I started tapping the window first slowly then frantically… As my fairy godmother would like it, the prettiest girl of the lot looked up… I was like "Yes, meri to nikal padi"… Now with the help of sign language I started conveying that I want to come inside, she walked over to where I was standing and opened the window and spoke to me… left me wondering why did I resort to sign language in the first place? She asked me to come over to the door on the other side and she would open the door for me.

In the excitement I circled the wrong side of the building and when I didn’t find her there then I realised it must be on the other end.. By the time I reached there, to my utter grief she was no longer there instead she had stuck a broom in the door so that it doesn’t close and I can go in…

Well I picked the broom and entered the premises, my eyes were frantically searching for the girl when a huge gentleman came into the view.. Greetings exchanged and then he says "Ah! You must be the gentleman for whom the young girl was waiting over here, your girl has left and she must be in one of the rooms"

By this time I was like going crazy, God what sort of Gym is this, I have seen everything but where is the equipment?

I told the gentleman.. Sir, I think there is something wrong here in what I know, firstly, that lady isnt my lady(though I'd loved to say the other way) and secondly I want to join this gymnasium. The gentleman reacted in a way as if something real hard stuck him. He said.." You look as an educated person to me" I replied yes I am, I have done my Masters and I am working with Volvo right now. Then he replied "Then why do you want to join the gym?" I replied "To stay physically fit" He wore a puzzled look for sometime and then burst out into peals of laughter. Seeing him laugh so hysterically I also started smiling, though I was completely unaware of the reason.

Then he said.. Young man, you follow the British english right? I said yes, I do.. He said that’s the point .. In British english Gymnasium refers to a place where you work-out whereas in Swedish English it stands for a high school.. And that’s why I was wondering that since you have already done your masters why do you want to come back to the school…

Then he took me to one of those patio windows and showed me the real fitness gyms down the road, this time he led me to the door and ensured that I left safely.
All in all… I came back very disappointed, my joy of being a member of such a huge gym was washed out and my dreams of that pretty girl didn’t even survive beyond one meeting :-( I hope that gym and that girl are doing well, as for myself I and gym continue to play hide-and-seek with each other as always..