Today we started with a lunch together with an old friend of mine, later becoming a friend of Aurore - Styrbjörn - working within the Swedish Government Department.
He is responsible for the purchasing process within the ministry, meaning everything from limousines to psychologists. He's been working with these issues for more than ten years and is also responsible for the educational part of this work, implying learning new employees and others how to go about with these processes.
Styrbjörn and I met at high school and we became good friends thanks to, among other things, our interest in music and singing. I was trained opera singing by our music teacher and he played the piano and sang. At the time I was a tenor and he a bariton. He has continued to sing as a member of the Swedish Government Departments choir, where he also helps out playing the piano.
The interesting thing about a visit like this is to see how relatively easy it is to get into the governmental buildings in Sweden, if one know someone who works there. We compared with Aurore's cousin Hervé who has worked within the French Parliament and the complicated procedure if we would like to visit him and be guided by him inside this institution. But again: I guess that one have to trust the employees and if they say they have a visit from a friend...?
Styrbjörn showed us around the building where he works - the former Central Post Office Building in Stockholm at Vasagatan (photo above) - and we could establish that the premises where he works are indeed light and airy.
The interesting thing about a visit like this is to see how relatively easy it is to get into the governmental buildings in Sweden, if one know someone who works there. We compared with Aurore's cousin Hervé who has worked within the French Parliament and the complicated procedure if we would like to visit him and be guided by him inside this institution. But again: I guess that one have to trust the employees and if they say they have a visit from a friend...?
Styrbjörn showed us around the building where he works - the former Central Post Office Building in Stockholm at Vasagatan (photo above) - and we could establish that the premises where he works are indeed light and airy.
The external part looks a bit impressing with its thick walls in the so called Gustav Vasa- style.
Aurore became somewhat jealous as she is working within a building not at all light or airy but rather gloomy and claustrophobic.
Below some pictures from the restaurant where we ate.
(Photo Central Post Office Building taken from: http://byggnadsvard.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/posthuset_stockholm.jpg)
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