Swedish Grandma

So, I'm not going back on Swedes being reserved completely, I still think a little 'hey hows it going' wouldn't hurt to be sprinkled into every day conversation and maybe even the odd smile or two, but with a little more time I'm discovering that, at least, reserved doesn't completely mean cold.

Today I was in the grocery store.  I needed to buy some washing powder for laundry and I couldn't figure out what was washing powder and what was fabric softener or whatever.  Because, duh, all the packets were in Swedish.  Which is so obvious, but one of those little things about living in a country where you don't speak the language that you kind of forget then it suddenly hits you when you are standing there in the store holding a packet of something and feeling like a moron because you have no clue what it is.

Probably I'm a little extra emotional right now, so I really was about to start just wailing like a baby when I noticed this little old lady standing right by me.  Without even thinking, I turned and blurted out 'excuse me do you know if this is washing powder or not?' and she was the nicest person ever!  She told me that it was but that a different brand was better value and asked me what kind of washing machine I had and gave me all kinds of laundry advice!

I never thought I would be so happy and grateful for getting advice on laundry, but she was so kind and warm I felt like I had a little Swedish grandma for a minute, and it was really what I needed.