Why I'm Extremely Angry with the Swedish Bureaucracy

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

Here’s my situation. As many of you already know, I’m in love with a woman in Sweden, and I’m going there to be with her. I met her in February, and I’ve been trying to get there ever since.

Originally, our plan was this: I would save up to get enough money to last me awhile, then I would fly over there and apply for residency. We figured that we would probably get married to make it easier. Then, we were gonna live happily ever after.

So I’ve paid off all my debts, and I can finally start saving now. I thought that I would probably be able to leave for Sweden in a month or two. Then a friend of hers suggests that we should check out the residency requirements to make sure we have them covered before hand.

So I went to the Swedeish Embassy website to check it out. And that’s when I read it. I can only register for residency here in the US. It takes six months to be processed. And once I apply for residency I can’t enter Sweden until it’s been processed.

There’s no getting around it. I’m going to have to wait another six months before I can see her. I’ve had a hard time making it this far, and now I have to double it. I honestly don’t know if I can make it that long. I love her so much it hurts. And now it hurts more than ever before.

On top of that, I’m getting evicted in a week. I have no idea where I’m gonna go. I’m completely broke. I don’t have a job since all of the temp work I do is being taken up by college kids who are on summer break.

I am, to put it lightly, screwed.

Best part of it is, my birthday is in three days.

Happy birthday to me? Not likely

Moderator’s Notes: After some discussion by the Admins/Mods of this board, I have changed the title of this thread to remove what could be construed as a possible threat to the Swedish Gov’t. Threats of any nature, especially one against a foreign gov’t, are inappropiate and will not be tolerated here. I realize you probably did this in jest, but the sensiblilities of anyone who may read this public forum must be considered.

[Edited by UncleBeer on 07-21-2000 at 08:36 AM]

#2

Don’t worry Freak you’ll pull through. People always do. I’ve been through my share of hard times too. Take the time to go travel around the country. Go visit the West Coast, visit the East Coast, do something.
And I know it sounds horribly cliche, but look at it as a growing experience.

#3

Well, it is a growing experience I’ll grant you that. I’m growing increasingly frustrated and impatient.

#4

Yeah, and you’d better hope the Swedish gov’t doesn’t see this thread.

#5

Exactly. One of these days I’ll post one of my INCREDIBLE TALES OF WOE that seem to happen to me pretty regularly every year around my birthday. You’ll read it and go “fuck, if someone can deal with that, I can deal with this”.

What kind of temp work do you do btw?
You can probably find another job, or if all else fail there is always unemployment. Go file tomorrow.

#6

Sneevil- You don’t know who the hell I am. What makes you think they do?

Oldscratch- I do mostly office work, about ten bucks an hour. And I can’t get unemployment because I haven’t been working for long enough, I’m only eighteen (nineteen this Sunday).

#7

I’m sure you can find something. If all else fails, there is washing dishes. I don’t know about where you live, but we always have need for dishwashers in SF. The plus side is if you work at a good restuarant, you get free good meals. It really cuts down on your cost of living.

#8

The Swedish gov’t has a lot more resources than I do. I’m not even a techno/computer/geek/weenie. One of those could nail you down pretty quick.

I’ve got some experience with evictions…having evicted several dozens of people when I was a property manager. What stage of the proceedings is the eviction in? You may be able to buy more time if you make the right legal moves.

#9

Poor Freak!

I wish I could say this builds character, but mostly it just causes ulcers and extreme cynacism. This is no comfort at all, but the INS (US Immigration and Naturalization Service) specializes in pointless, inhuman bureaucracy.

A friend of mine is a heart surgeon who retired last month. Too bad he’s right back at work, because the INS is dinking around with pointles forms in triplicate for the surgeon replacing him. Hey, what are all these little lives compared to the demands of paperwork!?

If it’s any consolation, another friend (Swedish) married and had 2 children. The “system” tried to deport her! (The jaws dropping on the ground registered on the Richter scale.)

Just take what temp work you can, in whatever combinations, and keep trying. It’ll happen!

Wishing you (and yours) all the best,
Veb

#10

Jesus, Freak, that really bites the big one. Here I was gonna come chew you out for trying to blow up a place I like to go on my lunch hour (readin’ the papers, doncha know) and the shit’s really hitting the fan for you.

I guess it wouldn’t be so intolerable if you weren’t getting evicted. You don’t have any buddies around here you can convince to put you up?

Keep in mind the residency thing isn’t gonna be easy either - you probably won’t find a job right off. Is your girlfriend willing to support you while you’re trying to get on your feet? Otherwise you may end up with no job and no place to live while you’re in Sweden.

My honest advice is don’t rush this. I know you want to see her and it’s driving you crazy but if it’s really what you both want then you’re gonna have to hang on. Get on your feet here and save what you can to make the big leap easier when it comes.

Not that I wouldn’t do the same thing in a heartbeat if I were in your place. Maybe not even with a girlfriend in the picture. I wish you the best of luck with this!

#11

I’m renting a house from my grandmother (no, I don’t live with my grandparents) who just happens to be a psycho bitch. She got a bug up her ass about something, (long story) and now she’s kicking me out. I could make a legal thing out of it, especially since she has no grounds to evict me. But I would rather live on the street than complicate things even further by turning it into a legal hassle.

And Sneevil, the Swedish government tracking me down is the least of my worries.

#12

That’s tough. I mean your own Grandma evicting you. I can understand why you don’t want to bother to try and fight it. Well, best of luck.

#13

I’m not sure at this point. Most of my friends don’t have a place of their own.

Yes, she can support me for awhile. And she has a place already.

This is the way I’m looking at it: Even if I have very little money when I get there, it won’t be that much of a problem. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. She told me herself that she wanted me to get there as soon as possible.

#14

Where/How did you meet this girl?

Can’t she come see you? I know you hate this country, but couldn’t she visit you and then you could get married here and you two would at least be together while you waited to go be allowed in her country…
Then after all the forms were finalized you could go there together and live happily ever after.

You had a fight with your grandmother… did you have a similar fight with your parents? Can you stay with them?

Hang in there man!!!

#15

That sucks, FreakFreely. Then again, you probably should have made sure you knew about the correct procedures in the first place - yeah, I know. Hindsight and all that.

What I don’t understand is why this thread would matter anything to the Swedish government. He could have posted this with his full legal name and passport number, and still be OK to travel into Sweden in due time.

#16

Yeah, but should the FAA ever find out Freak started a thread with the title ‘hijack a plane’, every single flight Freak subsequntly takes will involve a full-cavity body search, and that always sucks. Or probes. Your choice.
Freak- I’m truly sorry to hear about this. The only real advice I can give you re:job/housing/moving is, don’t feel beholden to a single Temp company. If the one you’re working for can’t find stuff for you to do, find another Temp company. Some places just aren’t good at finding stuff for their people to do- I suffered through with one of those places figuring I’d get the same deal with any other Temp company. But when I finally did switch companies, I ended up having people knock down my door to offer jobs.

Good luck to you, man. And just remember- the bitterer the spinach your mother makes you eat, the sweeter the dessert she lets you have afterwards.

#17

[sarcasm] Six months?! I could do that standing on my head! [/sarcasm]

27 and a wup.

#18

Hey, they changed the thread title!

I mean, wouldn’t people understand that FF isn’t REALLY going to perform terrorist acts?

#19

Damn wussy SDMB can’t take the heat.

Moderator’s Notes: Our policy has been explained to you. If you have further questions on any the specifics, please ask them of either TubaDiva TubaDiva@aol.com or, myself at rseaney@teamsigma.com

[Edited by UncleBeer on 07-21-2000 at 11:01 AM]

#20

Oh shit. I’ve got a Pit Thread running that’s called “Mariah f*cking Carey must die immediately”. Will they be able to tell I am merely hoping someone cuts her vocal cords??

:rolleyes: