Some more milestones towards Swedish integration

We have crossed a few more milestones on our way to full integration in Swedish society. Yesterday we visited the Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish employment service). Besides the fact that they provide unemployment insurance and help you find jobs, it was also necessary for me to register with them to be eligible for some other services. There was a bit of wait, during which we entered our information into a computer in the lobby and looked at brochures. My favorite brochure was titled "Arbetsförmedlingen är Sveriges största arbetsförmedling" ("The Employment Service is Sweden's biggest employment service"). You don't say? While we were waiting, a guy walked in and figured out that he probably wouldn't get to talk to anybody before they closed. He just smiled and walked back out saying, "I can be unemployed for one more day."

Finally our number came up and we were invited into a small office with plexiglass windows adjoining the lobby. The lady there was very nice and seemed to genuinely be interested in helping us. We set us up for a follow-up appointment next week with a guy to help us in more detail.

I have also now received the codes, papers, cards, and secure USB card reader that are necessary not only for online banking in Sweden, but also to log in for many official government services. Many sites use the banks' card and USB card reader system as the method for digital signatures. It uses a combination of a special card (separate from your ATM/debit card), the card reader, a pin code, another code, and randomly generated numbers. It seems like a pain in the butt, but at least its secure (or seems that way to me). I have the paper from the Migrationverket (immigration service) to send to the state insurance agency as proof that I'm living here legally, and my transcript is on it's way the education agency so that they can determine the Swedish equivalent of my US education.

I'm also getting a little bit better at Swedish. It's still pretty frustrating when I want to say something complicated or have a real converstation, but it's slowly getting better. At the Arbetsförmedlingen , for example, we talked only in Swedish. I didn't say much (except reciting my personnumber), but I could understand just about everything.