the volunteer

1. I don’t speak Swedish. I am not expected to speak it at the museum. Swedish has been on my list of languages to learn via Duolingo since 2021.

2. There is a cart of used books that we set up outside the entrance every day. Two books for $1. I haven’t been around whenever anyone has bought any, but I do like to listen to people exclaim, often with surprise (and sometimes with delight) that all! of! the! books! on! the! cart! are! in! Swedish! If you want books in English, they’re in the gift shop.

3. During the World Cup I got a call at the front desk from someone who wondered if the museum gift shop had any Norway or Team Norway apparel in stock. Related: the only Nordic country that has already qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup is Denmark, which is also the only Nordic country I’ve been to. PS: I had a layover in Finland once, but I don’t count that because I never left the airport and the layover wasn’t even long enough for me to buy reindeer jerky.

4. My favorite flavor of saft at the museum cafe is elderflower. My favorite baked goods are the cardamom buns.

5. There is a massive tapestry hanging on the wall behind the admissions desk and it is gorgeous.

6. One day the director brought in a huge bin of pens and pencils, wondering if I could sort them before they could be donated to the museum staff for their use. This was a delightful task, and in the bin were random items like a KLM-branded acrylic letter opener. Related: there is something rather deceiving about ballpoint pens that have a blue barrel that write in black ink.

7. Printed guides to the museum are available in English, Swedish, and Spanish.

8. My favorite thing to do at the museum is flip over the OPEN/CLOSED sign that hangs on the front door.

9. Currently, the gift shop is out of the salmon paste that comes in a tube.

10. The museum is 50 years old. The same age as me. I must have been destined to volunteer there.

Do you have a favorite museum? What’s special about it? Should I visit it? Tell me everything.