A Christmas Encounter

After a discussion over Christmas eve dinner about the Swedish "integration" policy, I get a ride home with a Somali taxi driver. Turns out he moved to Sweden 17 years ago so he's lived here 2 years longer than me and his Swedish was better than mine. We chatted about the difference between Californian, Somali and Swedish weather, and how driving in snow is not too different from driving in sand. He asked me about Christmas traditions in the U.S. and I said Santa Claus delivers presents to children's stockings on Christmas eve night. I realized how absurd this must have sounded when he astoundedly asked me who takes care of the costs for this? I realized that he probably thought anything could happen in the "land of opportunity" as he called it. At the same time, he said his sister lives in Ohio and she was jealous about the possiblity for all children in Sweden to get a decent education, even those who dont have money. But he liked the fact that when he is in America nobody asked him "where are you from." I hear that, brother!