With fifteen minutes left until the shift begins to undergo Leif Tjernström, 65, the most critical moment in its transformation. He stands in front of the mirror in a room in the mall’s wings and the pillar remove the strips from the adhesive tape. It smells strongly of glue that should be deleted on the as an additional assurance to the long, gray beard of real hair to stay in place.
when even the jacket, the pants and the hat is on, everything is clear. Leif from Gothenburg has become the land Plot from the north Pole. Specifically, the Elf 2 in Nordstan. This shopping mall in central Gothenburg, is so well-attended that it has hired two santas this weekend.
” We may well hope that the children do not see this story. Then I discovered, ” says Leif before he, with a basket of gingerbread cookies in hand, step out of the crowd and takes place in front of a backdrop of christmas gifts.
felt the previous socionomen that he wanted to occupy themselves with something, so he got in to the company Veterankraft, which mediates labour in a wide range of areas such as child services, housekeeping, and elderly care. Bengt had in mind some kind of craft or outdoor work, but the provision proposed something more seasonal.
Because he was in previous christmases sometimes took out his motorcycle, a Harley Davidson Road King Classic on just over 1,500 cubic, and went around the town and wished all a merry christmas, he thought that tomtejobbet could fit. It gives him double satisfaction. At the same time that he supplement the pension he gets to make people happy.
– It is fun with all the children and to get to play a little theater, ” says Leif.
if most of the time and a british one from the university of Essex in 2013, called ”Being Santa Claus” (the plot) is investigating researcher Philip Hancock how it is to be a professional santa claus.
the Competition for jobs is fierce in some parts of the world and the gnomes lay out over 10,000 crowns on their equipment. To have a genuine and long beard is seen as a clear competitive advantage. But the most important conclusion from the interviews according to Hancock, is that it pays to go into his role completely. To ”be santa” is necessary.
Leif Tjernström agree with.
“You have to go into the role, otherwise it will not be good,” he says, but he explains that he choose the most common clichés: ”Are there any good children here?” or ”Have you eaten your porridge?”. His way is to approach the more reluctant children are gently and ask if they want to have a gingerbread.
It doesn’t take many minutes into fyratimmarspasset before he has two young, happy norwegians sitting in the knee. The parents ‘ mobile phone cameras go up in a jiffy. That Leif is originally from the north of sweden and can speak tornedal Finnish is experienced as exotic, especially of foreign visitors.
this is one of his twelve working hours as santa this christmas. Gothenburg and Kungsbacka are other west cities that he visited. On a place, flipped the plastic bubble there man placed him in, and once took the gingerbread out. In this profession you have to be prepared to improvise.
very male profession. Leif has not met for some female colleagues, but he sees no reason why they would not be able to be.
It is not impossible that he continues as the man from the north Pole next year, but when the last professional pass is over on the 23rd waiting for a in the family the next day. Fixed the grandchildren, who have been and visited him at work, already know that it is grandpa Leif that comes with the christmas presents.
