Jag talar svenska

The other day I met a Swedish American, say 60 years old or so, at a bank and he told me he spoke Swedish.  He said "Jag är en svensk pojke i Amerika."  OK, so he didn't actually know what he was saying which was "I am a Swedish boy in America", and I told him he could at least say "man" now. It was something a relative taught him about 50 years ago, so kudos to him for remembering it, and kudos for trying!

It's not easy to speak a foreign language.  We all know that uneasy feeling we get when trying to communicate in another foreign tongue, well at least I hope we all do.  How many of you out in cyberspace have tried it?  It's definately unsettling but absolutely something you should do!  It's rude I think to travel and not at least try to learn a couple of phrases in the native language. ( And it gives usso much more emphathy for those people trying their hardest to learn English - one of the most complicated and confusing languages of all.)  Turns out the manners queen in Sweden agrees, check out dear-swedes-please-let-us-speak-swedish-with-you for a little insight on how it feels when you speak Swedish to someone there, and they answer you in English. Enough to make you blush I would think.

So the next time you're in Cancun or even in Miami order a cerveza instead of a beer, and ask for the bano. If you're in Montreal try some highschool French.  It won't kill you, it might even help you look all "suave" and sophisticated.  And if they answer you in English, well, keep your sense of humour 'cause it happens to the best of us.  Like Steve Martin said "those French have a different word for everything."

Glad Midsommar! Happy Midsummer!

Hej!  What could be better than jumping around a may pole like a frog, eating fresh strawberries, and getting falling down drunk?  Happy Midsummer everyone when the Swedes let down their inhibitions and have some good old fashioned fun doing it.  Made a mad dash to IKEA so we're all set with pickled herring and other "delicacies".  Handsome hubby will be so glad. ;-)

Now if I was really good I would have made my own herring, or sill as it's known, and possibly even my own flavored vodka, or snaps.  Well I'm not but for those of you that are, here's a recipe pickled herring. Start it the day before, it will need 12 hours to pickle. It's really not hard, just so much easier to buy it ready made and in different sauces at the store.  And then I can add to my "lovely" collection of half-eaten sill bottles that takes up the refridgerator shelves for the rest of the year!  And some nice Midsummer food pics from ropcorn, here http://ropcorn.com/d/My-Midsummer-food-pics.html

For more information about a Midsummer spent in Skanör please read my post about raising "LinneStången" in  Sweden, http://livinglavidalagom.blogspot.com/2013/06/happy-midsummer.html?q=midsummer.  We wish you all a Happy Midsummer!  (Special K forces a smile.) :-)

Gudrun Sjöden in Lund

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Are you familiar with the powerhouse fashion designer Gudrun Sjöden from Sweden?  We went to the exhibit at Kulturen in Lund of her work in May.  Take a look at some of the inspiring shots from our trip and maybe you too will be interested in becoming a "kultur tant" (culture lady) which is what Gudrun lovers in Sweden are known as. Also, her website is a fun foray in colorful fashion and has som great travel pix http://www.gudrunsjoden.com/us/start-pages-shared/2014/summerextra/1-discover-the-new-collection
More info here on the designer and Kulturen!
here

Swedish National Day June 6th

Happy Swedish National Day!  I love this bouquet which was developed by my talented friend as an homage to the diversity in Sweden today, celebrating the new, the young, the old, the fallen and the mature.   I love the different textures and the way everyone is included in the mix - just like in Sweden today.  Check out http://blomstermakeriet.se/ for more shots of beautiful floral arrangements and pictures from her "Koloni-stuga" in Sweden.

The hope for Sweden is that all be included, but like everywhere this is a struggle at times, the system doesn't always work.  The history of the day (see below) suggests that it is a day that celebrates Sweden's foundation but perhaps we could also celebrate it's future - one where everyone regardless of skin tone, religious affliation, mother tongue, or political party - feels welcome.  There are worrying and scary things happening across Europe, see http://www.thelocal.se/20140310/stockholm-school-hit-by-nazi-graffiti-attack for example, but in Sweden people are standing up against these trends, read this article as an example: Rally against racism.  The Swedish National Day is rather new, starting in 1983 (previously it was called "Swedish Flag Day") so why not work it into something more meaningful for today?  More background here, Swedish National Day

The tradition of celebrating this date began 1916 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.

Some question the validity of this as a national holiday, as it was not observed as a holiday until decades later. However this event does signify the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong of a presence in the social consciousness as does, for example, Norway's Syttende Mai (17 May). - From Wikipedia   

Modern homes in Sweden

Recently during a sunny walk in Sweden I took pix of some of the many modern houses I saw on my way.  They are all in an exclusive beach town, within walking distance of the beach, and they are all quite good size with stucco walls, lots of wood, and big windows. Interesting details like hidden courtyards, grass growing on outside roofs, and the open brick chimney going through the house were some things I noticed.(Hopefully you can see them too.) I really enjoyed the walk and would love a peak inside the houses someday.  And of course on the beach...

...were many of my favorite little "houses" - the bad hytt in many colors -- that people change in before a dip.