Resa till Göteborg

Merry Christmas, say the sugar cookies

Merry Christmas, or should I say, God Jul to you all!  

I'm currently at my desk, sipping a cup of rooibos mynta, courtesy of NK Stockholm, and live-streaming the Canada-Czech game, with on-going French commentary (thanks to TSN's Quebec website), while on tv they are replaying the Finland-Sweden game from the Olympics.  Gotta love them hockey nations.

Although at this time of the year (and I hate to admit it) I am feeling slightly homesick - and it doesn't help that the majority of my friends have also left Uppsala to be with their families - I am, to my surprise, having a nice and relatively relaxing holiday.

Two little ice cubes

Immediately following my exam last week, I had to pack my bag for my trip with Lies and Laura to Göteborg.  Yes, my two lovely Belgium buddies are sticking around town for the holidays, and we figured we deserved at least a short trip to get away from the freezing ice land that Uppsala has become.  Right, I forgot to mention that it was a disgusting -25 degrees last week!  You know it's bad when you are outside and your hair immediately become frozen icicles, and even the snot in your nose freezes (sorry for the detail).  Just ridiculous.  So, the girls and I were eager to escape this god-forsaken frozen town and take a five-hour train ride south to the second largest city in Sweden.

Not frozen (yet) in Gothenburg!

Well, according to the SMHI, it was a measly -8 degrees in Göteborg.  Nevertheless the weather was a disappointment for us, as we had expected sunny weather, short sleeves, light all day...ok maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but our expectations were set high.  Still, we made the most of our time there, and had a grande old time - although I think all of three of us can agree that we were in the best of moods when indoors ;)

Perfect ravioli for my hungry self.

We started out our little trip with eating.  I know, how predictable of Katina, but we were starving after the long train ride (although we did get free pepparkakor and hot chocolate!). As the waitress took our orders, I realized that this is the very first restaurant I have eaten in while in Sweden.  Plus, it was an AYCE buffet, perfect!  I highly recommend going here, and it was just a short walk from our hostel.

Liseberg

Next, we visited Gamla Haga, the "old" part of town.  It didn't seem very old, or at least not quite as grande as Gamla Stan in Stockholm.  We then found our way to the Liseberg Christmas Market.  Like Copenhagen's famed Tivoli Market, the Liseberg Market is a beautiful site.  There was a nice ice skating show, a reindeer display, several glögg stops, and of course, markets and vendors.  I picked up a couple of nice gifts for myself: reindeer sausage and sylta!

Walk about town

The next day, we visited a nearby park, Slottsskogens Park.  Really beautiful, too bad we were so freezing we had to get to a tram after 20 minutes!  We went into town, and did a bit of shopping, and strolled around the harbour.  We didn't get to the museums and other sites, but we did enjoy our time here.  It was just enough time to relax in the city, but we were pretty excited to get onto a warm train and head back to our heated rooms in Uppsala!

Next post will be on my Christmas dinner with the girls, but I think this is enough for the night.  It's 2:30 am and I need a bit of shut eye :)

Ta Det Lugnt

T-8 until the exam.  Don't panic, she tells herself.

Lagom

Oh, they should have mentioned this to us at orientation in August!  Read below for an idea of what lagom is:


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Lagom means ‘moderation, balance, just right…’, and many more things besides…

In Sweden, the word lagom [pron. lar-gom] is considered so Swedish that many Swedes maintain it cannot be translated into another language. Also Swedes are quite divided as to whether lagom is a good thing or a bad thing. ‘Lagom och svensk’ (lagom and Swedish) implies drab, colourless and a bit boring; whereas ‘lagom är bäst’ (lagom is best) means moderation, balance and the wisdom of defining the best possible course of action between two extremes.

Regardless of interpretation Swedish people pride themselves on this most Swedish of Swedish words – it does not exist in Danish or Norwegian, neither as a word nor as concept – nor, according to local mythology at least (see below) – anywhere else.*

According to the Swedish Academy lagom simply means ‘according to the law’ (lag = law) but there are many popular stories about the ‘true’ meaning of the word. In the old days Vikings would sit around a big table as a lag (lag = team) and share a bowl of mead (beer). The bowl had to go around the team (om = around) in order that everyone get their fair share, hence lagom – around the team. Other versions suggest that it was a dish of soap passed around the team (!), or a bowl of soup (which could be attributed to misprints – in Swedish soap is såpa, and soup is soppa). In another version it is a basket of bread. 


Regardless, lagom as passing whatever-it-is around so that everyone gets their fair share, explains many attributes of contemporary Swedish society: collectivism, social welfare, thinking of the group and not just oneself, teamwork, co-operation, consensus, avoiding extremes, avoiding confrontation, compromise, being considerate, being polite.

Being polite means avoiding unnecessary conflicts (which is different to avoiding conflicts), and there are many Swedish aphorisms that reflect this cultural virtue. For instance:

“do not wake the sleeping bear”
“better to run away than fight poorly”

“don’t throw stones in a glass house”
“is it clean flour in the sack?”
“don’t buy a pig in the bag” 

Being polite also means being diplomatic, and the polite language of Swedish diplomacy can be confounding to their Nordic neighbours. A Finnish manager who had been living and working in Sweden for a year figured she had unlocked the mystery of Swedish communication. Finnish business people are renowned for their direct no-nonsense communication style, in contrast to Swedish lagom discourse. Here are some of her observations: If you are in a business meeting and your Swedish colleague listens to your proposal, and says ‘yes, we will consider it’, he actually means ‘no’. ‘Yes, but’ also means ‘no’; and ‘please understand’, means ‘no’. ‘Yes, you are right’, means, ‘you are wrong’, and ‘hmmm’, means ‘no, definitely no’.

Another favoured Swedish word for expressing diplomacy is nja – which means yes and no at the same time (take your pick).

A Swedish television poll in 2008 revealed that 76% of Swedish people considered lagom as positive; and 24% negative. Not bad odds considering the stigma to the ‘so Swedish and lagom boring’ epithet favoured by students at Swedish business schools, and the inhabitants of Skåne (southern Sweden) and Jämtland and Norrland (northern Sweden) and the Danes across the Öresund.


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And here's more: 

Anyone who has grown up in Sweden learned early on that “lagom är bäst”, lagom is best. Lagom, which does not have an exact equivalent in English, translates approximately to “just enough” or “everything in moderation.” To a Swede it means the ideal place, where everything is as it should be. To understand the Swedes, one must understand lagom.

The concept of lagom colors Swedish attitudes and beliefs and is used in all possible contexts. For Americans, who strive for that which is biggest, most and best, and for whom “the sky is the limit”, the Swedish desire for lagom often seems very limiting.

If the basic belief is, “lagom is best”, it is not difficult to understand the Swedes’ lack of appreciation of anything that appears to be excessive. So, what happens when the Swedish lagom approach encounters the American attitude, which often thrives on pushing the limits?

One example, frequently mentioned by Swedes in the U.S., relates to how to prepare a resume. Most career counselors in the U.S. recommend making accomplishments sound as impressive as possible in order to make the job seeker stand out from other applicants. To the Swede, for whom anything that feels like an exaggeration is uncomfortable, the resume is usually a factual account of experiences and skills. As a result, the resume by the Swede, although accurate, may appear less than impressive when compared with a resume by an American with the same qualifications. Both the Swede and the American will benefit by being aware of this and by making appropriate adjustments.

The value of lagom, if you consult a Swede, is indisputable; it does after all keep things from getting too extreme. It also offers a comfortable guideline for conducting one’s life. However, from an American perspective, lagom often seems less than ideal. How can you excel if your aspirations must be held in check? Why should you settle for less if you don’t have to.

Lagom may be a little word, but its impact can be great. Whether you believe that it represents an ideal rule for living – that lagom is indeed best, or see it as an obstacle to reaching greatness, one thing seems clear – for Swedes living in the U.S., the best policy may be to be lagom! And for the American who wants to impress a Swede, cutting back on the superlatives is not a bad idea.


Sources: 


http://www.liveinsweden.se/swedes/swedes-john-alexander/%E2%80%99lagom%E2%80%99-best

http://www.culturalcoach.com/?p=5

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Well, it's not too late; time to embrace lagom and cut down on my North American chatterbox!

Julbord och Sankta Lucia

It's a wonderful time to be in Sweden.  Despite the seemingly 24-hour darkness and the ever-lasting frozen fingers as I bike around town, there is so much to look forward to during this time of the year.

The Swedes take the holidays season very seriously.  As I walk through Gälbo, nearly every window displays advent candles (no doubt bought from Ikea, seeing as how they are all identical) and star lights hanging from the ceilings.  Dark days are countered by beautifully lit candles.  There may not be so many commercial Santa Clauses, candy canes, Rudolph decorations, or even flashy and multi-coloured LED lights, but it's a different kind of a holiday here; elegant, simple, and more or less traditional.

Korridor Julbord

This weekend, my corridor mates and I sat down together for Julbord: my very first Christmas smörgåsbord!

Jul translates to "Christmas," and bord means "table." So we had a nice Christmas table with tons of different foods that my corridor mates normally eat with their families.

Köttbullar, being fried in all their glory.

First on the list of things that we absolutely had to have, were köttbullar, otherwise known as Swedish meatballs.  Elvira and I made these together.  They were really easy to make, and really didn't seem so different from regular meatballs apart from the addition of nutmeg, but hey, I'm in Sweden and I made them with a Swede...so I guess they can be considered Swedish meatballs!  I knew we made them right when one of the girls in the corridor, who rarely compliments, told me they were really great.

Prinskorv and boiled potatoes

Karro fried up a package of prinskorv, which are mini pork sausages.  They were not especially special, but apparently they're another must-have on the table.  Anton boiled some potatoes, and we ate that with senap, which is a mustard sauce.

Rödbetssallad (pink) and Sill (centre)

We also had sill, pickled herring.  You can get this in a variety of different sauces, but I think the mustard one is pretty good.  Not a fan of the herring itself though!  Rödbetssallad is another important component to the meal.  This is a beet salad made with a mayonnaise-sour cream dressing.

Vörtbrod

No Swedish meal is complete with bread, butter, and cheese.  We had a special, wonderful bread called Vörtbrod, or Julvört.  I love this bread so much, it`s slightly sweet and is flavoured with holidays spices (my guess is cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves).

Julmust - the Swedish cousin of Dr. Pepper!

Can't forget Julmust.  This is basically Coca Cola, or Dr. Pepper...but not quite the same.  Just try it and you`ll know what I mean!  But all the Swedes drink this, as it is only sold during the holidays.  Sweden is supposedly the only country where another soft drink outsells Coca Cola, so much that Coca Cola has now created its own version of Julmust in order to compete.

Ris a la Malta

For dessert we had something simple but very traditional: Ris a la Malta.  This is a rice cream dessert that`s so simple to make.  You take rice pudding (my corridor insisted on buying it pre-made) and mix it with whipped cream and pieces of orange.  The rice pudding itself is served as breakfast, warmed with spices and raisins.  Whoever received the hidden almond in his or her bowl will be married ;)

Elvira and I.  No, this is NOT what we normally wear!

And, for the first time, I was actually looking forward to a fast-approaching Monday morning.  It was a special day, because it was December 13th.  In Canada, this means nothing to us.  But here, it`s an important celebration during the holiday, called Sankta Lucia dag.  St Lucia actually comes from Italy, but is a huge part of Christmas here as well.  Traditionally, in the morning, the oldest daughter in the family will wake up in the early in the morning, to bring coffee (obviously - we`re in Sweden!) and Lussekatter to the parents, while wearing a wreath with lit candles.  Saint Lucy was a Christian martyr in the 200`s, whose husband denounced her and was ordered to be killed.  However, the guards tried to burn her, but were unsuccessful, and ended up having to take out her eyes with a fork (what...!!).

This day is so big here that every town elects a girl to be St. Lucia, kind of like a beauty pageant.  She is then crowned, and in major cities, is crowned on live television.

Sankta Lucia..am I really that short, or are they all just giants?!

Choirs sing all day long, and as I am a member of ULLA, the SLU choir, I got to partake in this very memorable choir day!  Like my outfit?  The white dress with the red sash represents St. Lucia's blood that was shed, and the candles signify the fire that refused to burn her.  We sang all over campus, and I apparently was able to fool everyone into thinking I actually knew the words to all of the Swedish songs ;)

Christmas baking, Lussekatter on the right.

The previous day I had made lussekatter, the tradtional saffron buns, so I was able to enjoy these while sitting in my boring lecture on earthworms, with Martina.  The library also served glögg (mulled wine) and pepparkakor (gingersnaps), which are consumed throughout the holidays.

I really have nothing to complain about at the moment ;)

Chokladbollar

Morsels of deliciousness.

This is a bit like the Rice Krispies Square of Sweden.  Chokladbollar ("chocolate balls) are something that every Swedish person has known how to make since he or she was a child.  It's a staple in coffee shops, student nation fikas, and is ridiculously easy to make!  It's dangerously sugary and buttery, but you can feel less guilty for consuming large quantities of it as it contains rolled oats and cocoa powder, no chocolate :)

Chokladbollar
makes 30 chocolate balls

Mix together 100 g of softened butter, 1 dl sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar with a splash of vanilla), 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 dl rolled oats, and 2 tbsp coffee powder.  Roll the dough into balls, then roll them in either pearl sugar or shredded coconut.  Refrigerate if you manage to resist eating them all in one go.

København

Lovin' Copenhagen

Christmas is definitely on its way! How can you tell? Just visit Copenhagen, where the city is brimming with lit trees, santa hats, markets, and bright holiday music, while a distinct waft of spicy glögg fills the cool winter air in the streets.

Sonja, Tina, Noemie, Marisa and I took a weekend trip to one of the most livable cities in the world.

A Christmas table on display.

We first visited the Royal Copenhagen store for its annual Christmas table display.  It turns out that Danes are really keen on having beautiful Christmas table settings, so they head to the Royal Copenhagen for its annual display, created by notable artists.

Line up for "Jeanette's Pølser."

Soon after arriving, I was HUNGRY.  So Tina and I went for the quickest, cheapest and a "must-eat-when-in-Denmark" food: the Pølser.  Denmark does have it's own version of the hot dog, and it's definitely the most popular street food, as seen by the carts that can be found on every street corner!  

Hungry and happy!

The hot dog is bright red in colour, and is considerable longer than the bun it is sitting in. It's filled with raw onions, dried onions,   pickled cucumber, and at least three different sauces.  It's tasty, fills you up, and probably the cheapest food you'll find in Copenhagen!

Nyhavn

Nyhavn

Copenhagen is really pretty, with lots of beautiful old buildings and architecture.  We took a walk along Nyhavn, the 17th century waterfront, where there was long line of Christmas market stalls.

Tivoli from the distance.

The expensive hotel that we tried to enter..

Tivoli Gardens is a major Christmas attraction here.  It's open year-round as an amusement park, but if you go during the holidays, it's all lit up and is a magical winter wonderland.  Lots of activities, sights, and of course, markets, but it's so freezing at night that it's not easy to stay for longer than 2 hours!  I don't have many pictures because my camera is really bad at taking night pictures.

My favourite Disney movie as a child :)

Annnnnd, we ended the trip with a BANG. Well, sort of - we met the Little Mermaid!  She's so famous that she's regarded as the Eiffel Tower of Copenhagen, though 1/50th of the size.  This was one of my highlights of the trip :)

Hej hej, Sonja!

One of our last stops was at the Amalienborg Palace, the Royal family's winter home.  They have a different palace for every season, isn't that crazy?  So much moving around!

Leaving from the Black Diamond.

This was a lovely little trip with the girls, and nice break from cold, cold Uppsala.  Schoolwork is starting to pile up and an exam is approaching, but once that's through, I've got my Christmas holidays to look forward to!  This weekend my corridor is going to have a traditional Swedish Christmas dinner, and then next week is Sankta Lucia Day, where I sing with the school choir, eat lots of lussebullar (saffron buns), and drink plenty of glögg.  More on that coming soon!

Sju Sorters Kakor

Sweden's baking bible

My corridor mates brought me shopping in town last month, showing me their favourite stores and giving me ideas for Christmas presents to send home.  We went to a bookstore, and (obviously) I was drawn to the cooking section.  Linnea and Karro started to rave about a popular book, "Sju Sorters Kakor."  The title translates to "Seven Kinds of Cookies."  It is packed with recipes for breads, cakes, cookies, and every possible sweet treat you can think of.  At first I thought I would send this to Nicola for Christmas, and then my selfishness came through and I decided to buy the book for myself.

The book is small, but as I mentioned, is packed with so many recipes, mostly Swedish, but also reaches out to goodies from other parts of Europe.  I learned today from a classmate that Seven Kinds of Cookies raises its glass to the old Swedish tradition/belief that a household must always have something to offer to expected, or unexpected guests - at least seven kinds of cookies.  The book has been around since 1945, and it seems to be the baking bible in Sweden.  My corridor mates have told me that they have a copy of the book, their mothers have a copy, and their grandmothers too.  I brought it to class today and during fika break, my classmates gave me recommendations on which recipes to try.  

So tonight I made two of the recipes, Prästgårdens Pepparkaka, and Märtas Skurna Chokladkakor.  Both of these treats turned out nicely.  Here are the recipes in Engelska ;)

Prästgårdens Pepparkaka

Prästgårdens Pepparkaka (Prästgårdens Gingerbread)

Grease a cake or loaf pan with butter.

Melt 100 grams of butter, and cool down.

Mix together the melted butter, 2 eggs, and 2 dl sugar.

Stir in 11/2 dl sour cream, then 11/2 tsp ground ginger, 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3 dl flour, and 1 tsp baking soda (or 2 tsp baking powder).  Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the cake pan and bake at 175 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Märtas Skurna Chokladkakor

Märtas Skurna Chokladkakor (Märta's Cut Chocolate Cookies)

makes 60 pieces

Mix together 200 grams softened butter, 2/1/2 dl sugar, 5 dl flour, 4 tbsp cocal powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar + vanilla extract), and 1 egg.  Form into a dough.

Divide into 6 pieces, and form rolls, like long worms.  Place them on baking sheets (greased or covered with parchment paper) and flatten the rolls slightly.  

Brush the tops of the rolls with a beaten egg, and sprinkle with pearl sugar.  Bake at 175 degrees C for 15 minutes.

Cut unevenly (a bit like biscotti) while still warm.

Winter Wonderland

Crazy Swedes

A bit of game action..

There are two kinds of Swedes: those who attend hockey games and those who don't.

Good lord.  I thought, as Canadians, we are pretty crazy fans.  We shout, we swear, we make it obvious when we aren't happy with a call, and we let it all out when our "boys" score a goal.  Think of Towel Power, and what most recently comes to mind, the Green Guys.  We proudly say that hockey is "our game."
Think again..

After attending my first Swedish Hockey game, I have to say that Swedish fans come pretty close to us  - they aren't afraid to show their team pride in the arena!

No shot of Larsson from the front, but here he is from the back like a stalker pic!

Elitserien is the Swedish Elite League. This is the league (notably the team Modo from Örnsköldsvik) that has produced such players as Markus Naslund, the Sedins, Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin - basically, any Swedish NHL player was in this league at one point in his life!  The league is comprised of 12 teams from across Sweden, and has many young prospective NHL players, or players who aren't able to compete at the NHL caliber.

Although it would have been AWESOME to see Modo play, we went to Stockholm to watch Stockholm AIK play against Skelleteå AIK.  Both teams are pretty good in the standings, and we really wanted to catch a glimpse of the young kid, Adam Larsson, who is considered within the top 3 NHL draft prospects for 2011.  Tickets for 11th row seats were just 185 SEK, which is under $30 Canadian!

Let me give you a brief description of my time there...

First of all, Hovet, the home arena in Stockholm, is super tiny, with a capacity of just 8,000 (compared to Rogers Arena of about 18,000).

First hockey game for the ladies!

It was Cedric, Thomas, Anatoli, Noemie, and I who went to the game.  The boys and I gave Anatoli and Noemie a quick lesson on hockey rules before it started :)

Before the team comes out, the lights are dimmed in the arena, and cute little kids of skates come out and wave the home team (Stockholm AIK) flags...the entire stadium then chants the team song.

The players emerge from the steam castle.

Out comes the home team through a bizarre castle-like structure with steam blowing out. Everyone cheers, and then begins booing when the away teams skates in.

The Swedish National Anthem is sung...

...and the game begins!

They pay for seats, but stand the whole time!

And that's when we noticed the singing...that never ended.  You know when you watch European soccer matches, and the fans in the stands always singing?  Well, the same rule apparently applies to hockey games.  Though it's a small crowd of 8,000, every person present appears to be so passionate, and really knows the game (vs many of the Canucks "fans" that we see in Van..).

SINGING NEVER ENDS

I am so serious.  Thomas and I were laughing our heads off at the ridiculous number of chants and songs being sung.  Even when a goal is scored for the away team, they still sing.  And when the home team scores, even the CLAPPING is synchronized to the same beat: clap, clap, clap, clap!  Want to check out my video (and others from the game) that shows you what I mean? http://www.dropshots.com/katinamtam#date/2010-11-21/09:15:40

So that basically sums of Swedish hockey.  I didn't even mention the results of the game - Stockholm won, 4-2 - and good thing they did, or else there may have been some kind of riot.  And I did get to see Adam Larsson and a few other ex-NHL players.  The caliber is very high, and it felt like I was watching a regular NHL game (excluding the songs).

Wow.  Beneath that calm Swede sitting next to you is actually a Mr. Hyde (while not as creepy).  Go check out an Elitserien game for yourself if you don't believe me!

A great night at  a good 'ol (Swedish) hockey game.

Stand

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend til you break
Cause it's all you can take

On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand


Every time you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place


...then you stand...

Of castles, Harry Potter, and haggis

My trip to the U.K. last week included a visit to a beautiful and historic city, called Edinburgh..

Arthur's Seat, totally conquerable!

At the top of Arthur's Seat, with incredible views of Edinburgh.

The day I arrived, it was (apparently shockingly for the Scots) not raining, so Judy suggested we go up Arthur's Seat, a fabulous hill in Holyrood Park, where, once you get to the top, can see the entire city.  Good thing we did it, because it rained for the rest of the time I was there!

Edinburgh Castle

Queen E's crib ;)

The next day, I did my touristy bit, checking out the Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse Palace (where Queen Elizabeth II stays whenever she's in Scotland), and Calton Hill.

The Elephant House

"Birthplace of Harry Potter."

This Hogwarts lookalike is just beside the Elephant House!

I had no idea that J.K. Rowling resides in Edinburgh!  The Elephant House is one of several coffee shops in the city that claims to be the "birthplace of Harry Potter," where J.K. Rowling wrote the book, drawing inspiration from the nearby school that ressembles Hogwarts.  What do you think?

Famous statue of Greyfriar's Bobby.

When I was child, my mom bought me a book about cutesy dog stories, which included the tale of Greyfriar's Bobby, the little terrier that visited his dead master's grave for 14 years, until the dog finallly died.  I had the chance to visit Bobby's grave, his statue, and also Greyfriar's Kirk, the famous graveyard.  

Mmmmmmmm!!

And what's a visit to Scotland without some Haggis? Heck yes, I went to World's End for its Haggis with Neeps and Tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes) and a whisky cream sauce.  

The Heart of Midlothian, spit in it as you walk by!

On the last day, we went on a FREE tour of the city, which was really, really great.  You meet outside of Starbucks (and can get a 10% discount if you're part of the tour) and walk for 3 hours around the city.  Lots of history to learn about, and I would definitely recommend it!  

Pretty :)

haha...what..!

I really liked Edinburgh, it's a beautiful city (when it's not windy and raining..) and so much cool history to it.  I had a nice reunion with Judy (re-living U21 memories!), fun shopping, and of course, nice food adventures.  About the picture above, apparently it's quite common in flats to have the washing machine in the kitchen!  Am I the only one who thinks this is really weird?