One of my favorite Swedish things

It's hard to believe that we are beyond our one year anniversary in Sweden, and I have not yet talked about the wonderful Swedish custom known as "fika".  Perhaps it's because if you Google 'Swedish fika', you get nearly 900,000 results...clearly many people are aware of this phenomenon.  However, I'm guessing that some of you who follow my blog are not already experts in all Swedish customs...so I will give you my take on things.

So what is this fika thing anyway?  First of all, it is pronounced "fee' ka"...I wouldn't want you to read this and then start bragging to your friends about your knowledge of Swedish "FIE ka"...you could lose some credibility.  As a verb, fika (loosely translated) means "to have coffee".   It is also used as a noun, for example, "It's time for fika" or "Would you like to come to our house for fika?".   You can have work fika or what I would call social, or non-work, fika.

At many workplaces (maybe not many...but at least some), there is morning AND afternoon fika.  It's an opportunity to sit and chat with your colleagues while enjoying a cup of coffee.  It is not mandatory to attend workplace fika (you may find yourself too busy from time to time).  However, if you rarely take part in it, people may think you're a little weird or a bit antisocial.

Now on to the good part....the food and drinks.  Yes, coffee is a BIG part of fika.  The Swedes appear to be very proud of their coffee drinking (both in quantity and in strength) and you can get a few strange looks if you show up to fika and ask for a Diet Coke.  I have noticed a few people that drink tea...which is also acceptable (but not always available).  Personally, I rarely drank coffee before moving to Sweden....now I drink it pretty regularly (chalk up a few points for peer pressure!)

ok...so most fika does NOT have coffee like this...but it's pretty!

Beyond the coffee, there are typically snacks involved (which is AWAYS a good thing in my book).  Pastries, including cinnamon rolls (or kanelbullar in Swedish), are common fika fare.  On a side note, the cinnamon rolls that I have enjoyed here are not of the "Cinnabon" or Pillsbury variety and are not slathered in gooey icing.

Pillsbury cinnamon rolls- oh how I loved these as a kid! 

I suppose I can manage with the Swedish variety instead....

I enjoy baking and have contributed to fika at both my and my husband's job a few times....with cupcakes, brownies and other "American" treats!  Sometimes I think of Fika as a "second breakfast" or early lunch when it includes bread, cheese, fruit, etc.

Now a bit about the non-work fika.  Having a few folks over for fika is a good "getting to know you" exercise.  It's not the huge commitment of a dinner party and it's great when you don't have a lot of time for guests.  I'm not sure if there is an official time limit on a fika, but it's probably a couple of hours at the most.  I hear that fika is also used in the dating world...similarly as a "getting to know you...don't want to invest in taking you to dinner just yet" activity.  My dating here in Sweden has been a bit limited, so I don't have much to contribute to this part of the discussion.

I can look back over the past year or so and think of some really good times enjoyed over fika (and I'm not just talking about the food!).   I think this might be a nice custom to adopt in the U.S. as well.   There are a few Swedish restaurants and bakeries near Chicago, so maybe some of you can stock up on the right pastries and get this new tradition started!

My "Excursion" to Ven

For my friends and family with a short attention span, this post is for you.   Not too long and lots of pictures!

Yes, I know it sounds cliche', but I was in need of a little "me" time.  The weekdays are filled with work, kids, a few activities and the normal requirements for maintaining a household.  The weekends are generally spent as a family...often getting together with friends and their kids.  I'm not complaining...I love that we tend to have more "family time" here in Sweden.  However, I really haven't made much time for myself to explore, shop or whatever.   Now that I have attempted to adequately defend my need for a day (or part of a day) on my own, I will get down to business and tell you a little about my trip.

A friend of mine suggested that I travel to a small island called Ven (FYI it sounds less like "vehn" and more like a person from the south saying "van").  Ven is located between Denmark and Sweden and the area of the island is just under 3 square miles.

The island of Ven

To get there I drove about 35 minutes to the ferry and then had a 30 minute ferry ride to the island.   I got there extra early for the first ferry which departed at 8:30am...I wasn't sure how this whole thing worked, so I wanted to make sure I didn't miss it.

Ticket and map....check and check!

Although many people bike around the island (cars are few and far between), I had decided to explore on foot this time.   There is a bike rental place with tons of bikes....adult and kid bikes, tandem bikes as well as various bikes with kid seats, etc.).  I think a bike will be necessary on the next trip.

Do you have something in yellow?

I walked past several shops and a few bed and breakfasts to an old, small church on the west side of the island.   I found a nice patch of grass and had a little picnic lunch.  

St. Ibbs church, built in the 1200s

Beautiful view from my picnic spot

Ven really is a peaceful place....I enjoyed simply wandering around the island, checking out the views and the "wildlife" (mainly pheasants and wild, aka "giant", rabbits).   I was hoping to buy some cheese at one of the small shops, but sadly it wasn't open when I passed by.   The goats, however, were available for a photo.

Say "goat cheese"!!

My understanding is that Ven gets quite busy once the children are out of school, so I'm happy to have had the opportunity to check it out on a slow day.   I'm looking forward to the next visit when the hubby and kids will join in and we can bike around the entire island, see the shops and have some locally made ice cream!

Goodbye for now

Sweden- The First Year

It is hard to fathom, but it has been one year since our family flew across the ocean to begin "Our Swedish Adventure" (the hubby had a six month head start, but we began our time here as a family last April).  As I thought about what to write to commemorate such a momentous event...I pondered a few options- "10 Best Things About Living in Sweden", "10 Worst Things About Living in Sweden", "How to Survive without Target and Trader Joe's", etc.  Instead, in an attempt to not overgeneralize, I will simply provide a few observations from the past twelve months.

Observation 1- Kids really DO learn languages quickly

Yes, yes...we have all heard that before (I had probably even uttered those words myself without knowing a THING about the process). However, I never witnessed this transformation in the U.S., especially not through the language of my own children!   For those of you who don't know, our two girls attend a local Swedish school rather than an International School (which was the original plan).  Their language came slowly at first... learning simple, useful words like "No!" "Look!" and "Stop!" They also enjoyed singing in Swedish.

Pippi Longstocking aka Pippi Långstrump is a favorite

Fast forward one year and both girls are speaking Swedish fluently.   In fact, they have begun speaking Swedish to each other at home (even when no other Swedes are here).  Unfortunately, my process of learning the language has progressed much more slowly...when I recently asked my youngest how my Swedish was coming along, she answered (in Swedish) "Not Good!" Nothing like a little family support!  We had heard that their Swedish might accelerate when they realized that mom and dad could no longer understand them...that appears to be a pretty accurate statement.   It would be great if they could learn one more language while it's this easy!

Observation 2- There is such a thing as bad weather, EVEN with good clothing.

Ok...I said it.  Over the last year, I have heard MANY times that "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing".  Blah Blah Blah.  Sorry for delivering this shocking news, but sometimes the weather really IS bad.  Like when you don't see the sun for weeks at a time or when it snows in April.  

Bad weather, good clothing

Good weather, good clothing

I will agree the weather is much more "manageable" in proper outer wear.  Additionally, I love that the kids go outside during the school day, every day, regardless of the weather.  However, I still maintain that cold, overcast and spitting rain should be called out...it's straight up bad weather.  As for me, I have commuted to work (yes, on the bike) when it has been raining (and occasionally even when it was snowing).   We survived the dark, damp winter...but that doesn't mean I liked it.  I now have a clearer understanding of why the Swedes really celebrate the arrival of spring!

Observation 3- We can adapt to new food choices

Before moving to Sweden, I had a few stereotypes of what the food would be like...imagine Swedish fish, meatballs and fermented fish in a jar.   Much to my relief, I have found that there is more to it than that.  I won't go into great detail on this one as the food topic may someday have its own special moment on the blog.

When it comes to cooking at home (which we do nearly all of the time), I have been able to make (or slightly modify) almost all of my go-to recipes.  This includes Mexican food which is a family favorite...I also know several Swedes that enjoy "taco Friday" at their homes. When it comes to restaurants, our selection in Lund is TINY when compared to the suburbs of Chicago, but we have found pretty good pizza, a few tasty burgers and sushi good enough to satisfy my occasional cravings!   Also, because it's so cheap, we have to have a meal at Ikea every time we visit.

Don't forget the ice cream cone!

When I sit and think about all the restaurants, and food in general, that I miss from the U.S., I tend to get a bit nostalgic, but it really hasn't been that difficult to adjust.  However, I think it's safe to say that fish in a jar...or in a tube....will never be on my list of favorites.

This is for real...sorry...just can't do it!

Observation 4- No country gets everything right

Yes, I know this one seems pretty obvious, but I think it's natural for people to have pride in their country and to think, perhaps, that they have things all figured out.  Don't worry, I'm not going to weigh in on the differences in child care, taxes, health care, etc. in Sweden versus the U.S.  (that would surely be a quick way to lose friends, in two countries).  However, I WILL say that it has been eye opening to observe and discuss some of our differences.  Having the opportunity to experience life here in Sweden has allowed me to start seeing things from a different perspective.

I like you both

 Observation 5-  Roundabouts can be a GOOD thing!

I have to say that I was nervous about the thought of driving in Sweden because there are LOTS of roundabout (at least in our neck of the woods).   I think I had only experienced these alleged traffic fighting circles a handful of times in the U.S. and I was a bit confused about how, exactly, to navigate them.   Now I feel pretty comfortable with the "rules" (although my husband may not completely agree) and most of the time they really keep the traffic moving.  Even when there seems to be a "huge" backup (a very relative term coming from a Chicago driver), things move along pretty quickly.  

Simple, right?

Observation 6- I am a little bit brave

Who would have thought I would use the word "brave" to describe myself?  Generally speaking, I have never been a big risk taker.   In fact, if you had asked any of my friends for a Top 10 list of THEIR friends who they thought would be most likely to move overseas, I can almost guarantee that my name would NOT be included.  Although I moved two hours south for my college years (pretty crazy, I know), I have lived the rest of my life within a thirty minute drive of where I was born.  So, yes, I think one has to be a bit brave to move away from a great job, wonderful friends and supportive family and into the unknowns of a new country.  That being said, I certainly miss my family and friends, but they will all be there upon our return to the States.

If only I could have that HAIR!

This has been, at times, a scary, exciting, enlightening, frustrating, and happy year...at least for me (hopefully we have made things a little less scary and frustrating for our girls). I don't know exactly how long our Swedish adventure will last, but my goal is to make the most of this experience.  I'm also grateful that a wonderful friend encouraged me to start writing this blog and helped me get started...it is a lot of fun...please feel free to comment or suggest future topics.  Thanks for reading!

Our Easter in Sweden

Glad Påsk! (That means "Happy Easter"...try not to get distracted by the little "a" with the circle on top).  I'll admit I have been a bit of a slacker when it comes to sharing my experiences about new and interesting traditions here in southern Sweden (I managed to completely skip Christmas), but I'm hoping to improve upon that...starting now.  This year Easter consisted of some new friends and new activities as well as some of our American traditions.

Our girls were off from school the entire week before Easter as well as the day after (maybe to nurse the sugar hangover?).  In other parts of Sweden, the children are free the week after Easter.  I worked part of the week, so the girls went to Fritids (which is play time at the school).

Trick-or-Treating ?
No, no....of course the Swedes don't call it that, but when kids show up at my door looking for candy, I call it trick-or-treating.   Folklore suggests that, on Maundy Thursday, witches flew off on broomsticks to dance with the devil at Blåkulla ("Blue Mountain").  In honor of this, kids dress up like witches and go in search of treats (truth be told, they look more like little old ladies, wearing aprons and scarves and painting their cheeks red).  I really don't understand the concept....but you learn to just play along!

 A couple of Swedish "witches"

Although the tradition says that the witches show up on Thursday, I was told kids could show up anytime over the long weekend in search of candy (this is similar to Halloween here...not quite as structured as it is in the U.S.).  Often the children will present you with a small card or drawing in exchange for the candy (which is preferable to Halloween "tricks").

I reckon that's worth a piece of candy!

I purchased bags and bags of candy only to be disappointed that we had only a few children knock on the door.

Easter Brunch
A friend invited us, along with two other families, to a traditional Swedish Easter brunch on Saturday.  The kids were all dressed up in their Easter garb....there were a few witches (mentioned above), two rabbits, an Easter chick and a girl decorated with colored eggs.  From what I understood, we enjoyed a pretty traditional Easter smorgasbord consisting of herring (to be honest, not my all time favorite), meatballs, potatoes, and eggs... among other things.  It was quite tasty!

After eating, the children decorated hard boiled eggs.   We then brought the colored eggs to a nearby park where they were used in games such as egg rolling and egg knocking (where you tap your egg against your opponent's....and the person with the cracked egg is "out")

This egg knocking is serious business!

We then returned to the house for an Easter egg hunt.  Each child found a large paper egg filled with candy...this is a traditional Swedish thing.  While the adults went for a short walk around the neighborhood, the kids stayed behind and devoured most of their candy.

A close up of the paper-ish egg

A quick photo before they dig in!

Now, in case devouring a giant egg full of candy didn't provide enough of a sugar high, the kids and adults also enjoyed cupcakes, decorated with flowers, bunnies and "nests" of Easter eggs.  In case you couldn't guess, the cupcakes were our "American" contribution to the Easter festivities.

Yes, all of the flowers are edible...yum!

Eggs and other Easter "stuff"
Yes, eggs are a big sign of Easter in Sweden.  Hard boiled eggs (to eat, roll, knock, etc.) as well as chocolate and other candy eggs are readily available.  The large paper eggs filled with candy are also quite popular.  These are also available at U.S. Ikea stores (for your future Easter planning purposes).

The traditional decorations are a bit different from all of the fuzzy chicks, lambs and bunnies that were displayed around our house.  In Sweden, there is a lot of yellow....candles, chicks, etc.  It is also common for brightly colored feathers to be attached to twigs or branches.  I'm not sure if there is a significance to this....my Swedish friends are welcome to comment!

The Swedish Easter feather tree

Easter Sunday
For many Swedes, it seemed that most of the Easter "celebrating" was completed by Sunday (the "eves" tend to get more attention here....Christmas is the same way).  As you Americans can imagine, our family was not quite finished.   The girls were geared up for a visit from the Easter Bunny....and he did not disappoint!  He made his way all the way to Sweden to deliver baskets of candy and small gifts.   He also hid Easter eggs for the girls....it was quite cold so he decided to hide them indoors.

Interestingly, for all of the beautiful churches here, there is not a whole lot happening on Easter Sunday.  Most churches have some sort of Easter service, but few people attend (this is only an observation...not a judgement).  Anyway, I did miss seeing all of the young girls proudly displaying their Easter dresses (often with matching hats) at church.  My mom always handed out jelly beans to us during the Easter service....which I missed this year!  

We finished our weekend activities with a wonderful dinner with friends on Sunday evening.   Monday was spent relaxing with the family and marked the beginning of the "chocolate bunny detox"!

Fun with pärlplatta

I will try to make this a (relatively) brief post...I think I may have mentioned a New Year's resolution about including shorter stories.

So what the heck is pärlplatta and why am I talking about it?  Pärlplatta, according to Google Translate, means "pearl plate".  Essentially it's a craft (which was invented in Sweden in the 1960s) that involves placing hollow plastic beads on a pegboard.  Once the design is completed, an iron is used to melt the beads together.

A simple one....pre-ironing

The girls started making these last summer and we have accumulated a LOT of them (sometimes on a daily basis).   Day after day, I would ask them what they did at school, and they would respond "pärlplatta".  And day after day, all I heard was "plahblahblah".  I finally decided to spend a few minutes on Google translate (which is a pretty common occurrence) so that I could figure out what the heck my children were saying.

I decided to write about this Swedish craft phenomenon after my 5 year old decided that she needed to hang up her pärlplatta collection.   She proceeded to take her stash of these colorful creations along with some reusable sticky stuff up to her room.  She emerged proudly after about a half hour.   In her window now exists a full-on pärlplatta display for all the neighbors to see.

Do you think we will make the cover of Better Homes & Gardens?

With some help from wikipedia, I discovered that this activity isn't just for the 8 and under crowd.  Here is a photo of the second largest pärlplatta with over 316,000 beads.

Located in Stockholm- pretty inpressive!

I had never seen these little tube shaped beads in the U.S....although I'm not exactly the "craftiest" person (and have probably missed a few activities along the way).  But I did a little searching and found that they can be purchased in the states....they are known as Perler beads and can be found on Amazon and at a few hobby stores.   Enjoy!

Trip to Gran Canaria

If you're looking for a post that's heavy on photos and light on text, this one is for you!   The girls recently had a week off from school for a winter break called "Sportlov".  Some Swedes take the name seriously and do something active....like skiing.  Our family opted to find a location with less, not more, snow and warmer temperatures where we could be predominantly in-active!

Our destination was Hotel Orquidea, a family friendly resort in lovely Gran Canaria, the second most populous island of the Canary Islands (I admit I had to check a map when we booked the trip...the Canary Islands are just off the west coast of Africa).  If nothing else, this move to Sweden is improving my knowledge of world geography.

An evening view...pretty peaceful without those crazy kids!

One of the benefits of this resort was the organized kid activities.  Each morning, the girls enjoyed two hours of "camp".   The camp leaders kept the kids busy with fun activities.  

The girls in their camp "uniforms"

While the girls were at their respective camps, I enjoyed two hours of laziness by the pool.   I realized that I can be a really fantastic "relaxer" if I put my mind to it!   The hubby couldn't sit still for too long, so he spent some time taking pictures and trying out the hotel gym.

On the girls day off from camp (I guess they needed a break from all that fun), we booked an excursion which was perfect for families who wanted a sampling of island activities.   The eager participants were picked up from the hotel in Jeeps and driven to our first activity.....camel rides!

This is going to be fun....right???

Before we got there, they girls were very excited about the idea of riding on a camel.  However, the process of getting the camels off the ground (back legs first) and starting the journey (CeCe got nose-to-nose with one of these one-humped beasts) proved a bit daunting.  However, once we got going, everyone enjoyed the ride.  They put the hubby and I on the camel right behind the girls (you probably figured that out from the photos).

Now everyone is  happy!

After the ride, the girls had a chance to feed some of the other camels.   

What big eyes you have!

And what big lips you have!

Next we got back into the Jeeps and headed for a scenic overlook where we could take some pictures.  I'm not a big fan of heights, but I have to admit these views were amazing.

Daddy and his girls

Next was a stop for lunch, but there was one more camel that needed a little snack first.

That's my girl (and yes, I had to bribe her to do this!)

After lunch, we took a trip into a (very) small town where we were able to wander around and take more pictures.   Like I said, this excursion had a bit of something for everyone and if you didn't like one part there was comfort in knowing it would soon be over.

Not a bad place to live!

Favorite pose from the trip...rock on!

The final phase of the excursion was taking the Jeeps "off roading" through the mountains.  Basically this involved riding on dusty, rocky roads that were (in my opinion) too close to the edge.  For all I know this could have been our driver's first day on the job....but I was too afraid to ask.   Of course, we purchased the video of this trip so I could appreciate all of the scenery from the comfort and safety of my own couch!

The oldest enjoying the view

Our fun filled field trip was followed by two more days of sun and relaxation.  It was a much needed break from the dreary Swedish winter.

Say "cheese"!

Now that we are back in Sweden, the hours of daylight are noticeable greater which gives me some hope that spring is not too far away.   For now, we will just have to savor the memories of the warm sun.

What's for (school) lunch?

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to post some short "blurbs" on the blog in addition to my (more frequent) longer stories....in the event that you don't have so much "blog reading" penciled in your calendar.   This particular post is beyond a blurb... I guess my resolution is a work in progress!

Now on to the topic at hand.  When we moved to Sweden, I was a smidge nervous about what my children would be eating for lunch at school.   Alright...alright...nervous was perhaps an understatement...I actually thought that they might starve!  I suppose I had visions of plates loaded with pickled fish and other "new" foods that my girls would refuse to ingest.

Salmon, herring, potatoes...you get the idea

Going back to when the girls first started school, I was asked by the teachers to tag along for the first couple of days (this is when the girls were riding the big bus- see earlier post if you missed it).   Among other things, this provided me the opportunity to see what sorts of food they would be offered (and if they would eat it!).  The first food was a simple school-provided snack at about 9:30;  their teacher pulled out a bag of assorted fruit and distributed it to the eager children.  This is similar to snack time in the U.S., although that fruit might be in the form of "fruit snacks".   Personally, I find these morsels pretty tasty, but they are not exactly what you would find growing on a tree.

It looks a little more like "Saturday's candy" in Sweden

When lunchtime arrived (which was eaten outside unless it was quite bad weather), the teachers pulled out a few different containers  of food that had been prepared back at the school.   First there were several bowls filled with fresh vegetables....shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.   This was quite a change from some schools in the U.S. where the squishy (over)cooked vegetables have been sitting around in a "warmer" for a few hours...not super appetizing as I recall.  I'm not going to pretend that all the kids here filled their plates sky high with these more attractive veggies....but most of the youngsters were hungry enough to give some a try.

Then there was pasta with two kinds of fresh sauces, and a choice of milk or water to drink.  I ate lunch with the children and it was surprisingly tasty.  This is the meal that their teachers ate as well (with coffee to drink).  The afternoon snack was a simple sandwich (open face with a piece of cheese).   Other days that choice could be yogurt or fruit.  I have to say I was mildly impressed with the simple, yet healthy food.  I was also cautiously optimistic that my children would not, in fact, have a hunger strike at school.

"What did you have for lunch?" became one of my favorite after-school questions, partly due to general interest and partly because I was quietly comparing it with the typical U.S. school lunch.   Lucky for my girls, they now are sent home with a school lunch menu and can avoid the interrogation.  First of all, these menus are visually appealing.  Of course, it tells us what the children will be eating each day (with a daily vegetarian option for the non meat-eaters).   Then there are also some pictures and "fun facts".   These include informing us (kids and parents, I suppose) that they serve white "fiber pasta" and some organically grown foods.  I especially like the section that asks if you can become smart by eating fish....can you??

Small print, I know...but you get the idea

The food isn't anything fancy, but it is freshly made, not fried and generally not "icky".  Pasta, fish, chicken or beef in some form are pretty standard on the menu.   They also serve rice with curry sauce on occasion (a favorite of one of my girls), falafel, and some other selections to broaden their food horizons.  A far cry from the fried chicken patties and tater tots that I recall from my youth ( Tater tots ARE considered a vegetable, right?)

The kids (even my 5 year old) go through the lunch line and serve themselves.   My oldest told me that sometimes there is a limit to how much of a certain food they can take (perhaps a max of 7 meatballs), otherwise they can take as much as they want.  On the flip side, there is little tolerance for wasting food.  The phrase "Stoppa maten i din mage, inte i soptunnan, tack" is posted on their menu which means please put your food in your stomach, not in the waste bin.

I guess this is the "American" version!

Although I hear rumors of the "Western diet" moving this direction (and have seen some evidence to support that), I am for now quite happy that the typical U.S. school lunch has not yet crossed the ocean.   While writing this blog, I completed a tiny bit of research on current U.S. lunch menus and found that some appeared a little healthier than I remember (although quite a bit of variation exists).  I know that Jamie Oliver and Michelle Obama are on the rampage, so perhaps things are moving in the right direction.  I also must disclose that I have only seen the lunches at one school (and I understand that differences between schools exist here as well), so if YOUR Swedish school counts french fries as a vegetable then I want to hear from you!

My girls certainly don't LOVE their lunch every day, but it's comforting to know that they aren't starving (and are offered choices that I would most likely eat).  Maybe it's just the chef that makes the difference...

Sorry....I couldn't resist!