Late August here and fall-like weather is upon us. It rained most of last week and through the weekend, making it an opportune time to dig out my Everlane anorak from storage. Though I’m not ready for the shorter days and dropping temps, I won’t complain about piecing together my fall wardrobe. And of course this jacket will be in it.
Update: apparently blue skies and warmth return this week. - exhales -
Warmer (and longer!) days are in sight and March is the month to reclaim winter’s ravages. So hang up the scarves and dust off your sunnies because - dare I say it - Spring is almost here! Here's what I’m mad for this month!
March Mantra
1. 7- Day KonMari Inspired Challenge - Tackle spring cleaning in stages with this easy guide. And if you're like me, you probably should add an extra day for cleaning out email inboxes and desktop space.
2. Liljevalchs Spring Salon/ Vårsalongen - An annual juried exhibition of local artists put on by one of my favorite museums in Stockholm. This year’s exhibition is being show in Norrmalm through April 10th.
3. James Bay at the Annex - This guy comes to Sweden; I proceed to cry happy tears.
4. Nuxe Creme Fraîche de Beauté - The best moisturizing cream for those transitional months where skin can go nuts. Bonus - the smell will make you feel like a fine French woman qui promène par la Seine. Just make sure to add an SPF!
5. Lost in Translation - Fill the void left by the cancellation of Welcome to Sweden with this improv show highlighting the expat experience.
I shall call this one "Picture is Unrelated: Stockholm at Christmas."
Last month Education First ranked Swedes at the top for English Proficiency and I can second that assessment. Perhaps it's because Swedish isn't too useful outside of Sweden or perhaps it's because Swedish and English share a Germanic root language. But if you ask them, Swedes will attribute their awesome English to television. English programming has subtitles rather than dubbing, so Swedes - especially the younger generations - have grown up hearing English on T.V. and in films. And it shows. Whether it's a wide, nuanced vocabulary or a native-like understanding of idioms and slang, I am continually impressed by the English I hear. Sometimes I'll even hear Swedes apologize for their "terrible" English which is a) so far from the truth and b) ridiculous. I'm the one in their country asking them to speaking my language. I'm the imposition here. But still, the apologies come.
I am fluent in Swedish pastries.
All of this excellence has an interesting consequence: It's really hard to learn Swedish here. Sure, having lived in Sweden for the better part of a year means I can understand and read it alright. But speaking? No chance. My patient friends have heard mostly "Hallå!" or "Jag förstår!" and still they tolerate me. #Thankful for them. I've tried Duolingo, but it lacks a speaking component for Swedish. I've added Rosetta Stone to my morning coffee ritual, but I'm not sold. I mean, there's only so many opportunities to slip "Varför luktar hunden illa?" or "Sköldpaddan är liten" into conversation. ("Why does the dog smell bad?" and "The turtle is small" for those who are following.) And then there's SFI, Swedish for Immigrants. The government offers a language course for immigrant adults, but reviews from friends and colleagues have been largely critical. SFI groups students by their education level rather than their experience with Swedish. So even though I have spent several months here, I could be placed with students who don't know the difference between "hej" and "hejdå". And often times, groups of varying levels all share the same teacher at the same time. It's tough enough to differentiate instruction for my fourth graders; I can't even imagine juggling masters level students in the same room as students who aren't literate in their native language. And the kicker? You need a personnummer to register for the course. Which I don't have. I guess it's pretty futile to complain about a service I can't use. So I'll keep muddling on with Rosetta Stone and hope for plenty of opportunities to talk about smelly dogs and small turtles.
More on my adventures learning Swedish later :)
Full disclosure - As I write this, I'm stretched out on the couch with a cup of coffee and my only plans for the day include making another pot... But just go with it.
I like the weekend… a lot. It’s safe to say Saturday is the best day of the week followed closely by Sunday and then Friday. (That’s the truth and anyone who claims otherwise is wrong.) And I like lazy weekends: mornings when I don’t set an alarm, afternoons filled with a book or a hike, unhurried dinners and a second glass of wine. I like that. But in addition to liking restful weekends, I also like to—wait for it—do stuff. Crazy, right? And it just so happens that those two glorious days can also be spent doing stuff, and I like that too.
Aun, Adil and Egil or maybe Thor, Odin and Freyr??
Last weekend, I did stuff. I biked out to the museum in Gamla Uppsala, or “Old Uppsala,” where viking kings were buried in these massive mounds. The museum is filled with all things archaeology and mythology and the mounds themselves, named Aun, Adil and Egil, were once thought to hold the Norse gods Thor, Odin and Freyr. Even though I’d visited the site before, I was still taken by the fascinating history (and mystery) of the spot and the incredible views of Uppsala’s cathedral in the distance. And as much as I like my leisurely Saturdays, days spent exploring a city’s culture are pretty awesome too.
Kungsholmen by kayak
Later that weekend, I tagged along with friends kayaking around Kungsholmen. Stockholm is a city of islands and Kungsholmen, Swedish for “King’s Islet”, is one of the city’s central neighborhoods. It was a perfect day to be outside and it seemed like everyone had the same idea, especially since the sun has made few appearances this summer. The island has these stretches of rock where loads of people were laid out. It was so cool to see people swimming and boating while still very much in the middle of a city. After paddling more than 10k (I’m slowly learning the metric system…), we had a well-earned beer at a waterfront restaurant. Few things compare to a cold beer after a long day. On the train back to Uppsala that night I was exhausted, but so very satisfied. Funny how that works. So to recap: weekend spent relaxing = good, weekend spent doing stuff = heaps better. More to come soon!
- EM
Pants 2.0
My friends over at Live Music Louisville turned me on to the absolutely amazing world of... well... live music. I'd been to a few concerts (read: B. Spears when I was 18), but Brittany and Aubrey showed me another experience spanning local bands in grungy bars to big name arena headliners. The music was always top notch, but the atmosphere and the crowd always added that extra magic. One of the things I knew I would miss about living in Louisville was the music scene and the people who made it so wonderful. But I made a promise to myself to continue to seek out those experiences while at home in SF (hey, Lissie, you were stellar at The Chapel!) and here in Sweden. Last night, I made good on that promise. I met a friend in Stockholm for the Lenny Kravitz show at Gröna Lund and I was reminded of a few things: Swedes are tall! Nordic people are tall! Vikings are tall! And seeing as I am none of those things, I am not tall. Though I saw very little of the show, Lenny sounded awesome live and was LOUD. The place was packed, the evening was warm and the band was excellent. And who could forget the moment of hilarity when good ol' Lenny split his pants and gave the first few rows much more of a show than they bargained for. Good laughs, good music and good people - I'm so thankful to have had these in Louisville and so excited to find them here in Sweden.