Around this time of year, many companies like to take their employees out to a “julbord” dinner. The phrase “julbord” literally translates to “Christmas” (jul) and “table” (bord), and it always involves some massive portions of traditional Swedish “holiday” food. I call it “holiday” food because it’s the same kind of food you would eat during Easter and Midsummer too!
Ahhhhh… the Christmas season. There is fresh snow on the ground, the air is fresh and crisp, and the wonderful smell of firewood burning in the fireplace lingers outside. (By the way, that’s one of my favorite “smells” of this season!) How best to celebrate this cozy season than with glögg, the Swedish version of mulled wine? I was introduced to glögg my first year in Stockholm and have since thrown a glögg party every year, just like any truly Swedish person would do.
I’ve done it. I’ve gone on the Finland cruise and survived. It was a #TrulySwedish experience, that’s for sure!
If you read my other post, then you would remember that Josh and Kellee were going on the cruise yesterday. I left out a key fact that I and some other of Josh’s friends would also be going. I left this out because it was meant to be a surprise for Josh, and who knows if he was going to read my blog post (he didn’t). Anyway, I’m back and this is what I found.
In Stockholm, there is a truly Swedish activity that everyone makes fun of – taking the ferry overnight to Finland. Also known as the booze cruise, it’s an opportunity for the lone cougar to attack her young 25 year-old prey, or for the young male cub to pounce on a more mature tigress. The possibilities are endless. They’ve even done a reality TV show on the cruise. Yep, this is the Tallink/Silja Line ferry to Finland.
Why do the Swedes have such great design and fashion? What is it about living in a country that is dark during the winter and bright during the summer that teaches someone what “good design” is? Must be something that is truly Swedish. Continue reading
Box wine in the US is reserved for tacky afternoon picnics where you need a convenient and cheap way to transport alcohol. The wine is often bland and is almost a guaranteed way of getting a headache.
But that’s not the case here, is it? I see many of you smiling with recognition. Continue reading
Chewy candy. Hard candy. Soft candy. Licorice flavored, sour, and often times fruity. There is nothing quite like Swedish godis – candy. It is, by far, the best thing about going to the grocery store. It’s another thing that makes someone #TrulySwedish.
Everyone does it. You’re enjoying a great fika with your friends or colleagues and you keep eyeing that last piece of fikabröd. You look at your friends, and they’re all busy in conversation but really, they’re thinking the same thing as you. They all want it, but no one wants to reach for it.
Guest writer Karin Leman (@le_karin) discusses why it is #TrulySwedish to leave the last piece of fikabröd, but more interestingly, why we should all stop doing it!
Swedes are ever loyal to their pocket calendars. These little brown things that they throw in their purses or their laptop bags with the week numbers clearly labeled. Some calendars even have little perforated tear-sheets where you can dog-ear which week you’re in, making it easy to simply flip right back to it. I have seen people go into a mad panic when they lose their calendars.
Continue reading
My dear friend Patrick Maurer will really appreciate this post, I think. He is one of my best friends – we have known each other since early high school. And today is his birthday!
He used to always give me shit for taking off my shoes whenever I was at his place. “We’re not Asian, Kenneth. No need to take off your shoes, just come in.” Continue reading