The Newbie Guide to Sweden

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Study Abroad in Sweden: My Top 5 Reasons

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Written by Ezinne Edet

It was always my dream to study a master’s program abroad. At first, I was undecided about which country to choose, but after much deliberation and research, I settled for Sweden. Here are my top five reasons (in no order) for choosing to study abroad in Sweden.

Study Abroad with Family

For me, family is everything! I could not imagine myself travelling across the globe—thousands of miles away to another continent—without my family. Studying in Sweden meant that I could study abroad, and at the same time, create beautiful memories and new experiences with my husband and children. You know what they say, “the more, the merrier!”

Multicultural Society

Sweden is known for its rich multicultural and diverse society, which promotes inclusion and diversity. Deciding to study in Sweden availed me the opportunity to experience, not only the Swedish culture, but other cultures, thereby, building a global community of friends.

Learn a New Language

With a basic knowledge of French and professional knowledge of English, I was keen on trying my hands—or tongue—on a new language. I started out by learning Swedish on the Duolingo app, but have currently started SFI—Svenska fӧr invandrare—classes in one of the campuses in Gothenburg.

High-Quality Education System

Education and learning in Sweden is unique because of the method of instruction. Since the educational system is more practice-based than theory-based, studying in Sweden has opened my mind to a more critical, independent, and creative way of thinking. In addition, the Swedish education system promotes teamwork and collaboration skills that are essential for professional success.

Innovation and Sustainability

Sweden ranks as one of the most sustainable and innovative countries in the world. The decision to study abroad in Sweden has provided a first-hand opportunity for me to experience and participate in activities that promote sustainable development. More so, I get to co-create value with world-famous Swedish brands like IKEA, Volvo, H&M, Spotify, and who knows, someday, I may just request an autograph from ABBA!

There you have it. My top five reasons for choosing to study abroad in Sweden.

If you are an international student, leave a comment to tell us why you decided to study in Sweden.

Are you considering studying in Sweden? You can learn more about studying in Sweden for international students on the blog.

 

About the Author 

Hej! I am a Nigerian studying a Master of Science in Management at the University of Gothenburg. I have travelled around different countries in Africa, but this is my first time living and studying in another continent. I see living in a new country as an opportunity to learn a new culture, language, and create new networks and experiences. I will be posting about my experiences in Sweden, as a newbie, and sharing information to help you settle in fast. Enjoy!

Student in Visby

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Written by Casey Hofland

First weeks in Visby

Visby is an easy place to thrive. It’s as chill as the sea it’s grounded in, and as calm as the sky above it. In fact, one of my stories reflects the Zen atmosphere of this island, a story that I like to call “sweaters fly and tears dry”. Then again, there’s some things that couldn’t hurt knowing about.

But first, another story, titled: “Adam who-is-wrong-about-pizza”. Enjoy.

Many people live on this planet. Between them the only thing they share is that they have many different opinions. Some are of the opinion that our Earth is flat and the moon landing faked. Others believe peanut butter pickle sandwich makes a delicacy, and strangest of all are individuals that feel packing your bags at 1:02 AM before your day of departure comes off as rather irresponsible. These people are friendly reminded that their opinions, although endearing, are wrong.

Departure time

It is 8:15 AM as we load my luggage from the car onto the airport trolley. My mother has already started the waterworks without me. Even my father, otherwise so restrained, couldn’t stop a coating of dew forming around his eyes when we said our goodbyes back home. There at the airport, I wanted nothing more than to burst out into tears and show my mother some affection and a little appreciation for all she did for me. But apart from being a 23-year-old who’s had enough, leaving behind the prehistoric dirt-heap that is my home town together with the accumulated stress of answering 200 emails on the subject of my studies, apartment and flight bookings, I wasn’t embarrassed about leaving with but a kiss and a wave.

Here’s some tips to get you through a boring flight:

  1. Learn the lyrics to your favorite song.
  2. If you’re waiting in the airport, sing along to your favorite song.
  3. Imagine what your life would have been like if you ran away with that girl to Germany and started a snail farm with your best friend Abby the octopus.
  4. Write comedy and fantasize about the fame and sex appeal you’ll be getting from your travel blog.
  5. Think about some of the horrible things that you’ve done.

You can’t pay for the bus with cash or card on Visby apparently. Luckily, we convinced the driver to take us on by looking very foreign and dumbfounded. Oh, btw, I was doing this trip with my buddy Julius, who also went to exchange to here. We were eager to get to our apartments so we could finally drop our baggage.

old city walls in Visby
The olden city walls, as seen from the bus.

After we’d done mine, we walked to Julius’ apartment as well and dropped off his gear there. It was really nice of him to not constantly mention over and over how annoying it was that his quarters were a 20-minute walk away from the city center as opposed to my 5-minute walk, which I want to clarify is something he definitely didn’t constantly mention.

Meanwhile it was 7:30 PM and we needed food. We aimed for a pizzeria in the city center because I had heard about Swedes constructing the boldest pies, and as we passed through the gates of yore, the word ‘pittoresque’ would forever find new meaning in our hearts.

It’s time for pizza

When we arrived at our pizzeria though, it looked very fancy and even we could see this was expensive by Swedish standards. If not for Julius’ Visby-an acquaintance we may just have given them our money, but luckily, he could get us an address for a normal pizzeria. When I mentioned the concept of “Swedish pizza”, he reckoned there was no such thing.

pizza
Dear Adam: this is a kebab pizza. It is an atrocity committed by the Swedish. Swedish pizza is SO a thing.

Either ho, these fresh friendos went for ANOTHER walk. On the way we rummaged through trash and ate a dead bird so we wouldn’t starve but after another 30-minutes we stumbled upon our pizzeria: an Italian one. I wish words could carry across the sensation of taste so I could describe how delicious this pizza was, which was no doubt partly due to us waiting for 9:20 PM to finally eat.

Person eating pizza

Plus… this was my first meat dish in a loooong time. I am a vegetarian, but all the vegetarian options on the menu seemed bland. Not bad, just not something I would pay 12 euros for. The easiest way to spot if a restaurant doesn’t know how to make good vegetarian dishes is if they have one item with the word “vegetarian” in its name, and the pizza is just a cacophony of vegetables. I don’t know where we went wrong, but being vegetarian doesn’t mean I like bad food.

Also, they had a pizza with chicken, banana and curry. I want you to think about that Adam.

You know how to best end such an adventure?

By sleeping in a bed without a pillow or blanket. We thought we would have these things, but we were lied to. Though had we needed to sleep on the hardest part of the wall, I could have probably done it.

Conclusion is A: find out where you’re going to eat plenty of time in advance and B: get a bus pass before you arrive in Sweden. We were lucky but if that bus driver hadn’t taken us on, we were screwed! We’d be like dumbo and dumber dragging our 20 pounds of luggage 5-kilometers looking like fools!

Anyway, the continuation:

I have lost my favorite sweater. Not only does it look cool and artsy, it has also grown really important to me. This was the sweater I bought with Nathalie, a dear friend of mine, when I saw it hanging in a “left-over” pile that they were gonna throw out. It was the sweater I was wearing on my first JNM camp, when I kissed a guy at 4 AM completely drunk. Sleeves of utter comfortness and a hoody of warmth that helped me through some of the colder nights on my second and third camps.

Doubling as a pillow in times of relaxation and as a stuffed animal when I needed an embrace. The one night where I loaned it to Polina because she was cold and it was way too big for her. We shared a lot of memories in a short amount of time; memories of friendship, of joy, of sadness and sorrow… when I put it on, I would feel more confident and loving because of them.

happy person with face mask

Luckily I found it the next day.

Julius and I met up at my apartment so we could buy, well… everything. We needed pots, pans, cleaning products, cables, but most of all: food. We had empty fridges and if we didn’t solve it, soon we would have empty stomachs. 5 minutes away from my house was a supermarket though… in which we spent 1 and a half hours.

Let’s go over what’s ‘different’ from Dutch supermarkets.

In Holland it is very normal to eat bread for breakfast and lunch, every single day. And we do have the best supermarket bread. It has more slices, tastes better, and it sells for 10 crowns! I swear if we start pricing our bread like the Swedes do we’d enter a second golden age by the end of the week. Coming from such a bread-laden culture, Juul and I had trouble thinking on our feet and bought a giant what can only be described as a “cracker wheel”. Seriously: it is a wheel of a cracker… look!

swedish crackers

To my reassurance they do have a nice assortment of meat substitutions. It’s hard to beat Holland here as well, but it’s no competition: I’m just happy the have veggie bacon I can take with my eggs.

Guess what?

With all that shopping behind us… we went to shop some more.

Full disclosure, just expect your first day to be a whole lot of shopping if you want to live like a normal person on day 2. We got our shower curtains, our gel douches, pots and pans, and even our useless decoration!

jellyfish in a glass
Jellyfish in a jar since it’s my friend Vanessa’s spirit animal and looking at it reminds me of her.

When we were done shopping it was past 5. Now since it was a Saturday, the shops close at 5. And the one thing we forgot to buy… were bedsheets. Again. So that was another day sleeping in the cold.

It was at this point I noticed I was missing my sweater. All I wanted to do then was cry. I had to make peace with weeping though. The day had been a tangle of stores, visits, walks and rides; I was too tired for crying. The most frustrating thing was not knowing what had happened to it.

But, lo and behold, the next day I traced my steps and after some fruitless store visits, I found it on a park bench not 1 minute away from my house! God bless the good Samaritan that placed it there.

First days are tough

Your first days in a new environment are gonna be tough; you’re gonna have to do massive amounts of shopping and be confident. Don’t give a damn when you’re taking 4 hours in the same store looking through labels for the cheapest grub. If anyone gives you any funny looks ignore them, if they give you lip tell them you’re new, they’ll be appreciative of that. And don’t lose your favorite sweater, ever, but if you do then pray you’re in a place where people are nice enough to leave it on park benches for you to find.

I can really recommend getting yourself enough food for the rest of the week though. You’ll be stressed enough from learning to work your new kitchen; hell it will literally take you 2 hours to cook spaghetti the first time ’round. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a few instant meals so you can chill a bit, but if this is your first time from home, preparing food is gonna take way much out of you and your schedule. The last thing you’ll want is to not have anything in your fridge and worry about freestyling it. Aight, peace!

 

About the Author

I have been compared to Steve Jobs in the past. Regrettably, only during a student bash by a girl who was absolutely hammered. My origins lie in Utrecht, Netherlands, where I am studying game programming, and I’m carrying the tradition forth on my exchange in Visby. Should I have some alone time, you’ll find me playing chess or video games, though more often I’ll either be hanging out with friends, studying or cooking.

Swedish people through an Argentinian’s eyes

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Written by Malena Rasetto

I think it’s time to bury the myth and tell the truth. Europeans are not cold as Argentinians are not warm, at least not all of them. If there is something I learned traveling is not to generalize people or things, but to observe them and to connect with them. In this article Swedish people through an Argentinian´s eyes, I will describe Swedish the way I see them.

I arrived in Sweden two months ago and I have so many wonderful things to say about them. The only comment I would accept is that the way Swedish people behave has to do mostly because of the weather, but I wonder, is that a bad thing? 

Of course, it’s not. 

Privacy

Stockholm, Sweden. December 2020. Photo by Malena

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Sweden is the sense of privacy they have and how they respect others’ privacy too. I love that. 

You can see it from a school meeting to the way they keep their curtains up even during the evening. Everyone keeps their windows open and lights on during the whole day and it’s taken for granted that no one will be looking inside the neighbors’ houses. It may sound silly, but for an Argentinian, it’s something completely weird as we try to close the curtains even in the afternoon. 

Swedish people tend to be very independent, and private, they don’t give opinions or judge others for their problems or ways of living. 

Friendly 

In the same way, they are private they are friendly. The first time you meet a Swedish, they may look “cold” and “not funny”, but they are the opposite. According to my experience, they are trying to know you, to break the ice; once the ice is broken and they can connect with you, Swedish are the most friendly people you’ll ever meet. 

I think being friendly and private are related. According to these Argentinian’s eyes, they like to keep their own privacy but when they get to know you well enough you know you have made a friend for the rest of your life.

Open-minded

It is amazing to visit a country so developed. I love the way they see life and people. They accept each other and they are very curious about different lifestyles. 

Every time they ask me about my lifestyle as a backpacker, they listen to me paying a lot of attention and are curious about how I do it, but I never feel judged for that. On the contrary, I feel safe talking about the different ways of living and traveling I have experienced in my life. 

Jokkmokk, Artic circle. January 2021. Photo by Malena

How the weather affects Swedish behavior

You may wonder what the weather has to do with it. 

What I mean is that in winter Swedish people are self-contained. Given the -20°C they have in the middle of January, it is kind of obvious they won’t go out often. For that same reason, they are private because they stay at home living their own life and enjoying their own circle. 

Lönsboda, Sweden. December 2020. Photo by Malena

When it comes to summer, I haven’t experienced one here yet but I reckon they love going out to the lake and socializing with friends. 

Another aspect about Swedish people through an Argentinian’s eyes is the importance of sport in their everyday life. Even in winter, most of them go out for a walk, or go ice skating, skiing, or running. At least, that is what I have observed and what I admired the most in the north. Swedish people don’t mind the weather, even if it’s sunny or snowing, they are going out to enjoy nature.

Swedish traditions 

Swedish people through an Argentinian's eyes
Winter bath, Östersund. February 2021. Photo by Malena

Fika 

Fika is a traditional meeting Swedish people have with friends or family. They meet up in a coffee shop or at home to have some tea or coffee and eat something sweet like a chocolate cake. Fika is a way for people of all ages to have fun with their loved ones.

I love this tradition because it is similar to the merienda (tea time at 17 pm) we have in Argentina. 

Winter bath

A traditional activity I am also enjoying myself is the famous winter bath. A winter bath means swimming in a frozen lake. Most people do it after a few minutes in a sauna but in my experience, I practice winter bath after a run or long walk. It’s all about breathing in order to relax your body. So I think that bravery is another adjective to describe Swedish. 

Swedish people through an Argentinian’s eyes

My experience

I entered Sweden last December. So far, I have been up north and down to the south and stayed with two Swedish families while interacting with locals.

I feel welcome and safe. I remember that in my first week in Sweden I needed to send a package and I didn’t have any idea how to do it here, soI asked for help from the staff. They were so patient, lovely, and helpful with me that I can’t be more thankful to them. I have to admit I was afraid they would look at me with a weird face judging me for asking how to send a package abroad. Please, understand that everything is in a new language and the post-service varies depending on the country. 

In my opinion, living with Swedish means discovering the culture from the inside, exchanging knowledge and lifestyles, learning every day. 

Östersund, Sweden. February 2021.Photo by Malena

Every time I’m going to the supermarket, I experience good reactions from the staff when I don’t find a product or I don’t understand the ingredients. It might be obvious, but the way most Swedish behave in these little details means everything to me and I’m sure that it’s the same for any foreigner or expat. 

To sum up, I think that Swedish and Argentinians behave in a similar way even though the countries are far away from each other and that we have a completely different culture. 

Swedish people through an Argentinian’s eyes is about sharing the cultural exchange I’m experiencing. I hope you really enjoyed this article and I hope to see you all in the next article. Hej då.  

 

About the Author

Hej! I’m Malena. I’m an Argentinian travelling Sweden. After living in Ireland for 2 years and a half I decided to start backpacking Europe. I’ve been living with different families since then. I love to be around different cultures, I love outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. I love blogging, reading and writing. You can find me on Instagram as @malenarasetto. I really hope you enjoy my articles! Vi ses!

A Farewell Note

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

It was all started in one of those dark and gloomy days in November 2017. During a regular browse on the Internet, I came across this announcement in The Newbie Guide to Sweden website where they’re looking for a volunteer blogger. It was naturally interesting for me because the writing was the thing I wanted to invest myself in ever since I moved to Sweden, so I thought that could be a good opportunity.

But I hesitated at first

“What should I write? What’s so special about my experiences? Why would people read my stories?”

Then I realised that the idea of the blog section in the Newbie Guide website is to share stories of living in Sweden. Any story. It doesn’t have to be inspirational; it’s enough with being informational or even just personal.

Besides, living abroad is not always easy. Just like living elsewhere, it has its ups and downs. So if we can read other people experiences, it may not give you an instant solution but at least, it makes you feel that you’re not alone. I think that’s quite important when you’re living far from home.

So I decided to join the blogger team.

My first posts are mostly about the excitement of living in Sweden. I started with the story about me as a new kid on the block, how I felt when I first arrived, the anxiety that I had, and some practical tips such as the apps you should have when in Sweden, and how to save a little bit of money in a not so cheap country.

Then, when I was pregnant to my second child, I decided to write a series on my expecting journey from pregnancy to delivery. This series is about what to expect when we are expecting in Sweden, including the rights as a mother, pregnancy in Sweden dos and don’ts, until the process of delivery itself.

I also write a lot about Lund, the Swedish city where I live. Most of them are daily life hacks such as where to shop second hand in Lund, where to buy Swedish souvenir, where to get your dose of Asian foods, and so on.

I tried to cover my experiences in dealing with Swedish culture as well: the popular media I use to learn about Sweden, the foods, the habits, everything. And I think newbies in Sweden find this kind of stories really speak to them. My story entitled The “This is Sweden” Moment is still the most shared story by far.

Looking back to all those stories I’ve written for The Newbie Guide to Sweden, I realise how far I’ve come since the first day I stepped out of the train in Lund Central station.

Now I’m no longer a newbie, not yet an oldie. I’m an inbetweener.

And this comes with a feeling that maybe my stories are no longer relevant. I no longer have the spark of the novice, yet I haven’t possessed the wisdom of the old.

Now, after three years and 30 articles, I bid my farewell

I would like to use this last post to express my sincere gratitude to the whole team in The Newbie Guide to Sweden, especially Julieta, who has been really welcome and helpful since the very beginning, even though we never meet in person.

I’d also like to thank all the readers who had read and shared my stories. It’s been a real honour and true happiness to know that some people find my stories interesting and even relatable.

While a thank you is probably not enough, a farewell note could probably do the justice.

Thank you for having me. This is not a goodbye. This is just a reason to fly.

Tack så jätte mycket,
Hayu Hamemayu

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Autumn Best Spots in Lund

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

Every season has its own charm but for me there’s something about autumn that enchanting like no other season.

The crisp breeze. The sweetness in the air. The amazing colours when every leaf is a flower as Albert Camus puts it.

Maybe that’s just because I’m a hopeless romantic by nature. But regardless of your personality type, autumn is definitely one of the most beautiful times in Lund. It is when the old buildings in the city are covered in red vines and every lane turns into a yellow carpet.

So, if you’re new in Lund and wondering where to get instagrammable autumn pictures, here are my suggestions:

Lund University Library

This building at Helgonabacken has been the main library for Lund University (LU) since 1907 and is one of the most iconic buildings in Lund. When the season changes, it changes its appearance too due to the vines that cover most part of it. The look of it becomes brown or sometimes white on winter, green on spring and summer, and red in autumn.

The famous university library building. Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

With such a beauty, the picture of this building is probably the most used picture in every LU student’s desktop wallpaper 😀

The area around the library also offers a beautiful view of autumn as shady trees surround the building; some of them even create canopies above the streets.

Oh that yellow carpet. Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

Lundagård

As the heart of the city, Lundagård is where many old buildings in Lund are located, such as Kunghuset, Palaestra et Odeum, AF-borgen or Akademiska Föreningens, to name a few. During autumn, these buildings and the trees in the park are dressed in autumn colours, which really give the area a character.

The majestic king’s house. Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

Norra Kyrkogården

This is probably an unusual place to take pictures, as Norra Kyrkogården is actually the biggest cemetery in Lund. Located at the opposite of Lund’s University Hospital, Norra Kyrkogården is claimed as a lung in the city due to its 25 hectares total green space. Therefore, this place is really pretty during autumn. If you’re not too afraid to stroll in between tombs, you should visit this place.

the yellow forest sweden

Journey to the yellow forest. Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

Lund’s Stadsparken

As a park that was inaugurated more than 100 years ago, Lund’s city park is still a favourite for many Lundensians, including me. It’s an important green space for young and old: to relax, to play, to exercise, to party and even to preserve tradition. With its rich vegetation, this park is one of the best places to enjoy autumn colours in Lund.

There are, of course, many other places to get a lovely autumn pictures in Lund. Basically, any park and building with vines would turn into scenic spots during this season. But, if you don’t know where to start your autumn stroll this year, the places I mentioned above are definitely worth visiting. And this is my impression of autumn in Lund in a poem, which I wrote two years ago:

The leaves turned red,
On those days of October,
When fall was here and,
Winter was near

Could you taste,
The sweetness in the air?
The taste of life,
Free from despair?

I pictured us,
Walking hand in hand
Along the way,
Where everywhere was a yellow lane

I remembered,
How I would have waited for you,
On that old wet bench in Lundagård,
Around 1 pm or two

Our love grew strong,
Despite the wind,
Flourishing like mushrooms,
Under the autumn rain

I became gold,
You were getting brown
To the colours of heaven,
We did all belong.

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Swedish Pastry Calendar

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

As someone with many sweet teeth, one thing I love about Sweden is its “excuses” to always have something sweet between meals. Thanks to its most celebrated tradition, Fika. It seems to me that despite the lagom value, Swedes are quite into cake and pastry; they even have special days to celebrate almost all of them. Here is the timeline for those sweet days.

January

The period between Christmas and Easter is the time for semla. This wheat flour bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream, was originally eaten only on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) as the last festive food before Lent. However, as the Swedes stopped observing a strict fasting for Lent, semlor are now available in shops and bakeries every day from shortly after Christmas until Easter.

Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

February

You can still easily find semla on February because Shrove Tuesday usually falls either on February or March, but this month also has another special day. February 3 is the day of carrot cake.

March

On March, you have at least two special threats: Punschrullens Dag (punch roll day) on 7th of March and Våffledagen (waffle day) on March 25. Punschrulle is also called dammsugare, which means vacuum cleaner due to its resembling shape of a vacuum cleaner that was common in the 1920s. This pastry is easy to find in any confectionery and is traditionally colored green with chocolate coating in both ends.

For the Waffle Day, it is believed that it comes from a mispronunciation of spring day that has religious roots. Instead of “spring day”, a linguistic mix took place and people began to say “waffle day”. Thus, the tradition of eating waffles with cream and jam arose on March 25.

April

Sadly, there is no cake related day on this month. Or do you know any?

May

The first of May is Budapestbakelsens Dag or the Budapest cake day. The Budapest cake consists of a meringue bottom with hazelnuts, filling cream with mandarins and decorated with chocolate. It is a classic Swedish pastry that was created by a pastry chef named Ingvar Strid. According to the stories, Ingvar has traveled extensively and had a love for Budapest and Hungary and named his pastry after the city.

Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

In addition to Budapestbakelsens Dag, May also has Chokladbollens dag (May, 11) Kardemummabulles dag (May, 15) – Cardamom bun day (find the best recipe here) and Muffin dagen (May, 27). Chocolate ball is a very popular snack in Sweden so it deserves to get its own festive day. Although muffins are not really Swedish, they got their own theme day. Another good thing for a sweet tooth like me.

June

June in Sweden is started with National day in the beginning and midsummer in the end, and there are special cakes for those two occasions. The pastry for national day on June 6 is the Nationaldagsbakelsen pastry with Mazarin bottom topped with strawberries, lemon hint and a Swedish flag. This pastry was created by Helena Bergsmark of Café Gateau in Stockholm and it was the winner of the 1994 national pastry competition held by Fruktrådet (fruit council).

As for midsummer, the celebration is not complete without midsummer strawberry cake or midsomartårta.

July

There’s no cake or pastry to celebrate in July. But if you were born in this month, you have the excuse to eat princess tart (prinsesstårta), as it is the traditional birthday cake in Sweden. This dome-shaped cake features a sponge base topped with vanilla cream and whipped cream and coated with a smooth layer of green marzipan and decorated with a pink marzipan rose. Pretty like a princess.

Another cake commonly eaten on birthday, especially in Skåne region is spattekaka, an old-fashioned spit cake made from potato flour. Feel free to choose the cake you want or why don’t you have both? It’s your birthday after all ☺

August

August 9 is “Rulltårtans Dag” or the rolled cake day. As Budapest is my favourite cake, and it’s a roll, I think I will eat this cake on August 9 too.

September

Again, there’s no pastry related day this month. But the last week of September is the week dedicated for prinsesstårta. So even if your birthday is not in September, you still have the excuse to eat this pretty cake.

October

Kanelbulle or cinnamon roll is probably the most famous and the most consumed fikabröd in Sweden. People eat kanelbulle all year round but the official day to celebrate this sweet bread is on October 4.

Photo by Dea Kaloka

Two days later, on October 6, is the time to celebrate another cake. It’s Gräddtårtans Dag, the day for cream layer cake.

November

November is the month with the most sweets to celebrate. Maybe because November in Sweden is so gloomy so people need more sugar to keep the mood high 😀 . It starts on November 6 with Gustav Adolfsbakelse day and continues just the next day on November 7 with Kladdkakans Dag, the day of Swedish mud cake, followed by Chokladens Dag or chocolate day on November 11. Then Ostkakans Dag or Cheesecake day on November 14. Last but not least, Wienerbrödets Dag, or wiener bread day on November 22. What a special month indeed.

December

The 9th of December is Pepparkakans Dag, the day of gingerbread. This cookie is actually baked and eaten all year round, but gain its most popularity around Christmas time so it makes sense to have a designated day on this month.

Photo by Hayu Hamemayu

December is also the month of Lussekatter or Lucia saffron bun, which are traditionally eaten on Lucia day (December 13). And finally, a week before Christmas, December 18, is the day of the cakes (Kakans dag). I assume we can eat any cake on this day.

So, are you ready to celebrate these sweet days?

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Little Asia in Lund

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

What do you miss the most when you’re living far from home? For me, it’s 3Fs: Families, Friends and Food!

Coming from a country known for its distinctive and rich-in-flavour foods, there are times when I crave for a little taste of home in Sweden. Lucky for me, there are some Asian speciality shops and restaurants in Lund where I can find remedy whenever homesickness strikes.

Of course it’s not apple to apple if we compare them with the shops and restaurants back home, in terms of stock and variety. But it’s still good to have them here. Especially now, when travelling overseas is not recommended and visiting your family back home is not a reasonable option.

These places can help you bring a bit of taste of Asia to your kitchen:

Lokchan

Little Asia, food sanctuary, heaven on Earth, you name it. This place is by far the most complete Asian shop in Lund. In addition to Indonesian foods which are rare in Sweden, they also have Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian and plenty more.

Visit their shop on Klostergatan 14 K, and there you can find various gems ranging from Okonomiyaki sauce and Gochujang to instant noodle and seasoning for Rendang, an Indonesian beef stew, normally served in a meal set called Nasi Padang. Nasi Padang is one of the most loved comfort foods in Indonesia. It’s so popular and tasty, a Norwegian singer even made a song about it (check it here).

Kött & Spices

Located in Stora Södergatan 8, this shop sells foods mostly from South Asia. So, if you’ve been wondering where to get samosa or Red Label Tea for an Indian style milk tea, this is the right place to get them in Lund.
They also sell fresh vegetables and fresh meats, but the highlight, for me, is their South Asian collection.

Fengsson Dumpling

This tiny restaurant is very well-reviewed in Trip Advisor despite its secluded location on Winstrupsgatan 1. It’s actually not too far from Lund Central station but since it’s located in a kind of basement, the diner is not too noticeable.

However, if you pass by the area during lunch time, the queue outside is usually quite long so you will hardly miss it. In terms of taste, I’m not a food expert but I think this place sells the best dumplings in town!

Mui Gong

Photo credit @Hayu Hamemayu

On their website, this Chinese restaurant writes: “What we are doing is to change your impression about Chinese food in Sweden.”
I don’t know what they mean by that, but personally, I think the Asian foods sold outside their original countries are often adjusted to a certain level for marketing purposes. Most of the times, Asian foods are reduced to merely wok and fritters.

That’s not the case with Mui Gong.

The spiciness in their food is authentic and they have more than just protein coated in fried batter. My favourite dish in the restaurant is the homemade tofu.

Changs Kök

Photo credit @Hayu Hamemayu

Another tiny diner in Lund specialised in Sichuan foods. Only open during lunchtime (11.30-14.00) and mostly serves to take away. As many other dining places in Lund, they have a vegetarian option as well. This place is quite famous among students due to its tasty flavour and affordable price.

In addition to the list above, supermarket chain like ICA and Willys also have an Asian section. However, the choices are much less and they are mostly home brand or western versions, not Asian brands.

So, if you want to explore a bit more and experience a glimpse of Asia in Lund, those places are definitely the must go.

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

What Covid-19 has taught me about Sweden

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

When you’re living in a foreign country, it feels like you’re living in two different worlds. As if you set your feet on two different places: your hometown and your current place. Consequently, you can’t stop wondering, comparing, and analysing, which one gives you the better fit. This makes you feel wobbly and restless sometimes, especially in the situation of a pandemic of Covid-19 like what we have lately.


The last couple of months have been a really hard time for everyone. We are forced to embrace the new normal and to redefine the concept of life as we know it. New vocabularies now become part of our daily life: COVID-19, social distancing, flatten the curve, flock immunity, lockdown, and so on. However, the situation had also brought a new revelation for me.

And this revelation revolves around one word: TRUST.

Can you trust the level of trust in Sweden?

I don’t have any trust issue, but when it comes to politics and government, I was raised and taught to be sceptical or at least questioning the system. But in Sweden, this has been constantly challenged.


In the context of COVID-19, Sweden has a different approach from my home country or any other country for that matter. Sweden employs quite loose regulations, even compared to neighbouring countries like Denmark and Norway.

The Swedish lockdown

Sweden doesn’t impose any kind of lockdown. Preschools, elementary schools, restaurant, shops and cafés remain open. People are not forbidden to gather or to exercise outside, unless it’s more than 50 people or if you have any symptoms. Travel is not recommended but the decision is very personal it’s just a piece of advice, not a strict rule.

In short, Sweden puts the decision on individuals and expects them to understand and consider their actions carefully and thoughtfully, which I found was a lot to process at first.

My mind was always full of cautions: What if people don’t listen to the government? What if the situation gets out of control? Why don’t we act more aggressively? And so on.

Surprisingly, Swedes do listen.

A study conducted in the last week of March 2020 shows that two-thirds of Swedes said they had stopped travelling, meeting people and using public transport – an indication that people follow the recommendations of government agencies (Sweden.se, 2020 – Archive).

There are some exceptions, apparently (as some people are still sunbathing in the town square and my neighbours are still throwing a party on Saturday night), but the majority still trust the country’s approach and the responsibility of its people.

Yes, some of them agree that the response is slow. Some others admit that maybe different approach is needed. But at the end of the day, they still have some degree of trust in the government agencies.

A personal reflection

I don’t want to get into the debate about the effectiveness of the strategy or whether the Swedish government is doing enough to halt the spread. Honestly, I don’t know which stand to take. This post is purely a personal reflection. The only thing I know for sure is that there’s still so much I don’t know about Sweden.

I believed that after living here for more than three years, I had figured out most of the things in this country. But I was wrong.

Before the pandemic, I didn’t know that Sweden has no law to impose a curfew. In life before coronavirus, I never knew about the trust cycle: people trust the authority, government trust independent expert government agencies, and government trust people. Or other Swedish things I should have known better.

But maybe the essence of living in a foreign land is never-ending learning, because the more you learn, the more you realise how little you actually know.

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

The Webs We Weave

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This post was written by our blogger Letty.

Setting: Belfast, N.Ireland. Kitchen of my friend’s house. August. Evening. Raining

“Marie we’ve been invited to a party in Sweden” ( Lie Number 1)

“Really? Are you sure you are not looking for an excuse to see that guy again?”

“No. The weather is meant to be good and I have always fancied going to Scandinavia”

(Lies 2, 3 & 4)

5 minutes later

Me on the phone to The Cartographer.

“We are coming over. Make sure your brother is there”

Setting: Barkhyttan Sweden. August. Evening. Raining. Lots of trees and a lake.

Now we had never been to Sweden before so we were going with an open mind. However, in those balmy Greek nights when the map maker waxed eloquent about their cabin by the lake, she omitted to mention that there was no toilet. This would not have been a shock had we been venturing into The Amazon but, hello, this was Sweden!

We were soon to discover that Swedes have a love of nature, open spaces and serious woods where any manner of wild animal or psychopath could be lurking. This was a test of my feelings for the brother who, surprise, surprise, was there.

I really am a city girl and would prefer to encounter a fully armed paramilitary than an elk.

The night was good craic ( Irish for fun, nothing to do with chemicals). However, despite having humps like camels, the dreaded hour arrived when, equipped with a torch and rubber boots, we had to sally forth. We were primed for horror, having been warned about all sorts of livestock lurking in the undergrowth. Discretion is to be desired in these situations but is impossible to achieve when a herd of Swedes are shouting and pointing at you. The sweat was lashing off us, not from heat but anxiety.

“You had better end up with that fella for I am never doin’ this again. I feel like David Attenborough”

As I was about to respond, the torch went out right in the middle of my tentative performance, leaving me completely blind and directionally confused. Suffice it to say, it was as well that Marie was wearing rubber boots and that we are still good friends.

Setting: Next Day. Neighbour’s garden. Big table covered with paper plates, party hats and bibs with some sort of a fish logo on them. Not raining.

The morning did not start out well for me. Conscious that I wanted to bewitch my beloved, I had brought a pair of very high, thigh-length black boots with me. Crouching in front of the small cabin mirror, I thought I looked at the business. As soon as I emerged, I sank into the wet grass, impaled by my grandeur and had to be rescued by the hosts who spend a cruel amount of time laughing at my predicament before doing so.

Ok, so the neighbour’s house, where the party was happening, was more like it. No cabin here and a fully functioning toilet. The Barkhyttan Hilton! There was a lot of people seated around a table laden with alcohol and food. The theme of the fish was now making sense as we donned our fish hats and bibs. Stacked plates of seafood were brought out and our hearts sank.

I know we are from Ireland but fully attired fish is always a challenge for Marie and me. To compensate for our abysmal shelling skills, we hid the crayfish under our napkins and got stuck into the schnapps. There were many schnappy songs and at each one we stood up, joining in with gusto and miming like a demented Marcel Marceau on speed.

Throughout all this I was stalking my prey who had to leave at one juncture but promised me he would return, looking meaningfully into my eyes or so it seemed, although my own gaze was somewhat blurred.

We spent that night in the Barkhyttan Hilton and I was very relieved, when contact became intimate, that the ever permanent lump under his lip, which I had initially thought was a tumour, was, in fact, a common Swedish Nicotine addiction called “Snus”.

Forest Advice to Foreigners

  • Don’t wear high heels, ever
  • Don’t pee without wellies
  • Don’t drink an entire shot glass every time you hear “Skol”
  • Don’t go to a crayfish party if you can’t peel fish
  • Do follow your heart wherever it leads

Read his side of the story (in Swedish) 😉

Tillbaka på min ö igen, här finns inga blåa dörrar eller vita hus, här är det röda stugor, susande björkar samt gröna ängar som gäller. Till en början känns allt bra, men mitt liv håller på att förändras och det gamla känns smutsigt och olustigt.

Jag känner fortfarande av kicken efter resan men sakta dras jag tillbaka ner i djupet igen, tillbaka till mörkret. Det är så mycket som är fel och kommer förmodligen aldrig att bli riktig bra igen.

Någonstans hör jag det igen, kanske i mitt eget huvud, eller på radion…

“I love you”… Säger man så till någon som man inte riktigt känner eller bara har träffat några gånger under en vecka? Visst fanns det intresse och nyfikenhet, och visst kanske jag smög hem någon natt till min egen säng, men inget hände på riktigt, inget blev riktigt fullbordat. Troligtvis hade hon menat något annat, kanske hörde jag fel och hon egentligen bara sa ”I call you”, vilket hon naturligtvis aldrig kommer att göra.

Men tänk om. På nått sätt kunde jag inte släppa det där, dagdrömmarna satte fart och snart kunde jag se mig själv skutta omkring på en ljunghed långt borta på en annan ö, hennes ö, visserligen grön den också och full av mytiska figurer…Celtiska ringar…

Glöm det, det säger sig självt att hela tanken är löjeväckande, jag känner inte henne, hon är från ett annat land, ett annat språk, och jag är bara en dåre som borde växa upp på riktigt och sluta hitta på en massa dumheter.

Livet går vidare, sommaren lika så, nya kontakter tas och vaga planer görs upp och på något sätt så verkar det som om jag kommer att överleva.

Så ringer min syrra, det var visst någon kräftskiva på gång, jag måste komma, viktigt. Stop nu, vadå måste, jag har ju lite att fixa med. Nej nej, du MÅSTE komma, vad då måste, seriöst. Och så kryper det fram att NÅGON förväntar sig att jag kommer. Vad är det som händer, tankarna snurrar runt, det kan väl inte vara så att… mycket riktigt, minnena sköljer över mig igen, hon, ön långt där borta.

Och så står hon där, vi ler och jag inser att det finns något där, något som är spännande, något som är vackert. Den väv som påbörjades tidigare är det bara att spinna vidare på. Och festen drar igång, det är kräftor och snaps, det tjoas snapsvisor och dom svenska traditionerna står som spön i backen. Vi blir fulla och hamnar i samma säng, det känns bra och vi möts på riktigt till slut.

Dagen efter kommer något av sig, jag kör henne till hotellet, vi är tysta. Jag uppfattar det hela som lite stelt och tillgjort men samtidigt inte fientligt eller ångerfullt. Men plötsligt känns allt väldigt krångligt och orealistiskt, hur skulle det här kunna fungera.

Det snurrar tusen tankar i mitt huvud om framtiden och olika tänkbara scenarion, och det blir till slut en enda röra som jag inte kan få något vettigt ur. Vi säger hej då, samtidigt så skulle jag vilja säga så mycket mera, men jag hittar inte orden, språket spökar igen. Det är kört, det blir bara: Hej då…

Expecting The Unexpected

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Right, so now we are in 1997. I am forty, married, teaching the dysfunctional youth of Northern Ireland, embroiled in wars of attrition, both domestic and political. Murder, mayhem and no end in sight.

This blogpost was written by Letty.

I am wearing a maxi dress, sporting a hairstyle that is a combo of Kate Bush and Jimmy Hendrix. I feel I am looking older – fool that I was. Not a wrinkle on my face and my neck, which I could now use as a scarf,is smooth and, yes, I have a jaw line!

Some places become part of the tapestry of your life and so it was for me with a small Greek island. Its progress mirrored my regress. When I first arrived here in 1982 it was underdeveloped, not a good place to have cystitis and almost guaranteed to give you the runs. I was on my “honeymoon”, if you call being dragged by your hair romantic, around the Cyclades. At this stage this particular island was just another ‘os’ to me ( Amorgos, Paros, Folegandros, Antiparos etc.) but it became integral to my future in ways that I could never have conceived of. Years later I would return with my son and the hair-wrencher. The island had changed but was still beautiful. When I returned in 1997 I had also changed but felt ugly.

Anyway to stick to the point, this is where I first encountered Scandinavians. Whilst my friend Marie and I were struggling to control our exuberant and very loud boys, The Skandis would sit surrounded by their perfect blond children like extras out of the Sound of Music. They even sang!

We, on the other hand, strove to put our children as far away as possible so that we could eat in peace and pretend that they weren’t ours.

In the midst of this chaos, there were a group of child -free adults who, like ourselves, stayed in the same taverna every year. It took a while to get acquainted as the Northern Irish are noisy but circumspect. It’s a small island so it was inevitable that we would form a bond, one which was further strengthened by the fact that the Swedish woman in their group was a cartographer. I had never met one of these specimens and if I did have an image of a map maker it was a Dickension one – thinning hair, fingerless gloves, sputtering candle, several shawls, a quill and an ancient map. She definitely wasn’t that. She proved to be indispensable in delivering myself and Marie home every night. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are directionally challenged. We would frequently end up on the wrong side of the island, wondering how the sea got there. These contentious trips homeward, during which we castigated her in slurred Belfast accents for going the wrong way, cemented our friendship . Our abysmal geographical ignorance did not stop our tongues.

On a specific starry night , myself and the cartographer sat on a pier drinking copious amounts of alcohol and discovering a mutual love of Jungle Book. Arms around each other in drunken sisterhood, we roared a rendition of ‘I Wan’na Be Like You ‘ in Swedish and English. Who says language is a barrier to communication? This was the first of many of such occasions and twenty-two years later , we are still massacring that song. As I got to know her, I also got to know about her brother. She evidently adored him and I built up a picture of a man who was just like her. Maybe, dear reader, you are one of the privileged people who have a mutually satisfying, self empowering, loving relationship, but this had always eluded me. I never could figure out how some women ended up with partners who were kind and not programmed to humiliate. I mean, I had a decent personality, didn’t look like the back of a bus and was of average intelligence, although my marriage would be evidence to the contrary.

Anyway, I digress. Let’s fast forward twelve years. So the same bro comes off the island ferry, now divorced like myself and, as suspected, he is a male version of his sister. He walks over to our table in a quietly confident fashion.

You know the way you know – well, I knew.

Here was him with no expectations, a lamb to the slaughter and there was me, full of them. He hugged me and his fate was sealed.

Efter mycket flygande och bussande och färjande, och färjande ingen kliver jag iland någonstans där alla dörrar är blåa , husen vita och solen hamrar från en evigt blå himmel. Från ö till ö, jag har lämnat mitt sommarhus och givit mig av långt bort och jag har inte den blekaste aningen om att det här kommer att bli min ö så småningom och det gamla kommer att blekna bort.

Det är varmt och svettigt, och det faktum att man har klivit upp klockan tre på morgonen gör att man inte känner sig direkt på topp. Redan i hamnen dyker en massa folk upp för att hälsa välkommen, till saken hör att min syster har åkt hit i flera år och helt plötsligt så blir jag pressenterad för folk som jag aldrig sett eller hört talas om, men beter sig som om dom känner mig, alla pratar engelska i ett rasande tempo, jag känner mig dum, hänger inte riktigt med… en mycket skum känsla. Och tillslut äntligen så tar jag mig till hotellet, får av mig dom svarta jeansen och långärmade skjortan, glider i ett par shorts och sandaler, tar ett par bira och allt känns genast mycket bättre.

Sen är allt igång, det är långa middagar, sena nätter och till och med tidig morgon. Mänger av nya ansikten passerar förbi och alla är såklart där för att ha kul, det dricks och pratas och långsamt börjar en ny värld träda fram, något som får det andra komplicerade livet att kännas avlägset, något som gör mig glad igen. Och där, någonstans, märker jag att det är någon som verkar bry sig lite extra, en blick, ett skratt, hamnar ofta bredvid runt borden. Därför blir jag inte totalt förvånad när frågan om en utflykt dagen därpå kommer, men ändå, helvete, hur tänkte hon, bara vi två, vill inte. Det visar sig att hon och en väninna ska ta lokalbussen till ett ställe en bit bort och jag säger ja.

Hängmattor, en god bok, kall öl, vi säger inte så mycket under dagen och allt känns bara bra, vi bara är. Innan det är dags att åka tillbaka sitter vi i restaurangen som ägs av en bekant till vårt sällskap och snart befinner jag mig runt ett bord med tre mycket trevliga kvinnor och nu börjar problemet. Helt plötsligt har jag tre olika engelska accenter och den ena pratar fortare än den andra, jag ska inte nämna något om pladdrande kärringar men någonting ditåt. Ämnena som disskuterades, typ film, böcker och teater ligger även mig varmt om hjärtat och jag hade full koll på vad som avhandlades, men nej, jag måste ha framstått som en komplett idiot. Så fort jag kommit på något smart att säga så hade dom bytt ämne för länge sedan, jag var uppe på läktaren, ute. Till slut gav jag upp och började studera flugorna på väggen istället. Undrar om flugor har språkproblem, eller kör dom med teckenspråk. Hur som helst så kan jag inte säga att dagen slutade i succé för min del och några fler inviter var knappast något att räkna med.

Tiden rinner iväg och resan tar slut, dags att åka, hon och några till ska följa med och vinka av, vi är sena och färjan tutar, jag får en kram och hon viskar ett tyst ”I love you”, det är kaos på kajen, lådor och väskor, kanske till och med en levande get. Inte förrän på båten går det upp för mig vad hon hade sagt, varför gjorde hon det, kanske var det bara nått man säger, hur dum får man vara…

Väl hemma insåg jag att det där inte kommer att lämna mig någon ro, något helt oväntat har skett och jag börjar fatta att det är nu eller aldrig.

Letty’s bio

New
Born in 1957 when dinosaurs roamed the earth and televisions were black and white.
Still New
Teenage years.  Counting pimples, writing valentine cards to myself, dodging bombs in war torn Belfast.  Waiting to be invited to the party.
Newish
Adulthood.  I am the party.  Developing a talent for addiction, unfortunate choices  and bad hairstyles.
Discovering that work is a necessary evil and that marriage is a life sentence without the satisfaction of murder.
Embracing contraception with enthusiasm until a dodgy diaphragm left me embracing my son.
Counting  wrinkles.
Renewed
No more work
No more husband
No more Belfast
Much more Stockholm
Much more love
Much more me.
SLUTET

Social Ideas for Newbie Parents

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

I often say to myself, when you’re a parent, life is what happened between fresh brewed coffee in the morning and reheated coffee in the afternoon: you barely have time to enjoy your coffee, decently 😀 Especially when you live away from home, far from the supporting system called family, the struggle is real.

Luckily in Sweden, there are some hang out places that are designed and dedicated for parents so parenting can still be fun. Here are the highlights:

Local library

If you’re new in Sweden and not sure where to go for a day-out with your baby, a library could be a good starting point. The state library in Lund has special section for kids of all ages. There’s this small play area where you can read books with your children and also meet other fellow parents.

 

The library also has baby café and book-reading events for kid in various languages (read more about the events here). The book reading is held in the reading “closet” which is set up nicely and comfy for the parents and the kids.

Open Preschool

In Sweden, due to its generous parental leave, kids are not going to preschool or day care until they turn 1 year old. But, they can join open preschool without registration (just pop up when you feel like it) and it’s free of charge.

There are two open preschools in Lund, Kulan and Söderlek. I go to the first one with my baby and we’re having a really good time there. In Kullan, I get the opportunity to meet and socialise with other adults, while my daughter gets to meet and play with other children. So it’s good for both my kids and me. I can have a social life and talk to those who are on the same boat with me and my kid is enjoyed being surrounded by friends, toys and books.

The open preschool also has interesting activities such as painting and foot or hand casting but the most loved one is the singing section. Most parents come around the singing time (10.30 and 13.30 depending on the day) and leave soon after. That’s the thing about open preschool. We decide when to come and how long we want to stay. We are also responsible for our child(ren) during the stay.

Parents’ Group Play Date

I consider myself lucky because the health centre where I’m registered at provides parent’s group for international parents. We met regularly during the first six months of our postnatal period and I found the meetings were really nice and useful. The scheduled meeting at the health centre has concluded last summer but the parents still continue to meet for a play date every now and then.

If you don’t have parents group at your registered health centre, try online parents groups in your area (such as Facebook Group) or you can use this website to search for local parents group. They often have various activities range from fika to book club.

Barnvagns Bio

I received an invitation to a Barnvagns Bio last June and thought that was a smart solution for parents who want to watch movie without leaving their baby at home.

Barnvagns Bio or stroller cinema is a convenient way to watch cinema in an environment where it is okay for babies to cry 😀 . During the show the sound is muted (or down a bit) and the light is dimmed (instead of completely dark) which is perfect for napping. In the middle of the movie, we take a break for any diaper changes and eating times. Microwave and changing table are available and the stroller is parked outside. Some cinemas even offer coffee. In short, it sounds really cozy.

I haven’t tried it myself but a friend of mine went to one and she loved it. The fact that there’s a break in the middle of the movie and that you can stand up, bounce, rock or even breastfeed if needed, are just perfect for her. And I agree. I’ll definitely go to Barnvagns Bio as it’s already in my soon-to-do list ☺ .

For more information about Barnvagns Bio in Lund, check this and this.

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Swedish Sayings I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Sweden

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

Like many other countries, Sweden has plenty of expressions, idioms and sayings rooted in history and tradition. Some of them can be found in other languages, or at least share similar meaning like “Beat around the bush” and “Gå som katten kring het gröt” (English: walks like the cat around hot porridge). Some others are quite exceptional.

Despite its hilarious literal meanings, these sayings are actually relatable to everyday life in Sweden. Personally, I found some sayings are helpful in understanding Swedish values, and for that reason I wish I knew them earlier 😀

Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder

This is probably the most famous Swedish saying. Translated to English as “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes,” you will hear this a lot during autumn and winter, especially when you start to complain about the snow, or rain, or wind in Sweden.

Though it sounds overconfident, it is true that in Sweden you need a jacket that is THE ONE. The jacket that is appropriate to the weather (water proof, wind proof and snow proof if possible) and comfortable, or locals call it “varm och mysig”. Winter in Sweden can be harsh, and autumn rain is not so friendly either, so we need to dress accordingly. If you have a little kid, the general “guidance” to dress them on winter is: long underwear (thermal or long johns), fleece and overall.

When I first arrived in Sweden, it was December and I was just wearing regular winter coat not designed for Swedish winter. As a result, I caught common cold few days later. If only I knew beforehand that Swedish winter was “different” from the winter I had experienced before, I would have bought a better coat.

Jag säger inget, så har jag ingenting sagt

Swedes are generally restrained. They keep things for themselves and prefer not to say anything about anything. This saying explains that character a lot. I was surprised at first, to know that there was no complaint (or even question!) when a bus I was in took a wrong direction. None cursed when the train was late or even cancelled.

Well, my Swedish friend said they cursed actually, only internally 😀

But it is true that Swedes tend to avoid conflict and stay silent.

The same thing happens when you ask them about their opinions. They seem inconvenient to judge or to express what they think about, even when you want to buy their product. There was this moment when I was going to buy something so I asked the shopkeeper if it’s recommended or not and he simply said, “Well, it’s up to you.”

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:  

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!   Sign up to your course here

Döm ej allt du ser, Tro ej allt du hör, Gör ej allt du kan, Säg ej allt du vet, Förtär ej allt du har, Låt ingen veta vad du har i hjärtat eller pungen

Do not judge all you see, do not believe all you hear, do not do all you can, do not say all you know, do not eat all you have, let no one know what you have in your heart or in your wallet. This saying, I think, is the extended version of lagom ☺

This describes well how Swedes love to put everything somewhere in the middle: not too much not too little.

Allvar och gamman trives gärna samman

Have you ever been in a working situation where you were in the middle of something? You were almost there, it only needed few things to add but the clock struck 3 pm and everyone left their desk for fika, no matter what, so you’re the only weird one in the room. If your answer is yes, I feel you!

Apparently in Sweden, seriousness and pleasure should thrive together, exactly like the saying. Swedes are moving gracefully between work and fika on regular basis. When it’s time for work, they put every single thing in it. But when it’s time for fika, they do not hesitate to take a break. I find this really interesting because I used to think that I have to work harder and leave the time to rest in the very end. Now I learn that it’s good to have a break every now and then to give you fresher minds and ideas.

Man tar inte emot beröm av vem som helst

If you come from a culture where giving praise is common or even advisable, do not bother to try it in Sweden. Here, there’s a saying that means, “One does not accept praise from anybody.”

During my first months in Sweden, I used to say “thank you”, a lot, as part of appreciation. It’s just a habit I couldn’t help it 😀 . But soon I realised that most people here are not convenient with praise or compliment. A friend of mine once said that it’s simply because they were just doing their job so there’s nothing really special about it.

Having been living in Sweden for almost three years now, there are things I wish I could have done differently. But so far, my experience in Sweden is a nice one. It’s not always smile and rainbow but I wouldn’t want to replace it, inte för allt smör I Småland ☺.

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.