I was almost out of tea. I am no longer after having received this beautiful gift box today, straight from Hongkong. Love it! Tay time – as I learnt from a twitter friend!
Fear is impeding
Top reads this week
These are the books I’m enjoying this week! I deliberately choose the word ‘enjoy’ since actually reading a book is not always the only way to love and savor books! Looking at photos in gorgeous coffee table size volumes is an obvious way, but I also use books for art journaling; altering books by giving them a second life. đ
From top left:
Journal Spilling by Diana Trout -wonderful to just let your mind flow away; colors and creativity. Love the pictures.
My project: preparing a rescued and unwanted book with gesso (whitening the pages to make it a base for art journaling)
Nina av en slump (Nina par hasard) by Michele Lesbre
Collage workbook by Randel Plowman – a library order; like a bag of candy! Collages were big as I grew up but it is still fun!
VĂ€lkommen till virkligheten by Annika Messing – I’ve done lots from this crochet pattern book and a robot has to be finished tomorrow đ
Cracks in my foundation by Marian Keyes – I love Marian’s short stories. What can I say. Also perfect in lenght before bedtime when there’s also twitter …
Third Culture Kids by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken – TCK gurus. Use it in life and work; always something to come back to every now and then; hence always out on the desk.
SĂ„ gör jag. Konsten att skriva by Bodil Malmsten – This is a book I like. Phenomenal and very modern visual content; anecdotes about writing and lots of related material. Creatively done. Not just text.
Allt om trĂ€dgĂ„rd by Marie & Björn Hansson et al. – one of my best books on all things garden. Colors and info!
Read (all about it)!
World Book Day again? Confusing? Well;
April 23 is World Book Day. Itâs a UNESCO event to help promoting reading (and also publishing and copyright; therefore also called World Book and Copyright Day).
World Book Day is a global event, however in the UK and Ireland World Book Day is celebrated on March 7.
On the other hand, April 23 is World Book Night in the UK, Ireland and the US.
In Sweden we call it VĂ€rldsbokdagen.
Now that we’ve got that sorted;
Do we need to promote reading? I think so. There are many distractions today, especially for kids; activities that per se might not be that bad but steal time away from disappearing into the magic world of the written word. Many of us find reading to be enriching, educating and relaxing. Being swept away, and array of emotions from fear and tension to joy and laughing out loud is what I remember from books when I grew up. It doesn’t happen as often today, but I have to admit I cried my heart out as I tried to read Astrid Lindgren’s “Brothers Lionheart” to my daughter.
Books are food for soul and mind.
Yet I find myself spending less time on reading fiction these days. There are always books scattered around my house though (mostly on the floor, even though I preach to my children never to put books in such vulnerable positions); books waiting for the next few minutes of attention that can be found during the week. These books are either related to my business or to writing, gardening or craft and art. We have a fantastic local library providing almost whatever I wish for to temporarily add to my own selection of books. I always have at least one fictional read waiting on the nightstand though (ok; on the floor). Tomorrow Iâll present a list of the books Iâm currently reading/enjoying. I’m writing enjoying since not all books need to be “read” (hints: photo books, art journaling). Perhaps you’ll find some inspiration!
In honor of World Book Day and reading I have compiled a few quotes about books and reading. Which one is your favorite? Feel free to add quotes in the comments.
Earth Day
Today is Earth Day. How will you celebrate and cherish our planet?
Every day should be Earth Day. Let’s make acts of sustainability each and every day. Be kind to Earth.
Expat tips and hints
Looking for tips & hints from fellow expats? Or perhaps you want to share yours? HSBC provides a wall for this. You can build your own lists, browse and add. VoilĂ !
Picture from HCBCs wall.
The tricky Where you’re from-question
Where you’re from can be hard to answer sometimes. A tck (third culture kid) might be born in one country, raised in others yet hold a passport from parents’ home country, in which they have never even set foot.
An alternative question is to ask wherefrom someone has moved, or where he/she has lived.
We can’t remember everything, can we?
As I took kids to sports activity in the late afternoon I noticed a car entering the parking lot at dangerously high speed considering it is a school area. The door was flung open and a woman, clearly stressed, hurried out of the car. She came running after me as I waited for her, holding the door to let her in. We proceeded down the hall of the gymnasium and reached the locker rooms. A couple of dads waiting outside exchanged hellos with her. One of them asked where her children were. Turned out the woman had made it on time to practice but had forgotten to pick up her children from preschool. đ
Svenska barnsÄnger
Om du bor utomlands kan det vara roligt att ibland sjunga svenska sÄnger med barnen. MÄnga förÀldrar tar sina barn till svenska kyrkan eller andra svenska grupper dÀr sÄng ingÄr. Denna möjlighet finns lÄngt ifrÄn för alla expatriater. Nedan finns en lÀnk till en av Barnplanetens listor pÄ Spotify. Barnplaneten har spellistor i mÄnga kategorier, t ex Barnkammarboken, Klassiker, Buslistan och Favoriter.
LĂ€nk till trafiklistan – perfekt inte bara för bilintresserade utan för alla som Ă€r ute och gĂ„r eller cyklar!
Living abroad and want to listen to Swedish children’s music? Klick the link above or go here to read a post in English about Swedish kid’s music.
Swedish children’s songs
Having moved to Sweden with children your family might want to listen to Swedish children’s music. Kid’s music is very much part of the cultural context, and apart from having fun a few bonuses to listening to it include
- learning the classic Swedish tunes
- following what they are singing at preschool (dagis) and school
- improving your Swedish while singing along
- acquiring intonation and pronunciation of Swedish
Barnplaneten (Children’s planet) provides lists in Spotify such as lists for classics, nap time, animals, play and dance as well as a teacher’s list.