Tag Archives: flytta till Sverige

Who turned the light off? DIY for winter blues.

So we´re here; right in the middle of it. I´m talking about the cold and dark time of the year. Tiredness, low mood and not being as social as you usually are – not uncommon at all. Not surprising at all. Personally I feel  as if the days were shorter which of course gives less room for being social; it is not likely that I would say “hey, let´s meet up in the park after work “. The day is already over.

Luckily we have the tradition of fika in Sweden. Always works. Ask someone over for coffee and a chat. The smell of freshly baked (works with the cinnamon rolls from the gas station too) goodies is sure to lift your mood. Yes, I think cocooning is trending winter time.

Lack of daylight might contribute to a chemical imbalance in the brain, affecting us negatively; some more than others. There is even such a thing as winter depression – SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Apparently it is not even heard of around the equatorial line. Go figure.

What can we do about it? GET DAYLIGHT. Preferably real, but there are also artificial lights. There are day light lamps, wake up lamps and even facilities with beaches, sun chairs and bright light.  I have to try that. Wonder if you can get a colorful cocktail with a straw too?

In Umeå, 600 km north of Stockholm, the energy company decided to treat bus commuters to some benevolent bright light. Bus stops were lit up by ultra-violet light therapy for a few weeks last fall. Bus drivers complained; they were blinded by the light … But all in all I´m sure it was a success, not at least PR wise.

Try to get some daylight every day, even if it´s overcast. If you can squeeze in at least the shortest of walks you will most probably benefit from it. If you can´t – open the curtains, position yourself by a window.  I did exactly this writing this text. May I suggest you drink some water too, avoiding headache. Just saying.

Turn the lights on; candle lights are nice for the soul and mind too, but won´t fill your need for light. Alternate!

It´s cold. Yes. Dress accordingly, go out and enjoy the weather and landscape on a nice day. Try ice skating, skiing or tobogganing. Or just fika in the snow; watching the others. Nothing beats hot cocoa and an energy bar. Don´t forget the lambskin to sit on. Or fake fur.

Go for light colors. You might not want to redecorate your home (admit it´s a good reason though ;)), but accessorize with pillows, blankets as well as curtains in pale, pastel shades, or whites.

Buy flowers, tulips are great and affordable – buy every week! Spring flowers like crocuses and snow drops look pretty on the windowsill and make me happy too. At least when I remember to water them.

Perhaps you could even consider dressing differently? Skip the black for a week; dare to try something new – lemon, pistachio, baby pink? These are not my colors at all, so I´ll go with beige. Again, accessories might do (half) the trick. People must have been happier in the 80´s right?

Needless to say, if you suffer deep from winter blues and are depressed you should contact your doctor/vårdcentral.

Growing up in Sweden

Growing up in Sweden

What does it mean to be a child in Sweden? Growing up in Sweden has many benefits.

Learn about school and vacation, family and leisure time, culture, hobbies and joining a club. What is Swedish children’s literature and do all parents work? Is there a support system for the young and how many children really play an instrument?

www.sweden.se shares the full story on Growing up in Sweden.

20130707-092402.jpg

Read in Swedish – website with samples

Read in Swedish

Reading is learning. Reading is traveling. I would say that to read is to rest and activate the brain at the same time – depending on what you are reading and what the purpose of it is.

I have not yet taken to read books on a tablet. I prefer to hold the book, flip through the crispy pages, smell the paper and insert post-its where I find something memorable. I also love a nice cover. I usually read in Swedish or English, but try to read at least a couple of books in German every year too. I think it is a good way to keep up the language and also to learn new words; especially the new, trendier words.

Read in Swedish – samples

Despite my love for the physical book I don’t mind reading shorter texts on a screen. There’s a webpage I use where you can read extracts from books published in Sweden. This is useful and inspiring when you look for something to read in Swedish. But it is not only valuable to native speakers – I also sometimes use it for my Swedish classes.

The website is www.provlas.se

Here are a few tips on what to read if you are learning Swedish – children or adults, beginners or advanced, first language or second!

Any good reads lately? In Swedish I am currently reading “En man som heter Ove”

20130308-230528.jpg

 

#seetheworld Twitter Chat on Sweden is coming up!

#seetheworld

Join the Twitter chat on Sweden Aug 14! The community of #seetheworld will share and learn about Sweden! Whether you have already been to Sweden or not, live here or don’t, know something about it or nothing at all – come join us! This is a nice opportunity to chat about Sweden with fellow curious twitter friends. And, to connect with new friends! We all want to #seetheworld!

To join the conversation log in to Twitter and follow the hashtag #SeeTheWorld.

You can also follow

me, the co-host, @globatris

the founders @theCultureur and @RovingAltruist

and of course @SeeTheWorldChat

https://twitter.com/thecultureur/status/365212764148473856

Learn the Swedish language by listening to music

Learn the Swedish language by listening to music

Learning a language it is beneficial to listen to and sing along to music in that language. You learn new words but more importantly you get a sense of the rhythm and intonation of the language, as well as learning pronunciation.

Below is a link to a popular summer song in Swedish, by Tomas Ledin. It is called “Sommaren är kort” – summer is short.

video with sing-along text.

To learn the Swedish language by listening to music you need to pick up the words in the song. I have made a Sommaren är kort – glosor translating Swedish into English.

Sing along!

Top Ten Tips for Moving to Sweden

Top Ten Tips For Moving To Sweden

1)      Securing employment in Sweden can be a bit of a challenge. Often, the language barrier can be an issue, but as a native English speaker you will have an advantage among other expatriates.

2)      Many English expatriates opt to become teachers at international schools. Having a British Post Graduate Certificate in Education is an asset as well as an intermediate level of Swedish. However, the qualifications will vary depending on your teaching level and school board.

3)      You can find work online through company websites or through Arbetsförmedlingen, which is the largest job placement website in Sweden. You may also find work through Stepstone, Thelocal.se or Monster, which are also popular search engines.

4)      Similar to other Scandinavian countries, the Swedish healthcare system is funded by taxpayers; however as with many other nations, the public health care system does not cover optometry, dentistry, or orthodontics to name a few.

5)      Prescription medication must be provided by a physician, and it is provided through your personnummer then sent directly to the network of drugstores across the country. Thus, it is very important to receive this number as you will need it for many things.

6)      When visiting a doctor, you may be required to pay a small fee of about 150 to 300 SEK. After 1,100 SEK have been paid within one year, further healthcare will be provided free of charge.

7)      Primary education in Sweden is mandatory for children between the ages of 6/7 and 15/16 and it s free. Children can attend pre-school (förskola) between the ages of 1 to 5. Pre school is very common in Sweden as it aids in the child’s development and learning.

8)      There are also a few options available for private schooling. Within greater Stockholm, you will find Sigtunaskolan, which offers boarding for boys and girls. Another notable private school is Lundbergs skola, which is located within proximity of Kristinehamn.

9)      Higher Education institutions offer programs taught entirely in English or in Swedish. Sweden is home to many internationally recognized universities such as Uppsala University, Lund University and The Stockholm School of Economics.

10)   You may also choose to learn Swedish through private institutions such as Folkuniversitetet or you may seek Swedish courses at a higher education institution. However, Swedish courses at a university are not publicly funded. Alternatively, many private firms offer Swedish language training to expatriates.

 

This post was sponsored by Overs; a UK removals firm, specializing in removals to the UK, Europe and  worldwide. Get in touch and see how we can help you: http://www.overs.co.uk/

 

Midsummer – what’s it all about?

Midsummer

Midsummer in Sweden or elsewhere, or just interested in learning what it is all about?

Flowers in your hair – as a crown -, Swedish smörgåsbord when it comes to food or just the herring and new potatoes. Midsummer pole and traditional dancing, picking wildflowers and … rain. All is Midsummer.

I found an article in New York Times very well describing a Midsummer Day’s Dream. Read it here!

20130620-144419.jpg

Expat friends leaving

Summer. That single word promises a lot. Time off, no school, days at the beach, travel, sun, shorts … and people leaving. Relocation prime time. Dear expat friends moving on to another country – or perhaps yourself. Time to say goodbye; to promise you will see each other again. Soon.

Personally, I like to leave first. How about you?

Read some tips on leaving/being left by Olga Mecking.

Red and ripe and Swedish lesson

20130510-083134.jpg
Swedish strawberries.
Svenska jordgubbar.
So sweet and longed for. We Swedes always claim Swedish strawberries are the best; special. Grown in the open, taking their time to ripen they are a must on Midsummer. As almost every day during summer. Is there a better snack really? I love having them for breakfast too. On top of the muesli and sometimes on a piece of freshly baked bread with cream cheese.

Sometimes I pick my own strawberries; living in Switzerland a Swedish friend and I hired a babysitter to take the babies on a walk along the fields so we could introduce the toddlers to strawberry picking! Not price smart, however that was not the point.

Swedish lesson:

en jordgubbe – a/one strawberry
två jordgubbar – two strawberries
den jordgubben – that strawberry
mogna jordgubbar – ripe strawberries
Jordgubbarna är söta. The strawberries are sweet.
jordgubbssylt – strawberry jam
jordgubbssaft – strawberry juice/squash/cordial
en jordgubbstårta – a strawberry cake
att rensa jordgubbar – to rinse strawberries
att snoppa jordgubbar – to hull strawberries

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.

Link to one of the song lists