Tag Archives: living in / moving to Sweden

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.

Swedish Newspapers

Want to read something besides Aftonbladet? I found a link to Swedish Newspapers on line. “Click” to find your favorite.

The webpage does not only list Swedish newspapers but newspapers worldwide.

Reading the news does not only help improving your language but also gives you a sense of belonging; whether you are new to Sweden, a Swede living abroad or just interested in Sweden. You know what is going on and can join the conversations.

Personally I have a thing for local news, no matter which country I live in. It is also an excellent way to stay updated on what is going on on the cultural scene – museums, exhibitions, theaters, markets and other happenings in your area.

Have you found a favorite newspaper?

10 good things to know about Sweden

About Sweden; well what about it? Want to know a few Swedish essentials? Or are you looking for a list to explain Sweden to your friends abroad? Here it is; from fika to Allemansrätten and Idas sommarvisa – about Sweden

Video by Eductus.

From fika to Allemansrätten and Idas sommarvisa.

 

Det Vackraste – Music in Swedish on Valentine’s Day

 

It is Valentine’s Day – alla hjärtans dag – today, and what could be more appropriate than posting a link to a beautiful song of love.

It you are learning Swedish this is a perfect song – Cecilia sings in a clear voice, fairly slow which makes it easier to follow. The link is to Spotify; if you don’t have it you can check Youtube ( I did not post a link since I could not find a version where there were no spelling mistakes …)  Be sure to use TuneWiki to see the words in writing, if you use Spotify.

Cecilia Vennersten – Det Vackraste

 

 

Swedish ABC – pop culture

Are you familiar with the Swedish ABC? Well, perhaps not this one.

Check this alphabet out to learn – or smile knowingly – about Swedish pop culture. Equally interesting whether you are Swedish, new or seasoned expat in Sweden, or simply curious.

Radio Sweden has made a compilation of Swedish culture and language in their own ABC. Listen to it by clicking the link below.

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=2165159

Anything you want to add?

Swedish children’s literature

Swedish children’s literature

Who haven’t heard of Pippi and Astrid Lindgren? But there’s more to it when it comes to Swedish children’s literature. When I was living abroad Swedish children’s books – in Swedish – were very important to me and hopefully to my kids too. Luggage was heavy every time we returned after a visit to Sweden. I bought tons of books.

Today, being back in Sweden, we enjoy the libraries and spend less money – not time – on books. We still carry loads home every week.

Read about Swedish children’s literature here. Did you know difficult subjects are often brought up and dealt with? Personally, I love Goodbye Mr Muffin (Adjö, herr Muffin) by Ulf Nilsson.

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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.

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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”

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Travel notes

Travel notes

There is nothing like seeing new places, meeting new people and experience new situations to broaden your horizons. You learn not only about the world and its people but also about yourself. Moving abroad might be the ultimate test in this school of life, but traveling is excellent too! We carry memories for life, perhaps friendship or even love. We fill our cameras and smartphones with photos. Pictures are a great medium for remembering, but what about the written word? Do you keep travel notes? There are many travel blogs out there; perhaps a way for people to just keep notes. A simple note book (or a fancy one 🙂 ) will do to! As will of course digital tools.

Travel notes – why?

You might take notes to remember places, to describe sights. It can be for your eyes only or for your children who travel with you, or even for generations to come to discover. Sometimes when you write you see things more in detail. You notice the smells, the colors, the feeling you have at that point. How food tasted. Smell/taste in particular is hard to capture on a photo – yet.

The pen brings out an awareness on another level, at least in me. This does not mean I always take travel notes; not at all. But I am happy about the notes I have taken in the past. It is fun to read, and always surprising. I find things in my note books that I had totally forgotten about! Small situations, conversations or details. It is a sure trip down memory lane.

Taking notes is also a great way to see how you change yourself. I have previously written about taking early notes when you move abroad to savor the first impressions – after a while you won’t even notice the details you first found so striking.

Travel does not always have to be in real life though. You can travel by books and movies. Today we have fantastic means to travel online; videos, information and people. Connect and learn, take part in chats, follow country accounts on Twitter (Rotation Curation); share and ask! You can still take notes!

Tell me, do you take notes? Do you keep them in a note book or online? What do you do with them?

travel notes