Södermalm. Probably the best malm in the 'holm.

Did you know that the city of Stockholm expands over 15 different islands? I found it a very amusing idea at first that I was crossing four entire islands by bus to get to the office every day.

Eastern Södermalm, map, 1674

The island I live on is called Södermalm. You might be familiar with it as the location of Stieg Larsson's Millennium/Dragon tattoo girl-trilogy. Due to its many hills it's the place to be for the best views over Stockholm. Apparently it is one of the most densely populated areas of Scandinavia, but to me it still feels like a very lively area in the countryside because there are so many parks, green areas, playgrounds and open squares around. It also never feels crowded, unless you decide to go to one of the many designer brand pop up sales.

Södermalm is sometimes also referred to as Sofo or hipster central, thanks to the many handsome bearded men who inhabit the area and make a living by selling specially brewed coffee, locally crafted thingy-mc gee’s or homemade organic ecologic vegan gluten free hotdogs - or of course by grooming the beards of the other locals. Everyone on the island is, aspires to be or has been the owner of a gallery at some point in their lives.

When I first arrived here I felt like I had stepped into a giant caricature of the real world, but I quickly grew fond of the area and I learned the locals were much more colourful and divers than I first thought. I am not the only one who likes it here: the large amount of people who want to live in Söder are pushing the housing prices up steeply and quickly. As a result, soon the things that attracted them to the area in the first place might be disappearing, as the circle of urban life tends to go.

Södermalm wasn't always home to the hip, the privileged and the artsy. It used to be a working-class area, expanding vastly during the rise of industry in the 1800's, and the area has not lost that vibe yet. Across the street from my studio flanked by two bistros, people still live in original wooden houses without modernised water works (and according to some, the original inhabitants might also still be around). Just a little further down the street, the futuristic Globe, the largest hemispherical building on Earth, is rising above the city skyline, on the border of a suburb that to me looks like an endless series of replicas of Pippi Longstocking's Villa Villekulla.

Most of Stockholm seems to be constructed this way - oldest, old, newer and newest are built next to and on top of each other without any concessions, excuses or attempts to assimilate. In many ways it seems to work better than any other urban development plan I have seen. It also means you can only describe Stockholm by using a lot of opposites. In Stockholm, turning a corner often means stepping from the 16th century into the 23rd. The traditional semla exists alongside new and trendy semmelwraps and wienersemlor. And yes, not everyone agrees with these modernisations and eccentric occurrences. Muttering, disagreeing sighs and even outrageous yelling happens. But in the end both 1800 wooden houses and the gigantic Globe stand right next to each other, and every morning fans of the traditional semla ride the bus together with semmelwrap eaters. And I love it.




Vi ses

Cathy


P.S.: If you want to see more of Södermalm, you can find some additional photos in this album.

It's the season... of semla

Around the same time I arrived in Sweden, so did something else: the semla.

Semla, as it is eaten here, is a pastry spiced with cardamom and filled with an almond mixture and whipped cream. Traditionally, semla was only eaten on Fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday), but these days semlor are available almost all winter. During my first lunch break at Bonniers Konsthall the whole conversation revolved around semla. Every bakery, tearoom and shop has semlor in the window and there are plenty of posters and advertisements featuring the semla all over town. On Fettisdag I saw queues outside the bakeries that would have made the average amusement park jealous.

Swedes surely seem to love their pastries and baked goods. Besides semlor, a wide range of cakes, pastries, chocolates and cookies can be found. I have tasted some really scrumptious cakes so far, though I did have to get used to the huge amounts of frosting and vanilla sauce that often come with it. I don't think it's just about the taste though. It's everything that comes with the pastry. I have noticed that dishes here are often very strongly connected to events, traditions, habits, emotions and memories. There is food for Cosy Friday nights and Saturdays are candy days. Fettisdag comes with semla and Saint Lucy's Day has lussekatten.

Another dish that has a lot of emotions connected to it, is fruktsoppa - fruit soup. There are many different variants, my favourite being rosehip soup. It's the kind of dish you'd get as a child when you weren't feeling too well, and it truly makes for good comfort food. You can eat it warm, with almond biscuits in it, but also cold or iced. You can combine it with cream or ice cream, but I haven't tried this yet.

And then there are the bananas. I didn't notice at first, but a friend pointed out that Swedes seem to be eating a lot of them: as a snack, but also combined with oatmeal for breakfast, or even with a spicy rice dish, in a tomato sauce, in a stew... or on pizza. The first time I saw someone slice a banana on top of a bowl of curry I thought she must have been mistaking it for something else. However, I am at this point almost convinced to try it myself. So who knows, I might be sharing my favourite banana recipes with you soon.

Vi ses



Cathy

Welcome to Sweden

Before I left, I did some basic research so I knew where I was going. So let me tell you a little bit more about Sweden.

First things first. Sweden, officially named Konungariket Sverige, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. As you can see on the map, Sweden is not the same as Denmark...

Okay, you might think I am silly or even obnoxious for pointing that out. But I have noticed that a lot of people in Belgium mix up these two countries - ouch. I'm not sure what causes this confusion. Perhaps I just meet a lot of people who really aren't that good at geography. However, considering the fact that almost every Swede I have met so far seems to have quite the extensive knowledge about Belgium, I felt the need to set this straight. So there you go: In green, Sweden, the country of Abba, Astrid Lindgren and Volvo and its capital Stockholm. In brown, Denmark, the country of Aqua, Hans Christian Andersen and Lego, with its capital Copenhagen.

Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1995, but they still have their own currency: the Swedish 'krona' (crown). 1 Swedish krona, or SEK, is worth about 11 eurocents. The constant converting from krona to euro and euro to krona gave me quite the headache when I first arrived. If you're not a fan of juggling foreign coins around, don't worry: you can pay with card everywhere: supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, garage sales... I have even seen public restrooms where you pay electronically! People here don't use a lot of cash anymore. I found out first hand when it took me 20 minutes to find someone who had change for a luggage locker.

Järnpojke might be the only person in Stockholm
who always has cash on him.

Summer days in Sweden are extremely long... and so are the winter nights! Even though Stockholm doesn't have neverending days and nights like up north, winters here are quite dark. When I arrived days were already getting longer and it still was pitch dark at 3 in the afternoon. It's quite confusing - I was sleepy all the time. Swedes tackle the darkness by hanging on to their Christmas lights until Easter comes around. I have gotten used to the darkness now and as February rolled in evenings arrive notifiably later and later.

One question people keep asking me even if I don't drink alcohol is: Is beer really that expensive in Sweden? And I guess the answer is: Yes, it is. Alcoholic drinks don't come cheap, and you can only buy them at bars and restaurants to be consumed there. Supermarkets only sell a few beers with a very low alcohol percentage. If you want anything stronger you have to go to Systembolaget, the government ruled liquor store. There are no promotions and the opening hours are limited. On Fridays after work you can hear the glass bottles clunk around in people's backpacks on the rhythm of the metro's movement. According to international research, getting rid of the government monopoly would cost 1,580 extra deaths, 14,200 more assaults, and 16.1 million extra days of sick leave per year...

If you would like to read more about Sweden's love for electronic payment, this is a good place to start. If you have any specific questions about Sweden, leave a comment and I will try to answer!

Vi ses!


Cathy

How to pack for a long, long, long time

I'm not the worst packer in the world, but I'm definitely not the best. When packing for a short trip I usually just toss some half folded clothes and other items in my bag without really thinking it through.

However, when you need to pack for 3 months, you need a bit more than a spare shirt and a change of socks. So I decided to handle things a bit more structured this time around. This method might not be the best for everyone, but it worked pretty well for me. So I decided to share it, for all those other troubled packers out there.

1. M(t)ake a list

With so much on your mind, it's easy to forget things. So I decided to make a list first. That way I could easily check which items I still needed to buy, wash, repair, ask back from that friend I lend it to 2 years ago, dig back up from the back of my closet...

However, every time I started on the list, I got distracted. So in the end, I used the internet to find some packing lists made by others with way more experience than I, and just adjusted those to fit my needs and desires. To be honest, that was probably a better idea anyway, because I had no idea how many shirts, pairs of pants, or socks to pack, so those lists were good guidelines.

2. Start collecting

Collect all the things on your list and start checking off. Start on time, because you don't want to realise last minute your raincoat has been eaten by a friendly neighbourhood moth family with no time to buy a new one anymore. For me, it also helped to keep my peace of mind to physically see all the items come together. 

3. Add the missing bits and pieces

Your friends are going to come over and give you parting gifts. So add them to your pile. Add your stuffed monkey with the missing eye you can't sleep without. Add another sweater to your travel wardrobe, because they said it was going to be really, really, really cold. Add another skirt because it goes so well with the sweater. Add an extra book that you really need to read while abroad. Add more gifts from friends. Add more socks because you never know. Add a box of your favourite cookies because maybe they only have icky cookies where you're going. Add another pair of shoes because you can't stand the thought of leaving them behind. Add all those things that weren't on your original list but you suddenly realise you have to take with you...

4. Go through all the stages

This step takes quite some time and it will cost you a lot of energy, but if you want to end up with neatly packed luggage, you'll have to go through it. So here we go...

• Deny the problem. It's not that much stuff. The suitcase looks small on the outside, but on the inside it's a lot bigger. It will fit somehow. Everything is fine.

• Get angry. How dare that stupid bag be so small? And why do books take up so much space? You'd think that in this day and age where we can pack so much data in a teeny tiny microchip, somebody would have come up with a solution for this. Why doesn't the airline company with their stupid weight limits care about Monkey and your extra sweater? Why???

• Try to bargain. Okay, it won't all fit in the suitcase. But you can easily wear that extra sweater. Or two. Three might also work. It's only if you wear more than four at the same time, it becomes a bit odd, right?

• Get depressed. It's slowly sinking in that there's a big chance Monkey has to stay behind. Put on those lovely shoes that you can't take with you, nest yourself in the piles of luggage, eat that whole package of cookies and cry. It's okay. Let it all out. There there.

• Accept reality. You can't take it all. You will have to make choices. You are strong. You can do it.

5. Eliminate

Use the list to get back to the essentials, but don't get too hard on yourself. If you really think you're going to need Monkey, then make room for him.

If you have trouble deciding which clothes to take, then try to stick to a pallet of 3 matching colours. It will save you a lot of trouble and headaches figuring out which shirt goes with what pair of pants, and you'll end up with a wardrobe where all pieces are interchangeable, so you won't feel like you have to wear the same outfit for months in a row.

6. Pack it all away

Alright, time to get everything in your bag. It's a bit like playing Tetris, except it's no fun at all. There are quite a few packing philosophies - some people swear by rolling up all their clothes instead of folding them. Some people like to invest in those vacuum bags to lose as little space as possible on air. As for me - I just call in a friend and let her do the packing while Monkey and me sit by and watch her do it. Worked like a charm.

While packing, you're going to have to make some
tough decisions on what to take, and what to leave behind.

Hej då,

Cathy

PS: In case you were wondering, I didn't take Monkey with me. He's afraid of flying.