Swedish cheese slicers

We packed up our apartment for moving, the boxes have been shipped, our luggage is overflowing, and we fly back to the States tomorrow. Could this be the last blog post on Swedish soil? And I titled it "Swedish cheese slicers"?!?

Yesterday consisted of hauling the remains of remains to the second-hand shop...those random purchases we made while here, stuff that was useful but we had no space for in the luggage, stuff that wasn't very useful (yup, this guy was brought back to his original home!) And after we lugged our stuff to the donation room, out of habit, I poked around the kitchen section of the second-hand shop, on the look out for a cheese slicer.

I don't know if these are typical in the States or not, since we had one at our house growing up (but my mom is Swedish). But they are the best tool! The family I nannyed for had a dozen in their kitchen drawers alone. I wanted to bring a few back, just in case they are tough to find, so for the last several weeks, I have been looking for a few cheap ones to slide into the checked baggage.

No luck. I can NEVER find these at second-hand shops, which must mean Swedes never donate cheese slicers. Often, you will find whole, beautiful sets of Rörstrand dishes, entire sets of silverware, or lovely Kosta Boda glassware in the city mission store, but I have never seen a simple plastic-handled cheese slicer, much less the nice wood-handled ones! Relatives pass on, and their heirs go through the household, deciding what to keep and what to donate: 'The Höganäs pottery goes to Myrorna, but let's hang on to Mormor's cheese slicers.' ?!?

Stu has coveted the Viking cheese slicer since we saw them in the tourist shops in Gamla Stan, but we never managed to buy one. Not to mention they cost more like $30. His little horns would probably bend trying to get through a hunk of Vermont White Cheddar anyway.

So you have to buy them new. No biggie. I picked up a generic one up for a few dollars at a Öob. Nothing special. But it is the strangest phenomenon that with all the other kitchen crap you can find there, I have never spotted the elusive Swedish cheese slicer in a second-hand shop. Let's hope US Ikea has a source!

Unisex babies/baby clothes

Did you hear about the family in Toronto that decided they wanted to raise their kids gender-neutral? I like the idea. We have a friend who has a ton of extra baby clothes that her little boy grew out of before she could even take the tags off, and she offered them all to us only "if we have a little boy." Both Stu & I thought the parameters strange, since we have no qualms with dressing a little girl up in onesies patterned with trains! Because really, at a few months old, our kid wouldn't know the difference...

Though we knew we wanted to find out the sex of our little nugget before he was born, Stu & I actually thought about not telling anyone, to avoid the inevitable gendered gifts in blues-for-boys or pinks-for-girls (I like both colors, personally.) Of course our next thought was "Then we'll get all yellow and green stuff" and I don't think I could handle a wardrobe and playroom of all yellow and green. And we are excited to share our news, so we couldn't keep it to ourselves anyway.

I know gender and sex are two different things, one being socially constructed and one being biological fact, and I don't have anything deep or earth-shattering to add to the debate on kids and gender. But despite the good intentions of what the Toronto couple is working toward, I think our society makes it hard on kids not to 'fit in' to some kind of box...it is human nature to try to figure something/someone out by associating them with what is already known. Still, I like the idea of letting a kid's personality grow more naturally, and without the shaping of gender-specific toys or outfits. Like Angelina & Brad's daughter, who somehow has gotten labeled as a lesbian at age 4 for liking "boy" things.

If I had unlimited money, I would dress our kids in all Polarn O. Pyret.

I'm a convert, having spent a year as a nanny for three squirmy Swedish kids with their own very distinct personalities and a penchant for getting dirty. ALL Swedish kids wear this brand (okay, SO much for my big "let kids be individuals" thing...Swedes are notoriously conformist.) But I still like their good quality and the relaxed approach to patterns and styles. They do make pink dresses in flower prints, but there are far more uni-sex kid clothes in their line-up than most brands can offer.


 

Their stuff isn't budget-priced. I bought my first pair of mamma jeans from PO.P last month and felt like I should be eating cheap falukorv for the next week to make up for the cost. But the jeans look good, and will last me the entire pregnancy (Well, I hope. Because if they don't, it means I gained too much weight and I can't pull them over my butt!) But I'd still buy them for my kids. Come to think of it, maybe I should be scoping out Swedish second-hand shops for used PO.P stuff before we leave! Of course, I haven't bought a thing for this kid yet, aside from the father's day gift for Stu (that I purchased before we knew we were having a boy, thinking a little girl would be just as subjected to her pappa's Eagles fever as a little boy would.)

Oh, we do think we decided on a name! We reserve the right to change it up until the day he is born (and maybe even after!) so we probably won't be sharing it anytime soon. Don't want anyone to get too attached. It is pretty darn Scandinavian, though. Poor kid...let's hope he likes his heritage later in life!

Off to the store

We're having people over for dinner and to watch Melodifestivalen tonight. What can we say, we've adapted? But accordingly, we're making food for more than our customary two, and had to conglomerate the ingredients with stops to Lidl, ICA, Coop. You know, good value-for-money, and to get us out of the house.

We were in a looooong line in a naaaaaaaaaarrow shop (befitting city living), and so checked out the other people in line. We couldn't help but notice the poor little girl screaming cutely at the top of her lungs. Yes, somehow it's cuter when it's in Swedish instead of our native tongue.

What I found remarkable was her father's response. He calmly walked her back to where she'd found the Pink Unobtainium and made her put it back. I really admired and respected what that took, and thought I'd award him my mental: Parent of the Day. He was like a Zen monk. And she quieted a little as he picked her up.

We had just been talking about parenting at a fika this week, and how sad it is that kids are drowned in presents every Christmas. And I get it, parents get sucked in to it. So this resistant father gets my Tip Of the Hat. My description doesn't give you the sense of the master bargaining skills this little girl was employing, "det är dåligt, snälla snälla snälla...ja vill ha..." but it was impressive. I am a sentimental sort, and I couldn't help but think that although she didn't know it, that little girl had everything she needs.

I guess it's un-Swedish to notice someone else's business in public, but having seen kids get smacked around in stores before, it's nice to see an example of the other side of the spectrum.

Collect 'em all

Yesterday  almost hit 0 degrees, so I went shopping. I bought a dress and tights and a pair of pants, and a completely unnecessary wooden Sweden.

I have a weakness for household items shaped like Sweden. Thankfully, Sagaform fills my weird needs...we own their big Sweden serving bowl (bought that sucker at a second-hand shop for 100:-!) and now, we own the cheeseboard.

I have my eye out for a deal on the Dala horse. I'd love to eat candy out of that guy! And the mini-Sweden serving dish would really just be to complete the set...I'm not sure what it's function would be if I already owned a cute candy dish Dala horse. I use the big one to serve meatballs, of course.

Sagaform Spring/Summer 2011 catalog

Stockholm Guide

We didn't come up with this, but its a good one, especially for the design-inclined. The most recent DesignSponge city guide is for Stockholm!

illustration by julia rothman

It's very thorough, and I was both happy to see a lot of places we love made the list, as did some that we had never heard of (For example, this awesome-looking chocolatier just down the street from us!) And nice little Fotografiska shout-out.

Stu & I leave for DC ungodly early tomorrow (why did I book a 7am flight out of Arlanda?!?) We'll be back the first week of July for a whopping 5 days, then off to Edinburgh & surrounding Scotland for a week, followed by a week in southern Germany with Stu's mama. We'll be back for all of August (except for a short stint for me in Paris, woohoo!) so we'll have lots to discover with this D*S guide!

Vad är det?

Do you have any idea what this guy is used for?

He is about a foot tall and made of very thin green glass. The top and the little spout on the side both open to the main body of it, but the bigger circle on the other side opens to that oval shaped bubble in the middle. I think it looks like old science-y equipment. Stu thinks its some kind of wine decanter, that you could put shaved ice in the oval part to chill it without watering it down. Any other ideas?

I was on a hunt for an antique cast-iron heart-shaped waffle maker, but ended up bringing him home from the Odenplan Stadsmission. Not because I needed it, but because he was pretty and strange and only 80 kr. Stu says I am definitely my father's daughter, but I happen to think its greener than if I were buying new, random knick-knacks that I don't need. And they make me happy. Stockholm second-hand shops are the best for interesting, cheap little knick-knacks, and I really cannot help but pop in whenever we walk by one.... 

An ending to museum education and the boots

I am doing a bit of procrastinating. Again. I have a final exam and presentation due tomorrow, and I feel like I have done nothing but write about engaging museum audiences for the last 4 days straight. This was a great class though. Very practical, and we met a ton of interesting people with interesting points of view on museum education in Sweden. It feels a little strange for me since the US has such a well-developed educational model, and many of our discussions surround the newness of the discipline in Swedish museums. But since my last job required being familiar with best practices for museum educators, I feel like I have a lot to say and compare to. Of course it means my exam has somehow bloated to about 11 pages so far, and I'm not quite done.

So procrastinating led to a long internet search for those Camper boots. Which became a little ridiculous, because they are just simple gray boots with buckles...I can probably find something similar in a different brand in Stockholm. And I have no job (aside from the one day a week nannying I have taken up again, but thats chump change) so I really shouldn't have my eye on expensive boots anyway.

But the obsessing paid off. And for $50 cheaper! Well, cheaper before you add in whatever it will cost to ship them to Sweden. I found them on Amazon.com, and they didn't do international. But I was so happy to see them in a size that will fit my feet, and I had to get them. Thank you, people of the US who offered to check your local Camper stores.

But victory aside, the procrastination continues. I am finding it very hard to concentrate with the 2 oafish Swedes yelling to each other and jumping up & down on my roof, knocking snow & ice from the eaves. When Jinni was here in December visiting, we spent a good half hour entranced by the guys knocking the snow & icicles off of the neighbors' roof (there might even be a video of the drama!) But when they are actually overhead, its not as exciting, and its insanely LOUD! Seriously, like a herd of elephants. The thermometer has not crawled above freezing in over a month, so that ice and snow is packed in. I might have to go watch some TV or something...

Must be December...

 I stole this picture from a random person's Flickr page.

I was in ÖoB  (okay, so 'getting sun' also meant stopping into the Swedish version of Big Lots for wierd things to send back to my family.)  And while I was in line, 3 (THREE) different people popped in to ask the cashier if they had saffron in stock.  Of course they'd go to ÖoB for it...its the world's most expensive spice! Might as well try to find a deal.

Countdown: 10 Days 'til Santa Lucia.  I am not attempting buns. Saffron is too expensive for my baking ineptitude. Besides, you can get them at 7-11.

Happy (almost) Halloween

Punkins at the outdoor market at Sergels Torg a week or so ago

We're going to a costume party. If any of you have seen Stu's facebook lately, you know what he is planning to be. I, on the other hand, have NO idea what to dress up as. And we, as Americans, are expected to be awesome at the whole costume thing (because Halloween is not a Swedish thing, as my classmates have reminded me a million times this week.)  But I walked down Drottninggatan yesterday (while soaking up some sun...real sun!) past the party store Buttericks, and there was a LINE out the door. With security guards manning the people traffic!! You can't tell me Swedes *don't* get into Halloween, because those certainly weren't all Americans lining up to get into a costume shop.

So I'm open to ideas. The sun is out again today, so its the perfect excuse to go for a walk to find some costume-making ingredients.  Will post pictures if it is a successful endeavor.

In the meantime, happy halloween!

Random images for a Saturday

I am trying to am-scr-ay while Stu is studying for exams (because my exam presentation was yesterday, so I am done with module 1, and have a 5-day break until module 2).

But I had to post a few pictures of things that kind of made me laugh this week:



Stu asked for softer toilet paper (I guess the cheap 11 kr TP was too rough for the poor baby.) So I bought the most ridiculous, soft-looking toilet paper that the Coop Konsum had to offer. Yes, its called Lambi. It has pink hearts and sweet little lambs printed on it. And its tag line: soft & caring. Because that is what you want out of toilet paper. ["Like wiping yer bum on a wee wooly lamb," Stu said in his worst/best Scottish accent]




And yes, this is an advertisement for the new fall styles at Gallerian, a big shopping mall downtown. Apparently, the 'catwalk' is pretty popular for fall.
Can you imagine being the model hired to get dressed up & made up, and then have to be photographed carrying a kitty around, knowing that you'd be plastered all over Stockholm phone booths looking supremely ridiculous? ["Ridiculous?! You mean sinister! He's clearly the head of an organized spy sindicate!"] I love it. I totally love it. I pass these on my way to the bus stop on Odengatan.



This poor cat looks uncomfortable:

Blocket and shopping

I am a fan!

Of course, I was/am a big fan of Craigslist, and Blocket is essentially the Swedish equivalent (without the scuzzy personal ads and job listings.) Despite that it is notoriously flakey, I have bought a ton of furniture and odds 'n ends through Craigslist in DC, collected random crap for our wedding, found my apartment, listed the condo for sale. When moving to Sweden, we sold a third of our furniture and posted an announcement for a yard sale through CL. Soooooo glad Sweden has something similar!

We made our first purchase through Blocket yesterday. We bought a microwave (Swedish word of the day: microvågsugn.)
It was super easy, and from a nice Swedish dad-type in our neighborhood, who coincidentally, and oddly, has two daughters going to college in the US on golf scholarships (in Oklahoma & Louisiana, even more odd.)

When I mentioned it was on our list of things-to-buy to some of the int'l kids in Stu's program, we got pegged as typical Americans, unable to live without our beloved microwave. Why give us a hard time for something that makes our lives easier? First use: I melted butter in it yesterday for the pancakes we ate for dinner. Call me nuts, but I'm just excited for microwave popcorn, the ability to heat up leftovers, and to make a cup of tea without having to futz with the gas stove.

(FYI, we have a gas stove/oven. I have never, ever had a gas stove, always electric, so it may be basic for some, but learning to turn on the burners has been a small challenge for me.)

And it was cheap! Nearly brand new and quite nice, for 350:-. That's less than 50 bucks. It fits really nicely in our kitchen:



So shopping. I am embarrassed to admit this, but Stu & I spent 6.5 hours in Ikea this week (SIX and a HALF!) working on outfitting our new place a little better. A large chunk of that was custom-designing a set of PAX armoirs for me, with the color, size, drawers, rods and shoe racks I want/need.
And we picked a couch! Not one that I loved, but one that was 1) a decent price, and on sale! 2) long enough for us both to cuddle up to some TV on and 3) a bäddsoffa, so we could have guests. The only reason they didn't come home with us Friday was because Ikea closes at 8pm (!) in Sweden, and we didn't have enough time to check out and arrange for delivery. Because, like I said, we spent almost 7 hours there (with fika and dinner thrown in.) So I hopped online to order the same items for delivery. But they were more expensive. I guess the sale price was in-store only. Then I did the mental exchange rate math, and got freaked out by the prices. Its cheap, but I want it cheaper. Hence Blocket.

So next on the Blocket purchase list: a couch (pull-out for all you people who SAY you are going to visit us) and some armoir-type thing. Because the reason I spent so much time custom designing the wardrobes is because we have a coat closet & a linen closet, and that is it (Stu's mom warned us, having lived in Germany, we'd be lucky to have a closet at all!) My clothes are crumpled in bags on the floor of our bedroom.
We are going to see 2 couches and a set of wardrobes today, in fact, in an hour. I'll post our thoughts later. But E should appreciate that one couch is red. Stu is very excited.