Man, what a year 2008 has been! I love New Year's Eve because it is a time to reflect on the year that has gone by and what you hope to accomplish in the year ahead. I also love all the Best of lists. Here's a quick Best Events of 2008 list I came up with for my own life:
January- I celebrated New Year's out in New York City!!!
April- I turned 24
June- I moved from NYC back to Stockholm, Sweden
July- I flew to California to be the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding and to meet my new niece Brynn!
September- I started working at Handelsbanken as an editor and publisher...my dream job :)
November- Klas proposed to me in London
December- Christmas in Sandviken with the Toresson family and New Year's Eve...well I'm not sure yet :)
December 31, 2008
December 23, 2008
God Jul!
This will be the first year I spend Christmas in Sweden. Last year I went to Dallas to spend Christmas with my brother and his familiy and the year before that I went to California to spend it with Mom. I have experienced all the fun leading up to Christmas day but this year I will get to see the action all the way through. Here are some fun facts about Christmas in Sweden.
1. Christmas is celebrated on December 24th. Presents are opened and the Christmas feast is eaten on what I have always known as Christmas Eve. December 25th is more a day of rest and recuperation.
2. Santa is a gnome, not a fat old man who lives in the North Pole. Tomte, as he is called here, is more of a gnome figure who according to legend lives in your house and watches over your garden during the year. He does bring presents to good little boys and girls but he definitely does not come down the chimney and he doesn't have reindeer or a sleigh.
3. Donald Duck is the new Ralphie. Every year on Christmas, Swedish families sit around the TV and watch some kind of "Donald Duck's Christmas" at 3:00. I haven't seen this one yet so I am still a bit confused, but I suppose it is like watching A Christmas Story the States. It's just something you do every year. And when I say everyone watches Donald Duck, I mean everyone! (It is probably good to know that Donald is the star of the Disney clan here. Mickey Mouse is just oen of his side kicks.)
4. There is no such thing as too much gingerbread. Seriously, "pepparkakor" or gingerbread cookies are absolutely everywhere! Since December 1, I have probably consumed 500, 000 gingerbread cookies and muffins. (I have yet to see a candy cane though.)
5. Handmade gifts are best. Handicrafts galore can be found at all the cute outdoor Christmas markets around town and all make great gifts. Ornaments are often handmade and Christmas craft circles with friends are not uncommon. Presents in general are a whole other thing here. It is not so much about the money you spend as it is the thought you put into it.
6. Superstitions exist here too. One of the foods Swedes eat on Christmas is a kind of rice porridge. They hide one peeled almond in the batch and whoever finds the almond in their bowl is said to be married within the next year. According to Klas though, when you are a kid and don't want to get married, it just means you win. This makes me think of the American tradition of searching for the pickle ornament on the tree or even pulling the wishbone on the Thanksgiving turkey.
7. As with most places, there is no such thing as over-eating on Christmas. Swedes have a tradition of a "Julbord" or Christmas table. It's basically a buffe or smörgasbord (which is a Swedish word btw) of all the tastiest Christmas foods you can imagine: ham, sausages, cheeses, breads, salads, herring, meatballs, vegetables, potatoes and much much more. Ooooh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
God Jul och Gott Nytt År!!! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)
1. Christmas is celebrated on December 24th. Presents are opened and the Christmas feast is eaten on what I have always known as Christmas Eve. December 25th is more a day of rest and recuperation.
2. Santa is a gnome, not a fat old man who lives in the North Pole. Tomte, as he is called here, is more of a gnome figure who according to legend lives in your house and watches over your garden during the year. He does bring presents to good little boys and girls but he definitely does not come down the chimney and he doesn't have reindeer or a sleigh.
3. Donald Duck is the new Ralphie. Every year on Christmas, Swedish families sit around the TV and watch some kind of "Donald Duck's Christmas" at 3:00. I haven't seen this one yet so I am still a bit confused, but I suppose it is like watching A Christmas Story the States. It's just something you do every year. And when I say everyone watches Donald Duck, I mean everyone! (It is probably good to know that Donald is the star of the Disney clan here. Mickey Mouse is just oen of his side kicks.)
4. There is no such thing as too much gingerbread. Seriously, "pepparkakor" or gingerbread cookies are absolutely everywhere! Since December 1, I have probably consumed 500, 000 gingerbread cookies and muffins. (I have yet to see a candy cane though.)
5. Handmade gifts are best. Handicrafts galore can be found at all the cute outdoor Christmas markets around town and all make great gifts. Ornaments are often handmade and Christmas craft circles with friends are not uncommon. Presents in general are a whole other thing here. It is not so much about the money you spend as it is the thought you put into it.
6. Superstitions exist here too. One of the foods Swedes eat on Christmas is a kind of rice porridge. They hide one peeled almond in the batch and whoever finds the almond in their bowl is said to be married within the next year. According to Klas though, when you are a kid and don't want to get married, it just means you win. This makes me think of the American tradition of searching for the pickle ornament on the tree or even pulling the wishbone on the Thanksgiving turkey.
7. As with most places, there is no such thing as over-eating on Christmas. Swedes have a tradition of a "Julbord" or Christmas table. It's basically a buffe or smörgasbord (which is a Swedish word btw) of all the tastiest Christmas foods you can imagine: ham, sausages, cheeses, breads, salads, herring, meatballs, vegetables, potatoes and much much more. Ooooh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
God Jul och Gott Nytt År!!! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)
December 19, 2008
Holiday mail
There is nothing better than getting mail. Real mail. In the mailbox mail. Emails are always fun but they don't even compare to the feeling of holding an actual envelope in your hand. This is more true than ever for me now, when any form of contact from my loved ones abroad makes me so happy.
Every day this week I have run to our mailbox when I get home from work because everyday there has been something in there for me! Today I received a notice that I had a large package to pick up at the post office down the street. You can imagine my excitement. It was a package from my mom with all sorts of Christmas goodies and my first presents of the year.
Aren't the holidays wonderful?! Thank you so much to everyone who has made the extra effort and paid the extra postage to send me a Christmas card this year. It means a lot! Klas sure has had fun looking at all of them too. The whole picture and a card in one thing was new to him :)
Our fridge full of Christmas cards!
Every day this week I have run to our mailbox when I get home from work because everyday there has been something in there for me! Today I received a notice that I had a large package to pick up at the post office down the street. You can imagine my excitement. It was a package from my mom with all sorts of Christmas goodies and my first presents of the year.
Aren't the holidays wonderful?! Thank you so much to everyone who has made the extra effort and paid the extra postage to send me a Christmas card this year. It means a lot! Klas sure has had fun looking at all of them too. The whole picture and a card in one thing was new to him :)
Our fridge full of Christmas cards!
December 17, 2008
Swim and Sauna
I live in a country where the sun comes up at 10:00am (if you can even call it up) and goes down at 2:00pm. It's been several weeks now since I've actually seen the light of day and my body is starting to feel the consequences of the lack of vitamin D. The days blend together in an eerie and somewhat unpleasant manner and I seem to be tired all the time.
You have to come up with ways to beat the winter chill and darkness and I am still learning what works for me. The one thing I have noticed is how much better I feel on the days that I get some exercise. I am also addicted to lighting candles and drinking tea…anything really that helps to convince me that living in the cold just makes everything cosier.
Last night I went swimming with Anna at an indoor swimming pool and then we took a sauna. The sauna experience is very popular here in Scandinavia, and for good reason. I'm not sure why Americans don't jump on the bandwagon because sitting in a wooden room full of what can only be described as dry, piping hot steam is really quite extraordinary. I was warmed to the core for the first time in a long while and the feeling lasted long after we got out.
It's the small things that make the difference and make it a little easier to live in the North Pole :)
(For the record, "to sauna" is not a verb in English, right?…"I saunaed" just doesn't seem right but my Swedish-thinking brain is confusing me)
You have to come up with ways to beat the winter chill and darkness and I am still learning what works for me. The one thing I have noticed is how much better I feel on the days that I get some exercise. I am also addicted to lighting candles and drinking tea…anything really that helps to convince me that living in the cold just makes everything cosier.
Last night I went swimming with Anna at an indoor swimming pool and then we took a sauna. The sauna experience is very popular here in Scandinavia, and for good reason. I'm not sure why Americans don't jump on the bandwagon because sitting in a wooden room full of what can only be described as dry, piping hot steam is really quite extraordinary. I was warmed to the core for the first time in a long while and the feeling lasted long after we got out.
It's the small things that make the difference and make it a little easier to live in the North Pole :)
(For the record, "to sauna" is not a verb in English, right?…"I saunaed" just doesn't seem right but my Swedish-thinking brain is confusing me)
December 14, 2008
blah blah blog
I'm not sure what has gotten into me and why it has become more difficult for me to write interesting posts lately. I have a desire to write more often but then when I sit down to do it I feel like I have nothing to say.The truth is, my life is absolutely crazy busy and fulfilling right now and I have tons to write about. I just haven't found a good way to express those things I wish to share.
This blog has become more of a way for me to share my life in Sweden with my family and friends I can't see every day than it is a forum for me to open up about my thoughts, dreams, and opinions. I think maybe I will try to change that in hopes of creating a stronger desire within myself to write. I too often feel like, who really wants to read about my trip to the grocery store where I had an epiphany or my experience with the homeless man on the train home from work? When really, these are the things about my day-to-day life that may be interesting to others if I open up and am honest.
For now I can be honest with a little catch-up on the ongoings of my life:
Work is going well and although I often put in long hours, I have never had such a rewarding job before. I am constantly learning and overcoming challenges and that is always a major plus for one's self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. I just finished my first term as a teacher for an online Copywriting in English class with a university here in Stockholm called Berghs School of Communication. It was difficult staying motivated enough to come home and correct papers after a long day of work but now that it is over, I am of course very glad I did it. They have asked me to run the course called Professional Writing in English next term and I have accepted, so there will be no lull in my work load any time soon :)
Klas and I are really looking forward to Christmas since we have both been working so much this month that we haven't had so much time for eachother. We will be spending Christmas at his mom's house and will also visit his dad and his grandparents while we are there. This will actually be my first Christmas spent in Sweden so I am looking forward to learning some new traditions and being a part of the festivities here.
Last but not least...we bought our tickets and are flying to California on January 15th! I am so glad that we worked it out so that even though I cannot be with my family on Christmas, there will only be more to look forward to once Christmas is over because Klas and I are coming to the States! We talk about it almost every day and are really looking forward to seeing everyone we have missed so much.
This blog has become more of a way for me to share my life in Sweden with my family and friends I can't see every day than it is a forum for me to open up about my thoughts, dreams, and opinions. I think maybe I will try to change that in hopes of creating a stronger desire within myself to write. I too often feel like, who really wants to read about my trip to the grocery store where I had an epiphany or my experience with the homeless man on the train home from work? When really, these are the things about my day-to-day life that may be interesting to others if I open up and am honest.
For now I can be honest with a little catch-up on the ongoings of my life:
Work is going well and although I often put in long hours, I have never had such a rewarding job before. I am constantly learning and overcoming challenges and that is always a major plus for one's self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. I just finished my first term as a teacher for an online Copywriting in English class with a university here in Stockholm called Berghs School of Communication. It was difficult staying motivated enough to come home and correct papers after a long day of work but now that it is over, I am of course very glad I did it. They have asked me to run the course called Professional Writing in English next term and I have accepted, so there will be no lull in my work load any time soon :)
Klas and I are really looking forward to Christmas since we have both been working so much this month that we haven't had so much time for eachother. We will be spending Christmas at his mom's house and will also visit his dad and his grandparents while we are there. This will actually be my first Christmas spent in Sweden so I am looking forward to learning some new traditions and being a part of the festivities here.
Last but not least...we bought our tickets and are flying to California on January 15th! I am so glad that we worked it out so that even though I cannot be with my family on Christmas, there will only be more to look forward to once Christmas is over because Klas and I are coming to the States! We talk about it almost every day and are really looking forward to seeing everyone we have missed so much.
December 8, 2008
Not-so-crafty Cami
The holiday season is in full force over here in Stockholm. Christmas music blasts from every speaker, white lights, ribbons and wreaths decorate the streets and shop windows, and the popular shopping areas of the city are over flowing with people... (what global economic crisis??) 
Christmas cookbook
yummy Saffron buns before going in the oven 
Gingerbread muffins with lingon berries
Girls craft night at Fia's 
Anna's super cute owl ornament
My super lame-o Santa :) 
Me and the glue stick...the extent of my crafty tools
I am making an effort this year to focus on more important things than presents and shopping. Mostly because I always just end up being stressed out trying to find the perfect gift for everyone.
Thanks to my crafty friends Fia and Anna, I have been getting in the Christmas mood by baking and making Christmas crafts together. On our baking night, the girls taught me how to make saffron buns (the most popular Christmas treat) and gingerbread muffins, a tradition I will have to pass on to my kids one day :)
On Sunday we had a craft circle at Fia's. It was then that I realized the full-extent of my crafty-ness handicap. While the other girls knitted scarves, embroidered, and stitched felt ornaments, I cut out a lame little paper Santa. Oh well, my strengths lie elsewhere.
Fia and Anna measuring out the ingredients for the "lussebullar" (saffron buns)
Fia and Anna measuring out the ingredients for the "lussebullar" (saffron buns)Christmas cookbookyummy Saffron buns before going in the oven Gingerbread muffins with lingon berriesGirls craft night at Fia's Anna's super cute owl ornamentMy super lame-o Santa :) Me and the glue stick...the extent of my crafty tools
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