Easter - The Swedish Way

Happy Easter to Everyone!

Palm Sunday is tomorrow which starts the beginning of Easter Week.  I decided that I should show you a bit about the Swedish Easter.  In the last few weeks, I have noticed these giant eggs with Easter scenes, lots of Easter candy and other types of Easter decorations coming out in the stores.  Yesterday, I was at Willy's (one of the 4 grocery stores in town) and noticed a proliferation of brightly colored feathers.  The feathers were in packages and also on the end of something that looks like twigs.  I have noticed though that many of the Easter decorations really revolve around chicks and not so many bunnies, like in the U.S.  I like the idea that the bunny lives in a giant mushroom. Swedes love mushrooms and it is a big deal to go the forest and look for fresh mushrooms.

The giant egg, which is pictured below, comes apart and is filled with candy and given to the children, much like the idea of our Easter basket, but on a smaller scale.   Yes, you can buy bigger eggs than the one I have here.

You can read more about the Swedish Easter here.  This article can explain much more than I can, since I have not yet experienced it.  In Sweden, I guess it is normal for the little girls to dress like witches and go house to house to get candy.  Here are a couple of pictures of the little girls dressed like witches.  I found one of the pictures within another article about Easter traditions from around the world.

I have not noticed the supermarket loaded down with hams, lamb and such.  If I learn anything further this week, I will share it with you.  I do find it interesting to see the differences between the cultures for holdiays that we think are a traditional thing among all cultures.

I thought I would also share my table decoration with you:

Please read the articles above to also see about the bonfires other ideas that Sweden has about Easter.

Have a very Happy Easter and I will be back soon!

Love,
Bridgette

Spring in Älmhult

Happy Sunday!

Yes spring has come to Älmhult.  We have had sunshine, clear skies and a lot of happiness. People have been washing their windows, cleaning up their yards and putting the clotheslines back out.

We finally changed our clocks last nights, so now we are back to the usually time differences.  It was nice being one hour closer for two weeks.  I "Spring Forward and Fall Back".  Well, in Sweden, they remember it by comparing it to "putting out your outdoor furniture and taking in your outdoor furniture".  An interesting perspective for sure.

Here are a few pictures I took yesterday on my walk, even Mr. & Mrs. Duck were out.  This is the path that we currently take to work on our bikes and we pass this little pond.

On my way I also took some pictures of our new neighborhood.  We are going to be in the flats that are in the distance on the hill.  Our flat faces the opposite direction.  The houses you barely see in the foreground on the second picture are private houses.  One of them is currently for sale for a little over 3 million Krona (which is about $450,000). 



You would be looking at the lower half of the flat. We would be on the top level where you see all the windows. The flat is long and skinny.

This is an overall view of the neighborhood. With the lower half of all the flats.  You enter our flat from a completely different street.


 I had a great time yesterday shopping in Växjö with some friends.  One from London, one from Germany and one from Jaimaica originally, but was living in Atlanta before she moved here.  I love the diversity and talking to everyone about their experiences here. I finally ate a McDonald's in Sweden.  It was okay, about the same as in the U.S., but the menu is different, of course.  The fries taste the same, but were salty as was the burger.  You do not get ice in your drinks here, which is still hard for me. I love ice in my drinks!

David is having a successful trip to China.  On Friday, he visited 6 homes.  If I can, I will show you how they live in Hong Kong, perhaps David will let me share his pictures.  David said it was very interesting and very sad.  Many people living in one small space.  I was surprised, he went shopping on Saturday and actually bought some items!  Good for him.

I think since spring is coming, we are starting to feel more comfortable in Sweden.  Yes, there is still the difficulties of finding food we want to eat. Unfortunately, I think our waistlines might be showing the poor choices, but with spring here, there will be much more walking and bike riding to burn off the extra calories and pounds.  I think everyone feels the same after winter ends.  You feel like you have gained lots of weight, when you really have not.

I am trying to gather more information on differences to share with you.  I think it is time to go and enjoy the rest of the day.

I will be in touch soon.

Love from Sweden

Bridgette

Spring is Coming

Happy Spring!

Like many of you in the States, we are experiencing an early spring here in Älmhult.  We had some very nice, sunny days last week.  However, the beginning of this week looked a bit like winter again with gray, cloudy skies.  Monday morning, we experienced sleet, hail, rain, wind and sunshine within about 15 minutes.  Lucky for me, I was already at work, but I did see the poor people come in who looked a bit disarrayed from the variety of weather.

Relatively, it has been quiet here the last couple of weeks.  We are moving the week of April 2nd, so that is the next big thing coming up.  We have been buying some things for our new house.  So far, we bought a patio table, chairs and an umbrella so we can take advantage of any sunny days and we also bought a new bed for one of the extra bedrooms.  You really do not realize how much you need.  We had to buy hangars because when we leave here we have to leave all the hangars behind.  So far, I have bought about 80 hangars and probably have to buy abour 20 more.  No, I do not think we have many clothes here, since we left most in Houston, but hangarwise, it adds up, especially with all the coats included.

We are definitely looking forward to getting settled again.  We have felt very unsettled for the last couple of months due to the change in having to move.  We did talk about it and feel that it will be better for us because then the other house will be ours and not like we are borrowing someone's house for vacation. 

For David, his big thing starts today as he heads off to China for 10 days.  He is going to a trade show as well as visiting people's homes to see how they live.  It certainly will be an interesting trip.  I will let you know how interesting it is.

I am still working on my temporary contract.  I really am enjoying myself!  Last week and again next week, I will spend my time at the photo studio.  I will also keep you posted as to if my contract gets extended.

Overall, all is going well here in Sweden and I will give you updates and pictures on our new house as soon as we can get the key.  I will also try and get some pictures of spring coming.

Much love to you all,

Bridgette

Marshmallows, Beer and a New House

Hello My Dear Friends,

I apologize for the absence.  I have been busy working and trying to catch up with the house situation.

First, we have found a new place to live!  It seems as if it was the last place available in Älmhult.  We signed the contract on Friday, so as of April 1st (really April 2nd), due to the 1st is on a Sunday, we can move into our new flat.  The flat is located closer to IKEA of Sweden.  How can you ask if anything in Älmhult could really be that far away from anything!

Let me explain how the process works.  We found a listing for a flat the web site of a company that manages properties in Älmhult.  First you must be registered on the site, which by chance we were from last year when we were looking.  Then after a specific closing date, which was February 24th, we received an email with the contact information of the current renter, so we could make an appointment to see the flat.  We went last Sunday and then had to make a decision by the 28th to indicate that we were interested.  Well, depending on the level of interest the company then decides if you are the lucky one to get the flat.  Well, we found out on Wednesday, that we were the lucky ones!  So, we made another appointment to go view the flat again, to take measurements and such so we can buy furniture.  The people who currently live there are very nice and we instantly connected.  When we went this morning, they offered to sell us a dining table, two sofas and the blinds.  We feel very blessed.  As you all know we only came here with what we could carry, no furniture or anything else, mostly because we knew that we were renting a furnished house.  Well, that changed very quickly!

We are now going to have to buy dishes, cookware, some furniture and all the little things that you do not think about.  Today, we bought a new vaccum cleaner and a skillet.  A trip to IKEA is in the works, my list is growing!  At least when we get to our new flat, we will have a place to sit!  We get the keys on April 2nd and will be out of our current house by Friday, the 6th!

The lady that currently lives in the flat that we are moving to works for a employment agency, so I can upload my resume and perhaps find a more secure job.  However, I also like the freedom to work some and then have some time off.  I want to be able to travel with my husband. For example, this week he is off to Milan and if we did not have the house problem and I was not working, I could go.  Life is definitely a challenge at times, but it is overall very good. David is off to China on the 21st for 10 days.  He has had to get shots and everything just to go, lucky guy!

We were busy earlier this week, because the owner of our current house was here so he could start the process of finalizing his sale.  The owner was kind of amazed at how much we had done to the house and how clean it is.  It made me kinda of feel good that perhaps he might feel a bit bad about making us leave, but I think it really is for the better.  The poor cats had to spend too much time in their carrier and did not understand what is going on.  We will all be happy when we can get settled again!

Now, here is the so long promised Marshmallows and Beer.  No, the Swedish people do not eat marshmallow and beer together (that I know about).  When I was at the store there was a package of large marshmallows and I just love the label - I like the idea that these are the size you use for barbequing or over campfires.  The minature marshmallows are called Rocky Mountain and they are made in America!  I know it probably is not as exciting to you as it is to me, but I did think it was interesting.  Here are the labels:

Now about the beer.  No, I do not have any pictures.  Here is the story.  Beer here in Sweden comes in many levels of alcohol content.  At the grocery store you can buy beer that comes in levels of 3.5 to about 5 % alcohol content.  You can buy the beers individually or in a package of 6-12.  At the Systembolaget (the government run liquor store) you can buy beer up to levels of about 9%.  When you go to the System (as it is called here) you see people buying one or two cans of several kinds at a time.  Yesterday, was the first time when I was there I actually saw anyone buy a case of beer.  I was not certain you could even do so.  I find it interesting because you see people buying 10 - 12 cans of beer and they are all different.  How do they decide what beer to buy and how many of each to buy?  What about the alcohol content?  I am used to the U.S. where the beer has much lower content, you could really get drunk just drinking one or two of these beers with the high content.  I did see Coors at the liquor store and some of the Mexican Imports.  However, the price is a bit higher since you are paying for the imports.  David and I have only had a few beers here.  We have to find a nice beer to have with my parents when they come in April.

I hope I did not promise too much about the marshmallows and beer it just had been on my list for a long time to tell you about.

I promise when I get moved I will take pictures of our new flat and share them here.  In the meantime, I will be on the lookout for some more interesting things.

Take care and I will be in touch again soon.

Kram (hugs),

Bridgette