Near Central Station

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Thanks for my Facebook friends I'm getting a new spring/summer wardrobe from JOY.

Thanks to the Facebook love I received I won a JOY gift card worth close to 3,200 SEK and a bouquet of flowers (I still haven’t put away the lovely items in the swag bag we got at the JOY event). I went and picked up my prizes yesterday from Malin at Polhem PR.

Yea! I won.

What a nice way to kick off spring! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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This month we were guests of the Indian Ambassador’s wife at her residence.

In addition to a silent auction and bazaar all benefiting a children’s charity in India we were treated to traditional Indian music and dancing.

And the lunch buffet was absolutely delicious.

It was a lovely afternoon. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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How nice is it to get such lovely, thoughtful gifts? Extremely nice, take it from me. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Sommar-ben: Summer legs!!!!!!

Well the editors at Amelia, a popular women’s magazine in Sweden is doing the raving now.

Ok, they got her last name wrong and are a bit off with the name of the salon, now ALL of Sweden knows were to get sugared!

So just to be clear, book with Kathy at Ett,Tå,Tre Fotvård m.m. Kliniken for summer legs, summer underarms, summer bikini lines, summer backs (if you’re a man), year-round brows, year-round upper lips…..where ever you need excess hair removed.

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Two kinds of coriander and cumin

This paired perfectly with a raw tuna salad for a healthy start to our day. My Swede had cracked open the cumin and coriander bag the night before, sneaky devil. Again he approved of this out of the ordinary knäckerbröd though he doesn’t often eat such “exotic” spices. We he does now! And was a great way to get out palettes ready for a diet that will incorporate more cumin (as part of my eat for life plan, as opposed to eat whatever without considering the health benes. Cumin reduces inflammation).

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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On May 1 and May 6, Democrats Abroad Stockholm will elect our delegates to the Democratic National Convention in September. You choose candidates that are pledged to the Presidential candidate of your choice. 

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

The delegates we elect will help shape the Democratic Party Platform. This is one more way that Democrats Abroad can voice the policy interests of all Americans abroad, such as taxation, citizen rights and obligations, as well as issues of global consequence such as the environment, migration and financial regulation. 

Our delegates will answer the roll call at the Convention to cast their votes for the Presidential candidate we prefer. Millions of Americans at the Convention and watching on TV will see our delegates and understand that we are a force in the democratic process, despite the fact that we live abroad. 

WHERE AND WHEN?

On both days, Tuesday May 1 and Sunday May 6 we will be in the lobby of the Scandic Anglais Hotel, HumlegŒrdsgatan 23, between 4-7 pm. 

In addition to casting your primary ballot, you can join Democrats Abroad, register to vote in the November General Election, participate in an international survey of policy preferences, find out what activities are already planned for the Summer and Fall, volunteer to help out, and enjoy a drink or a cup of coffee. So, if you have already voted in your state primary and therefore are not eligible to vote in this one, there is still good reason to come. 

YOU CAN ALSO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT!

vote2012@democratsabroad.org

Go to the above site to request your ballot. DO THIS BY THE APRIL 30 DEADLINE. Help us send a message to Washington that there are lots of concerned Americans abroad with the power to vote and make a difference.

Editor’s note: Here’s one more reason to vote:

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The 19.00 start meant we were watered and feed and I must say in JOY style. Not over the top but definitely more than enough. And it all looked to pretty.

The social media and fashion divas (divas here being used to mean on top of their game) had smart phones and cameras out the entire evening, being sure not to miss a thing.

We got to touch feel and try on, evening creating our own summer look for a chance to win it, AFTER learning about the new Spring trends. JOY’s interpretation is Ethno de Luxe, Colour of Joy and Lovely Flowers. In the mix is Piazza Party of lots of white, white, white.

My summer style winner (not pictured in winning outfit, but this is cute)

And in her winning outfit below:

I do think this Swedish spring and summer style

And while Lena got to take her entire outfit home (over 3,000 kr) no one left empty handed.

The JOY of goodie bags

When I looked this morning I had all this loot:

* Scarf from RoseBud
* Socks from Topeco
* Wheat Heart (which you heat in the microwave) from Ak comfort design
* Laundry Bag by Lisbeth Dahl
* Handheld Handbag from Alice Bizous
* Vitamin Well Care
* Voucher from Specsavers
* Voucher from JOY
* Tan supplements from Life
* “Coiffure Ring” from Glitter
* Key from Saddler
* Limoncello-chocolate from Caffarel

OK, I’m already dreaming of the next Spot & Tell and thanks to JOY I can’t wait to get my Spring/summer clothes out of storage to see what I have that is on trend, is my classic style, and needs a bit of sprucing up. I mean, I do have a voucher from JOY that needs using!

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I didn’t think it was possible, but I may have found my favorite from the Deborahs Extraknäck knacebröd collection.

Pumpkins seeds, white and black sesame seeds and sea salt. Heaven.

Absolutely delicious plain, potentially addictive and totally hard to put down. Nice! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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The Swedish Culture Minister acting extremely strange.

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Sweden – Gothenburg (Göteborg)
1-May-2012, 5:00 – 8:00
new Starbucks in the Gothenburg Central Train Station

Sweden – Malmo
5-May-2012, 1:00 – 3:00
Malmö Public Library

Sweden – Stockholm
1-May-2012, 4:00 – 7:00
6-May-2012, 4:00 – 7:00
Scandic Anglais Hotel, Humlegårdsgatan 23

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After devouring DEBORAHS EXTRAKNÄCK chili flavor, almost the whole bag because they were too spicy for my Swede, he chose the Havsalt flavor for us to try with a tomato bruschetta mix.

These were absolutely delicious. Not too salty. Perfectly crispy. Crazy crunchy and got the thumbs up from my Swede. Nice!

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Spot and Tell offers free experiences for all who are active in social media. Our members get to try, taste and enjoy themselves free – and then provide feedback and tell us about your experience on the web. In this way companies market directly to its audience, while being able to get constructive feedback.

Yea! I’ve been chosen to go to my first Spot and Tell which celebrates the pending arrival of summer (surely 1st we’ll have Spring in Stockholm this year) by previewing the new Summer collection from JOY. The Spot and Tell event is named: Your summer dream-style made with JOY.

So even though we had snow in the city on the 14th I’m ready to get my summer style on, on the 24th.

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The view from our balcony - 14 April 2012

The view from our balcony - 14 April 2012

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And so it was when I emailed Göteborgs Kex for the ingredients list in the Ballerina fylld Cooke Original. The days are gone when I could have read that teeny weeny label. I got an ingredients list in 15 minutes. That was so nice.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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These put my Swede's mouth on fire.

On the other hand I am on my 4th cracker and while I can feel the heat, it is not unbearable and the crackers are so delicious! I love the super crunchiness and had to make myself stop eating them, so I would not eat the entire package in one sitting.

It’s nice discovering tasty snacks and knowing they are made with fresh ingredients just across town. And so far both varieties have been so pretty too. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I upscaled our Easter dinner with designer knäckebröd.

Knäckebröd is a Swedish staple and no Easter dinner would be complete without it.

My Swede's Easter plate. Deborahs knäckebröd is covered with cheese.

The Anthony Mills special edition with hemp seeds and thyme (complete with a fresh thyme leaf in the bag), have just a hint of sea salt and my Swede thought they were delicious which I think is a huge complement since he has been eating knäckebröd since he was a child.

We finished our bag the same day we opened it. After Easter dinner we enjoyed the Anthony Mills special edition with Bruschetta mix as well as plain. They are so light a crisp and delicious. I have to figure out what to do with the hemp seeds and thyme that are at the bottom of the bag.

Lucky for me and my Swede and all of Sweden and the world for that matter, there are 5 additional flavors to enjoy. That’s nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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On the road to the Opera Källaren.

our marriage. I’m not likely to dine again at the Opera Källaren in the near

Monogrammed wine glasses.

future, arguable the best restaurant in Stockholm and winner of:

The starter's starter.

- “Best wine experience”, White Guide 2011
- Purveyor to His Majesty the King
- Member of ”Traditions & Qualité, Les Grandes Tables du Monde”

The starter's 2nd starter.

- Five red forks and spoons in Guide Michelin since 1998
- “The Best Restaurant of the Year”, White Guide 2010
- “The Best Service of the Year Award”, White Guide 2009

Homemade organic butter and organic olive oil from France.

- ”The Best Restaurant Ambiance of the Year”, White Guide 2006
- The award ”Golden restaurant” in the guide ”Best tables in Sweden” in 2001-2008
- Swedish Premium Class in White Guide 2008

Halibut and a myriad of flavors.

- Best restaurant in Sweden (16 p), in the French GaultMillau guide in 1998
- Best restaurant in Sweden in the Swedish Gourmet guide ”199 tables” in 2000
- ”Best restaurant along the Swedish roads” in 2000

Lamb et al.

- Wine Spectator’s ”Best of award of Excellence” in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
- ”Golden Dragon” in the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter in 2001
- ”Best business restaurant of the year 2002” by the newspaper Dagens Industri

The ambiance.

- Top 20 in ”The world’s 50 best restaurants” in 2002
- American Express ”Best Service award” in 2003
- ”The Spoon of Taste” 2007 by Lilla Sällskapet

The company and conversation where exponentially nice. The food and drink was unbelievably nice. The whole experience was off the charts nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Me and my Swede didn’t see any Easter witches but we did see bunnies.

Happy Easter and Glad Påsk.

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Because Democrats Abroad International is considered a state (like Rhode Island or Oregon) we also hold a primary election. Members will vote for candidates from Democrats Abroad Europe, Middle East and Africa from a list prepared from candidate applications. The candidates who win will be part of our state delegation to the Democratic National Conference in Charlottesville, North Carolina, at the beginning of September. Members of Democrats Abroad are eligible to vote.

Members who have already voted in a state primary may not be able to vote in this one, but not everybody who voted in a previous primary is excluded! Washington promises to define the rules very carefully for us. We will update this space with the information ASAP.

The Democratic National Committee will prepare the ballot, which we download, print and number. Members sign their ballot (a Democratic Party peculiarity) and put it in a ballot box that we construct.

At the end of voting on May 6 we open the ballot box, count the ballots, and then send them by overnight post to Washington.

WHEN:
May 1st AND May 6th
4 – 7pm

WHERE:
Scandia Anglais
Humlegårdsgatan 23
102 44 Stockholm

If you would like to volunteer please contact:
chair.democratsabroadsweden@gmail.com

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I had so much fun at the DASweden Annual General Meeting. I got hugs from people who came from Gothenburg and Kalmar as well as my Stockholm colleagues.

If you’re a Democrat in Sweden join us via Democrats Abroad and be sure to register for your absentee ballot.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Our friend Angela helped organize a listening party for the Big City Poets at the Galleri Duerr last week which was super duper nice. It was nice to see my friend Germaine doing her thing. It was nice to see my friend Angela doing her thing as the MC and it was nice to see so many friends I hadn’t seen in ages and get lots of hugs.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Last month he invited our group to an art exhibit of his friend Gun Davidsson’s work at So Stockholm. That was a very nice offer and the exhibit and networking were extremely nice.

I met some new people and got caught up with some old contacts. Very nice.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I’ve had two Alexander Sugaring hair removal treatments in my life, both in Stockholm, and both by my girl Kathy.

The first time I was so impressed by how long I remained hairless. When it was time for the honeymoon prep I went back for more. And this time I am keeping track of exactly how long it is before a single hair returns. So far it is 33 days and counting.

Kathy promises that regular sugaring will keep the hair from growing back and eventually I won’t need to get sugared anymore. Oh, another benefit is how extremely smooth your skins feels afterwards. I mean baby soft.

So tick-tock. I’ll be back for more….eventually.

Kathy also treats feet and nails and provides other luxe services. Visit the Ett Två Tre Fotvård website for more info.

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Stockholm has just been ranked the third most popular tourist destination in Europe by Roland Berger – for those of us who know and love Stockholm this definitely does not come as a surprise!

Gun Davidsson is holding an exhibition under the theme “Stockholm i mitt hjärta” from 29 March to 1 April in Stockholm.

We have been invited to view the exhibition on Friday, 30 March between 15.00 – 18.00 by Stephan Stahl, Vice President, International Sales, Scandic Hotels.

He will provide finger food and bubbly while we enjoy the exhibit. Pieces will be available for purchase should you find something you want to put up on your wall. Stop by to experience how Gun expresses her love for Stockholm through her unique art as well as to network and mingle within a relaxed after work setting – Stephan and I very much look forward to welcoming you.

Email me on expat@stockholmexpat.com to get the address. Hope to see you there!

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K & R's wedding present

It was so nice to be able to share wedding, honeymoon, and party photos with her over 2 bottles of bubbly and homemade pizzas. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Image from http://www.amsterdamescape.com/honeymoon

I’ll check on the blog now and then. I’ll miss you, Stockholm!

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Our last dinner as single people.

Entrecote, blue cheese, pommes frites and mixed green for salad was our pre-wedding day dinner. It was our own private rehearsal dinner, so to speak.

Champagne for two.

We weren’t going to do a lot of drinking so we could be fresh for our wedding day.

Champagne and berries

Wedding day breakfast was super healthy.

Yes you can have salad for breakfast.

Presenting Mr & Mrs.

Yea!

Our first wedding toast.

To the bridge and groom.

Later that evening we were at a ball.

Ah, it's nice being married.

We had a three course dinner. The dessert was chocolatey something (I forgot to take pic).

A Swedish standard: shrimp and fish eggs.

A Swedish classic: Reindeer

There was a welcome glass of bubbly, red wine with dinner and sherry with dessert.

And there was dancing and drinking and we even had a small after party at our place.

And today the fun continues……more later!

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Ha ha! Caught at the coffee machine. I was actually getting hot water for tea.

Something else that turned out to be nice about that evening is my friend spotting me in a photo from that evening in an IT trade paper. She was nice enough to send me a copy.

Nice things happen to be me Sweden.

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Vote early!

If you haven’t already, get your absentee ballot and if you haven’t already, register to vote!

Vote From Abroad: http://www.VoteFromAbroad.org

Being able to vote is nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Part of the women gathered.

There was an intro by Cisco and a speaker who talked about the power of positive thinking. One of my favorite subjects.

#2 on the list of things people can't live without: an Internet connection.

Then there was wine, a cold buffet and lots of networking. I hardly had the chance to talk with the two women I invited. We were working the room which was the point. I met two lovely ladies from Oracle, one from SEB and one from P&G.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Hej hej Family and Friends,

It is hard to believe that I have been in Sweden for six months. It seems like yesterday that I made the decision to pursue my research goals and finish writing my book. Because of your generosity and the assistance of a scholarship from the American Swedish Institute, I have been able to take advantage of this opportunity of a lifetime.

When I began fundraising last year, I thought it nearly impossible to reach my initial goal of $20,000.00, but with your support I have been able to raise $13,885.00 in cash and in-kind donations. Before I sent this email out, I struggled with what exactly I would say without offending anyone or seeming too much like a late night infomercial begging to help feed starving children in a country far away. However, I was coerced by a dear friend who told me that I should state what my goal is directly and sincerely. This, of course, also reminded me of one of the many lessons my mother taught me: You have not because you ask not!!

My current fundraising goal is $6115.00, and this amount will cover my living and transportation expenses from now until August of this year when I am scheduled to return back to Chicago.

If you have helped me get this far along, I truly thank you and gently ask you to consider donating again. If you haven’t been able to contribute, please consider doing so today by contributing via my fundraising website at: www.gofundme.com/projectsweden.

Many people have asked what living in Sweden has been like for me. Others have asked more about my research which looks at bullying in a multi-cultural school environment and the progress of my book dedicated to girls without mothers. With help from a friend, we have been able to put together a video that I believe depicts quite well what my experiences have been like so far. Please feel free to watch and share the video with others.

Thank you again for your support and for sharing my work and video. Finally, I ask for your thoughts and prayers as I submit additional scholarship applications to support my research endeavors.

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The bread was warm and the butter was soft. I always like that.

On Valentine’s Day we went to Grodan Sergel. We were also celebrating an anniversary so it seemed fitting that we should get 2 for 1 with our Stockholm card.

I'm starting all my lunches and dinners with a salad. This one was supposed to be a side salad to share but we got a main course salad by mistake. But we were charged the price of a side.

We both ordered moule frites. We haven’t see this on many menus in Sweden.

The sauce was delicious. It was like fish soup.

All in all a delightful meal to celebrate my relationship with my Swede. Not sure we’re going back other than to satisfy a future craving for moule frites.

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Skål

One good dinner invitation deserves another so it was my turn to host our

First course.

friends who served me lobster last weekend.

Fun

I prepared 4 courses: tossed salad, fried calamari, makerel and cod over

Our Swedes.

mushrooms, chick peas, carrots, and other vegetables, and apple pie.

And when it was time for a snack I made tortilla chips. We enjoyed a nice evening. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

Homemade tortilla chips

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From the lot of salads I chose crab.

I also make sure that at least half of my networking events are conducted in Swedish and are exclusive to women.

The event was fully booked.

And while it doesn’t always happen I have met interesting woman I’d like to have lunch with. In fact that happened last fall and instead of lunch, I’ll be attending another networking event with an interesting Swedish woman who owns her own IT company.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I can't believe they pulled out the lobster dinner!

My Swede’s friend and wife invited me to dinner because they knew I was alone and that the four of us like to watch Melodiefestivalen.

We had fun enjoying the feast.

Between the welcome drink, dinner and all of the chatting, we almost missed the start of Melodiefestivalen. I was disappointed to see two acts

What a treat!

from last year, though one repeater was excellent (She went through to the finals and I can’t remember her name, nor am I going to look her up

My hostess snapped a pic of me and her Swede.

right now. But she was good).

Pure decadence.

And the desert was the icing on the cake of a fun evening. How nice is it when friends take care of you? Extremely nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

Extra:

I had on my LL Bean shearling boots with ice grippers attached but she was out in her high heels. I was on my way home and she was on her way out (notice the trademark liquor store bag in her left hand). Conclusion: Swedish youth! I guess some females grow up learning how to navigate the ice in heels.

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Is SEK 196, 26 too much for these fruits and veg?

I got into juicing last year but this year I am taking it to a new level by juicing every day and adding veggies in addition to carrots to the mix. So, am I going to be able to afford to live a healthier life?

Maybe not if I don’t find the best places in Stockholm to buy fresh fruits and veggies year round.

So I took my question to my Facebook friends to find out what others are paying not only in Stockholm but London and Paris. But it was a native Stockholmer, a really cool guy (smart as a whip, funny, and a clever business man) who gave me the inside scoop.

And since he was so nice to help me which of course in itself was super nice, I am sharing the love here:

Rasmus Ok, I’ll tell you some secrets of the indigenous population of Stockholm 1. As someone mentioned – Farmers markets – which are hard to find in the winter, maybe at Hötorget and inside some subwaystations.

Rasmus  ‎:D You know, dodgy is actually a good indicator of low prices and great vegetables. And you will notice that those are the places who start to give you heavy discounts as soon as they understand that you are a regular customer, just be nice. Hugs

Rasmus Hötorget is here http://www.hitta.se/LargeMap.aspx?z=1&mp=%3Cpts%3E%3Cpt+x%3D%221628447%22+y%3D%226581508%22+i%3D%22images%2Fmap%2Fcounter%2F4.png%22%3E%3Ct%3E%28ny+punkt%29St%E4ng%3C%2Ft%3E%3C%2Fpt%3E%3C%2Fpts%3E

Karta över Sverige – hitta.se

Adrianne OK Rasmus, I’ve bought plants at terrific prices at Haymarket. And I LOVE your tip #3. It will require some research and a special trip ‘but will be well worth it if I am going to keep this up. And I’ll be nice Kramar!

Adrianne OK, Will stay well clear of Alby. Truly appreciate the info. In fact I’m going to make a blog post about it. With friends like you I just might be OK here

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Bidding box and cute bridge table cloth

Bridge game aside, it was also nice to see our teacher’s new apartment (a short walk from me, yea!) and to celebrate a birthday.

Birthday Princess Cake

One of my bridge colleagues shared her typical Swedish Princess cake (delish – before this one I didn’t think I liked Princess cake).

Yummy

And what’s a birthday without presents?

One of many heart felt gifts to the birthday lady from our hostess

What a nice afternoon! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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When he came back we had dinner out at Restaurang Stockholm. I had probably passed it dozens of times since it flanks central station.

We split my shrimp sandwich and my Swede’s sill plate.

We got great service and great tasting food. It was nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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See the Super Bowl, one of the world’s biggest sporting events, on a 80 sqm large HD screen at the Annex. Incl. food and drink. Value from SEK 300, pay 119 SEK.

What you get:
Tickets for one of the world’s biggest sporting events, the Super Bowl on big screens at the Annex (Globentorget 2, 121 77 Stockholm)
Including seating, hamburger platters and beverages
The Annex will be turned into a giant sports bar
80 square meters large HD monitor
Listen to interviews and meet Swedish American Football players and cheerleaders

Get your ticket.

On Sunday February 5th, from 22:00-05:00, members and guests of The American Club of Sweden will be watching the Super Bowl at Hard Rock Cafe on Sveavägen in Stockholm. Other American organizations will be there and it is always a great atmosphere.

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So when contemplating what to do with our fish, I came across a recipe for luxurious fish gratin with spinach on the New Scandinavian Cooking website. I used the fish we had on hand, the recipe calls for three different types of fish.

Here is what theirs looks like:

And here is ours, step by step:

For the fish: Fill a large pot 2/3 full with water, add peppercorns, bay leaf, and vinegar, and bring to a boil. When the first bubbles occur, take pot of the heat, add the fresh fish and let seethe until cooked through.

Make béchamel: In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and mix until smooth. Add milk, little by little, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In an ovenproof dish, arrange fish, ...

sauce and spinach in layers, making sure to balance your ingredients so...

that the finishing layer is sauce. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and the rest of the parmesan.

Here’s what ours looks like:

Forgot to mention that we added shrimp.

OK, so we didn’t layer like the recipe suggests. There’s held together when sliced. Their sauce was thicker. Who cares? Me and my Swede made it together and it tastes delicious. That’s super nice! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Last weekend was no different when I wanted to satisfy my craving for a kebab. So on our way to pick up groceries we bee-lined to Street Food with Marcus Samuelson to try the kebab plate.

Street Food with Marcus Samuelson's Kebab plate. There are fries hidden under the meat.

Was it worth the trip? The food was ok, but generous in size which made it perfect to share. We even had fries left over. The nicest thing was just being with my Swede, kicking back, eating, and people watching.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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It was very, very nice to be invited to share a birthday drink which turned out to be champagne in a chic lounge with gorgeous divas from four different countries. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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They have a really great outdoor bar on the roof.

My Swede and I continue our question to eat our way through Stockholm using our Taste Stockholm card. This time we walked to Undici Bar & Restaurant.

I was excited by the unusual menu and ordered the pumpkin risotto.

Where's the pumpkin?

My Swede was temporarily torn between the lamb and the reindeer and I say temporarily because when I asked

How often do you eat reindeer?

he snapped out of his indecision and ordered the reindeer.

Excellent choice

In sum my pumpkin risotto was tasty but a bit skimpy on the pumpkin and the reindeer was perfectly cooked and presented in authentic style down to the lingon berries.

But I think the next time we’ll go back will be to enjoy the, what we remember to be, super cool rooftop bar.

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Who would Obama rather face in the general election, Gingrich or Romney? Why?

Did America pull out of Iraq too early or too late?

Do you have an opinion? If you do, please join me for the inaugural Democrats Abroad Speak Easy.

What is a Speak Easy?

It is an opportunity to sit down with other people who are interested in discussing and sharing opinions about American politics, business and culture.

When?

The inaugural Speak Easy will take place on February 1st and starts at 6pm. The plan is to have a Speak Easy during the first week of every month thereafter.

Where?

Hotel Hellsten, Luntmakargatan 68, SE-113 51 Stockholm

Closest T-bana stop is Radmansgatan.

Why should you attend?

1. a good opportunity to network

2. offers a chance to discuss American politics, business and culture

3. not a class, you can arrive and leave whenever you want

4. opportunity to buy beer,wine or soft drinks at the Hotel’s bar

Who should attend?

Anyone who is interested in discussing American politics, business and culture is welcome. You do not need to be an American nor do you need to be a Democrat. Americans are invited to bring their husbands, wives, partners or children who are Swedish or any other nationality.

Please RSVP to the following email address speakeasySTHLM@gmail.com if you plan to attend. I ask you to do so because I would like to provide the hotel with an estimate as to the number of people who will attend the first Speak Easy.

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Well one such friend flew in from Norway on business and I was lucky enough to meet her for dinner with the added benefit of dining with one new and one older friend.

I picked out a new Asian fusion restaurant and we each ordered what turned out to be delicious dishes. The company was super nice. The ambiance was quite nice. The food was really nice (The only thing that’s missing is a photo of the tuna dish). A home run. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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For some reason our pizzas were extra large

Sharing a pizza, conversation and a hug is nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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We kick the year off this week on January 19th, already the Third Thursday of the month (and year!) at Hilton Slussen. Remember, now it is 40kr to get in and then you receive a 12% discount on food and drinks for the evening!

Price: 40kr, Please bring cash – Sorry, we cannot accept credit cards.
Registration and entrance to the event entitles you to appetizers and a group discount exclusively available to Third Thursday participants on all food and drinks. Drinks must be purchased individually at the bar.

Time: 17:30-19:30.

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chili fried squid and friend shrimp

Consistency is nice and the squid and shrimp are always what I have come to expect.

My Swede digging in. We shared everything which made it a feast.

It’s the first time we had the stir fry veggies and they were delish. Nice.

The "I had a great dinner" look.

Friday night wagamama was nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Register now to vote and/or to receive an absentee ballot for the upcoming elections:
http://www.votefromabroad.org

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Attorney General Holder checking in at National Airport. I spotted the Secret Service agents before I spotted him with his children.

Attorney General Holder on his way to who knows where after checking in at National Airport.

President Obama rolls by on a street in DC when I just happened to be finishing up some holiday shopping.

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Be that as it may, when you are in the public eye you have a chance to be a role model for those who may be looking at you.

It’s kind of the same thing when you’re an expat. But the difference is you’re a diplomat. You represent your home country at every turn. To the locals and other internationals you meet, everything you say and do or don’t say or do reflects your home country.

Regis in Germany, who comes from Manassas, Virginia, agrees with me, and has this advice for fellow Americans abroad:

Exercise good judgment and behavior – you are a diplomat of the United States of America.

So embrace it! Think of it as your chance to “school” others on what it means to be (fill in the blank) ______________. In my case, I get to show others what it really means to be an American. So what does it mean to be an American? You’ll get a different answer depending on what day you ask. But I’ll give you one example. It means that I get up to let a pregnant woman or elderly person take my seat on public transportation. 9.9 times out of 10 those around me don’t do that in Stockholm. But to be fair to the Stockholmers I have not performed a scientific survey to know if most would.

But that doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that I do my best to be the best diplomat I can every day in each situation. Whether I like it or not, when it is revealed that I am American, preconceived notions are ladled on me. I choose to be diplomatic about it.

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Isn't she cute?

I'm sure if I were 16 I'd want this car.

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I was welcomed with a “baby lobster” dish, lunched on breakfast food at Florida venue Grill, devoured Mommy-fried oysters, and had some of everything at a Christmas Eve party.

Some of my favorite moments.

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It was extremely nice to be with my Swede as 2011 ended. And it was really, really nice to come home and see pomegranates in the fridge to make my favorite cocktail. So after our sauna my Swede outdid himself and served a beautiful lobster and shrimp dinner.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden. Happy 2012!

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There are offline events, online forums of all kinds, and a good resource when moving to a new city or discovering new things where you live.

Here is a review of their new expat guide for Stockholm.

It is divided into 5 sections:

• Moving to Stockholm
• Living in Stockholm
• Living in Sweden
• Moving to Sweden
• Working in Sweden

But I learned if I want to read the Stockholm and other guides you have to pay to be an Albatros member:

But don’t fret. If paid membership isn’t in your budget, as a free member you can still participate in the forums and you can find tons of information there from people on the ground.

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Dear Member of Democrats Abroad,
 

We know that many of you have expressed considerable concern about two relatively recent developments regarding US taxation issues for Americans living abroad, developments that go beyond the requirement to file annually the IRS tax return (1040 and associated forms): the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act(FATCA).

There is in place a DPCA Task Force which has been examining the changes taking place in the US tax system and how those changes impact on those of us living abroad.  The Task Force has been and will continue to be in contact with appropriate senior staff at the IRS, the Department of the Treasury (home to the IRS) and the Senate Budget Committee.  

Events have been moving faster and in a more positive direction than we could have foreseen even two months ago when Democrats Abroad met in Washington.  The developments have been led, in large measure, by the US Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, who recently announced that the IRS would be issuing regulations that would appear to reduce, if not eliminate, the fear that many Americans abroad have about tax filing requirements. 

“What the IRS is saying here is that if … you don’t owe taxes to the U.S., and you file your return and they show you don’t owe taxes, there aren’t going to be any penalties for having filed late,” Mr. Jacobson said in an interview with Toronto’s Globe & Mail newspaper.

More than a few US citizens living abroad long ago stopped filing the form 1040, assuming they owed no tax, and had no idea about the requirement to file the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). This rule—in effect since 1982—requires every American citizen to report all assets held in foreign banks or other financial institutions if, at any time during the year, the sum of those assets exceeded $10,000. Moreover, failure to file this FBAR report is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000—and even more if the failure to file is deemed deliberate. The IRS has rarely imposed these fines in the past but, recently, announced that, after a grace period—which expired last September—it would impose fines going back up to six years on taxpayers not in compliance.

In a recent phone conversation with senior lawyers for the IRS, we learned that, while all US citizens at home and abroad are still required by law to file both their income tax returns (Form 1040 and associated forms) as well as the FBAR, the recently released IRS information sheet may provide some comfort for those of us living abroad who have not complied. To comply with the law, non-filers are advised by the IRS to file six years back for both the income tax reporting and for the FBAR (in the latter case, non-filers are advised to attach a letter explaining why you had not filed earlier.) That information sheet can be found at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=250788,00.html and is specifically directed to Americans living abroad (and not just to dual citizens).

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Just some of the goodies on the exchange table.

That topped off a 3 course meal, lots of conversation, Christmas caroling, renewing old and making new acquaintances.

Just part of the table top decorations.

I really enjoyed myself which is always nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Here are a few photos from the lunch:

Club members gathering at Opera Terrasen

Me, a representative from a safari company and a rep form the Macedonian Embassy

Love the traditional clothes

Chicken was delicious

Macedonian performers

All things Macedonian

It was nice to see familiar faces and to meet new people. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Frozen Findus Thai Veggie Bites

I was happy to try out Findus’ Thai Veggie Bites as part of my goal to eat less meat.

These patties are made of chick peas flavored with coconut, lime leaves and red curry paste. I fried them but could just as easily sauteed or baked them. Super easy.

Served with pomme squares and Turkish yogurt mixed with chili sauce

We were out of salad ingredients but then I remembered, it’s a veggie meal, we’ll be OK. I got a simple sauce recipe from the Findus website and my Swede was happy, so I was happy. He wanted to know how many we had left. So that’s a good sign.

I think these would make great appetizers for a party or an excellent starter for a Thai meal. Thanks Smartson and Findus! You did good.

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Can you believe that Smartson is going to give 2800 test pilots, including 400 bloggers the opportunity to not only win 1 million Swedish kronor, but give 1 million Swedish kronor to someone else!

Ok, so how can I get in on it. The new Glädjelotten is a lottery with a message that can be used for any occasion, “You are worth a million”. A scratch ticket costs SEK 20 and includes several chances to win prizes including a new top prize of 1 million kr directly on the scratch ticket. If you’re reading this Smartson, thank you for giving your test pilots a chance to win a cool million Swedish kronor. You must really, really like us.

I have a question for you, dear reader. What is something the modern western lady may pay a lot for? Not only in the summer but year round? Smooth legs, I say. Yes, smooth legs. And why? Because smooth legs feel nice when you rub them together rub them on someone else, and little things like that can make a modern lady’s life seem a little less, well, hairy.

Smartson is giving 20 modern ladies the chance to not only smooth their legs, but do so with style and ease using the new Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator. Leave it to the folks at Braun to create the first tool in the world to combine the long-lasting effects of epilation with shaving to give a whole new hair removal experience. How important is that? Well if it is as efficient, gentle and easy as claimed, very important. After all, modern women don’t want to endure pain to gain smooth legs. Especially if we don’t have to.

And finally, Smartson is giving 3, yes only 3 test pilots the chance to bring out their inner movie director. Action!

The Canon Legria HF M406 offers several features that allow you to film and create a finished movie directly into the camera. Now, I photograph just about every facet of my life and probably share too much of it on Facebook, but living thousands of miles away from family and friends inspires me to document the big and little things and then share them with those who care. Imagine if I had a Canon Legria HF M406? NO more crappy videos using my digital camera.

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I used to get a group of us together for drinks and dinner but when I got a bit busier I passed that torch on to someone else, and I hadn’t attended a dinner in what seemed like ages.

So I got us together for the holidays at our place and everyone bought two appetizers (salmon, Vasterbotten pie, goat cheese and salami, jerk wings, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, Mozzerella and tomatoes drizzled in balsamic vinegar, spicy dip and chips, and tortilla roll ups) and some came with bottles and we all had big appetites, lot of laughs, and a great time. The Grinch stole our Thanksgiving so I got it back by making my famous Parker House rolls (at least I think I am famous for making them), baked mac & cheese, Mommy-style sweet potatoes, baguette stuffing/dressing, spinach and Craisin salad, roasted chicken and pumpkin pie.

And a first for me, I made Irish coffees (my Swede warned, as he fled the apartment for the evening that, you’re whipping cream, we have Whiskey and you’re making coffee. I bet you’re going to end up making Irish coffees). There were some takers. And my closest friend in Stockholm didn’t leave until 8am!!!!!! I didn’t know we had that much to talk about.

Oh, we had a Secret Santa gift trade and everyone ended up with gifts that were perfectly suited for them.

My Swede said I had the best ladies’ dinner ever. He came home at midnight and passed out on the couch around 6am. Super, super nice evening. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Now we go every year to Operan in December to see the ballet, adapted to the include the traditional Swedish Christmas goat. We just love it, and it’s so nice to have our own Christmas traditions. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Add Garant and L’Oreal Scandinavia to the list. They get back to inquiries within minutes, in the case of Garant, and 24 hours with L’Oreal.

Well done, and thanks!

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Because in my experience, generally speaking of course, it is not a priority in Europe. And when I get great customer service in Sweden I am thrilled.

Thus was the case with Johnson & Johnson Scandinavia and Abba Seafood. I contacted them both for ingredient information and they both got back to me within 24 hours. L-O-V-E-I-T! It’s just nice when companies think it is important to serve their customers.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Depending on point A, the cuisine in point B, your new country, may not differ so greatly. Or it could be that you are in store for a completely new world of food. In my case it was somewhere in between. There are lots of foods I enjoy that are popular in Sweden for example – the meatballs, the potatoes, and the salmon. But there are also lots of foods I didn’t eat regularly including sill (herring), blåbärssoppa (blueberry soup), or Surströmming (fermented herring).

And while I probably will not taste all of Sweden’s favorite dishes, I make it a point to try many of them. After all eating the local food is a wonderful part of being an expat. Not only do you get to try new foods or foods prepared in new ways, you also get to taste a new culture. You learn the why’s and how’s of how food is prepared, when it is served, and why it is important.

Food can be a history lesson, a pop culture lesson and a eating it can be a great way to make new friends, and learn your new town. For example, taking a local cuisine cooking class can lead to a collection of new recipes as well as new people with whom to try them out. Or buying a local dining card, like the Taste Stockholm card is a great way to try new restaurants and discover interesting places around town.

Ricardo, who moved to Madrid from San Francisco recommends:

Try to adapt to the local habits. Not just the obvious (religion, working hours, etc.) Also food, etiquette, etc. You will have an enriching experience and blend in much easier.

Perhaps you will continue to long for familiar foods, I do. But I think it would be completely boring if I didn’t try the local specialties. Once you start craving them you’ll feel less out of place and more at home.

Surströmming, fermented herring served with boiled potatoes and salad (Credit: Wikipeida user Hmvb)

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Getting dressed up, eating a nice meal and dancing with friends is nice. Supporting our troops is also very nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I didn’t, that is until yesterday evening. The IWC had an event there and we were treated to champagne and yummies like goat cheese with blueberry jam and roe on something I can’t name. But it was tasty.

We learned the history of Björn Axén and were treated to consultations and stylings. We were even given a service and shopping discount where I resisted the urge to get anything for me and instead did a bit of Christmas shopping.

And I met some very nice ladies from Poland, Finland, South Africa, the Philippines and (I want to say) Afghanistan. What a nice evening. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I love Thai food, so why not? Here is one recipe I’d like to try: Köttfärspanna med thaibasilika. But of course you could make this a veggie or chicken recipe too.

I love, love, love to cook because I love, love, love to eat. And while I generally cook from scratch, my Swede too (turns out he’s as good with a recipe as I am), I’d be interested to find out if this Arla short cut to a home meal is worth it. Pick me Smartson! This test pilot if ready to go!

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All he had to do was pick the restaurant and of course we used the Stockholm Card because we are so crazy about eating good for half the price.

So my Swede chose the KGB Bar & Restaurant and we both agreed that the food was delicious, the atmosphere a bit funky, and the crowd, well, let’s just say, not what (if anything) we expected.

The resto and bar are decorated in cheesy Russian stuff (perhaps expected) but we didn’t expect the steady stream of people coming in to pay cover for the live music downstairs. We didn’t indulge but we have absolutely everything on our plate and in our bowl.

I think we’re going back. The KGB Bar & Restaurant was a great find.

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Add in the fact that there is no decent I have found a good Mexican food restaurant in Stockholm, and your host is Mexican and can cook: heaven.

Real Mexican food - but don't ask me to name the dishes. I forgot.

What a deliciously nice and fun evening. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Here's my package of Kelda Thai Green Curry Sauce

I’m a Smartson test pilot (yea!) and was chosen to test and blog about Kelda Thai Green Curry Sauce.

When the coupon came in the mail, I was excited to perform my first test. Actually I could choose between that, Thai Red Curry and Chicken Tiki Masala. Fro some reason the Thai Green Curry sounded like my best option from the Exotic Sauces collection. The sauces are in the refrigerated section which makes them seem fresher than if it came in a can, right?

Ingredients for Kelda Thai Green Curry Sauce dinner - secret ingredient: walnuts!

It was a Friday night and my Swede wanted to cook so I thought perfect time to test the Kelda. My Swede wanted me out of the kitchen but I wanted pics, and discovered his secret ingredient to his chicken meal. He was so disappointed.

My Swede pouring Kelda Thai Green Curry Sauce to his chicken mix

But he wasn’t disappointment with the taste of Kelda’s Thai Green Curry sauce. It was easy to whip up this chicken dinner and he liked the taste. I’ll concur that it was tasty but I like my Thai a little hotter which is easy to adjust by adding more pepper. I thought about heating the dish up once it reached my plate but the Thai Green Curry sauce was good enough on its own that night. This sauce would have been good with beef or pork too. And we ate ours served over rice, though the package said noodles were also an option.

The sauce was creamy, coconutty, seasoned, and my Swede thought it was spice. So there you go.

We wondered about the color though. Could the shade of green been more attractive? But it didn’t distract from the taste or the nice meal or the fact that my Swede had his way in the kitchen.

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So if you are one of us, let me know via expat@stockholmexpat.com so that I can pass your contact information over to our leader.

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Who are “The Big City Poets”, and where are they really coming from? A Poetic Trio who do not hesitate to step over any genre or border control. In search of the perfect swing and a nice atmosphere, they are prepared to do anything. Is it Electronica, Dance music, World beat? We don’t know …

The Big City Poets are a trio of musical souls. All three provide different spices and contrasts aiming to give you a soundtrack that can brighten you up, get you in a dancing mood or relax with a touch of something spiritual.

Germaine Thomas - 1/3 of the Big City Poets

In Germaine Thomas’ voice, you will find a timelessness and a sense that can take you back to the old soul greats. Maybe it is her background in New York gospel choirs that gives warmth and balance to the electronic elements of this music.

Mikael Rosén, with his musical background, contributes his influences from around the world which makes it all swing and makes you want to dance with Fredrik Jacobi Muskos making the third pillar of this Musical Trio. With his roots in Punk, Pop and Rock, Fredrik contributes a nice rock feel in the middle of the dance groove.

The first single, Miracle will be released on November 15th 2011 and the album Life Stories will be released on December 1st 2011.

Really worth a listen.

Listen to Miracle:

MP3

WAV

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This year I didn’t dress up or go to a Halloween party, and there were no tricks.

But my Swede made sure I had a fun birthday, which was a treat and really nice. And my Swede’s mother gave me what I think is a very generous gift, my Swede’s brother sent me a birthday text (and I hear he is on vacation in another country), my Swede’s godmother called and sang “Happy birthday to you” in English and invited me to lunch, my neighbors on the west coast sent me a birthday text, my newest friend at the summer house sent me an email, and my Swede’s godmother’s son’s wife sent me greetings via Facebook.

NICE!

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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We kicked off the fall with a chili potluck lunch. If you’re a Democrats in Sweden you can find us here: http://www.DemocratsAbroad.se.

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Why? Because your entire life may feel out of balance while you are trying to get settled and learn how to navigate your new environment.

“Even if you don’t need to earn a living right away, it’s good to have something meaningful (and income generating) to do each day–it can get mind-numbing, and even a little depressing, to do nothing but sightseeing and cafe-hopping for weeks or months on end”,

advises Holly McWhorter who has lived in Copenhagen with her Danish husband.

Making having a balanced life a priority will help you deal with the stress, set backs, and other challenges that expats face. In other words, don’t put too much emphasis on one area of your life. Need a job? Look for one. But don’t obsess to the point that you don’t spend time doing things you enjoy.

“Join a sports club, for instance a tennis or gym club”,

suggests a native New Yorker who has lived in England and France before settling in the Netherlands. And Ro, who moved from Washington, DC to Sweden agrees advising,

“Exercise. Sweat every week”.

Be sure to spend time with friends, and if you don’t have any yet, spend time looking for friends by pursuing your interests and hobbies, and don’t forget to make the time to simply explore your new area.

“Find freinds that are good for you, persons that you can learn from, people that are interested in who you are, and that are willing to listen to what you have to say”,

a Baltimore, Maryland native who lives in Germany advises.

I suggest you write down everything you consider important, things that must be done, and pepper that list with things you like to do. Move things around until you have a balanced schedule for each week until having balance is second nature.

Photo from owlsparks.com

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Women's network lunch.

It’s nice attending lunch networking events because not only do I get the proverbial free lunch, but I get to learn something new. If I’m lucky I meet someone I want to see again.

Women learning at a lunch networking event.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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The power of women networking.

I love attending networking events for women in Sweden. Not only do I get to practice my Swedish skills, I usually meet someone interesting. The photo above is from the most recent networking event I attending for women.

The topic was the importance of your workplace environment from an aesthetic point of view. And sure enough, I met a nice woman who is director of a company that creates mobile applications. And we are having coffee next week to learn more about what each of us does.

How nice! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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And this year’s ball was a first for the Military HQ which was also nice. And to top it off it was a very nice evening. We were visited by one queen and several of the kings who lived at the castle and there were bag pipes to boot.

All in all an extremely nice evening. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Not just styling products, HYPE by MOOD promises to deliver a Triple Action Protection System that helps retain hair color and protects against heat and harmful UV rays. And that is what interests me the most since living in Sweden means dealing with a disappearing ozone layer.

So yea! Give me style but give me protection. Give me the HYPE by MOOD Heat Protection and Curl Booster products to test.

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I like to know what is in the stuff I buy, including my cookies.

They even give you the recipe to make your own.

So I emailed Göteborg Kex and within 24 hours they sent me the ingredients list in a font size that I could read. That was nice. And they even have the recipe for their cookies on their website. I couldn’t read it on the package. That’s nice too.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Today is the Third Thursday of the month!

Don’t forget to come to Hilton Slussen (17.30 – 19.30), join the fun and learn how you can get involved in our Thanksgiving Dinner with Stockholm’s Stadsmission. This month Third Thursday is 40kr which will get you in to the event, some starter canapés (compliments of Hilton) and a great 12% discount on all your drinks and food from the bar! Come drink what you want and gather a group for dinner as the evening moves along.

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When:
Saturday, 22 October @ 18.00

Where:
Betlehemskyrkan
Luntmakargatan 82, 113 57 Stockholm.
(T) Rådmansgatan, uppgång Handelshögskolan

Who:
Cyndee Peters, Gladys del Pilar
Märta Svensson, Daniel Stenbaek
Maria Nordenback-Kress, Gospel Nation
Tor Carlid

How much:
Entre 150 kr

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Maybe it’s the feeling that someone cares. The someone with whom you are spending your hard earned money actually cares about you.

Hemköp's customer service will make me a loyal customer.

That is the nice feeling I got when requesting an additional loyalty card from Hemköp after being informed that they took over Sabis and will soon be taking over Vi boutiques. Those are 2 of four or five grocery stores in our neighborhood so I wanted to make sure my Swede had his loyalty card.

I made a request through the customer service contact form after logging into to my new Hemköp account and within 5 minutes received a positive response in my emailbox. On a Friday evening. What is the big deal you may wonder. Let just say that it’s been a while since I felt like the customer was king. I was very pleasantly surprised which is extremely nice.

Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Audience watching the start of the seminar.

450,000 European entrepreneurs have seized their second chance despite the stigma of rebuilding after a failure.

Stockholm’s program asked, “What can we do for your company?

This question was answered by giving entrepreneurs that opportunity to listen to and talk with:

And perhaps most interesting of all were Hanna Bruce and Mats Gullberg’s presentations on how they established and grew their companies Växbo Lin AB and Olink Bioscience, respectively.

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Top University Rankings

Karolinska is ranked #32, Stockholm University is ranked #131, and KTH is ranked #187.

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.

Image from http://www.era-az.com

Unless you are a diplomat or in another role where your move to a new country is routine and part of the job description, you must be aware of the adjustments you’ll need to make to be happy (my definition of happiness isn’t attached to material possessions, job titles, or what other people think of how I live my life, but in having what I need each day).

How one adjusts to expat life is as individual as the person experiencing the transition. But I think that the first step to being happy is being aware that what is routine, common, expected and accepted back home may no longer hold true. So how do you raise your awareness?

“Learn everything you can about the history, culture and language of the country you are going to”,

advises Monique Rubin. She is a Los Angeles transplant who has lived in the Netherlands for over 10 years.

“Read, in books and on the Internet, about the country or countries in which you will be living. Retain the information more as questions for your future hosts, rather than as settled fact”,

Ron Pavellas suggests. Ron lives in Sweden and hails from San Francisco.

“Know the laws of the country you are moving to”,

Angela Harris advises. She lived on the east and west coasts of the US and in Italy before moving to Sweden.

My expat life has taken me from Washington, DC to London to Brussels to Halmstad (Sweden) to Stockholm. I moved to Sweden after 4 years in Belgium. It had taken me pretty much the entire 4 years to get used to living in Belgium and making the move to Sweden meant starting all over again. I was aware that would require work. I had to refrain from greeting people with a kiss on each cheek, saying individual goodbyes at parties with another round of cheek kisses, drinking wine at lunch, and accepting that people drive after a few beers to name just a few. Now my world consists of, among other things, handshake greetings, dinner parties that start at 18.30, riding my bike to a party or taking a taxi instead of driving, and drinking light beer in the sauna. I was made aware of many of the differences between the US, Belgium and Sweden during numerous visits.

“Take a vacation in the host country to get a first impression”,

a Houston native now living in Mexico advises. But even though multiple visits to your next home country are helpful you won’t get the full picture. How can you? It takes living in a place to fully experience it. Angela also warns,

“How certain cultures act on vacation or in other countries can be quite different than how they act or react when on home turf”.

But as a general rule of thumb Monique adds,

“don’t expect things to be the same as they are in (your home country). They won’t be”.

And she’s right. And remember that being aware is something you will work on the entire time you live abroad. It applies to all situations across the board.

Read another approach that starts with an A: Adverture/Accept.

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Learning about Operation Smile from Sweden's director & one of the surgeon volunteers.

The International Women’s Club in Stockholm is continuing it’s support of children this year and a recent luncheon benefited Operation Smile

.

Poached salmon at the Operaterrasen.

So in addition to a delicious lunch and fashion show, the lottery and auction raised money to change the lives of children whose parents cannot afford the 1 hour operation necessary to fix cleft lip and palate.

Getting settled for lunch to begin.

I sat in between lovely ladies from Sweden and Germany not to mention the other interesting women who filled out the round table. It was nice to meet new people while helping Operation Smile. Nice things happen to me in Sweden

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Eltern in Stockholm is a German speaking forum catering to all parents in Stockholm. It’s a friendly site to share advice and discuss child related topics.

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I discovered a website for expats in the Netherlands, I Am Expat, and Dorota Klop-Sowinska‘s series of articles for expat women called the ABC’s of expat women’s life.

Dorota Klop-Sowinska

The articles are short and to the point (if only I could write that well in Swedish, but I am working on it) and in addition to the content, I was happy to find that the subjects she choose for her first articles covering A – F were different than the ones I would have chosen.

A -C of Sue Grafton's Alphabet Series

Well maybe not all of them, but that is when I got inspired to write my own series of articles, but not just for expat women, for expats in general. I can pull from my experiences while living in London and Brussels and well. Maybe Dorota was inspired by the Sue Grafton alphabet series of crime novels, maybe not. Though I thought Ms. Grafton’s series was clever.

So thank you Dorota for the inspiration! I look forward to getting started. And of course I will include a link to your corresponding article so that we can present two points of view of coping with expat life, in tandem.

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The series, thus far, consists of three choices:

Smartson is looking for test pilots to sample the food and I’d love to try the India Bhaji Bites. I’m lucky that my Swede eats anything I fix (although grits and black eye peas didn’t go over well. I blame that on my preparation. I mean, who doesn’t like grits or black eye peas?) so I can get in a few meatless meals in a week.

Pick me, pick me!

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I decided to borrow them all from the library, however my Internet search revealed that I would have been wait listed number 10 for two of them and that wouldn’t help me get the reading done for my course (which reminds me, I have homework due tomorrow -eek).

So I purchased two and borrowed two. I had the books I needed transferred to my local library (for a fee of 20 kr. – well worth it I thought) and today I received an email reminding me that I am due to return the books in a few days and I had the option to renew them online or by phone:

Du har lån som håller på att gå ut. Låna gärna om på:
https://m.biblioteket.stockholm.se/b/ eller tel 08-50831207

I was able to renew online

Nice! That is exactly what I did. No hassle, no panic, no excuse for me not to get all of my reading done. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Me and my Swede cruised to Helsinki to visit a world heritage site and on to St. Petersburg, Russia to see the the places that have made St. Petersburg world famous.

Talk about a nice trip! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Here are the his and her goodies we got:

Spa By Us swag bag for men

Spa By Us swag bag goodies for women

Spa By Us swag bag had magazines too

Wasn’t that nice? Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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In front of the restaurant

Östermalm after the Spa by Us event and dined at Restaurang Frippe – Dramatenrestaurangerna.

I had a delicious dish of catfish (yes, catfish)!

Catfish, Swedish style

Mu Swede had something beefy. And it too was delicious.

Beef, It';s what's for dinner.

What a nice dinner we had! Excellent quality food, excellent service, and excellent ambiance. A triple winner.

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