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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Participants waiting for the day to start.

This is my third Sweden-US Entrepreneurial Forum and I must say that the format of today’s first half was excellent and improved over previous years.

William Stewart, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy announced that Mark Brzezinski‘s US Senate confirmation hearing to become the next Ambassador to Sweden begins on  5 October 5.

Randy Mitchell - US Department of Commerce

Claire Fairfield, Chairman at the Venture Capital Institute

Other speakers included Catharina H. Boman, State Secretary, Ministry of Enterprise, Energy & Communications; Martin Kenney, Professor, UC Davis; Sara Modig, Sr. Advisor, Ministry of Enterprise, Energy & Communications; Elisabeth T. Ringqvist, CEO, Företagarna; Anders Flodström, Professor, KTH; Kimberlie Cerrone, FOunder, Tiatros & Angel investor in Silicon Valley; Erik Straser, General partner, Mohr Davidow; Sara Öhrvall, Director, Research & Development, Bonnier; John Backus, Founder & managing partner, New Atlantic Ventures, and Tazeem Pasha, Manager, Select USA, Department of Commerce.

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The salon space was nicely laid out with several treatment rooms and a hot tub area. When asked I was told that the way that appointments are made there is never a crowded feeling in the salon and time in the hot tub is generally private.

The jaccuzi at Spa By Us

Guests were treated to champagne, strawberries and chocolate.

Champagne and chocolates

Nicole (my fashion friend in the know) dropped by to congratulate one of the owners.

Nicole and one of the owners of Spa By Us

And of course I had my Swede with me (my entourage, my body guard, my best friend) and he spoke with one of the owners too. She told me that she and her business partner were working together when they decided to start Spa By Us because they shared the same vision of bringing an intimate spa experience to their clients. They exclusively use Babor products from Germany.

My Swede and one of the owners

Guests in the retail part of the spa had a nice choice or products for the ultimate skin care.

And the smallest guest of all…

...was inside a Louis Vuitton bag.

How nice to find a great spa run by nice people. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Inspired by the grand Halloween Parades that takes place in New York annually, which attract millions of viewers, here is the Stockholm version. Saturday the 5th of November, the parade marches from Slussen, along Skeppsbron, and then reaches Kungsträdgården which will be our final stop.

At Kungsträdgården there will be food and entertainment. The parade is open for everyone who wishes to attend, the only demand is that you wear a Halloween costume. You can also enter the parade with an equipage. More information and rules about that will be available on our homepage.

Location: Slussen & Kungsträdgården , Stockholm , SE
Start date 05 Nov 2011 05:00 PM
End date 05 Nov 2011 08:00 PM
Contact Name: Bill Schacht
Category: Parade/festivities
Event Email: bill@shockholm.se
Phone 0760268200
URL www.shockholm.se

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Söndag 16 oktober

Efter en lång sommar är vi äntligen tillbaka med höstens första filmfrukost:
3 x kvinnors berättelser!

Vi visar tre filmer som alla väcker frågor om identitet och makt, om vår samtid och om hur spåren av kolonisationen lever kvar och fortfarande formar vår syn på varandra och världen. I de tre filmerna får vi möta tre kvinnoöden som alla väcker frågor om vem som tillåts skriva historia och hur.

Filmfrukosten avslutas med ett samtal med bland annat Zola Maseko på länk från Sydafrika.

Söndag 16 oktober kl 10.45 -14.00
på Bio Rio, Hornstullstrand 3, T-bana Hornstull.
(filmvisningen börjar 11)
Biljetter 150 kr (3 filmer + frukost)

The Life and Times of Sara Baartman – Zola Maseko, Sydafrika, 55 min.

The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman

När 20-åriga Sara Baartman klev på en båt som skulle ta henne från Kapstaden till London år 1810, kunde hon inte ha vetat att hon aldrig skulle se henne hem igen. Inte heller kunde hon att hon skulle bli symbol för rasunderlägsenhet och svart kvinnlig sexualitet för de kommande 100 åren. The Life and Times of Sara Baartman är historien om denna Khoi Khoi kvinna som togs från Sydafrika, och sedan visas upp som ett missfoster, sexobjekt och prostituerad i Storbritannien och Frankrike. Efter hennes död ställdes hennes kropp ut som museiföremål och det var inte förrän 1990 som hennes kvarlevor motvilligt återlämnades till Sydafrika. The Life and Times of Sara Baartman är en skakande och upprörande dokumentärfilm om en historia som vi långt ifrån har gjort upp med.

Burdening Memories of a Cleaning Lady – Dani Kouyaté. Burkina Faso, 52 min

Burdening Memories

Det här är historien om Thérèse Bernis Parise, född 1920 i Guadeloupe. Snart nittio år gammal står hon på en scen i Paris och sjunger om sitt liv. Tillsammans med skådespelaren Claire Denieul, som var barn i ett av de fina hem där Thérèse städade, genomför hon en unik föreställning. Klädd i silverlamé och ackompanjerad av musiker drar hon med oss i sin berättelse om att vara ensam mamma till sex barn, försörja sig genom att städa åt andra och ständigt slåss för sin överlevnad och sin värdighet. Hon är arg och bitter, men berättar ändå sin historia med mycket humor och värme.

I filmen får vi också en inblick i hur det är att vara svart och samtidigt fransk, att höra till men ändå alltid vara utanför. Dani Kouyatés film är ett starkt porträtt av en modig och mycket uttrycksfull kvinna.

Nora – Nora Chipaumire, Alla Kovgan, David Hinton, Moçambique/USA, 35 min.

Nora

Nora Chipaumire dansar och spelar huvudrollen i filmen som kan ses som ett stycke poesi uppfört i dansform. Handlingen bygger på hennes egna upplevelser och barndomsminnen och filmen böljar fram mellan det komiska och djupt tragiska. Nora handlar om en ung flicka som genom sin uppväxt slåss mot förtryck och förminskning, och som sakta uppnår styrka och frigörelse.

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He comes from a bridge-playing family and said that bridge would enhance our social life in our twilight years. I thought it was nice that he was thinking about our future.

What a hearty soup

We kicked off our season of bridge lessons with a homemade lunch prepared by our hostess. It was delicious.

With fresh bread from the bakery

And she added fresh bread from her local bakery…delish!

We finally got down to the business of playing bridge

We actually did play bridge which was nice as we get better every time. I think I have a future with my Swede in bridge. That’s nice! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Fried green tomatoes

When we arrived last Friday it was definitely grilling weather so he cooked burgers on the grill and I fried green tomatoes in the kitchen. My Swede loves grilling and I love cooking.

Fried green tomatoes on my cheese burger (with a dollop of mayo on my potatoes

They tasted so good! And were especially good on top of the burger. It was nice to see my Swede smile when he bit into one. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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On September 11th me and my Swede had the best people over for brunch and in between all the talking and laughing was some serious political discussions and moments of silence as we remembered what happened in NY, VA and PA.

It was nice to bring a good mix of people over good food. We started at 12.30 and ended after 11pm. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Wirströms Pub in Gamla Stan

As we continue to eat our way through Stockholm courtesy of the Taste Stockholm card 2011 edition we lucked up on a bit of Indian summer and ate on the sidewalk in Gamla Stan. We chose Wirströms Pub because we intended to go after an event in Gamla Stan but that never materialized.

But in any event I had my mouth set on a burger and Wirströms did not fail to please:

WIRSTRÖMS BURGERS
All burgers are served with a side of fries and aioli dip

Beef Burger 125:-
Beef burger with two cheeses, bacon & relish

I tore into the burger and ate just about all of it and even forgot to take a picture of it to share here. But it was good. The pub, however, is extremely dark but full of regulars and the tables outside are a bit dodgy until you move one about and stabilize it. And you never know if you’ll get lucky and strike up a conversation with an interesting expat.

As a bonus we met two SFI friends, one from Brazil and the other from Australia who chatted with us the entire time we were there. All in all, I’d go back for a burger on a day when I could eat it outside on the Gamla Stan sidewalk and watch all the chaos pass by.

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Oh, did I mention that there was a Orrefors by Karl Lagerfeld champagne glass in the sway bag? Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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I didn’t realize that Kina Hälsa was comprised of Chinese medicine practitioners until I walked in.

Chinese medicine

My masseuse wasn’t messing around. It wasn’t the deep massage with oil that you can fall asleep during, it was full on deep tissue massage through a towel that made those knots melt away. That was so nice. After a quick diagnostic check I was massaged for a full hour. With sometimes what felt like wooden balls, but were only his knuckles.

At least I know he didn’t use any of these tools that were in the treatment room:

Not sure what this is for.

I can’t wait for my second massage! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Nathaniel in the movie Zorn (from urbanlife.se)

He was an actor, a pilot, and a person who made you feel so damn good.

Me and Nathaniel

He was positive, funny, energetic and could tell a good story.

Nathaniel being his usual dapper self (from urbanlife.se)

He made every American expat he met feel welcome, gave us hope that we too could have a good life in Stockholm, and was always dapper.

It’s selfish to wish he hadn’t died, after all he had a life well lived and is surely in a better place. But I’ll miss him along with countless others.

Thanks for being my friend! And check out Nathaniel’s Facebook page to get a tiny glimpse into how many people were inspired by him.

Read an interview with Nathaniel on Urban Life.

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Tammy B.- LUXE Stockholm winner - American Women's Club Stockholm

Tammy won for being in the right place at the right time: the American Women’s Club new members after work social. Her name was drawn at random.

Raphael D. said:

What I love about Stockholm is: the perfect size of the city and the closeness to nature, mixed with the relaxed Swedish way of life. After 6 years, I still find amazingly places I’ve never been to or eaten at…

Anna D. said:

What I like most about Stockholm is the relaxed atmosphere although it’s a megacity…you can muse at the waterside, enjoy a tunnbrödsrulle in Kungsträdgården or relax with some fika in one of the beautiful cafés.

Susanne S. said:

Stockholm is the most beautiful city in I have seen. The high quality of life makes it that I want to stay i Stockholm not moving back to Germany where I came from. Living in Stockholm since 2004 I really enjoy kayaking in the city: Brunnsviken or around Kungsholmen with ”fika” at långholmen Strand. In the winter I recommend long distance speed skating or cross country skiing.

and

Kyeserin said:

It’s the birthplace of my favorite studio in the entire world: DICE (Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment). Stockholm is a hotbed of creativity, especially in the design world.

Kyeserin: get in touch with me so that I can get your full name and address so that the lovely folks at LUXE guides can send you your Stockholm guide.

Congratulations everyone and thanks for reading the Stockholm Expat blog.

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We did get breakfast.

Yesterday I attended a breakfast seminar: What benefit can I have with a board in my company, and how do I get started?

Good question, and I knew I needed an answer because I know there is strength in numbers and now is not the climate to learn from making mistakes. So I went, listened, and learned enough to know that I will be attending all of the seminars in the series so that I can make the best decision.

A couple of the women in attendance.

What I found interesting|disturbing|disappointing in “equal Sweden” is that of the 3 presenters and approximately 70 attendees only circa 17 were women. But of those 17, several of them were the only ones to ask questions.

Ove Lijedahl - Styrelse Institutet, Roland Dansell - Grant Thornton, and Satish Sen - Kaleidoscope

However, we were given the information for several professional networks for women whose goal is to help women reach more boardrooms as board members, including Women in Progress Sweden. Thank you Grant Thornton for time well spent.

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My fried fish, came with fries

My friend said that this place has the best fried fish, so crunchy, and she’s right. It was the best.

Herring tray

She enjoyed the herring tray and a salmon plate.

Salmon plate

LUXE Stockholm was right when they recommended the location because there is something there for all tastes. But it wasn’t cheap. My friend said, “Hey, you pay a lot but the quality is excellent“.

The view from inside.

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Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Mornington Bar

I was delighted to see a steak sandwich on the dinner menu and me and my Swede opted for the 1/2 sandwich.

1/2 steak sandwich at Mornington

I have to admit that I thought it was small when it arrived. More like a lunch portion rather than a dinner portion.

1/2 steak sandwich uncovered at Mornington

But it wasn’t a sliced steak sandwich where they could skimp on the meat. It was a cut of steak cut in half. I ate the whole thing and was completely satisfied. No room for desert.

The service was great despite of the fact that there were only two servers and a manager and 95% of the tables were full.

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I found myself walking past NK, Sweden’s high end department store with designer stores in the store. Kind of like Saks 5th Avenue if you’ve ever shopped there. There was a huge line to get in the main entrance of NK and I couldn’t figure out why though I did see signage about Patti Smith who is/was in town to pick up her Polar Prize. As I was walking past the store windows, once famous for racist golliwog dolls Christmas 2007 (though customer complaints made the NK powers that be take them down – yea Stockholmers), I noticed something really cool going on. I guess I had gotten to the 3rd or 4th window before I actually stopped and took notice of the stilbrott (fashion crime) scenario being played out.

Joann Tan's Fashion Crime @ NK

Joann Tan's Fashion Crime @ NK

It was nice to stop and smile at the whimsical windows. A sweet reminder that life requires one to laugh at one’s self. That was very nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Birds With Skymirrors is a frightening and a beautiful performance – half dance and half ceremony – which give rise to ideas about climate change and man’s place on earth.

Lemi Ponifasio is the founder of MAU and also a Samoan chief. His work is rooted in reality, but at the same time touches on something much bigger, something almost spiritual. Lemi Ponifasio’s performances have been declared genius and physically extraordinary, imaginative and executed with masterful precision. Read more at http://www.dansenshus.se

”…new, powerful and fascinating. An extremely powerful piece of work.”

Le Nouvel Observateur Paris, Feb 2010

”Physically extraordinary and imaginatively charged”

The Guardian UK, aug 2010

“Beautiful, sensual and flawless in its execution.”

The Bicks Herald UK, sep 2010

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Aerial view of the 9-11 memorial

Gathering at Nobel Park (Nobelgatan in Stockholm, just next to the US Ambassador’s residence) from 14.30-15.45, to coincide with the the timing of the tragic events of 2001.Speeches, readings, gospel music and more.

People are encouraged to bring personal notes, flowers, wreaths or anything they deem appropriate as a means of marking this special event. No pre-registration is required and anyone is welcome.

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We dressed like sexy cowgirls and waited for Karin to be dropped off at the pistol range in a classic American car. She shot 5 different guns. We toasted her with champagne and had coffee and yogurt and then went to a recording studio where Karin sang some rock tracks and we did back up. Then we had a picnic lunch and Karin told us how she knew all of us. Then we went to the spa and hopped in the jacuzzi and then dressed up for dinner and a night out. Did I mention the champagne was flowing for what seemed like the entire time?

It was so nice to celebrate with Karin and to meet her girlfriends who love her and to make new friends. Super nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Clean, green and on the scene, the land of the long-leggedy lovelies
spans 14 islands of the beautiful archipelago and spangles them with
treasures, from her medieval Old Town to her wealth of museums, art
and nature in all directions. With crystal waters, world class restos,
vibrant cultural scene, and her famed Scandi design aesthetic ranging
from fash to furny and everything in between, she may be spenny, but
hot damn is she worth it. Valkommen till Stockholm!

Want to find the loveliest places to stay from palaces to boutiques to
homely B&B’s or even a private boat? Want the finest food from Michelin
maestros to artisanal kitchens and local hidden caffs. Want to find
stashes of vintage fashion, furniture and decor and discover the cities
finest designers from shoes to lifestyle? Fancy your own yacht, personal
museum guide, or food guru to show you the markets and taste the local
seasonally sourced delicacies? Want the absolute cream of the mod Scandi
design world, or even to customise your own interior pieces? Want the
best and to avoid all the rest? Well, of course you do. And now you can.

LUXE Stockholm. Chic, fun and terribly useful.

LUXE Stockholm guide review -Here’s what I say:

Packaging:

Purse or front pocket size on card stock that folds accordion style. It comes in a plastic sleeve to hold it together. I don’t think it’s printed on recycled paper, or at least it isn’t labeled as such.

Tone:

Concise, snappy British English with words like, spenny (expensive), brekky (breakfast), bugbear (complaint), and of course loo (toilet).

Content – The LUXE Stockholm guide is divided into the following sections:

1. Hej Sötis (Hi sweetie – usually directed to a child or when being flirtatious) greeting.

2. Overview – Straight and to the point in only two full sentences.

3. Blah Blah – 16 general info bullet points, 4 need-to-know Swedish words/phrases.

4. Accommodation – The 12 Stockholm and two suburban hotels recommended by LUXE can be booked at luxecityguides.com with categories ranging from Action Station, Comfy Contempo, to Mamma Mia.

5. Restaurants – OK, the LUXE Guide crew really likes to eat. In this section you will find information on 49 places for fine dining, smart/casual, relaxed, lunch/brunch, and coffee n’ cake.

6. Bars – 10 bars are listed which is a very select list when one considers how many bars there are in Stockholm. How many bars are there in Stockholm?

7. Clubs – Wow, only four are listed, including one that shares my middle name, with Café Opera omitted. Bravo LUXE. I think that place is overrated though I feel the average tourist would be remiss if they didn’t go there and conclude for themselves that the place is overrated. Maybe people like Will Smith (I wasn’t there that night) went there because he didn’t have a copy of the LUXE Stockholm guide.

8. Spa and Beauty – These 11 recommendations include actual spas, make up stores, an outdoor rooftop heated pool as well as where to take a yoga class. One recommendation claims to have been a favorite of Stockholmer Great Garbo.

9. Museums – One can easily spend a week visiting museums in a capital city only to regret having spent the entrance fee and time inside. LUXE lists 10 must-see museums. That greatly helps when having to pare down to just a few.

10. Activities – Not your basic activities, or maybe they are: boat rides, skydiving, foodie tours, glass blowing and more are included in the 12 recommendations.

11. Very useful information – 16 bits of information that can come in handy including emergency care, limousine service, personal guides, buying wine and beers and getting your clothes cleaned and shoes repaired.

12. Shopping itineraries – If shopping is one of the main reasons you travel you will be delighted to find several shopping itineraries included in the LUXE Stockholm guide for interiors and fashion, fashion and accessories, vintage and antiques, funk fashion and vintage, as well as stores to visit on Birger Jarlsgatan, Östermalm, Södermalm/SOFO (South of Folkungagatan – OK, I’d never heard of SOFO but it does crack me up when Stockholm tries to give New York City attitude), Odengatan/Upplansgatan and Gamla Stan.
–Standout design – The best in vintage, new classics, modern, signature prints, elegance, old values, gadgets and 4 more are listed.
–Standout stores – 14 stores that sell everything from film and fresh fish to press samples at 50% off from one of Sweden’s leading fashion brands.
–Advanced shopping – need custom made furniture or one of a kind wallpaper? You get the idea of what is included in the 10 listings.

The guide concludes with a list of 14 things/places that LUXE Loves about Stockholm and (eek) 5 things LUXE Loathes about Stockholm. Only 5? They didn’t talk to any expats (ouch).

Highlights:

While everyone’s taste is different the LUXE guide lives up to its mantra of chic, fun and rather useful. This isn’t your “do Stockholm on $50 a day” guide. Rather it is “here’s how to do Stockholm if you’ve got money to spend. But even if you don’t have a wad of kroner to blow this LUXE guide includes plenty of affordable must-sees.

Lowlights:

The print is very small and in all capital letters.

Love factor:

I hated to get to the last page of the guide. It was an entertaining read.

Personal note:

I don’t know whether to be depressed or grateful for having read the LUXE Stockholm guide. Of the 123 LUXE listings (excluding the shopping itineraries) packed into this compact guide I have only eaten at 4 restaurants/lunch/coffee establishments, drank in 5 bars, partied at 1 club, indulged at 1 spa & beauty business, visited 4 museums and participated in 3 activities recommended.

After a short pause I’ve decided I’m grateful to LUXE for they have given me literally dozens of solid leads and motivation to be a professional tourist in my adopted city. Winter be damned; I’m going to check out these LUXE recommended places (excluding hotel accommodations, though I will recommend them to out of towners) one by one. Look for a new series on Stockholm Expat where I explore Stockholm the LUXE way.

LUXE Stockholm Guide give-a-way – 25 August through 8 September

The lovely people at LUXE City Guides want to give 4 Stockholm Expat readers their very own LUXE Stockholm guide. For a chance to get your hands on one answer the following question via the comment section below or email to: expat@stockholmexpat.com:
What do you like most about Stockholm and why? If that question is too lame for you and you’re up for it, share your favorite Stockholm experience.

*Disclosure: I am fortunate enough to have 5 LUXE Stockholm City Guides to give away but I am saving one to give away to a lucky new member of the American Women’s Club Stockholm.

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I came across a camera that I’d love to have to capture our upcoming cruise to Finland and Russia, our next three trips to the summer house on Sweden’s west coast, my girlfriends wedding in Tylösand, my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and finally New Year’s.

Here is the camera and here’s why I want it:

You can drop it from 1.5 m and it won’t break and it is waterproof so my Swede can get photos while snorkling and it resists dirt so maybe if we had this camera in Jordan the lens wouldn’t have malfunctioned because of sand (like my Swede’s camera is currently doing).

It has ton of other features we expect in small digital cameras these days.

But I love the lime green too!

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Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is the world leader in areas of innovation, health and security according to a new study from PwC and Partnership for New York City. Stockholm climbs five places in the rankings and end up as number four in total.

Stockholm is also the best of all European cities that are a part of the study, says the fourth edition of Cities of Opportunity that analyze and ranks 26 large cities in ten different criteria of success.

In the report Stockholm is among the top three cities in half of the factors, and is the number one in the categories Intellectual Capital and Innovation, Health Safety & Security and Demographics and Livability. Stockholm is also close to the top when it comes to Sustainability and Technological ability.

Don’t take my word for it. Download the report.

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The gorgeous Jane

Last Saturday we had Jane and her husband to dinner at the summer house. My Swede’s mother also joined us and our guests arrived bearing gifts for all three of us. My gift was Jane’s Cleanser for my skin type (dry) that contains organic lavender and menthol crystals and chamomile. I can use to remove eye makeup and it leaves my skins feeling so super soft.

My present from Jane. How nice!

We started the evening with bubbly from Italy and lots of conversation. So much so that we almost forgot to serve the appetizers with the drinks. My Swede showed Jane’s swede around the property and they put their heads together on the best way to grill the lamb.

My yellow and red tomato tart was a hit and after a desert of fresh blueberries and whipped cream we went up to the mountain behind the house for an Irish Coffee competition. Jane and her Swede came prepared with all the ingredients and gear they needed. All they asked for was hot water. Impressive. And so were their coffees. My Swede’s was good too.

What a nice evening! I had a fun time with great people. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

Take a peek at Jane’s salon:

Inside Jane's salon

Jane's waiting room

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If you are an expat in Stockholm you are invited to join the official XING Stockholm group:

https://www.xing.com/go/group/23121.519786/3509921

If you are an expat in Sweden you are invited to join the Expatriates in Sweden group:

https://www.xing.com/go/group/9564.29d535/3509921

And to keep up with events in Sweden you are invited to join the Event Sweden group:

https://www.xing.com/go/group/1865.40097d/3509921

If you are an American living overseas you are invited to join the Americans Abroad group:

https://www.xing.com/go/group/13203.24d458/3509921

The old adage holds true: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

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Before my facial.

Yesterday I had a luxury facial with Jane which included her exclusive handmade products that were catered to my skin type. Jane did a lot of things during my service including shaping my brows, extractions including using an electro magnet and suction tools (so know squeezing or pulling on the skin), and hot stones under my shoulders and a shoulder massage.

After my facial. My eyes aren't as puffy and of course my brows are perfect.

My treatment also included a consultation and my leaving the salon with a bag of products suited for my skin type. But Jane is a true professional and only recommended what I truly needed. So I purchased Jane’s Peeling Cleanser with organic tea tree, jojoba and apple cider. It is a gentle exfoliater I can use twice a day with no need for a toner. I also got the Jane’s Day/Night Luxury Cream that she just whipped up yesterday. The organic ingredients are avocado, soya oil, olive oil, and coconut. It also contains suncreen. It smells fantastic. Jane said normally she would’t start me this until September but my skin is particularly dry.

My exclusive Jane's handmade products.

My skin feels, smells and looks fabulous which is so nice. And Jane is such a lovely person that she makes you feel fantastic. Which is also nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Under the US tax system, US persons – citizens, green card holders and residents – are required to file annual US income tax returns reporting worldwide income.

It is a legal obligation to ensure that “true and accurate” returns are filed with the IRS in a timely way to avoid risks of numerous penalties and, potentially, criminal prosecution.

Recently, the IRS has sent a strong message to US taxpayers residing abroad who may not yet have complied with their US income tax obligations.

Taking advantage of the recently announced IRS “Overseas Voluntary Disclosure” program can potentially help taxpayers reduce penalties and avoid prosecution.

Note that OVDI is not the best solution for all US persons and not all US persons are eligible for the program.  As always in the past, FAWCO strongly recommends that you consult a tax professional but, given the August 31 deadline for OVDI, you should do so quickly!

WHAT IS OVDI?

The 2011 OVDI is the latest in a number of efforts by the United States Government to encourage US persons who have not complied with their various US tax and related reporting requirements to become compliant.

The IRS has stated that the 2011 program is the non-compliant taxpayer’s “last best chance” to come forward with an element of “certainty” on the amount owed to the US government. After this, the implications are that the IRS will use its full arsenal of penalties, and the possibility of criminal prosecution, to aggressively find and “punish” the non-compliant taxpayer.

What is required under OVDI?

· The taxpayer must file all delinquent or amended returns and additional reporting obligations for 2003 through 2010 calendar years.

· The taxpayer must pay all taxes, penalties and interest charges.

· The deadline for participation in OVDI is 31 August 2011. This may be extended by 90 days if a request is submitted by this date.  

What are the benefits of OVDI?

Under OVDI, individuals accepted into the program can avoid criminal prosecution. Costs, penalties and interest charges are clear and the individual has the peace of mind of being fully up to date and compliant.

While there are alternative disclosure procedures, OVDI may provide the best opportunity for the lower fixed penalties for becoming compliant.

Click here for the full article on the FAWCO website, prepared with information for which we very much thank US Tax & Financial Services Ltd in London.

Please share this information with others around you and seriously consider getting professional advice as to whether OVDI is right for you. Many of your questions can be answered here at this link, where US Tax & Financial will answer questions (free of charge) to help you decide which plan and firm is best for you.

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Enter the Taste Sverige and the Taste Stockholm card. I bought the card for half price from either Groupon, Let’s Deal, or Your Deal (I can’t remember which). With the Taste Stockholm card one can dine at 71 restaurants around Stockholm and receive various discounts including 2 for 1. The card is valid for 365 upon activation and you can eat in each restaurant one time. The price is 295 SEK.

Djurgårdsbrunn

We started our culinary tour by biking to Djurgårdbrunn in beautiful weather and dined Al Fresco.

Veal meatballs

We both ordered the veal meatballs and were served 12 each, in a brown reduction accompanied by almond mashed potatoes, lingon berries and pickles.

Almond mashed potatoes, lingon berries and pickles.

Neither of us could finish our meatballs so I asked to take them home. I wasn’t the only one in the restaurant who couldn’t finish their portions as I saw other doggie bags being produced.

Djurgårdsbrunn restaurant

We rate the Djurgårdsbrunn restaurant a good value for money as the service was good, the atmosphere extremely pleasant and the food portions were generous. If you can’t bike there you can take the bus, I believe number 69. I can also imagine just taking a cold drink and sitting in the lawn chairs that face the park and watching the occasional boat go by.

Hot air balloons take off from Gärdet

And on the way home we watched the hot air balloons take off from Gärdet.

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Please review the following information to determine if you are eligible or contact the Virginia State Board of Elections at their toll free # 1-800-552-9745 or your local registration office.
District lines have been redrawn and recent changes might have changed what local, State Senate or House of Delegates district(s) in which you vote. To determine if you have been affected by redistricting please visit www.sbe.virginia.gov, from the State Board of Elections website you can verify if you are eligible to vote in one of the upcoming primaries. UOCAVA voters may also be eligible to register for an absentee ballot for the Primary and future elections.

Please note that applications for absentee ballots and the Federal Post Card Applications (FPCA) continue to be accepted for the Primary Election. Also, if you are a Virginia resident and eligible for voter registration, you may be eligible to register to vote and request an absentee ballot simultaneously for any August 23, 2011 Primary races.

Finally, if you are a UOCAVA voter and have applied to receive an absentee ballot automatically for races in which you are an eligible voter, you should have received an absentee ballot by July 8 for your eligible Primary races (including political party primaries). You will receive your ballot by email or mail, depending on the option you originally selected for the ongoing absentee ballot. If you are unsure about your status as an ongoing absentee voter please email info@sbe.virigina.gov and a SBE staff member will assist you.

Again, please note that absentee ballots will be available on July 8, 2011 and all eligible ongoing absentee voter ballots were sent on that date or before. For a more detailed guide and additional information please see the Virginia State Board of Elections’ release for Absentee Voting for Military Personnel, their families and Overseas Voters: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Absentee_Voting/Military_Overseas_Citizens/Index.html.

Additional Information
FVAP can be contacted via 1-800-438-8683. Citizens may reach FVAP toll-free from 67 countries by using the toll-free numbers listed on the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov/contact/tollfreephone.html.

Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC, 20301-1155, vote@fvap.gov and on the World Wide Web at www.fvap.gov.

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Salmon and veggies on the grill.

I hadn’t been in Stockholm since late May and on my first full day back we were invited to dinner at my Swede’s (arguably) best friend’s for dinner. His wife is Thai so I always look forward to a restaurant quality Thai meal, but we were treated to grilled shrimp.

Desert #1

And for a second desert we were treated to a ride to the Tbana in a convertible Jag. That was so nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

Desert #2

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I have never liked the idea of using hot (ok warm) wax as a grooming tool for anything other than shaping eyebrows, so in this summer season I decided to try sugaring for that beach ready look. Kathy is the only person in Sweden trained to provide Alexandria Body Sugaring services. I thought I’d give it a try. I mean, it sounded, well, sweet.

It took everything I had not to scream out, but then again women do have a high tolerance for pain in general. Kathy promised, in the words of Leona Lewis, it will all get better in time. Meaning that the more I sugar, the less there will be to sugar in the future.

That’s nice. It was also nice to support a friend and fellow expat in her enterprise. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Have you ever thought about how you would like your affairs to be left in the event of your sudden death?

Here is a list of 26 documents that you should collect in order to make things easier for those you leave behind.

Birth, Marriage and Divorce

1. Personal birth certificate
2. Marriage licence
3. Divorce papers
4. Birth certificate/adoption papers for minor children

Life Insurance and Retirement

5. Life insurance policy documents (including beneficiary nominations)
6. Personal pension documents
7. Employer pension details
8. Annuity documents
9. Details of any entitlement to state pensions

Bank Accounts

10. List of bank accounts
11. Details of safe deposit boxes

Proof of Ownership

12. Property, land and cemetery deeds
13. Mortgage details
14. Proof of loads made
15. Proof of debts owed
16. Vehicle ownership documents
17. Stock certificates, brokerage accounts, investment platform details
18. Details of premium bonds, government bonds, investment bonds
19. Partnership and corporate operating/ownership agreements (including offshore companies)
20. Tax returns

Essentials

21. Will
22. Instruction letter
23. Trust documents
24. Burial/cremation wishes

Miscellaneous

25. List of names and contact numbers for: Financial adviser, doctor, lawyer/solicitor, accountant, insurance broker.
26. Details of your on-line life – A list of your usernames/passwords for your e-mail accounts, online bank accounts etc.

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This is the summer I really fell in love with the place. I have people I love there that I look forward to seeing not only in the summer, but would like to see during the long winter. I think that is super nice. Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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Issue – Worldwide: It has always been the case that Americans living overseas returning to the US could bring their Foreign family members (spouse and children) with them by filing an Immigrant Petition (I-130) for them at either the Embassy/Consulate where they lived or the USCIS office if there was one in their country of residence.

The process would usually take between 1 and 3 months to get the immigrant visas and it was always easy to expedite if need be. Whereas, if you filed your petition in the US, the process often takes up to a year or more.

USDHS has just changed the rule – beginning August 15, there will be no more consular filings. If you are not living in a country that does not have a USCIS office — most countries do not have a USCIS office (Israel, Vietnam, Cambodia do not have USCIS offices — 75% of countries do not have USICS offices), you will have to send your petitions to the US and they will be treated the same as if you live in the US, instead of overseas.

This will cause great hardship, not just on time and needless separations from your loved ones, but on misplaced and delayed mailings. It is a very bad policy.

This rule is being implemented without warning overseas Americans — actually the directive was not to warn.

We should warn our membership. Some may be considering filing, they should not wait.

Below is a letter from the American Immigration Lawyers Asso to USCIS arguing for the rule to be changed.

———–

July 18, 2011

Sunday Aigbe
Chief, Regulatory Products Division
Office of the Executive Secretariat
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 5012
Washington, DC 20529-2020

Via Federal Rulemaking Portal : www.regulations.gov

Re: AILA Comments on USCIS Interim Final Rule, “Requiring
Residents Who Live Outside the United States to File
Petitions According to Form Instructions.”

DHS Docket No. USCIS–2011–0002

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) submits the
following comments on the USCIS interim final rule on the process
changes to Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for petitioners
residing overseas. We thank USCIS for holding the June 6, 2011,
stakeholders call outlining these changes and for the opportunity to ask
questions and provide comments.

AILA is a voluntary bar association of more than 11,000 attorneys and
law professors practicing, researching and teaching in the field of
immigration and nationality law. Our mission includes the advancement
of the law pertaining to immigration and nationality and the facilitation
of justice in the field. AILA members regularly advise and represent
businesses, U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and foreign
nationals regarding the application and interpretation of U.S.
immigration laws. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on this
interim final rule and believe that our members’ collective expertise
provides experience that makes us qualified to offer views that will
benefit the public and the government.

Concerns Relating to the Interim Final Rule

Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing outside the United States in
countries without a USCIS office will no longer be permitted to file Form
I-130 at the U.S. consulate and will instead be required to file with the
USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Petitioners residing in countries with a USCIS
office continue to have the option to file either with that office or domestically with the
lockbox. Processing times for I-130s filed overseas are generally much shorter than when
filed through the lockbox. In most locations, an immediate relative may be issued an
immigrant visa within two to three months of the initial filing. However, where the I-130 is
filed domestically, an immediate relative can expect to wait nine to twelve months to
complete the process.

AILA is concerned about the impact of this rule on U.S. expatriate petitioners on
assignment abroad who are reassigned to return to the United States. It is not uncommon
for an expatriate employee to be given just a few months notice, or even less, of the
decision to transfer the employee back to the United States. With such short notice, and
without the option of processing an I-130 petition abroad, a foreign spouse would be
unable to return to the U.S. at the same time as the U.S. citizen spouse. The U.S. citizen
would then be forced to either endure a lengthy separation from his or her spouse (and
potentially minor children as well), or terminate employment with the multinational
employer if the citizen petitioner is unable to significantly delay the reassignment date.
This is an undue hardship to expatriate U.S. citizens who have little control over the
schedule of international work assignments.

We are also concerned over fairness of access to a beneficial procedure available in only
certain countries under this rule. As it stands, the rule significantly benefits U.S.
petitioners who reside in one of the 24 (out of 196) countries where an overseas USCIS
office is located. Therefore U.S. petitioners who happen to be assigned to one of the 24
countries benefit over the vast majority of U.S. petitioners who reside in other countries.
For example, a U.S. petitioner residing in Greece would have access to the expedited
overseas adjudication of a petition for his or her spouse, but those who reside in the same
region, but in the countries of Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
would not. The randomness of access to this significant benefit is not in keeping with
notions of fairness and equal access to similarly qualified individuals.

Possible Alternate Policy to Alleviate Concerns

Short of withdrawing the final rule, an alternative policy could alleviate the above
concerns. Given that a significant reason for the rule is to reduce the costs associated with
delegating USCIS work to the Department of State, it is clear that the task of overseas I-
130 adjudication should remain with the USCIS overseas offices in existence today.
However, U.S. petitioners who reside in a country without a USCIS office should be
permitted to file petitions either domestically with the lockbox, or with the USCIS sub-
office having jurisdiction over their country of residence. Therefore a U.S. petitioner
residing in Dubai (UAE) could file an immigrant petition with the USCIS Athens sub-
office. Upon approval, the petition would immediately be forwarded to the appropriate
consular post for adjudication of the immigrant visa. This alternate procedure has the
potential to shorten the time to complete the immigrant visa process while giving equal
access to the streamlined process to U.S. citizens in all overseas jurisdictions.

Conclusion

AILA appreciates the opportunity to comment on this interim final rule, and we look
forward to a continuing dialogue with USCIS on issues concerning this important matter.

Sincerely,

THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

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At times the Swedish authorities can react at lightning speed. I received my notification about studiemedel in two days. Talk about nice! Nice things happen to me in Sweden.

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So it is very nice to get my confirmation that I will be able to continue my language journey at the university level online. I start a 30 credit course that runs from August 2011 to June 2012 at Linneaus University.

Also nice is being able to take the last in a series of 4 courses online at Dalarna University. This course starts in November 2011 and runs through January 2012.

SO, on y va! I mean nu kör vi!

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Here is the invitation:

All of us are disappointed it isn’t a Sweden-USA final in the Women’s Soccer World Cup tomorrow. But we’ll be happy to settle for the next-best-thing … the US winning the gold over Japan!!? Join Club Members and friends as we gather at the Hard Rock Cafe this evening. Kick-off is at 20.45 so plan to arrive in time to get a good table and start the evening with Hard Rock’s finger-licking specialties. We anticipate some good-natured competition with expected Japanese fans as well.

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Are you studying abroad? Be sure to vote abroad: http://www.votefromabroad.org/

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