Snapshots of Karlstad

The city is full of statues everywhere you look. Each one represents different facets of Karlstad's history and culture. This statue, called the "Goddess of Peace", stands in the city center. It represents a peaceful split between Norway and Sweden in 1905. She holds a broken sword in her hands with her right foot on top of....

... a severed head. Emma told me this statue has been voted the ugliest statue in the country. City planners dressed it in the colors of Melodifestivalen. Just to be festive.

A beautiful day in the city

It's not only a semla, it's a semla cake! It was the size of my head. I was sorely tempted to buy it.

Hipsters live in Sweden too.

Melodifestivalen Celebrities

I'm sitting in the Middle of the City. That's the name of the shopping center in Karlstad where several artists will appear. The first artist up is Eric Gadd and he will be on stage shortly. People are milling about waiting for the show to begin. I have a good seat next to the stage and two semlor at my side. They're from the grocery store, so they're smaller than the bakery versions. That's right - semlor and song.

What happens when celebrities from the biggest show of the year appear in person? How do people in Sweden react?

They react mildly.

An orderly crowd of young teenagers and students wait in line to get a look at the artists. Guards stand around. They chat with each other, since there's not much to do.

Looking on from the top balcony

The host for the show walks into the waiting crowd, asking if there are any big fans of Eric Gadd. The orderly crowd looks away. She walks into a group of waiting teens and attempts to get someone to chat. She has difficulty getting them to talk with her in front of the onlookers. The host finally succeeds in getting a few adults to talk with her. Maybe she will have more success when introducing teen heartthrobs like Robin Stjernberg.

She tries to pep the crowd again. A few people shake their head and tap their feet to the music. That's the extent of their celebration. She attempts to get a yell from the crowd and succeeds on the second try. It's not an easy job.

Walking by the stage. Quite empty a few minutes before the first artist is to appear.

I might suggest this reaction is a part of Swedish culture. Swedes just don't go crazy over celebrities in the same way the United States does. They're interested and will stop to watch. They might stare, even. The really "crazy" ones might ask for a photo or autograph. They usually don't go crazy with a red carpet and screaming fans. They leave that to America. And Americans like me.

Melodifestivalklubb Visit

I'm currently at Löfbergs Lila Arena just inside the press room door. Playing in the background is Lady Gaga's Paparazzi and other songs from Mello. Across the street, artists are practicing for the Second Chance competition on Saturday.

The press room is located across from the arena.

I recently spoke with Pia and Sara, representatives from Melodifestivalklubben, the fan club whose members follows the contest year 'round. They were kind enough to speak with me before today's practices got underway.  The club, a non-profit, has members from as far away as Kuwait and Australia. "There are even many international fans who learn Swedish just to understand the lyrics to the songs", Pia said. More about our interview a little later...

Sara and Pia, representatives from the Melodifestival club

Without a press pass, it's impossible to get in to either the press room or practices. However, the artists will make an appearance in a downtown shopping center later this afternoon. I'll head over there to see what excitement and chaos they create among the general public.

A view of the arena preparations:

The accreditation building brought in for the contest.

An imposing, slightly industrial building when seen from the ground.

 Santa Maria Tex-Mex "Festivalchips", which will be given out to festival visitors Friday and Saturday.

 The same signs from Malmö brought in for set-up shortly.

A handful of the 18 trucks it takes to haul needed equipment to various cities during the tour.

CouchSurfing - Round Two

Emma and Christian are my new CouchSurfing hosts. They are an energetic, fun loving, and happy couple who live just outside Karlstad. We met each other downtown this afternoon, chatted for about an hour, then went shopping for food. When we got back to their home, Emma and Christian made dinner. And I chopped the onions, since that's the full extent of my culinary skills. They did not hold my lack of skill against me. Our dinner consisted of tasty meat patties made with whiskey cheese, potatoes, mixed veggies, and a wonderful brown sauce. Emma made everything from scratch and it was one of the best home cooked meals I've had in a while.

We sat around the table discussing a variety of topics from books and movies to Swedish society and, of course Melodifestivalen. The young couple are also avid readers, so we enjoyed talking about the books they have read and want to read. Christian is a fan of fantasy books and buys them often. Emma studied interior design, so she has several books on the topic here at home.

The pair are open to hosting visitors from all over the world. They have hosted a few people from France recently and will take in another CouchSurfer tomorrow in addition to me. He is a photographer for Melodifestivalen and will stay with us for a day or two. He has a lot of work to do, so we might not be able to chat for long. Still, it should be an interesting experience hearing about the contest from many different people.

Thursday means a visit with Pia, a representative from the Melodifestivalenklub, a 400 member strong group  who celebrates the contest year round. Pia will give us the scoop on celebrating the six week contest from a club perspective. Emma and I will also attend a CouchSurfer meeting in Karlstad later in the evening, so we'll get to meet more faces who dare to open their homes and lives to people around the world.

Emma has planned a little outing on Friday. We will find some nature reserves and enjoy the brilliant blanket of snow covering the area. We might also be able to try some Nordic Skating. That's where you strap on a pair of blades and skate across the ice as far as your feet will take you, or at least until you run out of usable ice.

Once Friday comes to a close, I'll take a little detour. It's off to Örebro, a city a few hours to the East. There, Jenny Berggren, my favorite artist will perform songs from her solo album, "My Story", at Ritz Nightlcub downtown. I couldn't miss the opportunity to catch the performance since it is so close to Karlstad. Jenny also coached Terese Fredenwall during Mello this year. Maybe she will have some things to tell us about her role in the contest this year? We'll see.

I will be up early tomorrow to get to the arena, a place named after one of Sweden's most beloved coffee brands: Löfbergs Lila Coffee.

Karlstad, You Don't Disappoint

This city is ready for the schlager festival. Apparently, Anton Ewald, one of the artists for the Second Chance round was on the same train. I got off the train and saw people holding Melodifestivalen signs. I stopped to take a picture and realized they were there to pick up one of the artists, so I kept filming for a few seconds. Anton took the opportunity to mug for the camera as he walked past.

Anton Ewald is in good spirits.

Karlstad wants you to know it's hosting the contest.

A banner next to a stage in a shopping mall. "The city where everyone is a winner. A Second Chance, the Second of March."

And a blurry pic of a "Schlagerbakelse", a Melodifestival pastry on offer at the local grocery store. You get two purple marzipan covered cakes with a triangular music note decoration on top.  All for 40 kronor ($6.50 approximately).

Breaking Records

Melodifestivalen is breaking records left and right. Last week's show was the top TV draw in the nation with 3.5 million people tuning in. That number makes the contest the most watched program in Sweden since Dallas in 1981. The Malmö show was the biggest one ever held in the city. It almost made the most watched 4th heat of all time, coming in only second to the 2006 show.

Another Day, Another City

Tomorrow brings another town. Karlstad is up next on the agenda. It's time to meet Emma and Christian, my Couchsurfing hosts in the city. I'll also visit the Swedish American Center. The center was created in the early 60's to strengthen ties between the two countries. I'll see what they're up to these days and learn more about the work they're doing.  

We'll get back to Melodifestivalen, too. It's almost time for the Second Chance round. Karlstad is host and they've promised a good show. Time to see what the city has to offer in terms of pre-festival entertainment. Malmö was quiet on that front. Will Karlstad also take the same tactic? Or will they throw a big city party? One way to find out. The train leaves early in the morning. 

G'nite Gothenburg

 A few photos from an evening stroll:

A purple hue over Gothenburg as the sun sets on Tuesday night

A bridge in the city had a note attached to it. The hashtag means "build a bridge".

Speaking of books, today marks the start of national book week in Sweden. A national ode to the book. Yet another reason to love Sweden. Book retailers participate by having huge book sales, often slashing prices in half.

My dream come true. The best candy store ever. This clip is merely 1/3 of the entire store. The rows just keep on going. I thought I had died and arrived at the pearly gates. My version of the pearly gates, anyway.

Cheeze Heartz. The company also makes Cheezy Doodles. They're branching out.

McDonalds has a new campaign in Sweden. "Tastes of America" will introduce four new burgers in the next eight weeks. First up is Kentucky with a steakhouse burger including bacon and tomato sauce. I'm guessing Texas will have its own burger before the campaign is over. Something tells me it will have BBQ sauce on it somewhere.

 I concur. This is a public service announcement of sorts. A local transportation company responsible for making sure buses, trams, and trains are on time is using their ad space to apologize for any delays, but "when you live in a country where it can snow in May", its unavoidable.

A clip from the Hard Rock Cafe in Gothenburg. They know how to treat their hometown talent right. In Gothenburg, trams run throughout the city. The name of a local celebrity is painted on the front of each one. Currently, there are no trams with Ace of Base written on the front. I'm still waiting for the city of Gothenburg to do what Hard Rock Cafe has already done - give their hometown talent some recognition! These records are prominently placed at the entrance to the restaurant just as you walk in the door.

Emigranternas Hus

Emigranternas Hus is a two story museum near the harbor dedicated to the history and research of Swedish immigration abroad, with a focus on American immigration from 1850-1920. The first section of the museum explores the reasons behind American immigration and how people prepared themselves to leave. The second section shows how Swedes entered into and adapted to American culture. The most common factors pushing Swedes to the New World include crop failures and a population boom. The biggest pull to move to the States were job prospects, free land, and religious freedom.

Emigraternas Hus contains a small research center where you can search the archives yourself on computer, or get help with the task for a minimal fee. The center also conducts daily school visits.  The staff compares Swedish immigration to the US with current international immigration to Sweden today. The center helps Swedes understand the challenges involved in immigrating to another country, whether that be 100 years ago or 100 days ago.

One Way Ticket to America

A trip to the United States cost a year's wages for most people, so families would elect one person to go, and together they would raise the money for the trip. That person would leave everything and everyone they know behind to make a new life. If the were successful, they would send extra money back to their family at home and each family member would also come to the US in due time.

A map created by a travel agency to entice Swedes to dream about the places they could go in the New World.

 A painting showing Swedes who are about to leave. They would often come a week early to prepare. They would buy the necessary supplies for the crossing, take one last family photo in Sweden, and buy new clothes. They also fell prey to pickpockets and swindlers who set up shop in the departure area.

Statistics on Swedish immigration to the States. The white areas represent Swedes who left. The red line indicates how many came back to Sweden after some time.

 A Swedish-American newspaper ad from 1890 illustrating the difference between Swedes who have just arrived and those who have been in the US for some time. 

An ad from the White Star Line, a company whose boats brought many Swedes to the New World.

 A Swedish shopkeeper in the States. The ad on the bottom left is in English and Swedish -"Stream Laundry. Swedish Spoken Here"

Morning in Gothenburg

A few photos and video from a morning stroll in Gothenburg on my way to the Emigrant's House:

A container to return your one-time-use grills in Slottsskogen, one of the city's biggest parks.  It's the Central Park of Gothenburg. You know a culture is serious about its grilling when they have a dedicated trash bin.

The ducks are enjoying the open water in this lake at Slottsskogen.

"Warning for zombies under the ice". No, it's just a sign near the lake warning of thin ice. There were a few footprints in the snow anyway. The newspapers are reporting a warm up, heralding the start of spring.

A fallen tree in Slottsskogen park. It is used as a makeshift park bench and playground by some residents. 

IKEA is drawn into the horse meat scandal in Europe. They've been unknowingly using horse meat too. The papers are reporting IKEA's decision to stop serving meatballs, for now.

"The Semla - The best thing ever"

My morning breakfast at Espresso House. An egg and "caviar" sandwich on sourdough bread. The caviar is a specialty known to all Swedes called "Kallies Kaviar" The kaviar comes in a bright blue toothpaste-lookingtube and is light pink in color. The kaviar an acquired taste, due to its high salt content. Swedes living abroad look for it like I look for semlor. I'm not a huge fan of Kalles, but going to Sweden and not eating it would be a crime, I'm sure. 

Officially Couchsurfing

I finally made it to Göteborg and have started my couchsurfing experience. Michael, who lives in the city, is hosting me during my stay. I arrived at his door a few hours ago and was promptly invited on a tour of his lovely home. Michael is a painter and his home reflects his profession. The colors are expertly applied and professionally coordinated.

We spent our first few hours chatting about Gothenburg, Melodifestivalen, Sweden, and the US. Michael came to Sweden in the early 90's and raised his family here. He speaks Swedish and is a citizen to boot. Being from LA, he loves Mexican cooking, which he misses. Trying to replicate the original recipes isn't always easy. Some ingredients like corn tortillas and habanero peppers are nonexistent. Michael is a creative guy though, so he mixes and matches flavors to come as close to the real deal as possible.

Michael is also quite thoughtful. He went to the library and checked out a mega-tome on the history of Melodifestivalen for me. It is packed with information. I'm getting an education in the song contest from a man who does not watch the show himself. You never know who might have new information waiting for you. Michael doesn't watch the contest regularly, but he does recall watching it when his son was a kid.

We also had an extensive chat about Sweden and the United States. We discussed everything from the weather and the music, to immigration and social services. We have several experiences in common such as having difficulties with the language even after all these years. His bookshelf looks just like mine: a mix of books on Sweden in both Swedish and English, along with dictionaries for both languages.

Right now, it's time for bed. I've got my own bed in the living room. Michael set out a mattress, covers, and a pillow for me and has given me my own private space so I can get a good night's sleep. 

Tomorrow, I'll head out to the Emigrant's House in Gothenburg and learn more about Swedish Immigration to the United States. Later on, I'll meet other Couchsurfers for a chat about the Mello results so far.

Ugly American

I missed my bus to Gothenburg today. I was fifteen minutes early and was waiting in the right spot, or so I thought. The TV screen showed the bus would leave from place M, and guess what was sitting outside the window? A sign with a big M on it.

I stood there and waited. This is Sweden and things are typically on time, so when five minutes passed, I wondered. But, I've taken Swebus before, so I know they can be a little late. Fifteen minutes passed. Twenty. Thirty. "Ok, that's too much. I've waited long enough," I thought.

I re-charged my SIM phone card and called Swebus. I said, "What's up with this?" The representative looked and couldn't find any delays. Their computers showed the bus had been on time and had left on time, too. He said I was in the wrong place. I, feeling confident I was in the right, argued that the ticket said Centralstationen and the TV screens within the Central station showed the bus leaving from place M.

He told me I must be in the wrong place and I said I wasn't. We went around and around because I thought I was right. He said I should look at the ticket to see it said the bus leaves from a place called Svävarterminalen/Centralstationen. I got angry, realizing I would have to buy another ticket and blurted out, I won't be using Swebus again. He said, "You need to blame yourself. You were in the wrong place". I was still angry, so I just said, "Yeah, thanks. Bye".

That reply from the Swebus employee would raise hackles in the United States, even if a customer was in the wrong and was angry. In Sweden, people don't mince words. They go straight to the point. Things are they way the are and Swedes will tell you without reservation.

I walked up to someone in the Central Station and asked where Svävarterminalen could be found. They didn't point to the spot outside the window where I had been standing before. Instead, they said that terminal was about half a mile from the Central Station.  Man. I hate when I'm wrong.

And, yes, the truth hurts. You think you know a country and how things work. You think you have everything down. "I can't be wrong! I've traveled all over this country! I know what I'm doing!" Until I don't.

I have to swallow my pride and apologize to the Swebus employee I spoke with for my ugly American behavior. The customer representative was right. It is my fault and I must blame myself for not double checking. (Although, it would be nice if Swebus took the words Centralterminalen off the ticket entirely and replaced it with Svävarterminalen only.)

Now, I'm on the train to Gothenburg instead. Tired, but happy to be going in the right direction.

10,200 Expectations

Yesterday's competition in Malmö Arena held 10,200 spectators. Each person has an individual expectation of the evening's event. I spoke with a handful of spectators before the show about the program.

Friends Maria and Johanna ready for the show to begin.

Decked out in little pink crowns and lovely feather boas, Maria and Johanna were in high spirits. Their smiles radiated across the rows and their joy spread to those around them. I was swept along in their happiness when I walked by and was given their camera to capture the moment. I took the chance to take my own photo of the moment and to ask them about their visit.

These two friends grew up watching the program on TV. This was their first visit to the live event. They decided to go all out, as you can see. Is there anything especially Swedish about the show? Johanna thinks it is more European since it is a qualifier for Eurovision. Maria added that different countries have specific qualifying systems. Germany, for instance, has one singer perform every entry and people vote on the best song. So, the system of qualifying could be seen as Swedish, Maria suggested. Johanna considered the question further, "The Swedish winter is more fun because of it. Every Saturday you look forward to it. You can look forward to it after Christmas is over." Did they have a favorite song this evening? "No! We have not decided yet. This will be the first time we hear the songs live. We wanted the whole live experience", Johanna added.

Looking around, I noticed more fans decked out in fancy feather boas. I saw a woman with a long pink feather boa sitting with her husband, Jonas. Ingela had just purchased her boa minutes before I arrived. I asked her to explain the phenomena, and she said "I have a boa because this is a party. It's a party atmosphere." This was the first time Ingela and Jonas had seen the production live and the first time she bought a pink boa, she noted. What is Swedish about the contest? "Everything!", Ingela mentioned. Jonas thought it was the artists that made it especially Swedish.

It was 6:55 PM and the house band started setting up. Before the band got underway, I stopped to chat with Annika and Stephen. They sat in the first few rows waiting to be showered with hearts and fire. Before the show and all its ensuing antics, I asked them about their experiences. The pair had been at the rehearsal show last year and planned to be at the live even this time around. What is Swedish about the contest? The experience factor looms large for Annika. "In Sweden, you don't have many shared cultural experiences. Twenty five years ago, people watched the same TV show or movie. Today, it is not too common." Shows like Melodifestivalen bring people together around one central touchstone. Annika added, "If you don't watch, you won't have anything to talk about at the office on Monday."

Views from Malmö

A permanent marching band sculpture in the middle of a busy pedestrian walkway. Tourists love to stand in the empty spot and strike a pose.

This is King Karl X Gustaf who conquered the city when it was Danish and handed it back to Sweden in 1658. Today, you might think he's famous for conquering the competition in Melodifestivalen. The flags waving in the breeze are Mello flags.

Malmö is known as an international area, with residents from every country living here. It shows in the food choices around town. You can find any type of food you want. Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Swedish, Danish, German, Middle Eastern, Thai, Texan. (What? Texas is almost its own nation. Don't you know that?!) The international food list is endless. You can still see the Swedish influence in the food, however.

Chinese food next to the national Swedish convenience store on the right, Pressbyrån.

A version of Latin American cooking in Sweden, complete with cartoon mascot.  

The American section of a grocery store. Popcorn salt, "marshmallow fluff", frosting,  Swiss Miss, cheesecake, brownies, American pancakes, Skittles, and "Frootmallows".

I bought my dinner from a pizza/falafel restaurant. This is a clam and shrimp pizza. Yum!

 Folk & Rock, winner of best cafe 2012. It's a cafe/music store combination Swedish food and music together. This is my kind of place. I stopped by yesterday to eat there, but it was so busy, there were no seats available! Looks like it is on track to win in 2013 too.

The city does sing! This store's song? Fastlagsbullar - another name for a semla. I saw the sign! This is where I decided to get my first semla since 2004....

which didn't last long.. All gone.

This was full of semlor when I arrived. Thirty minutes later, there are three left.

A long pedestrian street where families take a quiet Sunday stroll to work off those fastlagsbulle calories

St. Petri church in the center of town. It was built in 1393 in the Gothic Style. The tower is 344 ft/105 meters tall.

A bike path underneath a busy road. The path has its own lane markers and street lights. Swedes are serious about safety.

 A native of Southern Sweden. Scania trucks, like this one, originate from this very area. Swedes call this region Skåne. In English, it's known as Scania.

 The tabloid papers post the daily headlines in huge font. Tabloids are also known as "yellow journalism". Maybe the term originated in Sweden? This particular paper talks about the Army of Lovers and their half-naked Schalger performance yesterday. The bottom is about weighing more. Looks like the BMI scale has changed, so you can weigh even more now and still be considered healthy. I'm in luck!

Imposter! Imposter! This Death Star and R2D2 are made of Lego blocks and those are Danish. Sure, Karl X Gustav kicked out the Danes in the 1600s, but it doesn't mean it stayed that way. Today, Copenhagen and Malmö have strong economic ties with each other. The ties were further enhanced after a bridge was built between the two cities in 1999, making it possible to travel between the two countries directly by car in about half an hour.