Semlor and Song: Cultural Connectors

I went into this journey thinking Melodifestivalen would be celebrated like the Super Bowl. The TV viewing numbers say as much. Almost half the country watches. I thought people would be pumped about the contest and all its trappings - and everybody would watch. I imagined people would sit down with friends and family to see the spectacle with a big spread of food and everybody would be talking about it - for six weeks straight.

It was sort of like that, but not quite. The final show in Stockholm followed a Super Bowl-like pattern, minus the commercials. Almost everybody watched and many people gathered together with food during the final show. There's no doubt everybody was talking about it the next day. The previous five weeks of the contest were... a bit more muted.

Things aren't always the way I expect them to be in Sweden, even though I'm familiar with the culture. It's good to know there are still surprises to be found after more than a decade of study.

Even though I look at Sweden through an experienced frame of reference, I still filter it through American eyes (or maybe Swedish-American eyes). I expected Melodifestivalen to be a well-loved party where everyone celebrates the contest and the artists in a big way. I expected an excited and positive response when I mentioned blogging about the show. The biggest response I got was, "That's kinda crazy" followed by "I don't watch the show." I thought the host cities would hold parties and large events for the general public. Karlstad tried to promote the show, although you could have stayed in Stockholm and Malmö without ever knowing Mello was happening just a few minutes from your location. Like I said, it was muted. Or, muted in an American sense. It was not what my American self had in mind.

A popular show, but not in the American sense.

I learned the show isn't so much a well-loved party as it is a well-known cultural touchstone. Everyone knows about it and has a relationship to it, either positive or negative. The show itself fills many cultural and social functions throughout its six week run. It's a way for people to escape from the daily grind for a few hours each weekend. People also use the contest to share thoughts and opinions. They use it to find new music and artists for their playlists. Using it for an excuse to party is also popular, although Swedes don't have much trouble finding reasons to go out on a Saturday night. All these functions have one thing in common - connection.

Melodifestivalen connects people. Whether you love or hate the show, you are connected to other people through its appearance every year. It gives people the opportunity to talk with each other and build relationships around the things they experience, whether that be a shared love of the contest and the songs or a shared dislike of the entire phenomena.

Folk 'n' Rock, a popular cafe in Malmö. It's a combination cafe and music store. A good place to make connections, both personal and musical.

It's the same story for semlor and Swedish food, apparently. Connection is the key. In Italy or France, the taste of the food and the experience of eating is held in high regard. In Sweden, the food isn't the star of the show. It's the people you're sitting with while you eat. Taking a coffee break, aka fika, or sitting down with a meal gives people the opportunity to relax and really connect with the person sitting across the table. Semlor play a special role in such connections since their appearance is seasonal. It brings something special to your fika time since the traditional pastry tends to bring back memories and events from previous years. What were you doing when you ate your last semla? How has your life changed since then? Such thoughts pop into your mind. They make for good discussion topics with others as you connect over food.

Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

Cinnamon rolls are also popular fika food.

While the contest has ended and semla season is soon over, the memories remain. Next year, the same process will repeat. People will eat and listen - and connect. Old friendships and relationships will be strengthened. New ones will be formed. And the culture will grow richer because of it. All this because of a little semlor and song.

Semlor - making connections between people in Sweden for centuries.

__________________________

I connected with many people during my stay in Sweden. Food and music played a vital role in each encounter. Many people opened up their hearts and their homes to me during my stay as well. My gratitude cannot be expressed in words, but I must say thank you anyway:

Thank you to Nordstjernan for giving me the opportunity to contribute to your publication. And to everyone I spoke with during my stay, I say thank you for your insight into the contest and the culture!

A special thank you goes to CouchSurfers Michael, Emma, Christian and Alexander, along with Sara and the entire congregation at Missionskyrka in Gnosjö for giving me a place to call home while on the road.

Another big thank you to dancer and actor Ausben Jordan, Pia Andersson from Melodifestivalsklubben, Ann-Charlotte from Ave Produktion, singer and author Jenny Berggren, and Andreas at the Swedish-American Center in Karlstad for sharing your time, insight, and knowledge with me during our longer discussions. You provided in-depth insight into the contest in a way I could not have reached otherwise.

A final thank you to everyone reading the blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Maybe one day you'll go to Sweden to see Melodifestivalen yourself. If you do, be sure to eat a few semlor for me!

My Swedish Diet - The Results

I won't be writing a book about the amazing new Swedish Diet. I still think it's amazing, but it won't help you lose weight. I managed to gain weight for the first time while visiting Europe. It took the entire three weeks though. By the middle of my vacation, I noticed my jeans were loose. I had lost a pound (1/2 kilo). Noticing this, I poured even more effort into gaining weight and succeeded by the end. I gained a whole pound in Europe. That's about 2 kilos. So, there. You can gain weight in Sweden on vacation, although it's quite difficult to do.

I did realize after the second day why it's so easy to eat junk and still lose weight. You walk everywhere. I estimate I walked about a half marathon to a marathon every day - with a 10 pound backpack added for good measure. Walking around with extra weight for a whole day will shred those pounds - even if you're eating bucket loads of sugar, fat, carbs, and everything that isn't good for you. Eating like this all the time would easily take its toll. You might look thin, but a check on your arteries would easily give you away.

I enjoyed being on my Swedish Diet. I hope to get back on it again in the future, even if it does mean a ton of walking. If  walking means I can eat all the junk food I can handle, I'm all for it.

Almost a pound of my favorite Swedish candy. This was my dinner one night. And a few other nights. Ok, fine, several nights.

Sweden at Schiphol

One hour to go before boarding the flight to Philly. The second level of Schiphol promised even more shopping experiences. It also provided a lot of opportunities to see Swedish culture abroad. I stumbled upon several Swedish products while wandering around the departures area upstairs. So far, I've seen Swedish books, stores, and food. I've even heard Swedish music over the airport speakers.

Swedish crime fiction is still hot. Three different authors are represented here. 

Clothing giant H&M is almost as ubiquitous as other multinationals like Apple and Starbucks.

Raw samon cured with salt, dill, and sugar. Not too popular here. This is on sale, 40% off.

Daim, a typical and popular type of Swedish candy. It used to be called Dajm. It was changed to make it more English friendly.

I also found a library smack in the middle of the departures area. It's simply called Airport Library and it is the first permanent airport library in the world. It's made up of several couches, two long desks with iPads, free wifi and outlet plugs for charging electronic equipment. Several shelving units sit behind the desks and include books on Amsterdam and the Netherlands in different languages. I like! Right now, several people are using the library, including myself, naturally.

It's about time for me to leave Europe, so I'll say farewell until I hit the other side of the Atlantic. I will leave at 12 PM and get to Philadelphia around 4 PM, with flying time clocking in at about eight hours. The magic of crossing time zones going West. An eight hour flight takes only four going the other way. The flight is not fully booked, so no chance of a bump for me. Maybe from Philly to Houston? I would take it if they offered!

I Fought the Food...

...and the food won. Sadly, I couldn't make it through the last four semlor. It ends well, though. I didn't die and I now have four semlor left for breakfast. Mmm, good!

I'm up early to catch the train to Malmö in a few hours. It takes a while to get there from Stockholm, so it's good to have a full stomach. I'll do some more shopping when I get there, since Copenhagen is just over the bridge and my flight leaves for Amsterdam tonight. There's always time for shopping.

I arrived with near bursting bags almost three weeks ago. My backpack and rolling duffel bag are now half full. I take the  "pack a little trash" approach when I travel. Pack those scruffy jeans and worn out sweaters, then toss them along the way. Some people don't like the approach. It works for me. It leaves more room for fun stuff like candy and food. Who needs clothes when you can have Swedish candy? Priorities, people!

Woman vs. Swedish Food

In honor of King Adolph Fredrik, I am taking up a food challenge.

On February 12, 1771, King Adolf dined on a luxurious dinner of caviar, lobster, smoked herring, sauerkraut, and champagne. Such a dinner didn't satisfy his appetite, so he added fourteen helpings of semlor with warm milk as well. It was his favorite dessert. Shortly thereafter, the king came down with stomach cramps and dizziness. A few hours later, King Adolf Fredrik passed away.

Portly King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden before his death by semla.

image from wikipedia.org

Some officials called for a ban on the baked good since it seemingly played a role in the death of a king. A contemporary to the king, Count Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna, a  proclaimed the king's death, "A most brilliant way to die." I concur.

I will attempt a similar feat in honor of the king who is remembered as the king who died eating semlor. He didn't do much during his time on the throne, so this is what most Swedes remember about him.

My personal challenge is on a slightly smaller scale.  I will eat two pounds of pytt i panna, a typical Swedish dish made from potatoes, meat, spices, and onions. After that, I will attempt to down eight semlor.

Yes, this is from Findus - the company in the middle of the horse meat scandal. The circular label on the left proclaims the meat to be 100% beef.

The finished pytt i panna and the eight semlor waiting in the background. MMM!

I don't doubt I'll be feeling the same stomach problems and dizziness before it's all over. As long as I don't die, I'll be alright. I do have a flight to catch tomorrow. And I intend to be there. But first, it's time to eat. Here's to you King Adolf Fredrik, the semla king!

Busy Wednesday

My meeting with Ausben Jordan was exciting but far too short. I was able to chat with him for about twenty minutes between his West Side Story rehearsals and his lunch break. He told me he had no idea about Melodifestivalen or Eurovision before he was asked to dance for Loreen in last year's program. That shouldn't come as a surprise because the two shows are not well known in the US. He also mentioned a major differences between the two shows. He said there is more diversity in music during Eurovision than in Mello since this qualifier focuses more on music from one country instead of many different countries. He thought about entering his own song in Melodifestivalen this year, but he wanted to make changes to his entry and didn't have time to do so before the deadline. He said he's still interested in sending something in and performing it, so we might see him in next year's show.

Ausben striking a pose. He's part Native American, as you can see by his t-shirt.

A walk around Stockholm reveals a few places covered in old snow. It's quickly melting away.

A library satellite in the city's culture house. You can even use your own USB to download ebooks and music from a public kiosk to take home.

A part of the government buildings in the Old Town.

Pink and blue sunset near Slussen.

A popular street food trailer in town where you can get herring and potatoes with Wasa bread.

I also met Alexander, my CouchSurfing host, at a place called Slussen this evening. The name roughly means "sieve" and it is a place where trains, buses, and pedestrians pass through. It's a bit of a junction point. Everything and everyone is funneled into the same place, hence the name. Alexander had booked a table at a local vegetarian restaurant named Hermann's, a popular place for students because of its friendly student discounts and incredible view of central Stockholm. The restaurant even let me get a discount because I'm studying in Texas. We ate so much, I'm not sure I'll be hungry tomorrow morning. 

Alexander, my host for the next few days and me.

 Vegetarian delight. The evening's theme was Middle Eastern vegetarian.

After dinner, we headed back out to Alexander's home in the suburbs. He lives in a house with a Swedish family and a few other university students. We chatted about Stockholm, our lives, the Swedish language, studying, and interesting sights in the town. He also taught me to fly and land an F-14 on a carrier, with an iPhone app. You have to use your bus/train travel time wisely. When Alexander found out I work in a library, he suggested a few must-see libraries in the area. And, for me, a vacation is not complete without a visit to a library. I've already managed to see two in Stockholm already, however, I'm always up for seeing more libraries.

There's no sign of Melodifestivalen here in town, which is a bit disappointing. I expected to see at least a billboard or two. So far, there's been nothing. Karlstad is definitely winning that contest. They made a party out of it, which is what the contest is supposed to be. Alexander did tell me about the Student Unions, who have scheduled Melodifestivalen viewing parties on Saturday. That's the only indication so far that the contest is happening. I've spoken with a great deal of people so far about the contest and have only had about 4-5 people admit they watch it. I think something's odd. 3.5 million people tune in each week, yet I have only run into a handful of people who say they see it? Pia, the representative from Melodifestivalsklubben, told me there used to be a stigma attached to the contest but it is not really as obvious today. It seems there's still a bit of it left, otherwise I think more people would admit to watching it. By my count, I've asked 50 people about the contest. Statistically speaking, about 15-20 people should have seen it, yet only 4-5 have told me they watched it. I'm hoping to find someone who can explain this discrepancy to me.

Goodbye Växjö. Hello Stockholm.

The skies are clear, the weather is warming up, and I'm in Stockholm. Can't beat it. My entire day consisted of a morning walk, a museum visit, a train ride to the capital, and a trip to the grocery store. So far, I haven't seen any of Stockholm yet, except the inside of a supermarket. There are a few unusual things to see there.

One of the main streets of Växjö in the morning.

These billboards are common across the country. Anyone can post a notice. This one is plastered with the events of just one club.

On the way to the Glass Museum and the Emigrant House

Swedish design can be a bit of a question mark.

Or it can be sleek and modern.

Or even futuristic and abstract.

Inside the Dream of America exhibit.

 Walking down Snus Street in the museum, a mock-up of a Swedish American street in Chicago.

New York that way... a long way that way.

It's already dark in Stockholm and I'm hungry. Supermarket trip! This supermarket is selling Bison from the USA.

OLW loves to play up on American stereotypes in its advertising and packaging.

One of three places in the supermarket where you can buy cheese. It's a major staple here.

Yum. Vacuum sealed fish.

 Frozen berries by the scoop.

Information! The semlor are near the front, people.

Super tasty cinnamon buns, which have their own day in Sweden in October. 4 for 25 means they're about a dollar each, which is a steal.

I've never seen these before. Canned sausage. Maybe like spam? I'm not willing to find out.

Ready to eat whole shrimp. Seafood is big everywhere since Sweden has so much coastline to fish. 

Hmm, wild boar, reindeer, or elk for dinner?

I'll take elk, thank you!

Lesson Learned

I recently learned an important lesson. Don't breathe out just as you're taking a bite of a semla. If you do, all that powdered sugar will fly in every direction. It will land on you, your jacket, your table, and your neighbors next to you. Not a good way to make friends.

Breakfast Semla. 600 calorie jolt.

I finished off my semla, walked out the door, and had to promptly pull up my jeans. They're getting roomier. I think this Swedish Diet is working out.

Lost and Found in Gnosjö

The city of Gnosjö is no metropolis. Five thousand people live here and the city center consists of a train station, a bakery, and a few churches. And somehow, I got lost. Very lost.

Picturesque train station depot

The hostel in town is situated a little outside of the city center. Almost everything in Sweden is walkable.  You can go to Stockholm and walk almost anywhere. Gothenburg is the same way. Bike and walking paths are plentiful and easily accessible. I thought the same would hold true for little old Gnosjö. Google Streetview showed a path to the hostel and it would take about twenty minutes of walking. I arrived in town just before 5 pm and the church meeting did not begin until 7 pm. Easy.

Promo poster for the event

I started walking in the right direction. Just to make sure I was going the right way, I asked a woman who was jogging by. She had earphones on but stopped to talk to me anyway. She explained the path up to the hostel, which sounded mighty complicated. I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because I found myself on a roadway. It wasn't a highway by American standards. No six lane monstrosity, so I pushed forward keeping near the side of the curb. This was a bad idea.

I soon realized I would have to cross a busier bridge with traffic to get to the hostel. I knew it wasn't going to work, so I stopped at the side of the road, pulled out my computer, and started looking for another route. A woman driving an SUV stopped, rolled down her window and asked if I needed help. Did I? Yes! She offered to drive me to the hostel just over the bridge. She opened the lift gate and helped me hoist my bag into the trunk. I got in the passenger's seat and in a few minutes, we were at the hostel. I thanked her profusely but did not think to ask her name. Would you have picked up a strange woman walking along the highway with all her bags in tow? I'm not sure I would have. But she did.

I had a booking at the hostel and told them I would be arriving a bit late. The" bit late" ended up being even later, so when I got to the building, no one was there. Not a soul working there. I called the main phone line with no answer. I called a second number posted on the door. "We're sorry, the person with this number is on vacation until March 12", said the recorded voice on the other line.

I tried another strategy, so I walked around the building and spotted a few people inside. A little girl saw me standing out in the cold and opened the door for me. I thanked her and walked into the kitchen where families were cooking their evening meals. It smelled delicious. They told me no one worked there at night. I called a third number posted inside and still no answer. Unsure how to get back into town, I called the number to the local taxi company. The man on the other end informed me, "We don't have any Taxis in service tonight. I'm sorry". It was 6:20 pm.

I almost started to cry. The closest hotel was 45 minutes away and there were no taxis to be found. The concert was supposed to start in 30 minutes. And I had no idea how to get back. I was lost and without a home. What was I going to do? I had no answer. I took a deep breath, sighed, and sent up one of those desperate two second prayers. "Oh Lord, what am I going to do?" I started walking along a pedestrian path not knowing where I would end up. After about 10 minutes I saw familiar buildings I had passed on my way up. I was heading toward the center of town.

Twenty minutes before 7 pm and the church lights appeared in the distance. I was out of breath, sweaty, and smelly, but up the steps and into the church I went. Almost. As I opened the door and started walking in, my backpack got caught in between the door and the frame. I was in mid-stride when the abrupt change in momentum snapped me back. A wry smile crept across my face as I thought to myself, "Funny. Very funny." Almost two hours later and nearly everything had gone wrong. Now, my backpack jams in the doorway just before I step inside. The moment capped off an absurd amount of mishaps I encountered over the last two hours.

I asked a few of the gentlemen standing in the hallway if it was OK to place my luggage near the coat racks. They said it was no problem and welcomed me in.

I was supposed to get a shower at the hostel and that didn't happen. I cleaned up in the bathroom to feel normal again after my sweaty ordeal. Yes, you can sweat when it's freezing, I learned.

I took a seat in the back pew and caught my breath. About five minutes before the concert, I was in better shape physically. Mentally, I was still working out where I could go after the concert. Maybe there was a bus I could take in the direction of Växjö? Probably too late for that. Would I spend the next several hours sitting on a bench waiting for a bus in the early morning? I've done so in the past. Never over six or seven hours and never in the cold.

Five minutes before 7 pm, a familiar face walked out of the crowd. Jenny Berggren walked up and said, "Hi Sara! It's so nice to see you again! I'm so glad you made it here". She apologized for not having the chance to meet Dimitri and me yesterday at the club concert. She said she looked for us, but was unable to locate us in the crowd. (She wouldn't have found us anyway because we were in the main hallway talking to the club manager when she was looking in the club). She said she felt bad about leaving without seeing us, but was she glad I was able to make it to the event. I mentioned my crazy mishap at the hostel and almost not making it to the event because of it. It was nearing 7 pm, so she had to get ready for the start of the event. Before she left, she abruptly said, "Do you have a place to stay?" I sheepishly admitted I did not. She said, "Let me see what I can do. Wait here."

A minute later, she came back with Sara, one of the youth leaders at the church. Sara told me I could stay with her and her family if I wanted to do so, even though she didn't know anything about me. I nearly fainted from relief. I had a place to stay! Sara told me to sit tight and we would talk after the concert was over.

The event itself was put on by the youth in the congregation. They were responsible for leading the event and  a group called "Joy Noise" opened and closed the event. Jenny would be the guest speaker for the middle part of the evening. There were about 200 people in attendance, more or less, which is about 5% of the total population. So much for that Melodifestivalen effect on Saturdays. Sara told me the effect was more pronounced several years ago, but today it is not as noticeable. Still, she says the church tries not to schedule any big events during the final program in Stockholm. The Mello effect is still alive in that sense. It was not evident during the Second Chance event.

The evening's program started with a Bible reading and prayer. Singers from the youth worship choir and "Joy Noise" performed a few pop worship songs, which were translated into Swedish from their English originals. Afterwards, Jenny spoke about her life from the time she was a little girl up to today. She started by showing a promotional video for her solo work. She spent the next hour speaking about her life experiences, her dark days, and how God has brought her through everything. She mentioned a few experiences with Ace of Base and sang a few verses from various songs. The crowd also heard a song called "Help Me Jesus" she recorded for a hymn CD and her classic solo song, "Give Me the Faith". Afterwards, the youth band led the crowd in worship with a few more popular Christian songs. The meeting closed out with prayer and an invitation to a taco dinner. Yum!

A table in the hall with copies of Jenny's book and solo album

Sara met me after the service was over. She let me know I could take my pick of places to stay. I could stay with her that night or I could stay in the church if I wanted. I thanked her and said I would be happy to stay in the church. She just had a baby not too long ago and she has a full house, yet she was willing to let me stay on her couch without hesitation. I don't know if I could have done that either. With that, I had a home. I would be "Church Surfing" for the night!

I didn't feel too hungry for food at that particular moment. However, when someone offers you Swedish food, you shouldn't refuse, so I took Jenny up on her offer to eat. I had no idea what goes on a Swedish taco. Tacos weren't very popular when I was in Sweden several years ago. Sure, you say, tacos are straightforward - except you have to remember Swedes puts ketchup on spaghetti and mashed potatoes on hot dogs. Anything is possible. With that in mind, I said, "You go first. I'll watch you and see how to make one."

Tbe popular taco line after the presentation and book/album signing

Watching others is how I learned to eat most Swedish food. You should have seen me the first time someone put a Swedish cheese slicer in my hand. I didn't know whether I was supposed to slice cheese or flip a hamburger. This is why I let the Swedes be my guide. It turns out Swedish tacos are quite similar to the American version. Same ingredients for the most part. I don't know anyone in the US who puts pineapples on their tacos though. I should have tried it on my taco. Instead, I kept it conservative.

The candy table - a prelude to the taco table. The gentlemen serving tacos and Jenny joked that this is what Swedes put on their tacos. I wouldn't be surprised.

Jenny and I sat down after getting our dinner. We discussed different topics, including her experiences with Melodifestivalen this year and helping Terese Fredenwall during her journey. I'll leave those specifics for another post.

After our chat, Jenny got ready to drive back home and I checked out my new digs in the church. Sara showed me my "Church Surfing" room and another woman grabbed a pillow and comforter from her home! Sara showed me where everything was, including the showers, and said goodnight. She let me know the church service was 10 am the next day, so I booked my ticket to Växjö for 1 pm so I could attend church services with the people who gave me something to eat and invited me in, even though I was a stranger.

Jenny bundled up and ready to drive back home after her presentation. You know why she's wearing that coat? Because it's still cold here - despite the spring warm up currently winding its way through the country.

The church service in the morning included songs I recognize, including Amazing Grace and To God Be the Glory by Fanny Crosby, except these were the Swedish translations, of course. The pastor spoke about the Armor of God and how it's important to have all the gear you need to fend off evil and fight the good fight, so to speak. He reminded the congregation to rely on God's strength and not your own. One of those items include shoes, which represents a person's willingness to go out into the world and serve God. The idea is something I mentioned to Jenny during our dinner conversation. I said I would like to go out and take concrete action like she does when she gives presentations and like Terese does when she visits prisons, but things like nervousness hold me back. You know what Jenny said? She relies on God and his strength. She's using every bit of God's Armor - and her shoes are well worn from all the traveling.

The entire congregation of Gnosjö have their shoes on too. They are willing to walk out of their comfort zone and straight into the unknown to serve God - to let a stranger stay and eat and sleep in their church home with no questions asked. People like Anna, Josephine, Matilda and Maria have comfy,broken in shoes. They welcomed me to their table during the after-church coffee meeting and let me into their world for a time. Thank you ladies!

The sanctuary of the church

As for me, I had to get lost in Gnosjö to find the proper shoes. I traipsed all over town in my own shoes relying on my own strength. It got me nowhere. The answer to my desperate "What am I going to do?" prayer was, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." God worked through these people to give me what I needed instead. He could do it because the people he used chose to don the proper footwear. Their shoes took them places others are unwilling to travel.

The entrance to Gnosjö missionskyrka

When I get home, I'm getting a specific pair of shoes and calling them my Gnosjö shoes. I will wear them whenever I feel nervous or unwilling to go into unfamiliar territory. Make they take me far and wide.

Gnosjö, you have my heart and my many thanks. God bless you for your willingness to go. Keep on walking.