The Semla and the Swede

I've learned a semla is a bit like a typical Swede:

• Semlor don't really stick out at first. There's nothing crazy about them. They're nice looking pastries, often presented in an appealing manner. Many Swedes don't try to stick out and have a nice, modern sense of style, too.

• Semlor look unassuming. You don't think there's anything incredible about them at first glance. You expect a good pastry, but you don't think there's anything more to it than that. And maybe, you might even think semlor are slightly boring. A little sugar, bread, and whipped cream. Ok. Nothing special. Sometimes, when people go to Sweden or meet Swedes, they come away thinking Swedes are unassuming and maybe a bit boring, too.

• Semlor are only available under certain conditions, like the time of the year. Like a semla, many Swedes are open to conversation only under certain conditions. You don't usually strike up a conversation in an elevator or on the street. That would be a bit awkward and strange, which leads tourists and foreigners to think Swedes are cold and aloof. There's a joke in Sweden about people smiling at you on the street. If you encounter someone who smiles at you, they're either one of two things - drunk or American. There are proper times to socialize and improper times. If you schedule a get-together where people are expected to socialize and chat, you'll find people in Sweden to be open and caring, genuine and funny.

• Semlor have a surprise inside. You think the semla is boring and typical at first glance. That's because you can only see the surface. If you go deeper, you'll find the best part is at the heart of the semla - a sweet mix of sugar and almonds blended together, creating a unique and unforgettable flavor. Swedish culture is a bit like that too. At the heart of it, the culture is full of warmth, care, laughter, and humor with a unique flavor all its own. You just have to get past the outside to see it, which can sometimes be a little tricky.

• Semlor and coffee are a match made in heaven. I don't drink much coffee, but I've been told the two make a perfect fit - just like Swedes and their coffee. Coffee looms large in the culture, as does the coffee break, otherwise known as "Fika". Sitting down with a semla and a cup of java gives you an opportunity to socialize and chat with those around you - a good way to get to the heart of a Swede.

• Semlor are unique. Yes, there are similar pastries in other parts of the world. Estonia, Finland, and Denmark even have variations of the semla. But, no one makes a semla, or celebrates it, like the Swedes. Just like the pastry, Swedes and Swedish culture is unique. The country and culture has its own style and ways of seeing the world. A few years ago, a World Values Survey was released. This survey placed countries on a chart based on their cultural values. Unique Sweden ended up in the far top-right corner, well apart from all the rest.

• Semlor are just awesome and so are the Swedes. No explanation needed.

There's more to both the semla and the Swede than you first expect.

Camilla Degerman/imagebank.sweden.se

Competition and Swedish Culture

During the CouchSurfing meeting in Karlstad, I had the chance to chat with several locals about many different topics. Our meeting began at a local restaurant called Tempel. When we walked in,  the waitress invited us to take part in a Melodifestival contest. Each team was given a piece of paper with a crossword puzzle on it. The restaurant played different songs and provided clues to each answer. Our job was to fill in the puzzle and try to win.

There were about six teams in the entire restaurant. Our big group made up half of the teams on its own. Emma named our team, "Houston, We Have A Problem" because we were clueless when it came to the first three clues. We ended up in the middle of the pack by the end, which isn't bad considering our terrible start.

After the competition, I had the chance to ask several of the local CS hosts,"Why is Melodifestivalen so popular?" The most popular answer centered around competition. Swedes love to compete and they love to watch competitions, too. I could see this. We just finished a competition against other teams in the restaurant, after all.

How important is competition to Swedish life and culture? It's not exactly encouraged in all places. School and work is all about teamwork, thus competition can be frowned upon in these places. But, when it comes to sports and music and similar pursuits that pit one person against the other on a fair playing level, Swedes hold nothing back.

Sweden excels in many international contests. The NHL is full of Swedish-born players. The national soccer teams do their best to qualify for the World Cup. And Swedish Olympians are always highly celebrated, especially when they return with a medal. The country even holds a national award banquet for sports competitors similar to the Oscars, Grammys, or Golden Globe ceremonies in the United States. Competition is a big part of the culture and encouraged -  in the right forum.

 Rodrigo Rivas Ruiz/imagebank.sweden.se

Swedes also compete in digital gaming and graphics. DreamHack is the world's largest computer festival, with a quarter million in prize money up for grabs. Parts of the competition are shown on Swedish TV.

It's the fair type of competition Swedes enjoy watching. They are not fans of cutthroat competition, but fair and level contests are popular. Is the competition factor the main reason the song contest is so popular? No, it's not the whole story. The idea of competition does, however, go a long way in explaining why many Swedes who don't care for the music watch anyway. They're drawn in by the competition and the fight and the crowning of a big winner.

What is this? October?!

After watching Melodifestivalen, you've certainly noticed the abundance of pink stuff everywhere. What is up with all the pink gear? Balloons, feather boas, ties, lights, glittery hats... The crowd always seems to be bedecked in a sea of pink. Is this October or something?

YouTube screenshot/youtube.com

If you didn't know better, you might think you stumbled upon a Breast Cancer Convention in October with all those pink balloons waving in the air. Or, seeing all the pink hats and boas, you might think the crowd was waiting to be inducted into the Red Hat Society. It's not either one. It's just Mello mode.

Melodifestivalen is about having fun and enjoying the party-like atmosphere. And when you're in Mello mode, you don't care what others think. Such an outlook can be the opposite of a typical Swede at times. And maybe that's why people in the crowd enjoy dressing up in crazy pink garb and waving scribbled handwritten signs. Melodifestivalen gives Swedes tacit consent to break out of the ordinary and do silly things, if only for a few hours - at least until they have to get back to work and school on Monday.

It took two girls to hold up this poster for Anton during the Friday March 8th practice for the final show.

If you're wondering about the origin of the pink color, it all started in the northern city of Umeå. The city started the trend, but the city of Skellefetå brought it to the next level. In 2006, city planners trucked in a huge pine tree, placed in smack in the center of town, and flocked it head to toe in pink. From that point, pink has been the unofficial color of Mello. A city official from Skellefteå had this to say, "We painted a Christmas tree in pink; we chose pink as the schlager colour and tried to dress the city in pink. It looked like crap... but the point wasn't to make it look good, it was meant to create publicity...and it sure did!" (Andersson and Niedomysl, 2008).

Maybe Karlstad took their cue from Skellefteå when they dressed up the ugliest statue in the country in Melodifestivalen garb...

Andersson, Ida & Niedomysl, Thomas. Clamour for Glamour? City competition for hosting the Swedish tryouts to the Eurovision Song Contest. Royal Dutch Geographical Society. Vol. 101, No 2. pp. 111-125. Retrieved from EBSCOhost databases. 09 February, 2013.

You: The 2013 Winner

As you know, Robin Stjernberg's song, "You", took home the prize in this year's contest. How does it stack up in the Eurovision odds? The song is currently rated #3 out of the 26 entries competing in the May contest. It means Sweden has yet another chance to take home the Eurovision crown in 2013.

If Sweden wins again, it would give the country their sixth win since 1956. Only Ireland has done better with seven total wins. All three Nordic countries hold the best odds so far. Denmark is first, Norway second, and Sweden third. Could it be a Nordic sweep in Eurovision 2013? We'll find out on May 18th.

Malmö is already ready to host the show:

68 days 5 hours 18 minutes and 11 seconds: A countdown clock for Eurovision sits in the main square in Malmö. The structure was not set up on February 23rd during my first visit. When I returned on March 11, two days after the Melodifestival final, it was already standing.

As previously mentioned, "You" is about thankfulness and joy. "Everybody has problems, everyone has had some pain in their life. No one is alone on that account. And this song is for all those who have someone fighting for them, everyone who has someone who loves them", Stjernberg said.

Robin Stjernberg performing an acoustic version of his song on February 28th, 2013 before the Second Chance round in Karlstad.

Mello's Economic Boom

It costs money to put on a six week tour all around Sweden, of course, but the money spent doesn't compare to the money made on the contest. According to one newspaper, broadcaster SVT made about 20 million dollars (120 million kronor) off Melodifestivalen this year. The total includes money from event arrangers who want to sell tickets in their arenas, city officials who want tourists in their town, and advertisers who want their products in the hands of consumers among others.

The contest is serious fun and serious business, which may explain its expansion from one night to six weeks. It's just too lucrative a show for a single evening. Expand the contest and you've effectively expanded your income six-fold. It's good for the broadcaster and good for other companies involved, too.

The promotional powerhouse that is Melodifestivalen creates jobs, sells products, engages songwriters, promotes artists, sells records, requires camera crews, techies, dancers, choreographers, and background singers. It helps city councils by boosting tourism. Hotels and hostels sell out rooms. Airlines, taxis, and bus companies profit. Souvenir seekers buy merchandise and goodies like pink hats and feather boas. And the list continues.

There are no official numbers on the overall economic benefit of the contest. If a study were done, I would suspect the results would show an enormous benefit to the host city, the broadcaster, the ad sponsors, and the arena hosts. The audience is the key to the entire structure. Without viewers, any economic benefits would be negligible. Who knew buying a ticket, a cowboy hat, and a feather boa helps Sweden's economy prosper?

Economic opportunities abound during the contest:

Buy CDs, singles, or pre-order the artist's new albums at this booth. 

Shopping malls get into the act. Artists make appearances and attract the mall's target audience. Sales go through the roof as a result - or so the shopping mall hopes.

"Get ready for the music party of the year!" The more chocolate you buy, the more money you save.

Taxis waiting outside of Friends Arena. This is a small sampling of the dozens waiting to take the festival audience home for the evening. 

Limited edition chips made just for the occasion. These samples were handed out free both before and after the live event.

This scene repeated itself during every stop on the tour. The merchandise booths and company booths were always swamped. The booth on the left-hand side is giving away coffee, hence its overwhelming popularity.

A bus stop ad in Malmö. "Long live Melodifestival freedom". The company wants you to know the shops around Malmö arena will be open late, so you can shop after the concert is over.

A bakery gets into the act. "Malmö sings". This simple ad worked for me.

Melodifestivalen and the Heralding of Spring

Weather is important in Sweden. It shapes the culture and changes the way people live and work. Warm or cold, winter or summer, weather is a major component of everyday life. You can't avoid being affected by it. Swedes celebrate spring and summer through holidays like Valborg and Midsummer and long for its return through holidays like Lucia in December.

Picnicking in the park is a popular way to enjoy nice weather in Sweden.

So, how does Melodifestivalen and weather fit together? The contest begins in early February and lasts until mid March. When the show starts, the country is still draped in snow and ice. By the time the final rolls around six weeks later, the country is starting to slowly warm up. Signs of spring emerge. Snow starts melting. Flowers begin to bloom. The days grow longer and brighter.

In this sense, Melodifestivalen is used as a sort of barometer. You start watching the show that first week. The weather is cold and the nights contain a dull, grey darkness. Around the third week, you notice more light during the days. The sun begins to shine more often. Around the final show, blue skies emerge and flowers begin to bloom. That's when you know the darkest and coldest nights are a memory. In this sense, the song contest helps people count down the remaining days of winter in a fun, enjoyable way.

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.