Day 91: City Adventure

If you had an afternoon to spend however you chose, what would you do? I am not suggesting that the day would have some sort of magic about it and that you could go anywhere in the world. I am merely asking what you would do, in your city, with an afternoon to kill. I went shopping. Well, actually exploring might be a better description. I love to explore. You could say that I am an adventurous spirit. Delving into every nook and cranny of a city is a passion of mine. I love to find the old, hidden treasures but I also like to check out the new kid on the block.

MOOD Stockholm is the new kid on the block. Mood Stockholm is a shopping center that just opened a week ago. Calling it a shopping center however is a bit of an understatement. "Trends, lifestyle, excitement" are three words that are used to describe one's experience. Before I even walked through the entrance a new restaurant (Vigårda Barbeque) on the corner of the center caught my eye. The style of the restaurant's decor and the name are what drew me. Gård means farm in Swedish and when restaurants refer to a gård it usually means that the ingredients used at the restaurant come directly from a local farmer. The menu, located on the wall above the counter and kitchen, looked like a giant black board and everything was written in white to resemble chalk. Everything looked delicious and I can't wait to go back and try it out.

So fast forward to entering the mall. I had no idea what to expect really but I pictured just another mall like ones that I have been in around Sweden. Was I in for a surprise. It tended toward the upscale with regard to the clothing stores and there were several funky furniture stores, cafes and restaurants inside. At first I thought it was just a circular-shaped, three-level, mall but once you arrive on the top floor you can see that the stores stretch back on one side as far as the eye can see. Wow. It was quite impressive. And very crowded both inside and out. Cars where lined up in traffic on all of the surrounding streets and people were lined up as well.

I had to leave but I will be back again once the newness wears off. Afterward I headed to one of my absolute favorite stores in Stockholm, called Svensk Hemslöjd. Hemslöjd is Swedish for handmade and the store is filled with lots of lovely items all made by Swedish artists and artisans. Before you ask, yes, I bought two, adorable, little, carved, wooden chicks. Easter decor, of course. We have a little, black bird made by the same artist so these will be a nice addition to the home and holiday decor collection.

Adventures such as these really invigorate me. It's funny because this type of day has the exact opposite affect on my husband. Just walking up to the mall, not even going in, would have worn him out. He stayed home working on his projects and I snuck away for a little city adventure. I forgot to mention that it was snowing when we woke up this morning but by the afternoon the sun was coming out and the only remnants of the snow were little piles here and there and a car or two driving by with snow on top. Otherwise it was a lovely late winter/early spring day.

Day 90: I'll Just "Be On My Bicycle"

Living in an international community it is easy to discover things to be different. The cuisine is different, expressions are different, dress styles are different and in general life is just different. But once you live in a new country or place for a couple of years, the things that previously were different to you become the familiar. My husband suggested when we first moved here that I write down my impressions and thoughts about all of the things that are different in Sweden because in a year, he said, I would no longer see them as different. It is absolutely true and I did not take his advice.

One of the biggest differences I have found is the lack of accessible, free, public toilets. When we first moved here it was a bit of a problem because I did not yet know where the best public toilets were, let alone any public toilets for that matter, other than McDonald's. I remember running around frantically trying to find a toilet and not having much luck. Now however, I could tell you where to use the toilet in nearly every area of town, and how much it will cost. Most of them cost five Swedish kronors (crowns) but some of them cost ten kronors. That is between one to one and a half U.S. dollars. It seems steep but when you gotta go, you gotta go. Just make sure you have a few five or ten kronor coins on you at all times.

I really do wish I had written down all of the things that I noticed as being particularly different about life here back then. Two years later I am straining my brain trying to come up with something and I am sadly at a loss with the exception of a fabulous new one that I learned this evening. Living in Sweden I tend to forget how much of an international community it really is here. There are people living here from all over the world. I have friends that come from Croatia, Brazil, Spain, Germany and China among some of the places.

I met a woman tonight who moved to Stockholm from Cape Town, South Africa. Besides her accent that I just love she left me with one of the funniest expressions I have heard in a while. I was chatting with another woman and did not hear the exchange between my Cape Town friend and the woman she was talking with but that woman suddenly turned and asked us all: "If I said I was going to be on my bike, what would you think?" We all said that we would assume she was traveling by bicycle. Unfortunately not. It is a South African expression meaning, "I will be going now". Seriously funny and seriously cute. Especially having a husband who loves bicycles and has a tendency to collect them. I had to steal it.

Apparently "pull up your socks" means "get yourself together". So now every time I pull up my cheap knee socks, that are constantly sliding down when I walk, I will think that I need to get myself together. It's not a bad thought really. Maybe I do need to "get myself together"...

Happy Friday everyone.

Day 89: Spring Showers

I can honestly say that I don't especially love rain. I love what it does for our planet - for the plants, animals, air quality etc. But I could easily live in a place where it rains very, very seldom. Like Los Angeles. I actually lived there for eights years and I never missed a thunderstorm. Granted, it could be that I grew up in southeast Texas, which is in close relation to a swamp, where the raindrops are almost the size of bullfrogs. Seriously, I am not kidding. Hurricanes there are a normal, yearly occurrence and I think that after living there for twenty-one years I was ready to dry out in the desert.

I guess I should clarify a bit and say that it isn't so much the rain itself but being out in the rain. However, there are those few occasions when I do enjoy the rain. Take a sudden spring shower, for instance. The clouds swell up, seemingly unexpected, and then the wind comes, whirls whatever stray leaves happen to be lying around up into the air, the sky darkens and then a flash storm occurs. And it leaves almost as suddenly as it comes. The miracle however is in the aftermath. The air smells fresh, the sky is a deeper shade of blue, the birds fly faster. It's like the world gets a bath. Like God took us through the quick, five-minute, lunch-time, car wash. I love those moments after the rain. The sweet, earthy smell that permeates the air and the crisp brightness that seems to define everything around me. It's like the calm after the storm.

They say that spring showers bring May flowers but here we are and it is almost April. I am hoping the flowers come sooner than May and I am also hoping for more spring showers. Next time I will be armed with my umbrella.

Day 88: A Cookie A Day

Is eating one cookie a day a bad thing? I sincerely hope not. I am not saying that I eat a cookie a day. I easily could, though I'm not sure how long it would be before one cookie became two, or three, or five. Cookies are not even my favorite vice (that would be brownies) but I am not sure I would turn one down. Ever. I mean, cookies are like small disks of crunchy, sweet happiness. And who wants to turn down happiness?

I have to admit that there is a dangerous time of the day for me. I call it my bewitching hour. It usually falls around two or three in the afternoon. I don't know why but I get an overwhelming urge to eat something sweet around that time. Just a little, tiny treat. It could be boredom but I have had this craving for years and I was definitely not bored at my last job. I try to eat a piece of fruit during my bewitching hour. Or drink a special cup of tea, a decaf cappuccino, etc. Some days however, this healthy substitute doesn't cut it and I really NEED a cookie. Come on...  just hand over the cookie and no one gets hurt.

I'm kidding of course but it wouldn't be a stretch for me to utter those words. It doesn't help either that a colleague at work stocks a drawer with cookies for us all to eat. Usually there are ginger cookies and I don't feel so bad if I eat one, or two, on occasion. This week however the drawer revealed some fabulous, little, thin crisps, dipped in dark chocolate. It is really really hard to eat just one. Today I ate one chocolate crisp and one ginger cookie. I figure they cancelled each other out. Kind of like eating celery. It takes more calories to eat them than the calories they are worth. Okay, that may be a stretch but I am sticking to it. Now let me see if I can go find some happiness in my pantry...

Day 87: Flower Power

I don't know anyone who doesn't smile or light up when they receive flowers. Their fresh fragrance always makes me feel more cheery. I love to walk past the flower stands and see the colorful petals curling open to smile a hello to the world. Whispering sweet nothings to passersby. Sometimes I stop to say hello and maybe touch one or two gently. A few days ago I decided that we needed some fresh flowers in the house so I bought some tulips. They are coming into season here and are amazingly gorgeous and there seems to be every color available under the sun. I bought an orange bunch and a yellow and orangish-red bunch. Together they are like an orange dreamsicle.

I always love to see their race as the tulips grow taller and taller each passing day. It's a funny thing with tulips. I never notice other types of flowers growing like them. Even after half a day I can see their progress. They always start out roughly the same height and after several days there are usually two or three sticking up, heads above the rest. Yesterday I noticed that one was leaning a bit low, as if reaching for the table. Today the poor thing went to tulip heaven. I think it may have been trying to escape. That or perhaps Pina (the kitty) was coaxing it out of the vase. I did not find any nibble marks but gentle batting could have been the culprit as well. She loves to explore things by way of chewing, eating or patting. So far our Easter branches with the fluffy, orange feathers have survived but everyday there is a small offering of twig chards and feather debris on the floor below the vase.

If you do not have someone to bring you flowers, I highly recommend going out and buying your own. Get a huge, bunch of whatever bloom you love and stuff them into small vases all around your home. I sometimes like to put a single bud in a tiny vase and set it on my bedside table to greet me each morning when I wake up. Having fresh flowers around is a lovely way to brighten up the surroundings and put a happy face on everyone in the vicinity. Brighten up your vicinity and put on your happy face. Go get some flower power now!

Day 86: I Love NPR

Now I just want to say from the start that I was not paid to say that I love NPR. Nor was I sent any gifts, freebies or coupons. I just love public radio and the programs on NPR. Their programs are stimulating, informative, entertaining and inspiring. I have to also add that I love the Internet because without that, I would not be loving NPR right now. So, again, I want to thank the nerds of the world for inventing Internet. I love you all too.

Maybe you remember my occasional comments (read: complaints) about my morning commute to and from work. Okay, mostly to work but anyway. I also mentioned that I solved the problem using my earphones to drown out the commute noise with music, which I might add is still working fabulously. It is worth noting as well that listening to music even serves to distract from the bad smells, which is really awesome. Well, hold on to your hats....I have now solved things even further. I have started listening to NPR podcasts. My husband has been doing this for a long time but my gripe with doing that was always that my commute is too short to get through a whole podcast. Another possibility is that I was not yet used to using my earphones and I decided it was too much trouble. He suggested that I try it again. I could always pick it back up where I left off on my way home. It also helped that I started listening right when I leave the apartment.

Today I listened to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me." It was hilarious. HILARIOUS. I think I smiled and/or laughed the entire way home. I am sure that my fellow commuters thought I was crazy. You know how when you have headphones or earphones on and someone asks you something and you speak really loud? Well, I am sure I probably laughed really loud as well, though it's just a guess. I did get a few looks. No one was smiling but they were not dirty looks either so I consider that a success.

I don't remember being in such a good mood upon arriving home in a while. I am always happy to come home but without the commute aftershocks to accompany me I actually felt refreshed and energized.  Even with springing forward yesterday and having to get up early for work this morning. After springing forward it usually takes me a couple of weeks to get used to getting up an hour earlier during the week. I know that is pathetic but it is true. I am just not a morning person. Just ask my mom. It goes way back. All the way to kindergarten but that story is for another time.

Day 85: Spring Forward

We finally sprang forward today. As soon as the Christmas holidays are over and we make it through January I start to long for this day. The daylight hours have already started to grow longer but with the added hour that we get with springing forward, the days are just that much more pleasant. There is the smell of spring in the air. What is the smell of spring? It is hard to explain exactly but simply put it smells fresh. Everyone is starting to clean away the winter grim from their windows, giving a more clear view out into the world, and those with yards or gardens are starting to clear out last year's dead, dried plants and replace them with bright, cheery flowers and green, fruit and vegetable bearing plants.

Today my husband and I decided to go out for a run. It was our first run together in over a year. I wouldn't really call us runners. We run as a form of exercise occasionally. Normally you'd find us, especially my husband, on a bicycle. However, today we laced up our running shoes and headed out our apartment door. Our plan was to walk to the south shore of Södermalm and then run along the water. On our way there we came across a community of allotments and there was a path leading between two rows of them so we decided to head up the path and do a bit of exploring while we ran.

The allotment houses are really adorable. They are intended to be storage sheds to hold gardening tools for working in the gardens. Yet many people have converted them into tiny hideaways. A sort of summer house if you will. One even had an outhouse on the small lot. The cottages do not have running water or electricity but seem to serve as the perfect getaway within the city, where one can garden and relax and just generally get away from the hustle and bustle.

We ran among the cottages and then into the park adjacent to them, running up and down hills and then finally making our way down to the water front. By the time we reached the water however we were both pretty beat so we ran just a short distance along the water and decided to head home. The weather was nearly perfect. Days like this are tiny blessings that we get to experience and then stuff into our back pockets as reminders. Reminders for the rainy days, the cold, dark, snowy days and all the other days in between that are just a little bit darker. I love the spring!