nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America
Published by Swedish News. Volume 144 No. 06, March 30, 2016. Price per copy $2.50
This Week, Page 11
Hit singer Zara Larsson makes it in the U.S.
While the first vitsippa (wood anemone) are blooming with the announcement that spring has arrived, difficulties color the atmosphere as Sweden struggles to make order out of chaos in Europe and within its own borders. / Pages 3, 5
Photo: Shutterstock/Gustavo Frazao
Sweden, Page 2, 3
Former Swedish prime minister has a new job with Bank of America / Hackers cyber-attack Swedish media / American student in North Korea aided by Swedish diplomat / Swedish television show comes to the U.S. / Maine lobster not welcomed in Sweden / Elfdalian really is a language.
Feature, Page 5-6
An old farmhouse is transformed into a perfectly Swedish, idyllic summerhouse
Feature, Page 8
Punsch, a uniquely Swedish export.
Vikings in Times Square
Story page 9
Photo: James Silverman
Dashboard, Page 10, 11
From eye spasms to dumpster dive—the Swedish language develops / Critical validation for Spotify / The “Ove” sucess story continues.
Feature, Page 12
A Swedish American’s pilgrimage on skiis Photo: Bo Zaunders
Stand on the corner of Broadway and 42nd, the old legend goes, and you’ll eventually meet everyone you’ve ever known. Here at the crossroads of the world and a couple of blocks north you’ll find yet another kind of crossroads, a Valhalla of sorts for Viking afficionados, as you enter the Discovery Museum on 44th Street Legend has it that Vikings were warriors, robbers and seafaring invaders, aggressive travelers who killed and frightened anyone they encountered. Today we know better. Archaeological discoveries and Scandinavian artifacts now on display at New York’s Discovery Musuem at Times Square explain another side of our Nordic ancestors: They were also peaceful traders, farmers, hunters and craftsmen. Next door to legendary Sardi’s you can loose yourself in beautiful jewelry, swords and armor, an exploration of mythology and the symbolism of Viking ships.
Page 6
Discover why—even 1,000 years later—Viking culture still captivates our imagination.
Nordic, Page 12
After St. Patrick’s Day, we discover that the Irish might be of Nordic heritage ...
Scandinavian Retreat
An annual Scandinavian retreat has become a popular weekend destination for midwest college students. Each year the program is planned by students and faculty involved in Scandinavian Studies programs at colleges in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. And it attracts retreat alumni, their families and others, often from quite a distance. Always a winter weekend, the weather can sometimes interfere, but then that happens in Scandinavia as well. Averaging around 100 enthusiastic participants, it gives everyone the opportunity to learn about topics of interest to them – programs on any Scandinavian topic are presented, / Page 15 normally about 20 minutes in length.
A new map proposes fewer administrative districts in Sweden Page 3
news in brief. page 2
Swedish News Terrorn i Europas hjärta Efter sådana brutala dåd hörs krav från olika håll om att förbättra arbetet och samarbetet mot mördarna.
Gästledare
Photo: Peter Knutsson
vlt.se 22 mars, 2016
Former Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt goes from one top job to another.
Swedish Prime Minister has a new job
Fredrik Reinfeldt has a new international position with Bank of America. On March 15 it was announced that he is now a senior advisor to the U.S. financial and insurance giant Bank of America Merrill Lynch and its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “I look forward to analyzing the complicated geopolitical situation, particularly regarding the presidential elections in the United States and the risk of Brexit, migration to Europe and reform situation in the EU,” he said. Reinfeldt served as prime minister of Sweden from 2006 to 2014 and was president of the European Council in 2009. “Fredrik Reinfeldt has been one of Europe’s most highly respected politicians in recent years,” said Johan Lustig, the head of Nordic corporate and investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “He will bring unique insight to our clients and colleagues and I look forward to working with him closely as we continue the development of our successful EMEA business.”
en särskild psykologisk varning och påminnelse om hur hänsynslösa de här radikala islamisterna är.
Terroristerna markerade direkt mot EU med attacken i Bryssel. Så har då terrorister slagit till igen, den här gången mot flygplats och tunnel-bana i Bryssel. Över 30 döda och många skadade.
Bryssel framstår även på flera sätt Statsminister Stefan Löfven (S) talar om att ett enat Europa måste slå som lockande för terroristerna. Det är staden där beslutsfattarna i tillbaka efter terrordåden. Liknande tongångar kommer från andra hu- EU möts. Islamisterna kan ha velat vudstäder i EU, liksom även från hämnas att den misstänkte terroristen Abdeslam nyligen arresterades. Ryssland och Turkiet.
Det viktigaste är att tänka på offren och deras närmaste. De som får betala ett fruktansvärt pris för den oväntade terrorn.
Den här attacken har riktats mot EU. Måltavlorna var flygplatsen och en tunnelbanestation mitt inne i EUkvarteren.
Belgien har problem med integrationen av den muslimska minoriteten. Landet är splittrat mellan flamländare och valloner och centralmakten svag.
För terrorattacker är alltid oväntade, samtidigt som vi vet att de sannolikt kommer någonstans, någon gång. Det är terroristers syfte, att skrämmas och få oss att ständigt vara misstänksamma och rädda.
Många har i sociala medier kommenterat när de senast var på flygplatsen i Bryssel. För det är ändå så att en attack på en plats vi ofta besöker berör oss mer personligen.
Det finns överlappande poliskårer, som kan försvåra ett effektivt bekämpande av terrorism. Det gäller att dra lärdom av hur terroristerna agerade och öka vaksamheten . Då kan risken för nya dåd minskas.
Bryssels flygplats används främst av svenska beslutsfattare och lobbyister. Terrorgrupper har kommit och gått, Alla de som åker på sammanträden, men de senaste åren har attackerna studiebesök och andra uppdrag i Alldeles säkert blir det dock aldrig. mot oskyldiga civila varit oroande. denna internationellt viktiga stad. Vi får leva med osäkerheten. I procent IS har tagit på sig ansvaret för dådet. Detsamma gäller beslutsfattare i är sannolikheten att råka ut för ett terrordåd extremt liten, men det är ingen Självmordsbombare, som det åter andra EU-länder. tröst för de drabbade. handlade om, gör det svårt att förhinSå terroristerna har i den meningen dra dödliga attacker. Det var ”lättare” att bekämpa till exempel IRA, där särskilt slagit till mot ”eliten” i alla de olika EU-länderna. De har fått förövarna inte själva sökte döden.
Cyber attack on Swedish dailies
The online editions of Sweden’s main newspapers were knocked out for several hours by unidentified hackers on March 19, police said as they launched an investigation the day after. The attack was “extremely dangerous and serious,” the head of the Swedish Media Publishers’ Association, Jeanette Gustafsdotter, told Swedish news agency TT. “To threaten access to news coverage is a threat to democracy,” she said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which either partially or totally shut down the sites of Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Expressen, Aftonbladet, Dagens Industri, Sydsvenskan and Helsingborgs Dagblad on Saturday evening from about 8 p.m. until about 11 p.m. local time. Cyberattackers often use distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to direct a wave of falsified web traffic at a single or small number of sites, overwhelming them with traffic for hours or days
Swedish diplomat assists the U.S.
A Swedish diplomat acting on behalf of the United States has visited a U.S. student who has been held by North Korea since early January, the U.S. State Department said. According to North Korean official media, Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was detained for trying to steal a propaganda slogan from his Pyongyang hotel and has confessed to “severe crimes” against the state. The Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which acts as the “protecting power” representing U.S. interests in North Korea, has visited Warmbier in prison. “We are in regular, close coordination with the Swedes,” a spokesperson for the State Department said. The United States and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations.
Another Swedish series picked up by U.S.
“Ack Värmland” (Small Town Love), which first aired on Swedish TV4 in March 2015 has been picked up by ABC for a U.S. remake. The director of the original Swedish show, Ulf Malmros, will reportedly co-produce.
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
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News in brief. page 3
A
Friday night in Paris in November, a Tuesday morning in Brussels in March. Once again, terror on the streets of Europe, this time in the heart of the EU. Once again aimed at innocent people on their way to work or time off during many Christians’ Holy Week. Over 30 were dead and as many as 270 wounded when two bombs went off in Zaventem airport and a blast shook the Maelbeek metro station in central Brussels close to the European Union headquarters. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying its operatives had carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices. A later statement promised further attacks, saying: “What is coming is worse and more bitter.” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel described it as a black day for Belgium and declared three days of national mourning. Vigils have taken place all over the world and the U.S. State Department issued a warning to Americans in Europe, advising them to be vigilant in public places or when using public transport, and to avoid crowded places. The bombings in Brussels show - once again - how difficult it is to protect society against fanatical suicide bombers, regardless of motive. People who are ready to sacrifice life in some sense become invincible. Brussels is the symbol of the EU and this is where the institutions are located. So the atrocities are suffered by the entire European Union, a fact that was also immediately stated by several European leaders. “We mourn with Brussels, we grieve with Europe and the democratic society,” was Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s comment, adding what
everyone knows - that it is impossible to rule out more attacks: “We will do everything we can to ensure it can not happen, but we can not guarantee it.” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière openly stated that the targets of the attacks - an airport and a metro station close to the EU institutions - indicates they are not only directed against Belgium, but against the freedom of movement in Europe. The November attacks in Paris sharpened people’s attention, but life went on in the city. People reportedly go out in the evenings, meet friends and socialize. Laugh, listen to music, drink wine and watch football. Continuing our lives undeterred is part of overcoming the threats to democracy; the terrorists have won if the open society is replaced with fear and an adjusted lifestyle. People must continue to live their lives as usual - work, travel, meet and debate. It is the freedom to express opinions, freedom to choose how life should be lived - the very essence of western liberal democracy - that terrorists seem to hate and want to destroy. The fight against the new international terrorism by Islamic extremists is complex. It must be fought on several fronts … it’s about police and security cooperation, but really mostly about safeguarding common western values. The League of Imams in Belgium, for instance, firmly condemned the “criminal and unspeakable act that took the lives of many of our citizens and injured countless others.” Condemning unspeakable acts is one step in the right direction. In the fight against today’s extremists it will however also take a more widespread change in values, a change in attitude to society versus religious leaders and an acceptance of the open, transparent and tolerant society we all
A new map for Sweden Sweden got rearranged. Well, its interior regional boundaries did. On March 9, a new map was revealed to show how the Nordic country has reduced the number of its administrative districs (län) — from 21 to 6 — after outdated divisions and great shifts in population growth in different areas. One of the goals was to create six “super regions” with an equal number of inhabitants in an effort to lower the bureaucracy and accommodate health care resources and responsibilities across the country. Sweden’s administrative län divisions date back to 1634, and very little of those boundaries have changed since 1810. Sweden is historically and culturally divided into 25 “landskap” or provinces, which are regions without administrative functions. They are, however, legacies and often part
grew up in. Allow me to end by repeating a paragraph from my editorial of Feb. 15 regarding Sweden’s position: “... ignoring the reality of the refugees’ culture does a disservice to the migrants themselves and also migrant women and girls, who should benefit from the same equality with men as native-born Swedes. Make the values and the laws of society clear to everyone — make sure everyone knows how to play by the rules. The majority of migrants arrive in Sweden to create a better life in a more peaceful society and are willing and ready to work hard for that. Sweden should allow this by being clear about the rules [in society]…” True to its legacy of openness and tolerance, Sweden and all of Europe have so far embraced every value from a variety of cultures. It is time to ask, or even demand, reciprocity.
Ulf Barslund Mårtensson Editor & Publisher
P.S. Our guest OP-ED this week was written in February as a document to awaken a more serious debate in Sweden about the policies that have created recent years’ immigration issues. Relative to Sweden’s population it’s an unequalled volume of migrants that are largely oblivious to a lifestyle and culture of western values. It should be read by us in the diaspora not as a condemnation but as a critical review and a way forward.
After struggles with balanced health care resources across the country, new administrative districts are proposed.
and parcel of a person’s identity. The län divisions won’t really affect the cultural identity the provinces offer, but their populations have changed and many haven’t been able to meet their administrative responsibilities, so the regions must be made more equal in population (today more than half of the population is in the three largest regions).
Old, with 21 districts
The following changes are proposed: •Four northern counties (Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland and Västernorrland) merge into a large geographic region of 44 municipalities with a total of 880,000 inhabitants; •Gävleborg, Uppsala, Dalarna, Örebro, Västmanland and Södermanland counties merge with a total of 1.7 million inhabitants and 64 municipalities;
New, with 6 districts
Swedish News
More than 30 American lobsters have been found along Sweden’s west coast and some experts say the larger Maine lobster could bring problems to its local Swedish relative.
Maine lobster, no thanks!
The Swedish environment ministry has asked the EU to list the Maine lobster as an invasive species and ban the import of the live creatures. The ministry said more than 30 American lobsters have been found along Sweden’s west coast in recent years and that they can carry diseases and parasites that could spread to the European lobster and result in extremely high mortality. Some experts agree; the larger and differently colored Maine lobster could potentially bring problems to its European relative. It’s not a small matter either: The export of lobsters to the EU is worth $134 million annually according to the Massachussetts Lobstermen’s Association.
A rare Viking language in Sweden
Local politicians have agreed to build a new preschool in the remote community of Älvdalen in central Sweden. It happens to be where some 60 children are growing up speaking Elfdalian, a language that dates back to Viking times. Politicians voted this week to try to save the dying language by setting up a new preschool where it will be taught. Pupils who begin learning the language at age 6 will keep it as part of their curriculum until they turn 18. Regarded as a Swedish dialect but considered a language by others, Elfdalian (or Älvdalska) could very well survive with this new effort. “I think it will have a great impact because so far what we have seen is that children who grow up with Elfdalian at home but don’t get any in school conceive Elfdalian as unimportant and they switch over to Swedish,” said Yair Sapir, associate professor of Swedish Language at Lund University. Älvdalen is home to 2,500 people and is where Princess Sofia spent much of her childhood; it is the only place where the language is actually spoken. The princess does not speak the rare language but has expressed interest in learning it.
Swedish CEO of Autovaz steps down -Stockholm and Gotland combine with 2.2 million people (with the expectation of more and rapid growth); •Värmland and Halland merge with Västra Götaland for a total of 2.2 million inhabitants; •Blekinge forms a wider region together with Skåne and a population of 1.4 million; •The three Småland counties of Jönköping, Kronoberg and Kalmar will merge with Östergötland with a total of 1.2 million people.
Life made Sweder through NORDSTJERNAN: Call 1.800.827.9333 ext. 10, to order.
Former Detroit native, Swedish executive Bo Andersson has stepped down as CEO of Russia’s biggest carmaker Avtovaz, majority owned by Renault-Nissan, after major losses. Hit hard by Russia’s economic crisis, the company, which makes Lada cars, has been battling with bankruptcy fears since reporting a tripling of net losses for 2015 in February. Andersson, a former General Motors executive, had been on a drive to improve efficiency at Avtovaz’s Soviet-era facilities and slashed thousands of jobs from the bloated workforce in 2014. Rostec Chemezov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has praised Andersson for cutting costs but also said he had relied too heavily on foreign suppliers instead of Russian ones and that layoffs had caused local tension.
The Exchange Rate: $1.00 = SEK 8.27 03.24.2016
March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
perspectives. page 4
The political and media elite has forfeited Swedes’ trust The ruling elites in both media and politics express surprise that the Sweden Democrats hold their position in public opinion, even after the elite itself swung 180 degrees on migration policy. The reaction highlights how little the elite has understood about the damage caused to the basic trust in them among the Swedish population by a completely unrealistic migration policy in resent years. People in general can see how the leaderships of all the established parties have long spoken and acted against common knowledge. “They knew they uttered a lie, but they said it anyway,” as former Secretary of State Secretary Jasenko Selimovic concludes in a scathing, even self-critical, indictment under Dagens Nyheter’s culture section (11-01-2016). No one can reasonably argue that people who have advanced all the way to becoming a minister and/ or are included in the leadership circles of our established parliamentary parties had absolutely no idea of the signals they sent to smugglers, and that has led to today’s Swedish crisis.
Chaos in the lawful society
The migration agreement between the Alliance and the Green Party of March 2011 produced “chaos in the lawful society” (“Kaos i rättsstaten” — my choice of words in a critical article in Dagens Samhälle now nearly five years ago). While migration authorities and police had been instructed to enforce the expulsions, the municipalities would have to provide education and care to those same “paperless” (media euphemism for “illegal immigrants”). Then Minister for Social Affairs and leader of the Christian Democrats even proclaimed a right for anyone in the world to receive care in Sweden. Expressen’s political editor Anna Dahlberg has carefully covered how Sweden opened wide its borders while other European countries went in the opposite direction. The consequences of this were entirely predictable, if not the exact volumes. Breaking a confidence is easy; it’s much more difficult to re-establish the trust that has been lost. Why expect the Swedish people to be impressed by politicians who recently condemned the more realistic border policies they now suddenly embrace?
The knife murder at IKEA
People in general also know that newspapers, radio and television have made every effort not to describe what is happening in Sweden. To take just one of many examples: the stabbing at IKEA in Västerås. The Migration Board had for the second time decided to expel an Eritrean to his first
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
This opinion piece, which earlier ran in DSM was written to sum up the current political climate in Sweden and the challenges that lie ahead. DSM is an investigative, politically independent magazine in Sweden that will often carry OPEDs and critical reviews of society, politics and media itself. www.dsm.nu
entry country, Italy, to which he was allowed to return. Although he had previously disappeared, he was given the decision at the Migration Board’s offices in Västerås and was then left completely free to go! No police were present to immediately put him on a flight to Italy from Sweden. Upset over the decision and free to do whatever possible, the expelled Eritrean goes to IKEA determined to find some “Swedes” which he could attack and kill with a knife. Not a single editorial team, in as far as I have seen, made the obvious follow-up after the murders: How could the Migration Board choose to release a person who previously absconded after expulsion decisions, instead of making sure he was immediately taken care of and sent out of the country? Was this normal procedure? The cause of the failure is obvious: editorial managers are not interested in digging in this direction because it is not seen as politically correct.
Media’s omissions
The public can easily see what the media neglects to cover because it concerns events and changes that go straight into everyday life. How much have journalists investigated the actual background to fires and fights in asylum accommodations? To which extent are these about the hatred and antagonism the asylum seekers brought with them from the regions they come from? What is the displacement effects on public services and security in practice — such as the police not investigating everyday crimes, health centers not having time to take care of Swedes, planned surgeries for Swedish citizens – having paid taxes and worked hard all their life - that are being postponed, “new arrivals” who are allowed priority for housing and
schooling? What happens when half a cohort of young people of Sweden is added in a single year, when among these so-called “unaccompanied,” mainly from Afghanistan and East Africa, there are 11 boys to every girl? To discuss this last dramatic question you have to go to the American online magazine Politico (Valerie Hudson) or The New York Times (columnist Ross Douthat, January 10, 2016). Swedish newsrooms have in matters such as these — which along with the widespread problems with beggars dominate talks among regular Swedes — completely abandoned all normal ambition. It is not due to incompetence but to a paternalistic zeal to avoid having the Swedish people read about such sensitive issues. The self-righteous “elite” seeks to protect the people. But why should the Swedish people put their trust in media which deliberately closes its eyes to uncomfortable realities and instead engages in propaganda in the news. People in general can also judge from party politics that the motives weren’t the best for the behavior that led to the current crisis in Sweden. Why did the non-socialist Alliance government in 2011 choose to agree to an unreasonable settlement with the Green Party regarding migration? Everyone knows the answer. The minority government of Reinfeldt wanted to emphasize that it was not dependent on the Sweden Democrats. Why was Stefan Löfven’s administration adapting to reality on the same issue delayed more than a year in 2014-15? Everyone knows the answer here as well. His government needed the support of the Green Party and the Left Party to stay in power.
Concerns about internal conflict
In addition, leaderships of all the established parties were concerned about internal
conflicts within their own party. The Moderates are lead by a generation characterized by libertarian thinking, with illusions of a world without borders. Today’s Center party leadership has the same background, oddly enough, for this otherwise earth-bound party. In spite of its essentially realistic leader Jan Björklund, the Liberals were weakened because of election results with growing criticism from the “social liberals” to the left. The Social Democrats have their activists and side organizations, which always sing with the angels, plus Aftonbladet’s editorial page, which lives in its own stratosphere far above reality here on earth. It was only after local mayors (S) close to reality sounded the alarm and the conservatives risked losing another major part of its electorate to SD, that sufficient pressure was created for a change of policy. Since the change came so late, the distance to get enough signal power to migrant smugglers is much further afield than if the policy had remained more realistic all the time. What we have witnessed is unimpressive. Short-term power needs, inner contradictions in each of the established parties and the fear of criticism in the media has been directing policy, creating a situation where even basic services in Sweden collapsed (police, fire, health, housing, public authorities). Only then was a reversal possible. The same parties that have used moral standards to request long-term ownership responsibility in the business sector have not even had a realistic three-month plan and have been guided by other political power considerations instead of a focus on doing what is best for Sweden. They have not shown themselves worthy of the citizens’ trust.
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perspectives. page 5
The December Agreement
The so-called December Agreement (Decemberöverenskommelsen, DÖ in Swedish), is part of this picture. When the new Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch Thor (without co-responsibility for the agreement’s creation) let KD’s National convention go against it, the new leader of the Moderates, Anna Kinberg Batra immediately declared the December Agreement fallen. She didn’t have to, but KD’s position saved Batra prior to her own forthcoming party convention, which was why she was quick to assume credit for the liberation (yet another example of saying one thing while thinking something else). The non-socialist parties could have voted against a red-green government in 2014, and instead supported a pure S-government against a pledge for responsible consensus solutions by the government on issues such as defense, nuclear power, entrepreneurship in public services and migration policy. But — due to the leadership turmoil they were in during the fall of 2014 — the Alliance parties
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wanted to avoid any involvement in forming the government and therefore allowed the Communists led by Jonas Sjöstedt a decisive power position. The December agreement just before Christmas had the same motivation. The Alliance was not prepared to take over the government and lacked leaders to go to an extra election. It dared not touch the Sweden Democrats, for fear of criticism in the nation’s media. The only thing that remained was to let the red-greens continue to reign, and allow its future budget to pass, in spite of parliament having a non-socialist majority of 54 percent. Again: All this took place under the ardent declarations of responsibility for the country, when in fact it was not about anything other than an expression of their own inability to take responsibility.
Even after “DÖ”
Even after the December agreement fell, Anna Kinberg Batra continued to talk as if it was still in force. The concept of “the largest constellation should reign” took on a life of its own. There were even voices asking whether this should be written into the constitution. “Should it apply even if the Sweden Democrats prove to be the largest constellation?” asked Tove Lifvendahl in the conservative Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. This is where Sweden finds itself, just over a year after the December Agreement, which was supposed to be in effect until 2022. It is clear for each unprejudiced observer that old bloc politics is dead. It is both harmful and unreasonable to let the red-green coalitions continue to rule against the majority of the people and in the parliament. It is deeply damaging to Sweden, because it is the core of the national state of Sweden that is now threatened. It can not be rescued by neither Bolsheviks nor green zealots.
The basic conditions for Sweden as a nation state are at stake. The defense of the country. The Control of its borders. Basic police protection of its citizens. Law and order. The opportunity for fire and emergency services to enter all residential areas without stones being thrown at them. The preservation of basic western values. The prosperity base including safeguarding half of the electricity supply now provided by carbon-free nuclear power. And of course a realistic immigration policy, which can not deviate significantly from our European neighbors. And what — one is forced to ask — is it that makes Swedish police refrain from using the powers it actually possess to intervene? What is it that has made — as was recently proven — the police deliberately conceal facts about the background of widespread harassment of girls by young immigrant men? A good guess is: fear they’ll get in trouble in the media, and thereafter not be supported by their political masters..
The legitimacy of party interests
There is a limit to the legitimacy of narrow party self-interests interests dominating thought and action. The line is drawn where Sweden is seriously injured and Sweden’s future is irrevocably disrupted due to political inability. That limit has been passed. This requires initiative over the next few weeks and months to replace the current redgreen government with a different solution. It is not enough to wait until 2018. The most reasonable solution is a grand coalition of the Moderates and the Social Democrats with a single mission: to save Sweden.
A governing Alliance without SD an illusion
Another pure Alliance government without other affiliations is an illusion. With SD at 20-25 percent, the four alliance parties cannot form a government on their own. It is simply not possible to continue to refuse to show respect for all the voters represented by Jimmie Åkesson and his party. And to wait until 2018 to take the initiative in the formation of a government will secure an even bigger SD. If the Alliance continues to pass a budget signed by the Communists and Greens, allows a nuclear power shut down and refuses to take responsibility for Sweden, Åkesson is right that his party is now the only real opposition party.
By Hans Bergström, PhD guest@nordstjernan.com Hans Bergström is a PhD and Associate Professor in Political Science and was for several years Editor in Chief of the leading daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. He currently lives in Florida and Western New York. Bergström was a member of the liberals’ youth movement and after college was hired as speechwriter and assistant to the 1970s leadership of the Liberals (Folkpartiet). Prior to two periods of running Dagens Nyheter, Bergström was Editor of the Nerikes Allehanda, then the largest regional newspaper in Sweden. Dr. Bergström is also a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Founder of the organization Research!Sweden.
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March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
feature. page 6
Swedish Summerhouse Retreat For more than 20 years the Anderson family has occupied this traditional Swedish farmhouse. It was built in 1860 and is located in Morup, an area in the county of Halland, 50 miles south of Gothenburg. The enchanting light-engineered summerhouse has high ceilings and multifunctional rooms, which lead to the architect’s workshop and design studio. Double doors open up to the yard, and an idyllic apple orchard surrounds the garden. “We stay in the house for about six or seven weeks during the summer months and also on weekends from mid-March onward, when the larks return,” Andersson explains. “We collect the last fallen apples in October and occasionally visit at weekends thereafter.” Rescuing the farmhouse from ruin and restoring it for its use as a summerhouse for his family was quite a challenge. As is the case in many old farmhouses, four buildings would have traditionally existed on the one site. When the family acquired this property, however, only three buildings remained. “Originally, the first building was a barn, the second a workshop, henhouse and storage space for wood with mud flooring, and the third a lived-in family house.” He says two families, their children and pets would sometimes occupy the main building. The architect continues to explain: “After a few years I wanted to close the yard and add a very simple house to replace one of
struction and the walls are made of vertical poles with slots, filled with horizontal planks. The facade is then covered with planks and lathe and then painted with distinctive Swedish “Falu” red paint, characteristic of a typical Swedish rural landscape. Andersson explains this paint pigment is made of iron oxide, a leftover product from the Falu copper mines. The pigment is then boiled together with linseed oil, water and rye. The original thatched roof became increasingly rusty from corrugated The traditional 1860s farmhouse was transformed into a steel plates and after a lot beautiful summerhouse retreat. of thought, it was decidthe old crumbling buildings. We chose to ed to put ceramic tiles on paint the exterior of the summerhouse white the roof. “A thatched roof is not always good so the afternoon sun would reflect on to the to have in this windy landscape, especially house and through the backyard. This idea if you do not live continuously in the house has worked extremely well and is in keeping and are not able to keep a constant eye on with the plastered white houses one typically it,” Andersson remarks. finds in the south of Sweden, Denmark and “Fortunately the previous owners could up to the county of Halland. So it felt natural not afford to modernize the house and many to take this step.” qualities were destroyed during the 1950s The house has a wooden frame con- and 1960s,” he declares. “The rooms are organized according to a very strict pattern, built upon both habits of living as well as measurements of the timber, which were rather rare in this farming area. Contrary to olden times, we chose to keep the walls light in color. Most of them are painted, some with wallpapers. The floors are just treated with chalk and floating soap as was customary in earlier days.” In the main room there is another typical Swedish feature, the “kakelugn”— an 18th century tiled stove. With its unique, sophisticated system of channels, the stove can retain heat for a long period of time. The small farmhouse Far from a historical monument, the summer retreat offers a combination of old and traditional with new and more contemporary ideas.
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
Award winning Swedish interior architect and industrial designer, Olle Anderson, transformed this traditional 1860s farmhouse into a beautiful summerhouse retreat for his family. buildings evoke a true and beautiful light inside, which comes from two sides. Olle Andersson, who has a passion for lighting and in 1996-97 created and organized the first lighting festival in Gothenburg, here deliberately experimented with the use of the extraordinary light when arranging furniture in the rooms, and in the bathroom, which he filled with different types of mirrors. “Relaxing in the bathroom and looking out to the sunny landscape and seeing the reflected light shining in is an everyday pleasure,” he says. Also, in both of his studios, Andersson was very careful when calculating the exterior views and sun angles during the different light phases of the summer months. He notes that “at a certain time every day, a blue ‘light painting’ will appear on a white wall in the studio, created by the sun reflecting through cobalt blue drinking glasses.”
Old and new
The fourth building is a new addition, which was built with the intention of becoming the main working studio. The old barn is now a garage for Andersson’s Mini along with furniture waiting to be restored. The former henhouse and wood storage area is a wood workshop, home to tools and machinery. The pieces of furniture in this studio are the results of one of the many international experimental workshops called “Wood” that were organized by Andersson a few years ago. Much of the furniture inside the house, if not made by himself, has been picked up in flea markets. “There are no ‘high class’ antiques here,” Andersson mentions, “although the furniture pieces add a personal touch to a historical place that has been in my family for years.” “We have not tried to make this a historical monument. Instead, I have tried to blend the old and traditional with new and more contemporary ideas. This is something very typical for all Swedes, since the days of the master Carl Larsson, who in the early 1900s introduced the notion that a Swedish home should be a blend of the old with the new. We must respect our old heritage but prevent it from becoming a burden,” Andersson says. This post-modern style compounded with its respect for natural lighting makes this old farm house a shining example of Swedish architecture and design. Written by Natalie Flaum Photographed by James Silverman
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The farmhouse is painted with the distinctive Swedish “Falu” red paint, characteristic of a typical Swedish rural landscape.
The floor is made up of 4-inch pine planks washed with chalk and soap. As in other rooms, the floor is covered with traditional Swedish rag-rugs, which are an early example of cultural ecology as they are made up of old recycled textiles.
The large multipurpose room. Walls painted with white glue-paint on 7-inch planks, some details painted in bone-black pigment mixed with linseed oil. The ceiling painted with light grey linseed oil. The organ was bought at a flea market. To the right you can see a modern red cupboard, known as the Swedish cupboard, it has been painted in the wellknown red Falu paint. The toys were made by Olle and his grandchildren.
“We have not tried to make this a historical monument. Instead, I have tried to blend the old and traditional with new and more contemporary ideas. This is very typical for all Swedes … We must respect our old heritage but prevent it from becoming a burden.”
The oven stove has been restored. During the 19th century, food would have been cooked directly on this stove over open fire. Ceramic tiles fill up the floor and again the ceiling has been painted in linseed oil paint.
March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
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Punsch anyone? T
he special Swedish punsch dates back to the 18th century when the Swedish transoceanic trade went to China and the East Indies, where they loaded the arrack (a rum-like spirit) to make punsch. Swedish punsch — which is indeed uniquely Swedish — therefore developed into something quite different from the “punch” people are accustomed to drink in Western Europe and America. This mixed beverage with Indian origins is made instead from rum, which has a completely different aroma from anything else. These exotic spirits became so popular because of their sweet, “pure” flavor: The aquavit manufactured in Europe at that time tasted more unpleasantly of fusel oil, which people only learned how to eliminate in the 19th century. For those who could afford it, punsch also became a drink to accompany food, in which case it was always enjoyed hot. It was not until the mid-19th century that it made the move to the coffee table; but then people began to drink it ice-cold instead, and at the end of the last century a kind of “punsch custom” grew in Sweden, flourishing particularly on the “punsch verandahs” of the summer villas of the bourgeoisie in the archipelago. The first maker of punsch was located in Stockholm — Cederlunds Caloric — soon followed by a producer in Karlshamn, in the province of Blekinge. The latter later to be taken over by “Brännvinskungen,” LO Smith who gave it its present name, Carlshmans Flaggpunsch. Punsch came to be the popular drink at Swedish universities and colleges, not only with pea soup, but any time. Their tradition of having a glass of cold punsch with the after-dinner coffee soon spread all over Sweden. You’ll have ample opportunity to try the traditions surrounding Swedish punsch if you’re close to one of the Swedish American Institutions; right now in NYC, see “Ärtans Vänner” under events.
WEAR OUR HERITAGE
An unexpected combination
People consumed 15 times more punsch in the 19th century than they do today but it’s still a popular accompaniment (yes, often with a song) to another tradition of the Swedish palate, Thursday’s pea soup. Pea soup and pork has come to be something of a “national dish” in Sweden, if such a thing is possible, and is consumed in almost ritualistic form, always and exclusively on Thursdays. If a Swedish restaurant were to serve pea soup with pork on a Tuesday, for example, any right-minded Swede would clutch his brow and conclude that the owner must either be a foreigner or have taken leave of his senses. Pea soup with pork just can’t be eaten except on a Thursday. This fixation goes back a long way, and undoubtedly arose in the Middle Ages when Swedes were still Catholics. Friday was a day of fasting, and it was natural to lay in supplies against the privations of the fast. So the habit developed of eating your everyday salt pork on Thursday, along with the best they had available in those days, namely, neither the fibrous root vegetables nor the watery cabbage, but good boiled dried peas. By the time Swedes turned Lutheran in the 16th century, Thursdays and pea soup had become so wedded together that 500 years on, we still sit there eating our pea soup on Thursdays. Could anything better illustrate the persistent nature of eating traditions, particularly with a bit of ritual tacked on? There are many workplaces where a group of friends sally forth regularly on Thursdays to eat their pea soup together, accompanied by the obligatory glass of warm punsch.
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In 1845, the Swedish wine import company J. Cederlunds Söner started selling premixed punsch in bottles, encouraging the habit of drinking cold punsch to become quite common. Cederlund began using the name Caloric in 1860, after Swedish inventor John Ericsson created the innovative heat exchange device called “the Caloric engine.” Caloric, of course, means to have the ability to use or expend heat, which is what Ericsson’s engine did, but it was simply common at the time to name things after machines, buildings or events and turn them into brand names. (In the United States, Klein Stove Company changed its name to Caloric Corporation in 1903, then to Caloric Appliance Corp. in 1954 and became famous for offering a complete package of kitchen appliances in the 1950s and 1960s. By the early 1990s, Caloric was absorbed into Amana and the Caloric brand was phased out.) Prohibition changed the way America drank in the in the mid-20th century, causing Swedish punsch – made popular by Swedish immigrants and importers – to lose its broad following. Cederlund Caloric (pictured here) was still imported for a while, but Kronan Swedish Punsch may now be the last variety available on a few shelves in the U.S. For more info, see www.kronanpunsch.com
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
Jan-Öjvind Swahn accomplished so incredibly much during his 90 years. His specialty was cultural folk history, and through his academic career he taught as an associate professor and senior lecturer in Lund, Uppsala and Göteborg and as an associate professor and examiner with the title of professor at the Royal Academy of Turku. He has written, translated or edited several hundred books and written countless articles and reviews in newspapers and in trade and popular press, including Nordstjernan. Swahn was among the scientific advisors for the Swedish National Encyclopedia and wrote hundreds of articles for it and several other encyclopedias. In later years, much of his research centered around food and drink and much of his advice and gastronomic trivia have been published by us. He first appeared on radio at the age of 15 and there have been a number of recurring program series since in both Sweden and Finland. He became loved and a household name among Swedes through television where he starred since 1958. He is unforgettable as presenter and participant in the popular series “Fråga Lund” (Ask Lund) and its Finnish counterpart “The Professor Rounds,” but also as judge and host of
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Jan-Öjvind Swahn A dear friend of Nordstjernan has left us. Professor Jan-Öjvind Swahn, born 1925 in Karlskrona in the Blekinge province died peacefully in his sleep during the night of March 21. Our meetings will stay with me forever. We first met on a train from Lund to Göteborg close to 40 years ago and kept contact off and on ever since. It is well known that as a gastronomic connoisseur Jan-Öjvind Swahn had an appetite, but his appetite for life was much greater than that. His curiosity and eagerness to learn from everyone and every aspect of life and other people’s lives made him just as accessible for producers, kings and notables as for a young student his first year in Lund. It was the quickest trip to Göteborg ever. We last met over lunch at Brösarp Inn in January this year — according to Jan-Öjvind, Sweden’s best in all categories. He spent the last few years in a nearby service apartment and enjoyed being near a gastronomic destination more than anything else. When we met last he was not happy about his deteriorating eyesight due to macular degeneration, which made it hard for him to work. He was at the time working on a book about Swedish disasters and had asked me to bring a copy of Lilly Setterdahl’s book on the Titanic we published in 2012.
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Vikings in Times Square
Bo Zaunders, New York zaunders@nordstjernan.com
Entering the Discovery Museum on 44th street in New York City, opposite Shubert Alley and a few doors from Sardi’s, I found myself in a passageway with huge displays ranging from Star Wars costumes to what I was looking for: a particularly striking Viking ship in full sail against a stormy sky. It’s not every day you can feel yourself back among the Vikings, right in the middle of Manhattan, but I definitely did so when I toured the Viking Exhibit, on display at the Discovery Museum through September 5, 2016. After I entered the exhibit, I descended a flight of stairs to a darkened room with three large screens, giving a quick video rundown of http://tiny.cc/c6b89x|[what the Vikings were all about] and, especially, how they explored the world at an ever-increasing pace from the 8th to the 11th centuries. During a short introduction to the exhibition itself, it also gave glimpses of Norse homelife, craftsmanship, burial ceremonies and more. Moving to the next room, I was met with a replica of the Gokstad boat, a small version of the famous ship by the same name on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. In the room were also some runestones. “Memorials or Christian Propaganda” was the headline, and in the accompanying text I read that practically all of the over 3,000 runic inscriptions found in Scandinavia were Swedish. I knew that they were made to bring glory to dead kinsmen and to tell of important events; now I also learned that the inscriptions were originally painted in
bright colors — which, not unexpectedly, has worn off. Next came a small area dedicated to Viking myths. On one wall was a large screen with a bright rainbow, the bridge to Valhalla, home of the gods. A small bench was placed next to the opposite wall a few feet away; I sat down and was treated to three narratives, told in a soft voice with a British accent. I listened to the “Death of Balder,” then “The apples of Idunn,” and finally, “Thor takes a bite.” It was all quite captivating. Every now and then, new images would replace the rainbow. I recall silhouettes of apples and birds in flight. The exhibition continued on the floor
below. Here, too, everything was in deep darkness, presumably to minimize distraction and bring greater focus to the exhibits. They were many and varied, and often included interactive activities. For example, you could test your strength by lifting a model of a Viking sword (I was surprised at how light it felt). Here I learned about gods and giants, and of the Norse version of the creation of the world. Magical amulets and trefoil brooches were on display, as were any number of other exotic objects, transformed by the craftspeople of the north. Great attention was also paid to land, family and social status, considered to be at the heart of Norse society. Two death skulls could be seen, adding a touch of the macabre, and somewhat con-
necting to the large section about burial customs, animal sacrifices and ship burials. As for interactivity, one site invited me to touch the screen and start digging up a late 10th century ship burial. On a lighter note, in a corner where several articles of clothing were hung, people are invited to “Dress Torbjörn,” a half-naked cartoon figure to the upper right of a small screen. I tried. But several times I was rebuked by the cartoon figure for not handing him his clothing in the right order. He jumped up and down, obviously distressed and utterly displeased with my performance. It put a damper on my visit, but I was still happy I came. After all, it’s not every day you can feel yourself back among the Vikings. Text & Photography: Bo Zaunders In this exhibit from the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm, you’ll find artifacts from the Vikings’ everyday activities, religious beliefs and family life in 750-1100 AD, including beautiful jewelry and metalwork, objects made from glass and bone, and yes, swords and armor. For more info, see www.discoverytsx.com
1.800.827.9333 ext 10 or www.nordicsampler.com March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
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Lindsborg, KS
We just passed The [Swedish] National Waffle Day on March 25 and “Little Sweden USA” - the city of Lindsborg started early, celebrating on Saturday, the 19th. Every nook and cranny of the town seem to have been filled with waffles in every shape conceivable. One of the highlights of the day became the second Våffeldagen Kubb Tournament. Just in case you missed your fill of våfflor and the recipes for deluxe waffles in our last issue, turn to page 14 for the basic recipe. Language
Explore the largest display of Viking treasures ever to visit North America!
From eye spasms to dumpster dive
We were so inspired by all your responses to our Facebook post on favorite Swedish words (March 11, www.facebook.com/ nordstjernan) — we love our social media community, too! — that we were reminded to check on how the Swedish language “officially” expanded this year. It does so every year, changing in a variety of way with new words being introduced and old words getting used in new ways. It was perfectly OK that some words likely identified favorite things, like: fika, pepparkakor, lagom, flicka, ost, even Svedka Vodka and “IKEA! Lol, no, it’s really smorgåsbord” Then there are the words with extra special meaning (that are also nice to say), like älskling, kärlek and “Mormor - now that I am one!” And some words are simply fun to say (no matter their meaning), making them favorite Swedish words: Strumpbyxa, bergsbestigare, upptågsmakare, vårdnadshavare, Mumsfilibabba, fantastisk, ingenting and “Spolarvätska - it sounds so pretty. I know, I know it means windshield washing liquid. I KNOW!” Språkrådet, the Language Council of Sweden, puts together an annual list of new
words that have entered Swedish. New words usually hint at events that have taken place during the year, but they can also be other words that are somehow current. Språkrådet collects words throughout the year by reading newspapers and by having people like you and me send in their suggestions. “Anyone can send in suggestions,” explained a spokesperson for Språkrådet a few years ago. “We are happy to hear from people who suggest new words.” Some words have short shelf lives, but others linger. The most telling new words of 2015? “Ögonkramp” — eye spasms, often caused by looking too closely and for too long at your cell phone screen. (According to an October 2015 story by Swedish News Agency TT, “The phenomenon of false myopia and eye spasms has increased sharply among young people, which means that they have trouble focusing their eyes at longer distances. The reason is that they spend too much time with their noses in the phone.”) Dumpstra — Finding and using things that others tossed, in particular food. From the English “dumpster dive” (“sopcontainerdyk”).
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Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
Viaplay, a major Nordic streaming service and part of the MTG-group, has announced that Matrix star Keanu Reeves is confirmed for the first Viaplay original series — Swedish Dicks. Swedish Dicks is a comedy series set in downtown Los Angeles and entirely produced in the United States. The first 10-episode season centers around Ingmar (Peter Stormare), an ex-stuntman now trying to survive as a small time private detective. One day his miserable life takes a new turn when he stumbles into Axel (Swedish comedian Johan Glans), formerly a somewhat successful DJ. Together they partner up and start their own private investigator firm, Swedish Dicks. They become a great team taking on the strangest and wildest cases in LA, but when Ingmar’s past catches up with them they have to solve the murder mystery of Ingmar’s former stunt buddy Tex (Reeves). Reeves appears in a number of episodes in the comedy series, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles and will premiere exclusively on Viaplay in the fall.
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The “Ove” success story
A Man Named Ove (En man som heter Ove), directed by Hannes Holm and starring Rolf Lassgård, has become the third most viewed Swedish film since records began in 1963, with 1,656,215 tickets sold so far, March 15 and still in theaters. Only two Swedish films have sold more tickets nationwide since the Swedish Film Institute began keeping statistics in 1963: Tage Danielsson’s To Go Ashore (Att angöra en brygga) from 1965, and Lasse Åberg’s Package Tour, or Can You Get Fish and Chips At the Flamenco (Sällskapsresan) from 1980. These are both domestic comedies that have now become cult classics. Above: Love Larson, Rolf Lassgård and Eva von Bahr all won ‘golden beetles’ for A Man Called Ove at the 2016 Guldbagge Awards. Photo: Patrik C Österberg / mediabild.nu Music
Critical validation for Swedish company
Spotify hit the 30 million mark, Swedish CEO Daniel Ek announced on March 21. That’s 30 million subscribers around the world who pay for their on-demand streaming music — that’s 10 million more than just nine months ago when Apple Music hit the market. Apparently increased competition hasn’t been a detriment to Spotify’s growth thus far, but the music streaming industry is still young. Spotify’s numbers and recent iOS charts show that streaming music is becoming one of the most lucrative businesses on mobile devices. According to theverge.com, Spotify is the biggest game
Stockholm, Sweden
The Swedish singer Zara Larsson, above, collaborates with MNEK on the new dance hit Never forget You. The U.S. seems to like Zara Larsson, and the feelings are mutual. The singer and songwriter from Stockholm, 18, is topping Billboard’s digital dance list right now with her single “Never Forget You.” Larsson rose to fame in Europe when she won the 2008 Swedish version of Britain’s Got Talent, and has been pushing herself to the forefront of the pop scene ever since. Her edgy electro pop music made the Swede popular in England, advancing her entry in the American market; in 2013 she signed a three-year contract with Epic Records in the United States and recently began a collaboration with Clinique for their Play With Pop campaign. Larsson just made her musical debut at South by Southwest in Austin, TX at on March 12. Listen to it on Youtube, Zara Larsson: Never Forget You
Spotify hits 30 million subscribers … here, founder Daniel Ek.
in on-demand streaming, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.
Herr & Fru | Mr. & Mrs. Experience “Discharged!”
“Discharged!”
DISCHARGED!!!
Physician: “Try an unusually silly Youtube clip.”
‘Name’s days’ of the Swedish Calendar: /Kommande två veckors namnsdagar
In New York In Stockholm In Kiruna Lund In Los Angeles
March 30: Sunrise 6.42 a.m. 6.17 a.m. 5.53 a.m. 6.41 a.m. 6.43 a.m.
Sunset 7.19 p.m. 7.26 p.m. 6.08 p.m. 7.41 p.m. 7.13 p.m.
April 01 Harald/Hervor April 02 Gudmund/Ingemund April 03 Ferdinand/Nanna April 04 Marianne/Marlene April 05 Irene/Irja April 06 Vilhelm/Helmi April 07 Irma/Irmelin April 08 Nadja/Tanja April 09 Otto/Ottilia April 10 Ingvar/Ingvor April 11 Ulf/Ylva April 12 Liv April 13 Artur/Douglas April 14 Tiburtius April 15 Olivia/Oliver April 16 Patrik/Patricia
SWEDEN
on one of Brekke’s 2016 Scandinavian Tours:
• TASTE OF SWEDEN & NORWAY June 2 - 11 | July 3 - 12
Stockholm with Uppsala and Dalarna as well as Oslo, Bergen and the fjords
• CAPTIVATING SCANDINAVIA July 13 - 26
The fjord country, the Swedish Glass District and visits to Bergen, Oslo, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Stockholm
Contact
Brekke Tours
›
1-800-437-5302 Tours@BrekkeTours.com www.BrekkeTours.com
@BrekkeTours
March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
feature. page 12
Vasaloppet: The race of a lifetime
The Long Road Home for a Swedish American Every Swede who has completed the 90 kilometer Vasaloppet cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora receives a certificate with his or her name on it to commemorate the effort. And every one of these Swedes knows where he or she keeps that certificate and will gladly retrieve it and display it to you in less than two minutes. Now I, too, have such a certificate, I know where it is, and I am gladly displaying it to anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest. And I have an appreciation for why every Vasaloppet finisher wants to share the experience: It is not simply an individual accomplishment, it is part of a shared experience that can be accomplished only with collective effort. I certainly had enormous help and support to reach the end of Vasaloppet trail. The whole festival spans eight days and requires planning far in advance, paid staff and literally thousands of volunteers. There are races nearly every day, ranging from 9 to 90 kilometers. The course requires constant grooming, volunteers at aid stations and officials for every race.
Newly made tracks at the beginning of the first hill after start. Photographed prior to the Vasaloppet race by Vasaloppet/Ulf Palm.
Preparing for the race of a lifetime
As an individual, my first assistance came from my friend Paul Thompson, who in 2006 convinced me to take part in a ski marathons. He is a member of the Birch Legging Club, a select group of dedicated skiers who have completed 20 or more ski marathons in the American Birkebeiner. The American Birkebeiner spans 50-55 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin, and is the largest (most participants) citizen ski race in North America. With Paul’s encouragement and companionship during many days of training I was able to complete that race, using the skate style technique. I don’t know exactly when, but at some time after completing my first American Birkebeiner I learned of a yet longer and larger race. Indeed, that was Vasaloppet, the longest and most highly attended citizen ski race in the world. Not only would skiing it be an accomplishment, but it would give me another excuse to travel to Sweden and visit relatives. But it also meant switching from skate style to classic cross-country skiing, the only style permitted at Vasaloppet. I had to learn a new technique of skiing as well as how to apply grip (kick) wax to the skis. I was lucky to have the help of the experts at Hoiggards Ski Shop in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota; and in particular, ski coach and head service tech David Lindberg developed an effective waxing strategy. For technique I turned to the ski club at The City of Lakes Loppet in Minneapolis — under the tutelage of elite skiers Kate Ellis and Devin Arenz, I learned a number of essential skills, including double poling, double pole kick, quick step uphill striding, weight shift striding and downhill tuck. These skills
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
Mark Bloomquist, Dana Bloomquist and Christer Carlsson after Vasaloppet finish.
would allow me to ski efficiently and prevent me from wasting energy, which one cannot do and expect to complete a 90 kilometer course. Also helpful were fellow Minnesotan skiers, including two who stay with relatives in Mora, Sweden and ski Vasaloppet every year and a couple others who have made the pilgrimage for the annual Vasaloppet. More assistance came from my ski companion, Christer Carlsson of Hindås, which is just east of Göteborg (Gothenburg). Christer is sambo with my syssling (second cousin) Rose-Marie Möller, originally from Lindome, Sweden, birthplace of my mormorfar who immigrated to the USA. After I had been unsuccessful in my attempt to complete Vasaloppet 2015 for not meeting the cutoff time at 62K (i.e., skiing too slowly), Christer said he would join me in 2016 if I signed up. We agreed, signed up and set a date to rendezvous in Sälen in February 2016, prepared to ski eastbound to Mora. He, in Hindås, and I, in Minnesota, trained in our respective ski areas, sharing our progress by email.
The greatest victory
I flew from Minneapolis to Göteborg and was fortunate to have my daughter, Dana, join me from her home in Copenhagen and accompany me to Mora, acting as a oneperson support crew. Dana cooked high-carb food before the race, escorted my group at 4 a.m. to the buses departing for Sälen, and took our warm clothes and boots that would be needed immediately at the end of the race ... assuming we could make it all the way back to Mora. It would be nearly 14 hours before I arrived at the finish in Mora. It was a memorable day for of us and the details could fill another article. But it is the support from others that will remain in my memory. From the bus driver hurtling us through the dark, to the volunteers at the start managing our gear to carry it to the finish line, to the women leading us in warm up calisthenics from platforms above the throng of skiers, everyone was pulling in the same direction. Then the starting cannon sounded and the sea of humanity moved eastward, all drawing on each other’s energy. The support continued throughout the race. The first three kilometers are up an
unreasonably long and steep hill. Everyone knows it is brutal yet no one complains. The primary goal is to stay out of each other’s way and don’t break anyone else’s pole. It’s the epitome of human decency in the face of adversity, and Christer and I (and most of the group) summited the first hill with our poles intact. Hoorah! From there onward it was a true endurance test which would have been impossible but for the volunteers at the rest stops in each of the seven towns on the trail from Sälen to Mora. Though my race was on a Monday, literally hundreds of people turned out to supply what seemed like the nectar of the Gods to weary travelers: blåbär soppa, enerji, vatten, kafé och bulle (blueberry soup, Gatorade, water, coffee and rolls). One of my best memories of the day was the beauty of the countryside we traversed. Tall evergreens interrupted the low sunlight and cast long shadows across the trail. Then it would open up to broad fields and lakes where the sunlight seemed to explode. We even went through a semi-mountainous area below a downhill ski run which reminded me of Colorado and Montana. We skied the final 9K stretch through the lightly forested area from Eldris to Mora. Though it was after 5 p.m. when I emerged onto the 600 meter homestretch to the mål (finish line), the local faithful were there to cheer me on. It was heartwarming to hear over the PA, “And now comes Mark Bloomquist from United States. Welcome to Mora.” (Later, my daughter told me the announcer had continued in Swedish: “Bloomquist? Han är inte American. Jag tror att han måste vara svenska.”(“Bloomquist? He is not American. I believe he must be Swedish.”) Ever faithful, Dana was there with my comfortable shoes which never felt so good as they did after that 90K ordeal. We eventually reunited with Christer, who had finished 45 minutes ahead of me. (He attributed his stronger performance to all the rolls and coffee he consumed earlier, though I knew better.) Continues on next page
feature. page 13
We both had quite a lot to be thankful for. Perhaps most gratifying was to share our accomplishment with our hosts in Mora, Majbritt and Stefan Nyberg, who had graciously opened their home to us. Stefan had completed Vasaloppet on four occasions so they were pleased to welcome us to the group of finishers. What a day! We will never forget it. I continue to ask myself: What is the mystique and allure of Vasaloppet that consumes the attention of all of Sweden for an entire week every year? Is it the excitement generated by elite athletes in competition? The brilliance of the sun on the snow? The camaraderie and festivities in a beautiful and historic city? Perhaps it’s just the opportunity to just get out and ski as long and as far as you want. The best explanation for me is that the Swedish people truly appreciate individual persistence and effort. The Vasaloppet com-
pletion certificate embodies the appreciation of a people by the salutation thereon: “Varje målgång är en stor sever” — Each finish is a great victory. Mark Bloomquist Mark Bloomquist is a lawyer at Meagher & Geer law firm in Minnesota and is active at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis. He is descended from Swedish immigrants on both sides of his family — his father’s parents emigrated from Surahammar in Vastmanland and Öjebro (near Vadstena); his mother’s grandparents came from Lindome and Bohus in the area surrounding Gothenburg. Most of his relatives remained in the old country so he and his Minnesota family have traveled regularly to Sweden to visit them, now spread into many other regions of the country.
Kids playing on the Gustav Vasa statue in Mora, Dalarna.
It’s been nearly 500 years since Gustav Vasa supposedly skied the 90-kilometer (56 miles) between Sälen and Mora, Sweden in an attempt to gather peasants in a revolt against Denmark in 1522. Although new reports indicate Vasa didn’t actually ski, he did lead the Swedes to independence and was later proclaimed King Gustav Vasa. And so it was in his memory that in 1922 a group of people gathered to ski the first “Vasaloppet,” retracing the fabled route of its namesake. Now people from all over the world come to ski this difficult and very special cross-country ski race, some of whom may consider it something of a pilgrimage to their ancestral home –including Swedish American Mark Blomquist. For more info, see www.vasaloppet.se/en/
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Christer Carlsson and Dana Bloomquist observing finish of a race in Mora.
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Rose-Marie Möller and Dana Bloomquist at the indoor Skidome in Gothenburg where Christer trained.
Majbritt and Stefan Nyberg’s guest house in Mora, Sweden.
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March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan 2016-01-15 10:48
feature. page 14 perspectives.
What Swedes eat on March 25 (and any other day of the year)
Wåfflor - Swedish waffles Olle Wijkström olle.wijkstrom@nordstjernan.com
Varför är det nyttigt, berikande, roligt eller tråkigt att läsa bok? I Liberia där jag hade förmånen att leva ett dussintal år indelades befolkningen stundom i två grupper. I grupp ett ingick de som kunde ”läsa bok”. I den andra gruppen, som flertalet tillhörde, ingick de som inte kunde ”läsa bok”. Det var en naturlig och självklar indelning i ett land där analfabetismen var stor. Analfabetismen var över 90%. Det bör tilläggas att detta hänför sig till tider då inga bibliotek fanns i byarna, då skolorna var lika sällsynta som kantareller i urskogen, ingen visste att TV apparater och annan modern utbildning existerade. Nu är det andra tider. Nu kan man stöta på de mest belästa och så kallat bildade personer i såväl byarna Sanniquelli som Gbarnga. När jag för länge sedan blev pensionär bestämde jag mig för att läsa minst en eller två böcker per månad. Min tanke var: ”Det kan aldrig skada att läsa och förhoppningsfullt även lära sig något om olika miljöer och om hur människor från skiftande miljöer resonerar”. För att i möjligaste mån leva upp till den målsättningen beslöt jag mig för att variera urvalet av böcker. Några böcker skulle helst vara från gamla tider. Böcker skrivna av författare som levde för längesen. Däremellan alster av skribenter som fortfarande andas och berättar hur de uppfattar världen av idag. Det blev en vildsint lista av böcker. Syftet var att jag därigenom förhoppningsfullt skulle vidga min förståelse om världen och varför människor tycker annorlunda. Eftersom jag tycker det är intressant att gå tillbaka till litteratur som fängslade mig när jag var betydligt yngre återvänder jag ofta till min ungdoms ideal. I januari i år återvände jag till Herbert Tingsten. Vad jag framför allt beundrade hos Tingsten var hans vassa humor och absoluta ärlighet. Han berättar lika friskt om sina svåra sidor och tillkortakommanden som om sina lysande fullträffar och bravader. Han generar sig ej för att yppa att han roas mer av taktfast militärmusik och trummorän av den typen än av operaarior som tilltalar finsmakare av musik. Hans bitska omdömen om stel byråkrati och korkade individer är små pärlor i hans skrivande. Med stor glädje återvände jag till hans minnen. För att hänga med i tiden gav jag mig djävulen på att läsa åtminstone två böcker av årets nobelpristagare i litteratur. Svetlana Aleksijevitj. ”Kriget har inget kvinnligt an-
Att läsa bok sikte” och ”Zinkpojkarna”. Böckerna bygger på de hundratals intervjuer författarinnan haft med piloter, spanare och släktingar som deltog i krigen. Det krävs tålamod att ta sig igenom böckernas hemska och mörka partier. Samtidigt frågar man sig ständigt: ”Varför kan krig uppkomma? Lär vi oss aldrig att krig är vansinne”? Efter att ha härdat ut med allt hemskt och mörkt i Svetlanas intervjuer blev det skönare att återvända till Torgny Lindgren. Hans böcker om vem som gör den bästa pölsan i de norrländska trakterna runt Skellefteå muntrade upp mitt sinne. Nu vet jag att Ida i Bastuträsk tillreder den överlägset smakfullaste pölsan i västernorrland. Vad som retat mig länge är att jag aldrig förstått mig på Marcel Proust. Jag har av flera vänner hört att honom bör man läsa. Han lär vara både kvick, underfundig och roande. Eftersom jag ogärna vill ge upp försökte jag igen med: ”I skuggan av unga flickor”. Det gick inte nu heller. Jag fann ingenting roande där heller. Jag ger upp! Däremot trivs jag betydligt bättre att som jag just nu gör att läsa Ernest Hemmingway. Just nu följer med honom i Paris i ”En fest för livet”. Ernest kunde konsten att njuta av det liv han levde i Paris. I hans Paris träffar man målare, litteratörer, metare, portvaktskärringar och fnask. Där är det omöjligt att icke finna att livet verkligen är en fest. Att läsa bok är såväl lärorikt, berikande, roligt som stundom trist.
Kärlek och hat
Det finns få ämnen som lockat så många människor att skriva om som kärlek och hat. Mängder av romaner, dramer, dikter eller slagdängor har handlat om kärlek och hat. Redan de gamla grekerna fascinerades av människors växlingar mellan kärlek, förtvivlan, kättja och ondska. Alltsedan dess har temat fortsatt i olika varianter. William Shakespeare skildrade såväl konungars som sköna damers kättja till såväl vackra som ondskefulla beteenden. August Strindberg förstod också hur samvaron mellan man och kvinna kunde utvecklas ibland ömsint och lidelsefullt men ibland brutalt och sårande. Schlagersångare har därefter i olika tappningar tagit efter. Ibland komiskt. ”Jag är ute när gumman min är inne men jag är inne nät gumman min går ut”. Däremellan behagfullt: ”Får jag bli din tangokavaljer blott för några timmar Får jag ta en kyss och kanske fler”?
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Submit to editor@nordstjernan.com Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
If you are in Sweden around this time of the year, chances are you’d eat waffles! March 25 is the special day, Våffeldagen, for eating waffles, or våfflor, as they are called in Swedish. Waffles is an old dish, dating back to the Middle Ages, when they were grilled over an open fire and the waffle irons were different than the ones used today. In those days, the irons had a scissor-like grip with two plates in the front, which made a square waffle, but already with the check pattern that Swedish waffles still have today. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the waffle iron that makes heart-shaped waffles was invented. Waffles used to be a food eaten everyday, dressed up or down depending on occasion. The ingredients varied. The simplest waffles contained only flour and water, but for festive affairs cream, sugar, butter and eggs were added. Eating waffles with cream and jam, like Swedes do today, became popular at the beginning of the 20th century. It was something most people enjoyed with their coffee after their Sunday walk.
Swedish waffles, basic recipe: Ingredients: 1 cup 2 oz flour 7 oz cold water 1 cup 2 oz heavy cream 4 Tablespoons melted butter Pinch of salt Mix the flour, the salt and the water to an even batter. Whip the cream and fold into the batter. Stir in the melted butter, and pour the mix on the griddle. Serve with jam of your choice and whipped cream. Våffeljärn, waffle irons can be found at several Scandinavian specialty stores or at for instance JC Penney, Williams & Sonoma, Target and a variety of other stores. (Ask for a Belgian Waffle Iron - and yes, the Swedish waffle is only distantly related to the Belgian but, US retailers call the appropriate irons ‘Belgian’ nevertheless)
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local events. page 15
Experiential learning at Wisconsin Retreat
Scandinavian Retreat Valorie Arrowsmith, Minnesota valorie@nordstjernan.com
More than 100 participants came to experience the 43rd Annual Scandinavian Retreat in February, located in western Wisconsin, near Eau Claire. Many were students and faculty from universities with Nordic departments, including: Finlandia University, Augustana Rock Island, University of Wisconsin-Madison, St. Olaf College, Minnesota State University Mankato, Gustavus Adolphus College, Luther College, and the University of Minnesota, plus there were families, alumni and individuals who drove in from Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Colleges take it in turn to be the program host and this year Hilary Virtanen of Finlandia University in the Upper Peninsula took on that role. Speakers included Lesley Darling, a 2015 Swedish Council of America Humanities Scholar, who related her experiences with Ossfok, people who speak Orsamål in Dalarna, Sweden. Jason Schröder of UW-Madison presented on “Wily Women and Clever Cross Dressers: Outwitting Villains in a Swedish Ballad.” Edie Mattesson of Nebraska shared her strategies for using content-based history as a starting point for her Swedish learners. What they read in class pertains to their lives focusing on the history of Swedes in Nebraska. Merging new technology and Medieval literature was the theme of another UW-Madison presenter. Colin Connors shared the latest on his Icelandic saga work, “The eSaga Project: Bringing Medieval Texts to Life with Interactive Digital Translations.” Readers can look at photos that Connors took in Iceland, showing the locations of saga story components. They can bring up the genealogy of a character to resolve in their mind exactly which Thorkel is making an appearance in the story. There are maps and timelines that help to support understanding in this newly translated edition by Connors. The book is called, “The eSaga of Hrafnkell Freysgođi,” and is available for purchase to download with iBooks. Maren Johnson of Luther talked about “Norway and Netflix: Exporting Norwegian Culture Through TV.” Ursula Lindqvist of Gustavus Adolphus College moderated a discussion on “Why Scandinavian Studies?” It was a particularly timely conversation since news had just reached the general public that Concordia College in Moorhead,
Dave Winter, in the leather apron, taught woodcarving at the Scandinavian Retreat. Eager learners surrounded him.
she invited participants to do some staving with her, the room thrummed to a steady beat as she called out a line and the group answered chorally. Norden Folk also sponsors the ax casting competition, in memory of the late Jerry Revelle, president of the organization for many years. In addition, it provides woodcarving, weaving and folk dancing instruction as part of the weekend’s program. Homecooked meals are also a star feature. For more information, find the Annual Midwest Scandinavian Retreat on Facebook or www. visitNordenFolk.org. Next year’s dates are February 24, 25, 26, 2017. The price is $50. All are welcome. Photography: V. S. Arrowsmith
MN was cutting its Norwegian department. The faculty present at the retreat wanted to find out what students needed and wanted in their Scandinavian Studies courses to better plan for the future. Norden Folk, the fiscal host and sponsor for the retreat also brings in a speaker every year. Kari Tauring of Minneapolis gave a presentation called, “Full Time Völva: Carrying the Nordic Staff.” After
Clockwise from lower left: Gustavus Adolphus College sent a group of students and faculty. / There were opportunities to jam at the Beaver Creek Lodge. / A mixer in speed dating style, helped participants get acquainted at the beginning. / A good stance and a powerful swing were needed in the ax casting competition. / Nordic band weaving was one of the experiential learning opportunities.
March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
feature. page 16
A
re the Irish actually Norwegian? Yes, most likely, quite a few of the Irish are of Nordic heritage. But we have to go back in time about 1,200 years to get the story — to the era of the Vikings. People in Norway were seeking more land, the historians say. At the time, the population in Norway was only a few percent of today’s population. They probably did not like to climb the mountains, and they all lived in the coastal regions. So groups of people, the Vikings, started to explore what could be available outside Norway. Their idea was not primarily to settle down
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Are the Irish Nordic? somewhere, even if some of them did. Instead they engaged in hit-and-run raids, spending a few days at each place pillaging and burning, before returning to Norway to sell their booty. They came in their Viking ships, their so called long ships, that could be 80 feet long with 13 or more rowing benches and room for 30 people. Early boats had only oars but later they added sails. The ships were fast and could sail 75 miles in one day. Eventually they built really big boats, for up to 100 people. On the way to Ireland these Nordic pirates, who were known as “Norsemen” but called themselves “Ostmen,” passed the Shetland Island, then the Orkney Islands and later the Hebrides. Many Vikings stopped on the way to settle down. They were the first Vikings to reach Irish land. The Danish Vikings were
more interested in England and the Vikings from Sweden went mostly eastward. The first recorded raid on Ireland was in 795 AD. They came to Rathlin Island on the north coast of Northern Ireland, where they burned a church. They continued down Ireland’s east coast and raided churches and monasteries on the islands of Irishmurray and Irishbofin. After a while they improved their methods of pillaging. Instead of landing three or four boats, raiding settlements and then going back to Scandinavia, they scaled up. They came as Viking warriors in 50 to 100 boats, landed and set up camps. From those bases they raided intensively into the surrounding countryside for several months at a time. At least 40 places and monasteries are known for being “visited” by the Vikings. Viking encampments that were settled and in fact founded were Dublin (in 841), Cork (846), Waterford (850), Wexford (800) and Bangor (823). Also Limerick was founded by the Vikings. The Irish themselves © were no saints, either. Ireland at the time consisted of several territories with kings who raided and battled each other. In the first 25 years
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Ireland at about 950 AD and its Viking territory.
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feature. page 17
The Vikings’ 220 years in Ireland made marks. They founded quite a few of Ireland’s greatest cities. Some of their words are still included in the Irish language. Many Irish of today, if they tested their DNA, would most likely find they have Scandinavian blood in their veins. the Vikings’ Dublin in 936 and sacked it in 944. One of Ireland’s great leaders of this period was Brian Boru. On Good Friday 1014, his forces met and defeated the Vikings in a historic battle at Clontarf near Dublin. That became the end of the power of the Norsemen’s Dublin and the effective end of the Viking Age in Ireland which actually lasted no less than 220 years. Many Vikings settled down in the lands they had conquered. By 950 they had stopped raiding and instead developed as traders, farmers and fishermen. They married Irish girls and gradually became Christianized. They however had no luck in converting the Irish to Norse Paganism. Quite a few places in Ireland have names that originate from Nordic languages, such as Waterford (Vadrefjord), Wexford (Weisfjord) and Dublin (Djup lind). A few of the Vikings’ words were also adopted in the Irish language. Here are some of them — first the English word, then the Irish, then in italics the Old Norse and last the word in Swedish: anchor / ancaire / akkeri / ankare rudder / stiúir / stýri / styre
Top: A Viking long ship, the Oseberg, at the Vikingskiphuset in Bygdoy, Norway.
penny / pinginn / penning / penning button / cnaipe / knappr / knapp market / margadh / markadhr / marknad cod / trosc / porskr / torsk beans / pónair / baunir / bönor yard / garrdha / gardhr / gård Göran Rygert
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local events. page 18
More events and list your own, at www.nordstjernan.com-EVENTS
l Florida
Continuously The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach promotes trade, commerce and investment opportunities between Sweden, Fort Lauderdale - Palm Beach and members. See www.sacc-sfl.org
lGeorgia
05.22.2016 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM Vasa Drängar 20th Anniversary Concert Atlanta’s Vasa Drängar will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a concert at Winters Chapel United Methodist Church. They will perform à cappella as well as with an ensemble from Atlanta Balalaika Society and pianist Gabe Granitz. A special guest is coming from the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, Sweden - tenor Niklas Björling Rygert, who since 1999
sings with the permanent soloist’s ensemble at this opera house. Vasa Drängar, Swedish Men’s Choir. www.vasadrangar.org
l Illinois
02.21.2016 12:00 PM - 04.17.2016 03:00 PM The Swedish American Museum houses the Andersonville Winter Market on the third Sunday of the month now through April. 04.01.2016 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM Skål! Scandinavian Spirits exhibit opening. Denmark, Norway and Sweden share a “spirited” tradition of enjoying beer and aquavit – sometimes together, sometimes separately. This exhibition explores the cultural history of these beverages, follows those drinking traditions to ScandinavianAmerican communities, and answers questions like “What is aquavit, anyway?” and “How do you ‘skål’ correctly?” www.swedishamericanmuseum.org |773-728-8111 04.01.2016 06:00 PM - 08:30 PM Skål! Aquavit Tasting Two Sessions at 6-7 p.m. and 7:30-8:30 p.m. www.swedishamericanmuseum. org |773-728-8111 04.02.2016 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Gallery Walk Get the inside stories behind the “Skål! Scandinavian Spirits” exhibit with the Mu-
seum of Danish America’s Tove Brandt. 04.09.2016 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Super Grandpa Story & Craft Hour “Super Grandpa” by David M. Schwartz is set in Sweden in 1951. It tells the true story of 66-year-old Gustaf Håkansson. He was told by many that he was too old to enter a 1,000 mile bike race. 04.10.2016 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Bullerbyn Taking place roughly every other Sunday in tandem with Svenska Skolan, Bullerbyn is a time for singing cherished children’s songs, reading fun tales, and having lots of fun in Swedish. Children ages 6 months to 5 years are welcome to attend with a parent. Only Swedish is spoken at this event. www.swedishamericanmuseum.org | 773-728-8111 04.15.2016 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Hejsan–Children’s Story and Craft Hour Join us at 11 a.m. at the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration for a story and craft hour on the third Friday of each month, September through June. All ages are welcome. www.swedishamericanmuseum.org |773-728-8111 04.16.2016 08:00 AM - 04.16.2016 05:00 PM Tantalizing Treasures Sale This biannual fundraiser for the Swedish American Museum is a great place to find gently used items from jewelry and
Välkommen till
collectibles to furniture and children’s toys and more! You don’t have to be Swedish or SwedishAmerican to find some great finds at this event. Whether you are a serious shopper, a dedicated collector or a bona fide antique dealer, this event is not to be missed. Entrance is free and open to the public. Have questions or would you like to make a donation? Contact us at museum@samac.org. www.swedishamericanmuseum.org |773-728-8111 Continuously Step back in time in historic Bishop Hill. Utopia on the Prairie, then and now. For information call 309-927-3899 or email heritage@bishophill. com. Visit our Website at: www.bishophill.com
l Minnesota
01.23.2016 PM - 05.22.2016 04:30 PM The Watercolor Worlds of Lars Lerin. Solo exhibition of contemporary Swedish watercolor master Lars Lerin (b. 1954). American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Avenue Minneapolis MN 55407. 612-871-4907 | www.asimn.org
l New York
03.12.2016 02:00 PM - 04.02.2016 08:00 PM Damascus II. August Strindberg’s tale of life in decadent artists’ circles of 1890s Sweden is brought to life in 1960s California. Presented by August Strindberg Repertory Theatre in association with Theater Resources Unlimited. The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond St., NYC. (212) 346-8450 | www. strindbergrep.com 03.31.2016 06:00 PM - 03.31.2016 11:00 PM Ärtans Vänner, Friends of the Peasoup, a tradition started in New York about 50 years ago by some homesick Swedish expatriates is back. The lossely tied together organization has no membership fee and is not for profit - a group of gentlemen meet on a Thursday, often the last of the month to enjoy the pea soup, punsch, side dishes and each other’s company. The cost for the dinner is shared among the participants. Interested to join? Contact Tom Simeo : tsimeo@ gmail.com (917) 825 2291
Söndag 10 april kl 11.00
Svensk Gudstjänst
Kyrkoherde Staffan Eklund, Organist Ragnar Bohlin. Kyrkkaffe. Därefter församlingens årsmöte.
Church of Sweden at Norwegian Seamen’s Church 2454 Hyde Street, San Francisco • Tel: 415-632-8504 Mer information: www.svenskakyrkan.se/sanfrancisco
04.22.2016 06:00 PM - 04.22.2016 08:30 PM Earth Day Musicale Join us for an afternoon of music, art and poetry showcasing students on organ, piano, and art, with special guests, Swedish American artists Marion Palm and Lennart Vretholm. The event will be held at St. Jacobi Ev. Lutheran Church, located in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn.
Välkommen till
l Pennsylvania
American Swedish Historical Museum. 215.389.1776. www.americanswedish.org
l Washington
03.17.2016 06:00 PM - 05.08.2016 08:00 PM Exhibition— Magnus Nilsson’s Nordic: A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People. Nilsson, who was just awarded two Michelin stars for his restaurant in northern Sweden, Fäviken, will have his first museum exhibition in the U.S. www. nordicmuseum.org | 206.789.5707
Söndag 3 april kl. 11.00
Mässa, söndagsskola och kyrklunch Tisdag 3 april kl. 18.30: Filmafton Tisdag 19 april kl. 19.00: Författarträff med Daniel Mendoza, “Kärlekens omtanke” Onsdagar kl 19-21: kyrkans kör övar Fredagar kl 11-13: Öppna förskolan
l Wisconsin
04.17.2016 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM A concert of music by Scandinavian composers will be given by area musicians at the Apostle Presbyterian Church. The program features some well known and rare gems by Bernhardt Crusell, Swedish-Finnish; Edward Grieg, Norwegian; Carl Nielsen, Danish; Joachim Andersen, Danish will be played. . MacDowell Club of Milwaukee. Apostle Presbyterian Church 1509 S 76th St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214
Mer information och senaste nytt om alla våra aktiviteter på vår Facebook- och hemsida!
Svenska kyrkan, Los Angeles 1035 South Beacon Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 Tel. 310-832-6800 • Epost: losangeles@svenskakyrkan.se Hemsida: www.svenskakyrkan.se/losangeles På facebook heter vi “Svenska kyrkan i Los Angeles”
5 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017 Tel: +1 (212) 832-8443
mdv xnqj
www.svenskakyrkan.se/newyork
Öppettider 3-16 april SÖNDAG
Caféet öppet 12-16 3/4 Högmässa 11.00
MÅNDAG
Caféet öppet 12-18
TISDAG
Caféet öppet 12-18
ONSDAG
Caféet öppet 12-18
@sk.ny Svenska kyrkan i New York TORSDAG
Caféet öppet 12-18
14-16 Ung Svensk i NY
10/4 Högmässa 11.00
14-16 Ung Svensk i NY Högmässa Gloria Dei 16.00
12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön
Nordstjernan, March 30, 2016
12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön
12.15 Middagsbön 15-17 Träffpunkt 18.00 Mässa
12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön
FREDAG
Caféet öppet 12-18 OPEN MIC 8 april 18.30 12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön
LÖRDAG
Caféet öppet 12-16
sports. page 19
Malmö, Häcken advance to Cup final A spot in Europe is for grabs May 5 when Malmö FF and BK Häcken square off in the final of the Swedish Cup.
Malmö midfielder Anders Christiansen tries to slow down Kalmar striker Ismael Silva during the semfinals of the Swedish Cup March 19 at Guldfageln Arena in Kalmar. Bildbyrån photos/Suvad Mrkonjic Chipp Reid, Sports Editor chipp@nordstjernan.com
Malmö FF took a giant stride toward its selfstated goal of returning to European play next year when it swept aside IFK Norrköping and Kalmar FF to reach the final of the 2015/16 Swedish Cup. Malmö faces upstart BK Häcken of Goteborg in the final May 5 at Swedbank Arena in Malmö. For Malmö, reaching the final is only the first part of its plan. The Skåne side has its eyes firmly set on reclaiming the Lennart Johansson trophy, and its wins over defending Allsvenskan champions IFK Norrköping and perennial contender Kalmar sent a clear message that Malmö is ready for the 2016 campaign. The win over Kalmar in the semifinals came on the same day Malmö announced it had eclipsed its own Swedish records for season tickets, becoming the first club ever to top 20,500 season passes. Malmö set a record for Swedish sports teams last year when it raked in more than 235 million Swedish crowns in profit, making it the richest sports team in Scandinavia. Money had little to do with the semifinals, however, as Kalmar outplayed Malmö in the first half when the two teams met March 19 at Gulfageln Arena in Kalmar. Brazilian striker Romario fired Kalmar into the lead after just
11 minutes and should have doubled the lead with a 32nd-minute shot only to see it carom off the woodwork. Malmö found its pace in the second half after 10 minutes, grabbing hold of the match with a three-goal outburst. Jo Inge Berget, Malmö’s best player this preseason, set up the goal when he dribbled the ball into the box in the 56th minute only to have Emim Nouri chop him down. Team captain Markus Rosenberg took the spot kick and easily beat Kalmar goalkeeper Ole Soderberg to tie the game. Three minutes later, at the 60-minute mark, Berget and Rosenborg combined again, with Rosenborg right-footing a pass from Berget past Soderberg for a 2-1 lead. Berget got himself on the score sheet in the 63rd minute when he headed in a cross from Oscar Lewicki to make it 3-1. For the Norwegian, the goal was his seventh of the Cup. Marcus Antonsson scored a last-minute goal for Kalmar to make the score 3-2. Malmö reached the semis after knocking off defending Allsvenskan champions IFK Norrköping 1-0 on March 12. Iceland international Vidar Örn Kjartansson scored the lone goal of the match in the 68th minute off a corner kick. “We are all very happy to reach the final,” said Berget, who also has four assists in Cup play this season. “We said right from the start that we wanted to reach the final and win it. We
put the pressure on ourselves to win and we have. We still have one more match to win, but now we can put our focus on the league.” Häcken won its semifinal 3-2 over Hammarby on March 20 at Tele2Arena in Markus Rosenborg, center, celebrates his second goal in front of more than 13,000 Malmö’s 3-2 win over Kalmar March 19 in the semifinals fans, the largest crowd to see of the Swedish Cup. a Cup match this season. In something of a mirror image of the Malmö- future in front of us and we’re not afraid to Kalmar semi, Hammarby took an early lead face anyone.” before Häcken came back but unlike the other Kalmar advanced to the semis with a penalsemifinal, the Häcken-Hammarby match fea- ty-kick shootout win over Helsingborg March tured last-minute heroics. 13 at Olympia Stadium. Jordan Larsson, son Hammarby went ahead after just two min- of Helsingborg manager Henrik, missed his utes as Alex — aka Alexssander Medeiros De shot in the second round while Kalmar hit all Azeredo — scored his two goal for the club. of theirs to claim the win. The score remained 1-0 until the 58th minute Hammarby also advanced to the semifinals when Paulinho — aka Paolo de Oliveira — with a penalty-kick shootout win in its derby scored the first of his two goals in the game for quarterfinal against AIK. Hammarby goalHäcken. Paulinho shot Häcken into the lead in keeper Ögmundur Kristinson saved a pair of the 69th minute. Hammarby, however, tied the spot kicks as the Bajen knocked off the Gnaget game in the 86th minute when Melker Hall- 4-2 in the shootout. AIK net minder Patrik berg tallied. The match looked destined for Carlgren also saved a penalty. overtime until Nasiru Mohammed put Häcken back in the lead with one minute remaining in regulation time. “I am in form and the whole team is playing well,” said Paulinho. “We have a bright March 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
HHH ”Sweden´s best experience” – TR I P Global Award HHH
The Classic Canal Tour Treat yourself to a classic canal cruise in the height of luxurious comfort on one of the most beautiful waterways in the world. Göta Canal is wending its way through the heart of the Swedish countryside between the two largest cities in the country. On board the traditional canal boats, authentic Swedish style is combined with an atmosphere that harks
back to the glory days of Continental rail travel. Travelling at a leisurely pace, there’s plenty of time to rest and reflect, and to forge new friendships with fellow travellers from Sweden and the rest of the world.
Welcome on a magical journey that brings lifelong memories!
bookings@gotacanal.se or read more at www.gotacanal.se