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Original poster

Help needed with "All things Swedish" day

80 replies

Globules · 27/02/2024 06:37

We're off to Abba Voyage next month. We cannot wait.

We're going on the Sunday, so have decided to make a weekend of it by making Saturday an "all things Swedish" day.

My first thoughts are IKEA meatballs, gravalax, lots of Swedish house Mafia and roxette on the playlist.

I'm stuck there! What would you include as part of the day?

TIA

OP posts:
Thread gallery
20
TookTheBook · 27/02/2024 06:40

Have a look at Scandinavian Kitchen website for food bits. You can filter by country!

Cardamom buns.

banivani · 27/02/2024 07:12

Call and we shall come.

Start the day with breakfast. Black coffee OR a latte (fucking Stockholmers) OR chocolate milk (cold, not hot chocolate). Two open cheese sandwiches with cucumber slices on top.

Remember that a true Swede gets up at six. It is entirely possible to be the sort of person to go for a run in the morning, who knows, you might be in training for the Vasa ski race, but of course you might also be normal. However lots of people love being at work at 7 so they are ready for a break at 8.30 and want to walk around chatting and interrupting those of us who get in at 8.30 and need to knuckle down. Sorry, I digress.

Work in a steady but not too speedy fashion all morning. Break for fika at 9 or 9.30, 15 minutes. Black coffee again unless you’re cosplaying Stockholmer. You may chat and enjoy yourself during fika, but feel free to try out the variant of mostly silence( not misty as autocorrect had it) interspersed with “weather looks shit/not bad” (will come naturally to Brits) or “car running ok?” “Yeah”.

Lunch is leftovers from home. Heat your lunch box in lunch room microwave and eat with co workers. Repeat conversation from fika. I recommend you trying korv stroganoff with rice. Never mind ikea.

Afternoon same as morning, permissible to say regularly “oof, a nap after lunch would be great har har har”. Fika at 14 or 14.30 (btw refer to all o’clocks in this fashion). Same as above, maybe slightly more jubilant as work day is nearing the end.

If you came in early clock off at 15.30-16. Make sure to wander around and annoy those who need to stay a little longer with inane questions about how long they are staying, how pleased you are that you came in early and can go home while it’s still light outside (seasonally dependant) and remind them that life isn’t all work.

Btw, cardamom buns are permissible at fika but more likely is a box of biscuits, say havreflarn, or Delicatobollar.

Driving home pretend that roads are not choked with cars but you have plenty of space. Unless you live in Stockholm or other big cities. You will have a designated parking space at your house/flat, either in a parking lot or in your front garden, you wouldn’t dream of doing anything as dickish as parking with the wheels on the pavement.

Dinner is eaten with entire family at say 18. I suggest tacos, Swedish style. Pretend it’s Friday!

Phineyj · 27/02/2024 07:38

@banivani wonderful!

Original poster
Globules · 27/02/2024 07:39

I love you @banivani Thanks so much!💐

OP posts:
Deliadidit · 27/02/2024 07:42

banivani · 27/02/2024 07:12

Call and we shall come.

Start the day with breakfast. Black coffee OR a latte (fucking Stockholmers) OR chocolate milk (cold, not hot chocolate). Two open cheese sandwiches with cucumber slices on top.

Remember that a true Swede gets up at six. It is entirely possible to be the sort of person to go for a run in the morning, who knows, you might be in training for the Vasa ski race, but of course you might also be normal. However lots of people love being at work at 7 so they are ready for a break at 8.30 and want to walk around chatting and interrupting those of us who get in at 8.30 and need to knuckle down. Sorry, I digress.

Work in a steady but not too speedy fashion all morning. Break for fika at 9 or 9.30, 15 minutes. Black coffee again unless you’re cosplaying Stockholmer. You may chat and enjoy yourself during fika, but feel free to try out the variant of mostly silence( not misty as autocorrect had it) interspersed with “weather looks shit/not bad” (will come naturally to Brits) or “car running ok?” “Yeah”.

Lunch is leftovers from home. Heat your lunch box in lunch room microwave and eat with co workers. Repeat conversation from fika. I recommend you trying korv stroganoff with rice. Never mind ikea.

Afternoon same as morning, permissible to say regularly “oof, a nap after lunch would be great har har har”. Fika at 14 or 14.30 (btw refer to all o’clocks in this fashion). Same as above, maybe slightly more jubilant as work day is nearing the end.

If you came in early clock off at 15.30-16. Make sure to wander around and annoy those who need to stay a little longer with inane questions about how long they are staying, how pleased you are that you came in early and can go home while it’s still light outside (seasonally dependant) and remind them that life isn’t all work.

Btw, cardamom buns are permissible at fika but more likely is a box of biscuits, say havreflarn, or Delicatobollar.

Driving home pretend that roads are not choked with cars but you have plenty of space. Unless you live in Stockholm or other big cities. You will have a designated parking space at your house/flat, either in a parking lot or in your front garden, you wouldn’t dream of doing anything as dickish as parking with the wheels on the pavement.

Dinner is eaten with entire family at say 18. I suggest tacos, Swedish style. Pretend it’s Friday!

Edited

Brilliant 🤩

MoltenLasagne · 27/02/2024 07:43

@banivani that has made my morning! I may try to be Swedish at work today

Loopytiles · 27/02/2024 07:45

Great post from banvani, jaded office worker, swedish style 😆

Maireas · 27/02/2024 07:46

Buy some fish and bury it in a box in the garden. Dig it up a week later and eat it with a large glass of strong alcohol. Switch all the lights off.
Just joking - love Sweden, and Voyage is fabulous! Have fun!

Chemenger · 27/02/2024 07:49

You will need some salted liquorice at some point.

Igneococcus · 27/02/2024 07:50

I'd move to Sweden for easy access to kardemummabullar alone although I still don't know why the bakery I bought them from during a longish stay in Uppsala insisted that I take a number from the little machine before serving me even when I was the only customer at the time.

banivani · 27/02/2024 08:09

@Igneococcus It's because Swedish people, contrary to what they think, are shit at queuing. They are at heart 17th century rustics with a modern overlay of konflikträdsla (fear of conflict). Every day in the supermarket I want to scream BLIXTLÅSPRINCIPEN at the queue!

Thank you all, the above made me late for work (but I have flexi time like all good office workers) 😂

anunlikelyseahorse · 27/02/2024 08:32

Awww Banivani you've made me want to go to Sweden now, I haven't been for over 30 years, but I loved it.
If you decide to watch a Swedish film on Friday evening, I can recommend 'Sami bloody'.

Sturnidae · 27/02/2024 08:33

Is there a lidl Swedish week before then at all?

BruceAndNosh · 27/02/2024 08:37

Kidnap a random then get him to fall in love with you
(Stockholm syndrome)

Do entire house extreme decluttering
(swedish death cleaning)

Wear a white tennis headband all day
(Bjorn Borg)

Original poster
Globules · 27/02/2024 19:27

BruceAndNosh · 27/02/2024 08:37

Kidnap a random then get him to fall in love with you
(Stockholm syndrome)

Do entire house extreme decluttering
(swedish death cleaning)

Wear a white tennis headband all day
(Bjorn Borg)

This one actually made me spit my drink out.

Great ideas!

OP posts:
Loopytiles · 27/02/2024 19:37

What is BLIXTLÅSPRINCIPEN?

my swedish friend called her brother’s friend a ‘seldkapshund’ (‘company dog’?): affectionately but perhaps disparaging?

ZebraPensAreLife · 27/02/2024 19:42

I think blixtlåsprincipen is what we’d call a zip merge in the UK, although I’m not sure that’s the direct translation.

StuffLoriThangs · 27/02/2024 19:48

When someone annoys you shake your fist and tell them

“you have planted your last potato”

Poppity3 · 27/02/2024 20:11

If you want to go a step further than Tacos for dinner, try Taco Pie https://www.arla.se/recept/tacopaj/

As you’re doing it on a Saturday, you definitely have to go and get Saturday Sweeties in the form of pick and mix (yes even though you’re a grown up!)

Tacopaj

En het och god tacopaj med köttfärs och ost. Servera med svalkande gräddfil, krispiga tacochips och grönsallad.

https://www.arla.se/recept/tacopaj/

owlsinthedaylight · 27/02/2024 20:17

Ride a moose into battle.

Lunde · 27/02/2024 20:29

banivani · 27/02/2024 07:12

Call and we shall come.

Start the day with breakfast. Black coffee OR a latte (fucking Stockholmers) OR chocolate milk (cold, not hot chocolate). Two open cheese sandwiches with cucumber slices on top.

Remember that a true Swede gets up at six. It is entirely possible to be the sort of person to go for a run in the morning, who knows, you might be in training for the Vasa ski race, but of course you might also be normal. However lots of people love being at work at 7 so they are ready for a break at 8.30 and want to walk around chatting and interrupting those of us who get in at 8.30 and need to knuckle down. Sorry, I digress.

Work in a steady but not too speedy fashion all morning. Break for fika at 9 or 9.30, 15 minutes. Black coffee again unless you’re cosplaying Stockholmer. You may chat and enjoy yourself during fika, but feel free to try out the variant of mostly silence( not misty as autocorrect had it) interspersed with “weather looks shit/not bad” (will come naturally to Brits) or “car running ok?” “Yeah”.

Lunch is leftovers from home. Heat your lunch box in lunch room microwave and eat with co workers. Repeat conversation from fika. I recommend you trying korv stroganoff with rice. Never mind ikea.

Afternoon same as morning, permissible to say regularly “oof, a nap after lunch would be great har har har”. Fika at 14 or 14.30 (btw refer to all o’clocks in this fashion). Same as above, maybe slightly more jubilant as work day is nearing the end.

If you came in early clock off at 15.30-16. Make sure to wander around and annoy those who need to stay a little longer with inane questions about how long they are staying, how pleased you are that you came in early and can go home while it’s still light outside (seasonally dependant) and remind them that life isn’t all work.

Btw, cardamom buns are permissible at fika but more likely is a box of biscuits, say havreflarn, or Delicatobollar.

Driving home pretend that roads are not choked with cars but you have plenty of space. Unless you live in Stockholm or other big cities. You will have a designated parking space at your house/flat, either in a parking lot or in your front garden, you wouldn’t dream of doing anything as dickish as parking with the wheels on the pavement.

Dinner is eaten with entire family at say 18. I suggest tacos, Swedish style. Pretend it’s Friday!

Edited

You can also start the day with gröt or "porridge" - but in Sweden porridge is not exclusively oats (havregryn) so porridge could also be semolina (mannagryn) or rice (risgryn). Just like soup is not always savoury, when giving birth a care assistant asked if I'd like cuppa-soup ... and brought me blackcurrant.

Yes people take their breaks but standard hours are longer. A 40 hour working week plus 5 hours of unpaid breaks so you are expected to be at work for 45 hours which seemed really long after 35 working hours in London and a 30min lunch.

Yes almost everyone brings in leftovers from home (sandwiches are just for saddos) and you discover your workmates always produce these impressively, from scratch, home cooked meals on a weekday (ready meals never really caught on).

I never had the people wandering around at 3-4 pm thing. Everyone dashes off because of their childcare pick-ups or to get to their fitness training or evening classes.

Cardamom buns are good, as are Cinnamon buns - but not to forget the "vacuum cleaner" (dammsugare) - an odd, bright green, marzipan cylinder dipped in chocolate at both ends.

I never lived in Stockholm but commuted a 4 hour round trip daily, so it was the inter city train for me followed by 10-20 miles of country lanes that are covered in ice for 4-6 months of the year. No salting of the lanes though as that would be un-environmental. Never had designated parking as live out on the sticks - but if you don't shovel the snow on the public road by your post box you get passive aggressive notes from the Post Office. Luckily now in farming country the neighbour has his own snowplough and does ours.

Get home to prepare dinner - try Flygande Jacob (Flying Jacob) an odd sort of chicken curry with added cream, bacon, banana and peanuts. Or a Kålpudding (Cabbage pudding) a sort of lasagne with a mixture of mince mixed with rice porridge (yes really) layered with cabbage. Or even Lax Pudding (Salmon pudding) a type of potato gratin with salmon and potato layers over which you pour beaten eggs and cream/milk and cook until set.

Then you are ready to collapse but need to check the school bags for the dreaded note from the PE teacher. Swedish PE teachers expect you to be a branch of Sports Direct and have a veritable store of sports equipment that is required, usually at short notice, for the next lesson - figure/hockey skates, long distance skates, cross country skis, Silva compass, bicycle, sledges, hockey/bandy sticks, various types of helmets ..... oh and ice studs for ice-safety training where they cut a hole in the frozen lake and the kids jump through the hole in the ice (on a rope) to experience the shock of landing in frozen water and using the studs to get themselves out.

QueSyrahSyrah · 27/02/2024 20:46

Swedish DH agrees entirely with @Lunde and @banivani! Much laughs and some nostalgia for him. Decision made in our house that we're not moving to Sweden ever because bananas in a curry.

DH in addition to previous excellent posts suggests being naked as much as possible throughout the day, and more coffee. And then more coffee. I interject at this point that based on my experiences in semi-rural Sweden the coffee should be shit filter coffee for the full experience.

This may be niche to DH's family but if your home is in anyway 'Scandi' in decor, then in direct contrast to Ikea's famous 90s message you should bring the chintz back in. Every Swedish home I've visited has been full of colour and chaos and coziness. Exception being Swedish SIL who hasn't lived in Sweden since she was 17 but fully subscribes to the Scandi Chic of Instagram home accounts.

QueSyrahSyrah · 27/02/2024 20:48

Ps.. He says if you can manage to find a frozen lake then you could do some ice-fishing, with a cheese sandwich and hot chocolate picnic, but it's important that you must always have an adult with you.

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