First let’s take a few ice cubes…

Now let’s drop them in a few drinks and put them to the test!

Point proven…

Of all the money I spent while in the US, all the jeans, t-shirts, Victoria’s Secret underwear, accessories, DVDs, CDs, books, lattes etc… nothing, and I mean NOTHING, was as worthwhile as the ice cube trays! I can’t believe I went so many years without them! Proper ice cubes. FINALLY.

If there is anything I love about Sweden, it’s the tradition of celebrating pastries (or using a pastry to celebrate a day). There’s ‘Kanelbulledagen’ in the fall (Cinnamon Roll Day), there’s Våffeldagen in Spring (Waffle Day), and now, today, is Semla Day! Okay, well that’s a bit of a lie. It’s not actually Semla Day. It’s, as most of you probably know, “Fat Tuesday” (or Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras). The Semla came about as basically a “last hurrah” before fasting for Lent began. But, with Sweden being the secular country it is today, most people don’t fast anymore, and semlas can be bought and eaten anytime between Christmas and Easter. A perfect way to get through a dark, cold and gloomy winter.

The semla started out as just a bread bun served in a bowl of warm milk . But today it is something so much more fabulous!

Behold the modern semla in all it’s glory - A cardamom bun with a bit of the insides scooped out and filled with almond paste, a whole mess of whipped cream (real, non-sweetened whipped cream, not the spray can kind), and then topped off by the lid of the bun sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. If I didn’t have any self control at all I’d eat them every single day. But, fortunately, I refuse to let all my work at the gym melt all away for a ball of delicious, sweet, creamy… mmmmmmmmmmmm… what was I saying?

Oh right. Temptation. I pass a few bakeries on my way to work, all with large signs boasting their semlas to all that walk by. All of them making me think of sharing my morning latte in my office with a soft, creamy semla. Pure Torture.

I had one this morning, so I won’t be having any tonight, sadly. So I thought I’d draw one to drool over instead.

Ad here’s fun semla tidbit for you - According to the “all knowing” Wikipedia - King Adolph Fredrick of Sweden died after eating a rather large and rich meal chased by… wait for it… fourteen semlas. Yup. How’s that for ending a fun and cheery post? Exactly. It’s perfect

Perhaps they are the “Three Kings” making their journey since, after all, tomorrow is Three Kings Day!

Today was unbelievably cold in Stockholm. So cold that the air was FILLED with ice crystals. The skies were clear, but all around me the air glittered. I have never seen anything like it before. And as a result we got sundogs. But not just any sundogs. Bright and distinct sundogs. So bright, in fact, that they almost appeared to be extra suns. I have seen pictures before, but never thought I’d get a chance to see it in real life. So very cool!

(BTW, These are pictures of MIDDAY sun. Noon. See how low it is? Yeah.)

I’m glad I always keep my eyes on the skies. Other people don’t seem to notice these things. At least I know I can appreciate them!

As of yesterday (according to the certificate I got in the mail), I am now a Swedish citizen!

This is a huge day for me! I now have dual citizenship and can freely move withing both countries for the rest of my life! I AM SWEDISH!!!!!!

Tomorrow is Midsommarafton (Midsummer’s Eve). It’s a big holiday in Sweden. Most people have off work tomorrow, and most everyone leaves the city and gather with friends and family elsewhere to celebrate. It involves dinner, vodka shots, drinking songs, and of course the Maypole.

I believe the ritual has its origins in paganism. But don’t quote me on that. The maypole, a rather obvious phallic symbol, was meant to “fertilize” the land so there would be good harvests that year. These days people still put up maypoles, but I’m sure just for the tradition of it.

It’s graduation time in Sweden! And what does that mean? It means all the students graduating from gymnasium (upper secondary school…like high school) are celebrating like mad these days.

The students typically where this sailor-looking type cap, while the girls usually where white dresses and the guys are in suits. At least here in the city, celebration is usually in the form of driving around the city in fancy cars, or piling them and a bunch of their friends in the back of a truck with loud music blasting, drinking copious amounts of champagne and beer, and beeping the horns and screaming at everyone who walks by. It’s so festive! And the celebration goes on into the night with parties and clubbing and so on.

It looks like so much fun! It always makes me wish my high school graduation had been like this! No students from the school I work at are graduating becasue we are only on our second year. Next year we’ll have our first graduates. And it’ll be great fun to send them off.

Congratulations all you graduates! Grattis till examen!

Last night, while at a late and very long meeting, I glanced out of the window to take in the city. It was around 8pm, and the sun had just set. I had intended to just look over the buildings and perhaps read the time and temperature off that that huge digital clock a ways into the city, when something caught my eye…

… the hot air balloons are back!