Another Set of Lessons

• - Babies can get smelly feet (tåbira)
• - We're trying to accustom Isolde to noise and it seems to be working; today she slept through me baking banana bread with the help of the KitchenAid
• - Isolde has had a strong neck since she was born. She can't hold her head up properly yet of course but we make her practice on the floor for a few minutes every day. She usually starts with her right cheek on the floor, lifts her head and keeps it up for a while before turning her head to the right and putting it down. We think she's so advanced! :)
• - Mummy shouldn't climb a high stool to reach the flour on the top shelf when she's still healing "down under"...
• - Babies are cute even when they poop until their little faces turn red

Last night there was a really interesting (American) documentary about babies' development on SVT (Swedish Television). You can watch it here (until 26 January).

Show & Tell: If I Could Decide, I Would...

...make sure everyone had access to clean water.*

Last week I attended the Junior Water Prize Award Ceremony, which is part of Stockholm Water Week. The Junior Water Prize competition brings together the world's brightest young (15-20 years old) scientists to encourage their continued interest in the environment and climate change, and water issues especially. This year's winner was a Canadian team of three who received their prize from Crown Princess Victoria for their research on biodegradation of the plastic Polystyrene. This could help break down all the plastic and chemical debris in the world's waters - you have probably heard of the rubbish and waste patch in the Pacific Ocean (due to streams and flows it tends to all end up in the same place). A Chinese team was awarded an excellence diploma for their technique for improving soil fertility.



The ceremony was such an inspiring evening! These kids are so smart and have so many creative ideas! There's hope for the future!

Someone who was also very inspiring is ITT (Junior Water Prize sponsor) Senior Vice President and President of ITT Fluid & Motion Control Gretchen McClain. She gave an amazing speech encouraging the youngsters to continue the fight against environmental destruction and climate change and never to give up. She also painted a very illuminating picture of how much clean water is wasted in the world every day due to inadequate water management systems; the equivalent of the water falling down Niagara Falls over 24 hours. And this includes facilities in the developed world, which have all the technology and money to prevent such waste of water.

* There are lots of other things I could have written about considering the Swedish general election is less than five days away but I decided to go for something that would improve the lives of all citizens of the world instead.

Holiday!

Tomorrow is my last working day before going on four weeks' leave - yay! I'm really looking forward to it, not because I'm sick of work as I actually like my job a lot and don't mind working at all, but I love travelling and visiting places and that's what holiday time is really for. That said, so far we only have one trip organised and are planning to spend the remainder at Peter's family summer house, unless the weather turns miserable and we're "forced" to book a last-minute trip to the sun. But going to the summer house is also a holiday of sorts - at least we're not at home doing chores.

Earlier in the week I read that according to scientific research, being on holiday/leave does not have any beneficial consequences. You may think that vacation makes you calm and relaxed and that you come back to work a better person. Nope. Studies show that Swedes' long leave periods (usually four or five weeks of consecutive leave in the summer) have very little, if any, effect. You are not happier afterwards and after a few days back at work your holiday calm will be gone.

The only measurable effect of vacation is that you are happier before you go than those not going on holiday. You enjoy the planning and having expectations on what is ahead. But when you're back at work you are equally happy as those who have been working throughout.

But I agree with the journalist; I'm not sure these research results are credible. Maybe planning and expectations and hopes are what gives us joy, more than the actual holiday. That must have some long-lasting effect on us. I certainly enjoy the planning part as much as the holiday, well, almost.

As the journalist point out, afterwards there are new knowledge, experiences and memories that can be cherished for a long time (and nowadays thousand of photos making it almost possible to forget!).

Or, maybe the Americans are right; two weeks' holiday and a few long weekends per year is plenty (a topic that has featured on a lot of blogs of Swedish expats in the US lately). But I doubt it.

Show & Tell: Four Things You Should See in My Town

This week's Show & Tell theme (from Maisoui this month) is Four Things You Should See in My Town. If you thought I'd show you my favourite haunts in Stockholm you'll be disappointed. Instead I will tell you about Södertälje*, the town I grew up and lived in until I was 19. My family and some of my friends still live there so Södertälyeah is still a big part of my life.


So, if you're ever in Södertälje, you shouldn't miss:

1) Tom Tits Experiment

Tom Tits Experiment is a hands-on science museum for all ages (so you won't be stared at if you go there without any accompanying kids, trust me). It has four or five floors and a park full of showcases and experiments answering those questions you have always asked yourselves: what does a brain feel like? How heavy is a pregnant belly? How to make your own space rocket? You can play with water, try bicycling on a rope and go up in a hot-air balloon. It also has a great shop with fun, pedagogic, genuine toys (far from the Toys 'R Us crap).

If you're wondering who Tom Tit was "he was an imaginary figure who carried out a range of scientific experiments in the French magazine, l'Illustration, and in several books published at the end of the 19th century".


2) Sydpoolen

Sydpoolen is an adventure water park type place but of the indoor kind and thus a bit smaller than some of the outdoor kinds, or proper water parks; I guess adventure pool is a more appropriate name. It also has a gym, a spa and other stuff adults like; especially when those adults have grown tired of the slides and the wave machine, which is likely to happen a few hours before the kids do. I haven't actually been there for a long time (read: years) but I hear people visit Sydpoolen from all over so it seems to remain popular. When I was little we had to go to Eskilstuna for an adventure pool so I remember how happy were were when they rebuilt the place and transformed it from a regular pool house to an adventure place (when I was ten if I remember correctly).


3) Torekällberget open-air museum


Torekällberget is an open-air museum, also called living history museum, à la Skansen. Torekällberget is much smaller though as it's only representing life in town and country over the last few hundred years from Södertälje and its vicinity (the county of Södermanland), while Skansen is supposed to represent all parts of Sweden. Torekällberget doesn't have a Swedish (animals) zoo like Skansen but has typical Swedish farm animals - goats, pigs, cows, etc. - in the country part of the museum, which doubles as a petting zoo. I especially like the old store in the town part where you can buy old-fashioned bisquits and sweets. I've also always been fond of the old school and the automobile exhibition (hope it's still there!). There is also a very good restaurant and a smaller café/lunch place for hungry visitors.


4) The anthroposophy community


There is a big anthroposophic community in Järna outside Södertälje. Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. It emphasises inner development and an approach to the spiritual world that is similar to that of the scientific investigation of nature. The anthroposophic centre in Järna is well-worth a visit. You will see interesting architecture, eat good organic (and often vegetarian) food - or buy some locally grown products to take home - and perhaps see a play at the culture house. There is also a school (Waldorf pedagogy) and a hospital, mainly for palliative care.


* For those of who don't know, Södertälje is located southwest of Stockholm and it's part of the greater Stockholm region but more of a separate town than a suburb. The tube doesn't run that far but a commuter train will take you from Stockholm to Södertälje in 45 minutes and a car in 25-45 mintes depending on from where in Stockholm you start and on traffic.

Images from Vaksalaskolan, Sydpoolen, Torekällberget and Antroposofi.info

A Bit of Sweden Promotion

Thought I'd list some studies and surveys I've come across recently that give Sweden top grade in the various areas compared. You are allowed to be proud of your country, right!

• * Sweden among the world's best trade nations - Only Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Denmark score higher. Why? The answer is smooth border administration, efficient transportation and communication systems and a thriving business environment.
• * Northern Europe 'better' for SMEs - This includes Sweden among the top six or seven countries.
• * Stockholm, Europe's first green capital - The first "winner" of this new European award is Stockholm (for 2010). Stockholm is good at including environmental aspects in its city planning and have made much progress on problems such as air pollution, traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and waste management. (Although this work has been slowed down since the current local government came into power, in my view.)
• * Sweden promotes climate-smart food - Climate-smart food is the topic for one of the conferences held under the Swedish Presidency of the EU. Sweden has sent out guidelines for climate-friendly food choices - basically advice to reduce one's meat and rice consumption -, the first of their kind, for reactions and inspiration from other EU countries. According to Swedish statistics, Swedes eat an average of ten kilos per person more meat annually than ten years ago (making it 65 kilos a year). Ten kilos! That's a big change in only ten years! Did you know that one kilo of beef contributes up to 15-25 kilos of greenhouse gases - which is ten times more than the carbon footprint of the equivalent amount of chicken?! Think about this next time you go shopping! I'm not asking you to become a vegetarian - I'm not either - but I try to limit the amount of meat (any kind) I eat. A piece of meat gives you protein for four days so it's not like you have to eat meat every day.
• * Sweden most innovative country in the EU - Sweden is one of the "innovation leaders" together with Finland, Germany, Denmark and the UK (in that order). Sweden is especially strong when it comes to human resources, investments in R&D and measures to promote innovation in companies. Something that could still improve is commercialising discoveries and innovations, a general problem for Europe.
• * Sweden most sustainable society - The results is based on 2 indicators including air and water quality, health, renewable energy use, gender equality and education.

Keep Her Walking!

This woman walks around the world in the fight against breastcancer. Please send her on so that she can reach her destination and say a prayer for all those who are suffering from this horrible disease.

I found her over at Barbamorsan.

The Enlightenment Missed a Few People

The USA can be a pretty strange place sometimes. Here's an article that gives a very good picture of the evolution v. "intelligent design" debate and science teaching in the US and shows that there are some excellent teachers (at least one) out there who are trying the enlighten American children! It's a very long article but you just can't miss it - read it now!!

If you don't get access to the article right away, just sign up for access, it's free and easily done!