Anna by the Letter

I've been challenged by Lullun and Anne (indirectly as they haven't single anyone out) to tell personal stuff about myself with the help of the alphabet. I have just taken the first things that come to mind.

A - Anna (this was a given)

B - Blog fan (another given)

C - maybe a Coyet one day...

D - work as a Desk officer

E - at an Embassy

F - huge fan of Friends; I need to get in Feminist here too

G - despite paying a lot for the Gym every month I hardly go...

H - hate Horror films

I - love Indian food although I have never really felt like going to India

J - one of my first talents were solving Jigsaw puzzles and I still enjoy them, though with a few more pieces

K - had a cat called Kitty

L - can be quite Lazy sometimes, especially Saturday and Sunday mornings, and doing chores in general

M - was pretty good at Maths in school and according to a career test I took last year I should work with something mathematical...

N - addicted to the News and reading Newspapers

O - Organised, especially at work, maybe less so when it comes to my home

P - the man of my life is Peter

Q - like the word "Queue" in the English language, sounds so much better than "line"

R - Read too few books at the moment

S - Social democrat at heart

T - look forward to spending a long weekend in Tuscany in June with Peter and my parents...

U - and a US spending spree in August (NYC, New England and DC)

V - not as Vain as my boyfriend ;)

W - one of my Wishes at the moment is to get a job for the European Commission

X - don't like reality television like the X-factor or Big Brother or Top Model

Y - 30+ but still young!

Z - zzz, I don't sleep as much as I want

Mobile Flightmare

It looks like the EU will allow mobile phone calls on airplanes soon*. What a nightmare! Can you imagine dreadful 10-hour transatlantic flights with mobile phone ringing constantly and people jabbing away about relationship problems or their latest illness??!

The newspaper Svenska dagbladet reports that reactions to the news among passengers at Stockholm Bromma Airport were somewhat mixed, with several worrying about disturbance onboard. Some believed that a number of airlines will use peace and quiet onboard as a marketing tool - for those who regard one of the virtues of air travel as being the haven it provides from being reached or hearing other people being reached - while others will target passengers with the offer of mobile phone use.

Hopefully it will only be a short period of free mobile use before airlines - and passengers - come to their senses! The future probably - hopefully - holds mobile phone booths or small compartments for those who cannot stand being disconnected for a few hours instead.

* On certain flights under new European Commission rules, provided the airlines have the necessary technical equipment. The plan is to install small base stations into the cockpits of the planes. Calls made via the station will be routed to terrestrial networks via satellite link. However, according to the decision, flight captains will have the power to switch off the service if they feel it necessary.

Healthcare or Sick Care?

Helena argues really well for more European healthcare co-operation! Some people think the EU should stay away from healthcare issues but like Helena, I think we can only benefit from more co-ordination and more patient influence.

Helena has a personal story to tell - you can read it here. In brief, she has moved back and forth between Stockholm, London and Brussels over the last five years, which has caused some difficulties for the Swedish health service, mainly as a result of the procedures in place for GP appointments, referrals for tests, waiting times, IT systems and ultimately, her living abroad. Even though she had a letter from her doctor in London stating that she needed to have a certain test taken, the Swedish health service could not set up an appointment unless she went through the normal routes within the Swedish healthcare system (details on her blog).

Her point with the post is to:

ask the question how the Swedish health service manages increased internationalisation? If they could not manage my needs, despite me being registered in Sweden, because I had taken a test in another country, how would they then meet the needs of persons who live in Sweden temporarily, persons who have just moved to Sweden, or person who do not speak Swedish?

The need of the patient must always be more important than the system. If something does not fit into the system there must exist a culture within the health service that encourages flexibility and initiative. But all too often governance through quantitative evaluation and budget goals makes it more profitable for divisions and units to stand on the side of the system when it collides with the needs of the patient.

Thus I cringe when I hear Swedish politicians saying that EU initiatives in the healthcare sector threatens the Swedish healthcare system. Defence of systems and models is seldom a very good political starting-point.

What I would add is that - which probably Helena would agree with as well - is not that we want the EU to start deciding the financing or the content of the healthcare provision, but to facilitate for patients in an increasingly global world.

Show & Tell: Spring Flowers

This week's Show & Tell is spring flowers. Spring has arrived in Stockholm but I forgot to bring my camera on today's nice walk in the sunshine so I thought I use the opportunity (yet again) to show some photos from our holiday in South Africa. We were there in December which is early summer rather than spring but it will have to do! There were so many nice flowers and other plants that I want to share with you!

1. A really cool bush at the Balule Game Reserve near Kruger National Park - You don't want to touch those spikes!

2. A beautiful yellow flower in Balule

3. Som kind of cotton-looking plant in Robberg, a nature park in Plettenberg Bay along the Garden Route

4. One of many pretty flowers that grow in mountain areas

5. On the deck outside our room at Bay Walk B&B in Knysna

6. On Table Mountain in Cape Town

7. Also on Table Mountain

8. Stellenbosch in the wine districts north of Cape Town

9. Also Stellenbosch

10. Lavender - one of my favourite - in Franschhoek (also in the wine districts)

11. Rose buds in Franschhoek

12. Also something that comes with spring/summer - new babies!

13. Beautiful tree at Boschendaal vineyard

My Home - Best and Worst

I found a fun challenge over at Anne's: show what's best and worst in your home.

B E S T
Must be our wallpaper in the bedroom (a "fondvägg", in our case on the wall behind the bed). We put it up a year or so ago and we still love it! It's an English make called Osborne & Little if anyone is tempted!

It was quite tricky to put it up - luckily my mum is quite the wallpaper guru!

Another thing on the "best" list is the balcony - this picture is from Peter's birthday in mid-April last year when we had our friends Maria and Daniel over for dinner and it was such a warm evening that we could eat outside.

Peter and Maria posing on our 7sqm balcony

W O R S T
Difficult to photograph, but the worst thing is definitely the cigarette smoke that sometimes seeps through from our nextdoor neighbours. What's weird is that you cannot smell it through their door (believe me, I have tried!), instead it only smells in the kitchen (which is next to their kitchen) and it's worst around 6pm and 11pm and INSIDE the cabinets! They must be keeping all their cigarette butts under the sink or something.

Any advice on what to do? Both how to get rid of the smell and how to bring this up with nextdoor (as they are probably not going to read this)?

Passing on the challenge to Skolfröken, Johanna and Anna!

Södertälyeah!*

* The town's slogan

The world looks toward Södertälje - that has been the gist of many articles in foreign media in recent weeks. Södertälje is my hometown and the place I spent 19 years of my life, so naturally I take an interest in what is written about this medium-sized town (semi-suburb) southwest of Stockholm.

The last few months Södertälje has been invaded by international journalists because the town receives more Iraqi immigrants than the whole of North America put together. Södertälje welcomed 1,268 refugees last year of which 95% were from Iraq, a figure that is expecting to rise to 2,400 this year. Here it is appropriate to mention that Sweden took in over 9,000 Iraqi asylym-seekers, or almost 50% of all Iraqis coming to Europe. The USA in comparison took 202.

The reporters are coming to Södertalje to see how the process of integration is going and how they can learn from the successes and problems of the whole experience. So far, correspondents from the BBC, the New York Times and Le Monde have reported from the city and this week, the Washington Post is to publish a major report. There is much surprise amongst foreign correspondents as to how a city the size of Södertalje can cope with the influx. There are of course many problems such as the shortage of pre-school and childcare facilities and other infrastructure.

Anders Lago, the mayor of Södertälje (whom I interviewed for once) is actually going to Washington DC on 9 April to speak in front of the US Congress on the matter. The hearing is for the Commission on Security and Co-Operation in Europe. Lago has been asked to account for the strategies Södertälje uses to meet the challenges associated with Iraqi refugees.

Before this latest celebrity factor, Södertälje was mostly famous for the two multinational companies Scania and Astra Zeneca and the tennis player Björn Borg (who happened to have gone to my old school, not at the same time though). For a longer history of Södertälje, read here, and for more info on the international character of the town, here.

Some links
SÖDERTÄLJE SPECIFIC
BBC news
NYTimes January 2008

SWEDEN GENERAL
International Herald Tribune March 2008
Washington Post March 2008
International Herald Tribune March 2008
Le Monde March 2008
NYTimes September 2007
NYTimes June 2007
NYTimes January 2007

(To read some of the articles you may need to sign up - for free.)

Show & Tell: Big and Small

I seem to be making a habit of using the Show & Tell theme on Fridays (Saturday for me this time) to show my South Africa pictures, but I'm sure nobody will complain!

My favourite of all the animals we saw on safari (or game drives, as they say in South Africa) is the elephant. Such a magnifient creature. You can't probably tell from these pictures but they were as big as the jeep we travelled in. In the last picture the elephant got really close to the car, maybe 7 metres away, before it "obeyed" our guide's warning shouts and moved away (while we were sitting quiet without moving, a bit scared and very excited at the same time).

In the first two photos I hope you can spot the little newborn elephant to the right in the picture. It's the tiny one that's crossing the railtracks with his mum and other family members. That one was around 3 hours old according to our guide. They can walk already at that "age", albeit a bit wobbly. When it stopped right on the tracks all the other elephants stopped too and didn't move again until they had got the little one to move forwards again. When elephants have newborns they are really protective (you would be too if you had carried it in your womb for 22 months) and would rather risk being hit by a train than leaving the baby behind. Since they - the females that is, the male are the ones we encountered solo in the bush - are so protective, we did not want to get any closer at the railtracks.

You have probably spotted another baby at the front of the the herd - that one was a couple of weeks or months old, can't remember exactly. But still a baby.

The newborn is to the far right surrounded by his or her family.

Taken after they managed the get the little one moving again. Before they even started crossing the railroad they listened and felt the tracks - they are clever animals with a very good memory so they know that it is dangerous.

As long as we sit still and stay in the jeep, he thinks that we are just another animal, though a big one of course. This guy only has one tusk and doesn't want to pick a fight with an enemy that is as big as himself unless he has a good reason. So after a while he moved away from the road and let us pass.

Waffled

Today it is Annunciation or Jungfru Marie Bebådelsedag as it's called in Sweden. This "holiday" always takes place on 25 March, nine months before Christmas, to celebrate the "conception" of Jesus Christ. On this day Gabriel foretold the birth of Jesus.

Back when Annunciation used to be a holiday it was called "vårfrudagen" after "vår fru" (our madame/wife/Mrs) instead of "jungfru" (virgin) Mary. Over time Vårfrudagen has become "våffeldagen" (the waffle day), which has given rise to the customs to eat waffles on this day.

The plan today was to make savoury-style waffles for dinner followed by some sweet ones for dessert. But when the ingredients had already been purchased and I was almost home I remembered that we threw out my (inherited, bright orange, 1970s) waffle iron few months ago...

(Photo: Tasteline)

Oh well. Luckily we had lots of sauce left from last night's Thai take-away so I just threw in some new chicken (quorn actually) and some vegetables and put the rice cooker on, and voila, dinner was ready.

I still want those waffles with spinach, avocaco and bacon some day soon though.

Extraterrestrial Accommodation

Looking for a new place with something extra? Here it is.

Photo: Scanpix

Instead of Show & Tell

Easter is a time to catch up on some reading! Happy Easter!



English summary: you probably read more than almost everybody in the world. Surprisingly you have a long way to go before you become a real "book geek". Does it make you disappointed? Dr Geek prescribes one week at a book camp, purchase of at least one pair of reading glasses and a literary guided tour a month.

Global Talk with Miliband

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in Sweden yesterday, a visit that I helped to set up. The Minister of course met with his Swedish opposite number, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, and the Leader of the Opposition, Social Democrat Mona Sahlin, but he also took part in two interactive sessions, one at a local upper secondary school specialising in globalisation and sustainable development and one at Fryshuset, a social project centre.

At the upper secondary school he discussed globalisation and climate change with pupils in year 2 (17-year-olds). The whole event was webcasted and you can hear both Miliband's short introductory speech and the Q&A session between him and the students. (If you look carefully you might spot me at the back of the room towards the door!)

In his speech Miliband said that globalisation has benefited - especially countries such as Sweden and the UK - substantially. Trade has made us richer, cultural exchange has given us a much more dynamic society, and co-operation with other states makes our countries stronger and more influential.

But it has also brought a new type of uncertainty within both the economy and politics that forces states to act in a new way. Issues that belonged to domestic politics have now become "foreign policy". Environmental issues reflects this phenomenon very well. Earlier the problems were local, e.g. the smog in London caused by industrialisation. Today there are global problems that must be solved with global solutions. The environment is a very important issue also on the agenda of foreign ministers.

Miliband said - and this is one of the most interesting points - that climate change is not just or mainly an environmental problem. Environmental problems is a symptom while the problems are those of conflicts (over resources) and forced migration. These are issues that have consequences for other countries since large groups are forced to migrate. In that way climate change is strongly linked to both economic issues and foreign policy.

Another interesting point Miliband made is that it is important to see that the solutions (i.e. reducing carbon emissions) are not strictly technical. It is about ethics and values. The technology exists but the problem is who should pay, who should bear the burden.

Also, if you take it down to the individual level, Miliband said that we all have an individual responsibility to reduce our personal carbon footprint. But governments have to make it easy for people to raise their awareness and change their behaviour, for example by regulating against fossil-high cars and low-efficient lightbulbs.

I will post the link to the Fryshuset event once it is up.

Show & Tell: Change

This week's theme is change. Two different things sprung to mind:

• Climate Change - the change happening and the change we need to make
• Gender equality and the change achieved and the lack of change

I have chosen the second topic this time around. It would have probably been the perfect post for last Saturday, which was International Women's Day, but six days late isn't too bad!

8 VOICES ON GENDER EQUALITY IN SWEDEN
First, some thoughts from Swedish personalities on the best and worst with being a woman in Sweden today*.

Jan Guillou, author:
- The best is that we live in the world's most gender equal country. The worst is that the gender equality has not come very far. (It's all relative.)

Katrine Kielos, temp. Editor-in-Chief, Dagens Arena, columnist
- That we live the world's most gender equal country according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2007. At the same time the worst thing is that Sweden is not gender equal, just least unequal according to the same report.

Pär Ström, integrity and gender equality debater, author of the book "Mansförtryck and kvinnovälde" (Oppression of men and female empire):
- The best with being a woman is that there is great understanding and great interest in society for women's problems and difficulties. The worst is that Sweden to an unusual high degree has typical female and male professions. This has to do with people's free choice, but a consequence is that it is more difficult for the average women to have a career.

Anitra Steen, CEO Systembolaget [state monopoly alcohol stores]:
- The absolute best thing is that there is an infrastructure that makes it possible to have children and at the same time develop your career and yourself. That there are childcare, parental leave allowance and other tools helping one to manage family life in parallel with a career. I don't want to point out the worst things; I think that the most dangerous a woman can do is to see herself as a victim, then I rather see the advantages.

Thomas Bodström, Chair of Parliament Justice Committee:
- The best is that we probably live in the most gender equal country. The worst is that women are being abused and sexually assaulted in Sweden today.

Ebba Witt-Brattström, Professor in Literature, feminist
- That we have a global task to before the world's women show that it is possible to achieve our relatively high degree of gender equality, and at the same time combat the increasing contempt for women within and outside the country. The worst is that we right now have a meaningless debate about feminism directed by the media and with little relevance to women's reality.

Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration
- We live in one of the world's most gender equal countries. But there are still informal barriers, for example that womens labour market is so limited to the public sector.

Dilsa Demirbag-Sten, journalist and author
- The best is that me and my male fellow beings are equal before the law. That I live in a country where the state is obliged to protect me from oppression on the basis of religion, opinion, gender or sexual orientation. The worst is cultural relativism, that women are still oppressed in the name of culture and religion.

A FEMINIST GOVERNMENT VOICE
Second, some thoughts from the Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg**. I didn't vote for them and I don't agree with most of the stuff they are doing, but Borg is one of the most sensible members of the Cabinet and he's not afraid of calling himself a feminist.

Why do you call yourself a feminist?
- Because I think it is one of our time's greatest restriction on freedom that men and women are limited by gender roles, that say what they should do and shouldn't do. Freedom is about shaping your own life, and the fact that gender roles endure is one of the greatest barriers.

It has been a bit taboo to call oneself a feminist in your party [Moderates/Conservatives], why is that?
- Historically it's been like that, but I think the attitude has changed a lot. Young people want to have the right to shape their own lives and young fathers want to be part of family life. If you want to live a good life you must take responsibility for your children and then you cannot let gender roles hinder that.

The lack of gender equality is one of Sweden's and Europe's biggest problem. When did you have your feminist awakening?
- I have worked with gender equality issues for a long time, but it becomes more concrete when you have children. More practice and less theory.

What can you as Finance Minister do to reduce the gaps between women and men?
- At the moment there is a positive development, women's salaries are increasing and women work more so that their incomes are growing. The one with the power over the money has great influence over the family; if women earn 40% less than men it has consequences. I work for getting women into the labour market, and making it easier for them when they are there.

What development has been most important during the 2000s from a feminist perspective?
- I think that the gender equality work has stood still. The positive exception is that I think I'm seeing that young men are more active as parents. When I took parental leave for the first time people laughed and said "now he's going on vacation". But the next time I saw a change in attitudes.

What is the most important feminist issue for you right now?
- The gender equality bonus. When a couple share the parental leave, and the lowest earner go back to work and the highest earner stay at home, they get 3,000 SEK in tax reductions each month.

What is required from the feminists of the future?
- You have to make yourself aware and discuss these issues with others. You have a personal responsibility.

* Source: Svenska Dagbladet 8 March 2008
* Interview in Dagens nyheter 2 March 2008

Compact Living

My fellow blogger Skolfröken is planning to fix up her bathroom ahead of the arrival of a little baby in the family. One piece of equipment that she and her husband will really need is a washing machine. But their bathroom isn't big enough - what do to? Skolfröken is looking into alternatives, notably to put the machine in the adjacent walk-in-closet.

But Skolis, I have found the solution:

The two-in-one washing machine and sink!

Picture from www.smeg.se

It also comes in baby blue!

Sunday Fun

My Sunday: big brunch buffet at Enskede värdshus with friends, some shopping in Sickla and weekly cleaning of the flat.

For you, a funny list if you haven't had a laugh today (my favourites in italics):

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often.

3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.

4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

8. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques.

12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.

13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

14. Men are from earth, Women are from earth... Deal with it.

15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

16. A balanced diet is a biscuit in each hand.

17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.

22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy fridge.

24. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

25. It's not the jeans that make your bum look fat.

26. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings".

27. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".

28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

29. You should not confuse your career with your life.

30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

31. Never lick a steak knife.

32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we put the clocks back.

34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

35. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

36. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

37. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

38. Your friends love you anyway.

39. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Show & Tell: Favourite Clothes

This week's theme for Show & Tell is favourite item of clothing. That's a really easy choice for me. My favourite garment is the dress jacket. I counted to 16 jackets in my wardrobe:

• 2 black thin striped
• 1 light gray thin striped
• 1 dark blue thin striped
• 1 grey thin striped
• 1 thin striped
• 1 bright pink
• 1 moss green in some sort of felt material
• 1 green, sort of mix between regular green and turquoise
• 1 brown in velvet
• 1 pink in velvet
• 1 brown in corduroy
• 1 white
• 1 mint
• 1 checkered in white and pink
• 1 speckled in black and white (appears grey)

Some are part of a two-piece but most of them are just excellent attire on their own, especially with jeans.

I don't have a red one though....

* Picture from Enter Annie's World

...maybe I should get one?! But my boyfriend says I can't buy anymore for a while...

Centre of Chocolate

I took Dr Phil's personality test through Facebook and found that the results were pretty accurate actually:

Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who will always cheer them up and help them out.

Maybe not the centre of attention part. I mean, I'm not shy and I like to talk, but it's not like I'm looking for attention for the sake of it. I'm a good listener and I think those who know me think I'm a pretty good friend!

P.S. I can report that Peter did bring some chocolate back from Brussels for me! And even more luxurious one than I had asked for!

Show & Tell: With or Without

I thought long and hard about this week's theme and planned for a while to write about etiquette, focussing on the pros and cons of such rules, when they are useful and when you can live without them. But then I started thinking about my recent trip to South Africa and the haves and have-nots in that country. Here are a few pictures that illustrate the poverty that still exists in South Africa.

Townships in Cape Town

Also Cape Town

A woman with her child in Cape Town - the girl was so cute!

It may not look like it but they did have electricity.

Trying the local brew in Cape Town.

Kiptown in Johannesburg - 60% of the population here have HIV/Aids.

It doesn't matter how poor you are, you can always play football and dream about becoming a pro.

We thought they were drinking milk but sadly we learned later that beer comes in cartons.

This is funny and tragic at the same time.

Water is a scarcity but smiles plentiful.

It's A Small World

When we were in South Africa in December we met a very nice Swedish middle-aged couple on the tour to Robben Island (Mandela's infamous prison island) and Cape Town townships. The following day we ran into them again on Table Mountain. Once back home in Sweden Peter ran into the wife in Stockholm. Then, last week, when I was flying to London I ended up in the same row of seats as the husband! What's the chance of that?!! Made me think of that ride at Disney World in Florida, "It's A Small World", and now that song is stuck in my head as well :)

Your Carbon Footprint and How to Offset It

Wondering how you can save energy - and limit your carbon emission - in your home? These are the most energy thirsty machines in your home:

* Laser printer
* Plasma TV
* Projector
* LCD TV
* Playstation 3
* XBox 360
* Amplifier
* Ink writer
* PC
* Media PC

Turn them off - don't leave them on stand-by - and use them sparingly if you can!

And how you can offset not just your energy use in your home but also car journeys, air flight, etc? Here's a list of companies and organisations that offer reduction units, i.e. ways to climate compensate, that the Swedish Energy Agency recommends (NB! The list will be updated regularly):

Tricorona
Uwab (only companies)
Klimatneutral (only companies)
Atmosfair
Klimat Statoil
Miljobörsen
Svenska naturskyddsförening (Swedish Nature Conservation Society)
Utsläppsrätt (starting later this year

The organisations are recommended by either/both the UN and the EU.

I can tell you that I compensated the carbon emissions caused by my trip to London this past week! Although I didn't use of these sites but did it directly through British Airways. Hopefully the money goes to a useful project!

Mobile

I found a list over at Skolfröken's. It's simple, take your mobile, go to Contacts.

Have you kissed no 7?
Haha, no, that's Angela who I subletted my flat to.

Do you hang out with no 19?
No, that's a former colleague who I haven't seen since I ran into her last summer. We did e-mail last week about meeting up though.

Do you like no 26?
Yes, very much so. Eleonor is one of the girls in my group of oldest friends. She's very frank and not afraid of talking about everything from sex to details of her last stomach flu.

Is no 15 your best friend?
Not really, but we have known each other for a long, long time since she's my aunt (dad's sister). I had a very nice time with her when I spent some alone-time with her at her (and my uncle's) flat in the south of Spain a year and a half ago.

Is no 11 a cutie?
Anoushka is a really cutie; she's both petite and sweet! :) I saw her in London last week actually, otherwise I saw her last at her wedding to Chris back in September.

Do you love no 10?
A friend from Oxford. I like her a lot - she's sweet and fun - but I wouldn't say I love her as I don't know her that well.

Is no 20 good?
One of my best "abroad friends", Céline. She's very good. Especially at making you feel like you always hang out even though we don't see each other more than every or every other year.

Have you met no 9 this week?
No, but I would have loved to see AnnCatherine because she just had a little baby girl a few weeks ago.

Has no 16 been in the same class as you?
No, definitely not as he's at least 10 years older than me. He's one of my two bosses at my previous job.

Do you know if no 31 has a relationship?
Nope, she's an old classmate from upper secondary school. I have reconnected with her on Facebook and ran into her a couple of weeks, but we haven't gone out for the planned drink yet so I have no clue.

This was fun, except for that the numbers were so low that I only got to the letter E (with that final no 31) in my phonebook.

London Calling

In case anyone is wondering I'm in London this week, both on business and for pleasure! Back in a few days!

Childhood Poverty and Family Policy

Anne, a Swede currently residing in Oregon, writes about the cost of childcare in the US and the (negative) consequences for families and especially women. A job may pay $9 / hour but (licensed, authorised) childcare costs $15 / hour so you're better off just staying home. Even if you have a more advanced and thus higher paid job, $15 / hour doesn't make a huge difference when it comes to an incentive to work. Anne says that "You get what you pay for is something you often hear, in different contexts. It is considerably greater differences between what's good and what's bad [quality] so you'd better be careful. [sic] USA is the country with the best, most modern and luxarious but also the worst you can find. Everything is about money, no subsidies, discounts or support systems exist. Everything depends on how much you are willing to pay, you get what you pay for."

This week I attended several really interesting meetings on this very topic (at research institutions SOFI, CHESS and the Institute for Futures Studies). Some of the findings of international studies:

• There is a strong correlation between poverty rate and generosity of family provisions*

This means that countries with generous family policies have lower child poverty rates. And especially family policies that support dual earner families (i.e. families where both parents are working).

• Support promoting dual earner families is more efficient than support promoting traditional family patterns

This means that

• The poverty relieving effect of dual earner support works both via benefits and market income. I.e. the contribution may be direct through the amount of benefits paid, or indirect by supporting two earners and thereby raising the market income of the household.

While

• The support to traditional family patterns works only via benefits

Other important factors are

• Access to childcare

This includes extensive, accessible, affordable and high quality childcare (pre-school).

Another interesting - and strong - correlation is that between family policy generosity and infant mortality, i.e. generous family provisions lead to low infant mortality.

• What drives this development is strong dual earner support (e.g. childcare provisions).

I'm not going to bore you with all the tables and graphs but I think you get the gist from the above bullet points!

* Family provisions are policies such as tax deductions for families/parents (double or single parent households), parental leave/allowances, child allowances, right to and compensation for staying at home with a sick child, etc.

Show & Tell: Heart-Shaped Things

Today's theme for the Friday regular Show & Tell is heart-shaped things. I don't have very many heart-shaped things to photograph or write about so I should I'd borrow an idea from Dagens nyheter yesterday and google "heart-shaped things".

Did you know that there is a heart-shaped lake in Taipei which has a heart-shaped island in the middle?

There are also others who have a Show & Tell thing going on and they had a "heart-shaped things" theme already in April last year. That woman makes up for my lack of hearts in this post.

Greetings on Happy eat heart-shaped things day, accompanied by a recipe!

A song about heart-shaped things!

If you're looking for heart-shaped clipart, look no further.

A bit of a Valentine's theme since it was that very day yesterday (also the reason for today's Show & Tell of course); the top six presents on Alla hjärtans dag (All Hearts' Day) as it's called in Sweden:

• Underwear
• Jewelery (includes cufflinks, etc. for men)
• Gift card
• "Love technology". No, it's not something kinky but a web camera "so that I can look at you all day", or a mobile phone "so that I can talk to you all day".
• Perfume
• Flowers - the classic

Show & Tell: Chocolate

My boyfriend is going to Brussels for a weekend in a couple of weeks. He'd better bring me some Leonidas chocolate!! Leonidas is not as expensive as Godiva or Neuhaus but definitely as tasty!

(Pictures from www.caviar.com and www.espn.go.com (not sure why these sites have chocolate pictures though...)

Swedes According to the Stockholm Guidebook for Diplomats

Answering the telephone
Most Swedes will answer their phone by saying either their first or last name or both. People rarely pick up and say hello without giving you any indication of where you have called.
That's pretty useful actually; it's always frustrating when you call companies or other workplaces in the UK for example and someones just answers "hello", and the first question you have to ask is "is this x?".

Be on time!
Swedes are neurotic about punctuality, agendas and timetables. It is considered very disrespectful to be late both professionally and privately. If you are late, do call and let the waiting person(s) know and you will be easily forgiven. Always apologise if you are late!
Good custom I think, except the obsession with numbering the weeks! "Yes, I can meet you Monday week 16." Que??

Calling others
On weekdays you can call people between 9am - 10pm. Do not call before 10am on weekends. It is also considered bad form not to introduce yourself even if the person answering is not the one you are looking for.
I would probably not call people before 8am or after 9pm, 10pm if it's a good friend.

Condolences
If someone loses a member of the family it is common to call and give your condolences. If it is not a close friend a written note sent home is an appreciated gesture and if you want to send flowers any kind will do.

First name basis
Swedes are informal and rarely use titles when addressing one another.
A nice custom, why this Mr and Mrs and Ms in other countries!

Gender roles and equality
Most women work outside the home both before and after marriage (oh, my God, how could they?!). They also continue working after having children (nah, it can't be true!), but after a maternity leave of 12-18 months (hopefully it will soon be less than that, when more dads start taking more of their entitlement). Consequently men are expected to do a larger burden of the work within the home. However, most will agree that the domestic chores still largely fall under the woman's domain (shouldn't be, but sadly it is so). Some traditional gestures are still upheld. For example, men often open doors for women and let them enter first. Men often propose marriage even though it is often a common decision between the two parties without involvement from the families.

Lunch
Most restaurants have daily lunch specials. It is reasonably priced and this is the main meal of the day for many Swedes.
Dagens rätt is an excellent invention!

Monarchy
Although the socialist party has governed Sweden for most of the past hundred years, the monarchy has not been threatened by public opinion. The Swedish monarch is down to earth and well linked and respected by most Sweden.
Yes, we're all buddies with the King. I think the "socialists" would prefer being called "social democrat" though.

Peacekeepers
Swedes shun conflicts. They prefer not to raise an uncomfortable issue if it means risking having to raise their voice.
But if we are peacekeepers I assume it means talking about difficult issues once in a while.

Pets
Swedes are fond of their animals. Cats and dogs are treated as family and live inside the home. However, there are regulations for how to keep your pet. They must not make noise that disturb the neighbours. When taking your dog for a walk you are expected to pick up your pet's disposal and bruing it to a rubbish bin. The pet should get the necessary shots. Nametags with address and phone numbers are helpful if the animals strays. It is fairly uncommon to neuter your dogs while it is more common with cats.
Didn't know that last thing about neutering.

Queuing strategies
In order to make queuing easier many places have a ticket machine by the entrance. Pull a number and then wait for your number to be shown on a display.
So efficient. Lets you do other things while you wait as well, and most importantly, prevents people from jumping the queue.

Talk about the weather
As the fall and winter months are so long in Sweden, Swedes are obsessed with the weather. One can say that it is a common denominator for all Swedes. Swedes love to talk about the weather. Talk about the weather is often used as an icebreaker.
We share this with the Brits (or at least the English) who are equally obsessed with the weather, but perhaps not due to long autumn and winter. Instead I tend to believe in the antropologist Kate Fox's explanation that we do it because we are a reserved people who really believe in personal integrity and the weather is almost the only neutral topic there is. She agrees that it is also used as an icebreaker.

Thank You
Swedes like to say thank you many times through a conversation. It can be hard to end a telephone conversation before both parties have said thank you at least twice.
I have heard foreigners in Sweden say this also but I hadn't thought about it. It's true though. One example people give is when we thank the cashier for our change, money that is righfully ours. I guess we thank him/her for the action of handing it over rather than the money itself. But I can't imagine that this is unique to Sweden; other nationalities must do this too.

Understatements
Jantelagen is a term often used. It means that you should never think that you are better than anyone else. What Swedes consider bragging would in many countries only be to tell it like it is. Another thing we share with the English although they take it to extremes - Kate Fox has many good examples in her book!

Visiting friends and acquaintances
Swedes like to plan things (no kidding!). If you want to visit someone, call in advance and ask them if it is convenient. A Swede might find it embarrassing if their home is not orderly or if they do not have anything to offer you when you come. A need of privacy can also be disturbed by a surprise visit.
At least we still entertain IN her our homes. The French for example, usually meet up with friends at restaurants. When it comes to kids though, usually they just ring the doorbell and ask if X wants to come out and play. This is different in e.g. the USA where "playdates" are the norm, set up by the parents.

Listed Love

I love lists! Three things that I always have...

In my fridge: Lactos-low or free milk, orange juice, Balsamic vinegar
In my freezer: Ice, quorn, toast bread
In my spices cabinet: Besides the essential salt and pepper; basil, paprika, chili
In my bar stash: Champagne, South African Amarula, prickly pear liqueur from Malta
On my kitchen counter: Olive oil, rapeseed oil, salt & pepper shakers

On my bathroom shelf: I keep everything in the cupboard but sometimes I leave out body lotion, hairspray and hand cream
On my shoe shelf: I'm a bit of a shoe maniac so I have shoes in closets, drawers and in the basement, but in the hall I keep winter boots, a pair of nicer dressed up indoor shoes and a pair of loafers
In my basement: Clothes, old school books and supplies, inherited crockery and kitchen equipment I can't make myself get rid of (may become useful some day)

In my purse: In addition to the boring necessities (wallet, keys, wallet); lip balm, work pass, pen
In my makeup bag: Eyeshadow, eyelash curler, mascara
In my coat pocket: Tissues, bus tickets

In my thoughts: Ministerial visit next week, the pillow cases I'm sewing, summer holiday plans

Super Fat Tuesday

Today is not only Super Tuesday (or Super Hyper Tuesday as it's called this year) but also Fettisdagen, the Swedish Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras or whatever name it has in your country. Basically it is stuffing-yourself-with-lots-of-unhealthy-stuff-before-Lent-starts day. In Sweden we eat semlor, a really simple cardamom bun with whipped cream and marsipan.

In the UK it's pancakes, in Iceland salty meat and peas and in Poland pickled herring with vodka.

Lullun in Greenland has also written on this topic today and Beverly has some excellent recipes for a different style of semla (which would definitely not be approved by traditionalists).

Green Driving

Environmental theme today. Five steps to greener driving behaviour:

1) Plan, plan, plan. It's essential for economical driving. Don't stop and start when it isn't necessary.
2) Drive in as high gear as possible. Change directly from second to fourth gear. Or from third to fifth. Today you can drive most cars in highest gear already at 50 km/h.
3) Keep the speed limit and don't overtake when you don't need to.
4) Motor break instead of breaking with the pedals.
5) Roll downhill - and keep level gas uphill.

Other tips
* Keep the right tyre pressure. Higher pressure reduces both wear to tyres and fuel consumption.
* De-assemble the roof box. Reduced air resistance gives lower fuel consumption.
* Use motor heaters. Cold starts consume a lot.
* Don't let the motor idle.
* Service the car regularly.
* Turn off the AC when you're not using it.
* Half of all car journeys are shorter than 5 minutes. Park the car and walk instead.

Source: Swedish Road Administration / Svenska Dagbladet newspaper

Another White Thing - UPDATED

SNOW!! Finally, after a winter with no snow so far (except for a powderish layer once or twice), we got 1cm or so yesterday and a few minutes ago it started snowing again. Big snowflakes are slowly falling from the sky.

Update 14:30 - Looks like it may be already melting :(

Show & Tell: Three White Things

Since I have been a total failure when it comes to posting photos from our trip to South Africa in December (to my defence I have posted a couple of hundred of them on Facebook) I thought I'd use my first go at Show & Tell (initiated by Norrskensbuddha) to give you a taste of South Africa. The instructions said "things" but I'm going to widen it a bit to fit my purposes.


White theme 1: Zebras - Just one example of all the cool animals we saw





White theme 2: Black and white - Our visit to Kliptown in Soweto, Johannesburg, symbolises the years of Apartheid in South Africa and the segregation that still exists



White theme 3: Seagull - Represents the beautiful and amazing nature and scenery we experienced in South Africa

K as in Killing-gänget

I've been challenged by Johanna to take part in a chain blogging exercise focused on films with titles following the order of the alphabet. It's my turn to find a film title that starts with K. Impossible! I don't like Kill Bill and I haven't seen The Kingdom. So I will go with a fun clip from the Swedish comedy group Killing-gänget. This is really only funny if you understand both English and Swedish but since probably at least half my readers fit that description, it will do just fine.

As goes with these challenges, I will have to pass the torch onto three people. My choice is: Anne, Marianne and Nonna.

Monster Called Haga

Alva's dad recommended a system that helps you track who's been visiting your blog and how they got there. Most of mine find their way here from other blogs (mainly the ones I visit often and some of which also link to me). Others search on Google (or other search engines, but Google is predominant) and for a mix of straighforward and inexplicably reasons end up on Anna, Fair and True:

* Offside rule for women (or offside rule and women's shoes) - This is a joke I posted once
* Is ljubljana safe for tourists - This is really weird because I have never even been to Slovenia...it must be one of my posts about the EU
* Monster called haga - Que?? At least it gave me a good laugh
* That booty shake - I think it's a You Tube clip with a cute little girl dancing
* Role models - A post about my mother
* Amazing talent - That's me of course!
* Celebrities for the congestion charge - Not sure where the celebrities come in but I have written about road tolls several times
* Jcr wii oxford - JCR is the junior common room (student member body and social club) at Oxford, and, well, you know by now what the Wii is
* California's 4 most popular attraction - Haven't been there for over 11 years but maybe I wrote about Alcatraz or something??
* Sweden most popular attraction - Must have been the Vasa Museum
* Durkslag in English - Colander or strainer, but this was actually a discussion in the comments to the post

Wiinjury UPDATED

Peter and I have been laughing at all the safety instructions that you have to pass through before the Wii lets you play a game of tennis or baseball, or even a-sitting-down-and-relaxing game such as Super Mario Galaxy.

On Sunday I got a taste of what they are trying to protect you from (and themselves, in case people want to sue). We were playing tennis - we have two wiimotes now - and stood next to each other in front of the TV, keeping what we thought was sufficient distance between us. Apparently not enough though as suddenly Peter, getting very carried away in his efforts to win over me, smashes me very hard on the shoulder with his wiimote.

Monday morning I was a bit sore, Monday night was probably the worst (going to a yoga class didn't help either) but today it's feeling much better. Good thing I have a massage session booked tomorrow.

Updated
I thought for a moment that I had coined a new phrase - wiinjury - but when I googled it I got over 6,000 hits. Someone already thought of wiiplash also :)

Nonsense Pondering

Is it just me or have you ever seen Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's daughter Suri in a pram or a pushchair? They are always carrying her, everywhere. It must be some Scientology crap, just like that barley (wheat) formula babies are supposed to drink according to the Scientologists, instead of breastmilk or regular formula. It's probably good for little Suri to run around, but sometimes she'd probably like to take a nap in a comfortable pushchair instead of her mum's shoulder.

Friday Four - Time Travelling

I really liked the book "The Time Traveller's Wife" and I need something to blog about while I sort out my South Africa photos (though I have posted most of them on Facebook). In addition, it was a long time since I did one of these Friday Four things (the guy even stopped posting them so I had to take an old one).

Theme: If you could wind time back and forth, what would you have done if you were...

1) ...7 years old?
Written down what I felt my first day of school because I can't remember it at all :( Weird, because I really enjoyed school. The good thing is that it must mean that it was a traumatic experience for me (it's not like my mum got lost on the way to school).

2) ...15 years old?
Convinced my parents to get me a moped and to let me go on one of those summer language exchange courses.

3) ...30 years old?
Not postponed things, like posting travel photos or sewing pillow cases (I bought the fabric in Hong Kong in March and... that's how far I've got)

4) ...60 years old?
Retired and spent the rest of my (hopefully very long) life travelling the world, spending time with grandchildren and doing charity work for a worthwhile cause (or involving myself in local or national politics).

2007 Summarised

Stealing an idea that is going around a lot at the moment.

This year's....

Daily joy: Facebook, reading my favourite blogs
Gratitude: surviving bad turbulence when flying home from South Africa
Greatest expectation: the long wait for the trip to South Africa (from March to December)
Greatest disappointment: the rainy summer
Greatest joy: spending every day with Peter
Greatest triumph: praise at work (e.g. a very nice personal thank you letter)
Greatest "I wish more had happened this year": a ring would have been nice...!
Most wonderful weekend: a cosy weekend at the country house
Ponder: where to (job) go next
Relief: at least some sort of progress on the climate
Best new contact: new blog contracts, or re-finding old friends on FB
Happening: seeing wild animals hands-on in Africa
Project: Helena's hen party for which I was the co-ordinator, or the planning of the South Africa trip
Trip: South Africa, or Hong Kong
Person: Peter
Piece of clothing: a dress from Sand that was way too expensive (though worth it!)
Book: Snabba Cash
Purchase: Nintendo Wii
Restaurant: the thai place near home which is saviour
Most difficult: finding time to read (due to my Internet addiction)
TV moment: Heroes
Best party: Helena & Tommie's wedding or many of the 30th birthday parties I attended
Film: elephants in South Africa

Back in Sweden & A New Year

We're back after a fantastic holiday (our luggage decided to stay a bit longer though...)! Will blog about soon - just need to go through a thousand photos first...

Happy new year to all my readers!

South Africa Here I Come!

We're off for a two-week holiday in South Africa - will be back here with lots to tell and photos to post in the new year!

Feminist Inspiration

I attended a very interesting lecture by Nawal El-Saadawi tonight. El-Saadawi is a leading Egyptian feminist, sociologist, medical doctor and writer on Arab women's problems. She is one of the most widely translated contemporary Egyptian writers, with her work available in twelve languages.

I just wanted to share a few of the interesting points she made (in the order they were raised):

• I don't like the term "the Middle East". Middle to whom? If we call it the "Middle West" people laugh but why? When I go to America I say that I go to the "Far West".
• We don't live in a post-colonial world; it is neo-colonial.
• There are global and local dictators. Local dictators imitate global ones.
• I challenge the concepts of "democracy", "diversity" and "multi-culturalism". They divide people. They are words of post-modernism, which in turn is neo-colonial.
• Condoleeza Rice is biologically a woman but when you open up her brain, George Bush is there.
• Nakedness and veiling are two sides of the same coin = the paradox of the woman's body. Plastic surgery is the post-modern veil, the veil of the body.
• The father (or the [male] teacher, professor, etc.) is the representative of the divine power.
• Religion (Christianity) has caused a split between body and spirit. The woman is associated with body, physical and feeling, while the man is spirit, mind and thinking. Eve ate from the tree of knowledge and became a sinner. Why was knowledge condemned?
• One cannot get away from the history of patriarchy in the bedroom.
• If someone says they are apolitical it means they are political but that they are hiding their politics. Everything is political.
• The education is system is based on fragmented knowledge. We specialise. We are not organised and united. But a physician must know why people get sick.
• We must believe that things are possible. The veil of the mind is the most dangerous.
• God is my conscious. Religion has no meaning if one does not do anything. If one just goes to church/mosque or read the bible/quran but never works for justice, is one then saved by religion/God?
• The religious backlash is a political backlash.
• A woman cannot marry two men because then one won't know who is the father of her children. The father's name is important. We should give the mother's name to children instead.
• There is a difference between sexual liberation and economic and political liberation. Women have the first but not the latter [not even in Sweden].

What Kind of Healthcare System Will My Children Have?

Some of the initiatives in the healthcare sector in Sweden are making me a bit worried. The new Op-Ed Dagens Arena - independent, radical and progressive - has written on the topic.

The centre-right Alliance majority in Stockholm County Council has decided to go through with major privatisation in the Stockholm region. One of the places where they are starting is my hometown (where I grew up) Södertälje. According to the proposal on the table all healthare in Södertälje should be privatised, including the emergency hospital. In addition the responsibility for financing and commissioning of the care will be transferred to a private company.

I do not have a problem with private providers of care. What I do not like is when we start financing care through private insurances or handing over responsibility that should remain in public hands. What happens with the democratic governance of the health service and the principles about equality in care ?

The emergency hospital is put in the hands of private profit interests linked to the insurance companies and a monopoly is created consisting of a private company that develops healthcare fully on its own conditions. Simply a private county council in the county council.

As mentioned above, I do not mind diversity of providers in the care sector (or education for that matter), in fact I think it can be a good thing in many ways. But when the majority of these providers are being bought up by big companies or international venture capitalist my alarm bells are ringing.

The centre-right talk about diversity within healthcare, social care services and schools and that different ideas, providers and methods are needed. But sometimes, or really, they seem to be pretty keen on privatisation for the sake of privatisation. Why are private monopolies better than government ones?

As pointed out in Dagens Arena, Fredrik Reinfeldt said in the election campaign last year: "We don't want to sell emergency hospitals. We are not proposing that and I'm happy that you gave me the opportunity to announce that decision tonight." (10 Sep 2007)

But what is this proposal if not selling out the health service in Södertälje? And that is just the start.

Age and Gender

Sweden has just (October) changed to the ILO definition of unemployment which encompasses the 15-74 age range instead of 18-65-year-olds. The Swedish unemployment rate accordingly rose to 5.7% from 4.8%.

This being said, according to fresh labour market figures from the European Commission, Sweden's elderly work the most in the EU. The statistics only look at 55-64 year-olds, but if Sweden is already best in the class in that age range, I would assume that the 65+ are doing reasonably well (although I really hope that our elderly don't have to work if they prefer to retire but that they can work if they want to).

The EU average for employment among 55-64-year-olds are 43.5%, far below the Swedish figure of 70%. One reason for the Swedish scoring top place is that employment among women aged 55-64 is by far higher than other EU countries: 67%. The equivalent in Belgium is 23% (wow, that's low!), in the UK 49% and in Finland 54.3%.

The European Commission praises Sweden for its work with lifelong learning and active aging. Coupled with the high birth rate in Sweden this provides a basis for an increase of the work force until 2050.

Countdown to Christmas

My blog has been given an early Christmas present! A new dress for advent and Christmas! What do you think?!