Midsummer

Hey all (I really should write, "Hej!")

Yesterday was the celebration of midsummer.   The longest day of the year.   The sun is shining brightly in Malmo by ~0400 and it isn't truly dark until close to 2300. 

I saw a funny set of three posters.  The first illustrated how foreigners imagine Swedish midsummer:  a racy movie billboard.  The second poster illustrated how Swede's imagine midsummer: Swede's happily dancing around the maypole under the sunshine.   The last poster was true Swedish midsummer: a group of people in jackets and hoods putting up a maypole in the rain.  

Yes, in fact, it did rain in the morning - but then it cleared up to be a bright wonderful evening.

We had a wonderful day celebrating at our church.

 We arrived early to help.

electric potato washer/peeler - very handy

The traditional meal of herring (which we enjoyed enough to have second helpings), boiled new potatoes, sour creme and chives.  We also had salad (Swede's, at least in Malmo, often put canned corn in their salads), and meatballs, for those who didn't want the herring. 

Thus nourished, the Maypole was assembled and we danced around it. - Yes, inside.  It was still pouring.  The dancing is basically silly children's songs with motions. If you think of songs like "Here we go round the mulberry bush, and you will get the idea.  

 It was followed, of course, by white cake and strawberries and coffee. 

Our church has a cultural exchange program/ Christian encouragement program with a group in China.  A group from China were in town and we were excited to hear and watch them perform.  They were wonderful. 

On the way home, I took a picture of the sun setting over Copenhagen.   Lovely.

Real Estate

J and I have been looking at apartment websites in Malmo for months. As soon as we decided we were moving, John spent lunch and evening hours on the computer looking, looking, looking. He enjoyed it, and so did I. We are currently in a "second hand" rental, which means we are subletting an apartment. To get a first hand rental apartment could take years. The average wait time is 2-5 years, although sometimes one pops up immediately. Because of that, and because it is a buyers market, we have been looking to purchase an apartment.

So let me tell you a little bit about the market here, and how things are done:

Size: a typical two bedroom apartment is around 60- 80 square meters, or 600 - 800 square feet. That sounds very small, but in this land of Ikea, which is a marvel of efficient use of space, somehow it works.

Cost: more expensive than NE Ohio, but less expensive than San Fran. A two bedroom apartment in the city runs about $250 - $300 K USD.

Nut and bolts: First - go to the bank and get your letter of approval. Once that is done, you can borrow up to 85% of the cost of the home. Once you have paid off the first 25%, you are not obligated to put down any more on the principle, as long as you keep paying off your interest. Sweden has the equivalent of the U.S.'s mortgage insurance. One cannot put down additional money on the principle that is not in the original contract. That is, if you have an extra thousand one month, you can't just put it toward your house principle.  You have to stick to the contract. However, the contracts can be changed every 2-10 years or so.

Open houses: First of all, they are referred to as "viewings". I have had fun telling Swede's that in the U.S., the only "viewings" are at funeral homes. They shiver. Anyway, viewings are extremely short. They only last around a half an hour. A small crowd gathers, takes off their shoes when entering (Swede's always take off their shoes when they enter a home) and it is all done in 30 minutes.

Property taxes - at least for apartments - are minimal. -- But don't get too excited. Taxes are ~ 50% , but more is covered.

Perspective: Yesterday at church, during Fika (see earlier post) I was talking with a young Chinese woman. She is so sweet and happy and lovely. Anyway, she and her husband were having a viewing that day. I asked her about her apartment and she told me it was 24 square meters, which is around 250 square feet (around 12.5 ft. x 20 ft.). J. asked how two people can fit into a space that small. She told me that in China, she and her parents (who were both working, her father is an engineer) had a home that was 12 square meters. She happily explained how that apartment was set up with a bed on one end, then a table with a TV, and then a couch on the other end. She said it was cozy. And with a genuine smile said it was nice to sleep and cuddle with her parents. She compared the bathroom to a dorm which was outside their apartment, and cooking was done outside the building.  ... perspective....

If you are intersted in looking at apartments in Malmo:  look up either bovision.se or hemnet.se.   "Avancerat sök"  will give you "advanced search" options.   We used google translate to figure it out.  When noting prices:  1 U.S. dollar = 6 SEK, so divide by 6.   Have fun!!

Lox and Bagels

I love lox and bagels.  How could I not? 
Last month I was watching a 5 minute video clip of a celebrity chef who was raised in Sweden , but who now lives in NYC.   He made homemade lox.  He did not smoke the salmon, but cured it with salt,  pepper, sugar, and fresh dill.  I was intrigued.  I tried it. It was extremely easy, fast,  and very successful.  How fun!   

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeu464_marcus-samuelsson-s-lox-with-bagels_lifestyle

Next : the bagels:   Bagels are available in Malmo, but they do not have the true dense texture of a bagel back home.   I recon it to "baguettes" in the U.S..  There are breads that are called baguettes s that, if the French could file suit, they probably would.   And should!  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the bagels.   I remembered that a blog that I followed had a bagel recipe, so - you guessed it - I made them!    Also easy and fun, and they were terrific!

http://scrimpalicious.blogspot.se/2010/03/recipe-homemade-bagels.html

(By the way, if the author of the above site sees this blog - can I put in a request that you resume your writing?  I loved it and miss it.)

And so friends: I give you homemade lox and bagels. 

                                               Beautifully fresh salmon.

                                        Buried in cure (I did add more later).

The next morning.

                                                         Bagel's rising

                                                   After being turned.

Mmmmm.   

Admit it: you want to try it yourself don't you?!

Enjoy!

High School Graduation. 

Here , like in the States, it is high school graduation season.   But of course, the local flavor is a little different. 

Firstly, the Swedish term for high school is gymnasium.   I looked up the etymology of the word gymnasium and it looks like the Swedish and American use of the term is equally legitimate.   I am very glad however that I found out that here it means high school, as I was intending to go into one of the many that are in our area and ask about membership.  And no, I am not kidding.

 According to two different websites that I check out (so if these numbers aren't exactly correct, you still get the idea)  71% of Swedish teens graduate from high school (which is similar to the U.S. graduate rate of 72%).  As college costs are covered by the socialist tax system ~76% of Swede's attend university. 

A typical gift for a graduate is money (of course) or, especially for a girl, something for her apartment, as she is probably moving out of her families home relatively soon.  

How Swede's celebrate etc.

Rather than the mortar board that Americans are familiar with, the Swede's wear a cap that looks like the one depicted here in this high school graduation cake displayed in a shop window.

The Swedish colors are everywhere - as opposed to individual school colors. 

The students appear to dress up, with girls in white or ivory dresses and boys in blue suit jackets and slacks.    All dressed up , waving their flags and with bullhorn and whistles in hand, they walk through the streets shouting and whistling in glee that they are done.  

.   Traditionally, the students ride in an old car, Like a model T, with flags waving.   

 As those old cars are getting harder to come by these days, I saw many on the backs of large pick-up trucks riding through the streets.

It is all in good fun.