Lamps and lights

Before I moved here, I didn't  realize just how different lamp styles are from one area of the world to the next.  Here are some examples of lamps I have seen in the last few years.  Although initially I did not care for many of the lamps, I have grown to like many of them.

This famous lamp design is by Danish designer Poul Henningsen, 1927.  

There are versions of this lamp everywhere. 

A lamp store window display at Christmas time. 

A close-up of the St. Lucia lamp.

I think I took this picture because I was considering buying these.  I did not, but I still like them, 

Although not a modern lamp, you have to appreciate the fact that it is simply not unusual to have a

 four foot candelabra at the hairdressers!

And now a few from IKEA.  

I have taken these photos from the net, although

I have seen all of these in the IKEA store here in town. 

  

Here is another...

The above lamp, in one form or another, is 

EVERYWHERE!

I love this lamp.  I saw it in an artisan shop in town. 

This is from a local light show a few winters ago.  

This is one of the torches in one of the city squares.  

SO lovely...

EU elections

It is EU elction season here, with 4 days of voting.  I am only starting to understand the system myself, so I will let others speak for me:

I will only add one comment.  We were speaking to a woman who teaches political science in a high school. She told us that when she describes Swedish parties being liberal or conservative, she draws a line on the board with conservatives in the right and liberals on the left.  Then she tells the students that even the liberal Americans are so much more conservative than the Swede's that their place on the continuum is out in the hallway. 

So - on to the EU elections:

http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/22/the-eu-election-how-does-it-work/

This site has a handy video.

The European election is the world’s biggest after India with four days of voting in 28 countries. In essence, each member state holds a national election, under common EU rules.  Just under 400 million people can take part in the ballot with voter age fixed at 18 years of age – Austria being the exception, where eligibility is set at 16.  In all, some 751 MEPs will be elected for a mandate of five years.  Seats are distributed according to the size of each member state’s population. The bigger it is, the more MEPs it gets.  Germany, Europe’s most populated country has the most members of the European parliament, with 96 seats. That’s in stark contrast to Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus which only have six.  With more individual political parties than any other election, once elected, MEPs sit in multinational groups rather than according to their nationality.  Groups must have a minimum 25 MEPs from at least seven different countries. Those members who wish to can remain independent.  Currently the Parliament has seven political groups, the two biggest being the centre-right European People’s Party and the centre-left Socialists and Democrats.  Once the election is over, the next major step in July will be to decide who succeeds Jose Manuel Barroso as head of the European Commission.  In principle that should see Europe’s heads of state and government taking into account the outcome of May’s election when they make their final choice on who will get the top post.   Copyright © 2014 euronews

Within Sweden:

http://www.thelocal.se/20140523/top-ten-an-idiots-guide-to-swedens-politics   [from The Local (Swedish news in English) ]

European Parliamentary Elections

Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

Top ten: An idiot's guide to Swedish politics

Published: 23 May 2014 06:02 GMT+02:00
Updated: 23 May 2014 15:02 GMT+02:00

   

A pirate, an old biddy, a fish-lover and a lieutenant walk into a Brussels bar... except they wouldn't, as they're all enemies. With elections just days away, The Local looks at Sweden's ten main contenders for a seat in the European Parliament.

(In alphabetical order after the parties' Swedish names) 

Centre Party (Centerpartiet)

Top candidate: Kent Johansson 

The party has always had close ties to rural Sweden and environmental issues, and was founded over 100 years ago as the Farmers' League (Bondeförbundet). It joined a coalition in 2006 to succesfully dethrone the Social Democrats. They have an EU policy platform available and promise "a leaner and sharper EU". In Brussels, they are part of the liberal group in parliament.

Key points:

- No to the euro 

- No to EU micromanagement.

- Yes to the EU doing fewer things "but doing them better"

- Yes to investing in green tech as a way out of the economic crisis  

Feminist Initiative (Feministiskt initiativ)

Top candidate: Soraya Post

The party that has surprised some, delighted others with its steady climb in the polls and hopes to send Sweden's only Roma candidate to Brussels. Their slogan is the feisty "Out with the racists, in with the feminists". It argues that feminism is applicable to all attempts to break up unequal representation and a tool to combat discrimination. "We challenge the image of Sweden and Europe as the paradise of gender equality," the party writes in English." This is a false image that diminishes the existing problems and stands in the way of genuine change."

- Yes to open borders - "everyone has a right to safety" 

- No to militarization and weapons exports

- No to men's violence, trafficking, prostitution

- Yes to prioritizing gender equality

Liberal Party (Folkpartiet)

Top candidate: Marit Paulsen 

Part of the governing Alliance, the Liberals are Sweden's fourth largest party and boast three seats in the European Parliament. They are, as the name suggests, Liberals. But they have thrown in their lot with the Alliance, which is dominated by the Moderates further to the right. You can read their EU goals PDF in English on this page. The party is also a strong advocate for the euro, making it a bit of a loner on that issue on the Swedish political landscape. Paulsen refers to herself as an old biddy (tant) on her election posters.

Key points:

- Yes to a "European FBI"

- Yes to finding ways to adapt to climate change 

- Yes to a net zero carbon footprint

- Yes to a closer look at human rights

Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna)

Top candidate: Lars Adaktusson

Another small party in the Alliance. One EU seat. With roots in the free-church movement, the party morphed into a movement focusing on the inalienable rights of the individual but also on promoting family values.They say members needn't be religious to join. Since joining the coalition government it has tried to carve out a role in social affairs, focusing on pensioners' rights and policies to allow parents to stay home with their kids. Top candidate Adaktusson is a former reporter - a "stubborn reporter" the campaign posters say.

Key points

- Yes to EU putting human rights on centre stage

- Yes to ditching Europe's reliance on Russian energy 

- Yes to a free trade agreement between the EU and the US 

- No to the EU meddling in member country's social security systems, such as parental leave

Green Party (Miljöpartiet)

Top candidate: Isabella Lövin 

The Green party tried to topple the government in 2010 by joining forces with the Social Democrats and the Left Party, but the coalition failed at the polls. Instead, the Greens cut a deal with the Alliance to co-legislate in migration policy, in order to keep the Sweden Democrats at arms length from new arrivals to Sweden. Their top candidate and incumbent MEP is a former environmental journalist most famous for crafty alliance-building in Brussels to finally cap fishing quotas. 

Key points: 

- Yes to fighting climate change

- No to mass surveillance

- Yes to greater insight into the EU's decision-making process

- Yes to recycling and collective transport

The Moderates (Moderaterna)

Top candidate: Gunnar Hökmark

The Moderates have been in power in Sweden since 2006 in part thanks to tacking to the centre, partly thanks to tax cuts and in part due to teaming up with The Liberals (Folkpartiet), the Centre Party, and the Christian Democrats - a unified front to break up decades of Social Democrat dominance. A pro free-market party that has put all its rhetorical focus on jobs, and has dubbed its opposition the social-benefits party. They currently have four seats in the European Parliament. Top candidate Hökmark studied business, reached as high as lieutenant in Sweden's armed forces, and currently sits in the European Parliament.

Key points

- Yes to making sure the free movement of goods, labour, and services works

- No to EU taxes

- Yes to a  a banking law to protect taxpayer money

- Yes to more careful monitoring of the EU's financial frameworks

The Pirate Party (Piratpartiet)

Top candidate: Christian Engström 

The Pirates performed pitifully in domestic elections (they have no Riksdag seats) but managed to pick up two seats in the European parliament in 2009 - although polls suggest they will lose one of them on Sunday. While file-sharing was their philosophical petri dish, the relative newcomers have turned into defenders of net freedom and strong civil liberties. 

Key points: 

- No to mass surveillance

- Yes to legalizing file sharing

- Yes to a free internet

Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna)

Top candidate: Marita Ulvskog

The workers party that dominated post-war Sweden until the 1990s. Short-lived leaderships by Mona Sahlin then Håkan Juholt after their disastrous election in 2006 left the party in the poll doldrums. And it remained there until Metal Union heavyweight Stefan Löfven, who is not an MP, was persuaded to take over. The party has climbed steadily in the polls ever since. It has seats in Brussels. Their lead candidate Marita Ulvskog, who was previously a government minister, is on the left of the party.

- Yes to foreign workers having the same pay and conditions in Sweden that Swedes do 

- No to worse work-place conditions

- Yes to combating tax avoidance and evasion 

- Yes to board-room quotas for men and women

Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna)

Top candidate: Kristina Winberg 

For the first time, the Sweden Democrats are taking aim at Brussels. At home, it got 5.7 percent of the public's votes in 2010. The party's slogan is "The Sweden-friendly party" and "Security and tradition". They are fundamentally against Swedish membership to the EU, which it says has undermined Swedes' ability to influence policy-making. SD only offers their policies for the EU in Swedish. The party has pointed out that its candidates are "normal people". Neither candidate has studied past high school. 

Key points

- No to European federalism

- No to centralized support systems, such as the common agricultural policy (CAP)

- Yes to a "democracy commission" to look into whether the EU has curtailed citizens' influence

- Yes to putting Swedish membership to a new referendum 

Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) 

Top candidate: Malin Björk 

The most left-wing party in the Swedish parliament, the Leftists want to protect public assets and welfare -  in the EU too. Their battle cry is "Not for sale", a reference to the privatization wave in Sweden but also across Europe. Top candidate Malin Björk calls the European Union clumsy and undemocratic.

Key points:

- Yes to a more generous refugee policy

- Yes to a EU strategy to combat violence against women

- No to wage-dumping

- No to the current proposed version of the EU-US free trade deal

The Local (news@thelocal.se)

Roads.

It occurred to me that perhaps I had so much more to write about regarding Korea than Sweden, because I have become accustomed to things here in Sweden.  So I decided to spend some time posting about everyday things that are different here than in the US.

Today - it's roads.

Not all roads in the area are cobblestone, but it is not unusual.  Especially on side streets and pedestrian only streets.  What is funny is that we, and many other Americans we know, assumed that these streets were very old.  I guess I thought that because in the US, although there used to be brick laid streets, they have almost always been buried under many layers of blacktop (asphalt).  But here, although maybe the street is old, it might not be at all.  Cobbles are still used on streets and sidewalks.  If repair work is needed on the road, or on pipelines below the road, the cobbles are picked up, put off to the side, and then replaced when the work is completed. 

They look lovely (although I found this pattern a little dizzying), but can be a little difficult to walk on.  Not many women around here where high heeled shoes, and maybe this is a reason! 

"Food, Glorious Food!

For any of you who do not know that song, it is from Oliver!  It is also kind-of a family theme.  ; )

Anyway, before I "leave" South Korea, I want to talk about meals we enjoyed from miscellaneous eateries.  There is no way that I can share everything with you, but here is a good sampling.

What you see below scored as the meal that was the most fun.  It was a take on shabu-shabu, which is Japanese.  It was kind-of a make-it-yourself soup, and rice paper dumplings.  (There was also a buffet at the restaurant, that is an aside., as the real fun part is pictured below.)  In the middle of the table is a heated, bubbling pot of pre-made broth which is set over a burner.  Then the many additions come to the table.  One cuts up and adds the cabbage, onions, garlic, mushrooms and meat (or seafood, depending on what you order) etc.  It doesn't take all that long for it to cook.  

And then, one takes a thin, round rice paper, and soaks it for ~ 10 seconds till it softens, and you suspend it over the top of a bowl, fill it with both the cooked and raw ingredients, roll it up and dip it in one of the three dipping sauces (which are hot, hotter, and hottest).   Then of course, you can drink the broth too...

Completely different meal : this is kinda like a burger, but the instead of a roll there is a rice patty.  There is at least a little tuna in each of them.  

For a reason I am not sure of, when you get your "burger", still wrapped in foil, 

you kinda squish it before you unwrap it.  

Daejeon boasts a Michelin star bakery: Sung Sim Dang.  Although they are actually famous for a different pastry, we couldn't resist trying the squid ink cream cheese bread.  Honestly, we couldn't taste anything that tasted like squid, but it was fun - and very tasty. 

Street food.  This is dessert, "hotteak" (I think). (Yeah!)  Basically, it is a dough, filled with ~ cinnamon-sugar and some sort of seed (maybe pumpkin?) and then fried, and squished down to a pancake.  As it fried, the sugar kinda caramelized.  Oh my gosh.  So good.  They were ~ 80 cents each.  

The pastry below, found at Starbucks, is topped with sweet potatoes.   

Hmmm...I don't think they offer this one in the States (or in Sweden!)

This is one of Kate's favorite meals, dakgalbi, at her favorite place to get it. 

Before you is chicken, cabbage, rice cakes (the cylinders in the frying pan), and sweet potato.  The sides include hard boiled quail eggs, iced pickled radish (slurry),  and of course, a little kimchi. 

This was our first meal in Korea.  It is a Korean grill - I am confident that there were more side dishes.  One grills, and then wraps the meat etc., in the leafy greens.  

Oh no...

I said this would be the last post on South Korea....

And I haven't even mentioned Cheongju

Or that Katie has a hedgehog!  

Meet Archie!

Bathrooms / Lavatories

Thank you South Korea.  You have very nice public lavatories everywhere.  Everywhere.  Not so in Sweden.  Here,  one has to hunt for a public restroom, one may have to pay 5 kronor (around 80 cents), and they are not particularly nice (they are comparable to those in the U.S.).  In South Korea, they are always neat and clean.  So here are a few notes of interest, yes about the lavatories/ bathroom themselves.

This rather adorable sign was noted on one of the stalls at a public bathroom.
 (I just noticed that I think the figure may be wearing a face-mask.
 No, not because it is a toilet area.  A lot of Koreans where masks around town.) 

Mirror inside the stall (see earlier post). 

Do I really want to post this picture?  Not sure - but it is part of life.  I put my foot in the picture to help illustrate that this is not a urinal, but a squat toilet on the floor.  One does not always see them, but sometimes there are more squat versions available than the ones I am used to.  The Koreans seem to use one type as readily as the other.  And maybe if we could all get down, and up again, from a squatting position, then more of us would choose this option.  

Or maybe not....

I love this! : )  It is an etiquette button.  If one thinks one is going to be...loud...while in the bathroom stall, one can push this button and the noise of a flush and running water is heard, to drown out any noises that might be...emitting from the inhabitant.  

Finally, a look at the bathroom in our daughter's apartment.  Kate has a small apartment, though not as small as some others have.  It is around 225 square feet (or around 22 square meters).  In the picture, you do not see the toilet, which is off to the left, but you see the sink, and you see the shower-head.  Anything missing? ... Have you realized that you do not see a separate shower space?  

There is none.  

The doorway is elevated, and one just closes the door and points the shower-head so that everything doesn't get soaked.  One keeps "shower shoes" (my term?) dry and outside the room.  When one needs to go in and out of the bathroom, if the floor is wet, one uses the sandals to keep one's feet dry. 

It works!

Three final posts about South Korea

I came back yesterday.  Goodbye kimchi, hello läx and dill!  I know I have written a lot about my/our experiences there.  Maybe it is the educator in me, that compels me to share all this fun and interesting information, but I can't seem to stop!  So I will share three insights, such as they are, on three final, totally unrelated subjects.  I was going to put all this in one long post, but the subjects are so varied, I will post them separately.

Students

First of all let me write that the teens that I see on the street, and I see a lot of them, appear to be happy healthy children.  There are always flocks of teens, in school uniforms, sitting in coffee shops (which by the way are everywhere!), shopping, walking around etc..   For a little background, here is part of an article on Korean history [ from : http://www.koreana.or.kr/months/news_view.asp?b_idx=695&lang=en&page_type=list  ].

For Koreans, who had acquired a keen appreciation for the importance of education through the painful experience of colonial rule, the war taught them that modern education could well mean the difference in your very survival. The mandatory military service was postponed for university students during the war and the post-war reconstruction period as well, while English-language competency and modern education were essential to open the doors to employment opportunity and social advancement. Indeed, material wealth could be destroyed or looted during war, but education was a “secure” asset, as well as a pathway to social status and economic prosperity. Education has thus determined the fate of entire families. It could be said that the passion for education among modern-day Koreans can well be attributed to the lessons learned from the Korean War.

South Korea now ranks high marks on educational standards.  Pearson ranks them at #1, with the U.S. being # 14, and Sweden coming in at #24.  http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/index/index-ranking    But there is good and bad to everything.  One issue is that the education itself is based more on rote memorization than on critical thinking.  The second is that these kids are in school and/or studying all the time.  (See this excellent, brief article: http://www.bbc.com/news/education-25187993).  When I say all the time, I am talking about ~ 13 hours a day M-F, and then weekend classes and studying too.   Americans who work in SK schools have told me that the students are typically sleep deprived (I have seen several sound asleep in restaurants).  One teaching assistant told me one of her teenage students was proud of her (the students own) nosebleed because the student saw it as proof of her strong efforts!).  The pressure is all about getting into college.  Once in college, the pressure is relaxed.  Sadly, South Korea has a high teen suicide rate, and almost 40% of the suicides are linked to stress over education.  My Mother has often said, "Everything in moderation".  I think she has a point.

So we went to the grocery store - always a favorite past-time...

Don't try to figure out what this means.  It is just a fun mis-translation. 

The soy sauce and pepper sauce aisle. 

And then there was a Spam aisle.

 (If you are curious about costs, 1000 Won ='s $1, and weights are in Kg. (2.2 lbs.), 

 or per hectogram (~ 3.5 oz.)  If you eat like a Korean, food is pretty inexpensive.  If you want to eat like a westerner, you will have to pay for it.  For example, a pint of heavy whipping cream is $4.79)

...And somewhere, I took a picture of an aisle of dried seaweed, but I can't seem to find it. 

Anyway - then of course we were off to the market.

The things in the foreground, which might be sea cucumbers, were alive.  No, I did not try them. 

Unique to Korea, these thorned sticks are used in fish and chicken broth.  

The sign list the medicinal benefits of the plant. 

The USDA would not put their stamp of approval on a lot of these eateries...

There are many places where one can have a hanbok made to order. 

 Everyone has one, and sometimes one sees someone about town in this beautiful traditional garb. 

Color, color, color.  This is SO not like Sweden.  

The most popular color in Sweden is black (which coincides with my wardrobe.) 

Kimchi etc., etc., etc.

I think this is all dried seafood and beans...

What an experience...