Home Sweet Home- Back to St. Louis for Thanksgiving

Just got back from my 9 day trip back home to St. Louis, MO.  I brought my 4 year old with me, leaving behind (sadly) my husband and 2 year old.

Sophie with cousin Ashley at the St. Louis Zoo

We left our home in Sweden around 4:45 in the morning and headed out to the airport on November 19th.  Snow was falling as we drove to the airport and unfortunately, our flight to Stockholm was delayed 20 minutes, leaving my daughter and I only about 40 minutes to catch our flight to Chicago.  We ran like hell just so we could make it on the flight....but we made it!  Of course my daughter was dragging her feet so it made things a bit challenging.  Luckily, a couple of different woman helped my daughter and I get to our gate just in time.

Finally, after around 20 hours of total travel time (starting when we left for the airport), we were welcomed by my mom and dad at the airport.  It was good to be home again. That first night, we drove to Whole Foods to grab a quick bite, and my poor little girl Sophie ended up falling asleep in the car, and didn't wake up again until 2AM.  We were both awake for an hour or so and finally, we fell back asleep.



Sunday morning I met with my bosses at my favorite meeting place - Bread Co. on Ballas.

I came home around 1pm and headed straight out to the Zoo (a must when visiting St. Louis).  We had a great time checking out all the animals with my parents, sister, bro in law and my 1 year old niece. We shut down the zoo, and decided to grab a bite at Llewellyn's in the Central West End.  I got the Llewellyn's Chicken Sandwich (amazing).  As if the day wasn't complete enough, we headed out to Eureka to check out some light displays and meet Santa.  We were all exhausted and were happy to have a good night's sleep.  This was just my first day back.

The Girls..at Kobe

Monday, after some conference calls relating to my job, I went to my old place of work at ReachLocal to catch up with friends.  I was a bit surprised to see so many new faces, but luckily I was able to catch up with a few of my previous co-workers.  That night, my girlfriends and I went to Kobe's for some good Hibachi food and wonderful conversation....(unfortunately, that place is pretty noisy so we caught up in the bar instead), while my daughter slept on the chair.

Throughout the week, we did a ton of shopping, kid friendly activities, and catching up with friends and family.


My daughter had her hitlist of things to do:
The Zoo
Incredible Pizza Company

Planet Fun for a playdate with her BFF Sam

Magic House

Jumping with Bungee Cord and Trampoline at the Mall

Butterfly House, Carousel, Faust Park



Fun at the Magic House





Me and Sophie at the Butterfly House in Chesterfield



We did all these things AND MORE in about a week - this is more activity than we've had in the last 6 months combined!

My hitlist was a little different;

Target (why is there no Target in Sweden?)
The Mall- any mall will do just fine thank you....
Whole Foods
Oishi for Sushi
Hibachi at Kobe Steakhouse Westport
Dierdorf & Hart's for King Crab Legs
Pei Wei for Mandarin Kung Pao Chicken
Llewellyn's - Llewellyn's Chicken Sandwich

I took in as much of my favorite dishes as possible and it was awesome!  Although my mother in law is a great cook, nothing compares to some of my faves in St. Louis. Although I could have shopped MUCH MUCH more I contained myself (slightly) anyway.  I could have done some SERIOUS damage in the Macy's shoe department, however, I held back.  Generally, things cost more in Sweden, so I was happy to stock up on some clothes for my two girls at Children's Place and Target.

We had great time with friends and family as well! We stayed part time with my parents so we got in a lot of time there, and later in the week, we stayed with my sister.  It was wonderful catching up with my sister and bro in law, and of course, my little niece Ashley.  Thanksgiving allowed us time to spend time with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins.  We ate, played, and surfed the web together!

Thankful for the iPhone at Thanksgiving 2010

 My older brother Doug and his fiance' Heather also came in last weekend allowing (nearly) our whole family to be together..or course we missed Mikael and Maja.  I spent two nights out with my girlfriends, one night out with "the boys" and had a dessert date with Kels.

Dinner at Jessi's

Besides for missing my hubbie and youngest daughter like crazy, we had a fabulous trip.  We definitely could have used another week or so there so we could have spent more time with everyone.  That old saying..."Time flies when you're having fun" definitely applies to my recent trip home to St. Louis.

Until next time...

Brandi











Maja Turns 2!

The week leading up to my youngest little girls birthday I had off of school because of a Swedish holiday called Alla Helgons Dag (All Saints).  I was able to spend time with both my girls; hanging out, watching TV, reading books and playing games.  This was probably the first time I wasn't at work for one of my girl's birthdays (assuming it didn't fall on a weekend).  It was a good feeling to spend time with my birthday girl, even if we didn't do anything too exciting.

Maja turned 2 on Tuesday the 9th of November, although we waited to celebrate until this past Sunday.  Of course, this just means she received nearly a week of tight squeezes and kisses and happy birthday messages from me all week. On Maja's actual birthday, we woke up to an incredible view.  Everything was covered in snow...it was beautiful.  We spent a good portion of time playing out in the snow!

This past Sunday we had family over to celebrate Maja turning 2 years old.  Unlike a celebration we would have likely had at home, I feel like the whole preparation part is much more relaxed here. No worrying about invitations or who to invite....because here, it's simple.  You have a simple smörgåstorta (literally translates to a sandwich cake), and tårta (cake), and your family and maybe a couple of close friends come over.

We had family over (all of whom live in the 2 houses next to our ours), and we had a smörgastårta made of bread, ham, tomatoes, eggs, mayo, shrimp and much more I'm sure.  I can't tell you if it's good or not, because I don't eat it....(but that's another blog).  My four year old and I made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing (a recipe from a Swedish friend), and my mother-in-law made an amazing rice crispy and merengue cake with a sort of vanilla custard filling, and kiwi and whipped cream topping. YUM!!

The guests arrived, Maja opened a few gifts (an adorable top and cool rose printed pair of jeans, Hello Kitty (lego type) set. Maja also got some clay and one of those funny squeezable balloons - great for relieving the stress of having a two year old (I mean great for a 2 year old). Of course, this broke by the end of the night because my 4 year old stretched it too much.  Oh well!  Maja also received a fun keyboard, a doctors kit, a winter coat from grandma, some cash from her Gamla Farmor (Great Father's Mother) and Gamla Mormor (Great mother's mother).  Her favorite toy of the event- a toy baby stroller.  Two year old girls have this obsession with taking care of "babies".  It's adorable.

We ate dinner - the children and I had pizza instead of the sandwich cake.  Next we sang the Swedish version of happy birthday.  We chatted with my sister Lisa and my niece Ashley on Skype...my sister was a little embarasses since she was in her PJ's when she called us (not knowing a party was going on).   We had a lot of fun singing "happy birthday" with my sister and niece on Skype.
Later we talked to Maja's grandma and grandpa. 

I owe my mother-in-law a ton of credit for helping out with everything. From cleaning and making the table just perfect for my little girl's birthday, she takes care of virtually everything! Many Thanks!

Thanks to ALL who helped make this a special day for Maja.

Brandi

Catching Up

It's been a little while since I've checked in, so here's what's been going on for the last week or so.

1. Searching for a new car- Mission Accomplished!  After months of searching for the perfect automatic car for our family, we have finally settled on a Renault.  So last night, was my first time actually driving somewhere by myself in Sweden!  I drove up to the city of Kärna's Post Office/Goodies store only a few minutes from our home.  It felt great, although a bit strange with this French made car because it has a keycard and a Start/Stop button. Can't wait to get to know the city better.

2. Trying to get a phone- Hmm, this is a little harder than it may seem.  Let's put it this way, we had enough money to pay cash for our new car, yet when it came to getting credit for a new phone for a whopping $15.00 a month, we were denied.  I was able to get my Iphone unlocked, but when we took it to Telia this morning (equivalent of an AT&T) in the states, it was like I was standing in an AT&T store.  Meaning...of course there were problems.  The manager said there could be problems "Surfing" the net on my phone even though the phone had been unlocked (something to do with different programming of the phones in the States).  My father in law and I ran a couple of tests and we think we have things figured out, so I should be able to go ahead and get the service now. I guess the worst thing that will happen is that it won't work, and I'll "have" to buy the new Iphone 4 instead...(I have to admit I'm secretly hoping my old Iphone won't work so I'll "have to" get the new version.  Of course I'll be stuck on a 24 month agreement (just like home).

3. Apartment search- Well, I can't say that we've really done any looking for own apartment yet, however, we were lucky enough through family connections to land an amazing apartment in Gothenburg (Göteborg).  This is an apartment in the center of everything in the 2nd largest city in Sweden.  The view is absolutely amazing and I can tell you that I wanted the apartment at the first sight of the view, before I even looked anywhere else in the apartment. We have been waiting all week to get the news, and this afternoon, we found out that we are approved to sign the second hand lease. Our plan is to move in early January. Getting an apartment is not easy here in Sweden, especially an amazing apartment like we've landed in the heart of the city.

4. Job Hunting- Although it's been relaxing all summer just spending time with my family, working on my jewelry designs (http://www.brandiu.etsy.com/) and getting to know Sweden, now that some months have passed, I'm very eager to get back to working again in my field of digital marketing and sales.  Through networking, I have been introduced to a couple of very good opportunities and I can't wait to get to work, and experience a "work life" in Sweden.  A steady income of my own would allow me get even more out of my Swedish life.

What do you think is the hardest thing about moving some place new?  Share your thoughts below.

Thanks for checking me out!
Brandi

GÖ Organic

This afternoon on my lunch break I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at an organic cafe' in Kungälv, Sweden, called L8s Schyssta Eko Cafe' & Butik. http://www.l8seko.se/  I'm not sure why I never noticed this place right next to my Swedish language course, but today, I did. When you walk on the sidewalk, there is a perfect view of the restaurant and it's lovely outdoor garden/patio.  There are several wooden tables and matching chairs in the frontyard patio with bright colored blankets resting on the chairs.

When you walk inside the cafe', it's rather quaint with a small butik in the left-hand corner displaying organic and fair trade products such as coffee, tea, drinking cocoa, dark chocolate, honey, special oils and spices, and other wonderful products.  To the right, there is a somewhat limited choice of lunch items, yet, the few items offered looked rather scrumptious!  Today's special was:  a yellow pea soup (called ärtsoppa) served with bread and (swedish) pancakes all for around $5.75 / 40 SEK.  My father-in-law informed me that this is a traditional offering for nearly all restaurants in Sweden on Thursdays.  --I've heard of restaurants in U.S. having similar beer specials, but I've never heard of a specific lunch special that is offered so consistently among restaurants. Have you?

I spotted a homemade fresh tomato and feta pie for 69 Kr (about $10.00) which included a side salad.  Since I've been practicing speaking swedish lately, I decided to try and order my meal in swedish.  I only got about 4 words in when the sweet woman behind the cash register started to speak English to answer my question.  I didn't mind, I just thought it was funny how quickly my efforts were cut off.  I went to pay with my bank card to find out they don't take cards there, only cash. Aha. (In swedish, jaså.)...so the kind woman said she'll just go ahead and warm up my pie (paj) while I go around the corner to the ATM.  I came back with my cash and my lunch was all ready for me.

I decided to sit outside- even though it was only about 42 F/ 6 C. I figure if I'm going to be living here, I had better get use to the cold weather. Nah, not just get use to it, try to embrace it.  So, I took my tray outside to the patio and sat down on one of the wooden chairs, and rested a soft, orange blanket over my lap.  I plugged in my Itunes and listened to some of my new favorite songs.   As I sat and ate my delicious meal, I was joined by the strange mix of Cee Lo Green's, "F**k You", Ingrid Michaelson's, "Parachute", Sarah Bareilles', " "Kaleidoscope Heart", and Kate Earl's "Melody". Music always seems to make my day more harmonious.

After my delicious meal, I decided to return to the "butik" area.  I treated myself to some delicious dark chocolate (just a little addiction I have, no big deal).  I received 100 grams for around $4.00, and it was worth it. It was absolutely divine! Actually, the brand name is DIVINE!  A london based company boasting the FAIRTRADE logo.  70% dark chocolate with raspberries--doesn't get much better than this!  

A little info about Divine Chocolate LTD. from their website:

At the heart of Divine’s heavenly tasting chocolate there is a unique story. Not only do the Kuapa Kokoo farmers’ receive a Fairtrade price for their cocoa, but they also own 45% of the company, and therefore have a direct influence over how the company is run and share in the profits from the chocolate. Watch farmer films. 

Learn more about Divine Chocolate: http://www.divinechocolate.com/
Learn more about FairTrade: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/default.aspx

My overall experience at the cafe' today was a good one, and I hope to stumble upon other cafe's like this one in Sweden.  I find that organic foods are more readily accessible here in Sweden, and at lower costs than in the States.  These organic items in Sweden are marked with the logo "KRAV", and are available nationally at "regular" grocery stores, not just specialty shops.  I expect that with the growing popularity of organic foods, the availabilty should grow even more in coming years and prices hopefully will come down a bit more so that more people can partake in healthier food options.  Read more about Organic Foods in the Swedish Market at: http://www.grolink.se/Resources/studies/swemarkets.PDF




I'd love to hear from you...yes YOU! 

 Do you buy organic?  If yes, why? What are the best places to buy organic foods where YOU live?
If not, what keeps you from buying organic food items? Cost? Lack of availability?

Thanks for checking in!
Brandi

Wanna Know Who's Got The Lamest Job In Sweden?

First, let's just all get over the fact that I used a version of "lame" in my title.  I grew up with Saved By The Bell and 90210.  Are we good, are we ok? Can we move forward?

Now then....

The person with the lamest job in Sweden is...

The girl or guy who collects 5 SEK from people so they can go to the bathroom.  That's right, they not only do the majority of places take 5 SEK (equivalent to about $0.71), some places even have a special little window (imagine a bank teller behind a glass door), where some poor soul will collect your change and then unlock the bathroom door.  This is by far, one of the dumbest things I have ever seen....ever.

Recently, I took a train from Borås, Sweden back home to Göteborg, Sweden after a job interview.  I decided to take the entire afternoon to go shopping at Nordstan (largest shopping center in Göteborg/Gothenburg).  I had to go to the restroom, so I follow the bathroom signs only to find myself in a long line..not for the bathroom, oh no, that would be way to simple.  I had to first wait in line to pay this girl (maybe 17 years old or so) a damn 5 SEK so I could then wait in another line to use the restroom.  How ridiculous is this? More importantly, how embarassing is it for this girl to have this job?

I can just imagine the conversation she has when she meets up with her friend.

Friend: Hey, what are you up to these days?

Girl With Lame Job: Oh, things are great!  I spend 8 hours a day collecting dirty coins from people so they can go to the bathroom.

Friend: That's lame.

Girl With Lame Job: Don't tell anyone from school, alright?

One possible rationale I've heard for this ridiculousness is that it helps deter the "wrong kind of crowd" and possible drug users away from the restrooms. When I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, I noticed many bathrooms had black lights to help detur drug-users from coming in just to shoot-up.  I bet the black lights work a whole lot better than charging $0.71.   Another explanation is that it helps keep the bathrooms cleaner since less people are using them--Ok, I'll give you that one!

I have to say, this policy just pisses me off.  I remember early on this Summer, recently after moving to Sweden, I went shopping with my four year old and my mother in law.  After spending around $150.00 at the grocery store, my daughter decides to tell us she has to go the bathroom....and no she can't wait 10 minutes until we get home.  In fact, she needs to go to the bathroom right then.  So, I have to dig around in my purse to see if I can find this 5 SEK coin. Nope, I don't have one.  So, I track down my mother in law, who luckily has this coin, so that I can take my 4 year old who's about to pee in her pants to the bathroom.  I'll just go ahead and repeat, that I was a customer at this grocery store who just spent a decent amount of money. Do they really need my 5 SEK coin so badly, they are OK, with angering me so much that I don't want to shop there anymore? Hmm, let' see, should I take her 5 SEK one time, or get her $150.00 weekly? Tough one!

Whoever made up this policy surely has never had to potty-train a toddler before, because they would know, when a kid's gotta go, a kid's gotta go.

I've only witnessed a couple of smart manuevers by Swedes to get out of this stupid policy.
1.  A group of 5 girls pile into the bathroom on that one 5 SEK coin.
2. At McDonald's I noticed that people, when feeling generous, will just hold the door open for the next person in the line so they don't have to pay.

That's my rant!
STORE OWNERS: Let people use your friggin' bathrooms! Keep your customers happy, and they will come back!
POOR GIRL COLLECTING COINS SO PEOPLE CAN GO POTTY: Go get a new job. Do anything but what you are doing now.

Alright people, what's the lamest job you have heard of?  Dumb policy you want to rant about? Please leave your comments below.

Peace!

photo credit Suat Eman

Attempted Murder at Swedish School

Unfortunately, this blog is not devoted to the (sweet) side of Sweden.  Today, my classmates and I experienced something terrible and shocking.

At 11 am this morning in Kungälav, Sweden (where I take my Swedish language course 5 days a week), my class was told we could go on a quick 10 minute break.  Around 11:08, the majority of the classroom had made it's way back to the classroom.  I sit down at my desk in the front, and turn around to see a young woman in my class (from Tunisia) totally broken down in tears.  With her face down in her hands and tears streaming down her face, she could only mutter the name of one of our classmates.  I implored her to tell us what had happened, but she just couldn't say more than the girl's name.  The majority of my classmates ran out to see what had happened. I couldn't get out of my chair.  Sometimes you just know in your heart what you'll find is awful and I didn't want to see what had happened.

A few minutes later we all find out that one of our young, sweet, Thai classmates has been the victim of a knife attack in the bathroom just 10 meters or so from our classroom.  I will tell you right away, that my classmate has survived the attack.

We don't know ALL of the details yet, but since my brave teacher is the one that literally saved her, I do know many of the details.  Apparently, earlier this morning, a young woman with golden skin, dark eyes and dark hair had asked a girl in our class if she knew this Thai girl who's name I will leave out of this story.  My classmate said that yes she knew the girl and that she was in our classroom.  This was just about an hour or so before the incident.

Apparently, the attacker had gotten totally liquored up before the incident. A little past 11AM this morning, while we were on break, my Thai classmate went in to the restroom, just before coming back to our class.  Somehow, the attacker went into the bathroom and locked them both inside the private bathroom.  As I'm told, the attacker said to our classmate something to the effect of- "Take this pill or I'll kill you".  Our classmate bravely refused to down this unknown pill.  The attacker tried to take the knife to our classmates neck (this knife was a full-out butcher knife, well over 1 foot long by the way).  Our classmate held out her hand to stop the knife and she was struck in her hand (a true defense wound).  The attacker had our classmate on the floor and just then, our classmate screamed "HELP!!! SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!".  In perfect timing, my amazingly brave teacher and another teacher from the school, used their keycards to unlock the door.  My teacher grabbed the attacker and pulled her off our helpless classmate.  I'm told the attacker didn't fight back, at that point she realized that she was caught and it was over.

After the attack, my classmate asked the girl why she was doing this to her.  My classmate didn't even know the attacker, but it seems apparent her attacker knew exactly who she was.  Something about my classmates "man" was repeated.  Possibly it was a jealous rage that led to this heinous crime?

I asked my teacher if the police had been called, and because I didn't get a definite answer, I rang the police for the first time in Sweden and informed them of the attack.  I was the 2nd caller and the police came about 7 minutes after my call.  I should also note here, that among all of us (immigrants) in the classroom, only a couple people even knew how to dial the police in Sweden, which I now know is (112).

The attacker was captured by the police and will hopefully be put away and/or deported.  We do not yet know where the attacker is from.  I was able to talk with the victim for a brief second as her boyfriend walked with her to leave to give our support to her from our classroom.

There are many witnesses to the attack, the knife is being held by the police, and they were even able to get the pill that the attacker tried to force our classmate to take and they are running tests on the pill. Luckily, there is an unsurmountable amount of evidence against the attacker. 

Thankfully, the cut she received physically was not life threatening, although I suppose this experience will cut deeply emotionally forever.  The entire school felt the pain of this attack and our thoughts and prayers are with our classmate.

Brandi

Weekend Shopping With My Girls

This weekend I was on a mission to get my two little girls set up for their first "Swedish" Fall and Winter.

According to my sister,  back home in St. Louis they are experiencing record high's for October (in the upper 80's).  This weekend my sister and my niece went to the pumpkin patch wearing sandals, jeans and tank tops!  While here in the Göteborg area, I'm already wearing my new winter coat -  (Didriksons -Sophie model).

Ok, so while I'm missing out on some amazing weather back home, I'll still take any opportunity I can get to buy new clothes (whether the clothes are for me or my kids).  Saturday, my mother in law, me and my 4 year old Sophie headed out to Nordstan (largest shopping center in Gothenburg) to get Sophie and her little sister Maja new clothes. 

It feels like out of the blue, my 4 year old has outgrown all her clothes- incredible how fast they grow! 
We rounded out our trip with new winter coats for each girl, (both from a store called KappÅhl), a couple of cute Hello Kitty tunics from H&M, pink tights, a purple velour sweatsuit with little holes in the sleeves for your thumbs (which my 4 year old went GAGA over), some ridiculously expensive Gore-tex like winter boots from EuroSko (ranked Best In Test 2009), velour pants with elastic bottoms, new socks, and some pastel my little pony-esq fake hair braids for Sophie---I refused to buy this for her, but my mother in law bought it for her anyway.  My poor daughter was so worn out from all our shopping she fell asleep in the stroller we brought (just in case) and I ended up having to get her feet measured while she was sleeping and even brought up shoes from another level of the store, tried on and purchased her boots all while she was fast asleep.

We got everything home, tried the coat on my almost 2 year old- Maja, and of course...the coat was too big. So, yesterday (Sunday), me, my 2 year old, my mother and father in law piled into the family's red Saab and headed out to some place called "Kläder __________" something..I don't remember the name.  Basically, it's like a low-end warehouse of clothes and home goods, and to be perfectly honest, it just wasn't for me...it wasn't for any of us.  I'd much rather pay more for something and have a good quality item, than to run the risk of it falling part and having to buy something new with better quality later on.

"Next store please", I begged of my in-laws, and they agreed.  We headed out finally to "Backaplan".  A kind of shopping center split up into different parts. Shops like H&M, Gina Tricot, Lindex, KappÅhl, MQ, and much more.  I found a little children's shop in "Backaplan 2" that offered Didriksons jackets at 100 Kr (about $14.00) less than any other store I've visited in Sweden thus far.  So, my youngest ended up with a nice purple Didrikson jacket, and I ended up buying a hot pink Didriksons jacket for my older daughter Sophie at a different store that carried her size.

After much research online about all the children's winter coats, and comparing their ("Best In Test" scores), I was very happy with my purchases. 

According to MinBebis.se, here are the results from the 2010 BEST IN TEST/ Bäst I Test results:
*Please note- I have added in the approximate costs in dollars.

"Didriksons - Best in Test

The cheapest overall in the test costs 499 SEK(Approx $71.00), the most expensive nearly four times that. But the most expensive is not necessarily best.

Winners in this year's test is: Didriksons with 4.7 points out of a possible 5. After the follow Name It (4.5) and last year's test winner Coop (4.0). All three will cost between $70-$90 dollars.


In the mainstream, with total scores between 3.5 and 3.9, intermingled test's most expensive candidates Polar bear of Sweden (1895 SEK) (approx. $270.00), Reima (1695 SEK ($242.00) and the Dude and Pyret (1295 SEK), (approx $185.00) by far the cheapest overall HM (499 SEK) (approx $71.00)."


So now, the girls are all set, and of course, I've been shopping for myself since I arrived here basically, so I'm in pretty good shape for Fall and Winter now too....hopefully.

Shop till you drop!

Brandi
Best In Test Overalls 2010 http://www.minbebis.com/overall-test-2010?vote=2
Best In Test -Overalls and Boots 2009 http://www.viforaldrar.se/Overaller-och-vinterstovlar.pdf

What's The Opposite of a Raw Deal?

my life right now!

this is not to brag, this is simply stating how my life is and feels right now.  I'm feeling lucky and time is definitely on my side. What I'm experiencing in my "new life in Sweden".

Living in a Foreign Country-Experiencing a new and different perspective on life. 

Learning a new Language - Challenging, but now, finally exciting.

Time to Read.  This week I've been simultaneously been reading "Commited" and "Marketing 2.0", along with studying my Swedish language books

Time to Read Emails- when I was working my 40 plus work weeks, I have to admit, I didn't have time, or perhaps I just didn't make the time to read my emails (fully). Now, I can relax, sip on some hot green tea and carefully peruse my incoming emails. Heck, I even have time to read thru newsletters I've signed up for in the past.

Time to Skype- catching up on Skype is one of my favorite pasttimes these days- granted the connection is good.

Time to Blog- A wonderful creative outlet, I highly recommend it!

Time to Design and Create Jewelry- Again, another wonderful creative outlet. I especially love creating name jewelry and message jewelry.  Sometimes I get people emailing me their stories about how they, or someone in their life needs hope, as they order one of my "Got Hope" necklaces.  Etsy is a wonderful outlet for handcrafters of all things from jewelry, to clothes, to the oddest of oddities. http://www.brandiu.etsy.com/

Time to Travel- So far in the last few months I've made my way to several beautiful islands in Sweden,

visited Stockholm, London and Paris, and now I'm heading back to my hometown St. Louis for Thanksgiving.  I hope there is more traveling in my future! (blogs on my travels coming soon).

Time to Reflect- On life in general.

Time with my Children- I have to admit, I'm not the "stay-at-home" type. It just isn't me. However, after only taking 9 weeks maternity leave with my 2 girls (mostly because of guilt- an American guilt I'm told), I feel very lucky to have had so much time together with my girls over the last 4 plus months.  Admittedly, often I feel overwhelmed with the chaos of having 2 young girls running the house, however, I'm lucky to have that chaos.

Time with my Swedish Family- My awesome inlaws, nephew, cousins and great grandma's on my husband's side.  Such wonderful people.

Opportunity to Hang out With People From Different Countries/Cultures:  Through my Swedish Language Course, I have the opportunity to befriend people from countries including: Iraq (and that's a tough one being American), Philippines, Mexico, Thailand, Kosovo, Lithuania, Ethiopia, China, Vietnam, Canada and more.  I seriously doubt had I not been put in this situation, had any of us really become friendly.  Our conversations are comical at times (or should I say our attempts for conversation are comical).  Sometimes even the simplest questions can turn into a huge ordeal due to our language differences. 

The Opportunity to Miss Home- The old saying is sooo true: "distance makes the heart grow fonder"

Having Dinner On The Table- As soon as I walk in from my day at school, there is always food on the table. I mean this literally!  Table is usually set, some fresh chicken or salmon and some potatoes and vegetables have been lovingly prepared for me by my mother-in-law.  My husband and I are both so spoiled...how will we manage when we move out?

TIME.TIME.TIME.

" Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Thanks for reading,

Peace!

Brandi

With all the negativity we are surrounded with, I'd love to hear what's good, no not good, but what is great in your life right now? Please leave your comments below.

Mwah, a Boxer?

Ok, Ok, so it was only a dream.  This one I felt was blog worthy, so here it goes.  It's from last night. 

Remember in the movie Inception, when everyone was moving thru different levels of their consciousness and people kept trying to kill them in different states?  That was cool, but it has nothing to do with my dream.

Can't remember so much of last night's dream but here's what I can remember.  I see a sign-up sheet for boxing lessons- actually, it's not to take boxing lessons, but rather to BECOME A BOXER.  Next thing I know, I'm joined by this dream by at least a room of 10 people. I look to my right and one of them is a childhood friend- Stacy, another is a friend Melanie, and the other is a girl from Ethiopia from my SFI class.  To be clear, these 3 girls ARE real people that I do know in REAL life.

But this part was funny, to me anyway.  Our coach was my ACTUAL cheerleading coach Ms. Lee from PCH, who had morphed into the character SUE from Glee! So I totally GLEEKED out in my dream, which I just find hilarious.

I'll just tell you right now, that we never got to the boxing part because of this next issue.  This coach...we'll just call her Sue Lee, told us ALL that we need to lose a good 15-25 pounds each as part of our training to become boxers.  I look down at myself (in my dream) and note that I only weight about a buck ten.  Nah, that's nonsense lady I think!  But then, I look over to the girl from Ethiopia named Meref and then I know coach Sue Lee is crazy because this girl (in real life and in my dream) is a 5"10, very lean, very fit, very tiny girl, maybe weighing about 115 lbs.  Did I mention she's training to be an Olympic runner? Well, she is. Yah, I don't think she needs to lose any weight. 

Then this coach tells us that we need to ONLY eat a stick of butter and meatballs everyday. Nothing else. WUH?   There was a 3rd item, but I just can't remember what it is right at this moment.  I thought, no chicken? She said no chicken.  Shit, I don't even eat meatballs, how am I going to stick to this crazy diet?  Then I argued with her. Because in my dream, and in real life, I'm not digging this Low Carb High Fat(LCHF) diet.  I'm into a whole lotta fish, poultry, whole grain pasta/rice, and green tea kind of thing.   I've been reading up on the Okinawan's in Japan who happen to be the longest living people in the world, so I've been adapting many of their healthy living tips.

This is where my dream cut off basically. I thought coach Sue Lee's diet plan for us was BS. 
So, I guess I won't ever be a boxer, not even in my dreams.

I'd like to know what you think of the High Fat Low Carb diet phenom.  Or, have a funny dream you want to share? Please leave your comments below.

Until next time..
Brandi

Inception- the movie- http://survivordean.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/movie-review-how-many-layers-of-dreams-are-there-in-inception/

Okinawa Diet- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_diet

Low Carb High Fat - http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Carb_High_Fat

Booked My Trip To St. Louis

Great news!!  My 4 year old and I are going home to St. Louis for Thanksgiving!  The flight has been booked and paid for, so it's official.  This will be our first trip home since moving to Sweden early this Summer.  I know it's a bit early to already be making the trip back, but why not? I'm very excited to see my friends and family.  I plan on hitting up all my favorite eateries too: Pei Wei- Kung Pao please...,OISHI- for Sushi,  KOBE - for that amazing mustard sauce, and maybe even some Chik-Fil-A (dare I say it!?) for some waffle fries, chicken nuggets and Polynesian sauce...yummm!

Alright, that's all I got for now.
What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Leave em' in the comments field below.

Peace!
Brandi

Car Hunt

For the last couple of weeks I've been on the prowl for some independence...in the form of a car.  Living in a country where the vast majority of cars are manual, it's much harder than you might expect to find an automatic.

I have made a couple of attempts to learn to drive manual (once back in Highschool - an old boyfriend tried to teach me, but it was a no go).  And much more recently, I've been going out with my husband to parking lots to try and learn.  Each time I stall, I get more and more frustrated.

So, the hell with it.  I'm buying an automatic.  Maybe someday I'll learn to drive manual, but for now, I need my independence and driving my OWN car is a great way to get it. 

We spent one entire day last week visiting over 10 dealerships all around Gothenburg.  I think we saw a total of 3 automatic cars.  It almost became a joke by the end of the day.  The eager salesman asking us what we were looking for...and as soon as we said automatic, you could see the disappointment in the salesman's face, since he wouldn't be selling us a car that day.  It should come as no surprise that we have had much more luck on websites advertising private listings (similar to Craigslist).

I really liked the VW Golf, but of course we cannot find an automatic one in our area.  We test drove a Hyundai Accent and a cute little red VW Polo today.  Although the Polo is adorable, it might just be too quaint (as real estate agents often refer to homes that are so freaking tiny, the only way to make them sound attractive is by using the word "quaint".  The Hyundai is a front runner - automatic, roomy, fuel efficient with great trunk space for strollers, suitcases etc.  I showed my 4 year old a picture of the car (darker red shade)we are thinking about buying but she said nope.  She wants a pink car.   The only pink car I've ever seen was this bubble gum pink little thing I spotted outside our hotel in Kensington on my trip to London back in August...see below.  I gently informed my daughter that it just wasn't gonna happen.

At any rate, I hope to have my own ride in the upcoming week or so.  I'll keep ya posted!
Wanna weigh in on your fave cars? Leave your comments below.

Brandi

Lost in Translation - Swedish Words with Much Different Meanings in English

Wait a minute, before you start thinking I've gone completely wild upon my move to Sweden...read on!

Just the other day in my Swedish language course, my teacher informed our class that we were in Group 7.  There was a group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.  Kind of strange that there was no Group 6 right?  It might help you to know that the Swedish word for 6 is "sex", therefore, the administrators feared that all the Americans and Canadians might take it the wrong way, if on our first day of class they announced to us: "WELCOME TO GROUP SEX!"  Or in Swedish: "Välkommen till grupp sex".....And so....there is no GROUP SEX in my school.

Yes Sweden is liberal, but not SOOOO liberal! Amsterdam maybe?

I've discovered some other Swedish words that probably mean different things to you English speakers!

1. SLUT-  Walking past the storefronts to some of the nicest shops in Sweden in the summer you can find the word "SLUT" written across the windows in bright red, massive fonts.  What the heck I remember thinking....but this word actually means something like "End of Season/End of Year Sale" in Swedish...so all is well.

2. Infart = entrance
photo credit:  Alex de Sousa

3. Utfart = exit

4. Kock = Chef/Cook

Have a similar experience from a country you have visited? Leave the words and english meanings in the comments field below!

Peace!
Brandi

Nobody Eats Bulk Candy Like The Swedes

So, a quick note on Swedish candy obsession! You can't walk down a street without running into a "godis" store lined wall to wall with plastic bins filled with goodies ranging from salt licorice, jelly candies, chocolate and marshmallow.

Swedes eat the most bulk candy in the world! Young people and working women between 25 and 60 eat the most candy....(you little snackers you)!  Swedes eat over 18 kilos candy per person per year. That's equivalent to 39.6 pounds per person per year! Over 100 million bags a year are sold in Sweden. Who knew that this population of slender, tall people were chowing down all this candy.  You'd never know it by looking at them.
Source: Wikipedia

A list I found online ranks Sweden as #1 in Kilo's consumed per year, followed next by England and then Germany. USA ranked #8. (study from 2007). Over 1/3rd of the candies consumed in this study was bulk.


Prices range from about 6 Kr to 10 Kr per Hg. (There are 10 Hg's in 1 Kilo). My husband made sure to let me know that 10 Kr is way too much and not to buy from places so expensive. So don't buy your bulk candy from the movie theater (for example)!

America' favorite Swedish candy....Swedish Fish. Are they even called Swedish Fish here in Sweden...NOPE. I've seen two types of these "Swedish Fish". Black licorice fish are called "Salt Sill", and the bulk candy with many colored fish are called "Pastellfisk".

Want to know more about this fun fact? Check out "Godis Åt Folket", by Thomas Hedlund and Andre Persson.

Now you are gonna want some Swedish Fish aren't ya?
Until next time...

Brandi

Back to High School - Swedish Style

Today, like many other days, I went into the local High School in Kungålv while I waited for my Swedish language course to begin (located just across the street).  It's just a lot more fun to sit and people watch at a H.S.  This school is called Mimer's Hus, and it's nothing like PCH (my old H.S) in St. Louis.   Some of the kids take public transportation to school, (no yellow school busses here). Some drive cars, and many ride bikes or Vespa's or other types of mopeds to school.  In this posting you'll learn about some of the fashionable and not so fashionable trends here in Sweden.

Outside the school, you will see no smoking signs posted, however, you'll also find many teenage girls smoking cigarettes. *I notice that many more girls smoke in Sweden, while the boys opt for snus.  Snus is a unique smokeless tobacco product, commonly referred to as snuff in the U.S.  A "fun" snus fact (if we can call it that), is that one of America's biggest snus enthusiasts was aviator Charles Lindbergh (who is of Swedish decent), discovered the product after one of his trans- Atlantic flights. "The Spirit of St. Louis" was the aircraft designed to get Lindbergh to Paris. St. Louis supporters paid for the now infamous aircraft.

Inside the school, it more closely resembles a modern university.  Newly constructed with clean lines, an incredible library, cool cafe, and even a little foosball to play during breaks.  I notice that most of the kids are simply carrying small laptops in green "Mimer's Hus" cases. I'm wondering if this school has rid itself of the need for notebooks by adopting modern technology.

This morning I walked up to the cafe' and ordered an Apelsin (Orange) Vitamin Water and a Yoggi (drinkable smoothie)--trying to knock out this awful cold that struck me just yesterday.  The girl working behind the counter was chugging down a Red Bull. I kinda thought that Britney Spears made the whole Red Bull for breakfast thing kind of not so classy, and therefore, not really a trend anymore. But alas, alongside mostly healthy food options stood several of the recognizable silver, red and blue cans.  Not quite the breakfast of champions.  On that note, I have never seen teenagers down cups of coffee like I have seen here in Sweden. I even remember seeing my husband's younger cousins drinking the stuff black at the young age of 11! 

This coffee drinking gets me thinking about how these kids seem "older" in a way, than me and my friends seemed at the exact same age. Seems as though kids at this age are viewed as more mature, and able to make decisions for themselves at a much younger age.  For example, at the tender age of 16, kids here can choose to quit high school if they want.  If they choose to stay in school, they decide what area they wish to have their career, much earlier than we did back in the States.  In H.S, they can choose from a plethora of programs including (Economy, IT, Electrical, Caregiving, and more).  These are decisions most of us in the states didn't have to worry about until we attended university.

Looking around, I can't help but notice the fashion trends at the school. Well let me say this, when there is a trend in Sweden, it is not subtle.  Just after about 5 minutes in the school (or walking down ANY street), these trends can be pointed out immediately because nearly EVERYONE participates.  I'm really not exaggerating here, this goes back to the culture of Sweden which we'll have to get into another time. To name just a handful of the obvious trends here:

Converse- mostly white if they are the regular sneakers, or you'll see high tops in a variety of colors, but usually in black or grey.
Black Leather Jacket for girls- thank goodness for affordable options for great trendy black leather aviator style jackets.
Skinny Jeans- I'll revert to my previous posting...WTF? Die trend die! Although, I personally am dealing with this trend by simply trying to get in better shape so that I may also participate to be more aesthetically pleasing to those having to look at me.  And why does everyone wear skinny jeans? because of the....
Boots! Kickass Black and Brown leather nearly to the knee boots. This year, it's all about the lace-up boots.  These boots just don't really look right with Boot Cut, or other style jeans. I can't believe I'm seeing Dr. Martens again!
Hunter Boots- Back in the states, these are popular, but not because you need up to the knee rain gear. But no, not in Sweden, not only are they extremely fashionable, they are a necessity!
Check out an amazing pair of Hunter boots by Jimmy Choo at http://www.hunter-boot.com/2/29/Shop-Online/Hunter-and-Jimmy-Choo/BLACK/W23612_BLK.aspx?col=29
Tights & Leggings- The only way Swedes can continue to wear their spring and summer dresses, skirts, shorts etc all year long.  These are not just worn in plain old shades of black and grey, no, no, no! Paisley, neon, flower, striped, polk-a-dot..you name it!  Plus, this is not just a teenage trend.  Middle-aged women can be seen sporting these in-your-face designs. Luckily there are places like H&M, Ellos and Lindex to find affordable and trendy options.

Another note about tights...I understand the long, flowy top trend (yah, it's cute), but let's say it this way gals - sheer pantyhose and tights are not pants girls....no, they are not pants!

Pearls- large, fake pearls in earrings, necklaces and bracelets can be seen all over the place.

Layered Jewelry and Personalized Jewelry: the girls layer on bracelets made of gemstones, pearls and suede.  New moms sport silver jewelry with their children's names and birthstones dangling

Lastly, I have noticed an extremely unfortunate trend, that these poor girls will look back upon and cry....this is the trend of shaving one side of your head.  Girls - this ain't pretty or cool, and it's gonna be a bitch to grow back, so DON'T DO IT!!!

Shop these trends now!
Hunter Boots:  http://www.hunter-boot.com/2/29/Shop-Online/Hunter-and-Jimmy-Choo/BLACK/W23612_BLK.aspx?col=29
H&M Style Guide: http://www.hm.com/se/#/sg_denim_girls/
Black Leather Jacket: http://www.ellos.se/DetailPages/DetailPage.aspx?categoryid=51133&productId=260649&articleId=394930&SellingFlag=SearchText&SearchBackLink=
Name and Gemstone Jewelry- Here's where I pimp out my own website! http://www.brandiu.etsy.com/

Peace!
Brandi

The Swede Life

I pick up my virtual pen now that I have been living in Sweden for nearly 4 months. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, I'm far from home. I mean this both physically (I'm seriously far away from St. Louis), around 5000 miles, and culturally- ( Ummm, I wave to the cows and laugh as I walk to the city of Kärna). I use the term "city" loosely, very loosely, as there is only a small grocery store, a hairdresser, a florist and goodies/movie rental/post office and an elementary school in this "city" of Kärna.

I stepped off the plane, and arrived in Göteborg on June 2nd, 2010. The first month just felt like a long vacation. Sleeping in, enjoying fresh potatoes and salmon cooked by the world's most domestic woman (my mother in law), and relaxing were just common practice in the beginning.

By far I have found that the most enjoyable thing to do in Sweden is to take advantage of the incredible weather and visit islands by boat. Marstand, Dyrön are just a couple of my favorite places to visit. Breathing in the fresh ocean air, letting the wind blow thru my hair, I took in the amazing views of the archipelago and crystal blue sky.

However, life isn't all butterflies and salt licorice. Leaving family and friends behind wasn't easy, although I have to admit that Facebook and Skype have probably made this trip possible. I don't know that I could have moved without the ability to check up on my adorable little niece in St. Louis, or seeing what my friends were up to.

Quick list of things I love in Sweden
-Summer weather
-The fact that I've already seen 3 FULL rainbows since I've been here
-Archipelago
-Clean Air
-Proximity to other amazing places in Europe
-Sense of Community
-Walking everywhere and riding my bike
-Free education (my swedish language course is free)
-Free child daycare
-Contributions from the government for having children *thank you very much Sweden!
-Free healthcare
-An overall healthy lifestyle (organic foods cheaper and more readily available than back at home), people walk, bike everywhere
-Public transportation that doesn't suck! In fact, the busses are clean and the people watching is fantastic.

Things I dislike in Sweden:
-The fact that I don't speak the language (my own fault for not learning sooner, but I'm on it now)
-Skinny Jeans (WTF?) Why won't this trend go away?
-Everything more expensive(high quality, less quantity)
-Systembolaget! The Swedish government controls the liquor distribution. So basically, you pay about 40 percent more for liquor compared to in the states and you can't really get it when you want it.
-Hours of operation: retailers only open short while on Saturdays and not really on Sundays.

Things I miss from home (STL/United States)
-friends and family (a given!!)
-A close second...is.....TARGET! Nothing even comes close here.
-Having a car (and driving everywhere).
-Tostito's (don't you laugh!) .
-Pei Wei.
-Oishi, Kobe Steakhouse, Hibachi.
-Ability to go out to eat whenever I want.
-Good customer service (waiters don't get tips, so don't expect your water to be refilled).
-My TV shows.
-Being busy (it's a love/hate thing).

It's been an interesting 4 months. I have realized, however, life is pretty much the same no matter where you live. The day to day doesn't change SOOO much, it's really the people that make a place a home.
There's my rant..I promise future blogs to be much shorter!
Peace!
Brandi