Archive for August, 2008
Partikelverb Part 1 Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 29, 2008
Adrienne asked a question about partikelverb, and because I’m such a good sport, I decided to blog about it today. Now say, I know it’s an impossible task to make partikelverb interesting, but hey, we can give it a shot, right? So, what’s a partikelverb anyway? As the name suggests, it’s a verb and a…
Nollning Already? Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 27, 2008
Earlier this week I was sitting in my bedroom, reading a book and trying very hard to ignore the party going on outside. My apartment building is surrounded by student housing (or “corridors” as they’re called here), and if you want to keep your sanity, you learn very quickly to ignore whatever is going on…
Crayfish Parties Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 25, 2008
Arsh asked a while back about the traditional Swedish crayfish party and wanted to know if I participated in one this year. And I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t eat crayfish. No particular reason, I just don’t like the buggers. And I’m not fond of paper hats, either. Most of my friends know about…
Surströmmingpremiären Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 21, 2008
I don’t have a Swedish calendar at home, I only have a goofy little one with a “Hello Kitty” design that is totally useless in Sweden (because what do I need Japanese public holidays for?) but it’s so darn cute that I keep it anyway. So imagine my surprise when I go to tvättstuga in…
A Little Bit About Adjectives Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 19, 2008
It’s grammar time today, because we can’t have just fun and games all the time. I want you to learn something really useful here, even if only occasionally. 🙂 When talking about “jobbig” I briefly mentioned the rules regarding Swedish adjectives. That when an adjective describes an “ett” noun, it gets a “-t” ending. And…
What’s a Hembygdsgård Anyway? Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 15, 2008
Because there’s not much to say about the Swedish performance at the Olympics (Ara Abrahamian’s hissy fit resulting in his bronze medal being revoked and Carolina Klüft’s dismal results so far, and that’s it in a nutshell) I’m going to continue talking about the wonders of Norrland instead. But first things first. Did you know…
Exploring Norrland Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 12, 2008
One good thing about being from (or living in) Umeå is that you’re not from anywhere else in Västerbotten. Because imagine the alternatives! You could be from a place like Lycksele, for example. I’m sure that Lycksele is a perfectly delightful little town, or a large village depending on who’s talking, of about 9 thousand…