Archive by Author
Fun Places in Sweden – Öland Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 21, 2009
If you read with some regularity what I write here on this blog, you might have gotten the impression my most favorite places in Sweden are all in the north. True, many of them are, but not all. Take Öland, for example. Definitely not in the north. In fact, as far as Sweden goes, it’s…
What’s the deal with själv? Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 16, 2009
I was talking to an American gal who teaches Swedish (in the US) the other day and there was one thing she said that just stopped me dead in my tracks. And that was “själv is a reflexive pronoun.” What? Please don’t tell me this is what teachers of Swedish in the US tell their…
Driving and Driver’s Licenses in Sweden, part 1 Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 11, 2009
So, let’s say you’ve been living in Stockholm, or in another big city for a while. You don’t own a car, because a) public transport is excellent, and b) you ride your bicycle pretty much everywhere pretty much year round. But then your sambo announces that he/she got a job in the sticks. And so…
What Time Is It? Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 7, 2009
About an hour ago I was struggling to explain to someone how to say what time it is. In Swedish naturally. You see, again, it’s one of those things that is deceptively easy on the surface and so similar to English that we tend to forget that there are a couple of bits that are…
The Rotting Month Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 4, 2009
So… Another rotting month is upon us. Yes, it’s “rötmånad” time again – from either the 22nd, or 23rd or 24th of July until either the 22nd or 23rd or 24th of August. And to be honest, I really don’t understand why in this day and age we still have to put up with this…
Ticks and Lyme Disease Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 31, 2009
It’s summer in Sweden. And that means, among many other, much more pleasant things, also this – ticks. Yes, ticks. Fästingar, as they’re called in Swedish. Those nasty little creatures and the diseases they cause are no laughing matter. And if you are spending your summers in Sweden, sooner or later you, or your pets…
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sweden Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 28, 2009
Believe it or not, but I know a person who actually said that Sweden was a very boring country. She claims that apart from Stockholm, there is absolutely nothing interesting worth visiting here. Unfortunately, her point of view is shared by the many foreign travel writers who bang out mediocre stories about Stockholm and think…