Archive for 'Culture'
Musikblogg – Everything is Easier in the Summer Posted by Chelsea B on Aug 7, 2020
“Everything is easier in the summer.” That’s not just a sentiment that many cold culture folks feel this time of year, it’s also the name of the song that I’d like to highlight for this post. “Allt e lättare på sommaren” was co-written by two standouts in the Swedish music scene – Ana Diaz and…
Happy, Happier, Happiest – Comparing Adjectives in Swedish Posted by Chelsea B on Jul 31, 2020
Glad, gladare, gladast! Happy, happier, happiest! The endings for comparative and superlative follow a pattern in Swedish, it’s pretty straightforward, hurra! I’ll introduce some of the regular adjectives this week, and cover the irregular bunch in two weeks. This post was inspired by a reader’s comment on a blog a few weeks back. I love…
Spice it Up with Bisatser! Posted by Chelsea B on Jul 17, 2020
Simple main clauses getting you down? Spice them up with a bisats! A bisats, or dependent clause, helps us add flavor to sentences by adding context, conditions, and reasoning to verbal and written Swedish. Again, a bisats is a subordinate clause, or dependent clause, that accompanies a main clause. It can’t stand alone as its…
Barfotavisan – The Perfect Summer Ballad Posted by Chelsea B on Jul 8, 2020
“Barfota utan strumpor och skor / barefoot without shoes or socks.” Ahhh, what a feeling! Midsommar may be over, but sun and fun are still in full-swing for Swedes. Vacationing at the sea and in the countryside are popular this time of year, when folks have weeks of vacation to use at a time. My…
Midsommar: Blommor or Bust! Posted by Chelsea B on Jun 24, 2020
Glad midsommar allihopa / Happy Midsommar everyone! I’ll admit, I’m a little late because midsommar was last week but because it is one of the most popular holidays in Sweden, this wouldn’t be a Swedish blog without a nod to midsommar. An ode to nature and all things summery, Swedes leave cities in droves to…
Swedish Voices in Prose: Johannes Anyuru Posted by Chelsea B on Jun 17, 2020
Writers have been using prose to reflect upon the world around them for millennia. One of my favorite Swedish writers who does just that is Johannes Anyuru. Today, we’ll learn a bit about Anyuru and introduce his 2015 poem Aska (Ashes). Johannes Anyuru is a writer, poet, and playwright whose work focuses heavily on identity…
Demonstrations, Black Lives Matter, and Perspectives from Abroad Posted by Chelsea B on Jun 10, 2020
Last week’s blog post was a small attempt to emotionally respond to the killing of George Floyd via music. Events in my home state have continued to spark conversations and protests abroad as people work to bring injustices to light in their own communities. It is difficult to discuss, but avoiding it is simply not…