Hotel Amigo by Thomas Stenström with First Aid Kit Posted by Chelsea B on Nov 5, 2021
We’re in Arizona, at the Spread Eagle Bar. Our company is no other than the Swedish musicians Thomas Stenström and First Aid Kit. They’ve invited us to share in a moment from their latest song, “Hotel Amigo”. It may seem strange that these artists with Nordic roots are taking us down the Americana route, but…
New Science Backs Viking Debut in North America Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 29, 2021
Just when the Vikings start to fall out of fashion, they do it again. Scientists utilized a new dating technique to reinforce that not only were the Vikings the first Europeans to reach the North American continent, we now have an exact year. In 1021, centuries before Columbus even thought of crossing the Atlantic, the…
Into the Woods: Swedish Tree Vocabulary Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 22, 2021
Trees deserve all the credit. They provide us with clean air, the material to wood to build and heat our homes, so why don’t we know their names? Seems like the least we could do. To keep the skog momentum going from last week’s mushrooming post, I thought we should spend some time catching up…
Sweden, A Mushroom-Loving Culture Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 15, 2021
Do you live in a mycophilic or a mycophobic culture? These adjectives of Greek origin mean either mushrooming-loving or the latter, mushroom-fearing. Foraging for wild mushrooms is commonplace in Nordic, Slavic, and Baltic countries, yet it’s not a tradition that’s taken root with American immigrant culture. Swedish youngsters grow up learning how to safely identify…
ABBA’s Comeback and Swedish Pop Hits via Svensktoppen Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 8, 2021
ABBA’s comeback and sing-along pop hits penned in Swedish make this week’s Svensktoppen absolutely dreamy. Presented by Sveriges Radio, this top 10 chart show is the perfect way to learn what’s hot on the Swedish music scene right now and get some language practice in, too! And, the great news is that this week 8…
A Swedish Take on Modern Timber Construction Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 1, 2021
As a bright-eyed college grad, I relocated to the southern Swedish city of Växjö, Sweden for an internship. Nestled between thick forests and glittering lakes, Växjö has earned the title of “Greenest City in Europe” for trailblazing a number of environmental initiatives, including their timber construction program. While working for Växjö kommun I gained perspective…
Pronunciation Breakdown: Swedish Sj-Sound Posted by Chelsea B on Sep 24, 2021
Learning about phonetics is cool. And if you ask me, pretty difficult! A recent blog commenter said they have difficulty with the Swedish sj-sound and asked for tips to practice it. Classified as a “voiceless fricative phoneme” it’s one of the most difficult sounds in the Swedish language to reproduce. While I’m not a phonetics…