We’re back, but who are we? Posted by Gabriel on Nov 30, 2009 in Swedish Language
Warning! (OBS!) There are now five people who will be blogging on the Swedish language blog. If you want to turn back now, we completely understand.
We five have taken over for Anna Ikeda, and we know it will be hard (svårt) to fill her shoes.
The first thing we want to do is apologize. You see, we have been fighting for two months over what we were going to write here. Together with three negotiators (one of whom worked on brokering peace in Northern Ireland) and one very upset boss, we are happy to announce that we’ve had a breakthrough and are ready to start hitting the world wide web with our out-of-this-world material.
So, if you don’t mind, please allow us to massage our egos as we introduce (presentera) ourselves:
Jennie Jägeblad
Hi all! I’m a Swedish almost thirty something expat living in the great city of Bristol, England. I know, I have officially left the beautiful country of neutrality, pickled herring, midnight sun and paternity leave, but true love is a good excuse, isn’t it? I spend my days writing articles and taking photos for several Swedish magazines and my evenings exploring the many music venues of Bristol. Or – in front of the telly watching anything that contains a chef, a quiz or a top model. From now on, I will also be one of the new and proud bloggers on the Swedish blog! I will write about anything from my unconditional love for the Swedish west coast to the wonderful world of umlaut plurals. In short, pretty much everything my world evolves around.
Gabriel Stein
Hello. I grew up in New Jersey, a hop, skip, and a jump from New York City, and the home state of Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and the Sopranos. Running away from the East Coast after college, I moved to Central America to study Spanish and backpack when I met a Swedish woman in Guatemala. I fell in love with her and we moved to Stockholm in 2005. We have a 2-year-old daughter named Olivia and another on the way in January. I will mostly be video blogging. You can be sure that I will carry my video camera with me everywhere I go in my attempt to bring you the Swedish realities, normalities and insanities and everything in-between.
Katja Gosser-Duncan
Hey everybody! I’m the youngest blogger in the team! I feel so lucky to get to work with all these pros, Jennie, Gabriel, Marcus and Tibor! I’m 15 and still going to school to a quite unique art program. Partly because I’m interested in art and designing and partly because it is a more creative way of working than most other programs and schools. Besides my creative streak I love to fence and I am also fascinated by learning languages and understanding cultures, which is one of the reasons why I’m now writing for the up-and-coming best blog ever! I live in the biggest city in the north of Sweden, Umeå. I’ll probably write a post about this newly elected Capital of Culture quite soon. We all have our different ways of perceiving the world let alone each and every situation therefore I’ll be writing mine. Feel free to ask us anything and we’ll try to answer in the best possible way!
Tibor Erdös
Hello America, tell me how you doing! My name is Tibor and I am here to entertain you, to initiate debates and discussion on Sweden, Swedish culture, and language and basically everything in between. It is a promising cooperation between people who are representing all kind of groups of the Swedish society. I live in the wonderful city of Gothenburg on west coast of Sweden which is one of the fastest growing industrial areas in the Nordic countries. Furthermore it is often mentioned as the Nordic Riviera, while Gothenburg also called as Little London (Lilla London). There is something special about this city, there is a unique spirit in the air. Gothenburg is a combination of Swedish, Nordic and international. When I am at work, I work at ABF which is a centre for adult education and study circles. I teach Swedish and Swedish as a second language here. Because I have Hungarian heritage I am also working for the Nordic House in Budapest so I travel a lot to introduce artists, to open exhibitions, to organize concerts and other cultural activities from Sweden. I am really excited to learn more about your culture and personal experience on Sweden in a comparative context.
Marcus Cederström
I was born in Stockholm, but moved to the US when I was nearly six years old. For the next 17 years of my life my father carried the Swedish torch and my mother the American. This made me a Swedish-American. It also made me confused. In the US I was seen as the Swede, in Sweden, the American. So, after 17 years in the US and having graduated from college, I decided to have a quarter-life identity crisis and move to Sweden to explore my roots. To answer those deep unanswerable questions. To find myself. What I found was a culture that was different than what I was used to, but strangely familiar. A language that I understood, but did not have full command of, and an adventure that was well worth the existential quarter-life crisis. A couple of years later, here I am in Stockholm, Sweden. With that in mind, what you’ll get is Sweden through my eyes. The Sweden that I see, hear, and experience every day. As a part of the Swedish blogging team, I can’t wait to start a conversation with you about Sweden. So feel free to get in touch with me, or really any of us, here on Transparent’s Swedish blog. Leave us your comments and your questions, your likes and dislikes, and of course your ideas to make the Swedish Blog a place where you can truly get to know Sweden.
Oh well, let’s do it, shall we? Welcome to the Swedish blog by us!
(foto: Privat, Kerstin Reiser Runesson)
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Comments:
Gimena:
Hey guys!
Jeez, I missed Swedish Blog’s emails!
I’m sure you’ll do a great job and all, but what happened to our dear Anna?
Anyhow, thanks for writing again!
Steve Schedin (NJSwede”):
Gabriel –
I am curious the town you are from…I am also a hop skip and a jump from NYC. I am a second generation Swedish American and we visit family in Söderfors, Singö and Stockholm.
ann:
Sounds great, let it rip.
Luke (Sydney):
Hi guys, I knew there was something going on. Welcome first off, but is Anna having a baby of some sort?
To Katja, fence as waving a foil, epee or saber? or a hammer? 🙂
Yvonne Un:
I was wondering why no Swedish blogs!…Good luck to all of you..hope all goes well…Anna will be missed though…:) Good luck!!
Minty:
OK guys, I understand its probably a difficult issue…but you do realise that a blog is made popular by the connection of its writer to the readers. In that sense I cannot understand how you failed to explain why Anna is gone, or whether she is even alive…
You obviously have noticed the large amount of comments on her last blog…wondering where she is, is she OK, etc. So how can you restart the blog, as an entire new team, not explain where she is when she is the reason many people connect to the blog, and expect us to continue reading?
I would love to keep reading, I am fascinated by the Swedish culture, and have in fact just arrived in Sweden for the first time….but I don’t know if I can back you up by subscribing if you don’t address the basic component of a blog – connection. Yes I do realise that’s a half false statement because you did introduce yourselves nicely. I still think it is going to be difficult to connect to a blog written by a team and not by a person, though.
gabriel:
Hi Minty and everyone else who is concerned about Anna.
As far as we know, Anna is fine. We understand that she was quite busy running both the Polish and Swedish blog, plus going back to University. I think that is why she relinquished the great work she was doing on the Swedish blog.
We understand that a blog is all about building connections, and we apologize for not explaining her situation in more detail.
It has taken us a while to comment now because we wanted to get the right information to you all. Considering the distress, we will get a more detailed description of what Anna is doing now so that you are all updated on her situation.
We hope the team concept works and we will try our best to win back your confidence.
So, minty, you have just arrived to Sweden for the first time? Where have you arrived to? What are you doing? And what are your first impressions? I’m always fascinated by peoples’ first impressions of a place.
gabriel:
Steve,
I originally come from Cranford and went to high school in Bridgewater, college at Rutgers in New Brunswick? What about you? And what brings you to Sweden?
Minty:
Ok thanks for the info Gabriel, glad to hear shes Ok.
I arrived at Arlanda airport last Friday so Im still coping with the jetlag. Im living with my boyfriend at his parents place in Vasteras until we can get set up for ourselves. My first day was busy with just driving home, getting some food, unpacking and crashing! Second day I went shopping with a Swedish girl I met at uni, and she helped me find all the good stores to buy some warm clothes. (Much needed!) In the last few days I have met my boyfriends best friend, gone for a bit more shopping, and applied for my personummer. (Can’t believe its goign to take 2-3 weeks to get that, when I need it for everything!). Today Im off shopping again (yes I still need more stuff!) and the movies. So busy!
As for first impressions…well its winter….and its cold. I’ve come from 35 degrees in Australia, to 6 degrees here. I know that its one of the warmest November’s ever, and Im thankful haha! Im not to surprised by the dead looking trees or the lack of wildlife, except birds…black and brown birds everywhere. Which is of course very different to Australia’s abundant and bright wildlife.
I could go on…but Im running out of time. 😛 Anyone know a good spot to start my own blog of my experences in Sweden?
Kenia:
Hi guys!
Thanks for updating us on Anna’s situation, it will be so sad not to have her here, but well, I hope we will get to connect with you as well. The most important is that the Swedish Blog is back, we have missed it SO much!
Marcus, you can call me curious, but I just have to ask =). In my fascination with Sweden I read another blog for some months, and it was written by someone who called himself “The Hairy Swede”, after reading the story of your life, i wonder, does it happen to be you, the hairy swede?=).
Kenia:
Minty, is there any chance i can get in touch with you outside the blog? you see, I’m planning to move to Sweden with my boyfriend and since you’ve already done it, it would be great to talk to you about how it was for you, you see this whole thing about the paperwork is stressing and I don’t know how much time it will take me to finally get it done. I would really appreciate it! Thanks
Minty:
Hey kenia,
email my bf on arachnid007 “at” hotmail.com
Let me know where you are from and why you’re coming over here and how you’re going in the process.
katja:
Hey Luke,
Sorry to disappoint you about the hammer business, I only fence epee. What about you? A fencer as well, if so who is your trainer, which club do you belong to? Love to hear more!
Marcus Cederström:
@kenia – I can neither confirm nor deny the identity of Hairy Swede. But it is possible…
Kenia:
Yes, Marcus, you’re absolutely right, i realized that after I had posted the comment, i shouldn’t have asked such a question, since that pseudonym was used for a reason, i acted impulsively.
But the coincidence made me jump off my chair…. =)
LA Swede:
Cool, the blog is back! I was thinking I unsubscribed accidently or something. Sounds like an awesome team and an interesting read. I’m glad Anna is ok, I wondered also. But change is upon us and resisting would be futile, otherwise, unsubscribe, J/K really!
Break a keyboard, since I don’t know what the term would be for blogs!
LA Swede
Luke (Sydney):
Hi Katja, I wouldn’t say that I am totally disappointed, I am an épéeist after all. 🙂 I fence at MUFC(http://www.uatmq.com.au/sport–recreation/sport/sporting-groups/fencing) which is packed with the best épéeists in New South Wales. I am over the age for Olympic now, so am saving money for a trainer. I like lots of blade contact, you?
katja:
Fantastic! All my family on my fathers side live in Canberra. From the look of the picture on the homepage it was Canberra UNI? Yeah blade-contact is pretty cool, though just placing the points on the opponents hands from a distance and then seeing the look on their face is SO amusing! How long have you fenced? Don’t Australians usually start with foil? Maybe you did…
Marcus Cederström:
@kenia – Hairy Swede is probably a little bit like Batman. Awesome but mysterious. Probably minus the tights though. I’m just guessing of course.
Ronnie McGowan:
Tibor,
Please remember that this blog goes out accross the world: not just America (there is a world outside of America you know?)
LA Swede:
Actually, I learned about this blog from a friend in Argentina, who now lives in Lycksele.
@Ronnie McGowan-We all know there is a world outside of America. I’m sure Tibor knows that too. Transparent.com is based in New Hampshire so that may be the reason for his greeting. I’m sure it was not meant to offend.
Kenia:
@Marcus- Yes, hairy swede is indeed awesome, or at least his blog is. But of course you’re just guessing! =D
Kenia:
@LA Swede – i guess your friend from Argentina who now lives in Licksele is Ceci, an old reader of the blog who always had some nice and funny comment to post =). Too bad she apparently stopped reading the blog, it would have been nice to hear her experiences. Hope she’s doing fine
LA Swede:
@Kenia- Du har rätt! yes it is Ceci. I’m sure she still subscribes, and the last I heard she is doing fine. I believe she is busy with her family and if I remember SFI. Maybe she’ll chime in soon, since the blog went a bit dormant for a while.I’ll give her a e-buzz to see if she’ll join us.
Luke (Sydney):
Katja,
It’s actually Macquarie University at North Ryde, Sydney. It’s a bit far from Canberra, but if you are in NSW that’s where you find epeeists.
I fenced foil at high school (year 10-12) in Taiwan, and fenced into the team squad in my final year and we won the 1st place in that year. Very much never touched my sword again until migrated to Australia and started fencing foil again at MU. As there are so many epeeists in the club, it wasn’t a very hard decision to switch.
Since you are a half Aussie and have family in NSW, there is a good chance we will meet on the piste one day. I better really work on my Swedish now 🙂
katja:
Oh, Sorry. Canberra UNI looks a bit like that… Wow, I’d really like to be better at foil “moves”. Do you come from Taiwan? I’m actually half american and half scottish, though my dads family moved from Scotland when he was about 11 to Australia. I’m born in Sweden so I have international roots but am rooted in one place. Are you living in Sydney now? Planning on moving to Sweden? What makes you interested in Sweden and Swedish culture?
Luke (Sydney):
Hi Katja, From Australian’s point of view, you are half Aussie and you can’t get away with that.
Foil “moves”? I think I actually know what you are talking about. Without giving away my age, no one did the flick thing in my foil days.
The electronic scoring devices were not used then, you see…well, not in Taiwan at the junior level anyway. One big selling point for me to switch to epee as it’s harder to flick.
I used to work for a Swedish company in Sydney—where I live for the last 18 years after moving from Taiwan—and there are quite a few Swedes in the office.
I picked up a few lines from them and very much started from there…and of course one of them is a very beautiful Swedish girl who l learned every first things of Sweden from.
I am also interested in pre-Christianity European culture/history: Sweden, considering its distance from Rome, has preserved quite a lot (like the Julbocken).
Don’t get me wrong, I like everything Italian…pizza, coffee and German made cars, etc. 🙂
katja:
Hi Luke, I haven’t experienced very much Italian except the Swedish version of their pizza.
I’m really impressed that people could actually fence fairly without electricity! Was fencing in Taiwan different from Australia?
What type of stuff have you picked up, Swedish-wise? If you want to know anything about Sweden please don’t hesitate to ask me, I’d love to be able to help in any way! I’m sure you know a few things that I don’t, and therefor we could exchange a lot.
Luke (Sydney):
That’s a deal Katja, but I think I like to be surprised by what are posted in the blog. They are better then things that I could come up with 🙂
Having said, I actually have a question about fencing in Sweden—I never thought I could find someone to ask about this! Is it a popular sport in Sweden compared to Australia? This probably gives you no point of reference at all. I have stopped telling people that I am doing fencing, they will just give me a weird look if I do. I just say I am doing some martial art stuff instead and that got received well, funny enough.
So, do you proudly tell people you fence?
About fencing without electronic scoring devices in Taiwan, please remember this was only at junior level. I think they might have more funding now. Anyway, at the competition there were four more line judges to assist the referee. When the hit was too light and the blade didn’t stay bended long enough for all eyes to see, the point was not counted! At the club, it’s more interesting and it’s based on an “honest” system—sometimes it became “doesn’t hurt, doesn’t count”. As you can imagine fencing wasn’t very popular in Taiwan back then.
katja:
Well if you have something to contribute, I’m listening (not literally, but still) Since fencing in the north of Sweden isn’t very common most people think it is quite special. So I proudly say that I’m a fencer! I’m really sad to hear that you don’t get a good and positive response when you say you are a fencer.
Since I compete in the girls devision I mostly know what they are like as people. And believe me they can be quite “high and mighty”. The fencing opportunities for people in the south of Sweden are much better… and sadly it is mostly people from wealthier families who can continue to fence. So I’ve met quite a few brats… I have a lot more questions; about how many you fencers you are, as many girls as boys, are there a lot of competitions in Sydney?
tibor:
Dear Ronnie,
You are so right 🙂 I am sorry. I guess wasn´t thinking…that´s a bummer.
Carla:
Välkommen och tack, jag ser fram emot att din nu bloggers. Men jag gillar Anna också.
Luke (Sydney):
Hi Katja,
It’s getting difficult to get to this post now. Should we take it else where? Just send me an email to luke7ung@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to post your article about Umeå, I am looking forward to it. Tack.
Teuvo Vehkalahti:
käy katsomassa
http://www.ttvehkalahti.blogspot.com
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Teuvo
Suomi
hilda:
katja vad fan är namnet på din blogg??? jag har sökt typ över hela internet!