Swedish National Day and the big week that was!

Monday: The job trial I almost didn’t make it to.

After a miscommunication with a bus driver I was left standing at an unknown busstop in the middle of  who knows where?!  But with some unusual luck  I made it safely to the newly designed Artipelag because a kind  off duty bus driver with an empty bus found me  and dropped me close to the my desired destination. Seriously….. ‘Hail to the bus driver’.

I  was out out in the countryside near the Stockholm archipelago for my job trial as a pastry chef and baker. I  put on a pastry chef uniform and helped make cakes, twisted baguettes, ‘kanelbollar’, the ever popular swedish cinnamon buns and many more yummy things. I enjoyed an amazing staff lunch made by the quality chefs in the Artipelag restaurant and then had a final interview with the head chef.  And I just made it back in time for beach volleyball training later that day.

Tuesday: Suprise Svenska Test.

On tuesday morning I turned up to my Swedish Class thinking I could enjoy a relaxed lesson of learning…instead I was confronted by a 3 hour long National Level Test.  The only person out of our 3 classes to not know there was a test. Without studying and without a nervous buildup I breezed through it without much trouble. Relief.

Wednesday:  Jampacked Swedish National Day

Wednesday was always going to be constantly full of fun as Sweden was celebrating Sweden’s National Day. A ‘röd dag’ (red day) on the calender, meaning  a swedish public holiday.   So there were festivities galore… First Alex and I started by cycling to Södermalm around lunch time to the  ‘Make Music Stockholm’ Festival. An event with free performances, exhibitions and demonstrations located across the city. We saw bands playing on street corners, bands playing on stages and bands playing in local squares.

From acoustic, 60’s rock ‘n’ roll, to country and rock. After some toe tapping and hand clapping I cyckled off for a beach volleyball training in the sun with some of the players from the Stockholms beach volleyball clan.

Post training I cycled back into the city in the late afternoon  to listen to more music before meeting some friends at ‘Smaka På Stockholm’, a food, beer and wine festival at Kungsträdgården. The multicultural food stalls, a big music stage,  thousands of people and pleasant weather the atmosphere was perfect for celebration the national day.

The Swedish National day is celebrated very differently compared with the Norwegian National Day on the 17th May, just across the border.  The Norwegians are known to celebrate with champagne breakfasts, crazy parties and patriotic flag wearing, very like the Aussie style of celebrating, while the Swedes are more low key and less patriotic in their celebrations.

We did have a glimpse of the Swedish Royal Family in convoy,  making me think the Swedes might catch on to celebrating more passionately in years to come. But for now the Midsommar celebrations are more important and celebrated with more enthusiasum.

Thursday: Good news in one moment

A phone call from the head chef at Artipelag had decided with the head pastry chef and baker that I would be a great addition to the team. Following the good news I celebrated with a good training session on the beach volleyball court. Check out where I will be working.  http://www.artipelag.se/ (website in Swedish and English)

Friday: The countdown

On friday the two week countdown started.  My little sister Alice and her boyfriend arrive on the Swedes most important day of the year, Midsommar. Just in time

Saturday: Oneteaspoon, the European Championships and the Aussie Volleyball Men’s Team qualify for the Olympics.

Australian clothing brands are hard to come by in Sweden, especially brands that make good jeans. I found a store that sells not only Oneteaspoon but their awesome jeans aswell. Jeans perfect for the Swedish summer or the Swedish winter.

Football fever has taken over Europe and that includes Sweden. Saturday night the opening matches begun for the European Football Championships . So girls, take note… for the next four weeks expect all male football fans to ditch social events, take control over the TV remote and have selective hearing. You have been warned.

After a stressful and exciting qualifying campaign the Aussie Men’s Volleyball Team qualified with a smashing win against China in their last match to seal the deal for a spot in the London Olympics. Congratulations to all the players and especially to their support staff that I’m sure believed and backed them 100%.  http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=35152&Language=en

Next week, life begins all over again.

A night with TIMBUKTU the Swedish Rapper and Reggae Artist

Timbuktu 

After many years of dancing along  with my Swedish friends to music made by the Swedish rapper and reggae artist Timbuku, I finally got to see him live in concert at Stockholms ever popular Gröna Lund Amusement Park. Despite the dreary conditions of rain and a cold snapp, his performance was well worth freezing for.

Timbuktu took over the Swedish music scene in the mid 2000’s. He is best known for his songs:

Alla Vill Till Himlen Men Ingen Vill Dö ( Everyone wants to go to the heaven but nobody wants to die)

 Det Löser Sig ( It will work out)

Resten Av Ditt Liv( The rest of your life)

 All songs are in swedish.

The ‘grown up’ Timbuktu nowadays  I’m sure is just as charismatic as he was few years ago. Only now he’s had a haircut and his  hip hop look has been replaced by a more stylish clean cut look.

The setlist for the night was a generous mix of both his older stuff and his more recent stuff.                                                                                                         Talented and entertaining, a few hours with Timbuktu in the rail, hail or shine is just what you need for good time!

”Don’t be embarrassed by your elders” Jeff Buckley.

”Don’t be embarrassed by your elders” Jeff Buckley wrote as I waited for him to sign my autograph book. And he repeated those words kindly and seriously to me as he wrote them.

Over 15 years ago today I met the one of a kind Jeff Buckley as he toured around Australia. I was 9 years old.  I still have the autographs from him and his band. The memory is still very clear in my mind. A glass of red wine and a few smokes combined with the melancholic atmosphere that surrounding him that night is something that I will never forget.

Exactly how I remember him.

My parents and their friends gained access to an almost ‘secret gig’ downtown in Sydney. The performance was in an underground music store.  My little sister and I were allowed to join them. I’m not really sure why they brought us along but I am very glad that they did. I listened to his music  constantly growing up as a young child and all through my adolescence. I  loved his music even when I could not understand the lyrics and  emotions.

I  still love his music today and now I can appreciate it more  and understand it a little better.  When I heard of his drowing 15 years ago today I was devastated. Sometimes when I think about this tragedy or listen to his music it saddens me to know someone so talented is no longer around.

Known for his sacred voice and vocals, the rock artist was on a level unlike any other.  Humble and mellow the singer was another star  not born tough enough for stardom.

Another goodbye.

To remember Jeff Buckley  through his music see, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/jeff-buckley-death-anniversary-music_n_1552394.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003#s=1030268

Aussie takes 15 kronor food challenge to Sweden – The Local

Living below the line in Sweden.Aussie takes 15 kronor food challenge to Sweden – The Local.

The Local, Swedish Edition helps spread the word.

The Local- Sweden’s News in English was kind enough to write a story, while helping me promote awareness within the Swedish Community for  the ‘Live Below The Line’ Challenge for poverty I start next week. Check out the story:)

http://www.thelocal.se/40640/20120504/

Live below the line.

Could you do it? Survive on a diet worth $2 a day in Australia, 15kr a day in Sweden or 1.60€ a day in Europe?

This is what extreme poverty is like for 1.4 billion people around the world, including all living costs. You can do the ‘Live below the line’ challenge yourself or donate your spare change, which I know most of you have…so no excuses.

I accepted the challenge last year in Australia and I’m doing it again, but this time here in Sweden. Sweden is a country that has some of the highest standards of living in the world.  I know that spreading the word to all the Swedes and anyone else willing to listen will make a difference.

A possible combination for the living below the line diet.

How far will my 15kr take me over 5 days? A few options as seen above may enter my limited diet next week; lentils, rice, egss and maybe some fresh produce. Donate to a great cause and find out how I survive on the bare minimum in Sweden, donate  because you can or test yourself and do the challenge and raise the money yourself.

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/beachhannah

The basic rules:

-No spending more than the total amount over the 5 day period. $10 in Australia, 75kr in Sweden and 8€ in most places in Europe.

-Full cost of all the items you consume must be included in your budget. Example:  A whole packet of rice or sugar. You can divide these costs if you are working in a team.

-You must include the cost of any other food you get – from the pantry, the garden, or ‘donated’ by friends.

If 5 days is too long due to lifestyle etc… then you can try it out for one day. All donations at all are welcome! If you’d like to get behind a great cause see the link above and give me some support!

The donations raise funds for educational opportunities in the developing world and creating widespread awareness of this important issue.

To find out more see:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/au

J.Rohkämper