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What's on this weekend?

Fri, 10/09/2009 - 10:11  Tags:

I wish I had 10 kr for every time I opened up the newspaper and thought to myself – wow, can’t believe that happened yesterday and I knew nothing about it. Not that I should know everything about everything that’s on but I love events, festivals, things that are happening about the place and community stuff, at the grass roots level in particular. 

What is it about Swedish media that they wait until after an event to report anything about it??
 
I read the paper every day, at least SvD and usually Metro too and I keep my eyes peeled for what’s going on – partly because I love to get out and do stuff, partly because I am interested in what’s happening. This week I was surprised to read about the Monster Job Expo, last week it was the 200-year anniversary of the separation of Finland and Sweden. While I can understand that Monster were satisfied with the 6000 registered to their event, I am surprised that the media waits until after the event to tell us anything about the Märkesårfest – or the 200-year Anniversary Celebrations.
 
So what actually happens around here?
 
Every weekend I eagerly open up the paper to see what’s on in Stockholm and I find no shortage of information about concerts, theatre, opera or any type of performance, as well as exhibitions, the occasional lecture and the latest at the museums – but that’s about it. Compare DN’s PåStan guide for Eating Out, Concerts, Clubs, Theatre, Dance, Art, Sport, Learning, Film & Kids with our local Canadian Paper (1/3 size of Sthm) or the Melbourne guide (2++ size of Sthm) There is a definite difference in the variety, even taking into account the vast difference in city sizes. 
 
So is there less variety or just less information?
 
In a culture that is technology savvy as this one is it is hard to understand why the information would not be made available online. Swedes have been fast to make use of the internet in all its forms and functions. Despite that it is not unusual to see homemade posters around the place spreading the word about anything from a local second hand market to open day at the cat home.
 
There is however the theory that Swedes are just not inclined to volunteer information and we non-Swedes usually joke (masked frustration) about how you need to know what you want to know so you can ask the right questions to get the information you need – did you get that? You have to ask questions, and lots of them, to get information from people. A classic example is special offers – never ring a company and ask what the price is without also asking if there are any special offers – because they won’t volunteer that information. I’ve tested it – even though they are advertising the special offer in the newspaper! I wrote last week about professional networks for women – well in a meeting I had with The Chamber of Commerce and they informed me that their introductory price is 50% off - yet nowhere on their website will you find that little titbit. If it wasn’t so commonplace you could put it down to a one off – but its not, and many a foreigner will share their frustration on the matter. Swedes seem to assume that if you want to know something you will ask, it’s not their place to tell you??? But can that theory really apply to spreading information about events?
 
So perhaps there is a whole lot less happening here than in other parts of the world?
Could that really be it?
 
Anyway, if you are looking for something to do this weekend in Stockholm try any of these sites: 

DN's PåStan
Does not included a whole lot of things I know are happening this weekend.

Svenska Dagbladet / Allt Om Stockholm
Very limited categories - mostly Stockholm city.

Stockholm Town
Looks good, better categories. Lots of theatre, concerts, museums.

Gratis Stockholm
The best variety I have seen so far - perhaps because it is a list of free events.

Barn i stan
Aimed purely at activities for families they also have a wider range of events out in the community.

You can also follow
SwedenEvents or StockholmEvents on Twitter where I publish all events that come to my attention.

If you want to promote your event then drop me a line on Twitter or nicole@liveinsweden.se

Have a great weekend!

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Kungsholmen

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‘While what lies beyond the City Hall is a fairly nondescript mix of apartments, shops and offices, Kungsholmen does also have a sprinkling of tranquil parks and some neighbourhood restaurants…’* 


 
Thus, Time Out Stockholm damns my island with faint praise. But Kungsholmen, in this humble inhabitant’s opinion is one of the most fantastic areas of Stockholm to live. It isn’t just the magnificent City Hall, which even the Lonely Planet can’t sneer at. It isn’t the fact that you can walk (yes, walk) to Central Station. It’s the make up of the island overall. 
 
Stockholm tourist guides are very fond of talking about the capital being 1/3 urban city, 1/3 parks and 1/3 water. In nowhere is that more true than in Kungsholmen.  From my flat, on Kungsholmsgatan, it’s a short stroll to some of the best restaurants in town. I’m thinking of the beautiful Wijnjas, which sources the widest selection of cheese I’ve ever seen and pairs them up with exquisite wines. Or the fabulous Tabbouli, which serves up an all-you-can-eat Lebanese mezze that leaves you stuffed but still wanting more. And… oh, but I’ve got a word limit. You’ll have to come visit.
 

The parks in Kungsholmen are positioned by the water, but then it’s difficult not to hit the water here. North, South, East and West, I trundle my baby along in her pram and each time, we reach another area of water where anyone is allowed to fish, swim or sail in. Oh, and did I mention the beach? Stockholmers regularly pile up on the archipelago to get some Swedish sun, sea and sand over the summer. But us Kungsholmers just walk down Strandpromenaden (one of the prettiest walks in any country) to our little ‘private’ beach on Rålambshovsparken.
 
So the pros of Kungsholmen are easy for me to expound on, but there are some cons. It is expensive. And it’s even more expensive if you have a car (although why would you need one?) Also, there are two sides to Kungsholmen. The Eastern part is all I’ve described, with fantastic links to the 3 huge supermarkets and the mall in Fridhemsplan. If you’re way out West, you’re just not as well connected, nor are there as many restaurants and shops. However, you can still get to those places relatively easily and you always have the parks and the water, which make Kungsholmen what it is. For me, that’s Stockholm distilled into one Swedish mile.

*Time Out Stockholm 2008, p91

Written by Farrah Gillani

 

Links to Kungsholmen

Kungsholmen Municipal Site - Swedish
Kungsholmen Municipal Site - English, under City Districts
Kungsholmen Info - Swedish
Local Newspaper online - Swedish
Kungsholmen on Wikipedia

 

 

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Here are some who like to run

Mon, 08/31/2009 - 13:40  Tags:

They run for fun in the hot, hot sun
Oh me! Oh my!
Oh me! Oh my!
What a lot of funny things go by.

Such are the words of Dr Seuss in his "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish" and I couldn't help but chuckle over their appropriateness as I joined over 25 000 other women yesterday for the 10km women's run Tjejmilen. If you too like to run there are plenty of events to take part in all over the countr

In Stockholm the season starts in March with Premiermilen (10km) followed by Vår Ruset (5km) a women's run held in 17 cities around the country.

With little happening in the month of July, things start to heat up in August. In Stockholm the events calender starts back up again with famous Midnattsloppet. This 10km run has some competitors finishing around midnight and is known for the entertainment it provides - both on and off the track. The run started as an event held during Stockholm's Water Festival in the early 90s and is now also held in Göteborg and Fredriksborg.

Late summer, early autumn sees a list of other events not only around Stockholm but around the country and the entire list of coming events can be seen on the Allstars Runners site. So if you like to run or if you are looking for some inspiration to kick start regular exercise I can thoroughly recommend signing yourself up for a run! It's great fun, great exercise, a great way to see a new part of your city (or the country) and the challenge is exhilarating.

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Where to live?

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Obviously much depends on why you are moving to Sweden in the first place. If you are moving with work, you will already know which area you’ll be living in and the same if you’re moving to be close to Swedish family.

If you have just decided that Sweden is an ideal country to live in then your options are a bit more open. The main consideration for most is where they can find a job. A general migration from the countryside to the towns and cities reflects this – there are few job opportunities in the countryside unless you have the type of flexible career that enables you to work from home.

The major cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg (Göteborg) and Malmö each have their own draws (and drawbacks).

Stockholm, as the capital, is the biggest and regarded as the highest paced. Other Swedes look at Stockholmers and wonder why they want to live in such a stressful place. Having said that, many foreigners moving over still find the pace of life relaxing compared with their experiences elsewhere. Stockholm is the national cultural centre with the National Opera, Theatre, Ballet and so on all based in the city, along with many major sporting facilities. It is also a truly beautiful city set on many small islands with a lot of open water around giving the city a spacious feel. Although Stockholm is the biggest city in Sweden it is still tiny by international standards with a population of only 1.5m in the entire greater Stockholm region.

Göteborg, on the East coast, is regarded as being the more relaxed alternative to city living. Several major companies have their headquarters there (most noticeably Volvo) so employment options are still good. The city itself has a population of just under 500 thousand and so has a more intimate feel than Stockholm. It is set on a major river so once again water plays a major role in shaping the cityscape. However, being the East coast, the climate is a little less appealing than Stockholm with a lot more rain – especially in summer. Stockholmers complain of the drizzly climate on the East coast.

Malmö, with a population of 250 thousand, is the smallest of Sweden’s ‘major’ cities. However, with the opening of the Öresund bridge, there are now quick and easy connections to Copenhagen with all the benefits that brings. Malmö is a relaxed city with a milder climate – it is far enough South that winters do not necessarily bring mountains of snow.

If you are not tied to big city living, your options are virtually limitless. Landscapes vary between flat, farming land in Skåne to the mountainous, forested, untamed wilds on the border with Norway. You can find more information on the different regions of Sweden at Visit Sweden. This is mainly aimed at tourists but should give you enough of a taste to start refining your search. It also has more information about the three cities mentioned above. 

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Barnvagnsrullet - a terrible long weekend saved by a sunny cycling Sunday

Sun, 05/24/2009 - 21:24  Tags:

After being stuck at home with a sick child all week, and another who had to be home because of logistical issues (1+1= 2 bickering kids), I was oh so grateful to get out today, head into town and get some exercise.

Kieran has strep throat - a first for us although an apparently common childhood sickness. It also meant that we were in quarantine once we got the diagnosis - two days of antibiotics to kill off the bacteria that had infested this throat and ears - and that was after he had been at home on the couch for 3 days! Mum wondered what that was called in Aussieland and I'm still not sure - perhaps we just never got it as kids. Still, she was glad that the doc didn't give antibiotics for a virus - little does she know that docs NEVER give antibiotics here unless they have to, and NEVER for a virus - only for bacterial infections!! Many complain about how hard it is to get the GPs to write prescriptions, and even then they are pretty mild doses - not a bad thing if you ask me.

So, 5 days later, a little boy who is revived and full of energy - sick of lying around and ready to have fun. And a big sister who had also been home because of logistical issues who was absolutely bored. Add to that a man who is in the busy period of his year and who is even less keen than usual to leave the cave and go on adventures.

Just to spice things up a bit none of our friends wanted to come out and play this weekend, they were all busy with their lives - lives that didn't include us(!) - hear the indignation in my voice? ;-)

AND if that wasn't bad enough one of my closest friends broke the news to me of her inevitable departure......

Luckily we got out on the bikes today and saved the weekend. Feeling ridiculous I put on suncream this morning and packed our raincoats along with our picnic and off we went. With Kieran on the back of Ty's bike and Makaila in the chariot towed by me we headed through town and over to Gärdet to Barnvagnsrullet.

Barnvagnsrullet is a family day organised in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö and sponsored by Metro. The sponsoring was so good in fact that the little gocarts, the facepainting, and the novelty balloons were all free if you could endure the long queue. There were also a few sponsors giving out free stuff and a quiz walk (tipspromenad) with prizes being lotted out to those with correct answers. It was a fun, festive kind of atmosphere and the kids enjoyed watching the facepainting, paddling in the water and hanging out at the TomTits stand. Makaila had a turn at the gocarts and we ate our lunch listening to the music and watching all the activities.

 

The kids swapped spots for the journey home which meant Kieran could nap in the chariot while Makaila got a faster ride. And she wants to know why I get upset when her father rides his bike without any hands!! Sure its fun but not with my daughter on the back!

I do love riding the bikes into town - there is a lot happening, a lot to see as we rode along the waterfront the kids saw boats & ferries, ducks, dogs, people walking, kids playing, trains, trams, buses and all the other things that interest little kids. There is always a chance a crazy person will step out in front of you so being in the driver's seat you need to stay focused. Saying that we almost only rode on bike paths in and back and any pedestrian crossings are clearly marked so you can be ready to brake, just in case. You see so much more on a bike, you smell it, you feel a part of it. Bicycles and Stockholm are a fantastic combination.

We only did a 20km round trip but there are several hills and a big bridge to be encountered along the way, so my legs are feeling it tonight - that best kind of tiredness. And I am so glad I put on the sunscreen, Ty is looking very red here beside me....

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