Three years ago

Three years ago, Matts and I went skiing for the first time in Switzerland (and for the first time whatsoever for Matts), in Flumserberg. Matts has been complaining a lot about us not going skiing this season, but this year we will take a rain check on carving down the hills. Next year we plan to be back in the slopes, if not in the Alps at least somewhere in Sweden.

Life insurance

There's one thing that really upsets me about some parents. Not all, since many are grown up and responsible as they should be, but unfortunately too many don't seem to understand the importance of this subject.

So what am I talking (or rather writing) about if not one of the cheapest life insurances that exists: the bike helmet! For more than six years we have had a law in Sweden saying that children up to the age of 15 must wear a helmet riding a bike. So far, all is well. What upsets me is the fact that so many parents don't wear a helmet.

What crosses their minds when they decide they don't need one, but their children do? Certainly not the fact that their children need their parents alive. Or that no matter how good a biker they are, not everyone else out there is biking or driving their car with 100% control at all times (even if they of course should). Or that we, as parents, are extremely important as role models for our children. Or that the hairdo really isn't as important as our lives.

What I find most upsetting is parents biking without helmets with their children on the back of their bikes or in a bike trailer, kids wearing helmets. What if there is an accident and the parent gets severely injured and the children watches it all happen? Of course, helmets doesn't protect anyone from broken bones, but it can make a big difference if we get into an accident.

So if you bike and don't already have one, go to the nearest bike or sport shop tomorrow to invest in the cheapest life insurance there is and show all those kids that you are a cool grown up using your brain and wearing a helmet.

Buying vegetables

When I was a child, my parents had to weigh and put price-tags on all the fruit and fresh vegetables they bought. This has long been history in Sweden. Instead, the cashiers learn all the four digit PLU codes by heart (or occasionally look in a table) and all the costumers have to do is to put the apples or onions in a plastic bag. I was amazed to come to Switzerland where the "old" system is still up and running. And when I by mistake forgot to tag my cauliflower or eggplant, the cashier took I run (and I really mean a run!) to the fruit and vegetable department to weigh it in for me. That's what I called service.

But at the same time it's kind of stupid. Because if they had a scale and a catalog of PLU numbers by the counter, they wouldn't have to take that run. And if they had a scale and all the necessary PLU codes by the counter there would be no need for the costumers to do the job themselves at all. In the end, it would mean that the costumers have to wait a tiny bit longer by the counter, but save much more time in the vegetable department since there is no risk of forgetting the cucumber number before reaching the scale (since in Switzerland, every vegetable and fruit have a number, and by the scales you press the individual number for every item). I guess this is what the supermarkets in Sweden figured out long before I bought my first orange.

However, Sweden being in the frontier, the scales are now reintroduced. Not for every Tom, Dick or Harry, but for everyone following the self-scanning trend. So now, we who call ourselves the go-aheaders run around the supermarkets with barcode scanners, fooling ourselves that we are saving time while what we really do is to save the cashiers from work. And of course, self-scanning means that we have to go back to the scales for the potatoes and watermelons we buy since there is no cashier in the end to do the work for us. And to confuse it all even more, even if you are not a self-scanning costumer, you can still use the scales and "save time" at the counter (in case there's an unexperienced cashier who doesn't know all the PLUs by heart) by spending an eternity by the touch screen that goes with the scale to find the image of that fennel...

Some stores in Switzerland also have the self-scanning option, and something tells me that they will completely skip the scales-at-the-counter-step, no matter how costumer friendly that would be.

Happy New Year!

We spent the evening with good friends and good food! We watched the fireworks from the dining room instead of going out in the wind and leaving our sleeping beauties alone...

The pig of 2010

Candy time - finally

At last I managed to finish the Christmas candy of this year. Mmmmm...

The shortes day of the year

Today it's the shortest day of the year. Here in Lund the sun will rise at 8.35 am and set at 3.36 pm. Not too bad, I have to say. In Knivsta, where we will live next year the sunrise is at 8.48 am and the sunset is at 2.50 pm. Then comes the "extremes": in Brugg (where we lived while in Switzerland) the sun is up between 8.12 am and 4.39 pm whereas in Boden, where I grew up, it only shows itself over the horizon between 10.03 am and 12.59 pm. This is however very much compared to places above the polar circle, like Kiruna, where the sun neither rises nor sets at the moment. They have to wait until a bit into January to see the sun again, after 25 days of darkness with only a bit of dawn immediately followed by dusk. But on the other hand, the sun never sets there between May 30 and July 15! Feel free to compare to this. Now, what do you say about that? One thing is sure: it'll only get brighter from now on.

Snowstorm

It's snowing today. A lot. And since Skåne is so flat, it's not only snowing, it's snowing horizontal. In this beautiful weather I took Inga to the gym for the last mother-baby-class this year. The walk there was ok, the walk home was another workout session. :-)

Lucia

So, yesterday it was the day of Saint Lucia here in Sweden. I didn't have the opportunity to watch any Lucia train this year, something I hope will change next year since it's such a beautiful thing to experience. Take a look here to see for yourself (it's mostly in Swedish of course, but since music is universal I am sure you can enjoy it nevertheless):

Luciamorgon

In this show, some of the most popular singers in Sweden contributes. The man, telling the story behind Lucia, is a well know actor (and luckily for you who don't know Swedish, the stories are quite short).

This link will work until January 13th 2011.

Saffron buns

Yesterday I finally got down to baking the traditional Saffron buns that we eat this time of the year in Sweden. Tomorrow, December 13th, it's the Lucia Day here and the tradition is to eat Saffron bread and gingerbread cookies on this day while listening to the Lucia and her maids singing seasonal songs. The dough to the buns gets a really nice yellow color from the saffron.

Yesterday night Matts and I had an evening fika consisting of the saffron buns, some Zimtsternen as well as Swedish mull wine with almonds and raisins. Yummy!