Hello Every one,
It was the day of the earthquake when I came home to New York from Sweden. At first the pilot said there we will be a delay in landing, then a few seconds later we had clearance. No one had a clue what was going on. I only heard the news when my room mate picked me up from the airport. My past week has been getting re-adjusted to the time zone, the muggy weather, starting a new job and spending Saturday preparing for hurricane Irene.
I was keeping informed about the storm. Sad about the loss of lives. There is much damage along the coast line.
Our Living complex was lucky. No power outages or major damage. Just one tree fell and plenty of branches covered the walkways.
What a nice break to leave the New York City for a while. A family member was getting married and I was part of the wedding. The city of Goteborg, Sweden was very peaceful. Cold and rainy at times. I've been asking myself "why did I return?" I miss the peace.
Here is my opinion of Sweden - It is the perfect place to raise your children but it is not the perfect place for retirement.
I will answer that number one question.............No there is not an abundance of blond blue eyed beauties running carelessly around. Actually it is a very conservative culture. Swedish people are very shy in their behavior. The society is family oriented due to the number of women in power. When I go there, I transform any sign of New York aggression to a soft spoken gentle person who smiles a lot.
Here are some pictures of the wedding location. It was cloudy for a while then the sun came out. This establishment is huge. Two large dinning rooms, a bar, a lounge area, one large patio, two small patios and a outdoor area.
Every Saturday in Sweden is "Goodies Day". This is a huge Swedish tradition. These people pile up on the candy and treats. I'm talking big bags of candy. Then they go home to watch movies or go out to an event eating bags of candy. Sweden has strict standards when it comes to food. For example they will not allow "junk chemicals" to be process in the candy or food. No animal products here.
Yes, I did pick out a candy that was made out of violet flowers and honey. Salted Licorice is the biggest thing and Swedish fish are available in all kinds of shapes, flavors and combinations. They are huge on marshmallows.
This is Ivan, he is a professional rock climber. He searches for new and challenging places to climb. He does not use equipment only his bare hands.
Nothing says happiness than a bag full of candy. Adults are in the candy store more than the kids.
What else do Swedes eat besides Swedish meatballs..... CHEESE , I mean a block of cheese in the economy size. Also, raw salads, Wasa crackers in all varieties, caviar and yogurt. In the USA You have no clue what yogurt taste like until you have had a Swedish style yogurt . The choices of yogurt is overwhelming. I had one yogurt with green tea. There yogurts are very pure. It did not upset my system. The regular yogurts processed in the states will cause my nasal passages to clog up after one spoonful. This is why I avoid them.
What did I eat there ? My family did not have a blender for me to create meals. My menu was salads, raw vegetable Soups, fruits and nuts. I found one health food store that sold a few raw foods. I got a pack of raw crackers. Now that I'm back in New York I can prepare my food again.
My seven year old niece loves making salads. Every night we would invent a new combinations.
I arrived during the time of the Art Culture Festival. The last two weeks in August are dedicated to diverse cultures from around the world.
Here are some pictures of Goteborg.
Enjoy!
Check it out - 7 Eleven and Burger King side by side.
You know I had to go into this store. Come to find out the owners are not from Brooklyn. They are from Africa. They have never been to Brooklyn. I was not allowed to take pictures of the merchandise. Their "stuff " is a throw back from the Run DMC days. Great for nostalgia.
Thank You for Reading
Peace and light to You.
