Summer in Sweden

If you're from the Bay Area you kind of take the weather for granted. Most of the time it's comfortable out -- maybe a little too windy or a little too foggy, but basically you can go about your day not thinking much about the atmosphere. The Swedes do not take good weather for granted. Period. The drive to make the most of a sunny day is almost palpable ... or maybe that's the smoke from one of those funny little disposable grills everyone uses? At any rate, it's been a gorgeous month (unlike last May when it rained for 6 weeks straight), and we are doing our Swede-like best to enjoy the sun.

Last weekend we went to the 700th anniversary of the Bohus Fortress. Leave it to the Swedes to have like 10 fun things for kids to do there, including try on costumes (see princess Ava photo), play with swords, make jewelry, etc. Then on Tuesday we went with a few new friends to Deljon (pronounced "Del-unpronouncable glutteral w sound-n" in case you were wondering) to a little lake. Let me say that once we GOT to the lake it was lovely and we grilled on a disposable grill and everything. The picture of naked person on beach is Ava about 35 seconds after we arrived. The trip there was one of those "why-am-I-an-expat" experiences. First we all marched from the apartment to the parking lot where our rental car is with all of our beach stuff. Then I drove us all over town in circles to get to the lake, which should be like a 5 minute drive away because driving in a new city is just NOT nice. Then I parked in the wrong lot and ended up having to march Julian, Ava and Sonja 1.5 miles in the hot sun to the lake, just in time for Julian to need a nap, and Julian only takes a nap in his crib. His crib was NOT at the beach. Then we did the whole thing in the other direction, including the driving in circles bit.

Anyway, I needed a very large glass of (insanely expensive) wine after this outing, and happily, Sandy, Traci and a very funny Dutch woman named Merel were obliging. I think this picture of Sandy and Traci was taken around 9pm -- very cool to have light so late.

And finally I have to include this picture of Ava and Sonja that they took when they went to visit the moose in Slottskogen today because they are so darned cute.

Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Well, clearly the best reason to live in Europe is the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST! This year's contest, LIVE from Belgrade, included finalists from 25 European countries that, well, there are no words to describe the insanity. Perhaps this video from Spain's finalist will help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWk_1oSUqI It's actually MORE offensive when you know the words, so my apologies. But can you imagine 25 of these hum-dingers in one fabulous televised broadcast, LIVE from Belgrade!!?? Our favorite was the Latvian entry with their catchy diddy "Wolves of the Sea," performed by "Pirates of the Sea" dressed as in the photo above. Our second favorite was Ani Lorak from the Ukraine (see above as well), mostly because her publicity people say she is "most beautiful and sexiest woman in Ukraine." She also writes poetry and books, including "How to be a Princess," which we will order shortly.

Happy first birthday Julian!

Well I can't believe that Julian is 1. Where on earth has the past year gone? I think it might be hiding under a pile of Cheerios, cubed cheese and bits of grape somewhere. It certainly has flown by and suddenly we have these 2 little people in our house -- Ava in her all extraverted grandeur and Julian in his sweet and fine-featured intensity. Man do they keep us busy, laughing, confused, alive and begging for mercy. So happy birthday Mister Man, I'm so glad you loved your Swedish carrot cake!!

Quickie health report: My bapck is 95% better. Hurray! Thanks to:

• Sonja for letting Julian smear cheese into her hair while I laid on the floor
• Dr. Doust for the acupuncture, trigger point massage, manipulations, ice, heat, lydocaine patches and whatever else he did to help me recover
• The Swedish nurse who, when asked what we should do if I didn't feel better in a couple of days, simply said "you will" like a wise sage and walked out the door
  

You have to love 3-year-olds because when Ava saw me clutching my back in pain she looked really worried and said "I don't want that to happen to ME!" Indeed!

Flat on my ...

Well, just in time for Adrian to start his new job I've become basically incapacitated because of severe back spasms on my left side. I've never had this before, but the spasms are so strong when they come on that I can't breathe and sort of bend in half gasping. Walking, sitting, sleeping and all that good stuff is painful. Needless to say, I can't do anything with the kids except say "no!" or "Ava, please stop pulling Julian over that wall." Thank heavens Sonja is here to help, though I'm feeling pretty guilty sticking two kids on her.

I saw a chiropractor yesterday ($90 cash) and then just got back from the acute-care center this morning ($30 for the visit and $22 for 2 presriptions) and am hoping that I will be functioning again by tomorrow. I suppose this is how you get to know the health care system in another country. Ugh.

Auntie Sonie's here!

My lovely and very patient sister, Sonja, arrived on Thursday.

She'll stay with us until mid-August to watch the kids, cook all our meals, do the laundry and give me a daily massage. No no, just kidding -- we're only planning on taking mild advantage of her kind and generous nature so that she relishes her 20's even more when she goes home! It's already been a huge help having her here. Like last night, when Ava fell out of bed 3 times, Auntie Sonja sorted her out and Adrian and I slept, blissfully unaware, in the other room. Well, to be more precise, we were trying to get Julian back to sleep at 4am because he has a fever, but you get the idea.

Sonja and Ava are sharing a room, much to the delight of Ava. She's been peppering Sonja with important life questions like "What do lions eat?" and "Why did Jaffar called Aladdin a 'street rat'?" at all hours of the day and night. She also put a sign on the door that apparently reads "No Boys Allowed, Even Julian and Daddy." Somehow Daddy IS allowed in to read books at bedtime, go figure.

These pictures are from our outing to the town of Varberg, about 60 km south of Goteborg. Behind Adrian and the girls is the nicely restored Kallbadhuset (Cold Bath House), where you can bathe naked in the sea if you're so inclined.

Preschools

I'm thriiiiiiiiilled today because I've just gotten the final word that we have preschool spots for both Julian and Ava beginning August 4. Julian will go to the International Preschool in Guldheden (close to where we'll hopefully be living) and Ava will go to ABC Preschool right by Adrian's work. Both schools are wonderful -- I'm totally impressed by the facilities, teachers and curriculum -- and I feel totally lucky to have secured spots. Both schools have waitlists, but had some last-minute drop-outs, so we got those spots. Because they are considered "private" schools (though they get state funding and are basically free) we have a lot of flexibility in the hours the kids will go (any time betwen 7am and 6pm). The state schools would probably only give us 15 hours/week per kid because I'm not working. So this is huge because it means I can take on facilitation or other work projects if they come up, on top of taking Swedish classes. Hurray!

Julian a.k.a the one-toothed wonder

Julian, in all his 1-toothed glory, turns 1 next week. He has started doing some of those cute 1-year-old tricks, like pointing (primarily to trees, which makes me wonder if we had a life that was a little TOO urban back home that he thinks trees are so darned unusual); playing peekaboo; and touching your nose when you touch his. He's also (finally) crawling well, in addition to cruising around like mad. We've discovered this sort of funky playground nearby that is mostly hard-packed dirt with a little sand over it, and he's totally happy crawling through the dirty sand, eating a little now and then, digging with his shovel, and shouting about this or that. He also loves balls. So dirt, shovels, and balls are IT right now. Of course we think he's the cutest, sweetest little boy ever :)

Oh, and don't even ask me about the position of these photos. I've been trying for 10 minutes to put them in a nice row at the top!

Do you know where your chicken comes from?

Well in Sweden they not only know where their chicken comes from, but who raised it. Even better, they get his picture and phone number on the label of the chicken! Check out the label in this picture. I'm thinking of calling Bertil to ask him if anyone ever calls him about their roasters. Also, the chickens are about 3/4 of the size of chickens at home, which makes you wonder what the heck those American chickens are eating to get breasts the size of Pamela Andersons. Anyway, I promise to make this my last post about chicken ... for at least a month.

We made good progress yesterday on administrative stuff. In particular, we were (finally) assigned a relocation person to help us find housing, and I registered for Swedish classes (these are free to all immigrants, plus you get free daycare while you learn Swedish). The woman who took my details spoke better German than English, so we had this strange conversation where I'd speak to her in German and she's answer in Swedish and then I'd ask something in English and she'd answer in German. I guess it worked because she gave me her sister's phone number at AstraZeneca to contact about work. I thought that was really nice, though work is the last thing on my mind.

Swedish design rocks!

Swedish design is truly cool and good design just seems to be much more pervasive here than in the U.S. We went to a department store today called Ahlens, sort of like a Macy's, and I was blown about by the coolness level at this middle-of-the-road store. Take the patterns on the fabric in these pictures. I mean, you can't even find this kind of thing at Britax in downtown SF. I'm especially loving the kids home decor and clothing -- not a Disney princess or cheesy flower pattern in site! Just bright, graphic and fun prints that adults actually might enjoy being around.

Already plotting what I'm going to bring back on the boat :)

Ava

Ava has been both a trooper and a pooper since we've been here. She has amazed us by how far she can walk in her little green Crocs, her ability to meet and play with new kids on the fly, and how easily she's picked up key phrases like "vispgradde" (whipped cream), "glass" (ice cream), and "fika" (a little coffee and treat break).

On the other hand she's been flipping out about all sorts of things (like melting down at a restaurant because "she hates pizza," which she didn't 2 days ago when she inhaled about half of a pie) and whining about ... everything. Oh, and she's bitten her tongue about 5 times a day since we arrived. I'm sure this is not helped by us giving her all sorts of sugar-infused items.

I don't think we realized how stressful it would be to be in a temporary apartment with the kids with just a handful of toys and books for 2 months. The playground in this picture, Plikta Lekplats, is in Slottskogen park pretty close to us and is the hub of mom/baby activity in our area. We've been there A LOT. Lucky for us the weather has been great, otherwise we might be going crazy.

In other news, our relocation angel, Helena, managed to speed up our application for personal numbers (like social security) and we got them on Saturday! This means we can clear our air freight shipment from customs, get a bank account, get cell phones, register for daycare and Swedish classes, and generally get a life. Tusen tack Helena!

Mums in Sweden

Since last November I've been poking around a website called Mums in Sweden, a message board for English-speaking moms in Sweden. It was an invaluable resource for me when Adrian and I were considering making the move (do I even want to go to Sweden??) and then, after we decided to go, to begin to figure out the practical stuff about expat living in Gothenburg (how do I apply for daycares, register at the tax office, learn Swedish?). Last night I met 8 women site for pizza at a popular place around the corner. After dinner we wandered over to a cafe on Vasagatan -- just a fun a gorgeous night. It was so nice meeting everyone in person and hearing about their international love stories. One American woman met her Swedish husband at an ultimate frisbee conference in the U.S. Another Canadian mom did her MBA in Oslo, where she met her Norwegian husband, and they just moved to Gothenburg with their daughter. Most have had their kids here and rave about the support for families, including:

• Nearly free daycare (2 kids full-time is about $200/month)
• 12 months off at 80% pay for mom OR dad
• Another 12 months off at 80% if you have another child within 2 or so years (so THAT's why there are so many double strollers around!!)
• Moms can work 80% time for 10 YEARS
• Free healthcare

So, no commentary on the benefits because it just makes you want to cry, doesn't it? Obviously the taxes are high to pay for this stuff. At any rate, the expat community has been amazingly friendly and welcoming. We had a playdate this morning with Traci and her son Oliver in Askim. Ava cried when we left because she had so much fun. And because Traci has ice cream with cones and sprinkles and whipped cream, so clearly she is awesome.

Apartment city

We are beginning to think about where to live after our temporary housing stint ends July 1. Gothenburg is full of apartment buildings -- in fact I don't think I've seen a single-family home since we've been here, which sort of boggles my mind -- so we'll likely be in an apartment. Some are 5- or 6-story, 19th Century buildings like the ones on Linnegatan behind Adrian in this picture, and many, especially a bit further out of the center of town, are newer and uglier (and perhaps bigger and more practical for a family of 4 inside?). I have to say these 1960's boxes totally depress me, so I'm crossing my fingers we can find something in the city center, though the rental market here is horrible, for various reasons that I only half understand. Something to do with the state regulating rental prices, and therefore there being little to no incentive for owners to rent out their properties. Everything has been rolling along nicely, so I'm sure we'll find something that we like.

On another note, Julian has his first ice cream cone today and it nearly blew his mind. He was covered in it and whenever I tried to take it away he started screaming like I've never heard and tears and boogers seemed to shoot out of him. He loved it so much he sort of look possessed and I swear at one point his eyes rolled back in his head. Sadly, I didn't have the camera with me, but even people sitting near us were watching in amusement/horror.

Stroller Wars

Most things are smaller in Sweden. Take the size of homes or the slushies at 7 Eleven, for example. The big exception, and I mean BIG, are the strollers. These things are huge, with suspension systems that rival my Subaru Forester. The one in this picture has a bassinet on one side for the baby and a seat for the older kid. Can you imagine folding this up and putting it in your car? I guess the point is you don't -- you just walk everywhere with the kids. Nice, but I still don't get where people store these in their smallish apartments or how they go shopping in the narrow isles of Hemkop or other food stores. Hmmm. I used to be embarrassed taking our jog stroller over to Canyon Market in Glen Park. Not anymore!! Our BOB Revolution is positively petite next to these Hummers.

Europe with kids

You just get to a beautiful European city and what's the first thing you do? Go to a museum? Check out a few churches? Walk from one end of the city to another? No! You go to the pony rides of course! Well, at least that's what we did on our first day in Gothenburg. The pony rides in Slottskogen appear to be one of the few deals in town at a mere 20 SEK or $3.20 a pop. NOT a deal were the chicken breasts I bought a few days ago that were $20/pound or the mushrooms that were $5/pound. Mind you, this stuff is not labeled "organic," "super fancy," or "extra special." Lord help us if we decided to buy organic chicken. I'm thinking vegetarianism is sounding good, as long as we don't eat mushrooms. Or asparagus, that was expensive, too.

Home ... For Now

Our temporary home on Bergsgatan is definitely Ikea-chic with these beautiful 14-ft tall ceilings and lots of groovy Euro appliances (like a dishwasher -- finally!!). The apartment is in a nicely restored 5-story building right off of Linnegatan, a tree-lined street with lots of outdoor cafes, shops, and a tram line. There are 2 playgrounds within a few blocks and we're within walking distance of a cool area called Haga (old industrial area that's now pretty hip) and Slottskogen, sort of like the Golden Gate Park of Gothenburg. Needless to say, we are really happy with the apartment and the location. Adrian is thrilled that he'll have a 5-10 minute walk to work in the mornings (at least until July 1) starting on May 19.

I'm thinking the Swedes dig a bold pattern and white walls.

Jet Lag

Once you give up any notion of having time to relax, rest, read a book or watch a movie, flying with kids isn't that bad. Our flights from SFO to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Gothenburg were pretty uneventful (no barfing, hysterical crying, etc.), except that the kids barely slept. Aren't planes supposed to make kids pass out for long periods??

This picture is of the kids on the way to the airport in the HUGE Suburban that took us from my Mom's to SFO. Ava loved our driver, Manny, and was visibly upset that he wasn't at the airport in Gothenburg waiting to take us to our apartment.