Archive for the ‘Sprachsalat’ Category
Recycled memories and Ayurvedic pasta
The Hindu, November 20th 2009
I went for a stroll along the beach this afternoon. After avoiding 78 tourist shops I went into the 79th one and bought something to sit on during sunset. The shop makes its own bags out of recycled newspapers. Nice looking and reused, I like the concept. My bag announces Read the rest of this entry »
Upside down or the cars outside B’s window
Life
I ate dinner at Beautiful B.’s house on the weekend. She made the most fantastic meals to prepare us for our trip to northern India and I learned new words and unpronounceable names, how turbans are warm and hurt on your forehead, that Punjabi and Hindi are to each other like Swedish and Norwegian and I tried mouthrefreshing Paan in the most amazing colors – served in my favorite little silver box.
As we talked our welcome-wine through the inner city apartment, P. wondered how it was going with the traffic outside the livingroom window – expecting an answer about the quality of super-sound-isolation-double-glass. Read the rest of this entry »
Fika, Fredde, Laxative
Sunday
Taking a long, sweet fika is a classic Swedish way of either getting away from work for a little while, or preparing physically and mentally for a tough hour to come. An average fika consists of filtered coffee, a cinnamon bun and at least one colleague. The matching feeling is “fikasugen” by the way, meaning “craving a fika”.
Before heading out for some spontaneous brain stretching on sunday, I took a luxurious fika in the suburbs, with about 27 kids and about as many dads in their 40ies.
Gateau Djursholm, a guarantee for good coffee, fantastic everything – and a lot of dads in their 40ies, Read the rest of this entry »
Love, waffles, horses and the power of cups
Affirmation
Der hat doch nicht alle Tassen im Schrank. He’s missing some cups in his cupboard!
Han har inte alla hästar hemma. His horses aren’t at home.
Der hat doch ne Schraube locker! He’s got a screw loose – at least this one matches, even in Swedish.
You recognize them when you see one but these expressions always just miss the familiar wording. Why? Bad hearing in the Middle Ages? Read the rest of this entry »
Sensitive bankers and Sonja Catani
Today’s inspiration: Sonja Catani and the latest bank bankruptcy. HQ lost its license for banking a couple of days ago, and that means trouble when you are a bank. A couple of days later the organization was bought by Carnegie, which is a good thing, since they have been through the same vale of tears and certainly can be of emotional support. Read the rest of this entry »
Swedish U-turns and the introduction of lagom
Beware of the extreme
A radio program on P1 caught my attention yesterday and I still think about it, even though it is called ”Plånboken” – ”The Wallet” – a guide for balanced household economies. The reason it got stuck with me is not my poor bank account, but that it is such a fine example for lagom, Swedens own Yin-Yang. Read the rest of this entry »
Smooth ride with shrimp
Räkmacka
”As always, she came sliding in on a shrimp sandwich”, says P.
My brain immediately begins investigating all mental associations for something that makes sense. No result, but entertaining Kopfkino of our friend entering the locale on a prawn bun, decelerating softly in an elegant turn. And then of course dismounting without the slightest bit of caviar on her stilettos.
Angenämt utlastad – Om mörka moln, ordbrist och Lena Sundströms röda cykel
Outlastad [u-ütlastad
Jag märker det redan när jag vaknar till en solig morgon på min lilla ö. Trots det äntligen blivit riktigt augustiväder, känns hela jag som neddragna ögonbryn.
Jag gör en fantastisk god kaffe med lilla mockabryggaren men njuter varken av lukten eller smaken, eftersom det är ju verkligen inget speciellt med kaffe. Read the rest of this entry »
“Nobody sings till the fat lady sings”
Peace, love and understanding
Reading about a relationship between an American writer and a Brazilian gemstone specialist makes me think of my wonderful and equally Brazilian friend M., as well as communication and understanding, two of my all time favorites.
M. and I met in the dark winter of 2005 when attending a Swedish course at Stockholms Folkuniversitet.
Our swedish skills at the time were labelled ”B-” . Read the rest of this entry »
