Nordstjernan 2007

The Swedish North Star, continuously published since 1872. Price per copy $3.50.

Volume 148 No. 7, May 01, 2020.

Why coronavirus may change the way we care /p5

dashboard | may 01, 2020 SCANDINAVIAN QUIZ

licorice C) chocolate D) marzipan

For the love of licorice

One of the things that many Swedes miss when they leave Sweden, even if it’s only for a short time, is “lakrits”—licorice. Especially the salty variety, which is difficult to come across abroad.

But what is licorice?

According to University of Maryland’s Medical Center, licorice is a flavorful herb that has been used in food and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. Also known as “sweet root,” licorice root contains a compound that is about 50 times sweeter than sugar. Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to liver disease.

The herb has long been valued as a demulcent (soothing, coating agent) and expectorant (rids phlegm and mucous from the respiratory tract). It is still used today for a variety of conditions, although not all its uses are supported by scientific evidence.

One human study found that a preparation of licorice may reduce body fat. With its active ingredient glycyrrhiza, licorice can have serious side effects and health risks if taken long-term. People who regularly consume large amounts of licorice (more than 20 grams per day) can get elevated levels of the hormone aldosterone, which can cause headache, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Name’s Days of the Swedish Calendar Namnsdagar i maj

May 01 May 02 May 03 May 04 May 05 May 06 May 07 May 08 May 09 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 1

Valborg Filip/Filippa John/Jane Monika/Mona Gotthard/Erhard Marit/Rita Carina/Carita Åke Reidar/Reidun Esbjörn/Styrbjörn Märta/Märit Charlotta/Lotta Linnea/Linn Halvard/Halvar Sofia/Sonja |

New York Chicago Stockholm Kiruna Lund Los Angeles 2 NORDSTJERNAN

3 Which of these languages is not one of the five in the Nordic branch of the Germanic languages? A) Swedish B) Faroese C) Icelandic D) Finnish 4 Where did the singers of ABBA first sing together 50 years ago this spring? A) open mic night B) on the beach C) in Benny’s dream D) at a royal dinner 5 By 1875, Denmark, Sweden and Norway had merged what? A) their currency B) flag design C) oversight of reindeer D) strict queue rules CULTURE

Namnsdagar

Reidar - May 9 The man’s name Reidar is an old Nordic name, and with this spelling it has a Norwegian origin. The Icelandic version was Hreidarr, which was formed by combining “Hreid” which means “home” or “house” with the ending “-arr,” its meaning unknown. Older Swedish versions were Redhar, Rear and Reor.

The name is fairly uncommon but had a period of popularity during the 1930s and 1940s.

7 What is “hemleverans,” which has gained popularity in the Nordic countries in recent weeks? A) sewing PPE B) cloud watching C) blood donation D) home delivery

8 What happens during spring’s Swedish “kosläpp?” A) cows jump for joy B) unmarried men dance in the moonlight C) winter’s leftover candle stubs get melted D) knitters’ unwanted yarn is sent to Linköping 9 When does a Swede perform a “husesyn,” a special house inspection? A) every time a mother-in-law visits B) before moving in C) when a baby is born D) the first time a new guest visits 10 What is a “klämdag?” A) laundry day B) the day between holidays C) annual clam bake D) a bad hair day

Maj

Märta – May 11 Märta or Märtha is a variation of the name Margaretha, and was initially spelled Märeta when it was first used in Sweden during the 14th century.

Margareta means “pearl” and is of Persian origin.

Märta was added to the Swedish Almanac 1901 to honor the new Norwegian crown princess. Märta was a common name and still is, although much less so among younger generations. There are 27,027 women with the name.

founded in new york city in september 1872 Nordstjernan (ISSN 1059-7670), founded in New York City in September 1872, is published by Swedish News, Inc., 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 • Readers services and editorial submissions: P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan, CT 06840 Periodicals Postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. www.nordstjernan.com, Nordstjernan is published semimonthly, except for the months of May, May, September when it is monthly and Augustwith no issue.

Sunrise & Sunset

5.54 am 5.46 am 4.48 am 3.36 am 5.23 am 6.03 am

2 During the “Age of Enlightenment” in the 1700s, what became fashionable in Scandinavia? A) nude beaches B) writing with runes C) domesticating moose D) wool trousers for women

6 Which Nordic country has not issued an official coronavirus lockdown policy? A) Iceland B) Norway C) Sweden D) Finland

Answers: 1:B, 2:B, 3:D, 4:B, 5:A, 6:C, 7:D, 8:A, 9:D, 10:B

favorite lördagsgodis candy 1 What (usually) has its own festival each spring? A) Swedish fish B) black

7.52 pm 7.49 pm 8.43 pm 9.39 pm 8.46 pm 7.37 pm

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this week…

May TO DO

05.01 SING TO WELCOME SPRING: (No demonstrations this year.) On “Första Maj” singing usually gets organized as student and men’s choirs gather on university steps and in parks—and this year on YouTube—all over Sweden.

05.01 MAY IS FLOWER MONTH* / BLOMSTERMÅNAD, as it was earlier called in Sweden, or lövmånad (leaf month) sometimes in the north. Maj can also mean green leaves and twigs, and as a verb, maja means to decorate with wreaths or green twigs (compare with Majstång - Maypole).

05.04 THE HAYMARKET RIOT / On a darker note, this event, also known as the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, is the single most influential event in the history of the labor movement in the U.S. and the world. What started as a peaceful rally to support workers striking for an eight-hour day turned into a massacre after anarchists threw a bomb. The event is generally considered the origin of International Worker’s Day, May 1.

05.09 EUROPE DAY: A day commemorating Robert Schuman’s 1950 declaration of creating a united Europe to preserve peace and create prosperity after World War II. The declaration became the foundation for the European Coal and Steel Community, an organization of six European countries and a predecessor to the European Union.

Swedish student celebrations canceled /p5

Dashboard, p4-5

Measures for $10 billion / The new Nordic man / Europe’s automotive industry is starting up again/ Student celebrations canceled / Many apply to university / Nursing programs see a surge / Coronavirus may change the way we care/ New electric truck from Sweden.

Viewpoint, p6

The grim truth about the “Swedish Model.”

*May flowers are sold every year in Sweden by thousands of children. Although fundraising begins on April 23, children will not start selling until after the summer due to the corona pandemic. The Swedish Majblomma (the May Flower) is actually a pin sold to collect money for charities that benefit sick and handicapped children. A tradition since 1907, when little flowers were given as a “receipt” to children who helped other children, the Majblomma pins are a different color every year. At left, the fiery red 2020 Majblomma.

We may not always store extra toilet paper, but after experiencing the corona pandemic, will we ever stop considering how we interact with others, wash our hands, use face masks on flights?

Will things ever return to normal?

On April 16, the Swedish government decided to extend the temporary entry ban by 30 days, until May 15. This mainly applies to foreign citizens who try to enter Sweden from countries outside Europe. Swedish citizens and people residing in Sweden will continue to be able to enter, as will people with extenuating circumstances. While these kinds of measures won’t be permanent they may very well alter what we view as “normal.”

There’s a new virus season every year. Few viruses evolve into pandemics, but the new awareness of their impact will be lasting. In our part of the union, the Northeast, people are changing their way of life. Families cook together and they bake together. Due to such high demand, fresh or active dry yeast is next to impossible to find (turn to p16 for a bread recipe that doesn’t require yeast).

Organizations and industries have had to rely on digital meetings for a long time, and everyone seems to agree it has worked beyond expectation. Going back to the old world with two, three flights a week to attend meetings won’t happen after corona, not because of the fear of starting another pandemic but for a variety of reasons, climate change among them.

Education has benefited from the same measures. Perhaps the classes consisting of 20, 30, sometimes hundreds of students being in the same room for hours have passed. We’ll find more efficient ways to run our schools, possibly engaging a far greater number of people.

The fallout and impact of this virus will change the lives of many and there is much discussion of its disruption. However, we should take this time to appreciate what we’ve missed and embrace the changes that could form a world more equipped to deal with these challenges and those yet to come, “the new normal.”

Travel will return, the stores will be stocked, and people will go back to work. In the mean time we hope you will enjoy this issue’s feature on a visit to Sweden’s westernmost populated destination, the Koster Islands, half a mile west of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän.

Dream of trips to come, stay safe and be healthy,

The archipelago of dreams /p10

Swedish arts and culture to follow from home, p9

Discover Swedish, p19

Common verbs: pratar, skickar, fixar ...

Swedish News, p22

Corona virus in Sweden / Twice as many job seekers / Unemployment could reach 13.5%/ Economists: More state aid needed / DNA testing under scrutiny / Fewer crimes during the pandemic / 80 percent survive intensive care.

Baking with Anna during a yeast shortage. /p16

Ulf Barslund Mårtensson Editor & Publisher

The Exchange Rate:

$1.00 = SEK 9.98 (04.17.2020)

MAY 01, 2020 3

dashboard | may 01, 2020

Measures for $10 billion

The Swedish government’s spring budget presented on April 15 was historic. It contains measures for SEK 107 billion, extra money for municipalities and regions—relief for companies such as shortterm permits and reduced employers’ fees. One of the largest increases in 2020 is 20 billion to regions and municipalities, of which SEK 12.5 billion is a permanent support. Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson does not rule out additional crisis measures. The government wants room for more ways to curb the corona crisis and has proposed that the ceiling for central government expenses be increased by SEK 350 billion to SEK 1,742 billion.

The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news. founded in new york city in september 1872 executive editor

& publisher:

Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) copy editor:

Amanda Olson Robison (editor@nordstjernan.com) managing editor & production: Everett Martin graphic design: Nadia Wojcik (design@nordstjernan.com) contributors:

Chipp Reid - Ted Olsson - Leif Rosqvist - Kitty Hughes Ulf Kirchdorfer - Valorie Arrowsmith Bo Zaunders - Göran Rygert - James Kaplan - Gunilla Blixt publications director:

Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333, ext 12)

nordstjernan p.o. box 1710 new canaan ct 06840 contact us at 1.800.827.9333 ext 10 for reader services, email: subs@nordstjernan.com; ext 12 for advertising, email: ads@nordstjernan.com www.nordstjernan.com Covering three worlds: Sweden, America and Swedish America.

Order your own copy, $55.00 for a year (18 issues) Choose ‘subscribe’ at www.nordstjernan.com or call 1.800.827.9333, ext 10 4 NORDSTJERNAN

He cooks, he cleans, he cares for the children and plays soccer, too. There is a firm belief in Scandinavia that women and men must be able to participate in working life on equal footing. In order to do this, they must share the work at home.

The new Nordic man In Scandinavia there’s a firm belief that women and men must be able to participate in life on equal footing. In order to do this, they must share the balance of work outside as well as inside the home. After all, it is tough for any family to survive—or for a woman to have a job—if the mother works full-time and also does all the laundry, dishwashing, vacuuming and child raising.

Many North Americans would probably be surprised (or envious) about the changes in equality between the sexes in the northernmost part of Europe. Throughout the Nordic countries, mothers and fathers are entitled by law to stay home for long periods after the birth of a child without losing their jobs or their paychecks. In Sweden, for example, parents of both sexes are entitled to a total combined 480 days (16 months) of paid parental leave. Swedish dads must take at least 90 days of those 16 months; the days don’t expire until the child is 8 years old. Subsidized daycare for the children of working parents is considered a right rather than a privilege.

Since the majority of Scandinavian mothers with small children work outside the home, the fathers are routinely expected to do their fair share of chores in the home. From this has

emerged the New Nordic Man, a guy who takes pride in is ability to cook, clean and be a good parent to his offspring.

There is probably a kernel of truth in the old feminist cliché of the 1970s about equality for women implying liberation for men. “Gigantic changes have taken place in this area in recent decades,” ethnologist Åke Daun, himself a child of the 1930s, said in an interview a few years back.

“My own father never gave a thought about house cleaning, doing the laundry or cooking food.”

The well-respected academic, who died in 2017 was at the time retired from the University of Stockholm, and used to cook most of the food in his own house on weekdays, since his wife worked. “I look for good recipes and try to make interesting dishes,” Daun said. The Swedish scholar noted, however, that the Nordic woman still has the main responsibility for the home. She generally organizes everything and takes the initiative.

This general rule may no longer be true for men born as early as the 1950s and 1960s, however. Among Scandinavian men in their early or mid-20s, a liberated attitude about gender roles at home is often routine.

Europe’s automotive industry is starting up again The car industry is starting up again after a month’s stop in production. In mid-March, production had stopped in most of Europe’s car factories due to the corona pandemic, but Volvo Cars started building at the Gothenburg factory and car production resumed during the second half of April. Among the reasons for closing were concerns for staff health, low demand and difficulties in securing safe deliveries of parts and components. Truck manufacturer Scania stated that a clear majority of suppliers in Europe were ready to resume their deliveries and started production in the second half of April while Volvo Trucks started its furnace for casting engine blocks, which takes two weeks to warm up. Both Volkswagen and Daimler are also starting their factories. In Asia, production is already underway in many factories.

dashboard | may 01, 2020

“Studenten” - secondary school graduation in Sweden.

Every year in June roughly 100,000 students graduate from the Swedish Gymnasium, and it’s just as big a celebration as, if not bigger than, the U.S. high school graduation. Above: Students at Sundsgymnasiet in Vellinge, Sweden.

Student celebrations canceled All municipal upper secondary schools in Stockholm have canceled this year’s student celebration because of the corona pandemic, reports P4 Stockholm. Several municipalities in the country have already flagged for the traditional student celebrations to be canceled.

Many apply to university Enrollments for autumn courses and programs at colleges and universities increased this year over last year. By the time the admission closed April 15, more than 407,000 applications had been received, which is an increase of 13 percent, according to the Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets- och högskolerådet, UHR). This also means the previous top listing from 2014, which was 390,970 applications, passed four percent. 9,000 applications were submitted the hour before the time expired at midnight.

Nursing programs see a surge The number of applications to study nursing have increased 33 percent, says UHR Director General Karin Röding. On March 30, the government announced that colleges and universities will receive grants so they can increase the number of study places in the wake of the corona crisis. How the seats are to be distributed among different schools is not yet clear.

The Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, scheduled for June 19-21 at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, Astoria, OR has been canceled. Astoria Scandinavian Heritage Association scholarships for graduating seniors will still be awarded.

“Women, through their unpaid housework, childcare and elder care, have kept families functioning.”

Coronavirus may change the way we care An article in the digital magazine The Conversation* is making a case for how our care system is being held together by the unpaid and perpetual labor of women. One of the authors is Leah Ruppanner, affiliated researcher at Stockholm University and associate professor at the University of Melbourne.

In the article “Why coronavirus may change the way we care within families,” the researchers write, “The global spread of COVID-19 has illuminated the care crisis that has been building for decades.

“Women, through their unpaid housework, childcare and elder care, have kept families functioning. However, COVID-19 is putting a strain on women’s abilities to keep the cogs of daily life turning. We are now starting to see the impact of what happens when women are unable to do it all.”

The dynamics have changed in every family after the rules of social distancing and working and going to school at home have gone into effect; they are bound to also change the prevailing structure of household duties in most families. The researchers explain: “For decades, scholars have warned that the bulk of the unpaid domestic work carried by

women is unsustainable. The aging of populations across Western nations will add to the burden even more as women care for elderly parents, spouses, friends and family. This will in turn significantly reduce the employment pool and add strain on those providing the care. Mothers do almost twice as much housework as fathers (based on statistics from Australia), even when they are earning most of the family income. Greater time in housework is at the expense of their time in employment, leisure and sleep.

“Without free childcare or flexible work, families are patching together a tenuous web of caregivers and family members to smooth before- and after-school transitions and to tend to sick children.

COVID-19 exposes our care system as being held together by a thread, based on the unpaid and perpetual labor of women.” *The Conversation, www.theconversation.com, is a digital magazine where researchers write articles and comment on current news and events in the world.

New electric truck from Sweden

Yet another Swedish startup challenges the established truck brands AB Volvo and Scania with an electric truck. Volta Trucks was founded in 2019

by Carl-Magnus Norden and Kjell Walöen, who are now developing an electric truck for urban environments. A first prototype is planned to be ready by summer 2020. The founders are not your typical startup founders; they are in their 60s, and rather than extensive time in the IT industry, Walöen has a long track record from the automotive industry at AB Volvo.

Volta trucks will have a total weight of 18 tons, a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour and a range of 15 kilometers per load. The plan is to have a test fleet of 20 vehicles on the streets of London and Paris, the company’s first two markets, in 2021. We previously reported on the self-driving electric truck Einride as well as Scania and Volvo Trucks electric versions. It will be a while until we see a first Volta on U.S. roads, if ever. For more info, see www.voltatrucks.com MAY 01, 2020 5

viewpoints

The grim truth about the “Swedish Model”

By Hans Bergström 04-18-2020 – Does Sweden’s decision to spurn a national lockdown offer a distinct way to fight COVID-19 while maintaining an open society?

The country’s unorthodox response to the coronavirus is popular at home and has won praise in some quarters abroad. But it also has contributed to one of the world’s highest COVID-19 death rates, exceeding that of the United States.

In Stockholm, bars and restaurants are filled with people enjoying the spring sun after a long, dark winter. Schools and gyms are open. Swedish officials have offered public health advice but have imposed few sanctions. No official guidelines recommend that people wear masks.

During the pandemic’s early stages, the government and most commentators proudly embraced this “Swedish model,” claiming it was built on Swedes’ uniquely high levels of “trust” in institutions and in one another. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven made a point of appealing to the self-discipline of his people, expected to act responsibly without requiring orders from authorities.

According to the World Values Survey, Swedes do tend to display a unique combination of trust in public institutions alongside extreme individualism. Sociologist Lars Trägårdh has expressed it as every Swede carrying his own policeman on his shoulder, with strong norms for behavior.

Yet let’s not turn causality on its head. The government did not consciously design a Swedish model for confronting the pandemic based on trust in the ingrained sense of civic responsibility in the population. Rather, actions were shaped by bureaucrats and then defended after the fact as a testament to Swedish virtue.

In practice, the core task of managing the outbreak fell to a single man: state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell at the National Institute of Public Health. Tegnell approached the crisis with his own set of strong convictions about the virus, believing that it would not spread from China, and later that it would be enough to trace individual cases coming from abroad. Hence, the thousands of Swedish families who returned from late-February ski trips in the Italian Alps were strongly advised to go back to work and school if not visibly sick, even if family members were infected. Tegnell argued that there were no signs of community transmission in Sweden, and therefore no need for more 6 NORDSTJERNAN

general mitigation measures. In spite of the Italian experience, Swedish ski resorts remained open for vacationing and partying Stockholmers.

Between the lines, Tegnell indicated that by eschewing draconian policies to stop the spread of the virus, Sweden could gradually achieve herd immunity. This strategy would furthermore be more durable for society, he stressed.

Sweden’s government remained passive. Why? For starters, a unique feature of Sweden’s political system is a strong separation of powers between central government ministries and independent agencies. In “the fog of war” it was also convenient for Prime Minister Löfven to let the agency take charge. The agency seemed confident in what it was doing and offered the government a way to offload responsibility during weeks of uncertainty.

A third reason is likely that Mr. Löfven wanted to

individuals are most contagious during the days before they start showing symptoms. And, third, the Swedish population has changed enormously in its composition.

Due to years of extremely high immigration from Africa and the Middle East, 25 percent of the Swedish population is today of recent non-Swedish descent – 2.6 million in a total population of 10.2 million. The share is even higher in the Stockholm region. Immigrants from Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan are highly represented among those dead from COVID-19. This fact has been partly blamed on lack of information in immigrants’ languages. But a more important factor seems to be the housing density in some immigrant-heavy suburbs, enhanced by a higher physical closeness between generations.

It is too soon for a full reckoning of the ef-

Deaths from COVID-19, as of April 15, 2020

Sweden Denmark Norway Finland (Germany

Population 10.3 million 5.8 million 5.3 million 5.5 million

Deaths 1,333 321 150 75

83.2 million

3,804

Dead per million people

130

55

28

14 46)

Data source on number of corona deaths: Johns Hopkins daily update 041620. demonstrate his trust in “science and facts,” by not – like President Trump – challenging his experts.

It should be noted, though, that the policy choice of the state epidemiologist has been strongly criticized by independent experts in Sweden. Twenty-two of the most prominent professors in infectious diseases and epidemiology published a sharp article in Dagens Nyheter (April 14), asking for the resignation of Tegnell and appealing to the government to take charge of a different course of action.

By mid-March, and with wide community spread, Löfven was forced to take a more active role. Since then, the government is playing catchup. On March 29, it prohibited public gatherings of more than 50 people, down from 500, and added sanctions for noncompliance. Then, on April 1, it barred visits to nursing homes, after it had become clear that the virus had hit around half the facilities for elderly in Stockholm.

Sweden’s approach turned out to be misguided for at least three reasons. How ever virtuous Swedes may be, there will always be free riders in any society, and when it comes to a highly contagious disease, it doesn’t take many to cause major harm. Moreover, Swedish authorities only gradually became aware of the possibility of “asymptomatic” transmission and that infected

fects of the “Swedish model” for managing the coronavirus, but early indications do not bode well. The COVID-19 death rate in Sweden is nine times higher than in Finland, nearly five times higher than in Norway, more than twice as high as Denmark. Though the numbers to some degree might reflect Sweden’s much larger immigrant population, the stark difference toward the Nordic neighbors are nonetheless striking. Denmark, Norway and Finland all imposed rigid lockdown policies early on, with strong and active political leadership. As of April 15, the number of deaths from the virus is 1,333 in Sweden, equivalent to 43,000 in the United States.

Now that COVID-19 is running rampant through nursing homes and other communities, the Swedish government has had to backpedal, as it has become clear that a defining feature of the “Swedish model” is a higher death toll.

Hans Bergström, a former editor-in-chief of Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s leading daily newspaper, is a professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Op-Ed by Bergström through Project Syndicate.

readers forum

InBox

Hej Redaktörn Jag har bakat Annas Kavring från tidningen.

Så god och så enkel! Bara 6 ingredienser, ingen jäst. Bravo! Tack till Anna och Nordstjernan.

Inez Törnblom, IL

This is but one of many comments about Anna’s kavring recipe in this issue - “so good yet so simple to make, only 6 ingredients, no yeast, bravo!” Try it yourself during these times of yeast shortage - p16. /Ed. Some time ago and due to a reader comment we did some research on a local Worcester bakery, the Vasa Bakery. We found no references to the Vasa bakery in our archives, it is no longer in business in Worcester and the classic Swedish Crown Bakery, which changed ownership a couple years ago, seems to struggle a bit with keeping up the traditional quality. Interestingly, we found out that Massachusetts is also home to one of the oldest retail “scratch” bakeries in the country: Lyndell’s in Somerville just northwest of Boston. Lyndell’s opened before the invention of the modern automobile and is well known as the “godfather” of all New England scratch bakeries. It opened for business in 1887, only 45 years after the City of Somerville was officially incorporated (and 15 years after Nordstjernan was founded and likely covered by our sister publication Swea, later to be incorporated with Nordstjernan). Birger C. Lindahl, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in America in 1882, changed the spelling of his name to Lyndell and converted his fresh bread home delivery route to a bakery shop. The original owner ran it for 45 years, and while the bakery has changed ownership three times since then, it continues baking things the old fashioned way. You won’t find the ubiquitous Swedish princess cake on the menu but most items are European style, fresh and handmade every day. For more info, see www.lyndells.com

287 YEARS OF HERITAGE

This Swedish Punsch is a unique blend of pot-stilled Rums from East and West Indies

Dear Editor, Boy, oh boy did you guys blow it with the note that Swedish kids don’t get an Easter bunny! Påskharen delivers eggs and candy filled eggs. You need a real Swede to proofread, perhaps?

Wike White, WA Well, it really depends on what generation you are … the Easter Bunny was first introduced in Sweden from Germany at the end of the 19th century. It never really became an Easter symbol at the time but has from time to time popped up in people’s minds as the creature behind the Easter eggs. It was definitely part of the Easter symbols around WWII and into the 1950s, and yes, the Easter Bunny does appear on eggs and as a special Easter candy to this day—also, as we’ve just found out, more and more Swedish kids are involved in Easter egg hunts, organized to find the eggs laid by none other than the bunny himself. So, all things considered, you are definitely right Wike. /Ed. (as real a Swede as they come) Bäste kultutbroder / Dear cultural brother, I moved back to Sweden after many years in Chicago and have some interesting observations to share from the old country. I have never met anyone in America who uses snus (smokeless tobacco put under the upper lip) - but there are small packages on the ground - guessing, hoping they are biodegradable - that resemble tea bags everywhere here in Sweden! They show how they tattoo on TV … everything (95%) on Swedish TV is in English - even the Allsång, the group singing, at Skansen and Liseberg. No Swedish song and music for the elderly, the pensioners!?! Now I have to work for the preservation of being Swedish in Sweden!

Per-Hugo Kristensson, former Chicago reader, now in Partille, Sweden Dear Per-Hugo, When it comes to snus, well, according to estimates based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 7.1 percent of adult men in the U.S. (roughly eight million) use smokeless tobacco in one form or another. Swedish television has been dominated by English speaking programs for a long time, and other than that it seems you definitely have your work cut out for you: Wishing you all the best on your quest to preserve Swedishness in Sweden.

(We’ll have reason to return to Per-Hugo’s experiences from Sweden in a later issue) /Ed.

Classic and New cocktails to Inspire

www.kronanpunsch.com Ask for KRONAN rum liqueur at your local store.

MAY 01, 2020 7

news in brief

Exemption from loan payments As of April 14, banks in Sweden have the option of granting mortgage borrowers exemptions from the requirement to make minimum payments on the principal of their home loans. The exemption covers both new and existing mortgage borrowers and means they can be exempted from the requirement until August 31, 2021. The Financial Supervisory Authority in Sweden, Finansinspektionen, has restrictions on how much of a loan needs to be amortized every year. If the home loan amounts to 50 percent but less than 70 percent of the value of the home, you must repay at least 1 percent per year of the size of the home loan. If the home loan amounts to 70 percent or more of the value of the home, you must repay at least 2 percent per year of the size of the home loan. A lender can only grant home loans at 85 percent of the value of the home. If the home loan amounts to less than 50 percent of the value of the home, there is no mandatory requirement for repayment.

Polar bears do not roam the streets in Sweden.

(There is not one single wild specimen in the country.)

[The] Swede is a blueprint for being Swedish: Not too little and not too much, simply lagom. Over 250 brief chapters, usefully organized like a dictionary, will make you a better Swede or at least better understand your Swedish friends, family or colleagues.

[The] Swede was written with the intent of introducing Sweden and Swedes to English speakers. It’s personal and informal and inspired by the author’s perspective of a country he loves dearly. Smörgåsbord, ombudsman and of course fika are words that were eventually adopted into English; and [The] Swede will introduce you to the rest—from allemansrätt to housewives, hugging, humor and husesyn—what does it mean to be un-Swedish?

What about Swedish sin, is it a real thing? Are Swedes boring? Are they serious? Does a person bring bananas to a dinner party?

d, Perfect boun e ideal th k, ac rb pe pa r anyone to companion fo touch of a prepare for Swedishness

Written by Christer Amnéus.

Illustrated by Bo Zaunders.

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Life Made Sweder (where it really counts)

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art and culture

Swedish arts and culture to enjoy from your home Culture connects us all. Enjoying a piece of music, a film or a painting breaks through boundaries, whether linguistic, national or demographic. In these unprecedented times, art and culture and engagement are perhaps more important than ever.

Not only do they help us connect with others and remind us of our shared humanity, empathy and understanding, thereby giving us new perspectives, they also entertain and help us relax. Thanks to scientists, we even know that experiencing a live performance together synchronizes our heartbeats. Nothing can beat sharing live experiences together.

Now, when the arts and cultural institutions throughout Sweden and the United States have closed to the public, and a lot of planned concerts, shows and conversations of Swedish arts and culture that were on their way to the U.S. have been cancelled and postponed, I have compiled a list with some highlights for you to enjoy from your home.

Music—Several Swedish artists are helping brighten up their fans’ time at home by performing online concerts.

Little Dragon was scheduled for a U.S. tour this spring. Instead they created a live session on YouTube from their studio in Gothenburg.

Jens Lekman, www.jenslekman.com, whose extensive U.S. tour also got canceled, is posting new quarantine songs every day, and First Aid Kit is doing home concerts.

On the classical side you can enjoy livestreamed concerts with the Swedish Radio Choir and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from Berwaldhallen in Stockholm - this spring they are for the first time ever performing without audiences, www. berwaldhallen.se/play.

Ballet, dance and opera—Other than the Royal Swedish Opera with its online streaming service, www.operan. se/en/operan-play, Göteborgsoperans danskompani, www.en.opera.se is showing their performance at Théatre de Chaillot in Paris, dancing SKID

by the Belgian-French choreographer Damien Jalet online until May 5.

Museums—Moderna Museet, www. modernamuseet.se, the national museum for contemporary art in Sweden, now has daily “sofatours” of their works, some of them in English. Many other museums offer virtual tours: NationalMuseum, Malmö Art Museum, Hallwylska Museum, The Royal Armory, Gothenburg’s Museum of World Culture, the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Röhsska Museum, the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, the Swedish History Museum, and the Nordic Museum can all be viewed virtually via Google Arts and Culture, www.artsandculture. google.com/project/virtual-tours.

Linda Zachrison

Cultural Counselor for Sweden to the U.S. Check the complete list, including film and TV, under “Arts” at www.nordstjernan.com.

Regular updates will also continue with our next issue, Nordstjernan 08, 2020.

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Text: Emil Sergel

10 NORDSTJERNAN

Photogragraphy: Roger Borgelid

“this is the best paddling day of my life,” exclaims the photographer Roger Borgelid on the second day. Nothing else needs to be added.

Paddling around the Koster Islands makes us kids again. It is so beautiful, so pristine and so inviting.

We aim to repeat a favorite. The idea is to go out and paddle just when the rest of the population ends their vacation and returns back to the cities again. We would like to have the archipelago here to ourselves. We like to avoid having to give way to boats or sharing camping locations. We want the beaches to ourselves, we want to walk around naked and carefree and we want to get close to wildlife in solitude and silence.

But it doesn’t start so good. The line to the ferry in Strömstad that will take us out to the Koster Islands is long. There are families with children, youth gangs and the islanders themselves all in a mess. We recognize, however, that 98 percent of these visitors or locals will remain on the main islands of North and South Koster. And in all honesty, paddling there is pretty bad. We, on the other hand, dream of uninhabited islands, rocky islets and a stunning wildlife.

Philip Davies helps us with kayaks and pretty soon, we have left both youth gangs and boat traffic behind us as we head out through the shallow Strait where boats do not get through.

We decide early for this to be a trip where we do not stress. If we find a nice spot we’ll stay there until we tire of it. It is not the quantity of the islands we get around to that applies on this trip, but how many times we go swimming and simply enjoy. Said and done. We haven’t gotten more than 30 minutes out in the archipelago before we make one long coffee break at Hästholmen, the “Horse island” (If you sign up for the Koster Swimrun biathlon in October Hästholmen is one of the islands you’ll pass). A long channel captures our interest, and here we stay. Patches of sandy bottom and soft corals make the water turquoise green and it feels as if we are abroad, somehow were transported to tropical waters. We are stuck for a long time. It is difficult to tear oneself away from the rock formations shaped by the sea over centuries, and moreover, we have an exaggerated

supply of pastries, coffee and chocolate To paddle in the Koster Islands National Park is really special. It is Sweden’s first marine national park. It has over 12,000 unique species both above and below the surface and we got acquainted with a great deal of them. It really feels that you paddle around in a unique and priceless environment but it also puts tougher demands on the kayaker. Rules are there to primarily help preserve the fragile nature the way it is. You can only make fires in designated areas and you cannot camp for more than two consecutive nights in the same place.

Already the first day offers unique animal encounters. The first is completely unexpected. A mink is running around close to our campsite looking for food. A moment later, the first seals start to show—curiously sticking up their heads to check on the new visitors and many islands are teaming with birdlife. That is also something to keep in mind when you paddle here; the protection of birds and seals are extensive. From mid-May to the

MAY 01, 2020 11

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middle of July several islands are affected by the bird and seal sanctuary, which states that you may not go ashore on several islands. This reduces the number of possible campsites while it is also the most popular period to visit. To paddle in late August was really perfect, we were almost completely alone among the islands. But not completely alone.

Two people had taken possession of one of the park’s finest campsites. Luckily it turned out that they were nice people with lots of paddling and camping experience.

They were Torbjörn and Kathrine, who run a kayak center in nearby Lysekil in the south. They were at the time up to check up the kayaking among the Koster Islands. The pressure on the habitats from German and English visitors is large and Sweden’s west coast wants to further focus on paddling tourists.

“However, we want to keep it as sustainable as possible. Small groups who know how to take care of nature. We have a network with all the kayaking spots on the West Coast and we collectively reject groups that do not behave properly,” says Torbjörn.

12 NORDSTJERNAN

It gives hope for the future. That it is not just the volumes or money that rule here. We are treated to coffee and decide to meet up later in the day.

Day two we want to examine what is under the surface. And we are lucky, visibility is almost 50 feet and it feels surreal to see the ground down there.

Mighty jellyfish float past the kayak as we head down towards Ursholmen, located far to the south in the Koster Islands archipelago. We go ashore on rocks and once again treat ourselves to way too much “fika” – pastries and coffee. Photographer Roger immediately jumps into the water with his underwater camera house while I devote myself to death-defying cliff jumps. The world subsurface is inviting and offers unique encounters. If you are lucky you can meet both porpoises, nudibranchs and the fearless fish Stensnultra, the Goldsinny wrasse. Another great experience is to test one of the two snorkel trails available on the Koster Islands. One is located at Rörvik on South Koster and another is located at Hasslebukten, the Hassle Gulf of Saltö (Salty island). They are about 700

feet long and just over three feet depth with signs that describe everything you see.

It is the combination of the high salt content and variety of environments and ecosystems that create the conditions for a rich flora. Koster Islands National Park also has a connection with the oceans’ deep ocean bottoms through the gutter running along the Norwegian coast. It is over 800 feet at its deepest.

We thought we had the best behind us. We could not have been more wrong. It is now the dreams are becoming reality. After miraculously surviving the death jumps we paddle westwards towards Tjälleskär for our rendez vous with the kayak experts. It’s probably one of my life’s best paddling experiences. The amount of islands, islets and rocks offer a massive impact. We cruise through the trenches, shallow sounds and go around bare islets and merge with minks, seals and birdlife.

We stop navigating and go on gut instinct. Covers, clothes and life jackets have been shed and I paddle in just Speedo and sunglasses. The water is turquoise green, the sky blue and the wind is

“we want to keep it as sustainable as possible. small groups who know how to take care of nature” MAY 01, 2020 13

feature barely noticeable. The water surface is still as a mirror and I am enjoying every stroke. We meet up with Torbjörn and Kathrine and relax a little by the water. The cook set comes up and we prepare our meal after the mandatory bath. We decide to set the alarm for when we later have to paddle back to civilization, to stay out as long as possible. Our newfound friends tips on a maze-like island that we just have to see. We wash up quickly, pack the kayaks even faster and head off north up towards Måskär to catch one more experience before the last ferry leaves for Strömstad.

There are a few things to consider before a kayaking trip to the Koster Islands. It takes some time before you are in the water. We drove up from Gothenburg early in the morning but was not in the water until just after two o’clock in the afternoon. The ferry from Strömstad to the islands takes 40 minutes and you need to park a distance away so it takes a little logistics before all equipment is included. There are several facilities that

14 NORDSTJERNAN

rent kayaks on the islands, but the one with the most knowledge of the archipelago, both above and below the surface is Philip Davies, who has been diving and paddling in the area for almost 20 years. You can bring your own kayak to the ferry but must then pay a supplementary fee. An easier option is to paddle out from Rossö just southeast of the Koster Islands. There is ample free parking on the island and it is an hour’s paddling to get out to the islands.

There is also no running water on the small islands in the archipelago, if you run out of fresh water you have to paddle back to South or North Koster. One should also be aware that we were lucky with the weather. The Koster islands are quite exposed and it does not take much wind for the paddling to be challenging. However, there are also plenty of islands to seek shelter behind.

But today we need no protection. We paddle on the outside of the islands on the way to the Måskär island. Out towards the open sea and we wonder

if we’ll reach Scotland first if we would continue paddling. We arrive at the island, which in fact is a fascinating maze of small water basins. It is the most fascinating and odd paddling I have ever done. It almost feels as if the basins were man made. The narrow passageways between them and the vertical walls make the experience somewhat dramatic. It almost starts to become boring but after a somewhat advanced disembarkation we go swimming again. This is a dream location for the snorkler. However, the basins are located on the south-west side of the island so you can easily encounter rough seas with high waves.

The alarm rings. It is an hour until the last ferry returns to the mainland. We reluctantly return to the kayaks. And begin the arduous journey home.

facts:

How to get there: Either by car and boat to Strömstad or by train from Gothenburg. One option is to drive to Rossö just south of Strömstad and start from there if you come with your own kayak.

Accommodation: The number of campsites are numerous, both on stone and rock. Keep an eye on the bird and seal sanctuary times during certain summer months, which stop you from going ashore on certain islands.

Suggested routes: There are no gigantic distances or overpasses and one can spend several days of cruising among the islands, or paddle at a slightly higher pace and still see quite a lot in two days. The bays on the west Burholmen offer beautiful campsites.

Useful links: On www.kosteroarna.com you can read a lot about the general area.

Kayak rental: Best kayaks and the best knowledge you will find in the new marine diving center. Read more on www.tridentdivers.se For maps of the archipelago, see www.utekartan.se Planning to join the Swimrun, see www.kosterswimrun.se The Koster Islands, Sweden’s westernmost populated spot, are located six miles west of Strömstad, Sweden. An archipelago of islets surround the two largest islands, South Koster and North Koster. South Koster has an area of 3 square miles and North Koster an area of 1.5 square miles. The landscape, dominated by smooth bedrock, bears witness to volcanic activity and subsequent wear due to the Ice Age. The rocky coastline is broken by many sandy beaches the largest being Kilesand on South Koster’s east side overlooking the 650 feet deep Koster Fjord.

South and North Koster are communities with a permanent population of around 340. There is a school, sports hall, shops, church and galleries where handcrafts and arts are exhibited. Both farming and fishing are important, and already during the 1600s Koster exported lobster to Holland. There are several small harbors, popular with sailors from both near and far. Rooms can be rented from the Ekenäs Hotel or from private homes or cabins. There is also a campsite on North Koster.

An electrically driven ferry operates constantly between the two islands, a distance of 160 feet.

As one moves inland, farmland, woods and rich vegetation becomes apparent and there are many trails. South Koster has a network of roads and paths, which can be explored by bicycle or in small golf-buggies, both of which can be rented. On North Koster you can also rent small boats. Restrictions regarding the right of access, Allemansrätten, forbid open fires and camping is only allowed at the designated campsites. Private cars are not permitted.

The two-hour drive up the coast from Gothenburg to Strömstad, passing all the fishing villages and the quaint coastal towns, is an experience.

MAY 01, 2020 15

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Baking with Anna during a yeast shortage: There are many delicious Swedish baked goods that are appreciated all year ’round, but a very special one baker Anna Bringle likes is the Swedish (Scandinavian) classic bread "kavring.” The best thing with this recipe is you won’t need yeast of any kind.

Bringle came to the U.S. from Ulricehamn, Sweden a little over 10 years ago, and established Swedishdreamish. When she is not working as a nurse, she bakes Swedish foods and American favorites with a Swedish flair. Every year local Scandinavian groups buy her loaves of kavring for their various themed bazaars. It makes good sandwiches with just about any topping. A favorite in many a Swedish household? Anna’s homemade red beet salad and sliced Swedish meatballs—another classic, a Swedish “köttbullsmacka” meatball sandwich.

Swedes know kavring makes great appetizers as well—with pate (chicken liver/ground beef/ground pork/spices oven baked) decorated with pickled mini cucumber.

Here are her favorite recipes.

Baker and chef Anna Bringle with a beautiful platter of her köttbullsmackor, meatball sandwiches.

Kavring 1 loaf

Ingredients 350 grams (2-1/2 cups) bread flour 100 grams (1/2 cup) dark rye flour 1-1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1.25 dl (1/2 cup) Swedish dark syrup (American light molasses can be a substitute—not exactly the same but good) 375 ml milk (1-1/2 cups + 1 tbsp) Directions • Preheat oven to 100°C (212°F).

• Grease one 8” loaf pan with butter.

• Mix the dry ingredients together and add the milk and syrup.

• Stir well for 5-7 minutes or until batter is smooth.

• Pour the dough into the loaf pan.

• Bake for 60 minutes then raise the temperature to 150°C (300°F) while the bread is in the oven and continue baking for 60 minutes.

• Remove bread from oven and let stand for 60 more minutes.

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Swedish style “kavring,” a dark bread, just as classic as limpa. You’ll find the Swedish dark syrup at most Scandinavian specialty stores.

Swedish red beet salad

The red beet made its entry into Swedish kitchens in the 17th century and at the time only as a delicacy in the palaces. Originally only served pickled, often spiced with horseradish, later becoming more of an all around complement to other dishes. (You may remember another classic we’ve introduced, Biff a la Lindström, with red beet and other spices mixed into minced beef.) Red beet salad (rödbetsallad) is a MUST for the traditional julbord (Christmas table), near and dear to Swedes’ hearts with all the other classic dishes. Other times, like now, red beet salad is served with the classic Swedish meatball sandwich (“köttbullsmacka”), with kavring the perfect base for it. Everyone has their own favorite meatball recipe, and here’s Anna’s red beet salad recipe:

Red beet salad

6-8 open-faced sandwiches Ingredients 1 jar pickled beets (about 600 grams) 300 grams red apples (about 2 apples) 1 small red onion 0.8 dl mayonnaise (1/3 cup) 0.6 dl sour creme (1/4 cup) 0.6 dl greek yogurt (1/4 cup) Köttbullsmackan, the meatball sandwich 1/2-1 tbsp dijon mustard with red beet salad and a cornichon. salt and pepper to taste black pepper Directions • Pour off the beet juice.

• In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

• Dice beets, apples and onion.

• Mix everything together.

• Cover and chill to allow flavors to blend.

Serve Place a couple leafy greens on your bread, then spoon a generous dollop of red beet salad on top. Arrange a sliced meatball or two with a cornichon and top it with a sprig of parsley or lemon slice.

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follow your passion in life

feature

Two American students were brought together in Gothenburg, Sweden by a mutual passion for the environment and sustainability issues. They are now studying the same master’s program in industrial ecology at Chalmers University of Technology.

Emma Brimdyr from Dennis, Massachusetts met Amanda Svensson from Canfield, Ohio on the first day of school last year.

“We happened to sit next to each other and when we briefly introduced ourselves, I realized she was an American too,” says Emma Brimdyr. “She understood all my references and we immediately became good friends,” says Amanda Svensson.

Emma and Amanda both have an engineering background from the U.S. but figured Chalmers’ program in industrial ecology could offer them a more sustainable career path.

“I didn’t want to go into your classical engineering job. I knew I wanted to focus on sustainability,” says Emma.

When she started to look for programs with a sustainability focus in the U.S., she quickly realized there were not a lot of options.

“So, I started to look for a master’s in Europe instead and found this one at Chalmers. It seemed more involved and in-depth than the other options I had looked at. It had also existed for a longer period than most of the programs back home,” she says.

For Amanda, it was the possibility of combining her interest in the environment and spending a long period of time in Sweden, a country she has occasionally travelled to since she was a child.

“Chalmers seemed interesting and is close to where my Swedish family lives. I wanted to be able to reconnect with my grandfather, aunt and cousins. I was excited about the possibility of coming here for that,” she says. Amanda’s father is from Ängelholm, Sweden but has lived in the U.S. since he married her mom in his 20s.

Because of her Swedish sounding name, she gets mistaken for a Swede all the time, which has led to some funny conversations.

“One of my teachers tried to email me in Swedish. He just assumed I was a Swede too,” she says, smiling.

As an international student at Chalmers, you are offered Swedish classes for free, an offer that Amanda was quick to accept.

“I keep getting better at it, slowly but surely. I try to listen to Swedish music and watch Swedish TV shows all the time,” she says.

Emma, who also has Swedish heritage, is try18 NORDSTJERNAN

Emma Brimdyr and Amanda Svensson mo at the same maste r’s program at Chalm ved from the U.S. to study ers University of Tec in Gothenburg, Sw hnology eden. Photo: Jenny Duan

ing to learn the language. The family on her mother’s side immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden many years ago and her mom speaks Swedish.

Taking the leap to move overseas turned out to be one of the best decisions either of them has ever made.

“When we talk about sustainability in class no one talks about how we should do sustainability at some point in the future. Being here makes me feel that we are working toward sustainability right now in a very real way,” Emma says.

“I like how involved our professors are with the fields they are teaching us,” says Amanda. “They are researchers and know what they are talking about because they have the experience. We recently had a lecture by a woman who was previously in our program and now works at the American company Emerson, which operates in Sweden. She was very real about her experience there and shared both the good and the bad. She didn’t try to sugarcoat anything and I really appreciated that.”

Education and a life

Sweden is famous for its work-life balance, something that Amanda and Emma have noticed in their day-to day-life.

“There is more of a balance here in terms of school, homework and other activities. For example, you have a structured lunchtime which I never had before,” says Amanda.

“And that lunch break is long enough for you to actually eat,” Emma fills in jokingly.

“Even when I feel busy with school, I still don’t feel as busy as I did in the last few years of my bachelor studies,” says Amanda. “Don’t get me wrong, we still do a lot of work here, too, and it all feels relevant to the stuff we are learning. But it is organized in such a way that it doesn’t take over your whole life.”

The two new friends are both set on finding a job in Sweden after they graduate next year.

“Sustainability is still a novel concept in the U.S. I feel more hopeful in finding a job where I get to do something in my chosen field here,” says Emma.

“Seeing all those great examples of people coming into our class and talking about what they are doing right now is really inspiring,” adds Amanda.

Vedrana Sivac

facts about chalmers university of technology Chalmers University of Technology has achieved the highest reputation for Swedish Universities 2019 by Kantar Sifo’s Reputation Index. http://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/ Chalmers-has-the-highest-reputation-inSweden.aspx|[Chalmers has the highest reputation among universities in Sweden] International students rate the Chalmers educational experience as the best in Europe, according to a fresh study from the International Student Barometer. http://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/ Chalmers-education-the-best-in-Europe-. aspx|[Chalmers rated best in Europe by students] Chalmers offers Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. programs. All master’s programs are taught in English.

Tuition fees: Bachelor and master’s programs: approx. $15,000/year. Higher education in Sweden is free for students from countries within the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

US friends of Chalmers scholarship: Two scholarships that cover all the tuition fees /have been awarded in 2020 to citizens of the United States of America.

For more information, see the Chalmers website: www.chalmers.se/masters and www.chalmers.se/scholarships

news in brief

PROUDLY SWEDISH For more than 150 years, we’ve proudly crafted our snus in Sweden — the birthplace of snus — and we don’t intend on changing that anytime soon.

Because if it’s not from Sweden, it’s not snus.

DID YOU KNOW? Harvesting light. Swedish startup Epishine, founded in 2016, is working to produce cheap, scalable and climatesmart solar cells. At present, these are used to create solar cell systems for indoor use to replace batteries in fire detectors and electric gadgets, for instance.

The startup has developed a unique lamination process in which two plastic films covered by the active material create solar cells that can generate electricity at extremely low light conditions. The production method uses organic materials and avoids expensive or toxic substances such as silver and arsenides. Epishine’s solar cells are the result of more than 25 years of company research at the University of Linköping. For more info, see www.epishine.se

Gamers’ paradise. In an old school in the middle of the forest in the Småland province, game developers gather from all over the world to create, collaborate and take a break from their work on the game giants. The purpose of Spelkollektivet is to help game developers find the time and place where they can complete and polish their projects and ideas. At the Spelkollektivet (The Gamers’ Collective) developers can work cost-efficiently with monthly rent options including green meals and snacks, most essentials and utilities starting at $236 weekly or $505 monthly for a single room. Some stay a couple weeks, others several months. The house is close to nature and has a relaxation area with pool, sauna and jacuzzi. “Nobody wants to live out here, so it’s perfect. It makes it easier for us to expand,” said founder James Newnorth in an interview with Swedish media. For more info, see www.spelkollektivet.com

©2020 Swedish Match North Europe AB

The universalist. The early Swedish scientists were often broadly knowledgeable “universalists” who made vital contributions to a broad range of scientific and technological progress. Olof Rudbeck the Elder (1630-1702) was a teacher, university rector magnificus, scientist, archaeologist and more. Arriving at the University of Uppsala in 1648, he pursued his medical studies so successfully that in 1652 he unveiled an epoch-making discovery: the human lymphatic system. In 1654 he laid out Sweden’s first botanical garden at Uppsala. Rudbeck was quite a Renaissance man. He urged the establishment of secondary schools focusing on technology and science, built bridges, planned water systems and taught many subjects including mathematics, astronomy and architecture.

Learn more at GeneralSnus.com.

WARNING: Smokeless tobacco is addictive.

MAY 01, 2020 19

local events

Siri Berg September 14, 1921 -April 8, 2020

Siri Berg, på sin vernissage på Ambassaden i Washington DC, mars 2019, foto Matilda Lund.

Den svenskfödda konstnären Siri Berg har lämnat oss.

Hon dog den 8 april, hemma i sin vackra lägenhet, mitt i Soho, New York, 98 år gammal, lugnt och stilla.

Jag kommer alltid att minnas Siri som en av de mest livsglada, känsliga och generösa människor jag någonsin träffat. Det var som om hon såg världen och alla hon träffade i den i samma förunderliga, och nästan självlysande färgskalor som hon själv skapade i.

I vårt första möte, en solig septemberdag för ett par år sedan, berättade hon upprymt om sin resa från Sverige som ung. 1940 hade hon nämligen bestämt sig för att på egen hand lämna sitt älskade Sverige, sitt älskade Stockholm, och resa till USA. – När jag sa att jag ville åka till Amerika så ropade min mamma “nej, nej, nej!”. Men pappa förstod att det var rätt, han kände vilka tider det var, och vilka tendenser som fanns i det sena 30-talet, så han förstod att han var tvungen att hjälpa mig.

Han sa ”du ska åka”. När jag kom fram med båten fick jag ta buss från Baltimore till NY, där möttes jag av min faster och hennes familj.

Jag frågade Siri Berg om hon tyckte att det varit svårt att slå sig fram som kvinna och konstnär, och hon svarade att det hade hon aldrig någonsin känt.

“Jag har bara arbetat!”

Men däremot, sa hon allvarligt. har det alltid varit svårt och utsatt att vara judinna. “Det är också därför jag bor här, för att alla får vara här. jag älskar att vara här, jag älskar dessa gator i New York.”

20 NORDSTJERNAN

Men hon kände sig som svensk, sa hon. Och förstod en del svenska, även om hon inte pratade själv längre.

– Och jag vet allt om kronprinsessan Victoria och prins Daniel! utbrast hon plötsligt och visade stolt upp ett uppslag i Svensk Damtidning där paret talar om ett verk av Siri Berg som de valt när de fick en gåva av Moderna Museet.

I mars 2019 invigde vi på Ambassaden i Washington D.C. en retrospektiv utställning kallad Statements, kurerad av Siri tillsammans med hennes gallerist Peter Hionas, och den visades på House of Sweden under våren och sommaren.

300 särskilt inbjudna personer, däribland Siris barn och barnbarn, och Siri själv närvarade under invigningskvällen.

Siris konst finns också på bland annat Guggenheim Museum i New York och Moderna Museet i Stockholm och visades i en större retrospektiv på Bonniers Konsthall 2018.

Siri Berg föddes 1921 i Stockholm. Efter att ha studerat vid institutionen för konst och arkitektur vid universitetet i Bryssel emigrerade hon ensam vid 19 års ålder till New York med fraktbåt. Siris djupa intresse för färg tog sig inte endast uttryck i hennes konst, utan även i hennes undervisning.

Siri undervisade i färglära vid Parsons School of Design i New York i över 30 år. Sedan 1960 arbetade hon heltid som konstnär, och hennes konst kännetecknas av geometrisk minimalism, abstraktion och framförallt, färg.

Statements var den tredje delen i en serie tillbakablickar som tillägnas Siri Bergs konstnärskap.

Första delen av serien heter In Color (2016-2017) och ställdes ut på The Shirley Fiterman Art Center i New York, följt av A Life in Color (2018) som också visades på Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm.

Statements på House of Sweden visades i två separata gallerier – ett ljust och ett mörkt. I Alfred Nobel Hall, visade Ambassaden ett urval av Bergs äldre (1967) så väl som nyare (2017) målningar.

Vi fick genom utställningen följa hur Siri som konstnär utforskar semiotik, tonalitet och form; relationerna mellan elementära former och musik, litteratur och mystik; geometrisk abstraktion och färgteori. Statements är kurerat av Peter Hionas som också var närvarande vid invigningen.

Utöver Siris fantastiska konst så visade vi även dokumentärfilmen In Color av Sara Jegeman som handlar om Siri Berg och hennes liv som konstnär.

Mark Jenkins skrev i Washington Post om utställningen, och tusentals besökare kom för att se den.

Dagen efter vernissagen bjöd ambassadör Karin Olofsdotter in Siri Berg och hennes gäster till en lunch i hennes ära, och kocken Frida Johansson

hade lagat svenska delikatesser.

Det blev en oförglömlig stund, djupt rörande och glädjefylld för oss alla.

Några månader efter vernissagen i Washington DC hörde Siri Berg av sig och undrade om hon kunde få skänka ett av sina verk till Sverige och den svenska ambassaden. Statens Konstråd beslutade att göra ett undantag från sin vanligtvis mycket restriktiva linje kring gåvor. Och sedan ett tid tillbaka hänger nu Desert, från 1970, i ambassadörens vackra residens, mitt i Washington DC och lyser, förunderligt!

Tack Siri, för allt du lärde oss att se!

Linda Zachrison Sveriges Kulturråd i Washington DC The Swedish born, New York based artist Siri Berg died quietly at her home and studio in SoHo, Manhattan on April 8. Some people have an inner light, a warmth that shines from every fiber in their body. An inner glow that makes them present in the moment in a way few people share. This was Siri, who passed away at 98.

She was born in Stockholm to a German father and a Polish mother, but left Sweden when still a teenager, all alone. Though her mother didn’t much like the thought of young Siri crossing the ocean, the political situation in 1939 worked in Berg’s favor. She left Sweden via a ship from Norway to Baltimore—a journey that at the time took 28 days. In America, a bus took her to Columbus Circle in New York City where her Aunt Henia was waiting for her. Only six months later did her parents join her in the U.S. Siri was an accomplished painter and artist of mixed media whose career and life we most recently covered when her exhibition “Statements” opened at House of Sweden in Washington DC in the spring of 2019. She is survived by two sons, Jeffrey and Arthur, two step-daughters, Harriet and Stephanie, nine grandchildren and numerous great-grand- children.

For one whose life covered so many facets, Siri never lost her devotion to her family or the countries she called home, to her friends, of which I was proud to count myself one. True grace comes through the understanding of all people’s equal values. When all is said and done, this is what will make us all miss her so very much. Rest in peace friend Ulf Barslund Mårtensson Watch our 2012 interview with Siri on YouTube www.youtube.com/nordstjernan (Part of the True Swedish series)

language & culture

Lesson 9 Vanliga verb (common/regular verbs - Grupp A/Group A) Discover Swedish is not a regular language course.

Teachers and other professionals in the language field may object to the fact that it leaves out bits and pieces, and simplifies language learning. That is a calculated move: These lessons are for regular readers, maybe even beginners, trying to get a grip on another language.

Subscribers eager to look back at earlier lessons, numbers 1-8, please check our online digital content in issues 16-18, 2019 and 01-05, 2020: www.nordstjernan.com/digital_issues Discover Swedish concentrates on grammar, hopefully in a playful way, but serious at the same time. The playfulness is illustrated in the examples and exercises. It aims at pointing out similarities but also differences between the two languages.

Apart from grammar and the overall structure of Swedish, these lessons also teach how to use your own experience with vocabulary. Discover

-ar: lova, lyssna, titta, festa.

Fredrik Ljungberg spelade fotboll.

Spelade Mats Wilander tennis?

Pratade Börje Salming engelska?

Ja, han pratade engelska.

Rottweilern älskade bananer.

De älskade pasta.

Swedish demonstrates shortcuts, mainly based on the influences of Latin and Greek—languages that are the foundation of English, Swedish and the Germanic languages. The lessons will include crosswords, fill-in sections, personal questions, Odd Man Out, word groups (like family, colors, animals), jokes, silly translations, short texts in Swedish, all in a kind of Swedish atmosphere. By partaking in Discover Swedish you will no doubt get a grip on Swedish and you may even learn a lot about svenska (the language) och svenskarna (the people of Sweden).

Christer Amnéus

Verbs in Group A in Swedish end with -de in the past time: pratade, fixade, skickade / spoke, fixed, sent.

Preteritum/in the Past (I listened to Avicii yesterday. Played, talked, loved ...)

Ordlista i slutet av varje övning/Vocabulary at the end of each exercise Sammanfattning/Conclusion: In this lesson you have learned that –de is the accurate ending in the past. Mind you, this is not the whole truth, but for now it is.

Silly translation: “Welcome to bake.”

Fler övningar / More exercises on page 23.

1. McEnroe och romarna/McEnroe and the Romans: Skriv rätt form av verbet. I presens eller preteritum?

Insert the right form of the verb. In the Present or in the Past.

1 John McEnroe (spela) ………tennis på 1980-talet.

2. Italienarna (prata) ……….....snabbt.

3. Jag (älska) ……… ...............bananer och äter dem varje dag.

4. Jag (titta) ………..................på bilar varje dag nu för tiden.

5. De (bada) ………..................i Atlanten 2015.

6. Han (vila) ……….................i huset när han kommer hem.

Augusta’s Daughter Ever wonder what made so many emigrate from Sweden in the nineteenth century?

Judit Martin’s novel, “Augusta’s Daughter,” about 19th century Swedish peasant life made such an impression on us, we decided to offer it to the Nordstjernan readership. call 1.800.827.9333 for your own copy ($24.90 incl. S&H to cont. U.S.).

The sequel,

Kajsa

was just released. The story of 15-year-old Elsa-Carolina’s illegitimate daughter Kajsa,who was cast out into the world from a foster home at the age of 8.

O rd f ö r r å d / Vo c a b u l a r y p å 1980-talet: in the 1980s / snabb: fast / äta: eat / dem: them / varje dag: every day / bil: car/automobil / nu för tiden: nowadays / hus: house / när: when / komma hem: arrive home Continues on page 23

Please send me ____ book(s) “Augusta’s Daugheter” x $24.90 = _______ Please send me ____ book(s) “Kajsa” x $24.90 =

Incl. S&H (in continental U.S.)

_______

Total: _________

Name Address City State Zip Tel. m Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan m Please charge my credit card: Card# Signature

Exp. Date:

/

SSC Code:

Mail to: Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan CT 06840

MAY 01, 2020 21

news in brief

Swedish News Corona virus in Sweden

By mid-April Sweden had over 12,500 cases of corona virus and 1,330 deaths. 530 people around the country were in intensive care. State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell responded to the critique from 22 researchers that Sweden has relatively high death rates, allegedly approaching Italy’s. According to him, Sweden’s higher death toll compared to neighboring countries is due to the amount of infected in elderly housing.

Nearly half of all deaths of Swedes over age 70 are in retirement communities and nursing homes, and the causes are under investigation.

Twice as many job seekers

The number of people who have registered as job seekers at the Arbetsförmedlingen, AF, the Swedish Employment Service, has almost doubled compared to a year ago. From March 1 to today, more than 82,000 have registered as unemployed.

This is an increase of over 89 percent compared to the same period in 2019. In March alone this year, AF received more than 54,500 new applicants.

Unemployment could reach 13.5%

The Swedish economy could collapse by 10 percent and unemployment rise to 13.5 percent this year if the corona crisis lasts longer than the government’s worst, alternative scenario. The main scenario is still that Swedish GDP falls by 4 percent this year to then turn up again and grow 3.5 percent next year. Unemployment is projected to rise from 6.8 percent last year to 9 percent this year, where it also will remain next year. “It is the largest increase since the crisis in the 1990s,” says Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson.

Economists: More state aid needed

Even more state aid is needed to cope with the Swedish economy through the corona crisis, according to several economists. One should consider the corona pandemic as a natural disaster and replace the companies after that, says Fiscal Council President Harry Flam. Former Chairman John Hassler says the companies need the support of SEK 100 billion a month to avoid bankruptcies and deep recession. The Swedish Fiscal Policy Council is a government agency organized under the Ministry of Finance tasked with providing an independent evaluation of the government’s fiscal policy. www.finanspolitiskaradet.se

Trade unions are growing

Since the beginning of the corona crisis the number of new members in trade unions has increased significantly. The increase is most significant in the more affected sectors. The Musicians’ Association and the Hotel and Restaurant Association (HRF) both gained 10 percent more members in March.

22 NORDSTJERNAN

DNA testing under scrutiny MyHeritage, which sells DNA tests to private individuals, is careless with personal information and has incomprehensible agreements according to the Swedish consumer organization Sveriges Konsumenter. More than 26 million people around the world have been gene-tested and MyHeritage is one of the largest global players.

In Sweden, it is estimated that at least 150,000 have tested themselves for genealogical purposes.

Now, the Swedish consumer organization in col-

laboration with the Norwegian organization, Forbrukerrådet, has reported the company to Datainspektionen and the Swedish Consumer Agency for violations of the Data Protection Regulation, GDPR. Due to the unclear agreement, consumers do not know which other companies can access their information, or under what circumstances, the consumer organizations say. For more info, see www.sverigeskonsumenter.se

Fewer crimes during the pandemic

20 million for reproductive health

Small grocery stores benefit

80 percent survive intensive care

The number of reported crimes in March this year decreased on average by 4 percent, compared with the same month last year. In Stockholm, the decrease was 7 percent, which is linked to the corona pandemic, according to preliminary statistics from the Crime Prevention Council (Brottsförebyggande Rådet, Brå) published in April. The decrease mainly corresponds to expectations of general reductions as a result of the pandemic, according to Brå.

By March 2020, the number of reported crimes had decreased to 120,648. Drug offenses are the only overall category that has not decreased.

Smaller grocery stores and stores in remote areas have experienced a boom during the corona crisis. For the Ica retail chain, just over 600 convenience stores increased sales by more than 12 percent in March compared to the same month last year. The increased sales is mainly in areas with summer houses where there is usually slightly higher sales during holiday times according to the retail chain.

Sweden’s authority for foreign aid, Sida, provides extra support of SEK 20 million to enable six African countries to strengthen the ability to buy contraceptives and abortion equipment during the corona pandemic. “The fight against COVID-19 threatens access to vital products and access to maternal care. It is extremely important to continue work on sexual and reproductive health and rights,” said Director General Carin Jämtin in a press release. Without additional aid, there is a risk of increased HIV, unwanted pregnancies and increased maternal mortality, according to Sida.

More and more patients are being discharged from intensive care in Stockholm, and more than 80 percent of those in intensive care survive. The situation is much better than expected, according to David Konrad, chief physician of Karolinska Institute’s intensive care department. Today, 320 intensive care sites are open in Stockholm, where 220 COVID-19 patients are currently being cared for. Every day, between six and 12 new intensive care patients are enrolled.

language & culture 2. Fördomar/Prejudice. Sätt in lämpligt ord från övning 1/ Insert the proper word from exercise 1: (Spela, älska, titta, bada, tala, vila, titta) 1. Astronauten __________________ inte tennis på Månen 1969.

2. Amerikaner ______________________ att se basebollmatcher.

3. Familjer __________________________ på tv i dagens USA. 4. John _____________________________ i Atlanten som barn.

5. Migranter från Mexico ________________________ spanska.

6. Barnen __________________________ efter skolan som små.

7. Familjen _____________________ pizza och hamburgare förr.

8. Grannarna ________________________ italienska förr i tiden.

9. Vi ______________________ på sport varje lördag nu för tiden.

Continued from page 21

KEY

KEY 1. McEnroe och romarna/McEnroe and the Romans.

1. spelade, 2. pratar, 3. älskar, 4. tittar, 5. badade, 6. vilar

Ordförråd/Vocabulary Månen: the moon / dagens: today’s / som barn: as a child / efter skolan: after school / som små: as they were young / förr: back then / granne: neighbor / förr i tiden: in those days / lördag: Saturday / nu för tiden: nowadays

3. Veckodagar/Days of the week.

Kombinera veckodagarna med lämplig bokstav nedan / Combine the weekdays with the appropriate letter below: måndag tisdag onsdag torsdag fredag lördag söndag _______

_______

a) first day of the week

_______

_______

b) finally a whole day to myself c) church time, folks

d) second day at work this week

______

______

e) the weekend starts tomorrow

______

f) the middle of normal working weekdays

g) the name originates from the Norse saga about the god who used his hammer.

Lördag, Saturday in Swedish, actually means washing day (lögardag). That’s the day when you washed your body in the old days.

4. Sju dagar/Seven days. Bilda veckodagar/Form days of the week.

Sätt bokstäverna i rätt ordning och bilda veckodagar/Put the letters in the correct order and form the days of the week.

1. gadnös _________________________ 2. dansgo _________________________ 3. datgis __________________________ 4. redgaf __________________________ 5. nådgam _________________________ 6. dragöl __________________________ 7. rostgad _________________________

KEY 2. Fördomar/Prejudice 1. Astronauten spelade inte tennis på Månen 2. Amerikaner älskar att se basebollmatcher.

3. Familjer tittar på tv i dagens USA. 4. John badade i Atlanten som barn.

5. Migranter från Mexico pratar spanska.

6. Barnen vilade efter skolan som små.

7. Familjen älskade pizza och hamburgare förr.

8. Grannarna pratade italienska förr i tiden.

9. Vi tittar på sport varje lördag nu för tiden.

KEY 3. Veckodagar/Days of the week a) måndag, b) lördag, c) söndag, d) tisdag, e) fredag, f) onsdag, g) torsdag KEY 4. Sju dagar/Seven days 1. söndag, 2. onsdag, 3. tisdag, 4. fredag, 5. måndag, 6. lördag, 7. torsdag KEY 5. Sju dagar/Seven days On Mondays I work until 8 p.m., but on Tuesdays I start at noon and finish at 4 p.m. Every Wednesday I (train at the) go to the gym and on Thursdays I meet with my old parents. Friday is a fine day. After the end of my workday I go shopping for some good food and then we have a party. On Saturday I rest and I spend Sundays with my friends.

KEY for silly translation: “Välkommen till baka” would be “welcome to bake.” Välkommen tillbaka, however, means “Welcome back” in Swedish. (Tillbaka=Back) Välkommen till nästa övning. Welcome to the next exercise, more common/regular verbs in issue 08, 2020.

5. Testing, löpande text / Running text På måndagar arbetar jag till klockan 20, men på tisdagar börjar jag klockan 12 och slutar klockan 4. Varje onsdag tränar jag på gymmet och på torsdagar träffar jag mina gamla

föräldrar. Fredag är en fin dag. Efter arbetsdagens slut handlar jag god mat och sedan har vi fest. På lördag vilar jag och söndagarna tillbringar jag med mina vänner.

Ordförråd/Vocabulary klockan 20: 8 p.m. / börja: start / sluta: finish/stop / träna: train/go to the gym/träffa: meet (with) / gammal: old / föräldrar: parents / arbetsdag: workday / handla: go shopping / mat: food / sedan: then / fest: party / tillbringa med: spend with / vän: friend

with

NORDSTJERNAN 1.800.827.9333

MAY 01, 2020 23