Swedish News

 

  • Bergman Center for artists.
    Linn Ullmann, daughter of the late Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann, wants her father’s house on Fårö to become a center for artists, and she would like to see all of Fårö involved in the project. “Bergman’s estate on Fårö can help make the picture of Fårö and Gotland something more than just a summer paradise for tourists,” she writes about the project. Ullmann, however, hasn’t come up with a big enough budget. Her mother Liv Ullmann is also involved in the fate of the estate. Bergman’s house will be sold through Christie’s in London; it’s appraised at ten million SEK ($1,427,366) but will most probably be sold for double that sum. Bergman himself, according to his will, stated he wanted his belongings to be sold to the highest bidder, but had also expressed an earlier wish that his house be used by artists. “His heirs, all of us, are in agreement that our father’s will be followed,” Linn Ullmann says, “but these procedures take time.”
    (Note: personal property of the legendary Swedish director and filmmaker will be up for auction at Bukowski’s in Stockholm on Sept. 28. More info, http://www.bukowskis.se)

  • Rules to break.
    At the office there are rules, but some of them seem to be more OK to break than others. When Swedish employees were asked what was sort of acceptable to do at work, 62% said it was OK for somebody to become drunk at staff party, 37% said it was OK to flirt with a colleague, 36% said it was OK to speak loudly, 24% said it was OK to gossip, 23% said it was OK to not clean up after oneself, 20% said it was OK to dress sexy, 12% said it was OK to boss assistants and new employees around, and 11% said it was OK to suck up to the boss. We don’t break any of these rules – do you?

  • Tea on the town.
    We’ve told you the best places in Stockholm for a cup of java, but what if you’re a tea drinker? Well, here are a few spots where you can get a good cuppa served with a crisp scone. Afternoon tea, British style, involves a certain kind of manual: There are little sandwiches, and there are scones and pastries, all are to be consumed in a certain order and at a certain time. It is, as Swedes say (and the Brits certainly agree), “ordning och reda” with this tradition. At Esters the- och kaffehandel (Folkungagatan 95, subway stop: Medborgarplatsen) Afternoon tea is served on Fridays at 2-6pm, on Saturdays at noon till 5 pm and on Sundays at noon till 4 pm. For 115 SEK – around $16 - you get freshly baked scones with six different kinds of marmalade, knäckebröd, cheese, and assorted cookies. Esters also has 120 different types of tea to choose from. Chaikhana at Svartmangatan 23 (subway stop: Gamla Stan) serves Afternoon tea on weekdays from 11 am -7 pm and on weekends between noon and 6 pm. For 140 – 180 SEK ($20 – $25) you can choose between a British- and French styled tea, with either sandwich or scones or croissant and a pastry. Classic Tea Room (on Rörstrandsgatan 25, subway stop: St: Eriksplan) will give you classic Cream tea with clotted cream, shortbread and marmalade. The décor is very British, floral and sweet. For afternoon tea stop by on Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm. It will set you back 169-189 SEK ($24 – $27).

  • Swedes drink more smuggled liquor.
    Swedes are buying less beer abroad but are consuming twice as much smuggled liquor compared to the first half of 2008 according to a new report by Centrum för socialvetenskaplig alkohol- och drogforskning, SoRAD). The week Swedish currency and fewer trips abroad might be the explanation. In addition, while Systembolaget (the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly) reported record sales, overall alcohol consumption in Sweden didn’t increase in the first six months of 2009 due to the decrease in travel-related imports. According to SoRAD, Swedes drank an average of three deciliters (roughly 10 oz) of smuggled alcohol each during the first half of 2009.
    More info, see http://www.sorad.su.se

  • Jean Bernadotte: The man we chose.
    Our hero is tall and exotic, handsome with black hair and flashing eyes. Women love him, soldiers adore him, and enemies respect him. Author and historian Herman Lindqvist takes a closer look at Jean Baptiste Bernadotte in his new book “Jean Bernadotte. Mannen vi valde” (“Jean Bernadotte. The man we chose”). Bernadotte, as described by Lindqvist, is righteous but has a terrible temper. At 30 he’s a general, at 40 a marshal, and in a desperate moment when Sweden has lost both Finland and an heir to the throne his name comes up as a random idea – not many seem too enthralled. Until, that is, Bernadotte gives the Swedish government a bid they can’t refuse: All war debts paid off. He bought the Swedish throne. Lindqvist, as is his habit when it comes to our Swedish kings, paints a fairly flattering picture of one of our most important immigrants. Bernadotte comes across as a man who is well put together and a bit power-hungry. He rarely takes any risks. In retrospect, Bernadotte was good for Sweden. He accepted the loss of Finland and immediately turned his gaze towards Norway and thereby created new and better conditions for Sweden. Albert Bonniers förlag, 2009. ISBN: 9100115576

  • Avoid Omega-3.
    Supplements containing Omega-3 oils should be avoided during the ongoing flu pandemic, according to researcher Magnus Lindskog, MD at Uppsala University. Lindskog referred to studies done on laboratory animals and people, which show the body’s defense against infections, especially viral infections, to be impeded by Omega-3 oils. “Even if clinical studies still are lacking, one ought to be careful,” he writes and asks all doctors to dissuade their patients from using the supplement if only momentarily.

  • Umeå Europe’s cultural capital in 2014.
    The small university city in the far north of Sweden, Umeå, has been selected as Europe’s Capital of Culture for 2014, thus becoming the northernmost city in Europe to win the one-year title. The Swedish Arts Council said on its website on Tuesday a jury chose the city of about 75,000 based on a strong application that promoted the Sami culture of the region. The title, which has been given out since 1985 on a rotating basis through EU member states, is currently shared by Lithuania's Vilnius and Austria's Linz. Umeå will share its 2014 title with a Latvian city, yet to be announced. More info on Umeå, see http://www.umea.se

  • Peeing in indoor pools increase asthma risk.
    According to a new Swedish study, peoples’ habit of relieving themselves in public swimming pools may heighten their risk of asthma if the indoor pools lack proper ventilation. Sveriges Radio (SR) reports that water samples taken from 18 randomly chosen indoor public pools around the country revealed that a majority of the pools had nitrogen levels well above accepted levels. Nitrogen levels are often used as a proxy for determining the amount of urine in public pools. Eight of the pools tested had nitrogen levels higher than 2 milligrams per liter of water, while three pools had more than 5 milligrams of nitrogen per liter. “If it’s more than 1.5 milligrams per liter I’d begin to think a little that we’re dealing with contaminants in the water and that we have to check where it’s coming from. And most likely it’s people who are causing these high concentrations,” said Michael Ressner of Socialstyrelsen (Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare). One liter is the equivalent of just over a gallon of liquid.

  • “I got plastered after stopping the car.”
    A driver in southern Sweden with a high concentration of alcohol in his blood has been cleared of any wrongdoing after convincing jurors that he first started drinking in the moments after he stopped his car.