Swedish History: Who was Birkaflickan?

TRAVEL —

Start off your virtual tour in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. On YouVisit’s website, you can walk around classic tourist spots like the colorful houses of Gamla Stan (Old Town), as well as 360-degree views of Skansen open-air museum, the Royal Palace, and more.

If you’re missing the beautiful spring flowers of Kungsträdgården (King’s Garden), Stockholm 360 has a virtual panoramic tour. Try not to get lost in the crowd.

CULTURE —

For a dash of culture, the Royal Swedish Opera is currently streaming ballet and opera performances — just brew some tea and pretend your couch is the VIP seating in the theater.

Choose from full-length operas or documentaries; or if you want something quick, there are also 20-minute Short Stories. No log-in or payment is required, and you can access it from this link.

Fotografiska, Sweden’s most popular photography museum, has a variety of interesting articles, interviews, and photo galleries to inspire and widen your world.

On Google Arts & Culture, Sweden’s Nationalmuseum has an interesting virtual exhibit about Swedish women artists.

NATURE—

For those who miss the sights and sounds of Swedish nature, no worries: we have just the thing.

You can start your day by looking for moose before having a picnic near some campers and going on an evening swim with some local Swedes — all from the comfort of your home. These 360 videos from VisitSweden will have you traveling to some of the best places in Sweden.

If you prefer something a little colder, visit the Arctic wilderness through YouTube. Aurora photography company Lights over Lapland has created a variety of stunning videos that will have you meeting local Huskies, going reindeer sledding, or seeing the Northern Lights shine above.

LANGUAGE —

If your Swedish has gotten a little rusty (or if you want to start learning!), the non-profit organization Kompis Sverige has a program called Språkkompis that matches up foreigners who want to improve their Swedish with a native speaker.

FOOD —

Finally, wind down your trip across Sweden by making some delicious Swedish pastries. That’s right – it’s none other than Cinnamon and Cardamom buns! This Airbnb online experience will teach you how.

Of course – we at Swedes in the States have a few recipes up our sleeves:

Try creating our favorites: Lingonberry Cheesecake, Swedish waffles, or Tunnbrödsrulle.

Recipe: Everything You Need To Make The Ultimate Swedish Waffle

Recipe: Lingonberry Cheesecake

Recipe: Tunnbrödsrulle by A Swede in the Kitchen

This article was originally published on April 15, 2020

The Norwegians respond to Will Ferrell’s Super Bowl commercial

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February 11, 2021

READ: Why Will Ferrel Hates Norway

Last week’s Superbowl commercial from GM and Will Ferrell, “No Way Norway”, took a light-hearted shot at Norway for being way ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to buying electric vehicles.

But Will Ferrell’s prank of sending five million anchovy pizzas, or even his threat of wanting to punch Norway in the face, doesn’t seem to have dampened the Norwegians love for Will Ferrell or the United States.

Unsurprisingly, the EV industry was quick to respond, and the internet was in a matter of hours flooded with replies to Will Ferrell’s challenge, especially from companies in the EV industry.

Not to be outdone, the Norwegians decided to join in on the joke. Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, posted a Twitter reply making it very clear to the world, GM, and Will Ferrell, that she prefers pineapple on her pizza.

Well, thanks #WillFerrell I do like pizza. But really, anchovies? Could we have pineapple instead? And make it 5,4 million. Delivery in time for #Superbowl pic.twitter.com/6FMPcHAcN2
— Erna Solberg (@erna_solberg) February 2, 2021

But the humorous clap-back didn’t stop there. Perhaps emboldened by being the focus of the most expensive advertising slot on TV, more Norwegians got in on the act:

VisitNorway, the country’s official tourist information bureau, decided to enlist the help of kids to teach him how to find Norway on a map, after he finds himself in Sweden, instead of Norway, at the end of the Superbowl commercial.

The University of Agder got a bit worried: What if he arrived in Norway and found there was more to get angry about than just the number of EV’s on the roads? They decided to take the matter into their own hands by covering up a few other things that Norway does really well.

Why Indian Activists are burning pictures of Greta Thunberg

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February 10, 2021

Greta Thunberg is not shy when it comes to taking on governments. The eighteen-year-old Swedish environmental activist has already dressed down the United Nations, taken on the European Union, and joined protests the world over to raise awareness of environmental issues.

But last week, even she might have been surprised at the sight of Indian pro-government activists burning her photograph in the streets of New Delhi.

As is often the case these days, it all started with a tweet:

I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest.
No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. #FarmersProtest
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 4, 2021

Greta Thunberg, and other high-profile people, including Rihanna and Kamala Harris, have been trending #StandWithFarmers on Twitter. The hashtag is a sign of solidarity with independent Indian farmers who say the new reforms the government introduced last September are threatening their livelihoods.

Since then, tens of thousands of farmers have been living in makeshift camps on the outskirts of New Delhi to protest laws that change the way produce is stored, priced, and sold. The farmers say these laws will allow exploitation by big private companies and destroy their chance to make a living.

The protests have been largely peaceful, but have become violent in recent weeks. The Delhi police have cracked down, sending in riot troops and cutting off internet access.

Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, and his government are angry at what they see as western interference in Indian internal affairs. India’s foreign ministry issued a statement about, “foreign individuals”, who are posting on social media, “to force their agenda on these protests, and derail them”.

Hindu nationalists and other pro-government groups took to the streets of New Delhi to show their support for the Prime Minister. Armed with photos of western supporters of the protests and banners in English and Hindi, they made their feelings clear by setting fire to Greta and her fellow tweeters.

But Greta has already proven she does not bully easily. Although she removed her original tweet for a while, she soon reposted for her 4.8 million followers with an updated version including a reference to not being intimidated by “hate, threats or violations of human rights”. It seems not even mobs burning her photo can stop Greta from speaking up.

Featured image: Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images

Why Will Ferrell hates Norway

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February 8, 2021

Will Ferrell hates Norway.

All week we have been seeing teasers of the Super Bowl commercial featuring Will Ferrell, leaving us wondering, why does Will Ferrell hate Norway?

Is it because Will Ferrell is in fact married to the Swedish, Viveca Paulin? Or does he feel patriotic to Iceland after his hit movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga?

Last Sunday night confirmed literally none of our guesses. Will Ferrell hates Norway because… They sell way more electric cars per capita than the United States. Seems like a legit reason.

According to The Explorer, Norway has long been at the forefront in regards to Electric Vehicles:

“Norway has by far the largest market share of EVs of any country in the world. In 2020, for the first time, more than 50 percent of new cars sold were electric cars. In total, approximately 10 percent of cars on Norwegian roads are EVs, and this number will continue to climb as electric car sales continue to rise.”

General Motors, the company behind the commercial, has convinced the famous comedian to create perhaps the most hilarious Super Bowl commercial this year, to promote their electric cars and Ultium battery.

In the commercial, Will Ferrell travels to Norway with his friends, who end up in Finland, while he somehow ends up in Sweden. We’re unsure why they travel to Scandinavia in the first place, whether it is to punch Norway in the face or to make a point that GM’s new Ultium batteries are very effective long-range.

Either way, thank you GM for giving us yet another reason to love Will Ferrell.

This Pink House In Sweden Is What Dreams Are Made Of

By

Lova Olsson

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January 25, 2021

Edloe Finch Midcentury Modern Lexington Blue Velvet Sofa

-This article contains adlinks-

Right outside of Stockholm, between Sundbyberg and Bromma, lies this pink dream house.

The house’s inside and interiors are just as dreamy as the outside of the house, and this does not come as a surprise since the owner of the house was once the designer Lisa Bengtsson.

Lisa Bengtsson, the owner of Studio Lisa Bengtsson, is famous for her beautiful and popular patterns on wallpaper, fabrics, porcelain, and posters.

The house dates back to 1909, with a timeless design of a beautiful grand tower room, a bay window and of course – the pink facade. The garden is architecturally designed by Zetas Trade Garden.

The living room’s design is minimalistic yet colorful.

Tropical Palm Leaves Seamless Pattern -Removable Wall Mural

Keter Urban Knit Pouf Ottoman Set

Upper hall with entrance to the tower room.

Get the style of this bedroom with playful and soft colors.

Blush Velvet Throw Pillow

Collette Coverlet Set

Photos: Rickard Forsberg/Perfect Shot for HusmanHagberg
Broker: Christoffer Asplund

This article was originally published on March 15, 2018

The best game design programs and courses in the USA

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January 25, 2021

Game design has become an increasingly common study subject for Swedish students. Many are also eyeing the U.S. to find the right education with the hope of having a successful career in the industry. We therefor decided to compile a list of some of the schools to study game design in the U.S.

Sweden has been prominent in game design for several years and many games have been developed thanks to Swedish ideas and methods. During the 2000s, more and more Swedish companies succeeded in breaking into the international gaming market and also increased domestic interest in working in the industry and developing world-leading games and slots, including Starburst casino.

Since then, the Swedish gaming market has been growing steadily every year. Large gaming companies with a great influence in the gaming world have a connection to Sweden. A big example of that is how the Swedish gaming market had a turnover of just over SEK 24 billion in 2019 and where several companies made their big breakthroughs in the gaming world.

Some of these are Mojang, Embracer Group, King, Stillfront Group, EA Digital Illusions, Paradox Interactive and G5 Entertainment. Yes, the list can simply be made long of successful developers in game design and it has also increased the interest of many to work in the industry.

Studying game design is a growing phenomenon within the country and many quality schools are available in Sweden. Among other things, you will find game development at Futuregames, Malmö University, Stockholm University, Skövde University, TGA Education in Malmö and Gothenburg University.

Of these, Futuregames in Stockholm is the most prominent, and many with the ambition to enter the gaming industry apply to this particular school. According to The Rookies magazine – which annually awards creative schools around the world – Futuregames is ranked as the second best school in the world for game development and game design. Something that confirms this is that more than 400 active game developers in the industry have been trained at the university of applied sciences and that it is often a straight path into the big companies that work with game design and development.

However, a growing trend we can discern is that more and more are looking abroad to develop their skills in the subject and to enter the industry. Not only does it increase language skills, it also gives an insight into how work in game development works around the world and how new trends and methods can be transferred to the Swedish context.

If you choose to study the education abroad, you will be guaranteed to be relevant on the job market when you have completed your studies and have a Bachelor’s degree to be proud of. One of the many good places to take your game design to the next level is the USA, where several large universities offer good education in the field. The country is considered one of the best in game design, and if you want to be sure of getting a solid education, you should apply to the American continent.

But which bachelor’s degree programs in the USA are best for those who want to work in game design in the future? Swedes are generally known to be one of the best non-native English speakers and thus have good opportunities to complete an education in the USA.

Ringling College of Art and Design
Full Sail University
University of Southern California
University of Utah
DigiPen Institute of Technology

Ringling College of Art and Design

In scenic Sarasota, Florida sits Ringling College of Art and Design. It is a private school that opened its doors in 1931 and is one of the schools with the absolute highest reputation. The school was established by Ludd M. Spivey and initially had 75 registered students, a number that has slowly but surely increased since then. Today, there are over 1,500 students studying at Ringling College.

It is not least the computer animation program that attracts many students with big dreams to apply to Ringling College. The program is said to be one of the world’s absolute best on the subject.

Full Sail University
We are staying in Florida but moving to a slightly bigger school. Full Sail University was founded in 1979 in Dayton, Ohio but is now located in Winter Park, Florida. The school moved early, already in 1980, and was initially a recording studio. With almost 20,000 enrolled students, such a room is not really enough.

Full Sail University is a privately owned school that has won several awards and is very highly regarded especially when it comes to educations where sound and image are in focus. Looking over the list of people who have graduated from Full Sail University, there are several famous names.

University of Southern California
From the eastern parts of the country to California in the west. The University of Southern California is both a long-standing and a large university that excels in several different ways. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is today home to 50,000 enrolled students spread over 115 different countries around the world.

The University of Southern California is the largest private employer in the area in and around Los Angeles and excels partly when it comes to game design and partly in the world of sports. If you want to become a star in game development or a sports star, the University of Southern California is the university for you.

University of Utah

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the University of Utah is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state. Only four years after the state of Utah was formed, this university received its name. The University of Utah is an American public research university that offers over 100 undergraduate degree programs and a similar number of graduate degree programs.
For those who want to become game producers of experiences at online casinos in the form of slots and the like, the University of Utah is an excellent university for the purpose. With a giant campus east of downtown Salt Lake City, residents are treated to an unparalleled view of the Salt Lake Valley.

DigiPen Institute of Technology

With campuses all the way from Singapore to Bilbao, Spain, DigiPen Institute of Technology is a university at the forefront when it comes to offering game developers worldwide a high-class education. Located in Redmond, Washington, the physical university focuses squarely on computer science, animation, game development, and everything in between.

DigiPen Institute of Technology was founded as recently as 1988 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since then it has only grown bigger and today there are just over 1000 students at this well-regarded university in the industry.

Meet Eric Blomster: The creator of Svensk Husman Socks

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January 19, 2021

The Nordic Collective
Svensk Husman Socks

Not many Swedes in the States readers have missed the colorful and tasty looking socks from Svensk Husman Socks that we have been obsessed with lately.

The fun idea of creating Swedish food-themed socks came to Eric Blomster about two years ago while on vacation with friends. The sock entrepreneur from Nynäshamn in Sweden has since then managed to expand his customer base from Sweden to Asia and the United States, ultimately landing his products at Swedes in the State’s very own store, The Nordic Collective.

With a unique product on the market, we wanted to learn more about the one-man show behind the brand Svensk Husman Socks.

Tell us about Svensk Husman and how you decided to get into Swedish themed socks?

The idea behind the socks came when I was on vacation with some friends in Spain in 2018.

A friend and I sat and brainstormed one evening, and I began to think about what you could do that none of the other leading stocking providers had done.

As I am a trained chef, it felt natural to come up with ideas that included Swedish food and Swedish pastries. That is where the very idea began to take shape and the next thing I did was to figure out how it could be done.

Do you design the socks yourself?

Yes! I design and develop all products, drive sales, plan, and arrange new themes like the surströmming or the crayfish socks. I also manage our webshop and partnerships.

Do you have an entrepreneurial background?

I am a chef having worked for many years in the restaurant and hospitality industry which is how I gained a solid insight into food, food culture, raw materials and learned a lot about food in both theory and practice. I draw my inspiration from my background as a Swedish chef but today I work entirely with my own company, Svensk Husman Socks.

Which products sell the best?

My absolute favorite design is the cinnamon bun but it’s hard to say which product sells the best because it is very much based on what holiday and season it is.

In Sweden, we celebrate certain foods during the year, such as ”the day of the Cinnamon bun” in October, which naturally drives the sales of the cinnamon bun socks up. In August and September, the crayfish sock sells the best because that is when Swedes have crayfish parties.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDN8FEAHI_0/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEmIfMHdUy/

What is your vision for Svensk Husman?

My vision is to pay tribute to Sweden’s food culture through our fun socks and other products that we have.

I hope Svensk Husman has a strong and stable growth which is based on high-quality products and customer satisfaction.

To find more products from Svensk Husman Socks, visit:

This article was originally published on December 1, 2020.

Norwegian Air cancels all routes between the U.S. and Scandinavia

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January 14, 2021

The airline industry has been at a near standstill since the breakout of the pandemic. Out of the Nordic airlines, Norwegian Air has had an especially rough time with a potential bail-out from the Norwegian government being, and therefore being forced to furlough the majority of their staff.

Now it seems like the airline is looking to make further cuts in order to save itself from bankruptcy. According to Forbes, Norwegian Air will be canceling all transatlantic flights, which means that all U.S. – Scandinavias routes will be gone.

“Norwegian has long been recognized as an industry leader in low-cost travel, winning numerous awards. The company will build on this foundation, focusing on its core Nordics business, operating a European short-haul network with narrow-body aircraft. The airline will continue to meet its customers’ needs by offering competitive fares across a broad range of domestic routes in Norway, across the Nordics, and to key European destinations”, the airline announced in a press release.

Transatlantic flights have long been the reason for Norwegian Air’s massive debt. After having purchased large aircraft like the ill-fated Boeing 737 MAX and the Boeing 787, meant for long-haul flights, Norwegian has realized that the strength of their business lies in shorter flights within Europe.

“Our short-haul network has always been the backbone of Norwegian and will form the basis of a future resilient business model,” Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian Air, said.

We are sad to see Norwegian Air go!

Swedish pro-golfer Annika Sörenstam receives Medal of Freedom

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January 11, 2021