BKASC: Bo Socken

Today's Better Know a Scandinavian City: Bo Socken

"Johan August Persson and Johanna Sofia Olsdotter were married about 1854. Johan was born on April 3, 1833 at a farm called Murtorpet located in Bo socken, a parish in the province of Närke.

Murtorpet

Following their marriage, Johan and Johanna lived at this same farm. The occupation of Johan was listed in the church records as crofter, a man who rented his cottage and paid for it by working for the owner of the land a fixed number of days. Johan and Johanna had seven children, but two died at very young ages. Their eldest son, Carl August, was six years old and his brother, Gustaf Adolf, was three when their sister Emeli was born in 1861. Two years later, Emeli died just four months after her sister Anna was born. Anna also died before reaching her second birthday. A son, Johan Axel, was born following the death of Anna. Their only surviving daughter, Frida Kristina, was born in 1868. In 1871, their youngest son, Malcolm Hugo, was born.

Modern Murtorpt

During the last half of the nineteenth century, many different factors were causing people in Sweden to emigrate to the United States. Among these were religious persecution, deteriorating economic conditions, drought and dwindling land availability. In 1880, Carl August, the oldest son, decided to emigrate to the United States. Although emigration was occurring all around them, Johan and Johanna must have had considerable heartache with the departure of a son to a foreign country, knowing that he probably would never return to Sweden and the farm called Murtorpet." (murtorpet.se)

Carl August was my Great-great grandfather. He was the first among his family to emigrate to America. In the spirit of my great-great grandfather's tenacity, I made my voyage back "home."

Me, back on the farm

Sweden withdraws from Miss Universe contest

Sweden will not send a candidate to the Miss Universe contest in Mexico, it has been announced. Organizers of Miss Sweden say the international competition is too old fashioned.

"The modernization of the international competition has been significantly slower than the Swedish contest, although we see signs of change on horizon. Until the parent organization catches up we have chosen not to participate this year," organizer Panos Papadopoulos said in a statement on Wednesday.

On a related note, Swedish model Anika Knudsen has a tattoo of a lingonberry on her right buttocks (not old fashioned).

Euro-Tailgate 2007

Yesterday was the first of many days to come in which we grilled the meat of our choice on the courtyard grill in our backyard. I chose a prime cut of Danish deliciousness. The festivities were to celebrate "The Last Tutten" rather than a Brewers game, but had the tailgate feel nonetheless. Funny how grilling a piece of meat over a few beers is celebrated everywhere in the world. I guess the American tradition of man, fire, and meat isn't all that exclusive.

Fernando (Spanish with mullet) manned the grill as German, Danish, French critique.

The grill has the seemingly magical ability to attract all men within a five mile radius around its smoldering coals. Men from all walks of life forget their differences while under the grills spell, as they stand around a fire gossiping about the exotic salts and spices they have used on their prized cut of meat. Men compliment each others meats, and express their pleasure about how great it is at least once every bite. Men act on their primal instinct to watch over and guard their precious prime rib. They bribe and argue about who's steak gets to be in the coveted sweet spot right over, but not too close to the hottest coals. Every man reverts to thousands of years of evolutionary favorable behavior: i am man. man kill bear. man cook meat.

When a man volunteers to have a BBQ, the following chain of events are put into motion:

1. The women buys the food
2. The women make the salad, prepare the vegetables, and make dessert
3. The women prepare the meat for cooking, place it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and take it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand

Here comes the important part:

4. THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL

More routine:

5. The women go inside to organize the plates and cutlery
6. A woman comes out to tell the men that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation

Important again:

7. THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN

More routine:

8. The women prepare the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and bring them to the table
9. After eating, the women clear the table and do the dishes
10. Everyone PRAISES THE MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts
11. A man asks a woman how she enjoyed "her night off" and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women!

I have a theory on understanding where you stand in a relationship. Number one on the list signifies: you are joined at the hip; all the way down to six: you potentially are in a relationship.

1) buying a grill together
2) buying a car together
3) having a pet together
4) getting a joint checking account
5) buying a house together
6) exchanging/merging playdoh

ATR's: Before & After

Danish Haircut: 400 Krones ($73 USD)
Letting Jan shave it instead: free... and priceless!

comments?

Before After

100th Post Celebration!

In celebration of the 100th Swede In America post, I have shaved my head...

BKASC: Örebro

Today's Better Know a Scandinavian City: Örebro

Örebro is a smallish town in the center of Sweden, one hour west of Stockholm. The countryside around Örebro is similar to what one would expect to find in the Great Plains of the USA.

Wisconsin or Örebro?

Örebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the stream Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren.

The landscape is flat, farmed, and barned.

The city is the birthplace of Mary Stavin, Miss World 1977. She also starred in James Bond: Octopussy and A View to a Kill, as agent Kimberley Jones.

Swedish beauty, timeless.

Örebro also has a suburb, which a certain Swede in America's Swedish relatives come from... stay tuned for the climax of my Journey home...

BKASMR: Scandinavia's Fjällen

Today is a special edition of Better Know a Scandinavian City: The Fjällen (The Fells) Mountain Range.

Fjord in the fog

Known for forming the Fjords of Norway, this Mountain Range cuts through Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Whilst not the highest mountains, these peaks have the added beauty of being cut through by the many fjords and rivers of Norway.

City, on the rocks

Unknown to a foreigner, the E16 road from Bergen to Oslo isn't your typical road. First of all, look out for trucks, because they know exactly what they are doing, and do it at the highest speeds possible. A semi blew by me on several locations as we winded our way down passes that didn't look navigable a mountain goat.

Got Chains?

Second of all... don't expect the road to even be open in the middle of April. The pass is opened on a "wait and see" schedule, and it just so happened it was closed the day we wanted to pass. We spent the night in a "hotel," which was really more of a local's spare room for cases in which the pass isn't open.

Who lives here... I mean come on!

We set out the next morning hoping the road would be opened.

We're following the leader...

We got lucky, as there were a group of shipments that needed to get through, so we started our way up the pass. When we reached a tunnel's end, there was a mile or so line of trucks waiting to exit the tunnel and start the journey across. A man waved me to the front of the line behind a snowplow, and we were off.

The coast is clear

We started out wondering why we had to follow a snowplow through the snow free roads, but soon realized why. Snow started drifting, and visibility worsened to the point that one could not even see the safety plow five feet in front of them.

Or is it???

Once you are through, take pictures... it doesn't get much better than this:

BKASC: Stavenger

Today's Better know a Scandinavian City: Bergen

The Pulpit Rock

The city is situated between a group of mountains known collectively as de syv fjell ("the seven mountains"). It is also known as the capital of fjord country.

The road to Bergen is hardly a road, as there are two car ferries required in order to get to the city. I call it the Seattle of Norway, as it rains on average 270 days a year (yes it rained both days we were there.)

I'm the king of the car ferry... or at least the upper deck anyways

Bergen hosted the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest, which is a an an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), in which participating countries each submit a song to be performed on live television; then proceed to cast votes for the other countries' songs, in order to find the most popular song in the competition (AKA European Idol wayyyy... before American Idol was around [1956])

It's raining...

The fish market is obviously a central part of the city, and they sell all sorts of varieties of fish.

And also aliens... what the heck is that brown thing!?!

The road away from Bergen doesn't go too far before you take a ferry again... a ferry to heaven!

Next issue... Better Know a Scandinavian Mountain Range!!!

BKASC: Kristiansand

Today's Better Know a Scandinavian City, "The Town that Shall Stand," Kristiansand:

Kristiansand was founded by King Christian IV, who in 1641 said "here the town shall stand". It was created as a market town to encourage growth in this area of strategic significance, providing a local economic base for construction of fortifications and population for defense of the area (see Swedish dominance).

The wilderness of Kristiansand

Norway has the distinct territorial claim to the many miles of North Sea on its cost. It just so happens that in the 1960's, a vast oil field was discovered under these waters, which settled Norway's economic woes for the foreseeable future. Norway is the 3rd largest exporter of oil in the world. They smartly invested all this income into The Norwegian Government Petroleum Fund, and the country's residents have been living off of their oil profits ever since (thanks to their socialized welfare government). One would think gas would be cheap in a country such as this, but to encourage innovation and conservation, prices for petrol in Norway are the highest in all of Europe. (for more oil related goodness, read this)

In the spirit of nature, I'm riding a bear

Whilst the cities of Norway (especially Kristiansand) leave much to be desired, it is their vast expanses of nature that left me wanting more. No wonder their cities are lacking... the residents prefer to spend their time in nature skiing, hiking, and otherwise living life.

Like a Norwegian, I don't need much to enjoy life...

Norwegians are very kind, helpful, and most of all, fun-loving. They don't need fancy cars or high-rise apartments, they have all they need with their cross country skis and their faithful dingy .

My ship, the "SS Quit Playing with your Dingy"