Our Antique Elevator

I thought I'd take you to a little tour of the place where I live. It is a building constructed in the late 30s, during the WWII (though the war did not actually involve Sweden) when materials were poor and lacking.

I don't know if the elevator was installed from the beginning or not, but the one we use today is still the one that was originally installed. Along with everything else in the building, it is K-marked, "K" for kultur, meaning this is a cultural landmark designated by the government. An architectural example of the infamous functionalism school (International Functionalism movement) in the 20s-30s.

Being K-marked means that none of the details of the building can be changed, because it is a defacto living museum, and we who live in it are museum objects!

Well, the problem with the elevator, or "hiss" in Swedish, is that it is not only small but there is only one in the building. And it cannot be made to stop on different floors on its way up or down. So only one person/group from a single floor can use it at any one time. There is often a very long wait because it moves so extremely slowly. Worse still, if someone forgets to close the metal inner door, then the elevator stops dead on a particular floor. So if I happen to have a lot of grocery bags and waiting for the elevator on the ground floor, and someone has forgotten to close the door properly, I am damned. The poor elderly people in our building have been having a hard time with this problem.

Unfortuately, as I mentioned, this elevator will never be replaced by a modern one, because it is a museum object. The best one can do is to restore the little details, like this lamp which bears the characteristics of the functionalism era... and some people in the building are so taken by it they forget about the inconveniences.

The Culture of the Mask

I recently did a sociological experiment.

Due to the rampant spread of colds and flus in Stockholm--a typical phenomenon during the long winter season each year--I decided to wear a mask when I go out in the public. I wanted to avoid getting sick.

Most people give me a really scared look, first they stare at me, then turn away, thinking "what the heck is going on?", then look back at me once, twice or even three times.

Ok, a few educated citizens did not give a damn. But it is hilarious that while I am seated on the bus, the entire section around me remains empty. It is as if there was an epidemic. Scarcely do people realize that it is their epedemic that I am trying to avoid.

One day, a cashier gave me a few curious looks and I couldn't resist "educating" him about the merits of wearing a mask. "Well, don't be scared of me," I said. "I noticed that you stared at me for quite some time so I thought I'd disspell your fear. I wear a mask to avoid getting sick. I am not sick myself." He said, "This is really rare in Sweden, you know." "I know," I replied. "But it is a smart thing to do when everybody around you is sick." He nodded, giving me an embarrassed look.

The level of awareness when it comes to transmittable disease is really low in this country, I realized. Well, the general attitude is, what is a cold or a flu? In fact, most people can't tell the difference between the two, and they often tell others that they get a cold, even though they have been coughing so much that they lose their voice. And they keep on going to work, school and gatherings. Downplaying disease is the best way to spread it. What would happen when the bird flu arrives? A typical response would be: "Oh, it's just a little cold. Nothing to worry about."

I was delighted to see people wear masks during my visit to Hong Kong. They are people having a flu or a cold, and don't want to give it to others. Although I don't think everybody does that, it seems that the awareness is really high due to the previous SARS experience. When the awareness is there, there is no more embarrassment. It's a "no questions asked," "just do it" attitude. I like that. And I think that people are much more prepared for any epidemic, despite the high density of the population there.

Unfortunately, I did not keep up my masking policy. Last weekend I had to take it down at a big party I attended, because I was the co-host and wearing a mask would amount to a high degree of anti-social attitude. And sure enough, I caught a flu--a nasty sort of stomach flu that has been circulating all over the city (or country?).

I hope that one day the culture of the mask will catch on, and perhaps even become a fashion statement :-)

Benny Andersson's Charitable Idea

This past Christmas I saw a rediculous ad. It was an ad about a new Mobile ring tone composed by ABBA's Benny Andersson. Here is what the ad says:

"By sending the word JUL (meaning, Christmas) to 72777, you automatically donate 50 kronor to the Red Cross. As a sign of gratitude, we will give you a ring tone composed by Benny Andersson. Your gift will contribute to the battle against the growing problem of loneliness in Sweden, and to give your fellow human beings a little more warmth."

First of all, how exactly do you give your fellow human beings a little warmth by sending a cold SMS? Second of all, I don't see how Benny Andersson's ring tone can bring me any joy, not being a big fan of him. He himself is not much of a warm personality to be sure. One summer when I had just moved to Sweden, I ran into him when he was walking his dog in my neighborhood. So I went up to him and was about to ask him for an autograph. I used my half-bred Swedish and asked him first if he was Björn (coz that's what my Swedish husband told me, ha ha!) He suddenly got quite angry and walked away without saying a word! I was not disappointed about not getting an autograph, but quite surprised at his petty reaction. So to associate him with the idea of "warmth" just seems like an oxymoron to me.

Well, intellectually this may be a good idea to some, but for me, it surely cannot beat going out there and touching someone's life by sharing a real smile or a real hug.

Countries I have visited so far...

Create your own visited countries map

There are so many other places I would like to visit in the future!

So I'm a Liberal?

You are a Social Liberal (63% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (25% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Wild cat on Gärdet

This afternoon I took a walk with my husband on the big field near our home, Gärdet. We were sitting on a bench when all of a sudden, a white cat with gray spots walked toward and pass us quickly, without even giving us a look. She was intent on reaching a big rock about 50 metres from our bench.

We followed her every move. With a swift jump she landed on top of the rock and found a flat surface to lie on. She started to clean her paws. Then we walked closer to look at her, but her eyes were all the time starring at the ground, in search of small animals.

Then I suddenly realized that this cat is the same cat that I found on almost the same date three years ago (picture was taken then). She was sitting on a different rock when I found her, but not too far from the one she occupied today. I was very surprised to find that this cat has survived three harsh winters! And she has grown much bigger.

After watching her for a while, we left the "non-chalant" cat alone and walked away. A few minutes later, I suddenly had an urge to go back and see the cat again. So I suggested to my husband, "Let's go back." We did, and right there and then, she walked down to a lower level of the rock and sat up straight. She moved forward a centimetre and backed up a couple of times, all the while starring at a spot on the ground. After a minute or so, she jumped down with all her might, we heard a tiny skriek, and in no time saw the cat make three jumps toward the bushes with a mouse hanging from her mouth.

It was the drama of the day. We left, and I felt pleased by the cat's successful capture, knowing that she will make it for many winters to come.

Pippi Longstocking turns 60

Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking) is celebrating her 60th anniversary this year. Two weeks ago I and my Japanese friend went to a celebration parade from Strandvägen all the way to Junibacken on Djurgården. It is a pity that the author of the famous children's book series, Astrid Lindgren, is no longer alive to join the festivities.

Pippi has been a phenomenon in the past 60 years. Just in Sweden, over 7 million books have been sold. The book has been translated into 57 languages and made children all over the world happy.

Before I moved to Sweden, I had never heard of Pippi though. But Pippi has been instrumental in helping me learn Swedish. The original films where Inger Nilsson played the role of Pippi are terrific, and through the books I have learned many Swedish words and gotten a glimpse of the inner world of children.

Pippi is such a strong girl, not just physically (she can hold a horse with her bare hands), but mentally and emotionally as well. She lives alone in a house called Villa Villekulla, together with a horse and a monkey. She takes care of herself and loves adventures. She defies authorities and has a very independent, strong will. I don't know if this has anything to do with the feminism in Sweden, but surely she has become a model figure for Swedish girls.

The story behind the making of Pippi Longstocking is quite a saga of itself. In the 40s, Astrid Lindgren's 7-year-old daughter Karin was sick with pneumonia, and she wanted Lindgren to tell a bed time story about someone she dubbed "Pippi Longstocking." "What a strange name that is," thought Lindgren. With such a strange name, this girl has to have a strange character to go along as well. So she improvised, and a series of stories were created by her vivid imagination. The stories were not only loved by Karin but also became popular among her friends. When Karin turned 10, Lindgren gave her the manuscript of the first-ever Pippi Longstocking book as a birthday present. At the same time, she sent the manuscript to a publisher to try her luck, never believing that it would be published. At first, the publisher was too broke to publish it, but after a couple of years decided to give it a try anyway. It was Pippi Longstocking that saved the publisher from bankrupcy, and the book became a big success.

East Indiaman relives its glorious days

The magnificent East Indiaman Götheborg III, a replica of the original 18th-century trading vessel East Indiaman Götheborg I, arrived in Stockholm last week on its maiden journey after the construction completed in Gothenborg earlier this year.

This event was a sensation for the whole of Sweden as well as for China, becuase for the first time in 267 years, an East Indiaman trading vessel will set sail to China, re-enacting its glorious history in the past.

The original ship was built in 1738 and unfortunately sank right outside the harbour of Gothenburg in 1745, on returning from its third voyage to China. No one is sure why exactly it sank. The most likely cause was that it ran aground when hitting a rock. Along with the ship, a massive volume of procelain, spice, silk and furniture also hit the bottom of the ocean, and they were not to see light again until a series of excavations salvaged them in the 80s and 90s. Luckily, all the crew on board were rescued.

The replica was built at the Terra Nova dock in Gothenburg, named after the original shipyard that was located at the present-day "Dramaten" theater by Strandvägen, Stockholm. So its visit to Stockholm on August 17-21 was a homecoming.

I visited the ship on the last day of its stay in Stockholm and had to wait in line for about an hour before I could go onboard. But it was definitely worth the wait. It was a special experience for me to see all the details of the ship come together since my visit to the Terra Nova dock in Gothenborg two years ago. At that time, only the front mast was erected and shipbuilders were still working on the main mast and a million other details. The smell of tar gives the ship a freshness. And the vastness of its scale is simply mind-boggling. Imagine the kind of work human beings were able to achieve already in the 1700s. Ships have surely become much larger today, but nothing beats the beauty of such an old-fashioned ocean-going vessel.

As many as 3,500 visitors went onboard and even more lined up the islands that make up Stockholm to wave goodbye to the East Indiaman when it set sail for the southern city of Malmö at 6 p.m. The clouds broke open right at the moment the ship was pulled out of the dock by a tugboat. A three-mast student ship led the way and a large number of motorboats joined the party and trailed along the ship as a farewell gesture. It was a wonderful sight to behold.

After Malmö, the ship will visit Copenhagen on the 28th and then back to Gothenburg for an exhibition. In October this year, it will start its two-year long round-the-world journey: from Gothenburg to Cadiz, Spain; Recife, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; Fremantle, Australia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Guangzhou, China and finally, Shanghai, China. On its return journey, it will pass through Hong Kong, Mauritius, Port Elizabeth, Ascension, Azores and London.

To read more about the history of trade between Sweden and China, see my article, For All the Tea in China

And here is my article written during the construction of the ship, which includes an interview with the master shipbuilder Joakim Severinson:
Winds of the Past