Min Svenska Äventyr: Part 1

Since September last year, I have lived in Skåne, southern Sweden, in and around the little town of Lund. The Swedish chapter in my book of life has now come to an end, and so like the end of any chapter, I am now reflecting on what I have learned, what I found interesting and what I would like to take on board (as well as leave well and truly on the Swedish side of the North Sea). Yes, they are nearly all blonde, blue eyed and intimidatingly attractive; yes, they love IKEA; and no, I haven’t met one single porn star. Here’s some other stuff I did learn:

The Power of Fika

After the words “Hej”, “Tack” and “Toalett?” the next Swedish word I learnt was “Fika”. If there’s one thing the Swedes get right, it’s baked goods. The reverence and enthusiasm with which they are prepared and consumed is in my experience, unparalleled. I had never heard of a country having a whole day reserved for a particular baked good until I came to Sweden, and discovered Kanelbullens Dag, Luciadag and Semmeldagen, spread strategically throughout the year - and based on the addictiveness of each one, it’s surprising that more Swedes don’t clog the hospitals suffering with diabetes.

So... good...

But fika is so much more than baked goods – it’s a Swedish social institution, even stronger (dare I say) than the Brit’s afternoon tea. In 2007, a record 2,620 people sat down for fika in the Swedish city of Kalmar. That’s dedication. Fika is both a noun and a verb: one can meet to fika, or meet for fika, but it will always involve strong coffee and some type of sweet sticky thing. Fika is not something to have/do alone, it is an excuse for a gossip with friends, business meeting or no-pressure date. Fika has been served at pretty much every academic meeting, and after every conference and seminar I’ve attended at Lund University, and it really does make them that bit more tempting to go, listen, and hang around for a discussion afterwards, leading to greater interest, productivity and achievement. God help the Swede who organises a meeting and forgets to organise the fika… Sweden hasn’t played a major role in war since the Fälttåget mot Norge (campaign against Norway) in 1814, and they are a renownedly calm people - but take away their fika… and tensions rise surprisingly rapidly.

Fika instructions in my department at Lund University, note the meeting times

 From my brushes with employment in the UK, it seems tea/coffee drinking is just as widespread, and is just as in demand as in Sweden: and yet it’s not the same. The Swedes organise fika in the work place together at specific times, rather than squirreling away a tea break at their desks in private as we do, which really unites the employees, gives everyone a chance to network, and helps to solve problems that may have been missed otherwise. For example, it was over a fika break that I organised my master’s thesis project, learned about the politics of lion conservation from a Nigerian, learned how to remote access my computer from home as well as learning a bit more about the people in the department I was in. Fika is a time to step back and reflect on life, whether it’s life in the work place, friendships, or romance, as well as to listen to a friend’s problems, get an opinion or learn something new. Jag kan ta en kanelbulle och stor café latte – Tack!

Enjoying fika with friends