I didn't know much about Northern Europe apart from stories of Vikings (which I can't say I've ever been into), dog sledding, the Aurora Borealis, Santa Claus or, if you prefer more earthy things, IKEA , Alexander Skarsgård and Ingrid Bergman. However, I didn't think too much about the idea of going to Sweden on an Erasmus scholarship for 6 months. I can say that the euphoria of hearing the news lasted long after leaving on a cold January day, interrupted in places only by the pile of completed papers and kilometers run across the city from one UBB office to another.
It was the Year of the Lord 2011, and I had just finished the first semester of the third year in Communication and Public Relations. Organized by nature, I voraciously scoured dozens of internet pages, trying to familiarize myself, from a distance, with a new culture, perhaps even the opposite, words, food, people and the optimal route from the dormitory to the college, in the city host – Jönköping. I tried not to miss anything, but all the information did little to prepare me for what I was about to experience.
The first contact with Sweden was an unexpected one, because the Gothenburg airport looked like a huge abandoned hall, and the city itself looked gray, sad and dirty to say the least. The oppressive darkness of the middle of winter was detached as if from a poem by Bacovia, and I thought that everything would end there and then. My love affair with Sweden was about to die. Or so I thought.
Like a new love that you give a new chance, the Fascination of the North started for me only after a few days of settling in. Fortunately, Jönköping would be a very nice student town, not as lively as Cluj, but full of green spaces, lakes, picturesque houses and chic shops.
Very tall and very blond, the Swedes were happy to ditch the coat for shorts in the first rays of the February sun and had no problem walking down the street with wet hair. The Nordic coldness of this nation is not just a myth, and although they are apparently open and friendly, it can be a long struggle to penetrate their homes and souls. That's why, most of the time, we adopted students make friends with each other, sharing the excitement of newness and homesickness.
Sweden is a country where things seem to be settled, and apart from some impressive natural phenomena, life is quiet. The roads are impeccable, the cleanliness exemplary, the wooden houses, very neat, look mostly the same, and in each you will find at least a dozen items from IKEA. The windows don't have curtains, but instead have lamps (you guessed it, also from IKEA), illuminating a country that seems to have nothing to hide.
Apart from the infrastructure aspects (by the way, in Sweden I encountered Wi-Fi for the first time in a train and bus), I was fascinated by the midnight sun in summer, the respect for nature and the abundance of green spaces (Sweden is covered by forests to the extent of 55%), the Dala horse - national symbol, found everywhere, and the beauty of the capital Stockholm, rightly called the "Venice of the North" (OK, according to Wikipedia there are other 36 cities nicknamed the "Venice of the North", but that's another story).
Did you think I was going to leave out the food and coffee part? Finally we get to this one! My gourmand soul and taste buds squealed with joy at repeated encounters with the Swedish buffet (Smörgåsbord) at his mother's house. Swedish food means more than the classic meatballs (from IKEA or not), the favorites being herring, salmon, potatoes in various forms, cranberry jam, which Swedes combine with almost any dish, crusty bread and the inevitable cinnamon nests , a true national obsession. As a side fact, the average Swede eats the equivalent of 316 cinnamon buns in a year, and the national total would be 148,766,006 kg of sweets per year, about the weight of 350,000 moose.
The passion of the Swedes for coffee is also fascinating, not for nothing being among the world's biggest drinkers of this liquor. The coffee break is a real ritual, like "Tea at 5 o'clock", and to revere it, the Swedes invented their own word for it: Fika. No day is complete without at least 2-3 Fika, in some Nordic companies it is even mandatory. Fika is more than just a coffee break: it's a time to step out of the hectic pace of each day and enjoy the good things in your life.
In Sweden, coffee is something you look forward to, a moment when you stop everything you're doing and simply enjoy the moment. In the madness of the modern world, we all need an excuse to slow down a bit. Swedes prefer not to translate the word Fika, because they don't want it to lose its meaning and become a simple coffee break. For many of us, it was among the first Swedish words we learned, right after Hej! (Hello!) and Tack! (Thank you!).
Fika is a social phenomenon, a good reason to reserve some quality time with yourself, colleagues, friends or family. Fika can take place at any time, at home, at the office or in a coffee shop. In the work environment, Fika is a good opportunity to disconnect and relax in the company of colleagues. Taken first around 10:00 am, and then around 3:00 pm, Fika increases productivity, stimulates the exchange of ideas and openness to colleagues. Don't try to get someone on the phone during this time, you probably won't succeed.
I believe each of us can find a way to incorporate Fika into our lives. Perhaps too often, the break means sitting on the phone and checking the Facebook page, the evenings are dedicated to delayed projects, and the morning coffee is drunk in a hurry to the office or behind the wheel. We often miss having a real conversation, and by waiting for the right moment, it may never come. So let's book a Fika for our loved ones now, and if it seems difficult at first, we have prepared some tricks to help our process.
1. Make yourself comfortable. It's the first rule of Fika, and the Swedes also have a word for it: mysigt.
2. Get a coffee. At home, at the office, in the park or in your favorite cafe.
3. A snack works perfectly! Sweet or salty, to make the break longer.
4. Call your friends. It's time to debug memories.
5. Repeat. Don't limit yourself to one Fika, enjoy the moment of respite every day.
About Patricia: When she's not making puns in the digital medium, she travels wherever she gets the chance. If she could, that's all she would do, but her conscience won't let her abandon her daily responsibilities. Reading is another great passion, which is best enjoyed on the deckchair. Otherwise, she is a real gourmand, not missing any opportunity to test the newest places in Cluj and from her travels, of course.