En Riktigt God Jul: A Really Merry Christmas

 Hi Folks, I will write the explanations later, but for now, enjoy these. Went to visit my neighbour and her house was lit up......really looked like Christmas!!

God Jul!

 

Just sharing a picture of Santa in a hurry to reach every household.  Saw this at the university.  Thought of sharing it with you all.

Have a great holiday season.  May dear Santa come to your house with all the gifts you can wish for!!

Advent Arrives: November 30, 2014

This story belonged two weeks ago. Dec 1, is when advent begins.  Yesterday was Santa Lucia.  Here is this story again...that was published last on December 11, 2019.  We still have 10 days to Christmas, light your candles folks!

First published on December 4, 2014--Here it is as a Xmas bonus...If you have noticed, I have been publishing every friday. I wanted to create some order around this blog. But this one cannot wait and must be published. I also thought this would be a Christmas bonus.

I do not have many readers.  But I have a few in the US, a few in India, a few in Sweden, One in France, One in South Korea, One in Ukraine, Two in China, One in Canada and One in Portugal.  I get regular traffic from the Uk and sometimes Singapore.  Not sure if folks in Fiji are reading, but I share the links with my friends in Australia and NZ. 

Thankyou all for reading.  And folks, every once in a  while, do drop a comment.  It makes me feel good!!  :) 

Also, as a person who has interviewed many journalists for research etc. I would like to say that it is true that when I write sometimes, I am thinking of you all....

PS: I have been to Liseberg and since am going to Goteborg regularly, I am staying close to Liseberg and walk everyday to the park and back!!  

An image from my walks to Liseberg Park....This is how the amusement park is decorated for Xmas....I love the blue.--compared to multicoloured lights, Sweden chooses monochrome. Its either blue or white light and its something so unique about Sweden. 

And  now here is the blog post from 2014---

Christmas Decoration on my Door (2013:  I added the reindeer and the little felt Santa, to the hanging to add a personal touch--Oh and the snow--that just shows that it was both snowing and blowing hard enough that it came all the way to the door, and clung to decoration, to add a realistic touch)

Called Julstacken, the Christmas sticks, these seven lights resemble the menorah, only in the opposite direction.  Menorah is the upside down version, with--where the candles seem all at the same height).  These go up usually on advent which is about four sundays before Christmas.  

Another staple in Swedish Christmas Decorations is a star.  Traditionally, a paper star either hanging in the windows or on a lamp stand, but now, they are also available in these handy wire frame stars, often wrapped in jute or nylon string.  This one is run by batteries.  

A wreath being sold in the Karlstad Market.  2013

Advent, comes four sundays before Christmas, is a time that sort of puts chrismtas, celebration and fun on everybody's mind.  I first heard of it from my German host mom in Clarion, PA, USA.  She told me that in Germany children were usually given this advent calendar, which they could open a day at a time, and each day had a gift for the children, which built up the excitement for the final day.  Today, you can purchase calendars that are issue and gift specific, chocolates, baseball cards, barbie images, barbie accessories--thanks to the market ideology.   Earlier they were created by mothers, today most of these are bought.  

Here you can see some examples of Advent calendars ---All of the  following images have been taken from the web. 

A wooden Advent Calendar

One of the traditional Advent Calendars

But then, we are talking Sweden!!  While commercialism is the buzzword everywhere, Sweden and I think Europe in general has maintained some level of traditional celebrations.  

So, my Swedish mom called me today, 'Hey You want to go to the Alsters Jul Market?  Alters Christmas Market?

No, I am in Göteberg, taking a class, remember.  So, I spend my weekends here.

¨Oh...its advent today.  E and Y came by for Advent Fika (coffee with something sweet to each).¨

¨Trevligt, Nice!!¨

Ÿeah, and we had Pappor Kakkor (gingerbread cookies, and truly-Swedish ones are the best--slim & crisp -they simply melt on your tongue?), and Ljus bulle and saffron bulle (saffron buns often baked in the shape of angels, or S!!)

Saffron buns--a very Swedish/Nordic-thing to eat around Christmas time, especially Santa Lucia (picture taken from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/st_lucia_saffron_buns/

Picture taken from http://emmalindberg.vimedbarn.se/page/13/

You should get some for yourself too!!

Ÿes, I have been eating Pappor Kakkor for a while already!!

A chuckle.....

So, are you going to go to LIseberg in Göteberg?

Yes, I plan to, but get lazy when I back in the apartment.  Its cold and I have so much to do.

'Yes, but you must'

Sure!

We say our greetings and hang up.

I know I must go there, before I leave the city. But also because I want to get some footage of the Christmas celebrations. 

As I sit down, I realise, this is the difference, Sweden is not religious, but it has taken all the best things, such as traditional celebrations, special foods, special days for eating those foods, including a strong, clean character --which earlier was connected to religion--and made them a marker of a good, well-lived life.  So that is why even the young Swedes are baking cakes in their dorms, and most young women and men know how to cook. And year after year the simplicity of the festivals remains.  They may have become more commercial (and sadly it looks like that it will continue, and another post will come on that later) but there is a beauty to hear someone say, 'Hej its kladkaka dag' (cocoa cake day)--and rush to the groceries for eggs and cocoa.

No one will complain if you don't --but that is the whole point of tradition, that it puts our minds in a certain state, and for a few minutes it is an out of body experience--memories, friends, smell of freshly cooked food, hugs, jokes and laughter--all the things associated with good'O times.

So let me wish you all a very happy advent, the beginning of the ending of the year---and may you all make new beautiful memories during this time!!

Now That's a Happy Diwali!

I posted this only about 2 weeks ago.  But here I am repeating this story. I have interacted with F twice since this incident.  Today I told him I wrote about him.  I wanted to take his picture, since he was wearing a cute Santa band on his head. He wrinkled his nose that he did not mind me using his name or the story, but did not like his pictures taken. That's quite ok.  

It still made my day.  I wanted him to know how much his kindness had helped me.

So, here is the story again....about How Good the People Can be!

I have been meaning to write that story, that I promised you all.  So here comes.

It was Diwali.  Must have been 4th of November.   I had been busy all week and had no time to plan.  For all those who do not know Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival, comes on the darkest night of the year.  Its a new moon, so the skies are dark.  But according to the legend, both our dear Lord Ramachandra along with his wife and younger brother are returning home after an exile of 14 years.   They return on pushpak vimaan (look it up).  Pushpak Vimaan, is a flying object, open from all sides and works on 'will of the captain'.  You know, like thousands of years later, Obi Wan Kanobi tells Luke, 'let go Luke' and runs the flying vehicle on instinct?

Coming back to Diwali at my end....it was slightly sad for I had no time to cook  or clean, which is important for this occasion. I did boil some rice, hoping turn it into rice pudding, with raisins and cardamom and cashews and saffron....

Other than Prabhu Ram, we also get a visit by Goddess Lakshmi.  She visits only the houses that have been cleaned and decorated.  Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune.  We keep the house lit the entire night.  A small oil lamp is kept in every room.  One big lamp with ghee as  the fuel is kept in the kitchen and one another one with ghee is used to make Kajal/Kohl for our eyes.  More on that later.

The flowers must have been given with such goodwill that they lasted 2 weeks. A very long time, considering dryness of Karlstad and coldness of Swedish winters. 

At the end of the day, after grading/marking and some other work, I was exhausted and feeling sad for all the Diwalis I have spent away from home. What a strange life this is :( 

I knew I needed flowers. I have not bought flowers in months. Since September winter started to show its claws pretty fast.  There has hardly been any Sun and everything is going to sleep.  So I went to COOP, the closest grocery store where I have been shopping since I came.  It took me some time to start going to ICA--which is about 15 minutes walk away. 

I got the candles, and went about the store looking for flowers.  But there were none.  Not even the wilted ones. Only flower pots and some potted plants. 

Disappointed I decided to pay for the candles and leave.  At the checkout counter was F.  I have known him almost as long as I have been in Sweden.  His parents came from Hungary.  At one point, may be years and years ago, he told me that his sister was my first student.  She was in the first undergraduate class I ever taught. Which means it was the second semester of my first year of teaching. I taught only MA students in the first year.

Her name is V, and she is now married with a child.  All this time, I keep getting her updates from him, as shared where she works, when she was pregnant, and how old the child is.  Like any proud uncle he shares his nephews pictures and videos with me, as I am paying for the groceries I have bought. We discuss life at the counter, sometimes he helps me find things in the store.  So, nearly a decade of interaction.  I know his name and he always smiles when we see each other.  When you live in a place, a familiarity sets in, like a warm blanket.  He is one such face, who I mostly meet at the grocery store, because he works there and I shop there. 

So, this evening, when he was at the counter again as I was ready to pay I asked him, (btw, we mostly talk in english, not sure why.  I speak to others in Swedish).

'F, do you have flowers?"

"We should."

"I looked, but there are none."

"In the corner?" He asked pointing towards the potted plants. 

"None"

He looked confused and said, we just did.  They were wilting. Maybe we put them away to throw them out. 

"Well, I could use even the wilted ones.  I need them. Its a festival today, and I want to offer a few flowers. I can pay half or a certain amount of the original price. Or even full. I don't care. I just need some flowers.  It's too late and too dark to walk to ICA."

"Wait let me see"

He ran in quickly and came out with not-so-bad red roses.  

"Here" he handed those to me.  I had already paid, so I started to return to the other side of the cash register.

"No,  you don't need to pay".

I was surprised and insisted that I must. 

"No,  no need."

"Its two bouquets'

For the readers, flowers in Sweden are very expensive.  Especially in autumn and winter.  So, a bouquet that size could be 6-10 dollars.  He was giving me two.

"No, enjoy your festival."

"Then I must buy something else from the store, to contribute"

"No", he insisted waved his hand and said, again, 'have a nice festival".

I sighed and smiled.  The goodness of people of this world is everywhere. In these simplicities.  That exchange was based on having known each other for a while, a care, a concern a trust.

I walked home thinking, "Now that is a Happy Diwali"

I came home and despite my tiredness cooked kheer (rice pudding)--and made sure to save some for F.

The day after I walked to the store, with a bowl of Kheer, a packet of sparklers, and a thankyou note.  He was not there that day. I asked another woman working there to save it for him in the refrigerator. 

I wanted to make sure, he had a happy diwali too.  Possibly his first one!!

Thanks Universe for bring these 'simply beautiful' incidents my way. 

Happy Diwali!

And here is what I wrote for him in the thankyou note!

Thanks Fln,

 

You did not have to.  But you did, out of kindness. And guess what, the flowers have lasted longer than all the fresh flowers I have bought.  Maybe because they came with good wishes. Thanks for making my festival bright, not just with the flowers but also with your kindness.  

 

The longer living flowers—even though they were ready to be rejected –show how kindness can infuse ‘life’!  even when there is no hope. 

 

This is some rice pudding. Hope you will like it.  Ingredients.  Rice, milk, cardamom, sugar, raisins and nuts.  Hope you like it.

Glad Diwali (festival of lights). 

Tusen tack,

Ch

 

We also enjoy fireworks that day so enjoy 

Amazing Art and Our Ancestors: The Song that Stones Sang

First published on September 29, 2019.  Here it is again.  As some of you know I premiered my first film this past weekend.  It was a great experience. I am a very small fish in a massive ocean of media content.  But creation itself is a reward. And yes, we still need viewers.  To feel loved, we must know the gaze of the lover.  We must.  But look around, even if you do not live in your country of the place where you were born.  Look around at the buildings and stones and trees and leaves. Ask them to share their stories.  I am sure, they will sing symphonies!!

All you have to do is listen!

_______________________________________________

India has always fascinated me.  Always. As a child, I might have been curious about other countries, but I never wanted to leave India. I wanted to serve it, and see every nook and corner of the country.  Sure everyone can feel this about their country---but India is unique on so many levels. Her linguistic, religious, ethnic and climate diversity is unmatched.  I learnt from someone a few years ago that it has over 15 climate zones. 

We get the maximum rainfall in the world (Cherapunji), we have a massive dessert (Thar) and we have can boast not only of snow capped mountains but the tallest mountain in the world (Mt. Everest).  

And then we have the Kanya Kumari, the tip of the country where you see bodies of water become one. You stand there and except a small piece of land behind you,  all you see is water ahead and around you. ---If you face the tip of India and are guarded by Vivekananda rocks with its massive temple on your back--you stare into the vastness--full of hope.  You get a chance to contemplate your own smallness. Hopefully we return from that experience with a humility. 

It could take lifetimes to see the country.  I had no plans of leaving it.

But then I did. People think I complain too much about leaving it.  But I have been displaced since I left it.

I have made some amazing friends.  Had a truly adventurous life.  So many experiences that I can hardly document them. 

And I so I have often wondered about what if I had never left, would I be any happier?

I will never know.

But when I see these images and they are plenty these days --what with special archaeological finds--I always wonder if I had studied indology, would I be happier.  I have often thought Physics or medicine is something that would have made me happy.


But behind it all I wanted to tell stories.  Always.  And when I look at this image--I think of that one movie--an old one, whose title sums it all--'The song that stones sang' (Geet Gaya Pathron Nein)--its truly the stories that these stones tell.

A connection to the land of your birth is a connection to your ancestors. Something, no matter how much you love other countries, cannot be bought or created.  Or least not in one or two or three generations. 

Art is another form of connecting us to our ancestors.  Art tells me the story of myself.