#Scandi Saga

[uh-velkommen]

This tiny fixation on Joost Klein isn't a hyper fixation and it isn't even really about his music. I just realized that it's because I've been feeling really lost lately and surprisingly, he is the only person I know of who could understand EXACTLY what I'm going through. Joost's big dream was to go to Eurovision in Sweden and upon living under immense pressure in a rowdy environment, through whatever means, his dream got cut short or taken. For me, I had this big dream of going to grad school in Sweden (and while Joost hoped to win Eurovision, I had hoped to win citizenship and/or a Swedish life). Yet within the span of A MONTH (LITERALLY I left at the end of March, he left at the start of May) in the same proximity being Skåne, both of us had been victimized by Sweden. I learned that the environment was just too much for me and it had to be cut short. And I do feel like it's been taken from me. I do feel like there's a bigger thing to blame (for Joost you could blame the mess that was Israel's involvement in Eurovision, for me it was good 'ol American fascism, and in the end it was the Neurodivergent way our brains work). It seemed like we both wanted to be part of this big glamours world and sadly, it just didn't want us. I wonder if some nights he gets sad thinking about what could've been in the same way I do.

[womeninfictionandirl]

Saga Norén by Willem Klerk

[ifindus]

i dont know if you've already answered a similar question — but do you think that norway/denmark/sweden still speak/write/understand old norse well? or is it just iceland these days?

Probably just Iceland, because his language is the most similar to old Norse and he is very proud of his old saga literature, so he'd want to be able to read it in his old language and has constantly been maintaining it. The Scandi trio could probably make out some sentences and words and get the general gist of the contents, but if you haven't spoken it in a 1 000 years, you'll probably forget a lot of it, and they haven't bothered to maintain it as well as Iceland.

[wuekka]

I keep thinking it's a nice subversion of already clishee that scandi character has blue eyes in Vinland Saga with Thorfinn having brown eyes, but I also keep thinking he should have green eyes. :'D

[beulf]

Grimr Loðinkinni

[rotzaprachim]

It really bothers me that if we’re gonna spend THIS much time on Norse gods (kinda) in Wisconsin (also kinda) we’re not even going to have fun with it like why is Odin eating A British christmas dinner when this was absolutely The moment for a lutefisk joke and some kind of more subtle rumination on the evolution of “jol.” why are we not for instance following through in the idea of Thor as the god of the ordinary farmer and warrior by having him be some rural dairy farmer guy whose hammer symbol protects by being the local union badge and drives a roaring pickup truck with goats emblazoned on the side? he’s worshipped by local hopefuls for the packers (modern American beserkers) and he’s dying as every year more and more farmland is bought up by major corporations out of the hands of local farmers. why is Odin just some low grade jersey scammer and bit, like, an adjunct biochem researcher at UW Milwaukee with a cancer diagnosis whose going to figuratively hang himself for knowledge even if it kills him? Why are we not having more fun with this for the literal hundreds of pages spent on Fakesmalltown its killing me

“American gods” updates: this is the FIFTH time they’ve left and returned to Wisconsin oh my gd why is the book just driving circles too and from Wisconsin with no real purpose

[denicetrashdeluxe]

Hetavision 2021 Jury points part 3

Ukraine: 12 points from Ukraine go to... heart Italy

Vene: Grazie Ukraine!

Iceland: Has the actor from the Eurovision Saga movie Hello Europe, this is Húsavík calling

Everyone: Is very hyped

Iceland: So many nice songs this year but uh... I would personally like you to play Ja Ja Ding Dong

Everyone: Laughing and loving this

Rome (Check part 2 to understand): Me too, I agree laughing

Iceland and Rome: High fives

Iceland: Our 12 points go to "JA JA DING DONG" PLAY IT

Everyone: Bursts out laughing

Iceland: Okay... 12 points go to... Switzerland

Switzerland: Who is still laughing Thank you Iceland!

(This was too good, I flipping loved every second of it. I laughed a bit too much)

Romania: 12 points goes to... Malta!

Malta: Surprised cause usually Romania gives 12 points to Moldova Thank you Romania!

Croatia: Our 12 points go to... or should I say it like this Says it in Italian ITALY!

Vene: Grazie Croatia!!!

Vene and Romano: Looking at each other like, we're top 4, we could win this whole thing

Rome: Happy with Måneskin hehe

Czech Republic: A lot of talking, I'm lazy Congratulations Portugal!

Georgia: 12 points go to... Italy!

Vene: Ve~! Grazie Georgia!

Lithuania: It's one of the guys that sung We Are The Winners in 2006 kjsdfbc, My friends, our 12 precious Lithuanian points go to... Ukraine!

Ukraine: Thank you Lithuania!

The Italians: Looking at each other like: We're top 3, we're top 3 jsbvkjhv

Denmark: Gave 10 points to Iceland, 8 to Finland, 3 to Norway, and 2 Sweden

Iceland: Hugs Denmark Thanks for the 10 points, glad I at least got you

Denmark: You're welcome Icey!

Sweden: I got the lowest of the Nordics from you...

Denmark: Listen, Sweden... Iceland's song was epic. Finland's was awesome. Norway's was emotional. Yours was good. And basic. But good.

Iceland, Finland, and Norway: High fives

Denmark: 12 point s from Denmark goes to... Switzerland!

Switzerland: Thank you Denmark!

Russia: 12 points from the Russian national jury go to... Moldova!

Moldova: T-Thank you Russia!

Russia: You're welcome ^-^

France: Bunch of French, we all know this. I don't know French. I had 5 years of Spanish in school, thank you very much 12 points go to... Greece!

Greece, who had fallen asleep: Huh? Oh, thank you, France!

Sweden: Embarrassing talk, I want to pretend I'm no longer Scandi, at least I'm Norwegian and not Swedish hehe 12 points from the Swedish jury goes to... Malta!

Everyone: having a lil bit of a 2nd hand embarrassment

Malta: Thank you Sweden! Awkward smile

Switzerland: So quick, I missed everything anyways, 12 went to France

France: Oh, merci Switzerland!

Netherlands: The 12 points from The Netherlands go to... France!

France: Merci Netherlands!

Rome: Is this Amsterdam's doing?

Netherlands: Yes

Rome: Looks over at her buddy Amsterdam, who is casually looking at France from afar... One city knows how to be cool and collected around their crush, the other doesn't

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2022.09.16

Friday, September 16th:

(exclusive): The Grand Tour (amazon, annual special "A Scandi Flick"), Sago Mini Friends (apple+, animated family series premiere, all 10 eps), The Brave Ones (netflix, South African fantasy mini-series, all 6 eps), Gymnastics Academy (netflix, Australian teen drama, all 10 eps), Santo (netflix, Spanish crime drama mini-series, all 6 eps), "Fate: The Winx Saga" (netflix, live-action season 2 available, all 7 eps), Love Is Blind (netflix, "After the Altar" season 2 reunions, all 3 eps)

(movies): "Heathers: The Musical" (Roku, filmed stage production), "Goodnight Mommy" (amazon, thriller-horror remake), "Drifting Home" (netflix, anime family adventure, 2hrs), "Do Revenge" (netflix, teen dark comedy-thriller), "I Used to Be Famous" (netflix, British musical dramedy, ~105mins), "Mirror, Mirror" (netflix, Spanish comedy, ~80mins), "Jogi" (netflix, 1980s India drama, ~2hrs), "Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard" (netflix, documentary), "Mija" (dsn+, Latinx alternative music documentary)

(streaming weekly): See (apple+), Central Park (apple+), Bad Sisters (apple+), Five Days at Memorial (apple+, limited series finale), LotR: The Rings of Power (amazon), Sprung (freevee, season 1 finale, 65mins), The Great British Baking Show (netflix, USA collection 10 opener)

(also new): Teen Titans Go! (TOON, season 7 finale), "Dying to Win" (LMN original movie, 2hrs), CMT Giants (CMT, "Vince Gill" special, 2hrs)

(hour 1): Killer Camp (theCW), College Bowl (NBC), Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS), Ancient Aliens (HIST), RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (VH1)

(hour 2): Dynasty (theCW, series finale), Dateline (NBC, season 31 opener, 2hrs)

(hour 3): Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Dateline (NBC, contd)

(hour 4 - latenight): Los Espookys (HBO, season 2 opener)

[yachtingboat]

Saga 385 first look: Savvy Scandi cruiser belies its unglamorous name https://t.co/2ngh5rE0B7

[crazyflyingspip]

Giant giraffe teddy running wild on Instagram is an affordable high street hero

We’ve tracked down the giant giraffe teddy spotted on Instagram, it’s from H&M home.

The H&M Home cuddly giraffe is an affordable version of the best-selling Melissa & Doug plush soft toy – which retails for £79.99 at John Lewis & Partners.

More for adorable bedrooms: These adorable whale toy storage baskets ‘spark joy’ for shoppers

It’s the giant giraffe teddy we all want, even us grown ups are toying with the idea of buying one.

Get ready for a collective ‘ahhh’…

Adorable H&M giant giraffe teddy

Image credit: H&M Home

The adorable 102cm tall creature has proved a consistent number 1 selling item over the last year, and continues to be in the top most searched items on the website. The website boasts five star rave reviews…

’I LOVE this giraffe and it’s perfect for our nursery! The quality is amazing and you can’t beat the price. Highly recommend.’

‘Really lovely and so soft. It’s so sturdy and is filled well enough so that it stands up on its own but not so much that it’s too solid and not cuddle-able.’

Buy now: Large Soft Toy, £24.99, H&M Home

View this post on Instagram

Our soft giraffe is a great listener

Thank you @leilamoknaci for sharing this sweet moment! #myhmhome #HMHOME #regram #softtoy

A post shared by H&M HOME (@hmhome) on May 27, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Thank you @_anya_ray for letting our cosy giraffe being the best listener, hugger and friend

#myhmhome #HMHome #regram

A post shared by H&M HOME (@hmhome) on Jan 24, 2020 at 3:52am PST

Shoppers are going wild for the best-selling plush toy. When the brand re-shared a post it was met with sheer delight, racking up 24,355 likes and 392 comments.

One delighted shopper post, ‘Every time I see a post with this giraffe, I check for stock! Today, I was lucky!

Hurray!!’.

Another writes ‘This is so cute

’.

View this post on Instagram

Доброго дня

Нас снегом завалило , на улице -12

. . @hmhome @ikea_rus #hm#hmhome#hmkids#hmxme#YesHM#ikea#ikeahome#ikeakidsroom#hugge#autumn#scandinaviandesign#scandinavianstyle#scandi#home#homesweethome#schleich #уют#детскаякомната#икеа#жираф#пингвин #скандинавскийинтерьер#комод#переделкамебели

A post shared by КоханЮля (@kokhanyuliya) on Nov 13, 2019 at 9:36pm PST

This giant giraffe has made a penguin friend.

View this post on Instagram

I kind of wanna be kid again when I sit in his room with all these toys! I hope he will like his room as much as I like it cause I decorated it with all my

Foto @tibivintur #fabulousmuses #leontoma #roomdecor #roominspiration #roominspo #babyroomdecor

A post shared by Alina Tanasa (@fabmusealina) on Jan 30, 2020 at 12:19am PST

Even adults are getting in on the action.

View this post on Instagram

Added a new friend for Liam

What I love about this giraffe is that it is not like the giant one I have always seen. I also love the suttle color. The height is perfect. Best part is its only $34.99 (can use a 10% off coupon if you download the @hm app) Decor tip: I don’t rush into decorating. I make sure I find the perfect pieces. You want to be able to love every piece in a room. . . . #nursery #nurserytips #nurserydecorideas #hm #hmxme #HMxME #giraffe #comingalong #decorideas #babygiraffe #howcute #perfectsize #babyboynursery #babyboynurserydecor #decor #babyboynurseryideas #safarianimals #babyroom #babyboy

A post shared by Julie (@julie7385) on Oct 3, 2019 at 10:06am PDT

This fan says the subtle colouring was a big selling point.

View this post on Instagram

Imorse överraskade jag Saga med ett nystädat rum, lite ändringar och en stor giraff

A post shared by Ebba Lundström (@ebbamysaga) on Dec 25, 2018 at 1:01pm PST

The bow necktie adds to the cute factor.

View this post on Instagram

I haven’t been on Insta in aaaages as this time of year is always crazy with birthdays etc. but I just had to share this gorgeous teepee and beautiful giraffe that the little dude had for his birthday! We decided to use the teepee like a bit of a ball pit as we don’t have space for a separate one, and it works really well, with sleepy croc keeping the balls contained!

. . . . . . . #styleithappy #rainbowkidsroom #iamkidly #rainbownursery #interiordesign #scandidecor #scandihome #scandinavianstyle #childhoodunplugged #childhoodmagic #letthembelittle #ikeaatmine #toddlerlife #toddlerplay #ballpit #nurseryinspo #nurserydecor #nurserydesign #scandinursery #greynursery #explorernursery #babybookshelves #toddlerbooks #toddlerlibrary #nurserystorage #vertbaudetteepee #teepee #kidsroom #toddlerroom #giantgiraffe

A post shared by OurLittlePartofWales (@ourlittlepartofwales) on Sep 22, 2019 at 2:45am PDT

One mum shares this beautiful birthday giraffe.

View this post on Instagram

Šįryt atsikraustė! Sakė niekur neis! Pirmą kartą neturiu ką pasakyti!

. . . @hmhome #YesHM @jysklithuania @ikealietuva #hmlietuva #kambariniaiaugalai #vaikai #zaislai #kambarinesgeles #lithuanianblogger #interjeras #lietuva #namai #augalai #lietuva #fotosesija #vilniuscity #vilnius #gyvenimobudas #laisvalaikis #svajone #dovana #stilius #motinyste #madeinlithuania #manonamai #ruduo #tavovaikas #zurnalas

A post shared by BLOGGER | Jurgita L. (@mama.irgi.zmogus) on Oct 23, 2019 at 2:01am PDT

Here’s one giraffe spotted in a natural habitat of lush greens!

View this post on Instagram

This lovely pic with our cuddly giraffe truly shows that happiness is a warm hug @amaliana.and.me

#myhmhome #HMHome #regram

A post shared by H&M HOME (@hmhome) on Nov 6, 2019 at 7:40am PST

The sturdy plush toy is the perfect height for cuddles with little ones.

H&M Home share their fans pictures on Instagram, to spread the love : )

More from Instagram shares: The unusual floor trend that is taking over Instagram

Following the success of the giant giraffe plush toy H&M have recently introduced a giant dinosaur!

Dino fans stay alert, it’s bound to start popping up daily on Instagram feeds.

The post Giant giraffe teddy running wild on Instagram is an affordable high street hero appeared first on Ideal Home.

from Ideal Home https://ift.tt/39TmHOM

[weshallc]

OK, so I have been a terrible fandom pandemic person and been too distracted. I am very bad at tagged stuff at the best of times, but have noticed there are some lovely folk I don’t know in the CTM fandom who have been very supportive of my nonsense lately, so I am going to do this right now.

LAST SONG: Tie A Yellow Ribbon by Tony Orlando (anyone knows this song I am shocked, I heard it on a podcast for the first time today in decades and sang my heart out through the sobs) 

LAST MOVIE: The Notebook  (I think? I had never seen it before, but it was on the telly recently. At the pictures it was that Christmas one with Emma Thompson it wasn’t as bad as they say, I mean it was Christmas?)

CURRENTLY WATCHING: The Bridge, All Creatures Great and Small, The Bridge, Vera, The Bridge, Something about the Romans, The Bridge. (Not that Channel 4 reality shite. The Scandi  one on BBC4, Saga Noren, Malmo County Police)

CURRENTLY READING: Pseudoannie on Wattpad,- A Million Miles Apart and o Ann Cleeves-The Crow Trap just finished and starting Telling Tales.

CURRENTLY CRAVING: Patrick Turner

Who can I land in it that might join in @h4t08​ @fourteen-teacups​ @thatginchygal​ @anamarialujan​  @bbcshipper​ @wednesdaygilfillian​ 

tag 9 people you’d like to know better/catch up with.

tagged by @oneawkwardcookie

Last song: islands in the stream- Nashville cast (the song Maddie and Howie sing in 0208)

Last movie: ghost

Currently watching:following- 911 series 2 and I constantly re watch CTM (I watch a lot of YouTube though to be honest) but on the tv is something my parents made me watch called V: the original mysteries

Currently reading: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Jessica’s ghost by Andrew Norriss and CTM and 911 ao3

Currently craving: lemon tart and lemonade

Tagging: @maddieandchimney @jessie2126 @crazybagelbitch @aimee-jessica @thatginchygal @weshallc @miss-ute @lovelessmotel @trueromantic1

[uh-velkommen]

Scandinavian Things to Watch

Somebody asked me for some recommendations in regards to Swedish and/or Norwegian T.V. shows so I figured I'd scour the internet for every show and movie I've ever seen and compile a list.

Now I will note that half of these I wouldn't really recommend. A thing about Norwegian shows, you'll always end up in one of these genres: Crime-Drama, A show about an awkward person or immigrant family navigating Norwegian culture, or an uneventful slice of life adult/family show and somehow, more often than not, some environmentalism plot line is threaded throughout each genre. I'm very used to fast paced dramas featuring teens so Norwegian series are quite the opposite. This is me admitting that I think most Norwegian shows and movies are so slow and boring. Also I hate Crime-Dramas. With that being said, I do try to get through the first couple of episodes/minutes and can recognize when a show is potentially good but if it requires my full attention to keep up, I'm not finishing it. I can't say if this crosses over into Swedish shows and I'm only just starting to get into Danish shows. Some of these are still on my To Be Seen and I definitely forgot to list others but it's been years since I've seen them so...🤷🏽‍♀️

Where To Watch: Most of these are on Netflix. Some were and are now gone, others have been added once I moved to Sweden. Some are on NRK which I used mostly when I was in Norway. You could get by with a VPN but NRK knows when you're using one and you'll have to restart it every two episodes. Viaplay is a Nordic streaming service that's only like 5 bucks a month, accessible anywhere but again, the selection varies depending on location.

Norwegian Movies:

Blasted (Netflix) TBS - Comedy, Two dudes fight aliens

Royalteen (Netflix) Drama, An average girl gets a prince to fall in love with her. In Royalteen 2, we follow the prince's sister who's working through personal issues.

Thelma (Netflix, Viaplay) TBS GAY - Horror, Something about romance and magic powers?

The Man Who Loved Yngve (Idk) TBS GAY - Drama, Romance

Norwegian Dream (Idk) TBS GAY - Coming of Age, Drama

The Trip (Netflix) TBS - Comedy, An old couple fights to see who can kill each other first instead of just getting a divorce

Troll (Netflix) - Drama, Action? A government team and Archeologist(?) try to stop an old troll from destroying the town

Troll Hunter (Netflix) - "Found Footage" People chase a troll idk

The Wave (Netflix) - Action Drama, People run from a massive wave

Battle (Netflix) - Drama, Featuring Lisa Teige who played Eva in Skam as a ballet dancer battling for the top spot I think, I never finished it.

Disco (NRK) - Drama, Which features Noora's(Skam) actress Josephine Frida Pettersen as a dancer juggling religion and passion.

Det Norske Hus (Netflix) - Comedy, A man crosses the boarder to attend a school that will teach him how to be Norwegian

The Lion Woman (Used to be on Netflix) - Whimsical Drama, A man protects a young hairy girl from being the town freak

The Affair (Viaplay) - Dark Drama, featuring Tarjei Sandvik Moe or Isak from Skam, A student gets dirty with a teacher and then stalks the teacher

Kitchen Stories (Idk) - Comedy? I had to watch this for school. I found it boring but Norwegian people like it. An Anthropologist(?) watches over a Norwegian man to study how Norwegians use kitchens

Norwegian Shows:

SKAM GAY for a season- Come on, you can't be on Tumblr and NOT know this show. This listing includes EVERY remake. Especially the American one (it's on NRK you nords) Every non-American only hates it because our culture is so different from Europe's, its giving xenophobia. Find the shows yourself, it's a rite of passage.

Ligga (Discovery+) TBS GAY- Comedy, featuring Ulrikke Falch, Vilde from Skam, A girl gets dumped and discovers casual sex. To be seen because I think it's only on Discovery Plus in Norway.

Ragnorok (Netflix) GAY for like 2 minutes - Mythology, featuring sexy babes from Skam Magnus, P. Cris, and my gf Sonja. The story of Thor versus the Giants. Fun Fact I actually don't care about this show, mainly this genre of show, but I challenged myself to watch it entirely in Norwegian without subtitles since season one and it's done so I win.

Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes (Netflix) TBS - Dark Comedy, Funeral directors get up to some morally corrupt shenanigans. I got half way through the first episode and gave up.

Øyevitne TBS (Eyewitness U.S. version on the USA Network) GAY- Crime Thriller, I haven't seen the original yet bc I can't find it anywhere. Also I said I didn't like this genre but the Scandis do know how to make 'em. Two boys witness a murder that could solve a massive crime ring but are too scared to come forward bc they don't wanna be outed as ~lovers~ The acting in the American version is a little rough but don't let that stop you! This is the only English speaking show on this list.

Ida Tar Ansvar (Viaplay) - Ironic Comedy? A girl who is just terrified of the real world befriends an Incel in hopes of changing him/saving women. The main actress is also in Royalteen and the main actor is actually Kasper from Skam!

Lillyhammer (Used to be on Netflix) - Crime Comedy, An old American gangster moves to a small part of Lillehammer, Norway to hide and life ensues. This was actually the first Norwegian series I watched post-Skam. There's speaking parts in both Norwegian and English but it's an American show. I still recommend it.

Norsemen (Netflix) - Mockumentary, It kind of feels like a Viking Version of The Office. I've seen a few episodes but the humor is very Norwegian and it didn't stick for me.

Beforeigners (Amazon Prime Video) - Drama, Time travelers from the Viking/Stone Age era end up in Modern day Norway. We follow a Detective Traveler Woman solve crimes. I never finished it bc I forgot it existed lol.

Exit (Viaplay, NRK) - Drama, We follow as a bunch of rich people be absolutely terrible human beings. Tbh, I only got to like episode 3, they're just too long.

The Architect (Viaplay) TBS - Drama, I couldn't tell you shit about this show. I got through the first episode and had no idea what was going on but it's filmed very stylistically and I can see it being enjoyable for someone out there.

Delete Me (Viaplay) TBS - Dark Drama, A sex tape gets out and causes problems for many students at this school. I haven't seen it yet bc the plot doesn't interest me but someone else highly recommended it.

Lik Meg (NRK) - Teen Drama, Two girls' friendship gets tested when they enter the 7th grade. I tried watching this when I was in Norway to fill the Skam void but it's definitely geared towards younger audiences so I didn't get far.

19 (NRK) - Same as above, Each season follows a character of a different age so the title of the show changes too I think. I don't know, here's the Wiki. This show focuses on third culture kids.

Skitten Snø (NRK) TBS - Dark Drama, again featuring our child Tarjei Sandvik Moe as he struggles with friendship but in a creepy way? It's hard to find a good description of this one.

Peppa Gris (NRK) - I literally just watched Peppa Pig in Norwegian for language learning purposes. That, Shrek(DVD), Frozen(Illegally) and also Vivo(Netflix).

Klassen (NRK) - Teen Drama, again really geared towards younger audiences. It's a very Disney-like show. I never finished it.

Pørni [or Pernille] (NRK, Netflix, Viaplay) GAY for like 2 minutes - Family Drama/Comedy following a social worker and mother navigating life after her sisters death, her father coming out, and her kids getting older. The characters are all genuinely funny in an endearing way to watch, and it shows genuine/sweet love between older people.

Swedish Movies: (I haven't seen these but they look good)

Black Crab (Netflix) TBS - Dark Drama, A solider has to cross a frozen sea with precious cargo to stop an apocalyptic war.

Låt Den Rätte Komma In (It's online free somewhere & on Swedish Netflix) TBS (Let Me In U.S. version) - Thriller, Something about a vampiric killer kid. I really like the American version so I wanna give the OG a shot.

A Man Called Ove (Netflix, Viaplay) TBS - Drama Comedy, A grumpy old man is mean to his neighbors after the death of his wife, he learns how to enjoy life again, I think.

JJ+E (Netflix) TBS - Teen Drama/Romance, A third culture boy and a Swedish girl fall in love. Will they make it?

Kyss Mig (Viaplay, Used to be on Netflix) TBS GAY - Drama, A young woman who is engaged begins an affair with her future stepmother's lesbian daughter (Can we consider that incest?).

Swedish Shows:

Sjukt (NRK) - Drama Comedy, Loosely based on the life of Young Royals Creator, Lisa Ambjörn. A young women finds a new lease on life after beating Ovarian Cancer. I enjoyed half of it but would rather finish it on a site that isn't NRK.

Young Royals (Netflix) - Teen Drama, beautiful amazing talented show stopping never been done before... A young prince gets sent to a boarding school to tighten up his act when jealousy causes things to fall apart all around him. Obviously recommend.

Gåsmamman (Amazon Prime Video) - Crime Drama, Featuring Young Royals star, Edvin Ryding, as one of the sons to a widowed mother caught up in a crime ring left by her husband. Turns out it goes deeper than what she was expecting. Brace yourself for this intense 6 season, 46 episode long show.

Kontoret (Swedish version of The Office) TBS - Exactly what it sounds like. I haven't bothered to look into it further but it could be fun to see the cultural differences and Swedish nuances.

Quicksand (Netflix) - Dark Drama, also a good one, After a school shooting we follow a girl who was somehow involved. As the plot unravels we find out exactly how. Features Felix Sandman if you're a fan of him.

One More Time (Netflix) TBS - Comedy, I literally just added this to my list. It's "17 Again" mixed with Disney's "16 Wishes."

Thunder in my Heart (Viaplay) TBS - Coming of Age/Family Drama. A lot of these Swedish shows on Viaplay don't have English subtitles so, dead end.

Älska mig (Viaplay) TBS - Drama/Romance, Familiar faces: Edvin Ryding of Young Royals/Gåsmamman! Little stories about people finding and navigating romance.

Ej Kjem (NRK) - Scandalous Drama, A show about a girl navigating life and SEXuality. I couldn't get far with it because it's only in Swedish with NYNORSK subtitles??

Clark (Netflix) TBS - Biography/Comedy? Bill Skarsgård! The unbelievable story of Clark Olofsson, the man who inspired the phrase "Stockholm Syndrome."

Danish Movies:

The Bombardment (Netflix) TBS - Wartime Drama, Based on true events, a WWII bomb hits a school in Copenhagen. (Also if you didn't know, there was A LOT happening with Sweden, Norway, and Denmark during WWII and so there are TONS of good Scandinavian movies set during then. I didn't list them because I'm just not that big a fan of the genre but the history's crazy.)

Danish Shows:

Seaside Hotel (Viaplay) GAY for like 2 seconds but idk if more happens I'm still watching - Drama, set some time in the 1920s. Various kooky guests check into this hotel every summer and life happens, drama unfolds. I was just starting to really get into it but for some reason Viaplay in Sweden doesn't have it 😡.

The Rain (Netflix) - Survival Drama, Toxic rain falls from the sky wiping out almost all humanity. One boy is the cure. Does he save and restore all humankind? I don't know I never finished it. This was when the survival genre was at an all time high. It's a good show but I just couldn't take it anymore.

Rita (Netflix) - Drama Comedy, Rita is an independent girl boss mother who has funny relationships with everyone around her. It's been years since I've seen it but it was pretty popular to the Danes.

Elves (Netflix) TBS - Horror Drama, It's evil elves at Christmas time. I haven't seen it yet but it doesn't look like it's gotten good reviews.

The Chestnut Man (Netflix) TBS - Crime Drama, A creepy chestnut toy links together murders and might be the answer to a politician's missing child.

One of the Boys (Viaplay) GAY - Coming of Age, short drama series. A boy gets sent on this "How to be a man" retreat and flips between changing himself to fit in and accepting his oddball self with this other outsider who is "totally not gay" but I literally don't believe that and it's total queer baiting but there's a kiss scene and it's such a short and easy watch that why not give a chance.

And finally: @notachair asked for this so here you go :)

[womeninfictionandirl]

Saga Norén by Maria Stefani

[noplanwithavan]

BRAVE NEW WORLD

We arrived in the land of the Midnight Sun shortly after the summer solstice. An 18 hour ferry delivered us across a heavy, toiling Baltic Sea from Gdansk in Poland to Nynnershamn near Stockholm. We’ve been here just over a week, and are still having to pinch ourselves. It’s hard not to believe you’ve been transported into a kind of Utopic vision of the future. A land where thoughtful, contemplative touches subtly reveal themselves. A society which appears to have been planned and built by people who’ve pondered deeply through the dark winter nights what would make for a pleasant living experience.

There are countries which leap out and press themselves upon your senses the moment you set foot. Morocco is one - its foreignness crowding into the pores. Not all are like that. Eastern Europe was more of an indistinct blur, punctuated only by variations in bland food and levels of indifference. But Sweden. Oh, Sweden is like waking up to the smell of fresh coffee made for you by a cool, older cousin on an outward bounds weekend.  Healthy, rich, and life affirming. A wise Beowulf who’s figured out life. Taking you by the hand, and by the light of a camp fire, whispering gently into your ear that they trust and respect you enough to see for yourself if there might be a better way of doing things.

It started with the rubbish. You hardly see a general waste bin. So, we began making even more of a conscientious effort to separate all our gunk into the right recycling bins. You can’t help it - this country just makes you want to join in and be better, rather than hurling scalding hot coffee right back at its face. Then came the houses, the cycle lanes, the museums, the cities, even the wilderness. All somehow transformative.

Driving off the ferry was like stepping onto the film set of every Scandi drama I’ve ever seen. Endless spruce, and birch forests flashing past, with glimpses of the occasional deer. The classic rust coloured wooden houses hugging the coast, banks of lupins standing to attention like purple flames, tapering towards their pale ends. Stopping by a small marina, we would wander through the springy turf woodland and find ourselves brought before the waters edge, a long wooden jetty stretching ahead, the soft swish of reeds alongside. It’s hard to fathom how there is enough detective work for the likes of Wallander, Sara Lund and that Saga woman from “The Bridge”. It seems the most incongruous place to warrant such a high murder rate. It’s unlike any landscape we’ve seen so far. And the novelty adds an exotic twist. When in truth, perhaps if we stayed longer, it would soon fade. You can drive for hundreds of kilometres and the vistas, though pretty, never really change.

We spent 3 days in Stockholm. A city that flaws you with its effortless beauty and order. The vikings were not great empire builders, and the city can’t compete with the likes of Rome for sheer mind-boggling wonder. But as a place to live, it’s hard to beat. Criss-crossing its myriad bridges connecting a network of islands, we parked our van with unanticipated ease in Östermalm, smack bang in the centre. We later discovered our parking spot was the Stockholm equivalent of Belgravia in London. Yet we could stay for free at weekends, basking in the glory of the smart, stylish buildings behind us, and a bustling marina with house boats and restaurants in front. Hell even the baroque architecture seemed a testament to vitality - a wash of cinnamon, saffron, and burnt ochre, verdigris rooves mottled like lichen. We were content to just wander the city, listening out for the long sing-song vowels bubbling out around us. I tested my 4 words of Swedish on a shop keeper (Hey=hello, Ya=yes, Ney=No, and Tak=thanks). “Did I say it right?” I broke in with an immediate apology.

“Yes,” he answered with a slow sideways grin. “But it’s not ya! You British always say it so hard.” And with an emphatic digging deep motion of his arm, he continued, “You have to really live it. It’s more like YAAAAAARRRR….”

We stumbled into a street performance festival taking place, and even here the city embraced it’s ambition to go 100% cash-free. Instead of putting money into a hat, the audience was encouraged to “Swish” a monetary donation via their phones. The crowd is noticeably more ethnically diverse than any we’ve seen for months. One little boy is picked to be a volunteer. When the performers ask where he is from, he tells them Syria, and the crowd cheers in applause. The girls insist we must sit up front and sure enough Marcus is also selected - twice - to be part of some human scaffolding. Must be his strong, muscly physique I guess! The girls find it hilarious to watch their dad being dressed up and climbed all over by ladies wearing big frilly knickers.

The city is easy to negotiate on foot and by bike. At first the cycle paths strike me as alien, futuristic somehow. And then I realise it is because I’ve never seen routes so well integrated into a city before. There is an odd epiphany, a gradual dawning which is to repeat itself. The realisation that we’ve found a place that’s not just different from home. It’s better. A Brave New World. One island, Djurgården, houses most of Stockholm’s museums. It’s crowning glory is the Vasa, a wry reminder that Swedish design wasn’t always so flawless. In the 17th century the Vasa warship sunk on her maiden voyage, just 1 kilometre out of the harbour. As an 11 year-old I remember a school trip to Portsmouth to see conservation work on the Tudor equivalent, the Mary Rose. The Vasa would have made Henry VIII apoplectic with envy. Towering five storey’s high, the museum is constructed around her many levels - the tops of her masts even poking out through the building’s roof. Journeying through the different parts of her structure you are treated to a smorgasbord of historical insight. The presentation and forensic detail is astounding. It’s like a brainstorming session that actually got gloriously realised, rather than chewed up, compromised and ultimately bodged. There were brightly coloured copies of a select few of the 700 adorning wooden sculptures, intricate models, replica parts of the ship for you to enter, visual displays and films showing how the ship was built. But best of all, were the reconstructed faces of the skeletons found on board. So life-like you could even see the sweat glistening on their skin. Elsie and Lulu were transfixed, asking again and again about one young woman in particular. Analysis of her teeth showed not only that she had been malnourished as a child, but that she was probably a seamstress. The tell-tale clue was a groove in her right incisor tooth, consistent with having bitten off thread over and over again. God I just love that! And so did they, you could practically hear their brain cells popping as the puzzle slid into place like a true Scandi-detective!

The only things not so appealing about Sweden are the cost, and the noticeable dip in air temperature. In Croatia we were baking beside azure mediterranean waters, feeling like we were on summer holiday. We spent a week in the fishing village of Pučišća on the island of Brac, which I’d visited with girlfriends a few years before. Despite numerous fans Marcus had rigged up, the heat of the van became unbearable. Sticky, sweaty seats, and nights where everyone bar me was eaten alive by mosquitos. I am the envy of my entire family, the only one seemingly immune to the blood suckers.  We bought inflatables and sought shade in an apartment for a few days, gorging on nectarines and flip-flopping in and out of the water. It was a chance to bide our time and energy before taking the girl’s to see their first ever experience of live rock in the capital Zagreb. The “InMusic Festival” website said it was kid-friendly, but I think they must have been counting the swarms of fresh-faced teenagers in that description. We spotted about 5 other small kids, but in the end rarity worked to our advantage. Elsie and Lulu attracted plenty of attention in their bright yellow ear defenders. Sweet-natured 19 year-old girls would stop, and gasp. Allowing sticky little paws to stroke their fairy wings as they crouched low to boogie along, before leaving a swipe of face glitter as a departing gift. Elsie couldn’t quite believe that grown-ups got to dress like that. All her fairy/princess/frozen ambitions seemingly crystallised to perfection. They stayed up till midnight to watch ‘Arcade Fire’, whose music Marcus had been steadily indoctrinating into them weeks before. The band were amazing, but I know they’d have sounded even better if I didn’t have one person digging into my shoulders and another trying to yell an inane, frankly not very interesting question, into my ear. Though fun, I couldn’t escape the feeling that Croatia felt like one giant tourist attraction. We never quite got a sense of the people or the place. It glittered, but left us cold, despite the 30-degree heat.

Our summer spending spree continued north into Hungary. Moving so quickly now, there was barely time to learn the currencies and please/thank you before passing from one border to the next. Across the flat European plain we travelled, through villages whose modest one-storey houses would draw the eye. Not the buildings themselves, but to what lay beyond - chickens and dust and glimpses of an older, subsistence life. The traditional style barns, set back, giving on to wide open fields of corn. There was the odd nodding donkey in the flat terrain too - an oil gathering relic seemingly from another age. We spent so little time in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Poland we were gripped by a kind of frenzy. Eating out all the time - trying to cram in goulash, strudel and dumplings. Casting around for places to stop, we lost our way, and were falling back into old habits, hitting the big tourist sites which leave you feeling as hollow as your wallet. It was a kind of desperation I think, an attempt to distract ourselves from the creeping awareness that we had almost gone full cycle. The olives and almonds we had first picked in Spain were now ripening again on the trees. Fields of sunflowers which had been slumped before the French sun last September, were now rising up in worship once more. Thoughts of home preyed on our minds. How were we going to get used to going back to a sedentary life filled with routine? Freedom is addictive, and however much we miss friends and family, we’re not relishing that sacrifice.

In Slovakia we visited beautiful Bratislava, and then stopped for a couple of nights in the Tatras mountains. I’d read rave reviews about the compact Carpathian mountain range, but either we were missing a trick, or it just wasn’t that great. Compared to the wilderness of the Accursed Mountains in Albania, it felt tame and commercialised. In the ski-town of Strebske Pleso we took a chair lift and then hiked up to Solsiko at just over 2,200 m. A revised version of Spartacus spurred Elsie and Lulu up the steep, rocky summit, where we passed scores of other neon-clad Slovakian day trippers. It was the mountaineering equivalent of painting by numbers. You go through the motions, but the end result is uninspiring. Poland was even less so, perhaps because here it actually felt like we HAD arrived back in Britain. Tesco stores sprouting up alongside motorways under cold, grey skies.The familiar miserliness of toilet stops where you are charged to use the loo. The mediterranean, with its soft warmth, never felt so far away.

We stopped at Poland’s premier tourist attraction, the Weilizcka Salt Mine. A vertical shaft with a staircase that plunges you 110m underground, where tunnels open onto caverns shiny and solid with rock salt. We couldn’t resist licking the walls to test if they really are salty. They are. It’s actually pretty interesting, huge chambers, even an underground cathedral carved from salt. Our guide’s sense of humour is as dry as the atmosphere inside the mine, but it can’t disguise the fact it’s still one big tourist rip off. Afterwards we make a vow: no more big tourist attractions where you’re herded and cosseted. Stripped of your dignity along with your cash.

Krakow was a delightful exception, with its curiosity shops and old world charm. I’m not one to water down history lessons for the girls, and I rarely shy away from telling them the truth - in all its grizzly detail. But the haunting sight of those dilapidated buildings in the old Jewish Quarter proved too much even for me. We skirted awkwardly around the subject of Poland’s tragic past. The enormity of the Holocaust is not a story I can bear to tell them just yet.

Long days of driving followed, sometimes 600 km a day, to get to the port at Gdansk. The girls coped well, entertaining themselves by DJ’ing from their seats in the back. Elsie loves the song “Pusher Man” by Curtis Mayfield. We can’t help grinning as she delightfully misinterprets the lyrics.

“I can’t believe he’s saying “Want some coke, have some wee!” she crows. “Who would want wee?”

The coast west of Gdansk is an unwelcome sight. It puts me in the mind of Barry Island. Thronging with the bucket and spade brigade, and lined with fish and chip joints. For the first we are officially further north than when we left Wales 10 months ago. Roughly on a par with the Lake District. It was tempting just to hot foot it back to Southern climes. But I’m glad we pushed further North now into Scandinavia.

The wilderness begins right outside Stockholm. Hugging the coast northwards, we’ve seen the sunset shift ever onwards until finally it now just hovers above the horizon. I didn’t think their bedtime could get any later, but it’s gone beyond now. By blacking out the van we try and sleep. But it still amazes me to see the world softly lit, as if by gas light, every time I wake in the middle of the night and step outside to wee. We’re making friends along the way. One evening we got chatting to a father and his daughter, Elsa, who taught us the card game “Go Fish” in Swedish. But Elsie and Lulu’s favourite word is undeniably “exit”. Which is the superbly satisfying “utfart”.

Wrapping our tastebuds around salted liquorice, crackers, and cinnamon buns, we are driving north, trying to muster up the courage to sample possibly the world’s most challenging food: Surstromming, an explosive Swedish delicacy of fermented herring. There’s a stop along the way, at the Skuleskogen National Park. A magical landscape, where it’s easy to believe trolls and fairies dwell. Finally we get to see the wood for the trees, for this is the High Coast, where you can climb above the forest and gaze down upon islands mushrooming out of the Baltic Sea below. The land here has been rising by 8mm every year since the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Geological signs of this shift are all around. We take a 8km hike past prehistoric beaches and bronze age burial mounds through enchanted woodland, brimming with bearded lichen. At least here we never have to worry about setting off by a certain time. It doesn’t much matter how long you take, with 24 hour sunlight there’s never the need for a torch to find your way home. Our walk brings us out into a sheltered bay with a camping spot at Kälsviken beach. There are composting toilets and shelters with seasoned wood, the odd fire roasting pit, even neat piles of logs stacked around the beach. We watch a teenage boy splitting logs, and I assume he must have brought his own equipment. But he finishes up, hammering the axe into a chopping block, and gesturing for us to go ahead. It slowly dawns on us that all these thoughtfully placed touches are for general use. “God, it just seems so advanced here!” Marcus exclaims.

In the last few days we’ve delved even deeper into the wilderness, and are now sleeping so little I am beginning to wonder if we shall soon go full circle and gain an extra day. Crossing into Lapland we tracked down another long lost friend of Marcus’s, Lisa Angberg. He’s well supplied with mates out in the sticks! Lisa, Pablo and their 6 year old son Theo run a tourism business, Stora Björnstugan, up in Laisvallby in northern Sweden, renting out wooden cabins. They have welcomed us with such warmth and wonder I hardly know where to begin. We’ve eaten Reindeer, Elk, fished for Coregon on the river, had a sauna, and learned from Lisa all about the many uses spruce pine and birch can be put to. There I was thinking all this woodland was purely for flatpack furniture, but she’s shown us another world of forest shampoos, conditioners, syrups, sap you can drink. I wish we could stay, the endless light adds a kind of mania. It’s become normal for the kids to stay up till midnight, going out in the boat, or playing amongst the wildflowers in the garden. It’s wonderful, magical. We love you Sweden. You’re everything I dreamed and more. And we haven’t even seen you dressed in your winter finest yet. We will be back.

[ukredrevolution]

Scandinavian Winters of Old Were Less hygge, More Nordic Noir

Scandinavian Winters of Old Were Less hygge, More Nordic Noir | #History | #Vikings | #Sagas | #NorseMythology |

Hannah Burrows, University of Aberdeen

This winter hygge has replaced Nordic Noir as the UK’s favourite Scandi-import. But the festive season in the Nordic world has not always granted an opportunity for cosy mindfulness. Medieval sources offer a decidedly more terrifying vision of Christmas, or jól (yule), its proximity to the winter solstice putting it at the heart of icy nightmares.

In…

[nichetraveldesign]

Tweeted

If you are a fan of the Swedish/Danish scandi noir show Bron | Brœn, you will recognize where the main character Saga Norén lives. Saga lives in the super hip neighbord Västra Hamnen in Malmö. Västra Hamnen used to be a dirty industrial site that now boa… https://t.co/vrpJSyJIp7 pic.twitter.com/OQWrZmY6CA

— Niche Travel Design (@NicheTravelDzn) March 23, 2018