Starting Up

I started the school year today with an introduction to schools, the principals, and the foundation that runs the schools (three high schools and a jr. high). But last night I was out for the last free night of the summer to see Moneybrother, a great band from Stockholm. The opening acts were openings acts, deservedly so, not really worth mentioning. Moneybrother, however, rocked, rolled and romanced through their set. He is a single man with a solid back up band, very good players, really. I haven't seen so many grown women swoon like little girls. That guy must have no love problems but for too many loves. His voice is very soulful, a combination of Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer and Al Green. Here they are rocking out:



(Sorry for the low quality photo. Camera phones, camera phones...)

I also found out yesterday that I will be traveling to Istanbul with my colleagues in a team building and curriculum development trip. I know, it almost sounds like a joke. The punchline: I don't pay for a thing. It's in December, so I'll be gone one week for that, then back a week to wrap up the semester, then back to the States for the holidays.

Hope all is well with everybody!

A Great Sunny Sunday in Stockholm

After about 4,000 days of rain, we got a warm sunny day. After a few hours of writing and doing laundry, a new friend (an American, named Tim) called me up and wanted to go for a ride. Because he commutes to work almost every day, he kicked my ass all over this hilly city. I'm sure after a few months of riding here I'll attack these hills with the vitriol that I used to eat up long open spaces with no traffic in Chicago, but until then, I'll be humiliatingly eating these diehards' dust. After a healthy ride, he invited me back to his place where his girlfriend had been preparing the food we would eventually take out to the park for grilling near their place in Midsommarkränsen, just south of central Stockholm and up another hill (it was much more fun on the way home, going down the hill). Eleanor (raised in Sweden) can cook! Damn, I haven't eaten that well since my going-away breakfast at Joe's place! Wine, great food and sunshine... what else can make a better Sunday afternoon. What a simple pleasure it was. Here they are:


Here's a shot from our picnic place:












I cycled back down that hill and across town around ten p.m. when I took this shot from the bridge connecting Södermalm (literally "southern rock," which is a where I spent so much time growing up) with the southern outer ring of Stockholm where they live:

Two Tidbits

I've always found myself curious at how well Stockholm and Sweden in general blends nature with culture, at least in terms of the aesthetics of the city. Take this photo for example: I was cycling around Djurgården (a larger island that is full of parks, an amusement park, an outdoor theater for music, etc, a cool TV tower with a great restaurant, among other things) and found myself on this trail (pictured below). Farm land right up to and within the city! I mean how much more integrated can you get? The buildings off in the distance include a TV station and a bustling residential part of the city.





Park life in Stockholm attracts everybody. I've never been much of a park-goer, aside from one very nice afternoon under the new music shell a few years back with a special person and one afternoon I fell asleep grading papers early this summer in Wicker Park. Ok, wait... I've also played some fun pick-up soccer games lately, too. But anyways... I think I could get be a park regular here. They invite all into their loosely formalized dwellings with food and snacks (man, I love eating), statues, benches, grass/weeds (funny side note, weed is Swedish is ogräs, meaning nongrass) and flower beds.

Muscles Burning = Finding My Place

Today I built up my Surly 29" single speed mountain bike again and sailed down the trails into central Stockholm, sometimes having to pump the pedals up hills I wasn't altogether prepared for. Once in the city I felt a bit out of sorts for obvious reaons: this place is nothing like the grid of Chicago; there's an extra bike lane that sort of fades in and out, sometimes on the street sometimes on a level above the street but below the sidewalk; and stop lights are difficult to read because there is only one or two but you must remain back to see them. I'm sure I'll get used to all of this and it certainly makes for rides that are never dull. After heading down to Kungsträgården to look into some tickets for Hammarby vs. Malmö on Wednesday and Moneybrother a week from Wednesday, I headed back north but easterly toward Djurgården, where I found myself on some challenging trails upwards as well as downwards. Alone, these trails may not be so bad, but after having ridden a solid 35 minutes, these trails beat the crap out of me. I stopped off by the water but soon realized I was in need of libation, headed south to Vasastan, where I sucked down a Poweraid (new to Sweden), a Wasa sandwich with cream cheese and chili and then a Coke Zero. A mother and her two babies sat next to me on a bench and they "studied me" ("Du är väll studerade" she said). As soon as I turned to them, the one giggled while her twin sister hide her face, shy as a Tinkerbell. I decided to head to Södermalm, the southern island of central Stockholm. There I checked out some Fred Perry, some little nostalgia for the old punk rock style but came up empty, oh well... wasn't really mine to begin with. So I headed home, north through Gamla Stan (old town), up through Vasastan again and along the water, past the new post office (with its compelling facade) and around and home and by the time I was cranking up that last hill, my thighs burned that sweet burn of knowing I was going to sleep well tonight in my new city.

Yummm...

First, the Swedish pizza is not unlike it's NYC cousin. Thin and not so much sauce, much like NYC style, the Swedish style often has ingredients that may sound unappealing, at least at first. This one had red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, tuna fish, green chile (a personal favorite), kalmata olives, and I believe a few bits of pineapple. The combination was inspired to say the least.



Then there's the bulle (a type of cinamon roll) but this one has pistachio lining it and it's amazing, but costly at about a dollar and a half at most any 7-11 in Stockholm.

Four Days In

I mostly have pictures to share right now, but I'm here and everything is sailing. I rented a room, registered with the government as a citizen living in the country, opened a bank account, and enjoyed the beach. There's been an unusual amount of rain for Stockholm, the same storm that flooded England. Nevertheless, a vivid result occurred: the sunset stunned last night:

Taking Off

After a great party with so many people I was happy came out to say good bye, as well as a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes with many of the same good, good friends, I made it down to Toyota Park with my dad to see the Chicago Fire outplay Celtic FC, the Scottish Champions, with a 1-1 result. The new player Blanco was to debut for the Fire, and he played so beautifully, tears almost welled in my eyes. Hope should now be simmering in the hearts of Chicago Fire fans. Nevertheless, I've had a great last day here in Chicago, and despite getting a bit lost in the revelry of the last 24 hours, I have to say that I feel very lucky to have all these great friends and family in my life. Believe me when I say that my only regret about moving is leaving so many good people behind. Having said that... come on over!