Pepparkaksutställningen (Ginger cookies exhibition)

My last post for the year 2017. Phew! Finally, I managed to post everything that I have done for the first 6 months in Sweden. As I wrote the posts, I felt impressed by myself that I have experienced and attempted to do so many stuff. Not being afraid to try and to learn. I think my biggest accomplishment after 6 months was being able to grasp basic Swedish. Today, I am getting better and better at it. 

Back to my last post.

28 December 2017

This is a Ginger Cookie Exhibition in Moderna Museum. It is an annual competition for kids between 6-12 years old, professional bakers, architects and everyone else who bakes for Christmas. In Sweden, Christmas means having abundance of ginger cookies selling in stores. The theme is 'borderless' and you can see how kids and adults interpret this theme.

Ice Skating - Nordic and Hockey

For the first time in my life, I tried ice skating. I have always wanted to do it when I stayed in Selangor. We have Sunway Pyramid with an ice skating rink but I did not attempt it. I did not have the lust then to try. It was more like - okay, I will try one day, but I did not have any urge for it.

Now, that I am in Sweden, and one obviously ice skates during winter (one of the winter sports), I thought I should join the crowd. Since I was tight on budget, I was very happy when I found an activity in Meetup to try Nordic ice skating for free. I did not know the difference between Nordic and hockey ice skating, and I just clicked yes to go because it is ice skating! 

I read that one is prone to falling down a lot while learning to ice skate. So, I invested in elbow, wrist and knee protection which is sold in one package for SEK200/RM100. This thing is not sold in many places though as they are uncommon to be used which I find it unusual. I guess everyone is invincible when they ice-skate except for me. 

5 December 2017

My first ice skating session. It is located in Ostermalm Ice Skating Rink. The free trial was for 1.5 hours and was for 3 months. I think Nordic Ice Skating is still rare and so this is their way to encourage it. The only thing I paid for is the helmet which I rented for SEK20/RM10.

Nordic skates have longer blades than the usual hockey skates and be used on frozen lakes. As skating on frozen lakes involves walking between lakes or around sections not suitable for skating, the blades can be easily removed from the boots. 

Baker wannabe : Ischoklad (Ice chocolate)

16 December 2017

Ice chocolate is one of the Christmas delicacies here. 

The easiest and fastest I have ever made - Swedish Ischoklad (Ice Chocolate). Christmas treat which originated from Germany. It is made purely of chocolate and coconut oil. Melt them (200g of dark chocolate and 100g coconut oil) together (takes 5 minutes only) and pour them in the tiny forms. Add almonds or raisins or any nuts if you like. Store in fridge. 

It melts in the mouth so easily, thanks to the coconut oil. I personally think this is healthy stuff since it is just dark chocolate and coconut oil. I made half dark chocolate and half white chocolate but the traditional version is purely dark chocolate. It is yummy and tastes both coconut and chocolate.

Christmas Market at Enskede

9 December 2017

My fifth and last Christmas market for 2017 was in Enskede. This is my favourite because they have a small group of Christmas carollers. Also, some stuff are cheaper here too. After 5 Christmas markets, I got the idea of how it is and got bored going to another. Haha! I look forward to Christmas markets in 2018!

There were a couple of booths managed by kids from different classes (from Enskede school) to funds their class travels. The idea of class travels were alien to me as we never had that when I was a kid. It is quite normal, though, in Sweden (probably in Europe too) that kids go on class trips in another town or camping in the forest.

Christmas Market at Drottningholm Courtyard

9 December 2017

My fourth Christmas market is in Drottningholm. It is of course, not in the palace. But on that day, the palace entrance was open to the public, albeit to a limited short space. We took the train and bus there. The bus was extremely crowded. I think the Christmas market here is smaller.

It was 3.25pm and it was beginning to darken!

We tried pirog with sundried tomatoes. A piece costed SEK30. My partner thought it was really good. 

Christmas Market at Gamla Stan

3 December 2017

My third Christmas market is in Gamla Stan (Old Town), a very famous tourist spot in Stockholm. Your visit to Stockholm is not complete without it. Sweden's oldest Christmas market since 1915. Of course, being a tourist spot, you can expect throngs of tourists and expensive stuff on sale. This Christmas market was held everyday in December until Christmas eve. The location is at the little square which is right in front of the Nobel Museum.

There are so many Christmas decorations and Christmas presents-potential sold here. There is really no reason at all for one to say that they cannot find a present. The question is just if you are willing to pay!

Glögg (pronounced as 'glerg') is mulled wine (warm wine with spices drank to warm one up and have together with raisins or a walnut) and is sold for SEK25 for a small cup. I saw a sole booth outside the Christmas market selling for SEK30 and a tourist was excited to try it. This drink is also sold in the supermarket (e.g. ICA) for SEK28 in a 750ml bottle. So, imagine the profit but also the booth rented here is expensive.  

Christmas Market at Täby Park

2 December 2017

My second Christmas market is in Täby Park. It was my first winter in Stockholm, so I planned to visit as many Christmas markets as possible every weekend. This place is quite a distance from where I live. I had to take the train and the bus. The journey took me close to 1.5 hours. It was still bright when I got here which is really good because I could see more of the stuff. My first Christmas market was in Rosendal and it was dark during my first experience. 

By the way, I went here because a pensioner mentioned that this is one of the authentic Christmas markets in Stockholm.

There was a horse ride, a property exhibition and lots of Christmas decorations, lots of Christmas ham (they called it 'julskinka' - pronounced as 'yul-hwin-ka') both smoked meat and fish for sale. It was interesting to see all these in a Christmas market.