Tastebud : Moldau

31 October 2019

It is Austrian food tonight! This place is called Moldau and there were lots of customers. This place is famous for its schnitzel. I tried the Arnoldschnitzel and it is 2 pieces of breaded pork fillet. Eventually, I got tired from chewing the meat because it was dry and the fillets were huge. This dish costs SEK208 / RM104. Yes, it is a lot.

Tastebud : Nha Trang

29 October 2019

Vietnamese food! Although I felt like it was any usual Chinese dish.

We had 2 dishes - a combo of grilled pork, fried spring rolls, minced shrimp in a skew, salad with rice noodles for SEK169 / RM84.50 in the boat-shaped plate, and stir-fried big shrimps, squid, mussels, with vegetables for SEK159 / RM79.50 in the round plate. We had a bowl of rice that came with the stir-fried dish. Good meal. 

Upplandsleden 29 & 30

19 October 2019

After a week of grey clouds and rainy days, today was much looked forward to. A sunny Saturday. It was 12 degrees today. I am so happy that I got out today. Today's hike bring me to Upplandsleden Section 29 (13.5km) and 30 (9.5km) with a total of 23km - just follow the orange sign. We took the commuter train to Bålsta which was the last station at Line 43. This is located in Uppsala region. 

Tastebud : Dell 'Attore (second time)

16 October 2019

Second time at Dell 'Attore - almost one year later. The first time I was here, I had a pizza full of vegetables. Today, I ordered another pizza full of vegetables. Haha! It is called patate con verdure which means potatoes with vegetables! SEK153.

Så ska det låta (So, that is how it will sound) - Swedish Music Show

16 October 2019

Volunteer activity with Kompis Sverige. Today, we watched a recording of a Swedish music game show - Så ska det låta (pronounced as 'so, ska det lo-ta'). This music game show was created in 1997 and this is a favourite show in most Swedish household. We went to the studio in Sveriges Television (Sweden's Television), which is also known as SVT. We took the train to Karlaplan Station and walked about 800m to the television station.

Anyone can participate as an audience for any game shows. One goes into SVT's website and click - Public, and can see a list of shows that are opened to the public. There was a huge crowd today to watch this music game show. Also, during the recording of the game show, one cannot leave the studio and it will not look good with an empty spot in the audience. In this music game show, two teams will compete against one another. In each team, there is a pianist and two famous artistes. The prizes at the end of the show are bouquets of flower which are given to each participant. 

The recording was from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. I was in awe of the multiple lights that were on the ceiling. In certain sections, the recordings were done twice and I thought how tiring it was for the participants and the host to keep up the cheery mood and smiles. As an audience, we are required to clap as loudly as we can after each singing. We are not allowed to take photos during the recordings, which is understood of course, as this show will be aired subsequently. It was a good experience and I don't think I will do it again especially on a weeknight as I need to work the next day. I got home by 12.30am and was so exhausted the next day at work. 

Tastebud : Gretas

15 October 2019

Today, my friend treated me to a slice of chocolate cake and coffee latte (for SEK48) at Gretas which is located inside Haymarket by Scandic. I think, to grade if a cafe is expensive or cheap, one should check the price of the coffee latte. I have been drinking coffee latte occasionally, and most coffee shops have their latte for SEK42. So, this is slightly on the higher side. Well, this is inside Haymarket by Scandic, and it is not a cheap hotel.

Baking and Chocolate Fair 2019

13 October 2019

Today, I went to a Baking and Chocolate Fair that was held in Stockholmsmässan. The ticket costs SEK135. I went on a Sunday with my friend. I wanted to go to this Fair last year but I did not have any good company to hang out with. I tasted so many different types of chocolate that I was so stuffed! I got lucky too and I got some free goodies. 

Mushroom picking at Ingarö

12 October 2019

Mushroom picking at Ingarö! Ingarö is an island in one of Stockholm's archipelago. A friend invited a few of us to pick mushrooms in the area. We got there by car and arrived by 1030am. We went to a small forest and picked mushrooms for an hour. There were so many yellow foot chanterelles. We had 3 full baskets at the end of the hour. 

At the end of mushroom picking, we grilled sausages and bread. I had the nicest, warmest hotdog with pickled cucumber, tomato sauce and mustard. 

Tastebud : Il Molo

8 October 2019

Italian food at Il Molo. I had the pillow pastas with slices of ham for SEK175 / RM87.50. It is pretty filling, although there are not many pillows. And it is expensive for me!

Bogesund Section 1

6 October 2019

Autumn is a beautiful season to hike in Sweden. The colourful leaves - red and yellow, and the falling leaves make such a beautiful sight. And when the sunrays beam through the trees and leaves, the surroundings become a golden sight. It is breathtakingly beautiful. 

We took bus 670 from Tekniska Högskolan and switched to bus 681 in Kulla Vägskäl where we reached Bogesunds gård at 8.20am. It was a 15km hike today until Frösvik. 

The Valkyrie Concert

5 October 2019

Volunteer activity with Kompis Sverige - The Valkyrie Concert. There were texts when the opera singers sang and I had to google a few of the words. 

Synopsis from Concert House's website:

The first act from Richard Wagner’s The Valkyrie – a long love scene which is performed in concert here with international soloists. Siegmund is fleeing and ends up in the home of Hunding and Sieglinde. As Siegmund and Sieglinde fall in love, every dimension of emotion is portrayed in this evocative music. Soon it is revealed that Siegmund and Sieglinde are twins: their love becomes a symbol of the perfected symbiosis between two people, and brings an infusion of hope and confidence. 

Tastebud : Lux

4 October 2019

One fine workday, my colleagues suggested that we have lunch at Lux. One has to book a table in advance. I had Wallenbergare for SEK195. This is a traditional Swedish dish (that I heard of for the first time) consisting of ground veal, cream, egg yolks and coated in breadcrumbs. It is served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and peas.

I was extremely full from this dish!

John Lundvik Concert

1 October 2019

It is autumn now. Cold. Windy. Rainy. Cloudy. The sun is a rare sight now. How did summer fly by so fast? Goodbye warm weather and shorts.

Today's activity is courtesy of Kompis Sverige. I was a volunteer for that day with 2 others. We went to a John Lundvik concert. I had no idea who John Lundvik so I did a bit of research and found out he was the winner of Melody Festival 2019. Melody Festival is a singing competition in Sweden and the winner gets to represent Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest. Mr Lundvik got 5th place in Eurovision. 

The last time I went to a concert was in 2014. I am not a fan of concert but I participated to experience it. It turns out that I enjoyed his singing. He sang a few of other singers' songs and a couple of his own songs which I did not find them enjoyable. He was very happy to perform this evening especially in the premise of Cirkus. I get the vibe that Cirkus must be a reputable place for artists. He sang with his backup singers that are known as 'The Mamas'. They have powerful voices. 

In the end, I was standing and shaking my hips to the music. Well, I stood up because everyone in front of me was standing and I could not see the stage. What a fantastic 90-minutes' experience!