Hike from Rösa to Ledinge 20km

29 February 2020

Today's hike is in Norrtälje where we started at Rösa bus stop and ended in Ledinge bus stop. We took bus 676 from Tekniska Högskolan arriving 10:03am in Rösa trafikplats. The bus ride took about 1 hour. We did a bit of off-trail where we went off the trail and I got slapped twice by the branches. We had to cross a few swamps, careful with the thin ice, praying that we don't fall into any cold waters. We saw even an outdoor thermometer that showed 1 degrees! There were 2 participants that took a dip in the cold water! Brave people.

Altogether, it was 20km and we caught the 4.10pm bus back to Tekniska Högskolan.

Blood donation

28 February 2020

Blood donation in Stockholm is so different from my experience in Malaysia. It is so thorough and structured.

The first step is to register myself in the Blood Donation Centre. A nurse will take a blood sample (a prick on my finger) and have the sample tested if I have any diseases such as HIV. Thee are a list of diseases that they test for. In addition to that, I have to fill up a questionnaire with very thorough questions on my health condition. Since I am from Malaysia, they were very cautious about it as Malaysia is a malaria-risk country. They asked if I have been to Taman Negara (Malaysia's National Park) or when was the last time I visited my home country. These were done in November 2019. In mid-February 2020, I got an email that I am able to give blood. Yay! 

In Malaysia, the nurses take a blood sample to identify your blood type and you can give blood on the spot. There are of course, certain rules to adhere prior to giving blood for e.g. if you are aware that you have any disease that prohibits from giving blood, then you cannot give blood, need to have sufficient sleep, weigh a certain weight, not in a same-sex relationship and some others which I cannot remember. The last time I gave blood was during my college years. 

Today, I made my way towards a Blood Donation Centre located in Odenplan. There are 3 centers in Stockholm, and they are all located strategically close or in the train station. I took the lift towards the 6th floor. The sticker on the 6 button says - Thank you for giving blood.

As soon as you step in, you need to sign in by filling in your ID number and a health declaration (the same questions I answered when I registered in November 2019). One needs to fill this each time before they give blood. Then, you sign electronically on the touch pad.

The centre is spacious. I like their cushions. I was informed to take a small packet of juice from the mini refrigerator to hydrate myself. Soon, my name was called. 

Tastebud : Agrikultur (Michelin)

28 February 2020

Dinner at Agrikultur, a Michelin Star restaurant. My first experience with a Michelin Star restaurant was Smak. Since then, I have been curious to taste food that is awarded a Michelin Star. This is the menu for the day and I was extremely stuffed by the time we reached dessert! The menu changes often and it is not stated on the website. It costs SEK1245 per person. I love how they presented the food with mother nature (for e.g stones, dried moss, dried mushroom) as the background. This resonates definitely with the restaurant's name - Agrikultur which is agriculture in English.

First, the starters which is known as introductory or snack. 3 of them.

Introductory meal - cabbage dumpling filled with root mash, buckwheat and vinegar-cooked mustard seed. The dumpling was really soft to the fingers as it is made from cabbage. 

Next introductory meal - cucumber cooked with dill, served with smetana (sour cream) and roe from Kalix. Apparently, roe from Kalix are served during the Nobel award's dinner.

Last introductory meal - deep-fried sugar tongs topped with salted citron and grilled parsley. 

Main course - seafood or fish.

Beer-boiled king's crab in a shortcrust pastry form with hay and quail egg's cream and roe. The dishes are very small.

Tastebud : Falafelbaren

27 February 2020

Falafelbaren serves pretty good falafel. In general, I think nothing can go wrong with a falafel wrap. So far, the falafel that I have tried tasted good. I got a falafel roll for SEK105. This place, however, does not have a toilet.

Theatre - Coraline

27 February 2020

Volunteer duties with Kompis Sverige today. 

We watched Coraline at Folkopera Theatre. It is about a 11-year old girl who has to save her parents from a wicked-button-sewing-to-replace-eyes woman. The family moved into a new house that has a small door. The girl was bored as her parents did not let her play in the rain, so she went through that small door and found the exact room with an exact version of her parents with buttons as eyes. She befriended 3 kids (from different times i.e. from the 7th century, from the 17th century and from the 70s, who have grown up but were still kids (mentally) that have button as eyes. They were victims of the wicked-button-sewing-to-replace-eyes woman. They helped her to distract the wicked woman and she managed to save her parents.

Tastebud : Brioche

23 February 2020

Brunch at Brioche after a walk. Well-deserved brunch. Description copied from the menu in the website. 

Brekkie Burger (cold smoked salmon, fried egg, red onion, tomato and caprism mayonnaise) SEK105. I like my fried egg in the burger. I do not think I have come across such combination except in Malaysia's burger. Haha!

And Brioche Club Sandwich (grilled corn chicken thigh fillet, crispy fried bacon, avocado, spring chilli mayonnaise, red onion, and tomato - on grilled sourdough bread) SEK155. 

Tastebud : Feyruz

22 February 2020

We downloaded The Fork app recently because there are discounted food until mid-March. 

So, we tried Feyruz today. I had Feyruz last summer for lunch. Today, we had the Lebanese food for dinner. We ordered 4 different kinds of small dishes - rakakat jebneh (4 cripsy rolls filled with cheese) SEK75, soujok (beef sausage) SEK85, kraydess mtabbal (fried prawns with lemon juice, garlic and coriander sauce) SEK105, and Djeij Bdebss el remman (Sauteed chicken fillet in terns (I checked this and it means sea swallow. Maybe the spelling is wrong..) with pomegranate molasses) SEK85. We did not order rice. Dinner was served with flat bread.

Overall, we paid SEK282 after 20% discount or maybe 15% (that includes 1 light beer).

Soujok (beef sausage) and kraydess mtabbal (fried prawns with lemon juice, garlic and coriander sauce). I like the sausage. It was flavourful.

And this is rakakat jebneh (4 cripsy rolls filled with cheese) and Djeij Bdebss el remman (Sauteed chicken fillet in terns with pomegranate molasses). I like the cheese rolls. The waiter said that it is a girl's favourite. I do not understand why. 

Seeing the doctor

Calling 1177

This subject worried me a lot when I stepped foot in Sweden. A new country with a foreign language and probably a complicated health system. Fortunately, I did not have to encounter any health matters until the second year I was in Sweden - in 2018 where I had concerns about my menses. I knew, sooner or later, I have to visit a doctor. I called 1177 and got an appointment with a gynecologist. 1177 is Sweden's local healthcare number and there is a website that the locals refer to in case you need any general advise. If you need any medical advise, the nurse that answers the call will advise you. But if you have a female problem, then the nurse will book a time for you with the gynecologist. The nurse books for me a spot that is the nearest to my home. Do not bother getting a doctor appointment if you have a flu or a fever. The nurse will advise you to rest at home. So, whenever I get flu, cough or fever, it is lots of ginger, honey and lemon drink.

Recently, I called 1177 and I was having a difficult time understanding the nurse because she has a southern accent. If you ask any Swedes, they will tell you that the southern accent is challenging to comprehend. So, when I could not answer the nurse's questions (the conversation was in Swedish), she said that she cannot book any time for me because we do not understand each other and I have to look for my own medical care. I freaked out and I told her to repeat the question one more time, and fortunately I could understand. Finally, I got a booked time. Phew! One can opt to choose other languages upon calling 1177 but I had mine in Swedish. 

The Price

The healthcare system here allows everyone to healthcare at affordable price. Each doctor visit costs SEK200 and once the amount of SEK1150 reaches in that same year, it is free for the patient. The amount of SEK1150 repeats itself the following year. This is worthwhile for those who are very sick. A specialist visit will cost SEK350, which is what I paid for a gynecology. 

Getting the Prescriptions

In the summer of 2018, I got bitten by a tick and went to the drop-in time in the nearest hospital. The drop-in time was between 10-11am. Skin problems were treated during the drop-in time. Only certain health problems get entertained during the drop-in time. Medicines are surprisingly not sold in the hospital. The doctor prescribes the necessary medicine and you go to any pharmacy, show your identity card to the pharmacist, and you can get your medicine. Of course, you pay for the medicine. In the event the pharmacy does not sell the medicine, they will advise you on the nearest pharmacy that sells the medicine. 

Emergency 112

If there is an emergency and you need an ambulance to go to the hospital, you call 112 and an ambulance will pick you up. It was a surprise to me when I found out that the ambulance service is not affiliated to any hospitals. So, the ambulance will send you to the nearest hospital and you pay SEK500 for the ambulance service. Any doctor and medicine treatment in the emergency room is free. 

To buy or not to buy health insurance

Then, came the question if I needed to buy health insurance in Sweden, considering that I can see a doctor by calling 1177 or 112. I have health insurance in Malaysia, so it was natural for me that I asked this question. With a public healthcare in Sweden, it is not necessary to buy a private health insurance. But this private insurance assures you immediate access to health care and you do not need to wait for an appointment letter. Before you can get that immediate access, you need to pay SEK500 to 'activate' the insurance. It is called 'self-risk'. This shocked me too. Why do you need to pay extra SEK500 when you are paying a monthly premium for the health insurance? This is apparently to discourage unnecessary visit to doctors or probably false alarms. How does one determine that, anyway? 

I am still pondering if I need to get health insurance. I have accident and illness insurance. Initially, I did not know where to buy these insurance from. There were so many companies around that offers insurance but I have no one to approach to who could advise me. So, I was advised to get an insurance that was offered by my union. Unions usually have insurance packages. 

Comparison

Of course, there have been many comments about the healthcare in Sweden. Some of the doctors prescribed wrong medicine, the waiting time is long to get a doctor's attention and you do not get an immediate appointment to see the doctor. If you compare to the healthcare in the USA, you need to have an insurance to see a doctor. There is no public healthcare. I suppose you need to be rich to see a doctor in the USA.

In Malaysia, I usually visit clinics or private hospitals (because my previous employer has a list of approved healthcare providers that the employees can visit and do not need to pay until a capped amount). In my previous home-visit, I visited a government clinic in Kuala Lumpur and got very good service, although the queue was long. It costed me RM1 only. This is for however, basic medical problems. For government hospitals, it is very cheap too. 

So, what do you think of the healthcare system? 

Tastebud : Älskade Traditioner

15 February 2020

From Systrarna Andersson, we took a walk to the next cafe - Älskade Traditioner (which means beloved traditions) to burn off the food and prepare the stomachs for desserts. This cafe is established in 2015 but its interior designs were screaming out loud that it is the 60s or maybe even older. This is so different from Systrarna Andersson and Vetekatten that were established in 1930 and 1928 respectively, but are so quiet in their designs. Probably the younger you are, the more keen you are to attract customers with these 'back-to-the-past' designs that are now called as 'instagram-worthy'.

This cafe is kind enough to let the customers have a cup of hot coffee while waiting for their turn to get a seat in the cafe. This is because there is insufficient space in the cafe to wait so the guests wait outside which is pretty cold in the winter. The cafe utilises each seat at every table. So, you will find yourself sitting next to a stranger. The menu here has lots of desserts, cookies, cakes, waffles, milkshakes and I felt slightly sick looking at all these sweet stuff. 

We had Marily Romance milkshake which is cherry milkshake for SEK75, a small blueberry pie for SEK55, a bottled of apple and ginger juice for SEK40 and a bottled cola for SEK30.

Tastebud : Systrarna Andersson

15 February 2020

Today's brunch is at Systrarna Andersson (The Sisters Andersson). I have not heard about this place until 2 weeks ago. I wanted to buy a present card for restaurants and this cafe got listed in the website. I googled it and found out that this place has been established since 1930. The only long-established cafe that I have heard is Vetekatten which was formed in 1928. They do not have a fancy interior design like the modern hipster cafes. The only interesting thing I noted in their cafe is the hangers hanging from the ceiling. 

There are no different or special buns, sandwiches or cakes in the menu. I have come to a conclusion that all cafes in Stockholm sell the same kind of buns, sandwiches and cakes. I suppose the folk here are not interested in trying anything new. 

We had the shrimp salad and shrimp sandwich that costs SEK149 each. Anything with shrimps are expensive for one reason only, I think - the shrimps are manually shelled in Africa. It is funny, right? Shrimps are caught here and shipped to Africa to be shelled and shipped back to Sweden to be sold as food. I guess no one in Sweden wants to shell the shrimps. For drinks, we had latte. SEK40 for a small cup and SEK45 for a bigger cup.

Tastebud : Melanders

14 February 2020

Happy Valentine's Day! The streets are full with men holding bouquet of flowers and presents in their hands. Even the florists are filled with men queuing up to buy flowers. On this day, flowers are so expensive. I got my flowers too. *shy*

I get to enjoy a valentine dinner today. I feel spoiled. We went to Melanders, a fish restaurant. This place has a bar and a fish shop today. It is a big place as it needs to cater to 3 different businesses. There is a Valentine Day's menu for SEK645 - pre-starters (called as amuse), starters, main dish and dessert. 

As pre-starters, we had oysters. The taste is so smooth and warm.

This is the starters - lobster-glaced king crab meat. 

For the main dish, one can either have the turbot fish that comes with almond potato puree, champagne foam, grilled mushroom and sliced yellow beetroot.

.. or have the meat dish - butter-fried pheasant breast with citron and thyme, a brussel sprout (yes, just one) and earthy chips. 

For dessert, it is chocolate brulee with mango cubes, passion fruits and champagne jelly. 

Yes, I was full by the end of the meal.

Tastebud : Combo

11 February 2020

Moroccan stewed ox meat at Combo which is located in K25, a food court. SEK110. The food was so yummy that we were inspired to cook this dish by ourselves, and it was so good, I mean, the food we cooked. I am not boasting. It is true! It is very easy to cook. 

Concert: German masterwork with The Radio Choir

8 February 2020

Volunteer duties with Kompis Sverige today. We went to see a concert at Berwardhallen. We took the train to Karlaplan train station and walked for 11 minutes to the venue. This was my first time here. There were no steps in the concert hall where we listened to the choir, instead, it was a gradually tilted floor. Today, we listened to the Swedish Radio Choir where they sang acapella. Their voices were amazing. 

Tastebud : Tokyo Diner

7 February 2020

Today, we had Japanese food for dinner in a place called Tokyo Diner in Hötorgshallen. There was a queue waiting to be seated by 5.30pm. Luckily, we came early at 5pm.

We had noodles with fried crisp duck meat and egg cooked at 62 degrees for SEK155 and pulled pork in tacos for SEK149. Both dishes were delicious although I have to admit I was hungry afterwards and we went to have dessert - semla buns!

Tastebud : Swedish Diner by Basilica

6 February 2020

A place that I will not recommend to visit - Swedish Diner by Basilica located in Mall of Scandinavia. I placed an order for the grilled entrecote as it was stated on the menu as evening's recommendation. For SEK179, I had 2 thin slices of grilled entrecote that covered two giant potatoes underneath it. I felt cheated.