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umichenginabroad · 5 years

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Glad Midsommar!

Hej hej!

This past weekend was Midsummer, which is a huge holiday in Sweden and is almost as big as Christmas. Many Swedish people celebrate it in the countryside, but we decided to go to Stockholm for the weekend because it was our last full weekend in Sweden and we had yet to visit its largest city.

Stockholm!

Many local parks and museums also hold Midsummer celebrations, so we celebrated Midsummer at a large park/outdoor museum/zoo in the center of Stockholm. Midsummer celebrates the summer solstice, and it involves making flower wreaths to wear on your head, dancing around a maypole, and eating traditional Swedish foods. Our favorite part was definitely the Swedish tradition of dancing around the maypole like frogs because it was absolutely hilarious. Hopping around the maypole was a great workout too! I’m actually still sore from it a few days later.

The maypole that we danced around

We didn’t have any flowers but we still made leaf wreaths (photo credit: Richelle Wilson)

The day after Midsummer, we went to our Swedish friend Fredrik’s house in Stockholm and he prepared us an amazing brunch of traditional Swedish food.

Enjoying a nice brunch at Fredrik’s home (photo credit: Fredrik)

There we finally got to try pickled herring, a famous Swedish delicacy. I was honestly terrified before I took my first bite because I had heard from many others that pickled herring tastes really gross, but it actually wasn’t that bad. The pickle-y taste overpowers the fishy taste, and it was bearable. Some of the other Michigan students even liked it. There are also different flavors of pickled herring, which taste even better than the plain one.

What the other Michigan students and I agreed tastes much worse is salty black licorice. For some reason it is popular in Sweden, but eating it is truly an experience like no other. It is so salty that it is almost spicy at first, then it tastes sour, and then it just hangs around in your mouth for a while because it is too hard to chew. Our Swedish friend was eating them like it was no big deal, but us Michigan students were gagging and making funny faces when we ate them.

The salty licorice

After brunch at Fredrik’s, we only had time for one museum before our flight back. The rest of the Michigan students went to the Vasa museum to see a preserved ship from the 1600s, but I chose to go to the ABBA museum because I love Mamma Mia! and ABBA. The second Mamma Mia! movie came out last summer and is one of my favorite movies of all time, and they had a lot of the props and costumes on display. I love Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again so much and saw it three times in theaters when it came out, so it was surreal to be able to see all the iconic costumes up close. It was definitely one of the highlights of my abroad experience and even my entire life.

The ABBA Museum

Me with some of the costumes from Mamma Mia!

I may have taken selfies with all the costumes... I was just too excited

Now I am back in Lund and making the most of my last week in Sweden. I am super sad to have to leave, but I know I’ll make this last week as memorable as the first seven.

See you next time!

Ava Bayagich

Environmental Engineering

Undergraduate Research Program at Lund University, Lund, Sweden

#UmichEnginAbroad #AvaBayagich #IPElund #IPE Summer 19

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thedesperatehousehusband · 5 years

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2018. The Year That Was.

The Desperate Househusband is going to use the first post of 2019 to take a retrospective look back at 2018. I realize that most year-end reviews were written and published two weeks ago but sometimes I am not able to be timely. So deal with it. But I want to discuss the highs and lows of the year. The trials. The tribulations. The beer. The food. The travel. Just the shit that Juan and I did over the course of the year. To reminisce. To remember the year that was.

January

Bitch, I don’t know what I did in January of last year. It’s damn near 13 months ago. My mind is not the steel trap that it once was. Alls I can recall is that it was colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra on New Year’s Day. I think it was 2. I remember this because Juan’s dad was visiting us from Mexico and that type of cold weather about does him in. So let’s just skip forward to…..

February

First, February always brings my birthday. I celebrated my 44th year on the planet and I gotta tell you, it’s all pretty fucking good. Yes, I have some stress and there’s a bit more creaking in my rusting bones but, dammit, I don’t look 44. Expensive creams, y’all. Along with my birthday, we visited our friends, Andrew and Angela, in Granger, IN. Folks, there is nothing going on in the greater South Bend shithole region. Which is why Andrew and Angela are moving to Grand Rapids, MI in June. We look forward with much excitement about visiting them in their new home in such a craft beer mecca. As if on cue, we attended the Brewer’s Guild of Indiana’s annual Winterfest at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Mama Mia, is that an event! Sample until you can’t sample no more then enjoy a nourishing and gluten-rich snack from the box of Wheat Thins that’s hanging around your neck.

March

The end of winter took Juan to his annual pilgrimage to South By Southwest in Austin, TX. Oh, how he loves that event. The hipster-ness of it all. He learns a lot then applies it back at work. My work travels took me half way across the world. Or maybe more. I’m not sure how to measure it but I went to Sydney, Australia for a business trip and, fuck a duck, is that journey! Business Class or not, 13.5 hours in a tin can from LA to Sydney is intense. But Australia has long been one of the places I yearned to visit most and it did not disappoint. We didn’t get to do ALL the fun stuff but we did all we could on our days off. The Opera House is the real deal. Koalas actually DO HAVE chlamydia. Aussies eat a LOT of red meat. Red wine is next level. Craft beer is OK. And kangaroos are impossible to smuggle across the border. Customs did not take kindly to little Bindi, who I was trying to bring home as a pet.

April

April was a good ass month because it involved a very, very, very amazing evening at Alinea in Chicago. It’s the first time we ever did the downstairs tasting menu that happens at the same time to all 16 (or so) people. It’s indescribably incredible. Along with Alina and it’s 2 Michelin stars, we also managed to hit 2 ADDITIONAL restaurants with Michelin stars that weekend. Thus creating a theme. I hate to brag, and others say this, but we are living our best lives and I don’t care who knows about it.

May

As he does each May 14th, Juan celebrated his birthday. Turning 42 in New York. We travelled to the Big Apple for our first theater excursion of the year. We saw Angels in America, which was a 2-day theatrical event of epic proportions that left us bereft and exhausted but it was amazing. We followed that up the Mean Girls and My Fair Lady. Then we hit the upfronts. A very special TV network week that is for work. Getting to preview the fall TV lineups, meet celebs and mingle with our TV reps never disappoints. We closed the month with a #ohiobeercation over Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed time in both Columbus and Cincinnati. There is good fucking beer in Ohio. Rhinegeist is such a happy place as is Brew Dog. We also eat really, really well in C-Bus and Cinci. Do I remember where we ate? Not exactly. So you’re just going to have to take my word for it.

June

I’m positive we did shit in June. I’m certain we saw a Cabaret show or two. I’m sure we went out for beer. I’m sure it was hot. But I’m not recalling anything overtly special about June. Let’s just say that June was a relaxing month of summer fun and the return of My Dad’s Sweet Corn at the Farmer’s Market. If you live in Indy and this is not your corn of choice, you are dead to me and I actually think you’re dumb.

July

I do remember July very vividly. Independence Day was quite possibly the hottest I have ever been. EVER. We went to Metazoa Brewing’s 4th of July Fest. We nearly melted. And I kid you not….the band playing outside in the sun experienced a keyboard that ACTUALLY melted. It was so fucking hot and humid and miserable. But we are NOT afraid. We went to the fest. We hung with Joe, Cathy, Jon and Kelly for fireworks at Joe & Cathy’s place. Then we took showers to wash off the sweat that was pouring out of all bodily orifices. My drawls were beyond damp and moist. We also returned to Chautauqua for a road trip adventure with the Sullivan’s. The Chautauqua Institution is one of our favorite places and we are so lucky to have experienced it so many times with such wonderful friends.

August

There are many highlights each year but August 2018 is our big month as it involved a 2-week European holiday to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Two places that we could truly see ourselves living less the darkness that consumes the winter. I need more daylight than Stockholm in January can muster but it’s pretty killer when it’s still light at 10:30 PM in August. These cities are lovely. Just delightful, cultured, civilized places that prioritize the things that are important to us. Art, food, design, wine, beer, cocktails, fashion, culture, music, architecture. And when you can spend two weeks debating where you ate the best cardamom buns each morning, then you have had a successful vacation.

September

I feel like we sat on our asses a lot after our Scandi vacation in August. So September is feeling quite quiet. But we did make another trip to Granger to see Andrew and Angela with the added benefit of getting to meet their baby, Benjamin Jack, for the first time. We ate that baby. Completely gobbled him up. Andrew took us on a day-trip through Southwest Michigan for beer and autumnal fun. We drove around with the baby, who was incredibly good and basically just slept in his stroller while we enjoyed beer al fresco. Good parenting is so rare.

October

I don’t know if it’s a full-on tradition but in 2017 and 2018, October brought was road trip vacations. Or Beercations as they have become to be known colloquially. This year we trekked to Nasvhille, TN. What a fun-ass place. We ate really well. We drank really well. We bought very cool jeans. We walked around cool neighborhoods and the Vanderbilt campus. We listened to music. Then we drove home. I would for sure do that trip again. It’s a perfectly lovely 4-day weekend and an easy drive. You’re on the same damn highway the whole time.

November

I feel like November was incredibly busy and stressful but I’m not necessarily recalling major events. We had the Cabaret’s fundraiser which featured this insanely talented Swedish woman named Gudrun Carling. Our dear friend from Atlanta, Erika, attended with us. We did Thanksgiving at my mom’s and we let Whole Foods do some of the work. I gotta tell you. That’s the way to go. Their sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberries and jalapeno cornbread were right on time. The stuffing was less so. But we have long been spoiled by Juan’s mom’s stuffing recipe which is second-to-none.

December

What a wacky month December was. We jetted off to NYC for our second theater weekend the first weekend of the month. This is when we saw Harry Potter & the Cursed Child Part 1 & Part 2. Holy hell. It’s one of the coolest things ever. We spent a full day in the exact same theater seats. We also saw The Prom which is a hilarious. As well as the Ferryman which is not hilarious. But it wasn’t supposed to be. As soon as we got back to Indy, Juan left for Santiago, Chile for a TV shoot. He was gone nearly two weeks. He returned just in time for the Nutcracker and the final few days of work. We enjoyed a few days at home before going to my mom’s for Christmas. Then a few more days at home before heading to Mexico City for New Year’s with Juan’s dad. We ate alllllll the food.

And now it’s January so we need to get back to work because all this travel and fun shit ain’t free. We work to live not live to work but we still have to work.

Happy 2019!

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marcellusbitsandpieces · 6 years

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Bits and Pieces Celebrations of the Christmas Season 12/10/17

December is such a wonderful month of celebration. People in the United States and around the world have spectacular ways of observing the many days of December and early January. Sometimes the snow is a beautiful ornament and sometimes it’s a reason to stay inside and enjoy what we have.

What we know as Christmas can be divided into two parts: Advent (the four weeks leading to Christmas Eve) and The Christmas Season (Christmas Eve to January 6/The Epiphany).

During Advent, Christians prepare for the coming of their Savior, Jesus. Many celebrations occur around the world as reminders of this time and its reason.

The entire weeks of Advent are commemorated with Advent calendars, Advent wreaths of candles with daily prayers and other solemn rites.

One of the most well known is St. Lucia’s Day (St. Lucy’s Day) which originated in Scandinavian areas and have seeped into our culture through our Swedish, Danish and Norwegian immigrants as well as the Lutheran religion.

St. Lucy is treasured in Scandinavian countries because of the monks who told them the story of her martyrdom. The story goes that she would silently bring food to the persecuted Christians living in the Roman catacombs. To handle the most food, she would wear a crown of candles to light her way and free her hands to carry all the food.

In various countries, a current “St. Lucia” will visit hospitals, nursing homes, etc. to take food and treats. Children also believe that it is St. Lucia who brings them gifts on December 13th, St. Lucia’s Day.

In Mexico and many areas of high Mexican decent, Las Posadas is a highlight of the Christmas time. Posadas are processions or parades on the nine days leading to Christmas. These parades are to replicate the time Mary and Joseph were looking for a place to stay. There is a special song asking for room to stay with the response that there is no room. This is followed with prayers and a small respite (party).

Each night the Posada goes to a different house to repeat the “search” until Christmas Eve when a baby (Jesus) is put into a manger and families go to midnight Mass with the service ending in a large celebration.

December 25th, Christmas Day, is also widely known as the Nativity – hence our Nativity sets and scenes.

The following days after Christmas Day, called The Christmas Season or Christmastide… the Twelve Days of Christmas, lasts until January 6th, the Epiphany.

The Epiphany is also known as Three Kings’ Day because this is the day celebrating the visit of the three Magi. This marks the end of Christmastide.

In many parts of the world, the Epiphany is the day of gift giving because this is the day the Magi gave their gifts to the Christ Child. Some customs allow for gift giving on both Christmas and the Epiphany…with small gifts exchanged each day leading to a larger gift on January 6th.

One of the most well known days of celebration during this 12 day period is Boxing Day. The name is truly a misnomer for it has nothing to do with boxing. In fact, I think Germany has a better idea – they call it Zweite Feiertag, which means “Second Celebration.”

Boxing Day is December 26th. It began in the British Empire during the Middle Ages. A church’s alms box (collection box for the poor) was opened on this day to distribute the “kitty” to the poor of that area. Actually, some churches continue this tradition today.

It was also traditional for servants to have this day off for their family Christmas celebrations.

In Holland, some churches had boxes shaped like a pig – dare we call it a Piggy Bank!?

Boxing Day might also be called St. Stephen’s Day – not the one stoned to death, but the Swedish missionary who is mentioned in the carol, “Good King Wenceslas” who helped the poor. Both were martyrs thus the confusion – as if the names aren’t enough of one.

The many trappings of this total season are as varied as the United Nations. Next week I want to enjoy the various trimmings of this season we have adapted into our country from all over the world as immigrants have blessed our nation with their customs.

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