Aaaah Comfort food - Shrimp flavored toothpaste and beer canned sausage?

Packaging is an art form.  If you believe in god - s/he had style to create lots of different packages.  Humans all come in different shapes and sizes, all bundled up in different wrappings, but in the end - our essence is the same no?  Boys are made of slugs and snails and puppy dog tails, while girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice!!!  or is it carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus.....either way, its pretty easy to recognize a human by its packaging.  We as humans, then have taken this art and use it to wrap other things up for ease of transport and utilization.  Each country I visit, it seems will invest in different materials and slogans and effort.  In India - lots of just fresh stuff.  Lots of non-packaging, come and get raw sugar, sticks of cinnamon...not much in the way of pre-processing for regular every day cooking.  However, for the "metro" person, the "westernized" person - lots of pre-processed, packaged food (see previous blogs).  Similar to South Africa (didn't have a blog at the time) and Mexico.  Then, with in each country there is the market and art form of advertisement.  Growing up in one place, I am sure, makes you familiar with products/slogans and how things are served.  However, should you be from outside, what is standard and common place for the resident can be a little awkward and interesting for the visitor.  There are people who spend their lives devising ways of packaging food, the color of the package, the name of the package, the utility of the package.  There are people who have somewhere along the line agreed and said "yes, this is how we shall serve our people this dish".  Apparently, this is not universal.
Seriously - shrimp flavored toothpaste??  OK, this is my "standard" of growing up without tubed foods and about the only thing I immediately associate with a tubed product is toothpaste.  So, it was quite a surprise entering a grocery store and seeing tubed things everywhere.  I recognized the packaging but the pictures on the front made me take a step back.  Why shrimp?  What the heck is in this thing? and why is it in the dairy/fish section?

Across the globe, as I am sure you know, each culture has its "favorite" types of food and its "standards".  Well, in Sweden they sure do put a LOT of emphasis on the cracker section.  The bread section takes up about 6' of space, but the CRACKERS!! goodness me!  they sure do need quite the variety to choose from.

They have ISLES dedicated to crackers.
 Whats up with that?  Now, I know in USA we have isles too...but there seems to be a balance.  Like the isle for crackers is just as big as the isle for bread.  Here, bread is an after thought.  CRACKERS are the way to go.  Also, because I am not as familiar with the packaging process...they all look the same.  At least in the USA you can get an idea that one type of cracker is different than the next.

OK and whats with the beer canned sausage?? At least I think this is sausage.  It was surrounded by sausages, bratworst and other such plastic wrapped compressed meat products.

Mayo in a tube?  really?  well, I suppose that is better than all the BUTTER in squeeze bottles.  

I know, I know pot calling the kettle black - we have butter in spray things, but really - they need this many types of squeeze bottled butter?

  

 I do appreciate that their juice section is so so not as limited as the USA.  There are so many fruits out there and yet we always see the same old processed sugarized stuff.  Here - there is VARIETY and cool fruit.  Not just orange and apple, but passion and coconut!  Mango and leche

 uhhhhh................what is this? oh, more cheese...

Reallly - jelly in a tube?  will that not be messy?

OOOh me! me! I wants some ordnots rings!

Yogurt in a box???

And finally..........for now.......Things that I didn't know were from in my own country.....

excuse me?!?! It cost HOW MUCH?

The exchange rate for Sweden is somewhere around 6.6 kroner per 1 USD.

Upon arrival, and even before arriving I was told that Sweden was expensive.  I knew that Sweden was expensive because I was here and remembered it was expensive.  But there was still  somehow this disconnect.  You know, that thing that happens when you are told something, you never realize the profoundness of the statement until you live it yourself (we all learned this growing up - or our parents tried to prevent us from learning this).  When I was here last I was in a travel bubble mode.  Didn't have to buy the basics, didn't have to think long term and most of what I purchased was frivolous and gifts.  So, today was the first day it really hit me, which again I know is silly.  Ive sorta kinda sorta pay attention to buying groceries, but after the first 3 items I kinda loose track till the final receipt and quick math is not my forte and it all gets lost in the shuffle.  Also, Id expect it to be costly to get me started so I haven't paid much attention

My epiphany today you ask?  Contact solution.  Something I have to buy once a month or so - something that costs around $12 for 2 bottles of generic brand low shelf stuff or $10 for 1 bottle of high class stuff.  Well, here the same stuff cost me $21 for 1 bottle of the high class stuff.  BAM! smack in the face - this shits expensive, and so will life here be.  It might not be that big of a deal for you if you don't wear contacts - but this is one of the common items in my shopping cart that I hate buying in the US and now I REALLY hate buying it.

There are things I miss (already??).  As always its the same story - new country different foods, so you miss those familiar foods. But I haven't even been here that long.  Maybe India was so exotic that new foods overwhelmed and entertained for longer.  However, here, there are such similarities in types of food.  A very meat and potato base country unlike India.  Also, in India I didn't cook for myself often.  I had an Auntie or the kitchen staff at WII cooking.  Now, I'm having to shop and look for food I understand and coming up short.  No peanut butter - its been noted already.  More on this later.

For now, a sample of a grocery receipt and approximate cost conversions for those of you who are curious:
Please note, I am writing from a computer that does not have the capability of writing some of the letters of the Swedish alphabet.  Meaning the "a" with the little circle over it, the "a" with the two dots, and the "o" with the two dots.  So my items listed below are not spelled correctly.  Additionally, the sales receipt abbreviates and writes names wrong putting spaces where there shouldn't be or leaving out spaces more likely.  Also, I've not put the quantity, but recall in the US we tend to buy things big.  Most places Ive been do not have the culture of "storage" of food in our homes.  So, milk - its sold in 1L only and there are 4L in 1gal (receipt #2). Most items are 500g or less for the quantity, like the brown sugar (receipt #2).  Do the math.

 Some things to highlight:
 notice the cheapest box of tissue kleenex brand for about 80 sheets - $3!!!
Oranges or even apples are $5 per kg - not even a pound but KG! (thats .4kg per 1 lb)
Ive no idea what ny Skor smammorotter really is because I did not buy new screen steering wheels (according to google translator).
I am paying as much for milk as you pay for a gallon of gas in the USA...I haven't even gotten to gas prices here!

Remember in Sweden if you don't bring your grocery bags you have to buy them each time.  they do not give out grocery bags!

Here's another example

Oh taco seasoning - $2.00 for a packet of taco seasoning....So, if you are thinking of sending packages - some food items would be greatly appreciated, just ask.

2 bottles of wine 103 kr which is $15 and thats not too bad for wine Ive never heard of or seen and haven't tasted.

Additional warning - if you are planning on coming to Scandinavia - remember Sweden is cheaper than Norway or Finland!

Never shop with a hang over - from jet lag

I didn't sleep on any plane ride this trip and I suffered for it.  My flight from Seattle left at 6am, which meant a 3:30am wake up, a 40min drive to arrive at the airport the scheduled ~2 hours early.  I got everything checked in OK bags weighing 50, 50, and 41lbs besides my backpack with some books and computer.  UGH!  Packing was a bitch and I still feel like Ive missed somethings.  India was so much easier to pack for.  Winter clothing takes up LOTS of room and 7 pairs of shoes (excessive??) is more of an issue than I would have thought.

The Chicago airport wasn't bad, but MAN that was the LONGEST taxi ride from landing to getting off the plane.  I think that ride in itself was 30minutes.  WTH?  I had a 4 hour layover but because I had to transfer terminals and get re-checked in on a different airline, it was only a 2.5 hr layover where I was sitting and doing nothing.  Seriously, if you have to do anything in Chicago totally leave yourself LOTS of time between planes.  Lucky though, it was a direct flight to Sweden.  Not so lucky was the seat next to the SCREAMING baby girl.  She was mean too.  She also was singing something to the tune of London Bridges Falling Down...and would scream FALLING DOWN (in English) when she got to that part.  The rest of the song was in what I assume is Swedish.  She slept for about 3 hours of the 9 hour flight.  The rest of the flight she was screaming/crying/yelling/singing/running/beating/kicking.  I didn't sleep.

The stewardess on SAS airlines were a mixed bag.  One lady was a total B*ch.  I almost panicked because my little TV thing didn't work at first and this lady literally waved her hand at me and walked away.  I could not imagine 9 hours on a flight with a screaming child and nothing to block the noise.  Lucky for me, I talked to another stewardess and she got me fixed up for the most part.  Still the best airline is Quantas, however  SAS was better than United (the first time I came to Sweden) or Delta.

I arrived at 8 am Sweden time, but didn't leave the airport till 9am because it took that long to get luggage.  Customs was a joke - sooooo not like Australia or India for that matter.  IF you wanted to declare anything there was 1 counter, else walk through.  Getting my passport stamped took 2 minutes and they didn't even check to see if I had the proper VISA.  Which by the way, all I had to do was print off this piece of paper that said it was OK for me to be here longer than 3 months.  I could have foraged that thing in a heart beat!

Its a 2 hour ride from the airport to Grimso.  On the way back, we stopped so I could get some groceries.  By this time, I could barely keep a thought long enough in my head to get anything.  Im surprised I made it out of there with a complete "dish".  I am doubly surprised because nothing was written in english.  Thank goodness for photos.  However, they have got some straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnngge things to eat here.  At least in India everything is fresh and the pre-packaged food is all rather boring.  Here, there is more pre-packaged food and its a guessing game as to what the hell it is Im buying.  More on this later!

Here is where Ill be: My Home

The land of the devil and just what is a quoll??

As this was the 4th trip to Australia I wanted to get off the East coast and head somewhere else.  My sister agreed and planned a trek through the southern part of Tasmania!  Woohoo...I was going to the land of the devils and wombats and Cadbury Chocolate factory!

The airport was so retro it was cool.  I feel odd that I can say retro - when I mean: we could bring water into the airport, we didn't have to take off our shoes AND there were people in the waiting area who were NOT getting onto the plane - there were family members seeing each other off!  *sniff*

Kim says peek-a-boo

 In Tazi we first went to a little place called Snugg.  Oh, wait, to get there we rented this way cool camper van thingie.  I think the USA should hop on this trend for rental cars.  Maybe they do and I don't know it - but we rented this minivan that came equipped with a fold out bed, table, portable plug in refrigerator/cooler/freezer thing, stove, folding table, tea kettle, pots, pans, plates, towels, camp chairs, flashlight and bedding.  Basically everything you'd need to car camp which is what we did for the trip.

 So in Snugg we camped and went to Hastings Caves because of my silly fascination with going under ground.  It was a tourist cave so no crawling on hands and knees, but it was still pretty to see the formations and all.  We saw some cave crickets, worms and fungus.  Also, the history of Australia is so cool because of it being a penal colony, so even the story of discovering the cave was kinda cool.  Lots of poaching and illegal harvesting of things in this country.

Quoll

We went to Lake St. Clare where I got to see a quoll up close and personal along with a ring-tail possum and potaru and other sundry creatures.  Saw me a platypus in the most placid lake - stunning!  I believe I saw a dead wombat and quite possibly a Tasmanian devil on the road.  The roads throughout the state were soooooooooooo windy - very curvaceous!

We went to Port Arthur which was a prison back in the day. We did the night tour.  There really is NOTHING there except

 this abandoned ghost prison.  It was super creepy and I really enjoyed it.  The guide was kinda funny at times and the stories that were told were way interesting.  I wish we could have stayed longer to learn more about the prisoners.  You can do a day tour too, but the night tour was sufficient and extra scary.

We went to Wine Glass bay - which was beautiful.  A nice short hike to a wonderful overlook to see the shape of the bay and then you could 

hike down the steeeeeeep slope to the bay.  We did not hike to the bay because there was so much else to do (hike would have been 5 hours).  AND it would have only really been worth it if it had been warm enough to go swimming.  As it was, we were in sweaters and jackets even on the hike.  

 

We went to Biechno where you can see the fairy penguines come up onto the beach at night.  You aren't allowed to photograph them so the tour company provides photos if you want to see what they look like.  But they are little birds that waddle up and out of the sea each night.  They are noisy (as most penguins are) and will sometimes walk across your feet if you are in the way.  But this is only observed during breeding season.  When I was there they were a little more cautious. 

We made it to Richmond which has the oldest standing church in Australia and a bridge that was built in 1823.  Quite the storybook town.  Lots of wood crafts in Tasmania.

  

We went to the Salamaca Markets in Hobart along with a quick stop at the cadbury factory.  No, did not go into the factory though I wish I had now.  They charge $7 but its not a real tour.  You watch a DVD and thats about it.  They don't even give samples!  We also went to the Royal Botanical Gardens which was a pleasant surprise.  We had time to kill before our flight and wanted to do something that didn't cost money.  Basically, figure at least $25 for any activity and at least $25 for every night to camp.  So, it was refreshing to have something that didn't cost and was still interesting to see.

Tasmania had some strange signs, like their speed signs.  When leaving a village or town, instead of just posting the new speed limit that you should follow, they would post the speed limit you no longer had to follow.  So it would be a 50 with a circle cross through it.  It seemed like they never posted the proper speed limit, rather the speed you don't follow anymore.   It got confusing because I kept forgetting what the  previously posted proper speed was.  Those were posted so infrequently.  However there were HUGE signs that said all speed limits are 90 km unless otherwise posted.  No one went 90 km/hr - and the roads were freaking curvy.  I can't believe I forgot to take a photo of this even thought it is so very memorable...the impact from it anyway.

 Is that car running up and over a kangaroos feet? or is that kangaroo lifting the car?
No standing???? no standing on either side?  So is floating OK or sitting - maybe we have to dance??

All over they have these signs with a circle cross thing over a S.  Much like our No Parking signs with a P and the circle cross over it, they use the word Standing and letter S.  No Standing = No Parking.  How the heck would you figure this out???

From down under to Pura Vida, now the land of ABBA

The past month has been a bit up in the air.  OK, well, actually the past 2 or 3 months have been that way for me.  Let me 'splain...no there is too much.  Let me sum up.  Buttercup is marry' Humperdinck in little less than half an hour.  Oh! wait....thats my other life....

Still it might be too much, but I will be brief.  After deciding to take a job in Sweden, I finished my 2 other jobs at the university and quit the job I took with Idaho Game and Fish.  Quitting IDG&F was a different experience for me.  Ive never quit a job like that in the middle of work - but it was either survey for woodpeckers or move to sweden and study wolves/moose....hmmmmm what to do?

Kobe the tool man

After the confusion regarding the entry visa into Sweden and being given the choice of arrival date in August I immediately booked passage to Australia with super excitement to meet my nephew for the first time. 

Oscar, Alejandra, me

Then on a whim (after booking the australia trip), I decided that this would be the perfect time to head down to Costa Rica because I had friends there and 2 of those guys have the same birthday as me.  What kind of a world is it when you meet a guy from Puerto Rico and a gal from Nicaragua in Moscow Idaho who are all about 2 years apart and study the ecology of the landscape AND are born on the same day?  

I didn't plan out either trip.  I didn't really do much besides focus on finishing my jobs in Idaho and packing my stuff into a storage locker.  I did try to pack for Sweden but after looking over my suitcase of the things I was bringing - I realized I will freeze and need to repack.  So, here I am in my last few days before moving to Sweden trying to digest the past month or so of activity.  I will be leaving all that I know and is familiar (again) to experience a culture and society foreign to me.  I do not think it will be as big of a culture shock as India was, but there are still drawbacks.  For instance, expectations about what is familiar like foods.  You go to a completely foreign place like India you can't assume a bag of Doritos will taste like a bag of doritos in the USA.  If you can even FIND doritos and then are willing to pay the $8 for a bag, it may taste slightly different.  However, if you go to some place you assume is similar - like Australia (or Sweden) and see a bag of Doritos - I guarentee you they will NOT taste the same and you will be severely disappointed.  In India, you have to find something else, you have to be bold, adventurous and curious - in Australia I found myself forgetting that I wasn't in Kansas anymore and so when I bit into a sausage roll the taste was so unexpected it became unenjoyable.  The same thing happens more often with tomato sauce of any kind.  I do not like ketchup in anyother part of the world so far and pizza can be a real gamble.  So, stay away from what you think is familiar and you will discover all new flavors to enjoy.  Thats how I ate potatoes without "gagging" in India....For those of you who know me, this is a big deal.  I might ramble about this later....For now, Ive a few days left and then Im off to Sweden for a while.