What is Stockholm Kulturfestival? Stockholm Kulturfestival is the city’s biggest free cultural event, transforming central Stockholm into an open-air stage for five days every August. In 2025 it ran 13–17 August, with free entry and programming for all ages across music, dance, theatre, film, talks, and workshops. It’s produced by the City of Stockholm. Kulturfestivalen…
Huden torkar ut i solen, huden torkar ut vid bad, oavsett sjö eller hav, dusch eller badkar. Huden torkar ut och trånar, trånar efter fukten. Fuktigheten och smörjmedel, oljor. Tårarna torkar ut en inifrån. Tårarna måste få rinna. Går ej att stoppa bör ej hindras. Tårarna torkar ut, tårarna torkar ut. #dikt #huden #zayeraskriver Dikt…
Travel as a Habit of Reflection Travel is a habit of reflection: to step outside daily life and duty, to be forced to find and discover new parts of myself. Poor sleep, noises, vibrations, and new rhythms unsettle the balance I build in my habitual life. I go anyway—aiming for recovery, exploration, adventure. Inspiration arrives…
A Visible Secret I am living with a secret—visible but unknown. Here is a personal story. I have lived with this secret since I was a teenager. It began at a tender age when I was a very shy and quiet child, observant and thinking. Pondering and asking questions. We arrived in Sweden in 1984…
Ambivalence in Leadership – Conscience, Ethics & Better Decisions Ambivalence is often misread as weakness. In reality, ambivalence is proof that we have a conscience. It is rooted in the feeling that what we want to do may be worthy—or unjust. That tension signals capacity for complex, critical thought. It makes us more reflective and…
What makes a movement meaningful? When does the dance—or a specific movement—become the Fool (Narr)?The music drives; movement becomes secondary.Playfulness unfolds. The body’s limitations are made visible, ultimately, in the dance. The contrast with slow-motion movements. The entire performance is abstract art in motion; the music seems to live a life of its own. Brush-stroke…
Fjord boat route: what you’ll see and where you can hop off Aurlandsfjord → Nærøyfjord (Flåm ↔ Gudvangen, ~2 hours one way). Modern, low-noise ferries glide past tiny hamlets, farms, and waterfalls. Some departures also serve Aurland and Undredal, and selected sailings make request stops at Styvi and Dyrdal (book in advance). Kjelfossen waterfall (by…
Why Bergen? Why Vestland? In the 1800s, Western Norway—especially small towns and fjord communities—saw Europe’s last major wave of leprosy. Care was concentrated in Bergen, which ran several hospitals for the disease; St. Jørgen’s (today’s Leprosy Museum) is the best preserved. Contributing factors included close-quarters living, poverty, large households, and prolonged household contact—conditions known to…
Why Potatoes Matter in Norway Few ingredients tell Norway’s story like the potato. Brought north in the Enlightenment era, resisted at first, then embraced, the humble knoll helped the country weather war-time shortages, shaped everyday cooking, and today anchors both home kitchens and high-end Nordic menus. 1750–1800: Introduction, Doubt—and the “Potato Priests” Potatoes reached Norway…
The difference between Berg vs Fjäll Sweden (svenska) berg: everyday word for a mountain; also appears in geology terms like berggrund (bedrock). fjäll: mountains/plateaus above the tree line—the classic, treeless highlands of the Scandinavian Mountains. Norway (norsk) fjell: default word for mountains and high plateaus; typically implies terrain over the forest line. berg: often means…
