Tag: the newbie guide

A Farewell Note*

It was all started in one of those dark and gloomy days in November 2017. During a regular browse on the Internet, I came across this announcement in The Newbie Guide to Sweden website where they’re looking for a volunteer blogger. It was naturally interesting for me because writing was the thing I wanted to invest myself in ever since I moved to Sweden, so I thought that could be a good opportunity.

But I hesitated at first

“What should I write? What’s so special about my experiences? Why would people read my stories?”

Then I realised that the idea of the blog section in the Newbie Guide website is to share stories of living in Sweden. Any story. It doesn’t have to be inspirational; it’s enough with being informational or even just personal.

Besides, living abroad is not always easy. Just like living elsewhere, it has its ups and downs. So if we can read other people experiences, it may not give you an instant solution but at least, it makes you feel that you’re not alone. I think that’s quite important when you’re living far from home.

So I decided to join the blogger team.

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Hayu Hamemayu2 Comments

Hemester Idea in Skåne*

Summer is the time when most people in Sweden (if not all) take a break and travel to their favourite summer destinations: Thailand, Greece, Spain and so on. But that was the time before Covid-19. This summer, as traveling overseas is still not recommended, Sweden embraces summer holiday within the country or locals call it: hemester. Here are some ideas on where to spend it in Skåne based on my experience as a Lundensian.

Lomma

Lomma is the coastal area in which the closest beach from Lund is located. It is accessible by bus number 139 from Lund Central station and is therefore very popular for sunbathing and swimming. The shallow water also makes it a sough-after spot among windsurfers.

During sunny warm days, it might be difficult for social distancing as the beach is packed with locals, tourists, and boat owners. If you feel uneasy to be in a crowd, just go there to try their local ice-cream seller: Lomma glassfabrik, which sells the best ice cream in town. The place is not far from the harbour area where some cafés, restaurants, and boatyard services are located. It opens until 18.00 or longer when the weather is nice ☺

Bjärred

Not too far from Lomma, there is another beach famous for its long jetty. The 574-meter long bathing jetty is claimed to be one of the longest bathing jetties in Sweden and Skåne’s longest. At the far end of the jetty, there is a bathhouse and a restaurant. The shallow water around the jetty makes it popular for youth and family to swim on the warm summer days. For those who don’t drive, this place is accessible by bus number 137 from Lund C, departs from the same bus stop with the bus to Lomma.

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Get to Know Swedish Children’s Book Icons*

If you had just moved to Sweden, with small kids, it’s just a matter of time until your kids gushing about the character in Swedish children’s books relentlessly. Like me, three years back, you may never have heard some of them before. So here I compile the list of Swedish children’s books icons you may need to know to keep up with your kids ☺

Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump)

Created by Astrid Lindgren in 1945, Pippi Longstocking is probably the most famous and the most celebrated fictional character in Sweden. She is a red-haired, freckled, unconventional and superhumanly strong girl who lives in VillaVillekulla, with her monkey whose name is Mr. Nilsson and her horse.

This character draws a long debate among adults due to its strong and unusual personalities, challenging the conventional ideas about how kids should behave. Nevertheless, many people consider Pippi as the symbol of girl power and gender equality.

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Basic Everyday Info for Recently Moved Newbie*

Lately, I’ve been receiving questions from some people who are going to move to Sweden, either for work or study in my website and Instagram. And some of the questions are actually really simple, about everyday info, which I didn’t consider important before. At least I used to take it for granted.

But I think that was just because I’m lucky. My husband moved to Sweden eight months earlier than I did so he’s kind of paves the path for me. But not all people have the same experience. So here I compile the basic information of everyday life in Sweden for recently moved newbie. Continue reading “Basic Everyday Info for Recently Moved Newbie*” →

Hayu Hamemayu6 Comments

Third Year Reflection*

As the year-end is approaching, I would like to use this blog post as a medium of reflection. A look back to where it all started three years ago. This month in 2016, I moved to Sweden from my home country. Time has passed by and many things have happened ever since, including having an additional member in the family. So it just feels right to see how it was and how it has been as a newbie living in Sweden.

And here are some random facts about Sweden that I learnt during my first three years of living in the country:

Sweden is a good place to raise kid

From free education to nearly free healthcare, Sweden is one of a few places I can think of when it comes to a “family friendly” country. Yes, the system is bit frustrating sometimes and requires lots of things to do—filling out forms, queuing, making calls to name a few. But once you got in, the safety net is always there.

Sweden also seems to care about and is willing to take part in children development. One tiny example is when my baby turned 6 months old, she received a free choice book from Lund’s state library. From what I understand, it’s a part of the program to encourage reading and literacy (such important skills for kids to have indeed).

Apart from those, generous parental leave, celebrated equality and recognition of universal values are the things that Sweden offers. And those are the list I would love to tick as a parent. Anyway, read more about the rights as parents in Sweden here.

Continue reading “Third Year Reflection*” →

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