Hello Everyone!!!!

[angiebaby]

Hello everyone!

I'm Angela, originally from Malaysia now in Bromma, near Alvik with my Swedish sambo.

Been here four months and although I had the initial teething problems and the occasional "Go to hell, I'm going home" moments, I'm settling down well.

Will be starting Swedish lessons once my person number comes in from the tax authorities. Generally hoping to make some meaningful friendships with other people in the similar boat. I'm in my mid 30's, open minded, love music, reading, cooking and photography.

I am a former journalist and currently playing house for my very happy Swede. I cook Indian, Chinese, Italian, Malaysian, basic Mexican and learning Swedish cooking.

So anyway before I start rambling on about the story of my life, ....HEELLLLLOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

;D

[Carolyn]

Hello, Angela, and ummmmmmm, I LOVE to cook Indian and Mexican, and I bet you could teach me some killer stuff from Malaysia. I love what Indonesian cooking I'ver tried so far, and really enjoyed the rijstaffel (or however they spelled it) when I was in Holland, with all those lovely flavors.

We occasionally have little get-togethers for lunch or dinner in Stockholm and as soon as I get over this horrible lung infection I came back from the States will, I want to come up to Stockholm for at least a day, so keep hanging around here and I'll post a date when I have it.

[angiebaby]

Hey Carol! wow, that was fast! I got a reply after 5mins!!! Man this site rocks!!! wooo hooo!! LOL.
Lung infection eh? I've been nursing a potential threat to national security in mine -- since Sept 5. We spent an unreasonable amount of time in Dh's son's garage which hasn't been clean since creation me thinks and that got my lungs irritated. I'm still coughing like the insides can't wait to plunge into the real world these days. ;D ;D ;D

I would love to meet. Iäm hungry to spend time with other women. Men are nice but there comes a time when you just want them to take a walk or something and leave you alone....LOL I'm reaching that point.

Malaysian food, (i know the Indonesians will hate me for this) but is slightly more refined and well balanced taste wise I personally feel. I however have to agree that Indonesian food in Den Haag and Amsterdam is bloody good. I had a chicken satay which well is not the same as KL but was prepared so well, I was amazed at the flavour. You know whats amazing? It was done by a Middle Eastern chef in one of the those beach front restaurants at the Hauge.

I make simplified Indian and Malaysian food without having to slog away like my mother. I cook food based on what I can easily obtain from the supermarkets not in speciality stores. I do miss the green vegetables that the Chinese like to wok with garlic though.

How many members do you have?

[Carolyn]

Angela,

Get your man to take you to vårdcentral and get that infection looked at. It doesn't take long for a diagnosis, the cost is VERY little and you'll stop that coughing, which is deadly to the muscles and back. Otherwise, it can sit in the lungs and get worse until you end up in hospital.

I love trying new food and am fortunate that my husband does as well. He's a pretty fine cook also.

I will definitely let you know about any Stockholm get-togethers. Female bonding is critical, and especially when you're in an immigrant situation as well. Those darling Swedes may love us, but they can't always really understand what we're going through.

We have about 120 members here, but I would say only about 15 that are active all the time, which is a pity.

[Aussie]

Hi Angela!

You figured out how to get here. Yippee! ;D

Yes, as Carolyn said, get that infection sorted out. Especially before next Saturday!

I mean we don't want to miss out on dinner......

I'm impressed that you only have the occasional "Go to hell, I'm going home" moments. I think that was a daily thought of mine for quite a while. But it does get better.

I think for the first 12 months I kept doing the Aussie dollar-Swedish krona conversions - and having a mild heart attack. But I've learned just to accept the price now and I rarely convert it to dollars any more. Maybe because the comparison would be too depressing, and I'm heavily into denial

The other thing I used to do was to take the digital camera to the supermarket and send my friends home photos of the prices. Once, I saw NZ lamb chops. There were 4 tiny chops in a packet for 140kr!!! I couldn't believe it, so I immediately sent the photo home and we comiserated together. You could buy a whole sheep for that price in Oz.

But I got over that stage too. It just takes a bit of time.

It's great that you are learning Swedish. That helps you feel less isolated and alone. It is great to know what people are saying around you. I don't get a headache now listening to Swedish, as I know what they are saying - it's not just random background noise. Hey, it doesn't even sound foreign any more

Anyway, I have to get off the computer before L-G comes. I promised to put the coffee on and as I
do this so rarely he probably didn't believe I would do it.

Great speaking to you.

[angiebaby]

Dear Marie,
You cannot believe the issues I have with TELIA! But since you buys are on Com Hem, I'm sure you will understand when I say....ughhhhhh!!!! Dial up internet in Malaysia was the pits but not to the extend where you cant get in all day!!! I can't possibly sit at the computer at 1am so I can read emails! Anyway....are there any other broadband providers apart from Com Hem and Telia?
The cough is lingering but not as frequent as the weekend which is to say the chances of me passing out during the cooking is next to zero.
I've always been one of those clumsy, so shy I can't look people on the street in the eye or let people go ahead in the lifts because I can't stand being in a small enclosed place with strangers .
But today I was so confident at the Coop Forum in Bromma, i was going to shop while Dh sat at the cafe reading his Expressen.
I went up to the seafood section. There was a man and a woman behind the counter. Just as I approached, there was a man behind me and all three started talking. I have heard of people talking over your head but I never physically been in a situation when this happened. Trust it to happen with me. So I stare at the seafood, nervously and wonder when they were going go "can we help you". Nothing. Ingenting! So I look up, walk over to the other end of the counter (no customers) and then the guys walks over to my side and I point out the crab. I opened my mouth and I coughed, no voice. It sounded like Homer Simpson died in there. I got a squick and then cleared my voice and pumped up the volume. I wanted to buy one crab to make crab masala but I have never cleaned out a crab before. I said, I will buy this crab if you clean it for me. I can't clean it, it will dry up. Why do you want to clean it? Its cooked already, just take away everything. I said I wanted to make crab masala --- he stared at me and walked away. I heard them murmuring in Swedish and laughing. I took my tail and crawled away.
Sorry typed fast so I could send this before I get kicked out of Telia again.

Looking forward to Sat!

[Sabeine]

Hello Angie,

There is another company called BredBands Bolaget. We use it and have had few problems compared to when we had Com Hem. If you can get BBB in your area it would be worth looking into.

[Wyndweaver]

Salutations Angie,
I'm not in Sweden, nor have even been there yet. . . .<is still counting down the days> but I wished to welcome you to the forum even though this is my fourth post or so. Though I do know something about reading, photography, music and....baking. I bake cakes, cookies, pies, napolean, sweets...you name it. Perhaps you can let me know if you know any different ones. Though I do have a recommendation to getting a historical/inside view of how Sweden has changed you might try reading some of Marianne Fredricksson's books. Hanna's Daughters or Circle of Friendship. I read those two books and then I questioned my Swede about all the differences between how it was and how it is. It was all truly very fun. <grins> Anyways, I hope you enjoy Sweden!

[angiebaby]

Dear Sabine,

Hi! ;D Yes, we are considering Bredbandbolaget. The fee upfront is pretty steep but it was rated one of the best by PC för Älla in their Oct magazine. Our only problem is that we are renting a 2nd hand apartment until July next year but some of the companies want us to commit for 12 months which we can't unless they will move the service to where we move to next. But I am sure the Swede will iron that out later.

I just can't wait for a steady internet line again... (sigh) But it wasn't all that great in Malaysia either. Broadband is slowly gaining ground but the dial up service was dependent on where you lived. Apartments with fibre optic cables installed had very high speed while residential areas build in the 80's or 70's were sluggish.

[angiebaby]

Weaver,

I think every woman has a set of recipes or knowledge on cooking which difers and reflects her culture and heritage. I spend most of my adult life working as a full time journalist and eating out of fast food restaurants to the Shangri La for food tasting assignments. After I met the Swede who likes home cooking and hates to eát out (especially in Sweden with the prices...not a lot) and the fact that I am basically a full time house wife (i hate that word) I am forced to learn how to cook and cook alot of different stuff. So my recipes are rather from memory (now, what did mom put into that lentil curry...) and cook books.
BTW I just bought a cook book on Swedish cooking...in English ....really useful I think!!
BTW thanks for the kind words!

[sweetaud]

Hello, I love trying new foods too I actually made Rava Masala Dosa for dinner last night.

For Swedish food, I shopped two Swedish cookbooks (in Swedish) on Tradera (auction site) and they are quite good. Detailed info on some of those mysterious pickled fish dishes so loved here

[Carolyn]

I think it is personally terrible that people think housewife is a bad word really.

When I moved to Sweden, while learning Swedish, etc., for the first time since I was 16, I had no job. At first, I let that stress me out, plus having to ask my husband for money, etc., but then I figured, hey, marriage is supposed to be a partnership and you each contribute according to your means and ability. He was earning the money, but I was doing my part too, by taking that money and trying to get us the best possible lifestyle for the least amount of money.

I had never had the opportunity to work on things like baking bread and creating new dishes and I found it incredibly satisfying, after a few false starts, to make that truly wonderful loaf of bread. Now when I've been away, I come back and start the bread baking for the week again, and it's so good to not only eat my own wonderful bread, but to have my husband comment on how much better it is than store-bought.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with new cuisines and dishes, and I also like making my own curtains and stuff. Let's just say that at the age of 50-plus, I became a born-again domestic. Maybe it's not for everyone, and I know a lot of Swedish women don't care for it or look down on it, but there is no shame in being a housewife, if you're a GOOD housewife.

[angiebaby]

Dear Carolyn,

I was only kidding about the housewife bit. I'm scared I might actually like it too much and end up being it forever. I feel too complacent and I want to get out of this slumberland so I can get out and get things done! However I do love making really nice meals and getting the house done nice for Dh. It really makes me happy to make friends and relatives happy with a nice table.

Carolyn, my mother was a stay at home mother and housewide all her life. She tailored saree blouses and Indian dancers costumes as well as gowns for choirs in our neighbourhood. Unfortunately I haven't got her talent. But I can sew a straight line...LOL Any idea where to get a second hand cheap sewing machine ?

[angiebaby]

SweetAud!! You made it!!

This is gravadlax!!

Guess what? I made thosai of the powdered form and sambar (lenthil vegetable) curry last night!! It was a light but delicious dinner.

;D ;D ;D

[Carolyn]

Angie, check out Myrorna (Salvation Army stores), you can often find good second-hand machines there. Some sewing machine stores also sell machines they take in on trade, recondition them and re-sell them. Husqvarna is a great make of machine.

I saw some incredible fabric in London in a couple Indian shops there. I want to make myself some more salwar kameez when I have time, you can't beat them for comfortable, elegant clothing. I have a couple of pieces of choli fabric too that go with some saris I bought, but so far I haven't found my old choli pattern that fit me so well!