Swedish News:

Astrid Lindgren World in southeast Sweden apologizes for taking one scene too far. Juicing to cleanse. Americans aren’t the only ones with expats in Sweden. 

  • Our perception of images has changed since this original illustration of Pippi's adventures in the South Seas by Ingrid Vang Nyman.

  • Not exactly a fairy tale ending
    At Astrid Lindgen’s World (ALV), a theme park in the famous author’s native city of Vimmerby, Småland, in southeast Sweden, families can play with Pippi, Emil and other beloved childhood favorites in familiar scenes from Lindgren’s books. But the theme park may have taken one fairy tale too far, too literally.
    Curtains being sold in the souvenir shop depict the classic 1948 design from "Pippi in the South Seas," with pictures by Ingrid Vang Nyman. But they've gotten strong criticism for the image of two children with dark skin waving palm fronds over a little white girl.
    “We often read Pippi, my son and I, so that's not what it's about,” said Emelie Abrahamsson, who likes the books but was angered by the unexpected, unnecessary example of slavery and posted her alarm on social media.
    Though the theme park's plan was to stick to the books' illustrations, this one is offensive. “What I find strange is that this product has gone through the chain without anyone stopping it. It's really not in tune with time,” said Abrahamsson.
    ALV recognized their error and has apologized, removed the product from their store and offered money back to anyone who has already purchased it. “We did not see it that way, but we understand now that it is inappropriate,” said sales manager Ove Olsson.

  • The juicer has become popular in Sweden, according to HUI Research. The one is from Breville.

  • Juicing to cleanse
    Fresh, raw produce is going into juicers across America. It seems personal preferences and imagination — and a good juicer — are all that’s needed to make juicing easy. Especially with the harvests of the late summer and early autumn. Swedes, too, are promoting the benefits of raw food. At this time of year, they often use apples as a juice base, and when produce is organic, peeling fruit and vegetables isn’t necessary when adding it to make juice.
    Swedish wellness blogger Filippa Salomonsson launched a raw food cleanse program because after moving from New York last year, she noticed some body refueling products weren’t available in Sweden. With the right nutrition, a good cleanse — from sugar, gluten, meat — can help anyone get healthy.
    Salomonsson recommends people drink juices and avoid solid food and soft drinks, coffee and alcohol for one or three days to rest the digestive system and cleans out toxins from the body. “It's about filling your body with nutrition so that you increase your energy and strengthen your mental clarity and focus,” she says.

  • Astrid Lindgrens Värld, a theme park located in Astrid Lindgren's native city Vimmerby. Visitors can meet all the beloved characters from Astrid Lindgren's books in person, such as Pippi Longstocking, Emil, and Karlsson-on-the-Roof. All the environments are built as prescribed in the books. Photo: Klugschnacker

  • Americans aren’t the only ones with expats in Sweden
    The British public now gets to tune in to a taking-on-life-in-Sweden show, too. Whereas Americans are watching the hit television series, “Welcome to Sweden,” BBC radio is airing the semi-autobiographical sitcom by Danny Robins about a stand-up comic who has moved from London to Sweden, “The Cold Swedish Winter.”
    Robins' character, like Greg Poehler's in “Welcome to Sweden,” has a new life in Sweden with his wife. Fascinated by the country, Robins says, “Society there seems in many ways very recognizable and familiar to the British yet with something underlying that is mysterious and intangible.”
    And the Brits are listening. “I guess I was nervous at first as to whether Brits would be interested to hear about a man moving to Sweden, but I've got so many emails from such a wide spectrum of people that it's been amazing.” It doesn’t hurt that he’s got a fine group of Swedish comedians to work with, too. “There's no real tradition of radio sitcom in Sweden, and these actors were all doing something new in a second language.”
    The Cold Swedish Winter is a four-part radio series, airing on Mondays.