Sep 26th, 2009 at 2:00PM: We're into the home stretch on 2009, with only three months left to enjoy. Then, the calendar page flips over, and we take on 2010. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways left to make the rest of this year memorable. In Finland, home to some of the strangest celebrations on the planet, you can find a few interesting distractions – and they'll make for great stories when you get home. Of ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Scandinavia posts
Ten Finnish festivals to finish the year
Sep 26th, 2009 at 2:00PM: We're into the home stretch on 2009, with only three months left to enjoy. Then, the calendar page flips over, and we take on 2010. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways left to make the rest of this year memorable. In Finland, home to some of the strangest celebrations on the planet, you can find a few interesting distractions – and they'll make for great stories when you get home. Of ...Viagra ice cream and other crazy flavors
Aug 10th, 2009 at 3:00PM: digg_url = 'http://digg.com/food_drink/Viagra_ice_cream_and_other_crazy_flavors'; Do you think you're exciting because you go off-menu at Cold Stone? That's nothing! To find the strangest flavors in the world, leave the United States and see what the world has to offer. At the top of the list is a fake Viagra ice cream in Venezuela (maybe the placebo effect will help you get lucky). Taiwan has a ...Sit on an ant hill in Finland, win a prize
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 4:00PM: What can't you do in Finland? If traditional activities don't scratch your bizarre itch, try to endure sweltering heat or hurling electronic devices. This country is home to the strangest "sporting events" you can imagine ... and it's enough to make me consider going back.
Throughout the year, you'll find more than 40 weird contests, some titillating and others just plain freakish. I'll pass on ...The most amazing bed-time view in Finland
Jan 22nd, 2009 at 3:00PM: The Hotel Kakslauttanen is in Saariselka, Finland, a small town in the far north of this already northern country. From your guestroom, you can turn off the lights and take in the aurora borealis from your bed. This, quite simply, is an experience you won't find anything else. Glass igloos take the place of traditional guestrooms at the Hotel Katslauttanen. A small room, encased in transparency, ...Clean living in Stockholm
Jan 21st, 2009 at 9:00AM: Scandinavians are recognized as being on the cutting edge of environmentally-friendly innovation. Nowhere is this clearer than at Hammarby Sjöstad, a community of apartments in Stockholm designed to reduce carbon footprint and generally enable clean living. Large windows make the most of sunlight, especially in the summer, and carefully planned logistics – down to trash pickup schedules ...Would you leave The States if Obama loses?
Oct 27th, 2008 at 2:30PM: Election day is next Tuesday and Americans are poised to make one of the most critical decisions in US history. With Obama leading in many polls, Democrats have allowed themselves to be cautiously optimistic. As such, you probably haven't heard as much of the "If the Dems lose I'm moving to Canada" chatter that emanated from the blue states in 2000 and 2004. In a recent review of Phil Zuckerman's ...Economics abroad: Denmark surpasses Sweden for world's highest tax burden
Mar 14th, 2008 at 4:00PM: When it comes to choosing a place to live abroad, we all know the Scandinavian countries have it made. The standard of living is high, upper education is subsidized and everyone seems to have a job and a nice living situation. But all of this comes at a price; it's called taxes. Sweden has long been known for its high taxes, the highest in the world in fact. But Denmark recently beat out it's ...Sexy Scandinavian history: The provocative style of Viking women
Feb 28th, 2008 at 11:00AM: If you think today's Swedish women are hot, take a look at their ancestors. New research shows that Viking women did in fact dress in a provocative manner. The historic Scandinavian beauties combined Nordic with oriental styles, adorning themselves in bright colors, silk ribbons and small glittering mirrors. Until recently, historians believed that Viking women dressed conservatively. The new ...Straight-up Scandinavia: Understanding the smrgsbord
Feb 23rd, 2008 at 10:30AM: Smorgasbord is a word commonly used in the English language. The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes it as "a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes)." You can even use the word to describe a random mixture of things. But let's take a look at its real meaning. In Swedish the ...IKEA accused of teasing Denmark
Feb 21st, 2008 at 11:00AM: I recently wrote about the language of IKEA and how the global furniture giant names all of its products. If you remember, many pieces of furniture, like sofas, wardrobes and bookshelves, are named after places in Norway and Sweden. Denmark on the other hand gets stuck with doormats and carpets. Apparently this has caused a recent Danish uproar, blaming IKEA for naming products of lesser value ...Straight-up Scandinavia: Learning the language of IKEA
Feb 9th, 2008 at 1:00PM: I find that either you love IKEA or you hate it; you can probably ascertain my own leanings by the fact that I am writing this article. Coming from a Scandinavian family, we have friends who used to have stuff shipped from Sweden to the US before the store made its American debut -- some people are just truly committed. But seriously, the company's basic idea was pretty cutting edge back in the ...Cliff Barnes: Stockholm's Nightlife Done Right
Oct 16th, 2007 at 6:15PM: Next time you find yourself in Stockholm, consider visiting one of my favorite bars in the world: Cliff Barnes. Now, I've been to a lot of bars in my day and I'm generally a person who's fonder of the the quieter, lounge types of establishments. Sure, I've been dragged to a few clubs, but dancing really isn't my forte. Cliff Barnes is set up as a ski-lodge-esque sort of of drinking hall, with ...
