The latest from the Alumni Network at Lund University
Lund University has not only filled the minds of many students, but it has also filled their hearts. The Love@Lund exhibition introduces you to couples who found love in Lund – in the corridor, the AF building or the classroom, just to name a few places where sparks flew.
We’d like to give a special thanks to the couples who volunteered and sent us their stories! Did you meet your great love in Lund, share your story with us (info@alumni.lu.se) and be a part of Love@Lund 2019!
Q: Hi Zolzaya Shagdar! We are happy to see that you are a part of the team behind the Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia. How are you?
First of all, let me introduce myself briefly. I am Zolzaya from Mongolia. From 2014 to 2015, I studied my MSc degree in International Economics with a Focus on China at Lund University with a full-scholarship provided by the Swedish Institute. After graduating from Lund, I have returned to Mongolia and been working here since. Last month, I and one other Swedish Institute alumnus, decided to start an Alumni Network for all Mongolians who have studied in Sweden. I am really happy that my beloved Lund University has taken interest in my initiative and I also would like to thank you for inviting me to share my story on this Alumni Blog.
Q: What made you take the initiative to start the alumni network in Mongolia?
As I have mentioned earlier, it has been more than two years since I started working in Mongolia. During my work experience in Mongolia, I have encountered many Mongolians who have studied abroad and the vast majority of them graduated either in USA, Australia or Japan. Considering the fact that these countries are the most popular study abroad destinations for Mongolians, this comes as no surprise. Consequently, alumni associations of the above countries are the strongest and most active alumni networks in Mongolia.
There are always these alumni-only events and meetings. Alumni from the same country form a special bond in terms of working and/or personal relationships. This was why, after returning from Sweden, I have tried to find and join an alumni network for Mongolians who studied in Sweden but had no luck finding even a single person who had graduated from a Swedish University. Thus, I have decided to start one and hoped people with similar interests would join in along the way.
At the same time I have also reached out to the Swedish Institute about it and informed them about my willingness to start a Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia. Finally, about two months ago, the Swedish Institute connected me with another former Swedish Institute Scholarship holder who was interested to have an Alumni Network and that was how our Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia started. So far, we have been in contact with about ten plus Mongolians who have graduated in Mongolia with help from the Swedish Institute. Unfortunately, only three of them live in Mongolia, thus our work here is limited for now. However, by contacting more people through networking and by reaching out to Swedish universities, I believe our network is already off to a great and promising start.
Q: What have you been up to since you graduated from Lund University?
After finishing my studies at Lund university, I was motivated to return to my country because I was convinced that any developing country has a chance to catch-up with developed economies by using its so-called technological backwardness smartly.
Since my graduation from Lund University, I have revisited Sweden every year for different events and courses. Considering my willingness to reconnect with Sweden as well as my passion in technology and development, in October 2016, I was given a chance to visit Luleå Science Park for the ICT4Development event organized by the Swedish Institute. Also last summer I have also visited my beloved Lund University and my favourite spot in Lund, which is Domkyrkan, while doing a summer course at the University of Oslo.
Q: What do you work with today?
I work as the operations manager at a professional IT service company in Mongolia. As you may have already guessed from the title of my job, I am responsible for all areas of operations related to developing and delivering IT services to various levels of corporate customers. Our company is specialized in delivering professional services in line with international standarts such as ITIL V3, ISO 20000 etc.
Q: What does a typical work day look like for you today?
My daily responsibility is to lead the service delivery team including the IT support center and to make sure the IT services we provide match the expectations of our customers. As the operations manager, it is my daily job to keep all members motivated and encouraged while holding my team accountable to goals and deadlines. Furthermore, as a member of the management team, I actively engage in strategic decision-making processes in my company and it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone is informed about and on board with local as well as global industry development strategy.
Q: Has your Lund University education been beneficial in your work? In what way(s)?
At Lund, I chose to follow the economic history specialization of my programme, thus the majority of our classes were designed to examine growth dynamics of the developing world, explaining it in a comparative and historical perspective. Therefore, I believe my studies at Lund not only expanded my knowledge but also sharpened my analytical and communication skills. In turn, those skills were the exact skills necessary for succeeding at my job today. Apart from academic excellence, Lund had an exciting campus environment. My experience of being involved in activities organized by the ‘Nations’ made me more active socially and even indirectly played its part in my initiative to start the Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia. I can proudly say that Lund helped me to grow academically and socially.
Q: What are plans for 2018? Any new career or personal life goals?
In terms of career, my first and the foremost plan for 2018 is to become an internationally recognized IT service professional. I am planning to take an ITIL V3 Foundation exam, the entry level certification which offers a general awareness of the key elements, concepts and terminology used in the IT Service Management. In 2018, personally I have planned to dedicate more time and effort to our Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia.
In addition to these, I am also looking at the possibilities to take part in academic courses and training workshops in Sweden this summer. Hopefully see you guys by then!
Click here to reach the Swedish Alumni Network in Mongolia on Facebook.
The first week in February is coming to an end and after our traditional “Dumplings Friday” here at the office, we are soon ready for the weekend.
LU Alumni around the world. We continue to collect interesting alumni stories from all around the world. Last week we shared an update from alumnus Morgan M. Broman, who was invited as a distinguished speaker at the IEEE 4th World Forum on Internet of Things. AI and Robotics are two tech trends to keep an eye on and you can read the interview below. In the coming weeks, we will share more alumni stories from Stockholm, Iceland and Mongolia.
Do you want to share your story with the Lund University alumni community? Send an email to us at info@alumni.lu.se or comment on this post.
Our lovely Love@Lund exhibition opens next week on Valentine’s Day. The event is fully booked, but the photos and stories will be shared on our Facebook page as well.
Did you know that Lundakarnevalen is the second largest volunteer event after the Olympic Games? Uppropet, the roll-call event for student volunteers for this year’s Lundakarnevalen, took place last Sunday and gathered thousands of student volunteers who want to sing, dance, sell tickets, cook food and more between 18-20 May. More about Uppropet in the next edition of Lundensaren, landing in all Alumni Network members inboxes by the end of next week. Something to look forward to!
Visitor centre in the University main building. Vice-Chancellor Torbjörn von Schantz declared this Wednesday that there will be a new visitor center and LU campus store in the University main building. The University Management moves to Kungshuset.
Unknown language discovered in Southeast Asia by linguists from Lund University. Click here to listen to this unknown language.
New agreements with Lund University. The Novo Nordisk Foundation recently made the announcement to grant DKK 225 million to Lund University for the construction and operation of MicroMAX, a new beamline for the MAX IV research facility in Lund, Sweden. Click here to read more. There was also an agreement on education and research between Lund University and Saab.
How IKEA’s founder exported a certain image of Sweden – from frugality to ‘fika’. Sweden is trending right now, with cultural concepts such as “lagom” (just enough) and “fika” (coffee break) selling everything from books to fashion. The nation is often seen as a social democratic model country, where people are egalitarian, wealthy and happy.
As Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the Swedish multinational furniture retailer IKEA, recently passed away, it is interesting to reflect on how he and IKEA may have contributed to exporting this image. Click here to read the full story.
We are thrilled to find Law alumni Pamela Finckenberg-Broman and Morgan M. Broman as distinguished speakers about The RAiLE© Project at the IEEE 4th World Forum on Internet of Things in Singapore. We got in contact with Morgan a week before the world forum to learn more.
Q: Could you share some of your insights about The RAiLE© Project?
First, we have to make clear what the basis for a RAiLE© is. The word itself stands for an integrated, autonomous Robotics/AI Legal Entity. The AI we are discussing is the one that, using a popular term, is at or very close to achieving the intellectual stage “singularity”.
The more autonomous robotics+AI combination that we are looking at is something we are beginning to see in our society today in the form of the so called autonomous vehicles. Already around the autonomous vehicles there are several legal questions arising, mostly about accountability/liability in case of accidents. However, once this form of combined robotics and AI becomes more and more an integrated part of our daily lives even more questions arise regarding how to handle them from a legal aspect.
Another important aspect to this research is the realization and impact of the cultural divide in approach to our subject matter. In the western world we often see the “rise of the machines” described as something scary (i.e. Terminator, War Games etc.). In Asia and many other places, the intellectual and emotional approach is different, these entities are often described as benign, as enhancers and supporters of human life.
At this stage of our research, as we are looking for financing to develop it further, we see a growing interest in our cross-science/multi-disciplinary approach. We meet many researchers that are experts in their own field, but they do not always understand or even consider the impact of their research, especially in combination with other areas, on our society. We focus on the combination of the software (AI), hardware (robotics) as a legal entity and its impact on international trade, businesses and private life.
Q: What sparked your interest on the legal aspects of Robotics and AI?
I had my first experience with computers in the late 1970’s when visiting UCLA’s data center while studying in the USA which triggered a fascination with computer tech. Later when studying IT at Lund University back in the previous millennium (1980’s) I was interested in how we could use computers in our daily life.
After several years of working in the IT/Telecom business I got involved in contractual B2B negotiations, after my wife and co-partner in this research, pointed out some legal issues with a contract I was drafting, I realized I needed to know more.
Once I got into law studies at Lund, first at the Department of Business Law (Handelsrätt @ EHL), then at Lund’s Faculty of Law 2-year LL.M. program, I found that much legal literature and articles on technology lacked a solid grasp of the underlying tech. This led to misinterpretations and use of the wrong terminology in many places.
The specific trigger for the RAiLE© Project came while me and Pamela were writing an extensive piece on Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) (NOTE not Universal). The first irritation was the erroneous use of Universal rather than Unconditional, but further on we looked at the effects of automatization on the workforce. This led us into a look where the current research on robotics and AI was heading. Then all the other pieces fell into place.
Q: In 15-20 years’ time, do you think we can expect legislation where robots and AI are given legal status?
Yes, both the EU and several Asian countries are already in the process of trying to figure this out. There are several issues with these try-outs though. One is lack of specificity in terminology used, another is that these are only embryonic and limited in focus.
A large part of this is based on the previously mentioned lack of multi-disciplinary approach. Our goal and hope is to be able to use our research to help with that. We currently work closely with IEEE/SSIT on the subject with articles and presentations.
Q: Do you use any smart products, artificial intelligence or even robotics in your daily lives?
Depends on the definition used, my mobile phone, pad etc. even the PC sure can be seen as smart products with limited AI capabilities. As for robotics, unless we count my car, currently less so. Our youngest daughter has a small Star Wars robot that she is very fond of.
Q: And the mandatory question, what’s your favourite memory from the student life in Lund?
Wow, BIG question, there are so many from the great student friends I met over the years, to the many excellent lecturers I have had from both EHL and the Law School, the founding of LuSyFor and so on. But if there is one key moment that stands out it would be from one of my old courses at Systemvetenskapliga Institutionen.
During one of the first classes in one of the courses the lecturer/teacher set up a system design project for the class. At the end he asked for questions. I raised my hand and told him I thought there was a “smarter” way to do it. He looked at me smiled and said “Alright, you are in charge of the whole class for this project.” I remember thinking “…sure, how hard can it be.” At the end of the course, after some people on the team had worked like crazy, while others maybe were less motivated, we presented the outcome. The lecturer/teacher then congratulated the class and told us we had done a good job. I raised my hand once more, he looked at me… “Yes?”. I told him in front of the class that he had been right from the beginning, his way would have been better. For me that was a lesson for life! It cannot be much better than that.
Full speed ahead with planning alumni activities for spring 2018. There are so many different interests, fields of study, ages and memories from Lund and we want to give all alumni something to look forward from the Alumni Network during 2018.
♥♥ A Lovely event ♥♥
On Valentine’s Day, we welcome Alumni Network members to the opening of Love@Lund, the exhibition about the love stories that started in Lund.
Not based in Lund? No worries, we will share the exhibition online as well.
A Career Workshop
Learn how to turn any global experience into a professional asset. Do you have experience from working, doing an internship, studying or even travelling during a longer time period? Join our workshop and learn how to make your international experiences attractive posts on your CV.
An After Work
Join us for an inspiring Alumni After Work at the creative facilities of Media Evolution City in Malmö.
A Lundakarnevalen Pre-Party
Brace yourself for Imaginalkarneval 2018! Welcome to our Karneval Pre-party just before the carnival in May!
And a lot more… We are also looking forward to Lund University alumni festivities in South Africa (both Pretoria and Cape Town), Japan, USA, events for alumni & families as well as filling Lundensaren and this blog with exciting stories, news and updates.
We’re back in the office and Lund is waking up again after the holidays. The queues at the most popular lunch restaurants are long. Gerdahallen, and most likely all other gyms in Lund, are filling up with people eager to stay on track with their New Year’s resolutions or just getting back to their weekly routines. This is also the last week of the autumn semester and current students are finalising their exams and papers. On my way from the LU shop today I saw proud students having their photos taken together with their final papers by the golden doors of Juridicum.
This week we also had the great joy of meeting many new students on campus. On Tuesday, the University welcomed around 500 new exchange students to Lund on the official Arrival Day (click here for video). Yesterday, our team at the Alumni and Career office got the opportunity to meet these new international students at the Student Association Fair, giving them a quick introduction to the Alumni Network, telling them how welcome they are to join by the end of their semester and presenting a list of interesting career seminars they could join. The most popular things on our table, however, were the colourful postcards featuring photos of Lund. A perfect way for the new students to communicate with their family back home about where in the world they have travelled.
Karen and I were also very happy to see so many participants in the Lundensaren Christmas lottery! We are thrilled to hear about what you have enjoyed the most about the Alumni Network. As promised, 20 unique alumni mugs are soon on their way to their new owners by snail mail. Winners in the lottery are notified by email.
Other exciting things that happened this week.
Sylvia Schwaag Serger, the new Deputy Vice Chancellor at Lund University (from 1 January), visited our External Relations office this week for a fika. She has a special responsibility for education at Bachelor’s and Master’s level, as well as for internationalisation. Sylvia is a professor in research politics at the School of Economics and Management and received her PhD from London School of Economics. She was previously the director of Vinnova with a responsibility for international strategies.
Lund University is happy to announce that Fredrik Mertens, professor in clinical genetics, was named Cancer Researcher of the Year 2018 by Cancerfonden, the Swedish Cancer Society. Click here to read the article (in Swedish).
This week’s research news: Oxygen in the World’s Oceans is declining, scientists reveal dangers and solutions
Things that we are looking forward to.
The opening of our Love@Lund exhibition will take place on Valentine’s Day 14 February in the University main building. We are now doing the finishing touches to the exhibition. Truly enjoying all the lovely stories we have received. The invitation to the event on Valentine’s Day will be sent next week.
For those interested in enhancing their career with a Master’s degree from Lund University – 15 January is the application deadline for our Master’s programmes starting autumn 2018. Click here to read more.
For 350th Jubilee enthusiasts, don’t miss the grand finale on 28 January, exactly 350 years since the University’s inauguration. Open to all, but requires pre-registration. The ceremony is full, but there are still tickets for the concert and the dinner. Click here to read more.
In this blog post we asked Ana Devdariani, alumna, head of communications at IDEON and the moderator of our networking workshop, to share her best advice on networking and creating meaningful connections.
Any time you meet a new person, you are networking. If we look at it this way, turns out that the life itself is networking – relationship building, and it takes time and mutual engagement.
Networking is about investing yourself in building lasting relationships. The aim is not meeting every single person in the room, but instead truly connecting with the few you meet. When I arrive at a social event – be it a big conference, an office mingle or a dinner party, I apply the same approach.
1. Walk to your event!
If I attend a gathering after a long workday, I make sure to shake the day off before I arrive at the venue. I either walk or ride a bicycle instead of driving. Being physically active produces happier hormones in the body and makes us feel confident.
2. Arrive earlier!
I arrive a little bit earlier than expected. Human body experiences slight stress and confusion in unfamiliar settings. So I use these extra minutes to look around and get used to the environment.
Sometimes I do power posing – I stand with legs shoulder width apart and lift my hands up for 2-3 minutes. This technique changes the hormonal flow in the body and minimises cortisol which is a stress hormone.
3. Remember names and faces!
Once I’ve made sure that my head is clear and my body is calm, I greet the host and start introducing myself to other people. More often than not, I meet a group of people at the same time, and this makes it harder to remember the names. So I create vivid associations with people’s names and faces.
If someone is called Adam, I imagine them in Eden’s garden, or I think of my friend Adam and make a mental connection with him. Next time I meet Adam, vivid associations awaken in my brain, and the name comes naturally. As for the face, I choose a facial feature and exaggerate it. Maybe his eyes can be big apples from the garden. All of this sounds bizarre, and it’s meant to because the human brain loves vivid images and associations.
If you meet several people simultaneously, take your time to remember each of them. Show that you respect all of them and want to invest your time. As you walk away, you can make notes to make remembering even easier.
4. Be original!
You are interesting if you are genuinely interested. Even if it is a work-related gathering, you do not have to talk about daily mundane tasks. “So, what do you work with?”- They have already answered this a dozen times. This question does not show your effort. You can be original and profession at the same time. Try asking – “What motivated you to study/work in this sphere?” You are still asking a professional question but showing interest in the person and their passion and drive. Remember, networking is about building a relationship, not about learning a person’s resume!
5. Give compliments!
Complimenting someone in a professional setting is just as appropriate as greeting them. Avoid commenting on people’s physical appearance and clothes. Make a compliment about their character. If someone asks an original question, you can tell them: “I appreciate the way you asked that question, it shows that you are a thoughtful person!” People’s actions say something about them, feel free to point out their characteristics and compliment on their personality.
6. Keep in touch!
You want to invest your time in each person. But avoid chatting with only one person the whole evening. Move on by asking them for their contact details and wishing them to meet other interesting people at the gathering. Once you have the contact information, follow up. If you didn’t feel comfortable about giving a compliment, this is the time to do it. Besides, feel free to make yourself useful and send them some relevant information – may be a link to an interesting article or an upcoming event. You may not want to follow up with everyone, and this is natural. If you don’t want to have coffee with a person who suggested it – be honest about it. Making a promise and breaking it is a big nono while networking.
First positive impressions are powerful and maintaining them are equally so. Stay in touch with people you meet, be genuine and useful and with time it won’t even feel like networking.
The new year is here and we hope that you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years celebrations. The beginning of January is the perfect time to start looking forward and planning for spring. Here are some highlights from the Lund University calendar with events to look out for this next semester. Please note that some of the events will be held only in Swedish.
Public Lecture on climate resilience: A conversation between disasters and development | 16 January, 13:00-14:00
A seminar where Tom Downing and Mo Hamza will have a discussion based on three stories from Syria. The seminar will be chaired by Emily Boyd and active participation from the audience will be encouraged. Click here to read more.
CIRCLE Seminar Series – Francesco Di Lorenzo | 17 January, 14:00-15:00 Assistant Professor of Strategy and International Business at the Department of Strategic Management and Globalization of the Copenhagen Business School, Francesco Di Lorenzo, will talk about his research areas strategic management and economics and management of innovation. Click here to read more.
Open lecture: Major Healthcare Issues in Jordan: What are they and Why Challenging? | 22 January 16:00-17:00
Khalil Yousef, PhD, RN. Assistant Professor, University of Jordan will in this lecture talk about smoking, B12 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, cancer and other challenging healthcare issues in Jordan. Click here to read more. A second open lecture with Khalil Yousef about neurocritical care in Jordan will be held on 23 January, 10:00-12:00, and you can read more about it here.
Assessing 40 years of reform and opening in China | 23-25 January
In 2018 it’s been 40 years since the initiation of China’s ‘Reform and Opening period’. During three days you can listen to several speakers discussing different aspects of the transformations China have gone through since the start of this period. Read more and find the programme for the three days here.
Lund University’s Annual Celebration | 26 January, 16:00
A celebration with music, a speech by Vice-Chancellor Torbjörn von Schantz, a short lecture and some refreshments and mingle. Read more here.
Kick-off for the future | 28 January
The Lund University 350 jubilee will be concluded with a kick-off for the future. On this day you can enjoy an open house in the University Building with different activities, guided tours in the King’s House, a concert in the Cathedral of Lund, a kick-off ceremony and last but not least a dinner in the AF Building. Click here to read more and register for the different events during the day.
Lectures in the series “Klimat, miljö och hållbarhet” | January-May
The lecture series “Klimat, miljö och hållbarhet” (climate, environment and sustainability) is a collaboration between Sweden’s society for the conservation of Nature, Lund University’s sustainability forum and Lund’s city library. Here are the dates for the different lectures during spring, click on each one of them to read more about that specific lecture: 31 January, 7 February, 28 February, 7 March, 14 March, 11 April, 25 April, 26 April, 9 May, 23 May. The lectures will be held in Swedish.
Love@Lund | 14 February
The opening of the exhibition about love stories that started in Lund. This is an exclusive alumni event, keep an eye out on the blog and your e-mail for more information and an invitation. Please note that only alumni registered in the Lund University Alumni network you will get an invitation. Not yet a member? Click here to register!
The job interview | 21 February
A seminar for those of you who wants to learn more about how to do a great job interview in Sweden. Susanne Linné, Career Coordinator at Lund University, will let you know more about how to prepare for an interview, what to expect during the interview, questions that’s usually asked and what not to forget after the interview. Click here to read more and register.
Open house at Lund University | March 17
Bring someone who’s interested in studying at Lund University and meet with current students, career consultants, get information about studying abroad, listen to lectures and get a guided tour around Lund. Read more here.
Hållbarhetsveckan i Lund 2018 | 23-28 April
Lund’s annual Sustainability week with many events on the subject. Click here to read more.
Lundakarnevalen | 18-20 May
The carnival is organised every forth year by students in Lund and it will be three days filled with entertainment, lotteries, “studentspex”, music and lots of food and drinks. Make sure you don’t miss the carnival-train that walks around town during the three days! The carnival area is located in Lundagård. Follow their Facebook-page here and visit their website here.
This is only a brief overview of what will happen this spring and many more events will come. Keep an eye on the calender for Lund University’s activities here. Things to expect are more seminars and lectures, concerts, exhibitions and of course more exciting alumni events. We hope you get a spring filled with new knowledge, new friends and many fun times!
The University Library, located in the centre of Lund, was recently elected as the most beautiful building in Lund (reader contest in Sydsvenskan, autumn 2017). It’s appearance changes with the seasons and it’s a very popular photo object. You can come to the University Library to study, have a coffee, explore an exhibition or just walk around and be amazed by all the literature they store in there. During the warmer months many students take their studies with them outside to enjoy some sun in the University Library park. You can also explore the many beautiful sculptures placed out in the park.
When it was first founded, in 1666, the library was located close to the Cathedral of Lund. After some time it moved into the King’s House but it didn’t take too long before all the books, journals and other collections had grown out of it’s premises and had to move again. It was decided a completely new library building should be built and in 1907 the magnificent building at Helgonabacken, designed by Alfred Hellerström, was completed. This is where the library still is today. The library is a research library, and is responsible for the historical collections, special collections and Swedish printed material. The collections grow every year and even though the building has been expanded several times some parts of the collections now has to be stored in other buildings as well.
Next time you come back and visit us in Lund you should take some time to re-explore the University Library, relive some memories and maybe find some things about it that you didn’t notice before.
Facts and information from the University Library’s webpage: https://www.ub.lu.se/om-oss.
We at the Alumni Office, Maria, Karen and Johanna, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for 2017 and looking forward to seeing you in 2018!
Before we closed the office for the holidays, I took a quick walk through Lund city centre. In winter you need all the sun time you can get! And here’s what I found.
There’s a Karneval theme on this year’s Christmas tree at Stortorget. If there is one weekend you should mark in your calendar for 2018 it is 18-20 May and “Imaginalkarneval”, the next edition of Lundakarnevalen! Maybe a good time for a Lund reunion?
In a cupboard on Stortorget you find the official Lundakarnevalen poster. A psychedelic piece in pink and purple. For updates on Lundakarnevalen, follow their Facebook page here.
From all of us to all of you, a happy holiday and a really Happy New Year 2018!
Our editor of the Alumni Network newsletter, Lundensaren, asked Håkan Jönsson, ethnologist at Lund University, what meatballs are doing in the Swedish Christmas buffet. Why are they there, and why are they so important to us?
What is the meatball doing in the Christmas buffet?
Brief answer: It is there because people like it. Slightly longer answer: Because the Swedish Christmas buffet combines two previous meal concepts – the traditional smörgåsbord which was developed into a special buffet to accompany schnapps, and the French hors d’oeuvre tradition of small dishes.
When did it end up there?
It is hard to say exactly, but after the Second World War, which makes it a recent arrival on Swedish Christmas tables.
When did we start calling the Christmas buffet simply “Christmas dinner”?
The Swedish Christmas buffet became a concept when it was served in restaurants, as a Christmas version of a traditional smörgåsbord. This happened after the First World War.
What was originally included in the Christmas buffet?
The original Christmas meal in Sweden was, above all, an opportunity to eat your fill of fresh meat, otherwise very seldom consumed. Food containing blood also has a short shelf-life, so it needed to be eaten soon after slaughter, whereas whole animal parts such as hams were salted and eaten at a later date. Pork ribs and black pudding are the dishes most reminiscent of Medieval Christmas food. Along with bread; baking special Christmas bread which looked good was an important feature of the festive season. Each member of the household would get their own Christmas pile of bread, one of very few occasions on which the various individuals in the household could decide for themselves when to eat.
And why does the meatball recur on the Easter buffet?
Because it is a popular element of the smörgåsbord and has acquired an aura of seeming at once traditional and familiar.
Pickled herring, or sill, which is now an important part of both Christmas and Easter food, has certainly long been on the menu. But since it was a cheap everyday staple, pickled herring was rather less important for Christmas and Easter meals, whereas now the opposite is true.
While most students and alumni dream of travelling the globe, one of Lund University’s alumni didn’t stop at a single trip around the world this year.
Larissa Olenicoff, who graduated from Lund University in 2012, is now a popular travel blogger. She shares travel stories on her blog blonde-gypsy.com and impressive photography on her Instagram account.
Her travels haven’t gone unnoticed by HomeToGo.com, which ranked 35 of the world’s best travel bloggers based on mileage for 2017. Using their full travel itineraries, HomeToGo calculated how far each of these intrepid travellers went over the course of the year.
Larissa Olenicoff has made it on the list and is the 20th most-travelled blogger of 2017! She covered a staggering 47,771 miles, which is almost twice around the world.
Her 2017 travels include a wide variety of destinations from Los Angeles to Antalya. She shares her travels with her 30,000+ social media and blog followers.
Kiersten Rich, from the Blonde Abroad, won the award with 154,964 miles covered in 2017. You can find the entire ranking here: https://www.hometogo.com/media/most-traveled-bloggers/
And if you want to learn more about Larissa Olenicoff, you can read her fascinating stories on her different social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBlondeGypsy/
https://www.instagram.com/theblondegypsy/
https://twitter.com/theblondegypsy
Text : HomeToGo
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