Stories about Sweden

Malawi: Going back to Malawi

  15 June 2008

Malawian blogger says “Goodbye Sweden”: “Time came when I came. Time has gone and I should be gone back to Malawi after two years of great stay in Örebro, Sweden. It has been a time well spent. Numerous experiences both good and bad.”

Bahrain: Kindest People Ever

Sous, a Swedish woman living in Bahrain, wonders about the impact of development on Bahrainis. “Bahrainis … are the most kind people I have ever met. They are polite, educated, funny and friendly. There is no pretend and they are really down to earth which I appreciate. I hope this...

Serbia: “Elegy For a Swine”

  12 January 2008

Many Serbs traditionally celebrate Orthodox Christmas by firing rifles and pistols, and consuming lots of homemade plum brandy and pork. Serbian bloggers have been writing about their Jan. 7 feasts for days now, but one of them, instead of composing her own sentences about it, posted an 1887 satirical poem by Serbian poet Vojislav Ilić. The poem is dedicated to the chief victim of Serbian Christmas celebration - a pig.

Estonia: The Swedes

  16 November 2007

Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonian Swedes: “…I came to the conclusion that Estonian Swedes do have a certain unspoken minority status in Estonia: they are marginal. No one writes about them. No one thinks about them. They exist, are deemed somewhat exotic, but then forgotten. They are simply unimportant....

Armenia: Scandinavian Invasion

  2 November 2007

Armenia and me posts an account and photographs of what is a rare sight indeed — 150 Scandinavian running through Yerevan's Victory Park as part of a World Wide Orienteering Promotion. Arriving in the country from Iran, the blog reports that local onlookers were at first shocked to see so...

Tunisia: A new Mohammed cartoon crisis ?

Tunisian blogger A.L.G.Y of Cos-maux-polis is wondering whether a new Mohammed cartoon crisis is brewing. She explains that drawings of a man with the body of a dog wearing a turban were published in a local Swedish newspaper on August, 18th. As protests are underway in Pakistan and Iran, she...

Scandinavia: “Rysk Mosaik” Russia Bloghub

  7 August 2007

Rysk Mosaik is a new Scandinavian bloghub for blogs in Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian, about Russian politics and society. It currently publishes posts from six Scandinavian blogs, but has the potential to become a regional Russia bloghub. The downside of it is that it is limited to blogs in Scandinavian...

Eastern Europe: Swedish Blog Update 2007

In his comprehensive review, Vilhelm Konnander writes that, unfortunately, Swedish foreign minister is no longer blogging about Eastern European affairs, but otherwise, "the Swedish blogosphere on Eastern Europe is undergoing expansion and some of the necessary stabilisation to form the dynamic density needed for a blog community. [...] A disadvantage for the international audience is that blogs, with few exceptions, are in Swedish."

Estonia: International Relations

“But why waste so much energy on that relationship with diminishing returns?” writes Itching for Eestimaa about Estonia's relations with Russia, and continues with an overview of Estonia's relations with other countries.

Arabisc: Best Blog Awards Winners and Recurring Nightmares

  14 November 2006

Arabic blogs are making their mark on the international blogging scene, with more writers and commentators taking to their keyboards and enjoying the thrill of the instant publication of their ideas away from government censorship, newspaper censorship and self-censorship! The BOBS – Best of the Blogs Awards 2006 highlighted a...