Borås Djurpark (the zooooooo)

Today was a fantastic day trip with Daniel's family to the zoo.  Here are a few photos to sum up the fun:

Three strollers, four kiddos, Daniel and 6 of his siblings and his parents and a few in-laws...what a group!

I have NO idea how much Markus understood about today, but he seemed to enjoy it. 

Lots of things were related to movies...Aslan, Timon and Pumba, and Jurassic Park, for example.

This elephant enjoyed entertaining his audience...

Grandma and Grandpa, or in other words, farmorsmormor and morfarsfarfar. :)

My sweet Frida who introduced me to these crazy Norens...

Taking care of her little brother. 

This guy was also pretty close up and center!

I think we ate something like 40+ hotdogs between us...wow. 

Feeding time. 

And these wild animals are soon going to take their afternoon nap. 

Just about to eat ice-cream and check out some penguins...

Highlights: 

1. full time grilling stations where you can bring your hotdogs from home and grill to eat.

2.  Some animal always has to mate when everyone is watching. 

3. watching God's amazing creatures...

4. Getting my in-laws mixed up with all the other tall blonde haired people at the zoo today. 

5. seeing our kiddos enjoy spending time with the family. 

6. Frida is visiting from Lebanon!

What a fun trip....

Voddie Baucham is coming to Gothenburg!

In a week's time, Dr. Voddie Baucham will be coming as our guest speaker at a conference here in Gothenburg, Sweden.

There are still a few places for those interested in coming.  And below are some clips from Dr. Baucham which I have particularly enjoyed:

Adapting to the culture...or Not.  
http://youtu.be/COPZrKskSZA

Voddie Baucham on CNN, no Compromise.
http://youtu.be/jmHwHF1A1Do

The consequences of feminism
http://youtu.be/fX8KWSuEhIc

Love and Marriage (part 1)
http://youtu.be/chAvBs5Fexw

Contact us at daniel.noren@gibk.se if you would like to come as Gothenburg International Baptist Church hosts Voddie Baucham for a two day conference,  July 27 - 28, 2013.

On a sister blog...

A few more words from what is happening on a sister blog (An American's view of life in Sweden)

http://amerisvenska.blogspot.se/2013/07/swedish-uniformity.html
*hint* I bought my first ever pair of converse shoes...and boy do they fit in here...

http://amerisvenska.blogspot.se/2013/07/ramadan-hardships-in-sweden.html
Who can survive Ramadan when the sun never sets??



http://amerisvenska.blogspot.se/2013/07/fladerblomsaftelderflower-cordial.html
How to make elderflower cordial...Swedish style. 

Ramadan hardships in Sweden...

The theoretical problem becomes reality in Sweden this year...

Ramadan has just begun, but for Muslims in the northern-most part of Sweden, they will have days where the sun never sets, and days where it just sets for a matter of minutes.

Try replenishing your food and water supply in 15 minutes per 24 hours, and see if that is sustainable for a month long period....(with the idea that you should work full time/as normal).

It does bring up the question, how could an all knowing Allah not have known about this possibility when he put the requirement for fasting sunrise to sunset in place?

Read more in the article below...

http://www.thelocal.se/49004/20130711/

Gothenburg in the summer

Here is a glimpse of some photos taken by a visitor we had in May... it is always interesting to see what others take photos of when they are walking a few days in our shoes...

Showing him where the first Baptists in Sweden went against the law and got baptized in the ocean...

May ...still cold enough for winter hats!

This moose decided to make our trip complete with his hopping over the road out in Horred.

Showing off our local 4-H farm in Bergsjön

The BIG city...

Next to trädgårdsföreningen...

This isnt Amsterdam, but we've still got a lot of canals running through the city, which is quite charming. 

Fladerblomsaft...Elderflower cordial!

Elderflower Cordial time (Dags för Flädersaft)

Who knew that these white flowers that look a lot like queens anne's lace would be the key to a delicious refreshing Swedish drink?  

Daniel's brother Jonas showed me a big Elderflower bush near their house and we got a good "crop"...

 

 Step two, throw in some lemons, sugar, citric acid, and top in water (different recipes call for cool or boiling water...).

Stir once a day for 3-5 days, sieve it out, and there you go! Come visit us and try some...

Swedish uniformity

I will start by saying that I went last week and bought myself a pair of converse shoes. I would have never worn them in USA, but they just feel right in Sweden.  And now I see why.

This article from the local talks about how a lot of Swedes like to dress the same.

http://www.thelocal.se/48704/20130626/

It definitely starts to wear off after a while. The important thing is to see a difference between cultural adaptation without moral sacrificing of what is RIGHT and GOOD.

BUT, although it may seem trendy and thus easy to fit in, it is also painfully drab in it's lack of personality after a while.

And the whole trying to be unisex thing in Sweden will have to be saved for another time...