God Jul and the joy of entertaining
Wednesday this past week I took my Swedish test to pass out of my language requirement and finally formally receive my masters in history. For three hours I sat alone in the Scandinavian Studies Library at Berkeley with the largest Swedish-English dictionary I have even seen, translating a passage on Scandinavian media imperialism in the new Baltic States. I left feeling exhausted (as I haven’t concentrated that hard since I took my Masters Culminating Exam in May), slightly demoralized, and definitely frustrated with myself for having too much of a moral compass and not calling Mormor, Mom or Justin with the few questions I had. While I might not pass, I am excited about the progress I have made with the language, and am looking forward to possibly traveling with Danika to Sweden this summer. I feel I am finally making the commitment to really learn the language. Not only that, but I also feel I am making a commitment to keeping in touch with my Swedish heritage, and continuing the traditions of my childhood in the lives of my family’s future generations.
I don’t know what it is about this specific year that has put me in the holiday spirit, but I definitely have some sort of Christmas fever. Some of Sweden’s best traditions surround Christmas, and courtesy of “min lilla mormor,” I learned every Swedish Christmas song growing up. In this state of holiday cheer, Nicki and I decided to throw a Christmakkah party later this month. Chrismakkah is Seth Cohen’s favorite hybrid-holiday on The OC, and even though Nicki and I are as WASPy as they come (with some Catholicism mixed in), we wanted to honor the spirit of inclusion as well as The OC (just kidding) and throw a festive (atheist-friendly) party. We (and by we I mean, Nicki) are baking lots of cookies for the event including some of Mormor’s best recipes. Maybe it is the season, maybe it is that we are actually growing up, but there is something so appealing to me right now about entertaining – the only domestic skill I have taken to.
I don’t know what it is about this specific year that has put me in the holiday spirit, but I definitely have some sort of Christmas fever. Some of Sweden’s best traditions surround Christmas, and courtesy of “min lilla mormor,” I learned every Swedish Christmas song growing up. In this state of holiday cheer, Nicki and I decided to throw a Christmakkah party later this month. Chrismakkah is Seth Cohen’s favorite hybrid-holiday on The OC, and even though Nicki and I are as WASPy as they come (with some Catholicism mixed in), we wanted to honor the spirit of inclusion as well as The OC (just kidding) and throw a festive (atheist-friendly) party. We (and by we I mean, Nicki) are baking lots of cookies for the event including some of Mormor’s best recipes. Maybe it is the season, maybe it is that we are actually growing up, but there is something so appealing to me right now about entertaining – the only domestic skill I have taken to.
posted by LeahT at 7:46 PM
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