Nordic Vibe

The recent trip to Scandinavia introduced new concepts like 'fika' and 'hygge' which attempt to make life more enjoyable and keep one sane and happy. The cold climate in these countries is a challenge to live a comfortable life though surveys reveal that these are the happiest countries on earth. Their way of life and looking at things provide clues on how this state of being is achieved. One thing for sure is that the people in these locales manage to keep their closeness and their common sense alive in these difficult environments transforming these places with human warmth.

Naturally, one needs to be sensible and careful as the climate is inhospitable and deadly if one is not careful. However the naturalness of everyday biking, the customs of frequent gatherings with friends for coffee and parties, and the use of candles and light bring coziness and warmth. I have been watching several Nordic shows and movies to glimpse the ways of life and possibly the secret to a good life. Watching mostly detective shows and wonderful dramas by directors like Thomas Vintberg and classic directors like Ingmar Berman and Carl Dreyer portray a different perspective than American 'Hollywood' style movies.

A refreshing discovery with the possibility of living a different life or point of view in the coming new year. Buying furniture and kitchenware from Ikea with the Scandinavian aesthetic is a quick and simple way to live the Nordic way with design minimalism to evoke a way of life. Perhaps this newness is appropriate now that a new dawn seems to be breaking in this country with the recent election. There is a feeling of freshness as if a new dawn has arrived with parallels in history with the past election of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama that resulted in a transformative change.

In some inexplicable way or perhaps an inevitability that progressive liberals have missed, Donald Trump transcended into acceptability right in frbefore our eyes. This rightward shift is a wave cresting all over the world with reaction against immigration and diversity and multiculturalism; a shift into nativistic tribalism, for lack of a better term. A Scandinavian series 'Furia' portrays this trend against the perceived Islamization of Europe with reaction from right-wing groups with links to the Kremlin.

My ongoing interest in Russia, Ukraine, and the fall of the Soviet Union intersected with my Nordic interest after watching 'Furia'. I recently read 'OverReach' about the war in Ukraine and Masha Gessen's 'The Future is History'. One can't help but think these events portend a significant shift; a watershed moment when the world suddenly shifts to a new paradigm; more tribal and enclosed and likely less democratic. The recent election results may seem surprising but really a change that feels transformative and inevitable. 

Philip Roth's books such as 'American Pastoral' ; though I just watched the movie but read 'The Plot Aginst America'  to series like 'The Man in the High Castle' or even the new movie 'Civil War' may seem prescient. Scandinavian countries being some of the most happiest countries on earth may offer an answer to divisiveness and polarity. Perhaps 'fika' and 'hygge' may offer some relief.

Scandinavian Treat

I just returned from a 9-day trip to Sweden and Denmark; four days in Malmo and another 4 days in Denmark. A short reprieve from the grind of work recently turned over to me. I had planned this vacation many weeks before the change in personnel was announced and all the tickets and bookings were already bought. The trip just came at the right time taking advantage of the Thanksgiving holidays so the departure was not really missed although I had to work remotely, attending meetings writing emails, and posting chat comments. In fact, it was a welcome return to my life in Asia; traveling and doing projects in Thailand, Japan China, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The life of a project manager is often an itinerant life;  of working with your laptop or phone in hotels, airports, or any place you happen to be where there is a WiFi connection. I joined a remote meeting in the new Library in Malmo near the castle circled by a moat, the library had a wall of glass where one could see across the street to the park. I had a chance to walk the streets of the old town and visit museums and art galleries. Denmark was a more spectacular and beautiful place, with its waterfront, elegant shopping lanes, Christmas markets, and palaces like Christianborg.

Despite watching Nordic shows like 'Borgen', 'The Bridge', 'The Killing'  and Wallenberg detective shows, being in the actual locale was exhilarating; eating the food, watching how the locals live, and learning their culture, especially the Viking phase was illuminating. Interesting lifestyle practices like 'fika' - short snacks with coffee and pastries; or 'hygge' roughly translated as cozy living or happy way of life is a different take on how one lives and enjoys his life. Far from the hustle and bustle of American life with its college sports and car racing. However, one does see some laidback values here in the deep South.

We enjoyed several trips this year: Prague in the Czech Republic, Boston in Massachusetts, St Agustin in Florida, and now Malmo in Sweden, and Copenhagen in Denmark. These trips were done during significant changes at the workplace: moving to a new department, working with new colleagues, assigned new projects and ways of working, and now a transfer of several difficult and complex projects in the last month due to the departure of key personnel. These trips have helped me expand my viewpoints and accept new challenges with an open attitude.

I have this insatiable urge to learn everything about Scandinavia, borrowing DVDs, books, and music and searching the internet. Soon my Nordic urge will go down after I have satiated my curiosity and I will go off to another interest. But the Scandinavian and Prague trips will have made me a different person as good trips often do when one goes beyond one's familiar comfort zones. This 'new' mindset is what  I need to tackle the new projects that I am working on: migrating from obsolete software and hardware assets; into the virtual cloud and operating systems; planning for Doomsday events and ensuring continuity of services.