Fika Time

Fika is a new phenomenon in my life here in Sweden. Swedes, I'm told, are generally very busy, but take time out of a day several times a week to have a Fika (coffee break) with friends, coworkers, or family. It's essentially them saying, "yes, I'll spend these next few hours getting to know you or catching up on life with you." I love it! Fika can be used as a noun or a verb. When I meet Swedish students on campus, I generally try and have a second meeting with them to continue getting to know them, so I'll ask them to fika with me. I'm also well aware that frequent fikas could pose a threat to my figure. Every time you walk into a cafe here in Uppsala, you're greeted by a glass case piled high with cakes, pasteries, cookies and pies. Perhaps I'll start the tradition of the "skinny fika" because I'm trying my hardest to resist the urge to order "chlod caka" (chocolate cake) and just stick to my coffee!

However, when it comes to serving sizes, I think the Swedes are on to something. Most serving sizes are relatively smaller than those in the U.S. (like most of the world, really). You can generally order a decently sized salad or sandwich for lunch and it fills me up. Some of the guys on our trip, however, have had to order multiple dinners to satisfy their appetites. While meals may be small, desserts are not! Every time I walk into my favorite cafe, cafe Linne, I'm tempted to order one of the giant chocolate dipped meranges at the front counter! Yep, these Swedes have their priorities in order!