Our first fika!

To say that fika is the process of having a coffee, or meeting for coffee is to dramatically understate the reverence given to this occassion.  In fact there is no direct way to translate this term into English that conveys the full process or importance of it.  When I checked in my swedish-english dictionary it said "coffee".  That's like saying hockey is a "sport" in Canada.

Fika is a meeting with friends and strangers.  A time to talk, discuss, socialize and there happens to be coffee and food as well.  It is the social and shared aspect of this ritual that is really important, otherwise its just kaffe.

So yesterday all the new Canadians in Sundsvall met up with one of the locals at Barista a beautiful fairtrade, organic coffee house downtown.  They have coccoon swing seats inside, a huge couch bed for lounging, outdoor tables, blankets in case you get cold, a play area for children, oh and delicious coffee and treats.  It is beautiful.  Should you find yourself in northern Sweden I definately reccommend it. But coming back to the point, we met on the patio, parked the strollers with the sleeping children and proceeded to sit and chat for the next 3 hours.  Service is slow, but tasty.  Atmosphere is relaxed and easy to spend time in. Once the kids woke up there were places for them to run around and play in, I enjoyed the inclusiveness of it.  The only downside would be the price.  I am still living through sticker shock, and the $20 CAD for 2 coffees and a brownie makes me feel slightly ill.  I'm assuming once I start having a Swedish pay cheque that will hurt less.

 Through this small Swedish ritual I am beginning to feel the growth of the community to which I am going to belong.  It was really really nice. As an adult I have moved communities about every 4 years, and it is exciting and hard to restart, make new friends and form your sanity and support.  Toronto, our last move was probably the hardest one we had made.  Because the city is so big its hard to become close to people, and because I grew up there I had this false sense that it should happen quickly.  It didn't.  Only after 4 years there was I really beginning to feel a sense of community in my life (outside of family).  I'm not saying we're there yet here, but I can see where the seeds of it start.

So I look forward to many fika, although it definitely means that I will have to keep my running in top gear or I will have to add clothes shopping to my list of things to do.