Swedish Mardi Gras

For those wondering what is going on in Sweden, you can scan the headlines of The Local http://www.thelocal.se/ and for some of the light hearted stuff, check out blog: http://www.thelocal.se/blog/

There you can read about how the new foreign minister (who is actually a recycled old prime-minister) arrived at his office to discover there has never been a computer in it. Ever. I'd say our Federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan has a similar situation in her office - saying a couple of months ago that she can't fathom why anyone is complaining about Australia's broadband speed as she never has any problems. Oy. I'm guessing she has never even sent an email herself. The 1Mb connection speed Australia has isn't even considered to be broadband in most countries.

There is also a link to trailer for a film that has been doing the rounds here: Sweden, Heaven and Hell .Definitely worth seeing, but be a little careful where you open it - decadent behaviour on display. I only wish I knew where this so-called 'Sweden' is how I can get there.

Sweden: Heaven and Hell

So, to Swedish Mardi Gras. Well, I lied a bit, but if you click on the link with the goose, there is an explation of Mårten Gås (St. Martin's Day Goose). I've never heard anyone around here celebrating it, as it is a tradition that comes from the very south of Sweden (affectionately referred to as 'Denmark'), and probably hasn't climbed much further north than Stockholm. To get revenge on a goose, Martin (he probably wasn't saintly yet) cooked it up, effectively drinking its blood. Thesedays, the blood is turned into "a sweet yet savory soup made from the blood drippings of the bird flavored with aromatic spices like cinnamon, clove and ginger. More like a gravy than a soup". Dead geese? Leather chaps? Is there a mardi gras anywhere vegans can participate in?