Nope, don’t call 911, I am not having a stroke, or suddenly speaking in tongues!

I am doing well and swell.

I just thought I spared you enough lately. Some might have been questionning my love for Denmark, since I haven’t spoken much about Vikingland for a while. And no one should ever, ever doubt that! No one! Ever!

Last year, my brother offered me Meik Wiking‘s Little Book of Hygge.

Mr Wiking is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, and although I wouldn’t pretend to be an expert at the art of Hygge, everything I read in his book, I experienced during my three visits to Denmark (ooohhh DK, how I miss you!!) I to-ta-lly recommend The Little Book of Hygge to anyone interested in Denmark and Danes’ ways of living. It is the perfect bedside table book!

The Little Book of Lykke is now out. Lykke could be translated into Happiness, although I have a feeling I’ll learn a lot more in Meik’s book. I wanted to buy it last week when I went to my favorite bookstore, but they don’t have the French version yet. I very well could have bought the English one, but I wanted my two books to fit. (I know, silly)

I was a little disappointed to come back home empty handed, when I noticed this book, from the same collection (though not writen by Meik Wiking)

Lagom! I didn’t know about lagom.

First of all, lagom is Swedish. No! I am not cheating on Denmark! Don’t even think about sending a text message warning Denmark that I might have fallen for Sweden! But I have spent some time in Sweden last September, and experienced the differences between the two countries, and the two cultures.

So… Lagom. If my first impression is right, it is the art of “just right”. Not too little, not too much, just doing and having your fair share in life. I started reading the book, and it is very interresting so far!

I know The Little Book of Fika is also available. Fika is also Swedish, and although it litterally means “coffee”, it refers to a moment in the afternoon when Swedes meet among friends, family or colleagues and share a nice hot beverage and sweet pastries, talking about all and nothing, just enjoying time together…

It seems that Vikings haven’t given up their dream of conquering the world just yet… But they are wise, you know? They probably figured that the old way of sailing their impressive vessels overseas, invading foreign countries and cracking men’s skulls open with their axes, forcing people to submission would be considered the work of terrorists, rather than warriors now. And that wouldn’t please Vikings.

No, contemporary Vikings are winning us one by one, waving their zen and healthy ways of living under our stressed out noses! And it works… Scandinavia is conquering the world, little by little…

While surfing around to know more about lagom and fika for this post, I came across an interesting blog; Something Swedish. Meg used to live in New York city, and after meeting a Swede over The Internets, she ended up marrying him, and moving to Sweden to live with him. In her blog she talks about her new life, and though I haven’t had the time to scroll a lot, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

Again… NOT cheating on Denmark, ok?