BLOGS Zhenyu Lin

The next episode of Crosstalks is coming on next Thursday, 28th Feb. Crosstalks is a web talk show where leading professors from top universities in Sweden discuss global topics live with viewers from around the world. Crosstalks is a joint venture between Stockholm University and KTH.

It will start at 17:00, broadcasted from KTHB.

The topics of this episode are three:

• Is physics changing our understanding of the world?
• What is the ultimate destiny of man and robot?
• “Global inequality and global health. Are we up to the challenge?

Check out the videos and more details on the official website: http://crosstalks.tv

Today I’m going to introduce you something about study life in KTH, especially EIT ICT Labs. Last October, all the students in EIT ICT Labs around the Europe came to KTH to have the great kick-off meeting! There were a series of wonderful lecture and conferences throughout the two days, and students get further touch with each other by doing projects together. The whole atmosphere is really international and progressive, which is KTH offered as well!

There are several days that are about desserts in Sweden. Like Cinnamon Day on 4th, Oct. Today is the Selma Day.

Selma is also a traditional dessert that is popular in Nordic and Baltic Sea Area. It is usually eaten to celebrate the Shrove Tuesday, also called Fat Tuesday. Traditionally this will be the last day for people to eat fatty food until the Easter Eve, to start the Lent in christian culture.

Semla is really tasty and has special flavours. It consists of a cardamom-spiced wheat bun which has its top cut off and insides scooped out, and is then filled with a mix of the scooped-out bread crumbs, milk and almond paste, topped with whipped cream. There will be semlas in most of the cafes and bars these days, just enjoy!

Feb. 10th is the Chinese New Year’s Day on solar calendar this year. I have a little Chinese party with schoolfellows of my previous university who are also studying here in Kista. Some of them even come to the party from Uppsala that day, which makes the whole party really warm and enjoyable to see those old friends here. We cooked together in the kitchen room and made a lot of dumplings. Winter in Stockholm, though cold, still warm!

Central areas of Stockholm have been fully covered with high quality bird view photos in Google Maps, which makes it really easy to have a virtual walkthrough of those nice places in Stockholm!

Ever wonder where to buy the materials to cook Asian food?

You’ll find it in the Oriented Supermarket in Hötorget.

You can find most of the food materials, sauce, spicy there. And you can even buy some well-cooked Peking Duck there as well.

Recently a Swedish Design Studio just managed to get full funded of their innovative speaker design – Transparent Speaker. It is one of the recent highlights in the American crowd funding platform Kickstarter, which got its fund  really quick and smoothly. The speaker has a freaky and innovative style, as well as decent sound quality, which is an integration of technology and design innovation. Technology may be the focus of most countries, however Sweden usually makes it more artistic and humanistic.

On Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/652195222/transparent-speaker-1

PeoplePeople: http://www.peoplepeople.se/transparent-speaker/

Today is the little Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year Eve Party is successfully held in Stockholm, with thousands of Chinese. There are also some Swedish who are interested in Chinese Culture performing in the party! They played Erhu and Baimaonv tonight. Really warm atmosphere!