
Kåre Lindqvist in Gothenburg, Sweden



The Place: Gothenburg, Sweden
A city cloaked in a rich history, oozing with the vibrance of bright red rooftops, manicured parks, and cafe-lined streets; Gothenburg is what you might call a ‘hidden’ gem. After spending just a day there, you’ll realise it’s a city full of quirks, whether it’s the fact that no one wears white caps because “that’s what the tram conductors wear”, or the strange prevalence of greek statues, like Poseiden in the photo, which play an important part in Gothenburg culture. Take a stroll through their most popular park, Slotskoggen, and you’ll find it doubles as a free zoo, with enclosures for penguins, otters, and more found in pockets along the path. Meandering along the streets, you’ll notice the people of Gothenburg are ridiculously trendy, which makes people-watching that much more enjoyable since it seems like everyone is coming fresh from a Vogue photo shoot; fanny packs, white linen shirts, and edgy jewellery seem to be part of the informal dress code. It’s this quirkiness that makes the city feel alive, and on it’s own incredibly distinctive cultural island that separates it from the rest of Scandinavia. A student-friendly city, its made even more enjoyable by the fact that the Swedish Kroner is weaker than it’s Danish and Norwegian counterparts, meaning you’re money will last you a little longer. So, if you get the chance, be sure to stop by Gothenburg: city of quirks.
Please note that we do not fact-check our interviewees, and that their views do not necessarily represent our own.
The Person: Käre Lindqvist, 20, Aspiring Producer
My full name is actually ‘Käre Pontus Bogren Larsson Lindqvist Öh’, but I usually just say Käre Lindqvist, and I’m an aspiring producer of music. I’ve been playing music since I was like six years old; just basic guitar in the beginning and then I was in music school for a long time. Then when I was around 14-15, I started to lose the magic of being on stage and it became just a thing I had to do for school, but I started actually producing music as a hobby. That kind of spiralled to a point where that became my main obsession.
This area is ‘Hage’, the old quarter of Gothenburg. I’ve lived here in Gothenburg almost all my life, but we moved around in the city a lot. When I’m not making music I’m usually researching it or trying to analyse different producers or artists. But I’m also very interested in fashion so I spend a lot of time looking for deals in second-hand shops and online. My mum is a designer so I get that from her.
- What is home to you?
“…sometimes a song can bring me ‘home’. Talking to a person I enjoy talking to can bring me home in that sense, too. I’m not really sure how to describe that feeling…”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- What is special about Gothenburg?
“That uniqueness of having two things happen at once; being an old town and a new town at the same time- being a small town but still the second biggest in Sweden. Not having much culinary expertise… but still having some really interesting food to enjoy.”
See Kåre's Full Answer The youth culture for some people here is influenced by immigration, too. I actually say Arabic words like “In shāʾa llāh” without thinking about it because it’s just part of the lingo. That’s a youth culture thing throughout Sweden but the words change depending on where you are. Like “Araba” is pretty unusual in some places but in Gothenburg and Stockholm that’s what some people call a car.
- What have you learned from living in Gothenburg?
“If you want to be someone creative you have to not only put in the time for the creative work but also connect with people and such. So in Stockholm that’d be going to the big parties and networking with people and stuff. But here it’s a bit more close and quaint.”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- Have you been outside of Sweden and where is your favourite place to go?
“Norway actually. It’s sort of familiar but… It’s a different take on Scandinavian life”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- Can you think of a time you have been proud of Sweden?
“Gothenburg is fairly warm-hearted and open to disenfranchised people. I know a lot of people from churches and such that have taken in refugees with open arms.”
See Kåre's Full Answer That being said, I think Gothenburg is fairly warm-hearted and open to disenfranchised people. I know a lot of people from churches and such that have taken in refugees with open arms and stuff like that. That really warms my heart, to see the human condition break through in that way.
- What is your main concern or worry about Gothenburg or Sweden?
“It’s pretty silly when people get extremely angry for people voting for other people. But I also think it’s extremely silly that some uninformed vote for the Swedish Democrats (a racist party) because they think it’s not going well for them”
See Kåre's Full Answer With Gothenburg, I have some worry with the modernisation of the city – we’re doing projects to make it a “big, big city”- the quaint, warm feeling might be a bit lost. I’m hoping that they’re going to leave older places like Hage intact. I do realise that a city has to grow, but these little parts of the city make it uniquely what it is, and I kind of want to keep the essence of that.
- How would you convince a tourist to visit?
“If you’re an American, I’d say it’s a quaint city in a way I don’t think you’ve seen before. If you’re a Brit, I’d say you can get f****d up here and it’s no problem.”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- What are your thoughts on Stereotypes of people from Gothenburg?
“We’re really “brötig”; loud and obnoxious. We make puns all the time. We talk very loudly. But there’s some nice ones, like us being a cheery, happy, warm group of people.”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- What is the best thing to ever come out of Gothenburg?
“The punk and metal scenes when they were up came out with really rebellious, aggressive music. Like fläskkvartetten – that’s a band; the Swedish people will know who I’m talking about.”
See Kåre's Full Answer
- What do you eat during the Holidays here?
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- What is your favourite Swedish Dish?
See Kåre's Full Answer
- And your least favourite?
“It tastes horrible. It tastes like rotten fish. It doesn’t bullsh*t you. It tastes like fish that has been buried for six months. It tastes like a body that was dug up.”
See Kåre's Full Answer
Reccomendation:
We’re gonna go to Sgöbaren. They serve Gothenburg fish-based stuff. It’s all from the ocean. Like clams, shrimp and fish. It’s local, really fresh and really good. The plate that is recommended to you is the Fiskegratin or the Blue Mussel Soup. The fiskegratin comes with lemon on top, dill and shrimp in the middle. It’s creamy with potato and fish… kind of like Gratin Dauphinois with fish.
Life According to Locals #Gothenburg #Sweden #InterviewsWithLocals Click To TweetThe Plate: Torsk at NOBA (Not Sgöbaren)
We learnt a hard lesson in Gothenburg. If you want to go out for dinner anywhere – and I really do mean anywhere – play it safe and book in advance. Our first recommendation from Kåre was totally booked, so we went to his second… and then his third. There, we had a little more luck, and we were still able to sample some of the finest local food Gothenburg has to offer.
I have to admit, Torsk was easily my favourite “Plate” so far, which surprised me because I struggle to cope with the fishy punch delivered by some types of seafood. For those not familiar with the language, Torsk is Cod, but, unlike the hearty Scandinavian dinners you’ll find in much of Sweden and Norway, this particular dish was in the form Nouvelle cuisine. What does that mean? Well, what you’re going to get is going to look fantastic, but it will not fill you up. Nouvelle cuisine was originally a French approach to cooking, which puts a lot of emphasis on presentation. So, when I received two peelings of cucumber fanning out across my plate, chick pea puree, a dusting of paprika and what must have been some kind of dill sauce, I was taken aback, and slightly concerned I’d have to order seconds. What was lacking in quantity, however, was made up for in quality. On my first bite, I braced myself for the fishiness to greet me… it never did. Instead, what I found was a gentle experience with soft and unintimidating flavours that will guide you into a state of relaxation and appreciation for a unique take on Swedish food. Paired with a local beer like “Tail of a Whale” or “Great White”, and you’ll feel like a true Gothenburgian.
Watch part of our journey through Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany below:
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I like the sound of Kare and particularly his own definition of home. Gothenburg also has an appeal – might make it one day, especially with so many restaurants to visit
Business trips took me to Gothenburg in the 1960/70’s…all I can say is “How things have changed since……”