Today is the day when the Nobel prizes are awarded in Scandinavia. I just watched Prisident Obama receive the Peace Prize in Oslo and the other prizes – chemistry, literature, physiology or medicine, economics and physics – will be awarded here in Stockholm later in the day. It’s always a big day here and the special holiday flags are adorning all the buses. The Nobel laureates have been attending receptions, press conferences and giving speeches all week with all the events culminating today when the actual medals and prizes are handed out at Konserthuset (concert hall). And then tonight there is a royal banquet and dance at Stadhuset or city hall, which I can see outside my window.
The banquet is like a Scandinavian Oscar party and the Royal family and all sorts of dignitaries attend the proceedings which are covered live on TV. And much like any big award show, all the fashions are checked out and commented on by the newspapers and TV stations.
The Peace Prize is always the award that gets all the movie and rock stars and this year was no exception as I spotted Will and Jada Smith, among other celebs, in the crowd. Obama received several standing ovations and delivered an excellent speech where he immediately said he “would be remiss if he did not address the controversy surrounding the award. I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. “Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize … my accomplishments are slight.” And then he want on to talk of the necessity of war to bring about peace.
Interesting stuff on a gray Stockholm day.
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