In this episode I interview TinTin (aka Sofia) who lives in London, UK
Tintin talks about some very important matters and shares insights about being an ex-pat and raising children when both parents are ex-pats from different countries (living in a third one) and also how they decided to bring up children when the other parent is from another ethnicity and/or faith.
A beautiful content indeed. Identity and culture at the forefront in this episode. Enjoy!
I do want to apologize for the lesser sound quality in this episode. As you all know by now these episodes in season 1 were recorded when I was in lock-down in Mexico City, and electricity and internet was never stable.
Facebook.com/BreadLady
Insta: NW3BreadLady
In this episode I interview TinTin (aka Sofia) who lives in London, UK
Tintin talks about some very important matters and shares insights about being an ex-pat and raising children when both parents are ex-pats from different countries (living in a third one) and also how they decided to bring up children when the other parent is from another ethnicity and/or faith.
A beautiful content indeed. Identity and culture at the forefront in this episode. Enjoy!
I do want to apologize for the lesser sound quality in this episode. As you all know by now these episodes in season 1 were recorded when I was in lock-down in Mexico City, and electricity and internet was never stable.
Facebook.com/BreadLady
Insta: NW3BreadLady
Hi, welcome to what matters most to you in each Hi, good afternoon, Tintin. I mean, Good evening. Welcome to
Tintin:Thank you very much.
Anna Cei:Where are you right now?
Tintin:I'm in London, Northwest London. It's about 9pm on
Anna Cei:in the big city?
Tintin:Yes.
Anna Cei:So before we dive in and talk about what matters most
Tintin:No, I'm from Stockholm.I've been here. 20 years. I met
Anna Cei:So you met an American in Sweden? 'cause Stockholm is
Tintin:Yes.
Anna Cei:And then you moved with that American man to United
Tintin:Yes. And then we moved to New York. And then he was and run our international business. So we
Anna Cei:Ah,So neither one of you are originally from UK?
Tintin:None of us are here. We are expats
Anna Cei:Expats.
Tintin:Well, no longer but we were expats.
Anna Cei:Because now you're Brits or British citizens?
Tintin:Not me. No, I have settled status, which is the Swedish passports.
Anna Cei:Right.
Tintin:And they get American citizenship through their
Anna Cei:and UK through birth?
Tintin:No, possibly a couple of them could if we really push
Anna Cei:So right now, though,because UK has left European
Tintin:right now, I mean, we're doing this stupid Brexit. So It means that I can access all the things that the citizen can,
Anna Cei:what it is it called?is it settler's.
Tintin:It's called settled,settled status. And it means
Anna Cei:and you've been there like 20 you said?
Tintin:Yes. But you have to actually prove with paperwork,that. You can call any government agency and say,
Anna Cei:Right, right.
Tintin:But here, they don't do that. So even though I've been
Anna Cei:right
Tintin:I have paid bills for 20years, they can't access that.
Anna Cei:Oh my god
Tintin:and obviously do...proving anything through
Anna Cei:Okay,but can you show like like rent stubs or mortgage stubs or
Tintin:they don't care. They don't care.
Anna Cei:So what do they care about? What is it that you need
Tintin:Yeah, mortgage kind of mortgage and and kind of, and
Anna Cei:and your marriage. I mean, you're married to a UK
Tintin:well, that doesn't really matter because we weren't literally move in
Anna Cei:live there. Yeah.
Tintin:Because that's how EU works. It's a good idea.
Anna Cei:So that was 20 some years that you came to UK?
Tintin:Yes.
Anna Cei:And you've been been in London the whole time?
Tintin:Yes. We started out in South London for about six
Anna Cei:London is a quite a big city. Is it, like, how does
Tintin:Uhm,
Anna Cei:Do you have any community with other expats?
Tintin:Yes, and no, I mean,where we are, it's very liberal I mean, there is it's a biggest melting pot, and it's a
Anna Cei:Yeah,children kind of got older, and also when I started working,about things and and complain how bad that is in Sweden right colleagues from the beginning of the dawn of time, or kind of a So how about your children? You said you had kids,
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:So how about their identity? Do they feel British?
Tintin:They call themselves Swedish Jews.
Anna Cei:Swedish Jews. Okay.
Tintin:Yes. So we've we've kind of, for us, for me, being with the children, we celebrate Swedish holidays, and they kind
Anna Cei:Are the Swedish relatives still in Sweden?
Tintin:Yeah So they're not particularly there. They're not
Anna Cei:But you do have Swedish family there?
Tintin:Yeah, we do have Swedish family. And when we do go back,children to have
Anna Cei:his identity?
Tintin:So yes,so he wanted to raise the children Jewish,there is always this connection.So
Anna Cei:community.
Tintin:Yeah, so So that worked out quite well, that you know,
Anna Cei:he was first and foremost first, foremost Jewish
Tintin:Yeah. And I grew up Protestant, but I don't really
Anna Cei:So religion part of your family, like not just the
Tintin:um, yes, because you can't really being Jewish, is to religious school. We kind of we don't have pork at home, but
Anna Cei:So in Sweden, you're Swedish. And
Tintin:in Sweden, we're Swedish and in London we're sort of
Anna Cei:Right.
Tintin:So
Anna Cei:and how about you yourself? Have you kind of given
Tintin:Uhm I, I lived in Israel for quite some time. And and takes an awful lot of time and a lot of studying and I you know,
Anna Cei:five kids?five?
Tintin:and so I really haven't had time to to. Yeah,five children.
Anna Cei:Okay.
Tintin:Yeah, way too many. So I haven't really had time for
Anna Cei:You never felt the need, maybe there's never you
Tintin:Yeah, no, no, no, we haven't. I mean,
Anna Cei:Kind of was not a giant leap for you?
Tintin:I'm Welcome. I'm Welcome in the synagogue. It was very
Anna Cei:A settled one maybe?
Tintin:Yeah I was settled friend. But the last few years,absolutely. In my free time, and they look at me, and they say,
Anna Cei:they all know you have five kids, right?
Tintin:And I have, you know,things to do. So it's fine. It's
Anna Cei:I don't know a lot about my, what I what I have
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:You said you're have a busy hectic life. What do you do
Tintin:I'm a baker
Anna Cei:Baker?!
Tintin:So I yeah, I run a very,very small what's called micro
Anna Cei:a cottage bakery.Sounds so cute. Considering
Tintin:Yes. That's a weird word. A cottage is actually I bakery,
Anna Cei:what do you actually do as a Micro Baker?
Tintin:It is business for one,it's literally, you do you don't have a bakery usually don't have, you usually don't your house. And of course you have to still abide by the...mean anything from you baking fireplace today to like me who
Anna Cei:200 loaves a day. Do you do that in your kitchen?
Tintin:Yeah, well in my Conservatory,
Anna Cei:oh,
Tintin:which is a very English word. Yes. So I used to borrow
Anna Cei:they must be! And are the kids involved in this as
Tintin:A couple of them are involved in the deliveries I'd things, but they can do they can do simple tasks. I could expand keep it small.
Anna Cei:You don't want your bread to suck. Yeah,
Tintin:No, I don't want to put my name on something that I
Anna Cei:How long have you've been doing this? Is this
Tintin:No, no, no, I was I always wanted to be a
Anna Cei:that's quite a different profession. How do you
Tintin:It's not that far off.I mean, being a journalist is being interested in what goes on interesting. So I thought that sounds fun. And so I started
Anna Cei:So it started as a passion for baking and maybe a
Tintin:No,it was just for me.
Anna Cei:Just for you.
Tintin:I just really enjoyed doing it. I was actually I was you're making a lot of breads,if you making Swedish breads,
Anna Cei:Wow, that's cool.
Tintin:So then I started kind of providing bread and editorial
Anna Cei:So how wide of an area do you distribute or deliver
Tintin:Fairly local. I've kind of I've tried to put it now. I locked in and nobody could go out and where they could go out,
Anna Cei:So you actually prospered during the lockdown?
Tintin:Hugely.I mean, I went from Yeah, no, it was like tenfold increase. And
Anna Cei:Still wanted the bread. Ah...
Tintin:They still wanted the bread. So I think have maybe
Anna Cei:and what's the name of your business?
Tintin:Bread Lady
Anna Cei:Bread lady,
Tintin:Bread lady,
Anna Cei:the Swedish Bread Lady.
Tintin:Yes.
Anna Cei:Do you use mostly Swedish recipes for your breads?
Tintin:I do sourdough. I mean,I do have a fair amount of rye I don't like that. sourdough.They have a completely different
Anna Cei:Because of the San Francisco San Francisco
Tintin:I think so it's something that you sort of
Anna Cei:The thing is, I actually ordered delivery bread
Tintin:Sure. So it's very, it's very personal. What you like so de Matin
Anna Cei:Yeah,
Tintin:Pain de Martin, and he was like, I've never done
Anna Cei:Right
Tintin:Probably changed everything because that's how
Anna Cei:So So what makes sourdough bread, sour or
Tintin:it's the starter.So the mother or whatever the actual kind of thing that the literally how it is. There's huge amounts of kind of this
Anna Cei:it's like idiosyncratic.
Tintin:Yeah, it is. super interesting,
Anna Cei:Mhmm
Tintin:So you can do that. So I guess any sort of
Anna Cei:How come, the sourdough in like San Francisco
Tintin:It depends on what kind of flour you're using. And also it, the more sour it goes.
Anna Cei:Oh, so that's what makes it sour. Like if you..
Tintin:so that's what makes it sour. So it's literally it's
Anna Cei:Ahh
Tintin:So it's a bit like yogurts.
Anna Cei:Yeah. Yeah. Or fermented herring as you Swedes
Tintin:Yeah, exactly.It's like, it depends on you know, how long How long are you
Anna Cei:Huh!You'll learn something every day. I had no idea what sour you know,
Tintin:Yeah,but it may just have been that it's a completely
Anna Cei:I mean, yeah, it was a good bread. It just didn't taste
Tintin:No. So you know, if you find a bread that you like, I in the same place that they've done since 1600, which is not
Anna Cei:cultural.
Tintin:It's so fundamental,whether it's wonderbread, or
Anna Cei:Yeah,
Tintin:it doesn't matter.Whatever you had,
Anna Cei:right
Tintin:Whatever you like. That is the bread you want to buy
Anna Cei:or whatever grew in the area, I guess too what can
Tintin:Or just what you ate.
Anna Cei:You said like in Sweden, you connected it with a
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:rye bread, as been in the states a long time, rye
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:And there we go again,Jewish and Swedish becomes
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:Rye bread.
Tintin:Yeah, they stick caraway seeds a lot in their rye breads,
Anna Cei:Yes, yes. I love that.
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:Okay, so now we know a little bit about you. And we are
Tintin:community!
Anna Cei:community?
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:So elaborate. How did you come to that?
Tintin:Well, I was thinking about this quite a lot. It's various socialist mother. And I've always been taught that you doesn't really matter. You have to consider other people before
Anna Cei:that sounds Japanese to me, too, that you care about
Tintin:Yeah, yeah. No, I mean,it's like I've been trying to
Anna Cei:right
Tintin:And it's almost kind of military,
Anna Cei:there's no I in team.
Tintin:Yeah, exactly. There's no I in team. And I think in me, that's hugely important and it's also it belongs, it also
Anna Cei:sounds to me that you have connotation to
Tintin:Yes. And but I mean, in a way, it's also I've Yes, but just figured that if you help people, and you're nice to
Anna Cei:and receiving
Tintin:and receiving, you pay forward, you know, it's like I and emotional space to do the same for someone else. Which
Anna Cei:that helping is kind of community building then.
Tintin:Yeah, absolutely. I think that
Anna Cei:Aren't there risks,though, with communities that
Tintin:No, I really don't say that at all. Actually, I mean,traveling, or if I'm in a different part of London and
Anna Cei:Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Tintin:So, you know, I don't ever have to leave my different way than I do here.Quite many times, I've kind of quite happy to help anyone,wherever I am.
Anna Cei:You're kind of wearing your community identity on the
Tintin:Yeah. And that is the way it should be. Yeah. And
Anna Cei:right.
Tintin:And tell people or give someone a compliment, that costs
Anna Cei:sounds like you're talking about the connection.
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:that a community is really people that have built
Tintin:Yeah, easily.
Anna Cei:Mmm.So you belong to different communities then like your
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:You mentioned the Swedish shop and the Swedish
Tintin:Yeah. And, and then I have my clients. And I have, you music, and that's also a community anybody you share
Anna Cei:So you count the definition as for even for
Tintin:Yeah ,absolutely. Yeah,no, it's literally this making
Anna Cei:That sounds to me that by seeing people, people feeling
Tintin:it does
Anna Cei:or like what are the advantages outside of because
Tintin:of course,
Anna Cei:it starts makes me start thinking here like
Tintin:definitely
Anna Cei:how the bread has served that purpose?
Tintin:Yeah, no, absolutely hugely, because I mean, I have I want more bread. And you know what, I'm gonna go and ask my And it's sort of built that way.And,you know, you're
Anna Cei:incorporating new people who actually are very
Tintin:Yeah, and live nearby,and they say, you know what I'm don't know what they look like,
Anna Cei:but you know, what they like?
Tintin:I do know what they like. And they can also say,me a message. And you know, it's easy to me, I'm passing the shop
Anna Cei:Yeah,
Tintin:just to be heard and seen. And that side of that kind
Anna Cei:Yeah, I'm thinking community building and I'm
Tintin:yeah,
Anna Cei:is one of the. I mean,in every single religion and
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:sharing bread or sharing food. Yeah, is very
Tintin:No, you just literally say, Come and eat with me. Come
Anna Cei:It's a little bit like music is for me, I guess because
Tintin:like it is hugely community building all your kind Society for creative anachronism. It's all kind of
Anna Cei:Ah, yes, yes.
Tintin:As you go. And this is huge. And then I think the
Anna Cei:like a reenactment.Yeah,
Tintin:exactly. And, oh no was in Pennsylvania, and now we're everyone was just sort of, they were just singing choral music.spirit.
Anna Cei:Yeah, it's a form of community,
Tintin:and it's very spiritual.
Anna Cei:So have you been singing in choirs yourself?
Tintin:Yes. But I think the last I think I've had to stop while, but it was just for a short while. I miss it. I miss
Anna Cei:200 loaves a day sounds like you definitely bake
Tintin:I have Sunday mornings off. So I don't deliver bread on bake any bread on Sundays so I don't have to get up stupid
Anna Cei:Don't you feel like tied to The place I mean, I
Tintin:That's logistics that you just have to sort it out.means that around 10am, I have to make sure that whatever I'm
Anna Cei:Well you are I guess if you have five kids come on.
Tintin:Oh, well, they can sort themselves out.They're old enough to know where the fridge is
Anna Cei:Are they still liking mom's bread, or they like, Oh,
Tintin:no, no, that they're completely. They're completely
Anna Cei:Do you think you will continue to do this for like the
Tintin:until I die?
Anna Cei:Yeah, well, until you can't knead anymore. I mean, I'm
Tintin:Well, I I did, I did actually manage to sever a really hard. And thankfully, I managed to get a hold of really
Anna Cei:Are your house insured? Now? As a baker?
Tintin:No. Maybe I should like Beyonce or kind of?
Anna Cei:I think so. I mean,yea h. Well, I mean, there fore
Tintin:Who was it that kind of insured their butt There was
Anna Cei:was like JLo, but I don't know what
Tintin:Yeah, probably.
Anna Cei:But I'm thinking like,I know, people who actually are
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:Because without that they can't do their profession.
Tintin:this is not America. We don't do that kind of thing.
Anna Cei:Okay,
Tintin:but I do know what you mean. I mean, the surgeon who profession changing injury. So he said, for me, as a surgeon,
Anna Cei:Right. Exactly.Because he needs his hands like
Tintin:He needs his hand.Yeah, yeah. You know, it's the same thing if you happen to be
Anna Cei:maybe it's physical therapy even like when you're
Tintin:Yeah, no.
Anna Cei:Or do you get pain from it sometimes?
Tintin:No, no,I'm not in pain at all. It's just literally my finger is is in the works. But the thing is,I don't knead the bread. I just
Anna Cei:Oh, so you don't really like I thought that was
Tintin:No,no, no, no,
Anna Cei:it's Bang Bang, saying like a boxing ball kind of thing
Tintin:Yeah, no, I know, with sourdough, you just like you
Anna Cei:You don't need to put the air in there, then it
Tintin:No the other way around.I'm keeping the air in. I'm not So the air stays.
Anna Cei:I think I'm revealing too much. how little I know
Tintin:That's Okay.You're not the only one.Literally, as many times as it
Anna Cei:You don't need to knead right.There's no need to knead.
Tintin:I don't need to knead.There's no need. There's no need I don't knead them.
Anna Cei:But you think that you will be doing this for a long
Tintin:Yeah, no, I mean, it's kind of I think it's my you should get an investor you should do.
Anna Cei:Yeah, yeah.
Tintin:These those sort of things.
Anna Cei:I mean, that's the first thing that comes to mind.
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:why not grow it?
Tintin:Exactly. But I that's not me. I, I want to, I'd rather
Anna Cei:When it comes back to your your word here community?
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:if that's what your core value is about, and your
Tintin:No, it would, it wouldn't be mine.Yeah. Which is
Anna Cei:where the bread lady kind of is the focus of the
Tintin:Exactly, I also really suck at delegating, which is not electric bike, so I could deliver more bread faster,
Anna Cei:more effective. Right
Tintin:Yeah, being more efficient than outcome thinking
Anna Cei:Where's the bottle neck
Tintin:Yeah, exactly the bottlenecks and just sort of how we'd really like to have your bread. And it's like, well,
Anna Cei:That's, that's part of the community building again,
Tintin:That's part of the community building, and it's This is I know this is going to be good. And if I'm not doing
Anna Cei:Do you think any of your kids will take over and
Tintin:Nope. No, no, I don't think so.
Anna Cei:And your husband doesn't want to be involved in
Tintin:I think we better keep him out of the bread.Yeah, keep him out of the bread
Anna Cei:The bread lady will keep the bread lady domain in
Tintin:I think that will be good. And maybe there is someone
Anna Cei:Mmm.
Tintin:So that's good.
Anna Cei:Oh, that's something I miss here too
Tintin:Yeah bagels are good.bagels are a pain in the neck to
Anna Cei:Talking about that community thing. I think yes.any bread.
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:but here is like a community or a culture that
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:baked on corn. And they eat that with everything.soft. It's not sweet, sweet.It's not like a pastry. Of
Tintin:oh my god
Anna Cei:that's actually coming from here like bimbo bread.
Tintin:So disgusting.
Anna Cei:That's how Yeah, well that's again
Tintin:oh god I'm so sorry.That's like it's just painful
Anna Cei:but even if it's home baked style it's still that kind
Tintin:Yeah, no so you need that kind of literally
Anna Cei:So it's like soaks up the spices like bland thing to
Tintin:No, but it's interesting, but it's also you the concept of edible sponge.Which is literally to clean the
Anna Cei:right
Tintin:So you need the edible sponge.
Anna Cei:Yeah.
Tintin:And some breads, so we would have edible sponge, which
Anna Cei:Yeah, and I'm thinking also like the bread that you
Tintin:Yes,
Anna Cei:but this bread I'm talking to about here.
Tintin:Yeah, no, I mean it is
Anna Cei:it has to go with something. You can't just take a
Tintin:No, no, you really should No you it needs it's a,
Anna Cei:right
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:right. Because even a bagel even if I love it with
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:It's still it's still edible. still quite good to eat
Tintin:Yeah,
Anna Cei:youknow bread is good in itself so
Tintin:but it's too bad. Yeah,I know,
Anna Cei:that is so interesting that like when you move around
Tintin:Yeah.
Anna Cei:And in some countries rice. Yeah. So it's really like in there some places it's called empanada. Yeah. Other places.
Tintin:I know .And that's to say hugely, I mean, in a way base of our foods, regardless of where you are.
Anna Cei:flour, water, salt,and you need something to raise
Tintin:No you don't
Anna Cei:No you don't .the air.the bacteria.
Tintin:Yeah, because sourdough is also. is literally just mix it up. And then you wait and you let it and you let it
Anna Cei:So now we know that the basics of community building
Tintin:And salt and salt and salt. We need salt. Yeah, so
Anna Cei:That Yeah, I guess it is. It's like it's we gather
Tintin:Pleasure.
Anna Cei:I don't know. That's what I called you. I said, Hi.
Tintin:Yeah, that's fine. Yeah,no, I think it's actually it's up and she's like, Are you the lady bread? And I was like, Oh,
Anna Cei:Lady bread.
Tintin:I'm the lady bread
Anna Cei:makes me think of Lady in red. Maybe we can do a cover
Tintin:No
Anna Cei:Lady bread.
Tintin:I'm thinking more Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, but yeah.
Anna Cei:Tintin, because I know you have a formal name. But we
Tintin:Yeah, that works.
Anna Cei:Thank you so much,Tintin. I really appreciate your
Tintin:Thank you. Thank you for inviting me.
Anna Cei:And I'm sure that this is my hope is actually that this
Tintin:yeah, no, it's great.I'm really, really happy to be thanks for inviting me.
Anna Cei:Okay, have a wonderful night and good night.
Tintin:Good night. Thanks.
Anna Cei:Take care.Bye. Bye
Tintin:bye