Spring, are you here yet?

My updating on this blog has been severely lacking, I guess I could blame my busy schedule which in fact isn't 'so' busy, but all in all it's my fault for not posting regularly. I'll try to remedy that.

I am fully in swing with the spring term and so far it is going well. I am taking two courses as of the moment. The former is called "Global Equality" and deals with all sorts of social, political and economic notions of well... equality and what it means for different groups of people. I am also taking a course titled "Russian and Post-Soviet Politics" as of the moment which is REALLY interesting! I'm writing my final paper for the course about processes of democratic consolidation (or lack thereof) in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The weather here in northern Sweden is slowly but surely improving but I must say that the Swedish winter is a not so benevolent mistress. The plentiful amounts of snow are nice but I just want it to get warmer so I can ride my bike around and not have to worry about ice or slush, which are both equally tricky to deal with. One of the most noticeable changes that has happened since I returned from my trip around Europe a few months ago has been the increasing amounts of sunlight. There is just a drastic difference in how long the sun stays out and how high up in the sky it goes now, compared to during say November and December. It does lift one's mood!

Last night one of my Irish friends, Tiernan, had his 21st birthday and hosted a party in his corridor, which was really a great time! For his religious confirmation back in Ireland he promised not to drink until he turned 21, and so I prepared a reading of a poem by Yeats for him, it was "A Drunken Man's Praise of Sobriety". I think he appreciated it. I only drank a few beers because I didn't want to have to worry about a hangover on the same weekend as my Russian Politics paper. I ended up meeting a really lovely girl from Greece named Katerina and we hit it off really well. My French friend Thomas had an after party at his corridor where he played guitar and sang for a smaller group of people (he's really good!), while smoking a pipe, it was so ridiculous and awesome. For some reason at that moment he filled in my mind the stereotypical picture of a Frenchman that I had conceptualized prior to coming to Europe. It was so perfect.

My weekend routine here doesn't vary too much, I usually start out by going to what are called corridor parties, and then head out to clubs later with friends. Corridor parties are like house parties in Madison in the way that it's basically just a ton of people (in this case not Americans but international students from all over the world!) crammed into a small space drinking and socializing while music blares in the background, but the main difference is that these corridors are only one floor, it's like a really long hallway where people live. My favorite clubs here in Umeå include this alternative, queer friendly spot called Scharinska, which is in a big pink mansion in the middle of the city, and the local student pub/club on campus, simply named E-pub. The thing that is nice about E-pub is that they usually have great DJs and there is no cover charge, and also, it's on the University campus so it's closer to where I live than the city itself. Umeå is different from Madison in that the University is in a completely separate area than the city center itself, rather than forming a part of it.

I feel like I have gotten used to Swedish culture for the most part, in terms of the generally reserved nature of the people. Swedes don't like to make a fuss about anything, to them life is not about making a fuss, it's about 'lagom', which translates very roughly into English as being 'just right'. Everything in moderation! It really is difficult to explain the culture to those who have never been here. As an American I have trouble comprehending it from time to time because we obviously like things to be wild and wacky just for the fun of it, but I think it's undoubtedly seeping into my own behavior!

The only other serious trip that I have planned prior to going back to the U.S. in early June is to France in May to visit my friend Alexia. My budget is pretty tight and I want to have at least a little money saved for when I get back to Madison for the summer. But I think that trip will be really great, I'm sure southern France in May will be all about the sun and warmth! And I can't wait to see the Mediterranean again . . .

I have been feeling a little more homesick as of late, mostly due to the fact that I have been looking at apartments for the summer and applying for jobs. It just makes me think of going back, my family and all of my friends that I can't wait to see again! You know who you are! Pending any unforeseen changes I will be subletting my friend Ben's studio apartment in Madison for the summer which, although small, will still be nice I think! Especially with the possible addition of an air conditioner . . .

I guess that's about all for now, and once again I have to remind myself to post more often!

Thanks for reading!