Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Captain's Log; Stardate 101608.1 (Stockholm and London!)
Hello everyone!
Like my previous blogs, I will be posting all of the pictures up on Facebook so if you want to see them please feel free to look at my albums there!
I just returned yesterday morning from a truly wonderful 5 day trip to Stockholm and London. It was such a whirlwind of experiences and pictures and new people and new places that it was certainly hard to mentally and emotionally process everything. Nevertheless I'll try to give an overview.
I took a bus down to Stockholm last Wednesday night (the 8th), arriving in Stockholm on Thursday morning. I slept for a few hours in the airport, which is where the bus stopped. After I had rested up a little, I decided to take a train into the city. It was one of those bullet trains and it was really quite amazing how quickly it went. I don't think I've ever traveled that fast on the ground before.
Once I arrived in Stockholm (with luggage in tow) I basically spent the whole day walking around talking pictures. It was rainy but relatively warm, and I managed to grab lunch at a Pizza Hut (I was like "oh something American thank god" haha). It was nice to be able to rest my feet and get some reading done. At the time I was tackling Malcolm X's Autobiography.
Stockholm is a very, very beautiful city. European cities really have a different feeling, an aura, about them, than American cities. I attribute it to the much greater depth of history that exists in them, but it is many things I guess. The architecture is more attractive, there seems to be more of an emphasis on spreading out, rather than building up. Also, they have many more nooks and crannies that one can explore and find. Stockholm is built on numerous islands, as it lies in an archipelago. The water adds a lot to the beauty. I really wouldn't mind living there at some point in my life.
I eventually took a bus to the airport again and got on my flight for London! I arrived at Stansted Airport in England (Essex), at about 11 PM on Thursday night, and I met up with my friend Erika. We couldn't get a hold of our friend Kara at all, so we decided to take a train to our hostel and see if she had already gone there. Getting out of the train station in London and making our way up to street level, my anxiety was at its peak. We ran into some hilarious construction workers who were rather jovial and called Erika "little one". haha that was priceless. We took a taxi from Liverpool St to our hostel on Borough High Street. The hostel was in a GREAT location, right near the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and some good pubs and restaurants. The people working there were really friendly, young, and helpful. The hostel itself was pretty nice as well, and cheap.
We did so much over the next few days that it's hard to remember all of it. All in all, we saw the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Primrose Hill, the National Gallery, and the British Museum. Out of all of this, the things that affected me the most were being able to see the inside of Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. The inside of Westminster Abbey is without a doubt one of the most beautiful sights I have ever been fortunate enough to see in my lifetime. The combination of the architecture, the feel of the place (this is where not only monarchs but famous writers, philosophers, and scientists are buried, such as Charles Darwin and Geoffrey Chaucer, to name a few). I do not call myself a religious person, but there is something deeply spiritual about that place. The British Museum was SO amazing. Being able to see the Rosetta Stone, one of the sculptures from Easter Island, and art from ancient Greece and Rome was breathtaking. But the most deeply stirring piece that I saw was a sculpture in the African wing called the "Tree of Life". It was built by four artists from Mozambique out of old weapons from the civil war that raged there for 19 years. You could see magazine clips made into the shell of a tortoise, gun handels made into bark, and barrels made into the wings of a bird. It was an overwhelming testament to the power of the human spirit, and it really made me think.
Other than all the sightseeing, we went out on a pub-crawl with some other people from the hostel and that was really fun. Also, one of my English friends which I have met while studying here in Sweden was kind enough to connect me with one of her university friends from back home, who is now living and working in London. He texted me while I was there, I called him back, and I suddenly found myself being invited over to his lovely apartment. His name is Pad, and hanging out with him, his roommates, and his friends was unforgettable. They were kind enough to give us food, tea, take us out to clubs, let us crash at their place, and show us around Camden Market, which is a really sweet kind of hipster bazaar. That is the best way that I can describe it. There is clothing, music, food, and overall it was both ridiculous (in terms of the number of people there) and damn cool. I couldn't stop thinking that the Madison indie kids would go out of their minds if they saw it.
London as a city is a bit different from Stockholm. It is very expensive (not surprisingly), and the people and atmosphere of the place are in constant motion. I guess living in a city of 7 million people will do that to your mentality. I could see this most strikingly in the business people who were always going, going, going, with their posh suits and briefcases. It is also a very multicultural city. Kara and I ate Indian food at this really sweet place on Brick Lane, which is a really sweet area. It was so good. Actually, eating Indian food in London was one of primary goals while visiting the city, and I wasn't disappointed. Also, London is a really hip place, with the utmost and latest in fashion, music, clubs, and culture. It's the epitome of a capitalistic world, where money rules all and success is measured by the cut of your suit and the elevated dignity of what you say. This both disturbed and intrigued me.
I believe myself to be very fortunate to be able to travel like this, and I know that the experiences I'll have and the places I'll go will be ones that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Like my previous blogs, I will be posting all of the pictures up on Facebook so if you want to see them please feel free to look at my albums there!
I just returned yesterday morning from a truly wonderful 5 day trip to Stockholm and London. It was such a whirlwind of experiences and pictures and new people and new places that it was certainly hard to mentally and emotionally process everything. Nevertheless I'll try to give an overview.
I took a bus down to Stockholm last Wednesday night (the 8th), arriving in Stockholm on Thursday morning. I slept for a few hours in the airport, which is where the bus stopped. After I had rested up a little, I decided to take a train into the city. It was one of those bullet trains and it was really quite amazing how quickly it went. I don't think I've ever traveled that fast on the ground before.
Once I arrived in Stockholm (with luggage in tow) I basically spent the whole day walking around talking pictures. It was rainy but relatively warm, and I managed to grab lunch at a Pizza Hut (I was like "oh something American thank god" haha). It was nice to be able to rest my feet and get some reading done. At the time I was tackling Malcolm X's Autobiography.
Stockholm is a very, very beautiful city. European cities really have a different feeling, an aura, about them, than American cities. I attribute it to the much greater depth of history that exists in them, but it is many things I guess. The architecture is more attractive, there seems to be more of an emphasis on spreading out, rather than building up. Also, they have many more nooks and crannies that one can explore and find. Stockholm is built on numerous islands, as it lies in an archipelago. The water adds a lot to the beauty. I really wouldn't mind living there at some point in my life.
I eventually took a bus to the airport again and got on my flight for London! I arrived at Stansted Airport in England (Essex), at about 11 PM on Thursday night, and I met up with my friend Erika. We couldn't get a hold of our friend Kara at all, so we decided to take a train to our hostel and see if she had already gone there. Getting out of the train station in London and making our way up to street level, my anxiety was at its peak. We ran into some hilarious construction workers who were rather jovial and called Erika "little one". haha that was priceless. We took a taxi from Liverpool St to our hostel on Borough High Street. The hostel was in a GREAT location, right near the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and some good pubs and restaurants. The people working there were really friendly, young, and helpful. The hostel itself was pretty nice as well, and cheap.
We did so much over the next few days that it's hard to remember all of it. All in all, we saw the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Primrose Hill, the National Gallery, and the British Museum. Out of all of this, the things that affected me the most were being able to see the inside of Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. The inside of Westminster Abbey is without a doubt one of the most beautiful sights I have ever been fortunate enough to see in my lifetime. The combination of the architecture, the feel of the place (this is where not only monarchs but famous writers, philosophers, and scientists are buried, such as Charles Darwin and Geoffrey Chaucer, to name a few). I do not call myself a religious person, but there is something deeply spiritual about that place. The British Museum was SO amazing. Being able to see the Rosetta Stone, one of the sculptures from Easter Island, and art from ancient Greece and Rome was breathtaking. But the most deeply stirring piece that I saw was a sculpture in the African wing called the "Tree of Life". It was built by four artists from Mozambique out of old weapons from the civil war that raged there for 19 years. You could see magazine clips made into the shell of a tortoise, gun handels made into bark, and barrels made into the wings of a bird. It was an overwhelming testament to the power of the human spirit, and it really made me think.
Other than all the sightseeing, we went out on a pub-crawl with some other people from the hostel and that was really fun. Also, one of my English friends which I have met while studying here in Sweden was kind enough to connect me with one of her university friends from back home, who is now living and working in London. He texted me while I was there, I called him back, and I suddenly found myself being invited over to his lovely apartment. His name is Pad, and hanging out with him, his roommates, and his friends was unforgettable. They were kind enough to give us food, tea, take us out to clubs, let us crash at their place, and show us around Camden Market, which is a really sweet kind of hipster bazaar. That is the best way that I can describe it. There is clothing, music, food, and overall it was both ridiculous (in terms of the number of people there) and damn cool. I couldn't stop thinking that the Madison indie kids would go out of their minds if they saw it.
London as a city is a bit different from Stockholm. It is very expensive (not surprisingly), and the people and atmosphere of the place are in constant motion. I guess living in a city of 7 million people will do that to your mentality. I could see this most strikingly in the business people who were always going, going, going, with their posh suits and briefcases. It is also a very multicultural city. Kara and I ate Indian food at this really sweet place on Brick Lane, which is a really sweet area. It was so good. Actually, eating Indian food in London was one of primary goals while visiting the city, and I wasn't disappointed. Also, London is a really hip place, with the utmost and latest in fashion, music, clubs, and culture. It's the epitome of a capitalistic world, where money rules all and success is measured by the cut of your suit and the elevated dignity of what you say. This both disturbed and intrigued me.
I believe myself to be very fortunate to be able to travel like this, and I know that the experiences I'll have and the places I'll go will be ones that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Captain's Log, Stardate 92708.1
Hello everyone,
So this will be my second blog for my crazy adventures in Sweden (and Europe as a whole).
I've been in Sweden now for about a month and I'm really starting to get settled. I live in a corridor type setting with 5 others, and they're all Swedes. Three of them are really nice and cool. One is Mana, she's from Stockholm and we talk quite a bit, I usually speak to her in Swedish and she responds in English. It helps us both improve our language skills I guess. The second, Lukas, was born in Sweden but is from Poland originally and he's got a great sense of humor and is always helpful. The third, Nils, is not as social but still nice. The other two I don't really know very well cause they keep to themselves mostly and don't talk to anyone. Kind of awkward.
Mostly though, I hang out with other international students. They are way more social and we love to do stuff together (parties, dinners, pubbin', etc.) For example I went to a party last night for one of my French friends who just turned 23. It was a blast and I got a bit too drunk and ended up biking around campus for no apparent reason really. But everyone was drunk so it was a good time. There were Spanish students, some from Belgium and the Netherlands, some French, a few Canadians, one other American, and of course a few Swedes. They are really crazy when they drink. They played this game where everyone sat in a circle and slapped each other's faces in succession. Kind of ridiculous, I couldn't stop laughing.
I am finishing up my first class which is about Swedish social welfare (social policies and such), and I have to buckle down, write a paper for it and prepare a presentation for next Thursday. After that class finishes, which is next Friday, I have an online class and a class that only meets once a week during October, so that month should be pretty laid back, I'm hoping. So, I've decided to plan a trip to London with a few friends who are also studying here in Europe. I'll be there for 5 nights, from Oct. 9th to the 14th. I'm pretty excited!
The study system is one which I'm not used to, since here you take one class at a time (for about a month each) and then have an exam or a paper at the end. I like it because it's more laid back than the American system but it's frustrating because you have focus all of your mental energy on one subject which can get tiring. It makes me really miss the 'liberal arts' structure of the American universities where you can study many different subjects in the same semester, and do many different types of critical thinking.
I definitely miss the U.S., Madison and the UW, and all of my friends there and also abroad. It's the 'little' cultural differences that become really noticeable when you're in a different country. For example, none of the campus buildings have water fountains, the bathrooms are usually unisex, where they have separate rooms for the toilets and a main room for the sinks. Also, unlike Americans, Swedes really don't like sitting next to each other on buses, or to talk to each other unless they know each other, and they move a lot more slowly than Americans. It drives me crazy at the grocery store. Haha I know that sounds weird, but I really noticed how fast paced Americans are when I came here and saw how Swedes aren't.
I don't really have any new pictures other than the ones I posted on Facebook already, but I'll have more as I travel. Certainly after the trip to London. Well, that's about it so thanks for reading, and my next post will probably be after London.
So this will be my second blog for my crazy adventures in Sweden (and Europe as a whole).
I've been in Sweden now for about a month and I'm really starting to get settled. I live in a corridor type setting with 5 others, and they're all Swedes. Three of them are really nice and cool. One is Mana, she's from Stockholm and we talk quite a bit, I usually speak to her in Swedish and she responds in English. It helps us both improve our language skills I guess. The second, Lukas, was born in Sweden but is from Poland originally and he's got a great sense of humor and is always helpful. The third, Nils, is not as social but still nice. The other two I don't really know very well cause they keep to themselves mostly and don't talk to anyone. Kind of awkward.
Mostly though, I hang out with other international students. They are way more social and we love to do stuff together (parties, dinners, pubbin', etc.) For example I went to a party last night for one of my French friends who just turned 23. It was a blast and I got a bit too drunk and ended up biking around campus for no apparent reason really. But everyone was drunk so it was a good time. There were Spanish students, some from Belgium and the Netherlands, some French, a few Canadians, one other American, and of course a few Swedes. They are really crazy when they drink. They played this game where everyone sat in a circle and slapped each other's faces in succession. Kind of ridiculous, I couldn't stop laughing.
I am finishing up my first class which is about Swedish social welfare (social policies and such), and I have to buckle down, write a paper for it and prepare a presentation for next Thursday. After that class finishes, which is next Friday, I have an online class and a class that only meets once a week during October, so that month should be pretty laid back, I'm hoping. So, I've decided to plan a trip to London with a few friends who are also studying here in Europe. I'll be there for 5 nights, from Oct. 9th to the 14th. I'm pretty excited!
The study system is one which I'm not used to, since here you take one class at a time (for about a month each) and then have an exam or a paper at the end. I like it because it's more laid back than the American system but it's frustrating because you have focus all of your mental energy on one subject which can get tiring. It makes me really miss the 'liberal arts' structure of the American universities where you can study many different subjects in the same semester, and do many different types of critical thinking.
I definitely miss the U.S., Madison and the UW, and all of my friends there and also abroad. It's the 'little' cultural differences that become really noticeable when you're in a different country. For example, none of the campus buildings have water fountains, the bathrooms are usually unisex, where they have separate rooms for the toilets and a main room for the sinks. Also, unlike Americans, Swedes really don't like sitting next to each other on buses, or to talk to each other unless they know each other, and they move a lot more slowly than Americans. It drives me crazy at the grocery store. Haha I know that sounds weird, but I really noticed how fast paced Americans are when I came here and saw how Swedes aren't.
I don't really have any new pictures other than the ones I posted on Facebook already, but I'll have more as I travel. Certainly after the trip to London. Well, that's about it so thanks for reading, and my next post will probably be after London.
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