Saturday, November 8, 2008
Captain's Log; Stardate 110808.804
Hello everyone!
It has been a few weeks since I last posted something here, and I think it's due time I did so.
Life in Sweden goes on for me. The seasons are changing, the friendships which I have found here are continuing to develop, and I am still exploring this new country in which I find myself. I can't say that it isn't new to me anymore, because it still is. I feel very much in a state of liminality here, in between languages, cultures, and in a more important sense, senses of my own identity. I don't have the familiar frienships, settings, and experiences to fall back upon. In many ways, being here, away from the U.S., has forced me to remake myself, or least to reflect upon who I have made myself out to be these last 21 years of my life, and how the people I've met have done so as well.
After spending more than two months here, I've been fortunate to meet plenty of really cool people. I am one of only a few Americans here studying at the university here in Umeå, and that is both extremely refreshing and sometimes lonely. It is great because I have to go out and meet students from many different countries and become friends with them rather than just use the comfort blanket of hanging out with other American students. Plus, where would the fun be in that anyways? Humans are very much creatures of habit, no matter how much we might argue otherwise. I see it all the time here. The French students tend to group together with other French students to speak French, the German students like to find other Germans to speak German with, Spanish find other Spanish, and so on. I really can't do that here, as like I said, there are barely any Americans here. And the Americans I do know here I can't relate with. They are often shallow and just want to drink and party and are extremely pessimistic about being here. It drives me nuts because they are just reinforcing the negative stereotypes of Americans in the eyes of people from the rest of the world.
This brings me to my next observation. Being a fluent speaker of English has put me in a very privileged position here. Since everyone is from everywhere and speaks everything in terms of languages, we have to speak a 'universal' language that we will all understand. That is definitely English, and one Polish student that I've met here pointed out something that I keep thinking about. She said something along the lines of "Yeah, you might not have other Americans to talk with but everyone here speaks English, at least a little, and so you can talk to anyone. Often we Europeans can only talk and still feel totally comfortable with people from our own country, since we aren't fluent speakers of English. And when we do speak English with other people, we're often put in the position of making sure we're saying the right things, using the right grammar, etc. So sometimes the effort of the conversation goes less into getting to know someone and rather into making sure we find the right words." It makes me realize that even though I don't have the comfort blanket of other Americans here in Sweden, I have been subconsciously relying on the comfort blanket of English. I may be out of bounds by saying this, but I really believe that English is becoming 'the' international language. I know of no other language that is spoken as commonly in so many different parts of the world. That kind of realization forces me to wonder; why English? Is it because of the influence of popular American culture, for better or for worse, upon the world? Is it because of the era of British colonialism? And are we just transmitting English as a language all over the world, or are we, through it, also imposing Western cultural values, economic systems, and political ideologies? I'm very strongly inclined to believe so.
Well, on to climate! It's something that's very noticeable here. First off, it's getting quite cold, definitely earlier than WI back in the U.S. I've noticed that the shift from autumn to winter has started about a month earlier than it usually does back home, as we had our first snow on Halloween. I know that this can happen in WI and certainly has before, but it's still quite colder here in my opinion. Oh, and the sunlight. It's quite crazy to see the sun hanging halfway in the sky at 12 PM and then see it start to set at 2:30 PM. It's already completely dark by 4 PM. With such a lack of knowing when the day starts and ends concretely, the days begin to run together and sometimes I feel like I'm drifting out of time, as strange as that sounds. It's a very surreal feeling, almost like I am living on another planet. The lack of daylight makes you feel like sleeping all the time but exercise helps to keep the blood flowing and the endorphins pumping. The local sports facility, called IKSU, which is actually the largest gym in Europe (supposedly), has special UV rooms where you can get as much light and wonderful Vitamin D as you need. Wonderful, wonderful light. I don't know how the Swedes who live this far up north deal with it year after year after year. haha It must the be the summers of perpetual light!
I haven't done any significant traveling since I went to London, but I do enjoy biking around the city and exploring. Everything is so pristine here. The streets in Umeå are lined with birch trees and all of the houses are very uniform, often yellow or red, with white trim on the windows and the roofs. The roads and sidewalks are in great shape, not lined with potholes and cracks like in the U.S., probably because people actually pay the taxes to make sure that the infrastructure is kept well, well-kept.
Swedes may not be as individualistic as Americans, but they have a much, much better grasp of all of the positive nuances that the word "socialism" connotates. No one is allowed to get rich here. If someone does earn more money than another person, the State just takes that much more of it to help pay for schools, hospitals, nursing care for the elderly, to repair the physical infrastructure of towns and cities, and so on. The wealthiest are taxed the most, and even they understand why. It is for the betterment of society. For Swedes, society means solidarity, unity, and they view a progressive, strong 'society' as one where social achievement is made at the expense of the individual, not one where individual achievement is made at the expense of the society. This is the underlying ideology of what is called the Swedish 'model', in any case. Since Sweden is a Western, 'developed' nation, it of course has a free market economy, and thus elements of privitization in the fields of healthcare and education. But they don't believe in privitization of damn near everything like American society does. Americans are all about freedom of choice, even if it cripples them financially, physically, and emotionally. I am not saying I agree entirely with either the 'liberal' American system which is far from liberal, or the more socialist leanings of Sweden. I see negative aspects in both. Capitalism can and very often is heartless, and socialism is very often mindless, but Swedes seemed to have mixed the two together into a relatively humane, healthy system. At least for now. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Political discussions aside however, I've done some pretty fun stuff recently. Last weekend in the city there was this music festival called PopUp. Basically, it was 8 bands on 2 stages showcasing the best of Swedish indie pop music right now. IT WAS AMAZING!! There was this one band, Detektivbyrån, which sounded a bit like Of Montreal, but without vocals. They used accordions, xylophones, vocal harmonies, synthesizers, moogs, and everything else in the musical spectrum that you can imagine. It sounded like something out of a Wes Anderson film, and I mean that in the best way possible. This one other artist, Markus Krunegård, was really awesome. It was catchy, guitar heavy indie pop with lots of crowd interaction and I absolutely loved it. It's hard for me to describe what 'indie pop' sounds like because it's a pretty diverse genre in the sense that one can really do anything within it, as long as it has a bubbly edge that will catch your ear and make you smile, no matter what your mood. It was really cool to be able to see some real Swedish bands play.
So, lastly, I did something rather fun today. I went to a moose farm!! Haha it sounds a bit ridiculous I know, but this farm actually does exist, about 60 km west of Umeå, so more into the mainland of northern Sweden. I went with a bunch of international students on several buses, and the countryside where the farm is located was actually quite beautiful. There were rolling hills of forest and little patches of farmland with cute little yellow and red houses and cottages. We were able to touch and pet the mooses and take pictures of them. They are really docile creatures, calm and noble in their appearance and movements, but powerful. There was one little infant moose, running around pushing everyone with his head and trying to play. But he could nearly knock us over, he was so strong. It made everyone laugh and scream because sometimes people wouldn't be looking and unexpectedly he'd run up from behind and bump them in the butt. It was a really cool day. So, here are some separately posted pictures of that!
It has been a few weeks since I last posted something here, and I think it's due time I did so.
Life in Sweden goes on for me. The seasons are changing, the friendships which I have found here are continuing to develop, and I am still exploring this new country in which I find myself. I can't say that it isn't new to me anymore, because it still is. I feel very much in a state of liminality here, in between languages, cultures, and in a more important sense, senses of my own identity. I don't have the familiar frienships, settings, and experiences to fall back upon. In many ways, being here, away from the U.S., has forced me to remake myself, or least to reflect upon who I have made myself out to be these last 21 years of my life, and how the people I've met have done so as well.
After spending more than two months here, I've been fortunate to meet plenty of really cool people. I am one of only a few Americans here studying at the university here in Umeå, and that is both extremely refreshing and sometimes lonely. It is great because I have to go out and meet students from many different countries and become friends with them rather than just use the comfort blanket of hanging out with other American students. Plus, where would the fun be in that anyways? Humans are very much creatures of habit, no matter how much we might argue otherwise. I see it all the time here. The French students tend to group together with other French students to speak French, the German students like to find other Germans to speak German with, Spanish find other Spanish, and so on. I really can't do that here, as like I said, there are barely any Americans here. And the Americans I do know here I can't relate with. They are often shallow and just want to drink and party and are extremely pessimistic about being here. It drives me nuts because they are just reinforcing the negative stereotypes of Americans in the eyes of people from the rest of the world.
This brings me to my next observation. Being a fluent speaker of English has put me in a very privileged position here. Since everyone is from everywhere and speaks everything in terms of languages, we have to speak a 'universal' language that we will all understand. That is definitely English, and one Polish student that I've met here pointed out something that I keep thinking about. She said something along the lines of "Yeah, you might not have other Americans to talk with but everyone here speaks English, at least a little, and so you can talk to anyone. Often we Europeans can only talk and still feel totally comfortable with people from our own country, since we aren't fluent speakers of English. And when we do speak English with other people, we're often put in the position of making sure we're saying the right things, using the right grammar, etc. So sometimes the effort of the conversation goes less into getting to know someone and rather into making sure we find the right words." It makes me realize that even though I don't have the comfort blanket of other Americans here in Sweden, I have been subconsciously relying on the comfort blanket of English. I may be out of bounds by saying this, but I really believe that English is becoming 'the' international language. I know of no other language that is spoken as commonly in so many different parts of the world. That kind of realization forces me to wonder; why English? Is it because of the influence of popular American culture, for better or for worse, upon the world? Is it because of the era of British colonialism? And are we just transmitting English as a language all over the world, or are we, through it, also imposing Western cultural values, economic systems, and political ideologies? I'm very strongly inclined to believe so.
Well, on to climate! It's something that's very noticeable here. First off, it's getting quite cold, definitely earlier than WI back in the U.S. I've noticed that the shift from autumn to winter has started about a month earlier than it usually does back home, as we had our first snow on Halloween. I know that this can happen in WI and certainly has before, but it's still quite colder here in my opinion. Oh, and the sunlight. It's quite crazy to see the sun hanging halfway in the sky at 12 PM and then see it start to set at 2:30 PM. It's already completely dark by 4 PM. With such a lack of knowing when the day starts and ends concretely, the days begin to run together and sometimes I feel like I'm drifting out of time, as strange as that sounds. It's a very surreal feeling, almost like I am living on another planet. The lack of daylight makes you feel like sleeping all the time but exercise helps to keep the blood flowing and the endorphins pumping. The local sports facility, called IKSU, which is actually the largest gym in Europe (supposedly), has special UV rooms where you can get as much light and wonderful Vitamin D as you need. Wonderful, wonderful light. I don't know how the Swedes who live this far up north deal with it year after year after year. haha It must the be the summers of perpetual light!
I haven't done any significant traveling since I went to London, but I do enjoy biking around the city and exploring. Everything is so pristine here. The streets in Umeå are lined with birch trees and all of the houses are very uniform, often yellow or red, with white trim on the windows and the roofs. The roads and sidewalks are in great shape, not lined with potholes and cracks like in the U.S., probably because people actually pay the taxes to make sure that the infrastructure is kept well, well-kept.
Swedes may not be as individualistic as Americans, but they have a much, much better grasp of all of the positive nuances that the word "socialism" connotates. No one is allowed to get rich here. If someone does earn more money than another person, the State just takes that much more of it to help pay for schools, hospitals, nursing care for the elderly, to repair the physical infrastructure of towns and cities, and so on. The wealthiest are taxed the most, and even they understand why. It is for the betterment of society. For Swedes, society means solidarity, unity, and they view a progressive, strong 'society' as one where social achievement is made at the expense of the individual, not one where individual achievement is made at the expense of the society. This is the underlying ideology of what is called the Swedish 'model', in any case. Since Sweden is a Western, 'developed' nation, it of course has a free market economy, and thus elements of privitization in the fields of healthcare and education. But they don't believe in privitization of damn near everything like American society does. Americans are all about freedom of choice, even if it cripples them financially, physically, and emotionally. I am not saying I agree entirely with either the 'liberal' American system which is far from liberal, or the more socialist leanings of Sweden. I see negative aspects in both. Capitalism can and very often is heartless, and socialism is very often mindless, but Swedes seemed to have mixed the two together into a relatively humane, healthy system. At least for now. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Political discussions aside however, I've done some pretty fun stuff recently. Last weekend in the city there was this music festival called PopUp. Basically, it was 8 bands on 2 stages showcasing the best of Swedish indie pop music right now. IT WAS AMAZING!! There was this one band, Detektivbyrån, which sounded a bit like Of Montreal, but without vocals. They used accordions, xylophones, vocal harmonies, synthesizers, moogs, and everything else in the musical spectrum that you can imagine. It sounded like something out of a Wes Anderson film, and I mean that in the best way possible. This one other artist, Markus Krunegård, was really awesome. It was catchy, guitar heavy indie pop with lots of crowd interaction and I absolutely loved it. It's hard for me to describe what 'indie pop' sounds like because it's a pretty diverse genre in the sense that one can really do anything within it, as long as it has a bubbly edge that will catch your ear and make you smile, no matter what your mood. It was really cool to be able to see some real Swedish bands play.
So, lastly, I did something rather fun today. I went to a moose farm!! Haha it sounds a bit ridiculous I know, but this farm actually does exist, about 60 km west of Umeå, so more into the mainland of northern Sweden. I went with a bunch of international students on several buses, and the countryside where the farm is located was actually quite beautiful. There were rolling hills of forest and little patches of farmland with cute little yellow and red houses and cottages. We were able to touch and pet the mooses and take pictures of them. They are really docile creatures, calm and noble in their appearance and movements, but powerful. There was one little infant moose, running around pushing everyone with his head and trying to play. But he could nearly knock us over, he was so strong. It made everyone laugh and scream because sometimes people wouldn't be looking and unexpectedly he'd run up from behind and bump them in the butt. It was a really cool day. So, here are some separately posted pictures of that!
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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