Part one: Tastes. On Saturday, eighteen exchangers, including myself, went to Hovås. We were given a two hours to learn a little about sea rescues in Sweden. The group was split into two groups. I was with the first group. We boarded the vessel and we backed out of the harbor. This ship had two engines, high horsepower, I don't remember the exact number. Once we were in a little bit more open waters, the captain made the boat move sideways, spin in circles, and then cruise at about 30 knots. Kendra, Sarah, and I stood outside at the bow. When the vessel started moving fast, we were washed in the sea spray. My hands and lips tasted like sea salt.
Afterward, we took the bus back to town. A ticket controller got on the bus and started checking tickets. Alex saw them come on the bus and ninja-ed off it. David, unfortunately, didn't see them come on and got slapped with a 1200 kroner fine. That's about $177.78 American. He didn't go to Liseberg the next day. Neither did Alex
After we arrived back in Gothenburg, John stated that he wanted Thai. Badly. So, away we went in search of a Thai restaurant. We found one. A little hole in the wall that was more like a cave in the ground. The food was good. I had never tried Thai food before. It was really good!
So new tastes: Sea salt and Thai!
Two: Liseberg!! (Pronounced LIS-a-BERRY) Liseberg is the largest amusement park in Scandinavia. It is home to three roller coasters, two drops of doom, a haunted hotel, and a large outdoor concert hall. On Sunday, Liseberg played host to a bunch of exchange students completely giddy about the thought of being in an amusement park. Oh, yeah. It was crazy.
We arrived at Liseberg just as the rain started pouring in earnest. Once John, Gage, and Tom were through the gates, they ran towards the nearest store and bought Liseberg ponchos. They are blue with green rabbits all over. We also meet up with Konatsu, Ryutaro, and Sergio. Ryu was also wearing a Liseberg poncho. XD So, what was the first thing that we did? We went straight for a roller coaster. There were some adrenaline junkies in the group, myself included. There was also a roller coaster that lasts only for 40 seconds, but one starts sitting completely still and then one gets shot off really fast first horizontal and then vertical and back down. O_O It was so AWESOME!!! A wooden roller coaster takes one up a ramp and then back down at a 70 degree angle. O_o I went on that one twice. Before I left, Surya, Martha, Naomi, and I went to a chocolate stall. What one could do was buy a number and a wheel would spin. If the wheel stopped on the number one picked, you win. You win a two kilogram box of miniature Toblerone bars!!! I WON!! A TWO KILOGRAM BOX OF TOBLERONE BARS!!! The four of us spilt up the chocolate as equally as we could, but I kept the box. It's a weird thing to be proud of, but I won!! XD
After Liseberg, I went to mass and had fika after wards with some of the university students staying in Gothenburg. They are a part of a student group called REX. I found about about REX on the internet and thought I would give it a try. It was probably the most intellectual experience I've had to date here in Sweden. XD I'm going again. This is too good an experience to pass up.
Now part three: Scents.
While I was typing up this blog, I have been drinking a cup of tea with some of the tea that Mom packed into my bag. It smells of oranges and butterscotch. Yumm... It is gently mixing with the luxurious scent of white jasmine. Earlier today, I went to a store called Laguerhus. There, I purchased some candles and a candle holder. The candle holder is made of colorless glass, molded into a pond lily. The candles that I purchased to go along with the candle holder are scented. The scent right now is white jasmine. It is calming. I feel as calm as the sea after a storm. I have not felt this way since I have arrived.
For once, it is not raining.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
It is now 2:17 in the afternoon. My afternoon classes were cut short for unexplained reasons. So here I am. Alone. In the house. With nothing to do. Again. What's that you say? I should get out of the house? Truly, I would love to. But! It's raining. Again. And it looks like it will rain for a long time. The rain I don't mind, it is the wind that is bothering me. So to fill up time in what would otherwise be a REALLY quiet afternoon (Except for the pounding of the rain), I'm going to write. With my glass of hot chocolate. :)
On Sunday, I had dinner with my host counselor, Per, and his family. It was good. The whole family was nice. Per's oldest daughter, Anna, moved out, so I didn't meet her. But his second, Lotta, was on a exchange two years ago! To Australia! A rotex! Huray! His youngest daughter, Sofie is my age. I liked her instantly. Always smiling, always has something nice to say. XD
I had more fika with David.
Okej. In a few days time, there will be an election for the Federal Government, Riksdagen. There are seven major political parties. A party needs 4% of the vote to get a seat. Usually, there are no majority governments, so there are coalitions. Among the parties, there are two major coalitions. The Right Wing parties, and the Left Wing parties. Typically those are the coalitions. And traditionally, it was the left parties in charge. There has been a recent shift in that. The most obvious example that I can think of is The Sverige Demokrates, Swedish Democrats. This is the most extreme party. Right wing. One could almost, ALMOST, call it a fascist party. Most of its policies are alright, in fact sensible. But, the one policy that rankles with most of the people is their stance on immigrants. They don't want them to come to Sweden. For background, most of the recent immigrants are from the Middle East. Yep. Swedish Democrats do not want immigrants. This isn't a racist party, but it attracts a great deal of racists. Swedish Democrats don't have seats in the Riksdag, but with this election, they might. When my school held a mock debate, there was a person representing the Sverige Demkrates. Everyone supported the other debaters, but this poor guy got brow-beat all over the stage. That's the measure of how much a lot of people hate the Sverige Demkrates. On the lighter side of politics, there is a political party that wants to legalize downloading. XD No, The Pirate party has no seats. :( One final note about the election. The voting rate is high. 80% vote. 80%! And that is considered low here!
Last thing. I'm throwing my pride into the wind. Comment! Please! I need to know that people are reading this!
It stopped raining. For a while. XD
On Sunday, I had dinner with my host counselor, Per, and his family. It was good. The whole family was nice. Per's oldest daughter, Anna, moved out, so I didn't meet her. But his second, Lotta, was on a exchange two years ago! To Australia! A rotex! Huray! His youngest daughter, Sofie is my age. I liked her instantly. Always smiling, always has something nice to say. XD
I had more fika with David.
Okej. In a few days time, there will be an election for the Federal Government, Riksdagen. There are seven major political parties. A party needs 4% of the vote to get a seat. Usually, there are no majority governments, so there are coalitions. Among the parties, there are two major coalitions. The Right Wing parties, and the Left Wing parties. Typically those are the coalitions. And traditionally, it was the left parties in charge. There has been a recent shift in that. The most obvious example that I can think of is The Sverige Demokrates, Swedish Democrats. This is the most extreme party. Right wing. One could almost, ALMOST, call it a fascist party. Most of its policies are alright, in fact sensible. But, the one policy that rankles with most of the people is their stance on immigrants. They don't want them to come to Sweden. For background, most of the recent immigrants are from the Middle East. Yep. Swedish Democrats do not want immigrants. This isn't a racist party, but it attracts a great deal of racists. Swedish Democrats don't have seats in the Riksdag, but with this election, they might. When my school held a mock debate, there was a person representing the Sverige Demkrates. Everyone supported the other debaters, but this poor guy got brow-beat all over the stage. That's the measure of how much a lot of people hate the Sverige Demkrates. On the lighter side of politics, there is a political party that wants to legalize downloading. XD No, The Pirate party has no seats. :( One final note about the election. The voting rate is high. 80% vote. 80%! And that is considered low here!
Last thing. I'm throwing my pride into the wind. Comment! Please! I need to know that people are reading this!
It stopped raining. For a while. XD
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Week
Blogging is a challenge for me. I don't do it as often as I should. Whenever I do post something, I always try to be careful of what I write down. I don't want to insult anyone; I don't want to write things that may get me sent home. As well, when I post the finished article, I'm never sure if anyone reads it. That will always remain a mystery to me. But, I think, a happy mystery.
So without anymore ado, here are some of the highlights of the last couple of weeks.
A few days ago, I helped Sarah (Canada) dye her hair. Sarah had never dyed her hair before. She was never allowed to consider it because she was not allowed. But, now that she is in Sweden, her rules have changed. There is no one to stop her from doing just about anything. So, with my assistance and moral support, she bought hair dye. Four days after she bought the hair dye, I helped her dye it. Her hair is now jet black. I haven't seen it yet, but I can certainly imagine it.
Over the weekend, the exchange students went sailing in Uddevalla. Uddevalla is about an hours drive north of Gothenburg. The Rotary club in Uddevalla organized this sailing trip up and down the archipelago. There were twenty-three students this time. The Australians joined us. I get to steer the ship and navigate, be a lifeguard (Not that anyone fell overboard) and lookout. But everyone on the trip, excepting the Aussies, were pretty out of it. The general atmosphere was reserved and quieter than it was at language camp. Maybe it was because we had chaperons this time. Maybe it was because everyone was exhausted from school and the language. Maybe it was the cold. Who knows. I know for me, I was fine with the cold wind, the slight chill, and the chaperons. But what got me, was the tiny little bed that I 'slept' in. I had no sleep. I found out that I suffer from minor claustrophobia. I will say no more there... But overall, everyone felt down about something or another. It was a good trip, however.
I had my second Rotary meeting yesterday. It was better than the first meeting. I gave my PowerPoint presentation about myself and Canada. I barely remembered what I was talking about. The most I can remember from that presentation was that I got laughs. I was really worried that my presentation was going to go longer than twenty minutes. I think it was closer to about fifteen minutes. XD
A few days ago, I realized my own ignorance. This happened in two events. First: MacDonalds. Yes, there are MacDonalds here. And yes, I was in one with a couple of friends. I knew beforehand that MacDonalds is an international corporation. But it didn't really strike home until I got the hamburger wrapper. It had a white background with aqua writing in about five different languages. I kept it and made a paper crane out of it. It's on my Rotary blazer. Second: Disney. It failed to register in my mind as well that Disney is everywhere. Then I found Beauty and the Beast on YouTube. In Swedish. Yes, I absolutely watched it. I had no idea what they were saying half the time, but I guessed and enjoyed the movie anyway. With both MacDonalds and Disney, I didn't really comprehend how international and connected a great deal of things are. Now I know. And I'm really grateful for it. XD
The last weeks or so have been odd. There has been this odd feeling that has been germinating in the back of my mind. It feels like I'm waiting for something to happen. Plenty has been happening; I've been getting out of the house, having fika, going to school, wandering downtown, dying Sarah's hair, all that jazz. But I don't understand WHY it feels like I'm waiting for something.
So without anymore ado, here are some of the highlights of the last couple of weeks.
A few days ago, I helped Sarah (Canada) dye her hair. Sarah had never dyed her hair before. She was never allowed to consider it because she was not allowed. But, now that she is in Sweden, her rules have changed. There is no one to stop her from doing just about anything. So, with my assistance and moral support, she bought hair dye. Four days after she bought the hair dye, I helped her dye it. Her hair is now jet black. I haven't seen it yet, but I can certainly imagine it.
Over the weekend, the exchange students went sailing in Uddevalla. Uddevalla is about an hours drive north of Gothenburg. The Rotary club in Uddevalla organized this sailing trip up and down the archipelago. There were twenty-three students this time. The Australians joined us. I get to steer the ship and navigate, be a lifeguard (Not that anyone fell overboard) and lookout. But everyone on the trip, excepting the Aussies, were pretty out of it. The general atmosphere was reserved and quieter than it was at language camp. Maybe it was because we had chaperons this time. Maybe it was because everyone was exhausted from school and the language. Maybe it was the cold. Who knows. I know for me, I was fine with the cold wind, the slight chill, and the chaperons. But what got me, was the tiny little bed that I 'slept' in. I had no sleep. I found out that I suffer from minor claustrophobia. I will say no more there... But overall, everyone felt down about something or another. It was a good trip, however.
I had my second Rotary meeting yesterday. It was better than the first meeting. I gave my PowerPoint presentation about myself and Canada. I barely remembered what I was talking about. The most I can remember from that presentation was that I got laughs. I was really worried that my presentation was going to go longer than twenty minutes. I think it was closer to about fifteen minutes. XD
A few days ago, I realized my own ignorance. This happened in two events. First: MacDonalds. Yes, there are MacDonalds here. And yes, I was in one with a couple of friends. I knew beforehand that MacDonalds is an international corporation. But it didn't really strike home until I got the hamburger wrapper. It had a white background with aqua writing in about five different languages. I kept it and made a paper crane out of it. It's on my Rotary blazer. Second: Disney. It failed to register in my mind as well that Disney is everywhere. Then I found Beauty and the Beast on YouTube. In Swedish. Yes, I absolutely watched it. I had no idea what they were saying half the time, but I guessed and enjoyed the movie anyway. With both MacDonalds and Disney, I didn't really comprehend how international and connected a great deal of things are. Now I know. And I'm really grateful for it. XD
The last weeks or so have been odd. There has been this odd feeling that has been germinating in the back of my mind. It feels like I'm waiting for something to happen. Plenty has been happening; I've been getting out of the house, having fika, going to school, wandering downtown, dying Sarah's hair, all that jazz. But I don't understand WHY it feels like I'm waiting for something.
Friday, August 27, 2010
School! Skolan!!
First week of school! First week of school! If those two lines were not said with the enthusiasm of five year old starting school for the very first time, go back and say it again. XD
On Monday morning, bright and early, I rolled out of bed, landed on the ground, turned my alarm clock off, found clothes and food, packed my bag (again), and ran out of door. I arrived about twenty minutes earlier than what I needed to be. Monday, for some students, was when class started. However, for the music students in second and first year, this meant that for two days, we would be in a small camp about a half hour out of town. There were about eighty people at this camp, but that part of the story comes a bit later.
I arrived at Hvitfeldska too early to see the music students gathering. Instead of wandering around the place looking like a chicken with its head cut off, I found a bench in front of the building and watched the movement of the student crowd as it swirled and twisted in front of me. Every once and a while, a student, wearing a T-shirt with the word, "Hvitfeldska," would walk over with a bowl of candy and would commence speaking in Swedish. Once the person figured out that I couldn't understand what they saying, they would tell me, in English, that there was some student activity that was being held at such-and-such a place in such-and-such time. Politely, I turned down each offer, taking a piece of candy as I did so. There was one student, however, who stopped to talk. Simon was his name. He is a science student in the third year. He too wanted to know if I would consider joining the other science students in the lab to play some games. He was the first person who saw that I was really lost and confused by what was going on. Eventually he went on, but until he did, he was kind enough to explain some of the inside jokes about Hvitfeldska. For example: The basement of the school is called, 'The Ghetto.' This is where all of the music classes are held. Oh, bother.
Moving on, I eventually saw that a group of students with suitcases and pillows had gathered up against the eastern wall of the building. I made a beeline straight there and inquired as to wither or not this was the music class. I was told, "Ja" with some funny looks. Really funny. As in, "Who the heck is this person, and why is she asking me the obvious?"
As Peter Larrson, the principal, was taking attendance before we left. All was fine and dandy until he got to my name. To this day, I am still not entirely sure of what he said. I'm pretty sure that he said, "This is Maggie, our new exchange student from Canada!" I got a round of applause and more looks from the people. These looks were more akin to, "Oh!! A new person! Let's stare at her until she feels uncomfortable!" So much for trying to blend in. This was how I started the band camp. With funny looks and a non-salvageable introduction. Great, is all I thought.
There was, however, this one girl who took me under wing, so to speak. I sat with her and her two friends on the double decker bus that took us to camp. Over the next two days, I hung out with her and her friends. They were all highly welcoming and more open than I had expected. As a group, it felt like that they took turns to keep me company and explain what was happening. It felt wonderful to know that these people took me under their wing and accepted me into their group. I was afraid of spending the school year alone. Over the two days, the second years and first years put on a concert. Other than that, generally, we just hung around. And had a party on the second night. Someone brought an amp over to my cabin, plugged in an iPod, and turned up the volume. We didn't stop dancing until a teacher came in a told us to turn off the music. Then one of the male students said into the sudden silence, "Bada?" 'Bada' is Swedish for swimming for pleasure. It was fun to watch. Then the next day we went home.
Now, the next topic is the school system. First off, there is no set time where all the students have to be in class. The closest equivalent that I can think of is a university schedule. But the schedule is NOT individual. Some classes may variate from person to person, but for the most part, everyone's schedule is the same. One is with the same people for most classes. Class sizes are small. Maybe 20-25 people in each class. Physical education is mandatory for all three years. English is also a mandatory class. Teachers are not called, "Mr., Mrs. Miss. or Ms." One calls a teacher by their first name. Lunch is free and offered to all students and teachers. Music students get private lessons. School, in theory, starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends by around 5:00 p.m. But start and ending time varies from day to day and class to class. Yes, I still am really confused on what is happening.
Because I am an exchange student, some rules don't technically apply. I can't take Gym because that class is at the same time as Swedish as Second Language (Svenska A). I don't need to take the English class because it's redundant for me. But being an exchange student is also causing problems for me. I still lack a schedule. I don't have student I.D. because it seems I still lack a student number. I don't have a bus card because, well, that's usually sent out in the first year, and because I'm starting in the second year, I need to get it mailed to me. So, cue the headaches, and the constant irritation at the seeming lack of organization thereof. I am so grateful that Mom packed headache medicine for me. I love you, Mom! <3
The particular line of study that I am in is science and music. Yeah. Science. For me, that means Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, Swedish Literature (Svenska B), Swedish as a Second Language, Orchestra, Choir, and anything else that may come up in the year. The Chemistry and Math, I have already done before. The challenge now lies in the language and what any teacher will try to say to me. My math teacher asked me constantly what something was called in English much to my embarrassment and the classes amusement. IN Svenska B, the teacher told me right off the bat that I should drop her class. I told her that, no, I was not going to drop her class and I didn't care if what was being read was at too advanced a level for me. I am determined to learn.
Throughout all of this, that one girl who is my new found friend, was a willing listener, translator, and wellspring of patience and smiles. It's easy to like her. Her and most of her friends. This is going to be one hell of a year.
It rained today. But now, it is night time. Spooky.
On Monday morning, bright and early, I rolled out of bed, landed on the ground, turned my alarm clock off, found clothes and food, packed my bag (again), and ran out of door. I arrived about twenty minutes earlier than what I needed to be. Monday, for some students, was when class started. However, for the music students in second and first year, this meant that for two days, we would be in a small camp about a half hour out of town. There were about eighty people at this camp, but that part of the story comes a bit later.
I arrived at Hvitfeldska too early to see the music students gathering. Instead of wandering around the place looking like a chicken with its head cut off, I found a bench in front of the building and watched the movement of the student crowd as it swirled and twisted in front of me. Every once and a while, a student, wearing a T-shirt with the word, "Hvitfeldska," would walk over with a bowl of candy and would commence speaking in Swedish. Once the person figured out that I couldn't understand what they saying, they would tell me, in English, that there was some student activity that was being held at such-and-such a place in such-and-such time. Politely, I turned down each offer, taking a piece of candy as I did so. There was one student, however, who stopped to talk. Simon was his name. He is a science student in the third year. He too wanted to know if I would consider joining the other science students in the lab to play some games. He was the first person who saw that I was really lost and confused by what was going on. Eventually he went on, but until he did, he was kind enough to explain some of the inside jokes about Hvitfeldska. For example: The basement of the school is called, 'The Ghetto.' This is where all of the music classes are held. Oh, bother.
Moving on, I eventually saw that a group of students with suitcases and pillows had gathered up against the eastern wall of the building. I made a beeline straight there and inquired as to wither or not this was the music class. I was told, "Ja" with some funny looks. Really funny. As in, "Who the heck is this person, and why is she asking me the obvious?"
As Peter Larrson, the principal, was taking attendance before we left. All was fine and dandy until he got to my name. To this day, I am still not entirely sure of what he said. I'm pretty sure that he said, "This is Maggie, our new exchange student from Canada!" I got a round of applause and more looks from the people. These looks were more akin to, "Oh!! A new person! Let's stare at her until she feels uncomfortable!" So much for trying to blend in. This was how I started the band camp. With funny looks and a non-salvageable introduction. Great, is all I thought.
There was, however, this one girl who took me under wing, so to speak. I sat with her and her two friends on the double decker bus that took us to camp. Over the next two days, I hung out with her and her friends. They were all highly welcoming and more open than I had expected. As a group, it felt like that they took turns to keep me company and explain what was happening. It felt wonderful to know that these people took me under their wing and accepted me into their group. I was afraid of spending the school year alone. Over the two days, the second years and first years put on a concert. Other than that, generally, we just hung around. And had a party on the second night. Someone brought an amp over to my cabin, plugged in an iPod, and turned up the volume. We didn't stop dancing until a teacher came in a told us to turn off the music. Then one of the male students said into the sudden silence, "Bada?" 'Bada' is Swedish for swimming for pleasure. It was fun to watch. Then the next day we went home.
Now, the next topic is the school system. First off, there is no set time where all the students have to be in class. The closest equivalent that I can think of is a university schedule. But the schedule is NOT individual. Some classes may variate from person to person, but for the most part, everyone's schedule is the same. One is with the same people for most classes. Class sizes are small. Maybe 20-25 people in each class. Physical education is mandatory for all three years. English is also a mandatory class. Teachers are not called, "Mr., Mrs. Miss. or Ms." One calls a teacher by their first name. Lunch is free and offered to all students and teachers. Music students get private lessons. School, in theory, starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends by around 5:00 p.m. But start and ending time varies from day to day and class to class. Yes, I still am really confused on what is happening.
Because I am an exchange student, some rules don't technically apply. I can't take Gym because that class is at the same time as Swedish as Second Language (Svenska A). I don't need to take the English class because it's redundant for me. But being an exchange student is also causing problems for me. I still lack a schedule. I don't have student I.D. because it seems I still lack a student number. I don't have a bus card because, well, that's usually sent out in the first year, and because I'm starting in the second year, I need to get it mailed to me. So, cue the headaches, and the constant irritation at the seeming lack of organization thereof. I am so grateful that Mom packed headache medicine for me. I love you, Mom! <3
The particular line of study that I am in is science and music. Yeah. Science. For me, that means Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, Swedish Literature (Svenska B), Swedish as a Second Language, Orchestra, Choir, and anything else that may come up in the year. The Chemistry and Math, I have already done before. The challenge now lies in the language and what any teacher will try to say to me. My math teacher asked me constantly what something was called in English much to my embarrassment and the classes amusement. IN Svenska B, the teacher told me right off the bat that I should drop her class. I told her that, no, I was not going to drop her class and I didn't care if what was being read was at too advanced a level for me. I am determined to learn.
Throughout all of this, that one girl who is my new found friend, was a willing listener, translator, and wellspring of patience and smiles. It's easy to like her. Her and most of her friends. This is going to be one hell of a year.
It rained today. But now, it is night time. Spooky.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Language Camp
Last week, a language camp at Fristads Folkhögskola was held for all the new exchange students from District 2360 and 2380.
Before I go any farther, I need to tell a few important things. 1) No one was from the exact same place. 2) There were 13 American's, 4 Canadians, 1 Brazilian, 1 from Chile, 1 from France, 1 Italian, 2 Japanese, 2 Taiwanese, therefore 25 people no younger than 15 and no older than 19 from all over the world. 3) While the main spoken language was English, for most, English is their second language and some were not very skilled in it. One could speak no English, but Spanish. But! There were about five people who could speak broken Spanish, so between the five of them, we could communicate with the one who couldn't speak English. 4) In the evenings there was little to no adult supervision.
With these four things in mind, and without any further ado, I present to you: Language Week.
On Sunday, I was home alone, packing and waiting for Per, my counselor, to pick me up so we could head off to Fristads. Fristads was about an hour and a half drive away from Göteborg. So, we made it there in about an hour. Did I mention that drivers here love to go fast? Well, they do. Really fast. Oh, all ye fast drivers in Canada, you would love it here.
So, Per and I arrive at camp. We went to the main building where I left Per to go find my room. At first, I was in the same room as Felix (Taiwan) and Sergio (Brazil). Think about it for a second. I switched out pretty fast. My new room was shared with two other girls. Bria from Texas and Kendra from Oregon. Both were wonderful people filled with stories from home and a ready ear.
All that week, we had classes during the day, fika, and more classes. Usually, we stopped classes by 3:00 pm. Susanne, the District Chair, and the woman running the camp, had events planned for us each evening. Sunday, there was nothing planned. We were left to our own devices. That night, I got to meet and know just about everyone there. Monday, we introduced ourselves, in Swedish, to the District Committee. Tuesday, we went golfing in Borås. Wednesday, we went into the charming town of Borås and after waiting out the rain in a mall, we went off to examine the statues. A member of the Rotary Club of Borås hosted us for the evening and fed about thirty people homemade Swedish meatballs. They were delicious!! Thursday evening, Erasmus students came over for a barbecue and talk. Erasmus is another exchange program for European university students. Friday afternoon, we all went home.
There was an awkward moment that was difficult to break on Sunday evening. But someone, I don't remember who, brought a soccer ball. So on Sunday evening, I played soccer with the most diverse group in my life. We had teams of four with the people from Brazil, France, USA, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. That was the best way to break the ice that had been hanging over all of us. Every night after that, a group of people would find a field and play soccer. One night, we played with three people from Sweden. On Thursday, we played with some of the people from Erasmus. Now I can walk away and say that I have now played soccer with German people as well. Sports is probably the best way to meet people. XD
Every evening, we usually would have shenanigans of one form or another. David (Chicago) lit a fire on the school grounds one night. He lit another one at the beach another night. At the beach , talked about everything and nothing. We learned certain details about each other that I probably would have never guessed about them. XD Yet another night, someone, John I think, learned how to say, "Make me a sandwich" in about three different languages and started saying it whenever, as well, John and Dakota got almost everyone by the end of the week to say, "Oh, yeah," in a deep voice. John taught Gage (Minnesota) how to make a popping noise which then spread to the rest of the people so every time one turned around, one heard a popping sound. One night, someone played a video where it told us that one has to do the cooking by the book (Thank-you, who ever played it). Another time, a bunch of us had a pot of tea. I started washing the dishes after we finished, and Konatsu (Japan) came over and helped. Another day, we were taught self defense by someone, I don't remember his name, and we found out the Ryu (Japan) was really good at martial arts.Another night, we 'educated' Sarah (Canada) about the finer tastes of Coca-Cola. As it turned out, she had never tried Coca-Cola before. Someone bought a one liter bottle of the stuff and gave it to Sarah. Another night, one thing led to another, and suddenly John (South Carolina), Dakota (Texas), and David were acting as utter fools and we were all having the time of our lives. Did I mention that in the evenings we had no adult supervision? XD
By the end of the week, it was hard for me to say good-bye to everyone. I became close to most of the people there and good-byes and I have never gotten along very well. Tom (Australia) then suggested that on Saturday, August 28th, we should all go to Liseberg. Liseberg is an amusement park in Göteborg. So maybe, I will see them all again really soon.
It's sunny today. First time in a long while.
Before I go any farther, I need to tell a few important things. 1) No one was from the exact same place. 2) There were 13 American's, 4 Canadians, 1 Brazilian, 1 from Chile, 1 from France, 1 Italian, 2 Japanese, 2 Taiwanese, therefore 25 people no younger than 15 and no older than 19 from all over the world. 3) While the main spoken language was English, for most, English is their second language and some were not very skilled in it. One could speak no English, but Spanish. But! There were about five people who could speak broken Spanish, so between the five of them, we could communicate with the one who couldn't speak English. 4) In the evenings there was little to no adult supervision.
With these four things in mind, and without any further ado, I present to you: Language Week.
On Sunday, I was home alone, packing and waiting for Per, my counselor, to pick me up so we could head off to Fristads. Fristads was about an hour and a half drive away from Göteborg. So, we made it there in about an hour. Did I mention that drivers here love to go fast? Well, they do. Really fast. Oh, all ye fast drivers in Canada, you would love it here.
So, Per and I arrive at camp. We went to the main building where I left Per to go find my room. At first, I was in the same room as Felix (Taiwan) and Sergio (Brazil). Think about it for a second. I switched out pretty fast. My new room was shared with two other girls. Bria from Texas and Kendra from Oregon. Both were wonderful people filled with stories from home and a ready ear.
All that week, we had classes during the day, fika, and more classes. Usually, we stopped classes by 3:00 pm. Susanne, the District Chair, and the woman running the camp, had events planned for us each evening. Sunday, there was nothing planned. We were left to our own devices. That night, I got to meet and know just about everyone there. Monday, we introduced ourselves, in Swedish, to the District Committee. Tuesday, we went golfing in Borås. Wednesday, we went into the charming town of Borås and after waiting out the rain in a mall, we went off to examine the statues. A member of the Rotary Club of Borås hosted us for the evening and fed about thirty people homemade Swedish meatballs. They were delicious!! Thursday evening, Erasmus students came over for a barbecue and talk. Erasmus is another exchange program for European university students. Friday afternoon, we all went home.
There was an awkward moment that was difficult to break on Sunday evening. But someone, I don't remember who, brought a soccer ball. So on Sunday evening, I played soccer with the most diverse group in my life. We had teams of four with the people from Brazil, France, USA, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. That was the best way to break the ice that had been hanging over all of us. Every night after that, a group of people would find a field and play soccer. One night, we played with three people from Sweden. On Thursday, we played with some of the people from Erasmus. Now I can walk away and say that I have now played soccer with German people as well. Sports is probably the best way to meet people. XD
Every evening, we usually would have shenanigans of one form or another. David (Chicago) lit a fire on the school grounds one night. He lit another one at the beach another night. At the beach , talked about everything and nothing. We learned certain details about each other that I probably would have never guessed about them. XD Yet another night, someone, John I think, learned how to say, "Make me a sandwich" in about three different languages and started saying it whenever, as well, John and Dakota got almost everyone by the end of the week to say, "Oh, yeah," in a deep voice. John taught Gage (Minnesota) how to make a popping noise which then spread to the rest of the people so every time one turned around, one heard a popping sound. One night, someone played a video where it told us that one has to do the cooking by the book (Thank-you, who ever played it). Another time, a bunch of us had a pot of tea. I started washing the dishes after we finished, and Konatsu (Japan) came over and helped. Another day, we were taught self defense by someone, I don't remember his name, and we found out the Ryu (Japan) was really good at martial arts.Another night, we 'educated' Sarah (Canada) about the finer tastes of Coca-Cola. As it turned out, she had never tried Coca-Cola before. Someone bought a one liter bottle of the stuff and gave it to Sarah. Another night, one thing led to another, and suddenly John (South Carolina), Dakota (Texas), and David were acting as utter fools and we were all having the time of our lives. Did I mention that in the evenings we had no adult supervision? XD
By the end of the week, it was hard for me to say good-bye to everyone. I became close to most of the people there and good-byes and I have never gotten along very well. Tom (Australia) then suggested that on Saturday, August 28th, we should all go to Liseberg. Liseberg is an amusement park in Göteborg. So maybe, I will see them all again really soon.
It's sunny today. First time in a long while.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fifth: Of Food and Exchange Students
Food. Food is the life force of everyday life. It brings sustenance and nourishment. It brings people together. Food also has that ability of being different everywhere. Take pancakes. A typical Canadian pancake is thick and not too large in diameter. Usually served hot with butter and maple syrup. A Swedish pancake is thin and very large in diameter. Usually, it is served cold with anything sweet: Ice-cream, strawberry jam, white sugar, and maple syrup, to name a few.
Fisk. To those who speak English: Fish. Fish is common in the summertime. When I was at the summer house, Karin bought a large bag of shrimp and eight crayfish. These crustaceans still had their shells. And heads. So to eat them, one has to twist off the head, break the shell, and then pick out the meat and set it on toast. When the toast has enough shrimp meat on it, on can eat it as is, or one can add sauce. It was probably one of the best things that I have tried here to date!
Sauces. Sauces here are pretty big. Whenever potatoes, meat, or well, anything, is served, there is usually a sauce to go with it. Thus far, my favorite has been the sweet chili sauce.
Salt. This is a seafaring country. A lot of people own a boat of some sort. At least, a fair few members of my host family own boats, and a friend of the family owns a sailboat, and every time I am at the docks there are always a great deal of boats and ships there with the Swedish flag or markers identifying it as from Sweden. Anyway, Sweden sits on the coast. That's why fish makes up a big part of their diet and it might also explain the salt. No matter where I find myself in Sweden, there always seems to be someone adding more salt to an already salty dish. I don't know why they do that. It must be a cultural thing. XD
Candy is another favorite. Swedes will likely tell you that they are one of the greatest candy eating countries in Europe. With good reason. Their candy isles are massive. They are capable of putting some candy isles at home to shame. I have yet to go to any candy store here, but I can image a little of what it must be like inside the store. There is a type of candy here that looks like black licorice. However, it tastes both sweet and salty at the same time. The first time I tried it with my host family, everyone at the table laughed when they saw the expression on my face. I didn't finish it. It is, as my dad would say, an accustomed taste. But not all of Swedish candy is salty. Some of it is really sweet. There is this gummy type of candy that tastes like green apples. The caramel that I tried wasn't hard, neither did it melt easily. It had the relative consistency of fudge. Toblerone chocolate is a readily available chocolate here.
All-in-all, I am in really good shape when it comes to food. Except peanut butter. I haven't seen peanut butter here. This calls for a walk to the grocery store!
Exchange Students. Yesterday, I meet a couple of the exchange students. Two were from the States, one from Italy, one from France, two from Sweden (one was a host sister to one of the Americans, the other was leaving for her own exchange in a few days), another Canadian, and three Australians. Thus far, they are all amiable, well spoken, and nervous as hell. Seriously. I think that the only really relaxed people there were the three Australians. Everyone else was a little tense at first. But after we had fika at the Cafe Rosa, we all relaxed and enjoyed a day walking around town. Fika, before I forget, is a Swedish term referring to drinking coffee (or any beverage) and having cake with other people. The original plan was to watch Inception, but that plan was scrapped because some people had to leave to catch their trains before the movie would have been finished. So then, we walked by a bowling alley. While some of us went to get food, others went to see if the bowling alley was open. It wasn't. Another bowling alley was also closed. By the end of the day, we found ourselves sitting under a tree in a park located downtown. When the time to catch trains came, we all split up and went home, or to the bar, or somewhere. Wherever. I think, it was a good day.
It's raining today. XD
Fisk. To those who speak English: Fish. Fish is common in the summertime. When I was at the summer house, Karin bought a large bag of shrimp and eight crayfish. These crustaceans still had their shells. And heads. So to eat them, one has to twist off the head, break the shell, and then pick out the meat and set it on toast. When the toast has enough shrimp meat on it, on can eat it as is, or one can add sauce. It was probably one of the best things that I have tried here to date!
Sauces. Sauces here are pretty big. Whenever potatoes, meat, or well, anything, is served, there is usually a sauce to go with it. Thus far, my favorite has been the sweet chili sauce.
Salt. This is a seafaring country. A lot of people own a boat of some sort. At least, a fair few members of my host family own boats, and a friend of the family owns a sailboat, and every time I am at the docks there are always a great deal of boats and ships there with the Swedish flag or markers identifying it as from Sweden. Anyway, Sweden sits on the coast. That's why fish makes up a big part of their diet and it might also explain the salt. No matter where I find myself in Sweden, there always seems to be someone adding more salt to an already salty dish. I don't know why they do that. It must be a cultural thing. XD
Candy is another favorite. Swedes will likely tell you that they are one of the greatest candy eating countries in Europe. With good reason. Their candy isles are massive. They are capable of putting some candy isles at home to shame. I have yet to go to any candy store here, but I can image a little of what it must be like inside the store. There is a type of candy here that looks like black licorice. However, it tastes both sweet and salty at the same time. The first time I tried it with my host family, everyone at the table laughed when they saw the expression on my face. I didn't finish it. It is, as my dad would say, an accustomed taste. But not all of Swedish candy is salty. Some of it is really sweet. There is this gummy type of candy that tastes like green apples. The caramel that I tried wasn't hard, neither did it melt easily. It had the relative consistency of fudge. Toblerone chocolate is a readily available chocolate here.
All-in-all, I am in really good shape when it comes to food. Except peanut butter. I haven't seen peanut butter here. This calls for a walk to the grocery store!
Exchange Students. Yesterday, I meet a couple of the exchange students. Two were from the States, one from Italy, one from France, two from Sweden (one was a host sister to one of the Americans, the other was leaving for her own exchange in a few days), another Canadian, and three Australians. Thus far, they are all amiable, well spoken, and nervous as hell. Seriously. I think that the only really relaxed people there were the three Australians. Everyone else was a little tense at first. But after we had fika at the Cafe Rosa, we all relaxed and enjoyed a day walking around town. Fika, before I forget, is a Swedish term referring to drinking coffee (or any beverage) and having cake with other people. The original plan was to watch Inception, but that plan was scrapped because some people had to leave to catch their trains before the movie would have been finished. So then, we walked by a bowling alley. While some of us went to get food, others went to see if the bowling alley was open. It wasn't. Another bowling alley was also closed. By the end of the day, we found ourselves sitting under a tree in a park located downtown. When the time to catch trains came, we all split up and went home, or to the bar, or somewhere. Wherever. I think, it was a good day.
It's raining today. XD
Monday, August 9, 2010
Fourth
Hej, Hej!
Rain is the current sum of my life right now. Yesterday, it was raining. Today, it rained a little bit. When my plane landed, it was raining. Any day that it has not been raining, it has been cloudy with the sun shining through. I was sent to the perfect country. The weather does something. And it's constant. As much as I enjoy Calgary's unpredictable weather with all its twists and turns, there is something comforting in the idea that when I wake up in the morning, the weather will be the same the whole day.
Green is an unofficial national colour. There are trees and flowers (blooma) everywhere. Moss (mosse) grows on the rocks and cliffs, there are small plants in between the cobblestones, ivy grows everywhere. Poison ivy is also a common sight, depending on where one is. On Saturday, my hand brushed up against a poison ivy bush. Did it hurt? Nej. It was mildly irritating, though. But the colour green is everywhere. If one steps outside, one is probably standing on something green.
Karin (my host mom) and I wandered through the botanical garden on our way home from the bank today. It was so beautiful. The gardener's, it seemed to me, have their own patch where they stylize it based on a particular country. I walked through a classical European garden, a Japanese garden, a Mexican garden, and so on. I also meet the cat who wanders the grounds. Mostly, however, the cat was by the cafe. She was a brown tabby with 16 toes. :)
All told, it took us about 3 hours, by foot, to get home. Between Gothenburg and Mölndal, there is this massive hill. Karin and I walked around this hill through a forest. The forest was old. With unexpected wonders. We passed by a lake with lily pads on it. I took a picture.
The days go by slowly. Most of the times, it feels as though this is normal now. Other times, it feels as though I'm in the wrong country. Forget country, try wrong continent. But the city is beautiful with it's buildings from the Industrial Revolution, to buildings from early 1900's, to more contemporary architecture.
Rain is the current sum of my life right now. Yesterday, it was raining. Today, it rained a little bit. When my plane landed, it was raining. Any day that it has not been raining, it has been cloudy with the sun shining through. I was sent to the perfect country. The weather does something. And it's constant. As much as I enjoy Calgary's unpredictable weather with all its twists and turns, there is something comforting in the idea that when I wake up in the morning, the weather will be the same the whole day.
Green is an unofficial national colour. There are trees and flowers (blooma) everywhere. Moss (mosse) grows on the rocks and cliffs, there are small plants in between the cobblestones, ivy grows everywhere. Poison ivy is also a common sight, depending on where one is. On Saturday, my hand brushed up against a poison ivy bush. Did it hurt? Nej. It was mildly irritating, though. But the colour green is everywhere. If one steps outside, one is probably standing on something green.
Karin (my host mom) and I wandered through the botanical garden on our way home from the bank today. It was so beautiful. The gardener's, it seemed to me, have their own patch where they stylize it based on a particular country. I walked through a classical European garden, a Japanese garden, a Mexican garden, and so on. I also meet the cat who wanders the grounds. Mostly, however, the cat was by the cafe. She was a brown tabby with 16 toes. :)
All told, it took us about 3 hours, by foot, to get home. Between Gothenburg and Mölndal, there is this massive hill. Karin and I walked around this hill through a forest. The forest was old. With unexpected wonders. We passed by a lake with lily pads on it. I took a picture.
The days go by slowly. Most of the times, it feels as though this is normal now. Other times, it feels as though I'm in the wrong country. Forget country, try wrong continent. But the city is beautiful with it's buildings from the Industrial Revolution, to buildings from early 1900's, to more contemporary architecture.
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