Author: Guestblogger (Page 10 of 18)

Most people, especially the new international students I encounter, dread the long, dark and gloomy Swedish winters. Totally understandable. No one looks forward for total dark times where just a glimpse of the sunlight feels like a blessing.

Life goes on; seasons come and go; the natural order follow. Human’s extraordinary capacity to adjust is put to test again and again, every year. The most common thing people I meet do is to keep themselves occupied with numerous activities such as practicing sports, joining gym or doing yoga and meditation- sometimes even both, taking part in innumerable activities Uppsala’s student nations and unions have to offer, playing video games, bingeing TV series and movies thanks to numerous service providers, etc. A lot of international students, especially the ones on exchange, travel around as well.

But let me show a different side of these seemingly scary winters.

Wise people tell that only in our darkest time, we start appreciating everything we are blessed with.

True here as well.

Sometimes, between the never-ending cloudy and short day-lengths time periods, the Sun shows up. And everything in this brief period starts to look heavenly.

These beautiful frozen, wraith-like frosts can also be sometimes observed on not-so-sunny days.

It is definitely worth a walk during your weekends just to observe and appreciate this calmness winter brings with it.

You guessed it, walking literally anywhere isn’t very safe. But no worries, the Uppsala Kommun takes care of frequently used roads and side-tracks as noticeable from the previous picture.

So, you made a proper use of your Sunday and did very presumable stereotypical Uppsala things such as:

Watching the Botanical garden from the castle

Looked around on your way back home to the tallest cathedral of the Scandinavia, literally visible from most of the places in and around Uppsala

But these things aren’t the ones you are going to do every time, Fact. Scary? Nothing to worry!

It is also said (probably by some other wise people), that the sunset after a cold day are spectacular.

Seldom a bit too unnatural as well

These things, the ones we are so used to in our daily lives, the things we take for granted, if I have to put it plainly, yet poetically, the winters take it from us- only to return them later in most heartfelt way.

Things like listening to the birds chirp and watch them go to their homes in the evening after a long day

Birds become happy as well, since they suddenly appear out of nowhere once the day-length starts to increase, and our days become melodious again

The very long nights which are associated with fatigue, suddenly becomes a blessing on a cloud-less evening when the heaven lovingly looks upon and enchants us

Who knows, what else is up its sleeves? Probably something incredibly rare as well?

Things which appear so normal, so usual, something which escapes our attention just because they are so obvious, are presented to us in a different manner. Such as a tempting football ground in the backyard

Or yet another old academic block right next to your door

Some international students don’t go to their home during the short unofficial winter vacations due to various reasons. It doesn’t mean that one should let the overwhelming cloudy days take over them!

One can do a very Scandinavian thing- go for skating over the frozen lakes and rivers! (or rather just enjoy from a distance)

Or
Be very brave and catch a train up north in the wilderness

Because who knows, that this wilderness maybe hiding the treasure of a lifetime!

Treasure or not, it definitely offers an easy trip to amazing Norway which also has tons of nature to offer, thanks to the mountains and fjords!

So, that’s the trick, isn’t it. To keep moving. No matter what the life has to offer. Who knows what adventures lie ahead! What is yet to be discovered!

Maybe something weird, yet unique?

On taking a break from our philosophical journey, I’ll answer a query. Yes, it is definitely not everyday when we get to see such spectacular sceneries and yes, the time period between late October and mid January may be challenging since there’s less snow and its cloudy most of the time. It’s wet and dark mostly. But again, no one is alone and with so many activities to do, the time flies and before we know it, the promised beautiful dawn after the darkest waits for us.

Meanwhile, the municipality takes quite interesting steps to make the city livelier. This winter, a light festival was organised where numerous artists created interesting pieces of arts with lights! Here’s a quick overview! (Uppsala Light Festival 1st-18th of November 2018 // Allt ljus på Uppsala 2018)

One can still appreciate the city’s lights even when the festival is not taking place

So, thanks for travelling the journey of a differently approached winter with me. See you around!

/Ash

If I say the words “northern light” what do you think about?

You think about this kind of green waves in the sky that you saw in picture or video. If you are a normal person then you should find these so beautiful that you absolutely want to see it at least one time in your life. It is the same for me but my probability to see northern lights where I’m living in the south of France is near to 0 %…What a surprise! Moreover, I heard that even in the north, northern lights are a phenomenon very rare and that many traveler’s hopes were broken by clouds or a low sun activity. So it sounds like you have more chance to win the lottery than see northern lights.

Nevertheless, when I came to Uppsala to study and saw that we had the opportunity to visit Swedish Lapland then I said to myself “Why not?”.  So, we organized with my friends a trip to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland. We planned to do many activities like snowmobile and sled dog and everybody said that norther lights were a bonus and that it won’t be dramatic if we don’t see them. However, the reality was that we all hope to see them, but we didn’t accept it to not be disappointed if the sky doesn’t turn to the green.

The first think to take care is the weather, because if there is cloud in the sky you won’t be able to see anything, except if you can fly above them but I doubt about it. Nevertheless, as the sun activity, the weather is not a data that you can predict because we can not really trust the meteor channel, mainly if the weather forecasts change in function of the channel. So, when we arrive at Kiruna the February 28, the first good point was that the weather was nice! The second one was that many persons living there told us that the weather forecasts predict hight sun activity. Our hope increased.

When the night fall, the camp director told us to keep an eye outside to be able to detect any green lights. I listened him and stick my nose against the window, looking for any signs. At this moment, two of my friends decided to go to the sauna and proposed me to go there too. I told them that they are crazy. How could they manage to observe northern lights if they are enclosed in a sauna? They told me that they will be able to go outside in undershirt if they saw northern lights through the sauna window. I will never know if they were be able to do that because when they return they told us to take a warm coat and go outside. I had never taken a coat as fast as I did this night. When we came outside we saw green line in the sky. We hear people scream “Northern lights!” to warn everybody.

Even if it doesn’t look like we saw in picture we were so happy to be able to see it, even if it was small. But the line starts to increase and cross all the sky like a huge rainbow. Few minutes later, these green lights covered a big part of the sky. We could move our head in all the ways to see different forms like a tornado or a cyclone

Obviously, when you are the witness of a show like this it is difficult to not take your camera to capture these green lights. Then we assist to a paradox because in one hand we think that we should better to enjoy the moment rather to use our camera but in the other hand we know that we assist to a very rare phenomenon and we want to capture this moment.

By the way, we are not equal about the camera level. Some people have already prepared a fix professional camera long time ago before the northern lights arrived while some people like us just use smartphones. The challenge was to manage to take a photo of us with northern lights behind us to prove to everyone that we saw them! The strategy was to light the person while another person takes the photo.

When the Instagram photos and the proves were done we were ready to come to our mobile home when someone scream “Look! it’s turn to pink!”. We look at the sky and effectively a little pink color appeared in the green light and the whole start to move like a dance. To be honest I was too chocked by the beauty of what I was seeing that I have difficulties to remember the scene well.  After this, the northern lights started to disappear like a firework after the final show.

We came back inside and while we were cooking pasta we repeated all the time “We saw northern lights”. We had difficulties to realize what we have seen. Some people in the camp told us that it was a dream for them to see northern lights. That’s it, we assisted to a dream which came true for some people.

So if you share the same dream, tell yourself that is not impossible because if a simple student group in week end at Kiruna managed to see them, you could manage as well!

/Johan

Almost everyone who comes to Sweden knows what Swedish fika is. However, not everyone is familiar with typical traditional Swedish pastry (cinnamon buns don’t count!). Here is a small guide to traditional Swedish sweets you can (or even must) try during the next fika.

Punschrulle
Punschrulle is a small cylindrical sweet which is made of the mixture of biscuits and butter cocoa, and flavoured with punsch liqueur. It is covered with green-coloured marzipan with the ends dipped in chocolate. Funny fact: punsch-roll is often called dammsugare or vacuum-cleaner in English – this nickname doesn’t only refer to the appearance of the sweet but also comes from the fact that in the past bakers used to collect crumbs from the previous bakery in order to fill the punch-rolls. Punschrulle day is annually celebrated in Sweden on the 7^th of March, so don’t forget to mark this day in your calendar!

Semla
Semla is a traditional Swedish sweet roll which you can see in the windows of all cafés and bakeries all across the country during the period from Christmas to Easter. Typical semla is a cardamom-spiced bun with an almond paste and whipped cream which is covered with sugar powder. Originally, semla was eaten only on the day before Lent which is called Fat Tuesday (Fettisdagen) – that’s why semla is also known as fettisdagsbulle. However, nowadays Swedes don’t stick to this tradition anymore and have fika with semla whenever they want. If you haven’t tried this amazing bun yet, you still have time to do that!

Princesstårta
Princesstårta is a cake which consists of several layers of sponge cake, jam, whipped and pastry cream. It is covered with a thin layer of marzipan (which is usually green-colored) and decorated with a pink marzipan rose on the top. The cake was created in the first half of the 20^th century by Jenny Åkerström, a teacher of three daughters of Prince Carl, a brother of King Gustav V. Little princesses loved this cake very much, that is why it received its modern name. Despite the fact that the official week for the Princesstårta is the third week of September, you can find this cake in many cafés of Sweden. Nowadays it is very widespread to make this cake in different colours according to certain celebrations. For example, red Princesstårta is typical for Christmas and the white one for a wedding.

Chokladboll
Chocolate balls are another popular pastry in Sweden. These small balls are usually made of oatmeal, sugar, cocoa and sometimes coffee, and covered in shredded coconut. The first reference to a coconut ball dates back to 1943 when the first recipe was published in one of the Swedish newspapers. The pastry immediately gained popularity as it was very easy to make. It’s interesting to know that originally the sweet was called negerboll, but later was replaced by its current name due to the public debates about some racist connotations. Nowadays, the pastry is also known as kokosboll (coconut ball) or havreboll (oat ball).

There’s plenty of nice cafés in Uppsala where you can have a cosy fika and enjoy these pastries, but I will write more about this in one of my next blogs. Stay tuned!

/Masha

Those good and bad things you will never know about a gasque (or gask) until you try it by yourself.

For new exchange students in Uppsala University, going to one gasque is always on the must do list. From the international Gasque to other several variations hosted by student nations, it is almost impossible not to be enticed by trying such a tradition-oriented event. I chose the one proposed by my nation with other two nations as collaborators and collected opinions and experiences from myself and other participants to compose this story so that my dear readers, you will have something prepared in mind about what you may experience both good and bad in your future Gasque.

The reccegasque at Östgöta nation

Merits

A Reccegasque was composed of four sessions: reception ceremony, pre-drink, dinner, and after party. From three o’clock in the afternoon to midnight. Such a long marathon in my opinion was designed to cater to the maximum students who have various expectations toward what a first formal nation event should look like.

For example, first, the formal reception ceremony held at university aula (The University Main Building) displayed the most magnificent side of nation traditions. Members from each nation followed their nation flag and marched from their own nation house to the university aula. We stood in lines at two sides of the building, and entered the main building once the emcee called our nation’s name. When everybody was well arranged at their seats, here came the speakers such as Curator Curatorum and Vice-Chancellor for welcoming speeches followed by a live performance from nation choir and the award presentation to those students who have special contributions to their nations. In between, it was the music played by the orchestra to mark the transition of each small session.

After the reception ceremony, it was the time for interpersonal interactions. New members were guided to one nation house for pre-drink while waiting for the dinner at another nation house. The dinner was held at Östgöta nation with classic stairs leading up to the main dining hall. According to the seating plan, participants could easily find their name plates on the designated seat. Those who sitting next to you could be your friends, or even a stranger but later becomes your friends and ushers you into another social group. (Here is exactly my experience which I will share it in next blog) I truly agree with the notion explained by the inspectors about what the value of a nation is: It is a place where encourages students to socialize with other students with different professions, backgrounds, and life experiences. During the dinner, three dishes were divided by several nation songs, speeches, performances, and tons of dialogues exchanged on the same table.

Almost around 23 o’clock, the dinner went to the ending. To continue the atmosphere for nice dialogues, participants were invited to the second round after party in their own nation houses. In GH nation house, the place usually used for dinning became dance floors. With fast shining light and non stop music by the live DJ, people entered another state where some of them were very proud to boast, “I AM SUPER DRUNK” in another random conversations in the toilet.

Suggestion for improvement

As I said in the beginning, there is more or less some sort of secret fantasy about this event. No matter from the Facebook event page or the oral promotion given by the nation representatives, it sounds like if you never try Gasque, your student life seems to miss one piece of puzzle to be completed. Therefore, before joining this event by yourself, you could imagine this event in very different ways. Once I tried it by myself, I saw some part I like from the bottom heart, some are new and striking to accept right away, some are of course deserve improvement, and mostly they are the problem of logistics such as time management and transition arrangement.

As a curious participant, if you want to participate in everything, what you need is a 12 hour energy battery. According to the time schedule given from the Facebook event page, the first session started at 15:00 and lasted until midnight for the party. We came to the gathering point on time, but then realized an extra waiting time was needed before everything starts. As the night fell, the dinner times kicked off, but then within almost three hours, we were served only one dish, which was the entrée pie at the already passed dinner time.  Between each dish, participants were invited to leave the dining room and wait outside. Finally, when the delicious dessert and coffee were served, it was almost 23 o’clock, which makes the coffee itself as an energy stimulant look a bit embarrassing.

The transition between each session is the biggest challenge for organizers and participants because all of them were held at different places. On one hand, in a chilly evening, wearing high heels, formal dresses, and suits, walking on snow covered streets, it was as miserable as a bride running away from the wedding. Therefore, I noticed many students chose smart outfits rather than formal dress code or skipped the first two sessions to overcome this inconvenience. On the other hand, for the organizers, it was hard to use only one venue to serve such a group of people with a row of activities especially when the office team was probably outnumbered.

Good and bad experiences happen all the time in cross-cultural context. They are a process of cultural encounter and personal growth because when a person faces these conflicts, he gets to know what general people like and what himself likes, which will make a person more assured of his goal and preference at the end.

/Huiyu

Do you want to go skiing in Sweden? Travel to Åre!

This teeny tiny town in Jämtland, northern Sweden, has the biggest alpine skiing region in the country. By the way, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships were just held in Åre, so maybe you have already seen the slopes on TV.

Half of my class went there just a few weeks ago. We were lucky enough to know about Studentkortet’s Skiweek Åre – every year, some thousand students enjoy the snow in Åre during three weeks in January. The 5-day ski pass and accommodations are super cheap during that time, you get lunch on the slopes and sooo many things for free (really student-friendly!). If you’re still in Uppsala next year, check it out!

We had a blast! Situated only seven hours by train from Uppsala, Åre consists of three different ski areas and has slopes for skiers of all levels, so that even international students who had never skied before could try it out. The nature was beautiful, and we were lucky enough to have some great, sunny days. Apart from skiing, we also discovered some new bits of Swedish culture (in form of Swedish after ski songs, with really great educational value).

I would really recommend taking a trip there if you love outdoor sports. Such a cool experience!

/Anne

Bonjour!

Let us imagine a situation. You are a French student who just arrived in Sweden, more precisely at Uppsala. You are very happy to be here, you have heard that Swedish people are very cool and that Swedish women are beautiful, so you can’t wait to meet Swedish people. Fortunately, the different nations allow you to participate at many events and parties which offer opportunities to meet new persons. You have two options.

The first is that you can be brave and break the ice with strangers and start the conversation (you don’t need to precise that you come from France because everybody can hear it).

The second option is to be introduced by people you already know and then the mistake is coming. You start by a “Hello” or “Hi”, you approach the cheek and then it’s a disaster… The person on the otherside goes back by looking at you as a crazy man. “Damn what I he doing? He wants to attack me? We never met before and I already want a physical contact?” Yes indeed, we want because it ordinary for us to say hello by this way and its curious how a respect mark in one country can become a cheeky one in another. After this refusal, an unease takes place and you wonder if you are hideous or if your breath stinks but after explains you just realize that is not the right way to say hello. So, you can laugh about that and you use this subject to start the conversation and this mistake could be a good opportunity to talk about your culture.

So, for all the persons who kiss on the cheek to say hello, I recommend you avoid that to avoid being discomforted. For all the persons who would say “Yes but we can do it and say after that it’s our culture like an excuse” I think that there is better way to speak about your culture without embarrass people you are meeting. It’s just an advice. You just can use your hand to say hello and it’s the same to say goodbye because I don’t think that embarrass the person you just met is a good way to make a good first feeling.

However, we can notice that Swedish like hug to say goodbye. Even if you don’t really know the person, you could have the right to receive a wonderful hug (imagine my surprise when a woman gave me a warm hug even though we have just exchange two words). So, the question is, why some Swedish are annoyed with cheek contact while they are ready to make a contact with your whole body with hugs? It’s a question for who wants to be a millionaire.

/Johan

Let me introduce Dag Hammarskjöld to you
Part #1 in the series “People of Uppsala”

Although Uppsala is not too big of a city, it has produced quite some remarkable people. They walked on the same streets as we did, or have lived in close proximity to our corridor student homes. Some of them have been of great importance for our home away from home, Uppsala that is. Others have left an international imprint, or just on us. All of them have one thing in common: we think they are worthwhile to write about. And that is what we will do.

During my semester in Uppsala I work as an intern at the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. I am involved in their inclusivity project and research how UN agencies operationalize and promote inclusivity at the country level. I am conducting this desk-review on The Gambia, while also contributing to other activities related to their UN 2030 Agenda work. The Foundation has been set up in honour of a great civil servant, the second secretary general of the UN. The man who effectively restructured the UN, who created a base for peacekeeping, who was a exceptional negotiator. The man who died in a plane crash on a mission to mediate in the 1960’s Congo crisis. The man who posthumously has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Last monday, I was all ready to start. I walked towards the office in the snow and although it was -15 degrees, I could not have been happier. The cold did not withhold me to go outside but the office heating was not as strong. Anita, the office manager, told me to go back home. I could take the book about Dag Hammarskjöld with me, to read, to get to know a bit more about the “remarkable man” as she said it. Once in my room I curled up in my chair under a plaid, with the book on my lap (the book is called Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings of his Life and is written by Henrik Berggren) . I realized that all the superlatives used in the same sentence when someone speaks of Dag Hammarskjöld, are indeed not misplaced. Let me introduce him to you, through some quotes I have read in the book.

“Wild roses and night-flowering silene flower on the slope down to the old path. The hawks mother have found their way to the honeysuckles that clings to the east wall. The trees are swollen with lush greenery.”

Hammarskjöld grew up in Uppsala, in the famous red coloured castle. Most of his writings about his youth are not too happy, having a difficult relationship with his father. His father had high expectations of the four Hammarskjöld boys, which they all felt pressured by. This written piece, however, presents a happy memory of his childhood surroundings.

“As a schoolboy here, I was in a certain position – it is not too much to say that it was a lonely one, since the other boys consistently regarded me as a rather critical stranger – and in a sense grew in me of being not only uninteresting but – at least occasionally- “a minus.”

He was remarkable, in the sense that he often felt alone for no good reason.In most of his writings he reflects on his position in life, unsure about it, and how he thought it was difficult to socially interact. These reflections are brutally honest and show a personal insecurity. He is also just a man. A man who dared to present his vulnerable side and exactly that made him strong at the same time, I believe.

“A wind from my unknown goal. Stirs the strings. Of expectation.”

Not only was he unsure about his position in life, his future was also rather insecure. Dag Hammarskjöld graduated as an economist and had imagined an academic career. His PhD time, however, wasn’t as he expected and he decided to follow his father’s path as a civil servant for the Swedish government.

More importantly that his economic background, are the philosophy courses he had followed during his academic years. These courses have formed his values, values he greatly lived by. Especially the value of neutrality, which he considered to be the greatest good of all times. Especially for civil servants.

“To say yes to life, is to say yes also to yourself.”

When Dag Hammarskjöld came to be the second secretary general, he have said: “For all that has been – thanks! To all that shall be – yes!”. This saying clearly shows that he was ready for the new job, for a position where he would not have to struggle (or at least in a smaller manner) with its holy objective of neutrality, as he had done the years before while working in the Swedish government. The quote “To say yes to life, is to say yes also to yourself”, I believe, represents the same attitude while it being more personal. He considered it once in a lifetime opportunity for which he wanted to give everything.

“To observe as Hammarskjöld tackled an international crisis was like watching an artistic masterpiece or listening to an outstanding musical work.”

Urquhart, a UN colleague who was impressed by Hammarskjöld mediation skills and, as you can read in the quote, compared it to outstanding achievements. Dag’s most known diplomatic successes are impressive: the release of American soldiers by China during the Korean war and the resolution of the Suez Canal crisis in 1956. He practiced the form of preventive diplomacy which has been an important heritage for the UN.

“What I ask for is absurd: that life shall have a meaning.”

Let me end with this short but powerful saying. Reading the book, I believe that this quote represents Dag Hammarskjöld and his position at the UN the best. Like I have said, he was also just a man. A man with doubts. Just a man. Just a person.

/Lidewij

What you can do in Uppsala libraries are more than academic study

If you come from the places southern than Sweden, the first challenge of your adaption in Uppsala around this season is definitely the cold. Just check the weekly temperature on the weather forecast(minus 7 to 11, minus 16) or take a glimpse at the snowy scene from the window, it is shocking enough to attempt me to stay indoor. However, staying in a ten to twenty meter room for a whole day sounds very boring and pessimistic. Then where can I go to avoid the cold but also have some fun and gain new knowledge? Libraries in Uppsala is a good option. They are not merely the places where people always associate with academic study. Among all university and city libraries in Uppsala, I choose three libraries to display their multi-functions which we all can benefit from. By taking this library adventure, you can more or less a have partial understanding of Swedish culture in terms of their interior design, value of life, and the accumulation of social and cultural assets.

• Carolina Rediviva (Uppsala University Library)
• Karin Boye-biblioteket(Karin Boye library in English Park Campus)
• Stadsbiblioteket (City Library in Uppsala)

Karin Boye-biblioteket  A personal space for relaxing and self reflection

Sometimes, after the fight for a hectic day, our body and mind are in need of a personal space. The space is not necessarily to be totally silent or private, but we expect the environment and atmosphere to be cozy and free enough. In that moment, we earn our personal time either to reflect our whole day, our next plan, or simply just to take a break. To find this place, many people think it is mostly to do with the personal status, but there is something special a space can do to stimulate this feeling. I found these elements in Karin Boye-biblioteket during my first visit.

Just a couple of days after my arrival in Uppsala, I asked the librarian where I can find a meeting room inside the library. The librarian nicely explained to me, “There is no specific meeting room in the library, but you can find almost everywhere in the campus with compartments or chairs and tables put together for people to discuss.” Next, she showed me a graphic about volume use suggestion in different areas of the library from normal voice & group study area, low voice area, quiet area, to quite reading room. Though it is a suggestion, a clear division between collaborative and individual learning shows respect for different users and ensures all of them can enjoy good quality time in the library. Before climbing up to the first floor, at the small corner right next to the stairs I found a basket. Some fluffy blankets sit right inside the basket. They are provided by the library for anyone who needs to keep warm during their reading at the library. Once everything I needed is well taken care of, I grabbed a seat against the window.  While dropping myself off to the story, though my physical being stayed in this warm space, I was free to be brought to anywhere without hindrance of any kind of weather condition.

Carolina Rediviva – A living museum to appreciate historic architecture and installation

Have you ever thought of making a pilgrimage to the library? This is not an exaggeration but the attitude I hold every time when I visit Carolina Rediviva. No matter the building itself as a historic architecture or the interior installation of collections and reading area, every piece of this library displays itself as a precious treasure that you feel like you are visiting a private museum.

The building have sit on one tip of the triangle together with the cathedral and castle since mid-18 century. At first, it was university’s main building and not used as a library until late 18 century after the new university building was built. From the perspective of landscape, the way of my entry has to go through an upward slope, which somehow creates a sense of holiness.  Currently, the library is under renovation, so visitors have to enter from the side door. The ground floor looks simple but precise. While taking a bird’s eye view from the first floor, the carpet with several white lines extending to the end becomes the background of all the objects and gives fluidity to the space. Following these lines, I am lead to the great reading room (A). In front of me is a hemisphere area, a bust of marble sculpture poses himself in the center surrounded by other bookshelves filled with art related portfolios and books. My right and left hand side are rows of study tables heading to two book walls symmetrically echoing to each other. The colorful book covers shine upon the tall beige columns and ceiling. I am in awe of this incredible scene where the magic power of knowledge has been ingrained in this particular place for more than three hundred years.

Stadsbiblioteket – A social venue to exchange ideas

A municipal level of library is a melting pot where gathers people with all kinds of backgrounds. Not being limited to students or researchers gives me a wider perspective to examine whether Uppsala deserves the prestige: the city of learning, from the social functions that Stadsbiblioteket possess.

Outside of the library, first of all, you see a row of posters promoting the latest cultural activities. The topics range from political, gender, environmental, social issues. Going up through the stairs, the magazine and newspaper area is at the right hand side, but it is rather chaotic for these materials are usually for quick and skim reading and encourage casual conversations or multitasks while reading. If you want to find a more quite place, go straight to the main building. The reception desk is a three dimensional circle cut into five pieces. As long as you have questions, get a number from the machine, and wait for your personal librarian’s assistance. For an international student who has zero Swedish, asking for help is nothing shameful. From the official website, direction boards, indication on the bookshelves, and some practical paper information are almost in Swedish. Even I tried to use google translation in advance, it is not easy to find what I want on the spot. As a simple sentence from its official websites said, “At the library, you can get help finding a book for you.” This slogan is not only for people who have language difficulty. It also applies to different types of learners such as those who need bigger text print, audio service, sign language, etc.

Behind the reception desk, a small podium is set there. Two sofa and an advertisement board give me a hint for this setting must be a book forum. In this same area, special book stands present the book suggestion from the librarians based on the monthly theme. At the periphery of the rectangular library, rooms for language practice particularly Swedish, youth books and games, biography, novel, audio collections are available, down to the basement for children books, or to the second floor for collections of foreign languages and studying room.  The library also hosts activities to increase social interactions such as lectures, exhibitions, book club, help for homework, etc.

The latest PISA assessment result (2015) shows students in Sweden score 500 points, on average, in reading – above the OECD average of 493 points. Their performance stands competitively out from the total 72 participating countries and economies. Reading is an ability to learn new knowledge, which easily happens in the library. As libraries are not just a place for academic study, its versatility becomes the stimulus to attract people’s continued visit. As long as going to the library is like an adventure, a habit of doing cultural activities, various motivations are satisfied, and that could bring about a power of life in all stages and seasons.

/HuiYu

Hej,

Welcome to a new semester in this beautiful town of ours, which offers so many opportunities to everybody who is ready for adventures, new friends, and cold nights. My name is Layla, I am an exchange student, and just five months ago I was in the exact same situation as all of you newcomers. I did not know anybody in Uppsala, could barely understand the Swedish cashier, and was completely overwhelmed by the concept of nations. So, in an attempt to give you all an insight, I today want to take a moment to talk about my nation story so far.

And no, sorry to disappoint, I am not here to tell you which one to join. All 13 nations are wonderful in their own way. That burden of choice rests upon your shoulders. However, I am here to tell you about my experience of getting involved and working at my nation this past semester, because it honestly was the best decision I made back in August.

My Position: Klubbverket

So, let’s get started! This past semester, I was a club worker, which is one of the most intensive jobs to have at nations. If the full-timers are the backbone and brain of the nation, as a club worker you are the limbs. You are the hands that make burgers and the feet that work long shifts. Without club workers, nations cannot function.

More concretely, I was the main responsible for one shift at the pub or kitchen every week. In addition, I worked the gasques (= formal dinners) and cleaning days, which both take place around once a month. And yes, that adds up to quite a lot of hours, unpaid hours in fact! I do not want to sugar coat this: Some days, I spent more time at the nation than at home. However, I was lucky enough to have a pretty low-intensity study load, which definitely helped me coordinate the on-average 15 hours of club work every week with the rest of my schedule. In fact, as an exchange student, I very much enjoyed choosing more emphases than ‘just’ university.

What I Learned

As a club worker, I learnt a lot. First off, I learnt how to function with little sleep and lots of coffee. During my first proper week on duty in September, I worked a gasque (~ 20h) and my regular pub shift (~ 10h) a mere eight hours after. That was rough. However, that also meant that I very quickly made friends with my fellow club workers. And as an international student, you will know that it isn’t easy to make friends with Swedes! However, I succeeded and still am very close with them till now.

Second off, I learnt a lot of practical skills. I learnt how to pour beer correctly, how to cook some bomb burgers in a professional kitchen, how to stick to Swedish alcohol laws, and how to clean even the worst of stains. I memorized a lot of Swedish songs and had discussions on politics with customers at 1 am. Being a club worker taught me so much about Swedish culture, people, and traditions, which would of have been difficult to learn outside of the nation.

My Favorite Memories

In addition to my position and learnings, I would lastly like to talk about my favorite memories to also show you the really fun part about club work, ‘cause who wants to work all the time?! Definitely not me.

As a club worker, I got the KK-card, which enabled me to access all släpps (after-parties) and nation clubs for free and skip the queue. That meant a lot of nights spent on the dance floor. One of my favorite memories is therefore with my club worker friends blasting out the lyrics of some song we had insider jokes with at any kind of party. If you spend that much time together, you quickly have lots of shared funny stories. And lots of funny photos.

I also got to attend a gasque and ball by the Kurators Konventet put on specifically for all the club workers and full-timers. That was really cool, since for once we all did not have to work but got to dress up and be served by others. From experience, I can tell you: Those who work the hardest, also party the hardest. After the ball, we danced for hours and then ended up chatting till 6 am at one of our homes. At 7 am, I bought toilet paper at ICA Folkes while still wearing my floor-length ball gown.

Seizing Your Time

You have now heard about my experience as a club worker, however, there is also so many other opportunities for you as an international or exchange student to make your stay in Uppsala more memorable. Nations make that process much easier, since they offer many ways to make your voice be heard. One of my most valuable realizations this past semester was: Nobody else is going to make my year abroad special. That obligation lies with me. Only I can make these ten months I’ve got wonderful by being open, taking chances, and getting involved.

Therefore, I want to encourage you to truly make the most of your stay! Get out there and experience Uppsala student life! It has something for everybody and promises not to get boring. And don’t worry, not everything is as intense as club work! Right now, you are probably swamped by everything, but at the end of the day, it does not really matter which nation colors you are wearing, as long as you seized the time you had. Worry less, enjoy more!

If you have any questions about nations, student life, or club work – please feel free to leave me a comment! I hope to meet as many of you as possible during the five months I’ve got left.

All the best,

/Layla

It’s Christmas time! Are you also looking forward to candles and Christmas trees and presents? When I first came here, I missed out on a few Swedish traditions, just because I did not know about them. That is why I am sharing my Christmas time bucket list with you this year.

This is what I am planning to do:

• Baking lussekatter with friends. You will find these pretty yellow saffron buns in every supermarket, but they taste way better when you make them yourself!
  
• Seeing a Lucia-concert in the cathedral. On December 13, Swedes celebrate Santa Lucia’s day. I am sure you have heard about it. It is magical to see a dressed-up procession singing Lucia songs. The songs, the candles and the whole atmosphere create an instant Christmas-feeling. Have a look here!
• Going to a Christmas market, even though they might not be as impressive as in my home country Germany. 😉
  
• Watching SVTs julkalender every day. It is a tradition that Swedish television produces a Christmas calendar in form of a children’s series that releases a new episode every morning, from the 1^st to the 24^th. Perfect for you who is learning Swedish… and really cute!
• Having a Christmas celebration with my friends with a loooot of tasty food (Try googling a Swedish julbord).

All these activities make it easier to get over the homesickness that comes inevitably before Christmas. They light up the cold and dark as well! What are you planning to do in the next weeks?

Happy Holidays to you all! God jul!
/Anne