Author: Guestblogger (Page 12 of 18)

Learning Swedish must be the most common resolution among international students. However, like any language, Swedish comes with a wide range of possibilities to make mistakes. Blundering your way through learning  a new language may be very awkward, but it might also be the most efficient way to learn. Not only because you will forever remember your cringe-worthy mistake, but also because you will tell your friends about it, repeating what you should’ve said (or, like me, write a blog about it, for the whole world to know).

My most awkward Swedish situation so far happened at Flying Tiger. For those who don’t know: it’s the ultimate store for everything you need in your students room, that you forgot at Ikea and don’t want to go all the way back for. Can openers, laundry bags, those kinds of things. I had gathered a pile of stuff that I did or didn’t need and went to the counter to do what I usually do: pretend to be Swedish (and pay, of course). Pretending to be Swedish starts very easy: you put the desired articles on the counter while you say “hej hej”, in a high pitch voice, the first ‘hej’ a bit higher than the second. The cashier will scan the items and ask something that most likely means “do you want a bag?”. Usually I take my own bag, so I politely decline saying “nej tack”. However, this time I was unsure whether the cashier asked about a bag, or about something else. The only way to solve it was to drop my incognito Swedish identity and ask “wait… that means ‘do you want a bag?’, right?” Polite as the Swedish are, the cashier apologised for speaking Swedish, to which I replied that I was trying to learn Swedish anyway. He explained to me that ‘påse’ means bag, and asked in Swedish whether I wanted a ‘kvitto’ (receipt). Of course he had to explain what ‘kvitto’ means as well. 

I meant to go to the office supply shop next door to get tape and batteries. Unfortunately, they only had super-sticky-double-sided-invisible-magic-tape, which of course costed ten times as much as regular tape. Therefore I decided to go back to Flying Tiger, which at least put me in the position of practising the words I had just learned. Of course I ended up at the same counter as before. The conversation (IN SWEDISH!) went quite well, until the final moment when the cashier told me to “har en bra dag”. Now, I knew what these words meant, however, what is tricky is the Swedish intonation: the Swedes tend to sound surprised with everything they say. Therefore my brain decided in a split second that the cashier had asked me whether I had a nice day, and I promptly blurted out a very loud “ja!” (in my defence, it had been a very nice day). Slightly embarrassed, the cashier politely explained to me that he actually had meant to wish me a good day.

Walking out I got a text from my housemate. “Since you’re there, could you bring me a stapler?”

“Nah man, I just walked out the second time. If I go in again, the cashier will either think I am very dumb, or madly in love with him”

/Anne Fleur Van Luenen

Introduction and short history – By Erik Skogh, edited by Rhianna Rees

You’ve arrived in Sweden’s fourth largest City, home to the tallest church building in Scandinavia and thousands of students. There’s a lot for you to get acquainted with, and quickly. You have perhaps signed up for basic Swedish courses – you may discover you don’t really need them if you’re only here for a short time, as almost everyone speaks English fluently. You may have also heard about the nations and seen old large houses around the city…

These houses are historical and cultural landmarks, protected buildings. Flags fly above each of the houses to signify their affiliation to the district they represent. In total there are 13 nations and every nation is famous in its own right, for various different reasons.

You may have heard people tell you to join a nation. Being a part of a nation in Uppsala is like having a home away from home, a place where you can play sports with friends, start bands, sing, study, work, play and have fun. There’s a reason why there are more and more ‘jubilee members’ – those who have been members for 50 years or more.

Choosing your nation – Infographic by one of our bloggers

Hej hej!

Some of you might be reading this before you come to study in Uppsala on exchange or for your masters degree and we on the International Committee (the IK) can’t wait to welcome the thousands of international students that will arrive.

The IK is made up from representatives (International Secretaries) from all 13 student nations and we want to help all internationals have an amazing time whilst you’re here whether its for a semester or two years. We can all relate to how it feels studying in a new country in either your 2^nd or 3^rd language so we’re here in case you have problems with settling in and most importantly to help you make friends

If you’re arriving on the Arrival Days (23^rd-25^th August) you’ll meet us at Segerstedthuset where you get your keys, SIM card, your internet sorted and get your picture taken for your campus card. We will provide you with information about Orientation Week Activities, organised by us for all of you, at all the different nations. We have some great events with a bit of something for everyone including beer pong, picnics, karaoke, lindyhop dancing and educational seminars. You can also get a sneak peek of Swedish life too by trying Swedish food, playing games and attending a ‘How to Sweden’ crash course ‘ and there’s definitely enough fika to go around! You can also join us for a Walking Tour of Uppsala- the easiest way to learn where the essentials are: nations, the library, Max (better than McDonalds), Systembolaget, your campuses and where the free wifi is. At the end of the week we will travel to Old Uppsala to where the city began in the 3^rd Century and you can hangout with your new friends amongst Viking burial mounds or take a swim in the river.

Our job on the Arrival Days is also to provide you with your temporary Student ID, you need one to visit nations in the evenings, whilst you’re deciding which one to join (don’t worry though, being a member of one doesn’t stop you from going to others). Remember to bring an acceptance letter (or email) and some ID! You can also buy tickets for your first traditional Uppsala dinner where we will teach you ‘how to gasque’ before partying the night away, so that’s something extra special to look forward to!

If you’re not arriving on the Arrival Days, you can meet us at the Welcome Fair on the 31^st August (look for the ‘IK’ Table) and pick our brains for the best cafes, which nations have the best burger, what bus is it to IKEA and get student ID if you haven’t managed yet. Make sure to join the term-activities too, Pub Crawl and Swedish folk dancing! You can also travel to Lapland to see the Northern Lights, meet some friendly locals (huskies and reindeer) and visit the Ice Hotel.

It’s going to be an awesome term and we can’t wait to meet all of you soon!

Vi ses!

When not studying and exploring Uppsala, I spend my exchange year travelling. Between the time I arrived in Uppsala and when I leave, I will have visited a total of 18 countries. I’ll share some of my experiences and tips with you.

Here are some pictures I have taken on my travels!

Shrovetide Festival – Vilnius, Lithuania

Danube River – Budapest, Hungary

Blue Lagoon – Comino, Malta

Greenwich Foot Tunnel – London, England

Paris, France – The Louvre

The Three Brothers – Riga, Latvia

Tallinn, Estonia

Summer Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

East Side Gallery – Berlin, Germany

Modes of Transportation

– Plane
The obvious choice for travel, especially if you are travelling farther away. There are three airports in Stockholm: Arlanda, Skavsta, and Bromma. You can fly with Norwegian Air and EasyJet from Arlanda, and Ryanair and Wizz Air from Skavsta (I’ve never been to Bromma).

Getting to Arlanda from Uppsala is not complicated. You can take a bus or a train from Uppsala Central Station. Even though it is a bit longer of a trip, I always take the bus (it is cheaper). The bus (number 801) takes about 40 minutes, and costs 90SEK. The train takes about 20 minutes, and costs 210SEK (because of the station access fee to Arlanda). Both the train and bus leave Uppsala Central Station frequently during normal hours. You can buy your tickets in advance online or from a ticket machine at central station upon arrival.

Getting to Skavsta from Uppsala is a bit more complicated. My typical route is this: a train from Uppsala Central Station to Stockholm Central Station, and then a bus to Skavsta airport. This travel takes a total of about 3 hours. You can take the train for about 70 – 120SEK from Uppsala to Stockholm in about 30 – 50 minutes. The prices and times vary – I usually use the SJ InnerCity train or SJ Regional train. Once you arrive at Stockholm Central, the best way I found to get to Skavsta airport is by bus, particularly Flygbussarna. The price is 139SEK, and the trip takes 80 minutes. The bus has wifi, outlets, and air conditioning.

– Boat
From Stockholm, there are several different roundtrip cruise options (to Finland, Estonia, and Latvia). The roundtrip is a good option if you have a free weekend. You leave from a ferry terminal from Stockholm in the evening of Day 1, arrive in your destination in the morning of Day 2, depart from that destination in the evening of Day 2, and arrive back in Stockholm on Day 3. The cheapest ticket for this roundtrip option includes a cabin room – with a bed and bathroom. These typically have beds from 1 – 4 people (so if you go with other people, it is cheaper!!). I think the most I have paid for a roundtrip ferry ticket was 90€ – and that was then divided by 3 people, so 30€. You can buy food, drinks, and snacks onboard, but I usually pack a dinner and breakfast so it is cheaper. Most boats have a fun itinerary of events for the cruise – from bingo to concerts to dancing! These events are free or cheap. Two major ferry companies are Viking Line and Tallink Silja.

– Train
If you are travelling within Sweden, a train can be an interesting way to do so – usually through SJ. Depending on where you go, it will likely require one or two train changes if you depart from Uppsala. If you have the time, I would try taking an overnight train – you get your own bed! An interesting experience.

– Bus
Bus is another cheap and long option for travel. There are bus stops at Uppsala Central Station for FlixBus. I would sign up for the FlixBus email newsletter – I am always getting discounts in the mail for future trips! There are also busses through UL that take you to different cities in Sweden.

– Other
If planning trips are not your thing, there are always other options. There are some organizations that plan trips (from the transportation to the lodging) for you. One such
organization is Scanbalt ( https://www.scanbaltexperience.com/ ). They have a variety of trips, and some even pick you up / drop you off directly from Uppsala Central Station. This is also a good way to meet other people. You can read about my experience with their Lapland trip here. Another organization that organizes trips is Open Your Russia. I took their Visa Free St. Petersburg trip, and had a fantastic time. Travel and lodging were included, and a personal tour guide!

Lodging
Hostels. I would highly recommend hostels, especially if you are on a budget. Nearly every time I travel, I stay in a hostel. This usually entails sharing a room and bathroom with other people. You can request mixed rooms, or same sex rooms. The beds in a room vary – I’ve been in one as few as 6 and as many as 24 (bring earplugs – someone is bound to snore). The price does not usually include bed linens and towels, so unless you want to pay to rent them, remember to bring your own. Hostels are great environments for travellers. They usually have a common room, and a pub or bar of some sort. I have met so many cool people and made friends with people from hostels I’ve stayed in. Most hostels also have a kitchen, so you can save on eating out and just buy some pasta and veggies from a local supermarket. Hostelworld is a good database of hostels that I typically use.

Apps to Download
If you have a smartphone, and limited to no data, you might want to download a few apps before your travel.

● Google Maps – This is my number one app – highly recommend. I always make sure to download an offline map of the city I am visiting beforehand. You can also mark
different places (I always mark my hostel, the airport, and places I want to visit). You sync this with your Google account, so you can mark places on your computer, and
they will transfer to your phone!

● Google Translate – I always download an offline translation of the main language of countries I am visiting. This especially came in hand when I was visiting St. Petersburg, Russia. I went to a post office to buy stamps, but no one spoke English. I was able to communicate and buy my stamps with the help of this app.

Other tips
Sometimes, I have large gaps in my schedule, and I want to spend that time travelling. One way I figure out where to travel to is by using Google flights. I enter the date I want to depart and return, and then I can search for which places have the cheapest flights.
If you plan on travelling a lot, I would invest in an external battery charger for your phone! I have been in hostels that only have one or two outlets per room, which can be difficult when sharing a room with several other people. It also comes in hand if you will be out exploring all day, as your phone is bound to lose charge.

Wrapping Up
To conclude, if you have the chance to travel during your time as an international student in Uppsala, do it! Plan ahead and budget accordingly, and you can make it affordable. From travelling within Sweden to visiting other countries, you have so many opportunities. Make the most of your time!
Do you have any other tips for travelling as an international student? Maybe an app you can’t go without, or an object you can’t travel without? Share in the comments!

/Audra

Hello again everyone, it has been a while since the last time we talked, my bad, but the semester before graduation is always crazy, but happy to be here with you again!

This time I will share to you a pretty nice activity that you might try when you are in Uppsala; Quezzle, an escape room in Uppsala, this is a unique game where you need to solve puzzles and riddles, using clues and hints to complete a series of objectives until you can literally escape the room, but I guess the name of the game is very explicit on that.

With the #taggedforuppsala group, we went to Quezzle,  this place is great, there are two rooms, with different themes, the Pharaoh Room and the Space Room, the Game Master is Andreas, pay attention to the introduction that he gives before you enter the rooms, this could be the key to find your way out or not and by the way, do not take the torches from the Pharaoh Room, they are purely decorative, and if you take them out, it will be game over…literally it will cut the energy off the room.

We split in two teams, some went to the Pharaoh Room and the team I was part of went to the Space Room.  This was the first time I was in a game like this, and it was a really nice experience and a great opportunity to team building with my friends, I can tell you that is not as easy as it sounds, but without doubts you will have a great time there.

I can not say more on what is going on inside the rooms, that might spoil all the fun, but if you are wondering who save the galaxy and who has the last infinity stone, well you might find them in #taggedforuppsala, by the way please pray for the rest of our group, they couldn’t escape the Pharaoh Room, pretty sad, but life continues.

By the way guys, this is the last post I will write for #taggedforuppsala, I completed my studies, but I am sure new international bloggers with come next semester as it happens always in Uppsala University.  I just want to truly thank you for being part of this amazing community, for reading our posts, and keep the spirit of Uppsala University up, and if you are thinking of coming here, please don’t hesitate, it will be the best experience of your life, being part of the oldest university in Sweden, and experience the student life in a international city like Uppsala is something unique that will change you forever.

I want to especially thank, Hannah, Lina and David, they were the first people I met in Sweden (literally they are waiting for the newcomers at the airport in the arrival days), and thanks to them we have #taggedforuppsala, and their friendship will accompany me all my life.  Thank you for allowing us to be part of the rich life of the University, and try to share our experiences in Uppsala, I hope you had the same fun we do, and if you are coming, good luck, and keep on sharing.

I will miss you all, but a piece of Uppsala University will always go in my heart, wherever I go, Uppsala University representing since 1477!

See you around.

Tack sa mycket!

/Adolfo

Where to fika in Campus Gotland?
I am a student at Uppsala University’s Campus Gotland and currently putting the finishing touches to my master thesis together with my partner. Of course, this year living in Gotland hasn’t just been about writing essays but to me a huge part has been about the lasting friendships formed. One great way to do this is to have fika! It’s a favourite Swedish tradition of mine where you can sip on a coffee and munch into a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) and let the hours pass! Especially taking advantage of påtår (free refills) of strong Swedish coffee.

There are plenty of places in Uppsala where students like to hang out for hours on end irritating the locals and staff for buying one cup of coffee and then draining the wifi, but being a student of Campus Gotland, it’s Visby where I’m based that I’m going to recommend for a fika.

Gotland is also a big tourist destination so if you’re a student at the main campus, do try and make the journey out to the largest island in the Baltic sea, you won’t be disappointed. Unless you’re looking for a thriving metropolis, then you’ll be bitterly disappointed.

Okay enough chit chat, let’s get to it. Where to have fika if you’re a student of Campus Gotland?

1. Fiket – If you’re looking for a cosy catch-up with friends

This is a lovely dimly lit café which has been a regular spot for locals for years with their nice vibes and tasty affordable lunch buffet.
Tip; Grab a couch upstairs and get cosy!

2. Hedbergs

Excellent selection of vegetarian treats and lunches with live music on Saturdays during the year.
Tip; Mind your head as you crawl into the cave beneath!

3. H10 – Get work done

A hip chic concept store come café combining Scandi aesthetic with local flavours in a bright setting.
Tip; Try the chocolate Visby cake for a decadent taste of the city.

4. Ka:feit

Friendly staff in a relaxed urban setting with big couches.

Tip; Grab a seat on the terrace and spend an afternoon people watching while it’s still warm out (they pack up the terrace as do most places, during the low season)

5. Brödboden Södertorg & Hunnelund

Tucked in just by the South Gate, this cute bakery will be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Tip; Try their giant Semlor (a Semla is a typical Nordic cream filled pastry especially popular on Shrove Tuesday)

6. Leva Kungslador – Day trips

Approximately a 30-minute walk from the city walls this café is a beautiful spot to hang around on a nice day followed by a walk in the Södra Hällarna nature reserve.

Tip; Splurge on their Sunday brunch option for a great spread of delights.

7. Själsö Bageri

Beg/borrow/steal a bike and embark on the approx. 45-minute cycle to this bakery overlooking the sea. Failing this, head to the east gate of Visby’s city walls on the weekends where they have a van selling their freshly baked goods.

Tip; You have to try their kardemummabullar (cardamom buns) which are covered in the most tantalising glaze and the cardamom gives it a special kick.

BONUS: *Sylvis Döttrar Hembageri*

Of course, the local Gotlanders wouldn’t be one bit happy if I did a blog post about café’s in Gotland and failed to mention anything beyond the Visby area. In truth, the island has so much more than just Visby but seeing it is quite the challenge without a car (you don’t want to rely on public transport). If you make it up to the island famous for Raukar (rock stack formations) and a distinct culture where greats like Ingrid Bergman went to unwind, enjoy a well-earned Fårö specialty, saffranskaka (Saffron cake) after the journey.

Unna dig en fika!  – Treat yo’self!’

N.B. Make sure you do your research ahead of any trips as a lot of restaurants/café’s take long breaks during the low season. A note on the price, in general Sweden is quite expensive compared with most European countries, the above cafés are all similarly priced so about 40 Kronor for a coffee and 30-60 kronor for a treat.

/Daniel

One fun activity to do in Sweden is go hiking. Recently, my student nation organized a trip to hike part of the Upplandsleden. The Upplandsleden is a trail that goes all over the Upplands province. We hiked the first section of the trail, a ten-kilometer stretch from Sunnersta to Moralund. It was a fun way to meet new people and enjoy the beautiful Swedish scenery.

I did not know what kind of landscapes to expect in Sweden once the snow melted, but in general I have been very impressed. The ground is dense and mossy, and the grass is much greener than back home in Texas. Braving a cold and dark January here was worth it for such a lovely and mild May!

Our group departed for Sunnersta at around 10:20 in the morning by city bus. We arrived in Sunnersta within a half hour. We took generous breaks along our hike and reached the Moralund bus station by 3 in the afternoon, making sure to budget our time because the county bus back to Uppsala only comes once an hour. We returned to Uppsala central station at about 3:45.

I was not sure if I had such a long day of hiking in me because I was up late the night before working in my nation’s restaurant. I’m so thankful I decided to join the hike! It was a perfect sunny day and the forest was absolutely teeming with plant life. We took our lunch in a nice clearing and shared coffee and Gifflar, a staple Swedish snack for hikes and picnics. Swedes love cinnamon buns, so it only makes sense they have a portable variety! The hike attracted a lot of international students, so we reflected together on our time in Uppsala.

I had so much fun on the hiking excursion and hope more people take advantage of this beautiful trail! Anyone wishing to hike the Upplandsleden should be sure to research their path beforehand and plan how they will get there and return. The terrain is not too challenging; I am a very inexperienced hiker, but I easily kept up with the group. That said, hiking boots and comfortable clothing are a must to navigate over and around boulders, tree roots, and patches of mud. Trails are well marked with painted trees every few meters and lots of signage. Those who want a more extended hiking trip can stay overnight in one of the rest cabins along the trail. These are available to the public along with fire pits, wind shelters, and water pumps. More information can be found here. The Upplandsleden also has a mobile app, but it is only available in Swedish.

As we say in Texas, happy trails!

/Lauren

What a better way to enjoy Easter break than travelling? From March 28 to April 3, I joined my French friend to a trip to the south of Sweden (mainly Lund), where we toured around different places. I never expected this region to be so beautiful and different from what I am used to see here in Uppsala.

Even the process of getting to Lund felt already like an adventure for me, because we took the night train. I was not even aware that such a thing existed, so we travelled all night long while sleeping (though it wasn’t easy, since the beds were quite hard, the surrounding can be noisy and the train keeps making stops). Nevertheless, I definitely recommend to do it at least once in your life!

We arrived to Lund, and our tour city started from very early in the morning! I was surprised of the weather, because it was cloudy and snowy. What I liked the most about Lund was its historical style. When you walk through the city, you get to see small colorful houses, and the cathedral is impressive. The general environment is calm, the streets are empty sometimes, but the people were always warm and friendly.

The second day we went to Copenhagen, Denmark. We crossed between two countries in one day, in a matter of hours! For me, coming from such a big country, the mere idea seems just impossible. Again, I was impressed by the peace you could feel in the touristic zone, even though there was lots of people. We enjoyed a typical fish plate and ice cream by Nyhavn canal, we visited Frederik’s church and Kastellet fortress, and we walked by the port looking for The Little Mermaid!

The third day we continued our explorations around Lund. In the morning, we visited Kulturen museum, which mainly depicts the history of Sweden. You can find relics such as paintings, furniture, toys, clothes and even representations of different houses with many different styles, so you can see how the architecture evolved. Later that day, we went to a sauna in Bjärred, a nearby town. There you can appreciate the view of the sea (you can even see the Øresund bridge raising far away) while inside the sauna, and then you can dive in the ice-cold water.

The fourth day we visited Malmö. We walked around and visited an art museum. In general, I regard this city as very artistic, because you can see street art and many statues in parks or squares. The weirdest I saw was a bridge full of different sorts of shoes (that belonged to famous people from Malmö) made of bronze, all pointing to different parts of the city. Also, the art inside Sank Petri cathedral was impressive.

The fifth day we did a long hike and a picnic in Kullaberg. The weather was awesome and the view of the sea from the top of the cliff was simply beautiful, it felt like as if I was inside of a painting. I highly recommend this experience! Some advices I could give you is get the right shoes (since the walk take hours), pack a lot of food and water and take into consideration that you will rarely find bathrooms available!

The sixth (and last) day we went to Helsingborg, unaware that we would find most of the important places of the city under construction! Also, due to bad weather and little time, we could not take the ferry to Helsingør, in Denmark. Nevertheless, we just laugh about this unexpected turn of events, and walked around the city. Again, I find it weird how easy it is to move from one country to another here in Europe.

Definitely a trip to remember, full of new and crazy experiences. If you ever get the chance to visit any of these places, I can guarantee you will love them! The advantage is that once you are in Uppsala, travelling around Sweden is easy since there are many transportation services always available, and you can find cheap prices. Also, Uppsala’s location allow you to reach other places in a fairly short time. So if you are an coming to study here, don’t waste this opportunity!

/Paulina

One of the benefits about being active at the nation is that you get to meet students from other Universities that are connected to your nation through ‘friendships’. Every nation in Uppsala has ties with a select set of ‘friendship-nations’ around the world and travel there for specific celebrations or festivals.

It’s easy to forget there are other Universities in Sweden when you spend all your time in Uppsala, but a 7-hour train ride or 1-hour flight brings you to the edge of Sweden, near Denmark, where Lund University lies.

During the Spring Ball and Lucia, students from our friendship Nation in Lund are invited here, but during their biggest festivals – Snapphanefesten (or ‘snappis’) and Carnival – we are invited there. This is my experience attending Snappis this year.

We arrived on Friday at Kristianstad Nation and unpacked our belongings. Unlike Uppsala, students in Lund live in their nation houses, in corridors that run right the way through all 8 floors with the pub on the bottom floor and a sauna in the basement.

The Sexa on the Friday night was a welcome introduction, we shared food and drink with the active members of Kristianstad and members from their friendship nation in Finland and Denmark – sharing gifts, good company and songs.

Saturday was the day of the ceremony and ball, we had a tour around the city of Lund followed by pre-drinks with the curators of the nation. Entering the man hall, we were seated for a 2-hour ceremony where all those present who chose to, were awarded medals. The active members of Kristianstad Nation had songs written about them that were performed with great joy and flare.

One thing to know about the nations in Lund is that they love performing… Singing, acting and dancing are all very popular. Lund Carnival is a huge annual festival that attracts huge numbers, just like Valborg here. So throughout the dinner, mini-sketches were displayed on the big screen as well as songs, speeches and all the other traditional gasque activities. One unique tradition is that everyone brings a gift for their table partner (hence the moustaches).

The very last day we had a brunch altogether to recollect ourselves, our memories from the night before and enjoy the outdoor hot tub.

Overall it was a great experience and I’m looking forward to visiting Lund later this year for the Carnival!

/Rhianna

‘What a great day for football, all we need is some green grass and a ball’

The above quote by the legendary Bill Shankly perfectly summarizes the emotions of a hardcore football fan in Sweden. Though getting a football (the real one which is not played using hands) anytime in the year is never a challenge, getting an ice-free green turf to play on, definitely is. Allsvenskan is the top tier of the Swedish football system. The league runs from early April to early November with 16 teams competing for the bragging rights of being the champion. This league also has our local Uppsala team, IK Sirius. In 2016 Sirius, as it is widely known, gained promotion to the top flight of Swedish football after 42 years. The 2017 season saw the newly promoted Uppsala team start brightly, but a dip in form at the end meant they finished 7^th in the league. This was a very good season considering it was a newly promoted team. IK Sirius plays its home games at the Studenternas IP , which becomes a venue for Bandy games during winter.

All current students of Uppsala University have the opportunity to get free tickets to the some home matches. Through an agreement with Sirius Fotboll, 150 free tickets are distributed to the students for two of this seasons home games (against Djurgården and Östersund).These tickets are limited and so the students have to reserve their free ticket online and later collect it from a pre-disclosed collection centre. For all other home matches students are given a nice discount.

My first IK Sirius home game was against IFK Norrköping on August 20, 2017. It was bright and sunny with no hint of rain i.e. perfect weather for a game of football. People turned out in large numbers to support their team and the whole stadium was buzzing with enthusiasm. It was the then 3^rd vs 4^th placed team in the league table.

Let the game begin!

From the kickoff to the end of the first half, IFK Norrköping totally dominated the game and they got a well deserved lead in the 29^th minute through a fine effort from Sebastian Andersson. Thereafter they had numerous chances to increase their advantage, but poor finishing and last ditch defending from the home team meant that the tie was still in the balance.

The away fans, though a minority by far, made their presence felt in the first half when their team was on top. Sirius came out much stronger in the second half and put on a much improved performance. Unfortunately their valiant efforts were not enough to rescue a point. The home team was comprehensively outplayed.

Thus the match ended 1-0 to Norrköping. The final score-line did not reflect the dominance of the visitors for majority of the match.

The final score-line.

This was my first taste of Swedish football and I had a gala time. The students had separate sections for them and it was completely full. Though the team I supported lost, I still got to see some free flowing attacking football in the first half. The second half was dull in comparison with the visitors playing it safe. The best part was the ‘ultras’ or the hardcore fan group relentlessly  leading the chants for the home team, egging them on to make a comeback . The new season has just begun, I hope to attend many more games this time and support my adopted local team.

As they say: Win or Lose, the support never dies.

/Arindam