Author: Guestblogger (Page 15 of 20)

From 17 February – 22 February, I traveled with Scanbalt Experience on their Lapland Express trip. With about 70 other people (mostly students from Uppsala and Stockholm), we ventured north via a coach bus.

Bright and early on 18 February, we arrived in Kiruna, Sweden. The day was dedicated to exploring the city and participating in optional activities. After enjoying a big breakfast, I went onward to go dog sledding and snowmobile riding! We had a chance to meet the dogs and puppies before and after the excursion.

There were 12 dogs pulling the sled I was on. It was particularly fun when we would go downhill! After a short coffee and tea break around a fire, I switched over to the snowmobiles. Never having rode one before, I was quite nervous and scared. I didn’t crash though! I made it through in one piece – woo!

On 19 February, the team departed for the Ice Hotel and a Sami village. It was very cold out, maybe -21°C. Even with my many layers and snowpants I was freezing. I ended up putting on sunglasses because it was so sunny – it still blows my mind how cold it can be while the sun is shining! It was surprising much warmer inside the Ice Hotel (but still very cold)! We saw Ice Hotel #28 (because they melt and are rebuilt each year).

After the Ice Hotel, we went onward to Rensjön to visit Sami people and reindeer! The reindeer were quite smaller than I imagined. It was fun to feed them though! As the sun was setting, we gathered around a fire in a Sami tent and learned more about the Sami ways.

Later that evening, we arrived at our hostel in Abisko National Park. We gathered around a fire in a huge tent to roast marshmallows and enjoy mulled wine. Some of us went out searching for the Northern Lights, but had no luck.

Bright and early on 20 February, we departed for the fjords and Narvik, Norway. The fjords are beautiful! The town on Narvik is unique in that it is built around and within the mountains.

Later that evening, we did as the Swedish do and enjoyed some time in a sauna. It was a bit of a trek away from where we were staying, but it was worth it! We saw the Northern Lights on our way over!

On 21 February, we prepared to head back to Uppsala. Most people spent the morning exploring the national park and snowshoeing. I, however, decided to spend the morning indoors. Naturally, I developed a cold during the trip, despite my efforts to stay warm and wear a ton of layers.

Around 08.00 on 22 February, we arrived back in Uppsala! I made a quick trip home to drop off my luggage and grab breakfast before heading back to campus for a full day of classes.

In conclusion, if you have the opportunity to travel to Lapland, DO IT!! Bring layers and dress warm!

/Audra

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light– Aristotle.

Sweden is a special place – Snow, nature, clean air. But In the depths of winter, the days get shorter, the nights get longer and for those students who don’t get up until 1400, daylight is a luxury you don’t get much of. It can become dark, dreary and depressing. Like the dementors from Harry Potter, the darkness drains your happiness and leaves you feeling a little lost and empty inside. Now, I want to stress this isn’t true for everyone – but, for most of us (especially those from very sunny countries) it is a serious problem.

Picture – Nick Meny

When it snows though, your surroundings get brighter, lighter and you feel happier, hopeful and filled with good vibes. This is why the University has provided a light room available to all students at Uppsala University, a place to sit, study or relax. In the student health centre on the top floor of Studentkår, the light room is open weekdays before 15. Before entering the room, you’re instructed to take of your shoes and replace them with slippers which, I noticed, were white. As you enter the light room, the first thing you notice is the white. It’s astonishingly white. The kind of white you wish your sheets could be if you ever knew how to wash them correctly. Hanging on coat racks were crisp white dressing gowns which we had to don over our regular clothes (presumably to mask any non-white colours we chose to wear that day). On the white floor sit white IKEA tables for your personal use. You can bring in laptops, books, friends, phones, whatever you like to keep you entertained. Around the room sit (shocker) white chairs and in the corners are fake white flowers.

My friend and I had originally decided to spend half an hour in the light room to feel whatever effects we could. We ended up spending an hour there and afterwards felt lighter and happier. I attempted to research the science behind light rooms, I had heard from people it helped with vitamin D, but couldn’t understand how. The reality seems to be that there are no real scientific reasons behind it. But I don’t want to diminish any real positive effects that people feel after going – placebo or not.

It’s worth going at least once to see if you feel anything 🙂

/Rhianna

Growing up, one of my weekend rituals was to sit in front of the television to watch Steve Urkel in ABC/CBS sitcom, Family Matters. Frankly, when Steve entered my home, his clumsiness and misfortune were both unrealistic and humorous. I would synchronize with Quincy (His middle name) and ‘say- along’ his catch phrases: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” or “Whoa, Mama!”. I was a fan!

Little did I know that I will channel in my inner Urkel on a cold winter night in Uppsala. This time, I found myself asking in Steve’s voice, “did I do that?” Oops! In my apartment building, one thing is for certain, the utrymningslarm (I call her Georgina) goes off often. It is certainly not because of any fire scare. Since I came to Sweden 5 months ago, construction has been going on in my building. Wires trip and the alarm goes off. It had become a regular thing for us to hear the alarm and be unmoved by its shrieks.

Alas, when it went off this morning, I just took my precious time, dressed up for Swedish Class and headed for the iron clad front door. No one came out of their rooms just to buttress the point that we had had one too many false alarms to be moved by music from the alarm system in Building 4A.

As I strolled out, I checked my mail box first like a badass, I spotted the only person I have been able to meet and become friends with in the building (her name in English means Grace) and we had a discussion about how the alarm goes off at will, the unacceptability of it all, especially when we never get informed of the reason for the unnecessary fire drills. We both made a video where we jokingly mocked the situation taunting us.

Fast forward to night time and I was home watching Netflix and chilling. When I suddenly had the urge to make noodles and chicken. One of the discoveries I made as a student here in Uppsala is this American seasoned Barbeque Buffalo Wings called Guld Fageln. I love them because I only need to heat it up in the microwave or oven and voila! You should try it! Disclaimer, they didn’t pay me to advertise for them but when a product is good, I feel obliged. Do you?

Back from the brief commercial, still on the ten O’clock news, a curious case of Unfortunate events began to occur. I heard a strange frying sound in my room. I knew I wasn’t frying anything. I curiously checked my wings and discovered they had stirred up a smoky storm. Before I could say Peter Piper, Georgina went on rampage. She woke everyone up! My neighbours were out and I was too. Thirty minutes later, it could have been an hour with the way I felt, the fire truck came flying by, screeching to a stop. Firemen jumped out of the truck and headed our way.

As I walked to them humbly, I was morbid with fear, anxiety and embarrassment. I told them it was my fault and went on to explain the preceding events. Well, they entered the building with me and laughed saying, “smells like chicken alright!” I want to explain my emotions at this time. Fear because I had lived my entire life without having to meet a fireman. The first time I heard the fire alarm go off was here in Sweden. I just never witnessed it other than what I had seen on TV. Anxiety, for the sole reason that I had heard from friends at Kloster Student housing that every time the alarm goes off you get charged for their visit. I don’t know if that statement was true or not but it felt so real to me and it haunted me (would this eat into my budget for next month, like I even had a budget…lol). I just kept thinking to myself, why me, Lord! Embarrassment because I had never met my neighbours in all the five months I had been living in my apartment building. I never imagined that their first impression of me would be the girl who set off the alarm by burning two buffalo wings in the microwave. So yes, I was embarrassed. Most of all, I was sorry they were dragged into this Urkel misfortune. I said sorry twice to those who I could say it to (covering my face emoji).

The firemen made the music go away and checked the premises. Not to butter them up but they were very professional. As one went to confirm my story and make sure it wasn’t something else that caused the alarm to go off, the other stayed to make small talk. He must have noticed how petrified I was and tried to calm me down. I applaud them. As they bid me farewell and said to get a good night sleep, I wondered at whether I would pay 1,000kr or 2,000kr. I sincerely hope and pray not!

As they drove away, I couldn’t help but wonder how my nuisance would be the core of midnight stories. My misfortune, a sort of humorous relief for my neighbours and the firemen. I pulled an Urkel on them alright. I did, I did, I did!

Well, the 8^th of February, 2018 will go down in history in my book of many tales. I had on my winter jacket for 3 more hours before I finally put it off. I couldn’t sleep, I could still smell the after effect of the smoky session in my room. My neighbours may still smell it too. One good thing did come out of this though, I was able to write again. And for those who were wondering, I didn’t end up eating my noodles and chicken.

/Fifi

I previously wrote a blog for my first gasque, but one question new students always seem to have when they reach Uppsala is “What is a Kavaj dress-code?”. As gasques and dress-codes are such a large part of Uppsala’s traditions and culture, here’s a short guide for what to wear.

You may have already seen these 4 in a facebook event or invitation you received for a gasque:

• Udda kavaj
• Kavaj
• Frack
• Themed dress

These are the 4 most common dress-codes. Although not usually that strict, people often stick to and are quite meticulous about their dress. Let me run through a guide and a couple of dos and don’ts in your guide to gasque-wear.

The KLÄDKODER or DRESS CODE guide:

Udda kavaj : Smart Casual.
This applies to gasques or dinners that are nice, but not too nice. Generally, for an unofficial dinner or lunch, not too much pressure is on the guests to dress in a suit or full-length dress. They can wear a non-matching suit if they wish with, for example, a dark jacket and light trousers. Dresses shouldn’t be too short, but they can go above the knee.

• Semi-smart
• Mid to long dress
• Suit – doesn’t have to match

Kavaj: Smart / Jacket.
This is the most common dress code in Uppsala. For most dinners more formal dinners, kavaj (pronounced kav-ai) is desirable. Traditionally it would have meant at least a knee length dress or dark suit in the same material, these days there’s less pressure to wear a dark suit, but it should still be smart. Equally, there is also less focus on the length of the dress, but most people will wear a dress down to above the knee.

• Dark suit with the same material
• Mid-length dress

Frack / Högtidsdräkt : Evening dress / white tie.
The most official dress code usually implored at balls, jubilee events or very official dinners.

Dresses should reach the floor and should not be strapless (although again, not necessarily a must). If you wear a suit, the formal dark suit is worn and this can include cufflinks and tailcoats. The coloured nation / academic discipline bands are usually allowed at these events and if the dress-code says m.a.o that means medals can be worn as well.

• a.o – medals
• Ballgown (not strapless)
• Coloured bands and pins

Themed dress code

This is fairly self-explanatory. If there’s a theme (Harry Potter, Disney, Halloween etc.) you dress to match the theme – easy!

Do’s and Don’ts

DO’S

• Wear pins to all gasques
• Wear black shoes

DON’T’S

• Ever wear jeans as pants or jacket
• Wear boots
• Wear brown shoes
• Wear sneakers unless you’re a famous rap artist or comedian

In my first month, someone told me that you should always aim to dress a little smarter than the dress code specified to ensure you don’t dress incorrectly. Another tip from a fellow nation member was to look back at pictures from previous events and always pay attention to the inspectors as they’ve been around a long time! I found this sage advice whenever I was in doubt about what to wear. And, if you wear dresses, buying to the knee is always a safe option!

Some further words you may see:

Kostym: Suit

Mörk kostym: Dark suit

Smoking: Smart/Casual suit

Good luck and happy gasque-ing!

/Rhianna

Usage of a unique card for a particular activity has made sure that my card wallet remains a very crowded place. Bunch of keys have become a bunch of cards. Just like a key, each card has its own functionality and we are forced to depend on them for almost every single move we make. As absurd as that may sound, it is reality and we must accept it.

/Arindam

Maybe you heard about it or maybe you seen it in a film, but you probably still kinda don’t believe that it’s actually a thing. If you don’t have it on your bucket list, by the end of this post it will appear there. Yes, I’m writing about skating on a frozen lake!

I’m pretty sure you noticed that Swedes never waste a ray of sunshine – no matter what season it is. In spring ice cream trucks and outside tables appear when snow is still covering the trees. In summer the lunch break is also a sunbathing break (careful, you may trip over your laying-on-the grass coworker) that lasts as long as autumn allows. Now, during winter, we have festival of winter sports, practiced either outdoors or indoors. If you are not used to practicing sports when snow or ice is involved, I suggest you give it a try!

The place I paid visit to lays around 40 minutes’ drive from Uppsala and is called Fjällnora friluftsområde. It’s a recreational area where you can find cottages for renting, playgrounds, campfire places and sauna. In summertime you can bathe in the lake and barbecue afterwards, in the wintertime though… This is where the fun starts.

Sweden is a country with consistent, cold winters which turn shallower lakes into skating rinks. Everybody knows how to skate The ice is thick, safe and well prepared – where I visited there are 12 km of cleared ‘lake paths’ with smaller loops (in case you are not ready to take the big one, or you don’t have time for it). The skates that are used on the lake are a little bit different from what I’ve expected, first you put on ‘special shoes’ and then assemble ‘the blade’. On ice they are very stable and it feels like taking skis to the ice. Also, I noticed that skating with those is slower which makes it simpler for beginners.

The site has a reception where I rented mine, the renal is usually open form 10 till 16. There are daily updated on their facebook page.Renting out the skates (shoes + blades) costs 60 kr per hour or 180 kr per day.

After returning your equipment you can pop in to the cozy restaurant for a fika or a simple meal like soup or sandwich. The prices are ok!

How to get there? Bus 809 from Uppsala Centralstationen. Entering your bus ask for two zones. From Fjällnora bus stop walk approx. 3.5 km. The wavy main road leads from the bus stop to the site, but I still recommend Goggle maps. I didn’t try hitchhiking, but that was quite tempting while walking on the side of the road.

So, did you update your bucket list?

/Adrianna

I remember the day I arrived in Sweden. The very first thing that amazed was the stunning sunrise in Malmö right next to the Öresund bridge. After I began my day in Malmö I started moving towards the coast to take a ferry from Oskarshamn to Visby. I could see a beautiful nature, never-ending forests and all these cute red houses which are so typical for Sweden. 🙂

When I arrived in Gotland, I realized was going to live on the island for the following 10 months. It was something completely new to me and also a bit weird seeing a little dot in the middle of the Baltic sea and realizing I was 150 kilometres from the mainland.

However, I fell in love with Visby! It feels like being on holiday for 10 months. J Okay, it is not a real holiday because our master programme in Sustainable Management is only one year, so it is quite intense but where else to study sustainability than on this green island? Moreover, I can enjoy all the beautiful sunsets almost every day because Visby is considered the sunniest place in Sweden. J (and the TripAdvisor does not lie).

What I really love about Sweden is fika. No matter what, there is always a time for fika! And after I learned how to fika, it has gained much more importance to me. It is not just a word, it is a very significant part of the Swedish culture and it is not a surprise that Swedes are one of the greatest coffee consumers in the world (since I moved to Sweden, my addiction to coffee has heavily increased and I have to say that I highly contribute to the statistics).

What surprised me about Sweden? Haha, I would say all the typical Swedish dishes which are actually not Swedish. Halloumi cheese, tacos and ice cream! My Swedish flatmate cooked tacos for us on one of our first days in Visby and I was sort of confused whether I moved to Mexico or Sweden.

Now, I am heading towards the end of my studies, but I have been having a very good time in Gotland so far and can highly recommend this place to everyone, who wants to be focused on their studies, being engaged with other people (campus is super small, so you always encounter the same people which is nice!), enjoy a bit of the student’s life and getting lost in tiny streets of Visby! 🙂

/Karolína

Cleaning days, cooking food, bar work, late nights, serving dishes, washing up. All unpaid, all mandatory, altogether. The life of a clubworker is not glamorous, it’s not flashy or prestigious, it’s not for everyone. But what it is – is a rewarding and incredibly fun collective experience. The people you work with become your best friends, the people you serve are your nation’s members, your course friends, your co-workers.

Like the minions in ‘Despicable Me’ they are the hard-working cogs in the system that help the nation run the way it does. They are the ones that contribute to the successes of gasques and other formal nation events, they train to be bartenders, pub managers and cooks and go on to be active members and full-timers at the nation. You’d be hard-pressed to find a curator or full-timer at a nation who didn’t initially start as a club worker…  it’s almost a rite of passage.

In my first few weeks at my nation I had no idea what a club worker was – I had some idea that they were the people that ran the events at the nation. It was only when senior members started to tell me stories about how they made their best friends at the nation through the club work. Adventures involving workers weekends, New Years parties, after-gasque parties, sexas. You put in long hours and work very hard, you give the nation your all for one, two or even three semesters, depending how involved you get.

The team working a gasque

We had keys to the house, locked up at the end of the night. I was a part of a select group of people who understood so much more about each other, I knew what their work ethic was like, what their dreams were, what their approach to their studies were. When you work alongside someone in this setting it’s very easy to really know a person. They’ll be some of my closest friends for a long while to come. There are many after cleaning day Sexas that I’ll remember for a long time to come (the bits I can remember at least!).

Work hard – play hard. That should be the motto of the club worker. We work, but in return we can attend the KMK Sexa and the KMK Ball – these are collective nation experiences and heaps of fun. Also, although every nation is different, almost all clubworkers receive a ‘KK card’ – the elusive, all access, never paying card that lets you skip the queue of most clubs, 04s or other evening nation events with a guest. If you manage to find time when not working, it’s the best benefit to utilise. We worked together to organise great nights out with a large group and a guest each.

The team I shared my time with was fantastic, and I’ll miss working with them a great deal.

/Rhianna

When I told people that I was coming to Sweden to pursue a master’s degree, I got 2 questions;

1. Why Sweden?
2. Why Gotland?

Sweden can be answered simply enough, with beautiful people, great universities and everyone able to speak English! Plus studying Sustainable Management, Sweden has green policies galore such as journeying towards fossil fuel free energy and proactive recycling measures.

But Gotland?

To those who don’t know, Uppsala University has a campus on Gotland. When I saw my programme took place at Campus Gotland, I wondered what was significant about this campus being the other programmes didn’t mention a location. Of course, a quick search points to this big island in the Baltic Sea.

Having decided to come to Visby the main town of Gotland some 90 kilometres from the mainland, I wondered about island life. Things like whether there would be a supermarket sprung to mind. Waiting at Nynäshamn harbour terminal to journey across the Baltic, all I could see was a big white wall out the window, I thought who would put that there? Turns out that this great steel wall was in fact the ferry that was going to take me to Gotland. I guess I wasn’t the only person going to be on the island with a ship that large. I was not alone in my romanticised view of an idyllic rural life on the island, my roommate brought 6 months of supplies on the ferry! Our worries were in vain finding multiple supermarkets!

Does one go mad with fresh air on the island or what is there to do? There’s activities ranging from climbing walls in old warehouses, saunas where you can dip in the Baltic sea if you’re inclined to losing toes, movie nights in an ecovillage and afternoon tea in full Sunday best before a visit to one of the longest caves in Sweden.

Although there are plenty of activities to keep one entertained, it is still a small place and requires some creativity to keep yourself busy. Visby is a tourist hotspot during the summer but a different, far more chilled out, place during the academic term. Usually we have some nice homecooked dinners and fika on quiet days! I knew this before coming and was looking forward to a change in pace from the hectic lifestyle I was leaving behind.

Visby consistently ranks as one of the sunniest places in Sweden. Being Sweden, this may not be a feat worth bragging about yet I’ve grown a real appreciation of the sun, especially the orangey red reflections across the sea it as it sets. Everyone has their own spot for the sunsets and whether it be from the waterfront, cliffs or across the city, you can’t but be awed by its beauty.

Travelling is one pursuit I haven’t really engaged in here. Even with the youth fare (25 years old and under) on transport, it’s still a chunk out of the student budget. This has meant that people tend to stay in Visby rather than breaking off into groups for weekend getaways. I have managed to explore other parts of the island too and got up to see the famous Rauk’s (limestone sea stacks) of Fårö.

Hygge is distinctively Danish, but as a Swede once told me it’s a concept that is very Swedish too. It can be used in a variety of situations from dinner with friends to me-time curled up under a heap of blankets, candles lit and book in hand. Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) doesn’t have an exact translation into English but can be interpreted as cosiness. Gotland to me is the epitome of Hygge!

As I write this in my home town of Dublin I am looking forward to going back to the Scandi chilled lifestyle I’ve come to embrace. The days will be getting longer and warmer, so bring on semester two!

/Daniel

Coming from the part of the world where it gets close to 45°C in summers and 12°C in winters, this past month was a bit annoying at first but then I experienced snowfall for the first time in my life and I fell in love.

Darkness is engulfing the country as we approach this time of the year with barely 6 hours of light. As bad as it may sound, everywhere you go, streets and parks are all glowing with lights.

Normally I am kind of a tropic person, 35°C is not a problem with me but as for some people it is unpleasant sun. Winters however, is a totally different story for me. Morning 8 am classes proved to be a pain but soon I found myself welcoming the cold. From the time I have been here which is not long enough, I have heard this expression countless times:

“det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder”
(there is no bad weather, only bad clothes)

So, I stuffed myself in overcoats and jackets and I was surprised how well I could deal with the weather now.  Sometimes when you roam around during this time of the year, you could witness the light reflecting from the ice crystals on the streets and combine them with a clear sky, it is surreal. These magnificent moments you witness from your eyes makes you happy even in the darkest hours.

In front of stora torget, Uppsala

Swedish people love talking about the weather whenever you meet. Expressions like “Vad är det för väder? (What is the weather like?), Vilket väder! (What weather we are having!) always comes in handy.

In this cheek-biting cold, there are some things which everyone should keep in their minds:

1. Dressing properly.
   From looking good to being warm, this is the first thing a person should keep in his mind.
2. Being social.
   As the dark winters are here, this is the best way to fight it. Spending time with friends and enjoying Fika, going for drinks and parties definitely helps.
3. Walking in the sun.
   You might not want to miss the only thing which is hard to find these days. This is a better medicine than the Vitamin-D tablets you must be wondering about. A daily walk whenever you find the light is the best.
4. Embracing the situation.
   Put your warm clothes on and just go out. You might stumble upon something that you might cherish for the rest of your lives: The Northern Lights.

A view from Gamla Uppsala

I can finally strike that off my bucket list.

5. Take advantage of the snow.
   Skiing, skating, walking in the woods are some of the perks that you will get in this time of the year and take my word, you don’t want to miss it.

Christmas Tree in front of St:Per Gallerian

By the time you feel bored after doing everything, it will be Christmas. Nothing is quite as delightful as Christmas in Sweden and you can feel the festive spirit everywhere. The birthplace of cinnamon rolls and if you haven’t tried a true knelbullar, you are missing out on something great. From making the best hot chocolate to the winter treats and anything in general, Swedes are the best. Being a foodie, this country is like a heaven for me.

Stockholm – The Venice of the North, always looks good but during this time of the year its even more beautiful with snow falling on the streets as you walk around in the narrow streets of Gamla Stan. From late November, the Christmas markets are all set and waiting for you.
There are also heavy discounts on the stores and this might be the best time to buy clothes.

For more information on how to celebrate Christmas like a Swede, take a look at this:
How To Celebrate Christmas Like a Swede

As December arrives, you can get to see restaurants all across the country attracting people towards their ‘Julbord’ which means Yule or a Christmas Table. The tables are stocked with Christmas food. This traditional Christmas dinner is something that you might now want to miss if you are not having a Christmas eve celebration at home or if you’re a student like me away from home.
Last week, I was at the grocery store buying some things for dinner and I saw this stock of unusual drinks lying there. Further investigation led to me finding out that it’s a Christmas drink which is only sold during this time of the year. I had to try and so I took one and it tastes like a fizzy root beer. I was amazed to find out that this drink beats everything in sales when it arrives, even the classic Coca-Cola.

Julmust – a Christmas drink

Coming from a place without proper winters, never knew what snow really felt like and how great it could be with a cup of coffee and sitting in front of my window and watch it fall and change everything. When I moved to Uppsala, I remember eagerly waiting for it. Now it’s here I have no words to explain how beautiful it is. Maybe it is the best time to fall in love with winters, anything that happens now will be well worth it and eventually the spring will arrive but it will be a perfect story to tell my grandkids when I get old.

Because, why not?!

/Kanishk