Author: Guestblogger (Page 9 of 18)

“I feel emotional landscapes. They puzzle me.”
– Jóga by Björk

I was in Rennes that summer one year ago. At the confluence of the Vilaine and the Ille, Rennes, prefecture of Brittany, is a picturesque city in northwestern France. Even though it was already midsummer season, different from the humid and muggy subtropical climate in Hong Kong, the temperature during the sunset there was surprisingly cool; the gentle breeze smoothed the lines of worry on the faces of the pedestrians away with her cool fingers. The golden red sun was bending in the west as the street lamps reflected irregular beams of light on the cobblestones. It was ideal time for sunset hour drinks and evening soirées of cool cocktails, with a wide selection of wines and international beers. Javier, Sylvia, Janice and I were strolling along the boulevard while listening to Björk’s Jóga as the verse went, “[…] Emotional landscapes, they puzzle me.”

Hearing this, Javier, lost in thinking, asked me with faltering smiles, “So Winstead, what’s the emotional landscape that puzzles you?” He must have felt that the answer to this question should be obvious, as every friend of mine from my university knows I love the country of France and its culture (and this probably explained why I’ve been learning French for four years while I’m in Hong Kong as I’m so, so deeply obsessed with this language). “Wait, let me guess: your ‘emotional landscape” is the French-style landscape, right? See you can hardly hide your yearnings for it.” He teased me. I closed my eyes and plunged into a deep reverie while the sun changed in untold colors: white, yellow, and then red… which made me daze to be lost into dreaming that I couldn’t tell which color was the most gorgeous and beautiful. After a moment of silence, suddenly a word blurted out of my mouth, “Sweden.” And at that moment I saw incredulous expression on Javier’s face as this answer was so unexpected to him, and perhaps to everyone who used to know me.

The land of Nordic dynamism, a vast region of prosperity, has indeed long appealed to me like a magnet when I was a child, as I started to have many a fantasy about Sweden since I was seven when I spent more than half of my childhood time reading Lindgren’s fairy tales. Most of this Swedish writer’s books have been badly thumbed by me, and among them Pippi Långstrump is my favorite, who has been encouraging generations of girls to play freely and believe in themselves. In the process, Pippi created a miracle for gender equality. The 9-year-old girl, representing an imaginative and unconstrained child power, lives alone in a big house, where she cares for herself, has countless gold coins, can walk forwards and backwards as she likes, can sleep in shoes, can wear wet clothes, can go to school on horseback…

The many “don’ts” that are often scorned by adults are all overthrown by her, and her maverick subverts the life of the Nordic town. “Don’t we live in a free country?” Pippi always responds to the voices of doubt like this, and it is this “free country” that strongly attracts me. For me, Astrid Lindgren endowed many kids with modern aesthetic ideals and subjective consciousness, independence and creative desires, which is lacking in my own cultural literacy, and that’s probably why I could never get enough of Lindgren and every aspect of Swedish life depicted by her. “To live in a Swedish tree house” has thereafter become one of my childhood dreams.

But still, no matter how big the childhood dream is, to study and live in Sweden is on all accounts deemed an unusual choice for me. Indigenous to the southeastern coastal area of China, my body, and especially my stomach, has been so used to the hot and humid weather in the subtropical zone. The smell of a salty breeze and the light taste of the seafood have been deeply rooted in my memory of life. And now, as I’m setting out for my new life in northern Europe, I start to search for a common ground between Sweden and Hong Kong; however, except for the fact that most locals speak English in both places, there is no more common point; the climates are even at the two extremes, which reminds me of the famous line in A Song of Ice and Fire, “the winter is coming.”

However, I’m not afraid of the cold, no, on the contrary, I’m looking forward to it, as in Nordic primitive cultures the winter represents the future and rebirth. The Swedish winter shall not be cold, dark and depressing, but it gestates the vitality of the coming year. The more I long for the cold winter with the shining of eager in my eyes, the more visions I have of Sweden: I will be wandering on an embankment, where the crystal clear waters and white yachts shall greet me; or I will just follow the path leading to the castle, and enjoy the idyllic archipelago scenery at the highest point; or I shall simply sit in an open-air garden by the harbor, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the crowds and clouds. It takes only 2-3 hours to have a sightseeing boat trip from Gothenburg to Marstrand, and many activities on the island are available, including fishing in the sea, Viking dinner and a rubber boat ride at sea.

The archipelago in Sweden is rich in vegetation, dotted with two or three red or yellow holiday cottages, where the white sailboats roaming the calm Baltic Sea would occasionally drift, so the island scenery there must be fascinating. What’s more, because of its slow growth in cold, clean waters, the shellfish in Sweden is even one of the most delicious seafood in the world. Now it’s time to admit that there is so much to look forward to in this Nordic country.

The one last thing I need to do before I arrive in Uppsala, Sweden is probably to learn Swedish. I heard that there are many free Swedish courses available in Sweden when we arrive, so picking up this new language for daily use purpose should not be a worry. But still, as a language amateur, Swedish has already filled me with suspense and curiosity. My inquisitive mind keeps urging me to explore into the wonder of this language, and there are some remarkable Swedish words that leave me with deep impressions which I’d like to share in this blog, as I believe the charm of culture always originates form the glamour of its language, so to appreciate the beauty of Swedish becomes a necessity if someone is going to live in Sweden. Here are some Swedish words that are “impossible to translate” together with their explanations by Ella Frances Sanders:

Tretårn.
On its own, “tår” means a cup of coffee, and “patår” is the refill of said coffee. A “tretår” is therefore a second refill, or a “threefill.”

As a coffee lover, probably self-confessed, I down at least two cups every day. And therefore, the coffee culture in Sweden, where people enjoy fika, i.e. taking a coffee break with friends, is certain to increase my sense of well-being and happiness.

Mångatan.
The road-like reflection of the moon in the water.

The word “Mångata” conveys the felicity in a private and tender relation between human and nature, which is the enchantment of life in Sweden. The scenery and nature construct a big part of what Sweden has to offer, and a true devotion of life is speechless here in this country with a harmonious communion with nature. It’s not hard to imagine walking here along a path through the forest and that the fast-flowing small rivers suddenly lead me to a clear lake, where the beautiful water is aquamarine-blue with some narrow parts of the lake being emerald-green. Then I shall see the straying moonbeams, silhouetted against the glittering water, are building up a lane to a distant place. And that’s the ultimately beautiful “Mångata” on this natural land.

Again, the verse of Björk rings in my ears, “Emotional landscapes, they puzzle me.” Life in Sweden is only less than one month away, and I’m looking forward to its marvelous landscapes that possess emotions with endless obsession. Lindgren’s fairy tales, the splendid island scenes, the marvelous Swedish language… this country must have much more to offer than I can expect. 

“Where did you train to be a chef?” a woman asks me. It’s our first time working together and she’s never seen me in the kitchen before. I’m completely blown away by the fact that she thinks I’m some kind of professional chef. “Nowhere” I respond, trying to hide the fact that I’m so flattered.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that coming to University again would lead me to cooking 3-course meals in a well-stocked kitchen for 50, 100, even 150 people in a single night. I’ve always harbored some kind of passion for food (haven’t we all) but I never thought I’d have the ability or courage to the opportunity to cook for so many people.

The nations work hard to offer food worthy of the grand halls, fancy dinners and prestigious guests one oftens finds at a gasque. Anything from a toned-down sexa to a 5-course May dinner, there are a plethora of dinners to cater for. The nations are available to rent out for special events with pre-designed menus and helpful students (like me!) offer their assistance as a part-time job.

The pub restaurants at the nations are also always in need of chefs to help out – and every nation has their own take on the burger, be it halloumi or bean or jalapeno. The person in charge of making those decisions, the menu for a gasque to the burger recipe, is the kitchen master. Applied, elected and full-time, they never stop living, breathing, tasting food.

I’ve been able to ‘take-over’ the restaurant for a few nights with my own Italian menu. A treat to serve hundreds of pasta dishes, lasagnes and tiramisus. Last summer, I worked with one of my best friends to run the nation’s summer restaurant, full-time, for three months and I’ll be doing it again this year. It’s exciting, it’s challenging and it’s something I’ll likely never do again!

And especially as I was able to fulfil my dream of making a cookie chandelier. Definitely something I’ll never be trying again.

/Rhianna

The city of Uppsala, and its immediate surroundings, are brimming with sites of stunning natural beauty. At times only a little more than ten minutes cycle ride from the city centre, these sites of seclusion and quiet can provide a haven away from the busy lives of the city’s inhabitants, students and local residents alike.

After many adventures, Alex Hibberts, a British Erasmus student, has chosen three sites which you should definitively visit during your time in Uppsala to delve into the city’s wild heart.

1. Hågadalen

Tucked away behind Flogsta, the tower blocks which host most of the city’s international students, is the village of Håga, the gateway to a vast area of meadows, pine forests, bogs and swamps that make up the Hågadalen Nature Reserve.

Well-signposted footpaths take you deep into a forest that hosts a number of rare and sometimes red-listed species with weird and wonderful names ranging from the Common Milkwort to the Brown Needle Lichen. Those who listen carefully will be able to hear the sound of woodpeckers high up in the trees.

This mysterious landscape inspired Carl Linnaeus and Uppsala Kommun (city council) has set up a series of Linnaeus Trails that guide walkers along the same routes Linnaeus took with his students in the 18^th century. Places like Norbylund have hardly changed since Linneaus’ explorations and provide a tantalizing glimpse into the world that inspired one of Uppsala’s greatest minds.

But Norbylund, like the rest of Hågadalen, was already old when Linneaus arrived. Within these ancient forests and meadows, sites of great age can be discovered.

At the northern end of the reserve, closest to Flogsta, walkers can unexpectedly find themselves in an Iron Age graveyard. Here, there are fifty graves were found marked by thirty timeworn standing stones, all dominated by the tall figure of a Viking runestone. Whilst, close by, the village of Håga boasts its own Bronze Age burial mound. From the top of this man-made hill, breath-taking views of the whole valley can be seen.

2. Årike Fyris

Entered through an avenue of trees, especially dazzling in autumn, that begins in Uppsala Stadsträdgården, located at the southern end of the city centre, this spectacular nature reserve takes walkers and cyclists along the River Fyris and onto the sandy shores of Ekoln Lake.

The journey from Uppsala to Ekoln provides many opportunities to explore the region’s immense natural charm. Around forty-minutes walk from the centre, the smaller lake of Övre Föret appears which is best viewed from a bird watching tower set up on its western side. From this hidden vantage point, several species of bird can be spotted including the elusive Kingfisher and the long-beaked Common Snipe.

Continue downstream and a 400m boardwalk has been constructed that allows walkers to venture right out into the marshland either side of the River Fyris. Wildflowers serenade the adventurer as the boardwalk twists and turns across this otherwise hidden habitat which teems with life.

There are many chances to stop and rest along the way including at Sunnerstaviken, a small inlet of the River Fyris that was known to the Vikings who passed this way when travelling to Gamla Uppsala, further upstream. Here, a small jetty allows walkers to quietly watch the swans sail and ripple the still waters which is dotted with large lily pads in September.

The path eventually comes out onto the Ekoln at Flottsunda, but it is worth following the signposted path around the lake’s edge towards Grandberg which eventually reaches the little peninsula of Skarholmen. This rock, crowned by a restaurant, juts out into the lake and affords incredible views out across this vast body of water.

3. Gamla Uppsala

Located on the Uppsalaåsen, one of the longest glacial ridges in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala and its surrounding park provide a fantastic viewpoint from which to look over the city of Uppsala. Most clearly seen are the cathedral, with its two dominating spires, and the pink castle, built further south on the same ridgeway.

At this centre of this hallowed site, are three main burial mounds, the largest of thousands which pepper the surrounding area, and these larger mounds contain the cremated remains of the earliest Swedish kings. Although, according to legend, Odin, the Norse god, is also said to be interned in one of these impressive man-made hills.

At one point during your time in Uppsala, you should most certainly visit Gamla Uppsala. During Spring, the mounds are covered in oddly hairy purple flowers called Backsippa in Swedish and red squirrels, a rare find in some parts of Europe, can be found in abundance in the nearby forest.

This site is something of a Swedish treasure and it is during cold winter evenings, when the sun is setting low and mist begins to collect in the hollows between the mounds, that the onlooker can almost sense the secrets, lost to the passage of time, that this site has yet to tell.

Find Out More

If you’re itching to put on your boots and head out to explore, but don’t know which path to take, Uppsala Kommun has produced a range of leaflets containing the maps you need to explore their nature reserves.

These leaflets can be found at the various entrances to all their nature reserves but I would recommend having a look at their website (http://www.upplandsstiftelsen.se/Start) for more information. Happy exploring!

/Alexander

Since the very first sunny August day I came to Uppsala, I’ve been welcomed with the phrase: “Beware, winter is coming.” Everyone has warned me about the Swedish winter and how tiresome it may be. However, in the same breath they added: “Wait for the last of April, it’s worth it to outlast the winter to experience Valborg.” So I did.

After experiencing (and successfully surviving) both, I can say that the endless winter is more than compensated for by Valborg. Since I’ve heard so many different myths and legends about this annual spring celebration, I had several expectations. Some of them were fulfilled, some of them were not. Let’s see:

Expectation 1: Valborg is a full day of partying.

Right. But that’s not all. Valborg celebrations last about a week, which is full of events – not only at the nations, but also more official ones like Donning of the Caps at Carolina Rediviva or Spring Salutation at the Castle hill

Two days preceding Valborg are called Skvalborg and Kvalborg (meaning qualification for Valborg). The main activities take place on April 30th, which is followed by Finalborg. This finale day links elegantly to the ‘qualification’ day on Kvalborg. On the whole, this celebration race has also about 4 days.

Speaking about about a race…

Expectation 2: The boat race at Fyrisån is a breathtaking competition.

I had this image in my mind of people on funny boats going as fast as possible, trying to overtake each other while their boats gradually fall apart. In reality, this event taking place at 10:00 on April 30th was more of a parade. Nevertheless, that gave all of us more time to admire the original boat designs and greet the crews. And to satisfaction of those who expected some drama, a couple of boats overturned during the ride.

Expectation 3: There will be a lot of people at Ekonomikum park.

Wrong. It wasn’t a lot of people. It was masses of people gathering not only at Ekonomikum park, but everywhere in the city from early morning until late in the evening. Uppsala was truly living a life on its own. Young and old, Swedish and international, all people were mingling and celebrating together.

What I appreciated very much was the organization of the whole event. The official sponsor of Valborg (Varannan water) managed to keep everyone hydrated during the whole socially exhausting day. Although most of the plastic water bottles were forgotten in the park in the evening, impressively enough, all of them were gone when I woke up the next morning (or afternoon, better to say).

Expectation 4: I will see all of my friends during Valborg.

I couldn’t be more wrong. A meritorious Uppsala resident and Valborg celebrator told me – “Don’t make plans with more than one person during Valborg, it will never work out.” Indeed, it was difficult to make big plans as me and my friends had wholly different ideas what to do and see and it was close to impossible to find all of them in the crowds.

But don’t worry, you’ll never be alone. Instead, you may end up with a couple of closest friends or people you’ve barely seen before and still have the best time of your life. I recommend not planning in advance too much and rather being more spontaneous.

Last week of April has something in stock for everyone and there is no universal recipe how to cook your Valborg right. You can choose from a variety of ingredients – from hanging out at Ekonomikum park, watching bonfires at Gamla Uppsala to eating barbecue burgers at one of the nations.

So go and make the best mixture during Valborg 2020!

/Lucie

Valkommen till Sverige!

‘College life’, like most people, I was looking forward to it. Pictures of students sitting in the park on a sunny day just hanging out with no worries of the world. Some of you reading this blog might be planning to come to Sweden for their University education, some of you may already be here, some of you folks couldn’t find anything better to do so you decided to search for random blog articles on the internet. Seriously guys, get your life together. Either way, if you came here to learn more about this ‘amazing college-life’ and the stuff that you’ll be doing once you get here, sadly, this is not the blog post for you. It’s grim and deals with some boring stuff. So if you don’t want your excitement to fade, I suggest you look for some other articles on the website.

So, let’s begin. Imagine waking up hungover. You wake up, try to get your feet on the ground with your head throbbing with pain and you saying to yourself,’Never again!’. Sad, considering you know that you’re going to go through that exact same feeling next weekend. It’s alright, we’ve all been there. Ahh, the irony! So, you stand up, look at yourself in the mirror and think about last night. You’re flushed with a feeling of embarrassment when you remember how walked into a pole and started apologizing to it like it was a person. You know it’s going to be a shitty day. You go to the kitchen to look for something to feed your stomach, it’s rumbling like the thunder during a storm. You open the fridge and Voilà, it’s empty. Except for a carton of milk that has developed new life and maybe some cheese, if you’re lucky. Grocery shopping, we all need to do it, nobody teaches us how to. Good grocery shopping is an art. I haven’t mastered it, not even close. Nevertheless, I figured that my experiences in last 7 months of staying here could prove to be helpful to noobs.

This article could be helpful to those of you who are staying/will be staying in Flogsta as the nearest grocery store is ICA Väst, one of the cheaper grocery stores out there.

1) Food
Start easy, if you don’t know how to cook, don’t go and buy onions, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms thinking you’ll make something fancy. You can’t, not yet. Start with the basics. Get some milk (Lactose-free if you’re lactose intolerant, none if you’re vegan). Be careful as they have something called ‘Filmmjölk’ in Sweden. It’s not milk, it’s ‘sour milk’. It’s similar to yoghurt. Buy some cereal to go with the milk. Get some fruit that is easy to eat, like bananas, apples etc. Sometimes, they have some good deals at ICA Väst, keep an eye out..

And then, our saviour, pasta. You can easily find pasta in any grocery store along with ready-to-use sauce.

These are all just different types and brands of pasta sauce. If you’re just looking for the cheapest stuff, it’s usually on the bottom shelves. The brand that you see is ‘ICA Basic’. They make a whole range of ‘daily-use’ products which are cheaper than the usual brands. Of course you have to make a few sacrifices and the quality of these products is a hit or miss.

Once you get the hang of it, you can try and start cooking proper food in a few days. What I usually do is go to the sales section, check out what’s on sale, buy it and then cook something based on what I get. It’s cheaper that way and ICA usually has a wide range of sales so you have the ability to choose. You can also check out the sales on their Facebook page, saves you the time of going physically to the store.

When you enter, on the left, you have the candy section. Beyond it, on the left, is the sale section. They have some good stuff on sale sometimes, keep an eye out. In addition, if you’re a meat-lover, you can find amazing sales on meat at ICA as well.

2) General stuff
But, food is not the only thing you’re going to need. Basic stuff like toilet paper and hand-wash also needs to be on your list. You will also need detergent. It depends where you are living though. If you’re living at Klostergatan 16 with UU housing office, you won’t need detergent. Therefore, it is important that you read about your accommodation and what facilities will be provided to you. If you’re living in Flogsta however, you will have to buy most of the stuff yourself. Apart from the pans, plates etc that you can find in the common kitchen. Unfortunately, I had to buy all of that as well since my kitchen didn’t really have much to begin with. So you may have to go to IKEA once you get here.

I could keep on going, but there’s only so much you can read and remember. This post started out as kinda serious, but if I’m being perfectly honest, you’ll be just fine. It’s like learning how to drive a car, when you start, you’re lost and don’t know if you’ll ever get there. But you do. All of this may sound scary to someone who hasn’t experienced this before. I remember being nervous when I came to Sweden because I didn’t know how to cook. And now, cooking has become my hobby. It’s a stress-reliever for me. So, I will say the same thing to you that my friends said to me when I moved here ,’Teri lagne vaali hai’. Meaning? ‘You’re going to get screwed’. They were being sarcastic. Or were they?

/Simarjit

Imagine this scenario: your family is coming over to Uppsala for a visit and they have entrusted you (as their Swedish expert) to prepare a program for the weekend. Your task is clear – to amuse them and show them the beauty of Sweden.

Don’t get me wrong, Uppsala is a wonderful city and there is nothing wrong about chilling at one of the cafés or strolling through the city centre. However, a more adventurous family may want to explore more than this university town.

So what to do at the weekend like this, when the weather is nice (or at least nice according to the Swedish standards)? If you have ever asked the same question, you are in the right place here. The solution: Plan a trip! Here are a few tips, which won’t devastate your bank account.

1) Lake Ekoln
Located only 10 km to the south from the Uppsala city centre, lake Ekoln is a place worth a visit. You can get there by bus, but I also recommend to make a walking tour or a bike tour. The advantage is that there is basically no elevation on the way, which is good news for leisure cyclists like me. Although it’s so close to the city, you can feel the peace and quiet of nature.

2) Gamla Uppsala
I know. You have probably heard about the renowned three magical hills in the suburbs of Uppsala. But there is something more than those “three humps”. The whole surroundings will splash you with the old Viking spirit. It’s the location of the general assembly from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. According to ancient mythology, the three gods Thor, Odin and Freyr are lying inside the large barrows. If you want to know more, visit the Gamla Uppsala museum.

3) Storvreta
Still snowing outside? Ideal for sports enthusiasts, the cross-country skiing resort Storvreta is just 15 km away from Uppsala. For as little as 60 SEK a day, you can enjoy a full day of cross-country skiing. You can either bring your own ski or rent them at one of Uppsala’s rental shops.

4) Stockholm
I know I said low-cost tips. But even the trip to Stockholm can be made very affordable. Look for Flixbus tickets, you can get them for as cheap as 30 SEK only, with a 20 % discount with your Mecenat card. In addition, Stockholm offers a bunch of museums that are free-of-charge (such as The Royal Armoury, The Medieval Museum, National Museum or Moderna Museet).

Other popular museums, which are not for free, but worth the entrance fee include:

Vasa museum: Believe it or not, a museum about one ship can be so interesting that you will spend there at least 2 hours. The Vasa warship, built in the 17th century, wrecked after just a few hundred meters in Stockholm harbour. After more than 300 years, the ship was salvaged and can be seen at Vasa museum today.

Abba museum: How to explore the Swedish culture better than with one of the most famous music bands of all times? Watch, listen, sing and play. At Abba museum, you can do it all!

Nobel museum: An educational excursion to the world of science, economics and literature. Nobel museum explains everything about Alfred Nobel’s life and the Nobel Prize awarded each year to those who “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.

Not a fan of museums? Nevermind, Stockholm has something in stock for everyone.

Both art and transport lovers will surely appreciate the artistic Stockholm metro stations…

…bookworms and architecture enthusiasts will like the Stockholm City Library with a circular floor plan.

For those who ever wondered how the Swedish political system works, the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) is open for everyone who wants to attend a debate, take a guided tour or visit the Riksdag Library.

Nevertheless, a walk in Gamla Stan and a picture of the houses at Stora Torget is a must for all.

No matter what you choose to do, have a nice weekend trip!

/Lucie

Everything starts from a window view. A window of building 34 Rackarbergsgatan (near one of the main event locations, Ekonomikum Park) broadcasts a non- stop live streaming for 2019 Valborg. Standing in front of this window, I had observed the city from the preparation from 26 April to the beginning of getting crowded on 30 April until getting back to normal on 1.May. No matter who you are, old, young, sober, drunk, single, couple, students, tourists……, the unexpectedness of Valborg proves its credible fame that Uppsala is worth it.

1. Valborg is for everyone

Though Uppsala is a student city, Valborg is definitely not for students only. The first time I checked the programs, I came out with a question, “What are those adults and children do with Valborg?” Because from my preliminary understanding, everything surrounds the student theme: drinking alcohol, student race, throwing graduation caps, student performances, student night club. However, in these events, I noticed children and adults equally enjoyed themselves as students.

Along the Fyris riverside, while the raft race is going on, the main cheerleading team is from family with kids sitting behind the railing and shouting for the passing boats. Once their energy is used up, at two sides of the river, sweets and toy vendors are on standby. In the long queue, I always overhear intimate dialogues between families. In exchange of children’s proper behavior during an entire day, a box of churros, a funny design of balloon, an ice cream seem to be a very cheap trade. In such a sunny day, which parents would not want to take advantage of the free occasion as a precious family one-day trip?

Turning back from Fyris and going up to the main library, Carolina Rediviva, people will notice posters are all replaced with Swedish national flag. The countdown board arranged on the center of the façade predicts the grand opening of the ceremony at the following hours. When it is three o’clock sharp. People take out their caps and wave at the air according to the order from the main speakers. Among the white caps, it is not hard to find some beige color. Their owners are some old couples or friends. The beige color somehow symbolizes those fresh student lives in the past as gorgeous and impressive as what I am experiencing now in my exchange year. That is the moment I am pretty much touched for I feel the tradition deeply connects the people from different regions and ages in this particular time and place. Two of my interviewees from Gothenburg and Uppsala told me, “Valborg is good for bringing tourists to witness our tradition.  For example, the last song sung by the choir in the ceremony has 200 years old history.”

In front of Norrlands nation, the street is full of happy dancing pairs. What amazes me the most is several senior couples. They hold their lovers’ hands, wave their bodies while following the melody from the live jazz band and singers.  Compared to us such a group of young people who just stand and behave a bit shy, they are so chill and enjoy the moment. “Look, on the roof, there is another senior couple, standing there silently and watching their comrades downside. What a life!“

2. Valborg price could be higher

Valborg in Uppsala is the biggest spring celebration around whole Sweden. It always attracts a big crowd of people to come and gather in the town. Where there is people, there is business. Valborg in Uppsala is like a carnival, so the price for many things are raised during the celebration, which are not necessarily correspondent to the quality a person can get from the normal day.  Access to many nation events also require entrance fee. Therefore, to distinguish a student identity with a tourist, many people bring their own food to the picnic area or spend time at night at the home party.

3. Valborg events could be similar but also different

When I associate Valborg with a carnival, I always imagine it is a day full of activities. Yes, it is, but it is not as well. If you check the schedule from the morning to the midnight or from preparation period to Valborg day, you do see many proposals: gasque, champagne picnic, race, food, nation party, ceremony and speech, choir performance, and club. However, if you enter each occasion, you can conclude two or three similar patterns: People gather, spend time together, eating, drinking, and moving. Especially, in such a small town, the popular places to afford people could be numbered easily by fingers. Friends or acquaintances you know just take turn wandering around these places. Occasionally, I bumped into several friends and we exchanged our daily itineraries, the first one is pretty much the same even to the tenth one. If a foreign student sticks to one group of people from the morning until night, I wonder what else can they still talk about?

4. Valborg chaos is under controlled

When certain number of people gather, there is a possibility to have chaos. On Valborg, the city shows its well preparation and experience to the major two chaos: security and trash.

The massive trash mountains at Valborg night is very frightening. Streets are full of bottles. Main parks or picnic areas are covered by plastic bags, food packages, and clothes or blankets. At the first sight, I could not make a conclusion whether this is about Sweden or human being. When alcohol starts working, the position of environmental protection becomes so little, even for the most environmental friendly country Sweden. It is until the second day around ten o’clock, I was once again shocked by the scenery from my window. The city is as clean and quiet as the other day before Valborg. At several places, I met some people wearing the yellow vest of Uppsala Council. They are high school students, football team, scouts, and others directly hired by the city council. In order to earn training and traveling fund, allowance, or out of responsibility for the environment, or another ironic way to cleanse what they did last night, they start the cleaning task from 7 or 8 to 11 to 12. In other words, if Valborg events end at 4 in the morning, around half a day, their mission is completed. From a participant of the cleaning task, there are 20 teams like this working on returning the city appearance. To face the massive trash, though they comment the amount is less than last year, I could not help but praise the organization and efficiency of Swedish government.

As terrorist attack has become a normalized phenomenon in many European cities, security force has always been alert for any kinds of assembly. On Valborg, in addition to the guard at the entrance for nations, around the main celebration venues, polices and ambulance cars are visible, which is not a common scene in Uppsala, but for the sake of the safety of the most safest city, this is necessary. Only under this level of confidence to the security, we do not need to worry about anything during the celebration. Just like the random keys I founds on the bench, they are still there waiting for their owners even until the second day.

5. Valborg is an exception

“Heavy drinking is a student thing, but it is allowed. It is a process from a student to a grown up. One day when we look back, we remember we did something crazily together, and it is okay because we are allowed to do something on Valborg for something we might not do on the other day.”

For a student, Valborg is an exception…..of certain taboos or a normal way a student lives. It is also a highlight of the student life and of the friendship we vow to protect and cherish forever.  2019 Valborg, I was spending my time with my dear friends who I met for the first and second arrival weeks in Uppsala. I remember that kind of loneness and uncertainty when a person came to a new environment, but because of such a company, we have gone through so much hard time. Until now it is probably our last month in Sweden. No matter what we did, at the castle, at club, at nation pub, at the ceremony, on Valborg we celebrated the coming of spring and also the most quality time of just being together. To friendship, Skål!

/Huiyu

Often my study group and I sit at the round table, like the knights of King Arthur, deciding how best to slay the thesis dragon. Our ideas as our best swords, our peers and their feedback our shields, our supervisors as our guides and trainers. We have committed to our battles.

I love a good analogy, but this is, at times, what it truly feels like. You’re taking up arms alongside those you’ve mentally trained with over the last years, to each combat your own idea, to slay your own dragon. The journey you will remember, the dragon your prize.

In the last few months of one’s course you’re faced with this inevitable challenge and at times it can feel undoable, impossible or downright mad. The idea you’ve got isn’t direct enough, is too large, is too small, has been done before, deviates from the subject, isn’t new, is too difficult… The list goes on and on.

Like an intellectual case of bipolar disorder, the day-to-day writing of a thesis can have you enthralled and excited, elated at the idea of completion and fascination of your peers – to dejected and hopeless, devoid of wonder, critiquing every word written. Or anything in-between.

The words you write one day can have such significance and meaning. Yet, the next day, they might read like nonsense. It’s a careful balance, this writing business. The critical eye is of utmost importance, at times when it is necessary, reviewing your text – does it make sense? Does it read well? Just as blindly writing can be useful too, emitting a slew of words from the brain in no particular order to organise later. Sometimes just writing is better than overthinking.

Often we too find ourselves encircling a point, using large words or long sentences to make a small point, we get lost in the words, lost in a sea of descriptions. ‘Perhaps in the likelihood of such speculative circumstances one may be inclined to come to the conclusion of…’ etc etc. The advice of one of my classmates (although the real attribution should go to the professor she quoted) ‘SAY WHAT YOU MEAN’. Harder than you may think. The very day I got this advice, in the evening, watching an episode of Game of Thrones, Sansa and Arya were discussing threats when Sansa snapped ‘Say what you mean’ – I took it as a sign. Talking in riddles gets you nowhere. More importantly, it gets the reader nowhere.

I started with an analogy, so I’ll end with another. Writing a thesis you’re happy with is like trying to bake the best cake you’ve ever made without a recipe. You have an idea of what ingredients will go together, you might, at times, have an idea of what the finished product might look like with your current trajectory, but it’ll rarely end up looking like the image in your head. Your supervisor is the master baker. You can ask them for advice on ingredients – ‘does banana and cardamom go together?’ or why your cake keeps baking flat (perhaps it’s missing a certain pinch of something?), but you can’t ask them to measure out your ingredients or bake your cake for you. Eventually, after trial and error, after up and down, after the inevitable mental strain, you’re left with something that you’re satisfied or even happy with.

We’re not all going to make wedding cake masterpieces, but we can damn well try.

/Rhianna

Hej guys, this is already my second semester here in Uppsala; time literally flies! As time goes by, I become more and more into amazing Swedish cuisine. Luckily, Swedish people are very friendly and they like teaching anything about their culture. So, I have been sticking around my Swedish friends to learn some new recipes. Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs) was my favorite until one of my Swedish friends told me about Smörgåstårta (Sandwich Cake) last week!

As is evident from its name, it is a sandwich shaped like a cake! And yes, it’s a big thing in Sweden. Although Swedish people highly care about “living a healthy life,” they think that it is okay going extremes occasionally. The Swedish way of living is all about balancing everything in life; not much or not less just lagom (enough) of everything ?

People mostly prefer eating Smörgåstårta is at celebrations such as birthday or Midsummer. I also think that I might be a nice snack for a Eurovision party which is coming soon! Basically, you just need to make a huge sandwich, then fill and decorate it with many ingredients which do not really go together ? You can find a sandwich cake with a layer of pork liver pate, salmon, prawns, roast beef and topped with ham and cheese. Confusing? Nothing can surprise me after seeing the pizza with banana on top!

If you want to go with Swedish way at home, here you can find a recipe for four to follow! Hope you will enjoy!

     Ingredients:

• 6 slices of white English bread crust cut off
• 200 ml Skagenröra salad (mix together peeled prawns, dill, chopped chives, lemon, mayo, creme fraiche, salt, pepper – to taste)
• a tub of good quality prawn
• 200 g smoked salmon
• 1 cucumber
• fresh dill
• fresh chives
• a tub of mayonnaise
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• Butter
  

    Instructions:

• Butter the bread on one side. Place two sides side by side and top with as much Skagenröra mixture as you feel. Add two slices of bread on top.
• Mash the eggs and mix with a little bit of mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Add to the top of the bread. Add the last two slices of bread.
• Using a pallet knife, add a thin layer of mayonnaise all around the sandwich cake. This will help the other toppings stick.

How to Decorate:

• Use slices of salmon on the top of the sandwich cake. Try to arrange in a nice pattern.
• Use a cheese slicer to cut long pieces of cucumber and use to decorate the sides.
• Once the sides are looking neat, you can decorate the top.You can add basically whatever you want. Swedish people mostly add some Skagenröra on top and then add loads of prawns and sprigs of dill.
• Remember to refrigerate before eating.

You can watch the recipe to here!

P.S: If you don’t have time to make your own, you can find it in bakery or even ICA has it sometimes.

/Müge

Are international students known for spending their weekends exploring the country? It seems that we have gotten quite a reputation and I mean, why not? I am here, in Sweden, in a country that always have spoken to my imagination: glaciers, trees covered in snow, hats of fur, the typical Scandinavian houses, frozen lakes, and ofcourse the northern lights.

Uppsala does not have glaciers and its trees are not covered in snow anymore. I haven’t seen so much fur in the past weeks, and lakes do not get frozen that quickly while the snow on our streets has transformed into slippy ice roads. Uppsala has a charm on its own, definitely, and I will probably elaborate on that in one of my future blog posts. But I had a free weekend and as it is almost expected of an international student to travel, I decided to take the Arctic circle night train to find my childhood image of the nordic countries. I took the train to Jokkmokk, Lapland.

Arctic Circle Train
Oh these are such an adventure! Never have I travelled in a night train before and as I was travelling alone, I decided to treat myself to a three person compartment. I was lucky enough to spend it with only one other stranger. I was not so lucky with the fact that she was a heavy snorer, and sometimes farted in her sleep. Between her snores, and farts, I could hear the train moving on the tracks and it rocked me to sleep quite easily. Early morning I had to get off in Murjek, where an hour later I could take the bus to Jokkmokk. There I stood, in the snow, at this cute little train station. I saw the sun come up and I was all happy to have survived that 14 hours train ride.

Jåhkåmåhkke, land of the Sami
While most travellers go further north to be in Abisko or Kiruna, I decided to search for other options. I did not want to be surrounded by too many tourists, especially those northern light chasers who can can be blind for all the other beauty there is. When I had a look on the map, the name Jokkmokk read funny and I decided that that was the place to go to (a week later in the IKEA I discovered that a table set is called the same). It turned out that Jokkmokk actually is a great alternative for a more cultural experience.

The city of Jokkmokk, or Jåhkåmåhkke as it is called by the indigenous people, is located in the Laponian Area and was made Unesco World Heritage in 1996. The name means “curve in the river” of Lule.  The city holds a Sami museum which is pretty great. It gives a good overview of how the Sami has lived in the region and how they have dealt with discrimination and exclusion of the Swedish government. The city also holds 1 hostel, which is the best option as a solo traveller on a budget (the price is still kind of expensive but to Swedish standards more than okay). The building was a typical Swedish wooden house with a view on the frozen lake, where during the famous Jokkmokk market reindeer races are held. There was no reindeer to be found now, but it perfectly lend itself for a hike in the sun with stiffening snow. On a FROZEN lake!

When in a new place, I believe that there are two ways to discover local life best. Firstly, you can visit a local church service. Secondly, drinking a beer in a local pub. Both were planned to do and especially the church service was a special experience with the songs in both Swedish and Sami language.

Reindeer herding
My childhood image of Lapland included these snow dogs, huskies, who would pull me on a sled. But as I was moving around in Sami land, I decided to go for a herding tour. Reindeer herding is legally reserved for Sami people as it is their livelihood and are engaged with these animals throughout the year. In summer they move with them from tipi to tipi in the mountain area, where they will mark the calf. They do this by cutting the ears in all different kind of shapes to recognize which reindeer belongs to which family. For an untrained eye, these markings are barely distinguishable, but there are so many different shapes that even the Sami people can look them up in some kind of a handbook. When the reindeer are old enough, they are sold for meat production and some of them are slaughtered for own use. After the supplementary feeding we tried some of the reindeer meat which has a very particular wilde taste.

I was sitting there on some reindeer fur (finally, fur!), enjoying the sun and fresh air. So in my element, so happy. So happy to discover more of Sweden, to chase my childhood dreams.

/Lidewij