Humble beginnings
Three weeks ago marked the humble beginnings of my exchange semester in Lund, Sweden. Although it's felt like a majority of the things I have been doing seem mundane and administrative and therefore are not worth reporting, they do actually illustrate a lot about my lifestyle over here and the Swedish culture in general.
Since sitting here I have realised that the "protocols" and "cultural norms" I have been exposed to have become "normalised" in my subconscious in a very short amount of time (here's the human geographer coming out in me - Ash, Cam & Brit you should be proud). In other words it's actually been quite hard unpacking the things that may have at the beginning seemed quite foreign, yet are now quite normal to me and part of my lifestyle. So have a read below of my attempt to describe succinctly what I have observed and experienced so far.
P.s NZ is still home though. Random fact: EVERYONE here knows about NZ and raves about it more than I! It's very popular for Swedes to finish high school and travel to Australia and NZ. Now I understand why NZ 'punches well above it's weight'. Hopefully will have a few of them to visit when I'm back home!
Setting the scene: Lund & the Öresund Region
The University
The university buildings are scattered around the small town of Lund. 40,000 of the 100,000 people living in Lund are students. So basically the university is Lund. Everyone here owns a bike; they dominate both the streets and footpaths. You see every type of bike - old, new, without wheels, bright pink, with baskets and seatcovers...and you even see them in the strangest of places... in a heap, up a tree... The good thing is you don't have to wear a helmet, which makes riding one seem more glamorous I think.
Above: Situated in the middle of town is the main university building. Completed in 1882. Incredible assembly hall and Vice-Chancellor's office. Four sphinxes that top the facade symbolise the four original faculties.
Right: Geocentrum 1 ie. Human Geography building. Bit different from the HSB at home. About 6 mins cycle from my place (uphill) & about 2mins back.
Left: Lund's main cathedral, the Domkyrka. Considered basically the centre of town. Construction began in 1100 AD. Next to University building & library. Considered Scandinavia's most distinguished cathedral in Romanesque style. Features astronomical clock and Finn the Giant.
Many museums within walking distance including:
Right: University library.
Lund also has a lot of beautiful parks including the Botaniska Trädgården (Botanical Gardens)
Also the IDEON science park - Scandinavia's first science park. For the purpose of making use of all the knowledge and wealth of ideas to be found at Lund Uni. 200 companies and 2000+ employers have offices here.
Surrounding areas
Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden is only 20 mins by train or bus from Lund. It is home to the architecturally astounding Twisting Torso and is also connected to Copenhagen, Denmark by the famous Öresund Bridge, spanning nearly 8km.
Lund is part of the Skåne region. I did a little "Österlen" tour around Ystad, Kåseberga, Glimmingehus and Stenshuvud National Park. These were old wee towns situated next to the sea. The Glimmingehus is Scandinavia's best-preserved medieval fortresses (from 1499). There are many castles & manors in the region.
Pictured left: Ales stenar in Kåseberga - Sweden's largest preserved stone "ship setting" dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age.
Since sitting here I have realised that the "protocols" and "cultural norms" I have been exposed to have become "normalised" in my subconscious in a very short amount of time (here's the human geographer coming out in me - Ash, Cam & Brit you should be proud). In other words it's actually been quite hard unpacking the things that may have at the beginning seemed quite foreign, yet are now quite normal to me and part of my lifestyle. So have a read below of my attempt to describe succinctly what I have observed and experienced so far.
P.s NZ is still home though. Random fact: EVERYONE here knows about NZ and raves about it more than I! It's very popular for Swedes to finish high school and travel to Australia and NZ. Now I understand why NZ 'punches well above it's weight'. Hopefully will have a few of them to visit when I'm back home!
Setting the scene: Lund & the Öresund Region
The university buildings are scattered around the small town of Lund. 40,000 of the 100,000 people living in Lund are students. So basically the university is Lund. Everyone here owns a bike; they dominate both the streets and footpaths. You see every type of bike - old, new, without wheels, bright pink, with baskets and seatcovers...and you even see them in the strangest of places... in a heap, up a tree... The good thing is you don't have to wear a helmet, which makes riding one seem more glamorous I think.
Above: Situated in the middle of town is the main university building. Completed in 1882. Incredible assembly hall and Vice-Chancellor's office. Four sphinxes that top the facade symbolise the four original faculties. Right: Geocentrum 1 ie. Human Geography building. Bit different from the HSB at home. About 6 mins cycle from my place (uphill) & about 2mins back.
Many museums within walking distance including:
- Kulturen - largest museum in Skåne, covering two city blocks, thirty historical buildings & 16 permanent exhibitions.
- Skissernas Museum (The Museum of Sketches) - world's largest collection of sketches and models for public works of art by artists such as Matisse, Rivera and Henry Moore.
- Historika Museet/Domkyrkomuseet (Historical Museum/Cathedral Museum) - Sweden's second largest archaeological museum.
- Konsthallen (The City Art Gallery) - Contemporary modern art by new as well as est. names in the current art scene.
- Krognoshuset (Krognos House)
- Drotten's Museum - holds the foundations of Lund's second largest medieval church, erected around 1050 AD.
Right: University library.
Also the IDEON science park - Scandinavia's first science park. For the purpose of making use of all the knowledge and wealth of ideas to be found at Lund Uni. 200 companies and 2000+ employers have offices here.
Surrounding areas
Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden is only 20 mins by train or bus from Lund. It is home to the architecturally astounding Twisting Torso and is also connected to Copenhagen, Denmark by the famous Öresund Bridge, spanning nearly 8km.
Pictured left: Ales stenar in Kåseberga - Sweden's largest preserved stone "ship setting" dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age.
Academia
Courses
Started actual courses in my second week after a pretty tiresome process of securing them. Here the term is split into two 8-10 week blocks. You are supposed to take two papers per block but the strange thing is that papers vary in length and don't start at the same time either. You are also allowed to re-sit papers here if you fail them or if you just choose not to sit the exam. As long as you complete an exam by the end of the following semester you are sweet. Many are take home too. Bit different from the highly stressful exam situation in New Zealand. Plus, you pretty much have two to four hours of class a week. Am i joking? No, I am not.
Because one of my papers is part time and runs over both blocks, I am currently taking three papers. One focuses on the population and geography of Sweden. Naaaw we had this cute old man lecturing us a couple of times and he didn't know how to turn off the projector screen and wasn't quite tall enough to reach for the pull-down map. Bless him. My second paper is on business policy which Im not overly enthused about because its just Porters 5 forces (bain of my life) again. Did a preso to the class today which went relatively well. The last, my favourite, is on global environmental justice. My lecturer is in his 30s and a passionate chap to say the least. He is taking us to Copenhagen in December to attend the activities going on around the Global Climate Change Summit. Some say it will be one of the most important conferences of our time. Cannot contain my excitement for it actually. Andreas, the lecturer, will no doubt get us to start a protest or something. The greeny may come out in me if I'm not careful. My fourth paper surrounding International Business affairs starts early November which should be good.
SvenskaI had a crash course in Svenska in my first week here and an exam for it the following week. "Jahaaaa" is my favourite phrase meaning "alriiiight". Fun to learn the extra letters of their alphabet too ie. å, ä, ö. Certainly adds a bit of spice to words and vocabulary. Plus you feel really cool & arty when you get to include them in a sentence. The English alphabet seems a bit incomplete and bland without the little fellas. Svenska does sound like the telly tubbies or some other dubbed childs TV show sometimes though. They use their throat like they are gurgling water. Deep in the throat. Interesting to find out that "semester" here actually refers to holidays. So the whole time I've been talking to Swedes they think I have pretty full on holidays back home. Love & hate relationship with the Swedish sub-titles on the American TV shows because whilst trying to learn Svenska I get distracted and have no idea what is actually happening on the show (nothing is really dubbed, so they know English well because they have grown up with American TV shows and hence speak English in an American accent)! Been mistaken for a Swede many many times. I can get away with it if I just stick to "hej", "tack" and "hej då".
Social life
Student mentor group no. 19
Every exchange student gets put in a mentor group. I was lucky enough to end up in one with mentors by the names of Magnus, Martin (pictured) and Oscar. Very Svedish by name, VERY Svedish by nature. They love their hair gel & dress well, put it that way. I must interrupt and say that yes, Swedes are a very good looking bunch. The fact they are dressed head to toe in H&M helps too. Brilliant style. But the funny this is that since the majority of the population is good looking, they all kinda even themselves out and after a while you don't notice any longer.
So in the first two weeks the mentors organised a crayfish party for us (big in August), had "pre-" and "after-" parties in their korridors, made us play stupid "Swedish" games in the park, gave us a walking tour of the city, took us to a "sittning" ie. a formal dinner at the nations with LOTS of Swedish singing (and drinking), came with us to our "welcome party" (kinda average) and have a organised a few more things for the next few weeks. Tack guys.
So in the first two weeks the mentors organised a crayfish party for us (big in August), had "pre-" and "after-" parties in their korridors, made us play stupid "Swedish" games in the park, gave us a walking tour of the city, took us to a "sittning" ie. a formal dinner at the nations with LOTS of Swedish singing (and drinking), came with us to our "welcome party" (kinda average) and have a organised a few more things for the next few weeks. Tack guys.
Nations: Sydskånska
There are 13 "nations" which are essentially student run organisations that are compulsory to join if you study at Lund Uni. They each have their own buildings that have accommodation attached as well as one or several bars. They have brunches, lunches, dinners, clubs, film nights, sports etc throughout the week and vary in size and vibe. After careful consideration I joined one known for its good music called Sydskanska. At this nation they have three clubs that rotate every thursday night - rock/indy, reggae & soul and lastly an uonce uonce club. Plus one that plays 70s-90s music. Going to have to whip out the lycra for that one. You can work at any of the nations for free too - so I've put my name down to do some baking and work in the cafe for the film nights every Sunday night, as well as at the retro night. After five times working you get to attend a big party at the end with all the other workers, as well as get free food and entry into the events. Went to a night for newbies called "novishpub" on Weds night and listened to some famous Swedish reggae artists and some guys playing the sax and trumpet alongside a DJ. Loved the fusion. Met some great Swedes (and Americans) who I'm going out to coffee with sometime this week.
Location: One of the most central & cheapest, yet high quality places I could live in. Situated about 2mins south of one of the main squares Martenstorget which has cute fresh fruit, vege and flower markets every Weds and Saturdays. It also has a supermarket and Mc D's. Dangerous I tell you. Around this are are quite a few streets with cute wee cafes, restaurants & bars, clothing shops such as H&M and so on and so forth. There is a massive flea market lining my street, Södra Esplanaden, every Saturday morning. Plus a couple of high quality second hand shops on the adjacent streets. Bought some bright goodies here at 30 NZD each! Dirt cheap.
Foodation: While on the topic of shopping I just have to add that here they have about 13 types of milk. Such a laugh coming home from the supermarket thinking you have milk and realising it is something in between milk and yoghurt. Lattifill 0,5% just for future reference. Also, more generally about Swedish food... Chokladballs (basically rum balls - yes, mum, you know how addicted I am to them anyway) are EVERYWHERE - some type of Swedish delicacy. I'm totally addicted. They like their fish, caviar (in tubes - like everything else) & meatballs here... all the meats that smell delightful. Chicken prices are through the roof though! Then again, most things are...
Domestication: When I arrived I commented that I had to get the courage up to have a shower in our communal showers. Thankfully they have been cleaned several times now, as has the kitchen. Got a roster going. Elsa and I even had a big re-decorate today when the boys were out. I have also worked out how to do the washing. You have to book a time to get into the locked area with your key card (which you need to open every door in the complex basically) and to reserve machines/driers...all in Swedish of course. Very good system, but not so fun when you go overtime and cant get your clothes out (like now)!
Socialisation: Just in the last week have i started to feel much more settled here. Swedes are generally quieter and initiate conversation less than the average so its taken a while to get to know the guys (and one girl, Elsa) on my korridor. However, have had some really fun nights this past week with them! The TV in our lounge has been a focal point of our hangouts actually. You could say it's from the Ice Age. The remote is even more special though, being an old broom. Revolutionary actually. You can even open the fridge and turn the light switch on and off when you are sitting on the couch (I've been practicing getting things out of the fridge too).
There's been a few nights where we've gone out separately earlier on in the evening and come back and ended up hanging out. Take Saturday night for example...
Foodation: While on the topic of shopping I just have to add that here they have about 13 types of milk. Such a laugh coming home from the supermarket thinking you have milk and realising it is something in between milk and yoghurt. Lattifill 0,5% just for future reference. Also, more generally about Swedish food... Chokladballs (basically rum balls - yes, mum, you know how addicted I am to them anyway) are EVERYWHERE - some type of Swedish delicacy. I'm totally addicted. They like their fish, caviar (in tubes - like everything else) & meatballs here... all the meats that smell delightful. Chicken prices are through the roof though! Then again, most things are...
Domestication: When I arrived I commented that I had to get the courage up to have a shower in our communal showers. Thankfully they have been cleaned several times now, as has the kitchen. Got a roster going. Elsa and I even had a big re-decorate today when the boys were out. I have also worked out how to do the washing. You have to book a time to get into the locked area with your key card (which you need to open every door in the complex basically) and to reserve machines/driers...all in Swedish of course. Very good system, but not so fun when you go overtime and cant get your clothes out (like now)!
Socialisation: Just in the last week have i started to feel much more settled here. Swedes are generally quieter and initiate conversation less than the average so its taken a while to get to know the guys (and one girl, Elsa) on my korridor. However, have had some really fun nights this past week with them! The TV in our lounge has been a focal point of our hangouts actually. You could say it's from the Ice Age. The remote is even more special though, being an old broom. Revolutionary actually. You can even open the fridge and turn the light switch on and off when you are sitting on the couch (I've been practicing getting things out of the fridge too).
There's been a few nights where we've gone out separately earlier on in the evening and come back and ended up hanging out. Take Saturday night for example...
Then our korridor lounge was the place to be. We all ended up dancing on our kitchen table and impersonating people on the video clips (in a non-sexual way). Also i had a bit of a wrestle with one of the guys Ivor in the actual corridor which was quite funny. Bit of a sore back in the morning though, but i beat him so the sore back is justified. Bed was very welcome at 5am. Realised in the morning that I actually have a loud voice though and need to be a bit more considerate. Lesson learned. I most note that there was basically a basketball game in my hall between 2 and 4am the other morning. Yes I did hear you guys, although I must admit the insulation/sound proofing in this place is terrific.
Travels
Next week I am on field trips every day - to Copenhagen, Denmark which is 40min train ride away and then all around Skåne, the Southern area of Sweden (The picture in the left is of the little town Ystad, pronounced "oo-stard" which was taken on a trip around Skåne the first week I arrived here). Visiting various castles/estates and observing the landscape and history of the area (over 1000 years old). )
Early October I have locked in a long weekend to Gotland, an island off the east coast of mainland Sweden. Apparently beautiful and is quietly a bit of a party island. 50 of us exchangers going.
Ever dreamt of going to Russia? You've probably dreamt it and feared it simultaneously. Well, I know I have. I'm going to pop over there just casually in November and explore Moscow and St Petersburg for nearly two weeks. Just 'coz i can. RUSSIA. Looking forward to keeping warm with some Russian vodka and a brilliant fur hat. There's six of us going - myself and five guys from England and Oz. So I'll be safe. No need to worry about the mafia or anything mum (When we booked the flights we were peeing our pants just slightly...)
A visit to Stockholm to stay with a friend is on the cards in December, when the water turns to ice and its literally a Winter Wonderland.
What's next
After quite a hectic week experiencing the social life of Lund and getting into my studies, this week I plan to relax. Have the sniffles so I think its a good idea. HOWEVER Phil and Jo arrive TOMORROW and stay until Tuesday!! VERY EXCITED! We are going to have a party in our corridor on Saturday to celebrate my birthday woop woop! It will be so fun to share such a neat experience and lifestyle with them for a few days!!
Love you guys back home!! Thanks for the emails and little messages you have been sending me. Been thinking of you all very often. Will try and reply asap!
Next blog features:
Love you guys back home!! Thanks for the emails and little messages you have been sending me. Been thinking of you all very often. Will try and reply asap!
Next blog features:
- Fashion review & photographicals (think: the Satorialist)
- The fundamentals of life through my eyes...
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