From Swedish 101 to Bergen

Uppsala University offers a free basic Swedish course to all exchange students.  Considering I’d be living there for 6 months I felt obligated to enroll. I was interested in learning a bit about the language, but more so felt that someone living in Sweden should at least make an effort – so I did.  And by effort I mean go to class two afternoons a week.  
Aside from learning the essentials, the class was great for meeting other exchange students in a rather informal and relaxed environment.  With ambitious travel plans and additional classes/seminars attendance became more difficult.   Even if I could attend, if I hadn't completed the previous weeks' homework, the lesson was useless.   For these reasons (and a bit of laziness) I ended up dropping out of Swedish 101.  Even if I wanted to keep attending there was an allowance of only 6 missed classes.
I stayed in class long enough to meet a few good people. Before I got to know them well, a group of them rented a car and drove out for a night or two in western Sweden. It was after a class that they brought up the idea of another trip out to Bergen, Norway.  We would take the train the entire way, spend a few days hiking and then train home.  Coming into the plans a little late, I didn’t have much time to make a decision.  I was a bit concerned about the notorious costs in Norway, not to mention train tickets. As with a lot of things, train tickets tended to increase in price as the departure date approachs (with some exceptions for last-minute deals).  I slept on it and by morning the idea of hiking in Bergen and seeing the fjords won me over. I would join them. 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam.  Just the name brings a smile to many third year abroaders.  A must.  At least this is how a friend and I felt when we looked into booking our trip.  We would make it as cheap as possible.  We decided to make it a brief 3 nights/ 2 days and flew RyanAir from Skanska to Eindhoven.
Of course the benefits of savings on airfare are quickly sobered by a 2 hour bus ride from Stockholm to the airport and a 2 hour train ride in the Netherlands.  These are things one needs to remember when booking with a discount airline such as RyanAir – they are cheap for a reason!

 We booked at what looked to be one of the most popular hostels in Amsterdam, The Flying Pig: Uptown. It was Complete with a bar and smoking room. While the hostel lacked common space, the bar was comfortable and played good music while those in the enclosed smoking room burned their day away.

We arrived after nightfall at Amsterdam Central Station.  It was not until we left the station that we realized we didn’t have clear directions to our Hostel. This ignorance was met with an incredibly difficult street system. Which, if looking from above, spreads from central station in a circular or hexagon-like grid.  Therefore it’s essentially impossible to ‘walk up a block’ without walking further away from your destination.  We quickly learned we should take note of exactly how to get to a given location – or take a cab.

We went on a quick tour of the busy downtown. I was surprised at just how many people filled the streets. The other feeling was just at how international the crowd was. It gave the impression that this downtown could be anywhere, and very little about it was actually dutch. I later confirmed this with dutch friends who, themselves, feel ‘out of place’ or like a tourist when in Amsterdam.  We spent the night exploring various cafes and bars in the downtown area before catching a cab back to our hostel.
The next day we had high hopes… We’d meet up with a friend staying at another hostel and make our way to the Van Gogh museum. After that we would enjoy the Heineken museum, before another night on the town.  The start of our day was a bit delayed when we could not contact our friend. We took advantage of the laid-back hostel bar and ventured around our hostel before making the decision to leave.

 The Van Gogh museum was busy but not overly crowed. Starting on the bottom floor it was organized to illustrate influences along the life of Van Gogh.  Despite neither of us being art connoisseurs in the slightest, we enjoyed the museum and benefited from the biographical descriptions at the beginning of each section.  Up next was the Heineken Experience.  Part interactive museum, part brewery tour the experience was a fun and interesting few hours. Whether it was just the atmosphere and anticipation or the authentic quality, the included two beers were remarkably delicious. 

 On our way in the building we spotted an O’Donnell’s Irish Pub. The first I had ever seen, so of course we headed there for dinner.

We spent the last night the same way we spent the previous two, taking in the sheer amount of people and bight lights that makes up the downtown.  Although, we were less interested in exploring as we were in relaxing and having a good time.  We kept noting the strategic position of fast food and dessert stands that stood under bright lights opposite of ‘cafes’.  

 It seemed like everywhere people were constantly spending money and lots of it.  With rumours and political debates about the continuance of the cafes and the red light district it seems unlikely many would risk losing such ‘easy-money’.  While the associated crimes are by no means acceptable, it’s hard to deny the benefit of so much tourism.

 In the morning we traveled south to Eindhoven. Arriving at the airport I felt disappointed I had not bought a single souvenir. Shamefully, I headed to the overpriced and underwhelming airport store and picked up an Amsterdam Coffee Mug.  An expensive but practical reminder of a fun weekend. 

Sigtuna

This fall in Sweden has been uncharacteristically mild.  In order to take advantage of the weather and see a little more of Sweden we planned a day trip to Sigtuna. Fortunately, all I had to do was agree to go. The plans of grabbing a train and a bus were taken care of.  I still prepared the same way I do for any trip: charge my camera and search wikipedia.
Sigtuna prides itself on being 'Sweden's oldest city'. Tourism is obviously important and it benefits from its close proximity to Stockholm (and Uppsala). Located on the shores of Lake Malaren the scenery reminded me of cottage country back home. Historically the shores were lined with homes of merchants and residents. Nowadays it gives the impression of a well-off commuter village.
Around the small town are plaques showing a number of historical ruins or sites. We essentially followed the numbered sites before taking a break by the water.  It was hard to comprehend how old some of these crumbling churches really were. The fall colours, coupled with the nice weather, made for great photos and walking-weather.
A small walking street  with small boutiques and stores was the busiest attraction with small boutiques and stores. Apparently it is there that Sigtuna hosts its popular 'christmas market'.  A term I wasn't familiar with before moving to Europe. It seems every city or town has its own version.
We stopped for lunch in a sports bar. The food was good and it was nice to find a place to accommodate our group.
Shortly after eating we were surprised to see the streets emptied. It was not busy before, but now it was simply deserted. By 3pm the stores had closed for the day.  We found this surprising as we walked down the eerily quiet street back towards the lake. With the bakery closed, I had to settle on a kaffe & kanelbullar from pressbyran. A distant second. By then it was time to catch the regional bus back to Knivsta train station and Uppsala.

Mother Russia - Vodka Trip Part 2

We arrived in Saint Petersburg early in the morning. As we disembarked we walked across the tarmac to an imposing concrete building. We would be channeled like sheep through customs and make our way to the bus.  We were warned it would be quite different than Estonia and were encouraged to be early. Different it was. We were all quite tired, dehydrated and hungry as we stood holding all of our luggage.  Entering Estonia (thanks to the Schengen Agreement) consisted of letting a yellow lab sniff out knees as we walked toward to terminal.  Russian customs would require proof of tour registration, proof of accommodation, passport and student ID. Just the thought of dealing with customs intimidated me. This was Russia after all… aren’t you suppose to be intimidated?
Eventually we made our way to the terminal waiting room and were told to find our bus outside. Heading towards the parking lot I seemed to think to myself,
‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’. 
Taxi drivers with buzz-cuts, blue jeans and black leather jackets conversed as they waited for potential customers. Behind them, the skyline consisted of a few large smoke stacks attached to a rather dilapidated building. It looked as if these stacks were responsible for the gloom that was the sky.  A few of us joked that we should go back to the boat - back to Estonia.
We all loaded into a coach bus and were introduced to our Russian guide.  She would provide commentary as we toured the city. She welcomed us to her home and when commenting on the weather said, ‘it’s good you get to see the real Saint Petersburg, this is the way it is most of the time’.  O great.
The rain held off but the overcast conditions persisted as we drove around the city. It became apparent that the guide could talk constantly, barely pausing to breathe.  She filled us with Russian history and factoids as we passed countless buildings. I got the impression that she would feel guilty if she forgot a single detail, often clarifying and adding information long after we passed the site of interest.  When she eventually took a short break from speaking she said ‘If you have any questions please just ask, yeah?’
how could we possibly have any questions 
She seemed to answer her own call for questions by heading into another monologue about the founding of Saint Petersburg.
We lunched at the comfortable restaurant ‘The Idiot”, named after the Dostoyevsky novel.  It was well furnished with old chairs, couches and bookshelves.  And decorated with an eclectic mix of ‘stuff’ – from a half burnt/melted boom box to a formidable bust of Lenin. The food and atmosphere made this a great place to take a break while still getting a ‘taste’ of Russia.
After a few hours, including ‘photo-stops’, we went to check into our hostel. I was impressed. It was centrally located on the busy Nevsky Prospekt and afforded some great views of the city(from the rooms). It also featured a big kitchen and common room with both a TV and a few computers.  We were a bit stunned to learn we could not wear our shoes inside – at all.  It was suggested we find a shoe locker and take out a pair of thin fabric slippers.
You can’t be serious.
We all abided and ditched our shoes for these one-size-fits-all slip-ons. 
That night, we organized – through the hostel – a pub-crawl. A pretty large group of us were led to a few of the pubs and bars of Saint Petersburg. Mainly chosen as ones we might not find ourselves. One of the first things I noticed was people smoking. It had been a long time since I had seen people smoking in restaurants/bars. The smell of my clothes the next day made me appreciate the smoke free environment back home.  Smoke clouds aside, it was a fun night of trying to find the cheapest beer, socializing and seeing the city at night. One of the best views of the trip was when we walked over a bridge and saw The Church of Split Blood lit up against the night’s sky.  I think we were all glad we still had two more days in this place... 

Estonia - Vodka Trip Part 1

I was hesitant to start this latest entry. I had been away for a week in Estonia, Russia and Finland. I had seen so much, I wasn’t sure how I would condense it into an entry.  What’s worse is that I had missed a seminar and two lectures. I had to play catch-up; the blog would have to wait.
This trip was organized through Scanbelt Experience.  The price was right and I knew someone else going. I thought to myself, when else will I get to go to Russia? Apparently, one can only spend 3 days in Russia without a visa. I think arriving by boat is also part of the condition. So, to get the most out of this, we would spend two nights and three days in Saint Petersburg.
The trip was entirely by ferry. From Stockholm we would travel overnight to Tallinn, Estonia. After spending the day in Tallinn we would travel to Saint Petersburg, stay for 3 days then head to Finland.  After a day in Helsinki we would head ‘home’ – back to Stockholm/Sweden.
I had never been on a cruise ship before. I didn’t think about this until I was just about to board. Another ‘first’ was about to be crossed off my list.  The Lonely Island’s ‘I’m on a boat’ was on everyone’s mind – at least mine. This hilarious song was countered by a fellow traveller who insisted on telling everyone about the 1994 MS Estonia tragedy - a horrible accident that took the lives of 852 people.

It was a warm sunny morning when we arrived in Tallinn. The boat that brought us to Tallinn would also take us to Russia, so we had the benefit of leaving everything on board.  I had read or heard that most of the downtown was UNESCO protected but other than that had really no expectations or knowledge of Tallinn.  The guide, who would stay with us for the entire trip, gave us a brief walking tour. We learned about Estonia’s history of occupation and the influence of the Russians, amongst others on the country. It painted a rather depressing past for such a beautiful place.
As a group we stopped for lunch and ate outside. We didn’t want to waste too much time eating but we were all tired, dehydrated and hungry from a late night on the boat ride over.  After lunch we broke up into smaller groups and explored more of the old town including the large town square and some of the shops. As per suggestion, we made our way to the supermarket to stock up on food and drink to bring on the boat. Prices onboard would be much more.
After getting a good tour of the town it was time to head back to the boat. I think we all were impressed by Tallinn. Benefiting from the weather, we all got the best possible impression of this historic city. Before heading back to the boat I exchanged Canadian dollars for Russian Roubles, one last thing to worry about when arriving in Saint Petersburg the next morning.
 After getting 80 photos, 4 postcards, a box of cereal, and 2000 roubles, it was time to leave Estonia. 

Finishing my first course

When I decided to created a blog I intended a much more journal/diary format.  In reality I just have not been able to keep up! As such, I have not written to much about student life, school and other aspects of life in Sweden.  I hope to compensate for that a little with a reflection on my first course: Sweden Politics.
I’ve just finished my first course. Yes, that’s right - Only a month in and I have a 'half-year' credit. Swedish post secondary is focused on a more on independent study and academic readings. Students take one course at a time. That being said, the course still had a written component and 2 seminars.  The former was a 5 page paper on an aspect of the Swedish Political System, in comparison to one’s home country.  I wrote about Swedish Political Parties vis-à-vis Canadian ones.
The first seminar was based on about 6 discussion questions. We went through them as a group. Focus was placed on discussion and not so much on individual comprehension. A lot of time was spent comparing Swedish aspects to our respective systems.
The second seminar gave us a chance to briefly summarize our paper. It turned into a sort of awkward narrative of each paragraph – at least for me. Regardless, it was a more detailed and interesting comparative of political phenomenon and practices.
To culminate the course most of us took the opportunity to jump on a train and get a tour of the Swedish Riksdag in Stockholm. A very informative guide led us around while discussing various aspects of Swedish politics.   Much of the Riksdag is in a modernly renovated building - the former Bank of Sweden.  I have to admit I missed the historical touches of Canada’s HoC. The other building however offered a little more grandeur and history. Still in tact are the dual chambers existing from the Sweden’s time as a bicameral legislature. These rooms are now at the disposal of the two largest parties.  As such, they are still arranged as they always were, with the added benefit of microphones and a projection screen.
The tour was a nice way to end the course. It also reminded me I had never taken an official tour of the Canadian Parliament (despite having the amazing opportunity to “work” in the house of commons for a 3 day model/mock parliament). So, as I checked the Riksdag tour off my list I added the canadian parliament. 
This week I will be starting my next course Gender & Politics.  However, with a week long cruise to Estonia, Russia and Finland departing Saturday, academics aren't exactly on my radar (for now). 
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A few political differences between Sweden and Canada:
Swedish politicians sit according to constituency, not party
Seats are arranged in a semi circle
No senate in Sweden
Proportional Representation in sweden
Female MPs: Sweden: 45% Canada: 25%
Voter Turn Out: Sweden 85% - Canada 61%

Stockholm Part 2

We bought a combination entrance ticket that would get us into all 4 attractions: The Royal Apartments, The Treasury, The Tre Kronor Museum & Museum of Antiquities.
 It was only 70krs for a student ticket, and is usable for 30 days.
Inside the treasury we saw coronation robs, crowns and swords. They were displayed in glass display cases all in a dark dungeon. No cameras were allowed and a rather intimidating security guard kept careful watch.
Upstairs in the Royal Apartments it was more relaxed.  We could take photos (without flash) and were free to walk around without a guide.  We did have to avoid a few large and crowded groups of tours but got a good look around the rooms.
On display was the Royal Guest Suite where distinguished guests stay while in Stockholm.  I thought about all the Kings and Queens who, over the years, used this room. It was interesting to walk around such a historically decorated room that still held a modern function.  The same can be said for a large room in the family apartments where foreign affairs meetings and consultations take place annually. It gave the impression of a working museum.
The portion referred to as the State Apartments/Rooms were closed.  A page on the door notified that the rooms were closed due to engagements by HM the King.  While it was too bad we did not see these rooms, it added a touch of authenticity to the experience.  I would later read that there was a large State dinner that night, attended by the King, Queen, Crown Princess and many distinguished guests.  My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.
We left the old town towards the city square.  It was filled with people and food vendors, each vendor representing a different country.  The selection of food and products was impressive.  Seeing everything reminded us how hungry we had become.  We tried some samples before deciding we needed much more than cheese and jam samples.
A coffee shop with a large window facing a promenade offered a good place to people watch and eat.  I avoided the large desert section for something of more sustenance. 
After watching countless people walk by, we continued toward the train station. Stopping in some shops a long the way, I couldn’t help but notice what looked like 3 H&M stores within a 200-meter radius. I guess this was Stockholm.   
After minor confusion and asking for direction, we found ourselves back in the train station.  The day in Stockholm had come to an end.