Week One

This entry is very stream of consciousness. So there isn't a lot of order to it. Whatever popped in my head landed on the page.

We were dropped off at the mostly diserted dorm without so much as a "here's where the grocery store" is. So most of us were hungry the first until we found the mall the next day. It turns there were more people in the dorm than I originally suspected that weekend because a lot of people crashed out or werer feeling shy andstayed in their rooms. It did create a sense of community because we are on the edge of the city away from everybody else. I'm sure as people, incluidng myself, find thier niches that will decline but it has been a great help in adjusting to the local enviroment. We uaully traveled in groups everyone much to the locals annoyance probably. A few of us went to the mall one day to buy cell phones at a tiny shop. The short Swede seemed confused, overwhelmed, and a little bothered by a group of rowdy college students tearing up his sore. I got a simple cell phone for 500 SEK which is pretty cheap.

The routine during the week mainly consisted of"

-Waking up too early to go to school

-Going to school, which involved about 15 foriegn students climbing on the the local bus and traveling in a loud pack through downtown.

-Going to required and boring seminars that could have been through email and one session.

-Having or going to a party somewhere in the city.

The bus trip from Vilhelmsro, my dorm, to downtown is very short and easy. It only takes about 5-7 minutes and our stop is the main bus stop, the uniporten. Earlier in the week before the snow began to evaporate, trampled down, and plowed it was hard to tell where the dividing line between sidewalk and road was. The weather has been cloudy and the brief sight of the sun causes much rejoicing. I can already tell the days are getting longer little by litTle. I was concerned about the cold before but those fears seem to be unwarrented. It is apperently a lot colder than usual but with layers it feels like home. The few Swedes I've interacted with seem very apologetic for the weather, as if it's their fault.

That brings me to meeting Swedes. Vilhelmsor is all international students from what I can tell A few more people will move in today. This is kind of disappointing because I wanted to live in Sweden not go to an international camp that happened to be in Sweden. During those seminars the speakers, many of them Swedish, aknowledged that Swedish people are very shy and reserved. They suggested we "grab a Swede" and force them to come to our parties. Apperently they don't even like to answer questions in class. I've looked into joining some clubs to rty to meet the locals. Once classes start I think I will meet many more in those classes and in the student during breaks. I also signed up for the family and contact person programs but have yet to here anythhing about them.

A few times during the week a group of us gathered in one of the kitchens to cook and eat together. It was really fun to try some real cooking from a few other countires. Most people made easy things like pasta and tacos. I did try a Turkish dish which I of course forget that was... interesting. I can see ow one would get used to it though.

I met the disability coordinator on Friday and she was very nice and helpful. Her accent was thicker than most Swedes I've met but still quite intelligible. I have more responsibility in coordinating my accomadations and things seem more casual here. Overall though it appers that I have the same rights to access and accomadation.She and I then went to the very nice library, housed in an old mill, to pick up my DAISY disc player

which is the format my books are on.

The overall system is much more independent and casual too. You are in charge of making sure your classes to overlap or clash. The computer isn't there to help you. Classes only meet a few times a week and for a short time. They expect a lot of reading and research. It looks here you actually have to do your reading. Most Americans students will tell you that you don't back home.

The introductory session for the Swedish course for which I signed up sounds very intense but worthwhile. The professors at the session stressed independent study and to use where we are as a resource.

On Friday night almost everybody from Vilhelmsro went to a local club called Zentrum (I think). I thoughtt it was a bar but it turned out to be a typical obnoxiously loud, crowed, and dark dance club. So I was essentially blind and deaf. FUN! A friend helped me to the bar where we ended up chatting most of the night. It was exactly what either of intended to be doing on our Friday night but we made the best of it. A Kosovo refugee came up to me and we talked breifly. It would have been to nice meet in a different setting so I could talk to him about his homeland because that topic interests me greatly. I've written several papers onit in school. That wouldn't have been fair because he was trying to have a good time.

The clubs in Sweden open late like they do in most places so the gys in the dorm entertained themselves by making up a drinking game that involved a football (soccer), multicolored cups set up across two ends of the hallway, and beer of course. It was fun to watch them kick the ball down the hall and scream and carry on. I kicked it a few times and managed to knock a cup down which resulted in a bunch French guys had to drink. It was quite to watch. I got to talk to some of the new arrivals and ask all the usual questions.

Goal for the week: Make a Swedish friend and ty some local foods. We've cooked meals form home in the kitchen or gone out to eat. It's ridiculously easy to miss Swedish food.

Random Observations.

-Most bathrooms so far appear to be single person. The only communal one was at a club and the stalls and urinals were seperated by wall within the same room. This must be very nice for the people in the transgender community.

-Americans need stronger pockets and coin pouches in wallets. You get a lot of change in heavy coins

-Cell phones don't come with contracts. You load it with minutes like a track phone.

-The library looks like a giant IKEA showroom says my friend John back home. And it really does. If you like Scandinavian design it really is everywhere and you would love it here.