Arrivals and Festivals

Arrival Day!
The UC kids no longer run the streets of Lund. August 21st marked the arrival of nearly 5, 000 other international students. I've met tons of undergrad and graduate students from Germany, France, Poland, UK, Italy, Asia...so pretty much every corner of the world.

The week consisted of typical orientation procedures. I felt like a freshmen again which made me really miss my brubru's! There were a few plus sides like...hmmm free candy/food and my new free water bottle equipped with an "Our tap water is safe to drink" post card reassuring me I am not in Mexico. (Noticing a trend? hah) On a more serious note, I finalized my schedule, met with other international psych students in my class, learned more about nations, gym memberships, student health, unions, etc. I also bought a ticket to the official "Welcome Party" put on by the uni. Later in the week I met with my Mentor Group where we BBQ'ed and played some traditional Swedish games.

I met up with Rebecca and two new friends from Scotland on Friday to check out the festival in Lund's neighboring city. Malmofestivalen is a week long cultural, musical, and art festival put on by the city of Malmo (thanks to the citizens' taxes). This year the festivities coincided perfectly with the end of my Swedish language class so I was able to make the 15 minute train ride to Sweden's third largest city.

Rebecca and I entering the festival!

New friends!

Rebecca with some delicious Thai food 

Malmo is one of Sweden's most diverse cities. There were all types of nationalities at the festival. I even watched traditional Chinese and Thai dance performances. This picture captures one of the main food areas of the festival. There is literally every type of food you could imagine including food from Chinese, American, Thai, Greek,  to Spanish, and Norwegian cultures. And trust me, that is just the tip of the iceberg!  

The streets of Malmo (outside of the festival).

Stumbled upon "The American Store" and found poptarts, pumpkin pie spice, American flags, cowboy hats, and weird pictures of Elvis Presley! The store also has a bunch of English goodies (according to Rebeka who is from Scotland). Apparently we are one in the same to the Swedes ;)

FOUND TWIZZLERS which was my obsession during finals at UCLA and UCI. This small pack of three costs $3!!! So if you ever feel the need to send me a care package, I wouldn't object to some of these babies.

Kayaking in Malmo

Food on food on food!

Who in the US hasn't had spin cream...? Right?

Twizzlers? JK 

Another new friend

On our way out we decided to stop at the information booth (yeah..shoulda been our first stop oops). We found out that a well-known American rapper, Mac Miller, would take the stage for a free performance within the next hour. What are the chances?! So, of course we stuck around a bit longer!

All in all, it was quite a successful day in Malmo. This coming week I will venture out of Sweden and explore a little bit of southern Spain with a couple friends! Can't wait!! 

Until next time,
Xo

Kopenhamn

The weather has been absolutely perfect this past week. The mornings start out a bit cloudy and brisk; by noon or so, the clouds have faded away leaving the bluest of blue skies, a light breeze, and a pleasant 65 degrees (note to self, I really need to start understanding Celsius). It is literally heaven on Earth compared to all my loved ones sizzling in the 90s and triple digits! The sun rises before 6.00 and sets long after 20.00. I spend as much time outdoors, soaking up this perfect weather, while I can.

Taking advantage of this weather, a group of us went to Copenhagen last Saturday. It was a pretty spontaneous trip, but after hearing that the Tivoli Orchestra was performing music from the Harry Potter score live, I really felt I had no choice! Unsurprisingly, their performance did not fail to impress me. It was an unbelievable feeling to be standing in those beautiful gardens, on such a beautiful day, listening to such a magical performance. God has truly blessed me with this trip abroad and I am so so thankful!

Afterwards, we spent some time in Tivoli Gardens, which is Denmark's oldest amusement park.

It's basically a mini-Disneyland with rides, restaurants, and gardens. It was nice but, I'm not a huge amusement park fan, and definitely not when I have European cities right outside the gates! After a picnic lunch, I was glad to leave and join the hustle and bustle that is typical of Copenhagen on a sunny weekend.

I spent the rest of the day traveling "Drachslin" style; which, for those of you who don't know what that means, pretty much includes non-stop walking and "touring" (getting lost). It's funny that this Saturday was the most homesick I've felt while here. Even though its been yearsss since I was last in Denmark, I clearly remember everything I did with the fam and it's so different traveling without them. While I missed them tons (especially my mom's uncanny ability to find bakeries off the beaten path) I really enjoyed seeing the city again!

No idea what this pretty building, near the train station, is but I had to stop for a photo opt

Strøget is a mile long street full of cafes, shopping, and absolutely no cars. 

There's tons of shopping options from H&M to more expensive stores; and even more tourists!

Took us a while to get here but non the less we finally arrived at this scenic spot! I could not get enough of this view. Honestly, I stayed and walked the streets here for hours not to mention subjected my friends to taking nearly 20 pictures of me justttt so that I would have the perfect one (sooo my mother's daughter).

Kopenhamn! (Copenhagen in Swedish pronounced "show-pen-ham")

Afterwards, I took the 40 minute trek to the far port side to find the Little Mermaid statue. We found some sort of military fort and cute little church along the way.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote the fairytale "The Little Mermaid" in 1837. And, while it's not exactly the Disney story we're used to hearing, the Danish version has made Copenhagen even that much more popular. The Little Mermaid statue celebrated her 100th birthday this August 23rd! 

Sore feet, wind blown hair, and a growling tummy= CHECK a successful day of touring! That little bit of discomfort paled in comparison to the pure joy and gratitude I felt at the end of the day. To top it off, I found out a good friend from high school happens to be studying abroad at the uni (thats what Europeans' call University) in Copenhagen so I will definitely be back again soon!

Until next time,
Xo!

Talar du svenska?

Why yes, as a matter of fact I do speak Swedish. Okay, well only a little. But I've officially completed the ILP (Intensive Language Program) and took my final exam this morning! So I'm feeling pretty accomplished as of now. Never mind the fact that I asked where "havregrynsgröt" (oatmeal) was at Willy's yesterday and the employee stared at me dumbfounded...

It's been a while since I've taken language classes. I felt like I was back at Gage listening to "Bifteck" and learning verb conjugations; my Swedish teacher, Annika, even reminded me of Ms. Baylus, okay? So weird.

Maybe it was just familiarity with the French language, since I took it for three years, but Swedish seemed to be a bit more challenging. One of the most difficult aspects is pronunciation. The Swedish language has some of the strangest  letter combinations. Like, I'm pretty sure I just wasn't born capable of making those sounds no matter how many times my roommates correct me! The trickiest combination for me is "sj/sk" (just looks wrong doesn't it?!). The "sj" sound is found in words like sju (seven) and sjukhus (hospital). Also our "k" only makes one sound; Swedish "k" can make the same sound as "k" in English or it can make a "sh" sound. So kaffe (coffee) and komma (come), versus kyckling (chicken) and kemi (chemistry). I really can't describe the sounds so here is a video I found online: Saying 7

Oh! Another thing, the word "the" is non-existent here. Which, in my opinion, is such a tragedy. Instead of distinguishing "a chair" from "the chair" with "a" and "the" the Swedish language requires you to change the form of the noun. Of course there are multiple different forms depending on the gender, quantity, and type of noun. And you have the exceptions to these rules as well. It's been a joyous three weeks of grammar lessons...

But in the end, the 3 1/2 hours of Swedish instruction a day really did help! I got to know some of my other classmates (all UC students), pick up favorite sayings, and find my way around the grocery store (kinda). I won't be continuing Swedish in fall since I'm already taking a full load of classes. I'm looking forward to all three English taught classes, but first a two week break!

Until next time!
Xo

Starbucks and Staters for Swedes

Hej hej! The past few days have been super overcast and chilly with the constant wind. Yesterday was a torrential down pour with lightning and thunder. My roommate, Niran, told me that most summers in Lund consist of a few days of sun followed by some of rain, but yesterday's rain was heavier than usual. Today, most of the clouds rolled out by 2 p.m. so I took advantage of the crisp 65 degree weather and headed to my favorite coffee place in town...Starbucks. Just kidding ha. According to Niran, Sweden has the fewest Starbucks in all of Europe. They were beat out here in Lund by a chain called Expresso House. Even though it's a chain, it's super warm and cozy with full bookshelves lining the walls. The cafe closest to the train station has free Wifi and tons of comfy seating, so every time I get here I end up staying for a few hours.

I splurged today and actually purchased a drink. I usually don't buy anything more than an expresso shot, and even that is only for a particularly groggy day. One of the reasons I pass on the drinks being the nature of Swedish coffee. Its so strong!! And thats coming from me, a coffee addict who prefers her cup of joe black. It reminds me, and other students in my program, of hot melted tar. Its not as gross as it sounds, I promise, but it definitely takes some getting used to; so unless I can't stop yawning I stick with my water. Another reason I remain coffee-less is the price. As with everything in Sweden, the price of coffee is more expensive. For this large frapp I paid 44 SEK which is equivalent to about $6.75--fine for a special day but definitely not something I can start making a habit of!

With Expresso House being my new Starbucks, I also have a new favorite grocery store (as if I shopped for my self back home ha ha). Instead of Staters and Ralphs, I frequent a grocery store called Willy's right down the street from my apartment. A few days ago, Niran and I went together so he could translate the food and products for me! 

At home all the aisles open up to the registers so you can go to the front of the store and walk the length of it to see where everything (or in my case, where my mom) is. The aisles here at Willy's are orientated side ways.

I did, however, find an entire section dedicated to American BBQ sauce!

Annnnnd one for taco spices! I'm sure they have nothing on our Southern California Mexican food, which I'm strangely craving as of lately. It's like my body knows there's no way to get Chipotle... 

They have a huge section for freshly baked breads. This photo doesn't do the selection justice since I went shopping in the evening, so there wasn't much left. 

In search for gram crackers to make some s'mores, I found this ginormous cracker aisle. This is a popular type of cracker here in Sweden. A lot of people eat this for breakfast with cheese. Its a pretty grainy brittle cracker, but I like it. (Mom, you'd love them)

Swedes really need to be introduced to the idea of trail mix. Actually, any kind of snack would suffice. (Maybe that's why they're all so tall and thin?) This is the first "snacky" food I've found. Everything else is either a meal or chocolate. 

This is one of four sections in the store that carry different types of cheeses. Seriously, whatever cheese you're craving, Willy's has it! Sweden has such amazing dairy products since they have a lot of farm land. Their yogurts come in large containers (kinda like our pints of milk). And speaking of milk, there are no gallons on gallons of chemically treated, watery milk here. At first, I wondered how my family would ever survive with only small containers of milk (my mom once said we're the easiest kids to please...just give us cereal). Well, since their milk is so fresh, creamy, and naturally sweet, it only lasts a few days before it goes sour (a lesson I certainly learned the hard way). 

Ah. Bloodpudding, another product popular in Sweden. I haven't had it (and don't plan to) but my friend Rebecca really enjoys it. It is essentially what you read...a type of dish made of animal blood and other intestines mixed with some kind of wheat and spices...

Just as I was told I would, I found a lot of sauces and spreads in toothpaste like tubes! This time, I actually tried one of these. Fanny, another roommate in my corridor, insisted I try one called kalles kaviar on a hard boiled egg. It basically tasted like a swallowed the entire ocean. Soooooo salty and fishy. Eeeeks.

And of course, authentic Swedish meatballs!

Found our s'mores ingredients! These marshmallows are made especiallllly for the greatest "True American Tradition" ;)

Here's a bad quality photo to give you an idea of prices here. This is the largest shampoo/conditioner Willy's carries (not as large as the TRESemme at home) and it was on sale for almost $10. 

To help minimize waste, Willy's (as with every other grocery store here) charges for purchasing paper and plastic grocery bags. It's recommended you bring your own reusable ones.

Recycling Swedish style. Actually, they do tons and tons of recycling. We sort all of our trash into separate bins: food waste, household waste, paper waste, white/clear glass bottles, colored glass bottles, hard plastics and cardboard. Talk about super eco-friendly! 

Taaa Daaaa! The final product. Nomnomnom

Until next time, 

Xo

Lund to Lomma

What? The weekend is already over?! Class five days a week is killing me! It okay though, since I spent my entire weekend either napping, biking, or going out. After class on Friday, I headed into town to see more of campus and pick up some essentials on a lil' shopping spree. (Officially out of warm weather clothes!) Lund has a really nice second hand shop where I scored a rain jacket and the H&M here is only slightly pricier than those at home.

Even though Lund is a small town in comparison to anything I'm used to, I still haven't seen everything. Riding through parts of campus alone really reminded me how incredibly fortunate I am to have the opportunity to receive higher education. Do you know that only about 30% of people living in the US have a bachelors degree?! Anyway, not only do I get to attend college, I get to earn my degree at theee most gorgeous universities. OK, so I'm a little biased, but take a look at these photos:

Kinda have a thing for libraries and this beauty has made it in my top three favorite ones! (Along with Powell, of course)

Afterwords, I met up with a few friends who wanted to purchase wine and such for the night. I haven't really explained much about this part of Sweden. The government is much more socialized here than in the US, not super Russian communist but a lot more is controlled by those in Stockholm. (They have a royal family but according to my roommate they literally do nothing for the country except keep a portion of citizens' taxes). The legal drinking age in Sweden is 18 but you must be 20 to purchase hard liquor (drinks with less than 3.5% alcohol content you can buy at a Swedish super market etc.) There is only one government run store that sells liquor and anything stronger than 3.5% called Systembolaget. So there are no liquor stores, grocery stores, or really anywhere else to purchase alcohol and of course because of the nature of the Swedish government everything is heavily taxed at System. But, hey! All hospital and clinic trips are free--Rebecca even tried it out ha. And actually, all Swedish citizens pay zero tuition to study at Lund or any of the other universities in the country. Crazy! Rumor has it (well, actually, it was basically confirmed by tons of Swedes I've talked to) that a lot of people from southern Sweden drive to Germany just for alcohol since it's so much cheaper there!

Here's a picture I stole off the web of Systembolaget:

That night a bunch of us headed over to Hallands Nation. Here at Lund they don't have fraternities or sororities but instead they have these groups called nations. Its similar to greek life but its not exclusive, theres no bids, etc. Anyone who wants to join can join. Originally, they were all representative of 13 different regions in Sweden, but of course you don't have to be from Skane to join Lunds Nation. I'm not sure if I will end up joining one; for now I just have a guest pass to try it all out. Nation's host their own club nights every weekend so according to my roommates, it can get a little rowdy come September. There's usually a cover charge, cheaper drinks and lots of Swedish dancing (which is mainly fist bumping and messing around; there is literally no grinding anywhere in sight--so refreshing haha). The nations do other things as well, besides making up the majority of student night life. They offer dinners, excursions, and obviously a great way to meet Swedes. Here's the only pic from the night!

Today, I went on another biking adventure! I totally jinxed the weather by telling everyone how warm it is here; sure enough, it started raining. But that didn't stop a group of us from making the 11.6 km ride to Lomma Beach. We went through some more countryside and a nature reserve as we got closer to shore. When we finally found the sand it was a bit windy and cloudy but no rain. Everyone I went with, along with dozens of crazy Swedes, went swimming in the water. According to them, the temperature was nice and the water oddly shallow. From the shore you can see the bridge that connects Sweden to Copenhagen and even spot one of Malmo's iconic buildings. Here's a bunch of pics from today:

Me in my "new" raincoat

Trying to figure out how to get home...

Photocred to my friend Rebecca Ysamar (:

From this bridge I could still see the Baltic Sea. It was beautiful!

Andddd...we were starving on the way back, so we stole some apples

Until next time,
Xo