Author: Gian Reinardy

Or rather Cirkus I should say because that is how they spell it in Swedish. Last night Bea, the kids, Mor Mor, and I all headed into town  to go and see the wondrous works of Cirkus Brazil Jack.

When most people think of the circusthe imagine that comes to their mind invloves Elephants, Lions, and all sorts of other giant, wild animals. Well I had to break it to you all, but if you go to any circus in Sweden you will find none of that because it has been outlawed. The only animals that are allowed to partake in shows are domestic ones such as dogs and horses.

I personally agree with this 100%. While I will admit that it is exciting to see elephants balance on balls and bearded men battle with lions, it is no way for those animals to live. Spending their days in cages, being forced to do ridiculous tasks in front of thousands of people, not to mention the physical abuse these animals receive behind the scenes – it just is not right.

I have been to a circus back in America when I was younger. I do not remember much because it was a long time ago, but I do remember that everything was so grand. It took place in a big stadium with rows of seating and crazy lights flashing from every direction. The music was blaring those classic circus tunes and there were people walking on wires hung from the ceiling. The circus I saw last night could not have been more different.

First off there is no stadium or anything like that, instead just a small tent. In the middle lays a single ring, surround by bleachers that contain maybe 300 fans. The lighting is minimal, saw dust covers the dirt floor, and the music is performed by a live band. Overall the feeling is very quaint, it is exactly what I would imagine a circus to be like if I went to one 50 years ago.

There were around five main acts that consisted of men doing flips while standing on horses, a bunch of huskies sliding down a slid, a balancing act, arcobates, and some funny clown stints mixed in along the way. There was your typical Circus food of popcorn, cotton candy, and hotdogs as well.

Overall it was a really nice night and I am very glad I got to experience it. I tried to take some pictures to show you all, but the lightning was pretty bad so you will have to forgive me.

Sorry for the no blog post yesterday, but that was because I literally spent allllll day in my beloved Goteborg. Honestly, out of everything Goteborg is one of the things I am going to miss most. I am a city girl at heart, I love the hustle and bustle, the big buildings, having everything within walking distance, the people, the shopping, uh I could go on and on!

Goteborg is unlike any city I have ever experienced in America. There are no sky scrapers, the ground is not littered with trash, pigeons and beggars do not line the streets, and most strange of all – they’re are no cars! No taxis, no constant blaring of the horns or sprinting to make it across the cross walk in time. None of that.

Instead you have peaceful trams to take you wherever you may want to go. The skyscrapers are replaced with quaint buildings with great detailing that are mostly only a few stories tall. Parks fill the city, filled with walkways, benches, and flowers to help give the city life. Not to mention the gorgeous river complete with many stunning bridges that runs straight through the heart of town.

Yesterday I took an early train down did some shopping, had an amazing lunch at one of the many great restaurants Goteborg has, relaxed in a park and read my book, had fika with a friend at a super cute quaint café, then saw my first ever movie in Sweden – The Book Thief.

Movie Theaters in Sweden are basically just like that in America. The one I went to reminded me a lot of Ipic actually. They show tons of movies with at least half, probably more, English speaking ones. (Yes, they did show The Book Thief in English). The biggest difference that I would have to say would be the price. There is no set price, each movie has a different one based off of how new/popular it is. The cheapest movie being around 100 krona (~$18) to 160 krona (~$25). Needless to say I did enjoy my movie, but I will most likely not make a habit of attending the cinema as I have much better things to do with that kind of money – like go shopping!

Today I woke up and it was so foggy I could not even see the fortress from my window. I have never experienced anything like it, you literally cannot see 50 ft in front of you. That does not stop the Swedes though, as I write this and look out my window I can see at least 10 black blobs fighting through the mist while out on their walks. I went out this morning and tried to take some pictures, but it was hard to capture just how crazy the fog is. Defiantly one of those “you have to see it to believe it things”.

Only one more week of school then we have break. This week is pretty exciting actually – Tuesday Cooking with Hannah (the highlight of everyone’s week obviously), then Wednesday I am going to the circus, Friday is Mei Meis big birthday bash (a magician is even coming so you know it is legit), and finally Saturday Analiese will come and spend the night hopefully.

The time keeps on flying by! Jag hoppa du har en bra dag!

Here are some pictures I tried to take this morning:

Swedish Word of the Day: “påsklov” – what we call Easter Break in Sweden

Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it flashes before your eyes faster than you can blink and others times the days drag on – long and seemingly never ending. The reality is that time moves at exactly the same speed. A second will always be a second, each day will always contain 24 hours, life will continue to go on at exactly the same pace whether you like it or not. As humans we love to have control. Control of ourselves and our choices, control of others, control of the laws, control of what we wear, now we are even trying to learn how to control the weather. Control. Control. Control. Time, however, is one thing that appears to have slipped through our greedy hands. Managing to elude even the smartest of humans it remains to run exactly on its own pace, without control, doing just as it pleases – much to everyone’s frustrations.

Sure, we invented minutes, hours, days, weeks, years to help us keep track of time. To document our lives, special moments, important events. So we can make plans and be on time for meetings, work, school, etc. However, that is as far as we can go with controlling time. There is no major button we can press to pause our lives and stay in a moment forever. No way to fast forward and make the days go faster. No way to rewind and fix our mistakes, change things we said or did, not matter how bad we want to.

As an exchange student time becomes a funny thing. At first, you are overwhelmed with just how much you have. Looking at the calendar and realizing just how long you have left. How long it will be until you see your family, sleep in your own bed, step foot in your own house again. It can be scary and overwhelming at first. The days drag on. You are in a new town, new country, living with a new family. You probably have not made real friends yet, the days can be long and lonely as you struggle to fill the hours.

Then something amazing happens, the time slowly begins to speed up. The days turn into weeks, weeks into months. You begin to make friends, find hobbies. Slowly your empty calendar begins to fill up. Each day you cross off slowly bringing you one step closer to home. At first, these steps are slow, the feet dragging, barely moving, now they are picking up speed, first a walk, then a jog, and before you know it they are running. Running toward the finish line that will bring you home.

But now you don’t want them to run, you want them to go back to their slow walk. The days are going by fast now, too fast, flying before your very eyes and there is nothing you can do about it. The home you were once so desperately wanting to go back to no longer pulls you with such force. You still love your home country, you still miss your family, you still want to go back eventually, but now a new problem has arisen. A blindside that you did not see coming, one that I do not think any exchange student is prepared for, yet it happens to us all the same. We begin to realize that when we go home to where we came from, we will also be leaving a different home behind.

You now have two beds, two families, two countries to call your home, two places that will forever hold a place in your heart.

Three months ago today, I left my home for the unknown. There are have been ups – learning about a new culture, trying new foods, making new friends, discovering a whole new way of living, learning how to be independent and taking on an immense amount of responsibility. There have also been downs – jet lag, the frustration of language barriers, long days, cultural differences. Most of all there has been discovery. Of what I am capable of overcoming, what I want to do with my life, who I am as a person and who I would like to become.

While the time continues to fly by, each day going by faster than the last, I realize now that there is nothing I can do to stop it. Time is out of our control. What we can control is what we do with our time. Each day we wake up with an empty slate, a day that can be filled with endless opportunities, it is simply a matter of how we choose to live it. I challenge everyone to make everyday count. Do things that make you happy, take time to appreciate the little things in life, because before you know it your time too will soon begin to run out.

I have exactly 100 days before I return home. 100 blank slates to fill. 100 days to make count – which is exactly what I plan on doing.

Word of the day: Carpe Diem – seize the  day.

Sweden is normally a very calm and mellow country. As I have stated many times before the nighty news if often quite the snooze fest; however, lately there has been some very interesting stories/headlines so I thought I might share with you guys some of the most recent happenings in Sweden.

1. Swedish fan killed in futbol game riot.

A football fan was tragically killed in a fight on the opening weekend of the football season in Sweden. The incident occurred at a match between Helsingborg and Djurgaarden. A Djurgarden supporter was assaulted before the game in a fight between ultras and died of his head injuries. And as news of his death spread, furious away fans invaded the pitch and started rioting. Because of the violence, the match between Helsingborg and Djurgaarden was abandoned.

2. Swedish test scores continue to drop and now are deemed to be one of the worst schooling systems in all of Europe. 

Swedish students have underperformed – again. In a recent PISA report, they end up below average in problem solving.
– It is deeply worrying, says Helen Ängmo, the National Agency of direct.

FACTS
The result:
  Sweden got 491 points, compared to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ) average of 500 points in the element that tests students’ ability in problem solving. A total of 44 countries in the study. Sweden was the worst of the Nordic countries who participated. Singapore topped with 562 points ahead of South Korea (561) and Japan (552). Source: National Agency

In December released the first part of the PISA survey. It showed that the Swedish school system are in crisis as student knowledge continues to drop. Sweden also has the worst performance development of all OECD countries in math, science and reading comprehension. 

To read more on Swedish Schools dropping in the ranks click here.

3. Swedes catch 40cm ‘rat from hell’ in their kitchen

It turned out that the rat had found its way into the apartment cellars by chewing through cement and wood, the pest controllers explained. ”It was quite a shocking experience,” Bengtsson said in summary. ”No one wanted to go into the kitchen after, and the cat was terrified for a week. The pest controllers said they’d never seen such a big rat before.” The rat measured to be 39.5 cm – not including the tail. As for the other family members, they’ve taken to joking about their ex-house guest.

4. Swedish lingonberry a weight-loss superfood.

Lingonberries almost completely prevented weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet, a study at Lund University in Sweden has found – whereas the ‘super berry’ açai led to increased weight gain. The Scandinavian berries also produced lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

To read more about the possible health benefits of lingonberries click here.

I hope you all enjoy reading about some of the top stories in Sweden. Although, they still are not as exciting as America news – I found these stories to be very interesting. I think maybe once a month I will try and compile some of the top stories in Sweden to share with you guys.

In Hannah news, nothing too exciting this week. I had Swedish, Math, and Etik today. This afternoon Bea will be taking the first (of many) photoshoots of me for my Senior picture back in America! Bea is an AMAZING photographer. Seriously, the things she can do with photoshop and just the pure quality of her pictures is amazing – she could be a professional. So when I brought up the idea of her maybe snapping a few pictures of me so I could use one for my senior picture she immediately jumped on board. I love that about Bea, she puts her all into things when she does them. For example, she went online and researched senior pictures to get ideas on angles, where to shot, what to wear, poses, etc. She has been coming up with some great ideas and I cannot wait to see how they turn out!

Swedish Word of the Day: “Nyheter” – news.  Every night at 19.30 we watch the “Rapport” which techincally means “report”, but also an be translated to mean news. When talking about actual news that has happened you use “nyheter” and when talking about watching the news on TV you would use “Rapport”.

One of the best things about being an Exchange Student is being able to share your experiences/culture with others. Humans are curious creatures by nature – when we find something/someone new and different it is our natural instinct to want to learn more about it. My classmates and host family have taught me so much about Sweden/Swedish culture and today it was my turn to give back and teach everyone a little about America!

I spent all day at Påskbergsskolan talking to the oldest kids (8th/9th graders) about what life in America was like. I discussed things such as lifestyle differences, how the foods differed, and compared the schools. I also dedicated a small portion to talking about what life as an exchange student is like and why they should all consider it!

I really had so much fun talking to all of the kids. They were so engaged and genuinely interested – at the end many stayed to ask extra questions as well.

Being an exchange student it is so important to not only learn, but, also teach others. To spread knowledge and share experiences that you may have gained. Talk about your home country, the different cultures, teach others a different way of doing things.

I am so glad to have gotten the opportunity to speak to these kids today. If there are any fellow exchange students reading this right now, I really suggest you reach out and talk to local schools in town and ask if you can come and talk to a few classes. I know it may make some nervous to present in front of others, but it really is a great learning experience for both you and the students. Not to mention it is a great way to give back to your host town and spread knowledge.

Here is a link so you all can see the slide show I presented. I tried to use minimal words and instead did a lot of talking myself – sharing stories, giving examples, things like that to keep the kids entertained instead of just reading off of the slides. (I can thank the mandatory speech class we are required to take at WFB for learning that)

Presentation

Swedish Word of the Day: “utbytesstudent” – exchange student

The weather this weekend has been absolutely gorgeous! I just cannot bring myself to stay inside; hence the lack of blog posts.

Saturday I went to Mei Mei soccer like always, did a few errands, and meet up with some friends for lunch. After we ate we went for a walk along the ocean, climber some rocks, and most of all just relaxed and soaked up some much need sunshine. In the afternoon I went to the sauna again – this time I went to the outdoor one on the beach. It was so nice! Walking around in my towel and bar feet it truly felt like summer. After my sauna, the whole fam sat out on the balcony and enjoyed some fika while watching all of the people.

It is truly amazing how the weather can effect the Swedes mood. In the winter time everyone wears all black and basically goes into hibernation. When the sun comes out it is a completely different story. The side walks are filled with people! Laughing, smiling, talking, the happiness in the air is contagious and like nothing I have ever experienced. To end the lovely day we took a nice walk and watch the sunset go down again.

Today, was a little colder, but still beautiful weather. I have been relaxing and working on my presentation for tomorrow. We are going to grill out for dinner tonight, potatoes, broccoli, chicken, and cheese (for Bea and I – it is actually really good and called Halloumi).

Overall it was a great weekend. Tomorrow I present at the kids school. It will be a long day, but I am really excited and hope it goes well!

Swedish Sunsets – nothing better.

The weather today was absolutely stunning. No wind, the sun was shinning the whole day, and best of all no coat was needed! I started off my morning with gym and math. After math we had a long lunch break so after quick shoving some food in us my friends and I decided to go for a nice walk and do a little shopping. The whole town was alive with people, it did not even feel like spring anymore it was more like summer! Unfortunately, our lovely break eventually had to come to an end and we were forced back inside to watch a movie in Etik. However, on the bright side my last class of the day (English) was cancelled so I had the afternoon free! I went on a super long walk through the woods/along the sea. With my sunglasses on and bare arms soaking up some much needed sun – it was the perfect way to spend my afternoon. Eventually I got tired and decided it was time ot head home and go meet Mor Mor for “after work”. This is what Swedes do on Fridays to start their weekends. They meet their friends at the bars, get a drink, and enjoy a free buffet of yummy food! Now all the bars have their outdoor patios set up which makes it even better. Bea came once she got home from work and we all enjoy some great food and talked about our days. To end the day we all went down to the fortress to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.

All in all it was a great Friday. Tonight we will watch another episode of “Welcome to Sweden” and tomorrow I plan to sauna!

As always just click on the photos to read their captions!

Swedish Word of the Day: “solnedgång” – Sunset. Quite literally it means “sun goes down”

Hello, Hello!

Hope everyone is having a good day back home. I had an exciting day in Goteborg today – ate an amazing lunch, got my train tickets for Stockholm, did a little shopping, went for a nice long walk along the river, and most importantly I FINALLY went and got my visa after 3 months of being in Sweden. I swear I had planned to do this within a week or two of my arrival, but time flew by so fast before I knew it bam –  it was the end of March!

The process itself was super easy. I just went online and made a 10:30 appointment. When I got there it was very crowded and I was worried that everything would be backed up and I would be stuck spending my whole day waiting to be seen. However, I forgot that this is Sweden – not America. Not only was I seen perfectly on time – they even called my name 15 minutes early! I went to gave them my papers, they took a quick picture of me, got my finger prints, and said they would mail my card in a week. The whole process took 10 minutes tops, this is one of the many reasons I love Sweden.

Here are some pictures to show you all what I was up to the rest of the day!

Swedish Phrase of the Day: “jag bryr om inte” – I don’t care. Another phrase that I feel I always could use (especially as a teenager), but can never seem to remember! Hopefully, this will help glue it in my brain.

Here is me with some of my classmates before the dance all dressed up and ready to go.

Picture from the dance floor.

My cute little cow mug filled with coffee to help wake me up this morning.

Last night I went to the party with my class. It was so fun! We all went for pizza and then to my friend, Annas, house to get ready. It was a “theme party” the theme being “I just came from…(blank)”. For example, a lot of people were dressed up like skiers and pretended they just came from skiing, other people dressed in sunglasses and hats to pretend like they just came from the beach, or 80s girls time traveling from the 80s. It was a really cool idea I thought. My plan was to get a shirt that had an American flag on it and pretend like I just came from America, but finding American flag t-shirts is a lot harder than I expected in Sweden, so I just dressed normal instead which was fine because about half of the people at the party did not dress up either.

In total I would say there was about 300 people there. It was really nice and controlled though. To get in your name had to be on a list, so not anyone could just show up. They also had a coat check for our coats and bags which I thought was really nice. It was basically just a big dinning hall, with the tables moved to the side to make room for a giant dance floor and Dj. We danced all night, it was a really fun way for me to get to know my class better outside of school. I also got to meet so many new friends as well and even managed to bump into another exchange student!

The dance was organized by a few guys at my school. The way it works is they find a space, make a list, get a Dj and security, basically do all the work. Then everyone who comes pays a $10 entrance fee to help pay for everything. In America, we do not really do anything like this. If I wanted to go out and listen to music and dance I would have to pay a lot more money and go to a concert filled with strangers. This was so much more fun because everyone knew each other.

It was a fun night all in all, but I am defiantly feeling tired after my late night – not to mention sore from all the dancing! Todays agenda is cleaning, emailing, working on my presentation about America for next Monday, going for a run, and most of all just relaxing.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Swedish Word of the Day: dansa – dance!