4/29

Evaluation Research final is over!!

Next on my to-do list is to finish my paperwork for the University of Oslo so I still have the option to go to Norway in the fall. It's good to have options!



Tonight is also the eve of Valborg. Here is what the International Desk has to say about Valborg:

Old university cities, such as Lund, also hold strong academic traditions on 30 April. And among students Walpurgis Night on 30 April is usually referred to as “Siste april” – “The Last Day of April”. Students and alumni gather at events that last most of the day, from early morning to late night. Many students enjoy a classical breakfast picnic (“sillafrukost”) with herring as the main dish, and, of course, each other’s’ company, in Stadsparken.

While this sounds quite quaint and romantic, Valborg is basically one enormous picnic (enormous meaning THOUSANDS of people) where massive amounts of alcohol are consumed at Stadsparken. I don't know why so many US universities have this stereotype of being "party schools," because Swedes definitely know how to party way harder!

A Look of Pure Fear

Mehreen just yesterday showed me this picture she snapped when she and the Turks decided to play their practical joke on me...

This should illustrate just how convincing they were!

UPF Conference 2013 (in Linköping): Science and Politics

Early morning bus ride

Milena, Christer Fugelsang (Sweden's one and only astronaut), and me at the UPF student conference on science and politics. This is after his lecture on space exploration and research in space.

My make-shift shelter in our accommodation AKA a classroom in a local school in Linköping

Taking a short-cut through the cemetery

Short-cut through the forest

Finding animals to pet at the ranch next to the university

Fika spot at Gamla Linköping (AKA Old Linköping)

Bus ride home...

Easter Weekend Additions

Me and perfect Swedish child Ruth with their beautiful homemade cupcakes

When they found out an American was coming they decided cupcakes were a necessity

Agroecology Day

Friday I attended Agroecology Day at Alnarp at the SLU campus. Although most of the students were from SLU there were also people from different programs at Lund University and even other Scandinavian universities. There were about five other Americans in attendance but they were all part of a Norwegian agroecology program.

It was a really nice event with really passionate speakers and great food. For lunch, an Indian family who lives across the street from the campus prepared food for all 100+ of us! The only problem I had with the event was how unbalanced the discussion was as far as social science versus natural science. There is so much emphasis on the social side of the issues, but if I'm attending a day of lectures on agroecology, I expect to hear at least one farmer or scientist talk about what's new and innovative in the field of sustainable agriculture, as agroecology is an interdisciplinary field. One speaker talked about how great it was that her school was teaching an old Romanian method of hay collection, and while there is certainly nothing wrong with implementing a practice that is tried and true (it's actually probably a great thing!), don't we have the capacity and ingenuity as students and researchers to try something new? To do something transformative?

After the day's Q&A session, Fernando and his fellow SLU agroecology student, Fabian, took us on a brief tour of the campus, mainly to see "the castle."

Peculiar building I spotted on the way to the bus

After Agroecology Day I met up with Meryem to go over our strategy for our Evaluation Research project. We met up in front of H&M, which is in front of some of the government buildings in Lund. There was a huge crowd of people and it looked a walkway was sort of blocked off. I remember thinking, "Hm, it looks like they're preparing for someone important to walk through there." So since we both had no idea what was going on we continued to our fika meeting at Cafe Popolare. One minute after we walk in this guy comes in and is talking excitedly to the cashier. I recognize some of what they're saying so I (in English) ask if they're talking about what's going on around the block. Apparently Meryem and I missed seeing the King and Queen of Sweden by about 2 minutes! We were both quite devastated but moved on and had a productive and fun meeting.

Typical tourist coffee picture

Meryem showing off one of her new skirts from H&M

Easter Weekend

When I found out I would have a couple days off from classes I decided to finally meet up with Aunt Debbie's old Swedish friends from Ventura. Lotta, Jonas, and their two daughters lived in Ventura and met Debbie and Craig through my cousin Jessica. I honestly felt like I was meeting up with family when I finally met them.

I took the train Saturday morning from Lund to Kungsbacka and met up with Carin at the station. It didn't feel at all like we were meeting each other for the first time. She gave a tour of the center of Kungsbacka, which took less than five minutes, and we stopped for lunch at her favorite restaurant in the city.

Fjord salmon with potato puree and shrimp

During lunch we decided to go join her parents at their best friends' holiday house in Orust. We stopped for a coffee at the great mall of Kungsbacka then got on the train to Gothenburg. We weren't always sure we were going to make it, but 4 bus rides and about 3 hours later we reached the ferry stop to Härmanö just at sunset.

Carin and I caught the ferry then met Jonas and Lotta and the twins, Rutt and Josef, across the water. I immediately felt like I was hanging out with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Craig.

Lotta and Urban's house is beautiful to say the least. I told them that their house is how everyone imagines that Swedish people live and that they even have the perfectly blonde Swedish children to complete the image. We spent the evening laughing (mostly about the differences between American and Swedish culture) and eating amazing food.

The next morning I woke up to perfect weather and even tried to tan!

After breakfast Jonas had the brilliant idea for me and Carin to put on their drysuits and go for swim. I obviously could not pass up the chance to do that!

Looking a bit like astronauts...

The paparazzi

Superheroes

After the swim everyone (except for Urban, who was one of the first ones to get the stomach bug) walked down towards the end of the island for lunch.

Lotta, Jonas, Carin, and I said goodbye to Catti, Urban, and the twins and then made the drive back down to Särö. While Carin and I went to check out the sunset, Lotta and Jonas cooked us an amazing dinner with salad and barbecued salmon. Yes, to the Bourghardt family, 30-40F weather is barbecue weather. And I have not been so full since from a meal since the last time I was in America.

The next morning was another beautiful Spring day, but unfortunately Jonas was the next one of us to catch the bug. 

The view from Carin's house in the morning

We finished breakfast, including the Bourghardt's own farm fresh eggs, and made our way to the Kungsbacka station to say goodbye after a whirlwind weekend.

Me and Lotta

Me and Carin

I had an absolutely incredible weekend and can completely see how the Bourghardt family was friends with my relatives, the Lucas family. Even if I ended up being horribly sick when I got home, I would do it again to have as much fun as I did with such warm and generous people.