Director’s Blog

Do you Skype? Do you Spotify? (I know president Obama does!) Do you open milk and juice packages stored in a fridge? Do you buckle up with a three-point belt? Have you ever done an ultra sound? Do you know somebody with a pacemaker? Do you wear clothes with zippers? If so: Have you ever thought about how “Swedish” you are on more or less daily bases? Probably not. Most of the time we don’t think about all the practical, useful stuff we are surrounded with or use frequently. It’s just there, and has been in most cases for quite a while. Who needs to think about all that?

A couple of weeks ago I met a person, who at some point during our conversation asked why so few know about Swedish inventions, and why Swedes don’t talk about it? Why is that? There are so many revolutionary inventions coming from Sweden. At first I didn’t have any answer, then I thought well it sounds so silly to bring up the stereotyped “Swedes are not supposed to brag”-thing. Self-promotion (regardless achievements) is not part of the culture. Simply stay modest. According to Jantelagen (law of Jante) you should not get into your mind you are better than anybody else. Jantelagen was formulated by a Norwegian-Danish author but was soon embraced by the Swedes as well. However, most Swedes are quite ambivalent to it. There are many stories about Swedes leaving a lot out when presenting themselves in resumes, thinking “well, that was just an easy job” or ” oh, that was so long ago – cannot really count”.

A following thought was that it is rather related to the idea that life should be easy to live. That practical things help to abridge work and spare time? Swedes love spare time. Swedes work to live, they don’t live to work. To get as much spare time as possible you need to simplify your daily practices at all levels. That is even more important when Spring arrives. Spring means final count down for the summer, and vacation. Spring, summer, and vacations mean bring the bikes out. Safety is another prestige word (safety match…). How do you protect your head and at the same time keep your hair style in shape when biking? A year ago or so a new Swedish invention saw daylight. Two female students created an invisible helmet called Hövding (Chief – the head of…). It is an air bag stored in a collar!

Thinking about inventions and of the stereotyped silent, reserved Swede makes me wonder why on earth Swedes are so eager to develop communication systems? Isn’t that quite a contradiction? In the beginning of the 20th Century, Stockholm had most telephones per capita than any other city in the world. Much thanks to LM Ericsson – it was also his company who developed the most used (again in the world) and the first computer run digital switchboard system AXE. And then Niklas Zennström together with his companion the Dane Janus Friis created Skype. What would study abroad students do today without Skype? So give it a thought: How “Swedish” are you really?

Director’s Blog

The semester has reached its mid-point. And we just rewinded the time – back to “wintertime” as we say in Sweden. It is nice to get the light back in the morning, however it is amazing how quickly you forget that darkness arrives so much earlier in the day. So far the Fall has been unusual in terms of sun and warmth. Right now we have more than 5 degrees warmer than normal. Feels even stranger when reading about the snow fall on the American East coast. Very few Swedes consider November a favorite month. Nevertheless, the month of November offers a lot of things no other month of the year can match. One can, for instance, visit the Stockholmsmässan in Älvsjö, where the Scandinavian Boat Fair, the largest Nordic food Fair, and The Winter Show will take place in mid-November.

Allahelgonadagen (All Saints Day) is still an important day for many Swedes. It has its’ roots in the roman-catholic church, but abandoned after the Reformation. November first was, during medieval times, also considered the first day of winter. Today the holiday is focused on the memory of lost family members and friends. The tradition is to visit the cemeteries and light candles on the graves. In Stockholm, the Woodland Cemetery (A Unesco World Heritage site) has become a place for people to visit. It is a fantastic sight to arrive there late afternoon and see all the candles burning. The Woodland Cemetery was created in the early 20th century and one of the ideas was to make the architecture blend with nature. The creators did indeed succeed – I think all students taking the Art and Architecture class think the same – it is one of the sites visited during the course.

Lastly, November is a very cozy month. This is the time when most people move inside again. We (well many do) buy an awful lot of candles and allow ourselves an extra fika (a delicious and very traditional Swedish bun).

Director’s Blog: Spring

Blue skies, crystal clear air, a huge sun shining: it was a beautiful morning walk to the university. At Stallmästargården (a old 18th Century Inn) I noticed a group of people lined up, leaning against a wall, facing the sky. Seeing them enjoying the warm temperatures, reminded me of some of the many things people comment on what a Swede is. Sometimes I have no problem in understanding the cultural constructions we are carrying – other times I simply don’t recognize those peculiar images.

The love for nature is a frequent image of Swedes. Certainly there are many explanations to be found. One might simply be the sharp contrast between the four seasons; the drastic changes in temperatures and light/darkness. You have to be alert to follow these swifts in order to get adjusted. Nature is also close, even in the cities. Water, parks, natural parks, forests and lakes for instance surround Stockholm. You might even go fishing t in the middle of the city!

This love for nature does at times take extreme turns. Like the Vikingarännet (Viking Skate Race) and the Vasa Ski Race, two real challenges for enthusiasts. The Vikingarännet runs from Uppsala to Stockholm along an old viking route in the end of February (if the ice holds) and the Vasaloppet, which always takes place the first Sunday in March. Vasaloppet is a legendary ski race that starts in Sälen and ends in Mora. More than ten thousands of skiers fight to either win or just win for personal reasons – to make it, and do it as fast as possible.

Gustav Eriksson Vasa came to Dalarna in 1520 from Lübeck, Germany to where he had fled to from being held POW by the Danes. Kristian II, the Danish king ruled. Kristian goes under the name Tyrant by the Swedes, not the least after the famous Stockholm bloodbath, when among others Gustav’s dad and brother in law were executed. Gustav knew many in Dalarna were against Kristian and hoped to gather a large group of rebels to fight the King of Denmark. It was not easy of course. According to the legend one part of his adventures was skiing from Mora to Sälen, a distance of 90 kilometers.

There is a town named Mora in the US as well, in Minnesota. If you don’t want to go all the way to Mora Sweden you can run the alternative race next year, in the US!

Last week we celebrated the Waffle Day; yet another Swedish tradition, with quite a strange story. Why do Swedes eat Waffle every year on the 25th of March? Well, the 25th of March is Annunciation, in Swedish Vårfrudagen (Our Lady’s Day). Nonetheless, “vårfrudagen” is not that easy to pronounce properly, so it ended up in a distortion: Wafel Day.

There are many traditions in Sweden still kept in shape. A very popular tradition is the celebration of Walpurgis Night. For students it is a special night of celebration. This spring festival is really big in old university cities, such as Lund and Uppsala. As Uppsala is closer than Lund, it is easy to go and participate. A traditional “Sista April” (Last day of April) starts early in the morning with Champagne breakfast, followed by a raft along river Fyrisån, through the center of Uppsala. The “vessels” are home-made, one more crazy than the other. At 3 pm sharp, the official greeting of the spring takes place at the main university building Carolina Rediviva. Rector Magnificus (the president of the of Uppsala university) stands on the balcony and lifts his white student cap, and so does everybody. Shortly thereafter the tradition of singing songs of spring begins, also to celebrate the arrival of spring. Later in the evening the bonfires will be lit and shred light and warmth. Something to look forward to!

Cecilia Olsson
Director

Director’s Blog: Stockholm in the Fall

Well, I assume it is inevitable, not much to do but accept the signs of fall being real. The leaves are fading, changing color, falling. The last week, passing the Bellevue Marina and Albano Yacht Club at Lake Brunnsviken every day on my way to the university, I’ve seen one sailing boat after the other taken up and hidden under the covers. Now only some few smaller motorboats are still in the lake. A city on water of course carries a huge amount of sailing boats. They are such an important part of what makes Stockholm so special and beautiful.

Almost a month has past since we left for the island of Gotland and the amazing city of Visby.  To walk around in this medieval town is like stepping right into a fairy tale. The wall surrounding Visby dates back to the 13th century. The stonewall is 3,5 kilometers and is flanked by 40 towers. Inside the wall are numerous church ruins. The wings of history is felt everywhere. The museum holds many fascinating objects, ranging from picture stones, tools, jewelry, and the worlds largest coin collection. More than 700 hoards of silver coins and jewelry (mainly Arabic, German and English) from the Viking Age have been found. There are also weapons, and scary skulls pierced with arrows – what cruel and painful deaths they met!

The Viking Feast was more than entertaining. Imagine 35 American Vikings let loose in challenging competitions of all kinds! It has to be seen as it simply cannot be described to make a fair picture of what it was like.

This semester I have had the pleasure to welcome two persons aboard the ship:  Professor Jan Thomas from Kenyon College and our new Student Advisor Roscoe Williams, who recently took over the helm.  Jan is our guest faculty member during the fall. Jan has an old connection to Kenyon. Olof Palme – the controversial prime minister, who was murdered in 1986 – was a student at Kenyon in the 1940s. Jan told me Palme has a building named after him at Kenyon. It is great fun to find various connections between our countries. There are quite a few!

Do you believe in fairy tales?

Do you believe in the commoner, the young man winning the princess and half the kingdom? Well, even if you don’t, it just happened. On June 19th, Crown princess Victoria married her Daniel, who after saying yes was turned into Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. The wedding was a great piece of theater, a spectacle set to the beauty of Stockholm. The Royal Palace and it harbor, the Old Town and Storkyrkan as back drop, carriage procession and a trip across the waters ont he Royal Barge Vasaordern (there are still two of them still in use in the world, in Sweden and in Thailand). The wedding was in many aspects ”low-voiced”, carried a very Swedish ”lagom” touch, meaning ”not to much, not to little”. Prince Daniel’s emotional speech was cheered by the guests, not the least when he jokingling said: ” “Once upon a time the young man was… perhaps not a frog, in the beginning of the fairytale, as in the story first told by the Grimm brothers. But he was certainly not a prince.”

The couple will move into the Haga castle located in the Haga Park close to the campus area.  The park is a favorite place for many Stockholmers, and some are quite upset as the area around the castle will be restricted. King Gustaf III, also know as the Theater King took the initiative to creat the park, even made sketches himself. Sadly he was assasinated at the Opera during a masquerade ball. The park is quite big and have many extraordinary buildings. Among the Copper Tents. The king commissioned a French architect Louis Jean Desprez. The tents were to house the kings honor guard and their horses, and took three years to complete (1787-1790).

Spring, Summer and Fall: the park is a fabulous place to spend time in, walking, running, playing games, having a pic-nic, or just a nice cup of coffee.

Summer is probably the most important period for Swedes. It is the time of vacation, never ending nights, nature, beeches and summer houses far out in the country side, or as many Stockholmer’s in the Archipelago. The almost 30,000 islands makes the Archipelago to a sailing paradise. So far the summer has been absolutely wonderful. With tempratures around 90°F across the country. My hope is it will be just as great when the Fall semester starts, so all the new students may experience the cray fish parties in a perfect setting.

Director’s Blog: Getting the Semester Started

A new year and a new semester recently began. Our plates have been full; meeting up with the new students, orientation week, dinners, lunches and a first get together with students and contact families. Now we are settled into daily routines, which is nice.

Wednesday afternoon, Carina, Élen and I went to Sundbyberg to Alex’s apartment. Sam, Julia, Lucas, Athina and Elise were there waiting for us: time for baking cinnamon buns and Swedish meatballs. Julia, Sam and Athina did the cinnamon buns while the others made the meatballs (there were many!) and the mashed potatoes. We had a great time together, and when we finally sat down to enjoy the food, it tasted really good. There was a moment of worry though when we couldn’t get the oven to work. Luckily, Sam and I could quickly run downstairs to his and Lucas’ apartment and use their oven. Élen got the cinnamon buns out of the oven at the very last minute! They were perfectly colored and delicious.

Next week — the last before the first break — is going to be busy and fun. We are meeting up with the next group of students for the second round of baking and cooking; we have scheduled two study visits, one at Norra Real (a senior high school), and another at the City Hall (home of the Nobel Prize Dinner). The week starts up with this semester’s first program “fika” (the Swedish word for “coffee-get-together”) with semla. A semla (Lenten bun) is a wheat bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream, with the ‘lid’ (the cut off top) dusted with powdered sugar. Traditionally a semla was eaten only on Fat Tuesday. The semla has become very popular — it even has an Academy guarding the ”integrity” of the semla. Every year, the best semla in town is crowned. There is a famous story, which for most Swedes is the only thing remembered about King Adolf Fredrik. Semla was a favorite treat of his. On top of eating an awful lot and drinking too much champagne, he had 14 semlas for dessert, giving him terrible digestive problems, and he died that day on February 12, 1771. So, it is probably smart not to eat too many…

Time flies — the first month has already passed. The days are getting longer and longer, the birds are singing, and the other morning on my way to the University, I heard a woodpecker, drilling loudly and eagerly. What lovely signs — spring is waiting around the corner!

Cecilia Olsson
Director

Director’s Blog: Happy Holidays from Stockholm!

The season is here when everyone starts waiting for the snow to come, not the least after a very dark November. The snow just makes all the Christmas lights more beautiful. Stockholm gets a makeover when the Holidays come. Decorations start to show up all over the place and there are candles in almost every window.

The longest night of the year is December 13th. This is when we celebrate Saint Lucia. The celebration of Lucia is a big event in Sweden. Everywhere you can find choirs singing, all dressed in white with crowns of candles in people’s hair!! We drink “glogg” which is a kind of warm wine seasoned with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves along with our ginger snaps and saffron buns! These are very important ingredients to the Swedish Christmas.
It is also our custom to have a big Christmas smorgasbord – julbord in Swedish – with family and friends. We will have this kind of celebration with our current students on December 10th. It is a great occasion to celebrate the holidays and wish our students farewell as they prepare to return home. December 10th is also known as the Nobel Day as it is the day the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony takes place. During the week the Nobel Laureates have a busy program, among other things lecturing at Stockholm University.

On behalf of the Program, I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to all our students, alumni, and friends.

Cecilia Olsson
Director

The Nobel Prize

Every year since 1901, the Noble Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. The Noble Prizes 2009 were announced in mid October, starting with the prize for physiology or medicine and ending with the announcement of the prize in economy.

The Prizes are awarded at formal ceremonies held on 10 December with the Nobel Banquet following immediately at the Stockholm City Hall. Students at the Swedish Program have the chance to take part of a lottery and get the opportunity go to the Banquet together with the Prize Winners, Swedish Royalties, politicians and many more.

Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm 21 October 1833. He was a chemist, engineer, innovator and the inventor of dynamite. He also owned Bofors, a major armaments manufacturer. In his last will he used his enormous fortune to institute the Nobel Prizes. Alfred Nobel died in Italy 10 December and he is buried in Stockholm.

Kajsa Beckman
Student Advisor

The Semester Begins!

The day after we picked up all the students at the airport, all students and staff went on a two day archipelago trip. The island we went to is called Finnhamn and it’s far out in the Stockholm archipelago. The weather was absolutely beautiful so it was the perfect way to experience the last days of the Swedish summer. The most brave ones even went swimming in the ocean. We stayed in small cabins in a lovely hostel. The hostel was built in 1915 as a summer manor for a Swedish coal-dealer.

Apart from the archipelago trip, the guided tour in Gamla Stan (the Old Town in Stockholm) is one of my favorite activities during the orientation week. The old town is fascinating with all the old, beautiful houses and its rich history. During the summer it is easy to get mixed up with all the other guided groups, but it is easy to understand why it is so popular.

By the end of orientation week all the students with contact families met their family for the first time over a “fika”. Fika is probably the first word you learn if you come to Sweden. It simply means that you have a coffee or a tea often together with something to sweet to eat, and that you sit down and talk for a while. Almost like having a coffee but just a little bit more. And we Swedes just love our fika!

The orientation week has been a lot of fun but I think that everyone is glad that the courses have started now. It is nice to get into the routine. Now it is time to get to know Stockholm for real!

Kajsa Beckman
Student Advisor

Summer in Stockholm

Stockholm is absolutely beautiful during the summers. With all the water surrounding the city, there are many great spots for swimming and sunbathing just a few minutes walk from the busy city center. All around the city you find sidewalk cafés and outdoor bars, many of them beautifully located by the seaside. The water really is Stockholm’s distinguishing feature. The guided boat tours are very popular amongst the tourists, while the locals prefer to take a ferry in the archipelago to enjoy a quite day on an island. Stockholm’s archipelago has almost 35 000 islands so there are a lot to choose from. Other big tourist attractions are Gröna Lund, the 126 year old amusement park, and Skansen, an outdoors museum. In Skansen you will find Swedish animals such as moose, reindeer and brown bear as well as tropical snakes in the terrarium.

There are several city festivals in Stockholm during the summer. You will find everything from big music festivals with international artists to smaller indie festivals with local bands. Stockholm is also the host of a big Jazz festival, Stockholm International Jazz & Blues Festival. Many of the music festivals are located in the University area that is very close to the city center. The famous Globe arena also host many international stars, this summer Beyonce, Morrisey and Coldplay will play.

When the summer sun is glittering in the waters of Stockholm the city truly live up to its slogan “Beauty on Water”.