Week 24: Time Is (Not) On My Side

Hej allesammans! I decided to do the blog a bit later this week, as I leave Sweden for manic cross-country travelling shenannigans of WIN next Sunday: due to said shenannigans, I will probably be unable to access t'internet for a while, so by blogging this Saturday and next Saturday, I will be keeping you as up to date as possible. Simple, really.

This week has seen the arrival of December, which has taken me by surprise: November went surprisingly quickly, especially compared to the other months I've been here. As you may have guessed from the title, I am fighting a losing battle with that most elusive of concepts: time. So much of it, and yet so little! Currently, I am spending a lot of time reading Shakespeare for my ridiculously long 15 page essay that I ideally need to finish before Friday. The Bard, surprisingly to some, does not always make a good read: his killing off of Arthur in King John is seriously lame: it is akin to Sirius' death in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Still, on the whole, his reputation as the best writer of the English language is probably justified. Richard III, incidentally, is deliciously evil: I'm writing specifically about how Shakespeare distorts history, and he doesn't half distort Richard!

Naturally, December has brought with it lots of Christmassy stuff: Advent candles, Advent wreaths (the ones I've seen on people's front gates are absolute monsters), and lots of Christmas lights. If there's one place that does Christmas well, and doesn't make it overly tacky, I'd have to go with Sweden. Much better than in England, where the merchandise comes out in July and Woolworths goes into administration! Still, I do miss some aspects of English Christmas: no mince pies are to be found here, and the Swedes are not as familiar with A Christmas Carol, or even The Muppets' Christmas Carol, which in my mind is essential Christmas Eve viewing.

Lastly, my InterRail pass has finally arrived, meaning that I have a definite ticket home for January, hooray! It will have been over 19 weeks since I left England by the time I return, so I'm looking forward to going back.

Until next time then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 23, Part Two: Let it snow, let it snow, too much snow!

Welcome back. As you may have guessed, the subject that's been the focus of attention for most people in Uppsala this week has been: SNOW! And we're not talking about it just settling, we're talking about me finding my bike half-submerged in the stuff. As I type, the snow is just about starting to thaw, but we've had so much of it that I doubt it will be all gone until at least Thursday.

Most of you back in Blighty are probably a bit jealous that I've got all this snow to myself. But let me tell you, snow is only awesome up to a point. When it started snowing (Wednesday), it was just a light settling, and that was pretty cool: Sweden looks so much nicer in the snow, after all. By Saturday, there was plenty of it, and the high point was undoubtedly me sledging down a rather steep hill: I haven't gone sledging in years, so naturally I got a bit nostalgic.

However, by Sunday, it started to get a bit ridiculous. Snow in itself is not a bad thing, but snow combined with wind soon becomes horrendous. On Sunday the wind was positively howling, and on Monday it wasn't much better. Cycling through the snow was not much fun, mainly because it was a) snowing again and b) windy, meaning that for much of my journey I couldn't see where I was going! So after about a week of the stuff, I shall be quite glad to see the back of these small-scale blizzards.

Still, it has on the whole been fantastic, and at least the Swedes are prepared for this sort of thing: Britain always seems to go into a state of shock at the sight of a snowflake, and Gloucestershire schools shut down after one day of snow, so heaven knows how they'd cope with five days of it! But now, back to my book review, which is the last thing I have to do on my third module: after this, it's just one module, and then I'm all done! Hurrah!

Until next week then, this has been:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 23, Part One: Money makes the world go round

Hej allesammans! Apologies for the lapse last week: a lot has been happening. I'll try and fill you in on what happened the week before if I can, but it is a little hazy.

Firstly, the week before involved lots of financial wrangling on my part: fortunately, it all ended in success. After waiting almost two months for it arrive, my loan has finally come through, meaning I can actually pay off my rent, book tickets home, and generally have a bit more flexibility, which is a welcome relief after almost three months of worrying about my bank account. Why it took so long I don't know, but I am annoyed with Swedish banks, and NatWest are going to get a talking-to when I get back, not least because they keep charging me for withdrawals. Still, I can afford to spend a little more now, though I am limiting myself to 300SEK per fortnight at the moment (about £25) so as to have more money for my trip round Europe. I also managed to sort out my Erasmus grant, which means I will have an extra £500 by the end of the month, so I should be rolling in the moolah come December!

Secondly, the week before saw possibly the worst weather I've seen in a while. I know I'm English and I should be used to the rain, but OH MY DAYS! It just would not stop raining! And when you have to cycle back and forth to lessons in the rain, well, let's just say I was eternally grateful when the sun finally decided to return on Saturday. Of course, it was back to rain on Sunday, but oh well!

I also spent quite a lot of time doing work: I have a book review due this Thursday, and there were quite a few lectures and seminars the week before (including one at 9am, oy vay), so I have been kept rather busy. Coming up, what happened this week!

Remember? Remember what?

Hej allesammans! Two big events happened since my last post: firstly, we had Guy Fawkes' Night or Bonfie Night; and secondly, we had Remembrance Day. At least, everyone in the UK did: Sweden more sort of didn't.

Of course, I wasn't surprised by the fact that most Swedes had never heard of Guy Fawkes, but it was a bit odd to find myself in a country where there are no memories of war. Sweden, as a country, has not been at war since 1814, which compared to England, is an incredibly long time ago. Indeed, Sweden is the first country I have visited that was not involved in either of the World Wars: the only other country I know of that can also claim this is Switzerland.

But it was still a bit weird: no Bonfire Night, no fireworks, no poppies, no rendition of the Last Post, no two minutes' silence: I'd got rather accustomed to these over the years, and to be devoid of all them made November feel very unlike itself. Still, the Swedes did have one special day this week: November 6th was Gustavus Adolphus day. Gustavus Adolphus, in case you didn't know, is probably Sweden's most famous king, mainly because he went round and duffed up Germany during the Thirty Years' War before being killed in battle. So I did at least learn a little more about Sweden's culture, whilst being somewhat deprived of my own. In case you missed the two minutes' silence on Remembrance Sunday, by the way, go onto BBC iPlayer and search for "Remembrance Sunday": the silence is awesome, and The Last Post even moreso.

Finally, I think I should mention something that came up on BBC News this morning: when it comes to gender equality, the Scandinavians reign supreme. In the current survey, Norway are top, Finland are second, Sweden are third, and Iceland are fourth. Another triumph for Scandinavian Womens' Lib then, it seems, although Sweden have slipped a bit: they were top last year. The survey also showed that England are a bit rubbish: only 13th, it seems. Still, as a man, I presumably shouldn't be complaining! So until next week, this has been:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 20: What do Swedes think of Obama?

Hej allesammans! So then, the result is in: and with 349 electoral college votes to McCain's 162, Obama won rather convincingly, and will be the US President from 20th January 2009 onwards: sadly, we won't be rid of "Dubya" until then, which is a bit irritating, but at least he only has eleven weeks or so before his horrendous time in office comes to a close.



Naturally, I'm rather pleased. I am not the easiest person to place on the political spectrum: I am not a Socialist or Conservative, and I don't support the Lib Dems. But I believe two things are central to government:



1. One party in government only work for a maximum of two terms: after that, you need a change of party. No change, and both the government and the party start to lose their way. It happened to Thatcher's government, and it's happened to the Blair-Brown government. Three consecutive terms of the same government do not generally bode well.

2. In a world of globalisation, it is vital that you don't put people with barely any foreign policy experience in a position of power.



For these two reasons, I believe it was vital that Obama and the Democrats won. Most people were fed up with the Republicans, and McCain, for all his maverick claims, is a Republican. If he had got in, we would have had twelve years of Republicanism, and eight years is quite enough. At least the Republicans will now realise in defeat that they need to reform the party, because under Bush, it has badly lost its way. And the idea of Palin (whose foreign policy experience is laughable) being Vice President, and potentially President, was deeply worrying to me.



But what do Swedes think? Well, one Swede who will be rather chuffed about it all is the PM Fredrik Reinfeldt. He's a big supporter of Obama, and the latter's election victory will only ensure that ties between Sweden and the US remain strong. Ordinary Swedes don't seem particularly fussed by it all, but as Sweden is generally less conservative than most countries, I would guess that they favour Obama over McCain. Reinfeldt is himself a very young PM, and although a bit more right-wing than most of his predecessors, is roughly at the same point on the political spectrum as Obama, so if the majority of Swedes voted for Reinfeldt, I'm guessing most would back Barack.



The effects of this election have been felt and will be felt all over the world, and although a peripheral player on the world scene, Sweden will undoubtedly feel the effects. Sadly, I won't be around to see them, as Bush doesn't leave office until after my return to England. What rotten luck...



Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)

Chris Stanley

Week 19: Some Swedish Swine Swiped Something Of Mine!

Hej allesammans! A rather scary thought to begin with: this is my 70th day in Uppsala, which not only means I've been here for effectively 10 weeks, but also means that I've reached the half-way point of my time abroad. Needless to say, this has all gone very quickly, but time has a way of doing that when you're enjoying yourself, and I like to think that I am.

However, it has not been 100% sweetness and light this week: on Wednesday, I had to deal with something rather irritating: the theft of my phone. I say theft, because it doesn't seem as if there was any possible way for me to have lost my phone, which means that, presumably, it was stolen from the changing rooms whilst I was playing indoor football. Needless to say, I shall not be taking anything of value there next time!

In some ways, the loss of the phone is very, VERY annoying. Firstly, it was a Christmas present; secondly, it was a pretty good phone; and thirdly, it meant I had to spend about 400 SEK on a new one. However, considering what could have been lost or stolen, the phone is perhaps not as high on the list as say, my passport, my laptop, my keys or my wallet/credit card, so it is not all bad. And to be fair, the new phone was quite cheap, and in some ways is better than the old one, if only because you can compose your own ringtones! The alarm clock also seems to be a bit more effective in getting me up, which is no mean feat.

Other things happening really are an increase in my workload: unlike the last week or so, I've actually had quite a lot of lectures and seminars this week, with a few more to follow tomorrow, as well as an assignment for Friday, so I am being kept busy for once! This has helped to take my mind off a sore throat I picked up after singing along to one too many songs at a party: sore throats, for the record, are more trouble than they're worth!

So yes, 10 weeks down, 9 and a bit weeks to go. And of course, the clocks went back on Sunday, so it's now getting darker a LOT quicker, meaning that I'm going to have to get used to 6 hours of daylight! And the new President, whoever that may be... but that's a topic for next week, of course! Until then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 18: Immigration, Accommodation, and Transportation

Hej allesammans! This week, I've been tackling three rather major obstacles: writing an essay on immigration, getting the accommodation sorted, and planning the logistics of transportation to England.

The first obstacle, writing an essay on immigration, is part of my second module. Basically, I had to write part of a big group essay: it was 32 pages and there were eight of us, so I wrote about 4-5 pages. Immigration is of course, a major issue in the world today, and being an immigrant in Sweden myself (if only temporarily), it's interesting to look at various trends in immigration to the Nordic Countries, because you get to learn more about international relations: the Swedes like the Brits and the Yanks, the Danes don't always get on with the Germans, and all the Scandinavian countries are a bit scared of Russia, especially Finland. All four Nordic Countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) are also seen as being top places to go if you want to re-settle: after being here two months, I would have to agree.

The second obstacle: accommodation. Basically, I've chosen a rather lousy time to move out; I have to leave my accommodation between the 31st December and the 1st January. Naturally, the accommodation office is shut on both these days, so today I had to go in and basically thrash out when I could leave, and how I could hand my key back to them. Fortunately, the Swedes are flexible enough to allow a friend to hand in the key for you, and even though I wouldn't be paying the rent for January, they're fine with me staying there overnight on the 31st. Indeed, the only problem with the Accommodation people was their stupid opening hours: 8:30am - 11:30am on Mondays, but 2:30pm-5:30pm today and tomorrow. Silly Swedes!

Lastly, transportation. Getting to Uppsala was relatively easy, but getting back to the UK has proved to be extremely tricky. Flying out on the 2nd/3rd was WAY too expensive (£100 at least, and £150 when at a convenient time), so I've had to alter my mode of transport and go with the train. Naturally, train travel is not as quick: it takes 7 hours to get to Copenhagen, another 5 to get to Hamburg, and 13 hours to get from Hamburg to Paris (though fortunately that's because it's a sleeper train). From there, you get another train to Calais Ville, which takes an hour or so, then walk 15 minutes to the ferry, which takes 90 minutes to get to Dover (though of course you save an hour). And after that, it's another 2 hours to London. Suffice to say, you're travelling for the best part of two days! But I'll probably split that lot up a bit by staying overnight in Paris, which would be rather cool.

So, three problems, all hopefully tackled. I'm almost half-way through my time in Sweden, which seems quite incredible, but there is still a LONG way to go. And just as well, as I need to finish all my modules first! Until next week then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 17: Why did the Swede go the Gasque?

Hej allesammans! I'm guessing the first question you have after seeing that title is: "What the heck is a gasque?" This was also my first thought when I was asked if I would like to go to one, so it is clearly a natural reaction.

Well, a gasque is like a big formal meal. You have a few speeches from the organisers, a starter, quite a lot of drinking songs, a main dish, more drinking songs and speeches, a choir, dessert, and an orchestra. And then a drinking song. And then a big party afterwards. All sounds a bit hectic, doesn't it?

Still, these gasques are, on the whole, immensely enjoyable (as long as you hold back on the schnaps, which are shots of vodka). The choir (with their rendition of La Marseilleise) and the orchestra (who played bits of Star Wars among other things) were both excellent, as was the Swedish punch. I even had the oppurtunity to sample some Swedish coffee: I usually avoid coffee like the plague, but felt it impolite to turn it down at a gasque. It was surprisingly good! However, I still prefer tea anyday.

The food is also good (although if the speeches are too long it can get a bit cold): for example, we had a mushroom quiche for starters, elk and potatoes for the main, and chocolate cake for dessert. Incidentally, the elk was extremely tasty: like beef, only better (in my view). Indeed, the only thing that let the evening down a bit was the speeches: the first one was great, the second one so-so, and they got worse as it went on (though that might have been due to alcohol).

Overall then, gasques are a right old laugh, and should not be missed, especially if they're Swedish gasques: this one was an International Gasque, and therefore was not quite of the same standard. But it didn't disappoint! So then, until next week, this has been:

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 16: Birthday Boy!

Hej allesammans! So then, 20. Hmm. Does this mean I can't act like a teenager anymore? Well, probably not, but a lot has changed since my last birthday. This time last year I was in Devon, now I'm in Sweden. ECCLES had yet to be founded, now it's FECCLES and is becoming a ridiculously huge society. Gordon Brown was quite popular, now he's had to bring back Peter Mandelson to try and save his skin (good luck with that one). Steve McClaren was in charge of the England team, now it's Fabio Capello.

So, a fair few changes. Sadly, the perennial powerful idiot George W. Bush is still in the White House (if not for long), Labour are still in power, and stockbrokers are still idiots with money. But that won't get me down today! For one thing, the weather has been gorgeous here. Really sunny and no rain whatsoever! It's even rather mild, though I expect come November it will be freezing.

I also had a lecture today, which I was expecting to be three hours (they're not actually three hours, we have breaks), but was instead only two. So that was good! And I've received lots of lovely birthday messages on Facebook. So, overall, a very good way to adapt to being 20! Now I just need to work out how to deal with turning 21...

Until next week then, this has been...
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 15: The Great Depression

Hej allesammans! In case you're wondering, the title of this blog does not refer to the global markets and whatnot, though of course that is very topical. Call me crazy, but I think Bush's plan, at least in the short term, was a very good one, and if it had been approved it would have least calmed people down and allowed the new President to come in and either carry on with it or scrap it if he felt the need. Oh well, at least I'm not a stockbroker!

And that's just one of the many positive things I've had to think to myself this week, because this week really has been one long depression. Typing up a 3,000 word essay: depressing. The view from my room: depressing. My room: depressing. The fact that some idiot keeps drilling at silly o'clock in the morning: VERY depressing.

Then you tie in the fact that Freshers' Week is under way in Cornwall, and I'm massively gutted about missing all of that. Oh Cornwall, why must your delicious pasties be so far away? Seriously, the Swedes need to learn how to combine meat with pastry: an artificial beach wouldn't go amiss either.

So yes, my room's depressing, Sweden's a bit depressing, not being in Cornwall's depressing: you get the idea. And yet, I'm not depressed now. How so, sir?

The answer is simple. If you're depressed, GET OUTDOORS! (In my case, I went for a bike ride.) If your room's depressing you, then go for a run, or go and play football with your mates: the trick is to find something that'll take your mind off your troubles. And to have someone remind you that, actually, you're pretty darn lucky. Has anyone else on my campus had the oppurtunity to study abroad? Well, to quote Dr Cox, "There are so many ways for me to say this... never, not in a million years, absolutely not, no way Hose, no chance Lance, nyet, negatori, nuh-uh, mm-mm, uh-uh, and last of all, man falling off cliff... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo... pff!" So it seems a bit rich for me to wail about being able to do something no-one else from my campus has been able to do before.

The world can be a very depressing place. But there's always two sides to a coin. You've just got to put things into perspective. And besides, I've only got... +100 days until I get back home. Ah.
Well, never mind, gives me more time to explore! See you next week for another instalment of...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 14: Culture Clash

Hallå allesammans! Now then, seeing as last Saturday saw Uppsala celebrate its annual Culture Night, I thought I would do another little feature on culture. Not necessarily Swedish culture you understand, but just the little things that make Uppsala significantly different from Stroud, Falmouth, etc.

Firstly, fika. What is fika, I hear you cry? Is it a rival to IKEA? Well actually, it's the Swedish equivalent of coffee and cake, but it's also seen as a social activity, almost like going to the Vicarage for tea and scones. Fika is ridiculously popular, to the extent that one gets invited to have fika almost every day, which is a bit awkward if you don't like coffee (though tea is usually an option).

Secondly, health. The Swedes, as a whole, generally look rather healthy. Coming from a country where obesity is becoming a growing problem, it's refreshing to see most people either walking or cycling everywhere. Uppsala, like other towns in Europe, has cottoned onto the idea of giving cyclists a better deal, and thus the pavements are twice as wide and divided into two sections: one for pedestrians, one for cyclists. This is very sensible, but will probably not catch on in England, due to the fact that the streets and pavements are far too narrow, especially in London.

Thirdly, the Swedish psyche. If you say hello to a typical Swede, they will say hello back pleasantly enough, but that will be about as far as the conversation goes. They are not deliberately cold as such, but they are markedly reserved, and will not engage in long conversations until they "know what they are dealing with", as it were. Of course, after a few drinks, the average Swede will become an insane party animal, and will be more than happy to talk to you at length, even if you can't understand a word they're saying!

Finally, and this does make a difference, the Swedes start social things early, the best example being that they normally go out on the town at around six, and finish around eleven, which seems a bit odd to anyone who normally goes out on the town from about 10pm until 2am. But you get used to it after a while, and no-one minds if you turn up around 8!

But now, back to the interesting task of writing an essay comparing ginger tyrants: more on that story later. Until next time, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 13: Sunny Stockholm?

Halla allesammans! So then, I can now honestly claim that I have been to the capital of Sweden and, if you believe the flag I saw, the capital of Scandinavia. So what was why my first impression of Stockholm?

Well, unfortunately, my first impression was that this was a city that seemed to attract rain. Seriously, in the four or five hours I was there, it just would not stop raining! Still, the mark of a good city is that it still leaves a good impression on you regardless of the weather conditions, and Stockholm certainly fits that category.

Stockholm, for a start, is not too overwhelming. It is certainly the biggest city in Sweden by far, but its population is only 1 million, which is only an eighth of the population size of London. This means that even if you were to get lost, it's pretty easy to find your way again, mainly because Stockholm is made up of small islands: if you don't know where you are, just walk towards the nearest river and get your bearings from there!

Possibly the most interesting of the islands is Gamla Stan, which means "Old Town" in Swedish: this is where the palace is, and it's also where the weekly Changing of the Guard takes place. Furthermore, it's where I got my Viking hat! Yes folks, there is actually a shop called "The Viking Shop", and it has pretty much everything a Viking needs, except maybe a monastery that you can pillage from.

In fairness to the other islands that make up Stockholm, though, there is something interesting on every island: whether it's the national museum on the north island, the giant tower that you can see all of Stockholm from the top of on the south island, or the Vasa museum on the east island, Stockholm is one of those places that you can spend hours on end looking at what is a picturesque city... except maybe on the south side, where there's lots of building work going on.

A final mention should be made to Stockholm's underground system, which is quick, efficient, and above all, rather cool; not the trains, but the stations, which each have a different style. One of them was designed to look like a green cave, and it also had a glass box containing a ship between the two platforms! Not something you see every day then.

So, Stockholm; rather soggy when I left it, but definitely worth at least one visit. Until next week then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 12: Back to Work

Halla allesammans! Now, whilst most of you are presumably still on holiday, this week has seen me begin my first of four modules. I don't quite know why, but the terms seem to be longer here in Sweden than they are in Britain, but that may be because most people are third-year students and are therefore used to twelve-week terms. In any case, now's definitely not the time for dossing about.

For one thing, Uppsala University is huge, and the Humanities buildings alone take up more space than the entire of Tremough Campus (excluding Glasney Parc): therefore, trying to find the right classroom can be a somewhat nightmarish situation. Not only do you have to get the right floor, you also have to get the right, er, "house"... one wrong turn and you could wind up fifteen minutes late! However, in Uppsala, this is not a problem, as traditionally lessons don't start until quarter past the hour, even though they're advertised as being on the hour. In theory, the lectures last two hours, although in practice it's more like an hour and a half, as the lecturer usually takes a fifteen-minute break in between.

My first module is Swedish History. What, then, does that involve? Well, to be frank, it's a rather hasty overview of Sweden from the Vikings to the Early Modern Era to the 19th Century to the Present Day, and as the module only lasts for four weeks, this has to be done rather quickly. Hence, I was learning about the Vikings on Monday, but today I was being told about the death of Karl XII in 1718, so effectively I've covered a millennium of history in less than a week. Hmm.

Fortunately, the assignment is a bit more organised: basically, I have to write an eight-page essay (about 3,000 words) comparing an aspect of English (or British) history with an aspect of Swedish history. So, for example, I could compare the political system in England with the political system in Sweden. Except for the bit where I'm not going to. Instead, I'm comparing the Reformation in England with the Reformation in Sweden, as it seems a bit more interesting. For example, both Reformations were enforced by Kings with ginger hair! So there you go.

Each module lasts about a month - except for the literature course, which can be done at any point within a five-week period - meaning that my term should (in theory) finish in late November, although it all depends on when I decide to do the literature course. The good news is that I definitely have three weeks off in December, so I reckon during that time I'll probably go off on a little excursion round other parts of Scandinavia; I particularly want to visit Oslo and Copenhagen, as well as Gothenburg and Trondheim.

I'll be going to Stockholm tomorrow, so next week's bulletin will probably involve me yammering on about the great Swedish capital. But until then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

A Quick Update

What ho,

Just thought I'd give a quick update on things: I've started my lectures (had an intro to my course on Friday), and I've joined a Nation, which is a bit like an Oxbridge College, except the nations are named after certain areas in Sweden. The nation I've joined is called Kalmar, which is one of the regions in the south-east, below Stockholm. I also have a University Library Card, what larks.

Was also at a Club Night at Varmlands Nation last night, and can safely say that when the Swedes party, they go absolutely bananas. I was almost deafened by the sound of party hooters and shouts of "Skal!" (pronounced Skoal), which means "Cheers!" Needless to say, I had a lie-in today, but I've still been busy: cycled up to Gamla Uppsala today and took a few photos which I'll be putting up on the group shortly. Also saw some Swedes playing football, and can confirm that women's football is not all bad (though why the teams were dressed as Watford and Charlton I have no idea. Watford scored two goals whilst I was watching). Finally, Lidl is ridiculously cheap, especially when you consider the cost of living in Sweden... the taxes are pretty high, as the Government provides free education and healthcare.

Finally, as you may have already guessed, I have internet in my room, which is definitely a time-saver. If only I could get rid of the builders working on the floor above... they will insist on waking me at exactly 8:00 in the morning!

Take care,
Chris S

P.S. Not sure why, but John McCain has picked a 44 year-old Governor of Alaska as his running mate. After saying that 47 year-old Barack Obama doesn't have enough experience. Hmm...

Week 11: Touchdown!

Hallå allesammans! So, as you may have guessed, I've arrived in Sweden after what I found to be quite a long journey... getting up at 6 in the morning in order to arrive at 6 in the evening would be found by many as somewhat tiring. In fact, getting up at 6 in the morning by itself would be considered madness by most!

Heathrow Airport, by the way, isn't that bad. Maybe it's because I was in the brand new Terminal 5, with all the glass windows and stuff, but I was actually quite impressed. Checking-in took under a minute, as did dropping off my hold luggage, and security wasn't a pain in the neck for once! The lounge even had computers (though you did have to pay, so I didn't use them).

As for the flight... well, it wasn't perfect (being at the back of the airplane was a nuisance when it came to getting off), but it could have been worse. At least the sandwiches were good (and I don't often say that about airplane food!), and the flight wasn't too long; two and a bit hours or so.

My first impression of Sweden was the airport. It was a bit on the small side, but then again, judging from the amount of building work going on, they're planning big things here. The bus arrived on time (though why it was bright yellow I have no idea) and I got into Uppsala on time, so on the whole my journey turned out okay, but by the time my Swedish "buddy", Dan Wallin, and I had made it to my room at Kantorsgatan, I was about ready to curl up and snooze.

So, what's Sweden like? Well, to me, it's a bit like a condensed version of Munich. Big blocks, all the roads are straight, lots of cycle paths (and therefore bikes), lots of friendly people who speak fantastic English... on the whole, really nice, and I've settled in well here. I've picked up a bike (for about £65) and met lots of British people (as well as Yanks, Germans, Finns, Frenchies and Aussies), including one person who lives a mile from my house and used to go to my 6th form... scary bananas!

But yeah, all going well on the Scandinavian post, and I should be starting my courses some time next week. So until then, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 10: The Final Countdown

Hallå allesammans! Now, don’t panic, this blog post is most certainly NOT dedicated to that song by Europe, that’s just a handy title. Anyway, with all my stuff being packed, I leave the UK tomorrow, and I will be arriving in Uppsala within 24 hours: and of course, I won’t be seeing any of you for at least four months, probably five.

So, with this in mind, it’s probably a good idea to make this a “goodbye and tributes” blog. Naturally, I start with saying goodbye to relatives. My family have been an eternal source of support and inspiration: Rose, Al and Mum the language-speaking and country-trekking pioneers who actually got me interested in studying abroad, Dad usually there with his trademark “Good luck; we’re all counting on you!” and of course, the Stevester, with his own unique brand of manic optimism. The self-confessed Crazy Gang are to be thanked for their untiring efforts in making me as mad as the rest of them, and seeing as I’m now going off to a foreign country on my own for several months, it appears they’ve well and truly succeeded! A special mention should also be made to my Uncle Denis and my late grandfather, Ross Grey, whose recollections of their times abroad have done nothing to put me off going on this epic journey, and everything to make me consider the benefits of travelling to new destinations.

Moving onwards, there are several groups of people or individuals that have generally been very supportive at crucial points. Sam White, trumpeting legend and cricketer extraordinaire, is well worth a mention; Sam accompanied me on my last two ventures abroad and studied French and German with me at A-Level, and it has to be said that having a mate with you when you’re in a foreign country, or having difficulty learning gobble-de-gook, is something that I’m undoubtedly going to miss in Sweden. Indeed, it will feel a bit odd going to a foreign country without him lauding various culinary masterpieces! I should probably mention Tom Murphy, Julia Townend and Ali Glossop (i.e. the French Exchange Gang) as well, as they made staying in a country suffering from violent riots bizarrely enjoyable.

In terms of making this last year so enjoyable that I’m going to miss them all ridiculously, I would never be able to forgive myself without mentioning the joyous people of FECCLES! Abi Brady, Sue Curtis, Alice Drury, Kate Hagan, Edd Insley, Ellie Osborne, Joe Perring, Elliott Sutcliffe, James Watts, Rob Young and of course Dan Scholes (the new President of FECCLES), take a bow. I’m obviously a tad miffed with myself that I’ll be missing all your mad antics next semester, but on the evidence of what we’ve done so far I’m confident that the society will be consistently “all right” on the night. Oh, and a note to Joe if you’re reading this, change that damn answer phone message: for those not in the know, Joe Perring currently has the longest answer phone message on record, at “Why-on-earth-hasn’t-it-beeped-yet?” minutes and “Gah!” seconds. The “History Massive” also deserves a creditable mention, as does everyone at Falmouth CU, Emmanuel Baptist Church, everyone who had to put up with me as a flatmate in Block O Flat 7, all the people from Exeter Orchestra/Music Week, people I’ve met whilst I’ve been up on the Streatham Campus, and last but not least, all my friends at Tremough Campus and Glasney Parc who I haven’t already mentioned: my sincere thanks for what has been an absolutely mad, insane and above all fantastic year.

A brief mention should also go to the STRS gang, who have had to endure my company longer than most, and who have done their best to keep in touch over the past three years: Pigott, Pazzer, Davies, Towers, the Hartleys, Ed, Hards, Ben, Simon, Middy and of course, the Göttingen “crew”, who accompanied me on my first proper trip abroad. I suppose I should also quickly mention Jon Chappell, who not only went to STRS, but is also doing History at Exeter/Cornwall through sheer coincidence!

Anyhoo, tomorrow I’ll be taking the coach down to Heathrow, catching a flight to Arlanda Airport (near Stockholm) just after lunch, then taking the bus to Uppsala, arriving some time in the evening : I’ll let you know when I’ve arrived and stuff via Facebook. But now, to the unquestionable joy that is packing: and for the last time for a while on British soil, this has been...

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 9: Second (to last) thoughts?

Hallå allesammans! In the penultimate blog before I go galloping off to Uppsala, I tackle that second-to-last minute problem: doubt. Silly I know, but there’s been quite a few times from about November or so onwards when I’ve asked myself: am I doing the right thing? Do I really want to spend both my birthday and (unless I can easily afford another trip back home) Christmas away from all my friends and family? Wouldn’t it just be easier if I did what all but two of my history colleagues are doing and stay put in Cornwall? How easy will it be for me to settle in? Will I get homesick? Will I be able to find a Church when I’m out there when I can only speak a few simple phrases in Swedish? What if the course is too difficult?

These are all perfectly logical concerns, to be sure. But then again, what do I gain from worrying about the future? If you can cast your minds back as far as 2000, then you’ll remember that many people were predicting the dreaded arrival of the “Millennium Bug”, and a great deal of hype and panic was stoked up over something that in the end caused only a few minor problems here and there. A major crisis might have ensued, but the computer industry took steps to ensure that there wasn’t, and ultimately passed the test.

So what’s my point? My point is that just because something appears as if it’s going to be a major problem or obstacle, doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed in solving that problem or getting past that obstacle. And those valiant geeks did not solve the problem by simply avoiding it, or running away bawling “It’s too difficult and scary and I don’t want to do it!” They got on with the job, and did their best, and that is what I have to do, whether I have doubts about the future or not.

Am I doing the right thing? Well, I like to think that this will benefit me in several ways: I will have studied abroad for the first time; I will meet new people and make new friends; I will study different topics; I will visit different places; in short, I will enjoy myself whilst doing my CV a great deal of good. Do I really want to spend both my birthday and Christmas away from all my friends and family? Well, admittedly it will be a bit pants not having any of you lot with me to celebrate my 20th birthday, and I would like to be home for Christmas if at all possible, but if it turns out I am stuck in Sweden for both then I might as well make the most of it: besides, celebrating Christmas Swedish-style could well be a good experience.

It almost certainly would be easier just to stay put in Cornwall, but as I’ve said before, I enjoy a challenge: besides, the problem of settling in, or being homesick, is one I’ve dealt with before and will undoubtedly have to deal with again. The difficulty of finding a Church, vaulting the language barrier and the course itself do worry me a little, I’ll admit. But I’ll take it one day at a time and go from there. After all, as Marcus Aurelius (i.e. that old Emperor bloke in Gladiator played by Richard Harris) once said, “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” And as Albus Dumbledore (also played by Richard Harris) almost said, “To the well-organised mind, Sweden is but the next great adventure.” Then again, best not to misquote people too much, or I’ll get in trouble, for what I type in blogs, echoes in eternity.

So, in just over a week, I’ll be off, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit nervous. But at the risk of being a bit harsh, you’d have to be a robot not to get nervous over this sort of experience. But to use one final quotation from that most awesome of Psalms, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” And with words of reassurance like that, it’s easy to see why I’m taking my Bible with me to Sweden.

Next week, I’ll be saying a few final goodbyes and paying a few tributes to some of you fantastic bunch: it’s the least I can do considering I’m all abandoning you all for five months! I’ll also be describing how I’ll be getting from A to B, as it were. So tune in next week for the last British installment of…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 8: A Question of (Swedish) Sport

Hallå allesammans! With barely a fortnight or so before I jet off to Uppsala, we turn to that most frustrating yet exhilarating of activities, sport. The question that some of you may be asking, and the one that first popped into my head when I considered Swedish sport, was this: what are the most popular sports?
Well, bizarrely, the top five sports are football, golf, gymnastics and athletics: not exactly what I was expecting, especially as none of those are winter sports. Still, ice hockey usually hauls in the crowds, and other sports are still very popular, such as skiing and swimming, but it’s interesting to see that other sports not generally thought of as being very Swedish are the most popular. I was particularly surprised by the popularity of golf, especially as I despise golf with a passion: not because I can’t play it, but because I believe that trying to whack a ball out of a sand bunker is not the best use of one’s time and resources. If you enjoy clobbering a ball with a piece of wood, why on earth don’t you take up either hockey or cricket? At least in those sports you’re not compelled to wear silly jackets – mind you, golf does give you the excuse to drive around like a loon in those little buggy things. But I digress.
Football, as most of you know, is one of my many passions, and the Swedes are also rather keen. Sweden’s footballing heyday was during the early 1990’s, where they hosted the 1992 European Championships and reached the Semi-Finals – beating England on the way, damn them – and then finished third in the 1994 World Cup, losing to the eventual winners Brazil in the semi-finals. However, they then failed to qualify for both Euro ’96 and France ’98 and were awful in Euro 2000. Since then, Sweden have ranged from good to average: qualifying for every tournament, but usually going out in the first knockout round, with their elimination in the group stages by Russia at Euro 2008 the one exception. They’re currently 30th according to FIFA rankings, which is a bit poor when you consider that England are 9th, Scotland are 17th and the US are 21st. But then, that may just be FIFA rankings being complete rubbish: England 9th in the World and better than Holland, Portugal and Croatia? Who are they kidding?
Still, despite the national team suffering from being a bit mediocre, many Swedes participate in football, and the chances of me not being able to find footballing facilities in Uppsala are pretty slim, even if the local football team is even worse than Forest Green Rovers. In order to go and watch a proper football game, my best bet is probably in nearby Stockholm, where there are three teams in the top flight: AIK, Hammarby and Djurgården. The rivalries are fierce, so I probably won’t go to a derby game, and if all else fails, there’s always watching a game at the pub.
It’s also worth noting that there are a couple of Swedes currently plying their trade, or who have plied their trade, in English football: Henrik Larsson played briefly for Manchester United, Freddy Ljungberg is familiar to both Arsenal and West Ham United fans, whilst Olof Mellberg has just left Aston Villa after seven years. Possibly the most famous/notorious Swede with regards to football in England is Sven-Goran Eriksson, former manager of England and Manchester City. Believe it or not, he’s now the manager of Mexico!
One of the main problems with regards to sport may be the fact that a sport that is widely accessible in Britain, such as cricket or rugby, may not be as accessible in Sweden. Another is the climate: the Swedish weather is so harsh, that the football season ends in November, and doesn’t start again until March, so if I do take up a sport for five months, it will probably need to be either an indoors sport or a winter sport. I’m thinking table tennis or snooker myself!
Still, despite the limitations on football, Sweden still has a lot to offer the sports nut, from the interestingly-named bandy, a cross between ice-hockey and football, to orienteering, which is basically cross-country running with checkpoints: I may well try my hand at the latter, having done a few orienteering courses in England. But, as the sands of time shift in the hourglass of destiny, and England’s inability to beat Sweden at football since 1968 continues, I see we’ve run out of time. Tune in next week for another enthralling instalment of…
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 7: The (Swedish) Culture Show

Hallå allesammans! This week I’m taking a sneak peek at that most elusive concept, “culture”: specifically, Swedish culture. Some people might argue that culture is very hard to define, and it probably is, but I think “the tastes in art and manners that are favoured by a social group” sums up culture pretty well. So what are the tastes in art and manners favoured by the Swedes?

Well, first of all, the Swedes are a decent bunch. Whilst quite a lot of people in Britain can best be described as just a little bit xenophobic the Swedes, due to their policy of neutrality, aren’t really ones to hold a grudge. They did go a bit xenophobic in the late 80’s/early 90’s, but from what I can tell, so did everyone, and the xenophobic government did so badly that they got kicked out 14 years ago.

The current PM, Fredrik Reinfeldt, has been called a “Swedish David Cameron”, in the sense that he’s trying to nudge his party towards the centre of the political spectrum. He’s also been compared to Bill Clinton, and like a lot of Swedish people, is heavily influenced by American culture: he’s also supporting Barack Obama in the upcoming US elections, so he’s definitely got my vote (though as the last election was only two years ago, I doubt I’ll get that opportunity).
Basically, the Swedes have five main ports of call for cultural influence: the US, the UK, France, Germany, and the rest of Scandinavia. It used to be quite isolationist, but since it joined the EU in 1995, its links with Continental Europe have been strengthened: however, like the UK, it has refused to adopt the Euro, with the current currency being the Swedish krona (SEK): one pound is worth about twelve krona.
So that’s the cultural influences of Sweden covered, but what about its actual culture? Well, a good starting point is Sweden’s architecture: the Oresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark, for example, is not only the longest border-crossing bridge in the world, it also includes a tunnel, and incorporates both a motorway and a railway. Simply put, it’s like crossing the Channel Tunnel with the Severn Bridge. This is just one of Sweden’s fantastic pieces of architecture, with over 70 castles, almost two dozen palaces and several cathedrals.
Music-wise, there is much, much more to Sweden than just ABBA, and death to those who say otherwise. Whilst ABBA did admittedly do much to pave the way for future Swedish pop bands, such as the Cardigans (who are famous for “Erase/Rewind” and “My Favourite Game”) and Robyn (who appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks), there are other types of music that are popular in Sweden, from folk music to jazz and from hip hop to death metal. Sweden is also the 3rd largest music exporter in the world after the US and the UK, so Swedish music is definitely popular. Moving on to media, the Swedish press seem to once again demonstrate the liberalness of Sweden, with none of the main newspapers/tabloids venturing further than centre-right. The newspaper I need to look out for at first is The Local, which reports the country’s news in English and has a rather informative website which I have already found very useful.

It turns out that there are many interesting things about Swedish culture; whether it’s their love of fish, meatballs and pancakes (not on the same plate, obviously), the fact that the inventor of the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel, was Swedish (and also invented dynamite), or that they have crayfish dinner parties in August. Whichever part of Swedish culture you choose to focus on, the conclusion is the same: the Swedes are a pretty cool, if slightly eccentric, bunch of people. Even if their films do generally focus on what goes on in other people’s bedrooms. Plus, I’m not sure I can completely forgive them for creating the abomination that is Pippi Longstocking either. Or am I just being trivial here?

Next week, we’re going to be taking a look at what the Swedes get up to sport-wise, and I’ll be asking myself if I should try and take up a winter sport whilst I’m there. “Tills nästa gång”, this has been…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

One week, three films

Last week was eventful in several ways, but perhaps the most eventful thing that happened was that I somehow ended up going to the cinema three times: on Monday I went to see Wall-E with my brothers, on Friday I went to see Hancock with some friends from my youth club, and on Sunday I went with some friends from my 6th form to see the film they've all been raving about - The Dark Knight. And they were all very good.

Wall-E was silent yet awesome, Hancock moody yet magnificent (though the second half was a bit disappointing) and Dark Knight "awesome yet horrific", to quote a friend of mine. Heath Ledger will almost certainly get the Oscar, and he certainly deserves it on comic relief alone, but I'd be surprised if he's the only person who does get an Oscar. And Will Smith should probably stick to being funny, even though he can probably do serious just as well. If you're going to see one of the three, I'd probably recommend Wall-E, being a huge fan of Pixar films; the ending of Hancock is a bit anti-climatic, and the Dark Knight, as good as it is, did leave me feeling a bit dazed and shocked, plus at 2 and 1/2 hours it's a bit of a marathon. Go and see it anyway though, just be prepared to flinch every ten minutes or so: not really one for the paranoid!

Week 6: A brief history of (Swedish) time

Hallå allesammans! Now, many people reading this may know where Sweden is or what the colour of the flag is. You may even know the countries that border it. But can you name all the Swedish monarchs? And do you know how long the Swedish “Golden Age” was?

Of course not, and more to the point, why would you need to? That’s not why I’m going over to Sweden, and that’s not what makes Swedish History interesting. What makes it interesting is the same thing that makes British History and any other sort of History interesting: namely, the little quirky things, the sort of things you read in a Horrible History book. Incidentally, if it wasn’t for Horrible Histories, I wouldn’t find my subject nearly as interesting: whether it was reading about Henry VIII almost getting killed whilst pole-vaulting or discovering that the Normans only won the Battle of Hastings because they cheated, those books were fantastic.

Speaking of 1066 and all that, here’s what I thought was a rather amusing fact – England may have had three kings in 1066-7, but Sweden had four, because after the death of Swedish King #1 (Stenkil), Swedish King #2 (Erik Stenkilsson) and Swedish King #3 (Erik the Pagan) both declared themselves King, both made war on each other, and both died in battle, leading to Swedish King #4 becoming King… for about three years. Rather tokig, I’m sure you’ll agree, although Swedish King #4 presumably didn’t mind the carnage too much.

As you may have realised, Erik’s quite a popular name in Sweden, especially as far as Kings go: fourteen of them are called Erik. In fact, if you’re not called Johann, Karl, Gustav, Adolf or Erik, chances are you’re not going to become King of Sweden, so bad luck there. Still, better than being called Eric “the lisp and lame”, which is what happened to Eric XI – not only was he lame in the physical sense, but he was also a lame excuse for a king, and got booted out of his own country in 1229 by his relative Canute II, who took the crown instead! For those who feel a bit sorry for Eric XI the Lisp and Lame, don’t worry: he came back five years later after Canute II snuffed it and ruled until 1250, so maybe he wasn’t so lame after all.

So what other amusing facts are there to be found in Swedish History? Well, here’s one to make you question the sanity of Swedish women: Gustavus II Adolphus’ wife kept his body, and later his heart, in her castle for over a year. Personally, I’m amazed that women are able to put up with the smell of men at all, but to manage living with a rotting corpse with a year shows commitment. It also makes you wonder if she wanted to put off potential suitors – “Well, I may be single; but on the other hand, there’s a dead guy in my castle who happens to be my late husband.” I’m guessing it did the trick.

Another interesting thing about Swedish History is that the current Swedish Royal Family isn’t really Swedish: it’s French. That’s because in 1810, with Napoleon having a laugh and a half in Continental Europe, the Swedes realised that it would be handy if the next monarch was pro-French, so they appointed a French Marshal called Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who became Karl XIV Johann despite not speaking a word of Swedish: utterly random, but completely true. He also witnessed the French Revolution, so clearly he wasn’t one for the quiet life!

Jean-Baptiste, or Charles XIV John, also got to be King of Norway, because from 1814 to 1905 Sweden and Norway were joined together – the joint flag, by the way, is one of the most atrocious flag designs I have ever seen, and is an insult to flag designers across the globe! I’ve put it up on the photos page if you want to have a look.

Sadly, Swedish history has been a bit dull over the last century or so, mainly because they will insist on remaining neutral: the Swedes didn’t get involved at all in either of the World Wars, and stayed out of all the Cold War sniping as well, which was probably a sensible idea. Modern history hasn’t been completely peaceful though, as one of their Prime Ministers was assassinated in the 80’s – sadly, it wasn’t acceptable. So there you are: a bit of Swedish history to mull over. In the meantime, I’d best be signing off. Next week, I hope to inform you of some Swedish culture, as it were. But “tills nästa gang”, stay tuned for the next instalment of…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 5: Swedish Made Simple

L.O! This, contrary to what my Drama Society associates will tell you, is not how the Swedish say “Hello”. In fact, there are seven different ways of saying “Hello” in Swedish, the most common being “hallå!”, “hej!” and “god dag”. So there you are.

I am a firm believer in the idea that if you are going to stay in a country, the least you can do is learn the language. In my case the need to do this is obvious: I may be doing an English-speaking course, but I do need to learn at least some key phrases in order to get by in Sweden: for example, knowing that “Vilken tid är det?” means “What time is it?” in Swedish is extremely useful. In fact, simply knowing “tid” means “time” is a start. Another plus about learning a foreign language is learning silly phrases, such as “Stopp! Hammer Tid!” – And if you can’t work out what that means in Swedish, then you clearly “can’t touch this”.
Still, that’s not to say that learning Swedish is a doddle, because it blatantly isn’t: if it was, I wouldn’t be doing an English-speaking course. A good example of how tricky Swedish, and indeed any foreign language can be, is the problem of shopping – to go shopping in Swedish is “shoppa” by the way – because it’s not just a case of having to ask “Hur mycket är det?” (How much is that?): it’s also a case of knowing what the Swedish for pasta, bread, milk, cereal, fruit and meat is (pasta, bröd, mjölk, spannmål, frukt och kött). There’s also the problem of how big the dairy section is in Sweden: previous Exeter students have apparently found it nigh-on impossible to find semi-skimmed milk, horror of horrors. Still, once you do know those sorts of phrases and words (and you’ve found the milk), making a trip to a Swedish shop for food is as easy as falling off the proverbial log, so learning the lingo is well worth the effort.
Phrases such as “Var vänlig och tack” – which means “Please and Thank You” – can be very useful as well: being able to speak a language is good, but being able to speak politely is even better. With this in mind, “Roligt att träffas!” which means “Pleased to meet you!” is a phrase I’m endeavouring to use in earnest. In any case, it’s not generally a good idea to be rude to some random Swedish person you’ve only just met, especially if they happen to live in your flat, or if they have some other means of making your life a personal hell. In short, displaying rudeness abroad is as the Swedish say, “dum”. Or possibly “tokig”, which means crazy.
Mind you, learning a few insults here and there can also be useful: quite a lot of people I know would spend hours poring over French and German dictionaries just to find new swearwords so they could use them on unsuspecting classmates. I’ve not been quite that crude, but a couple of insults/exclamations will undoubtedly come in handy, such as “Tusan också!” (Damn it!), or “Du olidlig svin!” (“You insufferable swine!”) In my opinion, these will be eternally useful: after all, knowing that someone’s insulting you is always a handy piece of info.

In order to ensure that my Swedish doesn’t get rusty, I’m going to be using a few Swedish words, and possibly phrases, in the Blog from now on. They are:

hallå allesammans! = hello everyone!
lämplig = good
förnämlig = excellent
dålig = bad
Bra nyheter och dåliga nyheter = the good news and the bad news
lycklig & olycklig = lucky/unlucky
otrolig = unbelievable
farväl = farewell
Tills nästa gång = until next time
Uppdrag Omöjligt = Mission Impossible

So there you are: you learn something new every day. Next week we move on to Swedish culture. I’m off to practise my Swedish, so “Tills nästa gång, farväl!”, and stay tuned for next week’s instalment of...
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 4 – Uppsala Uncovered

Hello again folks! This week I don the persona of your stereotypical Tour Guide in order to give you a bit more of an idea about Uppsala, “the big city with the small-town charm”, where I’ll be for the majority of my five months abroad. Just to give you an indication of how far away I am, Uppsala is:

1,483 miles from Tremough Campus,
1,331 miles from Stroud,
1,219 miles from London, and
453 miles from Copenhagen.

According to Google Maps, if I were to travel by car/coach, it would take me over a day to get from Cornwall to Uppsala, and I would also have to travel through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark in order to do so. It would take me seven hours alone just to get out of the country, so my location is in ways very remote!
Uppsala itself is located in South Central Sweden, about an hour's drive north of the capital, Stockholm. Unsurprisingly, it is the capital of Uppsala County, is based in the province of Uppland, and is an hour ahead of Western European Summer Time at the moment. It is the fourth biggest city in Sweden – after Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö – and is about the same size as Oxford. Uppsala is home to the imaginatively titled Uppsala University, the oldest University in Scandinavia: founded in 1477, it’s older than all but four of Great Britain’s Universities, so it’s fair to say it’s ancient. More to the point, it’s huge: there are about 40,000 undergraduates, which is four times as many undergraduates currently at the University of Exeter.
Uppsala also has Scandinavia’s largest church/cathedral, the Domkyrka, which dates back to the late 13th Century and is a staggering 118.7m tall: that’s taller than St Paul’s Cathedral, but shorter than Wembley Stadium. The Domkyrka is home to the Archbishop of Uppsala, who’s the Swedish equivalent of the Archbishop of Canterbury: the current chap is Anders Wejryd (whose surname alone would win you a game of Scrabble), who’s been there since 2006. The post of Archbishop of Uppsala has been around since 1164 – in other words, ages – and from 1531 until 1557 had the unusual distinction of having two archbishops, due to a bit of a ruckus over the Reformation. Anders is the 74th Archbishop of Uppsala, and if he manages to reach the average reign, he’ll be in the job until at least 2018.
It’s fair to say that Uppsala is a lot like Oxford: a fairly large city with a thriving student population, a historic University, a large cathedral and only an hour or so from the Capital of the Country. Both cities have a noteworthy river as well, with the river Fyris in Uppsala dividing the city into two parts: to the west of the river is the historic quarter and to the east, the administrative, commercial and residential area. Of course, I’ll probably be spending most of my time to the west of the river, which is where the cathedral is situated, as well as several parks.
Uppsala does appear to be everything that Falmouth isn’t: close to the capital; huge; home to an enormous university and cathedral; a decent train service! Oh yes, and without a coast or beach for miles. Hmm. Still, not that I’d want to visit a beach between the months of October and January anyway, but I will probably miss having a view of the sea from my bedroom window. But then, Uppsala also seems a large, noisy, busy and most of all, cold place, so whilst it seems to have a fair few advantages, the tourist would do well to realise that, like all places, it ain’t perfect. But from the looks of it, a trip to Uppsala should be well worth however much I’m spending on this blasted study-abroad programme. Next week, I’ll be discussing the joys of the Swedish language, and how learning a foreign language can be extremely handy, especially when it comes to making a good first impression. But until then, stay tuned for the next exciting instalment of…
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 3 – Back to the Shire

What a difference ten hours can make. At half past eight in the morning I was asleep in Glasney Parc, Cornwall: at half past six in the evening I had arrived at Stroud Railway Station, Gloucestershire. A lot happened in those ten hours, but to cut a long story short, I packed everything, managed to get down to Penryn Station on time (with help from Dan Scholes and Fred Troen), then realised I’d left a bag behind. Whoops. And there wasn’t time to go back for it. Bother.

Mind you, I doubt I would have been able to manage another bag, seeing as I had seven of them already; along with a suitcase and violin, of course. Suffice to say, getting things off and onto trains was not easy, and I did need a bit of assistance at Truro getting the darn things over the stairway and then onto the train. I then bade Cornwall farewell at about 1:45, passed through good old Exeter, and then hauled all my stuff off the train at Tiverton Parkway. Fortunately, Tiverton Parkway only has one platform for trains to the Shire, so getting on the next train was easy enough.
It was only when I got to Cheltenham Spa that problems started. Incidentally, I always find that the easiest way to tell you’re in Gloucestershire is if the trains are being rubbish – and they were. The train to Stroud from Cheltenham was cancelled (bah) and went from Gloucester instead, I had to haul my entire luggage up and down two separate flights of stairs, get on another train to Gloucester, haul all the stuff down the longest platform in Britain to the next train, and then I noticed that a bag of sugar I was carrying had exploded. Gah. Still, after that, the journey was smooth, although bear in mind that the remainder of the journey was only 20 minutes.
So, back in the Shire – what’s it like? Well, I could say it’s dull, but it certainly isn’t. It’s more peaceful in Gloucestershire, I’ll admit, but I still have a fair amount of stuff to do: apply for a new passport, book flights (probably from Heathrow to Stockholm), go back to Cornwall to pick up this damned elusive bag… oh yes, and I may call in on a few of my friends who are doing their “annual” vacation in the Devonshire village of Woolacombe: they’re not quite as intrepid as me, but bearing in mind how out-of-the-way Woolacombe is, they are pretty intrepid nevertheless. So, this next week will probably involve me getting the nitty-gritty stuff sorted, making sure I’m not having a last-minute panic session with regards to getting to Uppsala for August 20th, and having a bit of a break as well: don’t want to exhaust myself before I get to Sweden!
As you also may have noticed, I’ve changed the day of the major blog: seeing as I’m leaving for Uppsala on a Wednesday, I thought I’d move the “major” blogs to Tuesday. There is another reason for doing this: specifically, that August 5th (my sister’s birthday), October 7th (my birthday) and November 4th (US Election Day) all happen to be on a Tuesday this year. So there you are.
Finally, I wanted to make a comment on Gordon Brown’s first year in the last blog, seeing as I posted it on his 1st “Anniversary” as PM, but couldn’t quite fit it in. So I’ll do it now. Quite frankly, for Brown and Labour to be doing so badly against a party whose leader makes most people I know very uneasy about voting Conservative, and to get less votes than the BNP in a by-election, is a rather damning indictment on both the leader and his party. I don’t think getting rid of him will help, because I don’t think Brown’s the problem: the Labour MPs seem to have a habit of tearing the party apart, and at the moment they appear to be doing it again. Brown, in my opinion, should be allowed to get on with the job, but unless he turns it around within the year, I can’t see him winning the next election. And if, for some reason, he calls a general election whilst I’m in Uppsala, I’ll be rather annoyed with the Right Honourable MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. But at the moment, that seems rather unlikely, and I’ll be amazed if he’s not still in power by the time I come back from Sweden. Which is rather depressing. Righto, best be off. Take care people, and tune in next week for another instalment of…
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Week 2: Why not Cornwall?

So, after forty weeks, here it is: my last full day in Cornwall for quite some time. Whilst most people will be returning to Tremough Campus in three months, I will be gone for nearly seven. Seven months without seeing any of my University colleagues will be a strange experience, and by the time I finally return, a lot will have changed, I will be readjusting to life in England: to some extent, it may well be like being a foreigner in my own country, if not my own county. This therefore begs the question: why on earth am I leaving Cornwall for so long? And why don’t I just stay here instead?
Firstly, let me make one thing clear: I am not leaving Cornwall for so long because I hate the place. I am more than happy here, and this first year has been an excellent one: I have founded a new society, FECCLES (Falmouth & Exeter Cornwall Campus Light Entertainment Society), we put on a very successful production in “One Night Only”, and I leave it in the very capable hands of the new President, Dan Scholes, who I am certain will do just as good a job as I did, if not better. Indeed, my departure to Sweden has given someone else the chance to be President, which I think is good for the society as a whole: as enjoyable as being President was, it is not a job one should hold for more than a year. There is nothing wrong with the area – the nightlife could be better, but it could easily be worse – and my church is thriving. I have made an incredible number of friends, and have spent many a day this term either a) having a BBQ, b) going to the beach or c) having a good night out in Falmouth. So I can confidently say that I am not going to Sweden in order to get away from Cornwall. However, as the saying goes, “A change is as good as a rest”, and I would quite like a change from Cornwall: it is not exactly perfect, and to simply stay put because you’re comfortable with where you are is to rest on one’s laurels: I will have to leave Cornwall for good at the end of my degree as it is, so to say that I should stay put just because I like the place is like arguing that I shouldn’t have gone to University in Cornwall because I was perfectly happy in Gloucestershire. I want to go somewhere I haven’t been before, and this is a brilliant opportunity for me to do so.
Some people might assume that I am going to Sweden because I do not like what I am being taught at Exeter’s Cornwall Campus, that I do not get on well with my lecturers, or that I am doing badly in my course: this is also untrue. Whilst some of the modules have not exactly been enthralling, others have been quite the opposite: I particularly enjoyed studying America 1865-1929, the Victorian Occult, and British Political History since 1945. I get on well enough with my lecturers, most of whom are more than willing to give me advice on how I can improve, and my marks have generally been good; I got 66% overall for this year. I am studying in Sweden because, it will give me not necessarily a better way of studying history, but another way of studying history, and I will be able to study parts of history that I would have been unable to study in Cornwall, Swedish history being an obvious example. Again, it is not because I am disenchanted with the English University style of education but because I want to experience the International University style of education as well, so that I have a better sense of why different people study history in different ways.
It is, of course, not an easy decision to leave Cornwall, and I will undoubtedly miss the weekly meetings of FECCLES, the manic student parties, the sampling of Cornish pasties, the ridiculously glorious (if inconsistent) summer weather: heck, I’ll probably miss the weekly trek to ASDA and the kickabouts that usually result in me conceding a sloppy goal à la Paul Robinson. I’ll undoubtedly miss Falmouth Christian Union, and I’ll miss Cornwall just as much as I’ll miss not being able to amble about in Stroud Town Centre, or use English currency. But it would be downright mad of me to reject Sweden just because it’s not Cornwall, and to a certain extent, the fact that it’s not just like Cornwall works in its favour. And with any luck, my seven months away from good ol’ Kernow will make appreciate it all the more when I return.

Right, back to packing: I’ll be back in the Shire at about this time tomorrow. Next week I’ll be giving you a quick “tour” of Uppsala itself. Until then though, I advise all you crazy Cornish bunch to take care, have a great summer, and stay tuned for the next exciting instalment of…
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley

Last Tango in Cornwall

Hello! You join me as Roger Federer (also known as the Man in the Iron Cardigan) thrashes Dominik Hrbarty into submission; as Zimbabwe elections appear to be going ahead despite the opposition leader withdrawing from the race; and as Nick Clegg (Leader of the Lib Dems) says he's quite happy being compared with a chihuahua, which does make a great deal of sense, because if the Lib Dems carry on like this then their new leader will probably be a Chihuahua.

So, with only a week or so left in Cornwall & Devon, what am I going to be up to this week? Well, today is probably going to be spent packing and wondering if I should put some of my stuff in storage when I'm not going to be back until February. Tomorrow, I will be in Exeter visiting my friends at Streatham Campus and having a good ol' natter before saying my goodbyes there. Wednesday I'll be back in Cornwall by lunchtime in order to do a "Training Session" for the up-and-coming Open Day. Thursday I shall be going out into Falmouth one last time (Club I ahoy!). Finally, on Friday I will be showing soon-to-be Freshers around the campus and telling them all to do either a) do History, b) join FECCLES or c) both.

As for Saturday? Well, I get kicked out of my room at 10am, catch the train at 12 (who knows what I'll be doing during the two hours in between), and get home... er... eveningish. I'm back in the Shire by 5pm, so prob back in time for dinner, huzzah. Hopefully I'll bump into most of you on Thursday night, but if I don't see you before I catch that rickety old Sprinter from Penryn station, then take care, and good luck for next year, especially if you're in FECCLES or one of the "History Massive". But now, to packing!

Signing off,

Chris S

Week 1: Why Uppsala?

I, Chris Stanley, being of sound mind (sort of), and age 19 and two thirds, have decided to keep a blog. It is something that occurred to me a week or so ago, and it seems to me to be the best way of informing as many people as possible about my time in Uppsala/Sweden (from mid-August to mid-January). I have started it now because it is precisely 50 days until I go to Uppsala, which gives me a suitable time frame to describe the build-up to my departure. Today is also the birthday of my brother Alastair (who’s 22 by the way), which makes the start of this blog all the more significant, and gives me a handy starting point.

Like most of my friends, Al, upon hearing that I was venturing to Uppsala wanted to know, “Why Uppsala/Sweden?” The truthful answer is – I’m not entirely sure. After all, this is me you’re talking about; I’m notorious for not thinking things through! I think part of the reason is that I wanted to go abroad after Sixth Form at some point, but I didn’t want to do a gap year. Why not? Well, to me, gap years appear to involve a great deal of thought, individual organisation, fund raising and planning, and being the lazy swine that I am, I decided that if I was going to go abroad, I was going to let someone else do most of the organising. I also felt that if I applied to do a gap year, I would soon run out of things to do, as has happened to several of my colleagues, who after spending a few months hurtling around the globe have now fallen back into the usual state of working part-time in order to raise funds. Thus the cons of a gap year seemed to outweigh the pros, and I went straight from Sixth Form to Cornwall Campus. Despite this non-international move, I was still open to the idea of studying abroad: whilst I have been on three foreign exchanges (to Göttingen and Munich in Germany and Ancenis in France), and enjoyed each of them immensely, I haven’t really studied abroad properly (although I did learn the Latin word for elephant whilst in Germany, “Elephantus”).

I was admittedly unaware of the Erasmus programme (which is enabling me to go to Uppsala), but once I had heard of it I was immediately interested in what it had to offer, and thought it a good opportunity. The choice of countries was limited: sadly, Germany and France were unavailable, as were Spain and Italy, as these countries’ universities only accept students who are studying the respective language at Uni. I was not too concerned about this, as I ideally wanted to go somewhere different, but this did only leave a few countries to choose from: Holland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey. I had originally wanted to go to Denmark/Copenhagen, but apparently that’s for Sociologists only, so with Denmark out of the picture, I went for Uppsala/Sweden. Why? Well, it seemed to me to have the best University (Uppsala Uni is the Scandinavian equivalent of Oxbridge, and is by far the best Uni around) and the best atmosphere of the bunch: also, the Swedes seem to be very eager to practise their English whenever possible, and many of them also speak either German or French, both of which I studied at A-Level. Furthermore, the history of Sweden is particularly interesting to me, and I shall be going into more detail about just how interesting it is in future bulletins.

So then, five key reasons why I’m going to Uppsala:

I wanted to go abroad, but without taking a gap year.
I wanted to go somewhere different.
I wanted to go to a well-established foreign University.
I wanted to go somewhere where speaking French and German would come in handy.
I wanted to study Swedish history, and what better place to do that than in a Swedish City?

So there you are: for anyone who couldn’t understand why I was going before, hopefully that makes it a heck of a lot clearer. If you have any further questions about why I’m going to Uppsala, drop me a message and I’ll get back to you when I’m free, or feel free to leave a comment. Next week I’ll be explaining why exactly it is that I’ve decided to “abandon” Cornwall for the disturbingly long period of seven months. Until then though, I’ll see you all next week for another enthralling instalment of…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweden (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Chris Stanley