Monday, 20 August 2007
All in all a wonderful day. I managed to not have any jet lag this morning, or at least not enough to leave me exhausted. I caught the train from Goteborg to Skovde. While standing in the Goteborg train station I was once again feeling bad about the pathetic state of the rail system in the US and envying the Europeans (of course, this led to the train starting out a half-hour late). I rode in the second class compartment, which was utterly clean and pleasant – and slightly different than the second class compartment on an Indian train (on this train, for instance, when you looked down into the toilet you didn’t even see the tracks beneath you).
Everyone I met at the University of Skovde was very nice and they were really excited about my Global Module system – and since this is the first stop in this semester long quest for partners it did a lot to cheer me up. It was move-in day at Skovde and they were doing the very same goofy get to know you trust-building games we do at Champlain (and every other university in the US) – someone must hold the international rights to them and is making a lot of money by making first year students stand in circles and connect with their peers in a really meaningful way.
After the meeting Kassie Sundin from the international program took me for a short drive around Skovde and then back to her house for a home-cooked meal. We had hand-picked mushrooms and crayfish (apparently August is a huge month for crayfish parties in Sweden). Her husband Patrick made some delicious salmon. Their two daughters, Amanda (6) and Caitlin (4), kept me busy as they ran around like monkeys. At first they brought me nuts and raisins from inside the house (along with specific orders on how many I was to eat each time) and then they started bringing me gooseberries that they were picking in the park next to the house.
Apparently, according to Kassie, if you get Swedes away from other Swedes they really open up. Some combination of their socialist philosophy and/or their traditional worldview makes them sometimes hesitant to call attention to themselves. For example, they might not automatically answer in English if they are in a crowd – not because they are unfriendly and not because they don’t speak wonderful English and not because they are afraid that you might laugh at their English, but because they are nervous about speaking up and seeming to call attention to themselves in front of other Swedes.
Sweden really is a lovely place. When I was on the train ride back and forth to Skovde I kept thinking how much it looked like Vermont – a lot of trees and farmland. Like I suspected, Sweden is definitely a place I could live. Everyone’s English is impeccable because all students learn it as a second language. Kassie was telling me that that many people in Sweden are lamenting the fact that fewer students are learning a third language. Patrick told me that when the girls were born he and Kassie both received six months paid leave. Plus, a university education is essentially free here, even for visiting Americans. I knew these facts and what an enlightened place Sweden is, but seeing it first-hand really brings it home.
Sweden really is much like Vermont, except a Vermont populated by pleasant, sane people who speak excellent English.
All in all a wonderful day. I managed to not have any jet lag this morning, or at least not enough to leave me exhausted. I caught the train from Goteborg to Skovde. While standing in the Goteborg train station I was once again feeling bad about the pathetic state of the rail system in the US and envying the Europeans (of course, this led to the train starting out a half-hour late). I rode in the second class compartment, which was utterly clean and pleasant – and slightly different than the second class compartment on an Indian train (on this train, for instance, when you looked down into the toilet you didn’t even see the tracks beneath you).
Everyone I met at the University of Skovde was very nice and they were really excited about my Global Module system – and since this is the first stop in this semester long quest for partners it did a lot to cheer me up. It was move-in day at Skovde and they were doing the very same goofy get to know you trust-building games we do at Champlain (and every other university in the US) – someone must hold the international rights to them and is making a lot of money by making first year students stand in circles and connect with their peers in a really meaningful way.
After the meeting Kassie Sundin from the international program took me for a short drive around Skovde and then back to her house for a home-cooked meal. We had hand-picked mushrooms and crayfish (apparently August is a huge month for crayfish parties in Sweden). Her husband Patrick made some delicious salmon. Their two daughters, Amanda (6) and Caitlin (4), kept me busy as they ran around like monkeys. At first they brought me nuts and raisins from inside the house (along with specific orders on how many I was to eat each time) and then they started bringing me gooseberries that they were picking in the park next to the house.
Apparently, according to Kassie, if you get Swedes away from other Swedes they really open up. Some combination of their socialist philosophy and/or their traditional worldview makes them sometimes hesitant to call attention to themselves. For example, they might not automatically answer in English if they are in a crowd – not because they are unfriendly and not because they don’t speak wonderful English and not because they are afraid that you might laugh at their English, but because they are nervous about speaking up and seeming to call attention to themselves in front of other Swedes.
Sweden really is a lovely place. When I was on the train ride back and forth to Skovde I kept thinking how much it looked like Vermont – a lot of trees and farmland. Like I suspected, Sweden is definitely a place I could live. Everyone’s English is impeccable because all students learn it as a second language. Kassie was telling me that that many people in Sweden are lamenting the fact that fewer students are learning a third language. Patrick told me that when the girls were born he and Kassie both received six months paid leave. Plus, a university education is essentially free here, even for visiting Americans. I knew these facts and what an enlightened place Sweden is, but seeing it first-hand really brings it home.
Sweden really is much like Vermont, except a Vermont populated by pleasant, sane people who speak excellent English.
The travel blog is very cool as I must travel vicariously through you. The pictures are beautiful of Sweden, can't wait for photos of Morocco as well. Thrilled that people are being exposed and latching onto the Global Modules idea as it has great value in today's world arena.
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