Globe Trotter: in Sweden

Transcription

1 Globe Trotter: in Sweden It s hard to sum up this year with words, even the endless stream of photographs that I have taken do little to truly capture the essence of a Rotary Exchange. Of course they document all of the wild adventures and experiences that I have had over the past year, but it is the memories that I will cherish most and that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. My year in Sweden has been truly unforgettable, as an exchange student I have been able to experience so many wonderful things. Of course I have had various ups and downs along the way, which we were told to expect, but these experiences have been invaluable as they have helped me mature and become a stronger person. It was definitely those difficult and somewhat awkward situations that forced me to trust my own judgement. Possibly, for the first time in my life, I was totally responsible for the outcomes of my own decisions and I had to make good choices. I guess all exchangers would agree that over this past year we have experienced so many emotions, the good the bad and the ugly. The first shock was the crazy feeling I had as I first stepped from the plane and my immediate thought was: what have I gotten myself into? This was quickly replaced with excitement and great expectation. Suddenly I was thrown into in a world of awkward silences where I spent my first days thinking about ways to best deal with the most basics forms of communication. Do I shake hands, hug, high five or fist pump? At first I was plagued with complete and utter confusion, but this was soon replaced with the pure amazement that I was in fact living on the other side of the world and from this moment forward I could make this experience as good or bad as I wanted, by simply choosing my attitude. There have been many emotional milestones during this journey. There was the frustration of being separated from my loved ones back home, the helplessness of feeling sick and just wanting my mum to hug me. The unexplainable joy when I conversed with a stranger for the first time in a language that just months before, I had no understanding of and finally the great satisfaction of looking around and realising that I have formed a new circle of family, friends and acquaintances. Now at the end of my exchange, I am swamped by the unexplainable feeling of being thrilled about going home whilst simultaneously feeling totally miserable at the prospect of hopping on that plane. Never in a million years did I think that my exchange year would be as amazing as it has been. At our very first Tocal meeting the Exchange year seemed so far away. However my final year of school passed in a haze of studying, major projects, exams and the general HSC stress along with numerous 18ths. Page 56

2 Suddenly I had graduated and the departure date was looming. The last few days were a hectic rush of purchasing, packing, parties and farewells that all went by in a blur. It didn t begin to feel real until the final moments at the departure gate when we were told to say our last goodbyes. I hugged my crying Mum and in a dazed state I was propelled down a white tunnel thinking Holly molly I m actually doing this! I went to Sweden completely blind, okay well not completely; I knew a few of the basics. I knew the general geographical location, It was cold, they ate raw fish, I knew that ABBA, Roxette and the Swedish House Mafia originated from there, and that my ticket said it would take over 20 hours to arrive to the location of Vanersborg. When I arrived it was a big shock. Stepping off the plane to what looked like a magical winter wonderland and I stood frozen in awe for about five seconds, until I was quite literally slapped across the face by the hand of winter with a lovely -15 degree day! It was definitely going to be different from home. Now as I prepare to leave Sweden I realise how little I knew about this beautiful country. I have learnt so much about the society and culture, and the scary thing is that almost everything feels normal like home but with a difference.. These differences include: Nudity- Swedes are very open in regards to nudity. Showers at school and the gym are communal, people often sauna naked, and is not uncommon for people to wander around their homes completely naked. I have been quite lucky in regards to the latter; however some of my exchange friends have gotten to know their host parents a little too personally. Although their nakedness shocked me at first, as I was a bit prudish, I am now used to it and it seems like a part of daily life. Bikes- they are everywhere and you take them everywhere, anytime. Quite literally 24/7 Rain, hail and shine but also add snow, ice and blizzard. Sometimes I resorted to the bus but mostly I took the bike. I rode my bike to school nearly every day, if I went into the city centre, to my 7:00am rotaries, to the movies and to and from parties. It has made me absolutely appreciate the freedom that having a car gives you. It has also highlighted the overuse of cars in Australia. So when I head home I will hopefully get my bike out and start riding. Although on the plus side the riding did help keep a majority of the exchange weight off! So while we are on the topic of weight I will transition into Swedish food. (The good the bad and the plain weird) Surprisingly Swedish food is not too different from that in Australia. Meals are usually a type of meat (just add Elk and Reindeer to the list) served with salad and vegetables (although not a large variety) and nearly always potato. I enjoyed nearly all of my meals in Sweden although some were a little difficult to adjust to, namely the traditional raw herring. It was easy to handle as in most circumstances as it was usually seen as an occasional food. However, in one family it was part of our every breakfast, so I definitely pushed my taste buds to their limits. Page 57

3 My favourite part of the Swedish diet however would have to be the sweets. Swedes have a wonderful thing called pick-a-mix where stores provide a small scoop for you to select your own lollies, rather than buying them in bags. It s quite cheap and very addictive. Fika is a Swedish word that means to have a coffee/tea and cake. This may seem similar to our morning and afternoon teas in Australia; however for Swedes Fika is a religion. Fika is had multiple times throughout the day and is an integral part of society, as much communication and socialising surrounds Fika. For me at least three Fika s a week with my class friends is normal. My favourite thing to eat during Fika is Semla, a delicious sweet bun filled with almond paste and cream although sadly each one weighs in at around 500 calories! There is actually a Semla day where everyone eats many Semla, in fact there is also a Waffle Day and Cinnamon Scroll Day-see what I m saying, what a great country!! I have lived with three great families over the past year. They have all been completely different and I think that this is definitely the best thing about the exchange program. The ability to live with different families and get entirely alternate views on the culture, and wow, my families couldn t have been more different. The Johansson s: Heath focused and gym addicts, energetic, active, 21 year old daughter and son on exchange in Australia. The Ljung s : Relaxed, easy going, very similar to my family, fun, busy, with three girls aged 5, 6 & 11. The Ruus s : Relaxed, calm, quiet, no children living at home. Awkward moments as a host daughter: -The problem with the continuously disappearing jar of Nutella. Within a week of a jar being bought it was magically half empty again. I wonder how that kept happening. -When my host sister asked me for a pad, I thought she meant a sanitary pad. So I quickly gave one to Jacob, her boyfriend, and asked him to deliver it to her room. He looks very confused but delivered as instructed. My host sister comes to me laughing followed by Jacob who looks very embarrassed. Ha ha my host sister says. I meant a pad to wash make up off my face silly! Ha ha! Ahh. she meant cotton wool pads. -Some Swedes have no understanding of the concept of sleeping in. This was very evident in my first super active family where sleeping past 8:00am meant that you re either dying or already dead. I am so glad that I was able to live with these three amazing families. They were wonderful and we shared some fantastic times which have given me volumes of spectacular and unforgettable memories. Throughout this year I have also been lucky enough to go on many trips within Sweden and throughout Europe, with my host families and with Rotary. One of the most amazing parts of living in Europe is the convenient lack of distance between countries. It was such a strange concept to me that for a weekend vacation we could easily travel to another country. I have explored much of the beautiful land of Sweden and have had the opportunity to see more of Sweden then most Swedes see in their lifetime. I have travelled to Kiruna in the north of Sweden where I saw the northern lights, the world famous Ice Hotel and saw real life reindeers. I spent a week skiing (although mostly screaming and falling) in Are, Sweden s ski paradise. I have explored the beaches and sea side villages of the historic West Coast. As well as having the opportunity to travel to the very south of Sweden to Malmo. Page 58

4 I spent a week in Alanya Turkey with my first host family on a typical Swedish sun vacation, which is a sun soaked summer holiday where you travel to a beach resort in a warm country for a break from the cold Swedish climate. We spent the entire week relaxing on beds by the water swimming and working on our tans during the day and shopping during the night. It was a very unusual holiday as there wasn t so much interest to explore the country or culture, just the beach. Although after the freezing Swedish winter I wasn t complaining! I have had numerous trips to Denmark throughout the year as it is so near to Sweden, taking around 30minutes by train and around one hour by ferry to cross the distance. I went to Lego land for three days with my second family and went on every ride countless times with my gorgeous host sisters. As well as travelling to Copenhagen for a day and night to see The Swedish House mafia concert, which as you can imagine was absolutely amazing. There was one trip during this year that stands out from the rest. The European Ramble tour: It was remarkable, hectic, tiring, astounding, wonderful and a once in a life time opportunity. Only other exchange students can truly appreciate the term European Ramble Tour. It was an epic whirlwind of fun and adventure that has left me with a new view on the world we live in and many lifelong friends. It was an amazing experience to be with so many like minded people and be able to explore Europe together. The facts say all that you need to know; 60 exchange students, 17 days, one bus, 4 chaperones, 8 countries, 1 big adventure. Every experience during this fantastic year will stay with me forever. It has been unforgettable and I have been truly privileged. I am so glad that I chose the Rotary Youth Exchange program. I have been given a once in a life time opportunity and I ve experienced so much. My trips were amazing but I think it has been the families who have truly made this experience so magical for me. Their selfless generosity and their ability to open their homes and their hearts to a complete stranger has been a wonderful gift and I will be forever grateful. I have not only had the opportunity to live in this spectacular country but I have had the unique privilege to become part of it. A little bit of Sweden will stay in my heart forever. Thank you Rotary and my fellow Exchangers, without you this year wouldn t have been what it was. Melissa Lodewijks Page 59

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