Kati In Spain: An Introduction (posted by Kati in Spain)

August 20, 2012

Even though I am sitting in the Madrid airport watching planes and people come and go, I still can’t really believe that I am officially studying abroad. I have wanted to study abroad ever since I knew that such an option existed, and what better place to improve my Spanish and experience a wide variety of cultures than Spain. Settling on a city, however, was a more difficult decision. I chose Santiago de Compostela because it is an uncommon destination for most English-speakers, and one of my goals for this semester is deep linguistic and cultural immersion. Further, the University of Santiago de Compostela is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in Spain, and it has renowned departments of Psychology and Spanish Philology and Literature, which are my areas of major study. Judging by the smiles, the nods of approval, and the words of happy surprise Spaniards have offered in response to my decision, I think I have made a good choice.

I know that the next 126 days are going to be some of the most memorable days of my life, and I am certainly off to a good start! The young woman who checked my bags in Boston and I have friends in common, and she kindly gave me a free pass to the Iberia VIP lounge to wait for my flight. On the plane to Madrid, I was fortunate enough to sit next to a kind Spaniard who has been completing her post-doctorate at Boston University, and she offered me invaluable advice on moving to Spain in addition to coaching me on a few Spanish colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions. And as I have been sitting here in the Madrid airport, I have met a gentleman from Majorca (a Spanish island in the Mediterranean) who is traveling to San Francisco, and we have swapped travel tips and touristy information about our respective destinations. And I haven’t even arrived at Santiago de Compostela yet!

It’s hard to believe all of the steps that it has taken to get me to this seat in the Madrid airport. Tentative planning, preliminary applications, meetings, course approval forms, letters of intent, final applications, academic contracts, housing questionnaires, more meetings, Spanish fluency-level placement tests, dorm-room reservations, visa applications, host family introductions, money transfers, booking flights, buying luggage, opening bank accounts, writing letters, coordinating phone plans, packing, researching, running errands, stressing, repacking, see-you-laters, lots of hugs, and, finally, getting on the plane. I would not be sitting in this seat without the unwavering support of many, many people. Thank you all for believing in me and for allowing me this opportunity.

Quote of the week: “Every man dies. Not every man lives.” -Tim Robbins

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Posted by katiinspain

Uppsala, we love you! (posted by Indira in Sweden)

August 14, 2012

I can’t believe that another week of classes, fun and sightseeing is over. We are all always very busy and have barely any free time, so it feels unbelievable to me when I have to sit down and reflect on the past week.

First of all, my Swedish is getting better. I was so proud of myself when I went grocery shopping and managed to talk to the cashier in Swedish! I really feel that the past two weeks of intensive Swedish classes are starting to pay off: I can watch Swedish TV programs or listen to people talk and I’m able to understand a bit (hey, it’s a progress!). It really is a great feeling! After only two weeks of classes, I’m able to say that there are some fundamental differences in the teaching systems here and at UR. Here everything (by everything I mean the final grade) depends solely on your final exam and attendance (you can’t miss more than 15% of classes), while homework and class participation contribute only in a way that you don’t really have to review the class material per se. Otherwise, I feel that we are all a bit more independent here in Uppsala. This applies not only to the classes, but to the other activities as well.

It is us, the students, who organize events, picnics, parties and trips. The school as an institution is far less present, which is probably a result of the fact that Uppsala University does not have a campus that is similar to the UR one – it is spread all across the city and there is less isolation. The entire city is the campus (Uppsala is traditionally known as a university city) and yet the city is a place you don’t necessarily have to relate to the University.

It might sound like an almost dysfunctional system where students are not connected at all, but I feel that this level of independence makes us bond more both among our exchange group and with local students. Meeting every morning to ride bikes to school together, picnics that gather both international and Swedish students, and fika (drinking coffee/tee/hot chocolate with some pastry or cake) in the multiple cafes around Uppsala allow us to make friends on few different levels.

rooftop BBQ

Rooftop BBQ with friends

I find it also interesting that I meet new exchange students every day! Today, for example, we went on a tour to Stockholm and I met few new people. We always get a chance to experience Sweden from a highly international perspective due to our diversity.

And Stockholm is an amazing city! The royal palace, architecture, difference between the north and the south part of the city, museums, as well as the countless cozy cafes are all welcoming and make one fall in love with the Swedish capital instantly. Stockholm is definitely a place I plan to go back to (that won’t be hard since it’s only a 45 minute drive away from Uppsala).

Stockholm

Stockholm

So far my time here has been better than I could have ever dreamed of. I did have my fears about the new environment, people and system, but it is all working out exceptionally well. Every new day is a new adventure that makes me feel more at home and more attached to Uppsala.

I’m off to do my Swedish homework and tomorrow is the Swedish food festival. Definitely looking forward to tasting some typical Swedish dishes.

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Posted by indirainsweden

Amazing beginning of my adventure: Bikes, Rain, Swedish and Uppland (posted by Indira in Sweden)

August 6, 2012

It is funny how time passes: Sometimes it is just too slow, and other times way too fast. I’ve been in Uppsala for a bit over a week now and I don’t even know where to start explaining how I spent these few days in the north of Europe.

A short summary: I met many different people from all over the world, I got a bike and cycled over 80 km (about 50 miles) so far, I can hold a basic conversation in Swedish, I can go many places without checking the map every few blocks, and most importantly – I didn’t starve.

Uppsala is a neat medium-sized city (fourth by size in Sweden) that offers the best of both worlds: European architecture and system with a mixture of the US-like features. The very center of the city is the Cathedral (Domkyrkan) and all streets lead there. One can easily walk, bike or use public transportation to get anywhere. Shopping areas (mainly ICA and Ikea type of stores) are located outside the city, which reminds me of the US in a great manner. Uppsala really depicts what Swedes and my exchange program are like: relaxed and laid back.

Cathedral in Uppsala

The Cathedral

The group of the exchange students who are here for the one month language course are all great and each of them adds a special little something to the mix. It is very hard to find oneself in a group that has more than two people from the same country and the internationalism is on a rather high level. Funny thing is that even though we are all so different, we all get along extremely well. No matter if we are biking downtown, going on a city tour, to the lake, spontaneously decide to have a BBQ on the rooftop of our residence houses or just going grocery shopping, everyone keeps close and it’s all done in a socialist way (I guess we are learning fast). Even our Swedish language lessons are a group effort since we all help each other with the pronunciation, translation or homework. The use of the simple small Swedish words such as tack (thanks) or hej (hi) is also becoming a part of what is starting to define our semester- or year-long stay in Sweden.

playing Kubb

Playing the game of Kubb at the lake

For me this experience abroad is a challenge in so many ways. First of all, I left my comfort zone one more time and I surely don’t regret it. Also the biking is a big part of the challenge. This was something I had to get used to on a daily basis, but after falling of the bike, hitting few people, and learning how to safely stop on the traffic light and mastering the turning on the street, I am proud to say that I am no longer a danger to the Uppsala biking society. Since there is no D-Hall, I have to cook on my own and it is a true success that a person with such poor cooking skills like me survives a week without actually being hungry. Little things like this will stay forever with me and remind me of a rather fun and a bit painful start of my Swedish adventure.

Sweden as a country is a great place to visit! Last Saturday I was on a tour of Uppland where we visited the Hammerby estate – summer residence of Carl von Linné, Skokloster and the small town of Sigtuna. This was a chance for bonding with other exchange students, as well as an opportunity to see places that one otherwise would never visit.

Even though everyone here is so relaxed, every day is well planned and thoroughly used mainly because of the rain. Sun and no rain are synonyms for the lake picnic or barbecue. We were very lucky this past weekend that we had a great weather, so it was a very active weekend that included a lot of biking and going places.

hanging out

Hanging out with other exchange students

It’s been only one week since I got to Uppsala but I already love it and always keep my mind open for the new experiences!

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Posted by indirainsweden

Alter Schwede: Sweden in 6 Days (posted by Indira in Sweden)

July 26, 2012

As I’m spending the last days at home I anxiously await the adventure that is about to start in only 6 days; I’m moving to Sweden to start my fall semester abroad.

I am Indira and I’m from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am a rising junior double majoring in International Studies and German Studies. My main interests revolve around internationalism, traveling and culture – all of which are a major component of the University of Richmond study abroad program.

My fall semester I will be spending at the Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden. Together with other international, exchange and Swedish students I will be taking a wide range of classes with main focuses in government and sustainable development. Uppsala University is well-known for both of these fields, as well as for its natural and computer sciences departments. It is one of Europe’s oldest and best universities located in a city that it brings together tradition, education and youth. It’s a unique example of the ‘old meets new’ kind of place. These were the main reasons I chose Uppsala University over other exchange programs.

Before I start my classes in September I will participate in the IBS (Intensive Course in Swedish) program with other exchange students from around the world. This will be a perfect opportunity to settle  into a new place and learn my way around before the semester truly starts. Apart from that, I will learn some of the language so I’ll be able to make basic conversation in one of the most interesting languages I’ve encountered – Swedish. Language is a rather interesting thing in Sweden. This Scandinavian country is almost bilingual because everyone speaks English and children start having English classes from early on.

In Uppsala I will be living in the accommodation area called Flogsta, which is a complex of multiple buildings typical of the communist architecture. I am really excited to start my adventure and move to a place that is completely different from Richmond in so many ways.

Right now I’m trying to think of all the things I need to pack before Sunday and then I am ready for my Swedish adventure!

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Posted by indirainsweden

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