Today was a more productive and fun day in Göteborg even if it was overcast and chilly. When we woke up, Christine had to finish her paper. She had stayed up almost all night trying to get it done. The first place that we went was the Göteborg city museum. We only planned to be there for about an hour or so, but it was huge quite interesting! There were exhibits from the Prehistoric age through the Viking age until modern day. In the Prehistoric exhibits there was a skeleton of a man in his 20’s. He died on the beach and the oyster shells preserved his bones into an almost perfect alignment. Of course, our love-hate relationship with anatomy crept up as we were engrossed with the skeleton. Bypassers could hear us say “there was a blow to his leg just below the tibial tuberosity” and “look at his jaw! That is definitely a man.” In the Viking exhibits, we saw remnants from the time period, such as coins and the brooches that the wives wore which displayed their wealth and status. The Viking gods were also interesting to read about.
After the Göteborg City Museum, we traveled to the Museum of World Culture. The exhibit for the season was Voodoo. While it was creepy (to Jen) it was interesting to get a glimpse of this Hatian religion and why it is so important to the culture. It is hard to understand what the religion entails and it something to read up about. Also at this museum were displays of other cultures, such as the “Bollywood” of India. We did not get to see much more than the Voodoo exhibit because the museum was closing. We hope to travel to Goteborg again to see the other exhibits.
After the Museum of World Culture, we went next door to the Universeum. Here we saw a myriad of animals and walked through a so-called rainforest where the climate was controlled and animals of the rainforest resided. We experienced a shark tank which continued above our heads so that the sharks swam over top of us. We saw very interesting marine life!
We then decided to go one more stop over on this street for tourists and visited Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Scandinavia. We walked through the entire park, choosing the best ride. We decided to spend our $8 in tickets on the Kannon. What a ride! We screamed, of course, and were perfectly content to avoid all other rollercoasters.
After all the thrill, we rode the tram to Kungportsplatsen and choose a nice café to eat our dinner. Christine said it was the best food she had eaten since arriving in Sweden. By then it was dark and we went back to our hotel to recuperate from the very busy day.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Göteborg For The Weekend
Last night was a long night for Christine as she tried to finish her school paper before this weekend. Before Jen went to sleep, Christine told her that Therese and Mikael would be at our apartment at 10:30 to pick us up. She was awake all night long. Then, she decided at 7am to try and get some sleep, just as Jen’s numerous alarms started to go off. After we both were up and starting to get ready for the day, Jen traveled to the school to get her bike and bring it home. We were afraid that if left at school, it might be stolen. Jen arrived back at the apartment a little after 10am. Christine says, “So... Therese told me they would be here at 10:30am because she was telling us a half hour earlier than they were really coming.” Ha! We have only been here 1 month, and our friend, Therese already knows the routine with us. We both struggle to get out of the apartment on time, and are late to pretty much everything (although we have been doing a much better job getting to class on time than in past semesters).
Therese and Mikael let us hitch a ride with them to Goteborg. We were coming for a weekend trip, and they were also coming to attend a birthday party for Mikael’s nephew. We were dropped off at the Central Station and started looking for a tourist place to get a map. After we walked in a circle, we discovered the tourist office. We found where our hotel was on a map and decided that was where we wanted to go before doing anything else. We found the hotel with no problems and were awe struck. We knew it was a renovated ship docked in the harbor, but we didn’t expect just how cool it really is. Our room is lakeside and we have an amazing view from our window. There is one king bed (for Christine) and a loft bed that folds down! (for Jen)
After setting our things down in the room, we decided to explore Goteborg.
Neither one of us has ever vacationed without a detailed plan of action. So, we decided to be spontaneous for once! We were just going to walk around and find the first thing that interested us. We were very excited to have no plans. Then, we remembered that Mikael told us that we need to take the tram for pretty much everything in the city. So, just walking around wasn’t going to be the best idea. We decided to head back to the Tourist office, purchase the Goteborg pass which gives us free admittance to several attractions, and choose one place to head to first. We chose to go to the Maritime museum. It had three floors to it. The first floor was interesting. It explained Charles Darwin, his voyage on the Beagle, and a little bit of his Evolution theory. There were large and small tanks with marine life from various types of water (such as lake, rock wall, kelp forest, North Sea…). The second floor was more about the fisherman’s life, what it was like to build a ship, fish on a ship, and the perspectives of their wives. The third floor was a showroom of wooden models of various ships. All in all, the museum was fine, but not great. We hope for much more excited tomorrow.
After the museum we were starving, and decided to go to an American favorite, Pizza Hut. After dinner we headed back to our hotel. We heard a speech and were curious, so we took a detour to see what it was, and it was a wedding! We were so excited to witness the toasts of a Swedish wedding. After passing the wedding reception, we came across a silver car. Jen said “I still wonder what brand car this is” and no sooner did the passenger’s head pop up. Hehe. We were embarrassed for noticing the “parked car." Jen tried to make it less awkward by totally ignoring the observation. Meanwhile, Christine is cracking up and Jen also catches the giggles.
The sun was starting to set as we arrived back at the hotel, so we grabbed our cameras went to the top deck and took some pictures. It sure was beautiful to see the sun set on the lake.
Therese and Mikael let us hitch a ride with them to Goteborg. We were coming for a weekend trip, and they were also coming to attend a birthday party for Mikael’s nephew. We were dropped off at the Central Station and started looking for a tourist place to get a map. After we walked in a circle, we discovered the tourist office. We found where our hotel was on a map and decided that was where we wanted to go before doing anything else. We found the hotel with no problems and were awe struck. We knew it was a renovated ship docked in the harbor, but we didn’t expect just how cool it really is. Our room is lakeside and we have an amazing view from our window. There is one king bed (for Christine) and a loft bed that folds down! (for Jen)
After setting our things down in the room, we decided to explore Goteborg.
Neither one of us has ever vacationed without a detailed plan of action. So, we decided to be spontaneous for once! We were just going to walk around and find the first thing that interested us. We were very excited to have no plans. Then, we remembered that Mikael told us that we need to take the tram for pretty much everything in the city. So, just walking around wasn’t going to be the best idea. We decided to head back to the Tourist office, purchase the Goteborg pass which gives us free admittance to several attractions, and choose one place to head to first. We chose to go to the Maritime museum. It had three floors to it. The first floor was interesting. It explained Charles Darwin, his voyage on the Beagle, and a little bit of his Evolution theory. There were large and small tanks with marine life from various types of water (such as lake, rock wall, kelp forest, North Sea…). The second floor was more about the fisherman’s life, what it was like to build a ship, fish on a ship, and the perspectives of their wives. The third floor was a showroom of wooden models of various ships. All in all, the museum was fine, but not great. We hope for much more excited tomorrow.
After the museum we were starving, and decided to go to an American favorite, Pizza Hut. After dinner we headed back to our hotel. We heard a speech and were curious, so we took a detour to see what it was, and it was a wedding! We were so excited to witness the toasts of a Swedish wedding. After passing the wedding reception, we came across a silver car. Jen said “I still wonder what brand car this is” and no sooner did the passenger’s head pop up. Hehe. We were embarrassed for noticing the “parked car." Jen tried to make it less awkward by totally ignoring the observation. Meanwhile, Christine is cracking up and Jen also catches the giggles.
The sun was starting to set as we arrived back at the hotel, so we grabbed our cameras went to the top deck and took some pictures. It sure was beautiful to see the sun set on the lake.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Gränna and Visingsö
Today was a beautiful day to spend in Gränna and Visingsö. The trip was organized by the International Association at Jönköping University. We hopped on the bus and headed to Gränna first. We split into two groups. The group that Christine and I was in went to the Polar Museum first. We learned about the explorer who was from Gränna and in the 19th century attempted to cross the North Pole in a helium balloon to study the wind patterns. It was a tragic experience and his crew did not survive, but it was a great expedition. We learned that after the balloon would no longer float in the air, the crew of 3 walked along the Arctic ice for 3 months before settling on an uninhabited island. We can assume that settling on this island covered in ice, it was their last hope for survival, and they knew they would not make it make to civilization.
After the Polar Museum, we went across the street to Polkagriskokeri, the first place to make the famous Gränna Polkagris hard candy. We saw how the candy was made and had a chance to purchase some candy. We did not know which kind we would like, so we both bought mixed bags as well as some other kinds. Those mixed bags will last us until we leave, for sure!
After the candy shop, we walked across town to catch the ferry to Visingsö, a beautiful island! We were in the back on the group heading to the ferry and became alarmed when the group leader said if we didn’t run, we would miss the ferry. So, the large group of students started booking it towards the dock. We did, in fact, make the ferry to the island.
After we arrived at the island, we gathered at the park and were handed portable grills. We were told to get into small groups, so two other girls joined us. None of us had ever worked a portable grill, or maybe even a real grill, so we had some difficulty getting it started and knowing when to put the burgers on the rack. It ended up being a delicious meal.
We then grabbed bikes and rode around the island. We stopped at a lake-front castle ruin that had a very interesting history behind it. We also saw the island museum, a couple of historic churches, and the once-Royal barns. For around $30, we were very satisfied with our trip and are excited to go back on our own.
After the Polar Museum, we went across the street to Polkagriskokeri, the first place to make the famous Gränna Polkagris hard candy. We saw how the candy was made and had a chance to purchase some candy. We did not know which kind we would like, so we both bought mixed bags as well as some other kinds. Those mixed bags will last us until we leave, for sure!
After the candy shop, we walked across town to catch the ferry to Visingsö, a beautiful island! We were in the back on the group heading to the ferry and became alarmed when the group leader said if we didn’t run, we would miss the ferry. So, the large group of students started booking it towards the dock. We did, in fact, make the ferry to the island.
After we arrived at the island, we gathered at the park and were handed portable grills. We were told to get into small groups, so two other girls joined us. None of us had ever worked a portable grill, or maybe even a real grill, so we had some difficulty getting it started and knowing when to put the burgers on the rack. It ended up being a delicious meal.
We then grabbed bikes and rode around the island. We stopped at a lake-front castle ruin that had a very interesting history behind it. We also saw the island museum, a couple of historic churches, and the once-Royal barns. For around $30, we were very satisfied with our trip and are excited to go back on our own.
Friday, September 4, 2009
A Good Laugh For A Postal Worker
So, if anyone hasn't experienced my (Jen) absentmindedness yet, read this story. I bought some postcards last week to send to family but had procrastinated in writing them. Last night I couldn't sleep so I finally wrote them all out. I put the stamps on them and laid them next to my computer. Today I had to go to the post office to pick up a package from Mike, and I thought "perfect, I will take my postcards and mail them there." Well, I completely forgot to mail them at the post office. Christine and I went window shopping for a couple of hours after that and as we were leaving the Centrum, I saw the post box where you can drop in your mail. I was excited to be able to mail them and finally get them out to my family. On the bus ride home, I was thinking about the situation. Then I remembered "Oh no! I didn't put the addresses on the postcards!" No wonder they were still sitting next to my computer and not in my backpack. And, it is very expensive to buy postcards and stamps here. That's about $13 down the postal tube. Hahaha. Well, at least the postal worker who picks up that mail tomorrow will get a good laugh! So... dad, mom, and Kathy, I will have to rewrite your postcards.
In my package, I received an awfully cute build-a-bear dressed in an eagles uniform - cleats, helmet, and all. His name is Mike. Isn't my husband so thoughtful! It also had my winter coat, which I have really needed these past few days. I was thrilled to put it on today! Also in the box were some great chick flicks and my favorite cookbook. What a great package!
Christine and I bought tickets for a day trip to Granna next weekend. It is an island where they make their own famous candy. We are excited to go. We took some pictures today of the Centrum which we will upload sometime soon.
In my package, I received an awfully cute build-a-bear dressed in an eagles uniform - cleats, helmet, and all. His name is Mike. Isn't my husband so thoughtful! It also had my winter coat, which I have really needed these past few days. I was thrilled to put it on today! Also in the box were some great chick flicks and my favorite cookbook. What a great package!
Christine and I bought tickets for a day trip to Granna next weekend. It is an island where they make their own famous candy. We are excited to go. We took some pictures today of the Centrum which we will upload sometime soon.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Do re mi fa so la ti do
Today we were immersed in the Swedish language. We started out the evening with our first Swedish lesson from the missionaries. There are 7 of us total in the class. We learned how to conjugate verbs. It seems easy enough, just have to figure out which groups of words each verb belongs to, because each word is conjugated differently.
More interesting is our first choir practice. We are the only English speaking members of the university's acapella group, so the choir director as well as everyone else spoke only Swedish. The choir director translated her directions on two occasions when explaining an activity we were going to do. We LOVED the fact that it was totally in Swedish. We finally felt like we were adapting to Sweden and not Sweden adapting to us, which is how we like it. We both feel that it isn't right for the Swedes to have to adapt to us, the ones who are coming to their country. Our first activity was an icebreaker. We each went around and said our names. Then we lined up into two lines. The two choir leaders held up a blanket between us so the lines could not see each other. Then, the blanket dropped and we had to say the name of the person on the other side of the blanket. After each round, we scrambled up so our place in line could not be anticipated. It is hard enough to try and remember new names, but trying to remember new names that we have never heard of before (like Ida and Paulin - if I spelled that correctly) was nearly impossible! Out of three songs we sang, one was in Swedish while the others were just sounds (like Da Da Da and Na Na Na). Jen's favorite part was when we started singing a song, then all got out of our seats and walked around the room. It was a mixture of the parts and quite challenging. Can't wait for practice next week!
More interesting is our first choir practice. We are the only English speaking members of the university's acapella group, so the choir director as well as everyone else spoke only Swedish. The choir director translated her directions on two occasions when explaining an activity we were going to do. We LOVED the fact that it was totally in Swedish. We finally felt like we were adapting to Sweden and not Sweden adapting to us, which is how we like it. We both feel that it isn't right for the Swedes to have to adapt to us, the ones who are coming to their country. Our first activity was an icebreaker. We each went around and said our names. Then we lined up into two lines. The two choir leaders held up a blanket between us so the lines could not see each other. Then, the blanket dropped and we had to say the name of the person on the other side of the blanket. After each round, we scrambled up so our place in line could not be anticipated. It is hard enough to try and remember new names, but trying to remember new names that we have never heard of before (like Ida and Paulin - if I spelled that correctly) was nearly impossible! Out of three songs we sang, one was in Swedish while the others were just sounds (like Da Da Da and Na Na Na). Jen's favorite part was when we started singing a song, then all got out of our seats and walked around the room. It was a mixture of the parts and quite challenging. Can't wait for practice next week!
A Good Day For Pictures
Today was a beautiful day, so I (Jen) decided to take some pictures on my way home from school. Below you will see 3 different views of our school (School of Health Sciences), 1 picture of other Jonkoping University buildings, and 2 views of the lake from the Health Sciences school. I have included pictures of our apartment and my church in the previous posts related to each.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)