I have officially been in Lund for six weeks (and ONE day) hoorah! I realize that my last entry sounded partially melancholy, however it was an accurate description of how I have felt since being here. Life has its fluctuations and inconsistencies and it doesn't stop when you hit the dreamworld of Lund. When we first arrived at Lund, everything was fresh, new, stimulating, it feels all like a daze now..now that I've fallen into a routine: wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, come home, sleep. I nag myself constantly even when walking around this beautiful town not to forget its beauty and all that is has given me so far. So I felt this entry would be an appropriate time for an overall reflection..
- In Lund, everything is a lot more leisurely, not anything like the frantic energy I'm conditioned to coming from California. In California, there's always somewhere to be, something to be doing, and efficiency is the goal to be obtained. Take for example, going to class in Santa Cruz, everyone is anxious and crowded around waiting for a bus to get across campus..all plugged into their iPods, texting on their phones. I see very few people college students in Lund "plugged in," you really get the sense that they're enjoying something, whatever the magnitude. This leisure also translates into many other things..say me getting my coffee for example and staring at the girl making my latte at a sloths pace with a line of people out the door. I used to get annoyed by the Swedes tendency to stroll through such critical parts of my day such as the consumption of caffeine, but I've somehow found a way to make do.
- I have yet to really mention all of the lovely people I have met, both
Californian, Swedish and everywhere in between. I absolutely adore my "Kalifornien" girls as I call them: Jennifer, Gaby, Kristen, Sara. We all are so different with a lot of different energies to offer to most situations, and I am amazed at how quickly I feel attached to them, how quickly I've become comfortable being my crazy/obnoxious/random self..and for this I feel endlessly grateful. And through Kristen, I have had the great pleasure of meeting and spending time with some fantastic boys..Norberg, Schonke and Calle and then one lovely lady Sofia; with whom I have shared some fantastic nights and laughs. For this reason, I feel increasingly planted in Lund. - I've looooooved loved looooooved having a bike (that now has TWO, I repeat, TWO functioning brakes, hallelujah!). Lund isn't large by any sense of the word, and walking is plausible to pretty much every place you need to get to..but biking here can be one of the nicest things. My favorite times to bike I've found are either late at night or early in the morning; both times the town feels deserted, very few people and (even less) cars, with air so crisp that it slightly stings your face but feels so refreshing at the same time. It's indescribable.
- To touch on something that my dear Sara addressed in her blog, Lund truly does have lazy Sundays, and do they do it well. Because Lund is such a small town and not a tourist attraction, they have the flexibility to pretty much close everything (and I mean everything) except for a few select cafes, and the grocery stores. It seemed like a hassle and inconvenience in the beginning but it didn't take long to adapt and when making plans for a Sunday afternoon, you grab coffee or just hang out (no H&M shopping, thank god).
- I am endlessly fascinated at how Swedes are given the "benefit of the doubt" here, I'd much rather assume guilty. In my Swedish Social Policy class, my Californian professor was saying how unusually law abiding the Swedes are; that she has seen someone standing at a crosswalk waiting for a the green light..even in the middle of the night. I was talking to one of my Swedish friends, and I was telling him that I didn't want to pay the 10 SEK to take a bus (we quickly found that if you say "ett barn" on the bus which means that you're 19 or under, you can save yourself 7 extra SEK..being the greedy Americans that we are, always say "ett barn" to save those precious SEK). Anyways, I told my friend this and he angrily replied "YOU PAY THE CHILDRENS' PRICE? YOU'RE NOT 19! The reason why Sweden works so well is because people obey the law!" It was worth a good chuckle for me, if there's a way for me to get around spending a little more money, I will do it. Apparently I'm contributing to the downfall of Swedish culture and society as we know it.
I s'pose that is all for now, over and out..and I wish the best to whoever may be reading my mumble jumble.
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