Mora Part Fyra

Onsdag (Wednesday) 2/26/14

Geology field trip!! One of the courses we are taking is "Climate, Energy and the Environment". Right after breakfast we boarded the vans and took off around the Siljan Ring Structure. The Siljan Ring is a prehistoric impact crater in Dalarna, central Sweden. It is one of the 18 largest known impact craters on Earth and the largest in Europe with a diameter of about 32 miles.

The meteor turned the limestone from horizontal to vertical with its impact.

The rocks are filled with fossils, like the one Jorgen is holding

On our trip we visited a Lutheran Church overlooking the Siljan Ring.

They used the fossil filled limestone for the floor of the church. 

 For lunch we cooked out overlooking the Ratvik Plain. Pat was our "outdoor housewife" as Sidney called him. He helped with fire and cooking. 

We had delicious potatoe salad and cake from the kitchen at the school.

 Many lakes were formed by the meteor and the ice age. We walked out on a long bridge they built so that boats could dock. Hannah and I pose in front of the city Orsa.

 We also visited a museum that talked about the geology and nature of the area. 

Mora Week Tre

Onsdag (Wednesday) 2/18/15

Last Wednesday we had a field trip to the Anders Zorn Museum. We toured Zorn's magnificent house and then wandered through the art exhibits. Anders Zorn was the son of a women from Mora and a German she met working at a factory. He was raised by his grandparents and his artistic talent was discovered when he was a preteen. The picture of the house below he lived in with his wife Emma who came from a rich family. To prove himself worthy, Zorn had to travel throughout Europe painting portraits of the wealthy and the royal. Zorn even painted two American presidents. A portrait of Taft painted by Zorn still hangs in The White House. He is the only Swedish artist represented in the President's house.

For further information you can go to http://zorn.se/en/

Sidney and I in front of his house.

 Kenzie and Sidney in the silver room.

 Anders Zorn self portrait in his wolf coat. 

Zorn's wood carvings of his grandmother and mother.

Torsday (Thursday) 2/19/15

Another day of class and study!

Fredag (Friday) 2/20/15

The morning and afternoon were filled with class. For dinner we had another family meal. This time American breakfast! I missed bacon and eggs :) Afterwards some of the Swedish students performed for us. They play in a melodic death metal band. Thankfully they supplied ear plugs. I really enjoyed the beat and enthusiasm of the members!

They are called "Non Divine Sun"

Lördag (Saturday) 2/21/15

Finally I got to go skiing! A handful of us went to Grönklitt just outside Mora. They had quite a few runs but only T-bar lifts. It was weird not sitting down on the way up. I had a blast! Kenzie went with me and she used to race in high school.

Zach, Pat, Kenzie, Me, Erin, Britta

There was a zoo next to one of the ski trails! We just happened to see a leopard one run down!

Sondag (Sunday) 2/22/15

For lunch, Hannah and I ate chicken wings at O'Leary's. It is a Boston themed grill and bar. I was sure I wasn't going to be able to get wings here! Then, the two boys from our group and a Swedish student decided they would try surstromming which is a traditional Swedish food also called stinky fish. I have never smelled anything so rancid…we opened it outside and under water. It isn't allowed on airplanes because pressure builds up from it decomposing and it explodes. Two of the three boys ended up spitting it out. I can't believe some Swedes actually like it! I also got to teach some more rugby to some of the students. Great day!

Hannah and our wings!

 Pat opening the fish...

Måndag (Monday) 2/23/15

Just more class :) I have a test on Friday :(

Mora Part Två (2)

Saturday 2/14/15

Valentines Day! In the morning Page and I went for a nice around the lake. Then I made Sidney eggs for breakfast. We were each others valentines for the day. Sorry Adam! For lunch she made me delicious grilled cheese. I borrowed one of the boy's pink shirt and she dressed up in a pink dress for the occasion. Then we exchanged adorable valentines cards. At night we hung out with some Swedes from the school. It was a great time.

Paget and I on our run

Pat, Fred, Robin, Me, Kenzie

Sunday 2/15/15

Rugby practice! I found a rugby ball in the gym of the school and sunday afternoon some of the Gustavus students wanted to learn how to play the sport! I miss rugby and my team mates so much.

Monday 2/16/15





















Adam got me flowers for Valentines Day! I had no idea they were coming. He was told they would be delivered on Saturday but the school doesn't get mail then. So monday he was messaging me, saying I should have received something and that he hopes he gets a refund when the lady at reception came into my classroom and said I got flowers! I have no idea how he managed to get flowers delivered to my school in Sweden!

Tuesday 2/17/15

Just another day of class, homework, eating and exercise! The folk school is a place where students who struggle with regular gymnasium or high school can go. There is no homework and a lot of class time. It is basically the opposite of Gustavus so it is so funny to them that we study all the time.

Mora Part Ett (1)

Wednesday 2/11/15

Our month of real classes started on Wednesday. Before lunch we got a brief history and explanation for the school. The folk school is a unique concept to Scandinavia. They were created in opposition to the Latin schools that some felt created "stuck-up officials." It is similar to the liberal arts focus at Gustavus where the school puts effort into "life enlightenment" not just a specialist education. The folk school is an alternative to typical high school, but one must be 18 to attend. There are no tuition fees and the curriculum is casual.

Classes are offered based on the needs of the community. Mora is one of 150 folk schools in Sweden founded by the artist Anders Zorn. Here classes in fashion design, woodcraft, music, generals etc are provided. There is even a class for those who work with individuals with autism. After graduating from a folk school, students can continue to the university if they have the required classes.

After lunch we had Swedish. In the evening some of the Swedish students took us to their favorite konditori (bakery). The sweets here are to die for!

Thursday 2/12/15

In the morning we met Lennart Sacredeus, our Nordic politics professor and previous member of both the Swedish and European parliaments. The first lecture topic involved defining "nordic" and "Scandinavia."There are five nordic countries: Denmark (which includes Greenland), Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Norway, Sweden and Denmark make up Scandinavia. The languages are fairly similar. These countries are technically part of Europe, yet have a separate unique identity. Our class will be a mixture of history, politics and religion.

After supplementing our wardrobes from a quick trip to the stores we stopped to see the big Dala horse statue. Dala horses from Dalarna county years ago originated as toys for children. They were made popular and a symbol for Sweden by the world's fair in New York in 1938. Afterwards some of us attended a thai chi session in Swedish. That was interesting…but fun!

At night we met Mark Johnson, a geology professor at Gothenburg, who use to teach at Gustavus. He gave us an introduction to geology. He will be leading us on several field trips when we are in southern Sweden.

Friday 2/13/15

Another day of classes. Dad scanned some of my sheet music and I was able to play some bass. We had group dinner friday night with homemade pizza and apple pie. How homesick that made me!

Hannah and her amazing apple pie!

Sid and I :)

Essay on being "The Other"-Americans and Sami as outsiders

Below is a short paper I wrote for my Sami class. Thought I'd share it.

          Americans are loud. Sami are uncivil. Americans are always in a hurry. Sami are reindeer herders. Americans are fat. Sami are dumb. Stereotypes are complicated because sometimes they are true. People in general come in a variety of shapes and personalities. There are many different tribes of Sami, including Urban Sami. Likewise there are many states and regions in the United States all with distinct identities and cultures. Some Americans are fat. Some Sami are reindeer herders. Our dog sled guide was surprised at how skinny we all were. Culture plays a role in how a person turns out but to minimize an entire people to a few characteristics diminishes that culture’s rich history, traditions and persons. As much as individuals strive to not judge a person based on nationality or appearance it is almost impossible to avoid. Only until one truly gets to know someone as an individual do stereotypes melt away. Unfortunately, our sometime misguided heuristics influence interactions and limit understanding and communication. Bias has played a role in my experiences so far and it appears to affect the daily life of Sami.

In orientation for the Semester in Sweden it was reiterated that the world views Americans a certain way. As a student ambassador we must always be conscious of our actions and other people’s perceptions of us. In order to fit in in Swedish society I have been acutely aware of what I do and how I am because I am afraid of reinforcing stereotypes. It would be exhausting to live like that in perpetuity, as some of the Sami probably do.

Sadly, not only must the Sami deal with the negative stereotypes of their people, but also they must deal with the apparent lack of interest in them. Swedish society historically and currently gives the Sami the message that they aren’t important enough to pay attention to. For example in school they are not included in the study of Swedish history. It was inspiring to chat with our tour guide for the dogsledding trip. He confirmed that many Swedes know nothing about the Sami or their role in the history of Sweden. But he felt it was unfortunate Swedes are so ignorant. My heart sung a little when he explained how important history is to society. However, like me he believes people even in Sweden disregard it and therefore don’t learn to it. He uses the current growth of social democrat parties in Europe as an example.

If there is any interest in the Sami in Sweden or internationally it is often based upon the stereotypes. For example, just last year in 2014 the city of Umeå used Sami culture in their culture capital of Europe campaign. Sami were used or exploited as an attraction for tourists to come see the exotic indigenous ways. Instead of being passive, the Sami, who now have a more formed identity and political role, used images and other tools to spread the message that this was wrong. Graffiti of a Sami chained to the culture capital symbol summed up their view.

I feel there is a similarity to how the Swedes treat strangers. It appears that culturally the Swedes are shy with people they don’t know, especially foreigners. Walking down the street in America it is common to say hello or at least wave. Here we are ignored. It seems even worse when we are in a larger group, talking loudly in English. The other night we were walking through Jokkmokk and I said hej to a gentleman. He replied with a hej but the look on his face was one of panic and anxiety. People in tourist locations are friendlier such as the museum or the ice bar but we are always spending our money there. When there will be an opportunity to interact more with Swedes, such as at the folk school in Mora, my perception might change.

When I am alone or with one other student it is easier to slip by. At stores when I approach the register the attendant often starts speaking to me in Swedish. My blond hair and blue eyes allow me to blend in. When I respond in English that I cannot speak Swedish they are often friendly. The Sami might have similar experiences because they outwardly don’t appear very different. In America, Native Americans have very distinct features that differ drastically with European descendants. Possibly Swedes are better at determining who is and is not Sami based on physical features. It is also made more complicated because a large portion of the Swedish population has Sami blood thus if there were distinguishing features they are all blended together now.

From the reading and lectures it appears that the Sami have more of a connection or better relationship with other indigenous peoples from around the world including Native Americans and Maori from New Zealand. Most native people have gone through a period of persecution and domination and therefore have a shared experience to bond over. Representatives from the other countries have visited the Sami department at Umeå’s university in order to learn about each other and share experiences and strategies for surviving. In the last fifty or so years there has been great progress globally for indigenous groups. They now have their own seat in the United Nations separate from their host country. The trend seems to be towards more unity and communication with the nation of Sweden now that Sami have international support.

In Sweden I feel in solidarity with many Sami in the sense that we are both fighting these stereotypes. We want to break out to connect with others on a humanistic level. Our tour guide for the dogsledding said something really poignant along the lines that in the wild woods, everyone is equal. Even Kate Moss gets cold. Everyone has to relieve him or herself when they drink too much tea. All Swedes, all Sami, all Americans get cold. We all have families and jobs. We all love and hate. It sounds so simple yet we allow cultural differences to segregate us.

Jokkmokk Part Sju (7) & Travel to Mora

Sunday 2/8/15

By Sunday everyone is pretty worn out. Its been four nights sleeping on the floor all together. We've had a few snorers but we just kick their beds and they usually stop. Apparently I lightly snore sometimes… Since we all didn't have homework during the market, a lot of us used some of the time to enjoy our pleasure reading books. There was a long couch in the range we named the bok (book) club. I personally brought seven books that I've been passing on to others as I finish them. I really love what a great group we have. Gusties in general are social but they love to learn and better themselves.

The owner of the gun club, Sven, set up a shooting competition for us. Ten of us paid 20 kronor each, so about $2.50, to shoot $1500 dollar air soft guns! They are the same type that are used in the Olympics. The boys got second and third place and Sidney got third. They even got trophies! We were all very happy we simply asked him if we could shoot sometime.

Me

Hannah

 Zach, Pat, Sidney

Zach, Pat, Sidney, Me, Kenzie, Sven

Laura, Hannah, Ruby, Lindsey, Becca

Monday 2/9/15

Hej då Jokkmokk! (Goodbye) Monday we packed all of our bags (which was difficult because we all bought so many souvenirs from the market). Part of us were sad to leave because we love Jokkmokk so much but we are all excited for the new adventure. We all got pretty annoyed with all the people that flooded into the town and when they all left Saturday the town was trashed.

The whole trip totaled 18 hours of travel. We had a 2hr bus, 13hr train, 2hr train, 1hr train. We were all happy to be not have killed each other by the time we arrived at our new lodging.

Tuesday 2/10/15

We officially landed in Mora, SE around noon Tuesday. Members from the folk high school we are staying at picked us up from the train station. From what I know so far, the school is a type of alternative high school where students can study crafts and a variety of art areas. Our rooms are amazing!! After sleeping on a floor for five nights and then a train, my real bed is luxurious! I even have my own room! Hannah is next to me and we share a bathroom. I only share a bathroom with one other person!

Sidney and I eating chips and watching Fried Green Tomatoes on the train

Tuesday afternoon we met several students and our swedish instructor, who was actually born in Minnesota. I am the only student studying Swedish that doesn't have any previous learning. I love to learn languages though so it'll be fun! The class is informal and not for credit. After this semester I will have studied tre (3) languages in addition to English. I can usually understand what they are talking about when she is slow and repeats herself, but the speaking is difficult with no frame of reference. I am eager to learn some basic vocal and grammar. Here are some phrases I know. Spelling might be iffy.

Jag hater Alexa-My name is Alexa
(inte) bra-(not) good
Tack så mycket-Thanks so much
Jag taller inte svenska-I don't speak swedish

Jokkmokk Part Sex (6)

Thursday 2/5/15

The tourist market officially begun and away went all my money! The Sami sell many of their handicrafts (duodji). I purchased a variety including knives, carved cups and jewelry :) Many Sami wear their traditional gakti or clothing, which are often colorful and hand made.

Me at the market, main road of Jokkmokk        

Sidney and Zach in front of the Tipi Tent Bar

Friday 2/6/15 & Saturday 2/7/15

Thursday and the rest of the week was filled with yummy traditional food, saunas and many other events. Our group attended the reindeer races on a frozen lake and cheered on our fellow gustie as she competed. She didn't fall off and even won!

At dinner time there must have been some oil on the burner when Hannah was cooking because the kitchen at the gun club filled with smoke almost in an instant and the fire alarm went off! Now, the pistol club is attached to a hospital and the hospital's alarm went off too! Thankfully a fire man came quickly and we cleared up the confusion. We still don't let Hannah live it down that she set the alarm off and I have a picture so we never forget!

Also one night some students decided to rearrange the lounge area of the club….here is there chair tower. Sidney, Lindsey and Ruby.

Erin cooked up cloud berry sauce over ice cream. Cloud berries are extremely rare and delicious! Our group got some as a present from a Swedish friend. 

Reindeer! 

Sami in gakti at race

Sami flag at races

Hannah after the smoke cleared!

Paget and I inside the tipi drinking glögg

Reindeer, moose, potatoes and lingonberry sauce :)