Thursday 28 January 2016

The first days in Sweden

When talking about exchange students and culture shock, people often refer to the The W-Curve Adjustment Model created by Gullahorn and Gullahorn in 1963. It gives a visual description of a traveller's possible experience of culture shock when entering a new culture and the re-entry shock experienced when returning home. It looks a little something like this.




I think I looped through the entire curve at least once every hour during my first days in Stockholm. As Sir Dickens would say: It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. (Well, if he actually was here, he'd probably come up with something better for this scenario. But you get the idea.)

Everything was new and exciting... and new and scary. Around every corner, an adventure was waiting... and probably also another problem. Combined with the stress from the last few weeks and the exhaustion from travelling, that makes for a very fragile emotional state. I smiled a lot, and I cried a lot. 

Hello, Sweden.

So, what did I actually do those first few days? A lot of walking. Most of it was voluntary, because I wanted to explore my new neighbourhood. But a substantial amount of walking was also done trying to find my way back after getting lost once again. Luckily, Stockholm is a very pedestrian friendly city, as long as you're not afraid of a bit of a climb now and then. Stockholm is a lot more hilly than Hasselt.


Södermalm in a nice, fresh snow jacket.

I had to learn how to cross a street again, though. It seems that traffic lights are just a suggestion here - at least for pedestrians. Everyone just crosses the road when it's free, no matter if the light is red or green. Most drivers here are so used to that, that they will usually halt even if you just slightly glare at a crossing, and wait very, very patiently while the silly Belgian girl convinces herself it's safe to walk.

I also had to get used to people talking to themselves all the time. Well, they're not really talking to themselves. It seems that most people here, when on the move, are constantly on the phone. And since they all do it hands free (you don't want to take your hands out of your pockets when it's -20°C), it looks quite funny. At first I kept thinking people were talking to me, which they of course never were. It still feels a bit odd sitting on the bus surrounded by all those people in conversation with invisible counterparts. Like a scene from a really bad film about the loony bin.

In Belgium people usually keep to the right, and things mostly move clockwise. In Sweden things seem to be completely random. In one metro station, the escalator to go up is on the left, and in the next station it's on the right side. When passing somebody on the street, you never know if they're going to pass you on the left or on the right. And I still wonder every evening why my food won't cook, until I once again realise I put the stove on the lowest temperature and not the highest. I don't know why the Swedes choose to live their lives in this state of chaos, but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that up until 1967, they drove on the left side of the streets?




I am sure I'll get used to it all in time. I hardly get lost anymore, and in a month's time, I'll be a pro at crossing roads the Stockholm way (and then get run over by a bus on my first day back in Belgium). I might even get one of those hands free sets so I can maintain my friendships over the phone while roaming the streets of Stockholm, preferably counter clockwise. Who knows? 


A view like this is definitely worth a small climb.




Vi ses!


Cathy


Tuesday 19 January 2016

My travel story - in pictures

A while ago, PXL presented all students who were going abroad with a little notebook.


The instructions in the booklet tell me to fill the pages with my thoughts on the adventures I'll be having while I'm in Sweden. And that's what I'll (try to) do (almost) daily. If you're interested in my below average drawing talent, you can follow my travel story here.


Hej då,

Cathy

How to pack for a long, long, long time

I'm not the worst packer in the world, but I'm definitely not the best. When packing for a short trip I usually just toss some half folded clothes and other items in my bag without really thinking it through.

However, when you need to pack for 3 months, you need a bit more than a spare shirt and a change of socks. So I decided to handle things a bit more structured this time around. This method might not be the best for everyone, but it worked pretty well for me. So I decided to share it, for all those other troubled packers out there.


1. M(t)ake a list

With so much on your mind, it's easy to forget things. So I decided to make a list first. That way I could easily check which items I still needed to buy, wash, repair, ask back from that friend I lend it to 2 years ago, dig back up from the back of my closet...
However, every time I started on the list, I got distracted. So in the end, I used the internet to find some packing lists made by others with way more experience than I, and just adjusted those to fit my needs and desires. To be honest, that was probably a better idea anyway, because I had no idea how many shirts, pairs of pants, or socks to pack, so those lists were good guidelines.

2. Start collecting

Collect all the things on your list and start checking off. Start on time, because you don't want to realise last minute your raincoat has been eaten by a friendly neighbourhood moth family with no time to buy a new one anymore. For me, it also helped to keep my peace of mind to physically see all the items come together. 

3. Add the missing bits and pieces

Your friends are going to come over and give you parting gifts. So add them to your pile. Add your stuffed monkey with the missing eye you can't sleep without. Add another sweater to your travel wardrobe, because they said it was going to be really, really, really cold. Add another skirt because it goes so well with the sweater. Add an extra book that you really need to read while abroad. Add more gifts from friends. Add more socks because you never know. Add a box of your favourite cookies because maybe they only have icky cookies where you're going. Add another pair of shoes because you can't stand the thought of leaving them behind. Add all those things that weren't on your original list but you suddenly realise you have to take with you...

4. Go through all the stages

This step takes quite some time and it will cost you a lot of energy, but if you want to end up with neatly packed luggage, you'll have to go through it. So here we go...

  • Deny the problem. It's not that much stuff. The suitcase looks small on the outside, but on the inside it's a lot bigger. It will fit somehow. Everything is fine.
  • Get angry. How dare that stupid bag be so small? And why do books take up so much space? You'd think that in this day and age where we can pack so much data in a teeny tiny microchip, somebody would have come up with a solution for this. Why doesn't the airline company with their stupid weight limits care about Monkey and your extra sweater? Why???
  • Try to bargain. Okay, it won't all fit in the suitcase. But you can easily wear that extra sweater. Or two. Three might also work. It's only if you wear more than four at the same time, it becomes a bit odd, right?
  • Get depressed. It's slowly sinking in that there's a big chance Monkey has to stay behind. Put on those lovely shoes that you can't take with you, nest yourself in the piles of luggage, eat that whole package of cookies and cry. It's okay. Let it all out. There there.
  • Accept reality. You can't take it all. You will have to make choices. You are strong. You can do it.

5. Eliminate

Use the list to get back to the essentials, but don't get too hard on yourself. If you really think you're going to need Monkey, then make room for him.
If you have trouble deciding which clothes to take, then try to stick to a pallet of 3 matching colours. It will save you a lot of trouble and headaches figuring out which shirt goes with what pair of pants, and you'll end up with a wardrobe where all pieces are interchangeable, so you won't feel like you have to wear the same outfit for months in a row.

6. Pack it all away

Alright, time to get everything in your bag. It's a bit like playing Tetris, except it's no fun at all. There are quite a few packing philosophies - some people swear by rolling up all their clothes instead of folding them. Some people like to invest in those vacuum bags to lose as little space as possible on air. As for me - I just call in a friend and let her do the packing while Monkey and me sit by and watch her do it. Worked like a charm.


While packing, you're going to have to make some
tough decisions on what to take, and what to leave behind.


Hej då,

Cathy



PS: In case you were wondering, I didn't take Monkey with me. He's afraid of flying.

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Tjena!

Tjena!

I'm Cathy. I'm a student at the Education department of PXL University College in Hasselt. Hasselt is a nice, calm city in Belgium. I've lived and studied here for years, so I know the city quite well.

"Hasselt, Belgium ; Ferraris Map" by Joseph de Ferraris (died 1 april 1814) - http://mara.kbr.be/kbrImage/ferraris/1617018.imgf. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.
"Hasselt, Belgium ; Ferraris Map" by Joseph de Ferraris (died 1 april 1814) - http://mara.kbr.be/kbrImage/ferraris/1617018.imgf. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.


Soon though, I'll be exchanging Hasselt for another city: Stockholm. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. I'll be doing an Erasmus-internship at the Bonniers Konsthall.

Suecia 1-013 ; Stockholm från öster-right side detail.jpg
"Suecia 1-013 ; Stockholm från öster-right side detail" by Erik Dahlberg and Willem Swidde - http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/sjohistoriska/images/400-aar-som-praeglade-stockholm-ny-bok-om-oerlogsstaden-161324. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

On this blog you'll be able to follow my adventures in Stockholm. I'll tell you about Sweden, about the internship and about how I ended up going to Stockholm in the first place. You'll be able to read updates on my school assignments and for those who don't like to read, I'll make sure to add plenty of pictures.

But first - time to pack! Talk to you all soon!

Vi ses!


Cathy