It wasn’t my original plan to blog less than once a month but that’s how things have come to pass. Not to say that nothing of note has happened, quite the opposite (if you discount the grueling hours spent in the library where not much happens at all besides effusive amounts of brain pain).
So the best way to play a massive months worth of catching up is to summarize, compartmentalize, and otherwise be brief. I know, it’s not that much fun for me either. Who doesn’t like detail? (Unless one has to spend hours reading about central economic planning in the USSR or decades studying Chinesenationalistspiritinaboringasheckbook…I’m not grumbling, who’s grumbling?)
What I’m doing here and how things work:
Okay, I’m studying for a M.A. in International Political Science. I have classes Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Sounds easy, right? Ah, hah. If you fall into that lovely trap of thought, you’re where I was about a month ago. Sitting through lectures is the easy part – so easy that I sometimes feel a bit cheated being there. The difficulty comes in the tonnage of reading due each week. On a weekly average, I must read a 300+ pg book along with one or two journal articles. After that (about the time my thoughts turn to arson) I must write a three page paper due on Thursday at 3pm. None of that American double-spaced luxuriousness. I’m talkin’ single space with .5 margins all around.
I know, it all could be worse. And so far I am passing…but with the unsettling feeling of not knowing how close I am to NOT. That, the quick turnaround of new subject matter, and the weekly repeat of READREADWRITE makes for a bit of stress.
Time for a bit of demographics:
The one reassuring justification I have for studying here is the breadth of diversity in the student body and population in Uppsala. I am decidedly the minority with the majority of students in my program speaking either Turkish or Russian. The influx of Asians makes me believe that my housing complex is actually a Swedish China town.
My classmates are awesome: Turkey, Belarus, Sweden, Czech, Slovakia, Canada, China, and Kyrgyzstan. Looking at that list, I realize how lopsided our global representation is: no represent for Africa or South America… But they’re all open-minded and fun – plus we have unity in our disunity and this shared new experience pulls us together in a way. Well, we all seemed to agree on the shoddiness of one of our professors. I feel lucky.
Swedish Culture Corner:
What about this thing called Swedish culture? With every post, I’d like to share a little bit of what I’ve learned of the “Swedish experience.”
Fall in Sweden is a time for apples and crayfish (kräftor) parties. The crayfish are sold frozen by the dozen in cardboard boxes, cooked, and stacked in concentric circles – their little red bodies make an attractive accent to any Swedish dinner party. I haven’t tried but I hear it’s a lot of work for little profit – like cracking open a small crab for an ounce of meat. My theory is that the work makes you thirsty and the occasion leads to the consumption of large amounts of alcohol rather than large amounts of food.
In which I become an English teacher…again…and again.
My neighbors are an Iranian couple and I’ve somehow become the girl’s English teacher. Well, I’m not teaching so much as correcting. “Nope, that’s wrong. And don’t ask me why!” Nah, we chat and so far I’ve learned immense amounts about Iran. Did you know that men are granted custody of children in divorce cases in Iran? This leads many women to remain in unhappy marriages for the sake of their children. I can’t stress how invaluable it is talking with both of them. And the more I learn, the more I feel that classrooms in America deny students the full picture.
One of my classmates is struggling with her English and I’ve agreed to read her papers and give pointers as time allows. She’ll then read mine and do the same (in terms of structure and contact…not language…I hope!). One of the problems with class is that almost every week presents a new teacher with new standards. Big incentive to give 110% each time!
Camera, Action, Shoot!
Yup, I’m starring in an amateur film shot in Stockholm. Come now, it’s not as glorious as it sounds (but it sure is awesooome!). This is a first for me so I can’t help but squeal and be giddy; I’m an international film star! Don’t worry, my ego shall not grow – I believe my character expires early on.
The End…
That’s all I have time for today. I’ve gotta resume writing the paper due on Thursday while the ideas are still fresh.
Comment and drop me a line! Anything in particular you want to hear about?
