Settled in Uppsala 2006 August 21
Posted by @jennyjenjen in Home vs. Sweden, I miss..., Travel.trackback
I’ve finally arrived in Uppsala, and have plenty to tell!
However, my Internet is not yet enabled and I am checking mail from a computer in the student union. I will hopefully be hooked up soon and will have time to write posts. For now, I can give you a teaser about what I am to write:
- Getting Lost in Uppsala 101
- I love flying!
- Haggling in Swedish for a bicycle
- Strange customs, strange coincedences (or is it really that strange?)
Uppsala is very beautiful and the weather is quite nice, so I am enjoying it while it lasts. I don’t miss home too much quite yet. Besides my family, friends, and dog, I do miss flexible store hours, being able to drive if I need to, cheap bus fare, my extensive wardrobe and Illegal Pete’s. While I’m on the topic of Illegal Pete’s, I also miss Jamba Juice, Half Fast, and Hapa Happy Hour. I don’t miss pollution, lots and lots of cars, the Bush administration, and driving everywhere (it has its pros and cons, you see). Strangely enough, I don’t really miss English; there is plenty of English spoken here, and when I can’t manage in English, I manage in Swedish pretty well (you’ll see when I tell about getting my bicycle).
Now, off to town!
A Year in Sweden 
Jamba Juice misses you, too.
I’m seeing SNAKES ON A PLANE tonight!!!
In Uppsala EVERONE misses felxible store hours…
sorry, “everyone” :)
Hi Jen, nice to catch your blog: I’ll be in Uppsala on September, for a month.
Keep us up to date!
all the best
Take pictures!! :)
HI Jen!
Too bad you couldn’t make it to our LJ-get together last week.
But there will probably be a next time.
I really look forward to your entries on haggling in Swedish, and on getting lost in Uppsala…
Uppsala is a place where the concentration of arrogant, unfriendly , cold, bitter and distrustful people are very high. Swedes spend their lives in coteries and seldom allow a foreigner to join them. The real friendly people who you can meet here are often immigrants who know how to treat a guest. There are thousands of us who are dying slowly in this city and many who have already commit suicide but the media never talk about that because it would have spoilt the picture of Paradise.
Try to see the other world which is far away for happy students meetings and parties and you will see how Swedish system and society is dangerous for a human soul.
It produces spiritual sterility and changes your frame of reference.
Lucky you, you will stay here only for a few months!
Mrrraaah… Hapa Happy Hour!!?!?!?!!!!
Haha… I just took our Sweedish exchange student to Hapa the other day, he loooooved it. I can’t wait to go again. God damn good sushi Hapa.
Can’t wait for your update!
Sounds pretty cool so far :).
Sorry I haven’t kept up so well here, but I’m glad you’re there! Look forward to reading more! :-)
Got here from Flickr and I must say I’m looking forward to see a foreigners perspective of the place I’ve been living for the last 8 years.
(yes, I know – it’s time to move on…)
Bess – I both agree and disagree with your view of Swedes in general. First, it’s even worse if you go to another town than Uppsala, because students are generally more confident in speaking English than the average guy on the street. Still, I don’t think it’s much worse than other countries of northern and central Europe. In France it’s even worse, at least if you’re not fluent in French.
But I think you’re somehow right, even if it’s hard to admit. It’s often easier to not get involved with foreigners – I mean, people from another culture, with other customs and so on – why bother? A lot of people are afraid of the unknown and I don’t think that characterises Swedish people more than others.
It’s gonna be great fun to follow your blog anyway. Enjoy your stay!
In Sweden bicycles are public goods. It’s part of the concept of “allemansrätten” (the everyman right). So we don’t haggle for them, we just take them!
It can be hard to meet Swedes. It can also be hard to meet (fill in the blank) if you’re in a country where you don’t speak their language. But anyone who gives into this whole “Swedes are cold” thing without fully giving it a real chance is selling themselves short. I have been here, in Uppsala, for 10 months and have met Swedes who will likely be life-long friends; seriously good people that weren’t cold for one second.
I lock my bike to heavy-duty fences, railings and objects that simply are too heavy to move. It’s the black bike that looks like it doesn’t belong here; can’t miss it. It’s not public property.
Best of luck in Sweden. Sorry Bess.
Mike
Here’s what happens to bikes in Uppsala that don’t get locked up.
ride safe.
hello. it’s a nice day for your ideas and our money