Up and down

This experience might be wonderful, but Erasmus life does get lonely from time to time. Faces on the bus are never familiar and I can't order 'the usual' anywhere. I am left to my own device more than I am used to. It's not that I haven't met nice people here, on the contrary. There are plenty of people who will comfort me if I tell them I am not doing well. But sometimes you don't want to tell. You want people around who have known you for so long that they notice how you feel without a word being spoken.

Those people are far away now though, and keeping in touch is not as easy when you have to rely on modes of communication that previously barely had a place in your friendship. In fact, the people who screamed the loudest that they were going to skype with me all the time, are the ones I have heard the least of.

On the other hand I have gotten support out of unexpected corners. And if I need to be lonely or miserable once in a while, then Stockholm is a good place to be so. There is always some beautiful scenery (or a shoe shop) just around the corner. Stockholm is the kind of city that, right when you have had enough, will land a snowflake on the top of your nose. Besides, as walking through Södermalm's hilly streets has taught me: the ups and the downs - they belong together.

Vi ses

Cathy

Praktikant life

I'm not in Stockholm just to visit museums and try all the different local pastries and cakes. I came here with a very specific reason: my internship.

My student career has followed a bumpy road so far, so when I first applied for an international internship I didn't think I would really get the chance to go. It surely hasn't been easy getting here. But eventually I got "Yes" after "Yes" after "Yes", and my Swedish adventure became more and more real - though I don't think I allowed myself to believe it all until I was actually packing my suitcase.

The best "Yes" came by mail. "Dear Cathy. We are interested in hosting you..." I didn't realise it was a "Yes" at first. But then it started to dawn on me, like when someone slowly realises that the lottery numbers appearing on the television screen are actually the same as the ones on his ticket. And I really felt like I had won the jackpot - idiotically big grin, jumping up and down, uncontrollable laughter, clumsy victory dance: I did them all. Now I'm here, I still feel like I won the big prize (though I try to keep the clumsy victory dancing to an absolute minimum in the office to maintain an at least semi-professional posture).

So where is "here"? Well, if you happen to be in Stockholm, and you happen to take a walk down Torsgatan (Yes, that's right - Thor's street), then you can't miss it. It's the coolest building on the block: Bonniers Konsthall. Bonniers Konsthall exhibits contemporary art and hosts several expositions every year. I spend five days a week here, trying to be a good praktikant (That's Swedish for 'intern') for Katya and Yuvinka, who are responsible for everything that has to do with public and programs.

The biggest difference between my previous internships and this one, apart from the fact that it takes place in Sweden of course, is that I am not only working on my own project now. I don't just prepare things at home to only be on location during the activities. I am part of everyday life at the art institute. I see Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons, inventories and archives, meetings and coffee breaks, phone calls and deliveries, newsletters and calendars, publications and merchandise, guided tours and battery changes, brainstorms and decision making... Well, you get the idea. My own tasks are also varied. I have some pedagogical projects to work on and some administrative tasks, and besides that I get a lot of small chores and assignments.


I have my own desk and my own computer (with Google Translate as my number 1 bookmark) and I can take anything I need from the supply room - which is very good because someone keeps stealing my pens. I have the company of a fellow-praktikant, Jåanna. Although she works on different things as I, it is nice to exchange ideas and discuss the highs and lows of life as an intern. A part of the building is under construction right now, so sometimes I need/ get to wear a flashy jacket and hardhat.
 

Praktikant life. Jåanna likes Belgian chocolate, but she doesn't like to be in pictures.

The work culture here is quite different from what I am used to in Belgium. Things are a lot more relaxed and informal. Everyone is on a first-name basis. Upon arriving in the office, many people kick off their heavy outdoor shoes and slip into comfy shoes, or walk around on their socks. Meetings often get held in couches. The hierarchy is not as strict as in Belgium. Everyone, no matter their function, is very approachable. Office doors are only closed when people really can't be disturbed. Consultation and consensus seem to be very important. Many meetings are held every day. Sometimes I wonder what there can still be left to discuss. However, it gets the job done and it keeps people on the same page, so it definitely works.

I enjoy this way of working and I prefer it over what I have experienced in Belgium. Still, I am struggling to get used to it. It feels really weird to keep work related mails quite informal. Even though the doors are open it still takes me some convincing to go in and just talk to people. I enjoy having a voice, but I still need to persuade myself time and time again that I actually might have something to say... Perhaps in time I will master the art of working like a Swede. For now I'll just make do the best I can, keep working hard and learning loads and enjoying every minute of it.



Vi ses!



Cathy

Welcome to Sweden

Before I left, I did some basic research so I knew where I was going. So let me tell you a little bit more about Sweden.

First things first. Sweden, officially named Konungariket Sverige, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. As you can see on the map, Sweden is not the same as Denmark...

Okay, you might think I am silly or even obnoxious for pointing that out. But I have noticed that a lot of people in Belgium mix up these two countries - ouch. I'm not sure what causes this confusion. Perhaps I just meet a lot of people who really aren't that good at geography. However, considering the fact that almost every Swede I have met so far seems to have quite the extensive knowledge about Belgium, I felt the need to set this straight. So there you go: In green, Sweden, the country of Abba, Astrid Lindgren and Volvo and its capital Stockholm. In brown, Denmark, the country of Aqua, Hans Christian Andersen and Lego, with its capital Copenhagen.

Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1995, but they still have their own currency: the Swedish 'krona' (crown). 1 Swedish krona, or SEK, is worth about 11 eurocents. The constant converting from krona to euro and euro to krona gave me quite the headache when I first arrived. If you're not a fan of juggling foreign coins around, don't worry: you can pay with card everywhere: supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, garage sales... I have even seen public restrooms where you pay electronically! People here don't use a lot of cash anymore. I found out first hand when it took me 20 minutes to find someone who had change for a luggage locker.

Järnpojke might be the only person in Stockholm
who always has cash on him.

Summer days in Sweden are extremely long... and so are the winter nights! Even though Stockholm doesn't have neverending days and nights like up north, winters here are quite dark. When I arrived days were already getting longer and it still was pitch dark at 3 in the afternoon. It's quite confusing - I was sleepy all the time. Swedes tackle the darkness by hanging on to their Christmas lights until Easter comes around. I have gotten used to the darkness now and as February rolled in evenings arrive notifiably later and later.

One question people keep asking me even if I don't drink alcohol is: Is beer really that expensive in Sweden? And I guess the answer is: Yes, it is. Alcoholic drinks don't come cheap, and you can only buy them at bars and restaurants to be consumed there. Supermarkets only sell a few beers with a very low alcohol percentage. If you want anything stronger you have to go to Systembolaget, the government ruled liquor store. There are no promotions and the opening hours are limited. On Fridays after work you can hear the glass bottles clunk around in people's backpacks on the rhythm of the metro's movement. According to international research, getting rid of the government monopoly would cost 1,580 extra deaths, 14,200 more assaults, and 16.1 million extra days of sick leave per year...

If you would like to read more about Sweden's love for electronic payment, this is a good place to start. If you have any specific questions about Sweden, leave a comment and I will try to answer!

Vi ses!


Cathy

Olafur Eliasson's 'Reality machines'

My first weekend in Stockholm happened to be the last one of Olafur Eliasson's exposition 'Reality machines' at Moderna Museet and ArkDes. So it seemed like a good plan to go to Skepsholmen for a cultural day out.

I wasn't the only one who had that idea. The museum was packed with people. Luckily, I arrived early so obtaining a ticket didn't take that long, and the exhibition spaces were not that crowded yet. By noon; though the entrance hall was so crowded you could hardly pass through anymore, and people were drinking coffee and enjoying cake while waiting in queue just to kill time.


I believe strongly that art can change the world. Art has the power to make us question the way we think and the way we see things. Eliasson's installations are a good example of this. His works make us, as he formulates it, "see our own seeing".

One thing I noticed right away is the diversity of the visitors here. I saw people of all ages - from babies and toddlers to pensioned people. I saw people with all kinds of clothing and I heard so many different languages. This was a nice change from the usually very homogeneous formation of museum visitors in Belgium. I especially enjoyed seeing children interact with the art.

Vi ses!

Cathy