Gothenburg (Part 2) and Other Adventures

Hej hej!

Around this time last year I flew back from Gothenburg to California, it's only fitting that I finish the blog sooner rather than later. Let's get started!

Ain't No Party Like a Crawfish Party

Towards the end of the summer, one of my co-workers threw a crawfish party. I couldn't remember the last time I had a crawfish and I remember feeling very odd breaking apart an animal to grab the meat inside - but it was delicious. 

Crawfish parties come with their own very colorful decor. We all wore paper caps and wore aprons in a slight attempt to stay clean. The host of the party wanted to make sure we had enough food, so aside from the crawfish he bought a lot of bread rolls....almost enough for each of us to have our own pack of 12. While the rolls were small, he had enough leftovers to make a lot of sandwiches for the next couples weeks! 

After we were all done eating, we had fun throwing streamers at each other. Looking back at these pictures, it seems like I may need to throw a crawfish party myself! And in another Swedish tradition, I remember that it was raining when we left the party so we all huddled under the bus stop together in attempts to stay dry. I remember hating the rain before getting to Sweden and now I kind of miss it. With the right rain gear, it's nice to have a change in weather! 

Food, food, and more food! 

So in my last few weeks of Sweden, I was very focused on getting the most out of my experience - a large component of that was trying as many different foods as I could. 

The first of my many food adventures was a soup and cake buffet in central Gothenburg. Above is a creamy seafood soup with saffron and to the right is just a glimpse of all the cakes I tried - yes I tried them all! I chose to get tiny slices of all the cakes to make sure I didn't miss out on anything. It was a great lunch and really makes me wonder why I don't know of a place like this in California - I think it would do very well here! 

Some might be shocked to hear that I've only ever been to Ikea once, and it was when my mentor took me during a lunch break at work. Who knew Ikea had such affordable lunch options? The meatballs were good, and the dessert was surprisingly decadent. It was really cool exploring Ikea for the first time and knowing that the first Ikea I went to was actually in the country that it was founded. Also, I tried to buy cheese slicers as souvenirs, but Ikea was out of them for the next month - this is when I learned just how seriously the Swedes took their fresh cheese slices.  

Surprisingly, Sweden was also the first time I had Tapas or a variety of Spanish appetizers as a meal. One day, on an impromptu plan with Saba at an After Work, we decided to grab dinner. It was very yummy cuisine, and it was really nice being able to taste several different dishes instead of just one plate. Looking at those shrimp now makes me want to go back!

This picture below is from my last "Friday Fika" at work. I tried to be very Swedish and made rhubarb pie using my host mom's recipe. She wasn't there to help me, so I was happy to hear that it was actually tasty. We also had some pastries and some homemade vegan apple muffins that were so yummy! 

One day I noticed that my friend from UCSB was in Stockholm and found out she was on her way to Gothenburg. We found some time to do fika together and I tried to show her as much of Gothenburg as I could in an afternoon. We also split this delicious and huge cinnamon bun in true Swedish style. 

Varberg

At Chalmers, my department took an annual retreat to promote team building and develop other professional skills. This retreat happened to be during the last week of my stay and I was able to score a ticket to attend! 

This spa resort right on the ocean made me miss UCSB. I have to say, the west coast is always the best coast ;) During our time here, we visited a World Heritage Site called the Grimeton which is an Radio Station used during the 1950s to connect to Long Island, New York. The location of the Grimeton was ideal in transmitting transatlanic radio waves to connect the Swedish Navy to the United States.

While at Varberg, I participated in some team building activities and some workshops. The one that I remember the most is the "Talent Show". Our team decided to do some stand up comedy and we all did jokes in Swedish that involved some sort of pun - a type of humor that is very common in Gothenburg. It was really funny because of the 5 of us telling the jokes, only 2 of us spoke Swedish. I practiced my joke a lot, and I think I managed not to butcher the accent too badly.

For dinner that night, we had this awesome fish entree and dessert. I can't quite remember what the flavors of each were, but they look so delicious that I had to share the photos.

Chalmers

Closing up this blog, I wanted to reflect a bit more at my time were I worked. I had some awesome coworkers, many who I still keep in contact with through the wonders of the internet, and a lot of really good food. Let's look at some of my last fika meals:

I believe my co-workers called the Oreo chocolate chip cookies I made "The Most American Dessert" they could imagine. They were delicious and I'm contemplating making them again. The second image is Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies which is a dessert I've made several times since then, and is always a hit. The last is an assortment of cakes which I believe was at one of the last few Friday Fikas I attended.

Above are the pictures of the Fika room. I remember when I arrived to Chalmers one of the first things my professor said to me was "Let me show you to the Fika room. We have Fika twice a day at 10 and at 3. Friday Fikas are special because we brings treats. Oh, people also eat lunch in this room". I miss having Fika breaks during my days here at the states.

Above is a picture that proves I did more than just travel and eat in Sweden - sometimes I dabbled with science. The second picture is of my mentor Mats Hulander and my professor Martin Andersson. I learned so much that summer and had a lot more flexibility than I was used to with my summer research. A lot of the skills I learned at Chalmers in terms of planning my own schedule, learning to ask people for help, and reading up on old work were skills I applied to my last internship at Clorox. The next time I visit Gothenburg, I'd definitely stop by Chalmers to see if the construction that was going on ever finished!

My Swedish Family

The most lasting connection I've had since leaving Sweden is with the family I lived with.

From left to right there is Jasmine, me, Malte, Richard, and Lotta. I remember watching movies with the family on Friday nights and going to the Gothenburg festival together. Most of the travel suggestions I had were from Lotta.

On my last night in Sweden, I decided to cook Indian food for the family and Lotta made dessert.

The family loved the food so much that I left them the recipes for it! I miss catching up with them on the daily, but it is still nice that I get to keep in touch with the family even when I'm half way across the world.

On a slightly random note, here is the park near my house were I ran during the summer:

It was a moderately challenging run because it was very hilly, but it was also very scenic. By the end of the summer, I was able to run the equivalent of a 5K on the hilly trial. If I had kept up the momentum, I probably could have ran a half marathon by now, but I got side-tracked with engineering at UCSB and am now finding my way back to running.

Fourth of July in SF

This past summer I was able to show my Swedish Family what it was like to explore SF and celebrate Fourth of July like an American!

It was really exciting to show my Swedish Family around a city I knew and be in the state I grew up! I remember eating a delicious Ghiradelli Brownie Sundae for dinner the first night I saw them and the next night we all had Starbucks hot chocolate as we waited for the fireworks to start. The Ghiradelli "G" was even lit up in the America flag color on the Fourth! 

Reflections

1) I took way too long to finish this blog. The next time I blog, I'll have to hold myself to a more rigorous time line.
2) Looking back at my blogs, it's been really nice to reflect on the places I've been, delicious food I've eaten, and amazing people I've met. Going to Sweden for a summer definitely set me outside my comfort zone and made me grow a lot as a person. I have much more confidence in traveling alone and am more open to trying new things.
3) Thank you all for reading! If it wasn't for the encouragement I received, there is no way I would have been able to complete this blog. I apologize for it being so late, but I'm so excited that I've finished it!
4) I'd once again like to thank the CISEI program for the incredible opportunity!
5) Everyone should go visit Sweden - I definitely plan on going back to visit!

Hejdå,
Dilpreet   

Adventures of Stockholm

Hej Hej!

I hope you are all enjoying the weather where ever in the world you may be. It is currently a bit gloomy in Gothenburg and weather reports say it will rain all day tomorrow, but I'm choosing to enjoy it. I wouldn't experience a real Swedish summer without some clouds, wind, and rain along with the sunshine.

Alright, let's get off through my adventure through Stockholm!

BAM! Now you are in the old Norse city that was crucial for trade. Visiting Stockholm, I was surrounded by so much history that was very different than when I visited Rome. When I walked through Rome I had heard about a lot of the monuments, knew basic ancient Roman history, but still learned a lot about the city. All I really knew about Stockholm when I arrived is that it was the capital of Sweden and that it was made up of a lot of islands that are connected with cool bridges. What I didn't expect to find was so much history, culture, and liveliness embedded in a city so far up north.

First stop: City Hall 

Here you will find where they host the Nobel Prize Banquet (except for the Nobel Peace Prize which is presented in Oslo), a golden mummy, and a lot of couples getting married on a Saturday afternoon. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the wooden horse that is covered in chalk art and a cute little garden with weird statues!

Off to Gamla Stan! This is the "old town" island. It includes some cool churches, shops, restaurants, and oh, a palace/former castle too.

The journey! 

So on our way to see the palace (which is on the island in the first picture below), we had a few interesting detours. First was a group of Swedes chanting hinduism mantras, second was a street performer who juggled knives, and third was lunch at an Italian restaurant where Alex, my fellow intern, and I met an awesome couple from Florida. The couple had just retired and the wife used to be an editor while the husband was involved in higher education administration. They were very excited to hear about our research experience abroad and shared their stories of where they have been. I feel like every time I visit one place, I add three more places on my list of where I need to go!

Second Stop: The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace in Stockholm has been burned and rebuilt and renovated many times since the first wooden blockade was set up in the 900s. A ticket to the palace let's you see four parts: The Royal Apartments, The Tre Konor Musuem, The Treasury, and The Musuem of Antiqueties.

So trouble is that you can't photograph any insides of the palace. So I'll do my best to describe each part of the palace and let you all google, or better yet, visit Stockholm to see the rest.

1) The Tre Konor Musuem literally translates to The Three Crown Musuem. It is underneath the current palace where the old palace used to be. The palace has been expanded and the tallest ceiling of the first castle now hits at about the floor level of the current palace. We were in time for the English tour so it was interesting to learn about the history of the palace. In short, the three crowns were originally a symbol for the three lands early Swedish Rulers had God given control over. Later the symbol was "taken" by Denmark who now use it on their coat of arms as well.

When Sweden traded or conquered with some place in Africa (I can't quite remember), they received a lion. They thought it was perfect since lions are the king of the jungle and Swedes are the kings of the North. So they took the lion and placed it in a cage alongside the castle for everyone to see. They would have it face other animals and they would take great pride in it winning. However, one day they decided to have the lion face a bear. Not the best idea to have an old lion that has been raised in captivity to face a bear. I believe the lion was greatly injured and then passed away. Inside the Museum we saw old oven pits, classic defense tactics including a tree trunk with pointed branches to throw on any enemy climbing over the fort, and other remnants of life at the castle. It reminded me a bit of other European castles. However, it was well known that the Stockholm castle was outdated so when it burned in the 1600s, they decided to renovate. Sadly they decided to save the new expensive things, such as printed books, instead of old handwritten manuscripts and official documents, so a lot of history was lost in the fire.

2) The Royal Apartments - the only other "apartments" you can compare it to are the ones in the upper east side of  New York City. The Royal Apartments had a lot of rooms, a lot of antique furniture, and were lavish. They even had a room displaying the military stashes and metals that the royal family has worn throughout the years to represent their nation. It truly was a palace!

A bit on the Swedish Royal Family: they have a crown princess (yey for letting the first born inherit regardless of gender) who married her personal trainer who then became a prince. Even when the crown princess becomes a queen, her husband will remain a prince which I find very odd, but understandable. Also, apparently the Germans are super obsessed with the Swedish Royal Family.

3) The Treasury was full of crowns, swords, and other jewel-encrusted items. If the palace wasn't enough to make me feel that I lived a life of simplicity, this room definitely did the job. Each pair of crowns was just as lavish as the next and I was trying to figure out why they couldn't just reuse one pair of crowns. Then I thought about the worry about lice and the fact that they were royal, so I guess they should be allowed to make their own crowns if they want.

4) The Museum of Antiqueties made me feel as though I had just stepped back into Rome. It was full of old Roman statues and busts which made up a very unique collection.

I almost forgot to mention - I got a picture with the a guard! Everyone who signs up for military service in Sweden has to spend two weeks serving as a guard somewhere in the country. Someone on my floor at work actually served in front of the castle and saw the King drive into the castle in his personal car.

Time to visit the old church!

Third Stop: Tyska Kyran (German Church) 
The church closed about a half hour before we got there, so I just have this picture from the outside. I admit, it is a really bad picture, I think I might have accidentally deleted the close up.

Fourth Stop: Fika 
I felt really Swedish taking a fika break on a Saturday in Stockholm. I decided to try the princess cake because it is a Swedish classic, I had just visited a palace, and my last name means princess. It was a nice cake with mascarpone cheese filling that went perfectly with my glass of milk. We also passed by the Nobel Prize Museum after fika, but didn't have time to look around.

Fifth Stop: Brazilian Culture Festival

As we were looking for dinner, Alex and I stumbled upon this Brazilian festival and concert in a park. I bought a simple chorizo baguette for dinner because everything else seemed to be deep fried or really sweet (which is normally what I go for, but I was trying to be healthy). 

Sixth Stop: Under the Bridge Tour 

Since Stockholm is made up of a lot of islands, we decided to take a boat tour to cover more ground. I'll try to post a fact with each picture I took on the tour!

This was our route for the tour. We got to six islands. 

This is the Royal Palace, partially covered by a cruise ship. Stockholm has over 10 palaces, most around Lake Malmö.

This is an island that has a lot of Museums on it. I'll talk about it later in this blog post.

Since the river freezes during the winter, people have to store their boats outside of the water.

Can't remember what this building is, but it might be city hall.

The city keeps building to accommodate all of its citizens.
A lot of old industrial centers are now being used for housing.

Steam boats were popular during the first world war, but before that
there would be oarswomen to transport you from one island to another. 

Lake Malmö is special because the currents are perfect of a trading town.
The lake connects to several important rivers, but to leave you need
to cross the often harsh waters of the Baltic Sea. To ensure that people
can cross, Swedes have built these "locks" where you enter in and
they close the path behind you, add water and then let you cross. During the
 harsh waters, the locks are closed so you can still travel within Stockholm. 

There is a large barrel just beneath the tree in the center of the
picture to represent an old Absolut Vodka distillery. 

This is an indoor swimming pool (I thought it was odd
that it was on water). 

I want this to be my future office. 

Stockholm's old industrial areas are now turning into housing.

Stockholm's waters are safe enough to swim and fish out of.
During the winter, when the water freezes, people like to walk
or skate from one island to another. 

This is a cool coffee shop over the water.

On the mountain there is an ad for a radio station that mocks the Hollywood sign. 

I want to say this was a factory that is now a museum.
I know that a lot of buildings that were red in color
represented that they worked with fire so they would be easy
 to find in an emergency. 

This may be the Italian Embassy, but I'm not 100% sure.

Amazing Sunset :)

This used to be a Prince's personal art collection but is now
an art museum.

Look on the left side and you'll see a giraffe. Behind the
yellow building is the amusement park Gronalund. They
also host many concerts here and it was said that when Jimmy
 Hendrix performed here, they had to unplug his guitar
 because he didn't want to stop! 

I believe that boat in front of the museum serves as a youth
hostel. I did not stay there, but it sounds cool!

Seventh Stop: Södermalm (Southern Stockholm) 
The receptionist at the hostel described Södermalm as the "Brooklyn" of Stockholm. There are a lot of trendy places to eat and a lot of "hipsters" live there.

 In the picture above, you might notice a big "moon" in the center. We did not see a supermoon in Stockholm, it was the Ericsson Globe which is a HUGE stadium in Stockholm.

On our way back to the hostel, we saw some fireworks! I have no idea why there were going off, but they were really nice and made me feel better about missing Fourth of July fireworks.

And then we saw this building....

I was pretty sure I hadn't seen it earlier that day, but it turns out they used projectors to color the building below to look like the building above. 

Day 2

First Stop: Vasamuseet 

So the Vasa was built in the early 1600s by order of King Gustav (who really had a huge impact on Swedish society), to sort-of show off to Poland how powerful Sweden was at the time. Problem was, the base of the ship was too narrow, the top of the ship was loaded too heavily with too many cannons, and when this huge powerful ship left the shore, it sank within 1,400 yards (1,300 m). They salvaged the cannons and they expensive things at the time, but they didn't excavate the entire ship until around the 1960s. Later they made a museum for it, and while it doesn't sound like much, it was really cool! You got to learn a bit about the history of Sweden and see a cool ship. 

This is how the original pieces on the side of the ship were
probably colored. 

Model of the ship - see it titling?

Me with another cannon! 

This was were the soldiers slept. It was a hard life for the soldiers
they weren't really allowed to leave this room or get any exercise
so a lot of men died on the ship before they even got to war.

 We then grabbed hot dogs for lunch because there were hot dog stands on every corner of the island.

I was not the one to put on ketchup and mustard, but it still tasted good regardless. But I've noticed that in Europe, the hot dog buns are never big enough for the hot dog, which I find quite strange.

Second Stop: Skansen  

So the island we were on, Skeppsholmen, is full of museums. We only had time to visit the Vasa Museum and Skansen, but Skansen is the largest open-air museums in Sweden. It presents old houses or replication of old villages in Sweden before the industrial revolution. It also has a zoo and this amazing view of the city.

Since the museum was quite large and I took a lot of pictures, I've decided to cut down and only show the most interesting ones. If you are curious to learn more, let me know!

These first three pictures are of various Sami huts. The Sami people, or Laplanders, are the indigenous people who inhabited the Scandinavian region. To me, the seemed like a mix of the Native Americans and colonists except they lived in a much colder climate. (On a side note, I got to try flat bread in one of the Sami huts)

The next three pictures are of a farmhouse and the fourth picture is an herb garden. 

 This is the center of the park where there are quite a few cute little shops.

This is the outside of the church (we couldn't take pictures of the inside). The church happens to be a popular wedding spot! 

This may be a farm house or the blacksmith's hut. I know that in the older villages, the blacksmith's place was painted red so it would be easy to find in case of fire. 

Look! I found a baby cannon! 

I know they say you can never have too much
ice cream, but this was almost too much ice cream!

Now onto the zoo! I didn't take a lot of pictures since I worked at a zoo back home, but here is what I have.

Otter!

Peacock!

Sleepy Elk or Moose!

Reindeer!

After the zoo, we also saw more historical buildings.

This lady was blowing glass! It was really cool to see in person!

Old furniture shop. 

Used to be living quarters for the gardeners and servants,
now this Red Row of buildings is used for offices.

Overall, Stockholm was an amazing city! We stayed at City Hostel, which I would highly recommend as being clean and very close to the train station. If I had a chance, I would love to visit Stockholm again. I think I would need a week just to see the museums, explore the city, and ride on the roller coasters in Grona Lund. There is just so much unique history in this city! 

Stockholm, I will be back!

Bye for now,
Dilpreet

P.S. I know I said I would stop with the long blog posts, but sometimes I underestimate how long my blogs will be for a weekend trip. Sorry!