One of the things that I love about France (and Europe in general) is the way that people enjoy eating more than they do in America. Even simple meals at home usually have multiple courses and last for at least twice as long as a typical dinner in America. Now, I know Americans love to eat, but for us it's usually more of a matter of quantity over quality. We don't sit and savor our food; we race through our meal so that we can move on to something else. A meal is something to be conquered so that we can stop being hungry.
Another example of their love of food: in France, people eat while they are drinking. When you go to a college house party, they are more likely to be drinking wine (of course), but they will also have something to eat, like pasta. It may be simple and uncomplicated, but it's nice to have something to gnosh on while you are drinking.
In Sweden, people drink a lot of water while they are drinking. It is actually a law that bars have to have water available (for free) for people to drink, which is usually in pitchers at the end of the bar. This is a great idea...not only do people not get quite as drunk (or at least they are slower in getting there), but the hangover is much less severe.
Another law in Sweden is that an alcohol establishment must have food available for purchase as long as they are serving alcohol. And not just pretzels and peanuts, actual food that is cooked.
Instead of using a lime, Swedes follow a tequila shot with a lemon. This is wrong, as I explain to them whenever they order tequila. I will only give them a lemon under protest, and I hope that I am slowly correcting this travesty one customer at a time.
Alcohol is enormously more expensive in Sweden than in America, both at the bars and at the state-owned liquor store ("Systembolaget"). A mixed drink may run around $10, a beer $6-7, and a typical fifth of decent liquor is $30-45. Even the generic, cheap liquor is $15-20/bottle.
In my experience, most Swedish things taste very good. Swedish fish? SOOO much tastier than actual fish. Meatballs are good, but Swedish meatballs are better. But alcohol? Schnapps is usually very delicious. Swedish schnapps, on the other hand, is terrible, whether it is Bäska, Skåne, Hallands, or Fernet. They readily admit this and take great pride in how awful their schnapps taste. When doing shots, their shot of choice is Fishshot (often called Fishers or Fisherman). We have the same thing in America, but we call it NyQuil cough syrup.
The reputation of Swedish people as being cold, quiet, and peaceful is very true. That's why they have alcohol at every social event (even the welcome ceremony for international students had brandy and port for the students). Once they start to get tipsy, Swedish people become outgoing, friendly, and loud. And sometimes even violent. A few weeks ago, I was working at a party at Vastgota. I had to help the police officers who were working security wrestle down 2 drunk guys who attacked them. Now, I've seen an all out brawl go down in a bar before, but that was in rural Ohio. You expect bar brawls in rural Ohio. But a fight in Sweden? With the police? Only when alcohol is involved.
An early April Fools joke.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Labels:
April Fools,
exam retests,
exams,
map of uppsala,
running late to an exam
So the way classes work here in Sweden (or at least the classes I'm taking) is that there is an A period for the first half of the semester followed by a B period. You take one class each period.
Now, several people here in Sweden read my blog, so I'm sure I will be corrected, but at least for the law classes taught in English, this is the case.
A period just finished a few weeks ago, so my first exam in Sweden took place about two weeks ago. The exams are given in a special building specifically designated for exams. It's basically a large warehouse full of desks and chairs. And, as it turns out, this building is far, far away from the rest of campus. So far away, in fact, that it wasn't even on my map of Uppsala. Now, I probably should have figured that out before the morning of the exam, but if you expect me to do that, you clearly don't really know me.
So about 45 minutes before the exam, I googled the address, tried to find it on my Uppsala map, couldn't find it, and used some colorful language to describe my frustration with the situation. Right then my computer crashed. I used some more colorful language, determined I didn't have time to wait, and ran out of the building. (if you know me, you also know that last part is a lie. I would far rather walk and be late than run and be on time. What can I say, I'm not a runner.)
I briskly walked to the edge of my map, and then headed roughly in the direction that I remembered the google push-pin. Somehow I actually made it in time. 7:59, to be exact. As usual, I was the last person to arrive (ours was not the only exam in the warehouse; there were around 300 more people there). Something else they didn't tell us: they lock the doors once they start the exam. It's a good thing I didn't know that...I probably would have been more stressed about walking instead of running.
The exam was pretty similar to the law exams in America: there were 2 questions (worth a total of 20 points) each of which had 3-4 subsections. The exam went until 13:00, with smoke breaks every hour.
There are some pretty key differences, though. One big difference, of course, is the 5 hour time limit. Exams back home were only 3 hours. Another big difference is that, if you fail an exam in Sweden, you get to retake it. No joke. And there's no penalty for retaking it...you might fail it the first time and get the highest grade in the class on the retest. If you fail it a second time, you can take it a third time. Guess what happens if you fail it a third time...that's right, you get another retest! In fact, students have the "right to participate in an exam in order to receive a passing grade" and that right can only be limited by decision of the president of the university. Even then, it "may not be limited to less than five occasions." Seems pretty Swedish.
Anyway, after the proctors explained the rules and handed out the exams, we started writing. No laptop exams here, this was an actual written exam. I've never written for 5 hours before. (actually 4 1/2. I got tired after that long and left.) I spent significantly more time on the first question than on the second question because I understood that material better and found it easier to write about. And I can hear you say, "Law, I don't care which question was harder, just like I don't care about most of the other stuff you're writing here, and I think you should tell me a funny story about King Gustav and you should stop going on and on and on with your US/Sweden exam comparative analysis." I have 3 things to say to that: 1) That was a run-on sentence. You should try to work on that. 2) Be patient, the time I spent on question 1 is actually important, as you would see if you read the whole post before voicing your criticism. 3) The rest of your critique is probably valid. Point taken.
So Tuesday, I got an email informing me that, "answers to question #1 of the exam...have been lost...either on the train to Stockholm or at the Stockholm underground." Now we have the option to either take an oral exam or a 48 hour take-home exam.
My first hope was that this was all just an April Fools joke. The Swedish people tend to be very punctual, so maybe they were just being extra-punctual and starting the joke 2 days early.
That scenario is becoming increasingly unlikely, so now I have to decide what to do. The only oral exams I've had have been at the dentist, and I always do very poorly on them. But take-home exams are terrible and I hate them. 48 hours on European Law and Procedure? Ugh. On the other hand, I can write a lot in 48 hours. In grad school, I wrote my 80+ page thesis paper in under 48 hours. Perhaps making them slog through that would be an appropriate punishment.
Finally, because you asked for it, here's an update on King Gustav. He loves raisins...they're his catnip. Only 2 or 3 and he starts tearing around the room, jumping straight up in the air, and climbing all over. He's like a hyperactive kid on a sugar high.
Now, several people here in Sweden read my blog, so I'm sure I will be corrected, but at least for the law classes taught in English, this is the case.
A period just finished a few weeks ago, so my first exam in Sweden took place about two weeks ago. The exams are given in a special building specifically designated for exams. It's basically a large warehouse full of desks and chairs. And, as it turns out, this building is far, far away from the rest of campus. So far away, in fact, that it wasn't even on my map of Uppsala. Now, I probably should have figured that out before the morning of the exam, but if you expect me to do that, you clearly don't really know me.
So about 45 minutes before the exam, I googled the address, tried to find it on my Uppsala map, couldn't find it, and used some colorful language to describe my frustration with the situation. Right then my computer crashed. I used some more colorful language, determined I didn't have time to wait, and ran out of the building. (if you know me, you also know that last part is a lie. I would far rather walk and be late than run and be on time. What can I say, I'm not a runner.)
I briskly walked to the edge of my map, and then headed roughly in the direction that I remembered the google push-pin. Somehow I actually made it in time. 7:59, to be exact. As usual, I was the last person to arrive (ours was not the only exam in the warehouse; there were around 300 more people there). Something else they didn't tell us: they lock the doors once they start the exam. It's a good thing I didn't know that...I probably would have been more stressed about walking instead of running.
The exam was pretty similar to the law exams in America: there were 2 questions (worth a total of 20 points) each of which had 3-4 subsections. The exam went until 13:00, with smoke breaks every hour.
There are some pretty key differences, though. One big difference, of course, is the 5 hour time limit. Exams back home were only 3 hours. Another big difference is that, if you fail an exam in Sweden, you get to retake it. No joke. And there's no penalty for retaking it...you might fail it the first time and get the highest grade in the class on the retest. If you fail it a second time, you can take it a third time. Guess what happens if you fail it a third time...that's right, you get another retest! In fact, students have the "right to participate in an exam in order to receive a passing grade" and that right can only be limited by decision of the president of the university. Even then, it "may not be limited to less than five occasions." Seems pretty Swedish.
Anyway, after the proctors explained the rules and handed out the exams, we started writing. No laptop exams here, this was an actual written exam. I've never written for 5 hours before. (actually 4 1/2. I got tired after that long and left.) I spent significantly more time on the first question than on the second question because I understood that material better and found it easier to write about. And I can hear you say, "Law, I don't care which question was harder, just like I don't care about most of the other stuff you're writing here, and I think you should tell me a funny story about King Gustav and you should stop going on and on and on with your US/Sweden exam comparative analysis." I have 3 things to say to that: 1) That was a run-on sentence. You should try to work on that. 2) Be patient, the time I spent on question 1 is actually important, as you would see if you read the whole post before voicing your criticism. 3) The rest of your critique is probably valid. Point taken.
So Tuesday, I got an email informing me that, "answers to question #1 of the exam...have been lost...either on the train to Stockholm or at the Stockholm underground." Now we have the option to either take an oral exam or a 48 hour take-home exam.
My first hope was that this was all just an April Fools joke. The Swedish people tend to be very punctual, so maybe they were just being extra-punctual and starting the joke 2 days early.
That scenario is becoming increasingly unlikely, so now I have to decide what to do. The only oral exams I've had have been at the dentist, and I always do very poorly on them. But take-home exams are terrible and I hate them. 48 hours on European Law and Procedure? Ugh. On the other hand, I can write a lot in 48 hours. In grad school, I wrote my 80+ page thesis paper in under 48 hours. Perhaps making them slog through that would be an appropriate punishment.
Finally, because you asked for it, here's an update on King Gustav. He loves raisins...they're his catnip. Only 2 or 3 and he starts tearing around the room, jumping straight up in the air, and climbing all over. He's like a hyperactive kid on a sugar high.
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