(no subject)
Today was awesome. I bought Stardust in Swedish (it probably won't be as good, but I'll learn something, at least) and thought about buying some gifts. I also wanted just about everything in the little boys' section of a department store I visited. This desire feels even more subversive in Sweden than it does in the States because the fashion standard for women here (and for men, too, I think) is even higher. But not in a nasty way, so the subversion isn't so much "fuck you, this is who I am" but more of "no, I don't actually want to wear satin bag dresses, thanks." Politer, I guess.
My program took us on a trip to a Swedish high school, or gymnasium today as well. It was a public school, but looked like a castle. The assembly hall had an organ in it. I think that the main difference between American high school and its Swedish counterpart is that Swedish students get to pick their general "track" at 16, so they're not stuck taking courses they hate for most of adolescence. It sounds really nice (case in point: my friend Magnus who is just about to start gymnasium told me that instead of going to a school in the city, he's moving up north to go to a (state-funded) folk music high school, which blows my mind), but as an American friend pointed out, it's hard enough to choose a major at 20 - how can you be expected to do so at 16? We also talked with them about the presence of nationalism in schools, the anthem and the flag and all that. They were amazed that it's compulsory in some schools in the States. "We can't have Swedish flags or sing along with the national anthem," one girl said, "because people would think we were racist or Nazis or something."
I put some more pictures up on flickr if anyone's interested. Little pieces of Helsinki, Linköping, Copenhagen and Venice.
My program took us on a trip to a Swedish high school, or gymnasium today as well. It was a public school, but looked like a castle. The assembly hall had an organ in it. I think that the main difference between American high school and its Swedish counterpart is that Swedish students get to pick their general "track" at 16, so they're not stuck taking courses they hate for most of adolescence. It sounds really nice (case in point: my friend Magnus who is just about to start gymnasium told me that instead of going to a school in the city, he's moving up north to go to a (state-funded) folk music high school, which blows my mind), but as an American friend pointed out, it's hard enough to choose a major at 20 - how can you be expected to do so at 16? We also talked with them about the presence of nationalism in schools, the anthem and the flag and all that. They were amazed that it's compulsory in some schools in the States. "We can't have Swedish flags or sing along with the national anthem," one girl said, "because people would think we were racist or Nazis or something."
I put some more pictures up on flickr if anyone's interested. Little pieces of Helsinki, Linköping, Copenhagen and Venice.