Study in Sweden

It's would be fair that half of my blog's articles  is written in English. I have tried to written it in BOTH languages, but it takes so much energy...

  

So the course I take so far are: The Life and Times of  the Dinosaurs, Climate Change and Faunistics, Vertebrates. At this moment, I have taken the first class of them all. Well, I would like to say, it is not easy for me, and I do think language is the barrier. Sometimes, I couldn't really get the point! This is depressing, to admit.

 

Last weekend, I took course of Dinosaurs. This is a fun course, and I also met some great guys here! One is from America, the others are all Swedish. By the way, I found it is much easier for me to listen to American English. I guess it is because of the accent. It is a course that always takes in weekend, both morning and afternoon. Yet, the good news is there is only six days of the course. And the course goes in this way: one hour lecture, and one hour movie. Though it is not alwasys like this, in most case it is. The teacher is very nice! I asked the teacher is there any suggested reading for the life before dinosaurs.( He brought over 10 books to the class, but they are all for dinosaurs, and the course that day is about before dinosaurs.), and I also said that I could not understand every none in English.  The next day, he not only gave us the suggested reading list, he also gave the hand outs, even in Chinese! It really is a blessing to have a teacher like this.

 

The next course is about Climate Change. Every lecture, there is a certain speaker. Honestly, I didn't really enjoy the lecture. In this case, I guess it is because sometimes I don’t know what was going on. I cannot perfectly know what he was talking about. It is not like taking Forest Climate, taught by our dearest Japanese teacher. His Powerpoint are cristal clear. So sometimes you could get what he meant by looking what he pointed, and listen to the key words. But those speakers seldom did the same. They would give you a chart or a diagram, and then interpreted it. In case of Forest Climate, the teacher would also wrote down the conclusion. But here, they won't. So if I don't hear it clearly, and I cannot interpret the diagram, I would be totally confused. Although, I have questioned the way we learned Forest Climate, just in my mind. Was it too straight forward that we turned out to memorize the consequence too soon? It included critical thinking, of course. But there was someone experienced guiding you. And in the class I am taking now, I can not see it clearly. The good news is we have a project to finish for each topic, and it is a group project. So, I can get help from discussion, and it's much more interesting. (One of the reasons that the course is not that appealing maybe, by saing climate change, we couldn't see hope in the future. Maybe there is, but just haven't been found. I should not be too depressing. )

 

The last course I chose is Vertebrates. OK, actually, I think this probably will be what I spend most of my time on. Simply because recognizing species takes me time! And today, I had course about amphibians and reptiles. This time, I was even more depressed. Because, I really don't know the certain English  names on the body part of those things, and their distribution through Sweden. (It would be nearly new even if I learn it in Chinese.) It felt awkward. But it is a usually thing for me to do: get back from this emotion. It will be hard. But it is not a problem that can not be dealt. It is part of the learning. Just keep working hard.

 

And for another course planning to take is Swedish. But I am seriously thinking it now. Because after I changed the course to Climate Change, my credits are over the reques. Probably, I will not take it.

The last thing, I think students here focus on study. On the first day of the semester, they started group study. This is the second week of semester. Every time I walked around in certain Department, many people were studing and having discussions. But they don't seem to use the library to study that much. It might  because the library's opening hours is short. Tomorrow, I plan to go to department to study too. The atmosphere is better than staying in my confertable room, and they speak Swedich, so I won't be bothered. XD

 

我該如何珍惜

晚上要睡了，想說看完今天上課的筆記後去睡，於是順便整理桌面，看到一本學校發的指南，前陣子都在處理生活事物，現在快忙完了，終於有機會看了，是關於在這裡日常生活的一切， 包括做美味的瑞典甜點，在二手商店裡找到適合舞會穿的鞋子，還有烏普薩拉的旅遊景點，博物館，花園，和古老的城堡。(我連每一座系館都想進去走走!)

我想到宜謙已經離開了，她對我說:

在這裡的每一天都要珍惜，因為五個月一點都不多

我才剛開始，卻已經感覺到道別是很快就要發生的，而我是一天比一天還要喜歡這城市，我怎麼會捨得!

我瀏覽了我的行事曆後發現我的課好多，因為陰錯陽差間，我修了兩門重課，而且是從學期的開始到結束，和本來的課表不同。

在如此有限的時間裡，我該怎麼玩?我當然也想把書念好，於是我不要讓這變成兩難，我需要智慧去妥善的規劃和因應。


但常常，我沒有什麼具體的方案，今天晚上，先把這顆心埋起來，我會讓你發芽!

重點:珍惜每一天

後來想想，五個月不會短，有一定的時間限制，才會珍惜。人生總是不斷向前的。

研究生的畢業典禮 The Graduation Ceremony of Graduates'

這是研究生的畢業典禮，照片中的她是一象徵，我應該詢問的，確定的是，她不是畢業生。

This was the graduates' graduation ceremony. The woman was a kind of symbol. I should ask what she standed for. She was not a graduate. That was for sure.

 

今天順利的到達Uppsala University的Main Building參加研究生的畢業典禮。我其實是想進去拍建築物的內部，開學典禮那天不敢拍><雖然說我知道大概內容都會是瑞典文，我會是鴨子聽雷，但我還是想進去。
I arrived at Uppsala Universiyt' s Main Building successfully to attend the ceremony of graduates' graduation. Actually, I wanted to take photoes of the building inside. I did not dare to take photoes on the orientation. Although I knew the content probably would be all in Swedish, and I would probably be like a duck haering thunder, I wanted to go.

典禮是十二點又一刻開始，但就像瑞典所有的場合，必須十二點整就坐，我剛好十二點到，繞到樓上，找到我的位子後，總覺得人們還是進進出出，我於是溜去外面拍照，有一張照片是我和圖中的小姐合照的，但我後來發現它沒有對焦，不好看，但我終於如願以償的拍到裡面的建築了。
The ceremony started twelve pass a quater. But like all kind of occations in Sweden, you should be seated at twelve. I arrived exactly on time, went up stair, and found my seat. But I found out people still walking in and out constantly. So I desided to slip out and take some pictures. One of them was taken together with the lady in above. But it didn't focuse on us. It didn't look good. Yet, I finally got the chance to take the photoes inside of the building.

它有一個美麗的天頂，尊貴的藍色和黃色

It has a beautiful ceiling and colors of blue and yellow conveying dignity.

 

典禮開始，我也不可以再走動，所以我就在沒什麼人的二樓包廂坐下了，這裡的椅子全部都是木頭做的，可惜我看不懂，不知道是什麼木頭，但就在眼睛隨看之際，舞台上的管絃樂團開始演奏，穿制服的先生和小姐肅然起立，一樓的民眾也起立，但樓上的大家則看看周圍才站起來，我當然以樣畫葫蘆，也站起來。第一張照片的小姐就是在這時候走向講台的，然後UU的校旗也進場。
As the ceremony started, I could not walk around. So I seated on the box at second floor, which had few people. The chairs are all made from wood. It was a pity that I did not know what kind of wood it used. Upon looking mindlessly, the orchestra started. Ladies and gentlemen wearing unifroms standed up as well as people on the first floor. But people up stair looked around and then standed up. I mimicked them. At this moment, the lady in the picture went on stage, and then the flag of UU appeared.

音樂結束，全體坐下，接下來開始的應該就和台灣差不多，長官致詞，我通通聽不懂，前方的來賓低頭觀望，似乎有他們的家人是畢業生，而我左後方坐了一位進出管理的先生，他倒真的不斷進進出出，右邊則是一位年輕人，在音樂完畢後他竟然就橫躺在椅子上睡覺了! 我開手機，開始當低頭族。
After the music ended, every one seated down. Then, it was like what would happen in Taiwan: talks gived by officers. I compeletly could not understand. The guest seated infront looked at first floor. It seemed they had their family members down there And a sir countroling people walking in and out was on my back left. He really walked in and out nonstoppedly. On my right, there was a young man. He laid on chair to sleep after the music ended. I turned on my cell phone to surf the net.

等到畢業生領畢業證書大家的注意力才又回到台上，每位畢業生都會有一位長輩替他們帶上畢業帽，很像是加冕，但我不解的是，每當帽子戴上，都會有 「轟噹」一聲! 我剛開始還無知的以為這是假的音效，直到後來，我走出去後才看到他們是在Main Building外發射大砲，每一位畢業生都會有一次，大砲聲，因此那個下午Uppsala並不平靜，一直碰碰碰(但那砲彈裡並不含傷殺性火藥，可是會有聲音，我也不知道為什麼?)
Every one's attention returned on stage until the graduates received their certificates. Every graduate would have an elderly put a cap on his or her head. It looked like being crowned. But one thing I could not understand is that every time when a graduate had his or her cap worn. There was a sound of "HON DON." At first, I stupidly thought it was a fake sound effect. Until I went out, I saw them having gun fire outside the building! Every graduate would have one gun fire. Thus, that afternoon, Uppsala was not tranquilt. The ban-ban-sound continued rising. (It was a kind of gun fire that did not have gunpowder inside, but it made sound. I do not know why.)    

後來我提早離開了，悄悄的走出二樓，前後待不到兩小時，典禮很美，也許是因為聽不懂，只能看外表，和聽音樂，他們都說瑞典文，我在想要是有一天我從這裡畢業，邀請我的家人來參加，他們聽不懂一定會心情不好，我現在是不會因為聽 不懂而難過啦!因為我從進去後也沒打算要聽懂，只是若能有中文，或許會，等到中文人口變無限多時吧! 不過這樣也失去了語文的獨特性，想了想，如果是這樣，那我想，聽不懂也沒關係吧，就尊重彼此的不同。
I left it early, walking out of the second floor silently. I did not stay inside for two hours. The ceremony itself was beautiful. Maybe it was because I could not understand the language. What I could see was the appearance and what I could hear was the music. They all spoke in Swedish. "What if I graduate here someday, and I invite my family to come. They would feel sad if they cannot understand!" ,I was thinking. I was not sad at this time, because I never thought of understand it after I went in. If it is in Chinese, maybe it will happen when Chinese become countless...but in this way, the unique of languages does not exist. So, if that is the case, I would rather to be people that cannot understand. It is fine. Respect each other.

會說話的老建築 A building with a lot of stories.

學校堅持說它是新的，但對我來說他年紀很大，有著很多故事，所以我會喜歡

Our school insists that the building is new. But to me, she is old and with many stories. That is the reason I like it.

 

初抵瑞典第五天

從飛機上看瑞典，只有兩種顏色，至少對我而言，黑與白，白色是雪，黑色是森林。

今天來到這裡第五天，已習慣窗外白茫茫的景象，昨天還下雪了呢!我第一次看到雪花，真的好可愛，但是我很怕它融化在我的褲子上，所以我一到定點就急忙把他們拍除。

習慣了窗外的景色，但是好像卻不太了解自己在這邊應該如何生活?不知道是不是因為剛開學，有些課程還沒有起步，總覺得有點空?但其實我要做的事還有很多:

1. 尋找瑞典鳥類的圖鑑(老師竟然先假設我們會認這麼多鳥，我在瑞典的路上大概只會認鴿子和喜鵲吧!或許還有河畔的鴨子?)

2. 銀行開戶，昨天去swedbank，但是他聽我說沒有瑞典的civic number就叫我去申請自己國家的信用卡，我得先查查各銀行開戶的資訊，然後才有足夠的資料和他們協商，這些功課昨天都沒有作，難怪用的不開心。

3. 還有Nation，我想在今天看完個Nation的資料，問問我的Buddy，找找看，去加入一間Nation，說不定還會有工作機會，我想我是需要工作的人，不擔只是因為錢，好像工作會讓我更認真生活。

4. 最後是生活瑣事，尋找電壓轉換器，我從台灣帶來的那個不能用!還要去買一個燈泡，房間裡的壞掉了，租屋公司說換燈泡是我們的責任。

今天還要去參加研究生的畢業典禮，其實我是很想再進去那個房間，非常美，但上次忘了照像，估計他們都說瑞典文，我也聽不懂，話說瑞典文，前一個室友留下初階瑞典文的書籍，我若真覺得無聊，早就可以開始看了!

所以其實，a lot of things undone!

Orientation Reception

其實什麼事情在這裡，幾乎都是新的!只是沒有一定的宣告!

今天是Orientation，我們集中在學校裡的新建築:the university main building. 瑞典的建築很特別，都喜歡有巨大的木門和排列一致的窗子，這座建築也不例外，但是它更多了一份華麗和莊嚴，很多大型的典裡都會在此舉行，如畢業典禮等。(所謂的新，其實在十七世紀末就有了)

我在這裡遇見了一位來自奧地利的交換學生:Marie，她在奧地利學教育，我覺得她有溫馨的感覺，因為她常掛著笑容。

這座建築有兩件讓我印象深刻的事，在主要的殿堂，樓上有包廂，但是有一個包廂不再被使用，不是什麼鬼故事，而是在某次大學的畢業典禮上，女同學被要求集中坐在那個包廂，但是她們出來反抗，最後她們和男同學坐在一起，從那一後這間包廂便不再被使用。

第二是有一個大房間裡掛了許多幅畫像，其中一張是迪卡爾，原來迪卡爾在晚年時，瑞典女王召他來瑞典，但是這裡的氣候和女王的要求他不喜歡，寒冷的冬天，他要在天沒亮時去幫女王上課，但他是習慣躺在床上思考的，沒有幾個星期他就過世了。我只是驚訝於狄卡爾來過瑞典，但是看了兩篇文章後，才想起，文藝復興或科學革命時，學者的流通是很常見的，而介紹的先生指是順帶提醒我們要記得保暖，否則畫像會多一幅。

後來我們去參觀一座老建築，這座建築裡現在被當成博物館，有林奈和Celsius的介紹，還有一座解剖教室，很早以前創，我們走上去時發現樓梯非常陡，而且幾乎所有的東西都是木頭作的，但是她們都被漆成亮的顏色，有溫暖的粉紅色，和彎曲長線條的咖啡色!很美!

最後是關於個NATION的介紹，nation是一些學生組織，會辦clubbing，concert ，還有便宜的午餐和念書的地方，但使只要你有一張nation card，基本上你也可以去所有的nation，而nation也會提供打工的機會，這很重要，尤其是在不會說瑞典語不通的狀況下。

晚上是去參加orientation program的晚餐活動，吃傳統的瑞典食物，但是那價錢相當於我在台灣吃四餐。晚餐時我遇見了一為從俄羅斯來的交換學生，飯後我們一起回家，她很漂亮，有翹翹的眼睫毛，很像俄羅斯娃娃!話說回來，這頓晚餐雖然照我的標準是貴的，但是照瑞典晚餐的標準是便宜的!而有時候吃飯本身不是目的，是交朋友的媒介，但當然食物好吃也很重要，我今天把起司抹在硬麵包上，我抹超厚的，但真的蠻好吃的!在這裡，因為沒有之前認識的人，我得主動和人說話，像我的室友，都是我先和他們打招呼和自我介紹的，我的Russia朋友說這是因為瑞典人本來就有自己的朋友圈，我們才是沒有的，所以不是和交換學生說話，就是自己主動找他們說話，我想我兩個都會做!

orientation結束，帶來了其他新活動，一個是guest舞會，聽說這是一個正式場合，但是我想如果要化妝才能表示尊重，那我得請朋友幫忙了!而nation的資料也讓我期待，挑選要加入哪一個，從是一份打工，說不定會學會煮瑞典菜!最後，還有，Uppsala有很多博物館，我要去拜訪!

 

從緊繃到認識其存在:行前準備

今天和系上的老師談話，這場談話給了我一股正向的力量，過去的這一個月，有很多事情都是第一次處理，在不熟悉但又要正確無誤的情況下，其實常常覺得很緊繃，但老師再次提醒
我這個機會的難得，當然她也提醒了我兩件事:去交換，並不代表要延畢，再來，這個機會是學習的延伸。

我們主要討論的是交換中學分採記的準則，有三件事老師要我先去確定:

1. 瑞典的學分如何換算為台灣的學分
2. 提供課程大綱
3. 學校是否有統一的預審報告書

接下來，我們聊到關於此次交換的選擇，為什麼是烏普薩拉，為什麼是瑞典?我說，因位被學姐分享心得中的一句話打動:xx系十之八九的交換都會去美國，如果不想去美國，那就要選一個英語也可通的地方，而在歐洲，那就是北歐。我當初就是想說要和人家不一樣，沒選擇美國，韌性的選擇了北歐。現在問我，我想我會說這樣子的選擇當然也不能說有錯，但是所謂的跟人家不一樣，並不一定要如此，如果有自信的話，怎樣都不會和別不一樣吧!我還和老師提到當初申請時，其時分數並不高，還很驚訝的認為怎麼會這麼差?老師和我說，其時過程中都可以去問她，畢竟她對這方面的事務很有經驗，關於履歷和自傳，有一部分是在做文，另外就是要如何表現出你得與眾不同，包括國際關等。我當初是太沒信心，都不太敢和人說，也因此錯失了和老師討論的機會，現在認識老師後，才知道有問題都可以找她聊，她雖然很忙，但還是很樂意幫助學生。

最後，我問老師，有沒有其他我需要注意的事，老師說安全，她告訴我，去任何一個地方都沒有過度小心，不論是在金錢或身體。在台灣，又在念大學，總是有層層的保護網，我們都很願意去相信他人，但去到國外，就不要太輕易的相信別人，包括借錢給人等。

(當然也和老師說到回國日期和實習日期的不和，老師說尊重帶隊老師)

我想，完全的說，老師事讓我感覺到這次的出國是個陽光的經驗，而事先的這些繁瑣，可能會讓我忘了一開始的感覺，這點由老師再度抹亮，我又可以看到了。

旅行的藝術，這本書我一直想在出國前看完，裡面就有提到我們對於旅行最初的想像，往往都是美好的，但移動過程中的繁瑣，卻往往會消磨掉我們的興致，越早認知道這種情緒的存在，越能不被磨損興致。

關於學分採記預先申請，下禮拜會在和Uppsala大學和課務組做確認。

2014 過山過海

今天是2014年的第一天。
下學期我要去瑞典，做交換學生。

時間緊湊，下午和母親一起去配太陽眼鏡，買wify分享器，買手表，最後目送母親離去的身影，其實是在感恩裡還有一份愧疚。因為這些錢不是我賺的，今天才讀到一句話，大意是說，很多東西的價直往往是在我們有付出後，才能感受到她的價值。我希望這是最後一次說這樣沮喪的話了，因為我一直都還沒有去試其他方法，空有情感上的認知是不夠的，行動力能為這情感做更堅固的基礎。

好幾天前，回到老家，和阿嬤窩在沙發上打發時間，聊天，她那天說，我這趟出門，母親不放心是自然，"過山過海"，我聽她說了這麼一句話，才了解，我真的是要去很遠的地方，平常說搭飛機，幾小時到，我沒有多大的感覺，但這句，要彼此間隔座座的山，片片的海，我才知道這距離的感覺，或許是因為阿嬤不會用手機，不會用網路，所以對於這種思念，是最為直接的。

我常常都會告訴自己，我是個要自由的人，但當我一想起家人，許多的想要，忍不住卻都還是要了!這樣做會不會太自私呢?母親說我的自主意識太高，但我多想要獨立。

如果真的是一個人來，一個人去，我就有不需要擔心這個決定會不會對其他人造成影響，但是，一個人，也是很辛苦的，我想，我要還家人的這份情，是永遠都還不清的，因為在太多層面上，都不是金錢二字了得，也不太懂，我為什麼會用還這個字眼，大概是成長中的影響吧!

這趟旅程，我是否有先規劃好?如果說不問我可以為其他人做什麼?至少要想想，我出發的理由，'為了離開舒適圈'，這點，對得起自己嗎?人是否還有一個夢想呢? "更高更遠 更需要夢想"
我想這首歌無疑的說了我心中所想確認的事。