"IF YOU CAN'T GET LOST YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING"
Fika Time!!
So I have heard that in Sweden the best thing to do when you are stressed or need to take a break to relax and unwind from the busy day, is to do what the Swedes refer is as "Fika." This phenomenon in the Swedish culture means "To have a break." It is simply a gathering at the local cozy coffee shop with colleagues, family or friends to enjoy a refreshing cup of coffee with a "Kanelbulle." This is an amazing, addicting Swedish baked good that contains quite a bit of cinnamon. In this picture you see here two of my roommates and I decided after a long day of touring the city of Stockholm, we needed to unwind and relax. After being dimissed from dinner we were unsure of where to go to eat. Since we weren't that hungry we decided "Fika" was the right thing to do. Each of us ordered our own personal choice of coffee along with the delicious pastry. I feel we have demonstrated part of a concept previously discussed in class called "Cultural Competence" understanding "Fika" is a part of the Swedish culture and it should be done in times like those.
Breakfast and Conversations
The Eurasion Magpie is the one of the few birds I have encountered here in Sweden. This is a very unique and exotic bird. It has a very sharp intelligence and has an amazing ability to adapt and be social with others. This picture here was captured one morning during breakfast. My roommates and I were having an intriguing conversation about our first day as students in the beautiful city of Stockholm when I took a glimpse of this bird. Different from the birds I am using to seeing in the Midwest, I instantly wanted to know what type of bird I was gazing upon. After reading a quick description, turns out that I too have similar qualities and characteristics. It reminded me of how well I am adapting to the Swedish environment as well as becoming more social and connected to my classmates. I have learned to be more open minded and explore a new culture and try things outside my comfort zone.
Adventures with Academic Allie!!
Exploring nature in a foreign place can be quite scary at times. Overcoming fears, building friendships, and developing as a person can be quite the challenge for most. A quote from Racheal Huber says that, "Fear is the brains way of saying that there is something important that you have to overcome." Today, I was very pleased to have one of my classmates join me on an adventure to view the outline of Stockholm's beautiful city. While eating at a restaurant the night before I was told there was an amazing rock that allows you to view the city from a waitress who, originally from California, had moved with her Swedish husband back to Sweden. I myself am not into climbing rocks nor traveling through leaves but I thought it would be worth a shot to capture an amazing picture from the top of the rock. Along with me were two of my roommates, Beth and Anna, as well as the very sweet Academic Allie (a word used to describe herself during an ice breaker game). Allie and I were not wearing the proper shoes for the hike up the side of the rock, which seemed like a mountain in our eyes. However we were able to overcome our fears and keep going knowing there was something beautiful waiting to be discovered. I am glad I was able to capture this moment of her at the top as we shared laughs and smiles and grabbed dinner. I think we both displayed a bit of Relational Leadership, which helped us to build trust with one another and look after one another.
We're All in this Together
While at the Vasamusset I came across this very detailed version of the Vasa ship that sailed across the Baltic Sea. I decided to capture this picture to show the great number of men on the ship each having their own particular role working together to get the job done. It appears that different levels of the ship served different purposes. The level you see here at the top shows a group of men working together to keep the ship sailing. While the bottom half of the ship was where the sick were taken care of as well a holding area for captured prisoners. I really liked this picture mainly because of the top portion showing hard work and dedication these men demonstrated and without them, the ship would be incomplete. I would say this reminds me of the groups that I will be working in for the next couple of weeks and working closely with them to enhance our learning.
Attention Guardsman!
The Guardsmen at the Royal Palace play a crucial role in the Swedish culture. On this day the changing of the guards took place. The main purpose of the Royal guards is to protect the Royal Palace in Stockholm. They also play an important role in military defense. These men and women are dedicated to protecting the Royal Family of Sweden. This tradition has been traced back to the 16th century since the year 1523. It was interested to hear all about the royal family as well as tour the Royal Palace. With such elegant and elaborate decorations I can see why these men and women have to be alert and ready for defense of any dangers that may threaten the King's family and the beautiful Palace.
Knight in Shining Armor
Part of the Swedish culture is to appoint the Royal Order of Seraphim to foreign heads of state when they would visit the country and in exchange of receiving this honor they were able to return the favor or a similar award or gift. From our visit to the Royal Palace I was very interested in this room with all the elaborate and custom made Coat of Arms. However the tour guide mentioned a particular Knight whose Coat of Arms was removed from the wall and it happened to belong to the late great Nelson Mandela. It is a tradition that when a knight has died their Coat of Armor is removed and hung in a Royal burial church in Stockholm. She also mentioned that the daughter of the Crown Princess Victoria has received her Coat of Arms after she was baptized. Upon hearing this information I was curious to know how many women were given this title and what were their roles. The guide explained that the women were more or less just members of the Royal order of Seraphim and they were not really considered to be Knights as the men were. After hearing this I thought about a few things I been researching over the past years in regards to the gender roles of women. It seems to me that these women were not given the full title and responsibilities as their male counterparts. It also reminded me that as a women in a more male dominated field I sometimes tend to be overlooked and considered to be just a member. I really enjoyed the Royal Palace and all its outstanding elegant beauty.
Saint Mary
I found this picture to be very fascinating. This is a wax sculpture of Saint Mary in the Lutheran Cathedral in Uppsala. This church is the largest church in Uppsala since the 13th century. The legend has it that this sculpture represents the people of the town that could come to the church to seek out help in their times of need. She represents those who were less fortunate. This church is very elaborate and has a lot of history. I think this relates to Servant leadership mainly due to the fact that Mary was able to show that anyone could come to the church despite their status and seek help from the Lord. She has paved the way for others in the community to come to the church and feel as though they too deserve attention, protection, and guidance from the Lord.
The "City Hall"
When I first saw this building which is located in a small town square in Sigtuna, I thought to myself, "Oh this must be the city hall." Turns out I was right. Back in the 11th century this building represented the town's City hall. However it does not serve that purpose today. Today it is more of a tourist attraction site and it is mainly used for weddings. We were told by our lovely tour guide a fascinating thing about this build is that the government had implemented during the old days. She mentioned that in order to help those who were too drunk or needed a place to lay their head, they could come to the city hall and there was a high away spot where the keys to the building lies. Those who needed it could come in a rest and leave the next morning. I thought this related to somewhat of the topic of Emotional Intelligence discussed in class. The government were able to recognize that some night's people were not able to keep control of themselves or had a place to live, so they were able to open up this building to those in need.
Resting Place for the King
King Gustav Vasa was the prominent leader of Sweden in the 16th century. This picture is the crypt of his burial site in the Cathedral which is located in the Lutheran church in a small city of Uppsala. Before the King died his wishes were to be buried in the church and it seems as though he got his wishes. The crypt we see here is of the king and two of his wives. The details on this crypt is beyond incredible. To have such details it seems as though he was very well respected and loved as a leader of the country. Another thing I noticed about this crypt is that he is buried next to two of his wives. I find this extremely odd to know that it was okay for them to be married to more than one person. To me this connects to the social identity. It seems as though because Gustav was the king he was about to do and have pretty much whatever he wanted.