Kungsportsavenyn - "The Champs-Elysees of Gothenburg"

So I have now completed my first month in Gothenburg, which means I already have the final exam and essay for my first module due this week. This month has been just incredible. It has felt just like a continuation of the summer holidays so these assessments have really crept up out of nowhere for me. I’m still in the ‘honeymoon phase’ that I was told would end after the first week or two. I guess knowing I’m only a two-hour flight away, the use of skype, and the constant rain means that I haven’t felt homesick at all so far.

Making the most of the last summer weather on Gothenburg's archipelago

The university put on plenty of events for the first weeks to help us settle in. First there was a welcome reception by the Mayor, which consisted of lots of students, lots of wine, and being allowed to roam free in the parliament building. Can’t imagine Boris doing that! Then there was a guided tour of the city in which we learnt that it took several attempts to even build the city as each time it was built, Denmark came over and destroyed it (a bit awkward for the Danish students on the bus). 400 years later it is now Sweden’s second largest city, has the biggest shopping mall in Scandinavia and is apparently the place where the bananas for all of Scandinavia are delivered. Quite a success story if you ask me.

On top of the "lipstick tower"

There was also an international dinner where everyone brings something from their home country and you pick and choose a little of everything for a very worldly meal. Sounded great, until it came to deciding what I would cook. I realised how few dishes I actually know how to cook, and further realised that none of them are British! Add to that 80 people were going, as well as the lack of microwave I am suffering from here, and it all got a bit panicky. But after a bit of help from Mum over skype I’m proud to say I cooked my first ever shepherd’s pie. Most of it was gone by the end, so I can only guess it went down well. My favourite discoveries were Poutine (Canadian), and Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian). I chose to avoid the Haggis.

  

My contribution to the international dinner

The mayor welcoming us to Gothenburg

The best part about the semester so far has definitely been all the great people I’ve met. I know it’s to be expected on a study abroad, but there are literally people from all over the world. I am not only the only Keele student here, but for the first few days I was beginning to think I was the only Brit/native English speaker. The people I met right at the airport were all from Spain, which was a bit ironic. I had just spent a month on a language course in Spain where (apart from the three lovely Keele students I was with) I was surrounded by Americans. It was more of an American experience for me than a Spanish one to be honest. Now in Sweden I was surrounded by Spanish people. Great practice at least! I have since met lots of people from France and Germany, as well as from Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia, Cameroon, Japan, China, Australia, and yes, a few Brits and Swedes. It’s funny with Swedes as all you’re told of Swedes is that they don’t talk much to strangers and are difficult to make friends with, but that hasn’t been the case at all. Anyway, that’s it for now. Unfortunately studying abroad involves studying some….

A visit to Lake Vänern, the biggest lake in the EU!