Brännbollsyran

Hej tillsammans,

This weekend was the legendary Brännbolls cupen here in Umeå. Brännboll is actually some kind of baseball or "Mattenlauf" and more a school game than a serious sport, but anyway here they have the biggest tournament. I also participated with "Tha International Djur Conspiracy", we all played in animal costumes (me of course again as lion). We played quite badly, I think, but because of our costumes we qualified for the finals for best show.

Traditionally, there is a big "spontaneous" party in Ålidhem, mainly in Fysikgränd, during the brännbollsyran weekend. I heard a lot of wild stories about this party before, but I couldn't really believe them. But ok, Fysikgrändfesten is crazy, there were a lot of people on the streets, some really burned furnitures and other really threw tv's out of the window.

Brännbollsyran is probably a reason to come back to Umeå next year again.

So, I'm on the way to Finnland now for several days, but I'll be back this weekend.

c u

Still alive

Hej tillsammans,

Even if I didn't write anything for quite a long time again, am I still alive and still in Umeå. It happend quite a lot the last few days and I was just to busy to get time to write about it.
The weekend before was gentlemen's dinner from the HHUS, quite a funny day organised by the girls from the business school for the guys. (A similar event just the other way round is usually held during fall semester). I'll publish some pictures as soon as I get time.
On monday, I had to hand in my last exercise here at the university in Umeå and now I'm done with my studies here and can enjoy the last weeks of the semester.

On thursday was the last international pub in scharinska villan and like last semester, Carolina Miskovsky performed again live on stage. She is really great and I hope she will publish her first CD before I'll go home.

From friday to sunday then I went to Höga Kusten again. I've been there last semester in october and so it was interesting to see it now in spring. here, I made quite a lot of pictures and I'll try to publish the best of them as soon as possible.

So, this should be enough for today,

och vi ses.

Sverige - Schweiz

So, Switzerland is qualifed for the quarter finals at the ice hockey world championships and the opponent there is Sweden. The first game of our national team I'll be able to watch here, probably also the last. But no! We still believe in the sensation, even if I think Sweden is much better, there is always a chance. At least it is time again to show colors. We're going tonight to E-Puben to watch the game, dressed in red and with the Swiss flag. How cool this will be to celebrate the Swiss victory there, and if not, I think we'll have fun anyway.

Hopp Schwiiz!

Extended Update

I haven't written anything for quite long and I want to apologize to my readers. I was quite busy, my parents were visiting me and I'm in the last weeks of my studies here. It was really nice that my parents came here and it was good to see them now, since I won't be back in Switzerland not until august.

There is actually just one week to go at the university for me. I had to hand in a case study for the applied coaching course today and I have to write a reexam till next monday. Then I'm done. Bra! men också ledsen. I mean, I'm still some weeks here, time for travel and parties but somehow the farewell tour starts quite soon. I don't want to write a summary already now, but I was thinking quite a lot the last days and there are many questions that bother me. What will I take home from my stay here? (I mean not material things). What have I learnt here, have I learnt anything at all? Which memories will I keep? I met quite a lot people here, but which people will I remember in some years? And how? And how will they remember me? What about my friends here, will we ever meet again? Or was everything here just friendship of convenience? Hopefully not, but we'll see. So, this was once a more reflective contribution and I will probably come back to these questions in some weeks or months. And feel free to discuss this topic here.

But back to more cheerful things; I started planning the last weeks here and there is a lot to do. On saturday is a gentlemen's dinner of the business school, next week on thursday is already the last international pub in Scharinska villan. Afterwards I wanted to go to Lofoten Islands but out of practical reasons I postponed this project, so I'll go to Höga Kusten again for a weekend. It will be interesting to see the breathtaking landscape there in spring after I have already seen it in autumn. On thursday the 26th will be the sittning for international students, also an event I don't want to miss. Then on the weekend of the 27th is Brännbolls cupen, the event of this spring. Further plans then, a trip to South Sweden, a trip to the Lofoten and to North Cape, maybe hiking Kungsleden. Afterwards, the big farewell tour through Finland, Stockholm, Kopenhagen and Germany will start and I'll be back in Switzerland at the beginning of august. And hopefully I'll also get some time to update my blog regulary.

By the way, at the moment I also spend much time by following the ice hockey world championship and it looks not bad for Switzerland. After a 5-1 victory against Germany and a tie against Russia, the qualification for the quarter final should be possible, they just have not to lose against Belarus tonight. Possible opponent in the quarter final would be Sweden!

So, now it is surly enough for today, have to listen the game on radio. I promise you don't have to wait as long as the last time till I'll write my next post.


PS: it probalby would be even more motivating to write something, when I get some comments back!