This past week has been the most wonderful and memorable week of my year away. I won't soon be forgetting my Swedish graduation. The festivities all began Sunday evening with the student prom at Sundbyholm Castle which is a castle near Eskilstuna over-looking the beach. It was the perfect location. Everyone arrived in classic cars (a tradition) and got out onto the red carpet.
To begin, we all shared a glass of champagne outside in the 28 degree weather. AS Carlos left for Mexico the next morning, it was my last chance to say goodbye which was quite difficult. Later, we went inside for a formal dinner and dance. Emily was my date which was fun (*especially because in Sweden, it's not common for girls to go without male dates hehe)!
On Monday morning, I left to go camping with my class. We were away for 2 nights and 3 days in Hallstahammar which is about 40 minutes outside Eskilstuna. We rented 3 cabins for the class and spent our days laying in the 25 - 30 degree sun, swimming and eating! It was really fun to have one last gathering with the class together and everyone got a lot closer.
Friday, the class met up again in town to drive to Strangnas (about 20 minutes away) and decorate our student truck for the graduation on Saturday. In Sweden, the graduates have a tradition of decorating the backs of huge trucks with banners, birch tree branches, balloons, and whatever else they can think of, then adding huge speakers and turning them into moving parties! (a tradition which I think we should import!) We had a great time Friday afternoon, and after ice cream and fika, we headed home for an early night.
Saturday was the big day. It started off with a champagne breakfast at 6:30 am in a park. Everyone brought bottles of champagne and strawberries and relaxed in the park in our pj's. It was wonderful.
After that we were home to change into our white dresses (/ suits for the guys) then back to school for a a gathering outside in the sun where we ate fruit and sandwiches, drank punch, and wrote inside each other's student hats (the white sailor hats which all graduates proudly wear for studenten).
Next, my class was off to lunch in the old town with all of the students and one of our teachers. After lunch we took a class photo which I can have sent to Canada fortunately!! After that, we all went into our respective classrooms for one last talk with our mentor and to receive our marks (I only got marks in French and art but I was still happy : ))
Next all the graduates went into the theater for a scholarship ceremony, some music, and speeches. It was actually very sentimental and I was a bit sad.
Another tradition in Sweden is that the graduates aren't allowed to put on their hats until the principal puts on his/her own. We finally got to put ours on at the end of the ceremony in the theater, then there was a mad dash for the windows to the courtyard outside where hundreds of families and friends were waiting with silly signs covered in baby pictures. Everyone leaned their heads out the windows and searched frantically for their families while a marching band played outside. At last we sang the graduation song, and then we could run out (which proved difficult with hundreds of students trying to be the first out of one door)!
Finally outside, I found my host family, Rachel's host family, and my exchange friends all crowded around my big sign. They all had silly things tied to blue and yellow ribbon which they hung around my neck - yet another tradition!! : ) I ended up with stuffed animals, flowers, blow up toes, and beaded things. It was really fun!
After that, everyone marched through town behind the band to the park where our student trucks were waiting to pick us up. My class all met up on the truck then pulled out and started the party!!! : )
We danced and sprayed champagne and yelled and had a wonderful time in general. the whole town was out to watch and cheer for the graduates as we drove around.
After about an hour of screaming and jumping, we headed back to the park to meet our families for our receptions. Most students have all their relatives come for a big reception in their homes. It's a huge deal! For me, my host family, Rachel's host family, and all the exchangers came for a picnic at Sundbyholm castle. It was perfect to be outside as it was about 28 degrees and sunny. We ate and chatted then drove back into town to get ready for our evening excursions.
Everyone went to private parties first, then off to our Studentskiva (graduation party) which was a combined party for the 3 high schools in town. The club was packed to the limits with white dressed people dancing in their hats and singing the Student song over and over and over : )
At the end of our wild day and night, we all walked to a big park and sat down with our friends and tried to not let the night be over. It was a truly amazing experience and I am so happy to have been able to have had it. I won't ever be forgetting my Swedish graduation! It was one of the happiest days of my life : )
I should probably rename my blog "claireinindia"as next Monday Tiffany, Fredrick and I are embarking on a two month adventure in and around Rajpur, India. We'll be living at the Moravian Institute and helping with daily activities at the school. Wish us good luck : ) 
To start off the morning, Hanna had to eat lemons to get her first clue which told her to go swimming (fully clothed) in the lake where her next clue was floating a little ways out in the water. AFter a chilly morning dip, Hanna, newly crowned, went off to climb a tree, eat candy string with no hands, and blow up balloons until they popped with the clue inside. 
We spent the afternoon having a picnic in the park, watching a strip tease (well not really, a friend showed off some moves as a joke!), and making Hanna walk through town and do crazy things (including walking around in a toilet paper wedding dress which we dressed her in while we were in the main square).
On Monday, Jill (Canada), and Sarah (Australia) came to visit from Gothenburg. They stayed at my place out in the country. We went into Stockholm during the day one day, and went canoing at the lake by my place out to an island where we suntanned with all the exchangers the second day before a night of dancing.
Friday was Midsummer, the biggest Swedish holiday next to Christmas. During midsummer, a huge pole with flowers is raised and everyone dances around. 
The girls all have flower crowns and many people actually wear the traditional Swedish clothing. The exchange students and my Swedish friends all joined in the festivities and danced/hopped around the pole with all the kids while singing the small frog song! haha After that we were off to a barbecue at Malin's house before I hopped on the train to Nykvarn where I spent the night at a midsummer party. At midsummer, EVERYONE is out and partying. A lot of people set up party tents and have everyone they know over to celebrate. I had a great night and was walking around wrapped in a Swedish flag : )
Saturday afternoon, Hanna got Married to her fiance in a really beautiful ceremony at a church out in the country. All the girls were there to celebrate with her. There were more than a few tears shed at the wedding. It was a special day.
This past week has been the most wonderful and memorable week of my year away. I won't soon be forgetting my Swedish graduation. The festivities all began Sunday evening with the student prom at Sundbyholm Castle which is a castle near Eskilstuna over-looking the beach. It was the perfect location. Everyone arrived in classic cars (a tradition) and got out onto the red carpet. 
To begin, we all shared a glass of champagne outside in the 28 degree weather. AS Carlos left for Mexico the next morning, it was my last chance to say goodbye which was quite difficult. Later, we went inside for a formal dinner and dance. Emily was my date which was fun (*especially because in Sweden, it's not common for girls to go without male dates hehe)! 
Saturday was the big day. It started off with a champagne breakfast at 6:30 am in a park. Everyone brought bottles of champagne and strawberries and relaxed in the park in our pj's. It was wonderful. 
After that we were home to change into our white dresses (/ suits for the guys) then back to school for a a gathering outside in the sun where we ate fruit and sandwiches, drank punch, and wrote inside each other's student hats (the white sailor hats which all graduates proudly wear for studenten).
Another tradition in Sweden is that the graduates aren't allowed to put on their hats until the principal puts on his/her own. We finally got to put ours on at the end of the ceremony in the theater, then there was a mad dash for the windows to the courtyard outside where hundreds of families and friends were waiting with silly signs covered in baby pictures. Everyone leaned their heads out the windows and searched frantically for their families while a marching band played outside. At last we sang the graduation song, and then we could run out (which proved difficult with hundreds of students trying to be the first out of one door)! 
Finally outside, I found my host family, Rachel's host family, and my exchange friends all crowded around my big sign. They all had silly things tied to blue and yellow ribbon which they hung around my neck - yet another tradition!! : ) I ended up with stuffed animals, flowers, blow up toes, and beaded things. It was really fun!
After that, everyone marched through town behind the band to the park where our student trucks were waiting to pick us up. My class all met up on the truck then pulled out and started the party!!! : ) 
We danced and sprayed champagne and yelled and had a wonderful time in general. the whole town was out to watch and cheer for the graduates as we drove around. 
After that, I was off to Ljungskile, a little town an hour North of Gothenburg where my friend Jill (Canada) lives on a golf course. I spent a few days with Jill so naturally, being on a golf course and all, we decided to practice our golf swings (or get a golf swing in the first place in my case)! 
This picture is of some extreme Swedish fashion which we witnessed at the flee market hehe.
On Sunday, I went to see Mamma Mia with Karin and her family. It was awesome! I really enjoyed it especially because I understood almost everything! 
A couple of weekends ago, it was my friend Camilla's 19th birthday party. We all went over to her house and had dinner then played some games - a lemon eating contest, cracker eating and then whistling, eating licorice strings the fastest, etc. (a common Swedish birthday activity). I am sad to say that I lost! hehe
Last weekend was the outbound weekend in Vasteras. It was nice to meet all the Swedish students that are going away this summer. 
They were a fun group although unfortunately Rotary hadn't planned anything for the foreigners except a visit to the recycling centre! It made the weekend quite long! 
Monday, the 30th of April, was a special holiday in Scandinavia, called Valborg. During Valborg people make huge fires to celebrate the coming of spring. I spent my Valborg with my Swedish friends at my friend Sofie's house on a lake. We had a barbecue, made a fire, and roasted marshmallows. I finally made use of the firecrackers my mom sent me for Christmas and introduced them to my Swedish friends. Naturally, we had to wear the paper crowns! Later on, we went into town to join in the festivities. It was a really fun holiday - definitely one we should import to Canada : )!
These past couple of weeks have been busy, busy, busy! They kicked off with a trip to Mariefred where the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child was taking place. Mariefred is a small town about 30 minutes west of Stockholm with a large castle called Gripsholm. The WCPRC is an organization which promotes the rights of the child all over the world. Every year they have a ceremony in Mariefred where 12 child jury members from all over the world, vote for the winner of the prize that year which goes to an individual who has shown outstanding work in the area of promoting children's rights. I stayed in Mariefred on and off for the 2 weeks thats the group was there. I can now say that I have friends from Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Western Sahara, and India, to name a few places.
Two weekends ago, I went to Uppsala (a university town north of Stockholm)where our rebounds (Swedish students who have returned from their exchanges), had planned a one night camp and rented cabins outside of the city. The weather was wonderful and we spent the whole time outside around the campfire singing.
The Monday after (April 16th), was my 18th birthday. The day started off with my hist family waking m up with the traditional Swedish birthday song at 6 am. After, I went off to school to visit my buddies. It was the same day as the big prize ceremony in Mariefred, so after lunch I headed back to Mariefred. The Queen of Sweden was at the ceremony, so I was lucky enough to get to see her. It was all in all a very good birthday gift!
This past Thursday, I went to Strangnas which is about a 25 minute drive east of where I live. The Rotary club of Strangnas hosted 6 exchange students for 2 nights. 
We spent our time sightseeing and taking lots of fikas. WE got to visit the fire department and go up on the rescue truck which was a definite highlight.
Last weekend, I had a birthday dinner with all my friends. We had tacos which seems to be the traditional Swedish birthday party food, not pizza, like we would have in Canada.
