Monday, July 25, 2011
A journey to Sweden: Какие же эти шведы на самом деле...
A journey to Sweden: Какие же эти шведы на самом деле...: "Перед отъездом в Швецию знакомые все удивлялись почему все таки именно в эту страну. Но до приезда сюда в эту холодную страну я и сама нич..."
Какие же эти шведы на самом деле...
Перед отъездом в Швецию знакомые все удивлялись почему все таки именно в эту страну. Но до приезда сюда в эту холодную страну я и сама ничего не знала ни о стране и культуре и ни о самих шведах. Первые впечатления были не передаваемые. Въезжая в маленький студенческий городок Лунд на поезде сразу чувствовалась гармония и спокойствие во всем. Европейцы как многие наслышаны холодный народ. Да, и у меня было много переживаний смогу ли я, простая девушка из Кыргызстана, найти общий язык с ними. Шведы холодные на первый взгляд, но а на самом деле они оказались очень простыми в общении, доброжелательными, приветливыми, гуманными а порой чересчур наивными людьми. Этим ли можно объяснить открытость страны к принятию беженцев из постконфликтных стран по сравнению с другими европейскими странами. Скандинавия поражала меня особой атмосферой. Порой кажется что я попала в какуюто сказку. Старинные замки, красные деревянные домики, каменные дороги, и необычайное количество цветов повсюду. Говорят, Кыргызстан славится своей природой. Но хотелось бы и у нас люди научились любить ее, заботиться и охранять. Если и Вы окажетесь в Швеции, то и Вы заметите как шведы в буквальном смысле помешаны на экологии. Магазины забиты продуктами с пометкой «экологический», которые в свою очередь стоят дороже обычных. Недавно моя подруга Ханна, которая является ярким примером, решила поехать домой на велосипеде. Если учесть что ехать она должна 2 дня без остановки, это подвиг. Мы много с ней говорили о влиянии человечества на природу. Как и Ханна многие шведы выбирают поезд вместо самолета, велосипед вместо крутой машины. Хотя я думаю при желании они могут позволить себе иметь несколько машин. Я прихожу в восторг когда вижу пожилых людей энергично ездиющих на велосипеде. И невольно вспоминаю свою бабушку, которая часто жалуется на боли в спине, в ногах. Конечно же не многие шведы вырастили 5 детей, и хлопотали по дому как моя бабушка, но все таки надо отдать дань шведам за их активный здоровый образ жизни. Немного пожив здесь и я невольно стала посещать спортзал, бегать по вечерам по парку. Может поэтому, большинство шведок такие стройные и красивые. Занятия в спортивном зале могут посещять как парни так и девушки. Да да, это гендерный баланс на бытовом уровне. Говоря о гендерном балансе, Швеция одна из самых продвинутых стран в этом вопросе. Только здесь Вы можете увидеть отцов на декрете, гуляющих одних с колясками. На рождество мы пошли в гости к дочери моей хозяйки по кварите. В то время как ее дочь была занята приемом гостей, ее муж был занят приготовлением всего ужина. На мое удивление после вкусного ужина он как ни в чем не бывало убрал стол и начал мыть посуду. Вы подумаете, что я приувеличиваю, но нет, это равноправная Швеция. Конечно, мне долго пришлось привыкать ко всему, потому что это противоречило всем кыргызским традициям и нашим патриархальным обычаям. Но думаю, во всем должен быть баланс. Плавно переходя к шведским традициям, один друг волонтер как то сказал: «Мы, шведы, гордимся тем, что ничем не гордимся!» . Национальную одежду и все типично шведское Вы можете найти только в сувенирном магазине. Современные шведы не зациклены на традициях, и с удовольствием перенимают всего по чуть чуть с других стран в своей культуре. Здесь Вы можете найти тайскую, итальянскую, французкую, японскую кухню, но и с трудом Вы не найдете национальную шведскую кухню. Мне посчастливилось гостить своих подруг из команды Юз оф Ош из Кыргызстане здесь в своем городе. Какого же было их разочерование когда везде куда мы ходили им подавали булочки с корицей «канельбулар» со словами попробуйте шведскую традиционную сладость. «И это все?» прочитала я в их выражениях лицах. Но зато им понравилось пить чай во время «фика». По нашему кофе брейк. А чай вместо кофе, потому что шведский заварной кофе очень горький и невкусный. Но шведы души в нем не чают.
Провожая подруг обратно стало грустно на душе. Втайне я им завидовала, так как они полетят домой к родителям и близким, а по дороге Ош – Бишкек их будут приветствовать родные горы. Но вот и я уже считаю дни до своего отъезда в Кыргызстан. Несомненно этот год в Швеции был полон новых окрытий и знакомств. Надеюсь применить свой шведский опыт у себя дома. И знаю, что я сюда еще вернусь.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Counting last days in Sweden...
I can't believe my EVS volunteering year has passed so quickly. Sweden has become my home now. I will miss my colleagues at Tamam, my friends at Komvux, my bike, Ceit, and my room and my privacy. There were lots of funny and sad moments during this year. But I am going to remember only the best days. I am sitting in the office and counting days before my departure. I have to bye lots of presents to my family, to finish the reports and start packing. ..
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Movies from Kyrgyzstan were shown in the cinema of Lund, Sweden.
Tamam presented documentary movies from Kyrgyzstan at Kino in Lund between the dates 23rd of May till 6th of June 2011. Three prize winning social documentaries from Kyrgyzstan named “Almaz”, “Long distance Love”, “Manas birth as a premonition” has been shown three Mondays in a row.
Around 60 young people came to see and enjoyed the films during the festival. At the beginning of each session a representative of Tamam, an EVS volunteer from Kyrgyzstan, was welcoming the guests and making a brief introduction of the movie and the project in general. Afterwards the audience had a chance to ask the question from the residents of the country.
In the first movie about a life story of Kyrgyz boy Almaz was depicted. The story about the family values, education and life of indigenous people in Kyrgyzstan fascinated the audience and they couldn’t stand asking questions and giving comments. “Watching the film I started thinking how we, Swedish youngsters, take for granted the family relationships and the privileges we have here. You could see how the families in Kyrgyzstan are attached to each other”, reflected Isabel Sundberg, youth ombudsmen of Lund.
In the first movie about a life story of Kyrgyz boy Almaz was depicted. The story about the family values, education and life of indigenous people in Kyrgyzstan fascinated the audience and they couldn’t stand asking questions and giving comments. “Watching the film I started thinking how we, Swedish youngsters, take for granted the family relationships and the privileges we have here. You could see how the families in Kyrgyzstan are attached to each other”, reflected Isabel Sundberg, youth ombudsmen of Lund.
The second movie has showed very crucial problem of young people as unemployment and labour migration to Russia. Long distance love between a young family couple that had to be apart and support the family and get means to live in Moscow was finally reunited. A family from Kyrgyzstan that lives in Sweden for 5 years already was invited to Kino. After the movie Gulshan, a mother of 2 children, told she could remember her home country, but felt unhappy to see in what difficult conditions still people live. “I am happy to be in Sweden with my family and know that my children are not going to come across those problems” she told.
“Manas birth as a premonition” is a documentary that could depict current life of Kyrgyzstan people in the connection with their old epic Manas. The story was full of interesting interviews of the Kyrgyz all over the world, their destinies and attitude to the situation in the country. “It was a good chance for me to get to know about unknown Kyrgyzstan. My sister in law has been to Bishkek (capital city) several times and helped poor people. It is a good way to attract people’s attention to that region” shared with us Lise Dakl.
Of course there were obstacles that made it harder to carry out the project. Tamam has concluded that next occasions they have to work harder on reaching young people. The festival time coincided with the end of the academic year of youngsters in Lund. So, many have left to their homes and others were busy with exams.
Nevertheless, the project was a success among the audience. Because, it gave another perspective of life of youth in the other part of the world, depicting their priorities, problems and peculiarities. Moreover, it was educational for local residents to know about Central Asian region due to the current political and economic situation due to the increasing number of refugees coming to Sweden from there.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Skitrip to Gnosjö!
If you saw a messy group of loud arabic speaking girls and guys with huge backpacks and lots of "Willies" paper bags running after the train, this was Tamam junior volunteers going to a 4 day skitrip to Gnosjö. 22 people with the leaders from Lund and Uppsala city arrived to a small, quiet, but lovely place in the south of Sweden on Wednesday afternoon.
We decided to stay at one of the local and quite centrall churches. There wouldn't be any other perfect place to stay for this trip, because it has large, well furnished rooms, with huge kitchen and gym hall for our indoor activities. I couldn't help catching strange surprised looks of residents in of a small city, because they saw such a "multicultural" group at once for the first time I suppose.
The aim of the trip was first of all to give our lovely teenager participants opportunity to try out skiing. Second objective was to bring along volunteers and participants from both Tamam Lund and Uppsala for teambuilding and strengthening communication.
After a couple of get-to-know-each other games participants seemed to find a common language. Finally we arrived to Isaberg, a skiing place, on the mini van which could barely move. Oh yes, if you saw 5 guys pushing the mini van up the road...this was us again. Everyone seemed so excited. We saw a big hill and happy families that were equipped with skies. But as more people stood in a queue for getting shoes and helmets as less our kids seemed enthusiastic. After last efforts to get the equipments on, some participants refused skiing. Others barely could stand on the skies...they slowly and carefully moved after the leaders.
First morning team came back to the church disappointed at some point, because most of them could ride. In the evening we fried hamburgers and together had long evenings full of games and music.
Next day, those who could ski went to Isaberg, and others went to a hill for pulka. Although it might seem not as exciting as skiing, participants were screaming with joy on their way down the hill.
The days past so quickly. It was so nice to see how participants became very close to each other. They were dancing Arabic, Palestinian, Afghan dances. Two wonderful junior leaders Jesse and Afnan were guiding responsibly others.
The last day, participants were given a task to plan next joint trip. There was an interesting sport schedule suggested by first team.Others designed their trips to Stockholm, Göteborg, going fishing and etc.
There is a big hope that this plans will not just stay on papers... and our participants will make their plans come true.
After another 2,5 hours in the trains we arrived back home. Lund sweet Lund!
We decided to stay at one of the local and quite centrall churches. There wouldn't be any other perfect place to stay for this trip, because it has large, well furnished rooms, with huge kitchen and gym hall for our indoor activities. I couldn't help catching strange surprised looks of residents in of a small city, because they saw such a "multicultural" group at once for the first time I suppose.
The aim of the trip was first of all to give our lovely teenager participants opportunity to try out skiing. Second objective was to bring along volunteers and participants from both Tamam Lund and Uppsala for teambuilding and strengthening communication.
After a couple of get-to-know-each other games participants seemed to find a common language. Finally we arrived to Isaberg, a skiing place, on the mini van which could barely move. Oh yes, if you saw 5 guys pushing the mini van up the road...this was us again. Everyone seemed so excited. We saw a big hill and happy families that were equipped with skies. But as more people stood in a queue for getting shoes and helmets as less our kids seemed enthusiastic. After last efforts to get the equipments on, some participants refused skiing. Others barely could stand on the skies...they slowly and carefully moved after the leaders.
First morning team came back to the church disappointed at some point, because most of them could ride. In the evening we fried hamburgers and together had long evenings full of games and music.
Next day, those who could ski went to Isaberg, and others went to a hill for pulka. Although it might seem not as exciting as skiing, participants were screaming with joy on their way down the hill.
The days past so quickly. It was so nice to see how participants became very close to each other. They were dancing Arabic, Palestinian, Afghan dances. Two wonderful junior leaders Jesse and Afnan were guiding responsibly others.
The last day, participants were given a task to plan next joint trip. There was an interesting sport schedule suggested by first team.Others designed their trips to Stockholm, Göteborg, going fishing and etc.
There is a big hope that this plans will not just stay on papers... and our participants will make their plans come true.
After another 2,5 hours in the trains we arrived back home. Lund sweet Lund!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
More about Swedes...
I not long time ago became a member in a facebook group for Kyrgyz and Swedish friendship. this is an article of an unknown author about Sweds. Decided that it would be interesting for me and my friends to read in future...
'' A Swede is tall, blonde, blue-eyed and wears a woolly hat in the winter. By nature he is shy reserved, serious, and industrious and finds it hard to laugh at himself. He is also a creature of habit and every morning gets up at 5.30 to give himself enough time to read the morning newspaper before going to work. Since work does not usually start until 8 o clock, this can only imply that a Swede is also a slow reader.
Apart from himself ,his chief interests are money, his job, his home, ice-hockey and his family(in that order). He also loves animals-especially dogs-and spend hours cycling through the town, dragging a huge and ferocious Alsatian behind him on a leash.
A Swede is usually punctual, honest, reliable, clean, has his own teeth and is law abiding. Evidence of the latter is particularly noticeable at pedestrian crossings. No matter what the weather is like, a Swede would rather get soaked to the skin than cross an empty street when a red light was showing.
Similarly, he always wears a seat belt, never drinks and drives, always has a television licence, usually hands in his tax return on time, invariably has a plastic bag in his pocket when he walks his dog and never has a bath after 10 o'clock.
A Swede is also very cautious and rarely does anything on impulse (except perhaps sneeze). To him, all decisions are a matter of life and death. Take a simple matter like buying cheese, for example. A Swede may try at least ten different sorts of cheeses before finally deciding to buy twenty grams of Brie. It is this same sense of caution that prevents him from plunging into marriage straight away. Instead, he lives with a women first, has one or two children, then-if all seems well- asks her to marry him.With reference to marriage, a Swede is quite unlike most European men. Anything a housewife can do, he can do better- from cooking to sewing on buttons. In fact, everything in the home (apart from breast feeding) is shared.
A Swede also likes to think he is well-informed and spends hours finding out all he can about such things as nuclear power, the Third World pollution, South Africa the sexual habits of the centipede, etc. while at the same time paying little attention to unimportant matters - such as the name of his neighbours or whether certain types of beer should be banned or not.
Most Swedes are fanatics when it comes to keeping fit and regularly spend their weekends running through the nearest forest or cycling for hours in the cellar on a bicycle fixed to the floor. With his health in mind, he has also given up smoking, sugar, drinking coffee in the evenings, going to bed after 10 o'clock and mixing with strangers.
But perhaps the greatest thing about a Swede is his sense of equality-of everyone being the same as everyone else. To help this, most Swedes have the same surnames- Svensson, Nilsson, Persson- earn the same amount of money after tax, have the same taste in furniture, dress alike, think alike, drive a Volvo and go to Mallorca in the summer.
A Swede also refuses to admit that he is prejudiced in any way. To him, all foreigners are just the same as Swedes and although he doesn’t actually have any Yugoslavian, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Italian, Finnish or Czechoslovakian friends himself, he is certain there are very little difference between them and Swedes-apart from their names, their customs, the way they grow vegetables in the kitchen, the fact that they carry knives, rob banks, live on social security, pinch their jobs, breed like rabbits, beat their wives and speak Swedish like someone with a gobstopper in his mouth.Finally, a Swede loves the sun, hates queuing, gets a kick out of being first on the bus, detests winter, enjoys sex, cant stand gypsies, believes what the National Social Board of Health and Welfare tells him, doesn’t believe in god, worships Ingemar Stenmark, only gets drunk when he drinks, is patriotic (wears Swedish flag underpants) visits the off-licence twice a week, visits his parents at Christmas, goes to English classes and ,inevitable, is deeply offended by an article such as this one ''.
'' A Swede is tall, blonde, blue-eyed and wears a woolly hat in the winter. By nature he is shy reserved, serious, and industrious and finds it hard to laugh at himself. He is also a creature of habit and every morning gets up at 5.30 to give himself enough time to read the morning newspaper before going to work. Since work does not usually start until 8 o clock, this can only imply that a Swede is also a slow reader.
Apart from himself ,his chief interests are money, his job, his home, ice-hockey and his family(in that order). He also loves animals-especially dogs-and spend hours cycling through the town, dragging a huge and ferocious Alsatian behind him on a leash.
A Swede is usually punctual, honest, reliable, clean, has his own teeth and is law abiding. Evidence of the latter is particularly noticeable at pedestrian crossings. No matter what the weather is like, a Swede would rather get soaked to the skin than cross an empty street when a red light was showing.
Similarly, he always wears a seat belt, never drinks and drives, always has a television licence, usually hands in his tax return on time, invariably has a plastic bag in his pocket when he walks his dog and never has a bath after 10 o'clock.
A Swede is also very cautious and rarely does anything on impulse (except perhaps sneeze). To him, all decisions are a matter of life and death. Take a simple matter like buying cheese, for example. A Swede may try at least ten different sorts of cheeses before finally deciding to buy twenty grams of Brie. It is this same sense of caution that prevents him from plunging into marriage straight away. Instead, he lives with a women first, has one or two children, then-if all seems well- asks her to marry him.With reference to marriage, a Swede is quite unlike most European men. Anything a housewife can do, he can do better- from cooking to sewing on buttons. In fact, everything in the home (apart from breast feeding) is shared.
A Swede also likes to think he is well-informed and spends hours finding out all he can about such things as nuclear power, the Third World pollution, South Africa the sexual habits of the centipede, etc. while at the same time paying little attention to unimportant matters - such as the name of his neighbours or whether certain types of beer should be banned or not.
Most Swedes are fanatics when it comes to keeping fit and regularly spend their weekends running through the nearest forest or cycling for hours in the cellar on a bicycle fixed to the floor. With his health in mind, he has also given up smoking, sugar, drinking coffee in the evenings, going to bed after 10 o'clock and mixing with strangers.
But perhaps the greatest thing about a Swede is his sense of equality-of everyone being the same as everyone else. To help this, most Swedes have the same surnames- Svensson, Nilsson, Persson- earn the same amount of money after tax, have the same taste in furniture, dress alike, think alike, drive a Volvo and go to Mallorca in the summer.
A Swede also refuses to admit that he is prejudiced in any way. To him, all foreigners are just the same as Swedes and although he doesn’t actually have any Yugoslavian, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Italian, Finnish or Czechoslovakian friends himself, he is certain there are very little difference between them and Swedes-apart from their names, their customs, the way they grow vegetables in the kitchen, the fact that they carry knives, rob banks, live on social security, pinch their jobs, breed like rabbits, beat their wives and speak Swedish like someone with a gobstopper in his mouth.Finally, a Swede loves the sun, hates queuing, gets a kick out of being first on the bus, detests winter, enjoys sex, cant stand gypsies, believes what the National Social Board of Health and Welfare tells him, doesn’t believe in god, worships Ingemar Stenmark, only gets drunk when he drinks, is patriotic (wears Swedish flag underpants) visits the off-licence twice a week, visits his parents at Christmas, goes to English classes and ,inevitable, is deeply offended by an article such as this one ''.
Friday, February 11, 2011
A journey to Sweden: Internation in the Nation!
A journey to Sweden: Internation in the Nation!: "Yesterday, I have been to the great party organized within the project 'Internationen' of Tamam. The purpose of the project is to make meeti..."
Internation in the Nation!
Yesterday, I have been to the great party organized within the project "Internationen" of Tamam. The purpose of the project is to make meeting places for immigrants and Swedish young people and open up a student associates called "Nations" for non-students. Nation is not a place for some specific nationality, as I first imagined. Originally each Nation represented one swedish city such as Malmö, Lund, Goteborg, residents of which could live and study in that specific nation. But now each nation is open to all the students, and this student association gives place in it's corridor, organize events for only member students. "Internationen" project also aims to open up the nations for people other than students in Lund.
"We plan to form discussion groups , where members can share their ideas concerning next events, and be in touch with new friends " said Karin, the coordinator of "Internationen" project, and vice president of Tamam.
The party took place in "Kristianstad Nation". When I entered the room I could see many people whom I know, and those whom I never met before. Everyone was talking with each other, everyone was eager to meet new people and friends. The evening was full of very funny games- contests between the tables. It could be easily seen how members of tables felt a team and found a common language very fast.
"I love "Internationen", because we can meet friends, play games and have nice meals" shared Afnan, a Palestinian active participant.
I could see Swedish people, who were very open and sociable. I could see Arabs, Palestinians, Americans, Russians, Ukrainians, Australians, Indians, Chinese, Germans, British, and many other nationalities sitting together and sharing their personal issues. Some of them are exchange students, some came because of the political situation in their own country, some have Swedish sambo (couples in Sweden,that officially live together).
Indeed I am really full of excitement and impressions of the possibility to get to know such a nice and different people at one place.
"We plan to form discussion groups , where members can share their ideas concerning next events, and be in touch with new friends " said Karin, the coordinator of "Internationen" project, and vice president of Tamam.
The party took place in "Kristianstad Nation". When I entered the room I could see many people whom I know, and those whom I never met before. Everyone was talking with each other, everyone was eager to meet new people and friends. The evening was full of very funny games- contests between the tables. It could be easily seen how members of tables felt a team and found a common language very fast.
"I love "Internationen", because we can meet friends, play games and have nice meals" shared Afnan, a Palestinian active participant.
I could see Swedish people, who were very open and sociable. I could see Arabs, Palestinians, Americans, Russians, Ukrainians, Australians, Indians, Chinese, Germans, British, and many other nationalities sitting together and sharing their personal issues. Some of them are exchange students, some came because of the political situation in their own country, some have Swedish sambo (couples in Sweden,that officially live together).
Indeed I am really full of excitement and impressions of the possibility to get to know such a nice and different people at one place.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
A journey to Sweden: YAhooooo
A journey to Sweden: YAhooooo: "Spring semester!!! I have to say yes! because almost halv of my Volunteer Service has past,and I can say I even didn't notice how it happene..."
YAhooooo
Spring semester!!!
I have to say yes! because almost halv of my Volunteer Service has past,and I can say I even didn't notice how it happened. It past very quickly but definitely full of great emotions, unforgetable moments together with lovely Tamam and non Tamam people ;) .
First of all I started and successfully continuing my Swedish courses at Komvux. Certainly I have progressed a lot since november, because now i can understand the conversation and even answer with half of my sign language. I can't stop wondering how nice and modern the facilities at Komvux are. Although it is a governmental place, not private, the library is cool, the program, computers,and teachers are very competent! That's how each government should promote their language, by supplying all the facilities first. Moreover, they keep motivating students with different stipends provided by government for excellent ones, to make them finish the institute quicker and find a job....
Inspite at christmas break Lund was a bit empty, because all the students had gone to their families, I managed to have a good rest.
Now I am dying but want the spring come sooner, miss the sun...
Hope, the coming semester will be even more exciting!!!
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