A Bubble

Hey,

I am writing now with only a week left until I must repeat the confirmation celebration preparations. It's hard to believe that was 3 weeks ago, and now my stay at Vassaro is more than halfway done. I think I've recovered from being tired, but with confirmation and the district camp coming up, it will be interesting to see how I hold up.

On Monday, I woke up around 3 a.m. feeling incredibly sick in my stomach. I didn't hurl, but I faded in and out of sleep for the next 4 hours. I took a half day off from Fladan, ate some Pepto Bismol tablets, and tried to sleep until lunch. I felt completely normal by lunch, so maybe it was something I ate the night before or it was a stomach bug. Either way, I was able to go out sailing with the Konfirmands for the rest of the afternoon. The weekly staff meeting had a track and field theme, with different teams competing against each other in such events as the high jump, long jump, javelin, and shotput. The teams were divided by working area, so it added a little bit more fun into it. Also on Monday, I was in charge of fika, which meant that after the staff meeting, I had to put out all the food and drink for everyone, and after everyone had left the dining hall, I had to take a tour of the island to make sure everything was locked up and in order. Needless to say, this took a while and I ended up going to bed around 2 a.m.

Tuesday was a much better day. In the morning, I started to make a new flagpole for Fladan. In the afternoon, I took a group of young scouts sailing. At first there was no wind (I mean absolutely no wind), so we had to row out into Garpen. About an hour later, the wind picked up and it started to pour rain. Meanwhile, 3 girls on my boat started to complain that they really had to go to the bathroom, and one of them even started to cry. So, I called for a motor boat, and for 5 minutes, I was sitting in a stationary sail boat, while it was raining, listening to 3 girls cry because they didn't go before we left Fladan. It was pretty bad. Fortunately, the motor boat came, picked them up, and we got back to Fladan safely.

Wednesday was still a better day. I guess somebody decided that we were going to celebrate all the major Swedish holidays over the course of the day. Breakfast was Christmas, with a group of cooks singing while we ate Swedish Christmas rolls that were really good. Lunch was Midsummer, which was a buffet that included such "delicacies" as pickled herring (something you have to try for yourself). Dinner was Easter, which was baked fish covered in asparagus. Fika was outdoors, and was a celebration of the 1st of May, with a barbeque and various games. As for work: In the morning, I was in a motor boat, keeping an eye on a group of canoeists from Holland and Austria, which was really easy. In the afternoon, I took a group of Konfirmands sailing, and we practiced anchoring in natural harbors. (In case you're wondering why the Konfirmands are sailing so much, it's because they are about to go on an overnight sailing trip by themselves). It was my first time anchoring, so it was interesting to learn something instead of always teaching.

And lastly, today, I helped take all the Konfirmands out on a day sail. There were only 3 Fladan staff including myself, so most of the Konfirmands had to sail by themselves. The morning sail was nice, and we anchored at an island for lunch. In the afternoon, the wind picked up to around 10 m/s (~20 mph), and since we were sailing against the wind the whole way back, it was a wild experience. Everyone did fine and got back to Fladan safely, although mostly everyone was wet from the water splashing into the boats.

The Vassaro experience is hard to explain, so I will summarize what another American said that I completely agree with: Vassaro is a bubble, a place isolated and free from the influences of society. Here, people do things because they want to, not because they are ordered to. It is perfect in every imaginable way...

-Lukas

Changes

Hey,

A lot has happened since my last post. Today, many people on staff left and new people arrived. It is kind of frustrating to keep meeting people and become friends, only for them to leave a week or two later. However, it seems like a lot of staff live in Stockholm, so maybe I'll see them during my stay there.

Thursday and Friday were spent cleaning up Vassaro. At Fladan, we had to cut down trees and bushes that were beginning to grow onto the paths. One tree was too thick for the bow saws we had, so I used an ax. It was pretty awesome, although I now have a few blisters on my hand. On Friday, after a long day of Fladan maintenance, everyone on staff had to help clear trees and bushes on one side of the road that leads to a bunch of cottages, including mine. So after two days of hard work, it was nice to relax with a few friends in the sauna.

On Saturday, I walked the Trapper Trail. It is a 3 hour long walk that shows the variety of traps once used by Swedish trappers. Besides having traps, the trail had many rope and wood bridges, as well as a zip line. It was pretty interesting, and some of the traps are pretty brutal. On Saturday night, we at Fladan had to do some Konfirmand stuff. I'm really not allowed to talk about it on a public website, but it was very special and as a result, we all ended up staying until 2 a.m. I think Vassaro tries to make Konfirmation very special in part because it's a very important part in Swedish culture and a lot of the Konfirmands will become future staff. Many of the funk here wear their shirts and sweaters from their Konfirmations.

As for sailing, the only groups we've had recently were the Konfirmands again, and a group of girl scouts from Belgium. I took some of them out in one of the Lotsens, and I'm pretty sure they thought I couldn't speak or understand any French, but I could almost make out their entire conversation. They had never sailed before and only one of them could understand English, but I think they had a good time.

I think next week is going to be busy, especially with more than half the Fladan staff having just arrived. I'm really tired and I hope I don't get sick, but I'm still having a great time...

-Lukas

2 Weeks

Hey,

It has now been exactly two weeks since I arrived at Vassaro. On one hand, it only seems like I just got here, but on the other, I feel like I have already experienced so much.

Anyways, since Saturday, I have done many things. On Monday night, there was a volleyball game between the Funk (us) and the Konfirmands. They made it into a really big deal, setting up bleachers and a sound system. I played some and it was a very fun time. We lost, but keep in mind the point judge was taking bribes in the form of food and candy throughout the game.

On Tuesday, I took 2 groups of Konfirmands out sailing, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It was fairly windy, and I really got to experience sailing in an ocean environment. It's pretty exciting when you're sailing against the wind and water is coming over the bow and spraying everyone. The morning group was fine, but it was the afternoon when things got interesting.

The afternoon group told me they were also sea scouts and had been sailing many times before. As we left, I reminded them that it was windy and how to stop the boat from heeling (leaning) if it gets bad. I sailed them out of Fladan, and let them take over on the open water. Big mistake. One of the kids took over and took us on a slight upwind direction, and as a result the boat began to heel. Heeling isn't a bad thing, as it increases speed, but too much can obviously cause capsizing. So, as the boat began to lean more and more, I started to tell him to turn up into the wind. However, he kept the mainsheet (the rope that controls the main sail) and the tiller in the same direction. At this point, water was beginning to come in, so I started screaming at him to let go of everything, at which he still did nothing. By the time I came over to rip the tiller and sheet from his hands, the boat had completely flooded. At this point, I still don't know how he failed to not hear me. My guess is that he began to panic and just froze up. I take responsibility too, because as the instructor, I should have been sitting closer to him and not have simply taken his word that he could sail in heavy winds.

Anyways, I continue. So, there we were, about 8 of us, standing up to our chests in water in a boat that was completely under water. Another staff on board, Adam, used the radio to call Fladan and they sent out Yxlo to get us. While we were waiting, it was a challenge to make sure nothing floated away, including the oars, floor boards, and people's gear. When Yxlo arrived, the Konfirmands were taken back to Fladan, and Adam and I were left trying to bail a boat submerged under water. It took about 15 minutes, but we finally managed to get most of the water out. We were then towed back to Fladan. I really wish some of the other passing boats had taken a picture of Adam and I standing there in the water, and all you could probably see was the mast of the ship. Looking back on it, it was pretty funny just standing there wondering what to do next. Fortunately, no one got hurt, and I think everyone learned a good lesson or two.

The next day, after a morning sail, about 30 of the staff, including me, went to a small Swedish village called Oregrund (there's a double do thing above the O, but I don't know how to do that). It's about an hour boat ride from Vassaro, and it was a good break from the island experience. While at Oregrund, you can buy candy, ice cream, and just have a good time. We stayed for about 2 hours, and got back just in time for dinner.

Right now, I'm getting pretty tired and the next few days are going to be busy, but of course, I am enjoying every second of it.

Another One

Hey all,

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I've just been busy doing things and hanging out with people. Since Tuesday, nothing too interesting has happened. I took some more groups out sailing and canoeing. However, starting on Saturday, all the groups started to leave, causing Fladan to have no bookings for 3 straight days. As a result, we've been partially busy painting oars, fixing boats, and doing random projects, not to mention just relaxing.

A few nights ago I went to the sauna with a bunch of people on staff. It was my first time at an authentic one (not like the ones in hotels and gyms). Bastu (sauna) is very popular in Scandinavia. It was even better because once everybody got too hot, you could take a few steps outside and jump in the cold ocean. It was weird because I expected to get dry once I got back inside, but the water was just replaced with sweat. It was a fun experience, and we all stayed there until 3 in the morning. I think it is common for people to go at least a couple of times a week.

Last night was the final dance to the dance camp that has been held here all wek. It was put on by the camp, and everyone went (mostly because the dining hall was locked and Fika was held there). There was free food and drinks, and a variety of music. It was different going to a dance where people don't dance freely. I learned some line dances and managed to enjoy myself.

Today, some more new staff came and a few of them now work at Fladan. I am now in the swing of things and unfortunately some things are becoming a little too routine, such as the 10 minute walk to Fladan. Otherwise, I am still glad I am here and I now know mostly everyone on staff. Until next time...

-Lukas

Update

I lucked out again today, as I have no evening work to do here. This morning, I took a group of 4 Belgian scouts out sailing. It was my first time ever teaching someone how to sail, let alone a group of people with only 1 person who could speak both French and English successfully. However, I think it went very well and I got to practice some French. The picture of the group, along with my fellow american Evy, is above.

After lunch, I had to help change water pump hoses on a few of the boats at Fladan. Basically, the pumps are used to empty the boat when too much water collects in the hull. While that was going on, the FS kids were raftbuilding and the Karate Club, a group of mentally disabled adults, were canoeing.

After that, I helped move about 30 canoes to a small bay in outer Fladan. The FS scouts were planning on taking a backpacking trip to the bay, and then planned to canoe back. It was quite a sight to see a motor boat dragging a train of about 6 canoes. Since that activity was actually planned for the evening shift, here I sit, drinking kaffe and updating the blog.

One thing I forgot to mention in my last post: In Sweden, the music program Spotify is very popular. It's like Pandora, but much better. It allows you to stream free music on your computer, like a custom radio station. The only downside is that between every 3 songs there is an annoying commercial and that the only way to use Spotify is to be invited by another user. However, each user can only invite 2 people. Needless to say, I'm trying to get an invite from someone here.

-Lukas

Back to Normal

Tja!

Everything is back to normal now. All the first period Funk and Konfirmands have left. It was kind of weird to walk into the dining hall for dinner on Sunday and see practically no one that I recognized. Even though I only knew the staff for 4 days, it is hard to realize that I will more than likely never see them again. The new staff are just as friendly and polite as before, and I am sure we will all become good friends.

Anyways, today was the first day of normal work at Fladan for me. On Sunday, I was trained how to use the safety boats (motor boats), since they are taken out whenever groups are sailing or canoeing within Fladan. This involved learning how to empty and pull up onto the boat a flooded canoe and Optimist (a small sailboat). This morning, the Kollor (a group of kids from the inner city) booked a full day sailing trip. I helped FS in their raft building, in which they took empty drums, spars, and rope and had to construct a floating raft. As you can see, I took some pictures. The weather today was sunny, windy, and basically amazing. Since both of those things took all day, and no groups were booked for tonight, I now have a rare 3 hours of free time. Tomorrow, I am to help take out a group of French-speaking Belgians (a language I can actually sort of speak) sailing around the island.

Anyways, here's some things I've noticed so far about Sweden, the people, and the culture:
-The weather is very inconsistent. It can be sunny and 25 (C) one day, and then raining and 10 the next.
-Everyone can speak English. It is all just a matter of how willing they are to speak it.
-English is not an alternate language, but a secondary one. It is hard to join in a Swedish conversation without feeling rude.
-When the Swedish swear, which they often do, they do it in English. It's very funny to listen to with their accents.
-Vassaro is not a Boy Scout Camp. From the rules to the lifestyle, everything is different. For example, Vassaro has free condoms.
-Swedes love to eat. And they have good food, too. A great combination.
-Everyone drinks kaffe. So far I've seen kids as young as 10 drink it.
-Fikas are something that need to be used in America.
-No one has heard of Swedish fish.
-They are very open in their friendships and relatoinships. Lots of hugging and such everywhere.
-They are socialists in disguise. I told a few of them this, and they agreed.
-Many are interested in politics.
-The Baltic Sea is not very salty, which makes for a very relaxing swim.
-They are not very patriotic. They never sing their national anthem. Some people feel that displaying the flag in public as being offensive to minorities. Strange...

That's about it for now. I'll write again in another few days, and I'll have more pictures too. Life is basically perfect now. Hej da.

-Lukas

My First Day

Hej,

I just finished my first day. Needless to say, I am completely exhausted. After my flight was essentially cancelled on Monday, I arrived in Stockholm on Wednesday. After 10 hours of flying, I had to take a train, two buses, and a boat to finally get to Vassaro. That took about another 6 hours or so. When I got to Vassaro, dinner had just begun. Also, I arrived just in time for preparations for Confirmation. For the past for weeks, a group of about 50 teenage Protestants have been here at Vassaro, preparing for their Confirmation. The next couple days are now devoted to preparing the island for the arrival of several hundred family members and the Confirmation dinner.

Today, I woke up around 7:30 and wondered around for a little bit and finally found the showers. At 8, the Fladan (meaning "shallow harbor") funk raised the Swedish flag to start the day. Since I am officially working at Fladan in a few days, I was told to shadow them for the next few days. Basically, fladan is the sailing and canoeing area. Groups can book trips from a few hours to a couple days in length. At 8:15, I had breakfast. Swedish meals are very good, but very different manners than that in the U.S. It seemed like a free for all, where everyone was reaching and grabbing for food spread across the table. Not much talking goes on, almost like everyone is rushing to finish. It was kind of weird, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

It should be mentioned now, that when I woke up, the weather was absolutely terrible. It was raining buckets and the wind was somewhere between 15-20 m/s. Due to that, my "boss" Tobbe (pronounced Toe-beh) cancelled the bookings for this morning, I couldn't take any good photos and us staff basically sat around at the Fladan house talking about politics and such for a few hours until the rain cleared. At Fladan, I met the other American, Nathaniel, who I had contacted through email. He has been very helpful in guiding me, and although he does not speak Swedish, he has taught me. There is also another American, Matthew, who I met and he is from Texas.

Around 11:00, Tobbe took me and Nathaniel out on the Yxlo (Eeks-lah), which is a motor boat the Swedish use for fires. This was still while the storm was raging. So, we all put on our full rain gear (everyone on the Swedish staff seems to have professional sailing off-shore suits) and we got in the boat. I was told to sit in the front, and Nathaniel told Tobbe not to kill me. I thought this was kind of odd, as I thought he was referring to waves splashing over the bow. I was wrong. Instead, once we left Fladan, Tobbe floored it, and the bow of the boat reared back on about a 30 degree angle. Almost instantly, the boat hit one of the roller waves, and the bow drops about 5 feet onto the water behind the wave. Since I was sitting, this meant that my butt bore the grunt of the drop. And, to top it off, it was a metal seat without cushioning. This went on for about 5 minutes, with me taking an absolute beating from the water and the drops. Even though the whole ride was about 10 minutes, when I got back to shore, I could barely sit in my chair for lunch. I was told that I would pick up on the technique for saving yourself from the bruising, but for now, I don't want to go back on that boat for a while.

After lunch, Fladan began preparing for Confirmation. We cleaned up Fladan house (essentially a staff area with work benches and tools), the boat shed, and the life jacket shed. That took about a few hours. The sun finally came out for a few hours, which gave us enough time to bail water out of the few dozen boats there, a long and boring job even with a powered pump. After that was dinner, and we continued to prepare for Confirmation. Our job was to go back to the island, in the pouring rain, and pick up all the candles around the island. After a much calmer ride in Yxlo, we returned just in time for evening Fika (spelling?) Essentially it is a break involving food that is very important to Swedish culture. There are Fikas several times a day, and Swedish unions demand Fikas as part of their contracts. I ate some interesting snacks and played cards with the other staff.

So now I sit here, and it is 11:30 at night. Tomorrow, I'll probably put up a new post with all the observations about Sweden and their culture. It's too much an too late to add tonight. But for now, I am having a great time, even though the work I am doing is nothing that I will do for a while. A new group of Confirmation candidates come in on Sunday, so in four weeks time, I will be doing this again. Tomorrow, I will probably have to bail out the boats again since it has yet to stop raining, and I have to help set up the dining hall for the hundreds of people eating at Confirmation Dinner. I also promise to have some photos, if the weather gets better....

-Lukas

Lift Off

Well, today's the day. After 6 months of planning and waiting, I'm finally leaving for Sweden.  My stuff is all packed, and my bag is about 5 pounds under the weight limit, giving me some room to bring souvenirs back home.

It's kind of weird to finally be leaving, I must admit.  It's one of those things that I've just been talking about, but now requires action.  It's not like I don't want to go though, it's just that I can't believe it's today.

Anyways, I'm leaving in about a half an hour for the airport.  From there, I have a red eye flight to Sweden, followed by several bus transfers to get to the island.  I don't know when I'll post my next update.  But I do know it will include some pictures...

-Lukas