Posts filed under 'Seattle'
One week has now passed since I left Seattle and the United States of America. Almost ten months has passed since I first got there. While I wouldn't be surprised to find my self back there one day, I feel that this is a good time to summarize my experiences from the large country 'over there'.
I'll start with a one sentence summary of the greater Seattle area; Like Sweden, but bigger.
To elaborate, pretty much everything is bigger over there. The trees are bigger, the mountains are bigger, the cars are bigger, the stadiums are bigger and more numerous, the streets are wider, and the food portions are more generous. While we also have trees, mountains, cars, stadiums, streets and everything else they have over there, theirs are simply bigger. Whether that is positive or negative depends on the question at hand, and I guess I can't give a much better generic answer than "it depends".
The second most obvious thing I've noticed about Seattle is that people are more relaxed, hospitable, and easy-going. They are simply just very nice. Nicer than Swedes, I would say, at least on a shallow level. But when you think about how many people you talk to on any given day, you realize that you actually have a lot of rather shallow conversations. Americans are just so much better than Swedes at having those casual and spontaneous conversations. In fact, if there is one thing I would like to bring back home to Sweden, it would be this very skill.
One of the absolutely best things I did in Seattle, possibly even the best, was to start playing Ultimate. I've met a whole bunch of cool Americans, I've learned a great sport, and I've had so much fun! Not to mention that it has helped me stay in shape, and not gain any weight. I can wholeheartedly recommend both Ultimate as a sport, as well as playing some kind of team sport while studying abroad. It's a great chance to meet new people.
Also, I'm happy I took the chance to travel as much as I did. I've visited Hawaii, Las Vegas, Florida, Olympic Peninsula and California. During some trips, I either visited someone I knew, or had a visitor, which made them extra fun. Although I've spent thousands of dollars on these trips, I don't regret traveling for a second. The places I've visited are places I would have wanted to visit sometime in my life anyway, and why not do it when you've already paid for the trip over the Atlantic anyway? However, as a word of advice, don't forget to bring a towel! 
So, finally, for any and all of you out there - if you have the chance to study abroad, do it! For some reason, most people who have studies abroad tend to say that it was one of the best times of their lives, and that don't regret it. Although it might sound as a cliché, I can't help but chime in. Do it! You will have a great time, and you won't regret it.
Over and out,
Henrik
July 11th, 2006
I've been very efficient today. I met the landlord to get my deposit back, I've sold my bike and my bed, cleaned my room, sorted everything, thrown away what I don't need, burned a few things which I didn't want in the hands of the wrong person (personal checks for example), and a lot of other useful things.
To reward myself I just went down to my favorite Greek restaurant, sat down and had a nice dinner including almond baklava for dessert. Really good! As I've been to that restaurant on more than one occation, I've got to know the owner a little bit. So he was sad to hear that I was leaving (I guess I was a good customer). He also gave me his email address and asked me to write him a letter sometime. Great to know that at least someone is going to miss me.
Now it's about 15 hours until I should be at the airport, and the "only" things I have to do before that is pack my suitcases and sleep. Sounds easy, right? 
Let's hope for my sake that it is.
June 13th, 2006
Efter en tidig väckning av dubbla väckarklockor och en snabb frukost begav vi oss ner mot centrum för att hämta ut hyrbilen. Väl nere i centrum fick vi vår bil (en Huyndai Accent) för att sedan sätta full fart mot berget. Resan gick först via I5 med dess 5 filer i varje riktning för att sedan gå upp i parken på en smal grusväg med helt enorma hål i. Väl uppe i parken möts man av en helt enastående natur; orörd "urskog" där naturen får sköta sig själv så när som på de träd som råkar falla över vägen eller på annat vis hindrar bilar eller personer att ta sig fram.
Vädergudarna var helt klart på vår sida denna dag, solen stod högt på himlen och ett par solglasögon hade verkligen inte suttit i vägen. Stigarna var fina och naturen som sagt magnifik, ju högre upp man kommer desto bättre blir utsikten mot berget och dess glaciär. Större delen av vandringen går stigen längs med Carbon River viket ger en fantastisk utsikt mot de omkringliggande bergen. Strax innan vi nådde fram till Carbon Glacier korsade vi vattnet via en hängbro.
Väl uppe vid glaciären tyckte vi den såg väldigt liten ut och efter att ha gått runt lite för att kika närmare bestämde oss för att äta vår medhavda matsäck. Under tiden vi åt satt jag och tittade ner mot vad vi först identifierat som en bergvägg och inser till sist vårt misstag. Vi hade på grund av allt grus som satt fast i ytan på isen misstagit den relativt stora glaciären för ett berg. Då vi äntligen insett detta valde vi att klättra en smula utanför ledan och ta oss ner till smältvattentunnelns utlopp från glaciären. Det kändes ganska imponerande att stå såpass nära en glaciär, men medans vi stod där damp det ner sten i en väldig fart en 10-15 meter från oss. Då insåg man lite varför det inte är rekomenderat (läs förbjudet) att gå ner till glaciären och vattnet.
Efter detta begav vi oss tillbaks till bilen för att ta oss tillbaks, på vägen tillbaks såg vi dock ett vattenfall skymta fram mellan träden och stannade därför. En kort promenad så var vi precis vid vattenfallets nedre del, det var väldigt fint med härligt ljus som kom mellan träden, en mycket bra avstickare. Efter denna lilla avstickare åt vi resten av vår matsäck och begav oss sedan tillbaks till Seattle för att lämna tillbaks hyrbilen.
/Göran
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May 7th, 2006
Helgen tillbringade vi på Olympic Peninsula - en stoor halvö väster om Seattle. Vi såg nog i princip allt som broschyrerna lovade: fantastiska utsikter, enorma träd, snöiga bergstoppar, flockar med (Roosveldt-)älgar och svartsvansade rådjur, vindpinade kuster, skalliga örnar, varma källor (eller rättare sagt diken) och kalla vattenfall. Från halvöns nordvästraste punkt såg vi även en hel ö full med stora säldjur. I brist på bättre förslag klassifierar vi dem som stellar sea lion.
Idag har vi paddlat kanot i Lake Washington bland bäverbon, sköldpaddor och hägrar. Från vårt fartyg såg vi även en sovande tvättbjörn i en solig trädstam. Den var sååå söt =)
Nu är det natt och vi ska sova. Eller ja, egentligen skall vi titta på en film först, men det talar jag inte om =P
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April 18th, 2006
Nu tycker jag inte längre att faunan är endast välbekant. Gick runt på University of Washington campus idag, under en av Henriks lektioner. Och sen var vi på promenad vid Lake Washington alldeles bredvid universitetet. Vi såg som sagt både bävrar och sköldpaddor! =D
Jag har dessutom sett många nya fåglar - bland annat flera stycken söta chickadee (liknar vår talltita), american robin, white-crowned sparrow, red-winged blackbird (sjöng inte alls lika fint som våra koltrastar med hade väldigt coolt rött på vingarna som den visade upp när den sjöng) och spotted towhee. Har även sett många välbekanta, som tex kanadagäss, hägrar, gräsänder och skarvar.
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April 11th, 2006
No doubt about it, Spring has come to Seattle. Very suiting since Spring quarter is just about to begin. I just thought I would share some pictures of the campus with you.
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March 26th, 2006
This Sunday afternoon, I thought that the rest of the evening would just be a normal, slightly boring evening. Perhaps I would watch a movie, but not more exciting than that. Well, I was wrong…
Continue Reading March 6th, 2006
Oh, shit. Seahawks lost against the Pittsburg Steelers. Well, that was too bad. But at least I got to experience a real Superbowl party at a couple of friends' house. There were about 40 of us at the party, cheering for Seahawks, but it didn't help. The other team won, and the feeling of losing was pretty obvious. Most people just left imediately. Some of them stayed however, most of them the few people who didn't care too much about football.
At the party I was at, they had a big screen with a projector and a couple of smaller TV's to show the game. They also had a keg (roughly "kagge" in Swedish) of beer for those who wanted something to drink. Overall, it was a fun party. At least until the Steelers took the lead the Seahawks originally had.
I guess it would have been more fun if the Seahawks would have won, but as I said, at least I got the chance to experience a real Superbowl party!
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February 5th, 2006
Today, I've eaten the largest hamburger I've ever seen. A cheese burger with one pound of meat. That is almost a half kilogram of meat! It was huge! I am actually quite that I managed to eat the whole burger!
The restaurant is called The Ram, and is rather famous for their huge burgers.
Also, by filling out a questionaire with usual question such as "how was the food?" "the service?" and so on, we also got gift cards for a free (smaller, although still pretty large) burger which we can use some other time! That's pretty close to a free lunch.
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February 3rd, 2006
Tonight, the Seattle professional football team the Seattle Seahawks reached the Superbowl for the first time in the team's history. Superbowl, for those who don't know, is the grande finale of NFL - the National Footbal League. It is huge! Tonight, the Seahawks convincingly beat the Carolina Panthers, and in two weeks they will meet the Pittsburg Steelers in Superbowl, this year taking place in Detroit.
When the Seahawks won, the whole stadium was celebrating. In fact, more or less the whole city was! I opened my door when the game ended, and walked out on the porch. People were shouting and cheering everywhere. They're crazy, these Americans.
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January 22nd, 2006
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