I am writing this as I'm giving the three blonde, tanned, Swedish boys (friendly hunks really) who invaded my 4 bed mixed dorm some privacy since they seemed in the process of changing when I last entered the room.
I will always connect Göteborg to Bruce Springsteen even though he is from New Jersey. It began when I first looked into accommodations in Göteborg back in April and couldn't find any for July 27th and 28th. What was going on I asked the people I was drinking with back in our Princeton apartment. It turned out that nothing really is going on in Göteborg, but that Bruce Springsteen would give concerts there both days. I dismissed the idea of a fellow New Jerseyan being the cause of my housing crisis, let me convince that people just liked the city for its nightlife at the weekends, and booked a room in a town a few hours north instead. But when I finally arrived in Göteborg, the Bruce greeted me from posters that not only announced the big event but also advertised for Bruce-parties all over the city.
In the hostel in Göteborg I stayed in a week before the concert a staff member confirmed the Bruce-mania and said that he was rather big in Sweden. Oh well. Having lived close to NYC I indulge myself sometimes in looking down on people who haven't had any taste of big city life. Hostel boy did not appreciate that, but he gave me a room for the concert dates that surprisingly became available anyway, so I didn't have to leave the city for two days. I ended up staying in a 4 bed mixed dorm, where I was woken up by my roommates' alarm this morning playing a Springsteen tune. During a thunderstorm today when I was stranded under a roof for shelter together with two Swedish men, they asked me if I, too, was going to the Springsteen concert. And at dinner I sat next to a German family dressed in garments with Springsteen's name on it.
I wonder if the three Swedish boys are going to the concert as well or stay for my entertainment. I'll report.
28 July 2012
21 July 2012
Herräng 7
Goodbyes. I left Herräng half glad and half sad, and also half dead I must say. Half glad because I'm looking forward to plenty of sleep, a bit of privacy, clean bathrooms and hot showers. Half sad to stop dancing for a while, to leave the happy Herräng world and my new friends. Alanna got up really early to say goodbye which made me glad and sad at the same time. Leaving behind some really cool people always sucks. But I'm sure I'll see her, and Raul, and Bella, and hopefully a few others again. After all, the swing dancing world is a small one.
On my travels, I have been growing as a person. Today, I experienced something unbeknownst to me: I missed a bus. I missed the bus from Herräng to Hallstavik even though I was at the bus stop 20 minutes early. Herräng is a tiny village consisting of a main street and a few side streets. At the end of Herräng is the Baltic Sea. The bus from Hallstavik enters Herräng at one side of the village, stops a few times, turns around, stops a few times on the other side of the main street, and drives back to Hallstavik. This happens every two hours or so. At least, that's what I thought. I was waiting on the side of the street where the bus would stop after turning around, right before leaving the village. I saw it coming, stopping on the opposite side of the street where a woman boarded it. I decided to wait for the bus to turn around and come back instead of crossing the street. In fact, I was feeling a bit smug about that woman who had needlessly rushed to the bus and who would now get a tour of Herräng instead of taking her time and cross the street to wait with me. Well, my smugness disappeared when the bus never came back and I realized that it did not always turn around but sometimes took a different route back to Hallstavik. This was confirmed later by a friendly local who told me exactly that, about half an hour later. It was then that I felt half dead, tired, cold, sick and a bit embarrassed.
Instead of waiting for the next bus two hours later, I got a ride to Hallstavik by an elderly Swedish couple (have I really never hitch-hiked before?), and thus, I missed my train to Gothenburg (Göteborg) only by a few minutes. Missing my train was a bit unfortunate since I had a really cheap ticket which I had bought from a fellow dancer whom I gave my ticket to Stockholm in exchange - she had had to change her travel plans. Her Gothenburg ticket was connected to my missed train, so I had to get a new one which cost twice as much. But it turned out that I couldn't have used her ticket anyway since it had her name on it. This way, I avoided an unpleasant situation in the train.
Anyway, I'll be in Gothenburg tonight, sleep, wash my clothes, and get better for the next three days before I meet up with Sally and Leo, take the boat to their island and have an awesome Swedish time!
On my travels, I have been growing as a person. Today, I experienced something unbeknownst to me: I missed a bus. I missed the bus from Herräng to Hallstavik even though I was at the bus stop 20 minutes early. Herräng is a tiny village consisting of a main street and a few side streets. At the end of Herräng is the Baltic Sea. The bus from Hallstavik enters Herräng at one side of the village, stops a few times, turns around, stops a few times on the other side of the main street, and drives back to Hallstavik. This happens every two hours or so. At least, that's what I thought. I was waiting on the side of the street where the bus would stop after turning around, right before leaving the village. I saw it coming, stopping on the opposite side of the street where a woman boarded it. I decided to wait for the bus to turn around and come back instead of crossing the street. In fact, I was feeling a bit smug about that woman who had needlessly rushed to the bus and who would now get a tour of Herräng instead of taking her time and cross the street to wait with me. Well, my smugness disappeared when the bus never came back and I realized that it did not always turn around but sometimes took a different route back to Hallstavik. This was confirmed later by a friendly local who told me exactly that, about half an hour later. It was then that I felt half dead, tired, cold, sick and a bit embarrassed.
Instead of waiting for the next bus two hours later, I got a ride to Hallstavik by an elderly Swedish couple (have I really never hitch-hiked before?), and thus, I missed my train to Gothenburg (Göteborg) only by a few minutes. Missing my train was a bit unfortunate since I had a really cheap ticket which I had bought from a fellow dancer whom I gave my ticket to Stockholm in exchange - she had had to change her travel plans. Her Gothenburg ticket was connected to my missed train, so I had to get a new one which cost twice as much. But it turned out that I couldn't have used her ticket anyway since it had her name on it. This way, I avoided an unpleasant situation in the train.
Anyway, I'll be in Gothenburg tonight, sleep, wash my clothes, and get better for the next three days before I meet up with Sally and Leo, take the boat to their island and have an awesome Swedish time!
Herräng 6
Pirates and Parrots - or - How Many Dances Is One Too Many?
On Friday, it was Pirates and Parrots night. I was not only sleep-deprived from previous nights, but also had finally caught the camp flu. Therefore, I decided to take a nap after dinner, and I really surprised myself by actually getting up again at 10 pm to dress up and go dancing.
The venue was decorated with palm trees, all imaginable kinds of pirate accessories, a jungle, a screen with a film of a muggy sea and a sailing ship in the background, and many more little details. People were dressed up as pirates, parrots, pirate ships, a flamingo, a beer keg, etc. I don't remember seeing anyone of the hundreds of people dressed in regular attire.
But what really stood out was the bar. During the days a regular bar, it had been transformed by volunteers to a seamen's watering hole with huge hand-drawn maps on the walls, shanty music in the background, old candelabra and rum bottles on the tables, and at some point the whole place singing along to a song which, naturally, had the chorus: Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum, accompanied by a fiddle. It was in the bar where I had a strange encounter. A guy I had been dancing with a couple of times that night and, as I later came to realize, for probably six dances in a row, came over to apologize for being rude, since he had left me on the dance floor a bit abruptly after our last dance. I have to add that it is unusual to dance for more than one (in the US) or two (Sweden, Germany) dances in a row with a stranger. But this guy and I had been chatting a bit earlier about dancing and were on similar terms about enjoying a dance as opposed to showing off one's cool moves. He also did Balboa and helped me a bit practicing which lead to the first couple of songs in a row. We then did some Lindy Hop which was fun, too, and there weren't many dancers that I clicked with on the dance floor. All good reasons for me to hold on to him as a leader, especially since there weren't enough for all the followers. But when he left I didn't think much about it and had a few dances with other leads.
So when he apologized later in the bar I told him not to worry, but then he seemed to want to say something more. Eventually, he did and left me speechless when he said that he had family and didn't want to raise any expectations. Apparently, he mistook my interest in him as a dance partner for an interest of a different kind. All I could say then was Ok..?
On the one hand I find it very decent of him to be upfront about existing relationships and intentions or rather the absence of any intentions. But I was embarrassed and I do wonder what I did that made him think I was interested in him in any other way than dancing. I asked around, and my non-representative poll resulted in a number of dances with a stranger that you should not exceed in order to avoid misunderstandings: It's 3.
On Friday, it was Pirates and Parrots night. I was not only sleep-deprived from previous nights, but also had finally caught the camp flu. Therefore, I decided to take a nap after dinner, and I really surprised myself by actually getting up again at 10 pm to dress up and go dancing.
The venue was decorated with palm trees, all imaginable kinds of pirate accessories, a jungle, a screen with a film of a muggy sea and a sailing ship in the background, and many more little details. People were dressed up as pirates, parrots, pirate ships, a flamingo, a beer keg, etc. I don't remember seeing anyone of the hundreds of people dressed in regular attire.
But what really stood out was the bar. During the days a regular bar, it had been transformed by volunteers to a seamen's watering hole with huge hand-drawn maps on the walls, shanty music in the background, old candelabra and rum bottles on the tables, and at some point the whole place singing along to a song which, naturally, had the chorus: Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum, accompanied by a fiddle. It was in the bar where I had a strange encounter. A guy I had been dancing with a couple of times that night and, as I later came to realize, for probably six dances in a row, came over to apologize for being rude, since he had left me on the dance floor a bit abruptly after our last dance. I have to add that it is unusual to dance for more than one (in the US) or two (Sweden, Germany) dances in a row with a stranger. But this guy and I had been chatting a bit earlier about dancing and were on similar terms about enjoying a dance as opposed to showing off one's cool moves. He also did Balboa and helped me a bit practicing which lead to the first couple of songs in a row. We then did some Lindy Hop which was fun, too, and there weren't many dancers that I clicked with on the dance floor. All good reasons for me to hold on to him as a leader, especially since there weren't enough for all the followers. But when he left I didn't think much about it and had a few dances with other leads.
So when he apologized later in the bar I told him not to worry, but then he seemed to want to say something more. Eventually, he did and left me speechless when he said that he had family and didn't want to raise any expectations. Apparently, he mistook my interest in him as a dance partner for an interest of a different kind. All I could say then was Ok..?
On the one hand I find it very decent of him to be upfront about existing relationships and intentions or rather the absence of any intentions. But I was embarrassed and I do wonder what I did that made him think I was interested in him in any other way than dancing. I asked around, and my non-representative poll resulted in a number of dances with a stranger that you should not exceed in order to avoid misunderstandings: It's 3.
Herräng 5
Speed-dating. Has anyone ever done it? I know Kat has, and from what I've heard it is a serious matter where you are face to face with a guy and you try to make a good first impression in 3 minutes, before you are put in front of the next person. In the end you choose the people you liked and want to see again, and if it turns out that two people chose each other they'll get each other's contact information.
Herräng speed-dating was different. I first had moral reservations against participating, since I'm already taken, but then the set-up looked like a whole lot of fun and my friend Alanna wouldn't go if I didn't. So I went.
We sat in a big tent which was usually used for dance classes. The floor was decorated with roses and pillows. People wanting to meet ladies (mostly guys) were sitting in an outer circle, while people wanting to meet guys (mostly ladies) sat across from them in an inner circle. We were given tasks to fulfill before we would rotate and end up in front of a new partner. The first task was for the inner circle to rotate for two seats so that everyone would sit across a different person. Then, the guys had to give the ladies a nice back rub, and after a minute, the roles were reversed. The next task with a new guy was to discuss solutions for the European financial crisis. Next task was to look into each other's eyes for a whole minute without talking. I've never experienced such a long minute and this much awkwardness.
We had to talk about our regrets in life, what turns us on and puts us off, most important aspects of a relationship, ask each other all the questions we wanted to ask (without getting answers), invent a secret handshake, give each other a hand massage and at the same time ask the partner the question: What's your problem?
It was a lot of fun, and successful matches would get a dance card with an agreed time and location for their dance.
Unfortunately, the organizers messed up the results so that at one point five guys were waiting at their meeting points for their dates who never showed up. Also, neither did I get any dates nor any words of consolation for that from my boyfriend :)
Herräng speed-dating was different. I first had moral reservations against participating, since I'm already taken, but then the set-up looked like a whole lot of fun and my friend Alanna wouldn't go if I didn't. So I went.
We sat in a big tent which was usually used for dance classes. The floor was decorated with roses and pillows. People wanting to meet ladies (mostly guys) were sitting in an outer circle, while people wanting to meet guys (mostly ladies) sat across from them in an inner circle. We were given tasks to fulfill before we would rotate and end up in front of a new partner. The first task was for the inner circle to rotate for two seats so that everyone would sit across a different person. Then, the guys had to give the ladies a nice back rub, and after a minute, the roles were reversed. The next task with a new guy was to discuss solutions for the European financial crisis. Next task was to look into each other's eyes for a whole minute without talking. I've never experienced such a long minute and this much awkwardness.
We had to talk about our regrets in life, what turns us on and puts us off, most important aspects of a relationship, ask each other all the questions we wanted to ask (without getting answers), invent a secret handshake, give each other a hand massage and at the same time ask the partner the question: What's your problem?
It was a lot of fun, and successful matches would get a dance card with an agreed time and location for their dance.
Unfortunately, the organizers messed up the results so that at one point five guys were waiting at their meeting points for their dates who never showed up. Also, neither did I get any dates nor any words of consolation for that from my boyfriend :)
15 July 2012
Herräng 4
I'm sitting in a big tent which has been provided for doing hair and make-up. It's raining hard, and this is a good place with a chair, wifi reception, and a power outlet. Next to the tent is the sauna building which also has showers and a toilet.
Suddenly, just now, the door to the sauna opened, I saw a hand and a shoe and the hand grabbing something in the shoe and, with a shriek, throwing out a frog. That poor guy sat on the doormat for a while, paralyzed, or waiting to get back in, but figured soon enough that he wasn't welcome when that woman, exiting the building and seeing the little man there shrieked again. Apparently, she's not on friendly terms with the fauna here, having found a dead ant in her ear the other day.
Suddenly, just now, the door to the sauna opened, I saw a hand and a shoe and the hand grabbing something in the shoe and, with a shriek, throwing out a frog. That poor guy sat on the doormat for a while, paralyzed, or waiting to get back in, but figured soon enough that he wasn't welcome when that woman, exiting the building and seeing the little man there shrieked again. Apparently, she's not on friendly terms with the fauna here, having found a dead ant in her ear the other day.
14 July 2012
Herräng 3
After one week Herräng Dance Camp I ran out of Moskito spray, finally found the self-catering kitchen, and sadly, had to say goodbye to some of my new friends who left today.
One of them sneaked in this morning while I was still sleeping and left me his food. A bit creepy but greatly appreciated.
The last night of week one was legendary, and no pictures or videos could capture the atmosphere of the combined music, vintage hairstyles, clothes and decoration, together with the late hours. After a coffee and a beer around 3 am I found my second wind and had a few really fast Charleston dances before I retreated to the bar. There, a few musicians came together for a jam session, surrounded by a few dancing couples and just everyone swaying. Imagine clothes in Savoy Ballroom style (the theme of the night) and you feel like being part of a black and white movie from the 40ies.
I went to bed at 5 am, haven't stayed up that late in a very long time.
Pictures of the general accommodations, where I'm staying, and the surprise I found under my bed this morning.
One of them sneaked in this morning while I was still sleeping and left me his food. A bit creepy but greatly appreciated.
The last night of week one was legendary, and no pictures or videos could capture the atmosphere of the combined music, vintage hairstyles, clothes and decoration, together with the late hours. After a coffee and a beer around 3 am I found my second wind and had a few really fast Charleston dances before I retreated to the bar. There, a few musicians came together for a jam session, surrounded by a few dancing couples and just everyone swaying. Imagine clothes in Savoy Ballroom style (the theme of the night) and you feel like being part of a black and white movie from the 40ies.
I went to bed at 5 am, haven't stayed up that late in a very long time.
Pictures of the general accommodations, where I'm staying, and the surprise I found under my bed this morning.
13 July 2012
Herräng 2
On day three the sleeping accommodations look like a refugee camp but with mostly happy (and tired) people around. My moral issues with killing mosquitos (bad karma!) have eventually disappeared as the area of skin which is not yet covered with bites decreased. My planned daily exercise routine in order to prevent camp flu got replaced by vitamin C supplements.
I am terribly grateful for the advice from a fellow traveller to bring a clothes line on travels. Having 3-4 dance classes plus social dancing every day means a lot of sweating and thus washing clothes a lot. My quick-drying clothes are so worth their money when it is muggy and rainy all day.
Besides dancing, so far I have taken a lesson in miming, watched a movie from the 40s with the Glenn Miller orchestra, had fun dinner and breakfast company with people from >10 different countries, and learned a lot about the history of swing dance.
There will be more to report, I'm sure.
I am terribly grateful for the advice from a fellow traveller to bring a clothes line on travels. Having 3-4 dance classes plus social dancing every day means a lot of sweating and thus washing clothes a lot. My quick-drying clothes are so worth their money when it is muggy and rainy all day.
Besides dancing, so far I have taken a lesson in miming, watched a movie from the 40s with the Glenn Miller orchestra, had fun dinner and breakfast company with people from >10 different countries, and learned a lot about the history of swing dance.
There will be more to report, I'm sure.
8 July 2012
Herräng
What's Herräng, you might wonder. It has nothing to do with herring as far as I know. It is the name of the place where the biggest and with 30 years probably oldest swing dance camp of the world happens every summer for 5 weeks long. Every swing dancer of the world knows about it. I happen to be here this year, taking one week of "Authentic Jazz" (with 18 lessons in 6 days), and one week of Balboa.
I took a bunch of buses today to get here from Stockholm, a bit worried, because smart as I am I had searched and found the only negative camp review there is in the world wide web, with a lively description of accommodation, food and organization.
Having read this and keeping the advice of other Herräng-goers in mind my main concern was to find a good bed where I can breathe. General accommodations means classrooms and the gym of the local school packed with bunk-beds. I was lucky, I got a bed close by the window in a room that only holds maybe some 40 beds; and I already put up a germ shield that hopefully prevents me and my neighbor to the side from exchanging any diseases and maybe rolling over. Apparently, a diverse mix of viruses likes to spread at Herräng, the camp situation being the opposite of quarantine and more like a chicken pox party.
Quite happy with my choice I could relax a bit and took a stroll through the tiny village of Herräng with very friendly new acquaintances. We found the little grocery store, the marina and the beach. As it is the Baltic Sea and the water didn't hurt my feet I decided to go swimming tomorrow morning. To make it easier to get in I am planning to run the one kilometer there.
I purchased a meal plan which will provide me with breakfast and dinner everyday, so I don't have to take care of that. Dinner today was good already and I especially appreciated the choice of salads.
The only other thing I did today apart from registering, bed-hunting and socializing was attending the town meeting. Town meeting is every night, when the whole camp comes together for announcements, performances and just general entertainment and awesomeness.
It's my first day here and I already picture my future self as one of those people whose eyes go all dreamy when asked about Herräng. And no, I haven't even danced yet.
I took a bunch of buses today to get here from Stockholm, a bit worried, because smart as I am I had searched and found the only negative camp review there is in the world wide web, with a lively description of accommodation, food and organization.
Having read this and keeping the advice of other Herräng-goers in mind my main concern was to find a good bed where I can breathe. General accommodations means classrooms and the gym of the local school packed with bunk-beds. I was lucky, I got a bed close by the window in a room that only holds maybe some 40 beds; and I already put up a germ shield that hopefully prevents me and my neighbor to the side from exchanging any diseases and maybe rolling over. Apparently, a diverse mix of viruses likes to spread at Herräng, the camp situation being the opposite of quarantine and more like a chicken pox party.
Quite happy with my choice I could relax a bit and took a stroll through the tiny village of Herräng with very friendly new acquaintances. We found the little grocery store, the marina and the beach. As it is the Baltic Sea and the water didn't hurt my feet I decided to go swimming tomorrow morning. To make it easier to get in I am planning to run the one kilometer there.
I purchased a meal plan which will provide me with breakfast and dinner everyday, so I don't have to take care of that. Dinner today was good already and I especially appreciated the choice of salads.
The only other thing I did today apart from registering, bed-hunting and socializing was attending the town meeting. Town meeting is every night, when the whole camp comes together for announcements, performances and just general entertainment and awesomeness.
It's my first day here and I already picture my future self as one of those people whose eyes go all dreamy when asked about Herräng. And no, I haven't even danced yet.
5 July 2012
3 July 2012
Stockholm 1 (hopefully to be continued)
My hostel is located in the old town of Stockholm, a beautiful neighborhood, filled with tourists and pickpockets. Next to the hostel stands an old chestnut tree in the center of a little square. In the evenings, the square miraculously fills up with chairs and people, and a bunch of professional storytellers gives a performance.
Having discovered this event on the hostel blackboard, I decided to join the crowd together with a glass of red wine that a friendly former hostel guest has left behind.
I don't understand a word of the story since it's in Swedish, but the atmosphere is great.
Having discovered this event on the hostel blackboard, I decided to join the crowd together with a glass of red wine that a friendly former hostel guest has left behind.
I don't understand a word of the story since it's in Swedish, but the atmosphere is great.
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