Scandinavia
Table of Contents
Letter From the Editors ;IPGSQI XS XLI JNSVHW SJ 7GERHMREZME
8YJXW 8VEZIPW
4
Anna Simon
Coping in Copenhagen
6
Allison Dempsey
Tales Told to Children
8
&VMERRE &IILPIV
=SY 'ER´X 'SRXVSP XLI ;IEXLIV
10
'LIPPI &IILPIV
-GIPERH
12
Ally Abouzahr
%R -RHMI 6SGO +YMHI XS 7XSGOLSPQ
13
1SPP] 2I[QER
Dalarna
14
)QMPMI 4EVQPMRH
7[IHMWL 3EXQIEP 0EGI 'SSOMIW
16
6IFIGGE +VYRFIVK
9XJSVWO %R )\TPSVEXMSR XS 2SVKI
18
8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^
;VMXIVW SJ XLI 2SVHMG 'MVGPI
20
'LEVQEMRI 4SL
4LSXS 'SRXIWX
22
8YJXW 4LSXSKVETLIVW
;LEX I\EGXP] GSRWXMXYXIW 7GERHMREZME# -R SVHIV XS GETMXEPM^I SR GSRXIRX JVSQ EW QER] GSYRXVMIW EW TSWWMFPI [I´ZI YWIH XLI FVSEHIWX HI½RMXMSR [I GSYPH ½RH [I´PP FI XEOMRK ]SY JVSQ (IRQEVO XS -GIPERH XS 7[IHIR XS 2SV[E]°UYMXI XLI EHZIRXYVI ;I´VI EPWS TVSYH XS MRXVSHYGI SYV ½VWX IZIV Traveler TLSXS GSRXIWX 3YV TVSQTX [EW ±QEVOIXTPEGI ² ERH [I [IVI MQTVIWWIH [MXL FVSEH MRXIVTVIXEXMSRW SJ XLI XLIQI ERH XLI SZIVEPP UYEPMX] SJ XLI WYFQMWWMSRW -X [EWR´X IEW] XS WIPIGX SYV [MRRIVW JVSQ EQSRK XLI MRGVIHMFP] XEPIRXIH WXYHIRX TLSXSKVETLIVW EX 8YJXW FYX [I LSTI ]SY IRNS] XLIMV [SVO ERH GSRWMHIV WYFQMXXMRK XS SYV RI\X GSRXIWX XLIQI XS FI ERRSYRGIH ;LIXLIV ]SY´VI WXVERHIH F] )]NEJNEPPEN}OYPP MR -GIPERH [ERHIVMRK XLI JSVIWXW SJ (EPEVRE XEOMRK HEVIW MR 3WPS SV ZMWMXMRK XLI PMXXPI 1IVQEMH MR 'STIRLEKIR IRNS] SYV I\TPSVEXMSR SJ 7GERHMREZME ,ETT] 8VEZIPW -Anna & Denali
)HMXSVW MR 'LMIJ Denali Hussin Anna Simon 4LSXS )HMXSV %Q] ;MT¾IV 0MXIVEV] )HMXSV Spenser Wright 7XEJJ )HMXSVW Ally Abouzahr Kathleen Cape -WEEG *VIIQER %RRE 0SRKS 1MXGLIPP 1SWO 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^ %RMWLE 6I^E 0E]SYX )HMXSVW %RRE 7MQSR (IREPM ,YWWMR %PP] %FSY^ELV 6IFIGGE +VYRberg Jenna Liang 'SRXVMFYXMRK ;VMXIVW %PP] %FSY^ELV &VMERRE &IILPIV 'LIPPI &IILPIV %PPMWSR (IQTWI] 1SPP] 2I[QER )QMPMI 4EVQPMRH 'LEVQEMRI 4SL 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^ 'SRXVMFYXMRK 4LSXSKVETLIVW )QMP] +IVRKVSWW 6IFIGGE +VYRFIVK 1SPP] 2I[QER )QMPMI 4EVQPMRH %RRE 7MQSR 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^ 'SZIV 4LSXS F] 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^
2
4LSXS F] 1SPP] 2I[QER
3
8YJXW 8VEZIPW Summer 2010 GSQTMPIH F] %RRE 7MQSR
18 19
2 24 3
8
7 6
4 5
9
13 14 15 12 11 10
23 25 27 28
26
22 42 41 40
20 21 43 44 37 39 36 38
70 53 52
35 33 31 32
1
64 49 50 48 47 46 45
Travelers by number, name, destination. 1. Negar Dastjerdi, Honolulu, Hawaii. 2. Sarah Ruckhaus, Alaska and Victoria, B.C. 3. Ben Gregory, Took Craft 17 Brewery Tours in Portland, Oregon. 4. James Mackenzie, San Francisco, California. 5. Negar Dastjerdi, Los Angeles, California. 6 $P\ :LSà HU -DFNVRQ +ROH Wyoming. 7. Jenna Lohmann, avoided hypothermia and bears in beautiful Grand Teton National Park, California. 8. Denali Hussin, found ice in August while backpacking around Lander, Wyoming. 9. Spenser Wright and Isaac FreePDQ HQWHUWDLQHG E\ D SULVRQ EDQG DW D FDWÀVK IU\ $UNDQVDV 10. Katie Quackenbush, Edisto Beach, South Carolina. 11. Austin, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 12. Anna Longo, ate hotdogs at the original Nathan’s, Coney Island, New York. 13. Kip, watched the Mountain Bike World Cup in Windham, New York. 14. Sylvia Avila, interned in the Upper West Side, New York, New York. 15. Charlotte Harrison, Biked on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. 16. Caitlyn Doucette, Stayed on a coffee cooperative with ex-guerrilla combatants, Santa Anita la Union, Guatemala. 17. Caleb Zimmerman, Machu Picchu, Peru. 18. Chelle Beehler, Unplanned extended layover in Reykjavik, Iceland due to second volcanic eruption. 19. Emilie Parmlind, ate her weight in pies baked by her grandmother, Sweden. 20. Maggie Dembinski, danced in a dungeon-turned-bar, Poznan and Tuczno, Poland. 21. Natalie Wiegand, visited her great-grandmother’s house, which is now a museum, Zeitz, Germany. 22. Charmaine Poh, Paris, France. 23. Laura Suarez, La Rochelle, France. 24. Charmaine Poh, London, England. 25. Ally Abouzahr, Lisboa and Porto, Portugal. 26. Madeleina Carey, saw the Obamas in Granada, Spain. 27. Angela Lyonsjustus, Tanger, Morocco. 28. Brianna Beehler, stayed in a riad that had a resident turtle in Mar-
4
rakech, Morocco. 29. David Meyers, worked with the Shilongo Village with Tufts Engineers Without Borders, Mbala, Uganda. 30. Andrew Bellet, Connor Rose, and Jerzy EisenbergGuyot, high altitude training in Iten, Kenya. 31. Andrew Bellet, Cairo, Egypt. 32. Caroline Kremer, hiked through Petra, Jordan. 33. Sabrina Gordon, traveled throughout Israel. 34. Yein Kim, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 35. Donna Au, rode a moped through Cappadoccia, Turkey, in search of an underground city. 36. Stephanie Caprez, Istanbul, Turkey. 37. Hannah Shefsky, got lost in the Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. 38. Sarah Heidmann, Positano, Italy. 39. Amanda 5L]]R VSHQW Ă€IWHHQ GD\V WUDYHOLQJ IURP Pisa to Paris. 40. Sanaya Daruvala, archeological excavation in Menorca, Spain. 41. Jacqueline Devigne, toured an aircraft carrier and sang “I’m On A Boat“ in Marseille, France. 42. Mark Rafferty, racked up expensive Swiss parking tickets while working at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. 43. Stephanie Caprez, Lugano, Italy. 44. Caroline Geiger, wore a Dimdl to a local beerfest
29 30
71
67 66
51 34
16
69 68
54
72
73
65 63
55
62 61
56 57
58
59 60
in Kaufbeuren, Germany. 45. Vasundhara Jolly, Kovalam, India. 46. Zac Schwartz, Goa, India. 47. Hena Kapadia, went to a big fat Indian wedding in Bombay, India. 48. Namratha Rao, did research in her hometown of Bombay, India. 49. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, ate street foods in Mumbai, India. 50. Alex Laffer, Hillel trip to Mumbai, India. 51. Shubham Kumar, New Delhi, India. 52. Shubham Kumar, visited Home of the Seven Sages, Manali, India. 53. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, slept at 13,000 feet in Ladakh, India. 54. Charmaine Poh, spent three weeks in Kathmanu, Nepal. 55. Weilin Mun, went up a mountain by motorbike in Chaing Mai, Thailand. 56. Jenna Liang, spent four days weaving through the islands of Thailand. 57. Charmaine Poh, went home to Singapore. 58. Sejal Soni, spent a month scuba diving at Hoga Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. 59. Charmaine Poh, Sydney, Australia. 60. Rebecca Grunberg, did research in Sydney, Australia. 61. Katie Ionis, saw the temples at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. 62. Sharmaine Oh, took a train ride from Saigon to Hanoi, Vietnam. 63. Brianna Beehler, Kowloon, Hong Kong. 64. Jordan Ko, explored rural farmlands in Yongzhou, China. 65. Melody Lin, hiked amongst wild goats and monkeys in Kenting, Taiwan. 66. Eric Liu, visited the World Expo in Shanghai China. 67. Quentin Lott, helped Chinese high school students apply to American universities, Shanghai, China. 68. Kaiying Lau, interned at a hotel, including a four day stint in the pastry kitchen, Beijing, China. 69. Eric Liu, Beijing, China. 70. Anna Simon, spent two days in Xilin Gol, slept in a yurt, milked a horse, Inner Mongolia, China. 71. Anisha Reza, spent six weeks getting sucked into Korean culture, Seoul, South Korea. 72. Alex Michaelson, camped on the shore of Lake Biwa, Shiga, Japan. 73. Amelia Wellers, explored Tokyo using the metro, a 20-year-old bike, and ten words of Japanese.
5
Coping in Copenhagen by Allison Dempsey
4LSXS F] )QMP] +IVRKVSWW
Leading up to my departure to study abroad in Denmark in the fall of 2009, I heard many different reactions when I told people where I was going. Among the most common were: “Denmark? Why‌â€? “Better bring a warm coat‌â€? And, my personal favorite: “Whoa! A semester in Amsterdam!â€? Note to all: Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. I spent my semester in Copenhagen, which is the capital of Denmark, where marijuana and prostitution are most certainly illegal. Copenhagen is one of Europe’s oldest cities. There is a unique mix of old and modern architecture scattered along canals, cobblestone roads, and pedestrian streets. The school I attended was located in an 18th century building that certainly would not have complied with American safety regulations. But the rickety staircases, unsupported ceilings, and stone walls are part of what made my experience with the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) a completely different experience from my time at Tufts University. My instructors were all working professionals, and therefore could offer unique life experiences. ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKH\ ZHUH DOO 'DQLVK WKRXJK Ă Xent in English (luckily for me). 6
I also got to hear issues discussed from a European perspective, which was fascinating. However, I must admit that my primary focus while in Copenhagen was not my studies. First of all, my program stressed that traveling while abroad is a necessity. We never spent more than three weeks in class without traveling, which was for me the most valuable experience of all. Instead of stressing about grades or staying up late studying, I was gaining life experience. Living in Europe presents an abundance of opportunities that are simply unavailable in America. For example, I visited castles almost weekly, drove to Germany for the night (because you just can!), attempted to survive on the Danish diet of pastries and beer, befriended the Danish queen’s personal sailors and got a tour of her yacht, went on a weekend cruise to Norway, got free health insurance, read too many Hans Christian Andersen stories, visited a bar made entirely out of ice, spent more money than I would care to admit, rode a Segway at the strangest science park in the world, volunteered at the International Olympic Committee’s conference in Copenhagen where I stalked more Olympians than you can imagine, and saw real Viking ships and more windmills than I could count. All in
all, I fell madly in love with Europe. This, however, does not mean that my experience in Copenhagen was easy. Living in a foreign country presents plenty of challenges. I had to learn many things the hard way. 7KRXJK VRPH RI WKHVH OHVVRQV ZHUH GLIĂ€FXOW most were humorous. For example: 'DQLVK LV TXLWH SRVVLEO\ WKH PRVW GLIĂ€cult language in the world when it comes to pronunciation: not one word is spelled phonetically. Danes take great pleasure in making fun of Americans who dare try to pronounce one of their traditional desserts: rød, grød, PHG Ă ÂĄGH , DP QRW HYHQ JRLQJ WR DWWHPSW WR spell any of these words phonetically because it simply cannot be done. 2. Something in the water in Scandinavia makes every person tall, blond, and attractive. It can make an American student feel quite intimidated at times. 3. The sun descends lower and lower in the sky every day as the temperature drops. By October, it was no longer light out when I would wake up for school. In December, it was light from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. 4. Forgetting to look both ways before crossing a bike lane can be extremely dangerous, as bikers are vicious and will not hesitate to run you over. 5. The Danes don’t have a word for “pleaseâ€? or “excuse me.â€? People found me quite rude when I got back to the United States, as those words had simply fallen out of my vocabulary. I quickly realized that these so-called negative aspects of my study abroad experience are hardly negative at all. They are the most irreplaceable experiences and the richest stories, and frequently resulted in endless laughLQJ Ă€WV WKDW FDXVHG WKH HYHU SODFLG 'DQHV WR stare at me. They are experiences that I will never forget. When I think about how I came to decide to go to Copenhagen to study abroad, I realL]H WKDW LW ZDV ODUJHO\ E\ DFFLGHQW LQĂ XHQFHG mostly by the fact that Denmark is one of the few countries in Europe with universal health care. It was only after I had made my decision that I came to realize that Copenhagen was meant for me. Not only does Denmark’s QDWLRQDO Ă RZHU DOVR KDSSHQ WR EH P\ IDYRUite (the daisy), not only did Hans Christian
Andersen create the heroine of one of my favorite stories of all time (The Little Mermaid) and publish his most famous story (The Ugly Duckling) on my very birthday, but “What is Denmark?â€? was the answer to two questions on Jeopardy the night before I left (I took it as a sign). Furthermore, the elephant (like our beloved Jumbo) is in Denmark reserved for the highest order of knighthood. I stumbled upon this last bit of information one leisurely afternoon when I decided to take a walk through the Botanical Gardens of Copenhagen. I strolled into Rosenborg Castle and noticed, amongst the crown jewels, a necklace made entirely of golden elephants. I wondered, “Why on earth would the royal family wear a necklace with elephants on it?â€? I asked one of the nearby guards, and the following is my best attempt at retelling the story of the Danish Jumbo: Before the Reformation in the 1500s, the Virgin Mary served as a symbol of the Royal family. She was also the symbol for a high level of knighthood. Following the Reformation, administrations all over Europe miniPL]HG WKH DSSHDUDQFH RI &KULVWLDQ LQĂ XHQFes, so the Danish Royal family chose a new V\PERO 6XSSRVHGO\ Ă€JKWHUV IRU &KULVWLDQLW\ used a “warrior elephantâ€? to defend the honor of their religion. Elephants are also said to be symbols purity and chastity, which was a nice corollary to the Virgin Mary. In this way, the Order of the Elephant came to be. Today, membership of this order is bestowed upon members of the Danish royal family and important foreigners. It was then that everything became clear. Jumbos have been a part of Denmark’s history for years! The guard was curious as to why I had inquired, so I happily explained the story of our Jumbo: circus, death, and all. Seeing Jumbo everywhere — on buildings, on the royal jewelry, even on the church organs — made me miss Tufts immensely. My heart ached at the thought of life in Medford going on without me. Copenhagen is an amazing city unlike anywhere else I have ever been, but it comforted me to have Jumbo around wherever I went. I always knew he was watching out for me, and maybe he can encourage you to pay this wonderful country a visit. I promise, it’s worth it! 7
Tales Told To Children F] &VMERRE &IILPIV
“There once was a prince and a little mermaid who loved him.â€? I used to think that all stories with princes had to have happy endings. I remember vehemently refusing to believe my parents as they put aside our copy of Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Anderson, telling me that that was the end and it was time to go to sleep. “Once more she looked at the prince with dimming eyes, then threw herself from the ship down into the sea, and she felt her body dissolve into foam,â€? my father read to my disbelieving ears. “No,â€? I would say, “That’s not what happens,â€? and then I would belligerently lie awake dreaming of what the true ending might be. In bookstores I would look up alternative versions of “The Little Mermaid,â€? hoping for a different story. Only Walt Disney’s retelling gave me the story I wanted, but it wasn’t enough — it seemed deOLEHUDWHO\ IDNH DQG DUWLĂ€FLDOO\ KDSS\ %XW , GLGQ¡W ZDQW WR KHDU WKH RULJLQDO HQGLQJ HLWKHU ,W ZDV too sad. I still wanted my happy ending. It was raining the time we went to Copenhagen as a family. I was no longer a petulant child, but I was still young enough to walk in the rain without worrying about getting my clothes wet. I’ve always found bus tours a little boring, and this time was no exception. My thirty-member family overwhelmed the bus, making the two foreign occupants in the back look ridiculously lonely. It was wet and soppy outside, and I was jet-lagged and travel-weary. The wet droplets running down the bus windows made me think of the tears the little mermaid couldn’t cry. For those who don’t know, a mermaid has no tears, which causes her to suffer all the more. The bus jolted and turned as the tour guide pointed out one Danish building and tiny clustered village after another. Everyone who goes to Copenhagen has to visit the statue of the Little Mermaid. It’s unavoidable. And so, like everyone else, we went. Our Beehler family-laden bus pulled over, and we peered through rainy, tear-streaked windows at the youngest mermaid princess. Perched out on the rocks, she listened to the waves crash as she longed for an immortal soul. Even as a statue she looked sad — it was as if she already knew that she would never marry her beloved prince. 8
Suddenly, I was once again the little girl listening to her father read the mermaid princess’s sorrowful tale: “She had no greater pleasure than to hear about the world of human beings up above.â€? I had RQFH IHOW DQ DIĂ€QLW\ IRU WKH TXLHW SHQVLYH PHUPDLG ZKR DOZD\V ORQJHG WR EH VRPHZKHUH WKDW VKH ZRXOG never be able to go without leaving everything she loved behind. Looking at her statue out in the water, I felt that feeling again. Hans Christian Anderson’s father was a shoemaker. Coincidentally, I am also a descendent of a shoemaker. And yet, I could never understand the purpose of Hans Christian Anderson’s writing. What was the point of his stories? So many of his fairy tales lack a pedagogical or moralizing tone. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was that I was supposed to learn from the little mermaid’s story. Maybe I should have just taken the story for what it was: a sad and beautiful fairytale. But the mermaid princess’s face haunted me for the rest of that damp day with her eloquent eyes that once drew the prince’s praise. She may have given up her voice, but her eyes live on forever, staring back at me from the sea. The rest of our whirlwind tour is lost to my memory. All that it retains is that bus, forcing its way through the city to all of the necessary sights, and the little mermaid’s sad, turned face, and her isolated place in the water. What a poignant and undeserved place to leave her for all time, the princess who only wanted to be on land.
4LSXSW F] %RRE 7MQSR
9
=SY 'ER´X 'SRXVSP XLI ;IEXLIV F] 'LIPPI &IILPIV /RRNLQJ DW WKH Ă LJKW FRQVROH LW DSSHDUV WKDW WKH SODQH LFRQ LV KHDGLQJ WRZDUGV $NXUH\L ,FHODQG There must be some mistake, I murmur as I try to glimpse other passengers’ screens, pointlessly KRSLQJ WKDW PLQH ZDV WKH RQO\ ´GHIHFWLYHÂľ RQH , QRWLFH WKDW WKH VFKHGXOHG DUULYDO WLPH DW .HĂ DYLN airport was ten minutes ago, and thoughts of missing my connection become mixed with whispers RI ´$NXUH\LÂľ DQG ´.HĂ DYLNÂľ WKURXJKRXW WKH DLVOHV 6RPHRQH VWRSV D Ă LJKW DWWHQGDQW DQG DVNV when the plane will land; she replies that the pilot is going to make an announcement. “This is your pilot speaking,â€? says a voice on the overhead speaker. “Due to inclement weather WKLV Ă LJKW ZLOO EH ODQGLQJ DW $NXUH\L $LUSRUW 7KHUH ZLOO EH EXVHV ZDLWLQJ WKHUH WR GULYH \RX WR Reykjavik. Once in Reykjavik there will be representatives from the airline there to meet you and KHOS \RX ZLWK UHVFKHGXOLQJ \RXU Ă LJKW DQG ERRNLQJ D KRWHO , DSRORJL]H IRU WKH LQFRQYHQLHQFH EXW no one can control the weather.â€? Weather. Confused, I turn around in my seat, hoping to gain information from the faces behind me. Ash, they say, it’s the ash again. Only in Iceland is a volcanic eruption considered weather. )OLSSLQJ EDFN WR WKH Ă LJKW SDWK RQ WKH FRQVROH , TXLFNO\ UHDOL]H WKDW $NXUH\L LV RQ WKH RSSRVLWH side of Iceland from Reykjavik. Twenty minutes later the plane begins to descend. It’s May, but the mountains are snow-covered DQG WKH DLUSRUW RIĂ€FLDOV DUH DOO ZHDULQJ JLDQW LQVXODWHG RUDQJH VXLWV :KHQ , VD\ DLUSRUW RIĂ€FLDOV , mean both of them. Akureyi Airport is the size of a one story suburban house, the kind that infests Florida’s marshlands. There is single unisex bathroom, and the baggage claim conveyor belt has such a small radius that some of the larger bags cannot make the turn, and instead roll off the edges at odd angles. There is no food, it’s cold, and we are told to wait outside. 7KH EXVHV DUULYH KRXUV ODWHU DQG WKHUH LV D PDG GDVK WR Ă€W OXJJDJH LQ XQGHUQHDWK 7LUHG KXQJU\ DQG IHDUIXO RI EHLQJ VWUDQGHG LQ ,FHODQG , FXUVH (\MDIMDOODM|NXOO DQG Ă€QG D VHDW RQ WKH EXV LQ IURQW of a bunch of energetic twenty-something year-old guys on a weekend holiday to Iceland. Unconcerned by the fact that they are a three-hour bus ride away from their target destination, they see the unscheduled landing as an opportunity. “Free tour!â€? One of them screams. He then proceeds to snap a couple hundred photos. ,Q WKH SRFNHW RI WKH VHDW LQ IURQW RI PH , Ă€QG EURFKXUHV DGYHUWLVLQJ WRXUV RI JODFLHUV 2QH LQYLWHV passengers to, “Discover Iceland, see the volcanoes.â€? Disgusted, I put the brochures away. 'HVSLWH WKH JUHDW GLVWDQFH ZH WUDYHOHG RYHU WKH Ă€UVW KRXU RU WZR WKH ODQGVFDSH QHYHU VHHPHG WR change. Bare, desolate mountains followed us all the way to Reykjavik. Sometimes a house would SRS XS RQ D KLOOVLGH ZLWK JDWHG SDGGRFNV Ă€OOHG ZLWK JRDWV DQG VWRXW OLWWOH SRQLHV ´$UFKLWHFWXUH Âľ The man behind suddenly yelled. Desperate and startled, I gazed out the window, only to see a series of cairns lining the road. Without an announcement, the bus stopped at a gas station. We were given twenty minutes to use the bathroom and buy food. No one had Icelandic krona (the basic monetary unit of Iceland), and the cheese pastry, bottle of water, and incredibly small cup of coffee I bought at the gas station resulted in my credit card being canceled. A couple of Icelanders were appalled at the amount of water all the Americans were buying. “Just drink it from the sink!â€? they said, “it’s all coming from the same place! Where do you think that bottled water came from?â€? But you don’t understand, I ZDQWHG WR UHVSRQG , GRQ¡W KDYH D ZDWHU ERWWOH WR Ă€OO XS ,¡P QRW VXSSRVHG WR EH KHUH ,¡P QRW VXSposed to be in a gas station in the middle of Iceland. When I returned to the bus, I found that the man sitting behind me was trying to convince others that the bus should make a detour to EyjafjallajĂśkull. “Iceland’s not that big,â€? he said, “it can’t be that far away.â€? :KHQ WKH EXV Ă€QDOO\ DUULYHG LQ 5H\NMDYLN D Ă LJKW DWWHQGDQW DOO JDYH XV HDFK D YRXFKHU IRU D hotel room, and a sheet a paper with a phone number on it. “Call this number to reschedule your Ă LJKW Âľ VKH VDLG 7KH KXQGUHGV RI VOHHS GHSULYHG LQFRQYHQLHQFHG SDVVHQJHUV EHJDQ WR VKRZ signs of hostility. “I don’t have a phone,â€? someone said. “This line is busy,â€? another shouted. “I 10
need to be somewhere today!â€? a man screamed. “The buses will bring you to your hotels now,â€? WKH Ă LJKW DWWHQGDQW UHSOLHG DQG VWHSSHG RII WKH EXV The hotel was modern, classy, and I never would have been able to afford it. My bedroom had two twin beds, which I accepted with the thought that I was twice as tired as normal. I slept WKURXJK GLQQHU DQG ZDONHG RXW RI P\ URRP WR Ă€QG DQ ,FHODQGLF ZHGGLQJ SDUW\ GDQFLQJ WR ¡V American pop music. Starving, I skirted the wedding party and headed towards the kitchen to EHJ IRU IRRG *HQHURXVO\ , ZDV VHUYHG Ă€VK DQ ,FHODQGLF VSHFLDOW\ DQG VDW GRZQ WR D FDQGOHOLW dinner for one. A rose was set in a vase at my table. Vegetarian since middle school, that night was the only time I’ve eaten any kind of meat in the last decade. In the morning I decided to walk to Reykjavik’s center and explore the touristy downtown DUHD $V , ORRNHG RYHU P\ PDS WU\LQJ WR Ă€JXUH RXW WKH XQIDPLOLDU QDPHV , FDPH WR WKH FRQFOXsion that Icelandic is an impenetrable language, and quickly gave up all hope of deciphering it. I decided to instead follow the shoreline. You can’t control the weather. 11
0EZE .I[IPV] -X´W 7S ,SX 6MKLX 2S[ by Ally Abouzahr
Iceland is covered with volcanoes, 130 of which are active. In fact, Iceland’s volcanoes have been responsible for one-third of the total global lava output over the course of the last 500 years. Because they are so hard to avoid, volcanoes (and their lava) have become an important and valuable part of Icelandic culture. The numerous eruptions inevitably affect the people and the environment, but instead of being upset by this, the people of Iceland have always embraced and utilized the nature that surrounds them. One way they do this is by using lava to create jewelry. Just as is done in other regions with precious stones, jewelers in Iceland cut and polish lava and SDLU LW ZLWK VLOYHU ZKDOHERQH RU JHPV WR FUHDWH PDJQLÀFHQW SLHFHV RI ZHDUDEOH DUW $OWKRXJK other countries may try to replicate this art form, lava jewelry remains uniquely Icelandic. Local artisans and entrepreneurs understand the value of their natural resources, and use them to their greatest advantage. For example, a famous store by the name of Kraum in Reykjavik, Iceland carries jewelry of strikingly elegant Icelandic designs that cannot be found anywhere else in the ZRUOG ,W LV GHÀQLWHO\ ZRUWK D YLVLW
,SPH =SYV &VIEXL ERH 8V] -X
12
F] 1SPP] 2I[QER BANDS
Jens Lekman I’m From Barcelona Jose Gonzales Hello Saferide First Aid Kit The Tallest Man on Earth Acid House Kings Elias & the Wizzkids The Sounds Hükan HellstrÜm Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
Miike Snow Teddy Bears Peter Bjorn & John Mixtapes & Cellmates Robert Svensson Moto Boy Parken Familjen Säkert! [ingenting]
VENUES
by Ally Abouzahr
Sometimes the best way to travel is to do, see or try any unique aspect of a foreign place despite one’s personal reservations. This is the approach to take when encountering one of Iceland’s famous delicacies: buried shark, also known as håkarl. The preparation process for this dish is by no means easy; it beJLQV ÀYH PRQWKV EHIRUH WKH VKDUN LV DFWXDOO\ to be served. First of all, there is only one type of shark that is used amongst Icelanders: the basking shark. Traditionally, after it is caught, the shark is placed in a hole dug in sand. The shark is then covered with sand, gravel and rocks in order to keep it under continuous pressure. This pressure causes the shark’s à XLGV VHHS RXW RYHU WKH FRXUVH WKH QH[W VL[ WR twelve weeks that it is buried in the ground. After this, the shark is removedfrom the hole, cut up, and hung up to dry for a few months. :KHQ LW LV ÀQDOO\ UHDG\ WR EH VHUYHG KiNDUO is usually placed on a platter with cheese and RWKHU ,FHODQGLFÀQJHU IRRGV (DWLQJ KiNDUO LV often associated with strength and hardiness in the Icelandic tradition, so as one might LPDJLQH LW LV QRW H[DFWO\ HDV\ WR HDW 0RVW ÀUVW timers either gag or have to hold their noses because of the strong smell of ammonia that the håkarl emanates. Even though it is what you might consider an acquired taste, it is a must-try when in Iceland!
%R -RHMI 6SGO +YMHI XS 7XSGOLSPQ
Debaser – There are two Debaser clubs in Stockholm, Debaser Medis and Debaser Slussen. They host great bands (Swedish and foreign) and are a great place to get to know Swedish indie music if you do a little research! Berns – This is the second biggest venue in Stockholm (after the huge Globen) and it is host to many popular bands. Kägelbanan – This is a charming and intimate place to catch an indie music concert. It seems to draw a wide range of acts, and therefore a wide range of audience members. Dress up or down HYHU\RQH ÀWV LQ KHUH
RECORD SHOPS Pet Sounds Records: great environment, cool location, wide selection. Prices are okay for Swedish artists but very high for foreign acts. The people there are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. It’s a cozy, well-organized, quiet shop in a great neighborhood. This is a great place to get recommendations. Bengans: great central location, huge selection, good sale prices on albums that aren’t new releases. Organized well and color-coded to let you know which artists are Swedish! My personal go-to shop for Swedish indie music – the prices are better than Pet Sounds. Space Records: a very small record shop in the basement level of SÜderhallen in Medborgarplatsen, ZLWK VWXSLGO\ KLJK SULFHV DOO UHFRUGV DUH NU +RZHYHU LI \RX DUH ORRNLQJ IRU D VSHFLÀF DOEXP E\ D 6ZHGLVK DUWLVW RQH WKDW \RX FRXOG QRW EX\ EDFN KRPH DQG \RX FDQ¡W ÀQG LW HOVHZKHUH" 7KLV LV the place to get it. For 200 kr. But at least you’ll have it.
VINTAGE SHOPS In general, take the subway to Medborgarplatsen or Skanstull and just wander around if you want to go vintage shopping. It’s the artsy, hipster area of Stockholm, and it’s home to many great record shops and cafes! A favorite of mine is Beyond Retro, which has both costume stuff and a great selection of everyday clothing.
4LSXS F] 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^
CAFES CafĂŠ 60 in Odenplan is a great cozy, lively spot you will enjoy with friends or alone. It has a great upstairs section, comfy seating, and most importantly, the food and drinks are really, really good. 13
Dalarna
F] )QMPMI 4EVQPMRH
There is a place beyond the middle of nowhere. To get to the converted hay barn that is my family’s summer house, you must leave nowhere behind and enter another plane of existence. Do I mean heaven? If that is the case, heaven is a land of dirt roads. My grandmother grew up in Kallmora, a little village in Dalarna province rich in folk culture and full of tradition. Her inheritance, a little sliver of land by the river, is the site of our summer house. Built of hearty stacked logs and painted the traditional Dala-red, the that was building was RQFH ÀOOHG ZLWK KD\ DQG LV QRZ KXQGUHGV RI \HDUV ROG LV QRZ D FRPIRUWDEOH FRWWDJH Kallmora is not exactly what you would call a modern-day locus of economic activity. It is still largely agricultural, and I remember fondly the time when my parents, my brother, and I happened upon my great uncle driving his tractor on Kallmora’s major road. He parked the tractor in the middle of the road, and we chatted for half an hour without seeing a single car. Sandstone harvesting used to be a major industry in Kallmora. Do you know what you can make out of sandstone? Grindstones. I have paid about three visits to Kallmora’s major attraction, the grindstone museum. Admission is free and grindstones are on prominent display with accompanying informational placards. There is even a tantalizing element of danger: people use grindstones to sharpen knives. One visit is not enough. If you are willing to drive, visit the fäbord, which LV HVVHQWLDOO\ D OLWWOH IDUP 2QFH WKHUH \RX ZLOO ÀQG a woman in traditional dress stirring an immense cauldron of messmÜr, a sort of sweet, liquidy whey cheese. But have no fear; there are other choice cheeses available for purchase. There is a bunch
RI ROG UHG EDUQV WKDW \RX FDQ H[SORUH DQG UHDG XSRQ WKH ZDOOV ORYH\ GRYH\ JUDIĂ€WL FDUYHG KXQGUHGV RI years ago. There is no grocery store in Kallmora. A trip to restock on basic provisions is the event of the week, involving a drive to the closest town that can lay claim to a supermarket, Skattenbyn. In addition to buying food, you can admire a large stuffed bear. The teeth are missing though, a letdown that brings a new meaning to the term “gummy bearâ€?. It tends to rain when my family and I visit Kallmora. Books are not merely recommended — they are an essential item on the packing list. Books help stave off the singular desperation that can result from family bonding time with no chance of escape. Back when the summer house was closer to its hay barn roots, we had no potable drinking water. However, we did have a generator that could be cranked up and attached to a satellite TV service, which worked with varying degrees of success. The generator emitted a buzzing noise that was bound to irritate even the most complacent of neighbors. But without neighbors, this wasn’t a problem. While poking fun at Kallmora is a treasured pastime of mine, it should not overshadow the beauty of the region. Beyond the little painted red houses, Maypole dancing, and souvenir clogs, Dalarna is gorgeous. Untouched nature still exists, and you can pick a bounty of blueberries, lingonberries, and cloudberries in the forest. Dalarna is the heartland of Sweden. To me, Dalarna is summer. It is swimming at the lake and skimming the surface of the water to try to catch tadpoles. It is the joy of walking to the woods with my grandparents and brother, and picking blueberries until my hands and lips are stained a vivid purple. It is the smell of hot blueberry pie being whisked out of my grandmother’s oven. It is the tranquility that can be found in moss and trees. Count yourself lucky if you ever make it to Dalarna. Amidst the bustle of modern Sweden, you will Ă€QG FXOWXUH SHDFH DQG EHDXW\ %XW \RX MXVW PLJKW ZDQW WR EULQJ D ERRN
4LSXS F] )QMP] +IVRKVSWW
14
15
7[IHMWL 3EXQIEP 0EGI 'SSOMIW
GSQTMPIH F] 6IFIGGE +VYRFIVK
Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Butter 1/4 Cup Flour 1/2 Cup Sugar Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375ยบ F / 190ยบ C. 3. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. 4. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble. 5. Remove the mixture from the oven and stir briskly for a few strokes. 'URS URXQG WHDVSRRQIXOV DERXW LQFKHV DSDUW RQ D JUHDVHG DQG ร RXUHG EDN ing sheet. 7. Bake for about 5-6 minutes until golden brown. 8. Let the wafers cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. 9. Remove the wafers carefully with a spatula and place them over a rolling pin, JODVV RU PXJ VR WKH\ FXUO DQG EHFRPH ร UP *If the wafers harden before they can be removed from the cookie sheet, re-heat them in the oven for a few seconds.*
6IGMTI WYFQMXXIH SRPMRI F] 6MGLEVH 6 0SWGL LXXT EPPVIGMTIW GSQ 6IGMTI 7[IHMWL 3EXQIEP 0EGI (IXEMP EWTx 16
17
4LSXS F] 1SPP] 2I[QER
9XJSVWO %R )\TPSVEXMSR 8S 2SVKI F] 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^
Imagine being dropped into a city where you have no way of communicating with the population. Few people speak English, and those who do are often shy about showing off their bilingual capabilities. You’ve just imagined what it’s like to visit the city of Oslo, Norway. During Thanksgiving break of my senior year of high school I had the incredible opportunity to travel overseas with my long-time school friend, Ethan, to visit Maren, the Norwegian exchange student I had hosted the previous year. It was unlike any other travel experience I had ever had. Instead of being just a tourist in another country, exploring museum after museum, I had the chance to live the lifestyle of a Norwegian teenager, interact with lots of Norwegians, and lose myself in the Norwegian culture. Ethan and I traveled from Milan to Oslo early one morning, after a quick three-day stop to YLVLW DQRWKHU IULHQG 2XU à LJKW WRRN XV WKURXJK Copenhagen on a layover. After an anxious ZDLW IRU RXU ODVW à LJKW ZH ZHUH ÀQDOO\ FDOOHG up to board. Instead of simply walking down a walkway and getting onto a plane, we were led outside and onto a bus that would take us to our aircraft. The bus drove past the large 747s and even past most of the small jets. We parked directly in between a small twenty-passenger jet plane and another small, twenty-passenger propeller plane. Just our luck: we were taking the propeller plane. When we boarded, Ethan and I realized that our seats were right next to the propellers. Once turned on, they drowned out every other noise on the plane. We started WR WD[L DQG WKH à LJKW DWWHQGDQW EHJDQ KHU PRQRlogue on safety. Since we were on a Scandina18
YLDQ $LU Ă LJKW DOO RI WKH GLUHFWLRQV ZHUH LQ 1RUwegian. I just looked at Ethan blankly. “What did we get ourselves into?â€? I asked, pondering whether or not our plane had the capability to make it to Norway. Ethan responded by mockLQJ WKH Ă LJKW DWWHQGDQW LQ (QJOLVK ´-XVW LQ FDVH we don’t have enough fuel to make it across the RFHDQ ZKLFK LV TXLWH OLNHO\ WKHUH DUH Ă RWDWLRQ devices under your seat‌â€? This feeling of helplessness would become a common occurrence over the next week. Naturally, Norwegians don’t celebrate our American Thanksgiving, so Maren was in school during the week we visited her. That left Ethan and me on our own during the day WR H[SORUH WKH PDJQLĂ€FHQW FLW\ RI 2VOR 2VOR LV tucked down in the middle of two hillsides on the northernmost shore of the Oslofjord, and is a bustling maritime trade port and modern city. On one hillside is the famous Holmenkollen ski jump, which was, unfortunately, under construction in preparation for the 2011 Nordic Ski World Championships. Maren lived on the other hillside in the neighborhood of Ekergerg, which is famous for hosting the Norway Cup (one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in the world) and also for the view at Utsikten, where Edvard Munch created the classic Scream painting. Due to jet lag, Ethan and I were on a strange sleep schedule and would usually wake up around ten o’clock each morning, just as the sun rose. Because the days are so short in Oslo durLQJ WKDW WLPH RI \HDU WKLV JDYH WKLV JDYH XV Ă€YH hours to explore the city in daylight. The tenminute bus ride into the city consisted
mostly of us trying to pronounce the names of each bus stop, which contained sounds and syllables not found in the English language. Soon enough though, we were let off in the heart of Oslo. Maren showed us around the Ă€UVW QLJKW WKDW ZH ZHUH WKHUH EXW ZH ZHUH still completely unfamiliar with the city and constantly had to check the map to get our bearings. This made our trip a lot of fun. We explored every part of the city, learning the streets as we went. After visiting the beautiful Noble Peace Prize Center, we walked in a random direction to test whether or not we could Ă€QG RXU ZD\ EDFN WR WKH EXV VWRS For lunch one day, we decided to eat Chinese food in a mall. The man taking orders at the counter spoke absolutely no English, which made ordering hard, especially since the restaurant was out of certain dishes. However, we befriended a bus boy who, having overheard us speaking in English, asked us if we were Americans. After telling him that we were, he went off on a rant about how much he loved Barack Obama. We came back to the restaurant the next two days; the bus boy not only remembered us, but also proceeded to have the same discussion with us about President Obama. We spent our last night in Oslo with Maren and her friends. It was incredibly fun. We were participating in “Dare Night,â€? which consist-
ed of being split into teams and completing random (and often comical) tasks while documenting them by camera. Our group consisted of Ethan, Maren, her friend Marianne, and myself. For one task, I had to convince a random individual to buy us a burger at McDonalds. For another task, I had to learn a Norwegian phrase and use it to ask a salesperson at a furniture store for a piece of furniture that doesn’t exist. Maren had to start up a conversation with a random person and act like we had known him for years. And we all had to convince a stranger to draw a family portrait RI XV %XW WKH ÀQDO WDVN ZDV E\ IDU WKH IXQQLest. Marianne had to walk through downtown 2VOR ZLWK D GHDG ÀVK IURP WKH ÀVK PDUNHW WLHG to a string as if the string were a leash, asking SHRSOH LI WKH\ NQHZ ZKHUH VKH FRXOG ÀQG D YHWHULQDULDQ EHFDXVH KHU ÀVK ZDV VLFN :DONLQJ DURXQG ZLWK D GHDG ÀVK LQ GRZQWRZQ Oslo on a Saturday night resulted in a lot of interesting stares and laughs, and we weren’t surprised when a restaurant refused our offer WR OHW WKHP XVH WKH ÀVK IRU VXVKL 7KH ÀYH WKLUW\ ZDNH XS FDOO IRU WKH DLUSRUW the next morning was painful, but frolicking around the streets of Oslo the night before had been worth it. Like any vacation, going back to school was a hard return to reality. But living the life of a Norwegian teenager was great fun, even if it only was for six days.
4LSXSW F] 8E]PSV 7GL[EVX^
19
;VMXIVW SJ XLI 2SVHMG 'MVGPI F] 'LEVQEMRI 4SL
Who knew that Scandinavia was so abound with literary talent? From classic children’s fairy tales to darker stories for adults, Scandinavian authors have churned out some of the best-known works around WKH ZRUOG +HUH ZH WDNH D ORRN DW VRPH RI WKH NH\ 6FDQGLQDYLDQ ÀJXUHV LQ WKH OLWHUDU\ ZRUOG Hans Christian Andersen This famous author needs no introduction — for centuries, children across the world have grown up listening to his tales. After all, who hasn’t rooted for The Ugly Duckling, or shuddered at the cruelty of The Snow Queen? However, the inspiration for these childhood favorites was perhaps less enchanting. Andersen’s stories, which RIWHQ UHYROYH DURXQG PLVÀWV ZKR KDG WR RYHUcome the odds, were a metaphor for his own life, which involved a series of hardships. Anderson was born on the 2nd of April, 1805 in the slums of Odense, Denmark, to a shoemaker father and a washerwoman mother. While in school, he was often bullied and teased for his tallness and what were considered effeminate interests. Fortunately, his father, who loved literature and encouraged Andersen’s literary pursuits, doted on him. The father and son would spend their free time reading stories and putting on theater shows. This respite from the outside world was short-lived, however, as Andersen’s father died when he was 11. Shortly after, Andersen moved to Copenha-
+VETLMGW F] %RRE 7MQSR
20
gen to seek work as an actor. His brilliant soprano voice won him a job at the Royal Theater; however, as his voice began to change, so did his career prospects. Andersen had this to say after his colleague’s comment about his gift for poetry: “It went through me, body and soul, DQG WHDUV Ă€OOHG P\ H\HV , NQHZ WKDW IURP WKLV very moment, my mind was awake to writing and poetry.â€? Connections soon landed him a fully-funded education at a grammar school at Slagelse. There, he was abused by the headmaster Meisling, who thought his character too soft and in need of hardening. Unable to withstand the abuse, Andersen moved to a private school. Later, he would enroll in Copenhagen University. While he began writing books as a student, it wasn’t until around 1835 that his fairy tales were published and Andersen rose to fame. At Ă€UVW KLV FROOHFWLRQV ZKLFK ZHUH SXEOLVKHG HYery Christmas, were inspired by stories he had heard as a child. But soon Andersen began to create his own tales. As mentioned previously, Andersen’s writings tended to draw on his own life experiences. His triumphs in life were mirrored in tales such as The Ugly Duckling. His failures were represented in tales that ended unhappily, such as The Little Match Girl and The Little Mermaid (yes, Disney got that idea from Andersen). The Nightingale is thought to be a tribute to Jenny Lind, the object of Andersen’s unrequited affections. Andersen often used children as a moral voice in his stories. In The Emperor’s New Clothes, for H[DPSOH LW ZDV D OLWWOH ER\ WKDW Ă€QDOO\ UHYHDOHG the Emperor’s nakedness. In this way, Andersen used the seemingly weak to shame the VWURQJ PXFK LQ OLQH ZLWK KLV LGHQWLĂ€FDWLRQ ZLWK outcasts and the unfortunate . Andersen died in his home in 1875. While he remained single all through adulthood, he left behind a huge legacy. In addition to the fact that his works are still being circulated around the world, Andersen has also been known to KDYH LQĂ XHQFHG RWKHU IDPRXV DXWKRUV VXFK DV Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and C.S. Lewis.
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl’s work is arguably the most fascinating mix of childlike splendor and twisted morbidity. While he was primarily known as a children’s novelist, he wrote books that continue to enamor child and adult alike. Norwegian by descent, Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and spent most of his life in the UK. Like many famous authors, his life was reĂ HFWHG LQ WKH VWRULHV KH ZURWH %RDUGLQJ VFKRRO was an unhappy time for Dahl, and it was then that he drew inspiration for the characters of Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey in the novel Matilda. His school also happened to be situated near a chocolate factory, and after-school activities often involved going to the factory to taste new chocolates. The result was, of course, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was his daily habit of making up bedtime stories for his own children that triggered his inclination to write children’s stories. “Had I not had children of my own,â€? he said, “I would have never written books for children, nor would I have been capable of doing so.â€? He was IDWKHU WR Ă€YH FKLOGUHQ 2OLYLD 7HVVD 7KHR 2SKelia and Lucy. Despite their intent for children, Dahl never sugarcoated his stories; his tales were often witty and dark. This could be attributed to the number of tragedies in his life. His oldest daughter, Olivia, died after a bout of measles that led to brain LQĂ DPPDWLRQ +LV IRXU PRQWK ROG VRQ 7KHR was brain-damaged after a road accident. His Ă€UVW ZLIH DFWUHVV 3DWULFLD 1HDO ZDV QRW VSDUHG either — she suffered a series of strokes while pregnant with their daughter, Lucy. Undeterred by these setbacks, Dahl worked on getting his loved ones back to full recovery. He, along with two friends, invented a valve that allowed exFHVV Ă XLG WR EH GUDLQHG IURP 7KHR¡V EUDLQ HQabling him to live machine-free. He also scheduled therapy for his wife, with activities such as six-hour long speech therapy sessions. Both his son and wife made full recoveries. Dahl underwent harrowing experiences personally as well. He served as a war pilot in World War II with the Royal Air Force, and in 1940 crashed in the Libyan Desert. The crash left him blinded for days, with a fractured skull and a broken nose. These wartime adventures were chronicled in his autobiography, Going Solo. However, blinding headaches resulting from his crash soon forced him to leave the air force and focus on his writing.
Shortly following his divorce from Patricia Neal in 1983, Dahl married a woman by the name of Felicity Crosland. He continued to live a quiet life until his death in 1990. James and the Giant Peach, The Big Friendly Giant, The Witches, Danny the Champion of the World and Fantastic Mr. Fox are just some of the treasures he left behind to be passed down through generations to come.
Jostein Gaarder “The only thing we require to be good philosophers is the faculty of wonder.â€? – Sophie’s World Undoubtedly intriguing and ingenious, SoSKLH¡V :RUOG KDV EHHQ WUDQVODWHG LQWR Ă€IW\ WKUHH languages, with over thirty million copies in SULQW :KLOH LW LV D ZRUN RI Ă€FWLRQ, Sophie’s World is subtitled “A Novel about the History of Philosophy,â€? and essentially condenses thousands of years of philosophy into a single book withRXW VDFULĂ€FLQJ WKH FRPSOH[LW\ RI WKH VXEMHFW Such is the genius of Jostein Gaarder, who was born in Oslo, Norway in 1952. After graduating from the University of Oslo, Gaarder worked as a secondary school teacher of philosophy, religion and literature in Oslo and Bergen. He began his writing career with short stories, but got his breakthrough with Sophie’s World. It ZDV WKH QXPEHU RQH EHVW VHOOLQJ Ă€FWLRQ ERRN LQ the world in 1995. *DDUGHU RIWHQ XVHV PHWDĂ€FWLRQ LQ KLV VWRULHV ZULWLQJ Ă€FWLRQ ZLWKLQ Ă€FWLRQ DV VHHQ LQ KLV QRYels The Ringmaster’s Daughter and The Orange Girl. He also has a fondness for discussing religion, seen in The Christmas Mystery. This piece chronicles the history of Christianity through a dialogue between an angel and a girl dying of cancer. It is this curious ability to weave together complex ideas in a poetic yet accessible fashion that has garnered Gaarder such a huge following. Scandinavia undoubtedly possesses some extraordinary talent. It will be exciting to see what else these countries high up in the northern hemisphere have to offer. 21
,SRSVEFPI 1IRXMSR 'LVMWW] +SPHFEYQ 'PEWW SJ 0SGEXMSR 1EEWEM 0ERH 8ER^ERME (EXI .YP]
8YJXW 8VEZIPIV 4LSXS 'SQTIXMXMSR
-R 1EEWEM 0ERH 8ER^ERME QER] 1EEWEM XVMFIW IEVR QSWX SJ XLIMV MRGSQI JVSQ WIPPMRK LERHQEHI NI[IPV] ERH GVEJXW XS XSYVMWXW 1SWX SJ XLIWI TVS½XW KS XS XLI 1EEWEM TVMQEV] WGLSSP
8LIQI 1EVOIXTPEGI
;MRRIV 0EYVE 0MHHIPP 'PEWW SJ 0SGEXMSR 7MIQ 6IET 'EQFSHME (EXI 7ITXIQFIV 8LMW TLSXS [EW XEOIR EX XLI 3PH 1EVOIX MR 7MIQ 6IET 'EQFSHME &IJSVI WXYH]MRK EFVSEH MR 'LMRE Q] JVMIRH ERH - XVEZIPIH EVSYRH 7SYXLIEWX %WME 'EQFSHME [EW SYV PEWX WXST ;I [IVI I\TPSVMRK XLI QEVOIX SRI HE] ERH WE[ XSRW SJ XLIWI HVMIH QIEX WLSTW 9RJSVXYREXIP] - HMHR´X LEZI XLI KYXW XS XV] ER] SJ MX
,SRSVEFPI 1IRXMSR .YWXMR 1G'EPPYQ 'PEWW SJ 0SGEXMSR ,E]QEVOIX &SWXSR (EXI 7ITXIQFIV % PSGEP ZIRHSV WIPPW LIV LERH TMGOIH TVSHYGI MR XLI LYWXPI ERH FYWXPI SJ &SWXSR´W ,E]QEVOIX
22
23
XYJXW XVEZIPIV QEKE^MRI$KQEMP GSQ EWI XYJXW IHY XVEZIPIV TPIEWI VIG]GPI