IAESTE Sweden's Midsummer Party
I returned home just 2 hours ago from the great Midsummer Party in Sweden, sunburnt to a crisp and very very exhausted.
Every year, the IAESTE committee in sweden organizes the event to celebrate Midsummer together with some IAESTE committees and trainees from neighbouring countries, which is how wo got invited. I left from work on Friday around 2pm together with some other trainees at Microsoft, and we traveled until 8pm by bus, train, ferry, train, bus... taking a route through Goteborg and then heading to Stansvik in the absolutely stunning western sweden archipelogo... a large number of small and relatively untouched Islands which can be reached by bridge or boat.
Needless to say, in the 28-degree sunlight the place looked just stunning. I never dreamed that scandinavia could be so beautiful in summertime, or that the beautiful waterscape would surpass anyhting i've seen in the mediterranean. You really have to see it for yourself.
We joined up with another 70 people, some of which belonging to another traineeship organization which constituted of 23 Finnish girls and just 2 guys (nice ratio). We had dinner in this big hall by the sea and slowly started to get to know eachother. After explaining where Malta is 32 times, i could only remember 2 or 3 names since everyone there seemed to have some unpronouncable name with letters i had never seen in any alphabet. Dinner was followed by disco party and went to sleep at around 6am after chatting with some pretty young ladies and drinking in the everlasting night sunlight.
I was rudely awoken at around 9am next morning, feeling pretty much stoned but ready to take on day 2 of the summer party. We went on a small hike across the black hills and then took a boat-ride around the islands. We were dropped off on one small island for about 2 hours where we sunbathed and watched the jellyfish float by.. and then went trekking once again across the jagged black hills and green countryside to our boat which took us back home. Oh i also forgot to mention we went to the beach yesterday.. a really beautiful small bay with rock and sand and a grassy area with a large tree providing shade for the now-pink scandinavians. In the afternoon, we played some games such as "Turkish Beer" (uhm, they meant "bear" anyway) where i came in second with about 20 bruises and after almost losing my lunch (beer+bbq+running is not recommended). Which reminds me, dinner was BBQ'd meat and veggies on the grassy area outside the banquet hall, followed by traditional dancing around the grassy pole and singing silly songs such as "Hellan Gore", and more booze of course.
Saturday night was another trip to the beach followed by more booze and chit chat, and the last but rather lethargic disco party. Everyone was pooped by then, either due to the alcohol, intense hiking, or strong sun. In fact, we had a few pinkies thanks to the heatwave, who were quiet a sight really.
With a full stomach and a sorrowful heart, we left the Swedish Archipelago on sunday at around 10:30am and stopped for a brief visit of Gotenborg city which seems like quite a lively place. Might go and visit the city some time soon coz its got reputably great nightlife. See you in Gotenborg Marlin :-)
Every year, the IAESTE committee in sweden organizes the event to celebrate Midsummer together with some IAESTE committees and trainees from neighbouring countries, which is how wo got invited. I left from work on Friday around 2pm together with some other trainees at Microsoft, and we traveled until 8pm by bus, train, ferry, train, bus... taking a route through Goteborg and then heading to Stansvik in the absolutely stunning western sweden archipelogo... a large number of small and relatively untouched Islands which can be reached by bridge or boat.
Needless to say, in the 28-degree sunlight the place looked just stunning. I never dreamed that scandinavia could be so beautiful in summertime, or that the beautiful waterscape would surpass anyhting i've seen in the mediterranean. You really have to see it for yourself.
We joined up with another 70 people, some of which belonging to another traineeship organization which constituted of 23 Finnish girls and just 2 guys (nice ratio). We had dinner in this big hall by the sea and slowly started to get to know eachother. After explaining where Malta is 32 times, i could only remember 2 or 3 names since everyone there seemed to have some unpronouncable name with letters i had never seen in any alphabet. Dinner was followed by disco party and went to sleep at around 6am after chatting with some pretty young ladies and drinking in the everlasting night sunlight.
I was rudely awoken at around 9am next morning, feeling pretty much stoned but ready to take on day 2 of the summer party. We went on a small hike across the black hills and then took a boat-ride around the islands. We were dropped off on one small island for about 2 hours where we sunbathed and watched the jellyfish float by.. and then went trekking once again across the jagged black hills and green countryside to our boat which took us back home. Oh i also forgot to mention we went to the beach yesterday.. a really beautiful small bay with rock and sand and a grassy area with a large tree providing shade for the now-pink scandinavians. In the afternoon, we played some games such as "Turkish Beer" (uhm, they meant "bear" anyway) where i came in second with about 20 bruises and after almost losing my lunch (beer+bbq+running is not recommended). Which reminds me, dinner was BBQ'd meat and veggies on the grassy area outside the banquet hall, followed by traditional dancing around the grassy pole and singing silly songs such as "Hellan Gore", and more booze of course.
Saturday night was another trip to the beach followed by more booze and chit chat, and the last but rather lethargic disco party. Everyone was pooped by then, either due to the alcohol, intense hiking, or strong sun. In fact, we had a few pinkies thanks to the heatwave, who were quiet a sight really.
With a full stomach and a sorrowful heart, we left the Swedish Archipelago on sunday at around 10:30am and stopped for a brief visit of Gotenborg city which seems like quite a lively place. Might go and visit the city some time soon coz its got reputably great nightlife. See you in Gotenborg Marlin :-)
posted by [mike.bc] at 11:44 pm
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