{"id":3887,"date":"2015-10-05T08:13:10","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T06:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/?p=3887"},"modified":"2025-01-17T10:30:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T08:30:39","slug":"gothenburg-part-i-pigs-candy-and-fika","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/gothenburg-part-i-pigs-candy-and-fika\/","title":{"rendered":"Gothenburg, Part I: Pigs, Candy and Fika"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cFika\u00a0@\u00a015<\/em>\u201d\u00a0read\u00a0the\u00a0title\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0email\u00a0I\u00a0received\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0fancy\u00a0new\u00a0corporate\u00a0account. No\u00a0explanations\u00a0followed\u00a0this\u00a0vaguely\u00a0menacing\u00a0message,\u00a0but\u00a0when\u00a0the\u00a0clock\u00a0stroke\u00a03\u00a0I
\nfollowed\u00a0everyone\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0kitchen,\u00a0only\u00a0to\u00a0find\u00a0a\u00a0giant\u00a0chocolate\u00a0cake\u00a0present\u00a0itself\u00a0on
\nthe\u00a0table\u00a0in\u00a0all\u00a0its\u00a0decadent\u00a0glory.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cFika\u201d\u00a0turned\u00a0out\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0Friday\u00a0coffee\u00a0break\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0entire\u00a0office,\u00a0when\u00a0employees\u00a0take
\nturns\u00a0bringing\u00a0in\u00a0delicious\u00a0treats\u00a0and\u00a0everyone\u00a0makes\u00a0merry\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0while,\u00a0only\u00a0to\u00a0part\u00a0ways
\nand\u00a0meet\u00a0again\u00a0a\u00a0couple\u00a0of\u00a0hours\u00a0later\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0celebration\u00a0of\u00a0life\u00a0(and\u00a0the\u00a0week\u2019s\u00a0end)\u00a0called
\n\u201cafterwork\u201d,\u00a0which\u00a0is\u00a0another\u00a0of\u00a0Sweden\u2019s\u00a0best-kept\u00a0secret.\u00a0It\u00a0involves\u00a0Fridays,\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0a
\nbar\u00a0and\u00a0having\u00a0unlimited\u00a0food\u00a0–\u00a0but\u00a0I\u00a0will\u00a0say\u00a0no\u00a0more\u00a0and\u00a0leave\u00a0the\u00a0rest\u00a0to\u00a0your
\nimagination.<\/p>\n

Days\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0week\u00a0other\u00a0than\u00a0Friday\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0quite\u00a0bearable\u00a0as\u00a0well\u00a0(especially\u00a0if\u00a0someone
\nhappens\u00a0to\u00a0have\u00a0a birthday\u00a0–\u00a0which\u00a0means\u00a0unscheduled birthday\u00a0Fika!).\u00a0As\u00a0a\u00a0creative
\nwriting\u00a0intern\u00a0I\u00a0indeed\u00a0do\u00a0a\u00a0lot\u00a0of\u00a0writing\u00a0–\u00a0primarily\u00a0creating\u00a0destination\u00a0guides\u00a0to\u00a0cities
\naround\u00a0the\u00a0world,\u00a0but\u00a0also\u00a0working\u00a0on\u00a0marketing\u00a0campaigns,\u00a0press\u00a0releases,\u00a0editing
\nonline\u00a0travel\u00a0publications…\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0list\u00a0goes\u00a0on!\u00a0Expressions\u00a0like\u00a0\u201cfast-paced\u00a0work
\nenvironment\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cmultitasking\u00a0skills\u201d\u00a0were\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0longest\u00a0time\u00a0just\u00a0words\u00a0with\u00a0no
\nmeaning\u00a0to\u00a0me,\u00a0but\u00a0this\u00a0changed\u00a0soon\u00a0after\u00a0joining\u00a0the\u00a0company.\u00a0I\u00a0now\u00a0know\u00a0what\u00a0it\u2019s
\nlike\u00a0to\u00a0have\u00a010\u00a0different\u00a0projects\u00a0going\u00a0on\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0time,\u00a0and\u00a0can\u00a0much\u00a0better\u00a0relate\u00a0to
\nthe\u00a0tired-looking\u00a0people\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0tram\u00a0on\u00a0weekday\u00a0evenings.\u00a0Hang\u00a0in\u00a0there,\u00a0everyone\u00a0–
\nChristmas\u00a0break\u00a0is\u00a0almost\u00a0round\u00a0the\u00a0corner!<\/p>\n

It\u00a0is,\u00a0of\u00a0course,\u00a0not\u00a0all\u00a0weekly\u00a0reports\u00a0and\u00a0computer\u00a0screens.\u00a0Gothenburg\u00a0is\u00a0an\u00a0incredible
\ncity\u00a0with\u00a0tons\u00a0of\u00a0things\u00a0to\u00a0do\u00a0–\u00a0museums,\u00a0hip\u00a0cafes,\u00a0parks\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0a\u00a0petting\u00a0zoo\u00a0with
\nadorable\u00a0piggies\u00a0await\u00a0me\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0weekends.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0064\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The\u00a0island\u00a0archipelago\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0kilometers\u00a0off\u00a0the\u00a0coast\u00a0is\u00a0great\u00a0for\u00a0hiking,\u00a0vintage\u00a0shops\u00a0with
\ncoveted\u00a0bargains\u00a0on\u00a0clothing\u00a0are\u00a0perfect\u00a0for\u00a0spending\u00a0the\u00a0(meager\u00a0leftovers\u00a0of)\u00a0my\u00a0student
\nallowance,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0city\u00a0streets\u00a0ideal\u00a0for\u00a0learning\u00a0all\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0Swedish\u00a0way\u00a0of\u00a0life.<\/p>\n

There\u00a0is\u00a0one\u00a0aspect\u00a0of\u00a0Swedishness\u00a0that\u00a0deserves\u00a0a\u00a0separate\u00a0paragraph,\u00a0for\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0never
\ncome\u00a0across\u00a0anything\u00a0like\u00a0it\u00a0in\u00a0my\u00a024\u00a0years\u00a0wandering\u00a0the\u00a0globe.\u00a0It\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0way\u00a0Swedes\u00a0do
\ntheir\u00a0shopping\u00a0for\u00a0sweets:\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0what\u00a0is\u00a0essentially\u00a0candy\u00a0buffets,\u00a0stores\u00a0where
\ncustomers\u00a0help\u00a0themselves\u00a0to\u00a0whatever\u00a0they\u00a0want\u00a0and\u00a0pay\u00a0a\u00a0fixed\u00a0price\u00a0per\u00a0100\u00a0grams.
\nMy\u00a0current\u00a0favorite\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0local\u00a0chain\u00a0called\u00a0\u201c4-Gott\u201d,\u00a0where\u00a0dozens\u00a0of\u00a0candy\u00a0varieties
\nare\u00a0displayed\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0way\u00a0that\u00a0will\u00a0make\u00a0anyone\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0sweet\u00a0tooth\u00a0loose\u00a0their\u00a0mind.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0091\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stay\u00a0tuned\u00a0for\u00a0more\u00a0Swedish\u00a0cultural\u00a0highlights\u00a0and\u00a0(possibly)\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0non-food-related
\ntales\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0Scandinavian\u00a0life!<\/p>\n

Tack\u00a0and\u00a0hejd\u00e5\u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFika\u00a0@\u00a015\u201d\u00a0read\u00a0the\u00a0title\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0email\u00a0I\u00a0received\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0fancy\u00a0new\u00a0corporate\u00a0account. No\u00a0explanations\u00a0followed\u00a0this\u00a0vaguely\u00a0menacing\u00a0message,\u00a0but\u00a0when\u00a0the\u00a0clock\u00a0stroke\u00a03\u00a0I followed\u00a0everyone\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0kitchen,\u00a0only\u00a0to\u00a0find\u00a0a\u00a0giant\u00a0chocolate\u00a0cake\u00a0present\u00a0itself\u00a0on the\u00a0table\u00a0in\u00a0all\u00a0its\u00a0decadent\u00a0glory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":3890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1248,2056,1253],"tags":[9,39,441,1371,1186,139],"class_list":["post-3887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europa","category-philologie","category-schweden","tag-auslandspraktikum","tag-erasmus","tag-goeteborg","tag-interkulturelles","tag-praktikumsalltag","tag-schweden"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3887"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3887"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3893,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3887\/revisions\/3893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/CareerService\/blog-erasmus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}