#t-centralen

[hsundholm]

The Metro Waves by Henrik Sundholm Via Flickr: I took this photo just the other day in Stockholm, Sweden. The escalator connects the commuter trains to the central station.

[sheltiechicago]

Stockholm Metro: World’s Longest Art Exhibit

T-Centralen Station

T-Centralen was opened in 1957 and was the first station to feature artwork. Also known as ”the Blue Platform”, T-Centralen was created by the artist Per Olof Ultvedt and is one of the best-known and busiest stations in Stockholm.

saviofj

[thenemirage]

T-centralen (Metro Stations in C4 "Drowned in Sorrow")

Visited Simon Henriksson's homeland, where all the twisted and utterly messed-up reality found its form.

Also as being someone from a place without the application, not specifically for Sweden, it enlightened me that the repetitive ticking sound appearing around roads was not in fact something psychological or an element of thrill, it was just traffic lights' countdown. And it ended up giving me a second dimension of immersion into the universe of the game.

Slottsbacken and Streets (Town Square in C1 "Lost in a City")

(Just updated the post.)

[cephalopodiums]

Analysis of 'Aska i vinden' in a Disco Elysium context

So, another post about a hbd-core Swedish song inspired me to finally make this analysis of 'Aska i vinden', a song mentioned in DE.

Game quote: [failed the Shivers check in front of the FELD-building] YOU - "I am trying to ask the wind." TRANT HEIDELSTAM - "Ask the wind or 'Aska i Vinden' is the name of a Vaasan lullaby," he remarks. "Maybe that helps?"

'Aska i vinden' does not actually translate into 'ask the wind', it means 'ash in the wind'. It also isn't a lullaby irl, it is a pop song and I have not found any mention of it being inspired by a lullaby, it seems to be a wholly original song. (Vaasa and Vaasan is the DE equivalent of Sweden (roughly) and Swedish btw, if you didn't know that.)

Anyway, on to the lyrics analysis below the cut

Swedish lyrics │ English translation │ [DE parallels]

Jag kan se att du nått din gräns nu I can see that you have reached your limit now [Parallels to Dora having enough of Harry] Jag kan se vart allt tar slut I can see where it all comes to an end [Parallels to the end of their relationship] Jag kan se alla miljarder stjärnor I can see all billions¹ of stars [Kinda parallels the Inland Empire portrait] Tändas upp bara för att dö ut Light up just to die out [This line and the previous parallels with the quote 'In dark times, should the stars also go out?' from the communist side quest]

Jag ser dig nere på T-centralen I see you down by the central station² [While not a metro station, I feel this parallels the aerodrome in being large/prominent transportation infrastructure] Du rycker till när våra blickar möts You flinch when our gazes³ meet [Parallels with the discomfort Dolores Dei/Dora felt when Harry talks to her when she tried to leave for the aerodrome] Jag ser hoppet i dina ögon I see the hope in your eyes [What Harry saw, or probably more accurately thinks and wants to have seen in Dolores Dei/Dora's eyes] Tändas upp bara för att dö ut Light up just to die out [Maybe this is what happened, Dora hoping for just a normal goodbye and then realizing no, Harry will try into the last moment to get her back]

Spring, spring för ditt liv, du kommer aldrig hitta hem Run, run for your life, you will never find your way home [Parallels the thoughts Lonesome Long Way Home/Hobocop] Spring, spring, spring för livet, vänd dig aldrig om igen Run, run, run for your life⁴, never turn back around again [Parallels the thought Cleaning Out the Rooms and the various warnings the skills give when Harry wants to find out about his past, for example the letter in his ledger] Spring, spring för ditt liv, för du är närmre än du tror Run, run for your life, because you're closer than you think [Parallels both that Harry is close to death at all times and that his memories are also close, sometimes just needing reminders or a bit of thought to return to him] Snart så är vi aska i vinden Soon we are ash in the wind [Parallels both the inevitable death of everything by pale if 'we' is used to refer to the people of Elysium and if 'we' is used to refer to Harry and Dora together, their relationship, being over to the point of only being ash in the wind, Harry and Dora no longer being a 'we' or an 'us' like Dolores Dei says: The atoms don't form us anymore: us, our love, our unborn daughters...]

Det finns en plats där alla minnen hamnar There is a place where all memories⁵ end up [Parallels the pale and the thought Cleaning Out the Rooms] Där allting rensas ut Where everything is cleaned out⁶ [Parallels Cleaning out the rooms to a T, and maybe the origin point of the pale, the nothingness, not the gradient or curdled milk] Kanske en plats där vi kan andas Maybe a place where we can breath [Parallels that Harry has a little more "room to breathe" now that he has lost the baggage of his memories and also this parallels the lung and breath imagery in Elysium] Där vi kan andas ut Where we can breathe out [Same as above, maybe parallels this line from Conceptualization about the pale: Instead of air, you exhale thoughts. There are no trees that eat thoughts.]

Och jag kan se att du nått din gräns nu And I see that you have reached your limit⁷ now Jag kan se vart allt tar slut I can see where it all comes to an end⁷ [Same as above, but I want to add a parallel to Le Retour, girlchild revolution and the end of an era] [Also just this line, I want to add the parallel to Harry knows about the end of Revachol] Jag kan se alla miljarder stjärnor I can see all billions of stars Tändas upp bara för att dö ut Light up just to die out [Same as above, but I want to add parallels to the communists in the revolution (having stars as a symbol) and also the disco stars of The New, they may not be billions but it is often used hyperbolically]

Spring, spring för ditt liv, du kommer aldrig hitta hem Run, run for your life, you will never find your way home⁸ Spring, spring, spring för livet, vänd dig aldrig om igen Run, run, run for your life, never turn back around again⁹ Spring, spring för ditt liv, för du är närmre än du tror Run, run for your life, because you are closer than you think Snart så är vi aska i vinden Soon we are ash in the wind [Same as above but I also want to add the parallels to these Shivers lines: SHIVERS - Your hair is an oily mess flecked with ash from neighbouring coal plants. Smoke stacks rise somewhere in the distance. SHIVERS - COME MORNING, I CARRY INDUSTRIAL DUST AND LET IT SETTLE ON TREE LEAVES. I SHAKE THE DUST FROM THOSE LEAVES AND ONTO YOUR COAT. (La Revacholière would carry the ashes of people to a nice place)]

So yeah, there you have it. There are some more parallels in the translation notes and I will put just the lyrics in a reblog on this post, if you want them alone without my commentary.

¹Billions in short scale specifically. ²T-centralen is actually a specific Swedish metro station, it is the biggest station for the Stockholm metro. I chose to translate/localize it to central station to aid in understanding the scale, importance and meaning conveyed by the word T-central. ³My translation is probably a grammatical bastardization of the idiom meet [somebody's] gaze, but you get the meaning of it and it stays truer to the Swedish version. ⁴The sentence 'Spring för livet' does not literally tranlate to 'run for your life', but it is it's meaning. Literally it translates to 'run for life'. ('Spring för ditt liv' actually does literally translate to and mean 'run for your life'.) I find the change of phrasing fascinating, as it can ad an additional way to read that line of the lyrics as 'running for the concept of life itself'. ⁵Here you can translate the word 'minnen' (it is in the definitive form) into both 'memories' and 'the memories' because they are both definitive, but the translations have different connotations. Both connotations are in the Swedish meaning of the word 'minnen' and there is no way to specify which one without use of additional explanatory words. I chose the phrasing of 'memories' to better fit with the parallel to the pale, but 'the memories' could also work well, as the connotation of that is that it is Harry's memories and it fits with the next line about cleaning out, as it is that what he does with his memories according to the thought Cleaning Out the Rooms. ⁶The phrasing 'rensas ut' (it is in gerund form, passive voice) can be more accurately be translated to 'is cleared out' (gerund form, passive voice), but 'is cleaned out' (gerund form, passive voice) is also a perfectly good translation and I chose it to parallel the thought Cleaning Out the Rooms. ⁷I did not foot note this earlier because it would make the grammar of the translation and the current word is more accurate in meaning, but... The word 'gräns' can not only be translated as 'limit' but 'border' as well. And idk, the word border reminds me of the porch collapse, especially with the next line about seeing 'where it all comes to an end', or the alternative translation 'where it all ends'. Which is exactly what you see at the porch collapse, you see where the world ends and the pale begins. So if we take these alternative translations and suppose the 'you' being referred/spoken to is the world, then you can think of it as the singer seeing the porch collapse, the approach of the end of the world. ⁸A fun thing just in the act of translation, not necessarily a meaning you can extract from the Swedish text but... If you literally translate 'du kommer aldrig hitta hem' it is 'you will never find home'. And you can read that translation as not finding a place that fits you, in the societal sense. Like the various Copotypes and political leanings Harry tries out/thinks about to try and find himself, who he is, and what titles/roles (places) fit him. He is trying to find home, in an identity sense as well. And it doesn't have to be *back* home, it just has to be home, a new one will suffice too. ⁹I think the word 'again' could actually be left our in the translation, to give it another connotation that is included in 'vänd dig aldrig om igen'. I interpret the meaning of the Swedish sentence as both the meaning 'never turn back again' implying the singer has turned around before and 'never turn back' which does not imply the singer having turned back before. But am a bit unsure of that though, so take it with a grain of salt.

[umichenginabroad]

Stockholm Week 7: Travel Week 1

Hej igen! 

I had a bipolar week: the beginning of the week was full of presentations but the end of the week was full of laughter :) 

Let’s begin! 

2/28 Wed

It has been a while since I had two study trips in a day. I learned about the New Slussen Project, which is the reason for all the construction around Slussen. The planning behind the project was astoundingly complex and comprehensive, considering all social, environmental, and economic factors. 

Model of the new Slussen project design

The next study trip was a real guided tour based on the Swedish crime fiction novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We walked around Monteliusvägen to Michael Blomkist’s apartment, the cafe where the movie was filmed, and viewpoints that showed the city at a glance. 

A picture of a gallery I peeked into before the field trip

The view was gorgeous. It's not too far from my apartment too!

When the tours were over, I stopped at the Coffee House and yapped with my friend for a bit before going home.

2/29 Thu 

Today was the big D-day: a 10-minute presentation on the case study done in my core course. I booked a room in DIS to practice until class. I ate my packed lunch and finished up my last touches. 

My messy hair ;-; The sun was out and I needed a break

Turns out the presentation was informal but I guess that was for the better. 

At home, I couldn’t rest as I had to prepare for my other presentation for Swedish and read half of a book for Crime Fiction class tomorrow. I made the mistake of reading in my bed and fell asleep eventually. 

3/1 Fri 

My team successfully finished the presentation and ate the pepparkakor that our teacher prepared for us. It is a thinner version of ginger cookies with a taste of Sweden. 

As a little treat after school, I ordered TooGoodToGo at an island I’ve never been to. It was such a smoggy and windy day (especially because the bridge I had to pass was near a huge lake) but I managed to arrive at the bakery in one piece. 

The bakery had so many cute chocolate pieces < 3

I caught up on my sleep for the rest of the day. 4 hours of nap before sleeping for real at night ;) 

3/2 Sat 

Finally, travel week 1 break began! My family came to visit Stockholm while I was here. We had no specific plans in mind, so we spontaneously decided on places to go. We left Airbnb at 5:30 pm when the sun was all set (...) but we still had a good time walking around T-Centralen and Gamla Stan. 

It was nice seeing my family again < 3

3/3 Sun 

We had a slow morning but made it out of our house by 1 pm. 

Our first stop was Gamla Stan since we could not see anything in the dark yesterday. I took them to the main photo spots first. 

Happy happy happy '◡ '

If you remember this place from my prior posts, you're a real one < 3

My dad then led the way to Stockholm’s narrowest street, Mårten Trotzigs gränd. It is only 90 cm (~35 in) wide. 

I took some great snapshots for my brother 

From far away, we saw a commuter ferry departing and abruptly decided to take it. We ran and ran and ran to make it in the departure time. We found out where we were headed once the ferry steered toward the temporarily closed amusement park on Djurgården Island. I felt like I hadn’t been on impromptu journeys for ages, so this kind of random traveling brought me so much joy! The island was bigger than we thought, and it was then that my dad discovered something from the map. The island we were on was the island with the Vasa museum! On the subway to Gamla Stan earlier on, we had made a plan to go to visit the Vasa museum later today. Without a clue, the ferry took us to the right place at the right time. We were so amazed and couldn’t stop talking about it for a good hour (and now I’m writing it on my blog post). 

Since we were there already, we went to the Vasa museum. It is a popular museum with a restored ship that sank back in the 1600s and recovered after 333 years, in the 1900s. I was impressed by the grand size of the ship and the salvage operation.

I still can't believe this magnificent yet delicate ship sunk 10 minutes after its departure

We took a thorough scan of the six floors and finally left when we were satisfied. A beautiful sunset was awaiting us outside. 

Swan couple < 3

This time, we took a tram to go back to Gamla Stan for fika. Fika and Wine was our first destination. We ordered Swedish meatballs and shrimp salad as our main dishes, as well as delicious desserts with coffee. 

Can’t describe the deliciousness in words < 3

For the rest of the evening, we enjoyed Gamla Stan with street lights on, going into souvenir shops one after another like real tourists. 

I loved the owls in this store but my wallet said no to all of them :(

The past few days have been relaxing, and I can’t wait to spend more time with my family :)  They are wonderful photographers (as you can see from the pictures in this post) so I'll have tons of more photos to share in the following days. Good pictures always brighten my day <3

I will let you know all about the rest of my break next week! 

Tack, 

Jiwoo Kim 

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

[antonvii]

Sweden, Stockolm City Train Station / T-Centralen Subway Station, 1X esc...

[perilh]

Hej hej le blog,

Idag e d fre 11 okt. Jag har jobbat o chillat o sett sverige kryssa mot slovakien. En rätt dålig dag mao. Speciellt eftersom man e lite sjukis o bettade på en blågul vinst, men men. Va så lack efter derbyt där förut, så tänkte att ja gör om o gör rätt - med en fortsättning på saker ja hatar. Här kommer den:

(1. AIK)

2. Pendeln

3. T-centralen

4. Gult hår

5. Folk som står still på fel sida i rulltrappan

6. Djurgården

7. Malmö & GAIS

8. Popcornkärnor i tänderna

9. Folk som går sakta

10. Hår som växer på fel ställen

11. Early bird

12. Snåljåpar

13. Svenska, dåliga skådisar

14. Dyra nässprayer

15. Regn

16. Att va fattig

17. Eksem & psoriasis

18. Gå ut med soporna

19. Handla toapapper

20. Sneakers med hål

21. När kaffet e slut

22. Att ost e livet o d e så onyttigt!!

23. Landslagsuppehåll

24. Höst

25. Bli äldre

Jaja. Detta va bara min lista för stunden.. den ändras snabbt kan ja lova!!! Men nu till lite kul (men dyrt) - jag har fått ny lägenhet😃 flyttar tillbaka till söderort igen 🤝fänks fänks…

Blir älta, dvs långt bort i nacka typ. Gränsen till tyris där ja bodde förr. Frågan e dock varför ja förklarar detta när alla mina 2 läsare redan vet🤔tror jag att jag blir senil om 1 år när ja tittar tillbaka o läser? Aja w/e.. ja tror tydligen att ja kmr kunna kolla tillbaka på den här dagboken när jag är 80… zzZzzZz.

Men men d ska bli nice iaf. Fuck you sollis, bye bye ✋🏾o så får man balle oxå, nice ändå!! Kul saker väntar!! Men en trist höst o vinter, va hände me sommarn lix. Jaja. Sånt e livet. Nu e d inte mkt som väntar runt hörnet, förutom ännu ett derby nästa vecka. Gulp… Annars e ja rätt nöjd me o ha d chill på schemat!

Aja, måste gip. Ha d gött, hörs

xoxo matilda viktoria hedenström

(Här e bilder från matchen förra helgen o mitt lite ljusare (gulare) hår🥰)

[trekadventureportugal]

6 juli Porto-Sthlm och hem

Jag låg i ett sex-rum, låter roligare än det var.. Över mig låg en taiwanesiska, hon skulle gå upp kl 03 och var lite nervös att störa mig. Jag sa att det var ok, då jag "bara" skulle hem och vi var ju bara 3 st i rummet. Det var ett fasligt snarkande på den 3e. Mitt i natten öppnades dörren och 2 till kom infarandes. Tog ett tag för dem att bädda o komma till ro. Jag hade svårt att somna om, mycket tack vare att snarkarn höll låda. Men somnade nog i alla fall till slut, för jag hörde inte när flickan ovanpå mig gick.

När klockan var 6 så drog jag ut mina saker och sen ner i köket med allt, stora ryggsäcken hade jag redan placerat där.

De hade gjort i ordning smörgåspaket, med mackor o juice, men jag åt på plats.

När jag var klar drog jag på mig bagaget och gick till flygplatsen. Det var otroligt smidigt att bara ha 10 min att gå till flyget, så borde det alltid vara ;-)

Gick o satte mig på redan utspanad plats..incheckning 13.

Kom bland de 5 första, så incheckningen gick smidigt. Tack vare att jag bara hade shorts o t-shirt, så gick säkerhetskontrollen smidigt också. Sen var det bara att vänta. Jag blev först vid gaten och fick därför en bra sittplats innanför. Väntade sen till sist med att boarda. Alla andra skyndade sig att köa, som om de jagade bästa platsen att sitta på???

Jag hade mittgång och fanns ingen anledning att hålla på med att stå i kö för det. NJÖT av den sista solen innan jag gick ombord.

Det var en hyfsad flygning utan några incidenter.

Satt kvar till sist i planet också, eftersom jag var bland de första som checkade in väska, så hamnade ju mitt bagage längst in, samt att min buss inte skulle gå förrän 16:30, så varför rusa för att sen vänta.

Segade innan jag gick ut, då det GIVETVIS var mulet o kallt i Sverige... nånstans runt 24 grader.

När jag kom fram till bandet så rullade väskan så fint. Plockade upp den och gick sen ut och upp till terminal 4, där jag visste att Mc D låg, så jag passade på att ta en "lunch" ;-)

Men det var ju min nya verklighet. Ville bara tillbaka.

Det jag noterade var att alla på flygplatsen pratade väldigt dålig svenska, alla pratade förort-svenska och det kändes som jag var mer utomlands än hemma när jag såg mig omkring.

Satt ute tills bussen kom.

Det blev en minnesvärd resa också. En nonchalant chaufför, han hette nåt på Rrr, men han sluddrade såpass med nån konstig brytning, så det inte gick att höra vad han hette. Jävlar vad han körde mot sthlm. Det var 15km för fort på både 70 och 80 sträckorna. Han trängde sig fint med bussen när vägen smalnade av strax innan stationen i Stockholm C, han t om tutade på andra bilar för att HAN minsann skulle fram o sen bromsade kraftigt. Kändes obehagligt. Sen fick vi stå på centralen o vänta 15 min för att han var för tidig.

Likaså ut från Sthlm så körde han väldigt ryckigt, gas broms, gas broms.

På E4 sen så gick det väl så fort som bussen gick, så det var ok, men han skulle ju om alla förstås.

När vi kom till Nkpg, så var det samma visa igen, tränga sig i rondeller och tuta på medtrafikanter. Givetvis var vi 15 min tidiga där också. Så vad var nyttan med att stressa i trafiken?

Han fick ingen bra utvärdering sen...

Inget skönt att vara hemma alls.. Molnigt o kallt.

Det är bara att ställa in sig på nästa år...

[shalomanna]

Mural at T Centralen Station, in Stockholm, Sweden.

[phokuznet]

T-Centralen

[samhorine]

stockholm metro - september 2018

[carmen-art]

Tunnelbana series: T-Centralen station (1) (Blue Line)

T-Centralen is the busiest and largest station of Stockholm’s metro system and it was opened to the traffic in 1957. At the beginning, the station was simply named Centralen, however soon after it was renamed to T-Centralen in order to avoid any name confusion with the central station. The station is considered to be one of the most unusual and beautiful in the world due to its incredible design: stylized blue flowers and leaf creepers. 

[se-mats]

T-Centralen subway station

T-Centralen subway station, Stockholm, Sweden

[signs-of-abstraction]

[umichenginabroad]

Stockholm Wrap-Up: Tips and Tricks

My time in Stockholm has come to an end. I am now waiting for my co-op to begin! The past semester has been a wonderful 4 months that I will never forget. 

I gathered a few tips and tricks for people planning to study abroad! I couldn’t find lots of information specific to Stockholm when I was searching for info, so I thought this could help future students. 

Hope you enjoyed my TMI posts, and thank you again for reading/glancing/trying to read them until Tumblr told you to create an account! 

The following notes are solely subjective to me so take them as suggestions, not facts!

Basics of Sweden

People: 

Very reserved but nice when you ask something 

Almost everyone speaks English 

Places: 

Everyone is entitled to their freedom to roam around - basically, you can go anywhere except for private property 

Culture: 

Fika = a break with coffee and pastry

Sweden seriously recycles! Make sure you follow all the rules and throw away the right stuff at the right place 

Through the pant system, you can get money back from empty cans/bottles. ICA usually has the pant machines so make use of them and get your money back! 

Transportation: 

Information on Google Maps is accurate

People are generally silent in public places, including the streets 

Public transportation (run by SL) is well-distributed and punctual in Stockholm

Metro comes every 5 minutes or so. It runs until late at night around 12 am or 2 am 

High-speed trains are mostly free but if you go past a certain point you need to pay an extra fee, so ask the representative in the stations OR check the map OR check the SL app 

Buses

Night buses run every day and are free with the SL card that DIS gives you 

Trams 

Ferries 

To and from Arlanda airport: 

Arlanda Express - high-speed train

18 mins + alpha to/from your house

Fastest to T-Centralen but a little expensive 

Does not run throughout the night 

~$16 one way 

~$32 roundtrip 

Flygbussarna - bus 

40-50 mins total 

Bus stations are distributed throughout Stockholm so you can get on and off at desired stops 

Runs all throughout the night 

~$15 one way (to/from Hornstull)

~$27 roundtrip (to/from Hornstull)

Money: 

10 SEK is a little less than $1

Swedish crowns = Kroner = SEK

Almost all the stores are cashless - wireless tap or cards are the norms 

ICA, The System (national alcohol stores), and flea markets are some of the only places that take cash 

DIS program

Gives unlimited public transportation card, three 200 SEK worth of ICA gift cards for groceries 

Attend the DIS-hosted events if you can! They offer diverse programs for free. The following are some examples: 

Sip & Paint - fika while you paint! 

Bowling night 

Ice skating

Billiards/arcade night 

Ticket to dance performances 

Picnic

Yoga session 

Visits to museums 

Guided tour to castles like Gripsholm 

DIS Festival is the last event of the semester that lasts about 2 hours where you can present your learnings, enjoy stations like a photo booth, eat catered food, and hope to win the raffle  

Suggestions 

Start learning the basics of Swedish through apps in advance! Duolingo was mainly how I learned Swedish 

Hi = hej (hey)

Bye = hey då (hey do)

Thank you = tack (tac)

Thank you so much = tack så mycket (tac-so-micket)

Sorry = förlåt (fur-lat)

Excuse me = ursäkta (ooh-shak-ta)

Go out and explore the city whenever you can! Get that vitamin D

Traveling: 

Main airlines: 

Ryanair: cheapest flights that are good for weekend trips with a backpack. It can be strict with the backpack size so ensure that your bag fits the size requirements. You need to buy every little thing you can think of, even water  

I heard Easyjet is similar to Ryanair

SAS youth: high-quality service with a cheaper price if you are between 12-25 years old. The seats run out very quickly so book in advance!

If flights get delayed for 3+ hours, SAS provides monetary compensation (a lot more than you think) so check it out if your flight gets delayed or canceled 

Norwegian: I personally didn’t fly Norwegian but I heard good things about it 

KLM: usually expensive 

If traveling with friends, an app called Tricount is very useful to sort out all the money stuff. You can enter who paid how much for every single occasion and at the end of the trip, it gives you a suggestion on who should pay how much to whom 

What To Bring: 

Bring a wide range of clothing - you will experience all four seasons during your one semester in Stockholm!

Winter suits: thick jackets, gloves, scarfs, hats

Swimsuits: Don’t forget to bring swimsuits for sauna/polar plunging in Stockholm and beaches during your academic/personal travels!

Fanny pack: it was very useful when I was traveling to places known for pickpocketing (London, Barcelona, Italy, etc.)  

Travel-size bottles! 

Many Airbnbs and hostels did not have shampoo/conditioner, so I always carried around shampoo and conditioner in mini-containers (under 100 mL). They are useful for skin care products too!

International Travel Adapter 

Plug types are all different in Sweden, United Kingdom, Malta, Italy, France

Check before you travel! 

Hygiene product information for girls 

The tampons that they sell here are very small 

I didn’t see any stores selling big pads, so I’d bring enough for an entire semester

What Not To Bring: 

Toiletries were surprisingly very cheap in Stockholm: cotton pads, toothbrushes, floss, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, etc. No need to bring them if you don’t have enough room! 

Normal was my go-to store for these products 

Where To Study: 

Espresso House - the most popular chain in Stockholm imo

Wifi, charging stations

Good smoothies (mango chia is my fav) and pastries (cheesecakes, croissants, Kanelbulle) 

Wayne's - similar chain

Wifi, more charging stations

A lot of people chatting or studying 

Illy - chain with chill studying vibes 

Wifi can be a little goofy sometimes 

Good studying atmosphere - everyone is working on a laptop 

Avocado sandwich is good 

Where To Go: 

For grocery shopping/basic goods: 

ICA: $600 gift card that DIS gave me lasted me the whole semester! I cooked and bought groceries with my roommate, so we technically had $1200 together for one semester

BUT I ate out a couple of times each month and traveled a lot so if this is not the case you might run out quickly! 

Normal: they sell a lot of basic goods ranging from toiletries to stationery to snacks. It is not too expensive either so if you want something small but don’t know where to go, I’d check out Normal after ICA! 

IKEA: We went just for fun and sometimes for food. Cheap Swedish meatballs and 70-cent vanilla ice cream make the visit worth it! 

Go thrifting - there are lots of options! Many thrift stores are located side-by-side in Slussen, T-Centralen, and Mariatorget. Keep in mind that there are some vintage stores, but they are generally expensive (average $40). Read the descriptions of each store below if you are interested. This list of thrift stores is in ascending order by price: 

Myrona & Humana: both are chains that sell clothes on the cheaper side. I loved to look around the wide selection even if I had nothing to buy in mind 

Artikel2: the one I went to was huge - there were lots of jean products 

Stockholm Stadsmission: a chain with reasonable price and quality. You can find lots of gems when you spend time digging! 

Arkivet: a higher-end second-hand store with abundant high-quality clothes such as Tommy Hilfiger, COACH, BOSS, COS, etc. The one in T-Centralen is my personal favorite! I suggest this store if you’re looking for durable clothes like trench coats, jackets, etc. The expensive clothes are much cheaper than the original price, but the clothes that are usually cheap (ZARA/H&M) are a bit overpriced 

Check out museums - the following list is in descending order of preference: 

Paradox Museum: plenty of photo spots! I’d suggest going with someone else so that you can take photos of each other 

Tekniska Museet: a lot of science and technology stuff, but it’s not boring - it is a multistory building with innumerable interactive activities. Don’t forget to check out the video game rooms on the top floor!

Banksy (pop-up): Banksy’s artwork illustrates the political and historical issues through Banksy’s perspective 

Fotografiska: exhibitions switch every few months: I loved Rinko Kawauchi’s photo collection! 

Skansen: open-air museum with reindeer and historical housings! It is hugeeee so spare some time if planning on going here

Vasa Museum: museum with a well-preserved 17th-century ship that got salvaged 

ABBA Museum: The museum is smaller than I expected, especially when it is on the more expensive side. However, there were a few interactive activities (dancing stage, karaoke stations, silent headphone dancing spot, etc.) and numerous photo spots!

For people who love nightlife - check out the following list: 

Cafe Opera: nightclub 

Secret Garden: gay bar in Gamla Stan

Liffey: Irish pub in Gamla Stan that has live music and karaoke 

RoQ: bar with arcade games 

Beer and play: casual drinking bar - a lot of DIS students went on Tuesdays to drink beer and socialize 

Avoid Time bar: the $15 cocktails are good but there are too many old men who approach young girls :((  

Wander around in… 

Gamla Stan: I can’t emphasize my love for Gamla Stan enough; as the old town, they have a lot of historical buildings and museums in addition to rows of souvenir stores and cafes. There are a myriad of small paths (+ the narrowest street in Sweden) you could take - I loved getting lost in Gamla Stan! 

Fika and Wine - good authentic Swedish food: meatballs are very good 

PANEM - my absolute favorite dessert cafe! The mango mousse cake is one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted 

Monteliusvägen: This is a perfect spot in Mariatorget to enjoy a view of the city while you take a leisurely walk. I went there multiple times with friends and on my own. It's the perfect place to have your sunlight intake!

Rosendals Trädgård (Garden): Although it’s a bit far away from the center of Stockholm (on an island that also has Skansen and Grona Lund amusement park), it is a place you need to visit in the spring. Little stores sell postcards (I was about to buy 5 but I realized I’m broke and only bought 1; however, I am regretting my choice right now. If I could go back I would buy all of the ones I picked out), keyrings (I bought four acorn keyrings for my family), vases, etc. There are greenhouse-looking cafes where you can eat food and desserts. And don’t forget to smell and take pictures at the flower gardens!

Kungsträdgården: ice skating in winter and cherry blossom festival in spring!

More places to visit in Sweden: 

City hall 

Stockholm Public Library 

Gröna Lund = amusement park

Westfield Scandinavia = mall 

Stockholm Observatory 

Archipelago 

Östermalms Saluhall = food hall 

Day trip to Uppsala 

What To Eat: 

Burger

MAX - Swedish burger chain 

More popular than McDonalds! 

There are a ton of vegan/vegetarian options - and I heard they are good 

Sweet potato fries are gas 

Brödernas - Hamburger restaurant 

Right next to the DIS Stockholm building

Outdoor sitting is a must in spring! 

Top sweet potato fries 

Pasta

Florentine - Italian pasta/pizza place

The pasta here is sooooo good 

Cocktails are fabulous too: Florentine on the Beach is my favorite 

Carls Deli - Italian restaurant 

After eating their pasta I agreed with the 4.8-star rating on Google Maps

In a food hall in T-Centralen 

Very busy all the time! 

Japanese: 

Noburu - best sushi for reasonable prices 

Near DIS Building (about 10 minute walk)

DELICIOUS food and AESTHETIC plating

Dry ice for decor 0_0

IPIN - cheap and good Japanese food

Near Hornstull 

Everything was around $10 

Ramen, sushi, and donburi were all good!

Sushi Yama - a chain where you can select nigiri types

Nigiris are small but delicious 

You can choose quantity and type of nigiri - I recommend grilled salmon; it literally melts in your mouth 

Matchaya - ramen and bubble tea

Close to DIS (about 15 minute walk)

Good ramen (I suggest the miso base)

Love their fruit bubble tea

TooGoodToGo - you can get leftover food that would’ve gone to waste at the end of the day for cheap prices! 

Happy Sweet Potato - bubble tea

I got 3 different bubble teas on top of a cup full of coconut jellies + pudding for less than $8

It sells out rapidly so I’d set a timer and snatch the deal when it opens 

ICA - groceries OR fruits and veggies OR bread

I only ordered bread here but I’ve noticed that the other options run out fast 

Got a bag for less than $5 if I remember correctly

Good for students who need sandwich bread + want pastries like croissants and vanilla/chocolate bread

Bakery Hornstull - bread OR cake

I love the owner couple… They’re so sweet and kind

I got 4 paper bags filled with all sorts of bread - there were a lot of big bread/sandwich bread though  

When I bought a cake for approximately $7, she let me choose between two cakes (we usually don’t get to pick)  

Eataly - pizza

My friends did it here and got three pieces of pizza for $3 

I missed my chance but you could do it! 

Desserts 

PANEM - pastries (!!! Mango mousse cake !!!)

PLEASE try the mango mousse cake if you like not TOO sweet fruity desserts

Alcohol 

You can only purchase alcohol from The System, which is owned by the government - US ID like driver’s license works sometimes 

Briska pear cider is extremely popular for a reason 

All the ciders I tasted in Sweden were good but I especially liked Somersby ciders 

This is all I can think of! 

The four months in Stockholm reminded me what life really is, what I enjoy, what I am comfortable with, what I need to work on, and how I want to live my life. 

I am so grateful for all the opportunities and support I have received. Now, it is time for me to move on and enter a new stage in life. I’ll be looking back on these precious memories whenever I need a refresher :) 

I genuinely loved studying abroad, especially in Stockholm. I hope you had fun reading these weekly posts as well! 

Thank you and goodbye, 

Jiwoo Kim

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

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