Scandinavia: The State of Beingness

  

Hans Christian Anderson: Looking over Copenhagen, April 2013.

Hans Christian Museum: Then entrance into the museum makes you feel as if you are entering old Denmark--that of Andersen's fairy tales. 

The very first 'Philospher's Stone was written by H. C. Anderson, and not J. K. Rowling.

This was at the exit.  If you notice there is a reflection in the mirrors. These mirrors were a replica of what old time Denmark had as 'surveillance cameras' only these were 'watchful mirrors.' The idea of big brother always existed. 

Hans Christian Andersen:  Greets you at the entry of the museum created in his honor. 

Ripley's Believe it or not is housed in the same building!!

First, an apology to the readers.  Despite my best attempts, I have not been able to write. I have about two dozen blog entries at various stages of writing. Seriously---no exaggeration.  But I do not have the mental energy to sit down and write or edit. I have had about six visits to various doctors and therapist this semester.  I have been told its the long term stress that my body is reacting to.  I can type, but I can hardly write, my hands are swollen.  I often use a voice activated system to type.  My entire back is stiff and my neck has little mobility.  I have not stopped coughing since summer.  

Mentally, I am at the end of my rope. I take long periods of silence--at least try to, to recuperate.  The only sound I allow in, are positive thinking tapes, or lectures that allow me to connect my heart and mind.  Other than that, my mind is always buzzing with what I have to read for a class and what next to do at work. 

I have been stuck in life, on many levels. I complain about not being able to write, or express.  As my teaching takes so much time. I know I inspire students. I just know that. I have done that since I was a child.  There is another blog entry waiting to be written about a school we started when I was about 9 years of age.  I was the teacher and the headmistress.  And on high attendance days, we would have three students!!

But I get angry at what we have made of academia.  Knowing fully well that most of the social sciences or the humanities research is about gathering,compiling and analyzing data. It often stops short of implication and implementation.  Not much of it is directed towards policy or social change.  Understanding policy and social change-- maybe--but actual change, not really.  That is left to activists, and NGOs.  

And yet publication is important.  Everytime I am engaged in something like that, I get angry and frustrated, 'What is this for?" I ask.  It does not  help anyone except advance the career of the writer. We are not Bill Moyers who helps the public understand about complex issues that might influence their lives. Most of it is done so that we can have labels, and get better jobs and more funding to continue doing the same thing. So that we can sit in conferences and talk about the same issues only with new authors attached to them, and say, 'Ah the world is really not going in the right direction.'

I always thought academics and activists were intertwined.  

But that is not the case.  

So, its been hard.  I have been in Scandinavia almost four years.  While I came here, for a short time, I have stayed here, as a person going on a long winding road stops for a long breath. Yet in this process of stopping to take a deep breath--, I have taught eleven new courses--all except 2-3 were NOT in my area of work from before.  I have already read, learnt, taught and forgotten so much that I have had to teach here.  Shame on a system that does not recognize the industriousness of a person who can manage all that, while trying to juggle the feeling of homelessness, a lack of direction in life, and adjusting in a country where main lanauge is alien. 

I have cried and been angry and hurt, and sad, and frustrated and then I have given up in hopelessness.  While I can blame the outside, there is something that has happened due to all this movement that has deeply affected me.  I have lost my direction and my anchor. I am floating without hope, and drifting without a motive. Family and love can bring you that anchor.  I have always sought that, but at this point, not knowing who I am has affected all my faculties. I just wake up, go to work, work non stop, emails, responding to students, preparing, grading, setting up times for new classes, connecting with the library to ensure the books are in, writing reflection and evaluations for classes, making up assignments --since you are always teaching new classes, you are always writing new assignments.  Not to mention supervising C-essays (honors essay) or Master's thesis.  And some short term classes here and there. Oh and in between, some day long meetings, sometimes not in a language I understand (I love my colleagues, so this is nothing against them.  and I know this is not anything against me either. No one is singling me out. But it puts a wedge between me and my environment and I recede back into myself where things do not make sense.)

But despite all that anger, this post is not about that.  This is about what I have learnt from here. What I have gained in Sweden.  What I owe to my students, who repeatedly come and tell me that I have made a difference.

I could not pinpoint what was different, what was that, despite my wanting to run away that brought a smile from deep down in my heart every time I returned to Sweden.

In the US it was familiarity.  In Fiji, it was the sun, the green, and the glowing smiles.  The abundance of nature itself.  Fruits and flowers grew whether or not we nurtured them.

In Sweden?  What is it? I arrived in the middle of one of the coldest years in decades.  Why was I smiling?

It took me some time to realize it was the lack of commercialization and the idea of controlled development.  It was the focus on nature, and environment that allowed to preserve forests right behind the university.  So, a forty minute walk behind the university takes you through the woods and brings you to the bank of a sprawling lake.  

It was the absence of over commercialism.  There must be some rules and restrictions on where advertisements can be placed. Because you can go for hours without seeing billboards. The view of a driver here in Scandinavia--is clear....so is that for passengers in public transport.  Long trees and fields racing past you is much more pleasant than big ads for shampoos and McDonalds. Our imagination can run free without the fear of crashing into one of those huge billboards announcing a new reality show. 

It was the focus on family--often I saw just as many men with strollers as women.  But the best was when I saw men, in public places changing diapers.  

It was the idea of community and staff bonding that took shape in Fika times --coffee times--that every department holds once a week, where we gather in staff room and just chat about work or life.  I had not seen that anywhere, except lunch time in Kanye, Botswana.  

There are regular opportunities for staff bonding.  Semester kickoff dinners and lunches, Christmas dinners, celebrating birthdays and new additions to the family.  Usually there is a small collection, about five dollars or less --the department probably adds a bit and a gift is presented to the person.  There are farewell parties, which again I never saw in the US.  People came and went, without being acknowledged.  Life was just as usual, everyone in their cubical/room. Friendships are long term, and deep. Unlike the US where friends went out for a drink, or spent a vacation together, which Swedes do as well--colleagues even help each other out during summer in working on their garden, house, tiles etc.  There is a real camaraderie.  

I have already been to the house of a few of my colleagues. Where as in the US-- I was hardly invited to anyone's house.  The great thing was a 'pot latch' where everyone brought a dish, or a these huge parties where you never really got to know anyone--people were scattered all over the place and hung out in small groups.  The quality of the talk was also--sort of scattered.  Much like T.S. Eliot's wasteland. 

People tell me its hard to get into the Swedish culture.  Probably--but once you were in---you were in.  Better than in places--'where there is no in'.  Little connection and continuation.

The idea of working part time or working for a fewer hours---makes a difference.  Women get decent length  maternity leave, that does not necessarily mean a reduction in their everyday lifestyle.  Men can be with their children, as they get parental leave as well.  So children have the opportunity to know both parents. 

Most shops close after 5 pm, the rest after 8 pm.  Its hard to find many restaurants open beyond 10 pm.  Why?  You must pay people working in the evening higher than those who work during the day.  Makes sense.  Those who are taking time away from rest and being with their families must be compensated. 

In addition, Scandinavia is expensive in general. The reason?  Well, high taxes.  And therefore, the level of consumption is much lower than that in the US.  People do not eat out that often--and are therefore cooking at home and eating better.  Many people still are familiar with basic plumbing and electrical work, since the country is based on 'self sufficiency model' and hiring help is very expensive.  But if you do hire someone, there is a bit of a tax reduction. 

There are special times and days set for family time.  Since it is a part of the culture, it is not looked down upon.  

It was these simple policies that allowed you 'time' and 'quietness'.  I often wonder where would I be, if I had access to any of these security systems.  And I mean, not just now--but from the very beginning. If I knew I could enter a country where I was living without a job---and then rest and look for one---while I was working on a book academic or otherwise---would it help me health wise?  Career wise?  Because for a change, I would not worry about supporting myself?

I have several books floating in me.  But I resort to short blog entries, or haikus or some odd conference papers.  They give me a sense of accomplishment and keep me in this business. 

But in between the frustrations and anger, I do appreciate what scandinavia has done for its people.  Created a world where people can walk free and without stress. The joke is that Scandinavians easily get stressed because their life is easy and calm.  Well, its a gift right?  Shouldn't we try to create that?  

Just like living in a capitalistic society does not make everyone hardworking, living in a socialist society, does not make everyone lazy.  

What it does do is create a simple, not high on consumption (although things are changing) --way of life, that is almost crime free.  

The minimum wage in the country is nearly three times that in the US. 

But here is what happened recently that made me think of this all over again.  

I had a conference in the south of Sweden, which is only 45 min train ride from Copenhagen.  The conference ended on Saturday, but I had a meeting on monday.  I decided to go to Copenhagen for a day, and stayed at a hostel I had stayed at before.  I did not have much time this time and days were much colder and shorter.  So, all I did was walk into the national museum, entry to which was free.  They had a huge Viking exhibit, but they had closed entry to it by the time I got there, because it was already packed (there, that control sensibility again).  

I had wanted to go to Hans Christian Anderson museum again, (I was there earlier this year in April), but did not have the time.  So I thought I would browse their 'gift shop'.  As I have done in many places, in the US and more recently in the UK (Sherlock Holmes on Baker Street).

"Oh sorry, we don't have a gift shop' apologized the lovely Danish girl.  

"Oh don't be sorry, that is great' I chuckled.

No gift shop at H. C. Anderson museum?  Knowing fully well how much money it could make them?  They could sell so much 'useless stuff'--that meant nothing, except that it had the stamp of the museum on it.  They could create not so important objects like 'door stoppers' with Little Mermaid printed on them.

But 'no gift shop'??!! 

What does that do?  That takes us away from constant thinking in terms of ‘buying and selling.’  While there are few places today untouched by commercialism, these policies, thought-out ways of living allow a different world to the children who are lucky to grow up in these environments.

This is the only university –that I have been to—and I have worked at quite a few, where there is no Macdonald’s around the campus.  This does not happen by accident.  In fact, there are only two restaurants other than university café and they close after lunch.  We always complain about not having much choice.  Something that the US offers you.

But at what expense?

I do not know where I am going, where I will end up, but there are so many things that I have learnt from being in Scandinavia.  But the most important is that --for us to allow higher level of thinking, for human beings to rise above our own basic needs--we cannot simply rely on individual natures and family environment, we must provide that environment, whether by controlling the large corporations with private interests, providing down time for families, maternity leave, upholding arts and music, (In Sweden children can get free music lessons, budgets for construction of all public buildings includes a little fund for local artists, so that all buildings are decorated with local art).  Like Dewey suggested, if you provide the environment, children will grow into it. Provision of that environment, I know cannot be left to the 'market'.  It must be incorporated into the functioning of a country.  

Maybe, in that sense, life is no hurried-scurrying movements, but has the possibility of becoming a meditation---because we are allowed time for 'our beingness'.