Blog 1 from a Swedish American Perspective

Dear Students and Colleges, This is my first time ‘blogging’. I am not aware of any ‘blogging rules or guidelines’ but I am simply writing as I feel and like and about what

comes to mind. Much like note taking during observation, I am observing and writing down the things that I notice to be special or different to what I am used to. 

The place me and my husband and three children are visiting is the place where I grew up. When my parents decided to move from Rosemead, California (a suburb of the greater Los Angeles County) I was 4 years old going on 5. We moved to this little place called Källö-Knippla, on the west coast of Sweden, where my mother was born and raised. The island is out in the archipelago of Gothenburg. The first view of the island when traveling there is from the island ‘Burö’. 

Here is a picture of what you see from the ferry doc on ‘Burö’. 

One must travel on two ferries to get there. Here are two pictures of the ferries. 

(http://www.ockero.se/images/18.482e5003117e8afe0d0800052826/Beda.jpg)

from: http://www.alhidden.com/page_150

If one does not have a car then one would travel by bus with a final stop on Burö. 

My perspective of the island is biased in that I have spent 14 primary years here. The majority of my enculturation was here on this small island and holds a very special place in my mind. Although I have now spent 22 years away from living here, I have visited as frequently as I have been able to afford to and the last time we were here was 3 years ago. My children are thrilled to be here. What is it that thrills them? I have not yet asked them...but I will guess that it is the smell of the ocean, the view of the ocean, the rocks so tempting to climb on, the grass so tempting to pull and play with, my grandmothers old house so fun to explore, the special attention they are given by family and friends, the beach right next to my mothers house, the anticipated fishing and boat activities etc. 

We arrived yesterday, Wednesday, the 13th of July, 2011. The first thing that came to mind as we traveled from the Ferry dock on Burö was that I had not recognized a single person from there and until we arrived at my mothers house. This has been a process for several years as many have moved form the island and many new people have purchased homes, but it was especially striking this visit. I am excited to explore who the new people are that now live here and who has left.