From USA. Lucas Haskell is the Buddy coordinator.
From South Korea. Jung Hwi Roh and Si Won Kim.
BEST THINGS IN SWEDEN” ree kilometres through town to the regiment and then follow the trail Tavelsjöleden to the final destination. But according to him hiking on sidewalks is boring, and therefore he has changed the route so that it’s a little bit longer, starting with crossing Mariehemsängarna and continuing along a lighted track. from asphalt to gravel road and then to soft trails covered with fir needles. The city noise becomes more and more distant and soon we are surrounded
SOON THE GROUND SHIFTS
VERTEX 8: 2016
by silence. But the group it not quiet at all. The purpose of the Buddy programme is to introduce the Swedish culture to the international students and make them interact with the Swedish students. Those goals have indeed been reached successfully. It’s not quiet for a second. – I think it’s important that the students get involved with other Swedes. If you’re from Germany for example, it’s so easy to just stay with the Germans. Many students come to Sweden without knowing anyone and have no friends here. Maybe they don’t get in-
vited to a party and just stay home. To the Buddy groups’ activities everyone is invited, Lucas says.
the students and the others laugh and clap their hands loudly before we continue the hike.
LUCAS HASN’T WALKED these particular trails earlier, which we soon become aware of. Several times we have to make turnabouts. When we finally reach the planned starting point the hiking has been going on for two hours and many are tired. No one is complaining, but when Lucas announces that we’ve reached the right trail the relief can’t be mistaken. – Applauds for Lucas! shouts one of
WHEN WE CATCH a glimpse of the little red cottage behind the trees, after one more hour of hiking, we start to move faster. Rest is close. A few hundred metres up the mountain, the students sit down on the flat rocks. When the food comes out of the backpacks the chatting, which has been constant for the last three hours, suddenly quiets
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