Workshop in Linkoping, Sweden 8-12/12 2001
More pictures: page 2 and page 3
I am Salvor Gissurardottir from Reykjavik, Iceland and I participate as a student in a part-time university program in Adult learning and Global Change where four universities spanning several continents -- the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the University of British Columbia, the University of Technology and the University of Linkoping -- have collaborated to launch a two-year online master's programme. I am enrolled in the program at the University of Linköping in Sweden.
This webpage is about a workshop I attended in December 2001 as part of this programme. I left Iceland on December 7th to participate in a workshop between UWC (University of Western Cape Town) and LiU.(University of Linköping). The workshop was part of a research project sponsored by SIDA and made it possible for us the students from UWC and LiU to meet in real life but we all participate in a web-based university programme. About half of the students in the programme came to this workshop. Here is my story of the first two days of the workshop.
Ice and snow in Iceland
When I left my house in Reykjavik, Iceland it was covered with snow as you can see in the picture.
Meeting friends from Sweden
I flew from Iceland to Stockholm and then by train to Linköping. The student group from South Africa was on the same train as Ibut somehow I managed to miss them - I looked around and waited at the railway station but could´nt see any group that looked like they had just came from Africa. I had been sure that I would have no trouble finding them. I came to Valla Folk High School in the dark and met David Maakestad and soon the others arrived.
Meeting friends from South-Africa
It only took minutes until we were all starting to discuss and communicate. Here are Kennith Daniels, Barbara Meyer and Gavin Pilz. They all came from different parts of South Africa, Barbara lives in Cape Town, Gavin lives in Johannesborg and Kennith lives in Vredenburg which is situated on the West Coast about 2 hours drive from Cape Town.
Storytelling from North and South
It was David who did most of the talking on the night when we arrived. He is one of the local people and told us stories about Linköping and his life as a student and forest dweller there. Also his life in other continents such as the time when he run for public office in a remote rural American community and got twelve votes in the election - and some weren´t even from his friends! When we went to sleep he went out because he is a musician and plays on the streets in the center of Linköping about one weekend in the month. We others managed to get in some stories also. Here am I (Salvor Gissurardottir), Barbara Meyer and Glen Arendse listening to Davids stories.
The Valla Folk High School
On Saturday morning we walked around the Walla Folk High School and looked at the barn and forest. The South-African students found the weather chilly and were amazed at the mixture of snow and rain, the snowflakes turned to water when the hit the ground.
A true Folk High School Spirit !
David had brought with him two guitars and he and Glen played in the morning. It was very appropriate since we were lodging in a Swedish folk high school and many such school start each day with a song.
Singing in the rain (or was it snow?)
Here you can see Glen Arense and David Maakestad playing the guitars.
Mittah Seleka, Barbara Meyer,Michael Fortuin and Kennith Daniels sing
along.
Lots of books
Before the opening lunch David took us at a sightseeing tour in the humanities university library.
Fancy computer stuff
We also looked at oneof the computer labs
All buildings seem brand new
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We looked at the facilities of the university. We from Iceland and South Africa admire the facilities. Everything seems to be new and use the latest technology. The libraries are huge. It must be a privilege to be a student at a Swedish university. Here I remember that I am a student at the University of Linköping but this is my first time there and I assume most of my study will take place from Iceland were I am logged on to the Linköping university network. |
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Going to the session on Sunday morning
Christian, Els-Marie, Glen, Barbara, Mittah, David, Michael and Galvin
Madeleine and Lars invited us to dinner
Lars Owe Dahlgren and Madeleine invided the group to dinner on Saturday night.
Here are Zelda Groener and Glen Arendse at the party.
Thinking
Barbara and Mittah engaged in deep thinking and meditation at the Saturday night dinner.
Group of poets and artists
When we came to the Valla high school after the dinner party at Saturday night, we sat for a couple of hours discussing our cultures and eating Icelandic dried fish (called harðfiskur). The South Africans told me they had similar food item because South Africa is by the ocean and fishing is common and the fish has to be dried to perserve it if the market is faraway. We talked about the importance of storytelling and the stories of our ancestors and our cultural heritage. We found out that we are a group of artists. I discussed poetry and culture with two poets of our group, Kenneth and Glen until around two'oclock after midnight. Here is Glen telling me and Kenneth about the performance poetry group in Cape Town that he belongs to.
The instructors: Shirley Walters, from UWC,David Boud ,Nicky Solomon from UTS, and Tom Sork, Katarina Pisutova from UBC, Staffan Larsson and Madelaine.
More pictures later...
Salvör Gissurardóttir December 10, 2001
All the photos are by Salvor Gissurardottir
All the graphic and backgrounds are from Ritvas Gallery
