I hope that all of you are having a good and productive week. I really look forward to spring, i.e. warmer days and more sunlight. The winter is really long here and inevitably will get to you if you study here and aren't from a location with a similar climate or at a similar latitude. Despite this, friends, sports and a good sauna and possibly even some beers (in the sauna) will help make the winter doldrums more bearable.
So, what do I do during my time after classes? My one answer is: ROWING!!!! Since end of August, I've been a member at the Uppsala Academic Rowing Club or in Swedish "Uppsala Akademiska Roddarsällskap". At the very end of this blog I've inserted the symbol of our rowing club. Now, you may ask how we train during the 4-5 months of subzero (degrees Celsius) temperatures. We train indoors on rowing machines, weight lifting at the various (and also very affordable) gyms and on Thursday night we offer free circuit training with a sauna afterwards to whoever wants to participate. I think it's great fun, and the presence of the Uppsala Academic Rowing Club (UARS) influenced my decision to come to SLU. Normally rowing and paying the membership fee at a traditonal private club is very expensive (anywhere between €50 - €80 per month). At the UARS, I pay a very small fee of €50 per semester (one semester equals six months!). So you get my point. It's very cheap. We have our own boats (including Empachers) and a club house with rowing ergometers and exercise bikes. I train an average of 5 to 6 times a week and plan on rowing competitively in spring again.
While I was at Ithaca College in New York completing my Bachelor's Degree, I rowed for the Ithaca College Varsity Rowing team, so I am an experienced rower. I enjoy training at the UARS and urge you to take a look at what the club has to offer. Here is our website: http://www.uars.se/english . The website is still under construction and is still lacking in information.
If you're not interested in rowing and are more interested in general student activites, e.g. clubs, other sports, etc., SLU offers a place for this too. After becoming a member with the "Uppsala Student Unions" or in Swedish the "Ultuna Studentkår", you can participate in dinners, concerts, activities and a wide range of sports. The student unions are a large part of student life at SLU and many students participate in some sort of club activity. I think it's great fun.
This is enough for one post. Have a nice day and a great start to your week. To be continued.....
//Julian
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| This is our Logo of the Uppsala Academic Rowing Club |
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