Jonkoping Fun

Hey guys!
So I am sorry it’s been more than two days since I have last updated but classes have started and it’s been a fight to ensure everything goes properly and I am currently conduct a massive hunt to find a book I need for class. Jonkoping University is a great university but I cannot understand why they don’t have a large bookstore that sells the books needed for the classes offered here. As of right now- it is the students’ responsibility to find the books online or at bookstores nearby. I am currently taking two classes: Swedish 1 and Basics in Supply Chain Management and both are intense and full of information, but I am learning a lot.

So, to continue the story about kickoff week, I should go back to Thursday, which was by far one of the craziest days I’ve had here in Sweden. With lectures and meetings about the university occurring in the morning- I met Army group shortly after and I was told to be ready to perform a variety of tasks. After meeting up, we began our “march” to the East side of Jonkoping, close to where the shopping district is. Arriving at the bridge connecting the shopping district to the rest of town, we walked off the road to a river walkway which bordered the canal. That is when our Fadders gave the order to “strip and jump in” and that there is a race to reach the other side. Wearing only a pair of shorts that was under my coveralls and a shirt, I ran to the edge, jumped as high as I could, and closed my eyes at the peak of my jump. Much to my surprise when I hit the water and went under the surface by six feet, the water was actually rather pleasant, and refreshing. Rising up to the surface, I swam to the other side and when everyone arrived, we posed for a group picture. This event was something that really surprised me- you almost never see guys and ladies stripping down and jumping into water in majorly populated areas in the United States- unless you want a ticket or ride in the back of a cop car if caught. But I was told that Sweden is an “easy going” and “anything goes” sort of country, and I am starting to believe it.

One thing I may have forgotten to mention is that many of the tasks or crazy actions taken by the group are for the sake of point tallied by the “Sexkreators,” or the members of “Sexkreation.” Sexkreation is the group that is in charge of kickoff week events and social events throughout the year. The word “sex” means the #6 in the Swedish language and is also a VERY VERY old word in Swedish for “fun.” And of course the word kreator is the word for creater so they are “fun-creaters.” Anyways- enough of that. After getting out of the water and putting clothes back on- we walked to a park that borders the water, next to a massive fountain. From there, we were played a game of taking a boot and throwing it in between our legs and having it land in the fountain. Much to my dismay- my throw fell short. Once again though, a picture opportunity was had and all of Army posed in the fountain.

From there- we walked to the most active street in Jonkoping, which is where all of the nightclubs and many bars are located. We walked into a club where we were introduced to the club owner and we were put to the task of creating a dance to a Michael Jackson song- in five minutes. It ended up being a military march, turn hands oriented dance, turn line dance… with shirts off. So we ended up getting 90 points for the dance and 10 points for “nudity.” Once again- Sweden is not like the US. The US should start taking notes. From there, we walked to multiple sites including the local pharmacy, the favorite local pizzeria (known for their French fry and kebab pizza), and the Chaplin’s office where they ended up singing (really well) a well-known American song.

The second to last stop we went to was literally the downtown square of the shopping district. We met with two of the Sexkreators and were given instructions that we had to put on a fashion show for them- with women’s clothing. This resulted in me having to once again “strip” out of my shirt and take off the clothing I had taken from the pile of clothes we had to use (a Santa hat and a scarf). I escaped relatively unscathed; especially compared to my Swiss friend Henri who had to wear women’s undergarments, no shirt, pink angel wings, and an Irish St. Patty’s Day hat. What a team player. Our last stop was the local gym that was offering student discounts for incoming students. I found it to be rather ironic that they offered candy to us when we first arrived. From there, we split up to head back to our apartments to get ready for the biggest JSA event: the toga party.

The toga party was incredible! I was told that it was the best party of the year by our Fadders and they were not joking. This was the first wet (alcohol involved) toga party I’ve been to and it was a blast. We started off hanging out at a Fadder’s apartment nearby where we ended up getting our togas there and the process of figuring out how to actually put on a toga began. Walking over to the club- I was extremely excited for the event. Not for the alcohol or the usual reasons, but the group that I was going with had molded together so well and it was great hanging around such a solid group of people. At the end of the toga party, the vast majority of the toga clad party goers walked back to the canal for the annual post toga party swim. Much to my dismay- the water was much colder than earlier that day. My first thought as I plunged into the water was: “GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!” It was a great night and I look forward to many more. Well- I must be going but I will update again soon. I hope all of you are well.

Later!

Jonesy