Time for Graduation

I can still remember the day I graduated, it was 8 years ago. Almost to the day. I took it on June 13.

Anyway, today the youngest of us graduated. She's my youngest cousin and to me she's still 5 and has trouble to pronounce my name!

Anyway, we are heading down to the city where my uncle and his family lives in a few hours to celebrate!!

I'm so happy for my cousin!

For all of you who are not familiar to Swedish culture. To graduate High school is a bigger celebration than from University! Both Bachelor and Master.

You wear the cap, see above, and if you are a girl wear a white dress and boys wear a suit! (most ones wear black ones). 

You celebrate from morning to night.

Inside the hat friends and classmates write comments like "Omg, cannot believe we made it, these three years are done", "We are the best"... etc

Many students rent a big truck and party for a few hours on the truck, that's driving around the city or area of your preference (that's legal). Afterwards you head home for a dinner with family and friends, get gifts then head out to party at a location, either rented by you and your friends, or by the school. It depends on you. I celebrated with my school. And the party continues all night long!!!

Parents, Get a grip! and start acting like parents!

The debate on TV stated that school boys are playing way too much video games instead of studying.
And the opposition blame the government for this, or that's what it seems. Because this issue can of course be blamed to our school system?!
Some also says "Well look at S.Korea, they play a lot of video games but they reach high on the polls of studying and good degrees".

Let me laugh at two things.
It's always greener on the other side right!? But take a look, sometimes it's only the light that fools you!

1. It's not up to the schools to ban video games, get them to go to bed, or to get these boys to study better. It's the parents that needs to due their job, be a parent!!
When I was younger, me and my brother could only be on the computer for a certain amount of time.
Why is it that when people are going through a difficult time, they more or less ALWAYS blame the government. But for somehow, isn't that what being an adult is about, to take care of yourself.
If you have a child, then raise him/her, do not expect others to do it for you!!!
Put a password to the computer, lock it in your bedroom before going to bed?! By doing so the child has no other option that to sleep at night!

2. Well, S.Korea might reach very high on those polls. But I can sure tell you, the video game playing boys who spend countless of hours on the computer are not the ones with the highest degrees.
My friends in S.Korea (and Japan and other Asian countries) spend endless of hours in school, extra curriculum classes at private institutions or even have private tutors coming to their houses. And it's all because the parents pay and watch them over.
I kinda feel sad for some of them because all they do is study - read and remember!

An example of a high school student's life in S.Korea.
6.00 Wake up
6.30-45 leave house and go to school
7.30-8.00 Prepare for class and first class begins
15.00 Classes ends
15.30-22.30/23.00 "Self study" in school or attend private institutions or have a tutor over/do homework by him/herself. Self study is to sit in class and do homework or study other material that can be helpful for the upcoming exams to get into university.
23.30-00.00 Come home and go to bed

Does it sound like a happy life?!
High schoolers in Asia have a tough time. BUT the day they have been able to enter the university their parents want and hopefully themselves too they can relax.
Compare to Sweden it's kinda "easy" to attend uni, but hell to get in.
In Sweden I'd rather say it's the opposite. We can enter uni fairly easy, but to graduate can take time!!

Also our ways of studying is completely different.
In Asia it's all about remembering, but really, what's the knowledge in that?
I'd like to credit Swedish school system for the work of "creating".


___________________________________________________________

So yeah.. Parents out there, GET a grip! and start to control and raise your own child!!
There's a reason why children are children, they don't know better.
For the moment you might be the bad one and get the blame. But what about the future? Isn't a bright future on a long term more important?!

An old school

A few weeks ago when my friend was visiting in Stockholm we went sightseeing.
Among the various places we visited, we went to Skansen.
although it was a somewhat cloudy day, we could enter some houses.
Among the few, this old school ^^
It made me think of old movies and Astrid Lindgren's Alla barn i Bullerbyn ^^
I wonder why it was this sweet and so much more school-like than what we are used to in today's school.

Was it better in the old days? ^^

Like it's something new?

These days in Sweden there are a lot on the news that the hygiene in Swedish schools is bad.
Toilets are so dirty and other areas are filthy and it's a hazard for people to visit.
Let me say, it was the same when I went to school (elementary-high school).

I hated to shower after gym class, and not to mention, go to the toilet.
I only went when I really had to do so, that means I had no choice unless I wanted it in my pants.
My biggest love was to have gym class at the end of the day so I could go home and shower instead of using the ones in school.
There were more reasons to it, I knew that the boys had also used the showers to amuse themselves and well, explore their bodies, and that didn't make it better.

I even remember growing our own bacteria back in 9th grade, know what me and my group tested?
The toilet seat in school and let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight when we saw the amount of bacteria.

But also at university it's nasty, as well as public toilets in general in Sweden.
I wonder if it's because people just lack manners? I mean if people would treat all public toilets in the way "leave it like you'd want to find it", would it be a difference?

So my evaluation, why have politicians waited until now to frown their foreheads and do something about it? Well... better now than never, right?!
Also, maybe it's time for a change in human behaviour?!