What does one do when at 11:30 in the evening, the caffeine and sugar unceremoniously kick in? Write another blog! This blog is a two-part story of happenchance (or happenstance) events in my IMFSE student life. Nope, this is not a vocabulary lesson on the difference of happenchance or happenstance. This is just an aptly titled blog because it’s such a happy coincidence that during my 2-year master’s programme, I will have witnessed special events: Gent Lichtfestival happening every 3 years and Lundakarnevalen happening every 4 years.
Last year in Ghent, my classmates and I happened to participate in the triennial Gent Lichtfestival (Ghent Light Festival) in November as we were in our first semester in the first year. This spectacular open-air light show festival was set on the streets of Ghent. For five days, almost 7km of Ghent’s prominent tourist spots were illuminated by around 30 light art installations. The festival showcased local and international artists. I particularly enjoyed the hanging lanterns which were crafted by people during lockdown. See if you can spot it in the pictures! Many installations were carried over from previous festivals because they are popular with festivalgoers. The art piece called “Cloud”, consisting of 6,000 light bulbs, was a crowd favorite in Gent Lichtfestival 2015. It was present in the 2021 festival as well. Visitors, like the perennial moth to the flame, traversed the cold to be a part of this historic event because after two years of being in lockdown, any light at the end of the COVID tunnel was warmly welcomed. It was truly refreshing to be part of a community activity again. But we were still cautious and still wore masks as the event was attended by almost 240,000 people!
I leave here pictures of the event because they are indeed worth (more than) a thousand words.
The stars continue to align in When the stars align Pt. 2: Lundakarnevalen 2022 edition, a quadrennial event in Lund and coincidentally we will get to participate in it too as we are in Lund for our 2nd semester!
Last April 13 to May 1, we had our Easter break. For some, it is an entirely secular activity wherein people opt to spend the time with their family and do Easter-related activities. This is something entirely new to me because in the Philippines, we are allowed a week off in observance of Holy Week. To try and marry the two cultures (European and Filipino), I spent the Holy Week doing fasting and abstinence and decided to do a 5-country backpack trip to visit friends and family in the following weeks. Aside from chilling and discovering the many beautiful places in Europe, I thought that it would be a good activity to also learn what “Fire” is in different languages.
Sweden and Denmark
I hopped on a train from Sweden to Denmark because I was taking a flight to Budapest from Copenhagen. Like Sweden, Denmark also uses the word “Brand” as the local word for fire.
Hungary
Finally, Hungary! I’ve always dreamed of taking a trip to the Central-Eastern part of Europe because the culture and architecture would be wholly different from that of the Scandinavian countries. I had a great time visiting notable tourist spots such as the Castle Hill complex, Széchenyi Thermal Bath, and Liberty Bridge. My friend and I also did an off-the-beaten-path activity: an Escape Room experience in Locked Room Budapest! We also got to sample local cuisines such as Hungarian sausages (if you’re in Hungary should it be just called a sausage?), Goulash beef stew, and Paprika sauce in the Great Market Hall. I also enjoyed the chimney cakes, which sources say hail originally from Romania but has evolved to be Hungary’s most ubiquitous pastry. In Hungarian, fire is called “Tűz”.
Sunset in Budapest, Liberty Bridge, and views in the Castle Hill complex
Slovakia
After such an action-packed Budapest adventure, our travel to Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, is a much-needed breather. After settling in our hostel, we munched on some burgers and makové šúľance, a Bratislavan dessert of potato, poppy seeds, sugar, and cherries. The hearty lunch called for a good walk around Bratislava. The Slovak word for fire is “Oheň”. The walk was definitely “oheň” to the extra calories burned off by walking to and from tourist spots such as The Blue Church, Old Town, and Čumil (The Watcher). We only spent a day in Slovakia but before heading out to Vienna, we met up with a good friend for an amazingly authentic Bratislavan dinner. The food consisted mainly of potatoes and goat cheese. I highly recommend that you pair your dinner with a tall glass of cold Slovak beer.
The Watcher statue, view of the UFO bridge from Bratislava Castla, and Old Town
Austria
The 3rd leg of my 5-country backpack trip is beautiful Austria. As Austria is predominantly German speaking, the local word for fire is “Feuer or Brand”. Austria displayed a noticeable departure from the architecture and over-all look of Slovakia and Hungary. The buildings, from the Schönbrunn Palace to the Hofburg, were more baroque and rococo in style. The Habsburg influence not only extended to the structural aesthetics but also to the food and pastries. An afternoon snack of the world famous Sacher Torte (an ode to the aristocrats and wealthy of old Vienna) and Viennese coffee at the Hotel Sacher was undeniably a decadent experience. We also visited the Hundertwasserhaus complex, a bustling neighborhood that is testament to Vienna’s richness too in the arts and music.
Austria’s National Library
Germany
It was time to say goodbye to my travel companion as I headed north to Germany to visit my cousin. Thus, the 15-hour bus travel from Vienna to Germany commenced. What kept my sanity was the thought of eating good Filipino food because my cousin is a great cook. Plus, I get to visit Hamburg again! Like Austria, Germany calls fire as “Feuer or Brand”.
Norway
I was back again in good old Scandinavia. This time I took a cruise ride from Kiel, Germany to Oslo, Norway to visit some Filipino friends and to spend time with my cousin. The cruise ride was one for the books! We got to enjoy fresh seafood on board, and we were even treated to a good view of the Oslo Opera House, bay area, and the Great Belt Fixed Link bridge. Over-all, I have to say that the trip was “Brann”!, Norway’s own way of saying fire.
View of the harbour area above Oslo Opera HouseGreat Belt Fixed Link
The trip was really a refreshing break from the 1st semester and 2nd semester’s first half. Being an international student in Europe, I get to be exposed to different people, food, and way of life. For me, this is a great training experience because to combat fire in the future merits working with unique mindsets and cultures. Until the next lit experience!
IMFSE 