Måndag den 4:de augusti 2008
OPENING DAY! VÄLKOMMEN TILL SJÖLUNDEN!
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Welcome to Concordia Language Villages and Sjölunden!
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After turning from our sign on the main road, you will soon see the flags respresenting the languages taught at CLV. |
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These are the villages in session now. |
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Only 1 kilometer to Sjölunden! What a beautiful day to meet all our new villagers!
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You might have met Rasmus at the Tull gate. He, along with 8 more counselors (called ledare), come from Sweden. If you would like to meet our other ledare, go back to the Sjölunden home page and click on "våra ledare" or cut and paste the following into your browser: http://sjolunden.villagepages.org/2008/ledare.htm
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Vi är framme! Like the other language villages, Sjölunden translates to Lake of the Woods. Did you know that Concordia started Sjölunden in 1975? |
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Välkomna! Welcome! At the first station, the villagers met Gustava who helped everyone pick out a Swedish name. Nicole decided to change her name to Elsa.
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Välkomna Alice, Sara, Emma, och August! |
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It was great to meet so many parents and grandparents today! |
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Hejsan, Sven! |
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Linda frågar, "Gustava, har alla kommit?"
Linda asks, "Gustava, has everyone come yet?"
"Nej, inte än! Vi väntar på bussen!"
"No, not yet. We are waiting for the bus!"
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So many friends, as well as siblings, come together to share their experience of Sjölunden. Villagers come from all over the United States. We met villagers today from Florida, California, Washington, Florida, Chicago, Wisconsin, etc. We'll have to check this week how many differents states and countries are represented right now. |
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After this station, most of the villagers took their baggage to their stuga. The stugor this session are named after famous places in Sweden such as Nimis, where the two week pojkar live.
Lucky some mammor och pappor were here to help out with all that luggage!
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After moving in, the villagers had six things to do on their list. Most of the activities took place around our main building called Stockholm.
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One activity was to paint a namnbricka.
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Everyone had to check in with Ingrid, our business manager about travel plans, and to exchange dollars into kronor at our bank. |
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A visit to the kiosk and butik was next. A little orientation was provided by Alf.
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Valkommen tillbaka, Erika. Hon och hennes föräldrar kommer från Sverige! (Welcome back, Erika. She and her parents are here from Sweden!) |
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Erika was so happy to come here with her cousin and be reunited with friends from last year and already meet new friends this year. |
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The credit villagers are wondering when that bus is coming! They can't wait for some new players in four-square and
frisbee!
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Finally, the bus is here!
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Tyra has been waiting and waiting! |
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Alice is so glad to see Marie-Katrin again! |
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How wonderful to see some new faces, too. We had 49 villagers arrive today, and half of them are here for their first time.
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After we took down the flagga, villagers were so excited to have middag.
Wow! Look at Kasper!
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In the food presentation tonight, we learned about the names of tonight's foods and the songs that we sing along with the meals. Our ledare who did the presentation based it on the Wizard of Oz. Can you guess which characters are which below?
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Here is what our two-week calendar looks like. |
Meet Kajsa!
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Our kvällsprogram (evening program) was based on the idea that our dean, Magda is sick, and Kajsa, our assistant dean might have to take over. Oh no! We heard about how stern Kajsa is, so tonight is the time for each stuga to get to know both of them and either choose between the two of them or choose another alternate.
It isn't too hard to tell the difference between Magda's style in directing Sjölunden and Kajsa's style. Which one would you prefer?
Meet Magda!
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Meanwhile, the cabins rotated around to various stations tonight, planned by our credit villagers, they learned the various rules of the camp and got to meet more staff and other villagers. One station was the kiosk.
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Another station explained the rules regarding camp boundaries. The credit villagers provided a very entertaining skit at this station.
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The boys cabin, Nimis, was super excited to come to the kvällsprogram (evening program). |
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Our credit boys cabin, Riksdagen, helped Syster Elisabet, our nurse, explain how the health center works. Syster Elisabet has been on Swedish staff for 9 years and was a villager herself in the 1980s.
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Our stations program finished at the brasa (campfire) with each stuga casting a vote for the next best dean. |
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The credit villagers handled the entire program! Of course, Magda showed up at the campfire having just suddenly recovered from her "illness" and became our dear dean once again! Her awesome assistant dean, Kajsa, was reinstated! Everyone cheered! |
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Then it was time for everyone to meet the family! Each family group introduced each other and sent a first year representative to "ring" the new year in!
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We roasted s'mores, which for many of the Swedish counselors was a first time experience! |
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We sang a few songs . . . |
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. . . and then said "God natt, Sjölunden!"
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