We were invited to join the staff and faculty of the Mullsjo Folkhogskola for an outing to an island located in a nearby lake. We took a bus to a ferry about 25 or 30 miles from Mullsjo and the bus went right onto the ferry. After about 20 or 25 minutes we arrived on the island where we were joined by a tour leader who explained the history of the island, various points of interest including two ruins of ancient castles. She also took us into a very old church that had been there since the 1500s. An earlier church that had been located in the same place was built in 1100. The art in the church seemed kind of like folk art, kind of germanic in nature. There were statues of a duke and his wife made out of alabaster, religious statues and paintings, lovely curved arches all the way up to the ceiling, and lots of huge brass plates with gold decor located in the church. There were also several angels with wings hanging from the ceiling and located all down the middle aisle of the church. Oh, and there were also wooden statues of Jesus´ disciples. The tour guide spoke at length in Swedish but David and I were both able to hear some translated information from individual faculty members. There were some crown jewels in a safe in a room off the entryway that we could view. This island was the home of many Swedish kings in past centuries.
Our bus also took us to one of the ruins of an ancient castle, which due to erosion, is now sitting right at the edge of the lake. As we were walking around it, a major rain storm hit us and the temperature dropped by quite a bit. We hurried back to the bus but not before getting totally soaked! I met a woman who had visited Andersonville, a neighborhood near Chicago where Matthew Varmecky now lives that was originally settled by immigrants from Sweden.
We had dinner at another folkhogskola (school) located on the island. I asked the president of the school if he had arranged the program. He said yes, he liked to have the staff and faculty go on an outing in June and then again in August. He said usually they go for a couple of days but they had so many programs scheduled for the summer they had to do this program in one afternoon-evening. I asked him if the programs were usually of an historical-educational nature, and he said, "usually they are centered around food!"
Everyone was very friendly, they chatted constantly with each other, and obviously enjoyed each others´ company. I thought it was very good that the president of their institution made it a priority for the staff and faculty to spend time together like this. This included the people who cook, who clean the facilities, and keep up the grounds as well as the faculty. They also have a coffee break together at 10:00 and 2:00 every day plus lunch, too.
I learned that Folkhog or folk (not sure which) refers to the method of teaching they use at this school. It involves bringing out and using the knowledge the students already have, working in groups, and doing hands on activities to enhance the learning as opposed to the teaching at their universities which involves mostly or only lecture. I got so excited when Elisabeth Johannson, a textile teacher and milliner, explained this to me, because it matches my teaching philosophy as well as what Chris Myers-Baker from TCC and I have been promoting and implementing at our school. I´m looking forward to visiting with Elisabeth about this some more.
We learned on Wed. (June 1) that the school was closing down for a national holiday so no meals are being served right now. Fortunately, we head for Copenhagen tomorrow and don´t return until Sunday but in the meantime and on Monday we are eating sandwiches, etc. Elisabeth was kind enough to offer and then take me to the large grocery store in Mullsjo. That helped out a lot because taking the bus would have been a challenge with carrying around groceries. It was fun shopping with her because she could explain what things were and recommend items, etc. The groceries cost 467 kroners, or around 75 US.
David and I had a bit of a mix-up yesterday in that he left to take the train to Jonkoping (pronounced yongchirping kind of ) and I stayed here to work on our itinerary for Copenhagen. He asked me not to lock the door to our apartment because I had the key. We pretty much don´t lock it. Well, I got in a hurry and apparently shut it up more than I thought I had so David returned from his outing at 4 and I was at the store. He forgot I was going to the store so he looked all over campus for me. Then he joined the Swedish students and MSSU students and went to Jonkoping with them. When he returned at 8 pm or so, he had blisters all over his feet and white stuff all over his shirt from the sweat that occurred from all that walking. Even though they took the bus and train, he walked all over Jonkoping photographing and it is a bit of a walk to the train. Today he has bandaged his feet up so he doesn´t incur more damage.
David and I are working on downloading his photos onto this blog. So far we've managed only his photo of the Eiffel Tower at night but we'll do some more, hopefully tonight. Tonight two of the Swedish students, Oscar and Daniel, whom were in David´s photo class here at the Folkhogskola and also they came to MSSU in Joplin in April, are hosting us at dinner in the common area of the dorms where there is a stove. They have promised steaks and beer! It will be fun, they are both enjoyable young men to be around.
More later from Copenhagen!
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