värmlands gasque

This Friday was Värmlands Reccegasque, a gasque for all the new students. Here's Wikipedia's definition of a gasque:

"Gask, gasque, a kind of Swedish student party which starts with a more or less formal dinner. The word is believed to originate from the card game vira, popular in the 19th century."

It was really nice and a lot of fun. I enjoyed the people, food, atmosphere, speeches (all in Swedish though), songs and traditions.

We were served a delicious three-course meal. Finally! Good Food (because I usually just eat cereal all day). So of course I had to take a picture of each delicious part

Course #1: I have no idea what it is, but it was so good. Some bread thing with some cream cheese thing on top. There was some kind of meet in the cream cheese thing but I'm not sure what it was...maybe elk? (sorry if I'm being too descriptive for you)


Course #2: Potatoes, green beans, MEAT. Perfection.


Course #3: I was so excited to eat it I forgot to take a before picture. Strawberry deliciousness with some white chocolate something or another


I was sitting next to all international students (I kind of wished I was sitting next to Swedish people...but I still loved all the international kids). This is Herman from Germany. He's in my Chemistry class (one of the only other international students that has 40 hours of class each week instead of the usually 4-6 hours...those lucky students)


And here is the dining room (and later, the downstairs dance floor). I think I was trying to take a picture of the dancers that were performing, but you can't really see them.


Apparently it is tradition there to sing songs throughout the dinner (which got kind of frustrating because I was hungry and just wanted to eat). But it was fun. Almost all the songs are about drinking, here's a link to the most famous one: Helan Går . It's not a very good link, but it's really what it's like. Everybody takes a sip of their "snaps" (shots) when they get to the second to last line, and the song is finished.

There's one song we sing in English (I think they just did it because they new a lot of international students didn't know what was going on)

Here are the lyrics:

My father makes counterfeit money,
my mother brews synthetic gin,
my sister sells kisses to sailors
and that's how the money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in, my god how the money
rolls in, rolls in.
Rolls in, rolls in, my god how the money
rolls in, rolls in.

My uncle's a slum missionary
saving young maidens from sin.
He'll save you a blonde for a shilling
and that's how the money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in...

My aunt runs a girl seminary
teaching young girls to begin.
She never tells where they're to finish
and that's how the money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in...

My brother's a Harley street doctor
with instruments long, sharp and thin.
He only makes one operation
and that's how the money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in...

My cousin's an Anglican bishop.
He's writing a book about sin.
He's written five chapter 'bout Sweden,
an that's how the money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in...

My father has spent all his money,
my mother has drunk all her gin.
My aunt's with my brother in prison
and so no more money rolls in.

Rolls in, rolls in...

we all put our arms around each other and sway when we sing the "and thats how the money rolls in....roooooollsssss in roooooooollssss in" It's funnnn.

The last song we sang we all had to stand up on our chairs at the end, and that's when the dinner party ends because it's bad luck to sit back down.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. They do this really confusing thing where when you take a drink you have to tip your glass to your date, then to the person sitting on your other side, then to the person in front of you. You take a sip and do it again, except backwards. So first to the person in front of you then to the person next to you, then your date. It took me awhile to get it. And they say "skol!" instead of cheers, and you are not supposed to clink glasses, it's rude here I guess.

So after that it turned into a night club and I got to dance and get to know all my new friends (I met a lot of Germans that night).

It was definitely nice to learn a little Swedish culture. Now I just need to go to a crayfish party and I'll be set.