We had our graduation ceremony on 27th May, Thursday, a simple and cozy ceremony.

It began with some finger food and beverage at O building (for our department only) while a student band was playing at the small stage in the center of the hall. The dean of our department gave a speech both in Swedish and English and announced the best student and best teacher of the year (the award usually goes to the bachelor students) before the crowd was dismissed to different rooms according to which programme they went to.

Programme leaders congratulated and bestowed us the degree certificates. Oh, wait a minute, those were actually applications for the degree certificates. In Sweden, you need to apply for your degree certificate before you can get it.

Here is me with the application. Forgot to mention the rose. Everyone got a rose or even a hug from the programme leader.

We also received the course certificate from SHUSI ( a university we had an exchange programme with).

Everyone seemed happy for getting the rose perhaps. That was not the end and no time for sentimentality. We had to prepare for the final seminar on the following Monday.

After one month and 20 days, we are finally back in Sweden. I had limited access to the Internet and did not bring my computer with me. Unfortunately the awesome trip was not recorded in my blog. I will try to recall my memory and get something written down.

This exchange program includes two courses that equal 15 credits/two courses in Sweden but lasts only one month instead of two months for the equivalent courses  in Halmstad. Therefore we had one month free from school for going for this exchange program. We traveled a little in China, and went to Thailand afterwards.

The exchange program is between HH and Shisu, a well-known university in Shanghai, China. Some of the professors we had got their degrees in Oxford or Cambridge. It was an excellent trip to go back to Shanghai again.

One month in Shanghai has been extremely busy for me. We had two courses in Shanghai International Studies University, visited nearby cities, traveled to Hong Kong, Macao; made suits, shirts, skirts; had been shop-hunting for a particular bag for days…

We also spent one unforgettable day in MINT, one of the most fancy bar/restaurant/lounge/night club in town. It was so kind of Halmstad University to organize the Alumni reunion.

Date: 19th March

Location: M1NT

Our event flyer:

Some photos:

Bring to you the ordinary Swedish food. Vårsgod!

Behold, readers of my blog

A public page and a closed group have been created on Facebok for MoIBD (the programme of Management of Innovation and Business Development, including the first year programmes) Alumni.

Go find us!!

Public page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MoIBD-Alumni-Halmstad-University/177072802337728?sk=wall

Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_188919467805072

2nd February this year was the Chinese new year eve. From 3rd February starts the new spring and the year of rabbits.

The Chinese new year differs each year on the international calendar. Usually it is at the end of January or the beginning of February. It is based on the Chinese calendar or as it is called in Chinese, the Yin calendar, on which all traditional festivals are based.

Some friends and colleagues were nice enough to say happy new year. I did not feel like new year at all. Went to school as usual, had seminars, and worked.

I did not pay so much attention to the Chinese new years even when I was in China for the reason that we are one year older after the new year’s eve. New born babies is one-year old because Chinese count the time when they were embryos. Since I was born at the end of a year, that means according to the Chinese system, I will be 2 years older than I actually am. That’s not nice.

Right now, in China, it is already the 5th day of the new spring. It is the birthday of the god in charge of wealth. It’s a tradition to have fire crackers and fireworks from mid-night. I wish you all good night those who don’t celebrate Chinese new year but in China.

I have found a good place to take photos for passports or ID cards.

It’s a small booth in Eurostop, at the entrance to Coop supermarket.

The cost is 80kr written on the machine, but only 70kr on the picture you will finally get. That’s a bit confusing and let’s hope the one on the photo is right.

The instructions are both in Swedish and English. Very handy.

Shanghai is a big city. By big, I don’t mean big like Stockholm or Göteborg, but seriously big! To take the subway from its one end to the other might take more than one hour (I have heard that they have extended some of this kind of long lines recently). The population in Shanghai alone is more than twice as much as that in the whole Sweden.

This is a picture in one of my presentation about China. It illustrates the comparison of density among Sweden, China and Shanghai the city alone.

When you look at the map in Google maps, it’s hard to tell where it is the best area to live. Well, you get some general idea by looking this one:

The map just shows the districts in city. There are quite a few other districts outside of the map.

The name of the districts are in blue. Most recommended districts to live are:

• Luwan, center, covers the old French concession, with nice bars and restaurants.
• Huangpu, center, close to the attraction the Bund, nice bars and restaurants.
• Xuhui, partly, where it is close to Luwan.
• Jing’an, partly, where it is close to Luwan.
• Pudong, the corner where it is close to Huangpu

Well, I’m not saying that there are no good places in other districts. Sure there are. The thing is it might be more convenient to aim at the recommended solution first if one does not know the city so well. Besides, since the city is big, it can be expensive to take a taxi home at night after party if you live too far away from the center where most bars are located. And believe me, you are going to party….a lot!

/Carmen

In March, our department SET will have two exchange courses with SISU university in Shanghai which I am going to attend. Having lived in Shanghai for four years. I know the city quite well.

I’m going to blog a little about living in Shanghai, and some tips of accommodation and transportation and hopefully it will be helpful to people who have plan to travel there.

Please leave a comment or a request about what you would like to know, and I will no doubt pour out whatever I know.

/Carmen

Just came back from work in the Chinese restaurant House Ming.  They needed extra personnel tonight.

There are fireworks everywhere in the city right now.

Happy new year, Halmstad! Happy new year, everyone at the European time zone! (People in China have already entered the new year and people in America will need to wait for another 6-7 hours. )

Wish you all the best! Hug!

/Carmen