Battin High School - Red and White Yearbook (Elizabeth, NJ)

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W in erm, ,Sludge QMY TRIP TO SWEDEN, Whistles sounded, horns blew, multi-colored streamers and confetti floated about the M. S. Gripsholm. The liner of the White Viking Fleet moved slowly out of New York harbor. ' I was on my way to Sweden! How happy I was at the prospect of seeing a new land and new people. VVell, not entirely new to me, for many of the people I know are Swedes, including my father. I was happy until the moment when my eyes could no longer see the crowd of yelling, pushing, crying people on the dock. Then I felt quite empty and alone. Some of the passengers wandered into the salon, some to their cabins to unpack, and others remained at the rail to take a last look at the fast- fading New York skyline. I imagined that a few fmaybe the little old man in the gray suit?l were trying to engrave that picture deep in their mempries, for they would never return. I stood on deck with my parents, with tears in my eyes, feeling so lonely. A ' However, the trip was Elled with so many things to do and people to meet, I didn't have time to miss my old friends too much. Though there were many things to keep me occupied, I always managed to End time to watch the continually changing colors of the sky and ocean. It was fascinating to see the ocean a dark blue one minute andan icy green the next. I I remember one night very distinctly. The ocean was rough. The moon was almost covered by a cloud, making the night dismal. In the distance were the tiny red and white lights of a freighter. I stood on deck, breathing the salt air and feeling strange at watching a scene I had always thought of as being strictly Hollywood. Then a shower of shooting stars fell in the West! ' My first sight of Sweden was at nightfall. Little red lights were on the bobbing buoys. The water was black and the tiny islands and fishing boats were silhouetted against the deep rose horizon. The sky above the horizon was a vivid blue. I could barely distinguish the cottages on the islands except for the warm yellow lights coming from the windows. We docked at the city of Goteborg the next morning. We went through customs and said good-bye to our new friends who were, by now, our old friends. My parents and I walked around C-oteborg, stopping at quaint little shops until it was time to take the three o'clock train to Stockholm. VVhile my parents studied the shops, the fishermen and lisherboys held my interest. Their red caps and their knickers seemed more quaint to me. f- -if f 4

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In Stockholm we stayed at the Hotel Eden on Sturegatan for a few daysg then we traveled by train about ninety miles north to the little town of Soderfors, my grandfather's home. Soderfors, a steel-producing town, situated on an island, is very old and picturesque. It has no paved streets, but the earth of the roads has been ground as hard as rock through hun- dreds of years of travel. My grandfather lives in one of the oldest houses. It has one floor and an attic, and one entrance door at the back. First constructed of wood, painted red, and with a thatched roof, it was later covered over with stucco and painted yellow. The thatched roof was replaced by one of tile, and still later, the stucco was painted white and remains so to this day. Strangers are impressed by the Swedes' remarkable physical fitness and quiet manners. They have been trained from childhood in scientific gymnastics, indoor and outdoor sports, and dances. I was particularly impressed by the respect the young people had for adults. Upon meeting an older person, the girls would curtsey slightly, the young men would bow, and they would shake hands if the hand were offered. This courtesy is taught to the little child as soon as he is able to walk. In summer, at the season of the midnight sun, they hold the Mid- summer Festival. Newly-cut birch trees frame every doorway. The May Pole is bound with fresh birch boughs and decorated with wreaths. From midnight until morning brightly-costumed figures dance and sing the songs of their ancestors. The Swedish people wear these costumes only for special occasions, at other times their dress is modern. The customs are continued with the same sincerity the ancients used, although few remember the original pagan meanings. Tourists crowd to see these festivals, but their coming has fortunately not com- mercialized such occasions. St. Lucia Day, December 13th, begins the Christmas season. On that day, early in the morning, one daughter of the family represents Lucia. She is dressed in white with five candles in a crown of evergreen on her head. In this costume she serves coffee and buns to the family. In Stockholm a National Lucia is chosen for her beauty, personality, poise, and kindness. At four o'clock on Christmas morning the church service, Iulotta, is held. People go by sleds, by skis, by snowshoes, or on foot, carrying torches. The famous Swedish Smorgasbord is now really enjoyed. It sometimes consists of as many as forty dishes, after three or four helpings, one may then have dinner and dessert. While visiting my aunt in Bergvik, I toured a paper factory and saw the various processes, from the cleaning of the whole log as it came from the lake, straight through to the finished product. L 4