The Complete Walkthrough to Jonkoping

(Update: 14 August 2012 - Noticed that there's quite a bit of traffic being diverted here... so a bit of update since Jonkoping has changed quite a bit since I've done the exchange there! - even though I've been back 2 times since)

Prior to choosing and going to Jonkoping, I did not have a lot of information on it, so it was slightly difficult going. But with the benefit of hindsight, things could have been much much easier. So here's a complete guide to the little town I call home!

Please let me know if you have any questions, or how this guide can be further improved!

Why Choose Jonkoping in Sweden?
1. The chance to travel Europe. It is much more diverse than the US (different countries have vastly different cultures – plus quite a bit more to see and do)
2. Cheaper than the US (if you plan to travel a lot – due to the weak Pound, Euro, and Swedish Krona, and also Ryanair, Easyjet, or Wizzair)
3. Sweden is the cheapest country in Scandinavia
4. Very safe, and people are friendly and speak English very well
5. The Swedish ‘Quality of Life’ mentality gets to you
6. Vastly different from Singapore’s urban environment – Jonkoping is an urban small town, with a generous dose of nature. You might find yourself lost and bored after 6, since there’s not a lot of shopping to be found, but you’ll slowly love to appreciate their way of life.
7. Slack classes!
8. Relatively close to budget airports (Stockholm Skavsta is around 4 hours away and services Ryanair and Wizzair. Goteborg City airport is 2 hours away and services Ryanair and Wizzair as well. Copenhagen's International Airport is 5+ hours away and services Easyjet). I can only recall Hertfordshire being closer, of all the universities that offer SCI courses.
a. IMPT – Being close to budget airports is essential if you intend to travel cheap and tour all of Europe – Flights are the cheapest way to travel, and beats trains and coaches all the time (tickets can cost as little as 10 pounds one way, without check-in baggage of course)

Burning Course-Related Questions
You’ll be able to do a maximum of 5 courses, 19 AUs. Choose from News Production (match for COM221), TV Production (COM225), Multimedia Production (COM229), Internet Production, International and Intercultural Communication (COM458) Swedish Language (UE).
They’re more project based, but it’s still quite slack and easy to just pass. Swedish semesters are divided into 2 periods, each lasting about 2 months, with a recess week in between. Internet Production stretches over 2 periods, so it’s not as recommended.

Before You Depart – Getting Ready
1. Visa matters
a. Apply for a Visa at the Swedish Embassy, which is near Newton (the Singapore Power Building). Costs 200 SGD.
i. Application is pretty fast, note that they will only give you a Visa that stretches you 2 weeks before and after term time (which gives you very little time to travel)
1. But most classes can be skipped (teachers are pretty liberal about that) – I travelled during term time and for 1 month after my term, covering about 25 cities
2. You can either:
a. Overstay – Potentially dangerous, since there are frequent passport checks for domestic (which means Ryanair) flights. You will confirmed be checked when flying back to Singapore, so it’s dealing with luck. Overland travel (train, coach) will have significantly less visa checks, but might still occur.
b. Apply for extension – Can only be done when you reach Jonkoping. Must have valid reason (but the school will try to help you). The Migration Board is a bit difficult to find. It’s in an ulu building in the City Centre. Costs 200 SGD.
c. Leave the UK for the last leg – Travel the Schengen Area during term time, and leave for the UK when your Visa expires. The UK is out of the Schengen Area, so you have 1 month to travel there. But you will have to lug your luggage around and find one place to store.
i. Schengen Area explanation – Swedish Visas are also Schengen visas, which permit you to enter other Schengen areas (most European states are Schengen) for up to 90 days (although they won’t really count). But once the Visa expires, you cannot enter the areas even as a tourist (some countries might take exception but you have to ask their immigrations first)
2. Buying your plane ticket
a. There are no direct flights to Jonkoping (Jonkoping’s Axamo Airport is relatively small), so the best way to get to Jonkoping is by flight to Copenhagen or Stockholm, and then a train/coach to Jonkoping.
i. Copenhagen is a very busy airport, and while tickets to there are usually cheaper than Stockholm, the airport staff is extremely picky about luggage allowance (only 7kg hand carry, and 32kg check-in). Stockholm is said to be more lax, but tickets could be slightly more expensive.
ii. Look at Thai Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Qatar Airways especially. They’re usually cheaper.
iii. Normally the earlier you buy, the cheaper it is. But occasionally airlines run promos.
iv. STA dangles the extra luggage carrot. But the fact is that you can also get the extra luggage (at least for Thai Airways) if you go to their office with your e-ticket and your acceptance form to Jonkoping. STA is a travel agent, and will still get a bit of commission for their efforts. Do check, however, if the airline offers extra luggage for students.
b. From Copenhagen International Airport, you can take a Swebus coach to Jonkoping. Book online, the earlier it is the cheaper. Check the timings first, as there are only 3 trips a day. You’re looking for FROM Kastrup Terminal 2 for Copenhagen (Kastrup is Copenhagen’s Airport – Just wait outside the terminal, at the bus stop, earlier than the time – Europeans are VERY punctual) TO Jonkoping.
c. From Stockholm International Airport, there seems to be a new route as well, You’re looking for FROM Arlanda to Jonkoping.
d. Trains are available also, but the duration is similar. It’s also more expensive, and you have to make transfers. They can also be late, causing extra stress. Also, they don’t allow online booking for non-European credit cards. You’ll be looking at from Köbenhavns Lufthavn/Kastrup (for Copenhagen) or Stockholm C to Jonkoping.
e. Try to time your arrival so that you can use the pickup service from the University. It’s much easier than trying to find your way around, lugging 30kg luggage in the snow (not fun at all in negative temperatures).
3. Travel Insurance
a. Buy NTUC Income’s travel insurance, not AIG’s. The AIG plan that STA recommends does not cover you for travel delays (it’s just illnesses and lost belongings). I recouped 1k for Iceland’s volcanic eruption. AIG plan-holders won’t. Get more people to purchase as a group for more savings.
4. Luggage Packing
a. Get space bags for packing from Daiso (it’s 2 SGD for one really big one) to vacuum your stuff, compared to DIY fixit which costs around 15.
b. Don’t bring too much clothes, especially if you plan on shopping there. Winter and Summer sales (mid Jan and Jul) has 70 percent off, which makes most things cheaper than Singapore.
c. Try to top up the 32kg with foodstuff (instant noodles and porridge, etc). There’s only 1 Asian supermarket there, and stuff is pretty expensive.
5. Winter Clothing
a. You’ll probably arrive in early-mid-Jan, so Winter Sales are still ongoing. Winterwear is much cheaper there, and much better as well. Just one winter jacket is fine. Boots are pretty optional.
b. You can make a trip to Stockholm to stock up on clothes, or the flea market (every Saturday 8am – 1 pm at the Culturehouse) or the Red Cross shop (near Sofiakrykan – Sofiachurch)
i. Winter jackets can be as cheap as 10 SGD used or 30 SGD new from H&M
c. I found thermalwear to be useless, so it’s your call whether to buy any from Singapore.
6. Apply for ISIC and Hosteling International Cards
a. ISIC card is cheap, and can be used for discounts in Germany (especially Berlin’s CityHostel Berlin) and Spain
b. Hosteling International lets you pay lesser for affiliated hostels, and some hostels can only be booked by members. These hostels tend to be better serviced and have curfews.
7. Keep up to date with the International Association at Jonkoping University.
a. They run pub crawls, overseas trips (eg. Russia and Norway), and the very popular Kiruna trip (which is worth every penny, even if you don’t see the Northern Lights)
b. Sign up for their contact person and contact family programme. You’ll be offered help in finding your way around the town, and experience Swedish culture!
8. Apply for Accommodation
a. You’ll be offered a few choices – Vilhemlsro, Grashagen, Delta, Raslatt, Tenhult
i. Vilhemisro is pretty far from the university, and the bus service is very infrequent. You share a common kitchen and bathrooms, and interact with a lot of international students.
ii. Grashagen is relatively closer to school. The bus is frequent, and you have your own kitchen and bathroom. If you choose a double room, one bed is in the kitchen/living room. But it’s still pretty good for me, plus you get to meet our friendly Swedish lady! (see below)
iii. Delta is in the city centre, and you can walk to school. But it’s the oldest of all the accommodation. Common areas also.
iv. Raslatt is in the suburbs (previously the ghettos of Jonkoping, but still very safe) Further than Grashagen. You share the kitchen and toilet, like a HDB flat, with your own room.
v. Tenhult is a train ride away. The furthest from school. It’s the biggest and you pay the cheapest rent, but it’s really inconvenient.
b. Bring your own bedsheets!

Once You Get There – Orientation Time
1. Buy bus tickets
a. You can buy the Periodkort (like our concession card) at the Pressbyran stores. It costs around 100 SGD. In the spring/summertime, you can save money by walking (which is recommended – soak in the Swedish summer!)
2. Buy Prepaid Mobile Plans
a. You’ll get a SIM card in your welcome package when you get there. The best plan to buy is the Kompis plan, which allows free SMS to other Kompis plans, and free calls (with a 69 ore startup cost).
b. You can buy the plan at any supermarket or Pressbyran.
3. Supermarkets
a. There are a lot of supermarkets, such as ICA, Coop Forum, Willys, and Netto.
b. Generally Willys is the cheapest (and the one at Tokarp is quite convenient). So is Netto, a new upstart that is conveniently located at Juneporten. Maxi-ICA (near the industrial part of the city) and Coop Forum (at the A6 shopping centre) can also be cheap sometimes when there are promotions! Just look at the ads!
c. The only Asian supermarket is at Tokarp. It’s pretty expensive.
4. Eating Out
a. The student meals at Evergreen (near the school and the Lassaretsparken bus stop) cost 59SEK, which is pretty cheap. You can get a salad buffet, drink, and a pizza of your choice.
b. Afterwork Buffet (a Friday evening tradition) is also cheap at O’Learys Sportsbar at 49SEK (but there’s a coat charge of 20SEK..)
c. Cheap lunches are also plentiful, especially at Jensens (at the city terminal, costing some 49 SEK), or IKEA (16 SEK for meatballs)

Tips for Travelling Cheap
1. Budget airlines
a. Ryanair, Wizzair and EasyJet are the common European budget carriers. Ryanair is usually the cheapest. Wizzair is vital for Eastern Europe travelling. Easyjet is great if you want to connect to international flights (since it services Copenhagen's International Airport)
i. Ryanair runs special promos most Mondays and Thursdays. Buy tickets when they run their promos offering special prices tickets (5-10 pounds)
ii. These budget carriers don’t let you do transfers easy, but you can make your own transfers between them.
2. Swebus (and now, Bus4you, a new competitor that has wider and more comfy seats!)
a. More expensive for travel during Thursdays to Saturdays. Try to buy for other days.
3. SJ
a. You can buy them in the ticket machine at Jonkoping’s train station, with your credit card (strangely)
b. Some tickets are ridiculously cheap, as long as you buy early (eg. 1 month in advance). Can be cheaper than Swebus.
c. Or, buy last minute tickets (24hours till travel), which can also be very cheap.
4. Other train services
a. DB Bahn (Germany’s trains) often has specials for their City Night Line sleeper trains. Check regularly, and you can get 39 euros for a ticket.
5. Hostel-booking sites
a. Hostelworld, Hostels.com, or Hostelbookers.com
i. You can check their prices, which tend to differ somewhat, even for the same hostel. Availability might also differ sometimes. Hostelworld charges an admin fee though.

If you’ve gone so far and are still reading, congrats! You’re ready for Jonkoping! If you have any questions, please email me at kayejaye87DOTgmailcom! (Also, if you would like to befriend a very hospitable Swedish lady who lives near Grashagen, please let me know, so we can introduce you to her!)

the featherquill.

how life changes in six months, i don't know.

you probably go back, smarter, older, wiser, more jaded, and yet more cheerful. you want to go back bringing tales of exploits, of wonders, like the sailors of yesteryear.

with the mere difference being no bards to sing your song.

it's this time where you try to find something you desperately want to remember. some souvenir to chip off the wall or some photo to take to immortalise a place/person. or sum up the entire experience somehow, and how it was worth it, life-changing or extraordinary. being cursed with poor memory dictates that i not waste time doing the former.

but i'm content with the developments, with the connections. perhaps a little bit more time would be nice, now that there is so much more to savour and kindle. to sit down, chat, and talk about so many difference perspectives, life problems, life histories, and amidst all the silent judgement and contention, being able to find some common grounds of agreement.

but perspectives change, and i suppose one of that is how you define relationships, and time. some things you leave it as that, with a tinge of regret and sadness, but still happy that it was there, at that moment. at least you discovered it, somewhat. at least you know what's out there, and part of it has been imprinted upon you, and something's for the better.

then again, having a memory so bad, you might just go back, and be your old self again.

sweden shenanigans, pt deux.

a bit overdue, so lucky there are days where the weather's too cold to do anything worthwhile outside, and buses arrive too infrequently.

ok, i foresee the posts getting way too overdue, but that's the lazy me exacerbated by the lazy sweden weather. extremely 'lat'.



they have rebate coupons on the shelf, ala the US. Not like Singapore. Probably cause less people read the papers. Oh, and their offers come out every Sunday, not Thursday.



welcome to IKEA. the budget fitted out section that is. ice ground included free of charge, dammit.



doctors work weekdays in sweden, and they're kind of appointment based. foreigner rates hang around the region of 400SGD for a simple consultation. ouch. no wonder the apoteket receives much more visitors. pharmacists are more qualified here, and their advice is treated seriously by patients. unfortunately, they're more of the 'home cure' and 'no antibiotics' kind. strange given their reliance on public health systems.



jonkoping is awfully small if you're looking for real shopping. besides the city centre, and the A6 shopping mall, there's seriously not much else to shop for. but they're a shoe culture, with as much shoes as clothes. not totally unexpected given their snowy weather.



you can't resist a little graffiti now and then. so much for enlightened europe.



swedes are kind of crazy over carbonated drinks. even normal coke taste more gassy here than back in Singapore. and their carbonated drinking water, plus a funky machine that can make sparkling juice. coke can sort of replace the big mac index, but it still IS possible to get a 1.5litre at only 2SGD. plus, you get the swedish pant system, which gives you some 80 cents back for recycling. kind of like the old Singapore jackpot machine.

sweden shenanigans, pt 1.

been awhile since i blogged, although i've been playing with the idea of a travelogue (that will probably only materialise in my dreams)

so let's just put on some stuff that's interesting (and perhaps informative) for future exchang-ers as well.



not ordinary white bread you see back home. comes with a mean expiry date (often 1 week), and available in (most commonly) 600g packs. Means you wolf down 4 to 6 pieces a day if you don't want it to go bad.

the cheapest brand is eldorado, which is a budget brand we're making fast friends with.



mr milk also comes with a great price to pay. even though it's very much cheaper than the watery milk we have in SG. (1+SGD/litre) dairy products expire DAMN fast, even though there are opportunities to pick up half-prices for almost-expiring or expired ones (which i'm not gonna try).



the siemens stove we have in the accommodation. runs on electricity, which is good (and bad). i suppose you can't have a closed room filled with gas anyway. but the oven is always good (since i've never used one) for food experiments, like grilled chicken, grilled hotdogs, grilled meatballs...



corn. you don't have a lot of vegetables here in ulu Jonkoping. only broccoli (green and white, for variety), some peas, carrots, and frozen stuff. corn is only available frozen and their texture is.... smudgy. Very very soft yucky corn. Or maybe i just cook too long. not cheap too, even for frozen ones.



weird minty vegetable. unknown thingy, but apparently it's part of a soup mix. tastes like carrot, but don't think it's white carrot leh. in any case, some potatoes also taste minty.



Rice! Not cheap here, at 4-5SGD/kg. It's really 粒粒皆辛苦. Although you do find rice cookers as cheap as 60 SGD, super cheapo me prefer to steam rice and chicken instead. The only hard part is defrosting, which takes A LOT of time. And also the metal stand, which I'm still unable to find, so i get lots of ceramic marks on my pot.



Sauces! No Chinese (and sometimes Western) dishes are complete without a hell lot of condiments. BBQ (for marinating grilled stuff), oyster sauce , pepper, soya sauce, salt, sugar (which can all be bought here), and MSG (which i haven't seen - maybe not looking out for it)

Just bought starch powder today, which means no more watery 'zup' from vegetables! Yay! Tempted to buy 麻油, but seems to be more limited, for rice, chicken, and instant noodles.

Speaking of which, one of the best instant noodle brands Nissin can be bought here, but for 1.4SGD per packet. Compare that to the 6 pack in SG, for 2+SGD. Daylight robbery, but oh well. Time to gam with the Cantonese owner....



crazy weather for nighttime jonkoping today. the floor is icy and i keep feeling cold drafts at my feet. apparently the room isn't airtight enough and lets cold air from outside in. free aircon.

shall never complain that marina square is cold again.

it's been tough.

never been one to wish out loud, but i hope life goes easier on me, starting from tomorrow. else, i'll have to content myself thinking that everything has a reason (which is obvious crap - some things surely can be spared 'the experience').

not yet gone.

It's less than 1 week till I fly off. But the feeling of both anticipation and apprehension makes for a disconcerting feeling to swallow. The unknown is always a terrible factor to handle, given how much I like to source for as much information as possible, and the uber ulu Jonkoping doesn't offer too much of that.

But then again, it's been a fun affair learning how to put my OCD tendencies to good use. Learning how to pack the right way, source out the good deals, learn cooking and choosing food, as well as the ins and outs of visa bureaucracy.

Anyway, on to lighter stuff. Here's tips that I've amassed from exchange preparation!

1. Money exchanging
Seems like the Arcade at Raffles Place and Mustafa is the way to go. Remember to check online Google rates before you go, and check the rates for multiple changers. Flaws in the free market at the arcade still exist for some reason (possibly a cartel?). Also, a long queue does not always mean great rates.

USD and Euros rates are more or less equivalent to Google rates. Rare currencies such as Swedish Krona has a significant discrepancy, but bo bian. Even rarer ones (such as Czech Krona) is unavailable, even at the airport. Most people will change for USD instead (easily convertible, even in Europe)

When withdrawing money overseas, a good card to use is the UOB Campus Debit Visa. Allows 3 free withdrawals monthly (otherwise it's 5 SGD a pop). Most withdrawals conversion are done by converting the home currency to USD, then from USD to SGD. Thus, you suffer twice.

2. Winterwear
Uniqlo turtle necks are good at ten bucks a pop. Adidas winterwear from Korea can be sought out at Song&Song (with outlets in AMK, TPY, Jurong East, Clementi) at 50 apiece. Timberland winter boots are available at up to 70% off at the Timberland Outlet store.

3. Packing
Vacuum packs work wonders for saving space. That and heat packs of 5 are available at Daiso for 2 apiece.

4. Communication
Phoenix Comms is great for cheap calls from Singapore to abroad numbers.
Voipstunt - Free internet calls from foreign countries to Singapore at a rate of 10 EUR for 120 days!

Hopefully, this will prove to be good information for future Googlers going for exchange. Makes life SOOOO much easier if you have all this information.

gobbledydook.

tik-tock, the clock in the background
(why'd most poems begin with sounds, sighs or frowns)
no matter, it'll get better
or it'll clink-clunk straight to the gutter.

not ruby red, but jaded green
if only things were as it seemed
how many ticks, how many sounds
sixty-seven? nah, i've lost count.

puncture me, dear hyphen-
at least you're something i can discern
from the mish-mash of commas, full-stops,
jumble of half-told tales and flops.

gimme inspiration, something like plaith
nay, not the thrice-damned galbraith
always wanted to write about a rook
all the other pieces, i suppose, you took.

so here it ends
stapled incoherence bends
curse sticky-notes, save the stitch
knowledge is a cold-weathered bitch.

aircon and its perils.

sbs employee #1: eh brudder, how should we go about doing the Jurong Point AIRCON interchange ah?
sbs employee #2: dunno leh, aiya, actually very simple one. just put aircon and sliding doors (that might or might not work) can liao. Singaporeans (and other nationalities) very impressed by those high-tech looking things one.
#1: ya hor, and then i just put somemore land space filled with nothing to make it Singapore's biggest AIRCON interchange! wah lau, sure very popular one.
#2: then we put single entry and exit lanes for the buses, and we rotate some bus services so they do a pointless roundabout the entire Jurong Point and the old interchange! wah lau eh, Singaporeans sure love us for this! Extra 10 minutes in an AIRCON bus for FREE leh! and then and then, so many buses and so little lanes, sure jam, then the interchange sure look damn popular with people!
#1: then the bus services that ply the industrial estates and dormitories how ah? since they're 'different' and create long queues, why not transfer them to the old interchange....
#2: shhhhh! so xenophobic! sure kenna whack one! we transfer the ntu buses la! students only mah. they also always so long queue, make so much noise. we achieve the same effect but with less bad press! AHHHH!
#1: then hor, i noticed that the Boon Lay residents have so many bus services available to them! how can? you heard of tyrannry of the majority a not! wah liew so many choices wait they cannot make any! then they miss bus! then they die!
#2: ya! so let's remove 2 of the 4 existing services ok! let them PASS THROUGH THE ROUTE BUT NOT STOP THERE. then the residents will not take SBS for granted liao. they think Singapore so connected without us meh! Also, then next time gahmen can restore the old services as the elections carrot!
#1: ya ya! budden, we cannot be so unfair, wait people write to forums. so let's just remove the services going to the AIRCON interchange from that bus stop, budden for the opposite bus stop, we DON'T TOUCH! Creative solution right? Wah lau, upper management will surely love us for this!

stop screwing around with 'innovations' and 'service enhancements' and gimme back what worked in the past, SBS.

chinese opera.

from whence did the suona
begin their song
clashing cymbals heralding
the curtain draw?

whereupon did we adopt
roles of sheng and dan
speak in sing-song vernacular
and walk the pretentious gait?

did we roll up our water sleeves
to draw the false rouge red?
or was it to prune
the wretched pheasant feather hat?

if only we could tell
sharp eyebrow from
withered frown.

(but we didn't)
and so we circle the motions,
a linear timeline.
tri-sided relationships
paraded on rectangle stage

how we turn our backs
only to stare at
the once-familiar, once-detested, once-contemptuous,
the once-upon-a-time.

'do i know you?'
cue the endless tragedy of the deja vu.

metahegemony.

you know the world has gone to nuts when the elitists find nothing better to do than to critique their own.