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Tuesday: "Todd's Big Night Out"

From Induction Week in Jonkoping, Sweden on Aug 21 '06

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Me after "the run"
Me after "the run"
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After waking up at around 12:00 and effectively missing all the activities that day, we all head to Lake Munksjön for some Swedish water games.  Basically it was a person screaming instructions in Swedish to a group of crazy Swedish people who were running around and singing in Swedish.  I simply stood in amazement while I watched some of the shiest, most introverted people in the world run around like a bunch of psycopaths...quite entertaining really.  Amazingly enough, after this was finished they all returned to their quiet selves and I haven't seen anyone singing since then.

A good picture of the waterfall I ran down - actually quite a long way
A good picture of the waterfall I ran down - actually quite a long way
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After two hours of standing around, we headed back to the room for another round of pre-drinking which included about half a bottle of Crown Royal for yours truly.  To say I was a little drunk is an understatement - exemplified by the fact that I have no pictures from that evening...or even memories.  I got some pictures Sam took with his phone, so excuse the quality.

it was up there as one of the funniest things to happen this week
Me getting helped up
Me getting helped up
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Anyway, basically here is how the night was explained to me the next day as I laid pained in my bed.  Apparently I made a bit of a name for myself around the University by running down a fairly famous waterfall in the middle of the Communications building.  Impressively I made it all the way to the end, however as I jumped off and back down to the slippery linoleum...let's just say it was up there as one of the funniest things to happen this week (for the funniest see Saturday).  Suffice it to say the German judges gave me a 6.0 for air time and 1.4 for the landing...the only marks coming from the full can of beer flying out of my hands and all over my clothes.  Instead of rushing over to help me out, everyone who was walking with me shouted "stay down, I need a photo of this"...bastards.

Me sizing up my chances at climbing the statue
Me sizing up my chances at climbing the statue
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That didn't keep me down however because as soon as I was outside, everyone began to try to get me to climb a statue in the center of the University.  After sizing it up for a couple minutes I finally went for it and only missed making the top by a couple inches, much to everyone's dismay.  The Swedish kids we met up with in the courtyard were apparently not enthused by the events.

We were then taken to a sweet rooftop area where there were a bunch of Swedish students having a pre-party before heading to a club called "Centrum".  This would have been a great opportunity to meet some really cool people who live in Sweden full time...but instead I ran around like a goof and made hilarious conversation with some of my fellow exchange chums.  Within a few minutes the head of the party had taken my bag of beers away from me and warned me that I wasn't getting into the club if I didn't slow down (yay! the first time I've been cut off).  I also made a name for myself with the Swedish peeps after I, for some reason, ate a piece of cake that had fallen on the floor.  The next day a very attractive Swedish girl asked me if I was "the guy that ate the cake", and I proudly said "Yes...I am that guy".  She laughed and walked away - I think that's a good sign.

Ummm...I think that's someone's purse around my neck
Ummm...I think that's someone's purse around my neck
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Getting into the club was another adventure...Tyson was turned away at the door for being too drunk, yet Sam and I somehow managed to get in with 2 Brazilian girls we apparently met at the party and who were nice enough to escort us past the doors.  The club is pretty nice - for more about it see Wednesday and Thursday.  Tuesday was a write-off.

All in all I think it was a productive night as I was able to meet some more exchange people and even some Swedes.  While we did kind of make fools of ourselves, we have kept in touch with a lot of them and they are really cool people who I think will be a lot of fun.  See, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.


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