It was a nice trip on the 22nd of February 2022 amidst a pandemic from Thimphu to Lund, Sweden. Finally, landed at the Malmo municipality airport. It took around 40 minutes to reach Lund university and met with my previously known supervisor Dr. Henrik Davidsson who is very down-to-earth in nature. We again drove through Lund city towards our temporary dwelling. It was cold outside, I cannot wait any longer however with the help of Dr. Henrik Davidsson, I was finally settled in a well-decorated room. Dr. Henrik was so kind that he even spent doing some shopping that evening for me from his pocket. It was the very first time I explored the world beyond my country, I was amazed by the landscape and the building structures around Lund municipality.
It took me more than a week to get settled well, days passed by, and I had normal working days in A-Huset with my supervisor. Everything went well with the kind support from my all-time available supervisor, Dr.Henrik Davisson. The weather outside was a little moody, sometimes cloudy yet mostly sunny. It was one of the weekends when I visited Malmö for the first time, I can see huge and tall building structures in real and uncountable numbers of people moving around the city. The architecture and the surrounding out there were beautiful and clean. Generally, people around are generous and helpful.
The time shift from winter to summer is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in Sweden. After that, I could see more daylight than night. Cold winter was bid farewell by the beautiful blooming flowers in every nook of Lund city. The weather outside became warmer, and the trees and grasses took advantage to feed themselves and pleased people around with pleasant fragrances and appearances. Snowfall is not yet over; it happens suddenly until the end of March.
I had a fruitful study period, a trip to a wood wool slab factory, learning to prepare wood wool slabs with the help of experts, and testing specimens in a laboratory with the help of nice lab technicians are some of the experiences and knowledge I will carry in my lifetime.
It was wonderful to visit some of the museums, churches, botanical parks, and beaches in and around Lund. I was also fortunate to be in Lund Carnival which happens only every four years. It was worth attending and enjoying.
Like a saying, every start has an ending, my study period comes to an end. Lund city was very serene and felt like one of the best places to leave in, but the living standard is quite high for me. I enjoyed the stay thoroughly and I would love to grasp another opportunity to go back and exchange the feeling with this incredible place. It was a bit hard to say goodbye to the wonderful environment of Lund, where I have felt homely nonetheless, I must leave.
It was a wonderful and memorable student exchange. My best wishes to fellow Bhutanese students visiting Lund in near future.
A big thank you to Professor Martin Andersson, Professor Henrik Davidsson and Professor Tshewang Lhendup for facilitating this exchange program.
Dekar Wangchuck
College of Science and Technology
Asst professor Erik Johansson, Dekar Wangchuck, Architect Mattias Rückert