From the moment I arrived in Lund, Sweden, I always feel that this southern Swedish city shares so many similarities with Jogja, my hometown, even though these cities are located at different sides of the world. Jogja and Lund are separated thousand miles away. So, how can I say that the two cities have some things in common? Well, here are the resemblances I found so far:
- Student City
Both Lund and Jogja are student city where universities play central role of their rhythm. Lund is the home for one of the oldest (and greatest) universities in Sweden: Lund University. Meanwhile, Jogja is famous for its numerous and reputable universities, schools and colleges. The oldest Indonesian state university (Universitas Gadjah Mada) and also the private one (Universitas Islam Indonesia) are both located in Jogja. No wonder these cities are always bustling with students and somehow always related to the universities. In Lund, for example, most residents have correlation with Lund University either as student, employee, alumni, or any other relationship. Even the Swedish singer and presenter Måns Zelmerlöw, who won the Eurovision Song contest in 2015 and was born in Lund, is the son of a Professor at Lund University. Campus life is definitely the thing that can’t be separated from Jogja and Lund. And it influences many things in the cities: the beat, the culture and even the living cost. Just like Jogja which is way cheaper than Jakarta, the living cost in Lund is also lower than Stockholm (though it’s still bit high for my budget 😀 ) Continue reading “5 things Lund and Jogja have in common”
