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Tag Archives: Sweden
SGU in focus
The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) has made media headlines during the past days. This government “expert agency for issues relating to bedrock, soil and groundwater in Sweden” recently changed is director and with the change in directors, there always … Continue reading
Human adaptation to climate change in prehistoric NE Thailand?
This pretty challenging line, however without the question mark, is the title of a new manuscript, which we submitted yesterday. For this manuscript we pulled together all the paleoclimate evidences we have for Northeast Thailand based on our sedimentary records … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, lake sediments, monsoon history, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Student exchange opportunities! Grab it!
Why not spend some time in tropical Singapore, where the sun is (almost) always shining and temperatures never fall below 25 degrees C, and combine this with studying geosciences? Thanks to an agreement between the science faculties at Stockholm University … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian School of the Environment, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Exchange studies, Geological Sciences, geology, Geosciences, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, Singapore, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, undergraduate students
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It is actually a great feeling …
…. when your PhD student manages to get a paper accepted in Nature. It never happened to me before, but today was the day! Francesco, who had worked so hard on this paper and on the replies to the various … Continue reading
I am angry
I know that I should not be angry and upset! Life is just good. One of my PhD students will soon see his Nature Communications paper online. I am in Singapore, enjoying the tropical warmth and I am on a … Continue reading
Talking about exchange
The people here at the Earth Observatory, who are responsible for the undergraduate education in the Asian School of the Environment, would like to start a regular exchange of students. This week we continued our discussions and I explained a … Continue reading
Grey versus black hair
When in Asia I always feel really really old. Why? Because there is almost no one with grey hair, except maybe some really really old people. I am often basically the only one who has (pretty many) streaks of grey … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Singapore, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Hokkaido cup cake making
Campus Recreation and Wellness (CReW) here at NTU regularly organizes events and activities for staff members and their families, in the new Club House. Unfortunately several of the courses had already started when I arrived and it was thus not … Continue reading
Compact living
It always strikes me how extremely densely populated parts of SE Asia are and how many millions of people live here. Bangkok’s population is for example estimated at 8.5 million people and all of Thailand has 67 million inhabitants. The … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Singapore, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Hammock and palm tree?
My four-year old grandson thought being in the tropics would mean lying in a hammock under a palm tree. Singapore is in the tropics, and there are palm trees, but so far I have not seen a single hammock. Instead … Continue reading
NTU Campus for foodies
Before I came to NTU, I thought I would cook my own food in the evenings and when I had arrived I was a bit disappointed to not find a real stove in the kitchen, but just a heating plate, … Continue reading
Forest fires – dangerous haze and carbon dioxide
During the last two days PSI* readings were really high, reaching the unhealthy to very unhealthy range. But today conditions were much better and I could for the first time see patches of blue sky. When conditions are very hazy … Continue reading
My walk to and from work
The sun has been shining during the last days and haze warnings have classified the situation as less unhealthy. Sun and better visibility place the campus in a much better light! On the down side of the coin is that … Continue reading
What’s in the news in SE Asia?
When I am in Southeast Asia, it always strikes me how far away and how small Europe is, and how little Europe dominates the daily news. Presently the most important (and probably only) European news relate to the current refugee … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Stockholm University, Sweden
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Toba eruption ash on campus?
The Toba eruption, which occurred about 74,000 years ago, at the site of Lake Toba on Sumatra, Indonesia, spread its ash over wide areas in Southeast Asia and is an important marker horizon in many paleo archives. Caroline Bouvier, one … Continue reading
Meeting wild boar in Singapore
Living on the campus of Nanyang Technical University is pretty easy and convenient. Everything is basically within walking distance (10 minute walk to the Earth Observatory – EOS), although frequent free buses also tour the campus; different types of Asian … Continue reading
Study in Europe Fair in Singapore – October 10, 2015
Yesterday the European Union organized an information day about studying in Europe for prospective Singaporean students. Sweden was represented by the Swedish Embassy here in Singapore and by several volunteers, Singaporean and Swedish exchange students, and a visiting professor. The … Continue reading
Closer to the equator
A mere 12 hour flight separates Sweden from Singapore. Twelve hours is really not very long, just half a day! But coming from Sweden, where the fresh air already feels crispy in the mornings and the yellow leaves signal that … Continue reading
Thailand for foodies
Most people love Thai food, although tourists generally want a milder, less spicy version of these delicious dishes. This often means that restaurants aimed for tourists only rarely serve good and authentic Thai food. Eating is an important part of … Continue reading
Some of my Thailand favorites
I have probably spent almost 9 months in Thailand during the past seven years. Our road trips took us from north to south and from west to east, and apart from all the lakes we have visited, we also managed … Continue reading
Posted in Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Chiang Mai, dinosaurs, Doi Inthanon, eating, Fern Resort, Kho Phratong, Kho Tarutao, Koh Jum, Kumphawapi, salt, Sukhothai, sun set, Sweden, Thailand, Thailand beaches, Thailand islands, trekking, walking, water lillies
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Rain, rain, rain
After three months, I see the very first raindrops! Finally – how I waited to see and feel the heavy rain, and to experience something that is close to the rainy summer monsoon season. It did actually rain heavily in … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Bangkok, monsoon, rain, Sweden, Thailand
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Mosquitoes versus sand flies
My weekend retreat started out really nice. Fresh air, acceptable temperatures, few tourists, an almost empty beach, friendly people, lovely sun rises and sun sets and good food. What could be better! I went for long walks along the beach, … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Sam Roi Yod, sand flies, Sweden, Thailand, tiger balm
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Yoga on the beach
Submitted my research proposal, finished up a manuscript, and can feel the toll on my back after hours of just sitting and writing and thinking. Bangkok’s heat is also just too much for me. Although I really like warmer temperatures, … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Baanaroka, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Sam Roi Yod, Sweden, Thailand, train ride, Yoga
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Not my choice of place
Phuket Island and Phuket town are not places that are high on my must-see wish list, but there is a lake, and a promising one actually that even contains sediments. This is a rarity, since many lakes in Thailand have … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Sweden, Thailand
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Money, money, money
Living in Bangkok is not very expensive, at least not when trying to live the way most Thai live. A short ride on a taxi motorbike costs 15 THB*, the trip with the underground to the university costs 25 THB, … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Sweden, Thailand
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Expats versus immigrants
Last week was a German Film Festival week here in Bangkok. Moo, who speaks fluently German and has her connections to the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy, got a few free movie tickets. The first film to be screened … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Sweden, Thailand
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Bangkok transport
Bangkok’s traffic jams are well known and the best way to avoid them is to use the subway (MRT) or the Skytrain (BTS). Both are easy to use, quick, clean, air conditioned, comparably cheap and really well organized. So much … Continue reading
Yellow mangoes
Now the season starts for the delicious and sweet yellow mangoes, which are only available between March and June, since mango trees bear fruits only once a year. Many different types of mangoes actually exist, but the yellow mango tastes … Continue reading
Posted in Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Sweden, Thailand, Yellow mango
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Mosquitoes – no thank you
It is almost 2 months now since I arrived in Bangkok. Looking through my WordPress posts I realize that I have not written very much about all my adventures and travels, about my meetings and impressions. I only managed to … Continue reading
My little pet
I don’t seem to be alone in my small apartment in the middle of Sukhumvit in Bangkok. Last evening I heard a loud noise typical for the small, almost translucent geckos, which are common everywhere. You hardly see them, but … Continue reading
A day in the jungle of northern Thailand
The Bangkok heat and traffic (speak pollution) is sometimes really too much and spending a weekend in cooler northern Thailand seems to be the perfect escape. A place I had wanted to see for a long time is the small … Continue reading
And the sea never rests
Svante Björck from the Geology Department, Lund University in Sweden is currently also visiting Chulalongkorn University. His lecture on Quaternary Sea Level Changes – A Complex Story was well attended. About 70-80 students and many staff members quickly filled the … Continue reading
Dress code
All students at Chulalongkorn University need to dress properly and wear a special, but simple uniform: dark trousers and white shirts for boys and dark skirts and white blouses for girls. And proper shoes of course, no sandals or flip … Continue reading
Lakes and wetlands tell an important story
A few days ago, I gave a lecture to undergraduate students in geology at Chulalongkorn University. I chose the title ‘Lakes and wetlands tell an important story’ since the focus of our Asian monsoon project is on lakes and wetlands … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, sabbatical, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand
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Countryside weekend
To escape the Bangkok chaos, pollution, and heat, I moved out into the countryside for the weekend, more specifically to The Thai House in Nonthaburi, which is some 22 km northwest of Bangkok. It takes about one hour to drive … Continue reading
Making choices
What always strikes me when traveling abroad is that there are so many different ways of looking at things. Nothing is black and white, but everything comes in numerous shades of grey and depends on what kind of baseline one … Continue reading
Studying abroad
It is almost a week now since I arrived in busy Bangkok. The culture shock has subsided and I am adjusting, although it is still difficult to get used to the heat, the traffic and above all – the heavy … Continue reading
Bang Kra Jao – the green lung of Bangkok
A mere 5 minute boat ride separates busy Bangkok from Bang Kra Jao, a beautiful oasis with small villages, old wooden houses on stilts, temples, markets, local artists, small canals, raised walk ways, gardens, parks, and forests. Surrounded by a … Continue reading
From floor 26 to floor 2
It is definitely not easy to find a serviced apartment here in Bangkok given the requirements I have: quiet location, nice neighborhood, close to the subway and to Chulalongkorn University, not higher than floor 10, and if possible in an … Continue reading
Plant remains from ancient sediments
During the weeks before Christmas I was busy at the microscope looking through sample after sample to select plant remains for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dates provide us with an age for our sediment sequences, and to obtain good and valid … Continue reading
Summing up 2014
At this time of the year people send Christmas cards and wishes for the upcoming year. Some even summarize in shorter and longer reports what they and their family had been up to during the year. These types of letters … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Les Eyzies, monsoon history, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand, tsunami
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More on SGU’s research funding
Following up on yesterday’s blog, I thought I should mention why I feel so strongly about SGU’s (Geological Survey of Sweden) small and decreasing research budget. First of all, SGU’s research money is directed at geoscience research being done in … Continue reading
Frustration
Each year the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) invites research applications on issues that are of importance and relevance for the Geological Survey and for Geosciences in Sweden. Submitted research proposals are evaluated by external reviewers and by members of … Continue reading
It’s been a long time
Yes, I am still around and yes I am fine, and no, I am not lazy, just terribly busy with other things! It has been exactly 41 days since I published my last blog. And so much has happened since. … Continue reading
Curiosity drives science
The video (in Swedish) documenting the experiences, thoughts and expectations of the teachers, who are currently enrolled in the research school on natural hazards, was finally released a few days ago. The research school is organized in collaboration with the … Continue reading
The big day
Within one week, two of my PhD students successfully defended their PhD theses: Akkaneewut (Nut) Chabangborn on October 10th and Sakonvan (Moo) Chawchai on October 17. It was a great and stressful day for each of them – first presenting … Continue reading
Tovetorp – a little jewel
Stockholm University has a number of research stations, which are all located in beautiful surroundings: the Tarfala Research Station in northernmost Sweden; the Askö Laboratory on the island of Askö in the Baltic Sea; Tovetorp, southeast of Stockholm; and the … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts and Tales
Tagged natural science, science, Stockholm University, Sweden, university
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Following the Icebreaker Oden
About a week ago, most of my colleagues started their long travel via Anchorage and Barrow to the Icebreaker Oden, who will transport them across the Arctic Ocean back to Tromsö and finally to Stockholm. Out of about 25 people … Continue reading
Life is not easy …
The last four to six months as a PhD student are probably the worst – real deadlines have to be met, manuscripts have to be finished, the thesis summary has to be completed, the thesis defense has to be prepared, … Continue reading
Pedagogic prize – teacher of the year in natural sciences
Each year Stockholm University invites nominations for the best teachers of the year. Employees and students can nominate a teacher, who has shown excellent pedagogic abilities, who has shown and demonstrated a strong interest in further developing teaching and who … Continue reading
The weeks after midsummer
Midsummer in Sweden is not only an important holiday, marking the longest day of the year; it is also the time of the year when life start to slow down. This is especially obvious when it comes to university life. … Continue reading
Where will they all go?
One of the larger events this year, at least for our Department, will be the SWERUS-C3 expedition to the Arctic. More than half of the researchers at IGV (Dept of Geological Sciences) will join the expedition, which is led by … Continue reading
Good prospects for geoscience students
The June issue of EOS featured a short article, which summarizes “The Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2014 Report”. This report, although based on a survey in the USA, is really good news for all geoscience students, because it predicts … Continue reading
EGU 2014
When I attended last year’s EGU meeting in Vienna I was shocked to see so few women among the medalists. The situation has slightly improved this year, with 5 women out of 36 scientists receiving a medal. But honestly, this … Continue reading
Approaching the deadline
Life is almost too busy at the moment. With two PhD students finishing within the next six months, one PhD student taking his mid-term exam in May, and two licentiate students defending in less than a year. All of them … Continue reading
A few days in France
One of the many tasks of being a researcher is being a member of PhD thesis committees. It is already the second time this year that I am part of a committee to evaluate a PhD thesis. This means reading … Continue reading
Barbara Wohlfarth 