International Gasque!

Friday – International Students Gasque!


Took it easy during the day before getting freshened up and ready for the International Students Gasque that night. A gasque is a Swedish student tradition of a formal dinner party followed by an after party with dancing. I donned my suit for the formal evening and the ladies were in cocktail dresses. A ticket was required for the dinner, but it covered several drinks (that I’ll get into later), a 3-course meal, and entrance to the afterparty. Upon arriving to V-Dala nation around 5:30 PM we checked our coats and headed to the bar for an included glass of champagne. We mingled for about an hour talking and taking pictures of everyone very nicely dressed up.

Group going to Lapland and Caitlin

Lukas, Nick, and Me looking fly

Around 6:30 all 400 guests were ushered upstairs to a large room where about 12 tables were set up in front of a stage. Everyone had assigned seating and you stood at your seat until everyone was in the room and ready to sit down. The seating arrangement alternated boy-girl for the most part (some sections were only ladies as they out numbered us gentleman). The lady to the right of the man was their “date” or the one you were to give the most attention although conversation at the table was much more widespread than this. My table had a great group of people that really made the whole 4 hour dinner experience very enjoyable. The set up of the dinner was very formal with a plate, a salad plate, a salad fork and knife, a dining fork and knife, a desert spoon, a coffee cup and coaster, a small desert drink glass, a wine glass, a beer glass, and a water glass. I was surrounded by people from many places including: Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Singapore, and Austria. Everyone had an appetizer of salad with reindeer meat and parmesan cheese and waiters came out to poor everyone a shot of schnapps. The gasque had a toastmaster who led the dinner and all of the entertainment. He was a very funny Swede named Oscar and he led the whole gasque in the singing of many Swedish songs that we struggled to sing while reading from little pamphlets provided to us at the table. After every song we sang everyone did a very formal toast/cheers to those around them. For me and all the men we first cheers our “date” to our right by holding up the schnapps making eye contact with the date and saying “Skol!” and then did the same to the lady on our left and then to the lady across from us. After this you took a sip of the schnapps (not the entire shot! The schnapps were to last for about 4 songs), after the sip you did all of the cheers in reverse order, middle, left, right and then set your class down. We eventually did this cheer formality decently well, but often it wasn’t very smooth!

My date Sandra

Salad with Reindeer

The appetizer was very good and I enjoyed reindeer for my first time. Between the salad and main course there was entertainment provided by men’s choir from one of the nations. They sang several Swedish songs before ending with a rendition of about 6 different Backstreet Boys songs, which got everyone really excited and into the performance.

Choir

The waiters returned and poured wine before providing the main course of moose steak with a side of artichoke puree with a juniper berry sauce and snow peas. The moose steak was a little gamey and chewy for my liking, but the rest of the dinner was amazing. More songs and toasting occurred and everyone enjoyed their dinner while a string group came out and performed.

By the time dessert came around everyone had had their shot of schnapps, a beer, and two glasses of wine so needless to say the conversation and laughter were flowing. A desert beverage of Swedish punch or Bailey’s was provided and I opted for the Bailey’s. Then desert was presented, it was a delicious concoction somewhere in between cheesecake and pudding topped with raspberry and chocolate. The final performance was done by a drumline of sorts and this really got the crowd roaring with people clapping, banging on the table, and standing up on their chairs dancing and clapping to the beats. The toastmaster concluded the dinner around 10:30 and everyone returned downstairs while they cleared upstairs for the afterparty. More people came for the afterparty, which started with a cover band from Varmlands nation and was followed by a typical Swedish DJ playing the usual favorites found at the nations’ clubs.  There was also a room for karaoke. It was a really fun afterparty and good end to a very fun evening.

Our awesome table