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2.1.2. Creative Reading

A NIGHT AMONG THE TREES
OBJECTIVES

• Enrich reading experience with descriptive text

• Develop artistic intelligence and creativity
• Develop creative writing ability

WORD LIST
Task 1. You will see these words often in this unit. Look them up and write its definition in your
own words, and try to memorise them.

1 birch (n)
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2 grandeur (n)
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3 resonate (v)
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4 stimulus (n)
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5 capsule (n)
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6 renovate (v)
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7 charm (n)
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8 elegance (n)
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9 preserve (v)
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10 culinary (n)
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11 trimmings (n)
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12 hut (n)
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13 cosy (adj)
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A. BEFORE READING – HOW CREATIVE ARE YOU?

Task 2. What kind of hotel design do you like? A luxurious hotel or a cozy hotel? Explain why.
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Task 3. If you can design your own hotel, how would it look? Draw a picture of your hotel in the
space below.

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B. WHILE READING – HOW ACCURATE ARE YOU?

Read the following passage about the design of a famous tree hotel in Swedish Lapland.

A NIGHT AMONG THE TREE

Treehotel in Harads is more than just a design favourite among the treetops. Returning after a day
packed full of experiences there’s a treat in the form of locally produced food from Swedish
Lapland waiting. It’s the childhood fantasy we’ve all dreamed of – just in a more luxurious package.

A philosophy of tranquillity
A slow walk through the birch forest that surrounds the path between breakfast at the Treehotel
restaurant and my room, the Mirrorcube, soon reveals the grandeur of the hotel. The beautiful
birch forest lets thoughts resonate on their own in the dim morning light. No real stimulus is
needed. Life is taken down to a level where everything is in harmony. I run my hand across one of
the birch trunks along the path and it almost feels like a handshake with nature itself. Rugged and
resolute, but welcoming at the same time. Here in the forest, it’s easy to understand the Japanese
philosophy ‘shinrin-yoku’, how forests and trees have a kind of calming effect on the racing pace of
society. A night in a tree house and I’m already all in when it comes to the phenomenon ‘forest
bathing’.

These days you can find Treehotel in Harads on countless Pinterest boards, Instagram updates and
bucket lists in glossy travel magazines. Owners Kent and Britta Jonsson Lindvall were not new to
the hotel business when they came up with the idea. The couple had jointly run popular Brittas
Pensionat (nowadays Treehotel Guesthouse) in Harads for many years. But then they took it all to
a new level. How Britta and Kent came up with the idea of opening Treehotel is, of course, a story
all in itself. A friend of the couple made a documentary about building a tree house. Kent and Britta
soon realised there was something magical about the concept. They had loved to build tree houses
themselves in their childhood and just imagined that others would like to live among the treetops,
too. During a fishing trip in 2008, when Kent and some of Sweden’s most famous architects were
sat around a campfire, he told them about the idea of making tree houses into hotel rooms. It
didn’t take long for his dream to become reality and Treehotel was designed, drawn and built in the
forest behind what was the guest house.
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A time capsule
One hour from Luleå, shortly after passing Boden on
the road towards Jokkmokk and the Arctic Circle, is
where you find the village Harads. At the beginning of
the village – approaching it from Luleå – is a nearly
100-year-old guest house that Kent and Britta have
lovingly renovated. They kept the original charm and
character of the building and transformed it into a
cosy guest house and restaurant. Their vision was to
create a place where guests felt at home. But then they realised that the ‘tree rooms’ would be the
entire reason for travelling. In many ways, the Treehotel establishment is a time capsule. At the
same time as they’ve managed to preserve the charm and elegance of a simpler time – when food
was seasonal and people stress-free and enjoying each other’s company – some of Scandinavia’s
most famous architects have provided a modern design. In that sense, the path up to the tree
rooms becomes a journey in time. From the stress-free capsule at the guest house to the next
update on Instagram.

The Birds nest

Just being
Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese term for a trend referred to as forest bathing in English. We all know
how good it feels to be out in nature. Still we hardly give ourselves a chance to do so. It’s estimated
that in 2050 2/3 of the world’s population will live in cities. According to a survey by EPA, the
environmental protection agency, the average American spends 93% of their life indoors these days.
Shinrin-yoku isn’t about doing anything. It’s not training, not running, not jogging, not even picking
mushrooms. It’s about just being. Experiencing the light, sounds and scent of the forest. Dr Qing Li,
the author of several books on the theme, says the key to a good ‘forest bath’ is to give yourself
time. Disconnect from the constant attention of modern society for a couple of hours. Let your
body listen, smell, see, taste and feel the forest. Become part of the forest’s own cathedral of light.
Or just check in to a tree hotel? A large pine grows straight through the room Mirrorcube, mine
for the night. I stroke it whenever I get a chance. Sipping on a glass of red and ignoring updates to
the feed. When the wind whistles, the hut moves slightly. Kind of swaying. I’m really in a tree house.

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Treehotel Restaurant
Kent’s favourite?
In the evening, after a day trip in the car
to Jokkmokk, the Arctic Circle and the
Storforsen rapids, I go back to the hotel
for dinner. I only very rarely miss such
important occasions. The food is from
Swedish Lapland, using local ingredients.
Elk, Arctic char and reindeer served
with fresh trimmings from forest and
land. Locally sourced to as great an
extent as possible. Chef Sebastian
Gröndal has in many ways developed
the kitchen and set its direction. Whether you’re staying at the Guesthouse or in one of the ‘tree
rooms’, the meals are a classic culinary experience. Kent stops by in the evening to greet the
guests. He’s a man who keeps himself busy. I ask him which hut is his favourite. He smiles:
– No, I can’t answer that. The balcony of the
Cabin used to have the highest view, ten
metres above the ground. But the floor of the
7th room is at 10 metres’ height, so there you
truly live among the treetops.
– But you know, the Bird’s Nest or UFO,
Mirror Walls or Red Shavings. There are so
many things, so much charm and character in
every room.

Looking towards the future

Then I ask Kent about what’s next, of course. If there’s another room in the pipeline. His smile
widens and he says it remains to be seen what the future holds. Before he leaves he says he hopes
we’ll enjoy our meal and at the same time a reindeer fillet is brought in as the main course. This is
going to be excellent. It’s the childhood fantasy we’ve all dreamed of, but the other way round. As a
child, you’d come home after having played all evening in your tree house, and you’d be served a
home-cooked meal. Here we play outside during the day, eat and enjoy, then we sleep in the camp
at night. So, on my way through the forest, en route to my designed camp after dinner, I run my
hand across a birch trunk. It’s a welcoming, rough handshake from nature. Forest bathing, taken to
new heights.

Task 4. Answer the following questions

1. How did Britta and Kent come up with the idea of opening The Treehotel?
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2. Where is the Treehotel?

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3. What is their vision of creating this guesthouse?
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4. What is shirin yoku? How is it related to the Treehotel?
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5. What are some activities that guests can do in the Treehouse?
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6. What kind of food is served in this guesthouse?
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7. What parts of the guesthouse are mentioned in the text?
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C. AFTER READING – HOW DEEP ARE YOU?

Task 5. What impresses you the most about this special hotel? Do you want to live on it? Explain
why.
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Task 6. Reflect on what you have read and fill in the table below.

D. CREATIVE WRITING
Task 7. If you have a chance to create a unique hotel or guesthouse, how would it be? Describe
your hotel or guesthouse by telling a story of your idea and everything that you want to include in
your hotel.
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