Lisa's Sweden Adventure: October 2011

I don't know if you've heard, but chocolate is very good for you. I mean it makes you happy...so that's good. Let's see I should really write on here more often. Cause then I wouldn't have to sit here and try to remember sooo much.

In Sweden you spell everything with K. My English is declining in quality I can tell. And Swedish is hard. I have a thing for putting words in the wrong order when I write papers...grammar is just trouble. Even in English class we do grammar stuff. I know nothinggg about English grammar..soo that will be fun. I should be able to figure it out though. It's fun to listen to people speak English here...some people speak with English accents and some with American...and some just sound very, very Swedish. The "th" is a hard sound for them..

I like to make bracelets! But whenever I put a new one on an anklet falls off..not really..but that happened this time. I don't think I told you guys, but I made a hemp hairwrap. I think it's pretty sweet.

I guesss I'll tell you guys a little about Sweden.

Let's see. It's really hard to remember...I've done something each weekend I've been here..but my mind doesn't work so I'll tell you about this past weekend (yesterday and the day before). I went to Halmstad to visit Sebastian and his family with Amelie! It was very foggy. I got to see about three feet of ocean...buuut the fog lifted later so then I got to see the view. Quite lovely, Halmstad is a summer town, like Varberg. Beaches and sunshine. Swedes love sunshine. I do too. This rain is ehhh. And the cold that is well on it's way..is definitely ehhh. We have had a couple of nice days though, so I can't complain. I think the biggest difference tree wise here is the leaves. They don't really have the whole evergreen thing goin on for them. The leaves are beginning to dropppp. It is going to be a long, dark...not green winter.

Oh! I can share about my hike! Last Thursday my class, 10SPB, went out on a wandering. We were in groups so we could make lunch in the forest. It was quite the adventure...frozen chicken that looked like a brain..eventually became eatable! It was a lot of fun. ANDDD it was about five miles! Which is an accomplishment for me. Ohhhh plus we did some professional bus catching that day too. It was a close call...but I don't think the story would be so fun for you all to read.

I remembered another thing to tell about! The weekend before this past one I went to Varberg's Harvest festival at our local castle. SO sweet. I love that about Sweden...there are castles everywhere...you do nottt find that in America. Plus there was free food from ICA! Can't go wrong there. Unless it's gross food...but I have a good eye filter. Plus it was nice weather that day. Sunshinee:) And an ocean breeze. I love the ocean. Smells delicious.

Stars! Since I live out in the countryyy it's extra dark so you can see the stars even better! I went out sometime, I don't remember when...for a walk at night. There is a golfcourse close to where I live. In Sweden they're cool...golf courses, forests, pastures, etc are all public..I mean I don't know the specifics..but it isn't trespassing. Sooo I walked up onto the golfcourse and then I was thinking "ohhh what lovely stars! Oh look a bench? I can't see it and I'm a wee bit afraid of the dark...but I'll check it out" So I went a laid down on a bench for over an hour. I sang Coldplay songs and counted 11 shooting stars:) It was amazing. And the stars look different here! Of course..but it was still exciting. I succeeded in finding one constellation...that was a hard word to spell..

Anyways. School. Hmmmm. Math test tomorrow I should be studying for? But I'd rather wing it?

I would like to take a moment to talk about dairy. I love milk. I love milk machines at school. And I love whole milk at home. I like yogurt. I like yogurt that comes in a carton and you can pour. I like drinkable yogurt with my cereal, my bananas, my apples. I like ice cream. I love dairy. Mmmm.

I also thought I should mention a few things about vegetables. First of all, vegetables in Swedish is "grönsaker"..which translated literally means "green things". So anyways (Mother dearest this is directed towards you) I eat green things! There are pictures for proof. Although I think I have only had broccoli about once since I got here..............soooo you should probably send me some for Christmas since I miss it sooo much....

Homes are much tidier in Sweden. Or maybe not always tidy...but at least more clean. Also houses are smaller and cozier.

Trash cans...are sooo big in the US.... All of the public trash cans here are little and metal and usually attached to a lamp post or something of that sort. They are not huge. And the trash cans that people put at the end of their driveway are mush smaller too. Plus they don't have red, white, and blue recycling bins like us..not blue and yellow either...You have to go to a place outside of a grocery store and separate your recycle your self into the designated dumpsters. Plus when you bring bottles and cans back to the store you get money back. Buuut the catch is, is that they have cool machines that you stick the cans and bottles into and it gives you a receipt. Oh and one other thing, a household garbage can in Swedish is a "papperskorga" which literally translated means "papers basket" which throwsss me off cause you recycle paper.

I find it strange that listening to the radio here is nearly like listening at home..only a month or two behind on the latest songs...and the occasional Swedish tune thrown in there.

You have to pay for bags at grocery stores here..it's a good idea..come onnn America. Gotta get it together.

IKEA ads in Sweden are nothing like the weird ones in Canada and the US...

I don't think I have properly introduced you all to lös godis. That means loose candy. As in a huge wall of candy. It's like our bulk food section. But it's allllll candy. Soooo much candy. You grab a bag and a scooper. And you scoop scoop scoop. For what you get, it is cheap. And it is delicious. Plus the chocolate here is soooo much more delicious.....I've onlyyy gained like 5 pounds...no need to worry about me...everything is worth it :)

Speaking of everything is worth it. My host mum has some words of wisdom. Every time I come back from something that I...let's say didn't particularly enjoy...she tells me this, "everything is a positive learning experience".

That's that for now I think! I'll throw up some pictures from my Halmstad adventure below :)