24 Oct.
Gamer:
Played billiards with Håkan, Björn and Zakie in Karlskrona while Malin was at the spa with her sisters.
29 Oct.
Risk Taker:
Took train to Göteborg for the day. Met Erik, my Swedish tour guide. Beautiful time.
1 Nov.
Socialite:
Did not go out for Halloween. Stayed in to work on Truman application. Exciting, huh?
Met Madeleine, my new Swedish buddy. We had coffee and talked for a couple hours.
Went over to Madeleine's apartment to use the Internet for several hours. I had research that needed to be done for my application. It was Allahelgonsdag so the library was closed. Stupid Internet.
2 Nov.
Noctural Wanderer:
Stayed up all night working on application and packing. Gunnar drove me to bus.
Got on bus and went to Stockholm to catch ferry to Tallinn, Estonia.
2-4 Nov.
Globe Trotter:
ESTONIA VIA CRUISE SHIP!!!
I sang karaoke. Can you believe that? Queen of course.
7 Nov.
No Name for This One:
Application went in on time! YAYAYAYAYAY!
8 Nov.
Gutter Shot:
Went bowling with the family in Karlskrona. I sucked. Horribly.
9 Nov.
Pyro:
Helped Håkan start fire to a giant branch pile on Östraön. Slept all weekend. Computer did not accompany me to Jordö.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A Day at the Office
Great day of teaching today!
I think I forgot to tell all of you that I ate liver and onions!
I think I forgot to tell all of you that I ate liver and onions!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Weekend of "Love"
Friday: I was biking home after my class at ProCivitas (which was amazing - I did a really cool exercise with the students - ask me about it later) when my waterbottle must have spilled inside my schoolbag, soaking everything from my scholarship papers, camera, completed voting ballot, teaching schedules, and my COMPUTER. Malin and I took my computer to the "sjukhuset" for the weekend then caught the bus to Jordö.
Saturday: A cow was sick because there is not enough grass now at Jordö and she ate too many acorns. Unfotunately, acorns have a poison in them which shuts down the liver. : ( Malin and I carried bales of hay all the way out to Östraön which was quite a job. We about died laughing at our attempt. Next time we will take the tractor instead. I worked most of the day on homework for Swedish class and we watched Som Så Himmlen (sp?) that night, followed by Unbreakable and I Am Sam. (I watched that one alone while I worked on my scholarship applications.)
Sunday: We ate lunch at Farfar's house (Gunnar's dad) and afterwards rounded up two cows with their calves. Malin talked a little about Gunnar's family on the drive home and I learned also that Malin used to watch episodes of Little House on the Prairie in Swedish here. She seemed interested in the Native Americans in Minnesota and the grasslands. We ran around Jordö twice, but I was not tired yet so I went a third time. Then we took a quick swim again. It was actually COLD this weekend. Perhaps the water may start to freeze soon, but until then I think I will take my suit with me to Jordö. I watched Bonde Söker Fru with Håkan in the evening and a little on the news about Americans. We had risgröt for dinner, which is much like rice pudding. For topping, instead of cinnamon we had cherry jam. I almost broke a tooth on a pit, and Malin and Gunnar started laughing hysterically. Apparently they had just been talking about how Håkan had gotten one in his cereal and how it means that you will get married before the end of the year. When I got one, Håkan looked at me and said, "Så det är dig!" Which means "So you're the one!" Everyone of course but me started laughing then; I hadn't been listening, so this all went on without me. They laughed even harder at how oblivious I was. A minute later I got another pit. Stupid cherry porridge! Hahaha. Swedes are so superstitious about love and young people. They always want to be matchmakers.
Monday: The cow died. So sad. We got home and went to get my computer right away. It works, nothing lost, but the screen is really messed up. It's sort of grey. When I asked the man how much it would cost he said in Swedish, (sorry this conversation will take too long to explain in English now)...
Man (Malin's former student of course):"Vi fikar ofta här."
Malin: "Ja, så?"
Man: "Så vi kunde använda lite kakor för kaffet."
Malin (to me): Give him a hug LeAnn.
Me: "Vad?"
Malin: "Han sade, 'Det är gratis'!"
(I hug the strange 36-year-old man who has had my computer all weekend with access to all my pictures and essays and say a gracious yet cautious thank you...)
Outside conversation...
Me: "Malin, all I heard was you say something like 'date' and 'bra' (which, family, means 'good' in Swedish, not brasierre). Did you promise that man that I would go out with him as payment for the computer or something???"
(Malin starts to laugh herself to tears.)
Malin: No! He asked for us to bring over some cookies for the office!
Lesson learned. Always pay careful attention to conversations referring to how much money one owes.
Rest of Monday: I also went to Teleborg Centrum. There was a big mix-up there, but it's not worth talking about. Kickboxing class was a beast. We were all sweating so much that we couldn't see our targets. Pretty picture, I know.
Saturday: A cow was sick because there is not enough grass now at Jordö and she ate too many acorns. Unfotunately, acorns have a poison in them which shuts down the liver. : ( Malin and I carried bales of hay all the way out to Östraön which was quite a job. We about died laughing at our attempt. Next time we will take the tractor instead. I worked most of the day on homework for Swedish class and we watched Som Så Himmlen (sp?) that night, followed by Unbreakable and I Am Sam. (I watched that one alone while I worked on my scholarship applications.)
Sunday: We ate lunch at Farfar's house (Gunnar's dad) and afterwards rounded up two cows with their calves. Malin talked a little about Gunnar's family on the drive home and I learned also that Malin used to watch episodes of Little House on the Prairie in Swedish here. She seemed interested in the Native Americans in Minnesota and the grasslands. We ran around Jordö twice, but I was not tired yet so I went a third time. Then we took a quick swim again. It was actually COLD this weekend. Perhaps the water may start to freeze soon, but until then I think I will take my suit with me to Jordö. I watched Bonde Söker Fru with Håkan in the evening and a little on the news about Americans. We had risgröt for dinner, which is much like rice pudding. For topping, instead of cinnamon we had cherry jam. I almost broke a tooth on a pit, and Malin and Gunnar started laughing hysterically. Apparently they had just been talking about how Håkan had gotten one in his cereal and how it means that you will get married before the end of the year. When I got one, Håkan looked at me and said, "Så det är dig!" Which means "So you're the one!" Everyone of course but me started laughing then; I hadn't been listening, so this all went on without me. They laughed even harder at how oblivious I was. A minute later I got another pit. Stupid cherry porridge! Hahaha. Swedes are so superstitious about love and young people. They always want to be matchmakers.
Monday: The cow died. So sad. We got home and went to get my computer right away. It works, nothing lost, but the screen is really messed up. It's sort of grey. When I asked the man how much it would cost he said in Swedish, (sorry this conversation will take too long to explain in English now)...
Man (Malin's former student of course):"Vi fikar ofta här."
Malin: "Ja, så?"
Man: "Så vi kunde använda lite kakor för kaffet."
Malin (to me): Give him a hug LeAnn.
Me: "Vad?"
Malin: "Han sade, 'Det är gratis'!"
(I hug the strange 36-year-old man who has had my computer all weekend with access to all my pictures and essays and say a gracious yet cautious thank you...)
Outside conversation...
Me: "Malin, all I heard was you say something like 'date' and 'bra' (which, family, means 'good' in Swedish, not brasierre). Did you promise that man that I would go out with him as payment for the computer or something???"
(Malin starts to laugh herself to tears.)
Malin: No! He asked for us to bring over some cookies for the office!
Lesson learned. Always pay careful attention to conversations referring to how much money one owes.
Rest of Monday: I also went to Teleborg Centrum. There was a big mix-up there, but it's not worth talking about. Kickboxing class was a beast. We were all sweating so much that we couldn't see our targets. Pretty picture, I know.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Undervisning!
Idag hade jag min första klassen i Sverige! Det var bra men jag var lite “ute av plats.” Det var konstigt att vara i ett klassrum men inte vara den bara lärare. Det var Louises klass så hon pratade med studenter, inte mig. Det ska bli jätteroligt att hjälpa! Joe, they asked me if I had a boyfriend. Haha. Nu jag måste åka snabbt till ProCivitas Privata Gymnasieskolan att lära min nästa klass. Men denna klassen ska vara hel själv. Roligt!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Svenska Fiskar
Austin,
So far I have not been able to locate any Swedish Fish in the stores. In fact, they have almost zip American food here. Marshmallows were a nightmare to locate, and graham crackers don't exist. Imagine what it was like for me to try to make s'mores here!
So far I have not been able to locate any Swedish Fish in the stores. In fact, they have almost zip American food here. Marshmallows were a nightmare to locate, and graham crackers don't exist. Imagine what it was like for me to try to make s'mores here!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Quick News
Hej!
Fast update on the weekend:
We hauled branches into piles to be burned on Östraön.
Håkan took me into Ronneby to see Anders and to get another channel on the TV at Jordö.
Malin surprised me by taking me to the nude beach at Almö, go us! It was beautiful there, with only the cows to spy on us!
I went on a long kayak with Håkan. The weather was beautiful.
We watched Bonde Söker Fru and Stjärnarna på Is. (Farmers seeks wife and the stars on ice.)
This week:
Ate liver and onions. Not bad!
Paid for kickboxing.
Got my internship sorted out - I teach at teleborg next Monday!
Visited ProCivitas Privata high school. I will teach an English class for them on Friday.
Had lunch with friends today (first cheeseburger in Sweden!)
Worked desperately on scholarship applications.
Forgot to bring my pictures to post today.
Fast update on the weekend:
We hauled branches into piles to be burned on Östraön.
Håkan took me into Ronneby to see Anders and to get another channel on the TV at Jordö.
Malin surprised me by taking me to the nude beach at Almö, go us! It was beautiful there, with only the cows to spy on us!
I went on a long kayak with Håkan. The weather was beautiful.
We watched Bonde Söker Fru and Stjärnarna på Is. (Farmers seeks wife and the stars on ice.)
This week:
Ate liver and onions. Not bad!
Paid for kickboxing.
Got my internship sorted out - I teach at teleborg next Monday!
Visited ProCivitas Privata high school. I will teach an English class for them on Friday.
Had lunch with friends today (first cheeseburger in Sweden!)
Worked desperately on scholarship applications.
Forgot to bring my pictures to post today.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Vad Jag Gjorde Igår
- Jag försov mig i onsdags men jag hade inte klass så det var okej.
- Jag cyklade snabbt till staden. Vädret var jättevackert!
- Där jag köpte svarta stövlar (vilket jag måste ta tillbaka idag eftersom de är för små), långbyxor till kickboxning, mandariner från marknaden, och italien vin till lördags på Jordö om vi åka. (Malin är lite sjuk så kanske vi ska stanna i Växjö.)
- Jag tog många foto av Växjö staden. De ska vara snart här.
- Gunnar och jag cyklade till FriskisOSvettis kl.7. Gym var roligt.
- Då åkte jag till puben Sivans med vänner. Det var bra.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Go Me!
Yay! You should be caught up by now!
Today I listened to MTV on full blast while I made breakfast. Malin is a little sick. : ( I feel bad for her. I did my remaining homework and went to campus to buy a Växjö International Students t-shirt. I was going to buy a bunch for everyone, but they only let me buy one for myself. Too bad. I had Swedish Språklabb (pronounciation practice) then. We got out early. Now I am blogging. Next I will leave the library soon to buy milk, cereal, and some Mexican food things (thanks a lot, Joe, for putting it in my head!) before Malin gets home from school. I also have some mail to send out. I have to go to the grocery store for that too. I was planning to call the Philosophy Department also, but I won't have time now. Then I will have a quick bite to eat, and it is off to Kickboxing again tonight! (Oh, and it is pitch-black outside by 7:00, so I will have to bring my lights for the bike again.) Kickboxing is in a really cool warehouse in a shady district here. I would typically be scared, but there is like zero crime here. Women run alone at midnight here all the time!
Oh, and those of you waiting for my entries in Swedish, I will try to start them next week. Be sure to write to me though!
Bye for now! Vi ses!
LeAnn
Today I listened to MTV on full blast while I made breakfast. Malin is a little sick. : ( I feel bad for her. I did my remaining homework and went to campus to buy a Växjö International Students t-shirt. I was going to buy a bunch for everyone, but they only let me buy one for myself. Too bad. I had Swedish Språklabb (pronounciation practice) then. We got out early. Now I am blogging. Next I will leave the library soon to buy milk, cereal, and some Mexican food things (thanks a lot, Joe, for putting it in my head!) before Malin gets home from school. I also have some mail to send out. I have to go to the grocery store for that too. I was planning to call the Philosophy Department also, but I won't have time now. Then I will have a quick bite to eat, and it is off to Kickboxing again tonight! (Oh, and it is pitch-black outside by 7:00, so I will have to bring my lights for the bike again.) Kickboxing is in a really cool warehouse in a shady district here. I would typically be scared, but there is like zero crime here. Women run alone at midnight here all the time!
Oh, and those of you waiting for my entries in Swedish, I will try to start them next week. Be sure to write to me though!
Bye for now! Vi ses!
LeAnn
News from October 1st
Malin, Håkan, and Gunnar still want their blueberry pie this weekend at Jordö, so I'm going to the store to buy pie supplies: heavy butter and pie filling. I am going to try a "practice pie" tonight or tomorrow. I'll have to bake it in a casserole dish (Malin does not have a pie pan), so it will be interesting I think!
My kulture class is done tomorrow. Yay! I just turned in my last paper today. No word yet on the internship. Oh, and I called David. : ) (Swedes here follow schedules strictly. They like EVERYTHING to be planned ahead of time.)
I had an opportunity to take a road trip to Russia, but I turned it down. It was too expensive (and required me to take the train to Göteborg to purchase a special Russian visa) and I would rather spend my money on Kickboxing or clothes or aerobics here. (Kickboxing was fun last night again. My arms are so sore!!!) I think I will save some money up to take a trip to Kiruna, in the north of Sweden, though. It's a 30-hour bus ride, so not many students can say they have
done that. Hopefully I'll get to go to Russia some day with a smaller group of people. That would be fun.
Hope all is well. Kiss Mr.B for me.
LeAnn
My kulture class is done tomorrow. Yay! I just turned in my last paper today. No word yet on the internship. Oh, and I called David. : ) (Swedes here follow schedules strictly. They like EVERYTHING to be planned ahead of time.)
I had an opportunity to take a road trip to Russia, but I turned it down. It was too expensive (and required me to take the train to Göteborg to purchase a special Russian visa) and I would rather spend my money on Kickboxing or clothes or aerobics here. (Kickboxing was fun last night again. My arms are so sore!!!) I think I will save some money up to take a trip to Kiruna, in the north of Sweden, though. It's a 30-hour bus ride, so not many students can say they have
done that. Hopefully I'll get to go to Russia some day with a smaller group of people. That would be fun.
Hope all is well. Kiss Mr.B for me.
LeAnn
News from September 29th
I didn't bake the pie. (Flo could relate to this difficulty at finding things to cook abroad!)
Besides there being 9 different types of butter at the store (each labeled "smör"), Malin does not have a pastry cutter, the same temperatures on her oven, or a pie pan (she bakes with tissue paper stuffed into a metal cookie tin). I'm trying to figure out how I can do a test pie. Malin just wanted me to use her recipe this weekend and bake it with an oatmeal crust, but I wanted to try something AMERICAN, that I know how to make. It's not special for them if it's what they eat all the time! Arg. It feels that I am in the way in the kitchen here, but it's just that I don't know that I know how to cook Swedish things.
They do want American pancakes, though. But I don't have any mix or recipes here. Any ideas???
I have Kickboxing tonight and tomorrow, intensiv aerobics Wednesday, and maybe Spinning Thursday. I'll run every day this weekend at Jordö with Malin (we run the island together, and then jump into the sea - it's freezing!!!) or kayaking. Hopefully I will get sick of Malin's food and Start! cereal (with is just like Honey Bunches of Oats Jst Bunches) so I can start to drop some weight again. But probably not.
By law, they use only first names for teachers here, so I am still just LeAnn at school, even at Tae Kwon Do. My supervisor is dumb as a box of rocks! She just sent me a message asking me where I want to teach again. At this rate, it will take me weeks to get my teaching cleared with the university!
Haha, Malin and I cleaned house today and she found a couple hairs in the sink drain. She thought they were Gunnars! They might have been mine. HAHAHA! It was so funny. I didn't correct her. Malin, sorry again, if you are reading this now. I tried really hard to keep things clean.
You want to hear something funny about Sweden? They are really open with nudity. Last week, we were all sitting in front of the TV having coffee, and Gunnar flipped to a channel featuring a nudist festival - they were doing orienteering, yoga, races, and cooking nude - ON TV! Of course, Gunnar pointed out that it was in Finland, but I made sure to note that they were speaking SWEDISH. Oh, and I just learned that they have a nude beach at Jordö. Not like it matters, because Malin and Maria change into their swimsuits right out in the open on the beach anyway. Haha. So funny. Malin suggested that I let them take a 17th-century, mermaid on a rock-type picture at Jordö. Apparently their Japanese student took one home to prove that nude beaches do exist here. I think you can take my word for it.
I can't wait for the package!!! thank you for all your help!!!I have to go to the store now and get some dish soap and milk.
Bye!Love,LeAnn
Besides there being 9 different types of butter at the store (each labeled "smör"), Malin does not have a pastry cutter, the same temperatures on her oven, or a pie pan (she bakes with tissue paper stuffed into a metal cookie tin). I'm trying to figure out how I can do a test pie. Malin just wanted me to use her recipe this weekend and bake it with an oatmeal crust, but I wanted to try something AMERICAN, that I know how to make. It's not special for them if it's what they eat all the time! Arg. It feels that I am in the way in the kitchen here, but it's just that I don't know that I know how to cook Swedish things.
They do want American pancakes, though. But I don't have any mix or recipes here. Any ideas???
I have Kickboxing tonight and tomorrow, intensiv aerobics Wednesday, and maybe Spinning Thursday. I'll run every day this weekend at Jordö with Malin (we run the island together, and then jump into the sea - it's freezing!!!) or kayaking. Hopefully I will get sick of Malin's food and Start! cereal (with is just like Honey Bunches of Oats Jst Bunches) so I can start to drop some weight again. But probably not.
By law, they use only first names for teachers here, so I am still just LeAnn at school, even at Tae Kwon Do. My supervisor is dumb as a box of rocks! She just sent me a message asking me where I want to teach again. At this rate, it will take me weeks to get my teaching cleared with the university!
Haha, Malin and I cleaned house today and she found a couple hairs in the sink drain. She thought they were Gunnars! They might have been mine. HAHAHA! It was so funny. I didn't correct her. Malin, sorry again, if you are reading this now. I tried really hard to keep things clean.
You want to hear something funny about Sweden? They are really open with nudity. Last week, we were all sitting in front of the TV having coffee, and Gunnar flipped to a channel featuring a nudist festival - they were doing orienteering, yoga, races, and cooking nude - ON TV! Of course, Gunnar pointed out that it was in Finland, but I made sure to note that they were speaking SWEDISH. Oh, and I just learned that they have a nude beach at Jordö. Not like it matters, because Malin and Maria change into their swimsuits right out in the open on the beach anyway. Haha. So funny. Malin suggested that I let them take a 17th-century, mermaid on a rock-type picture at Jordö. Apparently their Japanese student took one home to prove that nude beaches do exist here. I think you can take my word for it.
I can't wait for the package!!! thank you for all your help!!!I have to go to the store now and get some dish soap and milk.
Bye!Love,LeAnn
Shortening, September 26th
Hej Mom,
Oh, and Malin has no idea what shortening is. She wants me to use butter for the pie on Sunday, and she wants us to bake it together, at Jordö, with the woodburning oven! Sigh. I hope it turns out.
<3leann
Oh, and Malin has no idea what shortening is. She wants me to use butter for the pie on Sunday, and she wants us to bake it together, at Jordö, with the woodburning oven! Sigh. I hope it turns out.
<3leann
News from September 26th
I went shopping yesterday. I found so many things that I could not commit to buying even one. It was really overwhelming. I need a new pair of boots and a warm winter coat, though. The style here is really Urban Outfitter meets Burberry. Dressing entirely in black is not cliche´ and it is totally fashionable to where just a long shirt over tights and hope that you don't have to bend down to pick anything up while in public.
Carzy news! Desperation and frustration has sunk in. I trimmed my hair myself today. It is better I hope, but I have a very trickycut. I had trouble finding the lines that the stylist used. Thankfully it's a shag cut! No one seems to have noticed, or at least they were too nice to say anything. I haven't told anyone here. Haha. Malin, if you read this now, I am sorry for all the little hairs! I am sure that you would have been willing to help, I just wanted to try it myself. It was kind of a freeing experience! It's nice to not have to pay the money here or try to explain what I want cut off in Swedish! When I get it cut next, though, the stylist is probably going to be horrified. Haha.
I went to watch Savate and Thaikickboxing last night. Interesting, but not much of a workout. I think I will try basic kickboxing on Monday at the same gym. The few is from now till January there, and I can work out everyday if I want, with classes 3 times a week and some free weights. I talked with the manager (entirely in Swedish!!!) and she said that it would be much safer - no hits to the face. (Tae Kwon Do was less expensive but only for two times a week.)
Ok, I'm going to go pack for Jordö!
Love,
LeAnn
Carzy news! Desperation and frustration has sunk in. I trimmed my hair myself today. It is better I hope, but I have a very trickycut. I had trouble finding the lines that the stylist used. Thankfully it's a shag cut! No one seems to have noticed, or at least they were too nice to say anything. I haven't told anyone here. Haha. Malin, if you read this now, I am sorry for all the little hairs! I am sure that you would have been willing to help, I just wanted to try it myself. It was kind of a freeing experience! It's nice to not have to pay the money here or try to explain what I want cut off in Swedish! When I get it cut next, though, the stylist is probably going to be horrified. Haha.
I went to watch Savate and Thaikickboxing last night. Interesting, but not much of a workout. I think I will try basic kickboxing on Monday at the same gym. The few is from now till January there, and I can work out everyday if I want, with classes 3 times a week and some free weights. I talked with the manager (entirely in Swedish!!!) and she said that it would be much safer - no hits to the face. (Tae Kwon Do was less expensive but only for two times a week.)
Ok, I'm going to go pack for Jordö!
Love,
LeAnn
News from September 23rd
I have decided to request a position teaching English to 14 through 16-year-olds at Teleborg Centrum. There was massive confusion with my internship, and I feel that this is the best solution. Can you believe that they will let me teach their kids??? Moa-hahaha!
I am just waiting for the official OK from my university now.
I am just waiting for the official OK from my university now.
News from September 22nd
Hej hej
Just returned from three days at Malmö and Köpenhamn!
Things are better here now that Malin and Gunnar are home and my regular schedule has started up again. Oh, Malin is such a peach! I only told her good things about the trip to Malmö and Köpenhamn, and you know what she said? She asked why we didn't get to stop for coffee or why I didn't come home with a scarf or momento from there! She said it's better to travel in smaller groups. haha! I didn't have to tell her anything, and she still knew that it wasn't the trip that I had expected. Oh well, it was still worth going! David would love Copenhagen! I can't wait to take him around to all these places! we'll have to pack light, though. I was gone for only three days, and it was hell to carry my pack everywhere. Rainclothes and good walking shoes are musts too.
Guess what? I am going to Stockholm, Estonia, and maybe even Finland! I signed up for a cruise, complete with a taco buffet (I miss Mexican food!!!), for only 830 SEK. What a steal! I can't wait. I go Nov. 2-4. Malin thinks that I should try to go up to Kiruna also this semester, as it fits my personality. I agree, but it's a 30-hour bus ride, so I will have to think about a time when I can go.
I might try Tae Kwon Do here. It is more sport-training, but I could use the exercise. Classes are twice a week or more, all semester, for less than $102. So cheap! I don't know what else I would do with myself in the evenings, plus, I am the only foreigner, so it is a chance to meet Swedes. I just hope I am in shape enough to do it now. I have been out of TKD for so long, and training is intense.
Thank you so much for the package!!! I picked it up in town this morning.The books, food, waterbottle, Q-tips - everything looks amazing! (Well, the chocolate got pretty beat up, but it tastes just as good as ever.) I am so glad to have it. It's great that my license came too. It will make it easier to get into clubs when it does not say "UNDER 21" on it. Thank you! Gunnar is confused by the Cheese-Its. haha. I am going to buy them s'mores tonight to try.
My school visits last week went well. I learned a ton. I am learning a ton in Swedish too. That cultural education class has been a pretty decent experience. I am having trouble setting up my internship. (They want me to teach.) Hopefully that will be straightened out soon. Ok, sorry, long letter.
Hope all is well!
Mom and Dad,
I am looking forward to seeing the new house this January! Especially the walls!
Jag älskar ni! I love you guys!LeAnn
Just returned from three days at Malmö and Köpenhamn!
Things are better here now that Malin and Gunnar are home and my regular schedule has started up again. Oh, Malin is such a peach! I only told her good things about the trip to Malmö and Köpenhamn, and you know what she said? She asked why we didn't get to stop for coffee or why I didn't come home with a scarf or momento from there! She said it's better to travel in smaller groups. haha! I didn't have to tell her anything, and she still knew that it wasn't the trip that I had expected. Oh well, it was still worth going! David would love Copenhagen! I can't wait to take him around to all these places! we'll have to pack light, though. I was gone for only three days, and it was hell to carry my pack everywhere. Rainclothes and good walking shoes are musts too.
Guess what? I am going to Stockholm, Estonia, and maybe even Finland! I signed up for a cruise, complete with a taco buffet (I miss Mexican food!!!), for only 830 SEK. What a steal! I can't wait. I go Nov. 2-4. Malin thinks that I should try to go up to Kiruna also this semester, as it fits my personality. I agree, but it's a 30-hour bus ride, so I will have to think about a time when I can go.
I might try Tae Kwon Do here. It is more sport-training, but I could use the exercise. Classes are twice a week or more, all semester, for less than $102. So cheap! I don't know what else I would do with myself in the evenings, plus, I am the only foreigner, so it is a chance to meet Swedes. I just hope I am in shape enough to do it now. I have been out of TKD for so long, and training is intense.
Thank you so much for the package!!! I picked it up in town this morning.The books, food, waterbottle, Q-tips - everything looks amazing! (Well, the chocolate got pretty beat up, but it tastes just as good as ever.) I am so glad to have it. It's great that my license came too. It will make it easier to get into clubs when it does not say "UNDER 21" on it. Thank you! Gunnar is confused by the Cheese-Its. haha. I am going to buy them s'mores tonight to try.
My school visits last week went well. I learned a ton. I am learning a ton in Swedish too. That cultural education class has been a pretty decent experience. I am having trouble setting up my internship. (They want me to teach.) Hopefully that will be straightened out soon. Ok, sorry, long letter.
Hope all is well!
Mom and Dad,
I am looking forward to seeing the new house this January! Especially the walls!
Jag älskar ni! I love you guys!LeAnn
News from September 10th
How is everything there? How is Dad? David? Bosco? The houses? Your odds and ends jobs? The weather? Your flowers? I wish you could see the orchid the Slättorps bought me for my birthday - it has 13 white blooms on it!They are so exotic: white with grey and yellow and pink speckles on them. I wish I could mail you all our plums and apples too. I am getting sick of eating fruit for every meal already.Things are plenty busy here. I had the day off, so I slept in until 9, but then I got up and scrounged the Internet on campus for my list of Swedish language books for class tomorrow. The bookstore only had 2 of 4. I have Swedish class then (Thursday) at 10:15, and I'm super nervous as I have been told that I really should be taking a less-advanced class, but it isn't offered this semester. Oh, well, at least it will be challenging! I wish I did have my syllabus with information about what we will do or read for tomorrow, though. They are so disorganized at the college here! Otherwise, my education class is going well. I think the instructor will be a tough grader on the English students (and she's sort of a self-righteous crock...), but I am learning so much about different cultures, and the class is not nearly as stressful as my ones in the States! Anyway, I am trying to set up my internship too. They switched my supervisor again, so I am trying to explain to the new one why I am not teaching. It seems that no one here understands what an administrator is! I am also thinking of trying an advanced Tae Kwon Do class in the community,but it is held on Tues, Thurs, and Sat, which I am afraid might conflict with evening and weekend plans for Jordö and my social life. I decided to take aerobics with Malin and Gunnar twice a week. It's the intensive class, so it is a good workout, and it forces me to set a schedule. Also, Maria and Malin (who is 54!) run with me on the weekends at Jordö (an island in Blekinge on the Baltic Sea between the towns of Karlskrona and Ronneby - you should all Google it).
I went to another aerobics class this week for more exercise and because it was my last free trial week. We swim also at Jordö still, you know, the penguin plunge! Just in and out. Malin says that she has been doing it every weekend since she visited Finland and they told her there that it was really healthy for the body to learn to adapt to different temperaturor. Too bad it rained and my allergies were terrible last week, so I didn't participate. Oh, andMalin said that whenever I am with them, I do not pay for food, transportation, or special events! We are going to the spa this month in Ronneby - their treat!!! We also had coffee last week in a fancy coffeeshop in an old church last weekend. I had an amazing capaccino that had a flower swirled into the foam on top. I told you also that Håkan set me up with a phone, right? I like to tease him, and he is ridiculously sarcastic with me. Malin thinks that we get along because of it. Maria and Håkan are really like siblings to me. They hug me when they see me, and they laugh at me when I am stupid. Håkan tries to teach me about Swedish technology in the mornings at jordö, and I share his interest in news of the outside world, like American music and movies. He eats Pringles chips too, haha. Unheard of for the rest of the Slättorps. Except maybe Gunnar. He has a sweet tooth.
I am getting invited to more parties and events now (unfortunately not with Swedish students; they tend to avoid foreigners), so I do have much more to do. I think I will ask a classmate of mine from Spain to coffee on Friday morning, and my friend Lindsey, from San Jose California, asked me to a party tonight. She is also hoping to go to Norway yet this month. Perhaps I will tag along.
David, do you want to go to Norway?Stockholm? Göteborg? Copenhagen? Russia? Kiruna to the ice hotel? I have options to take trips to any of these places this fall, so if you are not sure if you want to go to them, I want to make sure to register ahead of time so at least I can get to all the places I want. I really need to start planning where I want to travel this fall, and I don't want to spend several hundred dollars now to see a place that you might want to go to again. Oh, Malin officially invited you and I to stay with the family at Jordö for a couple days over Christmas. It will be hard to travel until the day after the holiday, so I think we should take them up on the offer!!! However, I am only planning to pay for 20 weeks with the Slättorps, so that means that you and I can stop and go again! We will have to share my room at Jordö, but it is large and they will feed us for free, and it's a great, warm, house on an island in the Baltic Sea! You would love it, I think!
Anyway, I should go to the bank to get money for Malin now and then try to print and mail my absentee ballot request form. Did you know that the postoffices here are in the grocery stores? Haha.
Love you tons. Hope all is well.LeAnn
I went to another aerobics class this week for more exercise and because it was my last free trial week. We swim also at Jordö still, you know, the penguin plunge! Just in and out. Malin says that she has been doing it every weekend since she visited Finland and they told her there that it was really healthy for the body to learn to adapt to different temperaturor. Too bad it rained and my allergies were terrible last week, so I didn't participate. Oh, andMalin said that whenever I am with them, I do not pay for food, transportation, or special events! We are going to the spa this month in Ronneby - their treat!!! We also had coffee last week in a fancy coffeeshop in an old church last weekend. I had an amazing capaccino that had a flower swirled into the foam on top. I told you also that Håkan set me up with a phone, right? I like to tease him, and he is ridiculously sarcastic with me. Malin thinks that we get along because of it. Maria and Håkan are really like siblings to me. They hug me when they see me, and they laugh at me when I am stupid. Håkan tries to teach me about Swedish technology in the mornings at jordö, and I share his interest in news of the outside world, like American music and movies. He eats Pringles chips too, haha. Unheard of for the rest of the Slättorps. Except maybe Gunnar. He has a sweet tooth.
I am getting invited to more parties and events now (unfortunately not with Swedish students; they tend to avoid foreigners), so I do have much more to do. I think I will ask a classmate of mine from Spain to coffee on Friday morning, and my friend Lindsey, from San Jose California, asked me to a party tonight. She is also hoping to go to Norway yet this month. Perhaps I will tag along.
David, do you want to go to Norway?Stockholm? Göteborg? Copenhagen? Russia? Kiruna to the ice hotel? I have options to take trips to any of these places this fall, so if you are not sure if you want to go to them, I want to make sure to register ahead of time so at least I can get to all the places I want. I really need to start planning where I want to travel this fall, and I don't want to spend several hundred dollars now to see a place that you might want to go to again. Oh, Malin officially invited you and I to stay with the family at Jordö for a couple days over Christmas. It will be hard to travel until the day after the holiday, so I think we should take them up on the offer!!! However, I am only planning to pay for 20 weeks with the Slättorps, so that means that you and I can stop and go again! We will have to share my room at Jordö, but it is large and they will feed us for free, and it's a great, warm, house on an island in the Baltic Sea! You would love it, I think!
Anyway, I should go to the bank to get money for Malin now and then try to print and mail my absentee ballot request form. Did you know that the postoffices here are in the grocery stores? Haha.
Love you tons. Hope all is well.LeAnn
H2O
I wonder what the word for "thirsty" is in Swedish...I should sneak water into the library next time.
News from September 8th
Jordö was beautiful this weekend. It rained and my allergies were bad, but I slept well and got all my homework done. I even had a life coaching session with my host sis Maria (age 25, just got her certificate to be a Waldorf school teacher). Håkan (my host brother, age 30, who is living out on the farm at Jordö) got me an old cell phone of his and put 125 SEK worth of minutes on it for me. They are so sweet. My Swedish is worse this week, though, and it's hard to keep up with everyone only speaking Swedish in the Slättorp home. Classes taught in English and international students speaking English are hurting my progress.
Hope the house is ok!
Love you!
LeAnn
Hope the house is ok!
Love you!
LeAnn
News from September 3rd
Hej hej!
So, anyway, I got my debit card in the mail today. Finally! Well, rather, from the mailman directly. I slept in, because I was up later last night writing my paper and he woke me up by ringing the door bell. I totally biffed on the speaking Swedish with him thing. I was so flustered I just said something like "Ja, I am LeAnn." Hopefully he will figure out that I am living here with the Slättorps. Without a "c/o Malin och Gunnar Slättorp" on my mail he might not put two and two together. Haha.
I will have Malin's cell all day, but for Mom or family please try to avoid the times between 1 and 4 here because I don't know how to put her phone on silence mode yet. :(Oh, and I got my USB drive to work on the computers here, and I also printed my first document!!! It wasn't bad at all! Sorry for the confusion. I really didn't think I would get it to work. Gotta go to class!
Love ya
LeAnn
So, anyway, I got my debit card in the mail today. Finally! Well, rather, from the mailman directly. I slept in, because I was up later last night writing my paper and he woke me up by ringing the door bell. I totally biffed on the speaking Swedish with him thing. I was so flustered I just said something like "Ja, I am LeAnn." Hopefully he will figure out that I am living here with the Slättorps. Without a "c/o Malin och Gunnar Slättorp" on my mail he might not put two and two together. Haha.
I will have Malin's cell all day, but for Mom or family please try to avoid the times between 1 and 4 here because I don't know how to put her phone on silence mode yet. :(Oh, and I got my USB drive to work on the computers here, and I also printed my first document!!! It wasn't bad at all! Sorry for the confusion. I really didn't think I would get it to work. Gotta go to class!
Love ya
LeAnn
News from September 1st
I've been using the computers at the library on campus. They are just fine,but I found out today that you can also bring in your laptop and getInternet here. I think I will need to get an ethernet cable, though. I am so angry that I didn't look for mine while I was home. It will cost an arm and a leg here, but I will need to get it to download any of my picture sand to get Nanci my resume. Maybe I will go to the store today for it. It takes so long to get all my emails and bills sorted through, though; I may be here for hours yet. The stores here close so early too. Nevermind, it is too late already I think.
I love Malin and Gunnar! They treat me like real family; I feel so at home with them. Their house is incredibly clean, in an interesting way. Washing has a different meaning here. That has taken some getting used to. Swedes don't shower unless they have exercised, and swimming in the sea is as good as a bath. Also, the laundry machine is about a quarter of the size of the one at home, so that will be a trick when I come to it. I can also not find a drop of sugar or grease in their entire house. They have fish twice a week, red meat once, vegetables and tomatoes with every meal, and fruit and nuts for snacks. They also are ridiculously healthy for being 54 and 56.Malin ran with me around Växjö sjön (the lake) today, and we were gone for40 minutes while the bread was in the oven. I was more out of breath than she was!
I'll try to get you pictures of my room soon. It is beautiful! I have fresh flowers by my bed every morning. The whole house is. It's small and was built in the 70s, but it is charming.
My buddy is on vacation, it seems. I haven't seen her at all. Nothing arrived in the mail today. I will check tomorrow.
Haha - two Swedish girls just came up to me and asked me a question in Swedish. They seemed really surprised when I answered in choppy, not fluent Swedish. I must look like a native, especially now that I am so tan from my weekend on the sea. Hmmm, I must pay my Duluth tuition bill soon. Oh, and the U dispersed moneyto my bank account I see, but I don't think they gave me the right amount of money. Maybe they will give me the rest of my money and not charge me for Twin Cities tuition at all now that I have dropped my online psychology course. Whatever, it's confusing and I'm rambling. I'm just a little worried about money again now that the bank has messed up my debit cards and all my cash and travelers checks must be changed.
Well, I have like a million emails yet to write, so I've got to go.
Love you all!LeAnn
I love Malin and Gunnar! They treat me like real family; I feel so at home with them. Their house is incredibly clean, in an interesting way. Washing has a different meaning here. That has taken some getting used to. Swedes don't shower unless they have exercised, and swimming in the sea is as good as a bath. Also, the laundry machine is about a quarter of the size of the one at home, so that will be a trick when I come to it. I can also not find a drop of sugar or grease in their entire house. They have fish twice a week, red meat once, vegetables and tomatoes with every meal, and fruit and nuts for snacks. They also are ridiculously healthy for being 54 and 56.Malin ran with me around Växjö sjön (the lake) today, and we were gone for40 minutes while the bread was in the oven. I was more out of breath than she was!
I'll try to get you pictures of my room soon. It is beautiful! I have fresh flowers by my bed every morning. The whole house is. It's small and was built in the 70s, but it is charming.
My buddy is on vacation, it seems. I haven't seen her at all. Nothing arrived in the mail today. I will check tomorrow.
Haha - two Swedish girls just came up to me and asked me a question in Swedish. They seemed really surprised when I answered in choppy, not fluent Swedish. I must look like a native, especially now that I am so tan from my weekend on the sea. Hmmm, I must pay my Duluth tuition bill soon. Oh, and the U dispersed moneyto my bank account I see, but I don't think they gave me the right amount of money. Maybe they will give me the rest of my money and not charge me for Twin Cities tuition at all now that I have dropped my online psychology course. Whatever, it's confusing and I'm rambling. I'm just a little worried about money again now that the bank has messed up my debit cards and all my cash and travelers checks must be changed.
Well, I have like a million emails yet to write, so I've got to go.
Love you all!LeAnn
A Series of Belated Entries
Hej hej! Hur mår ni? (That is hello and how are you guys in Swedish.)
So I am finally settled in a little bit, and I see that my blog has become horribly neglected. I am going to fix that now! Here's the deal: I have a bunch of old messages that I have written that I just did not have the time to publish. I am going to put them up now. Sorry they are a bit outdated, but I will try to fill in the gaps as best as I can! Please feel free to ask questions! I will try to be better now about responding. Oh, so many things happen here each day! I hope I can keep up with all the writing I will have to do!!! Oh yes, and I have taken many MANY beautiful pictures, of the sea, the summer house at Jordö, Växjö, and I will round up a few from Köpenhamn and Malmö for you if I can (my camera battery died while I was there). Those pictures should be up soon, so keep checking back!!!
So I am finally settled in a little bit, and I see that my blog has become horribly neglected. I am going to fix that now! Here's the deal: I have a bunch of old messages that I have written that I just did not have the time to publish. I am going to put them up now. Sorry they are a bit outdated, but I will try to fill in the gaps as best as I can! Please feel free to ask questions! I will try to be better now about responding. Oh, so many things happen here each day! I hope I can keep up with all the writing I will have to do!!! Oh yes, and I have taken many MANY beautiful pictures, of the sea, the summer house at Jordö, Växjö, and I will round up a few from Köpenhamn and Malmö for you if I can (my camera battery died while I was there). Those pictures should be up soon, so keep checking back!!!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Välkommen!
Hej everyone! Welcome to my blog. I will try to keep you updated on my travels in northern Europe as much as possible over the next few months via this webpage. And, for those of you learning Swedish, this will also be an opportunity for you to read some of my entries in svenska också.
So, anyway, it is Thursday and I am in Växjö, Sweden now. I am doing quite well! I haven't had access to Internet all week, because the airport charges for it and my host family only seems to have one line, connected to the only phone, and accessible only through my host dad Gunnar's laptop. I am having such a wonderful time here though, with only a few awkward moments thus far. Here is the day-to-day report:
Sunday
O'Hare Airport was a nightmare. It was as hot as a sauna, a mess to locate my terminal, no one at all spoke English or Swedish, and all the restaurants were located on the other side of security (something that I did not learn until I had already stripped off all my jewelery, coats, bags, shoes, laptop, scarf, toiletries - oh yes, and my satchel of important documents). I had to go through security all over again after supper, and I didn't even get to bring my bottle of water through. It's a good thing I had a 4 hour layover.
There were a lot of people waiting for the flight to Mumbai; I thought that was interesting. They clogged two waiting areas.
Monday
I arrived in Copenhagen! The airport looks so much like IKEA, with aisles and arrows and walkways. The other passengers and I must have looked like cattle being ushered through shutes, but at least it was easy to follow. My luggage was delivered right away, and the train station was so close inside the airport that I wasn't sure at first if it was the right place. Getting the ticket was very easy, $40, and they even let me pay in US dollars.
The train and the pay phone, however, were not so easy to understand. So many trains came and left in the hour that I waited, I was sure that I had missed mine. Ironically, it would have been hard to miss, since "till Växjö" was in bright orange letters on the side of it.
...
Ok, this may have to be it for me. I am so thirsty sitting here in the library and have a terrible headache, so it is time to ride my bike back home. I will continue writing another day. (Although perhaps not tomorrow, because I think I have Orientation then.) Just a few last notes:
Observations
1) Bathroom doors are always kept closed! You must look for the little red or white dot to know if someone is inside. (Which means that you must also LOCK the door if you are using the bathroom.)
2) Of the 12 channels on TV, 7 are almost always playing American shows (including America's Next Top Model reruns, Rihanna/MTV, or Days of Our Lives - haha, no wonder their views of American pop culture are so negative!).
3) No one says "bless you" when someone sneezes, a habit that I truly miss about Minnesota.
So, anyway, it is Thursday and I am in Växjö, Sweden now. I am doing quite well! I haven't had access to Internet all week, because the airport charges for it and my host family only seems to have one line, connected to the only phone, and accessible only through my host dad Gunnar's laptop. I am having such a wonderful time here though, with only a few awkward moments thus far. Here is the day-to-day report:
Sunday
O'Hare Airport was a nightmare. It was as hot as a sauna, a mess to locate my terminal, no one at all spoke English or Swedish, and all the restaurants were located on the other side of security (something that I did not learn until I had already stripped off all my jewelery, coats, bags, shoes, laptop, scarf, toiletries - oh yes, and my satchel of important documents). I had to go through security all over again after supper, and I didn't even get to bring my bottle of water through. It's a good thing I had a 4 hour layover.
There were a lot of people waiting for the flight to Mumbai; I thought that was interesting. They clogged two waiting areas.
Monday
I arrived in Copenhagen! The airport looks so much like IKEA, with aisles and arrows and walkways. The other passengers and I must have looked like cattle being ushered through shutes, but at least it was easy to follow. My luggage was delivered right away, and the train station was so close inside the airport that I wasn't sure at first if it was the right place. Getting the ticket was very easy, $40, and they even let me pay in US dollars.
The train and the pay phone, however, were not so easy to understand. So many trains came and left in the hour that I waited, I was sure that I had missed mine. Ironically, it would have been hard to miss, since "till Växjö" was in bright orange letters on the side of it.
...
Ok, this may have to be it for me. I am so thirsty sitting here in the library and have a terrible headache, so it is time to ride my bike back home. I will continue writing another day. (Although perhaps not tomorrow, because I think I have Orientation then.) Just a few last notes:
Observations
1) Bathroom doors are always kept closed! You must look for the little red or white dot to know if someone is inside. (Which means that you must also LOCK the door if you are using the bathroom.)
2) Of the 12 channels on TV, 7 are almost always playing American shows (including America's Next Top Model reruns, Rihanna/MTV, or Days of Our Lives - haha, no wonder their views of American pop culture are so negative!).
3) No one says "bless you" when someone sneezes, a habit that I truly miss about Minnesota.
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