It's All Right Here...: A Day In the Life of A Swede

Hej alla!

I apologize for the lack of updates in the past week, especially considering it was the first week I was here! Förlått! I had absolutely no internet due to my computer having a faulty network adapter.. so, long story short, I had to purchase a wireless router for my room from a computer shop on campus. I was in the store about 4 times before I finally got what I needed. Yeah, I think the cashier hated me by then. My bad.

The airplane ride wasn't that bad. Of course, knowing my luck, the 10+ hour plane ride from Chicago to Copenhagen's electronic entertainment system was broke. Yep. I got to watch no movies on the screen, and the lights were permanently turned on during the entire flight. And of course I picked an overnight flight, which made it worse. The food was great (I learned that Swedes truly love bread and cheese. You have no idea. The grocery store I went to today had its own room dedicated to cheese. To cheese!) and the train ride went especially well. It's very nice to have a cheap, fast way to get around the country. And the view was awesome--reminded me a bit of being at home a little.

Campus here is amazing. There are bike paths to and from town (and yes, I bought a cheap bike.. and by cheap, I mean... cheap), two lakes surrounding the campus, and of course our castle! Yes, you read that right: we have a castle on campus. Adds a little more European flair to the whole ordeal, I think. Anyway, more pictures of that stuff to come. Everytime I go out, I never bring my camera--probably because it makes me feel like a tourist. I dunno.

The Swedes are awesome. I have one for a korridor roommate, he's very tall so I feel somewhat intimated, but very nice and helpful. When Swedish people ask you a question in Swedish, and you look perplexed, they immediately apologize and switch to English. Just like that. It's amazing. But you know me: even though I know some of the language, I'm too nervous to actually speak to someone in Swedish for fear of sounding retarded. Which I do. So I don't speak in Swedish, except for the "tack så mycket", "ursäkta mig", "ja" and "nej". Someday, I'm going to get the courage to speak to someone in Swedish. Just not for a while.

So far I have a Finnish roommate, a Taiwanese roommate, and the Swedish roommate. We have two rooms open, so who knows who we'll get? At Orientation, I met two incredibly nice, awesome Finnish friends who I am sure I will be seeing a lot of (actually, they're engaged to each other!) named Tommy (or Hawkeye) and Madison (who is taking Intermediate Swedish with me, for which I am eternally grateful to her). I also met many other awesome Americans/Canadians, who I went to the pub with last night--Rachel, Allie, Jen, John, Steve, Savannah, Amber and Sara. Had a great time! Swedish pubs definitely know how it's done! ...And it's nice when there's two right on campus. Yeah, not really complaining about that. At all.

Food and other supplies here are somewhat expensive, but it's really nice to try a lot of different foods they offer! The bread is amazing, as is the cheese. But here's the real big kicker--Diet Coke is not the same over here. I know, I know. For those of you who know me, I'm pretty sure my body is 75% Diet Coke. Here, labeled Coke Light, it's a somewhat sugarier (is that a word?) taste, but it is very good! It comes in smaller cans/bottles, but I actually don't drink a lot of it. I have a new found love for water (and hey, it's free!). Also, coffee (or kafe) is really big here, which is something I have to get used to. Something tells me they frown upon ordering a cup of coffee and filling half of it with sugar, but that's just me.

My room is huge. I'm talking enormous. It's bigger than the dorm rooms back home, and that doesn't include the entry way and private bathroom! I have a little bed and computer desk in one corner, and the other half of the room is bare. It's actually pathetic. But the rent is not bad at all, so I'm not complaining!

Downtown Växjö is awesome. It's a big town center, and much of it acts as large malls standing beside each other. And yes, there is a McD's in the town center.. hello Chicken McNuggets! Haven't ate there yet, though. It's hard to describe these places with words, but trust me, it is simply amazing.

Class starts Monday, but thankfully I only have one at a time (well actually, three at a time. They all overlap with each other). Hopefully it won't be too stressful!

Hej då for now!