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JANUARY_17
Arrived in Sweden, yay!!
So this is my very first blog update since I arrived here a week ago. I know it's a bit long but things have been crazy around here! I'll try to tell you all this stuff in the most original and fun way I can cause you know, I gotta give you guys something right? :)
So..
Thursday, a day of extremes.
Goodbye vs. Welcome!
After spending some last-minute quality time with my friends and family at Starbucks we experienced our REAL goodbye to everyone.
5 months!!
Cried a little, laughed a little and hugged and kissed a lot! It was so nice everyonce could make it :)
So ok, onto the plane, spread my wings and flyyyyyyyy away. In about two hours we arrived in Stockholm, Arlanda airport. From there we took the train that brought us to Sundsvall in about 3 hours. During the ride it already started to get dark outside and it was only 4 o'clock! Man! I found out the Swedish people are really about being on time so when I come back home there is a brandnew me!
We were picked up at the trainstation by my mentor Jenny and a Dutch exchange student Ward from last semester. We took a cab through the (not so snowy but yet cold) city to our residence, Tornvillan. It is located in a part of Sundsvall that is called Granlo. We all got settled a little and tried to rearragne our rooms to our likes and then went for a little trip up on the hill where a little supermarket called HEMKÖP was located (like a buurtsuperachtigiets).
When we were back we met some more people that checked into our house, a Belgian guy called Joeri. After dinner Stefan, Daniel and me went for a walk/run to the city center. It took us about half an hour (15 min. to university). Saw a lot of lights and there was still kind of a christmassy atmosphere going on, so I liked it!
Went back home at around midnight and tried to get "comfy" in my bed...
JANUARY_18
Ok, so today we had our first introduction day at the university. We met a lohot of new people mostly from France, Italy, Germany... We also got introduced to the typical Swedish FIKA;
[fee:k -ah] is a very Swedish tradition which can be explained as a break taken from work or when two friends meet up, to drink coffee and chat. These breaks are sacred(heilig), and there are usually two or three every day, so don’t be surprised if your Swedish friends or business associates (or girls named like me)are suddenly unavailable as they take a little caffeine break.
Gotta love those!
After we were all fika'd out with some cinnamon buns and no coffee unfortunately, we went shopping for some basics for our rooms. That night we had a welcome/goodbye party at Nacksta, where most exchange students live. It's about a 30 min. walk there.
Talked to a lot of new people and whenever you're attending a party in Sweden you're supposed to bring your own drinks (alcohol) because it's sooo expensive! But we'll get used to it :)
JANUARY_19
Slept until 1:00 PM and had some real Swedish breakfast with (I bet you're wondering...)
KNÄCKEBRÖD!
Did a little bit of cleaning and went to a party at Norrmalm (another student residence). There was a hotdog party going on in the basement which wa really fun (the hotdogs were not). At around 12 the lights went out and we moved the party into the city. Walked to KÅRHUSET, the Sundsvall student house. Big, fancy building with bars, a disco in the basement and a restaurant in it. We talked, danced and just partied all night it was sooo great! We didn't get home until 4 again.
JANUARY_20
Slept in again, big time! I was supposed to meet my mentor Jenny today. She planned to show me and another girl from Canada, Christina around the town. Saw a lot of pretty little things I would have never found on my own so thank u Jenny! Then we ended up taking the bus to IKEA and the shopping mall next to it. Fabulous, great, super etc. (In case you were wondering how it was.)
Took the bus back home and did a little cooking with Daniel. Then we made a mini movie theater in my room and watched some Grey's Anatomy accompanied by tea and Swedish cookies, yum!
JANUARY_21
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Got outside wearing my teeny skirt, oef! But pants all the time is also getting dull so screw the weather, ha!
After another schooltour we did some grocery shopping and planned a dinner for that night at Nacksta. Valentina, Christina and Karim had us over for Swedish meatballs and veggies with pasta. Daniel and Peoppo brought over some Baileys which we had for dessert, so good! Met some Polish guys who were talking about teaching us how to snowboard and taking us up a hill where there's supposed to be a great view over the city! But we have to wait until it snowed a little more so it's even prettier. Took a cab home cause it was late again...
JANURAY_22
Woke up early, 10:30 and went to the bank before school to pay for the student union membership. That way we can get into the KÅRHUSET and join all the activities they arrange for us. On the way over we practiced our Swedish which went pretty well hihi :)
>Hej!
Hej hej!
>Hur står det till?
Tack, bara bra och hur står det till själv?
>Utmärkt, tack.
You'll probably be able to figure out what it means, if not...
SYND! SCHADE! JAMMER! hihi
Then we attended school for a little while and I made plans to go swimming with Doris (DL) and Annemiek (NL) afterwards. After that I went home quickly to change cause I was supposed to meet Valentina and Christina at the COFFEE HOUSE (the basement is especially decorated for Fika's) for FIKA at 5.
Rush Rush love those FIKA'S!
That night an American girl, Whitney, got some tickets for the basketball game which we were going to. We went to her place to pick her, Kitty and Tom up to go over there together, Daniel and Peppo were also there. SUNDSVALL vs. STOCKHOLM so big game whoohoo! All American atmoshpere with the lights and the "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEE" etc. It was soooo much fun and we actually won!
Yay for Sundsvall!
When we got home we made some quick dinner at 11:00 PM.
JANUARY_23
Whoever came up with the idea to start a class at 9:00 AM for exchange students must have not got into the student life here!
*YAWN*
We got introduced to the Mac/Apple system and in order to see if we got it we had to interview someone that you didn't already met and type it out and email it to someone. I interviewed Sabrina, a French girl, who was here to improve the image of the way the French are able to understand and speak English. She kept asking me to correct her and afterwards thankmed me like a million times, so sweet. Went to WAYNE'S COFFEE for FIKA again. Afterwards we went shopping for a little bit and then to Nacksta for the party tonight. I stayed at Christina/Karim/Valentina's and I could use their bath since I don't have one, AAAHHH it was so good! I really miss it hihi..
Then went to the apartment of the Italian guys for more pasta (a different one) and rose. We walked back home around 2:00 AM and took really cool pictures! (See Daniels blog for that).
JANUARY_24
So, finally today! It's 1:29 AM already so actually it is already tomorrow but yeah.. I can't believe I'm here for a week already it has gone by so fast.
It had snowed a little during the night and it was +2 degrees, yay!I had to go to school at until 3:00 and then went back home with Tom. We had a little photoshoot in the snow and I played snow angel hihi I loved it! It looked really cool. After that went over to Norrmalm to help Doris and the Dutch girls cook dinner for tonight. We made some German stuff with potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, (just the red ones ;)) onions and chicken with créme fraiche and tomato sauce. It was very good but not quite enough for everyone so we made some extra french fries. Was really fun in the small kitchen which was filled with people from anywhere but Sweden! Went to the basement (the same one as the hotdogparty) and played some tabletennis and shot a lot of photos. It was nice and we got home on time for a change, 11:00!
So I think I'm gonna go to bed soon and put my photos on tomorrow cause I'm having the day off, yay!

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Hearts and kisses to all of you,
xxxxx