shaggy

This is my civics teacher who looks exactly Shaggy. :)

I'll post more later.

skillnader.

Me and my Host parents, at Annas work party. The theme was Wall Street.

I realize I just went from posting for the first time in a month, to twice in two days, but oh well. I feel like I have more to say, and maybe a couple more lists to make. First off I made some changes to my little blog, and now anyone can comment without signing up or being a user. I also changed a couple of other things but they really aren't as important. Speaking of change, I've been sick the last week, and I am finally starting to feel better, so that is pretty awesome.
So more things about this awesome country:

• Mean Girls. I had to mention this. The first week of school someone asked me if school in the U.S. is like how it is in the movie mean girls. My first answer was no, that movie in just ridiculous, funny sure, but nothing like American high school. But there are more similarities that I thought, there are stereotypes and drama. However it's not at obvious as the movie mean girls make it seem. It was hard for me to explain how it is but isn't at the same time, so hopefully I didn't make anyone think high school is too similar to that movie.
  
• Donuts. Yes donuts. The strangest thing to probably talk about, but everyone at school loves donuts, I really can't figure that out. I really didn't even think they would have donuts here.
  
• When someone from America thinks of Sweden, they usually think of blonde hair and blue eyes. Partially true, there are more people here that are blonde than back home, but there are also people with darker hair. Sure I can think of tons of people with blonde hair and blue eyes off the top of my head, but it's not half the population.
• Another typical stereotype is that Swedes are healthy. I don't think I should say that is a stereotype because that seems to be very true. Every night for dinner there are tons of veggies and some meat, and usually something from almost every food group. But everyone also is very active.
• The dinner table situation is a whole other topic. I know table manners are different all of the world, so I thought keeping my elbows off the table was a good general rule I should always do. Turned out no one really cares if you have your elbows on the table. However eating everything with a knife and fork, no matter what it is is something very important here. The fork goes in the left hand and the knife goes in the right. Finally being left handed has an advantage! Also back home, it was very typical to eat dinner in the living room and my mom wouldn't cook dinner every night. Not here. We eat dinner every night at the table, usually I cook, and I've never had dinner in front of the TV here. Another thing that was a hard adjustment with me was I typically wouldn't drink anything with dinner back home, and here I get looked at like I'm crazy if I don't at least have a glass of water. Also if you are finished eating, you but your knife in fork together on the right side of your plate to show you are finished eating and you don't want more. If you are finished before everyone else, you wait for them to be done eating.
• Pop. Or soda, or cola, or whatever you want to call it. In the states you go to the store by a couple of two litters and think nothing of and and go home. This weekend was the first time we had pop in the house since I've been here, and it was only because we were having guests over. They also don't have two litters here, I'm not sure what size they are but they are not as big. It is typical to sometimes order pop when you go out, but that's about it.
• The milk situation! I don't know why I waited this long to talk about this. Milk comes in one liter boxes. Tiny little things, it's the most annoying thing in the world. One liter is 1/4 of a gallon. So I am constantly drinking all the milk, and I feel really bad, so we are always buying milk. Also everyone is afraid of milk getting "old" so they only keep it in the house for a couple of days.
• Eggs. The first week I was here my host mom and brother cracked open a raw egg and put it on there pasta, I was in shock wondering if they knew they could get salmonella and die from that. Maybe that's just in America? I don't know but that is one think I don't think I'll try. I was raised being yelled at for eating cookie dough with raw eggs in it, but this the whole raw egg.
  
• TV. We have one TV in the house, and it is typical for the TV not to be turned on for several days. We have like 8 channels, 2 which are in English most of the time, including MTV. They don't turn the English movies and TV shows into Swedish, they just add subtitles.
• As you know, I live in an apartment. We live on the 5Th floor, but in the U.S. it would be the 6Th floor. Here they count the first floor as B, and then count with numbers after that.
• The mail comes on Sundays here.
• There are no apartment numbers. Everyone in the apartment has the same address, but everyone has there last name on the doors so that's how the mailman knows how to deliver the mail. That's why when people send me mail they have to put c/o Anna Lidman. I love getting mail!
• At the entrance to the apartment there is a box where you punch in some numbers to open the door to keep people out. Makes sense right? well when someone comes over, instead of buzzing them in (that is not an option) you tell them the number. My way of thinking is then you might as well not have a number because who you told could tell someone and then it ends up just being pointless. But this is the way it is here.
• The sun. That is all people ever talk about here, if the sun in shining, everyone will go out and be in the sun, even if it's freaking cold as heck. I can honestly say that Swedes are obsessed with the sun. That's not even an exaggeration.
  
• Teacher student relationships. Here it is normal to swear in front of the teacher or even when your talking to the teacher, the teachers will swear while teaching, no one thinks anything off it. No big deal.
• More school. I've only seen people raise there hands when the teacher asks how many people did something or something like that. You call the teachers by their first name. I have a teacher, Enrique who looks EXACTLY like shaggy from Scooby Doo. One day I will take a picture of him. He's even awkward like shaggy and everything. I told some classmates that he looks like shaggy and they all think so too, so I'm not imagining it.
• School lunch. I actually like the lunch. We have choices of salad, bread, some meat dish, and usually potatoes or rice. & the lunches here are free.
  
• Before I came here, I was told to learn my facts about the U.S and be extremely up to date on the politics in the U.S. and what was going on. Well I thought I had a pretty good clue. I was wrong. Almost everyone here knows more about the U.S. government than I do. I get asked questions like does everyone like Obama and what I think about certain things that are going on in the U.S..
• Everyone listens to American music, almost exactly what is on the radio back home. & there is a lot of crappy American rap music that people listen to.

Hej då.

Jag tala littla Svenska.

So as I am sitting here on my couch watching the simpsons, I am beginning to realize how much has changed in my life, and how different the way I think and perceive things is to how I did almost two months ago. I knew this experience would change a lot about who I am, but I didn't think I would start seeing that so soon. Everyday I learn something, whether it's about the culture, my host family, a new word in Swedish, or just something about myself. I've been able to discover in the last 7 and ½ weeks how strong of a person I really am becoming. Yes this experience so far has been extremely difficult at times, more difficult than I ever could have expected, but this is something I know I will never regret, and years from now when I think about my experience here I won't remember how hard it could get, I'll remember everything I learned, and the people I met. Every day I've been here I've had a moment somewhere through out my day, where I stop whatever I'm doing, and start smiling because I still can't believe I am here. This has been all I wanted for so long and I am still in shock. I've been here long enough to where things that seems strange and out of place to me at first appear as everyday things that I don't think about twice anymore. For instance, the two buttons to flush the toilets, mail coming on Sundays, eating everything with a knife and fork, and taking the subway almost everyday. Every day I wake up (after getting over the fact that I want to go back to sleep) I think about what I will learn today. I knew before I started living here that there would be times I would be outside of my comfort zone and that really scared me. But I am more okay with that now, and I know I have people to support me. I've tried things I never thought I would have tried like caviar, tons of different kinds of fish, things I didn't even know what they are, and things I am still surprised I turned out liking it like lamb sausage. I get asked a lot if I miss home and my friends and family. The automatic answer is yes, however I know they everything will be there when I get back. Sure I'll miss a couple of holidays with my family and some great sunny days I would've spent with my friends but I'll have the opportunity to do all that and catch up when I get back. It's hard to think that I only have until next July 2ND to learn and do so many things here, and learn so much. That seems like a long time, 9 months, but the first almost 2 months have gone by so fast already, it's hard to think about how fast the next 9 will go. I know that in 9 months I will return to what I call home but that's the thing, I will return home eventually, and I won't be able to return here to what I know I will soon call my second home, and just pick up back where I left on my life here. I was talking to one of my friends back home a couple of days ago and she was saying something mean about someone and right away I thought about how mean that is and how I thought it was really hurtful. After talking to her I thought a lot about what she said and how I know she feels no sympathy for what she said. Then I remembered two months ago that would have been me. I realize now that just Because someone can't hear you and will never know what you said, it is still not nice and it shouldn't happen. Yes, I've always known that, but I've never been so conscious I've been doing that for so long. I realize when I do return home, one thing I really don't want to do is fall back into that routine. I've always been a person that says I don't judge others, but who am I kidding? Everyone is constantly judging someone else, whether they are judging people on what they are wearing, or who they hang out with. Every time I make a judgement on someone I don't know, I instantly feel regretful for thinking something about someone that I know nothing about. I feel this is something really important that I've really become aware of so far.
So about Sweden, it is the most beautiful country ever. The leaves are falling and it starting to get cold, and I think I am almost ready for my first Swedish snow. Everyone is so kind and nice here, especially at school, I am starting to feel like I am starting to fit in, and I get asked less and less if I am the girl from America ( I am the only exchange student at my school of 800). I don't feel like I am out of place anymore, and I feel a since of belonging. Now time to make some lists.

Three goals I set for myself. ( there is more, maybe I'll post them later)
1. Take a picture every day I am here. I had been doing really good with this until the last couple of days I've been sick so I haven't taken any pictures.
2. Write in my journal everyday I am here, that has been going really good, I haven't missed a day since I've stepped off the plane.
3. Become fluent in Swedish. this is definitely the hardest one, I feel like I'm really trying but it's hard because everyone willingly speaks English to me, however that will soon change.

Three things I love about Sweden
1. The language. Yes Swedish is very hard, even the Swedes think so, but I like the challenge and that makes me try even harder to learn it.
2. The relationships at school, there is no drama, everyone truly gets along with everyone else, and there are no clicks.
3. Humlegården. This is the park down the block from my house, and I swear it is the most beautiful park in the world. It's big and it's so amazing and green, especially for the middle of the city.

Three things I love about my host family
1. Their caringness. Honestly how many people would just take in someone they don't know, and teach them everything about their life and their culture and be willing to share that and let someone live with them for a year? My host family.
2. Their musicalness. My host mom sings, plays the cello, and the piano, my host dad plays the trumpet, my younger brother plays the cello, and my older brother plays the violin. There is almost always music playing somewhere in the house.
3. How understanding they are. I make mistakes, I don't always know what to do, and I'm not always the most open person. But they are willing to help me no matter what, and understand.

Three people I miss back home. okay- maybe a couple more than just three.
My family.
-I miss my mom more than I ever thought I would. Her and I became so close before I left, and it's hard thinking that I won't get to hug her again until next July. She is the most caring, loving, supportive, and most amazing person in the world. I love you so much Mom. & I can never say thank you enough for letting me have this experience.
-Donnie, you are such a great brother whether you think that or not. I always can talk to you and your always there to help. I'm sorry for all the mean things I've said to you. There is nothing I want more than to be close with you and have a really good relationship. I love you Donnie.
-Christian, Thank you so much for being one of my dads. I know things have gotten rough between us, and I'm sorry for all the mean things I've done and said. You've taught me so much, and helped me learn from so many mistakes. I know now that when there is a spider, to go straight to mom. Thanks for that. Love you.
-Grams. I miss you a lot. I know I shouldn't miss you as much as I do because I hardly get to see you even when I'm home but I do. You are the greatest grandma ever. I know where mom gets all of her awesome qualities from. Thank you for being here for me, even though you said I was going to get shot living in downtown :) I love you lots Grammy.
I think I'll continue on my little people list.
-Sarah Buckalew. I cannot believe your married. You are the only person in my life I never realized I actually needed until you were already there. You are the best mentor in the entire universe. You've helped me through so many tough times, and helped me find my true love, Robert Pattinson. :) I will never be able to thank you enough for being in my life. I love you! I miss you a lot, and I can't wait for you to do my hair for all my senior dances.
-Katelyn, you princess are my best friend I miss you more than I love Frank Sinatra. Now this is getting serious. Thank you for being there for me, and for still being there for me to talk to, thousands of miles away. I love you lots my dear princess. Also.... don't listen to to much JB and try on to many of his sexy shirts without me. Kay? Thanks.
-Jason. Who knew my least favorite class could bring me someone who provides so much inspiration for me. You are one of the most real, most amazing people I know and I'm super glad I can always talk to you. You've showed me to be true to who I am, no matter what. I love you so much, and I can't wait to finally hang out with you for a year before you move away from me. D: I love you though, and you of course shoud know that by now.
-Karebear. I still remember orientation freshman year when I went up to you and said that your really tall. You are such a fantastic friend! I love you and miss you mucho. Expecially our spanish group. I love talking to you and it seems like we can always relate. Can't wait for more sleepovers when I come home!
I think I'm done naming people in my life.
Other things I miss
1.my babies. No I don't have kids. My cats, Tigger, Arthur, and Rocky. They are so freaking cute.
2. Cereal choices , breakfast in general. There are no toaster strudels, no poptarts, and hardly any cereal choices. Definitely not the easiest thing to adjust to.
3. My couch in the living room. I don't know why I miss this so much, I just do. Probably because it's so comfortable.



I finally think I'm going to go to bed. This is a never ending blog, I swear! There will be more in a couple of weeks, I promise. Jag mor trott, Jag vill gå att sova. ( I am very tired, I will go to sleep)
God natt!