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Sorry

Okay I know I totally suck for not writing anything in forever. I'm really sorry I have been very busy lately. Filip and I have now (since I last posted on here)FINALLY found an apartment. It is pretty teeny tiny but I like it. We both have jobs now as well, which is GREAT! Filip works for a company that manufactures buss seats and I am a nanny/au pair. I really like the family I work with. I just spent the weekend with them in Norrland visiting family. Now that I am home though, I am stuck in bed with a cold.

On a side note the other day my cousin Laura sent me a link to a mirrored hanging tree house and asked me if I had seen it and now I have. In Norrland they have these cool tree houses for tourists to camp in. They looked really expensive. I was shocked to see the one Laura showed me. I even got to go inside it and see what it was like. They only let up to 3 people in it at a time because it can't handle a lot of weight. It looks really cool in person. They had a few more tree houses there as well one was a cute little cabin that was fire engine red and looked straight out of a fairytale. Another house was a more modern looking 2 story cylinder shaped house and with what I assumed to be a shower/bath house next door.

The coolest one I saw was one that looked like a giant birds nest and there was a little pole in the ground near it with a keyhole and that was how you got up. when you turn your key a ladder comes down so you can climb up. unfortunately we could not go up and see it and the last one we saw was the biggest but there were people staying in it so we could not go in that one either. it looked like a big matte black safe hanging from the trees with a big long ramp to get in. They were all so cool. I would love to stay in one some day especially in the winter because the mosquitoes up there are brutal.

So now that Filip and I have moved up here to Trollhättan you would think I would have some awesome sights and sounds to tell you about but I have found out that poor people don't really get to enjoy sights and sounds too often so instead I have compiled a list of things that are weird about Sweden

1. Jobs pay you monthly so if you are broke and start your job you will still be broke for about 2 months.

2. FIKA - The Swedish word for snacks and coffee they have fika religiously and if you have guests over you better offer fika otherwise you are very rude.

3. You must pay for your bags at the grocery store. (I forget about this quite often and end up carrying groceries home in my purse)

4. Blood pudding - either Sweden likes twilight a little too much or they really do enjoy something so positively disgusting.

5. Pizza here is a little personal pizza with a super thin crust. A far cry from papa johns. Oh and by the way popular toppings include bananas and shrimp.

6. Here in Sweden leggings are considered pants. Every time I become comfortable with the notion that you can wear them as pants a big fat girl always seems to walk by and reset that idea...

7. Candy can be salty.

8. It is barely into September and I have already broken out a winter jacket and boots.

9. Rain seems to be the default weather setting here (please come visit me in this freezing, rainy country. oh p.s. it's pretty windy too.)

10. I still don't understand the mail system. (they don't have a post office)

11. You cannot buy any type of over the counter medicine like Advil or stuff like that at the grocery store. You have to go to a special pharmacy with limited opening hours. (good luck if you get a headache in the evening)

12. Windows do not have screens. I hate bugs.

13. Swedish people do not believe in carpeted floor. Just the occasional area rug.

14. Swedish people should not make sushi. It's just wrong.

15. Sandwiches for breakfast and pancakes for lunch.

16. The pancakes are not pancakes as you know them (thick, fluffy and golden brown) nope they make crepes and try to pass them off as pancakes. They are pretty delicious though. you eat them with jam and whipped cream though not butter and syrup.

17. The only place you can purchase alcoholic drinks is at system bolaget the government owned liquor store. unfortunately their opening hours are quite limited so no impromptu partying you have to plan those out in advance because they close at 6pm on week days and at 2pm on Saturday and they are closed on Sunday. Basically the liquor store is a bank with no ATM. Oh p.s. there are only two of them in the whole city and surrounding suburbs where we live.

18. Milk comes in what looks like over-sized juice boxes. You rip off the corner and pour it that way. I apparently do it wrong.

19. Pretty much everything is closed after 8 or 9 on weekdays and pretty much all weekend as well.

20. Swedes hate peanut butter. It is so hard to find here. grocery stores usually have a few tiny jars of one brand and don't seem to always order it in stock. Gone are the days of shelf after shelf of every nut butter you can imagine plus the whole no reeses deal.

Well there you have it a few interesting facts on Sweden. I will update more to that list as they come to me. Here's to hoping I actually write another post.

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Oh yes.

A little treat for the eyes and the ears.

I love GBG

So yeah long time no post... Well the other day Filip and I went out and went shopping at NK which is this cool department store with all sorts of really nice clothes. They have a whole floor of just girls clothes. I brought a really pretty sundress and a red and white polka dot bikini to wear to the beach this weekend. I'm so excited! We also went to a store called STAYHARD.se mostly for Filip but they have really cute girl clothes too. Filip bought a pair of shorts because all his shorts were too "American". I saved the best for last! I finally bought clothes at ZARA. ZARA is this really nice clothing store that I have been obsessed with for a long time. The only other ZARA store I have been in was when I went to NYC. The best part of that store was the MEGA SALE going on with tons of clothes in my size I got a beautiful flowered sundress, jeans that fit me perfectly, a really adorable grey t-shirt with a bunny on it, and a cute little thin white sweater with navy stripes. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I love that store. I better get a job fast or this store is going to be the end of me. We did find this shirt that was written in English but the grammar was totally off. It said "this shoes are made for dancing" lol.

When we were finished shopping we started going home when we passed this store called Chili. I saw this blanket in the window that was perfect. It was the same blanket that Filip's mother got for a Christmas present. I have been crazy about finding one and there it was right in the window so I got Filip to buy it for me. It's furry and lush on one side and the other side is just like what clouds probably feel like. I love it.

Later on we decided that we wanted to go to Liseberg, which is this really cool amusement park. I have a big bag full of small coins and we went around playing games. We only won one prize and I got frustrated with all the losing so I wanted to go home. Before we left we stopped at the blackjack tables in the casino. I actually like playing blackjack, but I gotta say, only when I'm winning. While we were in the casino I saw this kiosk of snacks and they were called U.S. Snax. They were creepy looking pork rindish things. They were weird.

We had also gone to the IFK store. IFK is the soccer team that Filip and his friends like. It's pretty col in there. They have every type of team merchandise you can imagine, everything from undies to playing cards and cuff links. We went to the bar next door and Filip got a beer made specifically for the team. He thought it was okay I thought it was gross. I don't like beer. I like wine better. I really want to take a wine class or go to a tasting or something. I want to learn more about it and appreciate it more.

We tried our hands at bagel making the other day. I found out that I am not good at kneading dough but I roll excellent bagels. and Filip's rolling is a little out of touch but his kneading is top notch. I never knew he could bake. They were pretty good but we need to adjust the recipe since it was pretty difficult to convert the temperature and baking times perfectly. With some practice I bet we can get them made better. We had a cute little brunch with our bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon. It was really nice.

This week starts Gothia Cup. It's a world youth soccer cup. There are tons of people in the city now. Filip went to the games to watch some soccer and I went to walk around through the city on my own. It was nice I found this really cool GIANT candy store that I want to go into again. Then I found a store that sold Toms and I bought myself a black pair yay! Later on I met up with Filip for lunch and we went to this place called Sushi Yama. It was pretty good. Better than most of the sushi I've tried in Sweden. On our way home from lunch I saw a sign with an English typo "tur" instead of "tour". I am on the hunt for more "Engrish" typos. We spent the rest of the night looking for jobs. tomorrow is more soccer and hopefully a trip to Haga to see the historic district.

Busy People

Okay so we have been pretty busy these last few days. I have officially been signed into Sweden. We went to this place called Skatteverket. It reminded me of a a really clean MVA. We had to take a number and wait about a half hour and then we met with a lady who gave us a bunch of forms to fill out. Then she officially signed me into Sweden. I will get my ID card in a few days hopefully so I can start going out to get jobs.


Yesterday we went to the mall for a bit and I got a new dress and we went to the liquor store and I got some wine and Filip got some beer. We hung out with Filip's friend Jerry later on. They drank some beers and I had a few glasses of wine. It was rainy out so we didn't really go out much.

well I charged my phone and we are about to go out so hopefully I will upload some pictures when I get home.

Sorry I'm Lazy

Okay so I know I said I was going to try to update everyday. I failed. Sorry I was tired.

Well since I last posted I haven't done too much stuff. I did get talked into driving to Stenungsund. It's only a 5-10 minute drive, but it was really stressful. I HATE driving other people's cars. HATE IT! So Filip needed to go and use the gift cards he received for his birthday to buy some running shoes and I wanted a few things as well so I reluctantly agreed to take his mom's car. It was pretty okay for my first time driving in Sweden. I would have been more at home in my Toyota Celica I had to leave in the USA. But we made it there and back and I didn't kill anyone!

Later on that day we had to go back to the apartment in the city and get things organized. We also shopped for a few essentials and groceries. Filip finally went and bought some alcohol from the liquor store since his birthday. He was extremely happy that he could buy it.

After that we realized that if I want to go somewhere on my own and need help I am going to need a phone which brings us to the grand finale of this post. I HAVE AN iPhone!!!!!! oh yeah! okay well I will hopefully post something later.

New Friends and Family

Okay so this is my new friend Embla. She is Filip's cousin's daughter. She is officially my first Swedish friend. For all you people who scoff at my making friends with someone so young, she is cooler than you probably so get over it.

So today we cleaned and cleaned and cooked. We got everything together for Filip's birthday celebration. I was super nervous at first because today I met Filip's whole family pretty much. I was super awkward throughout any introductions and to make matters worse there was champagne involved. We toasted to birthdays and Welcomes and moped licenses. After the toast I felt like my champagne glass was glued to my hand. I guess I just felt less nervous with something to do. Unfortunately my "something" was drinking.

Lucky for me it was soon time to eat. Plus the champagne had run out. I had to pluck up some courage to actually interact with people. I am pretty sure no one noticed my anti-social tendencies. What really helped me was Embla, I can't understand her and she doesn't understand me (for the most part). But she is really funny and she seemed to really like me. We played soccer and keep away with Filip and we sat together for the rest of the party pretty much. I really want to learn Svenska even more now just so I can have a conversation with her.

The rest of Filip's family were great. They were all very nice and welcoming and super helpful with my poor Swedish. I had a lot of fun even though I couldn't understand much.