Just being kinda swede-ish

I have learned a few more things since my last post

1. People aren't used to sharing drinks
2. Australians be cray
3. I SUCK at washing dishes
4. The earlier you go out - the earlier you get home - and the more awake you'll be for class
5. grocery stores have better discounts during the day (and i still rock at grocery shopping)
6. i am over prepared for these class without even trying #michigandifference
7. running in sweden is cool
8. not having a microwave isn't the end of the world like i presumed
9. i am thankful to not be on a program
10. if you fall when walking down a hill, it's so casual
11. Pear cider is the shit

Due to the high price of alcohol here, and I mean HIGH price of alcohol, people are not used to sharing drinks or buying drinks for others. At the club last night - which was actually super super fun. It was at Snerikes Nation and down stairs I was sick of listening to bad american pop music so then we ventured up to top floor and found the hip-hop room to get my true groove on. But I ran into one of my roommates Jacob out at the club and I was talking to him and took his beer and had a sip and he just kind of stared at me very confused. I was thirsty, whoops not sorry about it.

So at the club I met some australians who go so hard - like stupid hard. We decided to leave and do

 the good samaritan thing and took this Aussie home. I don't know his name but I do know where he lives, that he is in Varmlands nation, is from Perth, and has super crazy hair as Caroline described - Dragon Ball Z hair, but actually. It was comical dragging this boy on the bus and in the elevator to his room; I was just happy he didn't vom.com on us.

I SUCK at washing dishes - and I don't mean like my pots and pans when I am cooking at home. I started working in the cafe at my frat and I had to wash the dishes from lunch. Granted I know how to use big dishwashers because of my wonderful wonderful job at home (FUCK BDUBS) I usually don't have to do the dishes. I was in the back after lunch was over slaving away scrubbing the lasagna pans and somehow the boy i was working with was perfectly clean and me i was sopping wet hmmmph. Hopefully i recruit some boy to do the dishes for me when I work on Friday - girls shouldn't have to wash dishes. But as for working at the frat, besides the fact i get paid shit, it is fun it is a nice way to meet people and fill up my free time. I am trying to move on up to work in the pub rather than the cafe but i will keep you posted.

Last night we started pregaming at 7pm. Yeah that's right, usually when I would be laying in my bed napping at the Abbey or making tacos with Abbz, I was pregaming. We then go to the club at 830 because we didn't want wait in a long line (Q - as they call lines here) and you don't have to pay cover if you get in before 9. So there was barely a line so we got in around 845 which was nice because we only had to pay for coat check which was 10 kronor (aka $1.50) as opposed to 90 kronor ($13.50) - after 9pm. Although it seems odd to start drinking that early it was kind of nice because I had gone out and had a great time and was in bed by midnight and totally ready for my 10am class.  Unlike some other people who were like "OMG I shouldn't have stayed out so late because I had class this morning" - like who are you ?? At home we stay out until like 230 and who cares if you have class the next day and a 10am isn't even bad! Maybe if it was an 830 but 10? Cmon, get real and grow a pair.

Grocery stores have great discounts during the day. Meat is really expensive here but when I went they were having a sale on beef so I totally stocked up. Now I can have burgers for dayzzzzz.  And chocolate bars and gummies are great in sweden CAAAAANDY!

So i had my first discussion class yesterday and granted we had to have read 300 pages for class and I read ummm 30? But the girls in my class were freaking out that they still had 30 pages left to read and I was like if you know anything about politics in general you can figure this shit out - but then I realized I go to Michigan (GO B1UE) and she went to South Florida. South Florida, Mouth Morida - blah. Also no one knew basic things I figured any polisci major would know like Duverger's Law. Sorry I go to Michigan. But then it was kind of annoying because my discussion wasn't learning more about Swedish politics, it was me explaining american politics to the rest of the class. They still don't understand Super Pacs and our campaign finance - too bad I know way too much about Citizens United for my own good. Shout out to Shermzzz Pucket - miss youuuu!

I went for my first run in Sweden the other day and despite how cold it was - it was great because everything is so pretty here. Literally ran from a city center to a countryside - so cool.

My apartment doesn't have a microwave and i thought that it would be detrimental to my life. Like def on the top 25 of worst things that happened to me, but now i have learned to live without it. You just have to heat things up in the oven or stovetop - although it takes more time it makes me feel more like a real person. I would like to think I will be anti-microwaves when I return but let's be real, it is just sooooo easy.

Although it is harder sometimes being an exchange student and just thrown into swedish life opposed to being in a program. I met some girls in a program and they are kind of forced to be friends with eacother and do things together even if they don't like eachother and if any of you know me - that would not fly with me. If i don't like you…. k byeeeeeee. Also i feel more like a real person living like a swede instead of being an american just raging in a different country, sight-seeing during the day and hanging out with kids from my program. no offense to anyone in programs.

There is this huge hill outside my dorm that you have to walk down to get to the grocery store or the bus stop and sometimes Caroline and I like skating down it because it is so slippery. But now that it keeps warming up and then raining and then re-freezing it is sooooo slippery. Also my shoes don't have any traction so I have been contemplating just bringing a trash bag and sliding down it instead of wobbling down. I just don't want to look like a dweebus. However, it is nice to know that if you fall or wobble people will catch you instead of laughing at you because everyone is struggling.

And finally, beer sucks and PEAR CIDER IS THE SHIT. It is soooo good and they sell it everywhere. If you go to the liquor store you can get different strength levels of beer and cider here which is nice because I like the strong stuff. But pear cider is definitely a cheaper alternative to vodka and tastier alternative to beer. Pear Cider #ftw 

Sorry for the length - but until next time bitchezzz

x0x0x0

P.S watch this video - its great!!!! SHOUT OUT TO PAIGE NEWMAN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

Meet Johann

Johann is one of those boys that you meet and the next time you see him you pretend you didn't meet him.

We were waiting for the bus the other day and he came up to us and knew we were internationals and started chatting us up. He was studying abroad the whole year and is from Monterey Bay, California. He kinda just urked us out - also I was the only one who noticed that he was going to a party alone and had been here for 6 months already, but whatevs. We parted our ways hoping to never see him again.

However, at open mic night not only did he show up and was the opener for the open mic night his friends were sitting at our table, so he sat right next to us. He awkwardly was like "hey guys! how are you" and tried to remember our names; however, he remembered my name, didn't remember Amanda's, and referred to Caroline as Carol. Lawlz. Carol. 

To make matters worse he opened with an acoustic version of "I just had sex" and said it was dedicated to all the new internationals that just arrived. 

I posted a video below because it was just too funny not too. Hopefully we don't have anymore run-ins with Johann and Johann I am sorry if you found my blog and are reading this.

Hej! Mitt namn är Mira

So as I'm finishing up my first week being a Swede it is getting a little better each day. Sometimes I feel like I could be doing more but then I look back at my day and realize I've done something new or different everyday and it is only the first week. However as the days go by I am becoming more and more swedish. By the time I get back I will have forgotten how to speak english, only eating meatballs, and wearing clothing similar to lederhosen. 

Last night was my first time going to a club at a nation. It was a lot of fun just because everyone just goes to dance and have a good time. However I learned that Swedish people don't bump, grind, gyrate, or have sex on the dance floor which was actually wonderful not having to worry about being groped by some rando. But swedish boys are also very reserved so although these swedish boys were dancing like jamming out with us all night Amanda and I couldn't tell if that was them flirting or not - so ill report back on swedish boys hook up tactics hopefully sooner than later ;) 

However the club we were at was doing a pop night so the swedish songs they played were great and now I know a good popstar named Veronica. But the American music they considered pop was ummm very dated. It was weird because Cher, Greenday, Beach Boys etc would come on the swedes were loving it and I was like yeah no not music I want to hear. Where's my girl Rihanna and my boy Macklemore? I also was kind of upset they didn't play any Avicii or Swedish House Mafia but I think it's cause it was a bad dj. So k byeeee Gotlands Club. 

Other than that I had class today and it was a 2 hour lecture with an hour break in between and then another 2 hour lecture. It wasn't bad at all. The teacher gave us 2 10-minute coffee breaks which was weird but at least he's considerate of people with small bladders. During the lunch break me and a few American girls I met in my class went to lunch at a nation. I felt so swedish. Two of the girls were from university of Illinois, 1 from Gustavus (MN represent what what), 1 from UND, and 1 from UConn. Two of them were nice and normal, the others though k byeeee. 

Now I'm just doing some homework, working on my side trips (so if anyone has recommendations or input holla back) and just chilling out and watching Shameless which Laura got me hooked on like 2 days ago (hi from sweden laura) until I go to hopefully a better club than last night. And when I say club pronounce it "cloob" - its much more swedish. 

Until next time x0x0x0

As the settling goes

So lately there hasn't been anything extremely monumental happen yet. It is still a lot of settling in and just getting used to getting around town and doing random international student activities. I would say that at this point I am a pro at the buses. Although today I was riding the bus home from class and I pressed the button to get off and the bus just kept driving right passed my stop. The bus goes in a loop though so it wasn't a big deal because then I just stayed on and rode around and got to see more of the outskirts of town which was nice, not something I could choose to do, but nice.

I am also getting better at understanding what things are at the grocery store. The swedish are very big with putting food in tubes like toothpaste, especially cheese and spreads. The most popular is caviar spread, which I obviously didn't try. And then there is like shrimp, bacon, ham, and other random things. I got the goat cheese one because it at least seemed normal and its not bad at all actually. 

More of the phantom flat mates have moved in. It was just because most of them were gone on holiday still, so it is me, Caroline, two german girls (one is really quiet and the other is very nice and friendly, Carlotta), the african boy, and then swedish boys (one who has yet to make an appearance). So its nice to not feel like I'm the only one living in this apartment, but I do wish that they were closer with eachother but I will deal. 

A couple floors below us had a party last night and we went to go check it out to see what their parties are like so I know what to expect when I actually go to one and when my flat has one on the 8th. The few things I learned was 1) you can wear sweatpants or a dress and heels and no one gives a fuck 2) bring your own alcohol because otherwise there will be none 3) don't go sober 4) even if it's your flat there will be probably 75+ there that no one from your flat knows at all. People literally just hear about parties and go. It was like a mini-frat party in these little corridors. Like this one even had a DJ and strobe lights. It was very bizarre. Not how we throw parties back in the states, because they actually plan their parties for weeks and advertise them; whereas for us, Alexa (shout out to my bitch back home) on Wednesday will be like "let's have a party Friday" and then we are all like kk. But I didn't stay too long because I didn't want to miss my first class and it was early this morning.

My class, Swedish Politics, was nice because it seems to me to be the equivalent to Polisci 111 at Michigan yet I'm getting 300-level credit for it. Score. But its just a paper and a mini-exam and the lectures are optional, but the 3 seminars are mandatory which isn't bad at all. I meet with this class a total of 10 times before its over so that is cool. Then my next classes start and I figured out my schedule for the other classes so now its time to start planning my side trips! YAYYYY!!!

And finally the last few things I have done in the past couple days is I went to my first Swedish Fika. Fika is like where they have coffee and tea and cakes and cookies and just chill out. It is very casual; like apparently if you want to go on a date with someone you ask them to a fika - if they take you to dinner that's the real deal because it is so expensive. But Caroline, me, and this girl Sara went to fika at Varmlands nation the other day. It was fun and cool because it was super swedish thing to do. Varmlands is a nice nation, it is one of the more fun nations that we have been recommended to join. However, I think I might join Snerikes because I hear they have great parties, and you get in for free if you belong (Tuesday is their big night) and they pay their student workers the most and they are allowed to drink for free after they are done working and get free meals. So I am going to Snerikes for dinner tonight to check it out and I will probably go back to their club later tonight.

Other than that yesterday we went to an international student Pub Quiz at Smalands nation. It was fun, we lost by a half a point which was stupid. But Caroline, me, and this girl Amanda (who is from Miami, I like her a lot) sat with two dutch girls, a girl from Sri Lanka, and a finnish boy. It was fun; although I bought my first and only Swedish beer. It was the equivalent to $5.50 for a tall beer and let me tell you it was hard to finish it. Yuck. But I did make it to the liquor store, Systemblot, which is the only place you can buy alcohol because Sweden has a monopoly on it and it can only be sold at Systemblot; so I got myself some vodka - although it seems overpriced to me, but I am just glad it isn't Karkov or Crown Russe. 

Sorry this post was so boring there just wasn't anything too fun or funny that happened. However, once arriving I was hoping that I would find a Swedish Prince to wife me up, but I don't think that will happen just because the Swedish boys tend to be skinny, blonde boys and I def prefer dark haired boys who don't wear smaller pants than me but we will see ;)

Laterzzzz x0xx0 

Tidbits, or tidlongs, of Day 1/2

Wake up in the morning feeling like a snowman... basically is how I think Kesha would describe Sweden and how I felt waking up this morning. Except for the fact I had my space heater on full blast, but the sheet of a blanket that was given to us during move-in was not sufficient obviously and I didn't have time to go to Ikea until today. However, the fact I have my own room and my own bathroom, which I would like to describe as a quarter bathroom, is still very nice. Our bathrooms have a toilet, a sink, a curtain in the corner with a shower head that is a hose connected to the sink and a drain in the middle of the bathroom. I think its the equivalent to how we clean animals in the US but it really isn't that awful.

My flat, corridor, dorm, floor whatever you'd like to call it is very very very UNsocial. So that was very uncomforting to me and Caroline (the other Michigan girl) when we moved in. We met a german girl briefly and she was nice and quiet, but I can't pronounce nor remember her name. Whatevs. Then I met a boy from some country in Africa that I had never heard of but nodded my head and was like "oh yeah totally I have lots of friends there"... lawlz. He was really cool though; I was in my room unpacking and he was playing Drake and Lil Wayne so I went out and was like this is my jam and then he was telling how Wayne is coming to Stockholm soon and I was like "yo boy tell me when the tickets are fo sale and I be there" he was like "coo, I'm so down" - so now we are besties, except I don't know his name either. Other than that Caroline and I haven't seen the other 6-8 people who are supposed to live here, so we just really don't think anyone does. I'll keep you guys posted but for now we think we live in a phantom flat. The other flat on our floor is always playing loud music so we went and met them today and they were really nice so I think I'll try to be friends with them but who knows. 

Other than that basically Caroline and I have just been running a lot errands. Yesterday I got my housing keys and my welcome package. I met a lot of international students in lines and such. I met more Canadians than I would have ever imagined or wanted to meet in my life. Also a lot of people from the Netherlands, Holland, Australia, Poland, and some place named Cyprus. I haven't met that many Swedes yet but I think once I start classes and join a nation (aka a Swedish Frat) and hopefully get a job I will meet more. 

Also yesterday I ventured to the grocery store which is only like a 3 minute walk from my flat. It was really hard to figure out what a lot of food was and to figure if I was paying too much for food since the exchange rate is so bizarre. For every american dollar it is about 6 swedish crowns aka kronor. So when I saw the box of oreos for 60 kronor I was super bummed, but I bought these really good mint chocolate cookies called ballerinas I think? But other than being a very big hassle on trying to find the food I wanted the grocery store, ICA, and I will soon become very good friends. (Swedish Hint - bring your own grocery bags or else you will be charged for the bags you use/are forced to buy).

Then after showering in the watering hole and making a frozen pizza for dinner (BY THE WAY MY FLAT LACKS A MICROWAVE!!! Awful!!!) it was time to go to bed. Caroline and I did a lot today, a lot of un-fun things.

We started off the day by walking from our flat to campus, which we were told was about a 20 minute walk, but is definitely 45 minutes+ because we didn't know how to figure out the bus system yet. And the fact that is was -2 degrees didn't make us very happy. However, our first stop was the international office to get our schedules which I was very very happy about. I am taking 4 classes, but one for each month I am here. So my first class is Swedish Politics and the times vary per week. Example the first week I have class Tues, Thurs, Fri, the second week I have Tues, Wednes, Thurs, the third week I only have class on Wednesday, and the last week I have Thurs and Fri. This will be nice to leave lots of time for exploring (the tundra), traveling, and getting a job.

So after that Caroline and I went shopping downtown to get necessities and a go-phone. We got these Nokia phones that literally weigh .000001 of a lb. Throwback to the early 2000's, so if anyone knows any good polyphonic ringtones - holla at your girl. Also if anyone knows how to turn T9 off of Swedish, get at me or should I say comma åt mig. Then we bought our bus passes. And let me tell you after riding the bus 5 times today I would say I will be a pro by like Wednesday. We had lunch at a burger place, Max's, the Swedish version of McDonalds and I guess they think plain cheeseburger means baby sized cheeseburger, but whatevs that trans fat will get you everytime anyways. 

Then real life Ikea, oh man let me tell you it is crazy. So we did some shopping for some real blankets and dishes because we are scared of the phantoms plates because they don't look very clean. So after a very long day we made it back and then I went to meet with my "buddy", Axel. We hung out for a little bit but he was going on ski-trip and will be back on Wednesday. He was cool though and he will be a nice person to be able to hang with out and tell me about things in town to do (like which nations (swfrats) are popping).

Sorry that this post was so long, if you made it this far I promise you it won't be this long all the time!!! There is just a lot going on right now. So other than that, I'd like to give Lauren Rouff a shout out because her dance group is having a dance performance tonight back at Michyyy YAYYYYY RHYTHM TAP GROUP! Despite how busy I have been there are points of the day where I get really homesick and sad, so tomorrow Caroline and I are going to the liquor store to help with that....

Until then bitchezzz x0x0x0

And let the traveling begin

It's comical how much I stick out as an American without even trying. While going through security and customs in Germany they automatically speak to me in English. Or once I stare at them blankly for long enough  then they repeat themselves in English. So I flew on a German airline, Lufthansa - don't ask me to pronounce it because as much as I try I always feel wrong. The only real language barrier I experienced so far is that the flight attendant didn't understand when I said vodka - she said "we have juice, diet coke, coke, and sprite". So that's either her not understanding that I was trying to get bombed on the flight or she thought I wasn't old enough to drink. It might be the fact I'm carrying a stuffed animal through the airport but hey Wishbone wants to be a world traveler too. What would Sweden be without my best dog; however the traveling hasn't been too kind to his coat so we might look into getting him some new stylish Swedish clothes. 

As for the rest of the first flight it wasn't bad. Except for the fact that wine and cognac were offered twice after dinner and not to me. Hmmph. And that I slept through breakfast but otherwise I slept contently trying to combat the jet lag battle early.

The bathrooms in the Frankfurt airport are basically an upgraded biffy - legitimately a closet turned into a bathroom. If only my layover was longer and I understood what the bartender was saying then I would've had a drink before my second flight. Although my layover was at 830am there were plenty of people in the airport drinking - now that's what I like to see and could get used to.  But instead ill just sit with my iPhone, iPod, wishbone, northface backpack, and northface coat with the word "American" stamped across my forehead.