Speaking Svenska

So for the month of August I'm taking this intensive Swedish language course. My teacher likes to ask me lots of questions. I'm the only native english speaker in the class, so she'll often ask me if we use the same phrases in English (for example, "sleep like a log" was something we translated) She likes to come up to me at the beginning of class and talk to me about the Olympics. I usually hear something like- blah blah blah Bejing blah blah Micheal Phelps blah blah blah...so I sit there with a blank stare, and usually respond with a "ja" once she's finished, hoping this response is appropriate. Reading and writing Swedish isn't so bad, but if someone starts talking to me, even if its a phrase or words I know, I'm suddenly lost. It doesn't help that everyone here speaks English, so learning the language really isn't necessary to get around. But I guess I've pick up a little while I've been here. I get a newspaper everyday and try to figure out what the headlines mean ('och'...thats 'and'! yes!) And the club I went to Friday was called FemtioFyra...54! I'm really good at numbers. If only I could figure out the alphabet. I have class from 9-12, monday-friday...or should I say, måndag-lördag (are you impressed yet?)

The campus is about 30 minutes away by tunnelbana. At first I thought this would annoy me, but its not so bad. The Stadshagen station is right near my apartment, and the Tekniska Hogskolan stop is right near school, so minimal walking is involved. The tunnelbana system is really nice. So clean. Each station has been decorated by a different Swedish artist, so they're really fun to look at. I hear they offer a subway art tour that I might want to go on sometime (jealous?) Usually after class I'll wander around part of the city. It has taken me a little longer than usual to get a feel for my surroundings, but I think I'm ok now. I have gotten lost a few times. I have trouble remembering some of the Swedish street names...St Goransgatan, Hornsgatan, St Eriksgatan...names like these are too difficult to remember. Eventually I find a tunnelbana station and I'm ok. Although I have also been stuck in the rain before (sadly it has rained a lot this month so far) and thats no fun.

On Friday night, the ISS (International Student Society) organized a Swedish dinner which I attended. They told us to wear yellow and blue (the colors of the Swedish flag) so we totally looked like native Swedes. I didn't have any yellow clothes, so I bought a yellow shirt, and yellow shoes (how practical...) The dinner had 3 courses, lots of alcohol, and a band playing traditional Swedish party music. They gave us the words but we didn't know the tune, so the songs didn't sound so great. After the dinner, we went out to Södermalm (the south island where a bunch of cool clubs and bars are) and ended up at the 54 place I mentioned before. Again, the alcohol was expensive. I think I should stop trying to think in dollars. It makes me sick to think about how much I spend here. On Saturday I hung out with a few Irish girls and we went to an Irish bar (surprisingly, there are a ton of Irish bars around here) and watched a rugby match. I ordered nachos, but they didn't have any cheese. In America we call this chips and salsa, but whatever. And now, finally, a picture of me. Proof I'm actually doing what I say I'm doing.

Rose from Australia, Natalie from England, me from America, and
Jane from Northern Ireland taking the theme for the Swedish dinner
very seriously