Ramblings & Recent Events

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Okay okay, so I am bad at updating sometimes. So here's a post to let you know what I was doing when I wasn't updating. I went sledding. They have a hill here, called malmberget. It's a lot of fun. I did get myself covered in snow, though, but no worries. Lukas and I had a snowball fight too. I ended up covered in snow that time too.

Another thing, it seems like almost every weekend there is some sort of party here. Well, since last Saturday was April Fool's Day, they had a party to celebrate. They had people dress up as from the ancient cultures that celebrated April Fools' as New Year. This means: Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, Celts, and a few others. So, people came in togas, towels, and kilts, among other things. I even saw leaves. Anyway, it was interesting and the music was good.

I also went to the McDonald's here. It wasn't as good as home, but I could get a milkshake, which rocked my world. Then, we went to the dollar store (translates to 10 Kr for everything) which was awesome! They have everything there, including DVDs. I got some toothpaste, some ice cream, and a whole bunch of other useful stuff. They even had some cute pajama sets. And, if that wasn't good enough, we went to a toy store. They had Barbie, Polly Pocket, and all the comforts of home. I even found my favorite, My Little Pony. I bought a really big soft brown teddy bear to cuddle with, of which I have no idea how to get home, but we'll see.

As if that wasn't enough-classes are okay. I have two this quarter and I really love the one about Scandinavian Literature. It's fun to learn about the long ago culture, that I still see as a little prevalent today. Especially when you look at the Sami people (an indigenous group that wanders northern Sweden/Norway/Finland), it really comes up. And I think it's neat that despite the Vikings were so long ago, that the people here still show some of the genetic traits. I can't tell you how short I feel here. I think it's because they drink their milk really. 😊

Go here for more information on the Sami culture. Sami Museum It's a great bunch of resources. I myself have seen a Sami teepee (yep looks like a teepee from Native Americans), reindeer, and other implements of Sami culture. If you want to buy the handmade crafts they produce, you can go to the annual market at Jokkmokk and purchase things.

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Photos

Togas
Lukas, Victoria, and Yan dressed in their togas.

Emily
Emily dancing at the party. She's from Michigan, but plans to stay here.