Non-Conversations with Strangers

My Life Is Average

Welcome to the Fallout

Well, here it is. I have exactly 1 week left before I leave this cold, bitter, wonderful, isolated, much needed, friendly, and lonely place that I've been for 4 months. The mixture of emotions is simultaneously excruciating and relieving. This trip has been about me finding myself, or at least giving myself a break...

Salvation is here.

But reality is not. Being here has been an escape from all the false friends and drama and hell at home. It has been a place where I could simply be alone and away from the majority of the world for a period of time. People ask me if I've made a lot of friends or done a lot of stuff And yea, of course I have made some friends and did some incredible things that never would have happened at home. But... mostly this trip was about me, myself, and I, I have to admit, as selfish as that may be.

This is not to say it wasn't amazing learning about another culture. Hell, I'm in the newspaper at home now. I met some incredible people and learned some things that I never could have learned in any other way. It saddens me sort of to know that I will probably never see most of them again... but it is encouraging to know that I actually survived. I did it, world. I've lived in another country and most people will never be able to say that. I'm one of the few, the proud, the...Swedish.

Anyway, it's difficult writing this because there are a lot of things I want to say but do not feel it is appropriate to share with the public. However, I feel that I have done what I came to do and I highly recommend everyone that reads this to go out and do something you don't know if you can do! You will honestly never know if you don't. PUSH YOURSELF. Everyone has a dream.

What is yours?

My Letter to Sweden

Dear Sweden,

There are so many things I want to say to you before I go but, please know, that I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss your education system, and all the goodness that comes with it including not having to go to class, not having homework (ever), and basically playing the Sims 3 or reading during all my lectures and still getting good grades. I don't appreciate you making it so cold though, you frigid bitch. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to feel my thighs again.

Additionally, biking 3 miles to school and 3 miles back? Thanks for trying to be kind and making me lose some of my fat ass but, honestly, don't you think that was a little harsh? I know what you're thinking; but the scenery is so pretty! Well, those are really nice sentiments, but 1 mile could have done it, or maybe some warm weather to make up for the distance? Or what about a moped... or maybe not making me get up super early to go to class, half asleep as I peddle my wobbly legs... Okay, okay sorry, I'm getting out of hand when you've been so good to me.

You gave me an AWESOME living situation with 8 other people that I really like. Also I got my own room with my own bathroom! Seriously, every other living situation has been pretty much hell, and you took this into account and totally pimped yourself out for me, and I appreciate it. Also, thanks for the eye candy. Your people are every stereotype I thought they'd be -- thanks for being so straight forward about it. And thanks for deporting all your redheads, I've only caught a few strays. Which reminds me...

Appreciation goes out for you letting me be your foreign, intriguing, redheaded, American babe (subjective? Maybe...) for a semester. It gave me rather a lot of social leeway in cool points without any extra effort!

But... Eff you for how expensive you made the food. Seriously, as an American, I eat a lot of meat and you really screwed me on that. Also, government-run alcohol stores... that close at 5 pm?!?!?! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND! I suppose you think because it gets dark at 3 pm that you can do this sort of thing, but I honestly think you need to reevaluate your archaic ways. I'm 21... I CAN'T PLAN AHEAD!

However, you probably think you more than made up for it by making me tolerate (key word) [[very]]chopped up cooked carrots and onions, but this was only a minor sacrifice on your part. However, I'm willing to look it over because you housed me away from all the psychopaths in my motherland for 4 months. Luckily, if I should eventually get the ball rolling on my plan for world-domination, your snow-covered breasts will not be a target for any chemical warfare or nuclear attacks. HEY, I'M JUST SAYING ITS A POSSIBILITY.

Thanks again,

Your trusty steed,

Haley

P.S. ICA Folkes, you can just go die.

P.P.S. But save the 3 for 10 candy bars you have, its all you're good for.

<3

The End is Near

I welcome December with open arms... WAIT NO. It's cold here. Really, really cold. I know you're complaining, saying "Oh, well it's cold here too and it just snowed 3 inches!" Well sorry to burst your complaining bubble, but my complaining bubble is significantly larger and more important than yours, not to mention it's rather burly like a mountain man and hasn't shaved in months...

The point is, there is more than a foot of snow on the ground and it gets dark here by 3.30 pm. That's pretty effing early. I pray for the days that it snows because then its at least 25 degrees, which is hella warm here. Meanwhile, my sleep pattern is completely thrown off and I frequently can't sleep at night and opt to take random 4 hour naps when it suits me.

I'm sitting here studying right now for the test I have tomorrow in Dog and Cat Genetics, Health, and Reproduction. And I'll tell you, it isn't very fun. I didn't realize how much information there was to study and of course I had the weekend to study but we all know how weekends go... Awesome, but definitely devoid of studying. So here I am, cramming once again. I hope it won't be that bad of a test. The test isn't actually graded, but I have to pass the test to pass the class. Isn't that crazy? There is absolutely ZERO homework here, and all I have to turn in is a paper that isn't even very hard. And attendance isn't even required.

Speaking of which, last quarter I took 2 other classes and I found out I got the highest final grade in the class (60.5 out of 61) even though I probably skipped the most. I feel highly superior, I'll be honest. I'm not looking forward to coming home and having to deal with so much bullshit from all my classes including, but not limited to: extra tests, weekly homework, required attendance, unnecessarily complicated lectures, huge classrooms with a massive amount of students, less one-on-one time, infinitely more boring/monotonous teachers, harsh grading scales, and less dog/cat/animal classes in favor of annoying chemistry courses that I oh-so-hate. Haha, but no, let me tell you how I really feel.

Meanwhile, going off my tirade for a moment, I got interviewed on Friday by a journalist, so anyone that reads the West Lafayette paper, yea I'm basically a celebrity. Okay, but seriously I got interviewed by this guy from the paper who is in Sweden currently to cover the Nobel Prize week that is taking place in Stockholm. I guess he's here because one of the Purdue Professor's got the Nobel Prize for chemistry or physics, I can't remember which, but as he was here for an entire week, he needed to do other articles and I guess I'm one of them. He was doing a piece on my travel to Sweden and all that. I don't know when it'll be in the paper, but I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Also, met with a friend after that and attempted to go Christmas shopping but ended up failing miserably because I'm so bad at finding good presents for people. I bought my brother something months ago at a sweet sale at one of the nations, but besides that I'm completely at a loss of where to buy touristy things for my family. Plus, did I mention I'm out of money? I have seriously spent so much money here, and honestly most of it was on extra food somehow that I didn't have the heart to tell my father I was buying because he already spends so much money on me.

Not to mention the POUNDS AND POUNDS of chocolate I have managed to consume over the months I've been here. Seriously it's turning into a problem and I probably have like 5 cavities now that I don't know about...

Oh yea, went to a birthday party on Saturday night. Didn't actually know the birthday boy, but I knew a friend of a friend of a friend of his and somehow ended up going. It was pretty fun, lots of crazies though. No matter, being foreigner has its social perks and I'm always intriguing because they don't know about the U.S. and if all else fails I can just make stuff up, can't I?

Men Vs. Women

In Soviet Russia...

Lamb's Head Party

Okay, so I worked at Gotland's nation last night at the Lamb's Head Gasque from 3-midnight and I'm pretty sure I only got paid like...25 dollars. But whatever, it was still really fun. Basically the night consisted of me and some 15 other people serving like 200 guests 2 courses (and drinks).

They actually ate lamb's heads.

LAMB'S HEADS.

Let me tell you, they smell really bad. Also, there's very little meat on them, mostly just the cheek, and if you're "lucky" enough to get a tongue, which not everyone did. The precourse was some weird bread with sauce that had lamb and apple in it. Not a very good dinner if you ask me, but apparently it's a tradition. Anyway, it was formal so everyone was real fancy, but keep in mind this IS a nation and there was very LITTLE in the way of actual food, so with all the drinks everyone got, everyone got real drunk real quick.

What's the big deal, you ask?... well I'll tell you. When Swedish people get together and get drunk this means they do ridiculous things. Such as popping out the eyeballs of unsuspecting lamb's heads and putting them in shots and taking the shots. WITH THE EYEBALL IN IT. Some people got really drunk and didn't realize that the nerve attached to the back of the eye shouldn't actually be consumed, nor the lens of the eye. But that doesn't stop them. Oh no.

Proceed to people dressed in their underwear and then donning horns that make them look like naked sheep. A couple of guys prancing around in lamb loin clothes and horns playing the fiddle. Overall everything just got ridiculous, I can safely say that. Then we cleared the tables and moved them away because there was a live band that night. The after party commenced.

Oh wait, let me rewind for a minute. At the party there was this stuff called "Gotland's Brew". It's some kind of mix between beer and liquor and tasted about as bad as if you would mix the two, at any rate. Well it's illegal everywhere to make it except Gotland (the island) because it's a tradition. Well Gotland's Nation imported a bunch of it to serve to the guests and there was some left over. Wondering why it's illegal?

Well apparently it's a lot more alcoholic than you would think by just tasting it. So you're like oh, well this is pretty gross but it's not that alcoholic. WRONG.

= me really drunk dancing to Miley Cyrus and God only knows what else.

GO SWEDEN GO!

Gonna Need a Smaller Spoon

These are Elves

P.S. Tonight I'm working at Gotlands lamb head party. Yes. People are served lambs head. I'll let you know how it goes later. But, I'm just saying... Lambs head?

Snow

Okay, so the first official snowfall of the year occurred yesterday. I got up at 11 am and it was already snowing, and by the looks of it probably started around 9 am. Then it proceeded to snow all day and produced about 6 inches of snow in one day. THE FIRST DAY IT SNOWS IT GIVES ME 6 INCHES OF FAILPOWDER. Honestly, I wouldn't be so bitter except for the fact that when I was your age, I had to bike 3 miles to and 3 miles from school up hill both ways. And the bad part of that isn't the miles I have to go, its the fact that there's SNOW EVERYWHERE and bikes + snow = crashing. Today it melted a little bit but that only means that the snow is less hard and therefore even harder to bike in which means I fell like 8 times to and from school and it took me like 45 minutes to even make it there and back, meaning I was late to class and rather disheveled. And when I was just about home I fell and twisted my left ankle and now it hurts really bad.

Eff this, I'm buying a bus pass, I don't even care.

Oh yea, I started my 2nd quarter classes this week. I'm taking Dog and Cat Nutrition and Dog and Cat Genetics, Health, and Reproduction. I'm really excited about the genetics course because its something I really like to learn about, and maybe even something I would like to pursue career-wise. We shall see.

P.S. I only have 39 days left in Sweden :/

MORE SWEDISH FACTS:

• While the rest of the world has on average a 7% purebred rate (that is, purebred dogs), Sweden's dog population is roughly 85% purebred.
• There are no stray dogs in Sweden, but there are stray cats
  

International Gasque and Halloween

Okay, I really haven't updated in a while, but life became more about life and less about blogging :P So we'll go back almost a month to the International Gasque that I attended. A gasque is like a fancy dinner party with entertainment and it also had an after-party. There was a 3 course dinner. During the dinner there was this guy who steadily got more drunk and started telling dirty jokes on stage, so that was pretty funny. He was the guy that kept the party going and every 10-15 minutes or so he would interrupt dinner and we would sing a song, sometimes in Swedish, sometimes English, one or two in French and German. There was a song packet so everyone could sing. The Swedes really like to drink and sing.

Speaking of drinking, the dinner was 3 courses, like I said, and throughout it they gave everyone (500 people were at the dinner, it was sold out, lucky me I got a ticket), a "pre-drink", 2 shots of "spirits", two glasses of wine, a beer, a shot of Bailey's, and maybe something else I'm forgetting. I gave away almost everything because that is just vomit waiting to happen. Anyway, the first course was this baby shrimp on bread thing in sauce. I don't really like anything "fishy" so I just ate the bread, though I did try it just to say I did. The main course was SO good, it was salad, cheese potatoes, and ELK! The elk was so good I don't even know what to say. It was served cold and wrapped in a ball and sauce was passed around. I could definitely eat that all day :] The final dish was the desert and I don't even know what it was. Some crunchy cake type thing in "cloud-berry sauce", whatever that is. It was a bit plain but otherwise pretty tasty.

The cool part about this dinner was that they chose the seating usually according to where you're from, so you end up sitting next to some cool people from different places. I sat next to mostly Germans, and then some French guy with crazy hair who was drinking rather a lot and started yelling obscenities in French later on in the dinner. Another cool part was the entertainment after the dinner (and during); there was a drum line (the best part!), acapella group (who later ended up singing Backstreet Boys, it was hilarious), and some other stuff. Anyway, overall the dinner lasted 3 hours and was very fun and very Swedish.

The BAD part about the dinner was that the person to my left never showed up. While I thought this was rather unfortunate, because I'd have liked to meet one more person, it turns out it could get so much worse. By the time the main course arrived, the girl who was sitting diagonally from me (in front of the space that was empty) had a friend come over and sit in the empty space for the remainder of the meal. She was American and VERY VERY annoying. She would not shut her stupid mouth and she was the worst nay-sayer anyone has ever heard of. She hated on the food, she hated on every song, and she hated on every entertainment group that got up. One guy sitting farther down the table told her STFU at one point, which was a nice highlight of the night. But good God, she is the type of person who gives American's a bad name. Argh, she was so annoying.

Anyway, after dinner there was an after party and it was fun. There was a bit of mingling at first and there was a guy making balloon animals for some reason. I got a big heart-hat thing, which I promptly took off after about 10 minutes. There was dancing and general inebriation and I definitely ran into one of my TEACHERS there. He's a fairly young guy, pretty generally good looking Swedish, and he was also very drunk and as it turns out gay. It was SO AWESOME seeing your teacher drunk at some party dancing near you. Epic. Win.

Unfortunately, at about 1.30 AM (it closes at 2), me and my friends ended up getting thrown out for, oh what's the phrase... being "insubordinate". Turns out you can't bring your own alcohol and drink it in the boys bathroom with two other people. Turns out you also can't laugh in the bouncers face and make up wild stories about why you were there in the first place. Turns out I am a total bad ass, at any rate. Anyway, since there was only like 20 minutes left by the time we had been "escorted" off the premises, I think of it more like going out with a bang than being kicked out. Anyway, epic night :]

Moving on to Halloween night. I had mother send me three costumes from home; my furry devil costume, my "Robyn da hood" outfit, and my nerdy glasses and socks. I ended up just borrowing someone on my floor's suspenders and went as a nerd again because it was the warmest and the easiest. We ended up pre-gaming in the kitchen in our corridor and I taught some Swedish boys the ways of Kings. Also we played a round of Asshole. Overall it was really fun, though maybe starting at 6 pm wasn't a wise choice.... At any rate we went to some party, and I forgot my nations card, but luckily I totally know people who know people and Jonas happened to know the owner of the place so we got in for cheap. Apparently the bouncer was being a dick though and I didn't know because they were speaking in Swedish, so when I walked in I smiled real big at him and later realized he probably thought I was being cheeky. Oh well.

Anyway, there were like 200 people there, and I definitely saw Teletubbies, which was mildly disturbing. Though, please note that people in Sweden tend to dress scary rather than slutty which is also a nice change. There's lots of dead and bloody outfits so it's pretty much how Halloween should be. I ended up leaving pretty early though and came home and played Modern Warfare II (badly) and passed out. I'll update more later.

Thought Provoking Photos

CLICK TO ENLARGE!

Getting ready for Halloween?

Ninja Master :]

Perspective

This one really intrigued me.

She used to be a model.

Linky Linky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtC7cNMrVko&feature=player_embedded

Go. It's good.

Pictures I Appreciate and So Should You

Random Notes

I think I'm going to start writing random nice notes on post-its or index cards and dropping them randomly so strangers can pick them up and have an awesome day!

I've been Naughty and Neglecting You

I am sorry dear readers, that I have not updated on you on my life here. Maybe you don't care at all, I don't know. But I'll probably keep this short because I'm about to go to class soon. I was supposed to be going to some farm today but that got cancelled so now we're going to be going over a bunch of random stuff that I don't want to to equally as much as I didn't want to go to that farm. Okay, maybe I'd rather do this a bit more than I want to go to the farm. A small victory.

To be honest, my health feels like it is deteriorating. I won't go into why, but some of my hair is falling out O_O. I don't know if it's due to stress or if it's just because I dyed my hair a few weeks ago. You would think it would have happened sooner if it was the latter, but what do I know. I just really want to get into vet school and have all this nonsense behind me. Once I'm in vet school it feels like it will be breeze because I will finally be in the last part of my schooling. I am noto saying that vet school itself will be a breeze, but at least I will know that I don't have to worry about applying to any more schools. Highschool to College A, College A to College B, College B to college C, College C to Vet school... it's just starting to really try on my nerves.

Not to mention that now I am trying to find a job for the spring semester in something animal related for several reasons. One, because I'm really going to need the money after this European escapade, but also because if I don't get into vet school this year, which is likely, at least I'll be able to have something else on my resume that is animal related. I'd rather get into research or something that isn't at a small animal facility so that I can broaden my range etc. etc. etc. It is definitely a fact that whenever I am doing anything at all, it is likely to be because I'm trying to make my resume look better. Honestly, it's why I do everything! Must. Be. Impressive.... AHHH! I've sent out a few emails but haven't heard TOO much back yet. But I'm working on it.

Additionally, now I'm having problems with the classes I'm trying to take for next quarter, which are starting in like 3 weeks. The semester here ends in mid january (Like the 15th or something), but my school starts on the 11th I think. So, I'm having some issues getting my professors to let me do everything early (which I am more than willing to do) so that I don't have to miss Christmas, New Years (Not as important), and the first week or so of school. Don't forget that I will also have to have the time to move in all of my stuff, acclimate myself, AND I'll have jetlag, so it really is extremely important that I can leave before Xmas. *Crosses fingers*

Also, I am going to schedule my spring semester classes in around 2 weeks, during the first week of November. I am looking to take:
Organic Chemistry II (+ lab)
BioChemistry (+ lab)
Microbiology (+lab)
Modern dance (Because I love to dance, and I need more credits that won't make my brain implode)

So, I'll try to keep you updated!

Swedish Observations:

• They ask how to pronounce funny things; I suppose it's not funny to them but it's funny to me. Ex: Plummage (Ploom-age vs. Plum-age)
• Their hair styles (particularly the guys) are much longer than ours and much more awesome!
• My classes are always in different rooms, at different times, ALL over campus. I don't even have the same teacher everyday, it's almost always someone different. I always have to hunt down my classrooms and I never know who to contact. Sweet, right?

P.S. What do you know, I never keep it short.

Semi-rage

Okay, I'll admit it; I'm totally PMSing and I'm about to bitch because I feel terrible right now. My tummy hurts and I'm pretty sure some invisible creature keeps punching me in the stomach repeatedly when I'm not paying attention. Also my back hurts (could be because I played a computer game for 16 hours straight...) and my neck hurts. I don't feel good. Also I made terrible rice for dinner. I threw it away.

But that's not what I'm going to complain about, er, well mainly anyway. All I want to know is, what's with people who are always in a good mood? I don't mean people that are USUALLY in a good mood. I mean people who are ALWAYS in a good mood. They never have anything bad to say ever about anyone or anything and they love the world and blah blah blah. I just don't understand it. I literally cannot fathom it. I can sooner understand special relativity and all the weird stuff that goes on with that.

Also, why do people get really terrible tattoos on their necks or faces? Or chests... or anywhere for that matter. I mean do you really want a clover leaf on your bicep forever? Or a really terribly rendered American flag on your chest?

And what about good looking guys that are too short to be good looking? I mean seriously, you have a cute face and maybe I'd be interested if you were sitting down when I met you so I had no idea... but like, just quit it. You're not allowed to exist. I'm sorry.

I'm not really sorry.

BABIES EVERYWHERE!

Everyone quick! Run away! Everyone I know is popping out babies left and right! Top speed baby launchers! AHHHHHHH IT'S AN ARMY OF NEWBORNS!^^^Pile of babies^^^

Hiking

So I finally rolled out of bed after a whole three weeks of basically doing nothing, unless you count Stockholm two weeks ago. I mean I've done a few things here and there but for the most part I have secluded myself to my room and refused to come out. I've mostly been reading or playing games or eating. Or doing nothing. Sleeping? I don't know.

Anyway, so yesterday I went hiking with a club I'm in, Culture Club for my nation (V-dala). We took a bus out of Uppsala only about 20 minutes and then started on our way. I took about 80 pictures. Don't worry, we hiked 19 kilometers. 19! That's equal to about 12 miles. And this means that we didn't just walk it, we went through the bloody forest and all sorts of stuff. The bus back took twice as long, about 40 minutes. So I was basically gone all day and my legs and feet are pretty sore. But I made some new friends and I'm really glad I got out of bed. Of course, when I woke up in the morning before we left I had tried to convince myself to not go, because that's what I do in the mornings, try to convince myself that getting up isn't worth it and i should just go back to bed because I am totally not a morning person. This is exactly what I do when I have to get up to school. It's especially bad because my school is so far away and my lectures are usually online so really there's not a lot of incentive for me to get up and go, although I know I really should. I can't believe I actually got up today for school with my legs hurting like they do. Luckily riding a bike doesn't really use the same muscles as when you're hiking so it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.

I actually technically had to come to class today because we're going to some farm today from 1-3, and I'm writing this during my lunch hour because I don't have much food left to eat so I'm scrounging. I ate a pear, and lovely, lovely Jonas got me some chocolate as a gift which I found in the fridge this morning with a little bow on it, bless him :P Plus I think I've been eating a lot more because I have been so lazy so when I'm bored I eat. This needs to stop, because while my legs and my butt are looking mighty fine (lol), I may just be gaining a bit of weight in my tummy area. Likely I am just being paranoid, but I haven't actually weighed myself since I've been here so I wouldn't know either way now would I? Anyways I don't have much more to say, except that I'm going to Germany this weekend, so I'll let you know how it goes. Puss Puss (kiss kiss, if you'll believe it).


later: I went to the farm, it was a poultry facility and they cram 8 birds into these small little cages. It made me a bit ill.

You Can Only Pick Two

Welcome to life.

I Feel so... Dreamy?

No, not in the sense that I've been having a lot of dreams lately, which is irritating, since I want to fill up my dream journal. I just feel, I don't know, wistful might not be the word I'm looking for, but relaxed never-the-less. I've basically been doing my own thing, whatever I want to do for the past 2 weeks. Mainly this means I've been staying in bed reading and eating candy and sandwiches and whatever I want. I don't go out if I don't want, I don't hang out with people if I don't want, and I certainly don't listen to BS if I don't want. It's so relaxing. I've been reading sappy romance novels again (uh ohhh) and it's making me all dreamy like a lovesick teenager. Hence the chocolate and the laziness. I'm such a fatty sloth introvert right now, and its awesommmeeee. :]

A Village in Holland with No Roads

Wouldn't this be awesome!?

Big Bang Explosion of Nonsense

Hey there, it's me again, just wanted to give everyone a little update, since I've been posting nonsense as of late. Just so you know, I'm typing on a Swedish keyboard in the library at my school and it's a bit irritating because there are a lot of keys in my way of certain buttons, like ä,ö, and å. Anyway, so today is Tuesday which is my longest school day so I've been dreading it since, well yesterday. I usually don't have too much homework here (or really any at all, except reading articles), just a project in each class that's due sometime later, in a few weeks maybe. But today, since I have both of my classes, I had to read two articles and do some weird stuff on the computer for 3 hours during class. But at least it was DURING class. If I was assigned this in the states they sure as hell would have made me do it outside of class, so at least there's that. Now I'm sitting around waiting for class to start in an hour or so, since I finished my assignment early.

Unfortunately I'm trying to make the food I have at home last until the end of September but as of right now I have 6 eggs, 8 meatballs, 2 chicken breasts, and 2 servings of rice. Oh and 2 servings of pasta, but I ran out of boullion. And no, i don't have any milk or juice or anything else. WAIT, I have 1 lemon. Now tell me how I'm going to make that last for 9 days? Eff, I just realized, as I was color coding my foods, that they're all yellow. Isn't that exactly what I'm NOT supposed to do? Whatever. I at LEAST need to get some bread to fake my stomach into thinking I've eaten something worthwhile. I need to go find some apple or pear trees too... Why don't I just go buy more food, since my dad gives me grocery money, you ask? Well because I ask them for so much money I just feel too bad. So I'd rather starve. And besides, if I lived in Burkina Faso, I wouldn't have nearly as much food as I do now, right? Oh, and I have some whole grain cheerios that I'm surviving on at the present for my lunch, fml. It is especially bad because I have to bike so far to and from school every day that I burn too much energy. How irritating.

OKAY SORRY ENOUGH ABOUT MY EATING HABITS (though to be honest, I could have kept going...). So maybe you're wondering what I've been doing lately! WELL I'LL TELL YOU! I went to Stockholm this past weekend and met up with a woman I've never met, who was there on business for a diabetes convention (long story, but anyway) and I stayed with her in her hotel, the Nordic Sea Hotel. The hotel actually had one of the rare ice bars which they kept at 23 degrees F (-5 degrees C) so people usually came in and left in about 20 minutes because it was so cold. I didn't actually go in because I wasn't in Stockholm to drink Absolut Shooters (ew). We wandered all around the city and into Gamlastan (Old Town) and I bought a shirt that says SWEDEN - probably the best country ever. Yea I know, I'm such a tourist, you don't have to rub it in! We ate at this awesome Swedish place with classic Swedish food, and I got this awesome meal with chicken, beef, and veal with roasted potatoes and they served it with a few sauces and... christ you don't care about this at all don't you? You're thinking, good god why is she talking about food again!? Well fine. Moving on. THEN, we went to the Moderna Museet (Modern Art Museum) and I thought I was being sneaky by taking pictures when no one was looking, but then I found out I was allowed to, as long as didnt have my flash turned on. Fail. Anwyay over the whole Stockholm trip, I took about 150 pictures or so and I was only there for like 30 hours. Took the train to and from Uppsala, it rained, blah blah blah you don't care.

Anyway, the reason I'm practically starving myself (okay, I'm exaggerating) is because my lovely father is helping me out with buying a eurail pass for Sweden/Germany/and either Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) or maybe the Czech Repulic (all these are flag colors btw, if you didn't get it except I made white black instead so you can read it), I can't decide. Anyway, sweet right? I will have absolutely NO money when I get back home but who cares. Mother thinks I'm here for school and when I told her that I absolutely was NOT here for school, she scoffed at me. SCOFFED! Didn't she know this was my 4 month vacation? And besides, if anyone deserves this bloody vacation it's ME and I'll tell you why, because anyone who lives in absolute HELL with a bunch of whores and idiots who can't get above a 0.4 GPA or find their way out of a paper bag deserves a vacation.

Cough, anyway. So on my eurail pass thingy for Germany, I think I'm going there on the 8th-10th of October, not for Oktoberfest like I had previously intended, but for a different festival in Stuttgart which is a little bit cheaper, and I may know someone in Germany that will let me stay with them, thereby cutting down my expenses further. We will see. Anwyay, well I guess I've written enough; until next time my...

Wait wait wait, you should all look up jPod - it's a Canadian TV show that aired in like 2007 or something and only had 13 episodes. Based off some book. Anyway, its funny. Just do it.

Okay bye.

Pictures I Would Like to Share with You

Oh Arnold.

Kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty!

What did you just say to me?

Things that are Strangely Satisfying

No you perverted kids, not like that. I'm talking about those weird things you do that instantly give you a sense of "Ah yes, that's just nice." And you're momentarily so proud or excited for that brief moment and it's such a simple or stupid thing you just did... Here's a list of some of those things that I can think of right now.

1. When you run out of water in your glass but you're too lazy to get up and so you wait for the ice to melt and then there's finally enough to take a small drink.
2. When you force yourself to bike up a hill until your legs are burning and you're making that terrible face of pain and you're really considering getting off and just walking the rest of the way up but you continue to force yourself to get to the top.
3. You've put off your laundry for w e e k s and you finally just make yourself do it and you put your empty laundry basket down and all your stuff is clean.
4. From a guys perspective: When you're have a dream where you have to pee or you're peeing but you can never "complete the job" and then you wake up and finally pee for real. [I didn't know these dreams existed but w/e]
5. The smell of gasoline :]
6. Taking your socks off when you really want to but you've been too lazy to do it for a long time.
7. When your alarm goes off and you're so tired and you really don't want to get up and THEN... you realize it's Saturday (or another reason you don't have to get up).
8. When you give yourself really stupid checkpoints (If I just write this paragraph, if I can just bike to this street [on a really long bike ride, i.e. like my one to school], if I can just make it up 2 more flights of stairs...) and you finally reach that pointless checkpoint and you feel like the end is so much closer than it was before.
9. When you've finally managed to train your cat to piss on your enemies.
   

Pet Peeves 2.0

P.P.

#1 STORIES WITH UNHAPPY ENDINGS.
#2 Repetitive noises.
#3 Related to #2, random people playing music where I can only hear the bass because it's so loud and I'm in my room, trying to chill, and then I hear this bullshit.
#4 VOICEMAILS! Sweet lord, don't ever leave me a voicemail unless I don't know the number you're calling from, and even then, if you can text, do that instead.
#5 People who drive under the speed limit.
When people BLAME the third party. Blame the c o r r e c t person you twit.
Seeing the movie before reading the book.

Speaking of which, people who drive V.A.N.S.
Clingy-ness. Uh, ew.
People who make a huge deal out of everything.
F a t people who always complain that they're f a t.
Skinny people who always complain that they're f a t.
People who tell me to calm down, chill out, chillax, or any variation of that. If there is a sure-fire way to piss me off, it's that.
Also, People who tell me to *SMILE*. No, eff you.
People who wake me up. I hate being woken up *snarl*
People who live off the system.
People who easily judge or are close-minded.
Being on hold.
Girls who try to walk in heels... and look like idiots.
Cockblocking.
People, mostly girls, who are always overexcited. Calm down, please.
Related topic: Morning people. Are. Disgusting.





I'll add versions 3.0 when I think of it.

Pwnd

If only I was a bird.

Corridor Party!

Hello my favorite followers :] I just made the most DELICIOUS rice/chicken/egg combo EVARRR and if I die right now, from sheer delight, you can't take away my superior cooking skillz.

Sorry about that, I thought it deserved a special acknowledgment. Anyway, tonight marks a very special day: the first corridor party! Everyone once in a while my corridor (which consists of myself and 8 other people) throw a big party for the whole floor and we invite all our friends and whoever we see fit to come and celebrate with us. I don't know exactly what we're celebrating but I for one am going to toast to the sun, because slowly the sun is disappearing from Sweden and we will soon be shrouded in darkness for the majority of the day. I'm cherishing it while it lasts! Plus the weather has been so good here lately its awesome! I'm dreading it getting cold; but at least my wonderful mother is sending me a box of warm clothes, yay!

Next, I joined the culture club at V-dala where we do a bunch of different activities ranging from seeing theater productions, opera, movies, and whatever else we deem fit. Seems pretty cool and I met up with all of them for a pub crawl on Wednesday and they were all very lovely :] At least this way I can force myself to stop being such an introvert and actually make more friends here :P

Speaking of introvert; I took one of those personality-type tests, the one that gives you 4 letters (I or E, for introvert/extrovert, N or S, for intuitive/sensing, T or F, for thinking/feeling, and J or P, for judging/perceiving) and I got INTJ (Mastermind's, as they call them). You can go to http://typelogic.com/intj.html to see my full summary or http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp to take your own test and see which one you are! Mine was VERY accurate in describing me so maybe you'll have the same luck! I'd like to hear what yours is so if you want to leave a comment telling me, that would be awesome :]

More random stuff: I'm building some weird stuff in the corner of my room for decorations, where I made some butterflies out of paper and I'm working on making a tree trunk in the corner of my room [you know, bend some paper so it looks round in the corner, or w/e], and some flowers and grass and w/e else. It's a very bizarre little project and I don't know if I'm actually going to completely follow through with it but it sounds like an interesting idea in my head. I'm thinking about hanging some leaves from my ceiling around the tree so it kind of looks like its from the tree. The butterflies are double winged so they are actually protruding from the walls as well. I'm going for a 3-D effect but I don't know if it's just going to end up looking like a drunk 4 year old taped a bunch of stuff to my wall. Plus we all know I have no patience so I don't know if I will actually end up taking the time to make it the RIGHT way. We shall see.

Also, I have basically already ran out of money so I'm trying to convince my mother to forfeit Christmas this year in favor of her just giving me spending money while I'm in Europe. I mean seriously this is like my 4 month vacation from all the BS that happens in the U.S. to me, so its like a really long extended Christmas anyway :D

Swedish Stuff:

• Their graveyards are very well taken care of.
• Swedish people really really really like to sing when they drink. I mean really.
• Festis is the new Caprisun. I love it. Oh yes, I do. So tasty.
  

OH YEA, I TURNED IN MY VET SCHOOL APPLICATION AND I'M ONLY WAITING ON MY ACADEMIC ADVISER TO TURN IN HIS RECOMMENDATION LETTER (which I've been harassing him about for MONTHS, but w/e). Anyway, GO ME.

xoxo