Two for One

(Again, for yesterday…but my internet cutout last night when I was writing ahhh)

I didn’t feel like writing a post for Wednesday. Overall, I was really lazy and feeling anti-social. Plus it was raining…I went to brunch and while it was delicious, I didn’t talk to anyone for the first 20 minutes before I met Liao from France and then he introduced me ‘round, so this was good.  I still have yet to meet any other students studying media and communications. Weird.

Today was a better day. After I got ready this morning, I met with my Swedish “buddy” (a person I signed up to have before I came here), Sarah (saw-ra). She was so nice and helpful! We had fika at a cute cafe at Stora Torget (town square) and I bought one of those princess cakes I served at my friend going-away party. Trust me, 1000x better here in Sweden haha. We talked about a a lot of random stuff and I found out she really likes Flight of the Conchords and wants to see True Blood, so we made plans to watch them sometime in the future (neither of these shows have been released in Sweden yet so good thing I have the dvds). Sarah also did exchange once, but to Germany as that’s her major in school. However, this year she’s studying English so I think that’s why she chose to speak it the whole time with me instead of Swedish. Oh well, maybe next time?
Then she decided to join me at this mandatory informational meeting all the exchange students had to go to. We got there at 10 to one and the room was already packed what the heck. They apparently weren’t expecting so many students (I don’t know how considering they said it was mandatory and they must have had a number for how many students are studying at Uppsala.) Whatever. So there would be another meeting after this one at two. We left and I decided to go back to the Ekonomicum (eh-ko-nom-ih-come, the Economics building) to see my professor again and hopefully get my schedule and book list. Thankfully he was there and he didn’t understand why I had to come see him to get my schedule and book list as they were all online, but he printed them out for me as my coordinator had told me otherwise. He explained everything in Swedish and man, it is going to be tough in class for a few weeks considering it’s only seminars for awhile. My class is a big one at about 300 students and is 4 hours a day, 3 times a week, yikes. Gotta bring lunch with me to class! Good news however, the first book is in English and I bought the right one before coming to Sweden. Nice. This class is over in one month and we have a midterm and final. I hope the Swedish doesn’t kill me.

We went back to the meeting and it was all boring repetitive information for me, so that was a waste of time. I said bye to Sarah after this as she had to go meet her German friend and I went to Gina Tricot to return a cardigan for a smaller size. I was kind of weirdly happy here because in Swedish, I explained I wanted to return the cardigan for this other one blah blah and I guess on the receipts you have to write your telephone number. I told the clerk I didn’t have one and she was so confused as to why anyone wouldn’t have a number but when I said I just moved there from the US, she understood. Maybe she actually thought I was Swedish? Yay. I had planned on going to sign up for the nation I want to join after this, but apparently you need your acceptance letter, which I had in my apartment, so I headed back home for a bit.
Soon it was nearing 6 and I headed back to town for a Swedish food night at Kalmar Nation. Unfortunately as I was getting off my bike at the entrance, I stubbed my big toe on the tie and broke it right in half ughhhh. It was bleeding everywhere and it took me forever to find a Swede to get me a bandage. Once I got back to the end of the massive line, I met up with Elin (my hall mate) and Ana (a girl I met at brunch who is from Elin’s university in Austria). Thankfully they switched where the line would enter and those of us who got in the back ended up getting in first haha. But I’m not even sure everyone got in, whoops. They keep underestimating how many exchange students are gonna show! So lame. But we got our food after a long wait and it was delicious. Elin and I talked for a bit and I’m surprised how much he knows about American politics! Then again, his major is politcal science hah. We biked back to Kantors after this as neither of us have bike lights on yet and we wanted to make it back before dark. Now I’m just resting and chatting with Jordan. Night!