October Days

Hej to the folks back home!  It has been a very relaxing couple of weeks and I have been enjoying the beautiful autumn weather to the fullest.  

The weekend since my last blog post was a cozy one spent with the family holed up in our house to watch General Conference.  Conference has become a fast favorite of mine; it is so nice to spend so much time with your family and listen to amazing talks from the comfort of your home.  Conference weekend for me goes hand in hand with food, so we enjoyed lots of late, charming breakfasts and baked treats.  On Saturday, we hosted four missionaries in our home for dinner and a session of General Conference, which was a tight squeeze on the sofa, but a lot of fun.  The newest missionary had only been in Sweden for a week and fell asleep on the couch, occasionally lifting his head and blearily blinking his eyes at the TV before giving into his exhaustion.  I know exactly how he felt and it admittedly felt a little nice to finally not be the new(est) one.   

On Sunday, we took a trip to the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens between sessions for a walk to stretch our legs.  My lovely host dad made hot chocolate from scratch and we brought it with us to drink sometime during our outing.  The weather was of course another perfectly overcast, chilly autumn day.  The fresh air did us good and seeing the pretty leaves on the trees was even better.  I took a few pictures before my camera died.

The weather this autumn has been positively delightful!  We had perhaps a week of rain that, after walking around the city, leaves you feeling like a wet cat.  After that it has been clear days and crisp air that fills your lungs with smells of damp forest grounds and chimney smoke.  It isn't cold enough to need a heavy jacket, perhaps a few layers and boots.  It is perfect for your favorite sweaters to finally make an appearance.  By the time my school day is over and I go home, my body temperature reaches that median where it is cold outside and my nose is pink, but I am not shivering or chilly and a cup of tea and thick socks make for the definition of cozy.  Sweater weather at its finest, I must say.  

Fall is most definitely my favorite season, if you haven't noticed, for a number of reasons.  Many are particular to Sweden:

1) I love fall colors like burgundy and forest green and navy blue and rusty orange and wine color and the list goes on.

2) I love sweaters in a way I can't expect people to understand.

3) I love tights of all colors; thick and thin, printed and plain.  I would say I wear some sort of outfit with tights on average about twice a week.  Because of my love for skirts and dresses, my collection of tights has been gradually growing, as has my heart.

4) Socks, especially fuzzy socks, are just so plainly brilliant I can't even express.  They are like little hugs for the bottom of my feet and they never reject my toes.  If my feet are warm, I am warm.  My covered feet also serve for great fun in sliding around the floor, given momentum.  It has come to the point where I can't sleep without fuzzy socks on, and I can't remember what the top of my feet look like.  I have no interest in finding out either.  Christmas package, Mom?

5) I love scarves, namely knit infinity scarves.  My neck loves them and so do my outfits.

6) I love apples, and apples love autumn and they just taste so much better during this time of the year.  Swedes aren't all that into pumpkin, which is unfortunate, but I love pumpkin as well. 

7) Autumn and tea go together like Wallace and Gromit.  The amount of herbal tea that I consume on a daily basis could be compared to the amount of water an Olympic athlete drinks.  So that may be an exaggeration, but I go to the bathroom often enough to make it feel real.  A cup of tea with a blanket and a book or a good conversation, is one of my absolute favorite activities.  Is tea a hobby? 

8) The flavors of fall are lovely to bake with, which we all know is my number one.  

9) With cold weather comes darker days, and with darker days comes candles.  My family sometimes eats by candle light, something I used to beg my parents to do when I was a little girl growing up in New Mexico.  They complained that they couldn't see their food, but my host family can appreciate the romantic atmosphere some well contained fire can provide.  At home around this time I would have my favorite Macintosh Apple scented candle lit and burning whenever I am in my room.  I miss my scented candles, but really any candlelight is golden.  

10) As the days get colder, my host family lights fires in the furnace next to the kitchen.  It heats up the whole upper level and is conveniently located at the top of the stairs, so the warmth envelops you as you take your last steps up.  My host brother, Vegard, pretty much owns the spot right in front of the furnace on a little bean bag situated in a prime position.  From this spot you are extra toasty, get a constant wiff of the smells from the kitchen, and also can talk to people who may be in just about any part of the house.  Lots of times we will sit together on the bean bag and I will ask him to read me a Swedish children's book, or we just talk.  

11) The weather.  Few times in the year is it possible for the air to be crisp and damp at the same time - and there never seems to be enough for my lungs.  While it can be pretty bitter with a wind, the air temperature is generally spot on.  With the right sweater and socks, you can be outside for long periods of time and never feel a chill.  

12) Despite the long list proceeding my last and final reason for loving fall; this has got to be my number one.  The scenery at this time of the year in Sweden is absolutely breathtaking.  There are so many trees everywhere.  Deciduous trees mixed in with the evergreen trees make for a patchwork of natural beauty in a variety of textures and colors.  A serious perk of living in a house on a large hill is the view from the windows over the big hills (not quite mountains) on the other side of town.  It is enough to stand outside and take it in for hours.

My host family has been so lovely and we often go out somewhere on a trail or someplace to take a walk on the weekends.  Last weekend, Lars and Vegard and I had a sort of camp out.  We hiked up a trail to a cliff that looked out over Partille and a good amount of forest.  We were just in time to see the sunset and we waited until it was fairly dark before we lit a camp fire and drank hot chocolate, ate hotdogs, and roasted marshmallows.  When we got home, we watched Forrest Gump to conclude our night.

Earlier this week, my good friend Rebecca, who is an American exchange student in Helsingborg (about two hours south from Gothenburg) came and stayed with me on Tuesday night so that we could take the PSAT together on Wednesday morning.  We left fairly early and set out to find the location of the test, which was held in an international school.  Initially we were impressed by the stonework and the overall appearance of the school, but it didn't take too long after classes started for us to realize it had a definite sketchy vibe to it.  The test itself went pretty well, I think, but it didn't really contribute to what I consider one of the best days I have had in Sweden.

The test ended up taking from 9:30 till 1:00, so we were both brain dead and hungry and cold when we were released.  We walked around, following our own whims to find a good place to eat.  We decided we wanted soup to warm ourselves up after spending hours sitting in a drafty auditorium.  We wandered until we saw, across the street, a sign in front of a place called The Foxx that said Bagels.  We hadn't had bagels since we had been here, so we were intrigued.  There were a few people eating at the outdoor tables set up around this corner building and they seemed to be enjoying their meals.  We walked across the street to The Foxx and unintentionally stood right in front of the entrance, which is down a few steps from street level.  As we were reading the menus, a guy who worked there came out from the cafe and beckoned us to come in while he tended to the customers outside.  We were a little annoyed to feel pressured, but we followed him in and to the cashier.

He quickly caught on that we were American and that I didn't speak Swedish, so we had a pleasant exchange explaining the whole situation.  The place itself is rather small and has a sort of urban feel, with the space being slightly depressed under street level.  There was interesting music playing, the kind that wasn't interesting enough to catch your attention, but in that sense also doesn't distract you.  There were bar stools and high tables as well as some sofa areas.  On a wall next to the entrance, a projector was constantly playing some sort of silent film.  The soup we ordered was a sort of thick stew with lots of components and the perfect amount of spice that warmed you in a way that heat simply cannot - from the belly.  The soup was delicious and it was a good amount that trickily left you so full that you don't want to move or leave, but not so full that you regret eating it.  The real star of the show, however, was the bagel that came with our soup.  It was positively delicious, by far the best bagel I have ever had.  It was warm and was situated so perfectly on that colorful little plate next to a smear of cream cheese that, though it complimented it well, wasn't necessary.  The bagel had an impeccable balance of sour and sweet that good bagels do.  It was warm and chewy and had a distinct homemade taste that let you feel every bit of love in every little bite.

After we ate, we sat down on an incredibly comfortable green couch and watched the silent Planet Earth episode that was projected on the wall.  We talked about the animals we saw and had some legitimate discussions about different wildlife.  I was so comfortable and content, the world just melted away.  Before we knew it, it had been an hour since we had walked in.  A Charlie Chaplin movie had replaced Planet Earth, and we were laughing at the humor in the black and white pictures.  Out of nowhere, that friendly waiter (who looks rather like a modern Charlie Chaplin actually) brought us a plate of watermelon cut in the shape of a heart.  We enjoyed that for a while longer... an hour longer... and finally forced ourselves to leave after I got another heavenly bagel to go.  I can't remember ever being so relaxed and simply content in my entire life.  I recommend The Foxx very strongly, so if you ever find yourself in Gothenburg, make sure you spend a few lifetimes there.  It is most definitely one of my favorite places on Earth.

Our perfect day continued when I took Rebecca to 4 Gott, a candy store not far from my school.  It's tucked away on a corner that isn't all too busy.  The store is indescribable and so fantastic.  A trademark of Sweden might be the way they sell candy - it is very common for candy stores to have bins of different candies that you shovel into your bag and pay according to weight at the cashier.  4 Gott is candy every inch of the store.  There is so much candy and a countless number of bins that make a grown man turn five years old again.  We chose our poison and I took her to the Lion Steps.  These are steps that lead down to the canal that is in front of my school.  They are a good place to just sit and talk while you look over a part of the city.  We call them the Lion Steps because of the two lion statues that guard either side.  We ate our candy and then spent some time in the mall, Nordstan, that was right behind us.  After dropping her off at the train station, I went home and had a great meal with my family.  It was a wonderful day, one that I will never forget.

Gothenburg Botanical Gardens entrance

We are friends I promise

A field trip to a trash disposal place, really not worth talking about. This is my class

The graveyard I pass everyday on my walk to school

The watermelon the waiter brought us at The Foxx

One of the cupcakes I made last Sunday

Fika at my house after school with a couple friends, Sofia and Johanna.  We made hot chocolate and cookies 

The view from the Lion Steps

An afternoon spent out on the porch after school

Your regular selfie with Vegard

On our way to the camp out

The view of Partille from our hike!

Gorgeous sunset over Partille

Vegard

Look everyone I'm building a fire

My favorites <3

I admittedly don't know exactly how to dress for a hike...

Höst!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to fall :) or in Swedish, höst.

I've had a great week filled with parties, sleepovers, castles, picture days, cinnamon buns and African music. From the beginning -

This past Friday a girl from another class at my school organized an insparkfest, which is a kick-off party.  All the first years from NTI-gymnasium were invited, which is a total of 4 different classes.  We rented out a sort of party house from another school in the area and got to socialize and get acquainted with our schoolmates.  There was food and music and dancing and it was all a lot of fun.  After school on Friday, I went to a friend's house and we hung out with another friend until the party started.  We got ready together and arrived a little early (except actually 1.5 hours late) and the party hadn't really started yet.  Before I came to Europe, everyone was telling me how it was important to be punctual because everyone is always on time here.  I have to say that is false, I have not seen that in action since I've been here.  I went home with those same friends around midnight or so and we had a sleepover that started with warm tea and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (my life).  The next morning I kind of failed at making an "American Brunch" for them.  We didn't have the right ingredients and the pancakes that I tried to make were somewhat a mess.  

Around 11 or so, Lars and Vegard picked me up and we drove for a while to see the Läckö palace.  It was a beautiful, clear autumn day that started out a bit cold, but proceeded to be that perfect fall weather that I love so much.  The sky was overcast and the ground was a bit damp; the air was chilly with a bit of a breeze, but you always remained the perfect temperature by walking around.  The palace has quite the interesting history that we got to learn about during a guided tour given in English.  It used to be a fortress built by a Catholic church leader that was then repossessed by the government when the country was turned Protestant.  Following that, it automatically became a royal castle with little renovations until it fell into the hands of some powerful men, who passed it down a few generations until it was inherited by Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie.  He became the most powerful man in Sweden during his time and used Läckö as his favorite vacation home.  He basically ruled the country until the heir of the throne, who was only a child at the time of his predecessor's death, was old enough to rule.  During the time Magnus was in charge, he spent all of the country's money flaunting the new baroque style he introduced to Sweden.  When the real king got of age, he took back all but two of Magnus's castles, including Läckö.  Since it later became a less convenient area, it was not used, preserving much of it.  It was a beautiful building that was still well in use today.  There is a garden in the back that supplies the restaurant fresh vegetables.  After our tour we had a small picnic and headed home.  A lovely day.

The next Thursday was picture day - always stressful.  It is much the same as in the states, but only with a class picture first.  At the end of the day, I went with a few friends to the first Star For Life organization meeting.  Earlier in the year, I had signed up to participate in an organization that puts up a big performance every year to raise money and awareness for AIDS prevention in South Africa.  We left school early on Thursday and traveled to a large theater that was filled to the brim with students from all over Gothenburg.  We proceeded to meet five South African performers who were the center of the production.  The students would be the chorus in the performance, so the meeting served as a practice as well as an information day.  Most of the kids there had participated in this before, so my friends and I were among the few who really had no idea what was going on.  We did a lot of standing and clapping and singing and dancing to African music and listening to motivational speakers and such.  So. Much. Singing.  It was exhausting, but it was definitely fulfilling.  

This Friday was National Cinnamon Bun Day!  Another reason why I love Sweden :) Like I said earlier, fika is a big part of Swedish culture.  Fika is typically accompanied with a sweet treat of some sort, so fairly recently the Swedish government made a national day for one of our favorites - cinnamon buns.  Everywhere you go, there will be the smell of cinnamon buns and just about every cafe and store will be baking them, making your mouth water.  Everyone is eating them and may even go to someone's house for a small gathering in honor of the heavenly treat.  My class (not because of the day) got out close to three hours early because the teacher of my last class was absent.  So I went with three friends to a restaurant for a leisurely lunch followed by a trip around the mall and some cinnamon buns.  After I got home, my family went to a friend's house where several people were gathering to enjoy each other's company.  There I ate still more cinnamon buns.  I feel like the USA needs to lighten up a bit and enjoy a day of happiness rolled in a bun.  I dunno, just a thought!

The walk up to the castle

The entrance to the castle featuring Lars

Another courtyard featuring Vegard

The castle is on a peninsula of the biggest lake in Sweden, this is the garden

The garden again

Garden

The view from our hunt for a good picnic spot.  I love my life :)

A Little Overdue

I am so sorry to everyone for completely slacking off on the blog!  Gosh I feel dumb after saying I would update it every week - please forgive me!!

Starting back up from the last post:

My host parents went down to the south of Sweden for a short vacation spent hiking and visiting my host mom's mother.  During the week, my host dad's daughter, Mette, who doesn't live at home anymore, stayed at the house to take care of us.  Our numbers were increased by one when my host brother, Even, came home from a summer spent working in Norway.  The first time we met, we spent about 3/4 of the night staying up and watching movie after movie.  It wasn't smart since I had school the next day, but I'm not apologizing.  

That week was full of adventures - including getting terribly lost on a run, delicious home made pizza, more movie nights, and grocery shopping (it really is fun with siblings).  We had some great food ranging from Thai to spaghetti to virgin margaritas and guacamole.  It was semi-adults watching teenagers, so there was a higher degree of immaturity in the house.  Regardless, it was a blast.

On Friday, September 13, Even took me with him and some friends to a concert in Liseberg (a famous amusement park in Gothenburg).  The act was Timo Räisänen, a sort of indie rock artist native to Gothenburg.  It was a lot of fun and the music was great!  The park was all lit up and everything was cozy and surreal.  We were standing pretty close to the stage, so we got a good view.  We made our way home late after the concert and wandered around for a while in a group of four or five.  We finally got home around midnight and I pretty much just collapsed in my bed.  

The next day, Lars took me and Vegard to an old fortress that was on an island about 45 minutes away.  We got a late start, but we got to spend a lovely afternoon on the island.  The views from the fortress were gorgeous and it was quite a workout to climb up the winding stairs to higher ground.  We brought along fika, which we ate on a large hill over looking the water.  It was to be the last day of good summer-y weather, so we ate dinner on the deck later that evening.   

Speaking of the weather, it's been quite the roller coaster in and of itself.  Fall in Gothenburg means dreary and rainy and cold.  My day dreams of crisp autumn air with a sharp breeze and nip in the air were misplaced and twice, I was caught in a hard rain shower on the way to school.  It was great how I was jacket-less wearing a skirt, tights, and flats both times.  No one ever said I learn too quickly from my mistakes... what can I say? I'm an optimist.  Soggy feet are a great way to put a damper on your day, but I had sympathetic classmates who patiently listened to my whining and laughed at how unprepared I was.  

The weather is also unpredictable in that there will be an occasional day of fantastic weather that just throws everyone off.  It's enough to keep my closet door open just a little bit, enough to see the colorful summer dresses I still want to wear.  Well, I don't quite know what I was thinking bringing so many fair weather clothes.  I should have known better right?  Wrong, fashion over comfort 9 times out of 10.  Although it's oversized men's flannels and leggings 1 time out of ten.  So I'm not THAT hard core. 

School has been so much fun!  Tell me, is it crazy that my favorite class is gym?  It's probably because the class is only once a week and we always do something really fun.  The first week, we played ultimate frisbee and I dominated.  There is a fiercely competitive side of me that, when awakened, makes for the most fun and the biggest rush.  My classmates are now amused by my intensity during games and stay out of my way.  I was quick to identify the good players on both teams and I made friends with them, with plans to form an elite team later on.  The following week we played beach volleyball, which I was super excited about.  I did end up having a pretty elite team, but it wasn't worth it because the other teams were so bad.  A wasted team and wasted energy - there was no competition whatsoever.  I suppose I will have to sacrifice my need for perfection for the sake of a good game. 

As for the Swedish, it's been a struggle.  I have been learning, and lately my friends like to do brief language sessions where I am only allowed to speak Swedish for a period of time.  Most of my teachers have asked me to just study Swedish during the classes that I can't participate in.  It's a good motivator to learn as quickly as I can so I can really join the class.  It's a bit frustrating, because I feel like I don't learn nearly as quickly as I want to.  I have this internal struggle of whether to be mad at myself for not being very good after a whole month in the country, or for being encouraging that I have come so far in only a month.  To be honest, a big hurdle to get over is Japanese.  While I am not fluent in Japanese, I have a solid amount of words floating around my head that jumble with the Swedish.  While I was Skyping with my mom on her birthday a couple weeks ago, I was speaking Japanese and had a few moments when I couldn't find the right word - but the Swedish word came quickly to mind.  Most often, however, I will be trying to speak Swedish and a bit of Japanese sneaks in.  When someone unexpectedly confronts me in Swedish, like strangers, I start to panic and blurt out random Japanese words, looking for the Swedish words until I give up and admit a defeated "sorry, I don't really speak Swedish."  When I try to form sentences or converse in Swedish, Japanese filler words will pop in.  My friends and family find it funny when they catch a Japanese word here and there when I'm trying to speak.  As much as I appreciate being bilingual, it's often hard to fit in a third.  

Last Saturday, I went to a stake wide youth activity that was about two hours away.  It was a long day filled with activities like a picture race and little workshops.  I got to meet a lot of new people and it was fun!  At the end of the day, there was a two and a half hour dance, which was an interesting experience.  The music was infinitely better than any of the other dances I have ever been to, and there were maybe half as many people as I was used to.  The cultural hall itself was actually pretty small.  Someone had decorated it by hanging up strings of dangling CD's, which lots of people only ended up hitting their heads on.  Here, there is really no pressure to be dancing all the time.  Many people sit on the couches and chairs that line the walls and chat with their friends.  There are no slow songs at all in the playlist.  When do you dance together, you may ask?  Well, Swedes actually don't slow dance together, but they sort of fast dance together?  I don't know how you can describe it, but basically a guy will go up to a girl and ask her to dance.  Since there are only fast songs, this can be at any moment.  The boy then leads the girl around the dance floor, moving side to side at a fast tempo with a strange in-and-out motion with the clasped hands.  Twirls and spins are pretty common as well.  To be honest, it's a lot more fun than a slow dance.  There is more opportunity to be silly and laugh.  It was a new experience that proved to be very fun. 

These are the highlights of my past few weeks, again I am so sorry to have neglected my blog for so long!  I will do my best to be better.  Over all, it's been a little over a month in Sweden and I have never been happier.  Everyday is a new adventure, a new learning experience.  It's so much fun to meet new people and connect with them at different levels over things one would normally find mundane.  This whole language situation has been pretty rough, but it's been a journey without a lack of laughter and good humor.  While I miss my friends and family back home (and homecoming), I am glad to be here.  I hope everyone is doing well, please update me!  I love hearing from people and being caught up on what's happening over the pond.  Have a great week everyone!

With Even and Simon, headed to the concert

Timo!!

With Sofia during lunch

KarlAlex and Daniela

A church we passed on the way to the fortress

The front of the fortress

The courtyard

Up on higher ground

One of the courtyards featuring Vegard

Finally got Vegard to pose with me.  I work with what I have :)

Trying to sneak in a picture with the host brother.  Please note my fantastic new leg muscles

The view of the fortress behind our fika spot

The view of the island from our fika spot

Surströmming

This week was a pretty defining moment in my year; it was the week I ate surströmming.  For those of you unfamiliar with the food, it is a fermented fish that is famous for the absolutely foul smell and taste it has.  It's traditional in Swedish culture, but most Swedes I have met have not tried it.  Words really cannot express to you the intensity of this pungent odor.  It smells like an outhouse on the shore of a salty beach with dead, rotting fish all around you intensified and compressed into a can.  It's an accomplishment to be sick after your first bite, as opposed to before.  It is made from small Baltic herrings that are fermented (basically rotten).  Surströmming is traditionally eaten towards the end of summer on a thin, hard bread with potato and onion and butter.  A can of this must always be opened outside, but is probably best eaten inside because any fly that is within ten miles of this stuff will rush over (yes, it's that strong).  

It is slimy and tastes just about the way it smells, but surprisingly more salty and even a bit sharp.  The taste of this does not leave your mouth without hard work and it haunts you for a few days after you eat it with every little burp reminding you of your huge mistake.  I had heard about this before I came to Sweden and it is amusing to see that Swedes are not in fact nonchalant about this because it truly is disgusting to like 99.999% of the world population.  Most people I have met, especially my age, have not tried surströmming, so I joked with them that I am more Swedish than they are.

I got the opportunity to try this during a crawfish party, which is a tradition in Swedish culture.  Towards the end of summer, friends and family gather for multiple crawfish parties and such.  While surströmming is not a usual dish served, the people organizing this party thought it would be an interesting attraction.  It was a lot of fun!

Crawfish!

It was a little sad to see their little faces before you ripped them apart

So hard to do

About to try the rotten fish...