An attempt to stay present... in stockholm

BIG statues

2011-06-17T11:52:00.000+02:00

Statues near Liljeholmen/Årstadal, showing that big is beautiful...

London - Final

2011-06-16T08:10:00.001+02:00

On Monday and Tuesday, LM and EM had to go to work so SJ and I were left to our own devices. I do have to admit that it was really nice to have two personal tour guides and we were a bit lost on our own. We had no one to tell us the history of the city, or what a certain building was called. We still had fun, but a different kind of fun.

The architecture of the city is just beautiful. I love old cities!

We walked around Covent Garden and SJ bought me a beautiful necklace from Satya Jewelry for my birthday. Then we continued on through SoHo, Picadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, and the famous Oxford Street/Regent Street for some shopping. Nothing was purchased, but it was nice to go into some stores that we don't have in Stockholm/Winnipeg.

(although, side bar: there is an Aldo that I just saw in Hötorget...when did that appear?!)

After some shopping we decided to walk to Buckingham Palace. It was quite a long walk, you see, and we made it sooo close when we had to stop on a park bench for a break. We both proceeded to fall asleep in a park. For like 30 minutes. Oops! Although it was really restful, and gave us the energy to continue on to the palace.

We had already missed the changing of the guards (oops) so I wasn't really sure why we were going there for any reason other than to just see it. I have seen it before, but not SJ. And really, it was quite boring. Not much to see or do, so we didn't spend that much time there.

SJ enthralled by the guard

We took a few required snaps and then proceeded on back to LM and EM's place. We had to rest up for the evening!

We went to their local pub with two other of their friends for a pub quiz night! I had never been to one before, and although I didn't know lots of the answers I was quite proud to know a few. And we ended up winning the whole thing! That was quite a shock.... 100 pounds to split between 6 people ain't bad!

The next day SJ and I just had a relaxing day - we didn't end up leaving the house until early afternoon. We headed to Camden to Whole Foods and beside the store was a little vietnamese restaurant. I couldn't resist getting a vegetarian bowl of pho...

We walked around the city, just sightseeing with no real destination in mind. Sometimes the best way to travel. We met up with our gracious hosts for one final meal of fish & chips, and a pint at a chain pub. They had an amazing organic wheat beer that, if i wasn't so full on fish & chips, could have enjoyed more than just one pint. But with a stomach full of fried food it there was just no room for liquid goodness.

The next morning we were off back to Stockholm! Our plane didn't leave until 1.30pm (and it was late leaving) so we luckily didn't have to rush or leave super early in the morning. My kind of traveling!

Our trip was great - short and sweet, but we got to see most of the things we set out to see (except a musical in the West End - next time!). We had GREAT hosts who hopefully we get to repay the favor for one day soon! As soon as we get an apartment with a guest room, that is.

Now, the official count down to Winnipeg starts! 34 more days!!! whoot whoooot!

London Bridge Part Deux

2011-06-14T08:25:00.007+02:00

On day 2, one of our main goals was to hit up London's Science Museum. This isn't much of a shock, since I am married to a nerd.

It was actually really fun! Sort of like Touch the Universe in Winnipeg, but much much bigger.

The space section was kinda boring - just looking at pictures and explanations of things. I really wanted to touch and be interactive, and this section of the museum just wasn't it.

There was this exhibit that was one looooong song that was written to be 100 years long, without running on loops. Crazy.

Finally we got into the interactive part of the museum, and that's where the fun started.

There was this one station where you put a (clean) straw over a metal rod and bite down on the straw. Then you plug your ears and you will hear rap music playing. Super cool!

I got SJ on video at this station. Notice at one point, the little girl reaches into the garbage to get a used straw. I didn't see it, but thankfully SJ, LM, and EM did. Just as I (stupidly) turned off the camera all three of them started shouting to the girl to not use the straw. It was super funny, because I don't know why she was trying to use the high rod when there was a kid level one. She couldn't reach, so SJ kinda looked around for the parents, then just lifted her up so she could reach. Then we booted it away from that station in case we were seen as the weird adults that come to the kids play area.

SJ showing EM how to build, engineer style!

Honestly, I had to drag him out of the museum. He was in his glory. When we have kids and go to museums like this, I just know that it will be painful getting our kids + SJ outta there. Sigh...

It was a really great place, and I definitely recommend that people visiting London go and check it out! And as a bonus, all museums are free. Gratis. NO CHARGE. Gotta love that!

After all our fun at the museum, it was time for a bit of walking around and to grab some lunch. We went to Whole Foods (my first visit ever!) and got some grub. I am in loooove. (and actually ended up going to three stores during our trip....can you say obsessed?? why don't they have anything like that here in Stockholm?!)

After a late lunch we decided to walk down the richest street in London, but there was a big sign saying "No pictures" and two police officers holding machine guns. Who am I to disagree??

Then an impromptu pubcrawl happened. We ended up going to three different pubs, and I didn't have the same beer twice. The best part of this trip was trying many many different beers. I am a total beer girl, and England is the place to be for that.

Deer in headlights

It was another great day in London. And although it rained a bit, it was kind of welcome that the weather was a bit cool. I love the heat, but it makes for some sweaty and uncomfortable traveling sometimes.

Happy to be on our way home on a red double decker bus!

End of part 2!

London Bridge is falling down...

2011-06-12T10:22:00.000+02:00

Our trip to London has come and gone, and although I had a really awesome time, I am a bit happy to be sleeping in my bed again. There is nothing like your own bed, is there?

We had to get up at an ungodly hour (3am!!) to get ready and catch our flight at 7am. I will never book a flight that early again, no matter how much cheaper it is. Though I guess the upside was that we arrived in London around 10am, so we had a full day ahead of us and not much time was wasted with "traveling".

So, since we did so much and there is so much to tell you, I will divide our travels into a couple parts. Two? Three? Don't know yet, but stay tuned for more!

What was the first thing we did upon arrival you ask?? Well, get a Starbucks of course!

It was actually quite difficult to figure out how to meet up with LM because one of the stations (Victoria) was closed for the weekend for maintenance, so we had to go a roundabout way from Gatwick to her area. We met at Kings Cross and in true LM fashion she was running a bit late, which was good because it afforded us time to get some coffee and stand outside and people watch. First thing I noticed was guys walking the street drinking beer. It was just past 11am. I love this country already!

LM and EM live on the most charming street that just screams ENGLISH to me. The houses were so cute I couldn't resist snapping a picture...

After an amazing lunch on their back deck (sandwiches with pickle chutney - my new obsession and two jars came home with us!) we were on our way to explore the city. First stop - a great market! SJ and I decided to be daring and get wheatgrass shots!

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was thinking they were likely to be gross. Am I weird if I say that I really enjoyed it?? It tastes like grass, but with a hint of sweetness. I would definitely have one again, and wish I knew where to get one here in Stockholm!

I also got shit on by a pigeon...apparently good luck but it sure didnt feel

like good luck at the moment! Bird poo in your hair + scarf just feels annoying...

We walked along the South Banks and hit up (however briefly) the Tate Modern Museum.

"Hmm, you can see the delicate brush strokes that indicate..."

EM admiring the art... though SJ doesn't look impressed (with EM)

After the museum, it was required that the boys get some sushi snacks. Basically its just a piece or two of sushi sold individually wrapped for on the go consumption. Genious.

We also ran into the English Hoser Hut...

We went for dinner in East London for some killer Indian food. Afterwards we walked back to the tube and went home - SJ and I were quite tired after a long day and I was thoroughly impressed we made it until 10pm with no nap!

Stay tuned for part 2...

Big eyes

2011-06-04T14:14:00.000+02:00

My mom always told me that my eyes were bigger than my stomach, but I think that Ethan's eyes take the cake.

A new tradition?

2011-06-03T12:50:00.000+02:00

Last week it was my 29th birthday. Am not scared to start my 30's, but I have to admit that I am glad I still have another year until I have to cross that bridge in to a new decade of life.

SJ kind of forget that my big day was on Tuesday, so when on Monday evening I reminded him he looked a bit shocked and a bit scared. He promptly told me he was heading off to the grocery store to get me a present. Ummm... Something special from the grocery store?? No thanks.

But I am glad I let him go, because he snuck out of bed at 5am birthday morning to bake me some scones. He tip toes into the bedroom singing happy birthday in Swedish carrying a tray for breakfast in bed. Cue collective "awwww". But I guess it's a tradition in Sweden that he didn't have the time to implement last year because of his busy school schedule.

Anyway, I felt like a special birthday girl (girl still...until next year!) an was so appreciative of him "remembering". This morning we made these awesome scones again and I snapped some pics. (SJ has NEVER baked these for me before...making me think that he might not be the bad cook he plays himself out to be).

A trip to the archipelago

2011-06-02T11:46:00.053+02:00

At the beginning of April, my friend from school invited SJ and I on a "boat trip". She didn't go into the specifics of the boat, just that it sleeps around 38 people and there would be about 20 of us. I was told to head out to Vaxholm on Saturday to meet at noon and the boat would leave from there. I had NO IDEA what to expect, but you really dont pass up an opportunity for a boat trip + sauna, do you??

Well what I saw what not at all what I was expecting...

It was an old military boat that was bought from the Swedish military. It was rustic, full of character and "military" type things. I don't really know how else to describe it, or if I even know what a true military boat would look like.

Since it was still quite cold, there was a slight layer of ice on the water. The driver of the boat (my friend's sisters boyfriend) was super pumped though because he *wanted* to drive through ice and break it up. What a guy.

But because we were driving through ice at one point, the engine overheated and the boat shut off. Its probably some more technical words than that, but whatever, it's my blog so you will have to deal with my lack of proper engine terminology. So we were stuck out in the ice for about two hours, but it is ok cause we had a dance party on the deck and a few beers were consumed.

Since we were driving out to a floating sauna, and we were quite close, my friend's bf decided to put on his dry suit (from what he said its like a wet suit but keeps you from getting wet if you fall in the water, ie not dying with the freezing temps of the water) and walked out to the sauna to start the fire and get it ready for us to go in.

The "dry" suit

Can you spot the sauna in the distance??

Eventually they got the boat started again and we were plowing our way through the ice towards the warm sauna. I think the driver did a pretty good parking job, if you ask me....

This is about where the pictures stopped for the evening as the partying continued. There was drinking, sauna-ing, eating, birthday cake and singing (it was a birthday party trip). SJ and I headed to bed around midnight (hey, we started drinking at noon and we are old, ok!?) while the rest of the group kept it up until 5am. Oh how I miss my partying stamina of my early 20's.

The next morning, SJ and I were the first ones to rise (not surprisingly) so we headed off the boat and onto the floating sauna to assess the damage and enjoy the view...

I think SJ looks like a rugged fisherman

There were some swans off in the distance, but a bit too far for my iphone to capture.

SJ using the down time to study for an exam (for work)

After we finally woke the crew up around noon (by convincing a guy (who was likely still drunk) that he should blow the ship's horn to wake everyone up...and then playing innocent like the sly people we are) and we started making some breakfast / lunch. The kitchen was soooo awesome!

It had a dishwasher that washed dishes in 2 minutes, and a huge industrial grill. You could just picture the military workers preparing grub for 38 hungry people.

The stairs down to the sleeping quarters - definitely have a

few bruises from the stairs and hit my head too

my bed on the right side

The bathroom area with a shower, sinks, toilets. Pretty

standard but even cooler cause its on a ship!

All in all, it was an awesome experience that I am so appreciative that they invited me to enjoy! They are great friends, and although I didn't love my program at KI, I am super glad that I went because I would have never met these great people.

In other news, we are heading to London to visit my very good friend LM and her super awesome boyfriend EM from Saturday to Wednesday. I can't freaking wait! I haven't been in London in about 15 years and I can barely remember it, and SJ has never been. Recap coming!

Bike ride!

2011-05-31T13:25:00.032+02:00

At the end of April, SJ and I went for a long bike ride into the city and around Stockholm. The weather had just turned nice and we were eager to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

We are starting to seriously think about buying an apartment (in fact, we lost a bidding last weekend, but that is still too fresh to talk about) so though we wanted to enjoy the sun, we also wanted to check out a few areas.

Since SJ works in Södertälje and I work right smack in the center of the city, we have been looking on the south pendeltåg (commuter train) for places. We took our bikes out to Älvsjö to see how we liked the area. Meh, it was ok, but it didn't feel like "home". It's one thing to look online for places but its another to actually go and check out the area to see how it feels. We both have decided that we are definitely not city folk as what we want would cost us a very large fortune. So, since space is what we desperately crave (along with 3 bedrooms) we are going to look for a family-friendly suburb that feels "right". Unfortunately, though we like lots of the newer apartments in Älvsjö, I just don't think its it.

Bridge overlooking Hammarbysjöstad

We ended up at Sofia church in Södermalm. Its a church that is on a quite steep hill that we had to run up (ok, walk up) for the Midnattsloppet last summer.

There were tons of people sitting on the grass and enjoying the sun. Some with music, some with beer. It was definitely the spot for the cool kids to hang out. And a non-cool married couple that happened to ride by...

Thesis - check!

2011-05-29T13:25:00.001+02:00

Why helloooooo there! Remember me?? Well I am back from the almost dead, lived to tell the tale of working full time + writing a thesis. It was not fun my friends, not fun. But at least it’s over and I can concentrate on more interesting things, such as the summer!

But let me catch you up on what has happened the past few months. I was working nearly every weekend and most evenings of the week to try and get my thesis finished for Karolinska Institutet. I have been studying health economics since September 2009 and for the last semester (January to June 2011) we are assigned no classes but instead to work full time on writing a degree project (ie. a thesis). The half time seminar in March was a high point of stress for me – my opponent pointed out the vast amounts of work that I still had remaining and the short time frame with which to do it. Although that was kind of harsh, in a way that was exactly what I needed to kick it into high gear. I submitted my thesis on May 2^nd, and if you thought that the stress ended there then you would be sorely mistaken.

When you write thesis, at least in Sweden, it is quite common to have a public defence of your work. That was exactly what I had on May 16th. I had to do a short 15 minute presentation about my thesis, the results that I had from my study, etc. Then my “opponent” had 10 minutes to question me about my study and critique my work. Then there was an external examiner (ie. someone with a PhD) also questioned me about my methods, why I did certain things, how it could have been improved, etc. And finally, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions.

Let me tell you… I lost about 3 lbs just in pure sweat. But I did it, and I passed with flying colors (i.e. distinction!) and can now finally put the thesis behind me. And if I ever say that I want to become a student again….please remind me that its not all parties and beer any more.

So, with that, I am done talking about school on this blog. D.O.N.E. And I couldn’t be happier. I think its time to move on to bigger and better things. Like trail running.

The scary / enchanting forest!

A couple weekends ago SJ and I went back to his home town of Lidköping for a fancy-pants 30^th birthday party for three of his friends. I had an excuse to buy a new dress and a pair of heels, so I was a happy camper!

Party dress!!! High heels!!!

But before the party we decided to do a bit of running in the forest – specific trails designed so that you can run on gravel / wood chips instead of pavement. Because we all know that pavement can be tough on your joints, I couldn’t wait to give trail running a try.

I secretly hoped to see a horse, and a bad-ass rulebreaking rider...

I was kind of shocked at the amount of uphills the trail had to be honest. It was windy, hilly, and all around challenging. But the forest was sure beautiful, and enchanting, and although there are no wild beasts about to jump out and eat me, I sure felt secluded enough to be eaten and no one would know I was missing.

A Swedish mile (mil) = 10k

At the end of the trail there were some really nice look out points over a huuuuge pit of sand.

Utterly awesome sandpits

After going to bed at 3am, we had to catch the train back to Stockholm at 9am. Not good times. But, since I had my presentation on Monday, I was quite worried about it and wanted to spend some more time preparing. The train station in Filsbäck is super updated…

Posh train station

We had missed the results of Eurovision but luckily the news paper could update us in Hallsberg. (Just kidding… I can’t stand Eurovision, I think all the songs are quite crap and I guess since I am not a European I don’t have the gene to care). Sweden came in 3^rd place, but, as you can see from the picture below, the only thing that matters is that they had 185 points (poäng) and Finland had 57 points. Gotta love “friendly” competition!

Front page of the newspaper

And with that, I am out. Stay tuned for more updates, promise!

Being the fooled

2011-04-02T18:01:00.000+02:00

So yesterday it was April 1st, also known as April Fools Day.

I was 100% aware of what day it was, and what happens on that day, but it didn't stop me from getting played not once, but TWICE. Seriously people, I am freakin gullable.

Did any one out there catch the google video? There was just this small link at the bottom of their page, as well as in gmail, that was red and said "new - gmail motion". It wasn't huge or eye catching, but for some reason I saw it and watched the following video.

I was really stumped. "How is a swipe across the face indicative of Barbados? How are people going to know that!?" But this, my friends, still didn't clue me in. I guess I was just going to have to learn these things, just like I had to learn how to use T9 and at the time thought it was insane.

Anyway, just thought I would put it out there for the internet to see....if you have an April fools joke, it will never get wasted on me.

Goodbye February

2011-03-02T20:50:00.000+01:00

Well one whole month has come and gone and I haven't written a single post. In my defense, it was the shortest month of the year.

I am not even sure what happened to February. I started working full time on February 1st, so I guess that is where all my time went. I really had no idea how difficult it was going to be to juggle full time work + (alleged) full time thesis writing + teaching 2 yoga classes a week + maintaining a daily yoga practice. I. AM. DROWNING.

In fact, I shouldn't even be writing this post. I have one million other things that I should be doing for one of said activities stated above. I have to hand in my thesis on March 14th for the half time seminar, and with this deadline comes a bit of scrambling to get things finished in time. But once I have handed in the paper for the half time I can sit back and relax a bit. At least until I have to hand in the real thing on May 2nd. Blah!

So, what have you learned by reading this post? Well, let's see. You have learned that a) I proclaim to be busy, b) that I have absolutely no social life at the moment and thus wouldn't be able to write an interesting blog post even if I had the time, c) that Vietnam updates are apparently never coming, and d) that regular blogging will likely return sometime this summer.

I can neither confirm nor deny that the above learned facts are true.

But what I can do to tide you over is recommend that you read my sister's blog. She has a way with words that far exceed mine at the moment, unless of course you want to talk about economics. Then I am at my best.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun!

(if you don't get that ending line, I am not calling you fat or lazy, its from a commercial in canada in the 80s. just ignore me, i need sleep and lots of it)

Staying committed

2011-01-18T12:26:00.003+01:00

So blog readers... no one out there brave enough to leave a comment of congrats? Or even a comment demanding a guest post by SJ just so that you can finally get a break of me yammering on? I promise that the internet is not going to suck your soul from leaving one comment, even if it is anonymous.

Anyway, moving on and continuing to talk to the big open and quiet space that appears to be my blog. I had the 'official' meeting with my new boss yesterday, and everything seems a go for the new job. I hope to start on February 1st, but of course all the mandatory paperwork and contract that has to be arranged and signed first, so we will see how that goes. Sometimes bureaucracy can really slow down things...

It was really nice to see my 'old/new' coworkers again though! The one really good thing about this job is that I have already worked there for a couple months and know all the staff, so there shouldn't be the adjustment period that there usually is with new jobs. Other than the adjustment of waking up early and getting dressed. I am quite liking living in my sweats and writing my thesis, but I guess sweats aren't part of the dress code.

As I mentioned earlier, I am currently doing a yoga challenge. Now, let me preface this whole 'challenge' business by saying that I am not doing this simply for the physical aspect. I think that it is quite common for people in the West to initially join a yoga studio for fitness or weight loss reasons. But, if they stick with the practice long enough, it becomes a whole lot more than just physical. For me, my yoga practice is about becoming a better person. About letting go of the insignificant, and really learning how to be fully present in times that make you happy. Its about meeting challenges in our lives off the mat with compassion, breath, and understanding. So although this challenge is definitely physically demanding, I think that the biggest challenge that I will face over the next 3+ months is the mental challenge.

Though I do promise that this is not going to turn into a yoga blog for the next few months, I thought I would share a couple pictures of my yoga 'studio'. I can't wait until we get a house and I can build a hot room to practice in. Until then, my living room works just fine...

My Jade yoga mat has seen better days... and though my sweet mom bought me a
new one that is patiently sitting in Canada awaiting a reunion with its new owner,
sadly this one is literally falling apart and likely wont last until this summer...

Who needs to pay 1200:- a month for a yoga studio when you have a perfectly good living room floor...

Celebration time!

2011-01-16T15:47:00.004+01:00

We are officially back in Sweden (technically as of last Friday, though I shouldn't highlight this as I have been slow at getting back into the blogging routine), and I have to admit I was slightly looking forward to returning to wearing sweatpants and scarves instead of almost 24h non-stop sweating. Vietnam was absolutely amazing, and I could not have asked for a better holiday! There were no hitches in the plans – all flights left on time, baggage arrived where and when it was suppose to, we were able to find hotels super easily and we didn’t kill each other. I would call that a successful trip!

My plan is to do a recap of each city, but that might have to wait a few weeks. Maybe I can convince SJ to do a little guest blogging for me while I try and get my life in order.

I do have big news to share though.

BIG NEWS!

On Friday afternoon, the head of the company I was working for this summer and up to the end of October called me and offered me a job. A “fast jobb”. Aka, a permanent position with the company.

This is amazing news for a few reasons. 1. I haven’t even graduated yet, and wont until May/June, so I have found employment before having the whole “competition” with other graduates in my class (which I find super stressful actually, and I really don’t like competing or feeling like I am competing with my friends and classmates). 2. I had just finished my last class and seminar the day he called, and now am writing my thesis full time. This means there are no classes that I will have to miss in order to work, and vice versa. 3. I will be working in English, and I know that finding employment in English is not unheard of in Stockholm, but it is tough in my little niche of a market of health economics. And finally, 4. SJ and I are officially D.I.N.K.’s. No, that isn’t a dirty word, it means Double Income No Kids. Which means that we will be getting closer to our goal of financial stability and (possibly) apartment buying every day.

(Although we did almost become DIVK, ie Double Income Vietnamese Kids, since I tried stuffing a few absolutely adorable Vietnamese kids in my suitcase. Security didn’t like that though, and they had them confiscated. Jerks.)

There are a few bad things about this whole job acquiring though. First, my thesis was supposed to be done by January (5 months ahead of schedule, and no I am seriously not a keener, it just worked out that way) but there was a delay in getting the data that delayed the whole project. So that means I am working on it now, but once I start working I will only have evenings and weekends to write it, and that will make finishing it by May stressful. I foresee a few all-nighters and lots of caffeine in my future.

Second, I have made a few New Years resolutions that I really hope they don't end up falling by the wayside. So far, since January 8^th, I have done 108 sun salutations every day and the plan was to keep this up for 108 days. This idea was not my own, I am just piggybacking with Clancy, who came up with the idea and invited me to join along since she thought I would enjoy torturing my body in the same way as her. We have previously done a 100-day hot yoga challenge (moksha) in 2008, so I know that we will be good motivators for each other, regardless of the distance (she's in Winnipeg). But I have to admit that I am worried about the sustainability of this project given the long hours of thesis + real work I am going to be doing. I will try and keep it up as long as possible, as having a regular yoga practice is so key for me at the moment, but I guess I can't guarantee that I will succeed. I guess that's where the whole "challenge" aspect comes in.

Only a die-hard yogi would try and justify prioritizing yoga over earning money. Guilty as charged.

For now, since I can't do any recaps of our trip, I will leave you with a few pics to curb your enthusiasm... will be back shortly!

European standstill

2010-12-22T16:23:00.000+01:00

As you may or may not know, the European airports have been at an almost complete standstill for the past few days. Bad weather in Germany and the UK, among others, have caused major delays and cancellations galore. This is not good news.

We are flying from Stockholm to Frankfurt, and apparently the Frankfurt airport was closed for a while and just resumed partial operations starting yesterday when they opened one runway. One. The flight from Stockholm to Frankfurt yesterday left 6 hours later than scheduled. Yikes! I was slightly freaking out yesterday thinking that our chances of reaching Asia were slim, but today the same flight left with only a 15 minute delay. I hope things tomorrow are going to go as planned!

If we miss our connecting flight, we could be stuck in Frankfurt for Christmas. This wouldn't be so bad if we were actually bringing our winter jackets with us on this trip. Touring around Germany with no winter wear and a suitcase full of bathing suits and shorts is not my idea of a good time.

I am crossing my fingers for no delays, cause I hear that the Vietnamese are excited for their favorite Swedish/Canadian couple to come visit. They are planning parties and parades n stuff. I wish I was joking, but we are kind of a big deal.

That was probably a joke. Probably.

So I bid the internet a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! See you on the flip side! Also known as 2011.

Adios!

Photogenic

2010-12-13T20:22:00.001+01:00

My husband is so photogenic I can't bear to let him upstage me in a picture.

That, or he is in the witness protection program and I don't want him exposed. Take your pick of a cover story.

The funny thing about this picture is that I didn't even realize that I was blocking him out. It's all about working it for the camera.... I was too busy to look out for him.

Random thoughts

2010-12-10T12:04:00.000+01:00

Dear Blog friends,

The past couple weeks have been rough. Finishing up my course work, working on my thesis, teaching yoga, blah blah blah. Every one has a busy life, but at times I have felt mine spinning out of control!

Just a few more weeks til I am on the beach, course work (hopefully) behind me and just the remaining parts of the thesis to contend with. Sounds good to me! I thought that I would give a few random thoughts out there into the internet universe since that is about the only coherent thing my brain can muster to put on the blog. Unless you would like to hear about my thesis?? I thought not.

first, Swedes are weird. But weird in the way that makes you think "wow, they are weird, but I kinda like it." Well, I married one, so I guess that makes me equally as weird.
I cant drink coffee after 10am or I get a stomach ache. I am drinking coffee right now and its noon. I can predict that this is going to end terribly but I still do it anyway.
I spent the month of November doing yoga. 27 classes in 30 days. Yes, I realize that it was unrealistic to spend that much time doing yoga when I should have been doing school work, but it was so worth it. My hamstrings are happy.
I can NOT choose just one yoga studio! Please don't make me. And please let me win the lottery so that I can pay for all of the studios that I want to go to.
I may be tripling the yoga classes that I teach, but have no idea where in my schedule I can fit them in.
After the last yoga class yesterday, I was given gingerbread and oranges to share with the class and have a small "class party". I thought that was really sweet. But so Swedish. In Canada if we had something like this it would be granola cookies with no sugar and vegan. Canadian yogis are weird hippies.
I am sitting at a library that I have never been too, but it is so awesome and close to where I live that I am kicking myself for trying to "study" at home (ie. watch glee and pretend that i will study when its over)
I have a glee addiction. Don't judge.
I don't have to buy a Christmas present this year at all. Not one. And ever since I read that book Skipping Christmas by John Grisham I have always wanted to skip Christmas. Although I hope that my skipping ends differently than his did.
I have a severe chocolate and sugar addiction that I keep telling myself that I will deal with in the new year and detox from, but I highly doubt it will happen. And if the attempt is made, please send flowers to SJ because he will probably either get killed or divorced. I will blame it on the sugar though.

Ok folks, that is all my brain can manage at the moment. If I don't return before the holidays with a witty blog post (cause, aren't they all??) then I will definitely return in the new year with a recap of our trip.

Happy holidays!! Or, for other Christmas skippers out there, Happy December!

Green and sunny Christmas!

2010-11-10T14:53:00.005+01:00

So after many weeks and, if I'm honest months, of planning, searching, changing plans, aborting the mission only to restart it the next day, we FINALLY booked our Christmas holiday!

We ended up paying way more for the flights than we had anticipated, partially due to our desire to travel for Christmas/New Years, but also because we waited until now to book them. Write this down everybody: Six weeks before the holiday season is a bad time to book flights. Now, memorize and learn from our mistake.

To add to our troubles, when we would decide on a flight and price, when we went to book the flight it was gone! I think I had a few grey hairs pop up during this whole process but, in the end, flights were booked and now the fun of planning can begin!

So, in order not to keep you in suspense any longer...we bought tickets to....to.... Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! We are leaving on December 23 and returning on January 6.

Hopefully we will get see a bit of this:

(source)

and a bit of this:

(source)

and most importantly, a bit of this:

(source)

We will probably book a hotel for our first night, just so that we have a place to go. The only bonus of not being able to book the cheap flights is that our travel time was severely decreased by having only two flights - Stockholm to Frankfurt to HCMC - instead of having another pit stop in another Asian country. So we land in HCMC at 8am on December 24th giving us the whole day there. Which will probably be spent nursing the jet lag, but I don't mind.

We are going there with really no plans. I usually book hotels and know where I'm staying when I travel, so this 'fly by the seat of your pants' traveling is going to be something new for me and something I've always been scared to do. I've always wanted to do it, but ya, its kinda intimidating, but it's now or never. Time to face my fears!

After Saigon, we have a few ideas of where to go, such as Phu Quoc Island:

(source)

Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam, with lots of snorkeling and other water related activities which I bet can totally erase the darkness and snow of Stockholm from my mind. Its located on the South Eastern tip of the country, quite close to Cambodia. It will add a nice relaxing element to our vacation if we end up visiting there. From my experience being in India for 6 weeks in March 2009, it is always a bit draining to visit countries that are so different from our own, so having a bit of beach time is mandatory.

Another area that I would like to visit is Nha Trang, another coastal city with beaches and sun, but also a lot of history for us to discover:

(source)

We will probably have to only choose one beach to visit. Tough choices, huh?

I would also love to visit Hoi An. Its a city that is known for their tailor shops, where getting handmade tailored clothes is not only possible, but super cheap. From my experience in India I know that getting something made will probably result in me only wearing it for the trip, but nonetheless it is really an interesting process. Something that SJ hasn't experienced yet and I'm determined to make him try.

(source)

And personally, I don't think that I would be able to live with myself if I went to Vietnam and didn't visit the floating market. Located in the Mekong Delta, this is something that I will try super hard to fit into out travel plans. I remember a few years ago watching the Amazing Race when they went to a floating city in Cambodia. I doubt that in just two short weeks we are going to be able to make it there too, but Vietnam's floating market might just feel like a good substitute.

(source and source)

Regardless of what we do, I am sure that we are setting ourselves up for an adventure. One that we have actually never done together. I went to India alone (which SJ wasn't invited to come with me anyways, it was just something I had to do alone) for my yoga teacher training, we went on a trip with two other friends through the US in summer 2009, but we have NEVER been traveling alone together. Ever. Not even once.

I hope we don't kill each other.

One thing that I am worried about going to Vietnam is the fact that it will be difficult to get vegetarian food. I have heard from a friend who was just there a couple weeks ago that dog is a common meat for them to eat. Um, gross. And this kind of ties in with the book I've been reading for the past couple weeks, "Eating Animals" and how he tries to understand why some cultures eat dogs while North Americans don't, whereas in India they don't eat cow and North Americans do. I realize that I shouldn't turn up my nose to dog just because I think it's "strange", but that doesn't change my beliefs about eating meat. I would rather live on a diet of fruit than inadvertently eat some meat, dog or not. The best I can do is try and learn a few phrases in Vietnamese saying "No meat please" or "I'm a weird hippie freak, feel free to make fun of me, but I will not eat your meat!"

Whatever works I guess!

This was a really long post to tell you that we are going to Vietnam, we're excited, and yes I have just procrastinated a whole afternoon away writing this awesome post. But it was so worth it!

The 12 steps of addiction

2010-11-08T09:42:00.001+01:00

Hi, my name is EJ and I'm an addict.

There. I said it. Airing out my dirty laundry for the world to finally see me for who I truly am. An addict.

Of books. I am a book addict. What kind of addict were you thinking!?!

A few weeks ago, my sister recommended a trilogy for me to read. While I am an avid reader, usually during school I don't have the time or energy to read something for "fun" when I have read lots of other things that were definitely "not fun". But regardless, I was a bit bored and thought, what the heck, I will start this book now.

Enter in addiction. Enter in bad idea to start a trilogy when I have a million school things to do.

So while I became totally TOTALLY addicted with the books, I couldn't do anything else until they were done. I don't know why I have ever tried to go on a diet before. All I have to do is read a good book and I completely forget to eat, shower, sleep, etc. I have no idea how I made it to the yoga studio for class, since certainly spending 90 minutes of my day not reading was not preferred. And somehow during the class I forgot about the book and the plot, and was just able to enjoy the moment.

Until class was over.

Alright, so if you are like me and have an addiction to books, go out and buy the Hunger Games trilogy. Now. Seriously. It is just that good!

Except for the ending. I hated the ending, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

Now that I finished all three books in three days, its back to studying for meeeeee! I wish that I could read school books with as much intensity as I do fiction books.

I did finish my last day of my internship and have been able to enjoy unemployed life a bit (hence the book bender. Don't judge). I joined a yoga studio last Monday and so far I am completely loving it! Its nice to practice with a sangha again, I really missed that. My yoga class that I teach was canceled this week because of the holiday (for what, I have no idea, but I make it a point to NEVER question a holiday!), and although I love teaching yoga, it was really nice to have a week off. Which I spent doing yoga, so it was kinda fitting.

It was also SJ's birthday on Thursday. I tried to make him Pad Thai for dinner but it was an absolute flop. I don't get many flops when I'm trying new recipes, even so I should have made something I was sure to work. The worst part is that he tried to eat it and tell me it wasn't that bad. It stunk up the house for days, so I'm quite sure it was that bad. Sometimes he is just too polite for his own good.

Christmas flight tickets will be booked this week. That, my bloggie friends, is a fact. There was a bit of trouble when we were trying to book them yesterday, and I kinda lost it. Its so frustrating searching for flight deals, finally selecting the one that you want, and then when you go to book it its gone!!! I thought that I might have an aneurysm. But once flights are booked then the fun of planning where to go and what to see can start. Until then, I am not going to hold my breath.

We are not good decision makers

2010-10-26T21:07:00.000+02:00

For some odd reason, SJ and I are having a terrible time planning our winter/Christmas holiday. Yes, I realize that this may seem an odd thing to complain about, but its TRUE! And its STRESSFUL!!

We have a few time frames that could work for both of us, particularly if I don't have a job in January. But in the off chance that I do, that complicates things a bit. So we have been humming and hawing for the past few weeks, looking up ticket prices to Ho Chi Minh or Costa Rica or Bali or anywhere promising high temperatures and sunny skies. But then no decisions are made and we abandon the plan for a few days. Then we restart the search again only to discover that the prices have gotten even higher, causing us to again pause and rethink our plan.

You can see how this is troublesome. And cyclical.

I hope hope hope that we will end up going somewhere for our long-awaited honeymoon. I hope that we will be able to get a break from the darkness and approaching cold. But if I were a betting girl, I would put my money on us ending up staying in our apartment for Christmas, still searching for destinations and wondering if the temperature in southern Spain really is only going to hit 20 degrees in December, and if that is really "not hot" enough for us.

Heeeelllllooooooooo!!!!!!

2010-10-12T15:44:00.000+02:00

Although in each blog post I promise to update more regularly, I fail to do so. All I can say is OOPS!

Let's go through an update on things. First, I am almost finished my internship....for the second time. I end working part time at the end of this month and in some ways I am really grateful! It's been tough to be a full time student and also working 20 hours a week. But who knows, they may end up extending me at the last minute just like they did in August so I shouldn't be looking too forward to some extra sleep in days a week if it ends up not happening.

I am also starting my thesis for this company and that starts this Friday. Technically I am suppose to be writing my thesis for twenty weeks starting in January, but my company had a project now that they said I could use for my thesis so I jumped on it. Its really difficult to get data to use for a thesis, and I really didn't want to do a literature review (not that there is anything wrong with that! just wasnt my goal) so I will be writing it now. The catch is that I only have 10 weeks to meet my deadline for the company, so I will be replacing paid work with unpaid thesis work, which still means that I am going to be a busy bee. The bonus is that it will be done so in January I can look for full time employment. Money money money! (sung to the tune of ABBA, obviously)

In other news, it was my second wedding anniversary this past Friday. I scrambled to make a scrapbookthingy for SJ, something I should have done for our first anniversary which was paper. Maybe next year I'll get him something cotton? I dont mind being one year behind. He loved it, although I'm probably the last crafty person alive it didnt turn out that badly. Though professional scrapbookers out there are probably cringing at my continual call of this 'memorative' book a scrapbook.

Wedding day - rebel in black

We decided to celebrate on Saturday because, you know, old married couples need to be in bed by 10pm. And going out on a Friday night is just toooo out there for us. So Saturday we ventured to an *apparently* amazing restaurant called Num Num Quan in Södermalm. With no reservation. Apparently this is a no-no for this place and the hostess kind of laughed at us. No bother, we ended up finding another great place to eat, called Nyagatan. I ordered the only vegetarian thing on the menu and SJ surprised me by doing the same! I have been reading the book "Eating Animals" and having hysterics over the meat industry and how people can actually eat meat all the while knowing this factory farming is going on. Blah blah me on my soapbox enthralled in the book. I guess this scared poor SJ to eating his chicken drum sticks in privacy. No one wants to deal with a crazy wife on your anniversary.

Though I have been a vegetarian for a few years, I rarely talk about it. Unless I am invited over to your house for dinner, then I might casually mention it, but usually not. Everyone has the same access to information that I have, and they have the right to choose to eat whatever they want. UNLESS I am reading a book about it, then everyone has to hear about it. Don't ask me to explain myself, I have no other explanation for this weird behaviour other than I am a Gemini. When in doubt, always blame your astrological sign.

I have mainly switched over to a vegan diet the past couple months, though I really hate labels. I find that it just gives people a way to find a flaw in your lifestyle and point out all the things that are going against what you are eating. Though I do feel bad that SJ has a crazy wife, I have been good to him in the past couple weeks. I have veganized a few dishes - most successfully carrot cake and chocolate cookies - so he sort of reaps the benefits. I did find a drumstick under his pillow the other day, so you be the judge of if he's benefiting or not.

One last thing to mention before you explode with all this new information about my life you have been subjected to. We are finally going to take a honeymoon!!!! Christmas & New Years in somewhere tropical. Or somewhere dangerous. Or somewhere exotic. Or none of the above. No idea yet, but I believe fate is telling me south east asia. Either fate or my Gemini nature. I can't be sure.

I realize that I started out this post by telling you about my 2nd anniversary, but I dont see an expiration date on calling it a honeymoon. Prove me wrong.

I have a man-servant...and I kinda like it.

2010-09-10T23:36:00.000+02:00

Disaster has struck. Disaster, commonly referred to as... the common cold.

Let me tell you this horrible tale which pretty much has convinced me to move back to Canada where they have real over-the-counter medicine for when a disaster of this magnitude strikes.

Last Tuesday, a friend invited me out for dinner on Friday. I felt a bit of a cold coming on, and politely declined saying that I should stay home and nip this cold in the bud with lots of sleep. And sleep I did! I rested, played up the cold a bit so that my lovely hubby doted on my needs. He made me dinner (or, went and fetched a pizza - same thing to him), did the dishes, blah blah blah. It was amazing. I almost feel as if I'm going to recover faster because I don't have the tiring task of domestic type work. At least that's how I spin it.

Monday rolled around and it was back to showering and work for me. I tried to convince my co-worker that he should take SJ's place of man-slave during the day, but he saw right through me. Whatever, his loss. My cold just still would not let go of its clutches on my immune system, its like a bad stink in the fridge that you can't get rid of, no matter how much attention you pay to finding the source (which is a current problem in our fridge at the moment...source still remains a mystery). This isn't your run of the mill cold though, it's all in the cough. A relentless, annoying, and persistent cough.

Wednesday night was almost unbearable. I couldn't sleep at all, I mean, who can sleep when you're coughing all night long, and spent Thursday morning sleeping in. Gotta love student life in moments like this. The bad thing was that I was teaching my first yoga class on Thursday night. I couldn't call in sick for my first class! So I went, and showed all the students what a first class Canadian whisky voice sounds like. I bet that no one will be back next week. They all probably thing their yoga teacher is an alcoholic.

Last night I didn't get to sleep until after 5am. I thought I would see the sun rising I was up so late, but summer sun is definitely gone and I'm in denial that the winter darkness is approaching. SJ had to get up early this morning so like the good wife that I pretend to be, I made up for all the tea fetching and dish washing and dragged my sorry ass to the couch. No complaints from SJ, although he wakly tried to tell me that I didn't have to do that. I saw right through those lame appeals for me to stay hacking in bed.

I am really lucky that I work a flexible job, and can do some work at home over the weekend if I'm feeling better, or just make up the hours next week. I spent the day on the couch, creating a really nice dent in my favourite spot. Gotta work a new couch in, those cushions don't get soft without a LOT of dedication, and I'm working on that.

But the real tragedy in this whole story, is you can tell how really sick I am by how much ice cream is still left in the Ben & Jerry's container. There is only one spoonful missing. That is, until SJ reads this post and realizes that there is B&J secretly stored in the freezer, then it's game over.

The seasons are changing....and so are the things around me

2010-08-27T18:07:00.000+02:00

Wow, has it really been almost 2 months since I've posted an update?!? Ouch.

To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to post about this summer. As I've said, I was working an internship for almost the full 12 weeks of my summer vacation. While it was great and exciting, no one wants to hear about the endless hours I spent in front of my computer.

Except for maybe my Mom, who is probably the only one complaining about my lack of blog posts.

Today was officially my last day at my internship, though I was asked to continue part time for the next 2 months!! That is super exciting, money flowing into my pocket and more working experience in my field is always a welcomed thing.

School is starting on Monday, and though I am not excited about being back to studying full time (+ part time working I guess) I am happy that I will be done this program soon and off into the big bad world.

On the yoga front, I have scored a job teaching yoga once per week for the first semester. I taught some yoga classes in January for students in my class, and really loved it! I am looking forward to teaching again and just working on deepening my yoga practice. I have gone twice to a studio that was offering free yoga classes this week, and since I completely loved it I will be joining there with a semester card.

Things are looking up people. Even though the sun is setting earlier and earlier, I have exciting things that are happening in the next few months. Stay tuned for more updates, because I promise they are coming!

Danger run!

2010-07-10T20:02:00.003+02:00

Good evening dear blog readers!! I am here today to give you a bit of a lesson about Sweden and its animal inhabitants.

I know you really wanna know. Really.

Last night SJ and I headed out to run our usual 6k route. It was quite hot even for being nearly 8pm. Nevertheless, we were determined to pound out a good run and start the weekend off on the right foot, no pun intended.

Some times, when I see ants scurrying away when I'm running, I think back to that movie "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" that I used to watch when I was young. I imagine that I'm the huge foot and it sounds like thunder and everyone (ie the ants) are running around frantic trying to take cover. I try not to step on them, really I do, because the movie wouldn't have been a very good movie if they got trampled.

I never claimed not to be weird.

Ok moving on.

So as I was saying, I was looking at the ground. And something caught my attention, and I had to stop and run back for a closer look. I thought it was like a gold thin bar, or copper bar, something like that. But upon closer inspection I discovered that it was...... a........ snake. A snake!! Are you freaking kidding me?!? I nearly stepped on it, only missed it by a centimeter or two. What if it was venemous!?!

When I got home I just had to google it and find out what it was. All the way home I was thinking about how great of a blog post this near death experience would make. Something along the lines of "Boy, am I glad to be alive since I almost was killed by a poisonous snake" or "Poisonous snakes terrorising Stockholm, starting with Canadian immigrants!". I didn't think that Sweden actually had any poisonous snakes, but apparently they do. And if they did, they would be after me for sure.

But this wasn't one of them.

This, as it turns out, is a lizard. An Anguis Fragilis to be exact. It basically looks like a snake but has lizard characteristics.

It's pretty cute, no?

[picture source]

So as it turns out my life wasn't in danger. But it did scare the bejesus outta me.

SIDE NOTE: When I was google imaging "Snake Sweden" this is a picture that came up on the first page....

HAHAHAHA!!! Its Prince Carl Philip, second in line for the Swedish throne. That is just the magic of google, isn't it!?!

Baby fever

2010-06-27T20:57:00.001+02:00

I love babies. Especially this one.

Its hard to concentrate on anything else when I have these sky blue eyes to stare into for 2 days.

My ovaries are in starting to scream – “We’re ready!! Look at how cute he is, we wanna make something like this toooooo!!”

And then I helped change a poopy diaper - the kind with poop running down the leg - and my ovaries promptly stopped screaming.

Swedish Midsommar is the best!

2010-06-26T11:16:00.002+02:00

Yikes, its been forever since I've posted anything. How terrible of me! Please accept this sincere apology?

Things here are just really busy. We have both secured jobs and have been busy adjusting to those. I started working on June 8th and SJ started the Monday after. Quite the adjustment from continual student like, lemme tell ya.

I am used to sleeping in 4 days a week (at least!) and only being at school for half a day? Well sometimes its a bit longer, but still those long days are rare. And now I have to do it every day. How do you do it?!? How did I used to do it?!?

I'm sure you are feeling reaaaally sorry for me.

Tomorrow I have Shaena and her adorable little boy Ethan coming to stay for 2 days. I. Cant. Wait. I hope to finally go to Skansen, the open air zoo, as I have heard lots of nice things about it. I think its quite baby friendly too, which is always a plus. Do you think they would mind if I snuck beer inside in my purse?? Probably not :P

Here's some pictures that we took out and about yesterday, the official day of Midsommar.

I am in love....

2010-06-07T21:48:00.001+02:00

With Karlstad of course!

It is such a beautiful city! When SJ and I decided to move to Sweden I told him that there was no way that I could live in a small city. I wanted big city living!

Oh how wrong I was.

I love love love the small town feel. I miss being able to ride my bike places and the reasonable house/apartment prices. Stockholm is beautiful but I really don't have any permanent ties keeping me here. If I could move somewhere else at the moment I definitely would, and Karlstad would be one of those choices!

Our hotel room ended up being a honeymoon suite (we used our Smartbox gift certificate so we weren't exactly sure what we were going to get!). It made us feel so special :)

We wandered the city streets and they were packed with people. Every patio that we passed was completely jammed with beer + coffee drinking Swedes finally getting a dose of sunshine.

Their parked were gorgeous....

And we even found a beach close to the city center....

The water seemed to go on forever and was all around me. Great in the summer, windy and cold in the winter???

The sunset was beautiful.

We went to Mariebergs Skogen which is a park. It was Sweden's National Day so it was buuuusy!

They had a zoo (admittedly a small one) so it was cool in my books.

We took advantage of the free bikes that were "rented" out in the city center and biked around. Quick and a workout!

And we saw our future house....

We even biked the 2km uphill to the university. If I had to do that everyday I would have thighs of steel. The ride back to the city was nice - I think I only had to pedal once and was basically flying downhill.

All in all - the best trip with the best traveling partner. I would repeat this weekend in a heartbeat, but we all know that you can never repeat things.

Next up - Åland me thinks!

Gotta love Swedish

2010-06-02T21:11:00.002+02:00

The other day SJ and I went out with some of his engineering friends for dinner, beer and games. Its the end of the term and therefore time to celebrate with friends and enjoy the (finally) good weather again.

We headed out for tapas and then to a bar/pool type place in Kungsholmen. I had never been there before. I have to say, I think its where all the Emo kids hang out, but the beer was cheep and the games were plentiful. That makes a good night in my books.

We played this game...

Its the type of game where you have to wear super sexy glasses to play...

One team had to hold a card and the other team had to guess words under a certain topic, for example 'root vegetables'. It was something that most of it was easily translated into English - I was, as usual, the only English speaker there. Or I should rephrase - the only non-Swedish speaker.

Sometimes its frustrating that I don't speak Swedish. But I really have no one to blame except myself. I have yet to sign up for SFI, using excuses such as school work or going to the gym. I have no idea why the reluctance to learn Swedish. Maybe its all the people who keep asking me when I'm going to learn Swedish, and how much better my life will be once I do. Its almost as if the rebel inside me is revolting against what they want me to do.

But I'm forgetting - its also what I want to do.

So....next month. SFI. Its on my blog now so I have to do it.

Chia....pet?

2010-05-25T18:37:00.001+02:00

One of the frustrations of moving to a new place is that you don't know where to look for things. In Winnipeg, if I wanted a certain food product I knew where to go. If i was looking for a pair of jeans, I knew where to go. Yes, some would say that it takes the fun out of shopping and exploring the world around you, but in many ways that was super comforting.

Lately I've been looking for natural/health related products. I bought a blender (which is on its way!) and have been looking up smoothie recipes online. Some of the products, such as chia seeds, I have no idea where to find. I expect that my local Ica doesn't carry them.

So that led me to an internet search. Problem number one (and really, my own fault) is that I don't speak Swedish. So searching these sites for something totally specific can be tricky. But no matter how hard I searched, even with the help of google translate, I was not able to find a site that sells chia seeds. NO WHERE.

Its just really frustrating at times. I just want to get what I want without all the hassle of searching for it. Call me lazy I guess.

So bloggie peeps, I'm asking for your help. Do you know a good health food store here in Sweden?? Something similar to Whole Foods in the US? (not that I've ever been there, but I would assume that's where you could find them! and most people know that store by name...) It doesn't have to be as big, but just something that would carry off the wall things such as these much sought after Chia seeds?!?

I never thought that I'd miss big box stores such as Superstore or Organza (Winnipeg's version of whole foods...)

I love birthday presents

2010-05-23T10:26:00.001+02:00

Its my birthday on Monday. Yep, I'm getting older though I try and not remember my exact age. 28 doesn't seem young or old, its just a number and it always depends on how you feel. I honestly don't feel a day older than 23.

This weekend's weather has been A-MAZ-ING! Seriously, sunny and 25 degrees (Celsius of course) and not a cloud in the sky. On Thursday SJ had his final presentation for a project that he's been working on for the past four months. This meant that he could take (some of) Friday and Saturday to hang out with me. FINALLY!

On Friday we headed out to Medborgarplatsen for some people watching. We had falafel's from our favorite greek place in the square and sat outside and watched everyone else also enjoying the sun. There's nothing better than a beer on a warm day so we also enjoyed that as well. Mmmmm, beer.

It wasn't a party night by any means, I was home and in bed by 10:30pm. We are a boring married couple I guess.

Saturday I had to help my friend move some stuff but we were all treated to ice cream in the sun so it was totally worth it! Afterwords SJ took me into the city and bought me my new birthday present....

I have been wanting a new bike for years, and he promised that he would get me one when we moved to Sweden. Now the thing that kinda sucks is that we live in the suburbs, so not really the bike around type of community that I was used to from my days living in Umeå. But still, instead of biking as a means of transportation we can now also just do it for some leisure and to explore the area. I'm pumped!!

Now we just have to get SJ a bike.....

Husbandless

2010-05-20T21:08:00.000+02:00

It has been a rough couple of days. SJ has been working long hours, sometimes not getting home until 2am and one day didn't go to sleep until 6am, just one hour before I got up for school. We are just on total opposite schedules right now and it really sucks.

I eat all my meals alone. Cooking for one sucks. How do you know that you actually made a good tasting meal? Its like a tree falling in a forest, if no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?

I also do all the dishes (which is actually my assigned job in exchange for not having to do any laundry). But because SJ is never home, I also have been doing all the laundry. I clean and vacuum. I make the bed. I have been doing everything for the past few months.

I don't think it really bothers me much that I have to do these things, what bothers me the most is that I don't see him anymore. It was really nice to have the wedding this past weekend and have the travel time by bus to spend some time together. But when we were at the wedding it was more of a group activity thing and no quality time for us.

And to make matters worse he lost his cell phone last week so I can't even call him to check in. We have gone 3 days without actually having a conversation or any real form of communication. Sigh.

He should be done his project soon, I mean school ends in 2 weeks. But since this has been going on for months I'm really counting the days to when he becomes a person in my life again, instead of just someone who's socks that I have to pick up off the floor.

We will have 4 days together before I start my summer job and I'll be working every day (when he finally has free time and no job yet). We just can never get in sync.

(

(a picture from the wedding - I will be writing something about the differences between Canadian and Swedish weddings soon!)

Free speech

2010-05-18T16:32:00.000+02:00

Its 2010. Crazy eh?

But that's not news to most people. I mean, its already May, so we've had 5 months to adjust to writing 2010 on our cheques and papers.

The thing that really gets me about it being 2010 is that there are things like this happening. The Swedish artist, Lars Vilks, had his house lit on fire in retaliation of his artwork.

In case you don't remember, in 2007 he drew a controversial picture of Muhammad which sparked retaliation from the Islamic community. On Wiki it states that there is a $150,000 reward for killing him.

The guy has a PhD for goodness sake. He drew a cartoon. This doesn't make sense to me.

The thing that I really hate is how scared he must be. I wonder if he knew what kind of danger he would be in if he published a drawing like that. Or maybe that was the point, he's willing to live with the fear just to try and dissolve the fear of Muhammad drawings and depictions.

Whatever his reasons for doing this, he certainly does not deserve to have his life taken away. I feel sorry for the guy, seriously.

South Park recently had their own Muhammad drama which I think was totally lame. They had an episode where Muhammad was suppose to be depicted, but in the end Comedy Central wimped out and censored the image. You can read more about it here. This again is just really lame! As the creators say, this is all about intimidation and fear, and by allowing threats to determine what we do or do not say is not a way to live life. Especially a show like South Park, which prides itself on saying whatever the EFF they want. And I love them for that.

So, I'm sorry Lars Vilks. I'm sorry for what you are going through, and I'm sorry that you are still being attacked and threatened. I just hope that your lack of fear and your courage to publish your drawing will in some way come to some good in the end.

Visitor!

2010-05-13T19:55:00.002+02:00

So this past weekend I had my first official visitor! Lianna came to visit from the UK where she has been living for the past year. We met when working in Winnipeg in 2006 and Svante used to play on her co-ed soccer team. I haven't seen her since I left for India in February 2009 because she moved to the UK while I was away. Needless to say, I was excited for her to arrive!

The real crappy thing was that the weather here in Stockholm did not want to cooperate at all. When she arrived on Friday evening it was raining and cold, and stayed the same through to Saturday. We tried to enjoy the shops and a bit of sightseeing, but its hard to enjoy a city that you see from beneath an umbrella.

On Saturday night we headed out for a drink in Södermalm. We went to a place called Akkurat which is the type of place that really specializes in lots of different types of beer. This was great, since I love to try new drinks. But the downside is that you could mistakenly order something expensive, as there are quite a few expensive beers on the online menu. They were selling a regular sized Hoegaarden for 105 SEK (14 CAD). And that was one of the cheap ones (yikes!)

Sunday we went and visited a few of the sights, but again it was cold and rainy. Stockholm was not showing its best to Lianna! We still enjoyed ourselves, and I pretty much lost my voice from all the talking and long conversations we were having. Bad weather can't keep us from catching up!

And finally on Tuesday, the day that she was leaving, the weather turned nice again. We became the sun worshipers. At least not all was lost! I think she enjoyed her time here, and I definitely enjoyed seeing her again and playing the host.

We saw some really pretty trees.....

And visited KTH that included a fika in the sun...

And then it was time to say goodbye.....

Slacker

2010-05-04T20:40:00.001+02:00

If there's something that I'm naturally good at its slacking. Or procrastinating. Or just simply putting things off until later. And of course the later the better!

Sometimes I really feel stress about this. I will write to do lists of things that I have to complete, and even write a time line in which they should be completed. For example - school until noon, study in the library until 4pm, and then spinning at 5pm. And the more I plan the better I feel. Sunday's are usually the day when I feel the most stress about lack of accomplishment over the weekend and will spend 2 hours planning and organizing my upcoming week.

And then Monday morning happens and the snooze button is just too accessible. And already there goes my planning.

Since I moved to Sweden I've managed to put on a few pounds (10 to be exact) and though most people cannot even tell (I'm an expert at hiding it!) its still really bothersome for me. I haven't worn my 3 pairs of jeans that I brought with me to Sweden since March because, though I can get them on, they are just so uncomfortable. Sweats are my best friend at the mo.

Anyways, I have such good intentions!!! I really do plan and plan and plan to go to the gym. But I'm just a darn slacker. I'll have to plan to not slack. Starting next week.

Coming up: I have a visitor coming for 4 days and promise to take some pictures! This blog is booooring with no pictures I definitely admit. I am also thinking about getting a better camera to help with said pictures. Also coming up: I'm going to be blogging more about my fitness struggles and less about Sweden in general. All those people who want to hear interesting details about Sweden will just have to come here and visit me to find out! And hopefully, I'll be 10 lbs lighter.

Run as fast as you can

2010-05-02T21:32:00.000+02:00

Today was the start of our running training. SJ and I had a quick breakfast and then laced up our sneakers for the first outdoor run of the season. SJ has some "suggestions" about how to "fix" my technique. I use those terms loosely since I don't think anything is wrong with my technique. I'm definitely not a pro runner, but seriously, how hard can it be to run? I put two feet in front of myself every day and seem to do okay.

But just to humor him, and because I guess marriage is give and take, I allowed him to give some pointers. I didn't have high hopes for this situation. Both of us were joking that I will either kill him or divorce him after this run.

Shockingly, it was great. I mean, really great! There were no fights, no murders and definitely no divorce papers! This may or may not have to do with the fact that SJ had absolutely no pointers to give me. Either he has changed his mind and I now have the most perfect running technique, or he weighed the pros and cons of giving me tips and thought it best to keep his mouth shut. Either way, it was the best decision.

We didn't run very far, maybe only about 3 kms, and didn't spend that much time actually running. I am really used to running in Winnipeg, the flattest province in Canada. We joke that you can see your dog running away for 3 days, but its perfect for running! Or cross country skiing. We have discovered that we are living in the Hollywood Hills. There are some really steep hills that we decided to walk up instead of run. Come on, this was our first run of the season! Need to start slow and with low expectations.

I hope this will become a Sunday regular routine. We went for a walk on Friday night (yes, we lead really exciting lives - while the rest of the Swedish population was out drinking for the Valborg holiday, we were wearing track suits and running shoes and walking) in a different area near us, and it also was great. That I guess is the benefit of living in a new community/city/country, there are always places to explore!

UPDATE: My mom liked the letter that I wrote to SJ. He didn't really think it was that funny. Well, he thought that it was funny that I actually thought he would buy him something. Still waiting.....

A letter to my husband

2010-04-29T16:27:00.001+02:00

Dear Husband,

You drive me crazy. Sometimes its crazy with love. Sometimes you cause me mental instability. Either way, you drive me crazy.

Your darling, amazing wife doesn't ask very much from you. She doesn't ask for money, or beg for fancy things. She doesn't demand Nobel Prizes or other prestigeous titles. She just has some simple requests which I'm sure you can accommodate.

Please close the cupboards in the kitchen. Today she came home to find eight, yes, EIGHT cupboard doors open. This, my dear husband, contributes to the crazy.

Your darling, amazing wife does almost all the grocery shopping. And from said grocery shop cooks amazing meals for you. Which lately, since you haven't been home, she has turned those amazing meals from supper into a lunch boxes so that you can have nutritious food at school. And then you don't eat said lunch box because you buy lunch in the cafeteria. I can't figure out how buying a lunch can be better than my cooking. Are you trying to tell me something??

Your darling, amazing wife cleans the apartment. Since she has become an Engineering Widow, she spends most of her time at home alone. She keeps the apartment tidy and vacuumed, the bathroom clean, and most importantly, the bed made.

Your darling, amazing wife is truly a gift. You should cherish that gift. And buy HER a gift. To show how amazing she is, and how much you appreciate everything she does for you.

Oh, and close the damn cupboard!

XOXO

Lazy weekend

2010-04-25T20:32:00.002+02:00

After spending a wild Friday night out, the rest of the weekend has been spent on the couch recovering. I think that we have become too old to be staying out until 2am and having more than 2 beers in a night. But, I kind of like our usual Friday night routine of laundry and bed by 10pm. Its really nice to spend that time together, even if its just doing the regular routine things of life.

One thing worthy of mentioning about Friday night was my interesting train ride. I am really paranoid about taking trains here, I don't like standing too close to the edge of the track and get really worried when a train/metro comes into the station. I was hoping that it would pass but after 8 months I still get that 'be wary' feeling. And I get it for a good reason.

Lately I've been reading about lots of accidental deaths from people falling onto the tracks when a train is coming in, or dropping a cell phone and trying to get it off the track before the train arrived, and of course those who commit suicide. I think it would be so terrifying to see something like that.

Well this Friday, sitting at Södra Station waiting for the pendeltåg we saw just that. There are two different platforms - one with trains that are generally going south and one for trains going north. There were of course the general shenanigans and drunk behavior, generally between the north and south track. Nothing aggressive, but definitely offensive. Two older (and quite pudgy) men were yelling at two younger women to show their tits, something which they did not quite appreciate judging by the look on their face. Then out of no where some other guy dropped his pants and started swinging his willy around. It was quite humorous, since that wasn't what the pudgy guys were looking for.

I guess this guy thought that instead of swinging the sausage around on the other platform he would come onto our track. The short way. So he jumped onto the track and started walking across and that's when I noticed the incoming train. Fast. Blasting its horn. Really loud.

I closed my eyes. I don't do well with blood or stressful situations. Especially in movies, and this felt quite like a movie. I mean, no one is that stupid that they would do something like that. But he did. And he lived to tell the tale.

I opened my eyes to see him scrambling up the side of the platform, the train still coming in, and security walking quickly to attain him. I guess jumping on train tracks are not allowed - but swinging your privates around is completely acceptable.

Saturday SJ woke up feeling really sick - fever and the start of a bad cold. Honestly, he is the most annoying sick person in the world. It must be some sort of man disease - its like he's on his death bed and unable to do anything at all. A day or two I can handle, more than that I need an escape so that I don't tell him to suck it up.

I've really liked having a 'sick' weekend without having to actually feel sick. We've watched a number of movies, ordered sushi and wok from a nearby restaurant, made waffles and talked about running our 10k. Its so fun to talk about doing something while sitting on the couch not having showered for 2 days.

Sushi that we got a few months ago when they were having a 50% off sale. Ahhh-maaazing.

Celebrating the Swedish summer

2010-04-24T20:57:00.000+02:00

Since the days are getting longer and longer, what better way to celebrate the daylight then to spend it outside. And what will I do outside? Well, if i had a dog (what I've been bugging SJ about....but he's not caving) I would go outside and walk it. I would spend hours outside walking and exploring the world with my new beautiful cutie of a dog. At least until winter comes.

If i had some garden space I could plant a herb garden. Not that kind of herb, geez. But I don't really like bugs, or slugs, or wasps. So maybe a garden is out.

Or I could just sit outside on the concrete outside my building and relax in the sunshine. Maybe do a bit of suntanning. Although its not really that warm to be in skimpy clothes and suntan.

So, since those options are out, I am going to do the next best thing. I am going to run.

SJ and I have found a race that we can do together. A few years ago I ran the Manitoba Half Marathon which really sucked. I did not enjoy one minute of that race - it was early (7am) and I am not a morning person. The atmosphere was cool, but I think that I didn't train properly and should have been more serious about it. I mean running 21 kms is really no joke! Its tough business!! And though I am really proud that I accomplished it, I don't want to rush into it again without being totally committed to running the miles and becoming properly trained. So after contemplating running the Stockholm Half Marathon for a while, I decided against it.

I started googling other races in the city and came across this - Midnattsloppet. Its a midnight race through the streets of Södermalm. Well, not midnight exactly, but it starts at 10pm and after the race the streets are filled with music and partying. That seems like my kind of race!

So we are going to sign up before May 31st and get the cheapest price. I'm looking forward to doing something with my hubby again and stop feeling like such an Engineering Widow. I had no idea that he was going to be this busy with school and doesn't get home before 10pm most nights. At least if we make this commitment together it gives me a few things: a) more time with the husband, b) more time outside, and most importantly c) since he's a faster runner than me, hopefully it will help me improve my time. And hopefully it won't cause too many marital disputes.

Dinner ideas???

2010-04-20T23:24:00.002+02:00

I’m baaaaack!!! Its been a really busy time since I returned from Canada, mainly filled with cramming for my statistics final and finishing up an assignment using a statistics computer program called STATA. I thought, as any student does, that I would do LOADS of studying while I was on holidays. I didn’t even crack my books once. So after over a week of slacking I was really feeling the pressure and tried to study and learn as much statistics as possible. Then I pulled out my hair. Good news is that the exam went well and I’ve been back to relaxing since then.

Actually not much has gone on since I returned home, other than the fact that Swedes have turned completely crazy! They have made some miraculous 180-degree change from how they were behaving even just a few weeks ago! I heard people allude to this but didn’t really expect to see such a big change. And the weirdest part is that I’M also acting completely different! I must have some sort of secret blood in me.

I had my first dinner party last night since we moved into our new apartment in January. I invited 3 girls over for wine, lots of food and gossip gossip gossip. It was so much fun that I think its going to turn into a more regular affair! And especially since SJ is NEVER home and always at school, its nice to cook for someone besides myself.

When I invite people over for dinner I tend to try new recipes and experiment a bit. I’m not sure why, maybe then because if it doesn’t taste that great or doesn’t work out that I can blame it on the recipe and not on my cooking. Most of the time it works out okay though thankfully. Since all the dishes that I made were sooo delicious I thought that I would share them with you guys.

First, I made this recipe. I am a huge fan of beans, which is good cause I am a vegetarian and basically eating beans is my meat substitute. I really try and stay away from tofu or soy, at least excessively, so beans are the likely replacement. Isn’t SJ lucky to live with me?!? Just a warning though if you make this recipe – it gets better with age. SJ tried it as soon as I mixed everything together. He just can’t help trying what I make, and sometimes I really enjoy him being the guinea pig first (in case it sucks). He HATED it! I guess the red wine vinegar was quite strong at first, but eventually tames down. I ate some today and on day 2 I have to say it was even better than on day 1.

The second salad that I made can be found here. I used red quinoa instead of white, and skipped using the chicken broth and just used plane ol’ H2O. It turned out amazing, and since quinoa is a complete protein its also another great way to eat nutritious food and get protein at the same time. I will definitely be making these for my lunch to take to school.

The last recipe can be found here. I have made my own falafels at home before, but they didn’t really turn out. This recipe got the spices just right and smelled exactly like the street falafels, even before I put them in the oven. The recipe states that deep frying them is the best way to cook them but based on a review where they said they baked them in the oven and they turned out amazing I thought that would be healthier. And safer. I’m not good around oil and frying. Then I served it with some olive tomato sauce and it was perfection.

As if we didn’t have enough good food I baked some asparagus and then made hollandaise sauce (from a box…..sue me). I could have eaten the entire thing myself it was so good. And lucky for me that everything turned out and I don’t look like a jerk – inviting friends over for dinner only to try and kill them with terrible food. That I will save for another day.

Wedding present....REDEEMED!

2010-03-26T15:50:00.031+01:00

For our Swedish wedding version 2, we received a gift certificate for a night's stay at any hotel in Sweden. I thought this was an amazing idea! Great way for us to travel, to see more of Sweden and also something that is guaranteed not to sit on a shelf and not be used.

So now that the dates for my job are worked out SJ and I were free to book a trip out of Stockholm. We looked over our options, humming and hawing over where should we go!

We chose the most romantic, interesting, cultural town of......KARLSTAD! Ok, I'm lying. Its a small town with a population of less than 60,000 people, located in the middle of the country just above Vänern the largest lake in Sweden. But still, I have never been there, and along with the room they also offer a free fruit basket! I've never been one to pass up on free extras, even if its a healthy version when I really would love chocolate instead.

We aren't heading out until June, but luckily its far enough in advance that we got cheap train tickets and will both be stress free as school will have just ended. I love small towns, and exploring their charms. I asked SJ's friend on Friday if we would be able to see the whole town in a day, his reply was "You can see the whole town in 2 hours.....max." Score for us!

I'm also heading back to Canada in the morning and have to catch a 6am train tomorrow, so guaranteed jetlag when I arrive. Only to add to that, we are changing our clocks here in Sweden tonight, so I will lose an hour. Thankfully I know this now instead of finding out when I arrive at the airport that I've missed my flight. THAT my friends, would suck!

So, blogging will cease to exist for a week or so, not that I'm a daily updater. Just a little fyi for those who are tuned in.

But while I'm gone, maybe you should google Karlstad and let me know what fun things I should do while I'm there!

Bringing home the bacon

2010-03-18T18:40:00.001+01:00

So the hubby is leaving this weekend and heading out for brighter horizons. Cooler digs. Awesome times.

Ok, not really. He's just heading back to his home city - population 30,000. But he is going there for a bachelor party, so at least you know its going to be a good time.

Me? What about me?? Well, I have to be honest here. I love being alone. I love having space, peace and quiet, I love eating ice cream right out of the box and drinking milk out of the carton. I love being freeee!

Ok, I don't usually do those things. Or at least I'm not willing to admit it. But I am looking forward to some time alone, I have some running around the city that I need to do to get some small gifts for Canada and some other random goodies. SJ doesn't like to come with me, even though its more fun when he does.

I also have been on this random soup making kick - and plan on doing some cooking this weekend. So far I've made sweet potato, chili and coconut milk soup (which was good) and mushroom soup (which was amazing). They are from a low-fat type cookbook so at least I know they are healthy.

Other good news of the week is that I secured a job for the summer! I'm totally pumped about it. They have hired about 4 interns (according to my new boss) so there will be other students working with me. I'm really excited, the work at the company looks so interesting, and the best part is that the working language is completely English. That's quite hard to find here in Sweden apparently, so I'm really thankful that I managed to find something. I did also have an offer in the UK which sounded like a super amazing opportunity, but unfortunately not financially feasible since I would end up paying rent here in Sweden + rent in the UK. Basically would mean that I would barely break even, so I decided that the one here was what would work best for me. Thankfully they felt the same!

So, I'm employed. Does that mean I can justify a Canada-is-cheaper-than-Sweden-must-stock-up-on-everything-including-one-million-pairs-of-shoes shopping trip?? I'm sure my mom would agree to that.

Sun in Canada?

2010-03-10T19:23:00.000+01:00

Well, I hope so because that's the only type of sun I'm going to be seeing! As I had said, I was planning on doing a trip here in Europe over the Easter break, but nothing was working out. I couldn't find a flight at a decent price, then I couldn't convince SJ to take a week off school and join me in Turkey for $400. Seriously, that guy has his priorities straight. Me, well I guess I could take a lesson or two from him.

But I won't! Instead, I'm heading back to Canada for one week only. Which is quite a waste since its such a long trip, but still it is going to be awesome to see my family and friends that I know I won't get to see for a long time. As I had said, I think that I will be getting a summer job which will limit the opportunity to go to Canada. Maybe Christmas? Oh well, I'm going now and that's all that matters.

What am I going to do first?!? Well, get a Starbucks of course! About a year before going to India I gave up coffee. Cold turkey. Man, that was hard! I suffered headaches, withdraw symptoms, the loooonging for a good hot cup of coffee. Needless to say, I love my coffee. After a month the addiction was gone, but I continued to drink tea as my morning replacement. I realize that tea also has caffeine, but its much less. So I didn't think that I could drink anything at Starbucks, which was not a place I frequented often. But it was close to my downtown work office, and therefore when the weather starts to get nicer it is a popular place for people to walk on their breaks. One day I decided to try an Earl Grey Tea Latte. Oh. My. God. It was amazing! Its basically half steamed milk, half water, a shot of vanilla flavor and an earl grey tea bag. I cannot wait to have one! I should buy the vanilla stuff and make it at home....doesn't take a rocket scientist to do it I'm sure.

(side note: all it took was one week back here in Sweden and I was completely hooked again on the java. DAMMIT.)

I will also do some necessary Canadian stock ups. Like on deodorant that is NOT roll-on. Urgh. Who wants wet armpits to start with? (too much information?!) Hair product that I have not been able to find here, despite numerous attempts. And with curly hair, you just don't mess with it when you've found a good thing. Just don't.

SJ has placed an order for some granola bars. For some reason those are not big here in Sweden at all, but in Canada they have a whole aisle dedicated to stuff like that. Maybe that's why we have obesity rates higher than here. SJ could stand to gain a pound or ten.

I also cannot wait to go to Lululemon again! Its my favorite yoga clothing store. Some people are really against it because it has become more trendy and many people are not really wearing lulu for yoga but because its 'cool'. Pff i say to all those haters. My lulu clothes have stood up to hundreds (yes hundreds, you cannot wear an item of clothing to more than one hot yoga class in a row without washing it, trust me I've tried) of washes and still they look almost brand new! And they have the most comfortable leggings ever, which cost a fortune but again stand up a million times better than cotton ones. So spend the money cause you are definitely getting good quality.

I also cannot wait to get into the hot room at my yoga studio again. Like seriously. If the studio is open on the way home from the airport, I'm totally going. I may rethink that when the jetlag sets in. I think my suitcase is going to be empty on the way there, except for my yoga mat and yoga practice clothes. No one would blame me right? Then on the way home I'll stuff it full of Canadian goodness. Of home.

And finally, I am really excited to eat at my favorite restaurant....my mom's kitchen! Her watching me transition into vegetarianism and be successful (because really, its not that hard people) has motivated her to also become a vegetarian. Its going to be much more enjoyable to eat at her place because meals will be completely tailored to veggie! My fav! Don't get me wrong, I'm not against meat at all. SJ is a meat eater. But I really love meals that are planned vegetarian instead of eating a meal at someone's house and just having to eat the side items. Its just.....different. Like I'm getting the main course instead of filling up on only sides.

OK, this was a long pointless post, when I really should be studying. I have an exam in a few days, but really that's when its the best time to clean the house, do laundry, blog or basically do anything other than studying. I'm good at stuff like that.

Fun in the Sun!! well...maybe

2010-03-04T21:27:00.001+01:00

So March is officially here! And its still cold as hell. But hey, complaining about the weather isn't going to change it, so I am going to stop and just use wishful thinking to bring on an early spring. I did buy rubber boots (which are totally rad by the way) so I guess that is spring-inducing!

So not much is happening these past few days. Watched the gold medal hockey game of course. I've started applying for jobs for the summer and really don't care where I get a job as long as its in my field. I've applied all over - Australia, UK, Switzerland, Hamilton and Burlington and Toronto (all in Ontario). Oh, and Sweden of course! We'll see what I end up with, if anything. But I'm looking forward to the summer already I have to admit, even if it requires some working on my behalf. I also would be completely satisfied if I had no job whatsoever and just spent my days reading books and studying Swedish. Let's see what the universe has to offer!

In other news, I have a short vacation period from school around easter. About 12 days actually. I have been trying to secure some travel plans but nothing is working out! Initially I had wanted to go back to Winnipeg, but I couldn't find a deal at all. I hate paying full price for a flight, and just feel such a sense of accomplishment when I find a good price! I dont deny that I'm weird.

When that plan was kibosh-ed I had planned to go to Spain with a friend from Winnipeg, just meet her at the airport and travel around the south. Can you tell that my body is craving sunlight?? Well, tickets from Stockholm to Madrid, or anywhere else in Spain for that matter, were reaching $500 CAD, which is just a crazy price for already being in Europe. I guess because its a holiday season?? Urgh, who knows. So that plan is officially on hold until a better time. If I dont have a summer job, I will have a LOT of free time!!

Plan B is to try and convince SJ to come on a trip with me. This is not as easy as it sounds!!! He's the king of procrastination and really cannot get anything done in a reasonable amount of time. He does not know when his days off are at Easter, and just can't be bothered to check. Typical. I found some really cheap last minute deals to Turkey, Morocco and a few other places. I doubt he will be able to get his stuff together in time for us to book something, despite my constant nagging.

SO, Easter vacation may be spent....studying! I think that's what is actually required of me, since I'm still in a course that runs over the break. I WANT SOME FUN IN THE SUN! And to wear my sandles again! Universe....please hear me.

In my own world

2010-02-23T20:25:00.001+01:00

Sometimes it's really nice here. Here in my own world. There are pretty flowers, the grass is always green, the sun is shining. And I'm oblivious to the world around me. Or more importantly, the snow around me.

One of the reasons I was so pumped to move to Sweden was for their milder winters. Sure, in the north there is some pretty brutal weather - not to mention the near complete darkness in the winter. But here in Stockholm, according to Wikipedia the average low for the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb) is -5. Now, coming from a town that is nicknamed "Winterpeg", -5 is peanuts. Winnipeggers walk around in t-shirts at -5 like it was a nice spring day. Which it probably is.

So I thought, well, maybe I didn't even have to buy a winter jacket this year! Maybe I'll end up being the super tough canadian chick that doesn't have to wear a jacket because i'm born warm! I've just built up some sort of super human tollerance from living in an arctic climate for so many years.

I bought a jacket that was fur lined before November.

This year, Sweden has decided to play some perverse practical joke on me. Sweden thinks its soooo funny, I can hear it laughing now. Because not only did we have a blizzard/snow storm this weekend which dumped somewhere between 20 and 30 cms of snow but the temperatures are freezing! Almost as cold as Winnipeg freezing (-27 to -15 Celsius!).

I can tell you, I am NOT a happy camper.

This blog post does have a point though. And not just to complain about the weather, which I know I'm very good at. The point is that I live in my own world and totally underestimated the impact of this storm on the Swedish community. On the businesses. And on the importance of the Army.

The Army has been called in to help clear the railroad tracks. For some reason I just find this hilarious. Not hilarious in a 'ha-ha' kind of way, but just a hilarious fact that I moved here to get away from the severe weather and brutal winters. But it just keeps on finding me I guess.

Patriotic

2010-02-19T09:07:00.002+01:00

So, everyone knows that the Olympics are in Canada this year. For some reason, this makes me really sad. I wish that I could be at home celebrating/watching with my friends and family. There's nothing better than watching an important hockey game at a lounge, with 200 of your closest friends, drinking Molson Canadian beer. Well, maybe not the beer, I hate Canadian. But Kokanee is da shit.

So this year, it just feels wrong to be in Sweden. I was also in Sweden during the last winter Olympics, how lame is that?!? The 5 Canadian exchange students and I would round up in someone's student room and watch the hockey game from the edge of our seat, and then when Canada got knocked out we basically hung our heads in shame and accepted all the jokes and criticism that came our way. Urgh, it was infuriating, especially since Sweden won. But WE are the hockey country. Embarrassing.

So I'm a bit worried that the winter Olympics 2010 will have a similar fate as 2006. I really hope not. Either way, i'm going to wear my Olympic gear with pride. At least until the gold medal hockey game.

(notice the Olympic mittens! Gotta love Swedes who are not worried about setting off anyone's gaydar...)

Pff....Valentine's day

2010-02-14T14:03:00.004+01:00

I like to joke that being married means that you become boring. Going to bed at 10pm every night, no more romantic dinners, the predictability of life. Basically once you say "I do" then life becomes one big Groundhog Day.

But in reality, that's not entirely true. And I'm not sure how many people actually believe me when i say it anyways, or maybe they just like going along with the joke. I am pretty funny, so i don't blame them. But needless to say, SJ and I don't celebrate holidays such as V-day. We celebrate our birthdays (kinda), Christmas (sometimes), and our anniversary (only once so far, but that's a 100% success rate).

This Wednesday night SJ was getting ready to head off to Umeå (10 hour drive up north, 1 hour flight) the next morning with his group project partners. Something to do with school and a company....meh kinda boring. Anyways, I had gone to the gym earlier in the evening after a long day at school, and I was beat. I was already in bed and about 10 minutes from being actually asleep. He came into the bedroom and said "Dear, could you make me a sandwich for tomorrow morning?" Urgh, you're kidding right? I mean, I'm TIRED! And he was still packing/organizing, surely he could take a minute and make his own darned sandwich?!? I am not a wife that cooks and cleans on command, surely he's got to be joking!!

Reluctantly I got outta bed and headed into the kitchen. As I was grumbling about how nice I am, and that my efforts better be remembered the next time I need HIM to do something for me, my attention was diverted to this foreign paper on the fridge. Hmm, what's this?? What is a black and white picture of our friend Jeff doing on our fridge? And with questions?!?

It took me a moment to realize that it was a treasure hunt. Come on, I already said I was tired! SJ was following my efforts around the apartment, laughing just as much as I was. He's a pretty funny guy, especially in writing (though it takes him forever, though I guess being funny can take time?) It was so much fun, I was really laughing my arse off. It reminded me of an easter egg hunt! But better. If we weren't already married already I would have assumed this was some sort of proposal, it was just that romantic and fun.

Some of the questions that SJ came up with were just too funny. Here's an example:

Why is my do all messed up?

A) YOU STYLED IT
look in the shower

B) I JUST WOKE UP
look behind the other bathroom mirror

C) WILD SEX
look in the red bag

Come on! We're married! Well, I guess we weren't married at the time, but still. Its B of course, after sleeping in the car in the Göteborg IKEA parking lot.

What was your first impression of my dad's car?

A) WOW THAT IS A TOTALLY AWESOME CAR
look behind the tv

B) WOW, THAT IS TOTALLY AWESOME THAT YOUR DAD COULD LOAN YOU A NICE CAR
look on top of your book shelf

C) IS THAT THE CAR?!?
look on top of the microwave

Umm.... I'll leave it up to the readers to decide what the answer is. I think the expression on my face says it all.

SIDE NOTE: These two pictures are from my trip to Sweden in June 2007, during our Canadian visa waiting period. I don't really look like this anymore - chopped off my hair + lost a few lbs! Well, that is until I found Swedish cheese again....

So finally at the end of this awesome treasure hunt, I found some chocolates. Which is not really conducive to my eating healthy/gym attendance to offset the said cheese obsession. But, SJ claims that this is in no way related to V-day. Just a coincidence that it he decided to arrange this whole romantic gesture just days before the 'romantic holiday'. I guess I cant say that the romance is dead just because we're married. Its probably because we're lazy.

R&R weekend

2010-02-08T15:58:00.000+01:00

So as planned, this weekend was really one in which I pampered myself. And relaxed. And pampered a bit more. Friday night started out with pizza ordering so that we didn't have to cook. I had originally wanted this Wok/Sushi place that is right beside our apartment, as they were having a 50% off sale on all of their wok's. We had one on Thursday night and it was AMAZING! Good marketing to get people to try your product, and then get us hooked. Darn you wok people! We are poor students, but I'm also a sucker for a good peanut sauce. But when we got there on Friday night at about 8pm, they had already closed up. So pizza it was. We spent the rest of the night chilling on our couch and watching tv. A perfect night in after a stressful week.

The next day, SJ went to play squash with his friend, and I went to meet up with them for lunch a bit later on. It was really nice to hang out with friends again, and to see a new area of Stockholm! After a quick bite, we headed off to the studio that was offering free yoga classes all day. I was really pumped! They recently added a hot room to their studio (which I just assumed was a heater added to the room....and was correct) and I really wanted to get into the hot room again! I need to SWEAT!! Sauna style. But, although the class was great, the heat was sub par. I wonder if it was just that there were so many people in and out of the studio that the heat dissipated. Most likely the heat is nothing to write home about. I think that Stockholm really needs a moksha studio. The hot yoga craze is starting to become big here, and sometimes it really disappoints me that the only type of hot yoga people know about is Bikram. I don't feel like his style of teaching really works for lots of people. But i guess that's why I did the Moksha training instead of the Bikram! Anyways, I wish that someone would open a moksha studio here. Then people would really get to know what is so amazing about the practice. And the heat. And the cork floor. And the ecofriendly studio. Oh ya, and I could work there too.

Anyways....after the yoga we had to get something quick to eat cause we were then off to see Avatar! in 3D!! Both of us were quite excited. And as lame as it sounds, going to see a movie together is quite a rarity for us. We are home movie watchers. I have a ridiculously small bladder, making home-watching optimal. But since we don't have 3D at home, to the theater we went! We first stopped at ICA to grab a sandwich and salad, and some godis of course. A movie just isn't the same without some candy. So we were at the theater, eating our supper across from the popcorn stand, waiting for the 6pm show to start. We decided to check which theater we were in, since it was about 15 mins before the show was to start. The tickets said we were in theater 8. The board at the theater said number 1. Houston, we have a problem. Turns out that we had purchased tickets for a different theater online, and would never get there in 15 mins since it was quite far away. Something must have gone wrong when we placed the order, and we just didn't notice. So we went to the front counter to see what we should do. I was fully expecting that they would say sorry, and we would have wasted 300 kr. But the lady was super nice, and booked us into another show at a neighbouring theater that started just an hour later! And the seats were amazing. It all worked out perfectly.

I have to say, both of us really enjoyed the movie. Much more than I thought I would! After the first 10 minutes or so, you forget that you are even watching it in 3D and it just seems like a regular movie. I sat there, for almost 3 hours, and didn't feel the need to check the time or run to the bathroom once. I was totally into the story. I can't wait for it to come out on dvd because I really want to see it again. But not for 300 kr.

Yesterday night we went out to Södertälje to look at a painting that we had seen for sale online. I had no idea that Södertälje was such a nice city! Its on the train route, the last stop, and takes about an hour from central station. But it had such small town charm, nice apartments with corner balconies that reminded me of the 1800's. Seriously, the 3 block radius that I saw I really loved. I'm glad that we ended up there to get the painting because I would have never thought to head down there before. I'll have to go there again in the summer to have a nicer walk around. We found a really nice pub on the way home, really English style. We missed the train to head back home by like 2 minutes, so we decided to turn back and head into the pub and wait. 2 beers and an hour later we finally caught the train home since we had difficulty leaving this really cozy bar. When we finally made it home, we took a few tries to hang the paintings straight (because there are two of them, and hanging two paintings is double trouble) but now they look fabulous on our in-desperate-need-of-a-paint-job walls. And just in time for the housewarming party next weekend.

5 hours of my life

2010-02-05T17:53:00.005+01:00

Well, one of the most stressful exams of my university career is over. Well, maybe I have written exams that were more stressful, like say my final exam for my bachelor's degree. I mean, if I failed that, well then I wouldn't graduate on time! But still, the exam today was seriously one of the most hyped, stressful, anticipated and satisfying exams I've had in a while.

Its was microeconomics, folks. Not rocket science. Not out of this world, unable to comprehend information for which you have to somehow get into your brain. Nope, I quite like economics! I mean, that's what my undergrad is in, so its safe to assume that I like it. But getting everything into my brain, not knowing what is going to be asked of me, that's stressful. But I guess that's how they either test if you know your stuff or not. Or maybe you just got lucky.

There are two things that made it more stressful. First, our teacher can be quite crazy at times. I mean, not crazy like please put him in a padded room crazy, but I think that he gets some sort of pleasure from watching us squirm in our seats. He really played it all up, how tough the course is, how tough the exam is going to be, last year 50% of the class failed, blah blah blah. So he really made us start thinking that right from the start, that there was a really good chance that we were going to fail. Or at least, just barely pass.

The second thing is the block system that they have going on here in Sweden. Every course is 5 weeks. WELL, not exactly. Its all based on points. So a 7.5 credit hour course will be 5 weeks. But this was a 5 credit hour course, so it was 3 weeks. But we learned the whole book in 3 weeks. When we should have taken at LEAST 5 weeks. So learning something from a crazy teacher in not enough time, well that can really play with your mental stability!

Needless to say, I was quite skeptical when I found out that the exam was going to be 5 hours. Pff, who is going to be writing for 5 hours? Me, that's who. And about fifty percent of my class. I didn't think that I could write that much about economics, especially when there were only 18 questions. but hey, life is surprising sometimes.

So, this weekend is going to be spent catching up on the fun things that I haven't been able to do. On the list: free yoga(!), Avatar 3D with the hubby, reading the last Stieg Larsson Millenium book which I deliberately didn't purchase before hand, since I have absolutely no willpower. Especially when it comes to procrastinating. So right after the exam today, I headed over to the bookshop to pick it up. Since then, I've been enjoying tea, reading, and not thinking about supply and demand.

Vitamins and minerals, oh my!

2010-01-25T23:52:00.000+01:00

This past weekend, SJ and I made the biggest investment of our lives! Oh, ok, not the biggest, but definitely the most fun! We invested in a super PIMP, high quality (at least I think so, though since its my first I don't really have anything to compare it to) PHILIPS JUICE EXTRACTOR!!!

As soon as SJ got home with it, I ripped open the box like a kid at Christmas! I have this really weird fascination whenever I get something new, I really like to read the instruction manual from front to back. Not really sure why, I mean, I don't necessarily follow all the instructions. But I guess it just makes me more familiar with the product, MY product. This juice maker came with a DVD, so after reading the instruction manual carefully, watching the enclosed DVD and making a shopping list we were headed to the grocery store to pick up the necessary supplies. Here's what topped the list:

1 million golden delicious apples
carrots
beets
zucchini (which I actually had at home)
cucumber
pineapple
ginger
lemon
lime
celery
kiwi

I'm sure that I'm forgetting a few key ingredients, but oh well. When we were at the cash register we placed a bet, trying to guess how much the bill was going to be. I mean, this is Sweden. Everything is crazy expensive! And its winter, so not the time to be buying fruit and veggies. Well, the total for our basket only came to 250 sek ($35 CAD) which really isn't that bad for the amount of fresh food that we got. That also included a few salad items that we weren't going to be using for juicing. I really think that eating fresh food is really not as expensive as we tend to think it is, especially if we buy what is in season. And we got a whole pineapple for only $1.50, now that's a steal!

So needless to say, the weekend was spent creating different concoctions of juice, the last always being the "best one" we've made! I'm quite sure that juicing is going to be a staple in our diet in 2010. I'm even considering doing a 7 day juicing detox starting next week, but still trying to do a bit of research on that in between economics study sessions (so really, the juicing detox research is winning on that one...)

So after bugging the hubby for 2+ years to get our own juicer, I'm happy to be finally a part of the juicing club.

Forgive me father, its been 20 days since my last confessional…

2010-01-23T19:29:00.003+01:00

But hey, who’s counting?? These past 3 weeks have really been busy! While I was at home in Stockholm studying for my final exam and attending the final seminars, SJ was back in Lidköping getting ready for the move. He had lots of apartment stuff which has been in storage for the past 3 years while he was living in Canada, so all that stuff had to get onto a trailer and make its way to Stockholm. And since I had to be here and go to school (darn priorities) he had to take care of this part on his own. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen with the wave of a wand, but thankfully SJ’s dad and his dad’s girlfriend were generous enough to offer to accompany him.

So on January 9th the three of them set off to Stockholm while I waited ever so patiently. We had it timed pretty well; I would take the public transport and meet them at the new ‘pad’ around the time they were to get there. It was absolutely freezing that day – ok, not Winnipeg freezing, but the coldest weather that Stockholm has seen since the 80’s, apparently – and I thought that it would be super smart to fill a suitcase full of as many books/clothes/random things as I could. Now its quite a far walk from where I get off the train, so cold + heavy suitcase = not a happy camper. When I finally made it to the apartment I took a breather at the front door, wondering how far away Team Movers were. Their car turned around the corner a couple seconds later so we really had perfect timing!

As my father in law started unpacking the trailer, SJ and I headed up to the apartment to check it out. Now I had the keys for a whole week already, but since it was so far from where I was currently living, I didn’t really see the need to go there just to check it out. Mistake #1. We opened the door and it was a complete disaster! I don’t think that they cleaned at all! There was garbage on the floor, random papers, random food items, random furniture. It was the worst apartment I’ve ever moved in to. We snapped some pictures for proof and I headed off to the store to get some of the necessary cleaning supplies. I was able to get some of the surface cleaning done while the rest of the team unloaded and brought it into the apartment. Urgh, I knew it was going to take quite a bit of work to get this the place we want.

I’m glad that we did in fact snap some pictures because that gave us a large rent reduction from the rental company – although I would have rather had the place sparkling clean instead of having to do it ourselves. But I guess you cant have everything…

So things got moved, cleaning was done, and my final exam was written. The world keeps on turning. We did spend last weekend at IKEA, and basically had 3 meals there last Saturday. We ordered all the furniture that we needed, and everything but the couch arrived Monday. After a few days to assemble everything (not a good idea to mass order from IKEA, and not think about the assembling time) and to do the necessary cleaning and organizing, this is starting to feel like a home. The couch comes in 4 days, and I’m sure that it will really start coming together then.

Its really nice to have a home after 6+ months of being nomads. Its nice to unpack and know that it’s the last time for a really long time. We are staying in this apartment for at least 1.5 years – maybe longer. But definitely not shorter! Well, if we do decide to move again sooner, please refer me back to this post and how much work its been!

I do have to say though that if there is a husband of the year award – I would like to nominate SJ! He has put in so much work, a meticulous cleaner, pro-assembler, and has never-ending patience. He basically did all the work while giving me time to study for my final, which was really appreciated.

Next post will hopefully not be so far away since we are now basically settled! Maybe I’ll even blog from our new couch…

Holiday recap

2010-01-03T23:09:00.002+01:00

So as hoped, the trip to Scotland was awesome! Our trip didn’t start on the right foot as we ended up spending too many hours at the airport due to a delayed flight (in typical ryanair fashion!). SJ was also the subject of a very rude customs agent for the second time this year (and I thought it was only the US customs agents that were dicks!). Once we left the airport fiascos things started looking up!

When we got to S & P’s house all the guests were already there so we quickly changed into our party attire and went to celebrate in style! And by style I mean jeans and a t-shirt. All of their friends were really nice and welcoming, but the real guest of honour was S & P’s six-month-old son who I’ve been eager to meet for a while. He was dressed in the cutest Santa outfit, because really, it wouldn’t be a Christmas party without Santa! After large amounts of food and drinks were consumed we played a few games and then called it a night.

The next day was spent recovering from food overload, though we did manage to get out for a short walk of the main strip and see one of the castles. Nothing was open, not even the coffee shops, but we did find some kind of 7-11 type store so I could stock up on my favourite chocolate bar, Twirls! Because at this point the thing we really needed was more chocolate.

The next 2 days were spent wandering around the town and doing a bit of Boxing Day browsing. Neither SJ nor I were in the mood to buy anything, but its always so much fun to take a look around and see what other countries have. We were planning on doing a tour of the city beneath the current Edinburgh, but the reviews online were not that great. So for $20 a person we decided to skip it and go and find a Starbucks instead! That is one staple that I do really miss from home. We also got to do a pub tour while the parents had some quality time of their own at home, and we spent some quality time tasting the beers that the UK has to offer!

After our short but sweet 4-day stay in Scotland we headed back to Stockholm for 2 nights, mainly to do laundry and repack to head out to Lidköping, SJ’s hometown. So on December 30th off we went by bus, taking around 5ish hours. That night SJ went to play soccer (football over here of course) with his old soccer team and I went out for dinner with one of my Swedish meatball travelling partners. It was really nice to catch up since I haven’t seen him since our Swedish wedding in August.

The next day was NYE, so a full day of resting was needed to prepare for the festivities that evening. I had been asked to give a speech, in SWEDISH, from the women to the men. I guess it’s a traditional thing they do at parties like this. And since there was only one other woman there the chances of me being asked to do it were quite high. So to please them but not to torture the other 10 men there, I wrote the intro part of my speech in Swedish, but then the top 5 annoying things about men in English. I think they liked laughing at my attempt at Swedish more than they liked me making fun of them. The speeches went over quite well, though the speech from the men to the women was in Swedish so I didn’t catch much.

After an amazing dinner and champagne at CC’s house we were driven into town to watch the fireworks and do the ‘countdown’. I didn’t actually hear any count down, so we kinda just made our own. It was quite cold, maybe -10 or a few degrees more, so the couples headed back home a bit before 1am. I don’t know if I could have stayed outside much longer, even though I had a thick beer jacket on. So the New Year was rung in with style, but also with typical married fashion of going to bed relatively early.

After a few days in Lidköping, it was time to head back to Stockholm for me. SJ is staying home and will be driving our stuff up in his dad’s car plus a trailer, but not quite yet. I have to go and pick up the keys to our new place tomorrow, plus I have major studying to do since I was not very successful over the holidays. I’m hoping that is the case for my classmates as well just to ease the guilt a bit! So I booked a bus ticket home, and it was 100 kr more than to get there. Oh well, no problem, I have to get home somehow. So we were standing inside, about 5 minutes before the bus was to arrive, and all of a sudden I wondered if I had my house keys on me. Umm, nope! SJ had them in his jacket. At home. So I missed the bus, and the next one wasn’t until the next day. We drove home, which was about 30 minutes, and quickly booked a train leaving from another city about an hour away. We may just have enough time to make it! So off we went in the car again, and thankfully I did make that train with no real problems. And I had my keys in my pocket.

I’m just happy that I discovered I didn’t have the house keys BEFORE I actually got to Stockholm, that could have been a nightmare!

So all in all, it was a good holiday season. Good food, good travelling, good times. I wonder where we’ll celebrate Christmas next year!?!

The Christmas Spirit

2009-12-11T15:44:00.002+01:00

Well, I guess I have to admit it, Christmas is almost here! It really, really does not feel like it. For one, there is no snow and only constant rain and darkness. I guess I’ve also been really busy with my last course and a really difficult exam. It was a home exam, which is much appreciated, but then again the expectations are so much higher.

I had to learn a new computer program, SPSS, which although I’ve been reluctant to admit, but its amazing. I love calculating statistics by hand, but that is not always possible when you have 2000+ data sets to analyze. This exam was really rough but it gave me a good idea about what I’m going to be working with and what interests me. It was a definite learning curve, but its over and I think that I passed the course. Results will be given by email just after Christmas…. Merry Christmas?? Hopefully.

But now that its over, I have some serious shopping to do. SJ and I had talked about sending a package to my family back in Winnipeg, though school and exams snuck up on us and that was no longer an option. Maybe receiving a gift in January will be more appreciated and wont get lost amongst the sea of other gifts. At least that’s what I’m trying to convince myself.

Last Christmas was awesome. Having days off work is always appreciated, but spending it at my mom’s eating until I puke, sleeping in and staying in sweats all day, now that’s a holiday that I can appreciate. Las year SJ and I decided that we weren’t going to get each other gifts, I was saving for my trip to India in February and since we knew that we would be moving to Sweden soon there was no real reason to get each other things. He was the one who thought up the idea, and I agreed to it. But he would bring it up every so often saying that it was really lame, our first year as a married couple and we didn’t get anything. Well, this Christmas we are the only people that are getting each other something, so we can’t be lame and NOT get each other gifts. We have no real excuse and I really don’t want to hear about it for the next year.

Plus, its nice to open something on Christmas. It doesn’t have to be big, just knowing that someone spent the time getting ME something special, and that I did the same, that’s the real meaning behind a gift. That said, I’m having trouble finding SJ something. Having a hard time buying the ONLY gift that I’m responsible for this year. I went shopping yesterday after handing in my exam, and came up blank. Like, “I have absolutely no idea” blank. I have a very limited student budget and so want to get something special. With little money. Not the easiest combo. Ideas?? Don’t worry, he doesn’t read this blog. That’s why I can talk about him so freely, haha.

I wish that I could get us something awesome to experience together. A friend said to me yesterday that she loves to get gifts of ‘experience’. Bungee jumping. Trips. Romantic weekend get-away. That kind of thing. Maybe he would appreciate a couples spa weekend? Probably not, though I certainly would!

Either way, this Christmas is going to be great. We’re together living our new life, setting foundations and placing our roots. We are celebrating it in Scotland with another couple and 8 of their friends for a potluck extravaganza! We are together, happy, healthy and in love. Cheesy, but what more could you ask for Christmas? Well, I’d certainly kill for my mom’s baking...

ps please feed my fish on the left...they're hungry and cute. and thankfully wont die since I cant even keep a plant alive the only thing that I'll allow myself to have is virtual fish.

Commitment phobic

2009-11-28T14:45:00.001+01:00

I am not afraid to admit that I have a problem. A commitment problem that is.

I am scared of commitment. I usually don’t like signing a one-year lease on an apartment or even subscribing to a magazine for a year. I certainly will have an issue buying a house! Or more likely an apartment as is the way in Stockholm. You may not believe me, I mean, I am married which IS a commitment for the phobic’s. But I guess I broke the rules there as well.

Yesterday I signed up for a year contract at a gym. Me. The phobic. One year. Hopefully this is going to lead to something good, like a rock hard stomach or buns of steel. Maybe not, and SJ’s reluctance of me signing up for that long will have been justified. But I am determined to prove him wrong! At the very least, I’m hoping that working out will help me combat the darkness that has seemed to get me down. I mean, its really freakin dark here! 3pm pitch black kinda dark! That definitely plays a hand in my happiness.

One of the main reasons that I signed up for a year is the price. I was eligible for a student discount and them waiving the administration fee of $100 if I committed to a year. And one thing I can’t pass up is a good deal. They have lots of locations around Stockholm (and other cities in Sweden) so since I wasn’t actually committing to one specific location I thought my chances of feeling bound by ball and chain would be less. Only time will tell!

The reason that this company appealed to me more than others are the classes that they offer. Boxing, step aerobics, spinning, dance inspired cardio, afro dance classes, and most importantly, YOGA! Regular yoga, advanced yoga and even ashtanga yoga. I haven’t actually tried any of the classes yet, but I’m hopeful! With that many choices I’m sure that I’m going to like at least a few of them. I hope. I’ve signed up for a year!

I did join a different gym on campus to try it out for a month to see how I liked it. I didn't. Other than the fact that some of my friends went there, that was about the only good thing. They didn't have any yoga classes (at least not the type that I want to do), and there was only one spinning teacher that was worth going to her classes. Plus, it was not a convenient location as right now I live about an hour commute from school. But hey, at least it was only a month. At least I didn't sign up for a year without actually trying the gym. Oh wait....

In other news, SJ is getting ready for his exam period in mid December. I have a take home exam for my quantitative course that will be handed out next Friday and we have a week to complete it. Yuck. Definite busy times ahead, so Christmas holidays and our trip to Scotland could not come soon enough! And then, of course, its time to move into our new apartment at the beginning of January. We have already scoped out Ikea for furniture we want and it’s going to be quite fun (and expensive) to get things set up the way we want it. CANT WAIT!!

Last night I went to KTH to study with SJ. Well, I really didn’t study with him, but basically just had to get out of the house so that I could get something accomplished. Didn’t work that well, but the effort was there! We ended up going to the student bar on campus with one of his lab partners and after 2 beers I was really happy and forgot all about my efforts to study! We had a great time talking (well, I did most of the talking, compliments of the beer) and even met a super friendly German exchange student. Ahh the life of an exchange student. No studying, only partying. Kind of glad that I’m not living that life again, but at the same time it was really nice not to have to stress over school. But then again, I’m quite sure that my liver was not happy with me.

Long live healthy livers. For now at least.

Annoying Swedish Bureaucracy

2009-11-17T19:40:00.001+01:00

One annoying thing about Sweden is their rules. Rules that must be followed and which every Swede does so willingly.

Just over a week ago I lost my wallet. The last time I saw it was when I was purchasing a pair of boots (an admitted weakness of mine) and then I took the usual subway/train combo home. Then about 2 hours later when we were leaving to meet friends at an amazing vegetarian buffet restaurant in celebration of being done our economics exam, I couldn’t find it in my bag. I didn’t think much of it, and just rushed out of the house to catch the train. The next morning I looked EVERYWHERE, but alas, it was gone. SJ and I returned to the shoe store to see if maybe I had left it there, nope. A couple days later we went to the police station to see if someone had turned it in, nope. He phoned the subway/train transportation system to see if someone had found it, nope. Finally I had to face facts. My wallet was gone.

I can’t say that it was a pickpocket, because certainly I was more focused on my new boots than I was about the security of my wallet. I could have easily dropped it on the way out of the store or it could have fallen out of my bag. I don’t think that I’ll ever know. But I feel sorry if a person did pick pocketed my wallet, since I had about 10 kroner ($1.50) in there and I would think that the effort to grab someone’s wallet would be worth more effort than that.

But when a wallet goes missing, it’s usually not the money that is the issue (and certainly not in this case). It’s the credit cards, driver’s license, health insurance, etc. Basically any identifying information is in a regular wallet, most which can be replaced. For me, being in Sweden, it’s a bit more of a hassle. For one, I like having my Canadian drivers license with me for ID because then I don’t have to carry around my passport (since I guess I have a knack of losing things which just decided to appear on Swedish soil).

(side note: this exact same thing happened to SJ the second time he moved to Canada. This is my second time moving to Sweden. Strange pattern is starting to emerge here).

But I guess you’re wondering how losing my wallet can translate into Swedish Bureaucracy. Well, I’m getting to that!

So I canceled my Canadian credit cards, and thankfully nothing had been fraudulently charged to them. One less thing to worry about. The customer service rep was so sorry that I had lost my card, and kept repeating it. I was stunned, I guess I’ve been living in Sweden for long enough to remember what customer service is suppose to feel like. I was touched that he cared, and realized what a hassle it was for me. Yes, they will send out replacement cards, No I didn’t have to do anything, Yes any fraudulent charges would be covered by the bank should they appear in a day or so. Did I want to head straight into a branch in Winnipeg and get a replacement debit card? Oh, you live in Sweden, then no problem, we will mail it out to you if that’s more convenient.

So, with that taken care of I now have to replace my Swedish debit card. Here comes the annoying bureaucracy part. You cannot go into a branch and get a replacement card if you lose it. No way. They wont do it. Because I guess they believe that it wont be ME who goes into the branch, and instead insist on sending it via mail. Which can take a week or more. And I guess they believe that there’s no chance of the mail being intercepted by someone who isn’t me. Sweden: 1, Me: 0.

But the worst part is that my address on file is my father-in-law’s address because I’m a Stockholm vagabond. I don’t have a permanent address and therefore since I don’t feel like changing my address every month with every company that I associate with, we haven’t changed it with the bank. What’s the point? Except now, they will mail my stupid bankcard to a town 5 hours away. Just so that my father-in-law can mail it back to me here in Stockholm. Well, can I just pick it up in person? NO! That’s not the way it works here, and Swede’s follow the rules!

So the moral of the story is….well I have no idea. But maybe it’s not a good idea to move to Sweden and then proceed to lose your wallet. That does not equal a good time.

The 'Burbs

2009-11-13T14:22:00.001+01:00

So when I moved to Sweden, I had this whole idea in my head of how it was going to be. I had imagined what my life would look like, how I would feel, what I would eat. You know, the regular stuff that we daydream when we are thinking about making a big change in our lives. Well one of the things that I thought living in Stockholm would be like is living this whole ‘metropolitan’ life. I thought that we would have a small but super stylish apartment on a busy street, probably living above a store. Close to water what with this being Stockholm and all. I really never imagined that I would be living in the suburbs. I never thought that I would be living far away. Technically not IN Stockholm.

But I guess our fantasies are not always made into reality. This bothered me at first, so much that we gave our notice at our current apartment without having another place secured. Which, if you read back to some of my posts about finding a place to live, is quite risky. The market is cutthroat! If you don’t want to be paying a small fortune to rent you either have to know someone who knows someone who is renting, or buy something yourself. Two options that aren’t going to work out for us right now. But this story isn’t a sad story. It’s a story about luck.

We did get something, but again, in the ‘burbs. But these ‘burbs are a bit better than the ones that we are living in now. For one, there is not one, not two, but THREE gyms within walking distance from our apartment. There are other students, civilization, stores, universities, all within the immediate surroundings. It’s half the commuting time for me to school, but the same for SJ. Though he doesn’t mind that the commuting time is going to be the same, especially since he is only studying for one more semester than what happens after that is up in the air.

The reason that this is a story of luck is that we took a risk and it worked out. As I’ve said before, I’ve been ‘standing in line’ for a student apartment for over 2 years. One came up for bid on the website and we went out to the area to check it out and see if it was a good place to live. We walked around, though it was not a good idea to go in the late afternoon since I forgot that this crazy country its pitch black at 4pm. We went to our hopeful apartment building but the doors were locked, but thankfully someone was leaving and let us in (guess we cant give the place a gold star for their security system). Since I knew the apartment number of the one up for bid, we went up to the place and knocked on the door, hoping that someone would be home. In Sweden when you bid on these student apartments the only one that can show you the place is the current tenant. Umm, I’m sorry, I’m not going to sign a lease if I haven’t been able to see the place yet! Well the guy was home, though he did look quite surprised at our request, he did let us in to have a look. It was really clean for someone that was not expecting company, and I appreciate that. I’ll have to remember to keep it that tidy when I give my notice and might hear an unexpected knock at the door. The place was big, really big, and bright (obviously not from the sun, but brightness in an apartment is important in the land of darkness). We thanked him, and went home to watch the bidding closely for the next 2 days.

So we won the apartment and will be moving in the New Year. Which will obviously mean a shopping trip to Ikea to furnish the place, since all we own are some suitcases and lots of yoga clothes (mine, of course). I may not be living the ‘metropolitan’ dream, but I am living my dream of going back to school and moving to Sweden, with an amazing husband who supports me all the time even though I can be quite crazy. And I doubt that he would disagree with me on that one.

Christmas bells are ringing

2009-10-25T11:16:00.003+01:00

So Christmas might seem like its ages away, but for me its been on my mind for a while. I had a really generous offer to spend the holidays with a Swedish-Canadian couple and their super cute 6 month old son in Scotland! I've never been there but it has definitely been on my top places to visit list for a while. So, we finally booked our tickets from December 24-28, for Edinburgh! I cant wait, its going to be so much fun!

Its too bad that the trip has to be so short, but I have to study over the holidays. From the schedule last year it looks like we are expected to study 8 hours a day on every day that is not a public holiday. This is totally new to me because in Canada all the classes end before the holidays and the new ones start in January. I'm not sure how effective of a studier I am going to be, but I guess I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

But for now I'm concentrating on the awesome time we are going to have, and how good it is going to be to meet my friends again! I'm not sure when the last time I saw them was but she is one of my only friends in a similar time zone we have been talking lots on skype since I moved to Sweden. Also, since there are no Starbucks in Sweden (yet!) I cant wait to have a london fog latte! ooooh ya!

Disappearing act

2009-10-18T11:49:00.003+02:00

Life here in Stockholm. Study, sleep, study, eat, sleep some more. Boooooring!

Who would have thought that the excitement of moving to a new city, and the only places I see is the inside of my apartment and the school library.

SJ is super busy with an exam and other various projects, and I am in a course that is quite demanding. C'est la vie I guess. Cant wait for my next break in my courses, November 6 from noon until November 9 at 9am I am free! CANT WAIT!!

In other news, I have finally joined the gym. Its not a yoga studio (which would have been my first choice) but its cheap(er) and on campus. I went to my first spinning-pulse class on Saturday before heading to study in the library. Quite convenient! The class is really quite cool, they hook you up with a numbered pulse monitor and on a big screen behind the instructor there is your number and pulse. During the class each song has a 'pulse target' area indicated by color. Its a great idea, more incentive to work hard to stay in the appropriate area and easier for me when I dont understand what the teacher is saying. It was fun to use my yoga breathing to slow my heart rate down when I was too high. I will definitely be going and doing that class again!

Tonight I am going to a kirtan at a yoga studio, which I am really excited about. A kirtan is a call-and-response type 'concert' and I was lucky enough to be a part of 2 while doing my yoga training in India. Its so... refreshing. Liberating. Inspiring. I am going alone (since I havent made any eccentric yogi friends yet, but working on it!) but the guy leading the kirtan is from the US so I'm sure that it will be in English. It will be really weird not to have my India sangha around me, but I have to get used to that I guess. Maybe develop a Stockholm sangha!

It will be a nice and uplifting start to my week, which will be quite busy. On Tuesday morning we are given a home exam to do that will be due on Friday. Urgh, I am not a fan of home exams. I would rather have 2 exams than a home exam. But after its over, the first and second year students are heading out to a cabin-type house owned by our university in the archipelago for a night of fun and sauna and beer. I have been out to the archipelago in 2007, and it was quite beautiful. This will be a bit different since the cabin I stayed in before was quite basic, and only had 6 beds. The cabin owned by the university apparently has 35 beds (though not sure if it will be outhouses, I really hope not!) and a sauna and boats for us to use. It will be really nice to meet some of the second year students as well, and hear how their program is going and what I can expect in the next year.

I will try and take a procrastinating break from studying and write another update this week about the kirtan experience!

I think winter is here

2009-10-07T14:12:00.004+02:00

I hate to admit it, but I think that winter is almost here in Stockholm. I see kids wearing snowsuits when being pushed in their stroller, and I can see my breath in the morning. True tell tale signs that it will come, no matter how hard I wish for summer to just miraculously start again.

I've been told that Stockholm is quite depressing in the winter. I guess I kinda figured that already, knowing that the sun is only going to be out for a few hours a day (5 maybe??). I read in the WFP that Winnipeg gets more sunlight than any other city in the northern hemisphere with a population greater than 500,000. So, more than Stockholm, which is suppose to be grey and slushy. Yuck.

I wonder how studying is going to be during those long dark winter days.

School at the moment is super intense, and quite a lot is expected of us. I guess that's typical of a masters program though. I'm finding that there are just not enough hours in the day to explore Stockholm and stay on top of all the readings that I have to do. I guess I will just have to wait until my parents come here in the summer to do the touristy things.

On top of the masters work that I have to do, I also have to complete my projects for my yoga teaching certificate. My next one is a 30 day yoga challenge, which I will be starting on Friday. SJ and I were talking about doing a sugar detox since we have been eating tons of Swedish candy. I guess that's understandable though, I really missed it! But now I guess the fun has to come to an end and we are going to do a 30 day no sugar challenge as well. I was talking about it in class today to one of my friends, and she decided that she is going to jump on the no sugar bandwagon as well. So being accountable to a few people will help me make it through the intense sugar cravings the first few days!

SJ and I have also been trying to think about what we are going to do for Christmas, and have a few options. I have to study quite a bit over the break so I dont have much time to go traveling around. And unfortunately a flight back to Winnipeg is too much money for us to spend when we are both unemployed (though not being at home at christmas will be weird). SO....possibly a trip to the Canary Islands, or maybe to Scotland to visit friends. Or....who knows?? Still trying to find a good deal, which can be hard at Christmas time, but persistence will prevail!

Ok....back to studying I go....

love/hate relationship

2009-09-28T15:11:00.004+02:00

I decided to write a few things that I love about Sweden. But the good always comes with a bit of the bad, so there are also things that drive me crazy.

Things I love about Sweden:
1. Carbonated water - this has got to be the best invention ever. Its just water, possibly with a slight flavor of lemon or lime, and carbonation. Tastes similar to soda, but without the sugar and calories. They really should implement this as a substitute to soda on a global scale, cause we all know that juice is not better for you. Plus, they also sell home machines so you don’t have to buy bottles all the time. SJ and I just bought one last night, and it is so amazing! Now we are reducing our plastic bottle consumption and also saving the hassle of carrying home those heavy 2L bottles every shopping trip.

2. Transportation system - trains, busses, subways, so easy to get around. Though it is really convenient (if you live in the city and not a remote area) there are SO many people on the subway sometimes I feel like I’m being crammed like sardines.

3. Lordagsgodis - Saturday is the day that you are allowed to buy candy. And Sweden is no exception. At basically every grocery store there are rows of scoop-and-weigh candy, and I simply cannot resist. At least on Saturday its acceptable.

4. Fashion - Ok so some people may complain that the style is a bit too 90’s for them, personally I love it. Now you aren’t going to catch me with some slouch socks and a scrunchy. I think that the Swedish fashion has picked out the best things of the 90s and made them cooler, and they are all rockin out. Love it! 

5. Dad’s role - first, there are a million babies in Sweden. Ok, maybe not, but it sure feels like it! But as much as its nice to see all the blonde kids running around, its even nicer to see so many fathers taking their kids to daycare and taking such an active role in raising their kids. One of the major concerns of this country is gender equity, and you can sure tell. Its very common for both parents to share the maternity leave (16 months!!) and there are 60 ‘daddy days’ that are only for the dad. The rest of the days can be distributed to the parents discretion, and it sure seems that dad’s are taking advantage of this equity!

Things that drive me crazy:
1. The apartment process - as you’ve heard me rant before, I hate the process. Its ridiculous.

2. Yoga - they have really got to get some cheaper yoga studios out here. Since I’m on a tight budget (you know, with no job I guess its the ‘responsible’ thing to do) I have yet to actually attend a studio. You never know, they may say something like “Oh, you’re a Canadian! And you want to do yoga here! Sure, no problem, for you, 1/2 price!”. That would be nice. Though I will not place any bets on that happening, I thought that since I’m always mentioning how expensive it is I should give a price comparison for you to be the judge (Swedish prices were transferred into Canadian dollars based on today’s conversion rate, and based off the current rates at the studio I went to in Wpg):
1 year unlimited yoga = SWE - $2,000; CA - $1,260
10 class card: SWE = $300; CA - $140
Month unlimited pass = SWE - $300; CA - $150
Drop in class = SWE - $32, CA - $17

3. Bed sheets - they do have a different sleeping system here in Sverige. First, double beds are basically 2 twin beds pushed together, but with a double bed sized mattress pad on top. I don’t have a beef with that, actually I find it quite genius (having tried to fit my Canadian bed down many narrow stairways....) My problem is with the countries lack of fitted sheets! Seriously, they are no where to be found! Who likes tucking down the side of their sheets every couple nights? Since I was aware of this problem from when I lived here previously, we bought a size up from our bed and that seems to be working a bit better. But Sweden, even though I have found a temporary solution, please jump on the fitted sheets bandwagon, its nice on here.

4. Milk containers - they are usually sold in 1L, or rarely in 1.5L. Why so small?? Not that I drink tons of milk that I require a huge 4L container, but it feels like I’m always running out of milk. 2L containers please.

5. Screens - there are no screens on the windows, and this drives me crazy! I want to have the windows open (well, not now per say, since its quite cold at night) but i dont want to be chasing flies around the house with a swatter! We are definitely putting screens on our windows when we buy a house/apartment.

I'm sure there are more things that I could easily add to this list, both love and hate :)

The internet is my friend

2009-09-18T20:41:00.002+02:00

Ok, so i’ve had internet access for almost 5 whole days. Yes, 5 whole days! I bet you’re wondering why I havent posted a blog yet. And the answer is simple....I had my first exam today. And I actually studied for it. Yep, those of you who were with me in my undergrad would be totally shocked, and I dont blame you.

Actually its been quite a shock to switch over to this new system here in Sweden. Only studying one course full time for 5 weeks. You really dont have the opportunity to slack off. At all. So, like the good student that I aspire to be, I started studying and reading my textbook like the ideal student. Thankfully it paid off and my exam went well. Too bad it was just a practice one and didnt count towards my final grade. Damn Sweden.

Nonetheless, settling into Stockholm has been quite easy. Our first 2 weeks here were spent renting a small apartment that was quite charming, though the ceilings were super low causing SJ to do quite a lot of ducking and/or cursing. The first day we got here we quickly dropped off our bags at our new place then headed out to try and find my campus and the building that I was to report to the next morning. Thankfully we found it without much trouble and I could rest easy that I wouldnt get lost the next day.

My program is so interesting, and I’m so glad that its finally started and I can stop wondering if I’ve made the right decision to come here. Now I know that it was the right decision and I have so much to gain through this school. There are quite a few more people than I expected in the program, around 60ish. Everyone seems so nice, and since we are spending so much time together in this first course its been a great way for us to bond and get to know one another. I was quite shocked though to find out how many medical professionals there are in the course, I would say that 50% or more are medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc. Only one other person has an economics background like me, and she also has taken some medical courses which leaves me as almost the only one that has not studied medicine related stuff. It hasn’t been a problem so far but there are some terms and diseases that I’m not familiar with and just have to do a bit of googling. Now that I have internet that is!

Now we have made our second move in Stockholm, to our ‘semi-temporary’ apartment. The guy is gone to Asia for 2 years to do his masters and we can stay here for the whole time if we want, but as I’ve said before we are still trying to get into student housing. By Christmas I expect. But until then, this place is a pretty sweet deal. He left the entire place furnished and there is not really anything that we have to get. Which is nice because after moving so many times this summer its really nice to put roots down somewhere for a while. Dont get me wrong, I love moving around. But I also dont like my clothes to be constantly wrinkled from my suitcase.

I asked SJ the other day what he misses about Canada. He said the usual: family, friends, our old apartment (which was totally awesome and in an amazing location). What he didnt say is any food items or ways of life, which was quite a shock to me. I tried to think about anything that I was missing possession/food wise, and couldnt. I miss my family, friends, yoga studio. But I’m really lacking for nothing. When I lived in Sweden in 2005 I really craved the comforts of home: cheddar cheese, dorritos, red licorice. I may not get home sick this time, because home is where the heart is (totally lame saying, but so applicable). And my heart is here in Stockholm. For now at least.

Packing our bags and hitting the road!

2009-08-29T19:17:00.002+02:00

So plans have changed again, big surprise!

The person who was going to rent us their corridor room for 2 weeks had something come up at the last minute and was no longer able to rent us the room. Sucks, but for some reason I wasn't fully confident that this was going to work out so thankfully I had not canceled a booking of another place. We are paying more, but at least we have a place to stay and not just a few days to arrange another place to live.

So we will be leaving for Stockholm tomorrow morning, and will be renting an apartment for 2 weeks, quite close to downtown and a (relatively) quick trip to school. It wasnt our first choice because a) it is not available until August 30 (and I wanted to be there a bit early to check out the campus and make sure I know how to get to school on the first day) and b) there’s no internet! I’m slightly more upset about the no internet for 2 whole weeks than I am about being stressed about starting school the next day. Though I'm quite sure i’ll get lost on my way to school, after finding my way the first couple days I'm sure it will become second nature. Having no internet at home for 2 weeks is like telling me I cant eat any food for 2 weeks. Its going to be brutal!

BUT, that said, at least we have a place to stay, and I will probably have an easier time studying when I don't have the distraction of ‘True Blood’. Thanks again SHH for that website, i’m totally addicted!

Also, i’ve decided to privatize this blog a bit. I’ve changed the names of my hubby, now called SJ, and removed pictures. I just feel that posting pictures and details on facebook is unsecured enough, even though I can choose who becomes my ‘friend’ or not. But having a public blog that anyone can read, well, i’m just becoming a bit nervous about that.

So as we repack our bags to get ready for yet another move, I’m getting excited about finally arriving in Stockholm and starting school on Monday. I’m not exactly sure what to expect from my first day, or what the other students are going to be like. I’m quite certain that most of them are going to be international students. Most swedish masters programs are just a year added onto their bachelor’s degree, not a separate 2 year program. At least that’s what SJ has explained to me, though he studies engineering so it might be different in his field. For my program there are 3 different specializations for which you can study, and 14 people are admitted to each specialization. For a couple courses we all study together, but for the most part we are split up. The first course we study though, we are all doing it together. It will be nice to meet all the students at once, even if we wont be spending the entire 2 years together.

Also what I like about this program is that you dont have to do any elective courses. Some people may think that its a bad thing, that you dont get to choose certain elective courses that are of particular interest to you. But I think its great, the specializations are so specific enough that I feel every course is of interest to me (well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration), and welcome the fact that I will study with the same people in each course. Though ask me this next year and I might have a different view.

In Sweden they only study one course at a time. For example, my first course I study full time, Monday to Friday, for 5 weeks. At the end of the 5 weeks, I write an exam and its done. Then move on to another course. Sounds much better than the Canadian system where you study multiple courses at a time, and often have projects/papers/exams that all end up being scheduled in the same few days, requiring lots of cramming!

All in all, I have to say that I’ve had a great summer: trips, visiting family and friends, not working(!!) and enough plane rides to last until the end of the year. I’m looking forward to going back to a routine again. Remind me that I said that when my alarm goes off at 7am on Monday.

Home for the homeless

2009-08-23T22:20:00.001+02:00

So I haven’t been that great at blogging, even though I haven’t started school yet and am still on ‘vacation’. I promise to start being better, starting now!

An update as promised on the apartment search. Well, we did find a place, and no, its not perfect. It is quite large (66m2) and has a small bedroom with no closets, large sunny kitchen, crazy red bathroom, living room with a leather corner couch and a glassed in balcony. These things do seem to meet the criteria of a good apartment, but I’m quite sure that the apartment is in a low income area, which might not be what we are looking for. We were looking tirelessly for a place, and really frustrated with the lack of replies we were getting. I know that its really difficult to get a place in Stockholm, but I bet we sent out close to 100 email responses to adds, and only heard back from a couple of them. The guy that we are renting this apartment from said that we were the first to reply, and he lost count at 140 email responses. WOW.

The apartment is not available until September 14th, which put us homeless from August 29th forward. So yet again we had to start searching for something. We looked at hotels, which are highly priced and therefore ruled out. We looked at renting a 10m2 cabin with no bathroom, and even that was quite overpriced. Finally I put an add on a student forum asking for a short term rental and offering to pay a pretty penny for it. Someone took the bait, and we are renting his corridor room for the first 2.5 weeks. Though its a lot cheaper than a hotel or even the cabins, we are probably paying his rent for 2 months. But at least we have a place to stay, and I’m looking forward to moving to Stockholm to start living this dream I’ve had for the past 2 years.

In other news, we had our Swedish wedding party on August 15th, we are really spoilt to get not one but two wedding parties! It was really a great idea, since its quite expensive to fly between Sweden and Canada we thought that having two parties would be easier for both our families to be able to attend some sort of wedding celebration with us. And not only was it great to have a wedding party, it was also great for me to meet the Swedish side of the family that I didn’t get to meet the last time I was here.

The dinner was served in true swedish fashion, smorgasbord! There were 46 people there to celebrate with us, and it was magical. After eating, we did the customary speech (my version short but sweet, in english of course) and SJ said a few words in Swedish. I cant confirm or deny if his speech was good, maybe in a few years my swedish will be more than just basic.

We also received some amazing gifts, which I was not expecting at all! Since I played no part in the planning and organizing (that credit goes out mainly to SJ’s mom, and some credit to SJ) I really had no idea what to expect. Though gifts were not anticipated, they were graciously accepted and many thanks goes out to his family and friends.

So with the excitement of the wedding and the stress of finding a place to live behind me, there’s nothing more to do than to look forward to school starting and moving (eventually) in to our own place again. I’m looking forward to a trip to IKEA to get some apartment goodies!

I’m quite nervous for school to start, but quite anxious as well. One week and counting. Its exciting to be starting a new direction in my life, and something that I have been looking forward to for a long time. But that said, will the program be the right thing for me?? Will it lead me in the direction that I think I want to go?? Who knows. Time will tell.

Life here in Sweden has not been without its challenges though. The language being the biggest barrier. I almost blocked out how difficult it was when I lived here in 2005/2006. Walking through the grocery store, unable to read the ingredient lists on packages to ensure I’m buying something quality. Unable to engage in conversation, or the hesitation I have to ask the store staff when I cant find what I’m looking for. Its almost like living in a bubble, where I don’t speak or hear anything thats going on around me. Its terrifying, but liberating at the same time.

Everyone comments about how I have to learn Swedish, learn Swedish, learn Swedish. I know. Really, I do. I realize it every time I cant read the news paper, every time I cant read a label, or every time I’m left out of a conversation. I don’t expect everyone to always accommodate me and speak in English, and I actually don’t mind my temporary isolation.

I’m not stressed about learning it at all, I know that it will come when its good and ready. I’ve only been here less than 3 weeks, I can’t expect to be fluent! Slowly and surely I’m starting to pick up more words, learning the correct pronunciation of their vowels ‘ö’, ‘ä’, and ‘å’. Reading the swedish subtitles while watching an english tv program. It will come. And I will revisit this blog post after 2 years here and be able to see how far I’ve come and how glad I am that I tackled the language challenge.

And yoga, it will come as well. I’ve done a couple home classes, though the space is limited here, I have found a small corner of the kitchen where I can lay my mat and go about my yoga business. Its not a dedicated practice, its not even a great practice, but its me on my mat, finding the relationship despite the changing surroundings. I’m also decided that I’m not going to concentrate on teaching at this time either. I am going to find my practice again, find my yoga-self, find my body, and go from there. I feel that doing this Moksha teacher training was not only about teaching and being a ‘yoga teacher’, but about finding ‘yoga’ itself. So that’s where I’m going to start. And if it leads to teaching in the future I will welcome it. And if it doesn’t, then I will still continue to be eternally grateful that I decided to hold off on school for a year and do the Moksha training. The knowledge that I learned while in India was endless, and I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.

Take a deep breath. Live.

Searching, Searching

2009-08-15T10:25:00.005+02:00

****this was written on Tues Aug 11th, so its slightly out of date, as we have an apartment! but i'll post this blog for now and update you on the new place, and about our wedding party thats happening tonight. so enjoy this update for now****

Tuesday August 11th
So one week today I left Canada to start a new adventure in Sweden! After 3 flights and a 5 hour train ride, SJ and I arrived at his mom’s house. We were planning on visiting her first and she came to pick us up at the train station, which was really nice considering the amount of luggage that we brought! We spent 4 days eating, drinking and recovering from our jet lag. We even had a crab cookout, which is a tradition in the summer in Sweden. Luckily for us there were crabs living in the pond behind their house, so we didnt have to go far to get our meal!

After a few days at his mom’s house, we came into the city and have been staying at his dad’s just a few kilometers outside Lidköping. I watched him and his friends play beach volleyball, and then I made SJ come shopping with me, to H&M of course! I needed to find a dress for the second wedding party that we are having this Saturday. Thankfully I did find something, and a new scarf to go with it :) Tonight we are going out to a club in town that has its 25+ night. Some of his friends are in from out of town for the wedding party this weekend, and the ones that live here are on their last week of vacation, so it should be fun! I doubt that we are going to bring our camera though, considering our luck with the camera and booze combination.

I havent done yoga since arriving here, besides a few poses with his friend AR last night. I’m not sure if they have a studio in Lidköping (population 30,000) but I should check that out. I havent taught a class in a month and a half, and to be honest I dont miss it. I think I just have too many other things going on at the moment to be worried about teaching, although some of my best classes have been when I’m stressed out in my personal life and am able to just let it go and teach a class. I’m not sure if I will be able to teach in Stockholm, but I’m going to try. They have a student gym at the school so I might be able to organize teaching. I’m not sure how intense my school is going to be and if I’ll have time to dedicate to teaching and promoting myself as a teacher. Most Swedish students dont work while in university because its so much work. I know that I want to do well in school more than I want to teach at the moment. Maybe after a semester I’ll have a better idea about how much free time I will have, and then try and organize something for the winter semester.

Right now our days are mainly spent with either visiting friends or family, or spending hours on end on the internet looking for apartments. Its quite stressful looking for apartments. Most of the places that we call are either gone by the time we call them, even if we are calling a couple hours after they are posted online. Or they want to ‘interview’ the applicants, and since we are 5 hours away from Stockholm and a wedding in a few days, its hard for us to go out there. We have tried to convince them to let us take it without seeing it (and sometimes without any pictures!) but have had no luck so far. How crazy is it that I’ll just take an apartment without any pictures, I must be desperate!

We are still trying to get a place through the student housing. How you do that is you ‘stand in line’ electronically. The first day you register on their site is day zero, then it starts counting days from then on. Then they post apartments online with details such as 1 or 2 bedrooms, kitchen or kitchenette and the size in square meters. Quite often there are no floor plans so you cant see how its laid out, and there are no pictures. They do give the exact address though which is good for planning subway routes to see if its too far from school. You bid on the apartments online and they are posted for 4 days. After the online bidding has expired, the person with the most credit days ‘wins’ the apartment. How crazy is that!!! I have been standing in line for almost 2 years, and its still not enough to win any apartments.

So, we will have to see what we are going to do. We have found a cabin rental place that is not too far from school, its basically like a trailer park where they rent out little cabins (with no bathroom). Since it wont be cold for a bit yet, the park is still open. We will stay there if we dont have an apartment yet, and keep on looking! I’m sure things will work out. I feel positive about this move to Stockholm and I have to keep my stress level down. Everything will work out in the end and getting worried about it is not going to help anything. At least this is what I keep telling myself.

And even if we dont get into student housing for August/September, hopefully we will have enough ‘credit days’ to get one in the new year. Most of the people that are ‘winning’ apartments have between 750 and 800 days (though some people have 1700 days, wtf!) so we should have that by Christmas.

So, I will keep you posted on the apartment search! I start school in less than 3 weeks, and will be going to Stockholm a few days early to orient myself. SJ is considering registering at KTH for some engineering courses, and still considering doing his PhD. He said that there are almost no jobs in his field in Stockholm, and since he would like to eventually go in to teaching I think that doing his PhD is the best option for him. That said, he still has to find a good PhD to do, especially if he’s going to have to research that subject for 4 years. They post PhD’s like they do jobs, so he is on the hunt. Either way, I think we are going to have an interesting few months!

i'm alive

2009-08-06T22:03:00.005+02:00

I know that I've been MIA for a long time, but things have been crazy! I moved out of my apartment mid July, and have since been homeless. We did a 2 week trip in the States, then lived with my mom for a week, and now we are staying with SJ's mom in Sweden.

I promise to update when I get a permanent home in Stockholm. We are still searching for an apartment, though its quite difficult to find anything! I'm hopeful that everything will work out though, but time is ticking away!

So far my 1.5 days in Sweden have been great, though I totally forgot what kind of challenges I would have when I got here. First and foremost is the language! Grocery shopping is going to be interesting for a few weeks.

I am really looking forward to moving to Stockholm in a couple short weeks, having my own place again and starting school. I will update more about that when I've arrived in Stockholm!

Time is flying...

2009-06-18T03:49:00.004+02:00

As the days seem longer and there seems to be more hours in the day (which technically there are, at least day light hours until summer solstice on Jue 21), my time here seems to be passing so quickly! I can almost not even believe that I only have 1 week of work left (and 2 days), and 4 weeks before I head out on my USA trip. Crazy!

I wish that I could say that I've been making the most of my remaining time, however I have been sick for the past week. Thankfully its not the H1N1 virus that is traveling quickly around Winnipeg. My flu-like feverish symptoms passed after a couple days and I'm left with a nasty cold, giving me an ultra-sexy man voice which is attracting flocks of women.

Basically all of our furniture is sold now, all we have left is our kitchen stuff (which we obviously require to eat off) and our bed (which we obviously require to sleep on, though one could argue that there's still the floor, for both points). It didn't take that long to clear house (ha, i crack myself up!) so I am quite thankful for that. We only have to sell our car now (which we still have yet to safety and list for sale) and then we are pretty much ready to go! Though that might prove to be more difficult than our household items, as our car is not exactly a hot item. I thought that everyone loved Neon's though, at least that's what I was told when we bought it?!?

Since I have had lots of time to kill (ie sick in bed), I have been massively addicted to reading this Swedish/American's blog! He moved there in 2007, and being born in Sweden then immigrating to the US when he was like 6, he grew up speaking Swedish and English. So luckily for him, he can read all of the paper and news, and provides his interesting view about his experiences with Swedish culture! Its making me increasingly excited to move there, but also helping to curb my naitivity about how easy its going to be.

A short history for you:

When I moved to Sweden in August 2005, I was totally excited and ready to take on the new challenge of the culture, language, education system, making new friends and basically just experiencing 'university' life. I quickly found out just how scared I was, although I wouldnt admit it. I remember sitting on the plane to Toronto, clutching my passport and having just said goodbye to my family and friends, whom I have never left for a whole year before. The lady next to me started some small talk, though if she had read my body language she would know that I wasnt that interested in talking, but she continued nonetheless. She asked me the usual airplane small talk, where I was going, for how long, ect. But after I told her that I was gone for a year, she said, "Wow, a year. Thats a long time, you must be pretty sad to leave your family and friends." Umm, no kidding. At that point I had to cut the conversation so that I didnt start crying. I was strong, dammit. Strong, daring people who are moving to a new country ALONE don't cry. For the rest of the plane ride I just tried to watch a movie and forget that I was going to be gone for so long.

By the time I landed in London, I had totally forgot about my sadness and was back to my confident, exploring self. I ended up standing in the wrong line in Heathrow for about 10 mins, which was apparently for people who need to pass immigration because they are going to stay in England. I was still in an english-speaking country and I couldnt read the signs. Not off to a good start here.

After being ushered quickly through security so I didnt miss my flight, the rest of the ride to Stockholm was quite uneventful. When landing in Arlanda, I was the only person in the immigration line (which should say something about Sweden's 'tight' security laws, or maybe more how the EU has changed European travel). I still had one more connecting flight to Umeå, and in the Stockholm airport I managed to meet a super nice girl around my age that was also flying to Umeå. We chatted for a bit until our flight boarded and she asked me lots of questions about Canada and why I was there. As I had already made it to Sweden, and was totally sleep deprived, there was no missing-the-family emotion. Thankfully.

When we landed in Umeå, it was quite obvious that I had only planned in my head the arrival, but didnt plan what to do when i actually got there! I found out that my bags didnt make the flight, and tried to explain to the airline that no, i didnt have a phone number, and no, i didnt have an address to which they could send the bags when they arrived (which turned into its own mess later). I collected my carry-on bag with as much courage as I could muster, and I headed OUTSIDE. To Sweden. Actual Sweden.

Lost as to what to do next, and trying to work up the courage to either catch a cab or take the bus to my hotel, I just sat on a bench. I am not really sure how long I sat there, as I had a pretty intense internal dialog going on which may or may not have contained a peptalk to myself to buck up and ask where the bus driver if he even drove past the hotel. As I was sitting there tyring to figure out what to do, the lovely girl that I met in Stockholm exited the airport with an older man (which turned out to be her father), and she did something totally NOT Swedish. She came over to me and asked if I needed a ride somewhere. I had done lots of reading up on Sweden before leaving, and one constant theme is how unapproachable Swedish people are. This theory was debunked and validated quite a few times throughout my year living there, but I guess thats to be expected.

I did in fact know the address of where I was suppose to go, but had no idea at all how to get there. Didnt even bother to look it up before leaving home and didnt even know the general direction. I gave her the hotel name, and her father said that he knew where it was and would be glad to drive me (though in a town of 125, 000 I would bet money that he knew where most of the major hotels were). So he drove a few kilometers out of his way just to get me safely and effortlessly to my hotel, and for that I am eternally grateful. It was a great introduction into Swedish culture.

You may be wondering what ever happened to that girl. Well, I'm not really sure. I never did see her again in my 11 months living there, which is quite sad actually. I didnt give her my phone number (because of course I didnt have one), but I should have given her my email or something. I guess I was overwhelmed and just thought that I would see her again one day. Fate had a different plan for us, and she definitely did her karma yoga duty to me.

So thank you Swedish stranger. One day I will drive someone home from the airport who really needs it. And it will be in honor of you.

Summer??

2009-06-07T00:57:00.005+02:00

So time to leave Winnipeg is coming quickly, and things have finally started to feel real! SJ and I have been posting stuff online, mainly our larger furniture items. Almost immediately after posting the ads, the calls and emails began flooding in. If this keeps up our apartment will be completely empty in about 2 weeks! Thats ok though, because the less stuff we have around us the better idea I will have as to what we are taking.

Thankfully I only have 3 more weeks of work left and I'm excited to be done my job. The people I work with are really great, which has been the best part about working, but the actual job that I do is not really for me. I am definitely not looking forward to the paycheques ending though!

I did in fact try Bikram last week. URGH! I really really tried to love the practice, but it just did not jive with me, at all!! I was at the point that I was counting the minutes until it was over, and was having lots of back pain and neck pain during the class. I knew that even though I had purchased a 1 week unlimited pass, I would not be returning to the studio. It sucks though, because Bikram is the only type of hot yoga that I've been able to find in Stockholm online, but I think that I'm going to just have to deal with practicing yoga either at home or at a regular temperature studio. Thats totally fine with me, but I am a total sucker for the heat! Maybe I'll have a sauna in my apartment building (its was in all the buildings when I lived there before) and I can just get my sweat on that way.

No update on the apartment search in Stockholm. I think that we are going to have to just wait until we are there to figure out where we are going to live. There is an extreme apartment shortage, especially student apartments, so finding something might be difficult. I'm trying not to get too worried about it though, because it will all work out in the end I think. Its just my personality to over-plan things, which has been useful when planning a move across the world. But some things are just going to have to wait until we are there.

I did get a new computer though, which is really exciting! Its like having a blank canvass, and you are able to start things over again. Its a bit of work to get things organized the way that I want, but fun at the same time. This computer is much faster than my old one, and its going to be nice to have a new computer for school and writing my thesis. i love my macbook :)

here's a video that I found online, nice arial views of stockholm, making me even more excited...

Yoga week!

2009-05-27T03:26:00.005+02:00

I've dedicated this week to yoga! I've been feeling slightly crap lately and have not had the energy to dedicate to my personal practice lately, but since I'm not teaching any classes at the studio this week I have decided to get back into the swing of things. Its not normal that I dont have anything to do at night, but this week yoga comes first, everything else second.

Teaching at lunch has been really interesting and most importantly, FUN! The students are people that I work with, and they are really eager to learn. I started off teaching them the modifications first, and then with each week we are moving to more complex variations. For example, in the first week of classes we worked on downward dog and proper foundation, then in the second week we did some plank poses, rocking our weight back and forth, building some shoulder and ab strength. In the third week we spent a good chunk of time working through the vinyasa flow, going slow and lots of demonstrations and questions. Its been nice to teach beginners, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of them at the studio when our 8 week session ends!

I went to a hot flow class tonight, my first in a while. I've been practicing mainly moksha lately, probably because I've been looking for teaching tips either through other teachers verbal instructions or through what I feel through my own practice. But tonight, hot flow was awesome! Its kinda nice not to know what pose is going to come next, breaking away from my conditioned responses in the class. And I was able to do a full headstand for the first time! There are 2 different kinds that I've been working on: one with your arms away from your head (tripod headstand) and one with your forearms on the ground and arms around your head (bound headstand). I mastered the tripod headstand variation last fall, and then practiced it too much without doing a counter pose, and thus ended up with a neck injury, that still has not completely resolved. (note: good lesson about moderation!)

When I was at the Sivananda ashram in February, I tried the bound headstand variation but was not able to get my legs up and balance. No matter how hard I tried, my body just wasnt ready. But today, in the staff room, Nena and I were talking about the headstands we were going to do in the class that night and she was convinced that I could do it. So, in order to prove her wrong, I put my towel down, set up my arms and went for it. To my surprise my legs came up and I was able to balance with my legs bent! I started to straighten them and point my toes to the ceiling! Full headstand! SJ will be really proud, since he has been my safety net through many practice runs.

Tomorrow I'm heading to a Bikram studio that just opened here a couple months ago. Its suppose to be a beautiful studio, but what I'm mainly nervous about is the style of yoga. I've never been a big fan of bikram, I tried it a couple times back in 2004/2005 before I moved to Sweden, and the thing that I liked about it the most was the heat. And when I returned back from Sweden in 2006 I tried a different hot studio and had a terrible experience. I actually passed out in the class, and the teacher didnt come and check on me at all, and actually yelled at me for having my feet facing the wrong way. I didnt plan that, I was just finding the easiest way to the ground!!! geez. Needless to say, I never went back. I was also really reluctant to try moksha for the first time, but I'm sure glad I did!

The only reason that I'm going to the bikram studio tomorrow is because thats the only kind of hot yoga they have in Stockholm, and since I dont understand Swedish (yet!) I need to understand the sequence while its in a language I do understand. I'm interested to see what my experience will be! Apparently the heat is totally different and I should expect to not be able to do most of the class. I dont find that very reassuring, but I'm going to give it a shot anyways.

I've had a sore throat for the past couple days but thankfully seems to be disappearing. I also went to see a naturopath a few weeks ago for my chronic tiredness. I seem to be so tired all the time, regardless of how good I eat or how healthy I think I am. Especially when getting up in the morning (which I know is partly normal, the dread of going into work) and when I finish a yoga class (I'm so drained sometimes that I have to rest/take a nap) She was so nice, and suspected something was malfunctioning with my adrenal gland, and gave me some pills and such to take. So far I have not seen the results I would like too. But she also sent me for some blood tests, which I went for last week. Today I got a call from the clinic wanting to see me as soon as possible to discuss the results. That cannot be a good sign, but may also lead to the cure of my fatigue. I'm hoping to be able to see her later this week and get started on making a better, more energized me!

Birthday weekend fun!

2009-05-24T21:01:00.008+02:00

Since my birthday falls on a Sunday this year, I decided to have a full weekend of birthday celebration. Why not! Its actually my first birthday where SJ has not been in Sweden, so I decided to milk it for all its worth!

Friday night started out by teaching the two Karma classes at MYW. Karma classes, for those who dont know, are classes where you pay a minimum donation of $5 to attend the class, and the proceeds go to a charity of the month. It makes yoga more accessible for those who cant afford it, but also helps out a charity! They tend to be the busiest classes of the week, and usually attract about 60 people per class (which is the capacity of the studio). It was so much fun, and although I couldnt really walk around the room because there was no where for me to go, I still had a lot of fun and had to rely on more verbal cues to help people get into the postures correctly. My good friend CL and her boyfriend came out to the 7:30pm class to support me, which was greatly appreciated! I made some minor mistakes, but having 60 people staring at you can be quite intimidating! My hubby, SJ, came out to the 9pm class, and his support is always greatly appreciated.

On Saturday I went to the Moksha level 2 class, and was given a great shout out for my birthday from studio owner and teacher, RD. The class totally kicked my butt, but i'm a glutton for punishment! In the afternoon, SJ and I went out for a walk to enjoy some of the much needed nice weather. Taking our trusty camera with us, we took some fun yoga shots while out on our journey (posted below). At night we went out for beer and nacho's at Carlos' n Murphy's with some friends, offsetting all the good work I did in the earlier yoga class.

Today I awoke to a present from SJ and a really nice card. KG - to further our conversation last night, the present was wrapped in newspaper! Actually it was a London Drugs flyer, but same thing.

I got up early in order to eat breakfast and shower before heading to teach a class at lululemon. For those of you who dont know what lululemon is, its a yoga clothing store which offers free yoga classes on Sunday mornings. I was suppose to have a fellow yoga teacher come with me to assist with adjustments, but unfortunately she was sick this morning and unable to come! So I dragged SJ out of bed and made him come with me for support, playing the 'its my birthday' card. I was a bit nervous, I had never been there for a class before and had no idea how many people would be there or what kind of level the students would be at. The staff were super friendly, and there was a massive turn out! About 32 students came out to enjoy the free class, mainly beginners but some experienced students. It turned out to be a great class, and everyone had great positive energy. And I was rewarded with a yoga top of my choice for volunteering my time! So when the store opened after the class, I went shopping to claim my new top, and a few other items....just because!

This afternoon my friend JK and her fiance came over with the most amazing cake i've ever tasted! They're getting married next year and she is thinking about making her own wedding cake, so I graciously offered my stomach as practice. JK, i think you are going to make the best wedding cake, and i'm free for any more taste tests you need!

Tonight will end with a dinner with the parents and grandparents, and if you've ever been lucky enough to enjoy my mom's cooking you will know how amazing it will be. All in all, its been a great birthday!!

Celebrating is fun

2009-05-18T21:33:00.004+02:00

I was asked to teach a class at 12pm on Sunday, and seriously, i was totally freaked out! I have to admit though, i was a total nerd on a Saturday night and studied my notes from the training, trying to cram everything into my brain so that I didnt make a fool out of myself in front of 40 people. As the students were coming in to the studio, I was there greeting them, trying to look normal all the while my insides were turning and I was trying not to dry heave. Once everyone was in the class, its this little moment of fight-flight that I have right before walking in the room. I'm have mixed emotions, fear, anxiety, stress, excitement, and i really feel like running away. Take a deep breath....open the door....walk in the room....start the class. After the first couple minutes I completely forget that I'm a new teacher and the words just come flowing out of my mouth. Normally not in the form of verbal diarrhea, but sometimes would mess up some words. But hey, how can you not when you are speaking for an hour!?! And I have to admit, it was one of my best classes so far, and looking forward to continuously improving!

And I was really happy that SJ came out to support me in my first class. He doesnt do much yoga, though he is trying to get more into it due to his numerous soccer injuries, I was really happy that he made the effort to come out to my class. It was nice to notice him a few times in the class, and him giving me a smile and some encouragement.

So we went out to dinner for a celebration of surviving my first real class at the studio, and also the fact that I got into Karolinska. SJ's been telling me since I found out that he would take me out for dinner, but a cold prevented him from achieving that until yesterday.

So after an amazing visit from LM and her beautiful little man NM, we started walking to The Keg Steakhouse to begin our celebration! Why, you might ask, does a vegetarian go out to a steakhouse??? Well, because we had a gift certificate of course! SJ had a pretty massive piece of steak, while I enjoyed some really good salmon. We heard about this cake that we just had to have, and tried not to eat all of our meals so that we would have room for cake. Umm....that didnt really happen, but we ate the cake anyways! Then we stumbled home, belly's full, and thankful that we are so fortunate in life.

Practice makes perfect....sometimes

2009-05-11T16:46:00.005+02:00

So i taught my third of four practice classes at the studio today to about 10 people. The studio has graciously arranged times for the 7 returning India trainees to practice our new skills. Teaching has been an interesting experience for me, i never really thought that I wanted to be a yoga teacher. I knew that i wanted to do the Moksha teacher training, but i figured it was more for my own practice then to actually be a teacher. but when i got to India, and actually started teaching, i knew that was what i wanted to do, at least part time. I am not a good public speaker, and have difficulty in front of a group. But I love yoga so much, I knew that I could learn to overcome that fear, at least in the yoga setting.

Teaching started off relatively well for me. I did a bunch of practice teaching to family and friends (thanks!!) before i taught my first class to people I didnt know. I taught my first class at the studio 2 weeks ago, and for how nervous I was it seemed to go really well! I thought that i would puke right before walking in the room, but as soon as i started talking my nerves went away and i was really present in the room. Amazing feeling, and now I'm constantly searching to duplicate that, similar to when you have a good yoga class. I also started teaching a class at work three times per week for eight weeks over lunch hour to mainly beginners, but it has been really fun so far.

My second class at the studio was just ok, I taught at 7:30am and found out just before teaching that I had got into Karolinska. So unfortunately I was a bit preoccupied mentally. But it went ok and no real mess ups.

Todays class however, was a total write off.

One of the most important things they teach you in the training is that the class is about the students, not about you. Its hard to remember that when you are standing at the front of the class with many pairs of eyes on you, you sort of feel on display. Today, my mind created this whole story about how much the students hated the class, how terrible i was doing, that they couldnt wait to run out of the room. The mind if a funny thing sometimes, you start thinking it, and then eventually you start BELIEVING it. So after a while, my confidence in my teaching started to wilt away, and then because my confidence was shot my mind seemed to pick on my even more. Dangerous cycle.

I think I learnt a valuable lesson today. I saw 'mara' today, my mind's voice trying to keep me small, and next time I'm going to have to push those thoughts away and focus on leading the best class I can so every student can feel engaged, confident and internal. When I take a class, thats what I'm looking for, I now have to try and lead those types of classes by being authentic to myself, and sending 'mara' back to where he came from.

Thanks to those who have given me feedback on my classes, and many thanks to my India and Moksha sangha who give unlimited love and support! I am going to miss you all so much!

Namaste

Photo: courtesy of Ted Grand (hope thats ok Ted!)

moving to STOCKHOLM!!

2009-05-09T00:08:00.005+02:00

So, yesterday was the big day that I've been looking forward to since I submitted my application on February 15. I've been accepted to Karolinska Institutet in STOCKHOLM!!! That was my first choice, but since they only accept 14 people, I was not totally confident that I would get in.

Here's some interesting facts about Karolinska (KI) and Stockholm in general:

- KI one of Europe's largest medical universities, founded in 1810 and is located in Solna just outside Stockholm
- approx 5,500 students
- Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, and has a population of about 2 million people
- weather in Stockholm is quite mild, averaging between -2 and +1 during the winter months (very important for a winnipegger!!)
- 40% of the population in Stockholm is between 20 and 45 years old
- last held the Olympics in summer 1912
- Stockholm has regular ferry lines to Helsinki and Turku in Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; and to the Åland islands
- Stockholm has been ranked first on a list of the "greenest" and most "livable" cites in the world
- Sweden is home of Pippy Longstocking!

School starts August 31, 2009, so guess what I'm doing this weekend.....packing! I'm not actually leaving Canada until the beginning of August, but since I'm usually a procrastonator I thought that I should start early. Luckly I have a great friend that has been there for me through almost all of my various moves, and has graciously agreed to help me start sorting through all my stuff. Things to sell, things to store at my parents house, things to donate, and a small portion of things to take. Luckly for me, Sweden is also home to IKEA, so I'm sure I'll have no problem replenishing my apartment!!!

Regardless of how excited I am for this new adventure in Sweden, I have to admit that I'm really going to miss my family and friends here in Canada! I have a great family and am pretty close with my mom (who is trying to be excited for me, but deep down is pretty heartbroken that I'm going to be so far away), so thats going to be hard. I'll just have to set her up with a web cam before I go, and get her used to using skype! Also, I have a great set of friends (work, non-work, and my Moksha sangha). I will be sad to leave, but will have to make sure that I have a great comfy couch for them to crash on!

School is also going to be tough, and the system is quite different from my undergraduate degree that I took here in Canada. There they study one course intensively for 5 weeks then move on to the next course, whereas here we study 4-5 courses at a time over a period of 4 months. Its going to be a big challenge to learn the language. I have lived in Sweden before (though it was way far up north in Umeå), so I do have a basic understanding of Swedish, I would like to be bilingual before I have kids (which will not be anytime soon, so dont get your hopes up). I hope that by the end of my 2 years in school I will be fluent enough to be able to get a job and/or be able to add to my resume that I speak Swedish.

My last day of work will officially be June 26th, and I have to say I'm already counting down the days. Not only will I not be working for a while, but I'm also taking a 2 week trip through the states (Vegas, LA, San Diego, San Francisco) which will be a nice lead into the big move. Two of my husbands friends are coming over from Sweden, and we are meeting them in Vegas for a few days before driving out to California. Not only am I excited for the sandy beaches, but also for the kick-ass yoga studios! I can tell, this is going to be one super awesome summer!

Good news coming May 7th!

2009-05-03T04:23:00.003+02:00

The past 12 months have been exciting, at least in my opinion. I got married in October, I went to India in February, where I spent 6 weeks doing a yoga teacher training, and as of May 7th I will find out what school I have been accepted to in Sweden! Yes, that's right, I'm moving to SWEDEN in August! I've decided to move there with my Swedish hubby, and have applied to 4 different schools to do a masters and will find out May 7th where I'm going. Only a short 5 days to wait, and then its time to start planning and packing!

Good things a happenin