January 14, Hej (that is Hello in Swedish) I have been here for three full days now and I still cannot believe I am really here however I am reminded anytime I look around.  Everything is different.  The hardest thing for me has been getting around the language.  Everyone speaks the national language which is Swedish but most (especially the younger generations) know english as well.  It is new for me to have to get along in these social situations but I feel that I am starting to get the hang of it after getting to know a few swedes.

The weather is not too favorable at all.  It has been in teens (in Fahrenheit)just about everyday and it is a cold that just shoots right through you.  I am very thankful that it is not windy as well.  Since there is little wind here, I believe the winters of upstate New York are a bit worse.  The frigid temperatures in combination with the lack of wind results in a little ice crystal lattice that covers everything.  You see it on the leaves of this plant.  The people of Sweden are an interesting bunch.  I was told by a Swede that they are very reserved.  That they are outgoing only when the time is right (like when they are celebrating and consuming alcohol).  Other than those times, they look with disfavor open those that try to interact with others.  I feel that I will often get this but it okay because I am American and therefore it is acceptable that I am different.  The older generations are the most reserved and are traditional in this fashion.  Out of all the Swedes, the elders know the least English.

They are very “green” here as I think most of Europe is.  I saw reusable towel roll in the public bathroom of the airport in Copenhagen and it really grossed me out.  Bikes are a very popular mode of transportation.  I got one myself.  I am really proud of it. It is in fairly good condition for being made in 1992!  I bought it for 1000 krona (about $150) which, believe it or not is a good deal because bikes are in such a high demand.  I have two locks for the thing because they are often stolen.  Do not be surprised if a later post describes just this (hope not). That brings me to another point that I have had a hard time getting used to- the currency.  The Swedish krona is worth about a seventh of the value of a dollar so something simple like lunch could easily cost 100 kr.  and when they say this, at first I think they must be crazy but then again I remember- I am not in the states.

Another thing about swedes- they love their gummies.  Any shop will have a wide selection of gummy candies and I believe this is where they got the “swedish fish” from.  However when I asked my Swedish friend, Per,  about their national fish-candy, he thought I was crazy.  He has never heard of the swedish fish candies.  I have had many conversations with Per about this and other facets of American and Swedish culture.  Also, very interesting, Per along with all other Swedes have never heard of a “swedish massage”.  He has no idea where that came from nor has he ever heard the term before I told him.  For swedes, he says, Thai is the exotic massage to get.  Swedes also love Thai food.

So far this week I have been staying at a hostile in Uppsala because my housing contract does not start until Monday.  I have been staying in a coed dorm room and I thought that it would be difficult because I would be staying in the same room with so many others but it is not so bad.  I worried about my stuff maybe being stolen but, in general, you will not have to worry about that in Uppsala.

Here are a few pictures of my hostile. cozy. This weekend I will be staying at my “buddies” place that she offered as a cheaper place to stay. The program at SLU set me up with a current student at the university to help me get along and my buddy, Frida, has been a lot of help for me.

There is so much more I could write but I am quite tired; the jet-lag is done but just from being in the cold walking and biking. btw- biking in this cold is ridiculous.  I do not know how they do it.  Also, I have been having some crazy dreams.  I don’t know why, maybe the water-which is really good, but I dreamed one night that I got to know Carl Linneaus really well and he was a boy genius in his younger thirties.  For those of you that do not know Carl Linneaus is a famous botanist of the 18th century and he is from Uppsala.  There is something of a shrine here for him with garden that I will have to check out in the spring when it is open.

A few of my photos of my trip I posted here but if you really want to see all of them then friend me (if you haven’t already) on facebook.  They will all be up there.  I could always use more friends.