FIKA!!

I love Fika!!! Fika is a very Swedish thing, it happens all the time, anywhere and with everyone! At home in Chicago we only have it on Fridays and in between our classes, but here we have it in between every class! (I think North Park needs to adjust to this kind of schedule) Fika, isn't just a time for Coffee, but a time to chat and catch up with friends and maybe even make some new ones. I had a really good, long Fika the other day with a new friend, I got a piece of my favorite cake in the whole world, the Princess cake! Only fitting since in Hebrew my name does mean Princess :) At home we can only get this cake at the Swedish bakery in Andersonville, but in Sweden it is available at just about any coffee shop. Now I can't imagine life without Fika everyday.

Bandy A.K.A. Floor Ball

So... I played Bandy the other night!! For my friends reading this and are not sure what Bandy is.. I will try and explain it the best I can. Field Hockey or Ice Hockey! It is just like Field Hockey with a ball not a puck, and ice hockey because its on ice and the rules are a little different. I recommend if you are really interested in knowing, look it up on my friend Wikipedia!

We played in the "arena" at Råslätt and it was a blast! I'm sure there will be many more days like these!!

What do I see everyday?

So this is what I see out my window! Its lake Vättern, the 2nd largest lake in Sweden! I get to walk by it everyday on my way to the bus, and we drive next to it everyday on my way to class. It really is amazing!

And this is HLK (I'll get a better picture soon) the School of Education and Communication. I am really enjoying my classes this far. Its a completely different teaching style, and I like it!! It's a lot of work, but I have so far learned a ton about cultural differences.

This is "down town" Jönköping! I really like walking around down here, there isn't a ton to do or see but... It's home for now! And its beautiful!

And finally this is where I sleep! I am only really in this room

if I am sleeping. This is my room. It's really big, and I have

a spare bed!

So this is home! at least for the next 6 months!

Introduction Week re-cap

Happy Sunday everyone!! Tomorrow is the first day of school and I'm in at 9am! Most of you know this already but for those who don't... I am NOT a morning person! Although this class sounds real interesting, its called Global Encounters, my concern with this class isn't only that it is at 9 a.m. but that it lasts for 8 hours! Oh yeah! We get an hour for lunch, its like a work week! I am however having a great time here. I have meet some really great people from all over the world! It snowed the other day and for me this was normal, for some of my friends here from Australia and New Zealand this was a first, they were like kids on Christmas! It was great to see them so excited over snow! It reminds me that I need to appreciate the small things in life too.

So, now that this week has come to an end, I thought I'd fill everyone in about the "amazing", "informative", "Welcome to Jönköping" introduction week we've had. I loved this week because everyone is so open to talking to one another. We're all new in this city and we all want to make a few new friends, so this is the week everyone is open to new things, people and experiences. We have gone out an explored our surroundings with no fear in getting lost, we have had to figure out how to open a bank account, where to buy bus passes, how to get home at 2 a.m., where to do our laundry, where the gym is :) and most importantly.. where to buy food. Every night this week however has been a party night! We've been out with the student organizations every night this week, playing games (many of them were drinking type games) and every night (except for Friday and Saturday) we have gone to AKADEMIEN which is the student bar here in Jönköping.

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To take a break from all this drinking and 2 a.m parties we decided to go to my favorite place in Sweden... IKEA!!! Sean, Dion, Rudy and I all went to IKEA for some lunch and an afternoon of well... in Sean and Dion's case more drinking! Beer is part of their drink menu and as usual you can go up and refill your water, soda, what ever.. this in Sweden, includes Beer! Crazy Swedes!

Orientation week

Well, as you all know by now I am at Jönköping University. This introduction week has been filled with so much information your head would explode, but I'm sure it will only get worse once classes start on Monday, which has not been an easy task in obtaining information about. I have to take an 'extra' class that I don't need because apparently that is just how it works, so i'll be taking a special education class, I'll let you all know how that one plays out! I am also having a hard time understanding the schedule, the teacher in the one class I have changes the room, and the time everyday for the next 9 weeks or so... aarrggggg. I am leaning a ton of Swedish just by going to all the pub crawls and pub game nights we've had so far. I have meet some pretty amazing people including one such Aussie that has been my exploring the area, new food trying, drinking a little to much with every night buddy. Yesterday we ate at this really crap pizza joint, and he got a pizza with Banana pieces on it. Oh boy... interesting and YUK are the best ways to describe this pizza joint, again I have learned a valued lesson, if an all you can eat pizza place only costs 65 kr. DONT eat there!! Once I get the internet up and running in my room, I'll post some pictures, until then.. Puss och Kram

Sweden Vs. Canada

Have I mentioned that I dont like Canadians lately? Well I dont! Monday night (Jan.5th) Henrik and I were in Kil with Robert waching the 2009 World Junior championship hockey game and we were getting really heated. Canada tried and unfortunalty succeeded in making Markström's (Swedens goaltender) night really difficult. He was bumped and jostled all night, including one major collision with Esposito when Markström came out to play the puck. But.. good job Joakim Anderson who scored Sweden's only goal of the night woohoo! The referees in this game were crap! They over looked a lot of the fouls that Canada made but called all of them on Sweden. hmmm I thought they were supposed to be fair. Just watch this video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrH0ukdOG-c&eurl=http://video.aol.com/video-detail/canada-vs-sweden-2009-gold-medal-game-final-score-5-1-canda-victory-match-highlight/34884385&feature=player_embedded

Well Canada won 5-1, (there 5th in a row) they did have a great start but Sweden really came through during the 2nd period, I guess not strong enough! There is always next year, right boys!! and dont worry Jacob Markström, I still love you!

Food

Well as many of you already know, I am a picky eater, but one thing is for sure, I love Swedish food! I have been here several times, and have never had any complaints, I unlike many other Americans (sorry guys) understand that things are different, pizza is different, burgers are different, even coke is different and I like that it is, but...

Henrik and I were having dinner at his Farmor's house and she is the most amazing cook ever. I want to learn everything from her. Well that night she made these small burger like patties with brown sauce, potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, it was amazing! Well I found out shortly after I took a bite of the patty's what exactly I was eating... I ate Beaver! yes, you read it right, beaver a.k.a road kill to most American mid westerners. I would never, ever have considered it before, ever!! Well... I ate it, I loved it, and I would eat it again! So I learned a very important lesson, don't knock it until you try it!!

Gött Nytt år!

Amazing way to spend New Years Eve this year! i Sverje (in Sweden) I was with my cousin Henrik and a group of his friends in Karlstad. It was different, since there wasn't a ball drop, no real count down, there was no "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind…'' type songs playing, just good music, lots of alcohol, fireworks and being surrounded by friends. I have to admit, this was hands down one of the best New Years Eve nights ever. There wasn't any fuss, no stressing about where to go, what to wear or who will show, and no one drove drunk anywhere!! I had met everyone at the party before and had become good friends with a couple of them so I was more then comfortable, except for the lack of my Swedish ability until I get a little tipsy, then my language skills improve entirely.