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soggy pub crawl, new friends, drunken swedes...
Aug. 24th, 2008 | 02:11 pm
location: Cafe Barista, Uppsala, Sweden
mood: 
thirsty
music: "Seventeen Years" -Ratatat
August 24, 2008
06:36 CEST
My room
So much has happened here in the past few days. I will try to squeeze it all into one post for you all.
FRIDAY
I woke up Friday morning and set out for the cafe. As soon as I got there, I saw Stacey and Jamie (different Jamie than the post below; this one is from CSULB) sitting on their computers also. We all decided to try to make the tour of Uppsala at 15:00 and afterwards, and then go to the pub crawl that night. So after talking on the internet until about 12, I showed the girls the little grocery store and department store I had found. Then we got lunch from a place inside this indoor shopping center where the liquor store was. I had a spinach and feta quiche, Stacey had a salad, and Jamie had a sandwich. I learned that most European countries don’t believe in ranch dressing. Those of you who know me well know how long this year is going to be for me because of this. Also, they generally don’t put ice in their drinks, even alcoholic ones. How will I live?
After lunch, we went to the Student Union for fika. In Swedish culture, fika is basically when you get coffee and snacks with friends to socialize. It was hot and crowded there with all the people, so we left to the international office so Stacey and Jamie could get their p-numbers. At this point, we realized we didn’t have much time to go home and shower, in my case, and talk to people back home, in their case, if we were to go on the tour. So we decided to put it off until Saturday. I took them to Väsgöta Nation (VG) to get their IDs and sign up for the pub crawl, then we split ways so I could head back to Kantorsgatan and clean up before the pubs.
All fresh and pleasant-smelling, we went to VG to get Jamie’s passport that she accidentally left there. Mid route, it started to sprinkle. Then it started to drizzle. Then it started to come down pretty good. Then it started to pour. Why again did I blowdry my hair? Thank goodness I had my umbrella. My shoes, on the other hand, were a lost cause. I was wearing these little leopard-print ballet flats that absolutely soaked up the water.
There were some other people there waiting for the rain to let up some to head over to OG Nation, where we were meeting at for the crawl, that we tagged along with. We set off in groups to the different Nations. Of course our group went right back to VG. We didn’t stay there since we had already been, so we all went to some other nations that was unremarkable, other than the fact that my beer tasted horrible. We met some guys from Spain at this one, so we tried our limited high school Spanish on them. Jamie did the best, actually keeping up a bit of a conversation. Stacey and I ha only a few phrases that came to mind, so I ended up telling one to take his clothes off and Stacey insulted his mother, to put it delicately. After about 20 minutes or so, we left for Södermanland-Nerike’s Nation (Snerike’s), which turned out to be my favorite of the night. It had an outdoor area with lots of chairs, and the inside looked like an old mansion. There was a large open area for dancing, a huge staircase leading to more rooms above, an adjoining room with seating, and a bar. We ran into some other people from the states and Canada who had been in Uppsala for three weeks for the intensive Swedish course. They were a wealth of information. I only remember the girl’s name, Bianca, because we got her number so we could all hang out later on. They told us we should go to Estonia to party. There is two-day cruise they took that cost about $12, and alcohol there is much cheaper than in Sweden. Our group was leaving, so we told Bianca we would call her later if we couldn’t find her at Snerike’s.
I still don’t remember the name of this next one, but it looked a little more like a bar than a pub. The decor was more trendy, instead of the more traditional look of the others. We ordered nachos, a chicken sandwich, and a Murphy’s. The food was alright. The fries were delish, but my nachos were pretty sad. There was hardly any cheese on them! What the heck is that all about? Don’t even get me started on the guacamole...
Our group left us, because our food took so long. Once we were finished, we decided to head back to Snerike’s. At this point it was after 9pm, so we had to pay a $10 cover to get in. We couldn’t find Bianca, but we met Alex, a guy from SF State. He introduced us to some people he had met, and the only names I remember are Matt and Jasper (Swedes) and Franchesca (SF State). Jasper informed me of where to get a perfect Guinness poured in the Nations, which I took special note of. :) Franchesca had been here for the intensive Swedish course and apparently had come to know her roommates, possibly in the Biblical sense of the word. She was sprawled across the laps of Jasper and one of her other roommates. We think she may have had a bit too much to drink at this point, because she was affecting an accent that was somewhat European. Hmm. This normally wouldn’t have been enough to comment on, but after buying drinks and being stalked be a creepy Swedish guy named Hans who “wanted to make American friends”, we saw Frannie on the dance floor with Jasper. There wasn’t much dancing going on at the time, but they were putting on quite the show, spilling beer, falling everywhere, and practically making out in front of us all. Quite entertaining. She seems like she would move with a faster crowd than what I’m used to.
Stacey, Jamie and I moved into one of the rooms with tables to sit down for a bit. We chose a room that was round with only one exit, and picked a seat against the wall. We stayed here a while, having inappropriate conversations but not caring because it was so loud. We were tired from walking everywhere that day, so we called it a night pretty early, and walked back to Kantorsgatan, getting our first taste of what Bianca and her friends called SSD (Swedish Stare Down). There was an older woman walking her bike near us, and she was giving us quite a stare down.
We walked back through the park, which isn’t very dark at night so don’t worry, mom. I had my knife ready just in case, thank you dad. :D
It was 12 in the morning by this time, so I crashed out pretty quickly. Stacey and Jamie have had a little more trouble with sleeping, but I suspect this is because they both left significant others in California.
SATURDAY
The girls and I met at 8:20 to walk to the coffee shop. I was a bit tired from the night before, so it felt extra early to me. We got to the coffee shop just to find that it doesn’t open until 10 on Saturdays. The girls were so upset, since they promised family/boyfriends that they would be on at 12 a.m. California time. We tried getting wireless from outside the cafe while we waited for it to open, but Jamie was the only one who had any luck. We looked fairly homeless sitting on the street against the wall. Stacey’s computer froze and then wouldn’t turn on, so she was worrying about that for the whole hour we had to wait. I can only imagine how that would feel, losing the only means of contact you had with home when you are thousands of miles away. Luckily, it was just the battery dying, and once we were in the cafe it was easy to fix. I was feeling so sick after sitting in there an hour or so. I had ordered my usual vanilla latte, but I needed something more substantial. I got a prosciutto sandwich, but could only eat about half, despite the fact that it was delish.
We went to try to pay rent, but the housing office was closed, so we just did some window shopping in the stores before the tour. I found a yarn store and spent way too much money on yarn and new knitting needles. It made me happy. :D We decided on Macdonald’s for lunch, since all we really wanted was fries and a coke. As we were eating, this guy walked into the square wearing a viking hat and no shirt, and carrying a boombox on his shoulder. He set it down, and took the hat off, and started to dance for money. He was amazingly horrible. We could not stop laughing at all. I grabbed some change, and told Jamie she had to go take a picture with him. I think this must have been a dare from his friends who were standing by, because they all cheered when we took a picture with him. We told him he had mad dance skills. He had actually busted out with “the sprinkler”.
We eventually went on the tour, which was pretty boring. We had explored so much already, we basically knew everything he was showing us. We met some nice exchange students while we were waiting for it, including some physics ones. We bailed about halfway through the tour because it was so repetitive for us. We went back to the cafe, then tried to find the grocery store by Kantorsgatan. All we found was a gas station, so we got some necessities and went home. We opted out of V-dala Nation’s pub night because we were too tired. We went to Jamie’s room and watched Across the Universe. I started making a hat, but I think it’s going to be too small. I might start over. We went to bed right after the movie.
SUNDAY
I woke up at about 6 because I was a little cold, but it was too late to get back to sleep. I had a weird dream about Shay and it was bothering me too much to sleep. So now here I am, writing. It has taken me two hours to write this post. I tried to be concise and thorough at the same time, so I hope you are all still reading at this point. It’s hard to fit a weekend into one post, with all that goes on. I’ll try to break it up next time.
I am meeting the girls at 9:30 to go to Ikea. Unfortunately, we aren’t sure which bus to get on, so it should be an adventure. I have my list and I’m ready to start furnishing my room. Wish me luck!
Yours,
Katie
P.S. I still have only met one of my roommates. His name is Daniel, and that is about all I know. I haven’t seen him since I met him on Wednesday.
06:36 CEST
My room
So much has happened here in the past few days. I will try to squeeze it all into one post for you all.
FRIDAY
I woke up Friday morning and set out for the cafe. As soon as I got there, I saw Stacey and Jamie (different Jamie than the post below; this one is from CSULB) sitting on their computers also. We all decided to try to make the tour of Uppsala at 15:00 and afterwards, and then go to the pub crawl that night. So after talking on the internet until about 12, I showed the girls the little grocery store and department store I had found. Then we got lunch from a place inside this indoor shopping center where the liquor store was. I had a spinach and feta quiche, Stacey had a salad, and Jamie had a sandwich. I learned that most European countries don’t believe in ranch dressing. Those of you who know me well know how long this year is going to be for me because of this. Also, they generally don’t put ice in their drinks, even alcoholic ones. How will I live?
After lunch, we went to the Student Union for fika. In Swedish culture, fika is basically when you get coffee and snacks with friends to socialize. It was hot and crowded there with all the people, so we left to the international office so Stacey and Jamie could get their p-numbers. At this point, we realized we didn’t have much time to go home and shower, in my case, and talk to people back home, in their case, if we were to go on the tour. So we decided to put it off until Saturday. I took them to Väsgöta Nation (VG) to get their IDs and sign up for the pub crawl, then we split ways so I could head back to Kantorsgatan and clean up before the pubs.
All fresh and pleasant-smelling, we went to VG to get Jamie’s passport that she accidentally left there. Mid route, it started to sprinkle. Then it started to drizzle. Then it started to come down pretty good. Then it started to pour. Why again did I blowdry my hair? Thank goodness I had my umbrella. My shoes, on the other hand, were a lost cause. I was wearing these little leopard-print ballet flats that absolutely soaked up the water.
There were some other people there waiting for the rain to let up some to head over to OG Nation, where we were meeting at for the crawl, that we tagged along with. We set off in groups to the different Nations. Of course our group went right back to VG. We didn’t stay there since we had already been, so we all went to some other nations that was unremarkable, other than the fact that my beer tasted horrible. We met some guys from Spain at this one, so we tried our limited high school Spanish on them. Jamie did the best, actually keeping up a bit of a conversation. Stacey and I ha only a few phrases that came to mind, so I ended up telling one to take his clothes off and Stacey insulted his mother, to put it delicately. After about 20 minutes or so, we left for Södermanland-Nerike’s Nation (Snerike’s), which turned out to be my favorite of the night. It had an outdoor area with lots of chairs, and the inside looked like an old mansion. There was a large open area for dancing, a huge staircase leading to more rooms above, an adjoining room with seating, and a bar. We ran into some other people from the states and Canada who had been in Uppsala for three weeks for the intensive Swedish course. They were a wealth of information. I only remember the girl’s name, Bianca, because we got her number so we could all hang out later on. They told us we should go to Estonia to party. There is two-day cruise they took that cost about $12, and alcohol there is much cheaper than in Sweden. Our group was leaving, so we told Bianca we would call her later if we couldn’t find her at Snerike’s.
I still don’t remember the name of this next one, but it looked a little more like a bar than a pub. The decor was more trendy, instead of the more traditional look of the others. We ordered nachos, a chicken sandwich, and a Murphy’s. The food was alright. The fries were delish, but my nachos were pretty sad. There was hardly any cheese on them! What the heck is that all about? Don’t even get me started on the guacamole...
Our group left us, because our food took so long. Once we were finished, we decided to head back to Snerike’s. At this point it was after 9pm, so we had to pay a $10 cover to get in. We couldn’t find Bianca, but we met Alex, a guy from SF State. He introduced us to some people he had met, and the only names I remember are Matt and Jasper (Swedes) and Franchesca (SF State). Jasper informed me of where to get a perfect Guinness poured in the Nations, which I took special note of. :) Franchesca had been here for the intensive Swedish course and apparently had come to know her roommates, possibly in the Biblical sense of the word. She was sprawled across the laps of Jasper and one of her other roommates. We think she may have had a bit too much to drink at this point, because she was affecting an accent that was somewhat European. Hmm. This normally wouldn’t have been enough to comment on, but after buying drinks and being stalked be a creepy Swedish guy named Hans who “wanted to make American friends”, we saw Frannie on the dance floor with Jasper. There wasn’t much dancing going on at the time, but they were putting on quite the show, spilling beer, falling everywhere, and practically making out in front of us all. Quite entertaining. She seems like she would move with a faster crowd than what I’m used to.
Stacey, Jamie and I moved into one of the rooms with tables to sit down for a bit. We chose a room that was round with only one exit, and picked a seat against the wall. We stayed here a while, having inappropriate conversations but not caring because it was so loud. We were tired from walking everywhere that day, so we called it a night pretty early, and walked back to Kantorsgatan, getting our first taste of what Bianca and her friends called SSD (Swedish Stare Down). There was an older woman walking her bike near us, and she was giving us quite a stare down.
We walked back through the park, which isn’t very dark at night so don’t worry, mom. I had my knife ready just in case, thank you dad. :D
It was 12 in the morning by this time, so I crashed out pretty quickly. Stacey and Jamie have had a little more trouble with sleeping, but I suspect this is because they both left significant others in California.
SATURDAY
The girls and I met at 8:20 to walk to the coffee shop. I was a bit tired from the night before, so it felt extra early to me. We got to the coffee shop just to find that it doesn’t open until 10 on Saturdays. The girls were so upset, since they promised family/boyfriends that they would be on at 12 a.m. California time. We tried getting wireless from outside the cafe while we waited for it to open, but Jamie was the only one who had any luck. We looked fairly homeless sitting on the street against the wall. Stacey’s computer froze and then wouldn’t turn on, so she was worrying about that for the whole hour we had to wait. I can only imagine how that would feel, losing the only means of contact you had with home when you are thousands of miles away. Luckily, it was just the battery dying, and once we were in the cafe it was easy to fix. I was feeling so sick after sitting in there an hour or so. I had ordered my usual vanilla latte, but I needed something more substantial. I got a prosciutto sandwich, but could only eat about half, despite the fact that it was delish.
We went to try to pay rent, but the housing office was closed, so we just did some window shopping in the stores before the tour. I found a yarn store and spent way too much money on yarn and new knitting needles. It made me happy. :D We decided on Macdonald’s for lunch, since all we really wanted was fries and a coke. As we were eating, this guy walked into the square wearing a viking hat and no shirt, and carrying a boombox on his shoulder. He set it down, and took the hat off, and started to dance for money. He was amazingly horrible. We could not stop laughing at all. I grabbed some change, and told Jamie she had to go take a picture with him. I think this must have been a dare from his friends who were standing by, because they all cheered when we took a picture with him. We told him he had mad dance skills. He had actually busted out with “the sprinkler”.
We eventually went on the tour, which was pretty boring. We had explored so much already, we basically knew everything he was showing us. We met some nice exchange students while we were waiting for it, including some physics ones. We bailed about halfway through the tour because it was so repetitive for us. We went back to the cafe, then tried to find the grocery store by Kantorsgatan. All we found was a gas station, so we got some necessities and went home. We opted out of V-dala Nation’s pub night because we were too tired. We went to Jamie’s room and watched Across the Universe. I started making a hat, but I think it’s going to be too small. I might start over. We went to bed right after the movie.
SUNDAY
I woke up at about 6 because I was a little cold, but it was too late to get back to sleep. I had a weird dream about Shay and it was bothering me too much to sleep. So now here I am, writing. It has taken me two hours to write this post. I tried to be concise and thorough at the same time, so I hope you are all still reading at this point. It’s hard to fit a weekend into one post, with all that goes on. I’ll try to break it up next time.
I am meeting the girls at 9:30 to go to Ikea. Unfortunately, we aren’t sure which bus to get on, so it should be an adventure. I have my list and I’m ready to start furnishing my room. Wish me luck!
Yours,
Katie
P.S. I still have only met one of my roommates. His name is Daniel, and that is about all I know. I haven’t seen him since I met him on Wednesday.
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a day in the life...
Aug. 22nd, 2008 | 11:28 am
location: Cafe Barista, Uppsala, Sweden
mood: 
bouncy
music: "Near to You" -A Fine Frenzy
This is what my days are like here so far... it's getting a little bit more busy, but this is what it has been like the first few days
view from my window of kantorsgatan
my window opens in! so crazy...
my front door
the stairway... its really narrow!
my building
the park near kantorsgatan
walking into town...
vaderkvarnsgatan street
s:t olofsgatan street
my morning latte
cafe barista
iChat with mom and Carlos
random crazy guy that was in the international office. he doesn't even go to uppsala u, he was just hanging out on vacation. weird...
international office
ian, jamie and me doing our "myspace" shot
uppsala cathedral, up close
i dont really know where this is...
my pasta salad i had for lunch
the train tracks on s:t olofsgatan street
walking home
the sky was really pretty
the macdonald's by kantorsgatan
walking home through the park.
i find a new way to get lost in it each time.
the elementary school/daycare i walk by
i have no scissors, and i cut myself with my little knife trying to open my surge protector.
The End!
view from my window of kantorsgatan
my window opens in! so crazy...
my front door
the stairway... its really narrow!
my building
the park near kantorsgatan
walking into town...
vaderkvarnsgatan street
s:t olofsgatan street
my morning latte
cafe barista
iChat with mom and Carlos
random crazy guy that was in the international office. he doesn't even go to uppsala u, he was just hanging out on vacation. weird...
international office
ian, jamie and me doing our "myspace" shot
uppsala cathedral, up close
i dont really know where this is...
my pasta salad i had for lunch
the train tracks on s:t olofsgatan street
walking home
the sky was really pretty
the macdonald's by kantorsgatan
walking home through the park.
i find a new way to get lost in it each time.
the elementary school/daycare i walk by
i have no scissors, and i cut myself with my little knife trying to open my surge protector.
The End!
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hairdryer = happiness
Aug. 21st, 2008 | 06:28 pm
location: Cafe Barista, Uppsala, Sweden
mood: 
ecstatic
music: "Kill" - Jimmy Eat World
August 21, 2008
17:44 CEST
Cafe Barista
I am so unbelievably happy right now. I will get to why in a second.
My day started out pretty normal. Woke up unreasonably early in the morning, got a shower, packed my tourist backpack and headed for the cafe. I spent my morning chatting online with my mom and Carlos. It made me just as homesick as ever. I started to get a little depressed when my computer was about to die and I had to say bye to them, but it turned out to be a good thing.
I set out for the International Office of the university. Finally. I should have taken care of that way earlier in the week. First thing as I walk in the door is I hear someone say my name. It turned out to be Stacey, the only other student from CSUCI going to Sweden. It totally made my day. The advisor wasn’t particularly helpful, but I met a load of new people. The trick will be remembering all the names. They were all international students as well. from the states and Canada. I exchanged some facebook info, and I tagged along with Ian from Canada and Jamie from Texas to the Väsgöta Nation. We picked up our temporary membership cards so we can get into all the events at the Nations until we actually join one. In case you are reading this and don’e know what the Nations are, imagine like a fraternity or sorority only coed, and everyone goes to the same events, you just get in free at your own nation’s club. They are basically your social network at Uppsala U. Membership in one is mandatory.
There are TONS of events to go to this week. I am missing some tonight but I am way too tired. Tomorrow night is the pub crawl and Saturday is a trip to Ikea!!! I am sad to say I’m more excited for Ikea than the pub.
Back to my day. After Väsgöta, Ian, Jamie and I went to the liquor store, a priority, of course. Jamie picked up some Jose Cuervo and a six pack of Corona. It made me miss SoCal quite a bit. It was crazy to see how expensive liquor is there, and also the interesting varieties they have. I saw Absolut vodka in a rainbow bottle. They even had Miller Lite!
After that we pretty much went our separate ways, with promises to see each other around. I was walking back toward my housing when I got a little turned around. It was the best thing that happened to me evarrrrrr. I found a little department store and I almost cried when I saw the hairdryers. I am not exaggerating here. Tears almost came. I bought the hairdryer, a green (!) straightener, handsoap, toothpaste (aquafresh!!!), and an umbrella. Necessities.
After that I got lost again and found a grocery store. Getting lost is amazing here. I find the greatest things when I lose my way around town. The grocery was a lot like back home. Different carts and such, but the same kind of food selection for the most part. What sucked was their produce section. Yikes. I picked up some balsamic vinegar, a roll, and a pasta salad for dinner. Cumulative total of what I ate today up until that point had been a small slice of bread and a latte. It was 17:00 by then, so I was just about starving.
I got lost yet again, and ended up finding the street that the cafe is on. I almost turned down the wrong way, but I saw the sign for Pinnochio Pizza and knew that was the way. So here I am, drinking a sparkling water and eating my pasta salad, which has some weird ingredients. It is penne pasta, but there are chickpeas, lettuce (?) chopped black olives, chicken breast, tomato, pickles, and what looks like sour cream but isn’t. Might be cheese. I would eat just about anything at this point. OH! I also found the outlet at the cafe. Yayyyyy!!! my computer wont die on me anymore. That means more video chatting!
I still have so much to do tomorrow, but I feel a got a lot accomplished today. I actually made some friends, or at least met some people. I got a social calendar, figured out what I need to do to register for class, bought a hairdryer. It was a good day. My cafe is closing, so I will write more tonight and post it tomorrow.
I miss you all at home.
Yours,
Katie
17:44 CEST
Cafe Barista
I am so unbelievably happy right now. I will get to why in a second.
My day started out pretty normal. Woke up unreasonably early in the morning, got a shower, packed my tourist backpack and headed for the cafe. I spent my morning chatting online with my mom and Carlos. It made me just as homesick as ever. I started to get a little depressed when my computer was about to die and I had to say bye to them, but it turned out to be a good thing.
I set out for the International Office of the university. Finally. I should have taken care of that way earlier in the week. First thing as I walk in the door is I hear someone say my name. It turned out to be Stacey, the only other student from CSUCI going to Sweden. It totally made my day. The advisor wasn’t particularly helpful, but I met a load of new people. The trick will be remembering all the names. They were all international students as well. from the states and Canada. I exchanged some facebook info, and I tagged along with Ian from Canada and Jamie from Texas to the Väsgöta Nation. We picked up our temporary membership cards so we can get into all the events at the Nations until we actually join one. In case you are reading this and don’e know what the Nations are, imagine like a fraternity or sorority only coed, and everyone goes to the same events, you just get in free at your own nation’s club. They are basically your social network at Uppsala U. Membership in one is mandatory.
There are TONS of events to go to this week. I am missing some tonight but I am way too tired. Tomorrow night is the pub crawl and Saturday is a trip to Ikea!!! I am sad to say I’m more excited for Ikea than the pub.
Back to my day. After Väsgöta, Ian, Jamie and I went to the liquor store, a priority, of course. Jamie picked up some Jose Cuervo and a six pack of Corona. It made me miss SoCal quite a bit. It was crazy to see how expensive liquor is there, and also the interesting varieties they have. I saw Absolut vodka in a rainbow bottle. They even had Miller Lite!
After that we pretty much went our separate ways, with promises to see each other around. I was walking back toward my housing when I got a little turned around. It was the best thing that happened to me evarrrrrr. I found a little department store and I almost cried when I saw the hairdryers. I am not exaggerating here. Tears almost came. I bought the hairdryer, a green (!) straightener, handsoap, toothpaste (aquafresh!!!), and an umbrella. Necessities.
After that I got lost again and found a grocery store. Getting lost is amazing here. I find the greatest things when I lose my way around town. The grocery was a lot like back home. Different carts and such, but the same kind of food selection for the most part. What sucked was their produce section. Yikes. I picked up some balsamic vinegar, a roll, and a pasta salad for dinner. Cumulative total of what I ate today up until that point had been a small slice of bread and a latte. It was 17:00 by then, so I was just about starving.
I got lost yet again, and ended up finding the street that the cafe is on. I almost turned down the wrong way, but I saw the sign for Pinnochio Pizza and knew that was the way. So here I am, drinking a sparkling water and eating my pasta salad, which has some weird ingredients. It is penne pasta, but there are chickpeas, lettuce (?) chopped black olives, chicken breast, tomato, pickles, and what looks like sour cream but isn’t. Might be cheese. I would eat just about anything at this point. OH! I also found the outlet at the cafe. Yayyyyy!!! my computer wont die on me anymore. That means more video chatting!
I still have so much to do tomorrow, but I feel a got a lot accomplished today. I actually made some friends, or at least met some people. I got a social calendar, figured out what I need to do to register for class, bought a hairdryer. It was a good day. My cafe is closing, so I will write more tonight and post it tomorrow.
I miss you all at home.
Yours,
Katie
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my new home
Aug. 19th, 2008 | 05:39 pm
location: Uppsala, Sweden
mood: sore from walking everywhere
music: "Only Fooling Myself" -Kate Voegele
saying goodbye to mom and dad
i'm going to miss shay with my life
my new room
my bed and chair
my very own bathroom
view of my room from the doorway
the dining room and balcony
dining/living room
balcony
kitchen
Uppsala Cathedral
Fyris River
statue and university main building
Uppsala University
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leaving home
Aug. 19th, 2008 | 04:50 pm
location: Uppsala, Sweden
mood: sore
music: "Blue and Yellow" -The Used
Here are the past three days of journal that I haven't posted until now.
----------------------------------------
Sunday, August 17, 2008
3:08 p.m. CDT
O’Hare International Airport
I’m sitting at my terminal for Scandinavian Airways, waiting to board. Since that wont be for another 45 minutes, I’ve got some time to kill.
My trip thus far has seemed surreal. My first time flying alone, and out of the country to boot, and I have already had to ask for directions 3 times. Hah. I’m off to a promising start.
I already miss home so much. I said my goodbyes to the Pacific as I flew out of LAX. Of course it was an overcast day, so the clouds swallowed it up soon enough. It made me think of how much I take it for granted. I vow to have more beach days when I get back.
Yours,
Katie
----------------------------------------
Monday, August 18, 2008
6:46 CEST
SAS Flight SK946
We are about 45 minutes away from landing in Stockholm. I have to pee but I don’t want to get up.
I highly recommend flying SAS. There are monitors on the seat backs so you can watch a number of movies, play video games, even watch the progress of your flight on a digital map, or check out the view from either the front or bottom camera. There were two different meals, with a complimentary cocktail at each. If I wasn’t so nervous, I probably would have had one.
I have an aisle seat and the seat next to me is empty. I tried laying down to sleep but it didn’t work out very well. The extra room was convenient though.
Now we are flying over Oslo. I am so nervous. I have so much to do after I land and I am worried that I will get lost, not make it in time for my luggage, not get enough Kronor exchanged, miss the bus, get on the wrong bus, miss my stop, not be able to find the housing office, etc. Shoot. Did I bring my map??? Brb--
Crap. I packed my map in my suitcase. Oh well, I guess I ca dig it out or buy another. Something new to worry about. We are starting to descend. Time to put up the Mac.
Wish me luck!!!
Yours,
Katie
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
9:44 CEST
Cafe Barista
I landed at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm at 7:50 in the morning. From there, I collected my baggage, exchanged currency, and caught a bus in to Uppsala. The bus dropped me off at Central Station, and after a bit of wandering around I found a taxi to take me to Akademihotellet, the university’s housing office. Turns out it was the wrong place to go, but the women working there were so helpful. They let me store my luggage there while I walked downtown to the correct office, picked up my keys, signed the lease, and walked back. Then they called me a taxi to take me to Kantorsgatan, my housing.
The taxi dropped me off and I found my building. I dragged my luggage up the narrow spiral staircase, and opened the door to my new home. At first, I thought it was a little shabby, but it seems to be growing on me. I think I am the first one to arrive, because there is no one in there yet besides myself. Whoever lived there before left quite a bit of trash and random stuff around, but my room was clean and pretty bare. It’s furnished with a desk, chair, lamp, tiny bed, set of drawers, and a lounge chair. My door to my rooms locks, and I have my own bathroom. I will be sharing a shower, kitchen, living/dining room, and patio with my roommates. The shower is kind of awkward, It’s just a room with a curtain partitioning it and the floor slopes toward the drain. The showerhead leaves something to be desired in the way of aim, and water gets everywhere in the little room. No hope for a bathmat.
After I got there and found out I was all by myself with no internet and no phone, I got a little depressed. I panicked, thinking, “What the heck do I think I’m doing? Why did I ever decide to come here? I am so unprepared, and I’m not cut out for this. I want to go home.” I started to tear up a little, searched for tissues, and upon realization that I didn’t even have tissues or paper towels or toilet paper here, I started bawling. I had nothing. I was drying my eyes with a washcloth I had packed. I was feeling pretty low.
I had no idea what to do next. I had no way of getting into town aside from walking, and who knew how long that would take. I didn’t even know the way. Wallowing in self-pity in my room wasn’t getting me anywhere, so I decided to set out for the Student Union and see about getting internet in my room. Turned out I have to have something called a “Personnummer”, or P-number, in order to even apply to get internet, and after that, it takes up to a week to have it installed in my room. Le sigh.
Having found that out, I decided to walk to this place called the Café Barista where they have complimentary wireless. I got a bit lost on the way and ended up roaming around downtown for quite a bit of time. I walked through a small mall of sorts that looks like it’s a popular hangout for teens. I finally found the café and I was finally able to get online. I quickly logged into iChat and saw that my mom was online. It was 6 a.m. her time (which is 15:00 or 4 p.m. here) and I told her I was here safe. We had a video chat for a while until she had to leave for work. I stayed there on the internet until about 16:30, and exhaustion overtook me. Can I just begin to tell you how out of shape I am? I had been walking for about 5 hours total that day and, after being on a plane for about 15 hours the day before, I was already feeling a bit sore.
I trekked back to Kantorsgatan, stopping at a gas station on the way for toilet paper, tissues, pringles, water, cream cheese, salami, and some flatbread. I arrived to find that I was still alone in my room, so I ate some pringles (my only meal of the day aside from breakfast on the plane at 6:00), read for a bit, and then crashed out around 19:00. I woke up again around 23:00 because I was cold, threw on some layers, and slept again.
I woke up at 6:30, read for a while, got a shower (ugh, I hate that shower), and remembered a didn’t have a hair dryer. Then I tried using my straightener with the voltage converter, and it didn’t work at all. The thing was cold as ice. Thinking, “screw it” I left for the café, hoping I could catch some of my friends online, which is where I am now. Since I forgot to charge my battery on the computer last night, and I fried the converter this morning trying to do it, the computer is about to die. So I bid you adieu. Or should I say hej dä!
Yours,
Katie
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Sunday, August 17, 2008
3:08 p.m. CDT
O’Hare International Airport
I’m sitting at my terminal for Scandinavian Airways, waiting to board. Since that wont be for another 45 minutes, I’ve got some time to kill.
My trip thus far has seemed surreal. My first time flying alone, and out of the country to boot, and I have already had to ask for directions 3 times. Hah. I’m off to a promising start.
I already miss home so much. I said my goodbyes to the Pacific as I flew out of LAX. Of course it was an overcast day, so the clouds swallowed it up soon enough. It made me think of how much I take it for granted. I vow to have more beach days when I get back.
Yours,
Katie
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Monday, August 18, 2008
6:46 CEST
SAS Flight SK946
We are about 45 minutes away from landing in Stockholm. I have to pee but I don’t want to get up.
I highly recommend flying SAS. There are monitors on the seat backs so you can watch a number of movies, play video games, even watch the progress of your flight on a digital map, or check out the view from either the front or bottom camera. There were two different meals, with a complimentary cocktail at each. If I wasn’t so nervous, I probably would have had one.
I have an aisle seat and the seat next to me is empty. I tried laying down to sleep but it didn’t work out very well. The extra room was convenient though.
Now we are flying over Oslo. I am so nervous. I have so much to do after I land and I am worried that I will get lost, not make it in time for my luggage, not get enough Kronor exchanged, miss the bus, get on the wrong bus, miss my stop, not be able to find the housing office, etc. Shoot. Did I bring my map??? Brb--
Crap. I packed my map in my suitcase. Oh well, I guess I ca dig it out or buy another. Something new to worry about. We are starting to descend. Time to put up the Mac.
Wish me luck!!!
Yours,
Katie
----------------------------------------
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
9:44 CEST
Cafe Barista
I landed at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm at 7:50 in the morning. From there, I collected my baggage, exchanged currency, and caught a bus in to Uppsala. The bus dropped me off at Central Station, and after a bit of wandering around I found a taxi to take me to Akademihotellet, the university’s housing office. Turns out it was the wrong place to go, but the women working there were so helpful. They let me store my luggage there while I walked downtown to the correct office, picked up my keys, signed the lease, and walked back. Then they called me a taxi to take me to Kantorsgatan, my housing.
The taxi dropped me off and I found my building. I dragged my luggage up the narrow spiral staircase, and opened the door to my new home. At first, I thought it was a little shabby, but it seems to be growing on me. I think I am the first one to arrive, because there is no one in there yet besides myself. Whoever lived there before left quite a bit of trash and random stuff around, but my room was clean and pretty bare. It’s furnished with a desk, chair, lamp, tiny bed, set of drawers, and a lounge chair. My door to my rooms locks, and I have my own bathroom. I will be sharing a shower, kitchen, living/dining room, and patio with my roommates. The shower is kind of awkward, It’s just a room with a curtain partitioning it and the floor slopes toward the drain. The showerhead leaves something to be desired in the way of aim, and water gets everywhere in the little room. No hope for a bathmat.
After I got there and found out I was all by myself with no internet and no phone, I got a little depressed. I panicked, thinking, “What the heck do I think I’m doing? Why did I ever decide to come here? I am so unprepared, and I’m not cut out for this. I want to go home.” I started to tear up a little, searched for tissues, and upon realization that I didn’t even have tissues or paper towels or toilet paper here, I started bawling. I had nothing. I was drying my eyes with a washcloth I had packed. I was feeling pretty low.
I had no idea what to do next. I had no way of getting into town aside from walking, and who knew how long that would take. I didn’t even know the way. Wallowing in self-pity in my room wasn’t getting me anywhere, so I decided to set out for the Student Union and see about getting internet in my room. Turned out I have to have something called a “Personnummer”, or P-number, in order to even apply to get internet, and after that, it takes up to a week to have it installed in my room. Le sigh.
Having found that out, I decided to walk to this place called the Café Barista where they have complimentary wireless. I got a bit lost on the way and ended up roaming around downtown for quite a bit of time. I walked through a small mall of sorts that looks like it’s a popular hangout for teens. I finally found the café and I was finally able to get online. I quickly logged into iChat and saw that my mom was online. It was 6 a.m. her time (which is 15:00 or 4 p.m. here) and I told her I was here safe. We had a video chat for a while until she had to leave for work. I stayed there on the internet until about 16:30, and exhaustion overtook me. Can I just begin to tell you how out of shape I am? I had been walking for about 5 hours total that day and, after being on a plane for about 15 hours the day before, I was already feeling a bit sore.
I trekked back to Kantorsgatan, stopping at a gas station on the way for toilet paper, tissues, pringles, water, cream cheese, salami, and some flatbread. I arrived to find that I was still alone in my room, so I ate some pringles (my only meal of the day aside from breakfast on the plane at 6:00), read for a bit, and then crashed out around 19:00. I woke up again around 23:00 because I was cold, threw on some layers, and slept again.
I woke up at 6:30, read for a while, got a shower (ugh, I hate that shower), and remembered a didn’t have a hair dryer. Then I tried using my straightener with the voltage converter, and it didn’t work at all. The thing was cold as ice. Thinking, “screw it” I left for the café, hoping I could catch some of my friends online, which is where I am now. Since I forgot to charge my battery on the computer last night, and I fried the converter this morning trying to do it, the computer is about to die. So I bid you adieu. Or should I say hej dä!
Yours,
Katie
