Lately

Ooops, I guess I haven't written in a while.  I'm sorry to my loyal fan.  I've just been busy. 

On the 8th I slept over at Rachel's house in Lidkoping, we were all there except for John.  It was fun.  We slept in the middle of a traffic circle which was cold, but still really cool.  A car full of boys circled around like 5 times and yelled things at us and some other people honked at us.  We were only out there from 1 until 4 I think and only Rachel and Jessica would come, it was too cold for Robyn and Justin.  I was the only one who actually slept.  I guess I am just a tougher Canadian than Jessica.  But we saw the sun rise at like 330/4 in the morning which was nice.  Then on the Monday we went to Goteborg because I was going to stay at Rachel's to fly out the next morning and the girls were going to Beyonce that night.  

On the 12th I went to London with my parents.  It was so nice to see them again.  The customs guy asked what Canada got in exchange for me and I didn't realize he was joking so I said "another girl" and then he said "not like a Volvo and some furniture."  It was funny but maybe you had to be there.  We did everything in London.  On the Tuesday we went in the eye and saw everything, we went past lots of old buildings and statues, we went by West Minister Abbey where Tamil Tigers were protesting.  I think the most interesting part of the trip to London and Amsterdam was seeing buildings that were bombed and that survived the World Wars.  Because I am a nerd and am into that stuff but there isn't really a lot up here in neutral land.  We went to a little music concert in a Church.  Dad and I got a little bored.  Dad fell asleep.  I didn't.  Then on Wednesday I really started to get sick which sucked.  But I still was able to get up and go see stuff.  We went to the Palace and saw the changing of the guard kind of.   It wasn't that exciting but I saw the queen sneaking out in a disguise.   She was dressed up as like a cleaning lady, it must have been her.  Then we went shopping.  Harrod's!!  Oh yeah bought a lot there.  Just joking I am poor.   But I did get a camera case.  And mom and I had a lovely sundae at 11 in the morning because they had a sundae bar and it was so cute.  We moved it along and went shopping somewhere else a little.  I think we went into West Minister on this day.  Not sure really which day it is all blending together.  But I decided I didn't like how you had to pay 15 pounds to get in.  Church shouldn't be so commercialized.  But I saw where Queen Elizabeth is buried which was exciting for a nerd like me.  Then we had high tea.  It was so much fun.  And so much food.  We had tea, I had green tea.  Then we got sandwiches that were cut into strips.  My favorite was the chicken one.  The smoked salmon one was pretty good too.  We ate a whole bunch of those.  And then we had a little palete cleansing dessert and then got scones with clotted cream and jam.  And we got a plate of desserts.  They were okay, but they were more about looks than taste I think.  After tea we went shopping, not before.  I got a little dress and we looked at hats, but I started feeling really crappy so we went home and I went to bed and mom and dad went out for fish and chips.  They brought it back and I had a little.  It was so good I wish I hadn't been sick so I could have fully enjoyed it.  

The next day I took drugs and was ready to go.  We first went to get tickets for a show that night.  We decided on Spring Awakening because it is a rock opera which sounded interesting.  Then we went by St. Paul's and over bridges and around.  Then we went to this hippie 60s shopping district and went shopping.  They were having a big sale but it didn't start until later so we went places.  I don't even remember where because my pictures went home with mom.  Then we went back to buy my shoes and then we had dinner, a meat pie, at Shakespeare's Head.  It was a pub in the area.  There was a Shakespeare hanging out on of the windows and his arm had been blown off in the Second World War.  I thought that was cool that it had been around that long.  Then we went to the show.  It was so so so amazingly awesome.  Well it was a little awkward to watch with my parents seeing as it was about sexual exploration.  But it was still really really good.  Oh yeah and that morning we met a lady in the line up who had funky glasses and was what my Bio teacher would be if she had done a little more acid.  She was really cool though.  Oh yeah and we took double decker buses places.  That was so cool.  I enjoyed seeing London from the top of a double decker bus.  

Friday was Shakespeare day.  We walked along to the Globe and saw stuff.  We had a tour of the Globe but I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know.  But it was so cool to be in there.  We saw Romeo and Juliet.  Which was okay. But the Juliet wasn't so great.  She was too happy for a tragedy.  Even when she died she treated the dagger like a treat and was a really bad dier.  But it was cool to be in there.  Then during the intense apothecary  scene where Romeo is getting poison to kill himself, a pigeon flew in and landed on stage.  It just walked back and forth and everyone was laughing.  It was so funny but bad.  I am not sure that the actors knew it was there, but they must have drawn some conclusion to that effect.  Oh we went to like fresh food markets which were nice as well.  Then we walked by the Tower, but didn't go in.  Then we went to a pub one last time but when we went in the lady said "no children under 18 are allowed in after 8 pm.'  So I had to show her my passport.  I got ID a lot more in London than in Amsterdam.  I don't think anyone ID me in Amsterdam.  

It was funny though, I went to London to hear people speaking English, but didn't really here a lot.  I heard more English in Amsterdam than in London.  I heard a fair number of Swedish people in London.  Ooo and I had Starbucks, really expensive Starbucks but still Starbucks.  But I have to get ready for school now so I will write about Amsterdam like tomorrow or sometime.  

Stockholm and stuff

So I started writing a new post last week and then again this week but I got distracted and stopped.  

Last week I went to Stockholm with my class on Monday and Tuesday.  I was a lot of fun.  We went to a university and learned about stars and nuclear particles and stuff but I pretty much just looked at the black lights and stuff.  After that we went to the Vasa Museum and learned about the Vasa.  A boat that sunk a long time ago and then they pulled it out of the water in the 50s or 60s and put it in a museum.  I had been there before with PeO.  Then we played outside the museum for a while and waited for the year threes.  The bus came and got us and dropped Carro and me off at SVT on the way to the hostel.  Carro's uncle works there so we went to have a little tour.  It was so cool.  I did not realize there were so many lights and stuff on the roof of each set.  We got to go in front of the news green screen and be on TV, but not real TV but we did watch the guy as he recorded the news.  It was interesting.  After SVT, oh yeah we got amazing SVT T-shirts, we went for supper some where.  Then we had a ghost walk of Gammal Stad.  It was so cute.  The guy was so cute because he was so in to it.  It was also rather intriguing but I didn't listen that much.  After that I decided to go in the ocean.  I jumped in while Erika and Calle watched.  It was cold.  

The next day we had free time so we went for free ice cream because it was free ice cream day at Ben and Jerry's.  Well first we had to look in the Science Fiction book store because Ben and Jerry's wasn't open yet.  I never realized how lame my class mates are.  But I still love them.  We went shopping a little bit but I have no money so I didn't buy anything.  But Isak got new shoes.  Then we went and got free ice cream.  I had Chunky Monkey and Calle and I decided that mine was infinitely better than his because of the name.  Plus it was fair trade which makes anything infinitely better than slave trade.  Then the boys decided that we should walk to the other Ben and Jerry's location in Stockholm so we did.  But on the way we saw a bunch of soldiers on horses and a band on horses so we decided to follow them.  We followed them all the way to the castle and it was the changing of the guard.  It was, well some might say awe-inspiring.  I told Calle he has to go back to army and ask to be that.  But he said it is too embarrassing and I guess I agree, but I would still do it.  I wonder if you already have to know how to ride a horse or if they teach you.  After that we had to meet up because we were having a tour of the Rigsdag.  Which was so cool.  Well I thought it was going to be so cool.  No one really showed up for the "debate" we watched so it was really just boring and the place where they actually have their meetings is really 70s ish and boring.  Ours is so much nicer.  We went to the old building which is all old and beautiful and I think they should have meetings there instead.  Then some politician from Skovde went on and on about something but I don't remember it was so boring.  Maybe the political process I don't know I stopped listening.  

After the Rigsdag we went to the other ice cream place but there was a long line so Isak, Nicklas and I went into Lindex to look at dresses instead.  Then we lost the others but went shopping a little bit.  It was weird asking Isak his opinion on a dress.  I didn't get it.  We had to wait for the year 3s again so we sat by the Rigsdag and listened to a crazy lady yelling about Jesus and then she turned on some music and started dancing like a Russian-hand-holding-kicking dance.  I really had to go to the bathroom so I broke down and paid five crowns to use a public one.  It was so worth it.  Well there was a little poop on the back thing but the toilet seat was a self-cleaning toilet seat.  I was speechless when it went around and cleaned the seat.  I only wish I had taken my camera in with me.  Then we went home.

Oh last weekend was our Rotary Distrikt conferens.  It was not so good.  Our speeches were kind of bad.  But we got to go to a cheese factory and I got a cream pitcher that is shaped like a fat cow and is painted white with black spots and a pink tummy.  

This weekend, well Thursday was fire night/king's birthday.  I went to Goteborg with my host parents to look at an art exhibit of an old children's author.  The pictures were really lovely.  And my host mom bought me a book of them for my Birthday.  Then we went around the islands on a ferry.  It was so gorgeous and the weather was wonderful.  I adored it.  But then we bought some shrimp from the grocery store on one island and then went and sat on the rocks and peeled them and ate them.  They were pretty good but they were a lot of work for a little bit of meat and it was windy so their peels and our napkins were blowing away.  On the way home we stopped in a town Anders used to live in.  We went to the church for a spring concert, but it was a bunch of kids singing so it was not so cute.  Well my host mom thought it was.  Then we marched through the city with the brass band all the way up to the fire, but they couldn't burn anything because it is too dry.  So they sang a spring song and then we left.  

Friday I met Jessica in Skovde.  We sat in the sun and then went to the grocery store to pick up stuff for a salad night at Rachel's.  It was so good.  MMMMM.  Man it was tasty.  My favorite part was the tiny little cheese balls.  Then we went out dancing and walked home at like 3 in the morning and saw the sun start to rise.  Last night Anton invited me to Linus' house but I was too tired.

Okay that is like it I guess.  Next Tuesday I am going to London with my parents.

DANMARK

So last week we had a week off of school for Easter break.  I went to Denmark with my choir and then met up with Signe for the rest of the week.  It was a lot of fun and Copenhagen is really beautiful.  

We left at 4:45 am on Saturday morning and drove all the way to Copenhagen.  The drive went rather quickly because the whole choir was there and Gustav and Adrian always do entertaining things.  We stopped a couple times to stretch and fika.  We got to Copenhagen around lunch time and all went to McDonald's of course.  Then we had free time.  There were some confirmation kids, but we spent our free time just as a choir.  We walked around the main shopping district and the boys looked in a few stores and Adrian bought the "best scarf ever," or something like that.  It was so nice out in Copenhagen.  We walked to the canal and sat on the side while the boys drank beer.  That was like the only thing they wanted to do in Copenhagen, was drink a beer.  After a little bit we went back to the bus and then we all went to a Swedish church in Copenhagen.  It was really beautiful and old.  During the Second World War the church helped return people to Sweden and the Germans marched outside the church, but never came in.  The secretary or something told us all about the church and then we went for a walk in the park while we waited for the bus.  After that we went back to the center and went to a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.  It was cool but I didn't really understand why we went there when we could have gone on like a canal tour or something.  Oh yeah and we saw the Little Mermaid really quickly.  I didn't realize she was so close to the land.  I stood right beside her.  After Ripley's we fikad and then we drove back to Ystad in Sweden.  Ystad is so beautiful.  It is all old and cute.  I loved it.  Except it wasn't really made for buses.  We almost took out a building when we went down one road.  But it was beautiful and on the ocean.  We went to the place where we were sleeping and had choir practice.  Then we ate supper and had free time.  We walked around Ystad which was nice.  Over the past like four weeks there has been a murder a week in Ystad so the boys kept making us go down scary alley ways and I held on to Gustav's arm until we realized that I am probably stronger than him.  We found a really cute park that we played in for a while.  Then we went back and they played some games but I just went to sleep because I was super tired.

On Sunday we sang at the church service.  It was so cool because the church was big and old and had pretty carvings and paintings.  And the roof was all cavy so we didn't need microphones or anything.  It was awesome.  After singing we went back and packed up.  Then we went to this like film/TV museum place and ate spaghetti.  They gave a tour, but I had to leave before it started so I could catch my train back to Copenhagen.

When the train got to Copenhagen Signe was waiting at my platform.  At first I didn't really notice her because her hair seemed blonder, but then when she walked to me I got really excited.  We walked around the shopping district again, but I had all my stuff so it was kind of hard to try stuff on.  So we got ice cream, well Signe did, and we sat by this fountain filled with garbage and we talked and Signe dodged birds.  Her brother came and picked us up because we were supposed to go for supper at a nice restaurant, but it was closed so we got pizza instead.  Then we went back to Signe's brother, Christian's, house and watched the Flinstones.  And talked and then went to bed.  

On Monday we got down to business and went mad shopping.  Signe bought like everything in the stores, well one of everything, and I only bought a few things.  But it was fun shopping with her.  And stores in Copenhagen are awesome, except they are really expensive, well the ones we have in Canada are really expensive.  So we shopped some and then went on a canal tour.  Which was awesome.  Our guide was hot.  We went all around Copenhagen and saw really awesome house boats and buildings and castles and everything.  But there were some stupid, I think Americans, sitting behind us who kept making stupid comments which were rather annoying.  But it was still nice.  After that we shopped a little more and I bought my 30 crown sunglasses.  Oh yeah and we got KFC!  There was a KFC in Copenhagen, but it wasn't very good at all.  

We took the train to Signe's place at like 7 and there were these three guys who came on with a pram filled with beer.  I guess that is Denmark for you.  Signe's mom picked us up in Svendborg and then we went home and ate.  They still live at the farm and Signe's mom told me I came at a bad time because they had just spread manure on the fields.  Awesome, but it didn't actually smell that bad.  Signe's cat is evil.

I got to sleep on a really awesome air mattress that inflated all on its own.  It was pretty awesome.  On Tuesday we went to Svendborg on the bus to meet Signe's mom and cousin because we were all going to Odense to see a photo exhibit.  I like Svendborg.  Signe bought more clothes when we were there.  Then we went to Odense.  It was a really cool exhibit with pictures from all over the world and then there was this other exhibit about lights that they had during WWII that spread the light so that the building looked like it had no lights on.  The lights turned all of our black clothes red, so we took a lot of pictures.   We got home on around supper time and we had a farm hand in for supper.  He smelled like pigs.  But supper was good.

On Wednesday we slept a fair amount and hung out, I can't really remember what we did on Wednesday.  Oh right Rose, Signe's friend, came over and we walked to the ocean.  It was nice, but rather cold.  Signe and I went in, but just our legs and then got our hair wet.  On Wednesday night we went to a party in Svendborg at Signe's friends' house.  It was fun.  I talked to a bunch of cute guys.  We went to the bar after and this really drunk guy was talking to me and I told him I was Canadian and he asked what I thought of Sarah Palin and then we talked about how it was silly she got money for her wardrobe and then he told me he thought she was why McCain lost and then he asked me who I voted for and I said "I am Canadian, not American,"  and he said "oh that's right your governor is Arnold Schwarzenegger."  We had to leave after that.  I didn't drink.  We got home at like 3 in the morning so we slept a fair amount of Thursday which was kind of sad because it was my last day in Denmark.  Thursday night all of Signe's family was over because it was her brother's birthday.  So we had a really nice dinner.  There is this red pheasant thing that hangs out in Signe's backyard and taps on her windows.  Signe doesn't really like him, but I think he is awesome so we named him Jack.

On Friday I had to leave really early because I had to take like 8 hours of trains home.  But I like the train.  But it was sad leaving Signe because it really started to sink in that my exchange is coming to an end because that was like the last time I will be in Denmark, well this year at least.  It was sad.

But that is my trip to Denmark, I'll try to add pictures, but we will see how that goes.

Okay so I guess two people do read my blog.  Cool.

Lets see what have I done in the past two weeks?

Last week was normal I guess.  Not a lot happened.  On Friday I went to my friend, Erika's, Birthday party.  We were supposed to dress up like famous people, but I didn't because I don't really have a lot of dress up clothes here.  And I don't know a lot of famous people. I think I did something on Saturday too but I can't remember.  But my host parents weren't home so I got to be all by myself which was awesome!!  Un Sunday I had to work on a presentation to give at my host mom's school on Monday.  About Canada and whether or not you can surf there.  

On Monday I skipped my one class so I could give my presentation.  It was fun but a little weird because they all asked me for my email.  But they thought I was super cool so that was cool.  Man my vocabulary has gone down the toilet.  I gave my presentation and then ate taco soup with them.  It was tasty.  And then I played jump rope with some of the girls.  But I felt lame because I couldn't jump in.  After that I walked to Dagis and hung out there for a little while.  My best friend was My or something like that.  But you don't say my you say myu.  But she kept coughing on me and it was grossing me out.  They were all coughing on me.

Tuesday and Wednesday were really lame because I stayed home sick both days.  And Wednesday was Waffle Day but I didn't get any waffles because I don't get fed that often here.  Thursday was Kulturdag at school which was really fun.  There was music and speaking places and a presentation but I skipped that and went to Rotary instead.  But my morning was spent mostly just sitting in the gym with the boys trying to set up the instruments.  My friends' band played and it was cool.  Everything is cool I guess.  Yesterday they played at the youth house and I went and watched and it was fun, cool too.  Tonight I am going to Erik and Måns' Birthday party.  It is somewhere in Tibro, but I am going to a forefest somewhere outside of Tibro, I don't know.  It is a costume party so I am being a pirate because I have a costume from Denmark.

Oh right I remember what I did last Saturday!  I went to Goteborg and met up with Rachelle.  It was so much fun.  We walked like all over Goteborg.  We went to this fortress by Haga and then walked to this beautiful park which had like a free little zoo so we looked at the animals and then we tried to go to the Culture museum, which is free, but they had closed so I will have to go back with exchangers so I can show them all the cool stuff.  We also went to this crepe place and had awesome crepes and salad and soup and the crepe man hit on Rachelle a lot.

Okay that is all.

Okay so I guess no one reads my blog, but that is cool.

Lets see what have I been up to the last month.

Or two.

I think I told you about going to Goteborg on Valentine's day and having pretty good Indian food.  It was pretty good.  But I don't really remember what I've told you about February.  At the end of February I went to a party at Tibro Parken.  It was for Magnus, Bobby and Martin's Birthday.  It was fun.  

February 25th was Semlor Day, but I didn't have one on the 25th so I met Jessica on the 26th and we had semlor.  Semlor are these like pastries that they eat between Christmas and Easter.  It is like some light baked thing with cream and almond paste in the middle.  I really like them.  In Lidkoping there is this bakery that makes them with Lingon cream which is really tasty and makes me happy.  

Oh I also met the Ausies.  They are cool.  But live so far away that it is hard to meet with them very often.  I feel kind of bad for Robyn the girl because she is so far from us.  

Rachel and Jessica and I have started a workout plan that I have been pretty good at, well it has only been like a week since we started, but I have been pretty good this week.  We have also started a book club, but the book that I was supposed to give to them I gave to Calle instead because he made fun of me for reading a tjej bok.  A girly book.  But I was reading Slumdog Millionaire so I told him he had to read it.

In March I have been bad and hung out with exchange students a lot, but yesterday I went to youth group with Swedish kids.  It was fun and next weekend I am going to Erika's b-day party and the next weekend I am going to watch the boys place at the youth house and then it is Erik and Mons' Birthday party on the Saturday.  But anyways so last weekend we went to Goteborg.  It was fun.  We met up with two exchangers our there.  We went to the "English Shop" which rocked my socks.  It was so awesome.  It had all this English stuff.  I bought Kraft Dinner and short bread and a creme Easter egg.  Plus the guy working there was really awesome.  He is from London and we spent like a half hour just talking to him.  He owns a vintage store so we went and checked it out.  We also went to Haga, like Stockholm's gamal stad.  It had like lots of little individual stores.  Rachel and I found this amazing toy store because everyone else was too cool to go into a toy store.  Rachel and I spent a lot of time there.  Playing with the doll houses and stuff.  We also bought food for recorder lady again.  We bought he a sandwich, two bananas, a stack of pancakes and a jar of apple sauce.  We wanted her to have two meals.  But I don't think she has a lot of teeth so that kind of made it more difficult.  But she was happy and bowed her head in prayer but we didn't know if we should leave or wait until she looked up again so we just stood there.  I think she was happy.  But then when we walked back past her she had it all laid out like she was trying to sell it.  Oh well.

Okay well I am going to eat potato pancakes now.  

Later