albums i have not been able to stop listening to or the past month; some old and some new.
the head and the heart "the head and the heart"
musikanto "sky of dresses"
kings of leon "come around sundown"
needtobreathe "the outsiders"
maroon5 "hands all over"
onerepublic "waking up"
noah and the whale "peaceful, the world lays me down"
gavin degraw "gavin degraw"
hanna turi "some old tapes"
caedmon's call "rising up the dead" and "40 acres"
john mayer "continuum"
do yourself a favor. you won't regret it ;)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Dear Göteborg
setting: raining and listening to "you've got mail" soundtrack. perfect for blogging, and it smells like fall outside.
here is an excerpt from my personal journal that i thought was blog worthy and straight from the heart of an au pair:
dear göteborg,
so maybe there are stars after all, because i happen to be looking at about 6 of them in my almost dark sky, on my roof, my escape. i am officially sick as a dog, well i suppose as sick as you can be with all this sinus pressure building up around my eyes.
i promise you, i did not want to wake up today and be left by myself with all 3 kids...absolutely did not want to do it. in fact if it wasn't for kristina (jenny's mom), and how sweet and patient she is, i feel like the bitterness would have lasted all day. but ya know what? as much as an inconvenience it is to be sick, you still have to do your job. especially when you are a mom or a caretaker...and i'm pretty sure i still have elias convinced that i am super woman! he refuses to believe that i could be sick and tired. he's 2, what can you expect?
now i am not complaining, because believe me, the little moments i get to experience with these kids make up for at least 2 days of being sick. i suppose this happens for every mom, and here, i only get to "play" mom. it's quite magical. for example: tonight, i either made some dang good chicken legs, or elias was famished. he literally became an animal at dinner, a lion, bear, tiger...something that likes meat and a TON of rice. honestly i've never seen this kid eat like this before, and i was a little scared. i sat with him for almost an hour, waiting and watching for him to get every single little piece of chicken off the bone. i wish i was taking a video because it was almost as if he was ripping it to shreds, and the parts he couldn't get off with his teeth, i had to help him get off with my barely there fingernails. he also ate ALL of the vegetables and 2 full portions of rice!! he's 2 YEARS OLD! i was dying! it was incredible! i don't think i will ever forget that moment.
then i had my moment with erik today. sheesh, i don't understand why this kid likes a struggle and a fight, but he does, and he wanted to fight today. fighting meaning trying to get a reaction from the person in charge, because 7 year olds think they get to make all decisions. well, here's a wake up call : you don't. the end. however today, erik chose not to listen and run away after the hoarse au pair asked him nicely to come change out of his sweat pants and sweat shirt in 93 degree weather. after hearing that it was too hot for sweats and the possibility of heat stroke, he gave me that look saying, "you wanna go?" and i'm thinking, "oh hell yeah, you wanna fight? let's go then." so the au pair chased him down and literally had to drag him into the house, which resulted in the usual "GO AWAY I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!" routine. ok, at least he's not in the heat anymore. so he went to go cool off in his room. a wise decision. few minutes later, he hears a knock on his door...and in my best swenglish as i could manage without being able to talk, i explained to him why it was not safe to play outside in his sweats. all he had to do, was change into shorts and a t-shirt, and we wouldn't have to fight about it, and he could have had so much more time to play. i told him that i don't want to find him laying in the woods or the street from passing out in the heat. it's dangerous and can make him very sick. finally, he understood that i was just trying to keep him safe, a lesson we have to teach him over and over again. he likes to think that we don't love him and only he knows what's best for him. heavy sigh. my day could have been better without the fight, but like i said, as much as an inconvenience as it is, you still have to carry out the duties of being a loving mom or caretaker.
then there was a sweet little emma moment. now emma is 4 and LOVES to be the helper! she was my little helper as i was making my first lemon meringue pie. i always let her add ingredients and she loves to blend or stir ´whatever we're making. i wasn't going to finish all the steps so i thanked her and told her that i would have to finish later after the kids were in bed. next thing you know, she has my face cupped in her hands as i'm holding her, making sure i was looking directly at her. it was almost nerveracking as she was so close and studying my face intently. i don't know if she was counting my freckles, checking out my zit, or perhaps just remembering. it was seriously one of the sweetest moments i've had with her. she even blew me kisses before being swept off to bed! sweetheart.
i've had so many of little moments, good and bad, that i wonder what they'll be like when i have my own kids one day. i can only expect them to be 10x greater! it's crazy, this adventure i'm on. as much as i love kids, i don't want any of my own for a long while still, for there is SO much i have to learn about life in general. but this is a wonderful opportunity and good practice for being a caring leader as a teacher, and a nurturing mom one day.
göteborg, it's been a long, sick, and happy day.
signed,
i need drugs to make this headache go away
here is an excerpt from my personal journal that i thought was blog worthy and straight from the heart of an au pair:
dear göteborg,
so maybe there are stars after all, because i happen to be looking at about 6 of them in my almost dark sky, on my roof, my escape. i am officially sick as a dog, well i suppose as sick as you can be with all this sinus pressure building up around my eyes.
i promise you, i did not want to wake up today and be left by myself with all 3 kids...absolutely did not want to do it. in fact if it wasn't for kristina (jenny's mom), and how sweet and patient she is, i feel like the bitterness would have lasted all day. but ya know what? as much as an inconvenience it is to be sick, you still have to do your job. especially when you are a mom or a caretaker...and i'm pretty sure i still have elias convinced that i am super woman! he refuses to believe that i could be sick and tired. he's 2, what can you expect?
now i am not complaining, because believe me, the little moments i get to experience with these kids make up for at least 2 days of being sick. i suppose this happens for every mom, and here, i only get to "play" mom. it's quite magical. for example: tonight, i either made some dang good chicken legs, or elias was famished. he literally became an animal at dinner, a lion, bear, tiger...something that likes meat and a TON of rice. honestly i've never seen this kid eat like this before, and i was a little scared. i sat with him for almost an hour, waiting and watching for him to get every single little piece of chicken off the bone. i wish i was taking a video because it was almost as if he was ripping it to shreds, and the parts he couldn't get off with his teeth, i had to help him get off with my barely there fingernails. he also ate ALL of the vegetables and 2 full portions of rice!! he's 2 YEARS OLD! i was dying! it was incredible! i don't think i will ever forget that moment.
then i had my moment with erik today. sheesh, i don't understand why this kid likes a struggle and a fight, but he does, and he wanted to fight today. fighting meaning trying to get a reaction from the person in charge, because 7 year olds think they get to make all decisions. well, here's a wake up call : you don't. the end. however today, erik chose not to listen and run away after the hoarse au pair asked him nicely to come change out of his sweat pants and sweat shirt in 93 degree weather. after hearing that it was too hot for sweats and the possibility of heat stroke, he gave me that look saying, "you wanna go?" and i'm thinking, "oh hell yeah, you wanna fight? let's go then." so the au pair chased him down and literally had to drag him into the house, which resulted in the usual "GO AWAY I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!" routine. ok, at least he's not in the heat anymore. so he went to go cool off in his room. a wise decision. few minutes later, he hears a knock on his door...and in my best swenglish as i could manage without being able to talk, i explained to him why it was not safe to play outside in his sweats. all he had to do, was change into shorts and a t-shirt, and we wouldn't have to fight about it, and he could have had so much more time to play. i told him that i don't want to find him laying in the woods or the street from passing out in the heat. it's dangerous and can make him very sick. finally, he understood that i was just trying to keep him safe, a lesson we have to teach him over and over again. he likes to think that we don't love him and only he knows what's best for him. heavy sigh. my day could have been better without the fight, but like i said, as much as an inconvenience as it is, you still have to carry out the duties of being a loving mom or caretaker.
then there was a sweet little emma moment. now emma is 4 and LOVES to be the helper! she was my little helper as i was making my first lemon meringue pie. i always let her add ingredients and she loves to blend or stir ´whatever we're making. i wasn't going to finish all the steps so i thanked her and told her that i would have to finish later after the kids were in bed. next thing you know, she has my face cupped in her hands as i'm holding her, making sure i was looking directly at her. it was almost nerveracking as she was so close and studying my face intently. i don't know if she was counting my freckles, checking out my zit, or perhaps just remembering. it was seriously one of the sweetest moments i've had with her. she even blew me kisses before being swept off to bed! sweetheart.
i've had so many of little moments, good and bad, that i wonder what they'll be like when i have my own kids one day. i can only expect them to be 10x greater! it's crazy, this adventure i'm on. as much as i love kids, i don't want any of my own for a long while still, for there is SO much i have to learn about life in general. but this is a wonderful opportunity and good practice for being a caring leader as a teacher, and a nurturing mom one day.
göteborg, it's been a long, sick, and happy day.
signed,
i need drugs to make this headache go away
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Dreamer
"...and he fell into a sort of waking stupor in which his mind was as it is when a person sleeps but his dreams are composed by his open eyes."
~tinkers, paul harding~
great quote. great book. much meaning.
i remember taking psychology in highschool, and going through the chapter on dreams. it was one of my favorite parts because we had to keep a dream diary for about 10 days, where we had to write down our dreams as soon as we woke up. i had about 2...so dissappointing. i remember hearing about other people's dreams and thinking, "well that's intriguing, wish mine were that vivid." i also have a friend i lived with for a while and she had the craziest dreams, usually comical, and quite often. i think i sleep so hard that i don't give my mind a chance to remember any of the statistical 4 to 6 dreams per REM cycle the average person has a night.
but oh, i have LOTS of dreams. and like old george in the book tinkers, my dreams are also "composed by 'my' open eyes." some of them are realistic and dreams i am living now, and some, i will be honest and say that my head is in the clouds...but a girl's gotta dream!
dreams that have come true:
all in all though, i'm such a lover of life with SO many dreams, that i would be just as happy if only one of them comes true! i know my mind and heart will always be able to see and feel love and joy through the simplest things in life, and that i hope to always remain true, that i always keep my eyes open.
Dreamin'
Amos Lee
My soul,
is as open as the sky.
Often time,
it's just as blue.
People tell me,
I need to keep on dreamin'.
That's just what I'm gonna do.
Now everybody,
wanna treat me like a house fly.
Turn me around,
and tell me to shoo.
Wanna tell me,
keep on dreamin'.
That's just what I'm gonna do.
'Cause every moral,
has a story.
Every hand needs a glow.
Sometimes it's full of glory.
Oh, but mostly, it's for the love.
It's the love..
Mmm..
It's the love.
It's the love that pulls me through.
'Cause when they tell me,
keep on dreamin'.
Thats just what I'm, I'm gonna, thats just what I'm gonna do.
~tinkers, paul harding~
great quote. great book. much meaning.
i remember taking psychology in highschool, and going through the chapter on dreams. it was one of my favorite parts because we had to keep a dream diary for about 10 days, where we had to write down our dreams as soon as we woke up. i had about 2...so dissappointing. i remember hearing about other people's dreams and thinking, "well that's intriguing, wish mine were that vivid." i also have a friend i lived with for a while and she had the craziest dreams, usually comical, and quite often. i think i sleep so hard that i don't give my mind a chance to remember any of the statistical 4 to 6 dreams per REM cycle the average person has a night.
but oh, i have LOTS of dreams. and like old george in the book tinkers, my dreams are also "composed by 'my' open eyes." some of them are realistic and dreams i am living now, and some, i will be honest and say that my head is in the clouds...but a girl's gotta dream!
dreams that have come true:
- be an au pair. this is a 3 in 1 dream come true: be an au pair, live in another country for at least 6 months, and learn the language of that country.
- travel in europe. where i have been: spain (barcelona), germany (hammelberg, fussen, northeim), austria (driving through THE ALPS!!!!), italy, oh italy (tuscany: lucca, pisa, firenze).
- swim in as many oceans as i can. i have several to go, but i have swam in the atlantic, pacific, the mediterranean, tha north sea, and the baltic sea. my favorite coast is still the golden coast of california.
- dance in the rain in the middle of a football field. it was only 1 out of about 5 dates, and it didn't work out with the guy because he ended up a little creepy, but it was a movie moment for sure.
- be a rockstar! it was only for one night, but thanks to my partner jsherb, we made it happen and it was a blast! one night was all i needed.
- run a half marathon. i am currently training for my 5th and i think i'm hooked!
- go cave exploring. it was a one hour tour through "grotto del vento" in italy! coolest ever!
- win a volleyball tourney. i had a great team, it was 3 of us, grass courts, all day long, and a money prize and the end. it was bliss.
- write to a soldier. it felt like i was in "you've got mail", until i met him in person. plus he was in the marines. it just wasn't right and there was zero love, i can promise you that.
- i've been touched by a lemur! in stockholm, we visited the zoo,
- go sailing/learn to sail
- have my own sailboat
- retire on the coast of the mediterranean sea, preferably italy or spain mmm
- live on the east coast with just me and a dog (a golden retriever perhaps)
- travel in europe: i still have yet to see more of italy, like rome, venice, sicily...the UK (ireland, scotland, england), france (the french riviera, nice, the louvre, palace of versailles), amsterdam and the van gogh museum, turkey...
- go on an elephant safari
- explore the amazon
- learn to scuba dive
- see the great barrier reef
- swim with sharks
- run the golden gate bridge
- run a full marathon
- run the rock and roll half marathon series...all of them (i've only run virginia beach and san jose)
- go to austin city limits, also, maybe live in austin for bit
- get my masters degree
- settle in a great town with a great teaching job
- go on a mission trip
- go on a cruise
- find prince charming. my brothers pick on me for this one and think it would be too difficult to find a cowboy riding towards me with a guitar strapped to his back, carrying a sailboat on rope behind him...i honestly don't expect all of that...maybe just if he was interested in those things too ;)
- raise my own horse, on my own land, with my own barn...and a bunch of dogs and cats
- buy a piece of jewlry from tiffany's, but only in new york
all in all though, i'm such a lover of life with SO many dreams, that i would be just as happy if only one of them comes true! i know my mind and heart will always be able to see and feel love and joy through the simplest things in life, and that i hope to always remain true, that i always keep my eyes open.
Dreamin'
Amos Lee
My soul,
is as open as the sky.
Often time,
it's just as blue.
People tell me,
I need to keep on dreamin'.
That's just what I'm gonna do.
Now everybody,
wanna treat me like a house fly.
Turn me around,
and tell me to shoo.
Wanna tell me,
keep on dreamin'.
That's just what I'm gonna do.
'Cause every moral,
has a story.
Every hand needs a glow.
Sometimes it's full of glory.
Oh, but mostly, it's for the love.
It's the love..
Mmm..
It's the love.
It's the love that pulls me through.
'Cause when they tell me,
keep on dreamin'.
Thats just what I'm, I'm gonna, thats just what I'm gonna do.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The Mango Story
characters: me and jesus
setting: breakfast on a sunny friday morning and my "happy" playlist (you are the best thing, everybody knows, sweet pea, la vie en rose, moon river, hey soul sister, three little birds, who says...etc awesome playlist)
today is going to be good. oh yeah. i have taken my early morning shower, gotten dressed, fixed my hair, and i managed to not wake the kids up before they were supposed to! the smallest accomplishments never cease to amaze me. jenny has taken the kids to school, the sun is shining, and the greatest part about this moment is that i have a mango. a mango i have been saving/hiding for a week and a half, and when i checked this morning, i knew it was time. because i live in such a cold country, i didn't think waiting until the mango was ripe would actually make a difference in the flavor. oh. OH. i was wrong. i peeled and sliced that baby open and a little piece of heaven shown down...you know the kind where the sun actually shines visible rays through the window of the house and a choir starts to sing in the background? yep. a little piece of heaven. that mango had the most beautiful sweetness to it that i couldn't stop thinking about it all morning. i don't think i've ever actually tasted a mango that ripe and pure! it was amazing! i had a relationship with this mango and you know what? it was worth the wait.
yes, this one is for my ladies, and yes, this is about love, fairytales, and waiting on the lord for true love.
i grew up watching disney movies, princesses, always believing that every girl deserves to find prince charming. i still believe that now. it's not cliche, it's not stupid, it's real.
in my personal relationship with jesus, i have always believed that he has prince charming picked out for me, and all i have to do is wait (patiently) for jesus to place him in my life. however, this is extremely hard to do, trusting that the lord will let me know when it's the right guy at the right time, especially when i want to fall in love NOW, just to be able to have that "feeling." but it is really worth it in the end? because what usually happens is we doubt our hearts, who we are in the lord, and end up changing what we believe to try to make this guy fit in our life. and then we realize that we've settled for less than what god has already designed, and all that's left is a little hole in our hearts that only jesus can fill, not another guy, not shopping, and not ice cream. i know this from making some stupid decisions for the past 2 years, allowing myself get caught up in a whirlwind of love and emotions. but what i realized is that i wasn't pursuing my relationship with my lord, which has resulted in me being blindsided by satan's lies. the sad part is, it happens time and time again, and i forget about the one who stole my heart from the very start, the one who aches for me to run to him, instead of a "feeling." but the best part about having jesus steal your heart, is that no matter how many times you run away, he "...will [always]allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her..." (hosea 2:14). he'll always bring my heart back to life. something i will never understand, for i am completely undeserving of that love.
i'm not going to pretend that waiting for the right guy is easy, because everything in this evil world tells us to give yourself and heart away to just a "feeling" and even just for the heck of it. but my renewed love for my lord, tells me to hang on to the fairytale concept. i have even sat back and watched fairytales unfold in front of me with some of my closest friends, all because they ignored satan's lies and waited, some for a very long time, for their prince charming, and they all have beautiful marriages that are wrapped in god's love. again, it's a commitment and not easy, but the outcome is joy, love, peace, goodness...etc. i have also witnessed many relationships go down in flames because they settled and compromised themselves. i have to say that i have always had a habit of running from committments, but i like to think that it is because my heart is not ready. i still have more waiting to do, more ripening to do, like my mango, in my relationship with my lord. and then he'll let me know.
"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven..."
(ecclesiastes 3:1)
.............and scene.............
setting: breakfast on a sunny friday morning and my "happy" playlist (you are the best thing, everybody knows, sweet pea, la vie en rose, moon river, hey soul sister, three little birds, who says...etc awesome playlist)
today is going to be good. oh yeah. i have taken my early morning shower, gotten dressed, fixed my hair, and i managed to not wake the kids up before they were supposed to! the smallest accomplishments never cease to amaze me. jenny has taken the kids to school, the sun is shining, and the greatest part about this moment is that i have a mango. a mango i have been saving/hiding for a week and a half, and when i checked this morning, i knew it was time. because i live in such a cold country, i didn't think waiting until the mango was ripe would actually make a difference in the flavor. oh. OH. i was wrong. i peeled and sliced that baby open and a little piece of heaven shown down...you know the kind where the sun actually shines visible rays through the window of the house and a choir starts to sing in the background? yep. a little piece of heaven. that mango had the most beautiful sweetness to it that i couldn't stop thinking about it all morning. i don't think i've ever actually tasted a mango that ripe and pure! it was amazing! i had a relationship with this mango and you know what? it was worth the wait.
yes, this one is for my ladies, and yes, this is about love, fairytales, and waiting on the lord for true love.
i grew up watching disney movies, princesses, always believing that every girl deserves to find prince charming. i still believe that now. it's not cliche, it's not stupid, it's real.
in my personal relationship with jesus, i have always believed that he has prince charming picked out for me, and all i have to do is wait (patiently) for jesus to place him in my life. however, this is extremely hard to do, trusting that the lord will let me know when it's the right guy at the right time, especially when i want to fall in love NOW, just to be able to have that "feeling." but it is really worth it in the end? because what usually happens is we doubt our hearts, who we are in the lord, and end up changing what we believe to try to make this guy fit in our life. and then we realize that we've settled for less than what god has already designed, and all that's left is a little hole in our hearts that only jesus can fill, not another guy, not shopping, and not ice cream. i know this from making some stupid decisions for the past 2 years, allowing myself get caught up in a whirlwind of love and emotions. but what i realized is that i wasn't pursuing my relationship with my lord, which has resulted in me being blindsided by satan's lies. the sad part is, it happens time and time again, and i forget about the one who stole my heart from the very start, the one who aches for me to run to him, instead of a "feeling." but the best part about having jesus steal your heart, is that no matter how many times you run away, he "...will [always]allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her..." (hosea 2:14). he'll always bring my heart back to life. something i will never understand, for i am completely undeserving of that love.
i'm not going to pretend that waiting for the right guy is easy, because everything in this evil world tells us to give yourself and heart away to just a "feeling" and even just for the heck of it. but my renewed love for my lord, tells me to hang on to the fairytale concept. i have even sat back and watched fairytales unfold in front of me with some of my closest friends, all because they ignored satan's lies and waited, some for a very long time, for their prince charming, and they all have beautiful marriages that are wrapped in god's love. again, it's a commitment and not easy, but the outcome is joy, love, peace, goodness...etc. i have also witnessed many relationships go down in flames because they settled and compromised themselves. i have to say that i have always had a habit of running from committments, but i like to think that it is because my heart is not ready. i still have more waiting to do, more ripening to do, like my mango, in my relationship with my lord. and then he'll let me know.
"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven..."
(ecclesiastes 3:1)
.............and scene.............
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Coming Soon...
The Dreamer
Me & Emma
The Mango Story
A Constant
For all of the blog stalkers, aka mom, i scatter my thoughts around and don't finish my writings before i start something new, so i just wanted to inform you that the goods are coming and to keep reading. This adventure is just getting started!
Me & Emma
The Mango Story
A Constant
For all of the blog stalkers, aka mom, i scatter my thoughts around and don't finish my writings before i start something new, so i just wanted to inform you that the goods are coming and to keep reading. This adventure is just getting started!
A True Swede...
1. drinks their coffee black
2. snuffs religiously(dips, chews, whatever you want to call it...usually only the guys)
3. eats salty "goodis" aka candy (worst candy i've ever tried, strictly swedish)
4. takes their kids to get "lördags goodis" aka saturday candy (kids don't eat sweets during the week and always look forward to walking to the candy store where there are bins and bins of all diferent sorts of candy and sweets)
5. develops supermom status if one can make good "bulle" (buns), especially "kanelbulle" (cinamon buns...we haven't made them yet, but i have tried one...urgott! (SO good))
6. makes a bookmark book (for girls) and passes them down to the female children in the family
7. owns a volvo (an most of the time you don't even need a car because you walk anywhere and everywhere)
8. puts butter on everything (though that is very european as well)
9. has sparkly blue eyes (haven't met one that doesn't)
10. walks into the church and out with their husband (at a wedding) the father doesn't give the daughter away.
This might be the top ten for a true swede, but there are many other culture shocks as well. I'll start with the children, since i am an Au Pair and a teacher.
Cursing...it's crazy but even the kids curse! Not all the time, but it's not a big deal if the F-bomb slips out every once in a while out of a 7-year-old's mouth. Erik, the oldest, said it one time in front of me and i GASPED loudly and said "inte okej Erik" (not ok erik!!). He kind of just giggled at me and i said huh uh, that is not cool! Funny part was that he was talking to the fish when he said it...(we have a fish tank with about 7 african ciklids)...maybe it is because i'm from the south, but that is strange for me. And they don't bleep out curse words on the radio either!! Needless to say, Eric Iglesias new song doesn't actually say "tonight i'm loving you..."
School...children know their table manners by age 2. They sit on their bottoms and eat with a fork and knife, plastic of course. It is incredible. Most kids also eat whatever their parents prepare for them, including steak paired with a red wine demi glace.
From a teacher's perspective, teaching in sweden would be marvelous. There are zero grades until the 8th grade! I'm not even kidding! There is no pressure whatsoever on the students to succeed, and there is no such thing as retaining the kids. There are assessments in class, the students have reading homework, and the teachers have a review of the student's progress twice a year, but school for the young ones is all about exploration and play. The first standardized test is when they are age 13, and students are also given grades at that age. I see both the advantages and disadvantages of this process, but that might be the biggest culture shock here.
weird.
People/public transportation...again, this has to be because i'm from the south, but when i smile or wave at strangers, they look down and keep walking. People are always only going about their own business, and don't really care that you are there. It's not a bad thing at all, but it's taking time to get used to, especially since i'm used to striking a conversation with just about anyone. there is one type of person you do want to avoid, and they are known as the street performers. you absolutely don't want to make eye contact with them, even if their tune on the accordian is somewhat ok. if you make eye contact, they will follow you until you give them money. it's entertaining, though, to watch how mad some people get when they follow someone onto the tram. hahaha good times. thankfully i haven't been a victim of this.
Also, Göteborg is a place where anyone can fit in. The language is swedish and everyone speaks to you in swedish first, but everyone also knows english. There are so many different nationalities here that you don't just see blonde hair and blue eyes. Somone actually thought i looked swedish, and then i opened my mouth. There is a huge asian culture here as well, which i thought to be very interesting. Göteborg is all one big happy family!
I have been here for a month and a half now, and i am still learning and seeing so much every week. i like it. it's new, fresh...it's europe!! This is the coolest opportunity i've ever been given and i hope to make the most of this experience. Who am i kidding, how can i not?!!
p.s. swedish fish (the candy) does not exist in sweden, so if you've ever believed, like i have, that they did, the world has been lying to us. thought i would share.
2. snuffs religiously(dips, chews, whatever you want to call it...usually only the guys)
3. eats salty "goodis" aka candy (worst candy i've ever tried, strictly swedish)
4. takes their kids to get "lördags goodis" aka saturday candy (kids don't eat sweets during the week and always look forward to walking to the candy store where there are bins and bins of all diferent sorts of candy and sweets)
5. develops supermom status if one can make good "bulle" (buns), especially "kanelbulle" (cinamon buns...we haven't made them yet, but i have tried one...urgott! (SO good))
6. makes a bookmark book (for girls) and passes them down to the female children in the family
7. owns a volvo (an most of the time you don't even need a car because you walk anywhere and everywhere)
8. puts butter on everything (though that is very european as well)
9. has sparkly blue eyes (haven't met one that doesn't)
10. walks into the church and out with their husband (at a wedding) the father doesn't give the daughter away.
This might be the top ten for a true swede, but there are many other culture shocks as well. I'll start with the children, since i am an Au Pair and a teacher.
Cursing...it's crazy but even the kids curse! Not all the time, but it's not a big deal if the F-bomb slips out every once in a while out of a 7-year-old's mouth. Erik, the oldest, said it one time in front of me and i GASPED loudly and said "inte okej Erik" (not ok erik!!). He kind of just giggled at me and i said huh uh, that is not cool! Funny part was that he was talking to the fish when he said it...(we have a fish tank with about 7 african ciklids)...maybe it is because i'm from the south, but that is strange for me. And they don't bleep out curse words on the radio either!! Needless to say, Eric Iglesias new song doesn't actually say "tonight i'm loving you..."
School...children know their table manners by age 2. They sit on their bottoms and eat with a fork and knife, plastic of course. It is incredible. Most kids also eat whatever their parents prepare for them, including steak paired with a red wine demi glace.
From a teacher's perspective, teaching in sweden would be marvelous. There are zero grades until the 8th grade! I'm not even kidding! There is no pressure whatsoever on the students to succeed, and there is no such thing as retaining the kids. There are assessments in class, the students have reading homework, and the teachers have a review of the student's progress twice a year, but school for the young ones is all about exploration and play. The first standardized test is when they are age 13, and students are also given grades at that age. I see both the advantages and disadvantages of this process, but that might be the biggest culture shock here.
weird.
People/public transportation...again, this has to be because i'm from the south, but when i smile or wave at strangers, they look down and keep walking. People are always only going about their own business, and don't really care that you are there. It's not a bad thing at all, but it's taking time to get used to, especially since i'm used to striking a conversation with just about anyone. there is one type of person you do want to avoid, and they are known as the street performers. you absolutely don't want to make eye contact with them, even if their tune on the accordian is somewhat ok. if you make eye contact, they will follow you until you give them money. it's entertaining, though, to watch how mad some people get when they follow someone onto the tram. hahaha good times. thankfully i haven't been a victim of this.
Also, Göteborg is a place where anyone can fit in. The language is swedish and everyone speaks to you in swedish first, but everyone also knows english. There are so many different nationalities here that you don't just see blonde hair and blue eyes. Somone actually thought i looked swedish, and then i opened my mouth. There is a huge asian culture here as well, which i thought to be very interesting. Göteborg is all one big happy family!
I have been here for a month and a half now, and i am still learning and seeing so much every week. i like it. it's new, fresh...it's europe!! This is the coolest opportunity i've ever been given and i hope to make the most of this experience. Who am i kidding, how can i not?!!
p.s. swedish fish (the candy) does not exist in sweden, so if you've ever believed, like i have, that they did, the world has been lying to us. thought i would share.
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