You call that a bed?!

So I’d like to have a good excuse as to why I suck so much at this blog thing.  I suppose it’s just like every other thing I procrastinate.  I haven’t even really started classes yet.  I guess if you count Swedish Sports and Leisure as an academic subject, which they do here (3 credits I might add) then yes, I am in class.  On my first day of class we played tug of war, mini golf, Frisbee, and bean bags.  In a few weeks I start my Swedish language class and a marketing course.  So I’m just trying to enjoy my free time now.  But that also involves a lot of Skype and facebook, so I really have no valid reason for not getting this thing up and going. 

In a few weeks I’m going to travel to Uppsala with my new found friend Jessica.  She was the first roommate I met when I arrived, and to my surprise we was American.  She is from Colorado, which is great because people from Colorado usually aren’t pussies.  No one wants to travel around Europe with a whiny little brat.  And since arriving I’ve been keeping my eye out for a travel companion since I don’t know too many people here. 

Sweden partner in crime (she's gonna be pissed I put this on here.)

BINGO, this girl likes to party, but isn’t a messy puddle at the end of the night.  She’s fun to hang out with but is totally fine with doing her own thing.  And she’s not a gaper, she doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb like some of the other American’s I’ve encountered since being here.  Like this one guy in a class of mine that uses phrases like “hey there fella” and “excuse me folks” when talking to people.  So far everyone in the class asked me if we all talk like him, or if he comes off as a weirdo to me to?  I just say “no comment” all the time, because I’m sure the kids having a tough time already adjusting, and doesn't need people bullying him like he's in the 3rd grade again.  I also had a bit of a culture shock when I got here. 

After arriving into Copenhagen, Denmark I had trouble finding my train after being led in the wrong direction THREE separate times by three different people, then I had to wait for a train switch in Malmo Sweden with all of my luggage.  I thought I was going to get shanked by some of the 12 year olds at the train station. 

There was some tough looking 3 year olds as well...

It’s such a different system how the kids are so independent and take the subway home after school instead of riding a school bus or being picked up by their moms.  Then I finally arrived in Växjö, and was picked up by a girl from the school but we had to wait for a guy from Egypt.  When we got to school they gave the two of us a quick little run through of some info and then informed me our first months rent was due in a week.

WELL, I was under the impression that housing was included in the cost that UMD gave us, which it should be since I’m paying them over $5,000 this semester to do absolutely nothing.  While I go to a university in Sweden that doesn’t charge tuition.  I wish America would get their shit straight and figure out this whole education cost thing.  The European students that are going to college here don’t pay there home university anything, they get their rent paid by their home country’s government, and they get a stipend every month!  So after this I had to wait about twenty minutes for this Egyptian guy to write an e-mail home to his parents, which he typed with his 2 pointer fingers.  You'd think a guy going to school for engineering could type a little faster than 3 words per minutes.  Then I arrived at my apartment and after being awake for 30 hours when I saw my bed was actually a cot I almost wanted to cry.   After telling myself a few times to quit being a baby I ate some of the really weird bread the international office gave me with soft cheese and passed out for like 12 hours.

The next day was a new day I went to check out the town, which is a small city of about 80,000 people with a lot of character and what seems like a lot of people who enjoy being here.  Everyone is biking around on their stupid looking European bikes wearing cardigans and scarves, but its beautiful.  Now I’m off for fika.

Tootles.