The Turning Torso

I feel so terrible for my lack of blog posting the last ten days. As I've said before, it was quite easy to consistently post when I first arrived in Sweden, when everything was brand new...and now some (only some) of the novelty of living in Lund has worn off..which leaves me feeling slightly less compelled to blog but I promise not to let that stop me!

Well, to start off..I've been in school for about a month(and officially in Sweden for TWO MONTHS), which isn't really exciting or much to speak of..BUT, I was lucky enough to go on an "excursion" or field trip to Copenhagen and Malmo for my class about economic geography. I went absolutely insane over the architecture: a mixture of traditional Scandinavian buildings and modern architecture. I have a great love for some beautiful buildings so this was just the place for me. Don't get me wrong, Lund is beautiful in it's quaint attributes, quaint buildings...we lack any tall or modern buildings here, and I really love that. Not to mention I almost died when I spent about $30 on a meal at a cafe in Copenhagen, I'm quite sure that the exchange rates are slowly killing me here.

Aside from school, it's been the same ol' same ol' here in good ol' Lund. I

had the great pleasure of working at Wermlands Nation on Wednesday evening and then Krischan Nation on Friday evening. Wermlands is one of the smaller nations in Lund, I love it for its pub and really friendly atmosphere. They ended up closing the dance floor early so I ended up staying at the bar in the pub for most of the evening (we usually do rotations similar to Lunds Nation). A friend of mine, Jens and his friends were at standing at the bar most of the night..and I must say that I greatly enjoyed messing with them, dishing them a little bit of my "American sarcasm" as it has been deemed by various Swedes. Not only did I really enjoy the low-keyed atmosphere of working the pub at Wermlands, but also got to eat delicious french fries and drink cider after clean up. As a side note: I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back to the states with about a dozen cavities from all of the free soda and yummy candies I get while working at nations..it's deadly. Seriously, what red blooded American could turn down unlimited and free soda? That's right..no one. On Friday night, Gaby, myself, Jen and Kristen worked at Krischan Nation which was also enjoyable but the club was experiencing what seemed like an unusually slow night. Another side note: Swedish youth go to university for free, yes, I will repeat that...Swedish college students go to university for free. It's amazing and enviable coming from a university with growing tuition that you could by a nice car with. Anyways, in addition to getting free education, they get some sort of "allowance" from the state, which they also have to pay back a portion of later..but apparently the nations become slow at the end of each month because the Swedes are running out of their allowances from the state. What's ultimately nice about working at nations is getting to meet Swedes as well as other international students; I met a fellow Kalifornien from UC Davis, as well as a guy from Lithuania (I'm endlessly amazed at how most Europeans are able to speak at least three, if not more, languages. Way to go, U.S...we're pretty worldly). I still have issues grasping how amazing it is to sit in a classroom, and work with people who are from all over the world, it's fantastic and unforgettable experience that I need to consistently remind myself of.

And now, I suppose that the reality of being a student is going to set in: I have my first few papers due for a class that only lasted about 4 weeks (which is shorter than a summer school course at home)...so I assume that the library and I will become quite well acquainted in the next four days. Cheers!

Heineken, 15 People Limit, 10 SEK To Check Your Jacket, Please

Up until last night, I had only worked at Wermlands Nation, which technically isn't even the nation I belong to. The Kalifornien girls and I had worked in the kitchen making burgers and fries on a pub night, and then worked an 80 person sittning a few weeks ago. I have to say, it was stressful going around crowded tables, reaching over people, trying to grab any empty bottles/glasses or plates only to have them glare back at you in a manner to communicate "No, I am not finished," or my personal favorite, a sort of hand gesture that has the same effect. Anyways, I had only done these two tasks which have a relatively low level of stress (of course I get stressed out extremely easily and would say that it was very stressful but please, for that reason, don't listen to me)...and when Kristen said that Lunds Nation (the nation I actually belonged to) needed some extra help during their Thursday club night, I was reluctant but said yes in the end. Let me explain, I'm the kind of girl that will let boiling water give her anxiety..so the thought of serving drunk people even more drinks, oy vey, not something that sounded all too appealing. But after I found out that Calle, Norberg along with some of my Kalifornien girls were also working, I decided that it was now or never.

Before the night even begins, we get to eat some yummy food: some sort of white breaded fish, mashed potatoes and some herbed bread..not to mention UNLIMITED soda. Oh yea, my dentist is going to love me. So the way it works when you work at nations is this: you have different rotations, each lasting for an hour throughout the night. My rotation schedule was 1. coat check 2. entrance (which included taking peoples money and stamping their wrist) 3. big bar 4. smoking area. Coat check was pretty slow overall but when there was a large

group of people, I found humor in those few people who asked where Jennifer and I were from, or those couple of guys who refused to speak to me in English and tried to speak me Swedish..at which I tried to repeat, smiled, laughed, and walked away to put their jacket away. I find amusement in the fact that Swedes and I look at each other in the same way, like some sort of rare animal. My next rotation was entrance, which was really nothing to speak of, I sat at the register which I could barely see into and had the same line of "Hej hej, femtio..tack." Seeing some already fairly inebriated people fumble through their wallets looking for their ID's, or money was quite amusing, along with those couple Swedish guys who tried arguing with the security guys for various reasons. And my next rotation was dun dun dun...the big bar. I walked in through the kitchen and to behind the bar, only to stare at a group of people (mostly men), all waiting. I go up to the first person I see and get a mixed drink order, two appletinis I believe. I nod obediently and go to the list of drinks and stare at the ingredients for the drink and I suddenly freeze and have an inner freakout. Fear not, I did make that drink and a variety of other drinks in a calmer manner and somehow managed to survive the bar (and actually really enjoyed it). I have learned from my Swedish counterparts, especially at cafes and other nations, to just take my time. Those who want shots, beers, drinks, will still want them even I take my time..and hell, chances are they're probably a little too drunk to notice anyways, right? Right. Another mess up of mine during the night was about beer on tap. I have never dispensed beer on tap, and pulled down the handle with hesitancy/not all the way down so that all that was put into the cup was foam; "This can't be right," I thought to myself, "I don't even drink beer, but I'm pretty sure you don't have this much foam." By the end of my hour at the bar (which was between midnight and 1 a.m.) my brain was barely functioning, I was struggling with the total of an order of 3 shots, 1 beer and 1 mixed drink..closing one eye and trying to concentrate while the booming music is only 12 feet away from me. My last rotation of the night was the smoking area which is outside on this large patio with a beautiful view of Lund. Although the outside area can undoubtedly accommodate a lot of people, their were complaints on noise from neighbors, and now they only allow 15, yes, 15 people outside at any given time. So here are Jennifer and I, two very petite, Californian girls attempting to regulate a group of drunk Swedes. Not only did I hit my own heels with the back of the door multiple times, but I also had my personal space invaded too many times by very tall Swedish men trying to convince us to let them outside, "But we're very quiet, what's two more people?" Jennifer and I gave no mercy. And after we were done working the smoking area, all that was left to do was walk around and pick up empty glasses/bottles and....DANCE, and oh, did we dance! After the club closed at 2 a.m., we were around cleaning up until 3 a.m. and then set free to bike ride in zee freezing cold.

"Reflection is a flower of the mind"

I have officially been in Lund for six weeks (and ONE day) hoorah! I realize that my last entry sounded partially melancholy, however it was an accurate description of how I have felt since being here. Life has its fluctuations and inconsistencies and it doesn't stop when you hit the dreamworld of Lund. When we first arrived at Lund, everything was fresh, new, stimulating, it feels all like a daze now..now that I've fallen into a routine: wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, come home, sleep. I nag myself constantly even when walking around this beautiful town not to forget its beauty and all that is has given me so far. So I felt this entry would be an appropriate time for an overall reflection..

• In Lund, everything is a lot more leisurely, not anything like the frantic energy I'm conditioned to coming from California. In California, there's always somewhere to be, something to be doing, and efficiency is the goal to be obtained. Take for example, going to class in Santa Cruz, everyone is anxious and crowded around waiting for a bus to get across campus..all plugged into their iPods, texting on their phones. I see very few people college students in Lund "plugged in," you really get the sense that they're enjoying something, whatever the magnitude. This leisure also translates into many other things..say me getting my coffee for example and staring at the girl making my latte at a sloths pace with a line of people out the door. I used to get annoyed by the Swedes tendency to stroll through such critical parts of my day such as the consumption of caffeine, but I've somehow found a way to make do.
• I have yet to really mention all of the lovely people I have met, both Californian, Swedish and everywhere in between. I absolutely adore my "Kalifornien" girls as I call them: Jennifer, Gaby, Kristen, Sara. We all are so different with a lot of different energies to offer to most situations, and I am amazed at how quickly I feel attached to them, how quickly I've become comfortable being my crazy/obnoxious/random self..and for this I feel endlessly grateful. And through Kristen, I have had the great pleasure of meeting and spending time with some fantastic boys..Norberg, Schonke and Calle and then one lovely lady Sofia; with whom I have shared some fantastic nights and laughs. For this reason, I feel increasingly planted in Lund.
• I've looooooved loved looooooved having a bike (that now has TWO, I repeat, TWO functioning brakes, hallelujah!). Lund isn't large by any sense of the word, and walking is plausible to pretty much every place you need to get to..but biking here can be one of the nicest things. My favorite times to bike I've found are either late at night or early in the morning; both times the town feels deserted, very few people and (even less) cars, with air so crisp that it slightly stings your face but feels so refreshing at the same time. It's indescribable.
• To touch on something that my dear Sara addressed in her blog, Lund truly does have lazy Sundays, and do they do it well. Because Lund is such a small town and not a tourist attraction, they have the flexibility to pretty much close everything (and I mean everything) except for a few select cafes, and the grocery stores. It seemed like a hassle and inconvenience in the beginning but it didn't take long to adapt and when making plans for a Sunday afternoon, you grab coffee or just hang out (no H&M shopping, thank god).


• I am endlessly fascinated at how Swedes are given the "benefit of the doubt" here, I'd much rather assume guilty. In my Swedish Social Policy class, my Californian professor was saying how unusually law abiding the Swedes are; that she has seen someone standing at a crosswalk waiting for a the green light..even in the middle of the night. I was talking to one of my Swedish friends, and I was telling him that I didn't want to pay the 10 SEK to take a bus (we quickly found that if you say "ett barn" on the bus which means that you're 19 or under, you can save yourself 7 extra SEK..being the greedy Americans that we are, always say "ett barn" to save those precious SEK). Anyways, I told my friend this and he angrily replied "YOU PAY THE CHILDRENS' PRICE? YOU'RE NOT 19! The reason why Sweden works so well is because people obey the law!" It was worth a good chuckle for me, if there's a way for me to get around spending a little more money, I will do it. Apparently I'm contributing to the downfall of Swedish culture and society as we know it.

I s'pose that is all for now, over and out..and I wish the best to whoever may be reading my mumble jumble.

One Tenth Of The Way There, I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

First and foremost, I've officially been in Lund for five weeks! It's an interesting sensation; initially, time went by rather slowly, and now I can't believe how quickly it's going. Lund truly feels more like home than anytime before. All of us Kalifornien girls seem to have really cemented ourselves in Lund; and through Kristen/her Swedish corridor mates have met some truly fantastic people. I can't deny that during the past couple weeks I've had feelings of regret around staying for the full academic year..especially considering that my California girls leave me in December and not knowing exactly how I'd adjust to the shift in social circle. However, in that time, I've continued to meet more Swedes and felt increasingly more comfortable with the thought of really living here and going all the way through to June. On a side note, I've realized that I have the ability to adapt to new situations and settings really quickly, and I partially fear that I may become disenchanted with Lund and this unforgettable, unfathomable opportunity that I have with studying here. Sometimes I stop what I'm doing and realize that this is a time of my life that is going to leave a great impression on me.

Okay, so now for a general update..it's been quite a week indeed. I've felt reminiscent of the first few weeks of my freshman year at UC Santa Cruz; everyone is excited to get to know each other, you're overloaded with a variety of stimuli, you want to do everything, meet everyone and savor every opportunity. Essentially, the beginning of freshman year of college and the first month in Lund have felt like summer camp. And unfortunately, summer camp has ended..meaning that yes, class has started. This past week was probably one of the most random, flustered, confusing week of my whole life. I'll be taking what are called SAS class (Special Area Studies), they're in English and only for international/exchange students (also known as joke classes because they aren't departmental). It's insane to hear all of the different places that my peers are from(Finland, Switzerland, Singapore, China), my situation feels all too surreal to fully grasp. After quite a hectic first week of classes, it appears that I have my final schedule pinned down: Swedish Social Policy, Governance and Conflict in the Middle East, Global Environmental Justice, and Population Settlement and Economic Geography. So, a difference that I've noticed that irks me slightly about the Lund University system is that 1. no meeting time/day is ever really consistent 2. because of this general inconsistency leads to another issue, classes can have time conflicts! Which absolutely, never ever is allowed to happen at UCSC. Two classes at the same time? Just decide which one's more important. This, I can tell will be a consistent struggle for me. All in all, I'm pleased with my schedule and classes. For a variety of reasons I'm sure (partial homesickness, partial unhappiness with school seriousness starting), I've felt slightly melancholy throughout the week. But with the promise of my mom and Ron visiting sometime in the near future, as well as getting a care package in the mail..I feel like this little raincloud on top of the current rainclouds in Lund will pass.

Last week, we were more or less forced to decide on which nation we would like to join; which for us exchange students only staying for a semester, or year is slightly irrelevant because no matter which nation you join, you can go to any other nation. Nonetheless, I decided on Lunds Nation (mainly because it's close to me, the largest nation, and I didn't really care either way), Gaby, Kristen and Sara joined Krischan Nation, and Jennifer joined Blekingska. Another general highlight of the weekend was working as a server at a sittning (formal dinner) at Wermlands Nation on Saturday..which once again reinforced my general anxiety revolving around doing anything that involves serving, food, and potentially mean people. The

Californian exchange students dominated most of the kitchen: Jennifer, Sara, Gaby, myself and Cyrus all worked with serving the food for the evening. Munching on bacon and delicious french fries all throughout the evening. Besides having fun while working in the kitchen and getting free food, there is an added bonus: the thank you sittning that occurs a few weeks after you work for a nation where they in turn provide free food and drinks. It truly is quite glorious.

Over and out.

Wien, Vienna, Klimt, Schiele

Wow, how to start with an update about my time in Vienna. Here I sit in the overly nice hostel that Sara found for us (were talking LOCKERS in the rooms, free WiFi and computer, its indescribable). The woman who owns the hostel is a sweet and funny British woman who was confused by our use of "bathroom" and "to be down with." And after three days of endless walking, museum visits, plats, churches and the underground..I have seen so much and really grown a fondness for Vienna in all its beauty. What I can tell you about visiting Vienna: don't be fooled, EVERY BUILDING LOOKS IMPORTANT, alas it is just a facade..and a building that looks like an amazing art museum is most likely some government building with a small placard near the door written in indecipherable German. An adjustment with coming from Prague (where most sights are fairly concentrated) to Vienna is that a lot more things are spread out and require the use of the underground (and thus I have rekindled my love for underground transportation).
Our first day we were literally (but not really) thrown off of our 5 hour bus ride into Vienna with absolutely no idea where we were or how to navigate the city..which lead 5 of us to stand in front of an underground map for about ten minutes trying to figure out where to go. After an underground trip and twenty minutes of walking we finally found our lovely little hostel situated on the 4th floor of a building. We then walked towards the center of town and visited a couple of beautiful churches (Im not usually one for church visits but considering I havent visited one in almost 2 years, I found it necessary). I love churches when looking at it from an artistic and historic point of view, rather than religious. I love the stained glass, the arches, the paintings and high ceilings; sometimes you can't help but feel a little something when visiting certain churches.
Our second day was when the real tourist-y activites commenced, with much enthusiasm as well as an early wake up call. Our first stop: Shonbrun Palace where we took an audio tour, I hate to say that once you´ve seen one palace you've kind of seen them all but the gardens behind the palace were unbelievable. Not only was there a long stretch of green grass with various colored flowers planted in certains patterns, but also there was a large, dramatic fountain at the end. Breathtaking is the only word to describe it. After, Amy, Sara and myself went to Upper Belevdere Museum which had advertised the largest Gustav Klimt collection. In high school when I was taking an art class, I used Klimt's intricate backgrounds as inspiration for my pieces..so it felt absolutelz necessary to go see it. And man, was it worth every step and Euro I paid. I've seen Monet, Picasso, DaVinci among many other talented artists, but no other artists has given me the chills and almost made me cry..especially when I saw "The Kiss," which was illuminated showing the most beautiful of gold. Not to mention I was also introduced to an artist who I believe was friends with Klimt: Egon Schiele..his work is dark and extremely beautiful. Our last stop on our very long day yesterday was Sigmund Freud's house and study which was filled to the brim with diplomas, books, pictures, and original furniture. Despite the fact that the buidling was very poorly ventilated, seeing Freud's house was really great.

And this long, indescribable journey of condensed descriptions ends today. Sara and I decided to wake up early this morning to shower, so we both woke up at 6:45 a.m. to start battling the demon that is the water heater that has been known to cause many problems and break many hygiene hearts. We fuss around with it for about 15 minutes before we both decide that we wouldn't be able to stand for a freezing cold shower and I decide to just stick my head under the faucet and wash my hair. I kid you not, I have never felt water so cold in my life. After a failed attempt at an early morning shower we set out for the Roman Museum and yet another audio tour. It was a really amazing museum, once again filled to the brim with many artifacts and information..so much so that it becomes even more difficult to grasp the idea that Vienna once looked like that. Next, Sara and I visited the MUMOK (some modern art museum) where we discussed our views on minimalistic art..which is always an interesting conversation topic. Hearing that the Leopold Museum housed even more Klimt and Schiele, that was our next stop and I found myself incredibly overwhelmed (but at the same time very happy) with all of the visual stimulation. And our last stop of the day was a Mozart Museum that is in a building that he also had previously lived in. I ended up with mixed feelings about the museum..I don't understand the desire to make every sort of exhibit modern, with screens and installations. Hell, I'd be happy as a clam reading a ton of blurbs on the wall. The audio tour was incredibly hard to follow, jumping from topic to person to topic to person..leading us to often skip over certain rooms when their accomodating audio clip lasted for longer than five minutes with a man speaking in a British accent. Seeing his actual apartment was probably the best part (not because there was actually anything in there, of course) but just to know that he had lived there and our feet were standing on the same ground.
All in all, in two days, we visited 7 museums..my feet ache and I have been nothing but exhausted at the end of each day but I wouldn't take back a single day of my trip to Prague and Vienna. Both cities are indescribable in their beauty and have so much to offer to anyone who comes to see them. And by around 4 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday), I will be back in my little raincloud also known as Lund, Sweden..ready to start school on Monday. Au revoir Vienna!

Hello Prague

So since I have access to a computer, and am also about halfway through my Prague/Vienna trip, I thought that it would an appropriate time to update since it's all still fresh in my mind. A group of probably around 13 UC kids arrived in Prague at around 10 p.m. Sunday night, and after figuring out that the public transportation to our hostel was far too complicated (not to mention not in English), we all cabbed. Sara, Jeff and I woke up bright and early Monday morning to start our excursions, and having arrived at night and gone straight to the hostel I had no idea what Prague even looked like. Waking up and leaving the hostel in the morning was such a stun in the best way possible: the architecture in Prague is indescribable, gothic, dated, cathedrals with tall spires, cobblestone roads and TONS of restaurants. We explored for a couple of hours before deciding to take a very comprehensive (and fairly reasonably priced) tour around Prague. The most fantastic of sights being Prague Castle, situated on a hill (when most of Prague is flat) with the most spectacular, breathtaking views of the city. I also apologize in advance for my lack of photos accomodating this post, I don't have the connector cable for my camera or my computer to upload photos. It's hard to put into words how simply beautiful Prague is.
Our second day in Prague, Sara and I decided to take it a little more leisurely: we went to a Salvador Dali & Alfons Mucha exhibit in the morning which was absolutely lovely..there weren't many pieces of Dali that he is most famous for, rather some of his sketches and other "simpler" works. I've seen very little of Mucha's work so it was certainly a treat to see some more, the way that he paints women is fantastic. After the exhibit, Sara and I wandered around more and came across a vegetarian Indian restaurant where she ate, and after watching her eat and smelling all the good smells of Indian food, I too, gave in and had samosas, some sort of lasagna and spring rolls (didn't know they were considered Indian). We had talked with some other of the UC kids in the morning about meeting up at this island in the canal at around 3 to go paddleboating, and while attempting to find the right bridge and island, Sara and I bump into Cyrus and Daniel and we all walk over together. We wait around for 45 minutes at the park, rain coming on and off with no signs of our friends when we decide to take out a 4 person paddleboat ourselves. I kid you not, paddleboats are probably the most underated form of sightseeing everrrr. This paddleboat had two seats for peddling in the front and then two lounge chairs in the back. About halfway through our time on the water, Sara and I switched with the boys and enjoyed the sporadic rain and amazing views of Prague that were all around us. Later that night, after a nap and shower, all of us head to Le Chapeau Rouge, a bar/club that some of the UC kids had been to the night before. The decor inside was pretty crazy and it was a really fun atmosphere, not to mention it was great to have a group of us out together at night. I soon became a sucker for their aaaaamazing pina coladas and we quickly found the dance floor downstairs where they were playing the uhh..most interesting selection of music. Regardless, it was a really fun night with some really great people.
Which then leads me to today, our last full day here in Prague. Jeff got a self guided tour of old Prague..which seemed to be more trouble than anything else considering the directions and descriptions of where to go seemed to have been translated into English from Google translator. Anyways, we got to see some remains of old Prague, left over in a mall and an underground nonetheless. To backtrack, Prague has the best exchange rate ever: 20 czech is 1 American dollar, also, on the first day I discovered in a market in one of the main squares these sausage that have been everything I've been wanting since I've gone to Sweden (and have never been able to find) hence the fact that they became a staple in my everyday eating here.

And here we are, it's Wednesday and I'm sitting in an internet cafe somewhere in Prague, and at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning I will be headed on a 5 hour bus ride to Vienna until Sunday. Prague, you have certainly treated me well and I bid you the best adieu.

Swedish Invasion

To start off with the most important topic: the Swedes and Internationals have arrived! As UC students living here for pretty much 2 weeks with not many other students, we greatly anticipated the large influx of students arriving this week. I was amazed to be walking and biking around the city these past couple of days to find that there are sooo many more people in Lund, making it feel a lot more like the lively college town I've heard it is. I also actually have THREE corridor-mates on my side: two girls from Holland (Jose and Kitty) and one guy (Alex) from Southern Germany. Yayyy!

So in Sweden there's a tradition called Kraftskiva where everyone eats crayfish and drink schnapps. Jennifer, Kristen, myself, and Gaby were invited to a crayfisheating/schnappsdrinking dinner that we gladly attended initially wearing heels that we quickly abandoned once we saw that the dinner would be outside and in grass. Here's a word of advice for those who are interested in drinking "traditional" schnapps: don't. The kind that we purchased tasted like dill and something you could have gathered from your garden, smashed up and called it alcohol, but hey I guess you've got to experience the tradition while you're here, right? The crayfish on the other hand..I have a major aversion to eating any sort of animal that still looks like an animal. So, as it should be, I had crayfish on my plate that I stared at for quite some time debating whether or not I wanted to actually tear it apart and eat it. Luckily for me, the girl sitting next to me (a Swede), offered to help me out so I ate the meat off of the arms/legs...not too bad but I won't be jumping at the prospect at crayfish the next time I see it on a menu. In addition to drinking mass amounts of schnapps (in addition to wine/beer/other alcohols), there are also songs that you sing as a group at which the end you take a drink. If you can only picture the 4 Kalifornien girls sitting around a table celebrating a Swedish tradition and trying to sing Swedish songs, quite amusing, really. What I've loved about my experiences so far in Sweden is that most everyone I've met from Sweden is very accommodating, interesting and simply awesome overall.

As I've mentioned before, Lund University has "nations" which are similar to the Greek system we have in the states except that both men and women are in nations. There are many ways that one can help out at a nation, you can bartend, you can be at the front door, check items, or the best..work in the kitchen. Which is exactly what Kristen, myself and Jennifer did last night at Wermlands Nation. Although none of us officially "belong" to a nation, we are allowed to help out and get compensation (i.e. free alcohol and food). So when our friend Kaj was desperate and persistent about needing people to work in the kitchen and make hamburgers, three Kalifornien girls were there to save the day! Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. From about 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. we were running, cooking and sliding around the kitchen making burgers and fries..among other bizarre concoctions. Tickets would come in with food orders and we'd be trying to decipher not only some of the language but also the handwriting. I was initially in charge of mixing the hamburger meat, and I really, really really don't enjoy touching raw meat. Not to mention when the onions were added in, my eyes began burning. Moral of the story is, I am reminded why I do not enjoy the food industry, cooking, and why I would never want to work in a restaurant ever again. All and all, the experience was a good one, and along the way we had a lot of good laughs, and some good food as well :).

Lastly, TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF SVENSKA! Although I really enjoyed the class, I loved our teacher Mai, and the people in it..I do not enjoy waking up for a 9 a.m. class every morning (no offense Svenska, it's not you, it's me). So tomorrow we will have a final exam (hence my new blog posting to further avoid studying), and then my class in complete. After tomorrow, I am free from school and responsibilities for another 10 days before I officially start my semester here; which means that I will be traveling to PRAGUE AND VIENNA beginning late on Sunday.