Grekisk Mat och Pistachio (godis & glass)

 

Last night was the last girls dinner for us Helsingborg exchange students that included Sarah and Teagan the Aussies. They fly back home this Friday :( We went out to a Greek restaurant that was delicious but a little pricey. Either way I loved my Mousakka! I don't exactly know what it was but it was darn good. Well us "newbies" decided we wanted to give the girls something special as a going away present. We put together small photo albums of the times, places, activities we've done together and then each (me, Dakota, Shruti) of us wrote a note for them. They loved them! Sarah and Teagan have been amazing friends to each of us, they have given us pretty good advice about various things and have really made these first 5 months in Sweden worth it. They are just incredible girls who know how to have a good time and make everyone feel like a part of the team. Not to carry on...anyway after a wonderful dinner we all wanted a fixin of Pistachio godis and glass (candy & ice cream). It was also deliscious. We chatted and listened to some good music, good music in mine and Sarah's opinion. But as buses pulled up some of the girls had to run. It was a great night spent with great people. It is not good bye, just see you later. Because fact is, we will see each other again, whether I head to Australia or they come to the states!



Don't mind my face, I'm just being myself, swaggaaa! Oye and that's Dakota.





Sarah and Shruti!





The Arnekull Familj

The Arnekull's are my new host family. Martin - father, Åsa - Mother, Mikaela - 15(?), and Isa (spelling?)-dog. They also have another daughter Sofia, but she is on an exchange in Canada at the time being. They live in Tågaborg, which is considered to be an "uppity up" neighborhood area in Helsingborg. So now I live about 25-30 min.(walking) from the center of town (old home). And I no longer live in an apartment I live in a house. Nice adjustment :) Each of them are extremely nice and were very welcoming to me, I really enjoy living here. Also, my Swedish has been lacking so....that's going to change. My host mom and host sister especially are great about wanting to teach me Swedish. I'm learning new words each day. Also, my host mom is great at wanting to make sure I am involved with something besides school, she was the one who helped Dakota find out about volleybol, in which I joined with. Now she has gone and looked into wrestling for me! Which is fantastic, apparently Helsingborg has one of the best if not the best wrestling clubs in all of Sweden. They have like 60 girls at this club! So come Thursday, I will go to the club for a practice and see if I might be able to fit in with those elite group of girls. So pumped :) All in all this family is wonderful and I'm excited to be living here for the next 3 months.

Christmas & New Years!



Christmas was spent on the 24th not the 25th. On that morning (24th) we headed to Veronica's for a semi traditional Christmas brunch. Which consisted of:

Blood pudding, cooked apples/onions, lingon berry sauce, bread and cheese. Then, Christmas porridge with milk, sugar and cinnamon. And lastly a carrot ginger cake with chocolate and cream. 

  

After Veronica's we went back to the house to get ready to watch Kalle Anka, old daffy duck and other cartoons. So great to see the original Cinderella, Snow White, etc. Just like when I was a little kid. After that we took a break for fika. Coffee, tea, saft and godis. Then did a little more waiting, till dinner time. Dinner was an array of yummy foods. Potatoes,, meatballs, sasages, turkey, cooked cabbage, and lots more.






Emilia was busy making lots of yummy treats for us as well!

 

After a delicious dinner and desserts we waited some more, just enjoying the music and white snow. Around 9:30 or so we sat in a circle to open presents. Paul would pick presents from the tree and hand them to whomever they were for, and we would watch as they opened the gift. This continued one by one till midnight. I recieved lots of gifts, more than I needed. Cookbooks, baking things, swedish things, money, giftcards, jewlery, handmade wool socks and more. I loved every single thing, and am very thankful to my host family for thinking of me. Once presents were done I had a quick skype session with my family, wishing them a merry christmas!



After Christmas I basically did nothing! I was still on winter break until the 10th of January :) It was great not having to worry about school or things like that but also a bit boring because I did nothing, my fault though for not "getting out there". But, I was waiting for a package from my mom because it had all of my host family's christmas gifts! Although it did arrive later than expected (Dec.31) and pretty beat up I was still excited to wrap up their gifts and give them to my host family.


  

New Years, yes 2010 is over. Now were in 2011 and I couldn't be happier, I mean it does stink that I won't still be graduating in this year but I am totally okay with that because I get to go back to Curtis for only one more year and....WRESTLE! I can't wait! So back to this time zone, I went to a party with my host sister Emilia, and I wore a dress and a pair of heels (for like half the night only). We had lots of yummy food and desserts. Good array of games and music too. Around 11:45 we headed to the center of town to watch the fireworks and countdown, it was CRAZY. There were people everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Some were setting fireworks off right on street corners it was madness, but hey it's Sweden. Go big or go home. And goodness was it cold, drizzling and windy. But still fun. We went back to the party after walking around some and just chilled. Headed home close to 3am. Was suppose to wake up around 7am to skype with family and be my sisters partner for our annual new years apples to apples. But I woke up at like 9:32am, shoot I can't believe I had slept in :( but I skyped with them anyway I just missed the party. It was good though. Finished off break by moving in with my new host family. The Arnekall Family.