Hola!
The weekend was nice and relaxing, and on Saturday we finally got our new washing machine. J In the evening we had some of the girls over and then Jolita talked me into going out. After all it was Saturday.
Sunday was calm and spent mainly at Sabine’s house using her internet. It must have looked quite funny, the three of us (Sabine, Sol and I), sitting with a laptop each. Well, what else is there to do?
Yesterday (or today, it was in the middle of the night) I suddenly found our internet again. Now it is just to wait and see whether it will continue to work or disappear again. Keep your fingers crossed.
And also I had my first ever Spanish exam today. Don’t ask me how it went, I studied like a maniac but think (know) that I did some mistakes. I mixed the irregular versions of the verbs in the different tenses. Oh well, I tried my best and we will see how it went.
I wrote the following paragraph earlier today:
“Today Sweden plays Northern Ireland in the Euro 2008 qualifications. Imagine, they don’t show the match here! I don’t know what to do… But I will watch the Spain – Iceland match and root for Iceland, obviously. Why? 2 reasons, nr 1 – Sólveig, and nr 2 – they have less points than Spain – less of a threat in other words… ;-) And Zlatan is back and probably playing, so is Freddie. Oh I so want to watch it! Damn.”
Now the game is over and Sweden lost again Northern Ireland! Loco! How could we let them score? Well, obviously I am upset now. I might be able to deal with loss later.
This weekend I get visitors again, this time Emma and Marlene, and then starts the Semana Santa with everything surrounding it. It’s going to be nice to have some holidays. (Because my life is not a long holiday as it is…)
Ha’ Luego for now!
/k
Wednesday 28 March 2007
Friday 23 March 2007
Again I am happy that I am not blonde
Hola!
Another week has almost reached its end. So what has been going on so far, apart from the weather’s crazy turn towards coldness (well, it’s getting warmer again but I can’t get over the fact that it has been snowing here this week… I mean this is Spain!). Sol had to realise that yet again her pelo rubia (blonde hair) had gotten admirers. I’m talking about the Spanish boys in our European Integration course who are so in love with her that they’re acting like 10-year old boys messing with her hair and giggle. I’m just laughing. Again I am happy that I am not blonde.
We’ve also been trying hard to ignore the crazy hombre de kebab (kebab guy) who also has fallen for her light hairdo. That’s more creepy though as he lives in the same apartment building as we do, and thus Sol always listens at the door before opening it.
Now we have our own bartenders as well, not only the guys we’ve met, but Jolita and Vaida. They started working yesterday in two separate bars and so of course Sol, Sabine and I had to go for a quick look. But then again this is Spain and in Spain there are no such things as a quick look. But we didn’t arrive home too late after all. Vaida works in a small very Spanish bar which reminded us of a tropical holiday spot. Jolita works in a bar with a small dance floor where the boss treated us to several shots of different kinds during the hours we stayed watching Jolita do her thing. We tried all kinds of things from purely Spanish liqueur to American whiskey. No, your eyes didn’t cheat you. I wrote whiskey. If someone offers you a free shot it is rude not to take it.
This weekend will probably be quite calm. We had been talking about going somewhere but as our landlord has promised to bring us a new lavadora (laundry machine) tomorrow morning, we’ll have to stay here in Valladolid.
The internet is still not working, although Sol believes that it is a good thing that we can’t even find the network in our lists anymore – maybe they’re fixing it? Oh well, hopefully. It’s just to relax and say mañana, mañana as everyone else in this country.
Hope all is well!
Besos
/k
Another week has almost reached its end. So what has been going on so far, apart from the weather’s crazy turn towards coldness (well, it’s getting warmer again but I can’t get over the fact that it has been snowing here this week… I mean this is Spain!). Sol had to realise that yet again her pelo rubia (blonde hair) had gotten admirers. I’m talking about the Spanish boys in our European Integration course who are so in love with her that they’re acting like 10-year old boys messing with her hair and giggle. I’m just laughing. Again I am happy that I am not blonde.
We’ve also been trying hard to ignore the crazy hombre de kebab (kebab guy) who also has fallen for her light hairdo. That’s more creepy though as he lives in the same apartment building as we do, and thus Sol always listens at the door before opening it.
Now we have our own bartenders as well, not only the guys we’ve met, but Jolita and Vaida. They started working yesterday in two separate bars and so of course Sol, Sabine and I had to go for a quick look. But then again this is Spain and in Spain there are no such things as a quick look. But we didn’t arrive home too late after all. Vaida works in a small very Spanish bar which reminded us of a tropical holiday spot. Jolita works in a bar with a small dance floor where the boss treated us to several shots of different kinds during the hours we stayed watching Jolita do her thing. We tried all kinds of things from purely Spanish liqueur to American whiskey. No, your eyes didn’t cheat you. I wrote whiskey. If someone offers you a free shot it is rude not to take it.
This weekend will probably be quite calm. We had been talking about going somewhere but as our landlord has promised to bring us a new lavadora (laundry machine) tomorrow morning, we’ll have to stay here in Valladolid.
The internet is still not working, although Sol believes that it is a good thing that we can’t even find the network in our lists anymore – maybe they’re fixing it? Oh well, hopefully. It’s just to relax and say mañana, mañana as everyone else in this country.
Hope all is well!
Besos
/k
Wednesday 21 March 2007
Snow in Spain? It must be a mistake...
Hola!
I couldn't believe my eyes earlier today when I went out to meet Sabine before my Spanish class. It was snowing! Yes, you read it correctly. It was SNOWING! Not much, but still some. And the cold ahora aqui! I don't know where to go more than to my bed under my blankets. It is one thing if it is cold in Sweden - one knows how to dress for it and it is warm indoors. But here? I only have a very thin jacket to wear! Jolita said it was atleast a deci meter snow in Burgos not far from here. We are now afraid that it will come here as well. If it does I will go to sleep and refuse to wake up until the sun is shining and it is warm again. Crazy one, I'll tell you this much.
Otherwise not so many news. We're getting a new washing machine in our apartment on saturday! That is good considering the old one is broken...
Yesterday evening we went to see some live jazz in a cafè and although it started off rather experimental it finished off being really good! And talking about music, my dad is apparently doing a comeback as a pop star with his old band. Unfortunately I will miss it since it will be during my exam period, but it is still something! ;-) If anyone is nearby, please film it! ;-)
Our internet seems to, by the way, be permanently off limits for Sol and me from now on. This sucks, but we'll see. Maybe it will work sooner or later... Keep your fingers crossed!
Ha' Luego for now,
/k
I couldn't believe my eyes earlier today when I went out to meet Sabine before my Spanish class. It was snowing! Yes, you read it correctly. It was SNOWING! Not much, but still some. And the cold ahora aqui! I don't know where to go more than to my bed under my blankets. It is one thing if it is cold in Sweden - one knows how to dress for it and it is warm indoors. But here? I only have a very thin jacket to wear! Jolita said it was atleast a deci meter snow in Burgos not far from here. We are now afraid that it will come here as well. If it does I will go to sleep and refuse to wake up until the sun is shining and it is warm again. Crazy one, I'll tell you this much.
Otherwise not so many news. We're getting a new washing machine in our apartment on saturday! That is good considering the old one is broken...
Yesterday evening we went to see some live jazz in a cafè and although it started off rather experimental it finished off being really good! And talking about music, my dad is apparently doing a comeback as a pop star with his old band. Unfortunately I will miss it since it will be during my exam period, but it is still something! ;-) If anyone is nearby, please film it! ;-)
Our internet seems to, by the way, be permanently off limits for Sol and me from now on. This sucks, but we'll see. Maybe it will work sooner or later... Keep your fingers crossed!
Ha' Luego for now,
/k
Sunday 18 March 2007
There are no excuses, only beer!
Hola!
Sol’s and my internet connection is yet again messing with us. But that’s not the only reason I’ve been hiding since last time. Little Ainita came for a visit from the south to spend Paddy’s Day here with us. It’s been a crazy weekend, and catching up was fun.
But first of all, this week has in itself been a bit weird to say the very least. Tuesday night Sol smelled a funny smell in our bathroom, and as we didn’t know what it was we were scared it might have been a gas leak. And gas leaks lead to explosion according to the Spanish news so we stayed awake laughing at our little situation and fell asleep around 4.30 in the same room with a window completely open. At that point we had decided it wasn’t a dangerous smell and the next morning the smell disappeared. Our washing machine is leaking as well, so life's wonderful here in the middle of Spain. ;-)
About my little soap opera in my Spanish class: both the Italian guy nr 1 and the German girl have been to class, but seem to have completely left each other. Instead the German girl seems to have started a story of her own with the Greek guy in the class. The Italian guy nr 1 is trying to ally himself with another Italian guy (one of the German girls followers of course), but I doubt it will work. His next step was to try and make the German girl jealous by hanging out with the Greek girl. Am not sure if this works either. And to be completely honest, the German girl fits much better with the Greek guy. My love story is disappearing or maybe rather taking new shapes.
Sol and I have some suitors in our European Integration course. They are three, Spanish and probably younger than us. When we arrive to class they are always waiting outside the class room chatting along, but as soon as we pass them they shut up. Either they think we’re really cute, or they think we are just plain weird. Sol and I are trying to come up with the best idea to make them embarrassed. Me scaring them with a ‘what you looking at, huh’ has been one idea, another would be to flirtatiously say ‘hey boys, how you doin’?’ – Joey style. Any suggestions?
Aino arrived late Thursday evening and we spent most of the night chatting about this and that – I mean, sleep, who needs it really? After my literature class on Friday we went out shopping and sightseeing and imagine our surprise when we in a small shop suddenly hear ‘Jag känner en booooooot…’! Boten Anna in Swedish on Spanish radio, played exactly the weekend when Aino visits me. It’s all too good to be true!
But that wasn’t the only Swedish music we heard in public during our time together.
Paddy’s Day evening was spent in Dublin Bay with friends, Irish and others, wearing green Guinness hats (you got one with every two pints of Guinness), drinking Guinness (of course, it’s Paddy’s Day!) and suddenly out of nowhere the DJ puts on Timbuktu ‘Karmakontot’! This can’t be for real, Aino and I said, but oh it was! We even made the DJ play the song again… Not very Irish I know, but there was no Irish music at all, only the average Spanish bar music, and then Timbuk is a great surprise!
Hope everyone had a great Paddy's day, 'cause I sure had, as always on this green holiday!
Paddy’s Day motto 2007: There are no excuses, only beer!
/K
p.s. Stay away from el hombre de kebab! ;-)
Sol’s and my internet connection is yet again messing with us. But that’s not the only reason I’ve been hiding since last time. Little Ainita came for a visit from the south to spend Paddy’s Day here with us. It’s been a crazy weekend, and catching up was fun.
But first of all, this week has in itself been a bit weird to say the very least. Tuesday night Sol smelled a funny smell in our bathroom, and as we didn’t know what it was we were scared it might have been a gas leak. And gas leaks lead to explosion according to the Spanish news so we stayed awake laughing at our little situation and fell asleep around 4.30 in the same room with a window completely open. At that point we had decided it wasn’t a dangerous smell and the next morning the smell disappeared. Our washing machine is leaking as well, so life's wonderful here in the middle of Spain. ;-)
About my little soap opera in my Spanish class: both the Italian guy nr 1 and the German girl have been to class, but seem to have completely left each other. Instead the German girl seems to have started a story of her own with the Greek guy in the class. The Italian guy nr 1 is trying to ally himself with another Italian guy (one of the German girls followers of course), but I doubt it will work. His next step was to try and make the German girl jealous by hanging out with the Greek girl. Am not sure if this works either. And to be completely honest, the German girl fits much better with the Greek guy. My love story is disappearing or maybe rather taking new shapes.
Sol and I have some suitors in our European Integration course. They are three, Spanish and probably younger than us. When we arrive to class they are always waiting outside the class room chatting along, but as soon as we pass them they shut up. Either they think we’re really cute, or they think we are just plain weird. Sol and I are trying to come up with the best idea to make them embarrassed. Me scaring them with a ‘what you looking at, huh’ has been one idea, another would be to flirtatiously say ‘hey boys, how you doin’?’ – Joey style. Any suggestions?
Aino arrived late Thursday evening and we spent most of the night chatting about this and that – I mean, sleep, who needs it really? After my literature class on Friday we went out shopping and sightseeing and imagine our surprise when we in a small shop suddenly hear ‘Jag känner en booooooot…’! Boten Anna in Swedish on Spanish radio, played exactly the weekend when Aino visits me. It’s all too good to be true!
But that wasn’t the only Swedish music we heard in public during our time together.
Paddy’s Day evening was spent in Dublin Bay with friends, Irish and others, wearing green Guinness hats (you got one with every two pints of Guinness), drinking Guinness (of course, it’s Paddy’s Day!) and suddenly out of nowhere the DJ puts on Timbuktu ‘Karmakontot’! This can’t be for real, Aino and I said, but oh it was! We even made the DJ play the song again… Not very Irish I know, but there was no Irish music at all, only the average Spanish bar music, and then Timbuk is a great surprise!
Hope everyone had a great Paddy's day, 'cause I sure had, as always on this green holiday!
Paddy’s Day motto 2007: There are no excuses, only beer!
/K
p.s. Stay away from el hombre de kebab! ;-)
Tuesday 13 March 2007
A Swedish captain
Hola!
Just wanted to comment that Henrik Larsson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kim Källström all were part of the European team which played against Manchester United tonight. Anyone who knows me knows of course that I missed one person in the team... But it was cool that Henrik L was the captain of the Europeans almost beating Man U. He really does have a high standing outside Sweden and of course, not even I can talk bad about him after his last adventure abroad.
It was hilarious to watch the game (as any game) on Spanish television - it's possible to learn a lot of important new words (football terms) - the commentators' way of pronouncing Larsson and Ibrahimovic made me laugh... How can I ever go back to watching games being commented by Kåmark or Glenn Hysén? It is just not the same!
/k
Just wanted to comment that Henrik Larsson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kim Källström all were part of the European team which played against Manchester United tonight. Anyone who knows me knows of course that I missed one person in the team... But it was cool that Henrik L was the captain of the Europeans almost beating Man U. He really does have a high standing outside Sweden and of course, not even I can talk bad about him after his last adventure abroad.
It was hilarious to watch the game (as any game) on Spanish television - it's possible to learn a lot of important new words (football terms) - the commentators' way of pronouncing Larsson and Ibrahimovic made me laugh... How can I ever go back to watching games being commented by Kåmark or Glenn Hysén? It is just not the same!
/k
Monday 12 March 2007
Waking up is hard to do...
Hola!
Oh my God! Waking up sure is hard to do when one has changed one’s rhythm. I tend to fall asleep way too late and then wake up before noon? Come on! But don’t think I want more classes in the evenings. I just want less classes, period. I know, I am complaining about this a lot, but it really bugs me. I am used to classes 2-3 times a week, and then only for like 2 hours at a time. Now I have 16 hours of classes spread out during the whole week! Completely loco!
Anyway. To make everyone jealous back home in Sweden I can say that the sun has permanently arrived it seems and it’s hot, hot, hot! (Well, maybe I am exaggerating some, but yesterday Sol and I were out walking and finishing off with a coffee outside on Plaza Mayor, just relaxing, sitting in the sun, without jackets… ;-) So the weather is a big plus.
We also saw Last king of Scotland yesterday and my God, someone should have warned us about them really disgusting scenes near the end of it. (Maybe that was why I had problems falling a sleep??)
Today there will be no continuation of the soap opera in my Spanish class, ‘cause none of the main characters chose to make an appearance. (Although I saw the Italian guy nr 1 later in the evening, so he was not sick just too lazy to come! Ha! – whatever, who cares…) And I was anyway so tired, so it was probably good that I had to put all my energy on actually learning stuff.
After the Spanish class I had my Spanish coffee with not only Sabine, but also with Jolita and Fiona. We discussed last week’s Erasmus party on Thursday and all agreed that although it would be great if we all spoke Spanish to each other, it would at the same time be difficult as neither of us would be able to have a conversation stretching further than small talk. This is a huge dilemma! I mean if we would speak more Spanish to each other we would probably get better at some point (possibly soon) but at the same time we all of course want to have proper conversations right now as well. In the end it was decided that Jolita would bring her friends who only speak Spanish more often, then we will be forced to speak.
Today we finally received the books for our literature class. That means we will now also have to read them. No more holiday and time wasting in front of the computer in other words…
Oh well.
In the cinema course we got to see the shower scene in Psycho. Fiona and I were very excited afterwards and talked about how much fun it was watching old movies. I mean, they speak in a funny way (“We all go a little mad sometimes”, “Oh mother, blood, mother, oh no” and so on) and when the knife was supposed to cut the lady in the shower it didn’t even touch her skin!
On the way home Sol and I decided to eat out as we were really, really hungry, so we went to this Mexican place we’ve been wanting to try out. We ordered a huge plate of nachos with guacamole (so delicious!) and some tacos with something we didn’t understand. It turned out that the part we didn’t understand was fat, pure fat, in a sauce. Needless to say we didn’t finish that, but the nachos were truly wonderful!
Otherwise I’ve now got my headset, so I’m just sitting here looking cool, waiting for someone to call me! ;-) Just joking… But it will be one way of contacting me from now on. (Even if my internet still is messing around at times…)
So, that’s all for now. Over and out.
/k
Oh my God! Waking up sure is hard to do when one has changed one’s rhythm. I tend to fall asleep way too late and then wake up before noon? Come on! But don’t think I want more classes in the evenings. I just want less classes, period. I know, I am complaining about this a lot, but it really bugs me. I am used to classes 2-3 times a week, and then only for like 2 hours at a time. Now I have 16 hours of classes spread out during the whole week! Completely loco!
Anyway. To make everyone jealous back home in Sweden I can say that the sun has permanently arrived it seems and it’s hot, hot, hot! (Well, maybe I am exaggerating some, but yesterday Sol and I were out walking and finishing off with a coffee outside on Plaza Mayor, just relaxing, sitting in the sun, without jackets… ;-) So the weather is a big plus.
We also saw Last king of Scotland yesterday and my God, someone should have warned us about them really disgusting scenes near the end of it. (Maybe that was why I had problems falling a sleep??)
Today there will be no continuation of the soap opera in my Spanish class, ‘cause none of the main characters chose to make an appearance. (Although I saw the Italian guy nr 1 later in the evening, so he was not sick just too lazy to come! Ha! – whatever, who cares…) And I was anyway so tired, so it was probably good that I had to put all my energy on actually learning stuff.
After the Spanish class I had my Spanish coffee with not only Sabine, but also with Jolita and Fiona. We discussed last week’s Erasmus party on Thursday and all agreed that although it would be great if we all spoke Spanish to each other, it would at the same time be difficult as neither of us would be able to have a conversation stretching further than small talk. This is a huge dilemma! I mean if we would speak more Spanish to each other we would probably get better at some point (possibly soon) but at the same time we all of course want to have proper conversations right now as well. In the end it was decided that Jolita would bring her friends who only speak Spanish more often, then we will be forced to speak.
Today we finally received the books for our literature class. That means we will now also have to read them. No more holiday and time wasting in front of the computer in other words…
Oh well.
In the cinema course we got to see the shower scene in Psycho. Fiona and I were very excited afterwards and talked about how much fun it was watching old movies. I mean, they speak in a funny way (“We all go a little mad sometimes”, “Oh mother, blood, mother, oh no” and so on) and when the knife was supposed to cut the lady in the shower it didn’t even touch her skin!
On the way home Sol and I decided to eat out as we were really, really hungry, so we went to this Mexican place we’ve been wanting to try out. We ordered a huge plate of nachos with guacamole (so delicious!) and some tacos with something we didn’t understand. It turned out that the part we didn’t understand was fat, pure fat, in a sauce. Needless to say we didn’t finish that, but the nachos were truly wonderful!
Otherwise I’ve now got my headset, so I’m just sitting here looking cool, waiting for someone to call me! ;-) Just joking… But it will be one way of contacting me from now on. (Even if my internet still is messing around at times…)
So, that’s all for now. Over and out.
/k
Sunday 11 March 2007
the weekend is over soon...
Hola!
Once again the weekend is coming to its end. It’s been a rather relaxing weekend. We were supposed to go out again yesterday, but were all too tired. I just went over to Sabine’s to watch the el clasico game. That was fun. After Messi’s second goal I said ‘he will score a hat trick tonight’, and yes, he did. I was very proud of him. Too bad it wasn’t good enough. I mean, now they’re out of Champions League, they should at least get to win the Primera Division, am I right? Sanda asked me which team I thought should win the Champions now that both Arsenal and Barcelona are out, and I am clueless. I just know which teams I don’t want to win. Some have predicted Valencia, others Milan or Man U. I am not sure if I want either of those teams to become the champions.
Anyway… So on Thursday evening we went to this Erasmus-party with dinner first in a bar – only traditional Spanish food and drinks, all were really delicious except for the calamari. We were about 15 people eating dinner together and then moved on to the night club and danced like there was no tomorrow. Most of the usual gang was there, with a few exceptions, and a few new faces. We even at one point went to the Captain-nightclub opposite our apartment, but it was shit, so never again. It was a cool evening though and the clock was already 4 a.m. when Sol and I walked Sabine home.
Friday we just relaxed, made tacos and watched Blood Diamond with among others Leo DiCaprio speaking with a peculiar accent. Sol and I watched the Departed earlier this week and have had a vote and decided that Leo is a good actor. Both movies were brilliant, although they both contain a lot of unnecessary killing.
Yesterday came the result: the Ark will be representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest! Now on a scale from 1 to 10, how great isn’t that!? Sweden represented by the Ark! ;-)
/k
P.S. Someone pointed out that Mika possibly is a one man band, in which case it was wrong of me to write ‘they’re brilliant’. I think I just assumed that the band playing with him (Mika) in the video to the song ‘Grace Kelly’ was the band which together with the singer were called Mika. Oh well. Then HE’S good. ;-)
Once again the weekend is coming to its end. It’s been a rather relaxing weekend. We were supposed to go out again yesterday, but were all too tired. I just went over to Sabine’s to watch the el clasico game. That was fun. After Messi’s second goal I said ‘he will score a hat trick tonight’, and yes, he did. I was very proud of him. Too bad it wasn’t good enough. I mean, now they’re out of Champions League, they should at least get to win the Primera Division, am I right? Sanda asked me which team I thought should win the Champions now that both Arsenal and Barcelona are out, and I am clueless. I just know which teams I don’t want to win. Some have predicted Valencia, others Milan or Man U. I am not sure if I want either of those teams to become the champions.
Anyway… So on Thursday evening we went to this Erasmus-party with dinner first in a bar – only traditional Spanish food and drinks, all were really delicious except for the calamari. We were about 15 people eating dinner together and then moved on to the night club and danced like there was no tomorrow. Most of the usual gang was there, with a few exceptions, and a few new faces. We even at one point went to the Captain-nightclub opposite our apartment, but it was shit, so never again. It was a cool evening though and the clock was already 4 a.m. when Sol and I walked Sabine home.
Friday we just relaxed, made tacos and watched Blood Diamond with among others Leo DiCaprio speaking with a peculiar accent. Sol and I watched the Departed earlier this week and have had a vote and decided that Leo is a good actor. Both movies were brilliant, although they both contain a lot of unnecessary killing.
Yesterday came the result: the Ark will be representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest! Now on a scale from 1 to 10, how great isn’t that!? Sweden represented by the Ark! ;-)
/k
P.S. Someone pointed out that Mika possibly is a one man band, in which case it was wrong of me to write ‘they’re brilliant’. I think I just assumed that the band playing with him (Mika) in the video to the song ‘Grace Kelly’ was the band which together with the singer were called Mika. Oh well. Then HE’S good. ;-)
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