From Nicole Cory...

April, 06, 2008, 14:01 Filed in: Education
So right now I am sitting with Linda at her house, the both of us exhausted from a weekend at the cabin in the mountains. While we were there, we rode snowmobiles (or skooters in swedish) around the mountains, and it was too beautiful to describe. One thing that the Swedes have mastered that Americans forgot how to do is to have a good time without spending too much money and without a whole lot of effort. We had a great time riding around the mountain and chillin' with friends in a hotel. It was good to just relax and enjoy ourselves without stressing over anything. Sweden in general seems to me to have a much more laid back mood, and all the people I've met have been very friendly. Some maybe a little too friendly. For example, on my first day here, one of the boys in Linda's class bowed to me and kissed my hand, and then later asked me to dance. He then serenaded me by singing a Madonna's song. How touching, eh? They are all very good with speaking English to me, teaching me some Swedish words and phrases. For instance, when I want to take pictures of someone, I say "hej hästen" (pronounced hey hesten) instead of saying cheese. It actually means "hello horse," but it makes people look =). The school system here is so much better in comparison to American school, because the students actually get treated like adults. The teachers respect them and trust them, and it is more like a working atmosphere than a strict school (which we all know to be our school system...*cough-RIM-cough*). So, overall, I am rather enjoying myself here. I am considereing coming back next summer to stay with friends and visit people I met recently or have known from before. Many of the people I've met in Sweden seem already like friends I've known for years, and I hope to keep those friendships going.

--Nicole Cory
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