My castle
This is where I work. This is where I intern. My castle!
Stockholm
I have no internet at the moment so the blog has been suffering. I have now moved from Kalmar to Stockholm and have completed my first week at the internship. I love the fact that I'm not in school anymore and still learn so much each day. My little office is in the beautiful castle and life can't be any better. So far so good! I'll post some pics from my phone later so that you'll see what I'm up to.
The move from Kalmar didn't really go smoothly as the car broke down half way and had to be towed. Ironically me and my sister rented a car and trailer so that our dad didn't have to drive all the way down to help us. However, we did miss him as we were sitting in a car for 1 1/2 hour waiting for the tow truck. Luckily the rental company managed to get us a new car (same size and all) even though it was after office hour. Made it home before midnight ready to sleep.
But now we are in downtown Stockholm enjoying internet and catching up and checking email. Should study but wanted to write something so that you know what I'm up to!
Happy Valentine's day
Sending you all my love on this (special?) day!!! Besides school my day has been filled with chocolate, hearts and love! I'm lucky to have the best family in the world who make this day not so bad after all! =)
Go Pats!!
So Sunday night, at around midnight I went to bed with my laptop and a big smile on my face. It was time to watch Super Bowl. Since we don't have the channel that showed the Super Bowl here in Sweden I had to stream in online. I was not sure it would work as you are suppose to pay for it, but I had some help and got a link that was for free (not the best quality but it worked), so I watch the whole game on my laptop.
However, as you may already know Patriots lost - again. I spend my night awake to see them win, and what happend?! After 4 hours of sleep I had to get up and get ready for school. So would I do it again, even though I should be sleeping and that Patriots didn't win? Oh yes, without a doubt. If that's what it takes for me to feel like I'm in the USA, then no problem =)
Swedish music!
Yesterday these two girl were guests at a Nordic talkshow Skavlan. Fredrik Skavlan, the host, is Norweigan and has the greatest talkshow that is broadcasted in all the Nordic countries. He sort of speaks a mix of Swedish and Norweigan so we all understand him =)
However, what I wanted to say is that these two girls are amazing and of course Swedish!
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce First Aid Kit singing the song Emmylou:
Enjoy!
Kicki
Love and some tears
Last September Sweden lost one of greatest hockey goalies, Stefan Liv. The whole country was mourning and it was a big live memorial that pretty much all Swedes watched. I'm sure you read something about a plane crash in Russia with that killed an entire Russian hockey team. Well, Stefan Liv was on that plane and Sweden stood still for a few days. He left a wife and two small children.
Still to this day you can read about him in the newspaper and see him on tv. As you can imaging he was one of the greatest goalies! Just found this little film from his wedding last July. It's so beautiful that I want to share it with you!
Some love and tears? -> watch this!
iPhone geek
So i am now one of those whos got an iPhone. Bit that might be a good thing cause now i can update the blog on my phone.
Im gonna get better at updating this blog from now on. Cheers!
Back in Sweden
Wednesday afternoon we left Mozambique and arrived in Sweden yesterday. Today, after our fourth flight, six airport, and three days of flying we finally arrived to Falun and home to our parents. I've probably never been this happy to come home for christmas as I am this year. I have had a crazy and amazing past 2 months living in Africa, and not to forget a crazy year. I feel like I've grown 10 inches and all of a sudden gotten 2 years older during this year. It's been a pretty amazing year though and I'm very lucky and proud to have gotten the scholarship and the opportunity to live in a developing country for two months. But above all, I love my life, my family and friends.
Last Monday we went on safari to Kruger National Park, which was totally amazing and incredible. I have som many pictures to show you and so much to tell. The last week in Mozambique was great and we spend the last days in Maputo, the capital. It was really nice to see something new and get ready to go home to winter. Now I'm going to celebrate Christmas with my family and probably have the best Christmas ever. However, we have so much work to do on our thesis and have to do a lot of studying in between all food and spending time with family and friends.
I miss you guys a lot and hope to be able to travel to Boston next year!! Oh yes, and I hope to get a job there but that's not gonna happen.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
Photos!
I wish I could give you a long update on life here, but I don't have the time or the access to internet for it. We eat mango pretty much everyday, and at least 3 bananas as well. We haven't learned that much portuguese yet, and probably won't since it's really hard. So far we've done 9 interviews, and how more coming. So the study is going really well. However, it's still very hard to adjust to life here in Africa, with power cuts every once i a while, no water whenever you'd like a shower and not that much food in the stores, but we manage! =)
This weekend will be a nice weekend hopefully as we are checkin into a hotel with a pool. So we are doing just great here! And yes, Happy Thanksgiving! Hae some turkey and stuffing for me! Love your food, Elise!!
This is the first thing you see when you get of the bus in Tofo, the community we study
The crazy local bus
The little market
Preparing for an interview. Shouldn't complain!
Nice!
Hangin' laundry
Beautiful sunset from our house
Ready for a boat ride in Africa
This is how all the babies are carried. And I really mean ALL the babies!
Going to an african church!
And they sure loved to sing.
Love,
Kicki
Some pics
On the bus from Maputo to Inhambane
On a chopella (tuc-tuc) in Maputo
Maputo
On our way to school
On our way to the beach with the local bus. A very interesting trip through rural Africa
And this is what we study, how tourism is affecting the local community (like these women)
Our new home
Our lovely bathroom
Kitchen
Neighbors
Finally!!
Now I can say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!!!!!!
I hope that the card didn't arrive to early (sent it the same day I left Sweden)! And I hope that you had a great birthday. Unfortunately, the internet he is really bad and photos as almost impossible to upload as only one takes almost 2 hours.
HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY, SAM!!!!
Love,
Kicki
Prague in pictures... =)
Though it was time to post some pics from Prague. Not too many but at least it's something =)
On our way to Prague
I was a chef for a couple of hours at SaSaZu
Smile for the camera. Cooking class with chef Shahaf
And the lesson continued in the kitchen
The restaurant SaSaZu from the outside
SaSaZu from the inside
Walking the streets of Prague
The view of Prague from the park not far from where we stayed
This is where we stayed
At the club next door listening to the world's best DJ (Armin Vad Buuren)...
Too bad I looked so sqeezed =P
The DJ (and no, I did not take this picture)
Luckily I was on the not so crowded balcony
That's it for now. But I'm sure I'll find some pics from the summer.
Love, Kicki
Article
I'm writing a paper on Swedish food culture, and our coffee culture as I found this article. I just had to read it as the Swedish media seems so proud to get such great reviews from this man.
Must say that it makes me proud to Swedish 'cause it all sounds so great =)
Enjoy!
Greece
After an amazing week in Rhodes, Greece I'm not back in (rainy) Kalmar. The trip was great but the hotel was awful, all though we didn't spend too much time there anyways.
At the airport waiting (our flight was 8 hours delayed)
Who doesn't love food?!
We found Starbucks in Rhodes town, although they didn't serve chai tea latte...
We took a boat trip to a beautiful (but crowded) greek village
Kicki, the tourist, is walking down from the acropolis
For 5 euro you could ride a donkey up to the village
This was our beautiful transportation to the village
We found the best restaurant ever, SaSaZu:
Carrot and coconut juice, yum. Notice the cork made out of banana leaves
Every vacation calls for a picture of feet
Me and sis
This is how every morning started, with a caffe latte at the casino's pool area (and yes I'm now drinking coffee every once in a while)
As I was walking a bird pooped right on my big toe (luckily it was my toe and not my head I suppose)
This is where we spend most of our vacation and money, Aqua Sea Side Bar and SaSaZu.
Our last night we tried the fish doctor. I was pretty weird having fish nibbling on you feet
Realized as I'm posting the pics that I've probably never posted this many pics of myself, so enjoy =) Hehe
Love,
Kicki
My golden shoes
Is having one of those weeks again, missing Boston week. Can't believe it's 4 years ago I arrived, 4 years ago I went to the Cape for the first time of my life. It's crazy.
And for some reason I even started to miss my old golden shoes. That's weird, but I wish I still had them somehow...
There might be some exciting things going on in my life right now, but I'm not gonna tell you yet until it's final.
It's just one more week until summer vacation, although I'll be working two thirds of it. Since I don't have the money this year to visit you guys I'll start saving up for next summer instead. Hehe
Miss you tons.
Love,
Kicki
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Last night the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 final was held in Düsseldorf, Germany (they won't last year and therefore hosted this year's contest). It's been a bit of a crazy week with two semi finales, one of which Sweden actually won. And last last we rocked.
We sent a Swedish version of Zac Effron(if you ask me) to represent us this year, and after nerve-wracking long minutes of counting and presenting all the votes of the 43 countries competing in ESC it was official, Sweden did awesome. We came on 3rd place, and even though we didn't win it's the best we've done since 1999 when we actually won the whole thing.
The winners this year was Azerbaijan, although the song was not that good. The funny thing though is that Sweden sort of won as the song is written by a Swedish songwriter, the background singers where Swedish, the choreographer was Swedish. Pretty much everything was Swedish accept from the lead singers =)
Eric Saade - popular
The winners: Azerbaijan - Running Scared
Ireland - Lipstick (the europrediction as the call it, only came 8th place)
Every year 43 countries compete in ESC but only 25 make it to the final, and this year Sweden made it =)
Love,
Kicki
Happy birthday Sam!!!
Happy Birthday Sam. I hope that you'll have an awesome day with tons of fun and cake!! I want to hear all about it, especially your birthday party!!!
Lots of love,
Kicki
Happy Birthday Harry!
Today is a very special day. My baby is turning 4 years old, meaning that he's not a baby anymore.
I hope that you'll have a fantastic birthday and that you'll have some of that delicious cake for me.
Lots of love,
Kicki
MJ
The best medicine when I'm a bit down is music. But not just any music - Michael Jackson. Wanna be startin' somethin' Oh yeah.
