lucyinsweden-blog - Tumblr blog

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Sweden and me.

Where to start...okay, so yes, I’ve been “home” for two months now. However, this home does not feel like home. It’s more like a part time home, like a part of me has stayed over there, in Stockholm. It’s more like I am here on a visit and I’ll come back soon. Hopefully. 

Honestly, this is probably my closest description I can give now about my feelings while browsing some old photos from Stockholm (Yes, I should be writing my thesis now). It’s like a part of me is not present here. And yes, I know this is not really rational, but it feels so... and for some reason, I can’t get over it. I actually feel homesick, homesick for a town that had been my home for only 6 months. 

In my ideal world, I’d move back to Stockholm and take some special people with me. ‘Cause I know that when I’ll be back over there, I’ll be missing those people. No, there is no rational solution, I know. Anyways, enjoy some old-new photos! :-) 

(Stockholms Stadhuset, Stockholm’s town hall)

(Storkyrkan, Stockholm)

(Stockholms kungliga slottet, Stockolm’s king’s palace)

(Djurgårdens bron)

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Awww, thank you for that compliment! Definitely made my day! :-) 

Wow anon who wrote the Swedish translation for the Telegram she sent him. Your Swedish is really good!! Just minor grammar errors. I'm so impressed:)

Nice job, Swedish anon!

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 21

The final week here, in Sweden. Packing, finishing exams, being sad leaving new friends and happy to see those I’ve already had soon. It’s kinda weird feeling. 

Let’s pack it.

...when you’re as little as 160cm but still need to weigh your baggage...improvise! 31,7kg in this one, 17,3kg in a second one and 8kg in cabin bag. Those are the results of my 6 month stay...How did I manage to come here with single 30kg baggage nad 8kg cabin bag? Have no clue! :-D

and my plane seat decided not to make it easier with this sectacular “Arlanda view”. Hejdå Sverige!

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Pant, pant!

It is not very unusual situation: somebody comes to your dining table, asking you for a ‘pant’, pointing at your finished or almost finished plastic bottle. 

What is pant? An ekological compensation for packaging when you recycle. Or simply, the deposit for plastic bottles, aluminium cans or glass bottles. You’ll meet that little symbol of “pant” on almost every bottle/can of drink. 

The point is to teach you that also plastic bottles needs to be recycled in a specific way. You pay 1 or 2 crowns extra to your dring when buying it, but you’ll have the opportunity to get them (those 1-2 crowns) back when you recycle. 

I also need to say that the value - 1 or 2 crowns differs according to the bottle’s size. Small bottles (0,3l, 0,5l) and cans (0,33l) are valueaed with1 crown, big bottles (1,5l, 2l, 2,5l) with 2 crowns pant. (complete list here)

In practice, you collect all your plastic bottles and cans at home until you’ve got few and then go to your nearest ‘Återlämning plats’ - recycle place. You’ll usually find it in every shop, so it is kinda easy. You recycle your bottles and then you can choose: your receipt or charity donation. 

If you choose charity donation, your ‘pant’ money are sent to the charity specified on the machine’s display. Easy act of kindness. 

If you’d choose to print your receipt, it’s also simple: you’ll get it printed, with a bar code and sum of money you’ve got in your pants. You make your usual shopping (in the same shop you’ve returned your bottles and cans) and then scan the barcode when paying your groceries. The amoutn you’ve got to pay is lowered according to your ‘bottle receipt’ and you simply pay the rest. However, this applies only on food and grocery shopping.

So, next time you’ll know ;-)

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 20

20 weeks gone. 1 week to go. I’d never believe I’ll come that far... that far and that close. 

So yeah, we’ve got some snow lately :-) 

[lucyinsweden-blog]

How easy is to get lost in Stockholm after 6 months?

How easy? Yes. very easy when you’re supposed to be somewhere on time. Easier than any first week. So, here goes the, now funny, story. 

The all confusion happend for only one little reason. I just changed the names of two underground stops - Slussen and Skanstull. That just somehow happened, even if I can say that I do speak swedish and I can see the difference in the meaning (Slussen - floodgate, or as my brother used to say, the stairs for boats). 

The plan sounds easy, before boarding to a boat for a New Year’s trip (see photos below), I was supposed to take an underground line to Slussen and then bus 53 to ‘Londonviadukten’. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

So, get ready, adventure begins: I exit underground on the station Slussen, searching for the bus, suddenly realizing that it was Skanstull I was supposed to get out. Running back to the underground, taking anoother train to Skanstull (luckily, it were just 2 stops in the same direction), exiting on Skanstull. Searching for bus again. Starting to be a bit nervous, asking people for bus 53. Nobody knows. Alright, transport map saves the world. 

Getting into a bus 3, talking to a driver, pleading him to let me know when we pass the line 53 so I can get out. Coming to the station Slussen again, happily seeing nr 53 in front of our bus. Yay, just a little confusion, I’ll make it.

No. Catching the bus 53...as the bus goes, starting to realizing that the direction is kinda wrong. Not being able to calm down my nervosity, talking to the driver again. Yes, I was supposed to take this bus, but in different direction. Exiting the bus, searching for the other one. Yes, guess what, we’re at Slussen again!

Yes! Found that correct bus stop. Now I’ll make it. I actually don’t have much more time left and a friend is awaiting my arrival by the boat terminal. Guess what! It’s December 31st, one bus in 10 minutes. So, wait 10 minutes or not? I decided I don’t have 10 more minutes for waiting and probably 10 more for searching way from bus stop and actually getting there. There were only like 35 minutes left before the boat leaves. 

Decided to take a taxi, like a queen, which was actually the best decision. I finally made it, late after our time we were supposed to meet, but still in time to make check-in and get to the boat!

So yeah, now I can say that due to those very cheap boat tickets, I took a taxi to the terminal, like a queen. Drama queen!

Here, just for your better imagination, I made a little map (thanks to sl.se) ...the blue line was the planned journey, but just for that adventure, I made the red one...)

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 18 & 19

So, those two weeks... those two kinda ‘Christmas weeks’ I, unlike the others kept ignoring the fact that there are some holidays...been good girl and kept myself studying.

However, I’ve also been out for a little. I mean outside, like out from my apartment, of course.

On the 24th I enjoyed the Christmas sun in Skansen (Djurgården, on 24th December the entrance is for free). So I’ve finally got to see something very Scandinavian...like a moose or seals.

(a random detail ‘cause I love details!) 

And then, on the 31st, I managed to get with some friends a little aborad. Yeah, just a little, we organised a little trip to Åbo (Turku, Finland) by boat. Just for the actual experience of a boat trip. We’ve been to Turku just for an hour and we all were asleep. But we made a stop by Åland (Mariehamn, Finland) and took some photos too! 

New Year’s breakfast with epic view!

Mariehamn, Åland, Finland

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 17

Let’s enjoy some Christmas lights...it’s dark most of the times anyway...

Kungliga Operan.

Christmas markets at Gamla Stan.

[lucyinsweden-blog]

How I wanted to see Sankta Lucia in Sweden.

Well, this story is simple and short. I decided, since it also was my name day, that it would be nice to see this swedish tradition of Sankta Lucia dressed in white, right in Stockholm.

As the title says, I wanted, but didn’t. I came to the church I chosed (note that I am atheist) and came to the door 15:20, as it was supposed to open 15:30. You know, we’re not at the metal concert, to wait like 6 hours in front of the door. I thought. And was wrong.

I was surprised. I’ve never seen som many people waiting for church opening. So yes, the result is apparent.  The church was full before I got in it. But that’s not the reason I am a bit bitter about this experience. It was my bad, I should have counted with it. The actual reason is the lady who organised that all right in front of the door. 

You know, the crowd keeps pushing you forward and you actually can’t go any other way, just with the crowd.The lady by the doors apparently didn’t know. Screaming, in not very polite way, that the church is full and we should go home instead. Yes, we would, as soon as the crowd would let us. 

That was just like... I didn’t expect that. That’s all. So I just take a picture of the church in dark and the snow as it just began snowing quite a lot and went home, quite bitter about this experience.

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 15 & 16

During those weeks I had a chance to visit Skogskyrkogården which is, simply a forest cemetery. Forest cemetery which is listed as UNESCO heritage and where you can find the most famous persons of Sweden resting forever...That day, the weather was ‘november spooky’... 

Most of the days are kind of gray or spooky this time, but sometimes, there’s also a bit of sun... even when it’s for like 2 hours in a week...

The last picture is a view to Karlbergs slott, a chettau I accidentaly discovered yesterday when I’ve been for a short walk... this is like 15 minutes of walking from my current home...and for 4 months I had no idea it’s there! 

Same applies for this stone standing peacefully in chettau’s park...

P.S. I can’t believe I’ve been here more than 4 months now and what’s worse, there’s only one month to go... yes, with those exams, but still, only a month, or 4 weeks, to go...How fast was that?!

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, weeks 12, 13 & 14

During those three weeks we just suddenly got from autumn to winter. From fieery sunsets above the lake to endless darkness, or better, grayness of days. And also, coming-closer exams. Which is not that much fun. 

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 11

Tourist in my own city, vol. 2!

Kungliga slottet, Stockholm

Stockholms stadshuset

Kungliga slottet, Stockholm

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 10

November is going to be the ‘month of visitors’ . My mom was here last week, then my frienad is coming this weekend and finally, another friend will finish this moth with her visit!

I’ve also got some stuff from my home country I’ve been missing here so much! I mean, my Konica Minolta ‘bigger camera’ and my graphic tablet! 

So now, some photos I took during last week when I’ve been tourist in my own city again and took some photos of new places :-)

So...we’ve been to Uppsala...

and to Botanic garden 

and also to the ‘Butterfly house’ where I made some new friends :-)

To make this post complete, here are some links ;-) 

- Botanic garden (Bergius Botanic Garden)

- Butterfly house (Fjärilhuset Hagaparken)

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 9

Yesterday I had a chance to visit Nordiska Museet here in Stockholm. Because it was their 142nd (already!) jubileum, the entrance was free to all their collections! So I was very happy to see ‘Heavy Retro’ exhibition and collection ‘Sápmi’ - about life of Sami people in Sweden.

Nordiska museet outside...

...and inside.

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 8

Suddenly realizing how busy this week was and also the fact that I am writing this post on wednesday of next week... but hey, here are some photos at least!

[lucyinsweden-blog]

Photos, week 7

This week I wasn’t sure whether it’s spring or autumn...

(Photo taken in Bellevue parken, Stockholm)

AAAaand you know what? In the same park, the same day as was the photo taken, I’ve seen the Northern Lights! Yes, in the middle of the biggest city in Scandinavia, Northern Lights were also visible by eye! 

Special thanks to Mei Wang for sending me this photo ‘cause my phone could not capture it!

Autumn in Hagaparken

Chinese pagoda, Hagaparken

Me suffering a lot here ;-) 

[lucyinsweden-blog]

100 days to finish this advenure.

Yes, I’hve got last 100 days before this adventure is going to end here and I am going to fly back home. Or better, 100 days before this adventure here is going to be paused and stored to be continued later, hopefully. 

And yes, I’ve got the offer to stay one more term, but I decided to stick to the first plan - return to my home country and finish my first bachelor degree in Scandinavistics. (First because there’s hopefully one more to come in International trade law)

And then, I am, hopefully, going to continue to magister programme in Scandinavistic. That makes me believe that this adventure here is going to be stored and continued a bit later, maybe already next year. 

And yes, seeing this number going lower than ‘100′ makes me a bit sad and happy at the same time. ;-)