I will survive!!

When I woke up this morning, I decided to give myself a break. I’ve survived one whole week in a foreign country, and for argument's sake, all by my lonesome. Not too shabby, and although there have been a few bumps in the road the past few days, I think that this will be a very worthwhile experience (...keeps fingers crossed).

As I slowly started my day, I made a list of everything I wanted to accomplish. I needed to pick up a few things at the store, write some emails, organize my place a bit, and most importantly, interact with people more than yesterday! I was feeling much better when I woke up, wasn’t coughing too much, so I decided that a trip into town was in store. I called Daniel and Arianna, and we decided to meet up for lunch a little later.

Thankfully, it wasn’t raining, and the 20 minute walk into the center of town seems to be getting shorter and shorter. I didn’t even attempt to look like a Swede today: jeans/gym shoes/Eastman sweatshirt/scarf. I stopped at the department store, Åthlens, to look for a bathroom rug and a hand towel. I found few good deals, because everything in the store is 30% off. It’s reassuring that even though I don’t know the language very well, I can still bargain shop.

I called Daniel and Arianna to meet up, and we proceeded to go to a cute little café. With Daniel’s help, I actually ordered a sandwich in Swedish! Woohoo! Plus, it was delicious and affordable :) I love chatting and hanging out with the two of them. They have a very unique and beautiful bond, and they are very easy to get along with. I made them let me take a picture…

After lunch/coffee, we went back to their apartment. I looked through their wedding albums, and then Daniel helped me figure out how to buy minutes for my phone and find a hostel for Stockholm. He was leaving again for a few concerts with his group, Norrbotten Neo, so Arianna and I left to walk around and shop a little more. It’s such a fun area, there are so many stores and cafés!

First, we went to the phone store and reloaded my phone with minutes! Finally, I can check anything having to do with a cell phone off my list! We continued to window shop until I, admittedly, bought a new scarf (on sale, cheaper than in the States…I felt like I deserved one present for myself…don’t judge!), and then went on a walk by the water. We had to cross over a railroad track with this sign. For some reason, I thought was so cute (and reminds me of an inside joke with my parents, from my dad's days working on the railraod....get it, folks?):

Then, we passed two women picking berries from a tree. Evidently, you are allowed to pick any fruit from anywhere in Sweden. We helped them reach some branches even though we weren’t much taller then them.

After enjoying the afternoon outside, we decided to buy some ice cream at the grocery store, and watch a movie at Arianna’s (see way I like her?!). She made a berry mix to go on top of the ice cream (she was inspired by the women we passed in the park), and we watched the movie Hancock. It wasn't the best movie, but it was a wonderful way to relax, considering it was the first sweet treat I’ve eaten and movie I’ve seen since coming here.

I decided to come home after the movie, by this time it was around 6pm. I was starting to feel a bit tired under the weather again. Arianna and I are going to have dinner either tomorrow or Monday, which gives me something to look forward to.

On my way home, I actually ran into a few of the people that I met from school earlier this week. It’s exciting to finally start seeing familiar faces, that’s for sure!

I’ve gotten a lot done tonight, and may have a lead on a job I can apply for. I can’t get too excited yet, but I stumbled upon some community teaching openings. The application is due at the end of the month, so I still have time to investigate. I finalized my trip to Stockholm, I’m leaving early on Wednesday and getting back late on Friday. The hostel is recommended by Anders and Daniel, looks nice and is really close to Anders' studio. http://www.fridhemsplan.se/

The best part of the evening was when Becky called!!!! Becky is one of my great friends I met at Eastman who lives in London (Hi, Becky!). It was wonderful to hear a familiar voice and catch up a bit! I’m going to be visiting her in October, and can’t wait!

From talking to Becky tonight, to Skyp-ing with Angela and Marilyn for a good hour and a half last night, I’ve spent my first weekend in Sweden with 3 of my favorite friends...even if they are all far away! Knowing that I’m not really “all by my lonesome” sure does mean the world to me!

Waterproof?

Today I found out that my boots aren't really waterproof. The label said they were, and I (and by 'I', I mean my dad) sprayed them with a protective spray that I bought for my Rochester winters. Well, I wore my boots today, because it was cold and raining, and my toes were cold and wet. I probably should have figured that thy wouldn't suffice in the rain, but I was hopeful. Let's just hope that they will be "snowproof".

I set up a meeting for Monday with the new person that will act as my advisor, so I can get all of my student status issues resolved. Wish I would have caught this snafu sooner, but at least it's getting taken care of now! Also, with Anders help, my phone is working. Thank goodness! I feel connected to the world again. Keep your fingers crossed that this mishap will be my last 'blonde moment'...

Practicing and composing went really well today. My hands are feeling great. I just talked to Anders, and I'm really excited to dive into improv, and whatever else he can throw at me this week in Stockholm. When I wasn't practicing, I was either on my computer or sleeping. I have a little cough/cold (stinks, but I think it's just from adjusting to the area. Plus, the weather changes drastically from hour to hour! It's chilly when the sun is not out, then it's raining, then it's gorgeous...), so I felt a little drowsy from the meds I've been taking. On the computer, I've been searching for some income opportunities, whether through a job or funding. It still kills me that none of my grant applications were awarded, but there's nothing I can do now. I mean, I had to come! Right?  I do feel selfish for doing this when the economy is in the state that it is, but I just have to have faith that it will work out, and hope that the work I do here impacts someone else's life for the better.

-sigh-

I'm obviously staying in for the night. I have a lot of things I'd like to get done this weekend, so I may have some more exciting stories tomorrow! :)

Maria and the Amazing Technicolor Wardrobe

I think I did a pretty good job packing and preparing for this move. I made sure to only bring articles of clothing that I knew I loved and would wear often. I tried to pick the pieces that are versatile and could be worn for different occasions, and layered to accommodate the weather. However, I did not take into consideration that most everyone here is uber-stylish and only wear blacks, grays, and very dark colors. If I would have known this, I would have left my orange scarf, white sweater, pink blouse, and college T-Shirts at home. And, let’s not even talk about the shoes. I thought I was good to go with my brown slip ons, gym shoes, black boots, and black dress shoes. I was wrong. It seems that, although people walk or bike absolutely everywhere, they are still able to wear the most uncomfortable looking things. At this point I am just observing and taking notes. The best I can do is manipulate what I brought to try and feel comfortable!

Overall, today was an “eh” day. It started off frustratingly early. Although I have curtains, the sun still blazes in at around 5:30am. I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, and finally gave in. I used the morning to try and teach myself some new words and phrases. I decided to tape a new word or phrase to my bathroom door everyday to increase my vocab.

Today’s phrase: Så roligt att ses igen – Nice to see you again!

When I went into school, my first stop was the IT service center. This is where I got my keycard to get in the buildings and practice rooms, so I was comfortable finding it and communicating with the people myself. I needed to get a log-in name to access the wireless internet in the school. The man helping me was great, but the information he gave me was not. Evidently, he couldn’t find me in the system. Hum. I’m going to spare you of the boring details about what this means, but just know that it is not good.

The administrative woman I was working with throughout this process left her job about a month ago. (Which is why so many emails went unanswered! I just thought she was busy and slightly annoyed by me.) I found this out when I got here, but Anders was optimistic because the man who took her job is really supportive of international students and ‘special cases’. However, I only met this man once, briefly, and don’t have any of his contact information (or the ability to spell his name!). Daniel and Anders are out of town, and I need their assistance. But, since I’m an idiot, I messed up my phone. Emails have been sent to them, but they are touring, so who knows what the internet access is like.

I need this to be worked out for many reasons. I need the log-in number to access the internet at school, get a library card, be in the student union (and get discount on flights, food, etc..), and for health insurance. It’s just frustrating because I think this woman left her job, and took my paperwork with her. Plus, you all know me, and I hate not being able to fix things like this right away!!!!! (Sorry, but looks like I bored you with details anyway!)

The rest of the day was practicing and composing. All this emotion has helped with the creative instincts, at least. This is helpful, especially since this is my first crack at a marimba solo. I’m really eager to get Anders advice and opinions. (Wish I had the student union card so I could book my flight to Stockholm next week…) Also, I have to add that practing without having a looming history exam, or 10 lessons to teach, is pretty awesome. I've never felt so focused in my life.

The best part of the day was video chatting with mom this evening! (Hi, mom!) I was obviously in a slightly icky mood, and she made me feel better. Plus, you don’t realize how much talking and interacting with people puts you in a better place until you don’t for hours on end.

Tomorrow will be the official ‘one-week’ mark, as the crazy chick who decided studying in Sweden for a year was a good idea. I’m looking forward to having a couple more under my belt.

P.S. I hope you realize that the title of this entry is a play on “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (a musical. I was in it in high school...an Egyptian and Go-Go Dancer...haha)…hopefully it was obvious, because I definitely don’t use the descriptor ‘Amazing Technicolor’ everyday.

Go Bucks!

I'm sad that I'm missing football season. Piteå doesn't have a big sports team (I think there may be an ice hockey team, but I'm not sure). As my friends are prepping for weekend tailgating and cheers of OH-IO, I'm just clinging to the one Buckeye I brought in hope that it will bring me good luck. And today, I think it did :)

Yesterday I called the member of the student union, Sebastian, who had helped me get the supplies for my apartment. I asked him if he could show me around sometime, and help me get acquainted with the school (Anders and Daniel are great, but I would still like to be involved in the school more). He's really nice, and said that he would give me a call later in the week. However, since electronics disagree with me at times, my phone went crazy this morning. I was charging it and it just kept beeping at me, and none of the keys would work. So, I did what I think any chick would do...I took the battery out, and then put it back it. Presto. It works....right? Wrong. It turned on, and seemed ok, but was asking for a PIN number.

~ A PIN number? For a phone? Think Maria. Anders hands you the phone. Shows you the "on" button. Gives you charger....and Crap! Tells me the 4 digit number. WHAT IS IT?!?! ~

I tried every combo I could think of, but no luck. Then it locked me out of everything and is asking for a “PUK”. I have no idea what that is...When Anders gave me the phone it was about 10 minutes after landing in Stockholm, and my mind was racing, so no information stuck. I'm just mad I didn't write it down! I emailed Anders, who is in Croatia, so hopefully he’ll get back to me soon. Daniel is on tour with his group, so I couldn’t ask him either. Ugh!

So, the morning started out with a little bit of bad luck. As I walked to school (in the rain, bummer), I decided that I couldn’t dwell on this phone fiasco, and would just have to put myself in situations to meet people without Sebastian's help. Before today, I have been just walking straight to the practice room, and then straight back, not giving me a chance to really interact with anyone. Plus, since the percussion rooms are off in no-man's land, I don't even see that many people.

After practicing for a couple of hours, I decided to go to the library and check it out. When passing people in the halls, I always try to smile, and at times mumble a "Hej". This is NOT common in Sweden. People rarely make eye contact. But, I'm not Swedish, so I do it anyway :)

The library had a decent amount of materials for a small school. I don't have a university log-in/ID name yet (I need to work on that), so I couldn't check anything out, but they have some music that I will definitely be studying at some point. But alas, no human interaction at the library. Oh, well...it was a step in the right direction. Since my tummy was rumbling, I decided to go home for lunch.

I sit and noodle on my computer anytime I am in my apartment (Google Translate is my favorite thing in the world...). So, I decided to look up info about the student union building: http://www.karhusetipitea.se/
On the website I saw that there was a meeting tonight at 6pm for students interested in volunteering in the Café or Bar. Well, there's my chance to meet people....

I went back to the practice room, and during breaks from playing, I started giving myself pep talks. Don't judge me! I was really nervous to waltz over to this building by myself and try to form friendships out of thin air. But, I knew I would be really mad at myself if I didn't at least try.

At about 5:30pm I put all my stuff away and headed over to the student union building (which is right next to the school). As I walked in the door I gazed over the crowd of people, all sitting in groups at tables or in separate sections on couches. I quickly sat on a couch that was empty near some people, and whipped out my iPod Touch to make it look like I was busy, or messaging someone, or something.

It felt like freshman year, when you want to join a club and you don't know anyone, and you're new and scared....except now I'm 24, and should be able to do this. But, I couldn't even eavesdrop on conversations, or figure out how to approach anyone. Pep talk time.

Deep down, I knew that no one was going to approach me, and that I just had to suck it up. I saw that there was an empty seat within a group of people (that was easily accessible), so I got off my toosh, put my big-girl panties on (inside joke with my dad!), and went over and asked if I could sit down.

They said of course...the conversation started...and I finally let out a breath.

These people were awesome. I could probably go on and on with how thankful I am that they were so kind and cool. We really got along great, and after a minute or two I didn’t feel out of place at all (although I still do wish I knew the language better). Two of the girls are production majors, and are interested in collaborating at some point! We somehow started talking about percussion and media and dance, and one of the girls knows someone in Stockholm who plays with a percussion/dance ensemble! How awesome?! She is going to get me in touch with her so we can meet up when I'm in the city. Networking at it's finest.

Then, the meeting started, where I assumed my smiling and nodding demeanor. My new friends translated the important info at the end, and we all signed up to be a bartending team a couple of times a semester. They promise to help me with my Swedish, and vise-versa. I hope that the student union lets me work, it would perfect!!!!!

After I finish this entry, I'll Facebook them, and hopefully go out for coffee in the near future. So, thanks lucky Buckeye. I had a wonderful day in the practice room, and now have some potential new friends.

This day definitely deserves a "Go Bucks" :)

Technology Rocks.

With so many communication outlets via the internet, at times it doesn't even feel like I'm 6 time zones away from most of my family and friends. Although I'm only scratching the surface in making some friends here in Piteå, I haven't felt overcome with loneliness (frustration and discomfort; yes, but loneliness; no). From Skype, to Gmail Chat, to Facebook, to this very blog, to just regular old email, it's so easy to keep in touch with everyone, and I love it! Plus, my mom is using email, and that is pretty amazing.

However, the lack of technology in some aspects of my life also rocks. I don't have a TV. I'm sure in a month or so, I'll crave an episode of 'Friends' or 'Two and a Half Men' and may even wonder what's happening on 'Hell's Kitchen' and 'America's Got Talent'. But, not having the distraction when I get back to my apartment at night is really nice. I write in this blog, and I know that if I had a TV, my writing time would seriously suffer! (Plus, I can always watch some TV shows online!)

Anyway, today was significantly better than yesterday! The weather was absolutely gorgeous. So, after practicing this morning (see photos to the left of the trail I take to walk to school), I decided to go do some more investigating. Since the town is so small, I convinced myself that I couldn't get lost, and chose a different route than that of which I usually use to walk into town. Plus, I saw someone walking ahead of me that looked like they knew where they were going, so I decided that I was going where they were going. Hehe :)

I ended up on the east side of town (a part that I haven't explored yet), so I was as happy with my decision to be adventurous. I stumbled upon the "famous" burger place of Piteå, called Max's. It's the closest thing we have to a fast food place, I guess. I figured that today was as good of a day as any to decide for myself.

Enter culture shock once again. I starred at the menu for a long time. I mean, way longer than anyone ever should stare at a fast food menu. I eventually decided to just say "original burger and a drink". Thankfully it worked, and the guy tried to sell me some fries, in English. Although I appreciated his effort, I passed. Plus, the burger and small drink was expensive enough; 54SEK which is about 8 bucks. It was worth it though, the burger, which reminded me of a Whopper, was pretty tasty!

After lunch, I went across the street to the tourist center to ask them about the easiest and cheapest way to get to Stockholm. Flying may actually be cheaper than a bus or a train, and take less time, which makes me happy.

Next on the agenda was to go to the big grocery store. Daniel said that it is cheaper than the small one close to my apartment. Since I want to save every Krona I can, I sucked it up, strapped on my backpack, and was ready to walk the mile or so back to my apartment with some food.

But, I got distracted :) It was such a gorgeous day; I decided to check out all the stores in Piteå. I found a good hardware store and a convenience store. Looked at all the little cafes, and checked out some clothing stores. (If I want to fit in style-wise, I'm going to have to buy some crazy tights and wear them under shorts, or buy ridiculously tight jeans. Neither of which I see myself doing! Oh well!). The craziest aspect of the afternoon; I heard 3 songs in English playing at different fashion stores...some Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce. I giggled to myself, and felt like I was back in Ohio.

After I felt that I had window-shopped enough, I headed down to the grocery store.

Today I bought some cereal (yay! and they had some familiar brands; Special K and All-Bran! woohoo!), what I think is turkey, tomatoes, apples, some sort of cheese slices, bread, pasta sauce, toilet paper, and my favorite: mustard in a tube

After making the trek home with all the added weight I was sweaty and tired. I chilled out for a bit before heading back to school. The rest of the evening has been great; I Skyped with Angela and Hilary! It was great to hear their voices and to see their faces. I'm sure my neighbors are annoyed with loud American girl talking to herself all the time, but...what can I do?!

I'm still in the works of organizing my trip to Stockholm, and the recital in October. More actual 'music news' to come! I'm still just trying to figure this place out!