i sverige

I have arrived! There was much travelling involved (3 planes and 2 trains to get to Lund, and then 2 12-passenger vans to get me and the other arriving students from the train station to the building where we got our dorm keys and then to get us to our dorms) but 24 hours after I left (actual hours, neglecting time zones) I arrived in my room.

It's huge. Not only do I have a single room, but I also have a mini ante-room as well as my own bathroom complete with shower. for less than a spring semesters rent at UNC ;-) Mostly yesterday I was so tired that I unpacked, talked with my corridor-mates (both Swedish) and fell asleep.

When I awoke today, the weather was again dreary and cold, and I got completely soaked as I tried to find my first information meeting. The campus is much larger than UNCs, and the campus buildings are spread out all over the place. I can see why so many people ride bikes here. it's a pain to walk! After my legs regained feeling and the first meeting was over, I joined some people (one guy was from canada, a few from France and Italy) and we ate our first Swedish meal in a cafe beneath an academic building. It was absolutely delicious. I had pasta with tomato sauce, green beans, and basil leaves. And all the bread you could eat. Unfortunately we had a time limit because we were going to be late to our Swedish language orientation sessions.

Jag heter Charliss. My name is Charliss. Vad heter du? What is your name? Jag är från USA. I am from the USA. all the good stuff. I have 2 weeks of this, and judging by the first day, I'm going to be learning a lot if I can stay awake through 3 hours of class as I watch the sun set at 3:30.

After class I walked around the whole town (in the well-dark evening) trying to find an internet cable, and then back to the grocery store so I can have something to eat for dinner. The grocery store was an experience, but definitely not a bad one. I asked a few people for help and they showed me the difference between ham and turkey and which milk was the one I wanted. Overall, the pictures on the boxes are pretty self explanatory. I was so tired from walking 2 and a half hours to get the cable and go back to the grocery store that I didn't fully examine all the strange foods, but don't worry. I will go back and find them another day.

Now I am home, with internet and happy for it, and also exhausted. Have I mentioned I need a bike? Pictures of my room and random places in Lund to follow shortly!