ROADTRIP

Allra allra först vill jag säga grattis till min älskade far som fyller år, hoppas du hade en toppendag! <3
 
I know it's late, but where I am, it's still sunday and I do have a good reason for being late: I have been on a roadtrip in Arizona, the land of the cactuses, with my host family this week. 
 
We left home late friday night - and now you wonder how could you update last sunday then? I'll let you in on a little secret, I wrote it friday and set it to show sunday, I'm getting the hang of this blog thing ;) 
 
Anyways, back to the subject. I've spent the last week in a huge minivan looking at the a lot of nice things and enjoying the sunshine and the company. So I'll give you a bunch of pictures from my week, and they're not in the right order, but whatever.
This first is a vinery in california, and isn't that just too cool? I mean, I am the only one who always wanted to go to a vinery after watching The Parent Trap? Now I can take that off my list of things to do! 

 
Sunset in California, beautiful as can be


This here is really cool; in Las Vegas, we went to this restaurant where they cook the food in front of you. Dinner and a show! The cook was really funny, and the food was really good! 


And well, this picture was supposed to be above the other one but it isn't... Anyways, see the little sign? Las Vegas! And me and Kolby decided we should come back in ten years, when we're both old enough, so until then ;) 


And this is a kind of pine cone, which is eatable! see the brown things? You crack them open with your teeth and then there's a white half-soft nut inside, which tasted a bit like pines smell. I really liked it, and I would have never known about it if it weren't for the landscaper Brad, married to the cousin of my host mother, who both were on the trip with us. He also taught me some trees and cactuses, but I'll come back to that, I think I have a picture further down. 

Grand Canyon! Isn't it just beautiful? There's no words to describe it, so I wont even try. 


Metal-thingies that turned in the wind. The photo doesn't really make them justice, but they were truly mesmerizing.


I think this was called red rock or something...? Don't really remember, since it's a good photo of me hahah ;)

 
Ah and here are some of the trees! The one in the front is called desert willow and the one in the back is called iron tree. That tree has such a high density that it actually sinks in water, now beeing the nerd that I am, I find that really cool :D 

All in all, I had a wonderful trip, and I would like to thank all the people on the trip for letting me come! And more than that I don't really have much to say. 
 

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

 

I have seen the first snow of the season, believe it or not. This friday, while we were all standing out watching the football game of Bleu Blanc Rouge, half-freezing to death, it snowed. Quite much actually. It didn’t stay though. And now you’re probably wondering what Bleu Blanc Rouge is and I can tell you, it’s a bit like Franco, just this time we were wearing blue, white and red instead. And we watched a football game. So the 9th graders were blue, 10th white, 11th red and 12th all of them. So I had good use of my red rubber boots. (And my mittens and scarf too...) 

 

So this is the 11th graders owning the others at tugger war, at least that's what I think they called it... (And I did help the other times, we went against all the other grades, but I wanted a picture)
 
Another first I’ve seen this week is the northern lights! My camera coudn’t catch it, and it wasn’t very strong, but still, it was the northern lights. I mean, how cool is that?
 
Also, I've been missing the orienteering, I think this is Daladubbeln? It should be, since 25manna was last weekend. Iäve realized now that I missed it. The long bus ride with silly games, the exploring of the school, the getting up really early, the breakfast. The muddy fields, the feeling before start, being lost in the woods, freezing my toes of while waiting for the shower and afterwards putting on every single piece of clothing that I brought. All the wonderful people. It feels weird not being there.

But like they say, two feet on the ground, so yeah, I had my feeling of loss, time to get over it. Until next time, bisous!  

THANKSGIVING

It's sunday evening, and I have celebrated my very first Thanksgiving. This is a holiday that has it's origins from when the settlers felt thankfull towards the natives and gave them turkey, if I understood it right that is. 
   I am so full. Honestly, I'm just sitting here aaaaah, too full to acyually do something. It's a bit like when you've eaten julbord and just stuffed yourself to the very limit. Everything was so good, and I wanted to try everything, so I ate quite a lot. Good thing we went running this morning, me and Ann ;) 
So this was the first dish, delicious french onion soup, made by Rob (Amy's (the oldest sister's) boyfriend)
This was the main dish, a lot of food. Top left is a roll and mashed potatoes. Top middle is my meatballs, top right is Amy's salad. Bottom left is Norma's cranberrysauce and the traditional turkey with gravy. Bottom middle is ham and finally bottom right is Norma's stuffing, which is made out of a whole lot of bread (I know, beacause I helped cutting it to pieces, three loafes of bread :)) Everything was delicious, really really delicious. 
And this is my family's favourite cake, we make it for everyone's birthday, namesday and well yes, pretty much every opportunity we get... (a) 

So I guess that's pretty much it.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

COLOURS OF THE WIND

We're going into october, and isn't life absolutley adorable? All the nice colours? I just love fall. Anyways, today it's Thanksgiving, so I'll give you another update tonight, just figured I should write a little now as well. 
 
I've had a good week, i switched my french for next semester to a ploitics cours; I wanted something where I really needed to speak all the time, so the she suggested politics.
   Along with my new host sister, that's moving in permanently the week after next and who is by the way staying with us over the weekend. Anyways, I went with herto volleyball try-outs. It was really fun to try out, but honestly, I'm hopeless. Ah well, been there, done that ;) 
   Tuesday night I went along to open house at Kolby's school. It was a really nice school, with a lot of drawings and stuff on the wall. Yeah it was homie. 
   Yesterday I spent in the kitchen, I made another load of meatballs, and my familys favourite chocolate cake (mumsmums!) and somewhere in between Ann and I made chocolate chip cookies. (Yep, after this weekend I will be fat... (a))
 
This is half of Flash, one of the cats. They're all adorable :)

MORGONJOGG

What was supposed to be a short little run this morning turned out to be...not so short. On my way back I thought let's cut trough this little group of trees, because I've done it before, but in the opposite direction. But like we say - genväg blir ofta senväg. After a while I realised this is not how it's supposed to look, so I decided to go back to the las point where I knew where I was, but mith my fantastic sense of directions... Oh well, the good thing is, I run quite far and I found another dirt track, which I will explore next time I go out running. Now I've pretty much just run up and down a dirt track, and it's more fun to run around. 
 
Anyways, this week. I have come up with a way to remember what happened during the week, so I wont forget anything essential when I actually write here, which has been the case - post-its. For example I was thinking of writing that jour 4 is my favorite day of the week, but I kept forgetting. Anyways. Yeah, this is gonna be looooooong... 

School is going fine, I’ve had a couple of chemistry tests, some that I knew we had and some that everyone else knew we had...

On tuesday I have a test in french, on the book we read and now it feels really good I did it overkill. In dance I have to make un échauffement of > 20 minutes. It’s mainly stretching and that kind of stuff but I should have to song with actual dance, so now I’m gonna take all the moves I can remember from my time at Friskis, hehe. And while speaking of dance, one of the girls asked me if I was an actual english person, because she thought I was so good. (I’m just gonna brag a little bit...) 

This week there has also been some games and your class has to be ”invited” to go there. All teachers don’t let you go and besides everyone wouldn’t fit in the gym. Anyways, I’ve been to half a game of basketball and the first ten minutes of volleyball, and gee, you’re not gonna believe this. So this is what they did, first they introduced the opponents, like this school lala, not too exciting. Then the lights go out and they turn a spotlight on the door from which our team was coming out. (By this point I start laughing, though discrete.) They shout out each number and name and follow them with the spotlight, when everyone is out lights turn back on. All audience stand up and the national anthem go on. (By this point I’m laughing so hard...)    

We also practised what to do when the fire alarm sounds. It wasn't too organized. The alarm went like ten seconds before the bell of the second class was about to ring, so the teacher said go find your first period teacher. I walked around on the grass and when I finally found Madame she tells me, no go back to the second period teacher... -.- 

Aaaaaaaand; I borrowed the first Harry Potter book at the school library, in french (and the rest of that day I walked around smiling stupidly at myself... ) and after that I will do as my sister and borrow Narnia and after that, well it’s a big library!

This friday there was no school so I went to the mall with Annunziata, the girl beside my locker. She’s also an exchange student, but from Austria. So we walked around, checking out the mall, and oh did we make a wonderful catch: free cupcakes! After that we walked around in Cornwall, asking random people for directions in French, but not too many people actually spoke french :( 

She stayed the night and we did our best to learn Oh Canada and on monday we’re singing along! And here’s the big news: she is my new sister! She was supposed to go stay with her area representative, but we kidnapped her instead (moahaha). Ok, not really, we talked to all the different people involved so it’s not actually kidnapping. 

Oh yeah, not to forget! The right answer to last weeks little task: Pinocchio and Prince Charming ;)

 So this is the lovely Annunziata from Austria. She wont come live with us yet for two weeks because of all the papers and stuff, but yes, this is my new sister. 

 

FRANCO ONTARIEN

This friday was Jour du Franco, which meant we celebrated being french by walking around wearing all green and white. Some we're quite extrem and it was really fun to watch everyones outfits. My very nice frensh-canadian-ontario-flag-tattoo has almost washed away now though... But it was pretty while I had it, and I think we won some kinda weird thing, I don't really know what it was, but some boys in my chemistry class were like Do you have a tattoo? Come along then! And so I did, along with their green sock and whatever the third item was and then we walked back before I had time to figure out why we went. 
   So we walked a couple of laps around the school, sang songs, I didin't do much singing, it's a bit hard when you don't know the lyrics, but I caught the refrain pretty quickly: mon beau drapeau. And while talking about singing, I have not learned the canadian anthem yet. But I know a few words; la fleur en glorieuse, and all the oh canada which are every second phrase, and somewhere they sing terre...  
   After the singing we walked a bit more and after that everyone went out for lunch and then we were supposed to have the afternoon classes but maybe do some games. So I volonteerd to do games during chemistry but it turned out to be five minutes of rock, paper, scissors. The rest of that class we just sat in groups talking, doing nothing serious, it was nice but yeah, a bit waste of time. In art we actually did draw. We have now moved on to painting with brownish colours, it's called dessins sanguine.  
These are the girls in my french class, and they all looked really classy!
Underneath is random people while we were walking around. 
 
This week I have also broken my record of being away longer from home, thursday actually, and guess what? I will keep breaking that record every day!
   Actually I think I had a down in the U-curve", that STS kept talking about all the time. A bit subconsciosly though, but my locker friend told me I looked sad and I was like, hm...? So of course I had to find the source, and what I came up with was I heard this song that morning and that made me think of my friend and I guess I subconsciosly thought of home all day. It wasn't until yesterday though that I counted and realised that was when I broke my record. So yes, I'mma go ahead and think I'm a bit psychic!
   Also I occupy myself with dream interpretation whenever I can remember my dreams, since dreams are our subconscios's way of talking to our conscios. And yes, I think of Professor Trelawney and her chrystal balls... 
And what to do on an ordinary tuesday night, if not putting action figures on the kitchen table? As you can see,  that's what Kolby and I did, and we also have a task for you: Can you find the two who aren't super heroes? 

JÄTTEVIG OCH AMBIDEXTER

And that is two things I'm adding to my mental list of becoming! As for the flexible part, that might actually come true, because in dance class we keep doing these stretching exercises. This week Madame measured the distance between our legs, not kiddig she did, and she said she'll do it again in a couple of weeks to see how much we've improved. Watch out, I might even turn out more flexible than you Lisa! 
 
As for the other part, I've wanted to become ambidexter all since I read the Barnen Baudelaire-book where the ambidexter circus guy cuts one of Violets knots. Anyways, my art teacher had a long nice talk about Leonardo da Vinci, och apparently he was ambidexter. And since details have never been my stong side in painting, I figured it would take me more time if I tried to paint with my left hand. It shouldn't be impossible to train it up, should it?
 
Oh yeah and about school, did I mention there's adress code? No, I didnät think so. Anyways, there is. No too short shorts/skirts/dresse, that is to say nothing above mid thigh and all shirts must be at least three fingers wide over the shoulders. That's the rule, but well, rules were made for breaking, right? I've seen quite a lot of people who doesn't follow the leg part of the rule, but so far I've kept to the dress code. Considering how cold it is in school, it's not too hard. 
 
 
Right now it's sunday morning (obviously) and my family has as tradition to go out to this restaurant for brunch every sunday morning with a bunch of their friends, who all have one exchange student each. It's a really nice tradition I think. So I decided to modify my tradition, so instead of writing in the evening I shall write before going to brunch. It's afternoon back in Sweden anyways so and this way I hope I save at least one person from staying up all night waiting for me to write... (Känn dig träffad Johanna ;D)
 
Last thing to say about this week: I made meatballs! 
 

DÅLIG RUBRIK-FANTASI

This week went by so fast. A girl in my schoolcar explained why they only have four days; it's because students don't concentrate as well on certain hours (monday morning, friday afternoon...) so therefore it should change so that it's not allways the same subject at those times. It makes sense, but it doesn't make it less confusing. And no, I'm not on the yellow school bus... :( I don't know why, there passes like five buses every morning but I'm not. So I'm riding in a seven-seat car instead. 

School is good, I'm starting the get into the habit and actually I almost now what subhects I have when. I've no idea what day it is though... This week I've started getting homework, in French class we have a 150 page book to read which wouldn't have been any problem if it weren't for the fact it's in French...I'm doing it overkill though and translates it with my dictionary and when I can't find it there I ask my all-french friend, very practical ;) In chemistry we give names, like NaCl - chlorure de sodium. Yep they write it backwards, but the teacher also taught a really good way to know how many of each. Say you want aluminium and chlor, you know Al is 3+ and Cl -, just switch the numbers - AlCl3! Really good!
Oh yeah and the teacher told a joke, and I figured you would find it amusing dad! 
One atom to the other;
- Oh no, I lost an electron!
- Are you sure?
- I'm positive! 
(Ok, I'll admit it, I do find it amusing...)
 
This week I've also tried something that's very canadian apparently, poutine. It's fries with gravy and cheese (och för din skull tog jag kort på det My!) It sounds weird, and I guess it kinda is, but it was good really.  

 
I figured how to write under it, ha! (too bad i didn't need too...)

ÉCOLE SECONDAIRE CATHOLIQUE LA CITADELLE


Yes, that's the name of my school, and yes, I did survive the first week!
For this semester I chose french, art, chemistry and dance. I couldn't take english, because it was on the period as french and I figured I need the french more. I'm taking both next semester though.
As for the others I figured the french in art and dance shouldn't be too hard, and it's okay really. "Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit", well even I can understand that ;)
Chemistry I took because I could fit it in my schedule, but I'm happy I did take it. Chemistry is the same in every language, H is still väte and E still stands for energy, and the teacher is really good, he reminds me a bit of my father actually. Chemistry used to be my favorite subject but I'll have to admit last year it wasn't.
My two subjects besides french and english for next semester is drama and physics. 
 
The school is nice. It's not as big as Nösnäs, but since everyone (and then I mean everyone) is out in the corridors at the same time, it seems huge. School here is really different. I have all my four subjects every day, but in different orders. There's only four days though. So all mondays isn't jour un, no, sometimes they could be jour deux. I've only had one week so far, but it's a bit confusing really. The most different thing though is the locks. It's these combination locks, first clockwise then counter-clockwise, an extra lap and clockwise again, and you've got to get the right number at once, or you'll have to do it all over again. Not only are these locks hard to open, they also don't have a key. So every now and then I go like "oh no, where did I put my key" and by the time I'm starting to freak out 'cause I can't find them, I realise I don't have any. 
 
(Well I don't understand how to write under the pictures, so I'll just write about them up here...)
The first one is the view from the garden. It's so peaceful out here, and you can see so many stars at night. 
The second one is one of the cows (if you didn't see that...) but I must admit I don't know her name. They all have names though!! 
Och den tredje, den är till dig Anna ;) Deras förra utbytesstudent satte upp den, så den sitter fint på min garderobsdörr.  
 
 
 
 
 

AU CANADA

Now I'm here and henceforth everything shall be in english, since that's what my friends decided for me. After a long flight and a long time of sitting at Heathrow we finally arrived in Montreal. From there we took a bus (on which I slept all the way...) to Ottowa were we stayed for the night. Time difference is 6h back, which means you're all living in the future compared to me now. (So Johanna, be prepared to the fact that "sunday evening" to me equals monday early morning, so give me a couple of hours before you think I've forgotten.)

I haven't taken any picturies yet, so you'll just have to be patient. I will post some, evetually..... (a)
 
On tuesday school starts, but I haven't freaked out yet, which is good. It'll come though, no worries.

You'll hear from me again next week, so until then!

KAOS

Jag är på ungefär ganska dåligt humör nu. Det går inte att föra över bilder från kameran till den hära datorn, vilket innebär att min fantastiskt fina blogg kommer bli ännu finare. (Nejdå, jag är inte bitter.) Jag lyckas heller inte ändra nåt på bloggens utseende, och helt seriöst jag fattar inte varför så sjukt många människor ens orkar blogga. 

För tillfället sitter jag nere i mörkret i källarn och väntar på Lisa och Anna, vi ska se på harry potter, mysmys. Dagen har spenderats i göteborg på rix fm festival, så nu har vi sett Loreen live, så lite coola tycker jag nog att vi är i alla fall. 
 
Den här veckan har jag hunnit med att träffa både en och annan mysig person och jag har faktiskt börjat packa. Mitt rum är allmänt kaos; kläder, väskor och skor ligger utspritt både här och där. Jag har också jobbat mitt sista på ICA för den här gången. Det var en hektiskt fredagskväll och en lugn lördagsmorgon och däremellan en tripp till Hawaii med syster och mor för ett nattdopp i marelden. Jag får väl ta och erkänna att trots att jag bott här på västkusten i hela mitt liv var detta första gången jag såg mareld... Pinsamt, jag vet. 
 
Men nu kom mina gummor ner, så nu säger jag hejdå, och nästa gång vi hörs sitter jag och skriver från andra sidan jorden. Galet. 

STJÄRNFALL

Tydligen var idag och igår de bäata dagarna för att titta på stjärnfall. Det ska finnas veckan ut, men nu har vi tyvärr missat guldchanserna gott folk.

För tillfället är Anna här och ska spendera natten, och att jag då lyckats komma åt datorn, ja alla ni som känner anna vet vilken bedrift det är ;)
 
I helgen har jag jobbat, och idag jobbade jag sista passet med "min" kollega. Låter lite knasigt, men när det är mina fasta tider jobbar jag alltid med henne. Uff, ja det blev lite verkligt där när hon sa att det var vårat sista pass. Tolv dagar kvar nu, kan verkligen inte fatta det. Måste, måste, måste börja packa! 
 
puss

SOLSKEN OCH SVARTA VINBÄR

Den här veckan har jag jobbat nästan varje dag, men har trots det lyckats hinna att träffa ganska många faktiskt. Alldeles nyss kom jag hem från min och Kajsas bärplockartripp; dygt åtta liter svarta vinbär! Vi plockade och plockade, men när våra burkar var fulla fanns det minst lika mycket kvar. Vilken guldgruva!
Igår jobbade jag bara till tolv, så jag och My var nere vid nösnäsbadet och provade på, ja... eh det hette nåt konstigt... Men i alla fall, man stod på en surfingbräda och paddlade. Tänk er en korsning av kanotpaddling och stå på balansbräda så har ni grejen. Riktigt roligt och dessutom varmt i vattnet! 

Vidare kan jag nu glatt berätta att jag fått en värdfamilj; mamma, pappa och lillebror på 10 år, plus tre utflugna äldre barn, samt tre katter, en hund och 100 kor i Cornwall, Ontario. Jajamen, vi snackar bondgård, och oj vad det ska bli spännande! 

I morgon bär det av till skåneland och en underbar Matilda så jag svävar runt här i huset på små moln.

Och på grund av alla mina nostalgiska konfa-minnen säger jag som Bert;
Klart slut varulvstjut
 
 

LYCKA

För att jag älskar den här sporten. En vecka i strålande solsken i Halland med kluriga banor, snåriga skogar, öppna bokskogar, en del bommar men faktiskt även en hel del spikar. Jag blir lycklig av att orientera, av alla underbara människor och även, insåg jag, av att få läsa på höjdkurvor. Jag hade en aha-upplevelse, ungefär som när man slutligen fattar något på fysiken, och insåg att jag älskar att orientera efter höjdkurvor!
   Jag har då alltså varit på O-Ringen, som detta året var i Halmstad. Campingen var utspridd, mässan var dålig och skyltningen var usel. Annars var det fantastiskt. Igår var jag och Lovisa hos Johanna och hade det mysigt och idag har jag jobbat. 
   Nähä ni, roligare än såhär blev det inte (men jag lyckades iaf med en bild hihi)

ANDRA STJÄRNAN TILL HÖGER OCH VIDARE TILL GRYNINGEN

Idag är det visst måndag, hoppsan... Jag skrev ju inget igår och det tänker jag skylla på att jag var så trött när jag kom hem från jobbet att det helt försvunnit ur mitt huvud. Så det är vad jag gjort mest den här veckan, jobbat.  
Kan också tala om i förväg att det kommer vara tomt här ett tag eftersom att jag på lördag beger mig till ett stort fält fyllt med husvagnar och utan internet. Taggar Oringen som attan och inser att jag borde börja packa snart... Men jag är laaaaaat. Jag har iaf påbörjat min storstädning, så jag tycker att jag förtjänar att mysa lite. 
Bisous !

SOMMARLOV

Det har känts som att hela sommarn till största delen bestått av söndagar och en och annan lördag in emellan. Jag har halvt om halvt väntat på att det ska bli måndag och tillbaks till skolan. Men nu äntligen har sommarlovskänlsan infunnit sig, med soliga dagar i shorts och sena kvällsdopp på stranden. Njuter av värmen och dricker enorma mängder mjölk bara för att jag kan...

FINSKT BESÖK

Så har det gått en vecka till och jag har fortfarande ingen "riktig" värdfamilj. Jag tror att jag har en, men jag vet inte riktigt.
Igår kom min finska kompis Iida hit och hon stannar till på tisdag. Underbart! Klantigt nog hade jag fel på månad, så jag måste tyvärr jobba i morgon, men det är iaf inte hela dagen.
Bisous !

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

Idag är det den 24 juni, vilket innebär att om precis två månader åker jag till Canada. Tiden går galet fort alltså. Jag har ju bestämt att jag ska fixa en blogg så att alla ni som känner er manade kan följa mina upptåg i utlandet, och då tänkte jag att idag var en bra dag att starta på. Vidare tänkte jag att skriva sådär på söndagarna är ganska lagom mycket.
Bisous ! 
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