Sunday, the day before my orientation for my new program! Well technically it is an orientation for all International students at Uppsala University where we get to meet all the clubs and nations and whatever.
Today I had to stop by Västagöta Nation and get my temporary school ID. First time in months where somebody responded to my Swedish with English. I hate that. I knew he was Swedish but I just responded back in English. Whatever.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when somebody responds in English when I am speaking in Swedish. I know it is supposed to be polite but like you can hear in my vocabulary and my pronunciation that I know what I am saying and know what you are saying.
Tomorrow I know I am going to be met with English as well, which is annoying, but fine. I would rather speak in Swedish because I really want to meet Swedish people this time around.
What was last time around? Well I was an exchange student at Lund University and the majority of my friends were International students and after the first semester (I was there for a year) most of them left and it was like starting all over again. Total Bummer. And some of the Swedes I knew went to study abroad themselves! Like I know I am planning to be here in Sweden for quite some time and I want Swedish friends who are staying in Sweden to be my friends for quite some time.
Problem is with meeting Swedes (if you are reading this Swedish people, you know what I am talking about, and just be my friend) is that they usually already have their core group of friends and can be pretty uninterested in meeting new people or expanding the group. There were only a couple of Swedes that I really got to know in Lund and hung out with and that was mostly because they had studied abroad themselves and loved international people.
But that is neither here nor there. I got the Swedish clothes now, I got the Swedish language now, I got the Swedish bike now. I gots all the Swedish shit (other than speaking over the phone….but everyone texts now sooo whatever)
So I am ready to meet some Swedish people and have some fun. And study a lot.
Ready to Go.
Caitllin
