Summer ‘09 - They Call Me Sweden - Blogs

Well, I\'ve now moved to Cardiff, UK for studies so you\'ll get to follow all of my new experiences. Like living on my own for the first time. In a new country.

Archive for the ‘Summer '09’ Category

Go to Skiathos!

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

If you must choose only one island to go to in Greece I think you should choose Skiathos or Skopelos! Situated next to each other, both islands are beautiful and the destinations where they filmed Mamma Mia. The water is clear blue, the beaches are eather pebbly with smooth stones or sandy white. My boyfriend and I stayed the whole week at Skiathos and went to Skopelos for the whole day. It really felt like paradise (except from when we went to the most crowded, most popular and busy beach Koukonaries)!

We went on a day cruise around the island the second day and got to se the famous and probably the world’s most beautiful beach Lalaria. It had a rock with a hole that you should swim through three times for eternity. Most of the days we actually went to the beach, but we didn’t sunbathe all the time. We bought beach tennis rackets and played on the beach. On evenings we walked by the beach to town and strolled in town. We ate out five nights of seven, which was so worth it! Greek food probably is my favorite! We fell in love with a taverna which was situated in the old part of the town, they had an excellent view above the harbor and sea. Skopelos was really worth seeing as well, think I want to stay there the next time I’m going to Greece.

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Lalaria beach! Even more beautiful in reality.
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Skiathos town

In summary, we had such a good time. You must go to Greece, I’m so getting a summer house there when I’m rich!

And tonight I’m seeing Coldplay and White Lies LIVE at the Stockholm stadium!

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Hello from Skiathos, Greece!

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Hi guys!

Even though I haven’t posted something for a while now I asume that you think I’m alive! In writing time I’m situated at an internet cafe in Skiathos town in Greece. Skiathos is a small island that is very worth seeing! It was here that they filmed the second scene in ‘Mamma Mia’. And yesterday my boyfriend and I went to Skopelos where they filmed most of the scenes. In summary, both islands are beautiful but there are too many Swedes and Brits! I almost thought we were going to be ‘alone’. Anyway, write more on Monday when I’m home again!

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Summer BBQ

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Yesterday my friend had a BBQ at her house in a suburb of Stockholm so most of the night we sat at her porch and just talked. Summer for me is when you can sit outside in night like we did and just be. I love to laugh with my friends and don’t care about everything else for a moment. We talked about making a trip to a hot country next winter, which I think could be a good idea as it’s probably worthy to have a break from the grey environent that we have here in Sweden at that time of year. All of us graduated about a month ago so it really feels like we are all full of hope for the future and that we have the power to do anything we’d like. Perhaps that’s the thing with summer – it fills you up with so many feelings and thoughts. It could be a bit sad, but Swedish teens really live for the summer! Warm summer nights or rainy summer nights – the weather doesn’t matter, as long as your friends are with you everything will be okay!

Now I really have to prepare for my job interview tomorrow. And yes (to answer the comment in the previous post), it’s only a job interview and not a job offer, but as so many are applying for jobs in Stockholm you’re not always getting a job interview. That’s why I and many others become so happy if we could get one opportunity to show that we are suited for the job.

Anyway, have a nice day!

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Awesome chef and host Elin!

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Hultsfred was great, even though a brain concussion and a damaged nose

Monday, July 13th, 2009

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Right now while writing this post, I’m making a Hultsfred festival play list at Spotify. Here’s the link, but I’ll probably add more tracks later. I really had an awesome time down there, it didn’t matter at all that it rained or that it was cold most of the time. It didn’t matter that our friends had chosen the worst camp either (we spent most of our time either in the festival area, beer tents or in Camp Orange anyway) or that our neighbours played bad metal/hard rock. I got to meet new people and also got to improve friendships. I’m sure that I’m not the only one that has experienced the ‘festival mood’ when you feel like your isolated from the rest of the world and you’re focusing on what you got there. There’s no demands really except from attending concerts that you have longed for. When I’m at a concert I really feel that I’m alive in a strange way.

I haven’t really experienced the true festival experience until this time though. Two years ago the weather was beautiful and hot until the last day when it rained. The camp was still not discusting and muddy. As you might know I bought a pair of rubber boots the day before I went, that turned out to be the best festival purchase. Think I used them everyday but even though they were really good to keep mud and water away from my feet, they had side effects. On Friday I got the worse sores ever! I was about to drop dead at The Sounds’s concert when a Red cross patrol which turned out to be my rescue!

And the bands and artists? Yeah, most of those whom I wanted to watch lived up to my expectations. I had great concert experiences, I got to see The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, White Lies, The Sounds (as mentioned), Peter Bjorn and John, the reunion of Lars Winnerbäck’s old band Snoddas, Sahara Hotnights and many more! My friend and I also got to enter the VIP bar when they thought our Winnerbäck bracelets (you had to have those to enter the Snoddas concert) were VIP bracelets. I had an awesome time in conclusion!

The festival could have ended in a better way though. When we were on our way to our bus home I tripped on a strip so that I fell prostrate on stony ground. I ended up in chock immediately and cried over how painful it was and over the fact that NOBODY (except from my lovely friends) made an effort of helping me, not even the tour leaders which is not acceptable at all. The fall resulted in a brain concussion and a damaged nose… Yay… Think I have more picture space now so I’ll upload pics here tomorrow!

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Packed up and ready to go!

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

My bag is so heavy and filled with clothes, shoes and other stuff. I think it almost weighs like 15 kg but I think I’ll manage some to carry it for some hours. But I have to carry two more bags, one which contains the tent… My bus leaves at 11 o’clock tomorrow so I’ll arrive around quarter to four in the afternoon. I’m so excited! Last time at Hultsfred I got very bad experiences from a Turbonegro concert and my friend threathens to remind me about that tomorrow! Horrible… But it’s going to be awesome anyways! Should get some sleep now, so if I don’t find a computer at the festival I’ll get in touch with you on Sunday!

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Going on an adventure: Hultsfred tomorrow!

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Guess where I’m going tomorrow? The Hultsfred festival! I’ve heard that it’s going to rain all week, but except from that factor it’s going to be so awesome. I’m so excited. Great bands and artists are coming and it will be awesome to party with my friends. I don’t have a clue if anyone of you readers are reguarly visiting music festivals, but I think it’s a must to experience at least one festival. Two years have passed since I went to Hultsfred last time and in total this year’s festival is my second festival experience. You get to learn new people in a completely different way than here in Stockholm. There are some side-effects though like people who are too drunk or the nasty portable toilets…

I so look forward for the concerts. I’ll be watching The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Klaxons, The Sounds, Lars Winnerbäck, Regina Spektor, Peter Bjorn and John, Thåström, Mando Diao, White Lies and more! In conclusion, the festival will rock and I’ll have the time of my life!

But before I can go there are things that I need to do, like….

- Find the bus tickets (very important).
- Print the festival ticket (even more important)
- Print the festival schedule.
- Pack my things in a BIG bag.
- Go to my dad’s place and grab the tent and get clothes from there.
- Go to town and buy rubber boots, toilet requisites and dry schampoo to mention a few…

Then I’m ready to go! Write some more a bit later

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Swedish summer is the best!

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

I’m still not used to my environment that is similar to a vacation. There’s so much free time which is so unusual to me! If I haven’t been busy with school assignments there has been a summer or winter job that has occupied me. So having no specific plans during the days feels unreal in a way. But you know what? I’m beginning to settle with that and I’m starting to like my new reality. It’s nice to spend the day outside in the sun by the water somewhere in Stockholm. And it’s during summertime that I’m more ‘in love’ with the town, when I feel that I’m quite happy to be where I am. As I am a native of Stockholm I know that we really shine when the sun is out. Someone said yesterday on the radio that it’s during autumn and winter when all Swedes are depressed and see the dark side of life. That’s how it is. I must say that I hate when it so freakin’ cold here in Stockholm or when it seems like everything surrounding us is covered by a grey mass. Imagine what the sun does to people!

I realize now during my ‘vacation’ that this is exactly what I need as I’ve been sick regularly since last fall, which has been due to stress in school and so. Perhaps there was a good side of what happened. I think that I need this time to land and to reload (If you know what I mean). The days have so far been really nice. Oh and I just love the summer nights! There has been BBQs and several nights have been spent on the balcony. And this coming Tuesday I’m heading off to the Hultsfred festival, The Killers here I come! I think everything will work out actually.

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A picture of me, Louise and Micaela from a BBQ night some days ago. We celebrated our friend Maria who turned 19 the day after!

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Italy, Italy, Italy

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

First of all, sorry for the big gaps of my updates, that wasn’t at all my intention. However, I haven’t even logged into the computer since I gave you the last update on Sunday. I promised that I would tell you about my Italy trip, so of course I will do that! I think the problem concerning too less storage space remains so I still can’t upload any pictures. Must remember to contact admin about that.

Italy and the trip could be explained with two words: amazing and (110%) lovely! There were no reasons to complain about the weather, but if you’re a Swede- you’re a Swede and don’t think much before adding a comment on how hot it is. I went there as a leader for a group of lovely teeanagers in the ages of 14-15 years. Their trip was their confirmation trip so it wasn’t that strange that we went to the little holy town Assisi, situated in the Umbria region in central Italy. The aim was of course to experience the culture of the many Franciscan churches and not to lay on the beach and get tanned. The town is about an hour or so away from the nearest coast so we were quite lucky when we found a terrace at our hotel and a hose! The kids wondered of course where the pool was! There is actually a swimming pool in Assisi but it hadn’t opened yet for the season when we were there.

What I probably miss the most is obviously the atmosphere, people, weather and the ice cream! Seriously, I could base my diet on Italian ice cream! I asked the kids what they had learnt from the trip and a guy answered: “That the Swedish ice cream sucks!”. And that’s so true, after work on Tuesday (yes, I actually got to work!) I went to Kungsträdgården and bought S.I.A ice cream and well… It lacked of so much taste… Anyway, I didn’t shop that much in Italy, but I bought a dress and some bottles of wine. And some local chocolate to my family . I hope I will receive more storage space soon ’cause it’s so much easier and better to describe the trip with pictures. And then you will see how beautiful the town is and its view!

Think I’ll write more later or tomorrow ’cause I need to get up to the roof of the house so I won’t miss the sunset. Just need to get a bottle of sparkling wine and then I’m ready!

Have a nice summer night!

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Ferry get away

Monday, June 1st, 2009

My mind hasn’t settled at all with the fact that I don’t have anything left to do in school and actually can take it easy. When I was sunbathing this weekend I thought: “Isn’t there an essay that I need to finish?” But no more essays for now! Anyway, the weekend has been really nice. The dinner at Filippa’s was nice but the way home was not as nice… My friend and I waited for the bus for more than half a hour. To get home from Nacka is difficult sometimes, the first bus was to full so it didn’t stop, the secon just drove past and the third and final was late!

Have to go now. I’m going away with my class for a cruise so I won’t be able to update until tomorrow night. Ciao!

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Blondie

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

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I’m glad that I had the day off today ’cause it has been so stressful and hectic today. Before I began to study I ate a nice breakfast and then I worked on my business plan. The second last thing I submit in high school! The grades are set on Friday and I’m not done yet. Should I feel stressed about that fact? I’m sure it will work out.

So, during my study time my cellphone rang and it was a woman who wanted me to come to a job interview! The job concerns telemarketing/customer services so perhaps not the most enjoying work. But, money is money! I hope that I get the job, but it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t as I already have a café job. However, that job is so dependent on how the weather is as they only have a beer garden and is closed when it rains. So if I get the other one I get the opportunity to work at least.

After studying I went to south of Stockholm to the salon where my friend does her hairdresser internship at. She fixed my hair and made it a looot lighter. So now I’m really Miss Blondie! After that I shopped for a while and thereafter I went home where I found an advice from the mail. I went down to the post office and picked up a package of two pair of shoes. They’re perfect of course!

Ohohoh! I almost forgot. My boyfriend and I booked the trip yesterday, he wasn’t so pleased with going on his birthday so we chose Skiathos instead (where they shooted Mamma Mia!). I’m so looking forward for that!