CARP

I'm not going to write while I'm at home, but I will say that after a long and arduous journey, I arrived home.

Last night I saw a good portion of my friends, and it was beyond great. B.Ran date tomorrow, Christmas with our immense extended family, and BBQ chips til I puke.

J'adore le Canada et mes amis!

The only problem? How to return to Sweden. . . . .

what's one more day?

Dear blog followers:

it is with a heavy heart that I announce I will be staying in Borås for one extra day.
My flight is actually next Sunday.
No Deluca family Christmas party.
No Saturday proposal.
But, hey, I will look on the bright side. . . . I get to spend one more Saturday in the hustling and bustling town of Borås. . . .

obs!

since I re-discovered how to post on the old (new) blog, I'll toggle between both.
Yes, this is how exciting my life is. . . I feel the need to spread it over two narcissistic internet forums!

woo

http://sweetsweden.tumblr.com/

Canada, I'm coming home. . .

I can feel it!
A little more hop in my step!
A little more spring in my. . sprung?
French-Canadian Noël here I come!

Huit jours et je serai de retour! Ah, que j'ai hâte! Friends, family, pets. . . my two fish who are constantly forgotten about, under or overfed, neglected in the form of unchanged water, and stared at like dinner by greedy cooped-up cats, I am returning to you.

Human companionship in the form of all my friends. . . man oh man, am I ready for you!

Centrum. . . the worst place on earth that somehow plays the backdrop to far too many teenage and adult memories. . . see you soon.

It's surreal that I'll be re-immersed into so many memories in such a short period of time.

Borås and apartment. . . you will not be missed much!

p.s 7 dollar pad thai. . . 7 dollars. Sharing it with a fellow do-gooder: priceless!

My 'life' in photos

Shout out to the #1 Renblog fan to ever exist: BLaf. Can't wait for the classiest of dining experiences in the eloquent banquet hall known as the Bayshore Food Court.

Also, you know it's been a lazy say when you update your blog twice. haha. I am a loser.



Så, I just want to write a little about the Swedish bar scene. Now, we all know they become ruthless pushers while inebriated. However, last night I was further shocked by another bar trend. So here is the deal: you're busting a move with your crew on the D-floor, drink in hand. Now, this 'D-floor' is not giant,so it's quite easy to navigate in and out of. Once said drink is finished, is not the natural inclination to step (briefly) off the dance floor to place the empty drink on a table or a nearby surface? I'm pretty sure that this causes very little pain or suffering, and generally does not cause any deterioration of fun or dance moves, and one can quickly return to the latest Lady Gaga song blaring from the speakers. So last night, again, at this club I witness COUNTLESS people dropping their beer bottles and empty glasses onto the floor. No remorse, no guilt. No one reacting to this. Without exaggerating, I stepped on at least ten different items, and saw people doing this. I even cut my finger while picking up a glass. There is do-gooder karma for you! But really. . . who just throws a glass on the ground? It wasn't just super-drunk hooligans. You know those ads on public transit: 'If you see something, say something' ?, well, I saw something, and I am saying something! People will break their ankles, get cut, or just weirdly have to dance around bottles. So from me to you Sweden: not cool.
(I know most of Sweden reads this blog.)

Anyways, other than that, can't complain.
Here is some visual accompaniment to my life in Sweden. You will see copious amounts of food. . . lots of pictures of snow. . . not so many of people. haha that's quite okay. In no particular order:

#1: The 'Modern Language' Dept. French, Spanish and German. At the local Canadian bar! Note the antlers on the wall.


The almost final set up! Yes, I am a hostess.


On my walk to work. A little Christmas set-up.


Not yet finished product!


Next few photos:
instead of Christmas lights, Swedes put up lights in their windows. Either a star or a candle-looking this. It coincides with the Sunday of advent. It's pretty nice, but I am looking forward to the bright, bright lights.

Also, my courtyard full of snow!



Göteborg lights!



Snacks, snacks, snacks!


I bought that little Santa at a thrift short for about 20 kronor!
Fun fact: Santa : Tomten.

Music, music, music - dancing, dancing, dancing

Last night was a very musical night indeed! I went to a friend's house, and we took turns playing songs the other had not heard, or songs we love. Music has so much power, so many different meanings, so many universal qualities, and so many emotions tied in. It's so exciting to hear new music played at a specific instance, because then certain songs will be tied to a memory. Anyways, it was nice to get out, not think or talk about work or school, and see that there are indeed people who like to have fun in this town of Borås.

Yesterday I also headed to Gothenburg with friends. They lit it up so beautifully, and there were so so many people on every street. To my amazement, no one really pushed too much!

Otherwise. . . .ten more school days until I board the multiple stop-over return to Canada.

Also, I am obsessed with this video, so I'll post it here. We went to a Science Centre with my class, and they played this video. It was so cute to hear which parts made the kids laugh. I think I love it for the same reasons everyone else does: the universality of dancing, and how it brings joy to people all over the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY

(I don't know how to actually load it. . . so just follow this link if you haven't seen it yet.)

P.S Listening to the new Kanye album. After 808 I don't have the same expectations, so we'll see.

They came!

The party was SO good that I'm only writing about it now!

Jokes.

However, I think there were 11 people. Let's be honest, that's as many as I'd have in Ottawa I bet. No bailers! Say what you will about Swedes, their word is a good as gold. If they say they'll be somewhere, they will.

There was one mishap: about twenty minutes before expected arrival time, I finally ended my mind debate and decided to vacuum. Since there were a few lights, my computer, and my new Jul star up in the window, I blew a fuse as I plugged in the vacuum. FAN, thought I. My display of food and Christmas decorations would not be seen in the dark. So I ran to Netto, my grocery store, and bought handfuls of candles. Man, I felt like a dummy, because in the dark no one would even see my carpet.

Eventually, my friends showed me that my electrical box was actually in my apartment. Let there be light!

Other than that, it was nice to get together with food and beverages, in a warm and cozy apartment for one. I have the empties on my window. No clue what to do with them.

12 school days left! No way! Friday min kompis is having a Jul party, which I'm looking forward to. Two more weekends in Borås, and then homeward bound.

Other than that. . . just went to this intense gym class. . . circuits of intensity and my arms are sore just typing.

Ok, det är alt for nu. That's Swenglish.

Hej då

p.s it gets dark at 4 pm sharp. It's about minus 12 right now, and the sun rises at. . . 830? yuck

Me, a get together. . . hilarity will surely follow.

I know I changed blog addresses. . . but I'll just post it in both places. Give my millions of fans some choice.

Anyways, last Sunday after what was probably a cleaning-product induced momentary lapse of reason, I decided to invite the entire staff to a 'get together' at my minuscule bachelorette apartment. Did I think this through? Not really? Do I regret it? Absolutely not! BUT I was thinking that if I'm bored, I should do something about it. This sure is something.

Now, I pretty much knew beforehand that it would be a max of about 15 people, if everyone I thought might come came. However, seeing as it was such short notice, quite a few colleagues had prior plans. As of today at work, there should be about ten or eleven, if nobody bails. I do foresee a few bails. . .

Anyone who has known me for any period of time knows that this is an overwhelming feat for a lazy slob. But I can do it! Wine and beer have been purchased (twice was I asked for i.d. . . it will never end) and I chopped veggies and prepared dip. I even bought vegetarian cocktail weenies. I didn't really tell anyone that I wouldn't be serving meat, but, well, I won't be. I'm not doing total vegan, and I must admit I sampled the dip and cheese. Mmm.

I even bought napkins, new glasses, and Christmas (or Jul) decorations and a few candles!

Tomorrow: the big clean. Even though I cleaned last weekend, it's not 'guest-clean.'
I'll have to run a few errands, perhaps briefly run to the gym, and then put the final touchings on this apartment.

I keep picturing when Bridget Jones throws the dinner party and she thinks she has her shit together, but then ends up with blue soup. Thankfully, I'm not making soup!

This week I had two separate dinners with work friends, and that was great!

In other news, teaching is going fine, however, being a role model for pre-adolescent youths who can instantly switch to any of four other languages I don't understand can be trying.

I can't wait to touch down in Canada, and to sleep in an actual bed (not a couch-bed hybrid).

The 18th. . . all roads lead to the 18th! Will Jangles remember me?

New location!

Hello!

Sweet Sweden has moved!

http://sweetsweden.tumblr.com/

see you there. . . .or not!

My week in photos

Since I got back from vacation I have been first too sick, then too tired, and now too lazy to write about Stockholm and Berlin and do them any justice.

It was so nice to get away from being an 'adult,'and getting to being a twenty three year old youth, staying in hostels, and wandering around, getting lost in new cities.
It also helps that I don't look a day over 18, so I really can blend it as a university student travelling. Plus, I can always get reduced student prices!

I've been back 'home' for a week. We had interviews with parents, and it was exhausting! Today's been a lazy, lazy day!

Since I am still too lazy, here is a snap-shot of my week off in pictures, with hilarious captions. . . . maybe.

Photo 1: Stockholm
Two of my colleagues out for the night in Stockholm! A nice refreshing change from the five bars of Borås.







Berlin! This is the East Side Gallery. The longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Beautifully painted over.



Beautiful words.





A very natural stance at the Brandenburg Gate. Fun fact: Napolean was apparently the first to walk through the gate!




The wall again!



At Checkpoint Charlie! I was a Cold War history nerd in HEAVEN!




The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Pretty profound to get lost in memory and thought while paying respects.

Goodbye I.E.S, hello Stockholm and Berlin

Well, it happened. I.E.S pulled off Halloween!

The teachers all did such an amazing job dressing up! The costumes were hilarious, and just way too much fun. The kids also mostly looked great! There were some creative and frightening costumes.

I was a pirate, complete with a toy parrot on my shoulder, held up by a paper clip. I found mini chocolate bars, and passed them out, making it 2/2 years that I pass out candy. Last year I had grade 12s, and I think they were more excited about the candy, to be honest. Also, we had tacos for lunch, and mousse for dessert. Heaven.

I also played 'This is Halloween' in class, and it was so cute to hear kids singing it later on. I forgot how spooky it is though. . . .

Now, I am putting the finishing touches on this week, and trying to wrap things up before leaving for a week. I should probably clean out my fridge. . . along with 7 billion other things. Man, where did the time go?

Next stop, the gym, and then off to a colleague's for a pre-vacation dinner!

After the break, only six weeks until Canada!
For everyone paying attention, our next unit in English is sports, and then food.
Animals, sports, food. . . . my three favourite things next to music.

One more thing I need to say. For the past 6 nights, I have eaten spring rolls for dinner. I'm going to miss them, but I guess I'd rather be in two exciting capitals.

October Snow

Hej Hej!

So it happened. It snowed on Thursday. The walk home was brutal and cold, but beautiful. The next day at school, the mountains behind us were covered in a white blanket. It was picturesque, to say the least.

Today, the snow melted with the lovely rain. I've had a headache all day, but toughed it out to go to the gym and run errands. I can finally watch TV here, and I get about 11 channels, mostly Swedish, but Discovery is in English, which is sweet!

In a week from now, I will be in Stockholm! Actual Stockholm this time! Then a few short days later, I'll be in Berlin. Only five school days! I've been reading about the Brandenburg Gate all day, and can't wait to be in a city where SO much has happened!

My head still hurts, so I'm gonna make some popcorn and watch a movie.

A wave of nostalgia seems to be sweeping over Jean Roycers, and if any of you follow this, I say: amen. A night out on the Kingston town with good friends is something that has a fond place in my heart!

Hej då!

. . . .or a local will push me. . . .

Forgive me followers, for I have neglected this blog.
It's been one week since my last blog post.

What have I been doing with my time? Well, work, foodstuffs, and watching documentaries and the Daily Show and Colbert Report.

School is going well. My head is sort of finally resting on my shoulders. There are also only two weeks until the Fall Break, so there's a definite finish line to strive for, or, actually, breathlessly reach for with outstretched arms. I suppose it's halfway save point, in video game terms, where you jump into the barrel, and all your previous work is saved, but you still haven't beat the level yet.
Oh, Donkey Kong metaphors. The biggest challenge now is the huge gap between extremely motivated and students who want to be challenged and those who really, really need a lot of help just to follow along. I'll figure something out, I'm sure.

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous out, but I lazily spent most of the day lounging, watching Jon Stewart's various musical guests, and eating chocolate chip pancakes with vegan canned whip cream! MMM! (no sarcasm)

We went out with the staff to Gothenburg for the night. We started off at a pretty nice restaurant, and I received five pounds of gnocchi which I barely dented! We sat in the wine cellar, which was spooky, albeit freezing. After dinner some parted ways, but ten of us went out on the town. The first place we went to was called Puta Madre (for realz) and it was this Baton Rouge type of Vaudeville place where the servers were all dressed thematically. From the outside it looked like a shithole, but we walked in and it was beautiful. After an hour or so, what was left of the group (nationalities present were: Canada, U.K, South Africa, Iran and Sweden) went to the watering hole next door. I must say, I was not pushed by anyone this week, which was an immense relief. On the bus ride home, I was giving a Swedish 18 year old boy a musical education. The only music he knew from Canada was Nickelback and Neil Young. It also turned out I knew way more Swedish music then he did. I asked him if he knew Tom Waits, and he did not. However, a boy sitting in front of us did, so we began to compare what music we knew and loved. Eventually, we made it home back to the hustling and bustling town of Borås. . . .woo hoo (sarcasm).

So today. . . I have accomplished very little. I made popcorn, (on the oven) watched a documentary by Stephen Hawking, and one about Psychology, ate pancakes (with no soy whip this time-gotta be sensible) marked literally three student papers, and cleaned my apartment for a total of one minute.

It's beautiful out today, so I will drag my lazy behind outside for a walk, and perhaps go to the gym I just signed up for.

I miss home and special needs programs and family and friends and BBQ chips and Toboggan and Jangles and my fish who may be dead and having blinds in my room and being able to watch Sens game and sarcasm.
But I'm glad to be here, and I am not complaining.

The Falcon Lake Incident

I will be home in ten short weeks! Let's be honest, ten long weeks.
Well, one of those weeks will be spent in Stockholm and Berlin, so any semblance of complaining I'm thinking of doing is not justified, because, I mean, I get to spend a week travelling in Stockholm and Berlin! My former self would have been green with envy at my current self's proximity to such rich, cultural places.

This week went off without any serious glitches. We're doing a unit on animals in English, and it's evident how much more interesting this is than common and proper nouns.. . . the next unit is sports. Let the good times roll!

I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that this weekend is Thanksgiving, which I love spending at the cottage. From the cold sweater and coat weather, to the homework parties with Emma, to the delicious meals, Catan games with Mishy and others, the tofurkey, the pie, the food-comas, the trip hiking up the mountain that results in very serious injuries. . . ok, well that part I can do without, actually. . . but all these things mean a lot to me, and it's hard to not be there. If there was ever a (second) time to be homesick, this is it.

But, at least the leaves here are changing colours and are extremely beautiful. Tonight, my friend is hosting a party, so I won't be alone, and tomorrow I'm going to go to this lovely little café where they serve pie and cream. So, it could be worse.
My apartment is just such a loser-den. It's so messy, and filled with junk food. It's like a college room, minus the other people around, and the party lifestyle.

I did go for a long run today, and then did some stretching and BASIC yoga poses I'm learning. It was a good day to clear my head.

Ok, well, I just purchased Jim Bryson and the Weakerthan's latest album, and I can't wait to fall in love with it. Listening to Ottawa-Winnipeg Folk-Roots-Rock is probably not the best way to rid myself of homesick fever. . .

oh, what the hell!

Tofu: FOUND

It happened ! I had given up all hope. I had already visited two local thai restaurants to ask about their tofu purchases.

I went on and on (à la BBQ rant) about how incomplete my culinary life was because I was missing tofu. Swedes looked at me strangely. 'What is this 'tofu' you speak of?' And then, upon answering them, I could tell they did not 'get' it.

So, yesterday, I'm strolling through a local grocery shop, buying some frozen fruit and soy milk, browsing around the liquid yogurt section (yes, that is not a typo) when I see something white, cubed, and un-appetizing looking. TOFU!

Ignoring the fact that the expiry date had already passed, I snatched up two blocks of that delicious bean curd goodness. I was elated! Pad thai tonight!, I said to myself.

So tonight, right after this post of glory, I am off to cook myself some tofu for the first time since I hit European land. Protein city, here I come!

p.s How many of these posts actually revolve around food?

Answer: Far too many.

Pajamas+ jeans equals bliss!

So, you've probably ALL been hearing about the latest craze known as 'Pajama jeans.'

Well, I have now jumped on board. Anyone who knows me knows that I am, for the most part, a lazy slob. But now, with my brand new Pajama Jeans, I can be a lazy slob in public, and everyone is none the wiser!

Essentially, they're just tights that vaguely look like jeans, but man oh man, that's good enough for me.

In other news, I now have a king-sized bed. . . . at my parents' house. So, I am counting down the days until I can sleep in heavenly bliss at home!

The weather was shitty this weekend, so I didn't go to Göteborg. I went for a run today (and froze) and am now in the process of doing my laundry.

I'll do some lesson planning, have dinner, and maybe clean this place up a bit. Nothing newsworthy, and yet, I wrote it anyways.

Here is a pj jean photo for the curious.



Note: owning Pajama Jeans did NOT make me a cooler person.

Insert Blog Title Here

Not much to report.

School photos were today so I headed down to the local thrift store for some new clothes. I got this skirt that is pretty sweet, and a few students said I looked fancy.

My personal dress code coincides with the question ''Can I get away with wearing this?,'' so, needless to say, I'm not exactly the sharpest dresser in the shed.

I'm aching to go back to Göteborg, but I think this weekend I need to relax, sleep in, and get some much needed endorphin release through exercise!!!

Today we had pasta salad lunch as the vegetarian option, and my it was great! So tasty and filling. I am so full as we speak.

All right. . . I am going to try not to fall asleep!

Nothing exciting right now. . . well, nothing post-able.

Göteborg me in Gothenburg!

Göteborg!!
The people demand more blog! Ask and you shall receive Mr. Laforest!
It’s been a week since my last post. Blame the hectiness (no, not a word) of teaching, and everything in between.

Last Sunday we went to watch a game of the Swedish Elite league. It was great hockey, and a nice little taste of back home!

For those of you who have been waiting on pins and needles to find out how the poutine went, it went well! I mean, it’s by no means Elgin Street Diner poutine, or New York Fries for that matter, but it was cheese, gravy, and fries. So, I did it! I served it to my friends along with brushetta and pesto salad. I am no great cook, but as my friend said, it was a carbo-fest! And the pesto was vegan, so it was almost a vegan meal.. . almost!

This week was crazy with Parents’ night and everything else, but thankfully this weekend has completely taken my mind off school. Friday night I went out with a colleague for Thai dinner, and then we met up with another at the local ‘Irish’ watering hole. That was nice, but we were all Yawn-City from the week! I’m starting to feel old (which is weird, because I look 18).

Yesterday I got up, made pancakes, and headed out to catch the bus to Göteborg (Gothenburg). Well, I missed the bus, so I was stuck in rainy Borås for an hour. I walked around because there was a big 10 K race, so lots of people around. A short-ish bus ride later, I arrived in Gothenburg. It was an instant lift of happiness. People! Everywhere! So many of them! I heard English, Swedish, and other languages! It was bustling! There were trams, and busses, and street performers! Admittedly, I felt a pang of remorse, because there is an I.E.S in Gothenburg, and I might have worked there. It’s an actual big city, and it FEELS Europeans. So, I walked around for a few hours, went to the ferries wheel, Opera House, the Lipstick Observatory, and then walked into the mall (the biggest in Scandinavia) to get a proper map. I then realized I was starving, so I went to an All-You-Can-Eat pasta and salad bar. MMMM. On my way out, I ran into a coworker-friend from Borås! We couldn’t believe it.
Anyways, he told me he was meeting a fellow-Canadian from I.E.S Gothenburg, and I decided to tag along to get a proper tour of Gothenburg. We met up at a donut place (a little too cliché?) and walked along the busy, beautiful streets. We then headed to another Canadian’s place, and it sure was nice to get another taste of home. There definitely are differences between Canadians and Swedes. They aren’t obvious, but it was just a different vibe.

WE eventually went to a nice French café, and I had a chocolate croissant. We were ALMOST talked into staying the night and hitting up the Gothenburg nightlife, but we decided we’ll be back in the near future, if not next weekend!!
So we came back to Borås, and both did not want to go back to our little apartments. So we went to a pool-bowling-golfing range pub for a bit. I came home and made myself nachos, and went to bed.
Today I went running in the mountains. Man, was it great! Today it hasn’t yet rained, so I also decided to go back to the zoo. Since I went to early, there was hardly anyone there, so the animals all kind of looked at me in a different way.
So now I bought all the ingredients to make pad thai (minus tofu, which is SO hard to find) and will settle in for a night of Canadian Polaris-nominated albums and sweet thai food!


I realized nothing was particularly funny or interesting about this blog.
Sorry to all my fans! (Frandons)

Also, I don’t know who I want to win Polaris. I LOVE Dan Mangan and Shad’s albums a lot, and the French part of me is rooting for Kwarka, or even Radio Radio. I like Tegan and Sara, but I don’t think they’ll win, and both Caribou and Owen have won. I’m indifferent towards BSS, even though they are stellar. The only album I haven’t really absorbed is the Sadies’ record. . . so I’m sure they will win!

A Very Canadian Saturday Night.

What do you do when you are in a foreign country, and home alone with nothing to do on a Saturday night?

Well, you do what any good Canadian might do.
You make poutine!!!!!!!









La piece de résistance!



Mmmmm. Incroyable!

(this was actually a trial run. I'm making this for some non-Canadian friends on Tuesday, and wanted to make sure it passed the Labrosse seal of approval!!)

Zoo shots (what you've all been waiting for!)

Hello!

Here are my favourite zoo shots. Tonight is laundry night, so I'm killing time between the wash and dry cycles. You know how it is!




(No, not a REAL dinosaur. It's Dyurpark, not Jurassic Park!)
(Below: one of the first things I saw: the Savannah! )



(Below: such a cute moment! Friends!)


(Below: Hello Mr. Elephant!)



(Below: Oh, how I loved this chip! Who could ever be anything but happy while they are this close to a chimp!)



(Below: I thought nothing could top the chip. I was wrong. )




(Below: Cool Cats. hahah such a lame thing to say.)



(Below: I'll end it here. Finally, I saw real-life lions! When went to the Granby zoo when I was four it was too hot and we missed them!)




Ok, so. . . that is a small portion of the zoo!

I just wanted to say congratulations to Jason, Michelle, and Max who were the big winners at last weekend's Paddle Tennis Tournament. It was a first-time win for all parties, I believe.
See you in 2011 Paddle Tennis Weekend!

It's All Happening At the Dyurpark

Oh, the zoo! In all efforts to not cry over Paddle Tennis Weekend, I took a trip to see some animals.

Saturday I didn't end up going. As I left my apartment I heard live music and saw this big celebration just outside the grocery store near where I live. I wandered over and saw a few tables set up selling household items, face painting, mascots, and a giant inflatable bouncy thing. I looked around for a bit, and then ran into B., the man who helped me out on my first day, and who provides me with delicious crepes!
He informed me that it was ''Sjöbo's party'' or something like that. Sjöbo is that name of my part of town (and it's pronounced kind of like Whou-euh-bo - yes, I said it incorrectly for about three weeks!).

So, I perused around, and found some good stuff! I found a poster thing of Billar, a candy company I love. I bought myself two 'adult' glasses (non-plastic), a big salad bowl, two tins for coffee and sugar, a cardigan, homemade earrings, and. . . oh, a few neat Swedish postcards. All for about 17 Canadian dollars! I love secondhand.

So after those purchases and watching a few shows, I definitely didn't have enough zoo time. So I went and sat with B at the coffeeshop, and eventually did a bit of organizing.

So the zoo. . . . it was impressive, and I am a harsh critic when it comes to animals!

There were lions, and tigers, and . . . yes, raccoons! Oh my! Actually, I have to say, I was impressed by so many of the animals and the large habitats they had. They even had seals, a lion pride, bears, and wolves that rushed up down from the forest in a pack. Amazing! The funniest happening at the zoo was the last animal I saw: racoons! People were fascinated by these raccoons. Now, anyone who lives in an urban centre is NOT fascinated by raccoons, but actually quite the opposite. I probably see 20 raccoons per week in Ottawa. But here, families and teenagers gathered around to watch the raccoons be fed. I was laughing out loud.

Funny event number two. There was a petting zoo. You get get inside this enclosed area and pet pigs, goats, and sheep who were just walking around. I looked in and thought, ''awww I wanna pet the animals too!'' so i washed my hands and entered. Then I looked around. I was the only person over six in that area (excluding parents who were supervising their kids). That was definitely the creepiest I've felt in a long, long time.

I am still at work. I think I have three billion things to do. There are not enough hours in the day, let me tell you.

Last night I went to a colleague/ friend's house for dinner, and picked at the cake for a good hour. Mmmm cake. Now, I'm so hungry for dinner but am forcing myself to stay and work for a little while longer.

A few students who I do not teach came up to me and asked me where I'm from. I told them Canada, and they replied that I should go back there, because it's better than Sweden. ''Oh, well have you ever been to Canada?'' I asked.
''No, but we've seen it in the movies.''

I don't know what movies they're watching. . . Canada does not have a prominent role in many blockblusters that I can recall!

Tomorrow is Thursday, and I've always loved Thursdays because that used to be ski club days. Ski club has been over since grade seven, but I've always loved the feeling that all you need to do is get through Thursday, and then it's Thursday night, which is BASICALLY the weekend. Oh, except that now my Fridays are busy and I teach until such a late time in the day that by the time my class is over, most of the staff have disapaeared and it's a ghost town!!! Tampis!

15 weeks until I'm home for Christmas! (but who's counting?)

My Heart May be In Luskville, but my Body is in Borås. . .

Just spoke to SO many people in Luskville! :) Amazing.

Now, because my mom told me they'd be showing this blog, I thought I'd post a few more Borås pictures for people like my grandparents!

Two things I forgot about my Friday.

First, I had a powerpoint to teach common and proper nouns. To illustrate an example of a proper noun, I had a picture of fellow Canadian and fellow Salt N Pepper Hoodie wearer Justin Bieber. I didn't realize girls would actually shriek when they saw his picture!

Secondly, I had to be THE teacher who sees a student passing a note and takes it. Don't worry, I didn't do it in an embarassing way and I did not read it in front of the class (not that I could, it was likely in Swedish). So, those were interesting.


And now for something completely different!


Real-life Swedish berries! (below)



(Below: the beautiful sunset outside my bachelor pad)



(Below: Knalleland Shopping Centre, not just for humans anymore!)



(Below: JUST organized. This is as good as it gets!)



(Below: Our school, from afar. Note the beautiful mountains I wake up to every morning!)



''Wi not trei a holiday in Sweden this yör? See the loveli lakes''



(Below: cute houses right off the walking path.)


Ok, hope those were interesting and diverse!
Off to eat and play guitar!
(oh, here is my guitar. . . AND my infamous carpet!)

My Heart is in Luskville, Québec

I made it through!
After fighting off a terrible cold mid-week, I have emerged on the weekend feeling quite a bit better.

First of all, I have to say that this weekend my heart is many miles away in Luskville. The L.O.P.T.C is currently hosting the annual Paddle Tennis Weekend. I would certainly give my right arm and leg to be there. For those of you sorry folks who do not know, Paddle Tennis is kind of like tennis, but played with a large paddle, and on a smaller court with a lower net. The scoring is exactly the same. In Luskville this weekend, there are many categories that divide the boys from men, and the women from everyone else. They are, Little Tykes (for the very young), Young Guns (kids), Ladies' Singles, Men's Rec (Recreational), Men's Competitive, and Mixed Doubles. Who will be victorious this year?

Paddle Tennis Weekend, as it is often referred to, happens in Luskville, a tiny little community on the Québec side of the Ottawa river. Years ago (over fourty years, to be precise) my grandfather Lou had a paddle tennis court installed on our front lawn. My uncle Paul created the first ever Paddle Tennis Tournament. Its held in part as a memorial to him, as he passed away when he was young under very sad circumstances. People are known to travel vast distances to make it to Luskville. This year we have guests from as fas as New York City and Texas!


Family and friends meet in Luskville on this great, great weekend to celebrate the sport, each other, good fun, community, and everything in between. My friend and neighbour (and fellow paddle tennis enthusiast) Michelle and I have ranked Paddle Tennis Weekend as our second-favourite holiday, behind only Christmas.

So, my heart bleeds a little bit, knowing I am missing out on the fudge; the late night campfires; the mad-dashes to Martine's, the local Candy Store; the food; the award ceremony; the paddle tennis upsets; and especially the laughs. No matter what, I MUST find a way to return next year. Michelle, my dear doubles partner, if you can hear me, I wish you the best of luck this year in the Doubles!

Here are some paddle tennis photos for the uneducated!



(Above: Working hard selling official L.O.P.T.C apparel
Below: Drawing a decent crowd!)



(Below: Labrosse Forever!!!)






(Above: A very serious Men's Competitive game, complete with refs
The ranking chart,
And yours truly, in action)

Jealous, aren't you? Well, so am I!

Now, back to reality. Today in Borås it's actually Sunny! What a shock! It also did not rain yesterday, so my world is turned upside down.

On Thursday night we went for an ''afterwork,'' as some of my colleagues describe it. We went to this little pub slash restaurant, and it turns out it is owned and run by a Canadian from Montréal! He told myself and my Canadian colleague to go to the bar side anytime we want to bypass the line! Canadian solidarity! Woo hoo. I also ate REALLY delicious french fries, so obviously I will be back.

My quest to be satisfied by potato chips in Sweden is proving lackluster. No BBQ chips ANYWHERE. The only flavours seem to be things such as regular, salt, grill (onion) and sour cream and onion. I finally tracked down some salt and vinegar chips. . . . but they're basically salt with a TINY hint of vinegar. Well, that's just another reason to look forward to Canada in a few short months!

I am currently deciding what to do for our first week of Holidays in November. I'd really like to go to Germany, so we'll see.

As for today. . . I am not going to run because my lungs are still a bit. . . iffy, but I think I will take a trip to the zoo. Now, I do NOT generally support the idea of zoos, and have only ever been to one, but I've heard the animals are properly taken care of here, and I will go check it out for myself. It was that or go to Göteborg, and I think I'm still too ill for that.

Whoever you are who reads this blog, sorry this is so long! Blame my strong coffee :)
And if you are reading this, chances are I miss and love you very much! If you happen to be in Luskville. . . give it and everyone the biggest hug for me, and PLEASE eat some BBQ chips in my honour!

Love,
R.dawg

p.s if we have t-shirts this year, someone make sure my mom buys me one!
And take lots of pictures!

Sunshine, running, good coffee and blueberry pancakes! (and slugs, too!)

TGFW! Thank God for Weekends!

Now, let's put things in perspective. I really do love my job! It's a great group of people who are all working tirelessly to provide the best education we can to our students. But, in all honesty, it's absolutely exhausting right now!

So, on this Sunday morning, I have spent the past few weekend days relaxing, and being ''off'' mentally and physically.

Friday night we went out with the staff. It was quite lovely, but I'm still getting used to the price of beer here! It's pretty unreal! Thank God my tolerance is moderate! A few of us stayed until the very end and got delicious food afterwards ( I got falafel) and it was great, because post-going out food is porbably one of my favourite parts of going out!

Yesterday the weather was OK. It ended up storming in the afternoon,so that cancelled my plans to go out and buy more ''teacher'' clothes. I got caught up on a lot of my catching up with family, and got to speak to my parents, grandparents, aunt, cousin, brother and his friends, who were very obviously so thrilled to hear my voice that they were speechless!

I just went for a pretty intense run. I took a new path and ended up running uphill. I did end up at a beautiful lake, so I stayed and stretched a few extra minutes.
The best/worst part of running is trying to avoid stepping on slugs! YUCK! Next time I'll bring my camera to take some photos!

So now it's time to finish making my blueberry pancakes :)
I love it here, but I keep getting more and more excited for coming home. . . .only four short months! hahaha

-Rendawg

P.S
Look what I stumbled upon in one of the grocery stores here! Maple Joe! Product of Canada! Mmmm real Canadian maple syrup! Heavenly.



(Now all I need is to find tofu and BBQ chips and I'm set!)

Eat, Sleep, Discipline (and coffee whenever possible)

Please refer to the title of this post for all the information you need about the goings on in my life at the moment.

I am officially the Queen of Mean. Ask the parents of the many students I've had to call!

I will write more when my sanity is restored. . . .

probably sometime on the weekend!

The First Day of School!

I survived day 1 as a teacher!

Surprisingly, I was not overcome with nerves, or worry, or panic. I'll spare any very specific details for now, mostly because it's so beautiful outside and I want to get out while I can.

So, at our school each class group has two (or in our case three) mentor teachers. As the students arrived, myself and the other two mentor teachers welcomed our students to IES. We went over the pamphlet of rules every student has to sign, both in English and Swedish (guess which one I did!)

Some of the rules include: no cell phones EVER; no gum, soda, or other junk food (I will personally break this rule in private, no question - it's a sickness); the students must line up before any class begins, and they may only enter once the teacher allows it; they cannot leave school grounds; they may not speak out of turn in class or run in the halls, among many, many more.

From my understanding, most Swedish schools do not enforce rules strictly, so I definitely saw a few shocked or suprised faces in the class. As a school, we are going to all work together to enforce these rules. Now, anyone who knows me surely knows that I am not "traditional" in any sense of the word. Sure, I agree with rules, and think that respect should be a big part of everyone's day. But if you had the strich and tough-as-nails teacher, and the anything goes, whatever teacher. . . well, I suppose my personality tends to located a little more in the middle, but let's be honest, a little closer to the easy going end of the scale. I tend to think that if students understand that I respect them, they show the same kind of respect in turn. It's always worked for me, and I do think our school rules are basic respect rules, so I can definitely be "me" while enforcing the code of conduct.
I am doing and will continue to do my best to uphold the school values. I can seperate the easy-going me of my personal life with the stricter teacher side of myself.

Anyways, back to the school day. So after the mentor meeting, I had Year 7 French. There were eleven students in the class. Eleven students. . . kind of felt like being handed some cake on a plate. Now, the level of French is essentially non-existant, so we will have to work together and learn as a nice little class.

Next we had lunch. Lunch here is NOTHING like lunch in Canada. Students all serve themselves from a buffet-style lunch, and find a spot in one of the cafeteria rooms. Teachers disperse and eat with students. Not at the the table, with them. Literally. It's not punishment. In any Canadian school I've been to or taught at, the presence of a teacher constitutes some kind of punishment, or "behaviour warning." Lunch is not the same "relax time" it was at other schools. It will take some getting used to, but for the most part, students really did seem to want the teachers there.

I had an English class. Had to do a bit of disciplining. I spoke about Canada, hockey, and poutine.

Had a great, relaxing weekend, and now I am going to open my books and start to return to school mode!

oh, I bought a skipping rope. I hope the neighbours below me aren't afternoon nappers!

p.s, I also got the sweetest sweater at a thrift store. I will let it speak for itself below.





Thug life.