Last two days in Sweden

Greetings from Stockholm!

Well, hellllloooo there!

I was gone for such a long time, I know. The reason? - my last month in Sweden passed so quickly and I was so busy that I simply couldn`t find some free time to keep blogging.

And here I am now - these are my last two days in Sweden. And I thought that I really need to write a goodbye blog post and to thank all of you guys who were following my adventures and reading my posts from the very beginning. 

I still remember my first day I came here... Ohh, sweet memories! :)

It was August 27th 2012. 

I remember I thought: "Oh my God... I need to be here for the next five months. And it is already so cold."

After a first few days I decided to start writing my Swedish adventures and the title of my first blog post was My first four days in Sweden.

People started reading it and they even published my first blog post on the official Mid Sweden FB page. I was so happy and it motivated me to keep writing.

Hello 2013! This is gonna be my year! :)

I want to say thank you - hvala - tack everyone who helped me during the last five months. Of course it wasn`t easy. Especially those first two or three weeks. I was a complete stranger so far away from my home, families and friends. People around me in a bus station, on the airport, in the supermarket, at the university were talking some strange language. Everything was so different, so expensive, and so Swedish. And it was a big challenge for me!

I had my great moments but also there were times when I was angry, sad, disappointed, cold and cold again. :D But you know what.. that is normal. And I can say now that I don`t regret anything. It was just as it was supposed to be. I met so many nice people here from all around the world (paradox - not so many Swedes). I improved my English. I got more confidence. I passed my Swedish exam and got an A (It turned out that Swedish is not so strange and hard as I used to think. Of course I can`t speak it fluently :D but I think I could learn it so much better if I really was surrounded by people speaking it all the time). I learned how to cook (ahhh I was spamming you with my food pictures all the time during the period when I actually realized that I can prepare something eatable hehehe) and now my mom said that I need to show all my cooking skills once I get home. That is going to be interesting, too. :)

My winter holidays were also so great since my Croatian friends came to visit me. We were in Stockholm and had such a great, great time there. Stockholm is really an amazing city. I think if I ever come back to Sweden again, I will definitely go to Stockholm again (Čiko and Tomas thank you for being the best hosts ever).

Somewhere in Stockholm with Tomas and Igor

With Jelena and Igor!

In Stockholm!

New Year`s Eve!

Jelena and I - the fastest shopping ever!

People from the international office from the university and from the Mitthem were so great to me. I really don`t know if some of them realize how important they are to people who come in a foreign country like me. Their help, a smile and nice words mean so much to us, at least they meant so much to me.

Finally, I will just say that my Swedish exchange program and all my Swedish adventures thought me so much about myself and my boundaries. Now I really know that I am able to come in a completely foreign country and not just survive but also be very good at it. I am proud on my university scores, on my work at WLM, on my English, on my cooking. 

And of course I will miss Sundsvall and MIUN and the whole Sweden (ok, everything except its weather and -24 degree these days brrrr), but I am sooo looking forward going back home. You  can`t even imagine! :) I am already so impatient and just thinking about those moments when I will finally hug my family and see all my friends and my home university. It is really true when they say that you are not aware what you have unless you "lose it".

Sweden goodbye and thank you for being [all in all] very nice to me.

Croatia, here I come! See you soon!

Goodbye pancakes!

Goodbye Sundsvall! :)

My next blog could be French adventures or something like that since I will spend two weeks there in February but one step at a time. 

Greetings to everyone!

Love,

Maja

P.S. There is one really great thing related to my blog posts. They helped Christelle, a really nice Belgian girl to get to know Sundsvall and Miun. We even met last week since she came to spend her spring semester here. I was so happy to help her and to show her the city and the university. 

Welcome Christelle and enjoy your time here!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

One of my favourite spots in the city

Ho-ho-ho-ho! Hello everyone! 

I am here and I am having a great time in Sundsvall (ok, except the weather and -12 degree and 30 cm of snow, but I am sure you all know that Swedish weather and I are not so good friends from the very beginning). 

The same place as above picture just a day before.

I know, I know I didn`t write anything for such a long time. My friend Davor (Heeeloooo Davor!) told me: "Maja, you must have a great time there when there are no posts lately."

So, what is going on in Sundsvall?

It`s December. Christmas is coming! You can feel it everywhere. Although it`s pretty cold somehow you can feel the warmth in the city center. I like it very much. Like there is something really magic and special these days in Sundsvall. Christmas - it`s not just decoration and presents for me, it means to me much more, but still the smell, the Christmas decorations, Christmas Market, snow, the music and I don`t know... it`s just very beautiful. It makes you feel special. :)

You see what I mean?! Its even better in a reality of course

But let`s be honest. I miss my family very much especially now when I know that I won`t be at home during the holidays. This is going to be the first time that we are separated during the Christmas. 

And well, I can say that now. It`s official. Two friends of mine are coming to visit me very soon and I am looking forward to them. We will spend a New Year`s Eve here and spend some time in Stockholm. I am sure we will make some memories to remember forever!

The look through the window at 8:20 in the morning.

Nacksta, the day after

Yeah, I know it looks beautiful, but believe me it`s sooooo soooo cold outside

Jelena, Igor! That is our building. That red one you see :D

One of the reasons why I didn`t write so much is that I have so many projects, presentations, seminars and exams to finish. For example I had my Swedish exam last week. I think I did it pretty good, but let`s wait for the results. I can finally say that I "know" this language, at least its basics. Last time I even tried to go to ICA (supermarket) and pretend that I am from Sweden saying, you know, things you say in every supermarket: "Hello!, Thank you! Thank you very much! How much is that?" :D It was quite good and I used to laugh at myself all the way home.

Me, before I turned into a snowman.

2.12. 2012. Christmas Market, Sundsvall

2.12. 2012. Christmas Market, Sundsvall

2.12. 2012. Christmas Market, Sundsvall

2.12. 2012. Christmas Market, Sundsvall

He made a cosy atmosphere there

Now I realise, there are just Germans and Croats on this picture :D

Choir. They are maybe nice, but I REALLY couldn`t stay in that coldness and listen to them.

30.11. 2012. Mid Sweden Uni, Student`s choir. Well done people!

One picture for Linux fans from FOI :)

I even had my first photo session ever last week. Thank you Amanda from the International office for contacting me. It was so FUN. I still don`t have any pictures, but when I do, I will show you. There were three students from China presenting Asia, one student from Nigeria presenting Africa and me presenting Europe. 

On the way to Lidl, a little bit of shooting.

See you soon I promise.

Christmas is coming! Do something nice for someone and just ...be good! :)

P.S. Greetings to my new friend Christelle who will come to Mid Sweden in January and who is my very loyal visitor. :)

Your Maja

Remember, remember the 5th November

Just a one tiny grain of rice in the chopsticks!

I will definitely remember mine 5th November in 2012.

Our friends from China surprised me with a real Chinese dinner. Of course I have to mention my roomate Marino who organised our dinner and took care of a chicken meat before the girls even started with a preparation. 

Preparation.

Don`t ask me for the name of a meal. Let`s say it was a chicken with paprika, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, hot paprika and who knows what else (something really spicy for my taste) and of course a lot of rice. They eat rice every single day in China and they prepare it in different ways then I do. But it was delicious though! 

Yes, I used a lot of water after every bite, but otherwise it was a great dinner. I even learned how to use the chopsticks. What to say, I am a natural talent! 

No, girls are really great teachers! Thank you girls! 

We also practiced some Chinese, Croatian and Russian as well. I can`t remember any Chinese word right now, but... it waaass soo fuun!

Yeeey, I can hold the chopsticks!

They tried my meat pie, too. At least few pieces left from my launch. Next time I will prepare more.

The main meal without rice and eggs with tomatoes.

Our great cooker Celia.

Just before the supper. Ready for eating.

Vera knows how to eat with them :D

Bon apetit!

Ohh yes, we ate everything!

Liah, Vera, Mia, Celia and Marino thank you for nice evening. :)

Sweet November

Autumn leaves peek through the snow

Hey guys! :)

Last time I promised you to take some pictures of Sundsvall at autumn. Well, I did that but I am afraid it looks more like Sundsvall at winter. :) 

I took the pictures last Monday when everything was white because of the snow. 

Take a look:

This place is 5 mins from my apartment

Arla - I suppose Swedish diary company (sth like Vindija in Croatia)

A lot of people are jogging every day here (no matter if its snowing, raining, shining - every day). That`s a spirit! :)

Under a bridge.
Notice: Just like "Bajer" at my home town. Boulevard on both sides of the river.

So good to go for a walk and clear your head.
Notice: Just like walkway "Drava" in Varaždin. :)

Railway crossing.
Notice: Behind my building - just like the railway station behind the Student dorm in Varaždin. 

Right now, there is no snow in Sundsvall at all and it`s not so much cold (I mean the temperature is over 0 degree and that is GREAT).

Last week we also had a Halloween party. Since I am not so much into it I didin`t put any mask. I was just Maja or as someone said - a victim. Someone needed to be. :D I will show you a few pictures from that party. Anna was the one who decorated a house for that occasion. Take a look:

The bat(man)s.

Happy pumpkins

Scary Alberto :D

A playboy and his bunny and two victims.

After a really busy week, I heard from the professor that he was very satisfied with my paper which made me soooo happy! I have even more confidence into myself now and that is really good. :)

This Friday we also had an awesome preparty at Andre`s place with some wine and guitars. They even played "I don`t wanna miss a thing" and I was melting I guess :D. After preparty we went to a real party at Oscar`s place and danced all night. It was so fun!

Great preparty! ;)

After that Friday I think everybody needed some rest. I really, really didn`t plan to go out on Saturday again :D, but then I suddenly heard that there is a salsa party in Casino, the last one in 2012. And it was "I will go...", "No, I won`t...", "But I could...", "No, I don`t have time to get ready.."... then Laura said "Come on, we will wait for you..." blah - blah - blah... and in the end we went there, we danced, we laughed, met new people and it was so much fun. Unplanned evenings are really the best one! :)

Salsa night!

Anyway this was a great week and I am looking forward to my next Swedish adventures!

Let`s make some chestnuts now! :)

Have a great Sunday!

Your Maja