carpools to table tennis + swedish directions.

alexander told pappa to teach colette all swedish words tonight.



xoxo.

seriously, where am i!?

are you kidding me?
i know people have said how beautiful sweden is, but this is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! it is still night while waking in the morning. and yes the sunsets about 3pm. dawn + dusk seem to last longer; as if they are extended to be their own part of the day.

by the time i pick children up from school, my breath seems to be lost in the deep oranges, blues and purples on one side of the sky. while there are twinkling stars and a bright bold moon on the other.
many photo projects to come. my first job is to get myself a NICE tripod. [happy belated birthday colette! get yourself a new tripod!]

stockholm is just unbelievable. i can not wait for the spring and summer when it is in its prime. the old buildings, architecture, lights and reflection of the sea [never an ocean here] is quant yet dazzeling. i have found myself a personal tour guide, an amazing lady i met in boston, [yes in the tea shop!] who gave me the lowdown of the city. complete with goatcheese + honey sandwhiches and an max ernest exhibit at the modern art museum.
fantastic!

though i have been learning swedish, it is so surreal hearing it EVERYWHERE, SEEING it everywhere! i am a bit overwhelmed and can see that i have excelled in reading and comperhension, however, speaking and hearing is a WHOLE NEW LANGUAGE. literally.
i am in complete shock at the noises i can NOT make with my mouth. and also little shocked at those who CAN. swedish classes will start soon, so i hope to boost my minimal conversation skills :) tack!

on a side note, i do remember reading about this noise that is made in conversation when you agree with someone. which is a GASP! like we make, but only when we are frightened, or scared .....*GASP!*
no, here in sweden its just a normal part of conversation. took me a few people, and shocked faces to learn what was going on!

while walking in public, everyone just walks where they want. literally. i didnt grow up in a city, but living in manhattan and boston, there is a bit of structure to side walk ediquet.
yesterday, there was a boy about 7 years old who stood in front of the escalators while i was trying to get down. he stood RIGHT in front of me. and i just stood in front of him, waiting for him to move. when i did move, i looked down to him moving the same way as i to block me and then looked up at me to give me a big laugh! what a little trickster! it just made my day!

the snow is gone. the past few days have been mild. and i have fallen in love with these birds i see everywhere! their tails are HUGE! i want one! i found it online! it is a great grey shrike.


the food is AMAZING! i will post my favorites! i have been taking the recipes, and copying them in swedish. then translating new words. this is my big project. dinner in 15 mins? HA! i need all day to perpair and research!

p.s. secret ingredient for mashed potatoes= nutmeg!


too much text, never enough photos...
stay tuned! i have some things up my sleeve.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH BACK HOME! not a moment goes by where i am not wondering what you are doing!

xoxo.

testing, testing. . [dag nummer två.]

things are going very well here in danderyd. today i went out driving! jag kan kör i sverige! there are FAR LESS stop signs here then in america. and much more "roundabouts"...AHH! lots of "stay straight", "now left?" "no right". . . thank god it wasnt in swedish! ahh!

i walked around the neighborhood a bit before the sunset at around 4pm. dusk is about 330pm. nice to get out into the cold!
there are some photos of the dusk sky i had to take quick shots of.

i also watched in amazment alexander fix his fish he caught yesterday while ice fishing. . .
he ate it for lunch today. i think i am going to make it my goal to caught, fix and eat my own fish here in sweden at some point!

i sent my books to myself before i left vermont, which included my recipie book...
tomorrow i believe we will go grocery shopping. i cant wait!!

i was shown the laundry room and EVERYTHING is in swedish! all the packages in the pantry, the MILK CARTONS [which, yes, do come in a box that doesnt shut after opening. . ]

and i have discovered pancakes and waffles are a dessert here. not a breakfast food. :)

enjoy the photos!
tomorrow i will meet the last au pair and perhaps go into STOCKHOLM!

god nätt!
xoxo.

JAG ÄR I SVERIGE!

alright...and now the moment you have all been waiting for....

I AM IN SWEDEN! RIGHT NOW! I AM ON SWEDISH SOIL! i arrived here safely and have an amazing family i am so greatful for. they are most accomidating and helpful!
i had my first swedish meal in sweden, which was "Saffransdoftande Fiskgryta med Aioli" . .. salom soup. it was amazing. i will post the recipe some day. [there is a LIST of things that go in it. . .]

it is just so surreal to hear childrens echos from upstairs all talking in swedish. i feel like im living in a swedish lesson! but no questions to write down or look up for next week, because its all right there! and ahH! i am so excited!

i practiced and finally got to say to the children when we first met, "Vad trevligt att träffa er dig!", which is "how nice to meet you!"

i am soooo jet lagged its not even funny. . .the night before i got horriable sleep because i was so antsy, and now we are going into saturday night. . .

these are HORRIABLE photos. but the trees is norway when i left, and the blurry one is sweden less then an hour later when we were landing!


i can not wait for the sun to rise tomorrow and i can SEE SWEDEN!
we are going into Stockholm, ice fishing and ice skating!!

Colette i Sverige. xoxo.

sleepwalking through scandinavia.

this is rediculous! goodnight boston, goodmorning norway!

i watched the sun rise in norway this morning on the plane at about 10am.
it really should be 6am, but everytime i get on a new plane, time seems to be dissapearing and coming closer to my 4pm arrival in stockholm.

the airports are beautiful! all dark wood floors and glass walls. .
i am activly playing the "WHAT LANGUAGE ARE YOU SPEAKING?" game..
because icelandic falls into the scandinavia family, i can pick out things here and there. [the word for "child", "barn" is the same!] in all of that i can pick out swedish! something i was afraid i wouldnt be able to do, only because i am not use to hearing it. . . but its becoming more frequent as my travels get closer to sweden.
it is just so cool to hear! i am so sick of my swedish tapes from class and the same songs and music videos, that hearing it live in front of you is just so cool! and also dampers my confidence on how many different sounds to make with your mouth that i have no idea how to do!

i have a few hours to chill in the airport, before my hour flight from oslo to stockholm. the anticipation is KILLING ME! i am so tired and look like murder. . .

i will post some photos of the send of party we had new years day!


xoxo.

i hope everything one is having a wonderful, cozy holiday!
i miss you all in boston and in the west coast!

i am on my parents computer, so i can not upload photos, however, bottles and i have been busy in the kitchen making goodies for the season. we have made cinnamon mousse, chicken cordon bleu, parmesan puffed tilapia, swedish cinnamon rolls and mulled cider! so delicious! i will post the cider recipe because it is the perfect drink to snuggle up with!

i am on the three day countdown in vermont. i can not believe it is so soon! i leave from boston friday the 02. i have a red eye flight, so i believe my parents and bottles will bring me to boston that night.

my beloved ice skates have dissapeared from boston to vermont somewhere, and i have been on the BIGGEST GOOSE CHASE in trying to find another pair. . .such a long story. i just won a pair off ebay, and i am still in the middle of overnight shipping to vermont. .. as that will be the FIRST THING i pack in my suitcase!

[incase you were wondring, i love ice skating. xoxo.]

my birthday is coming up and i hope you forget it. i cant believe i am OLDER. and i hope there are no presents. :)

my mother is having a little "swedish send off party" for me on thursday. come by! get in touch! i would love to see you before i hop across the pond!



bottles says i need to tell everyone what she got me for christmas:
[photos to follow:]
a swedish flag. a real, large, nylon 5'x3' flag!
i was so excited and a bit confused as to where i should put it until she chimed in,
"you can hang that in your room in sweden so when you wake up every morning you know where you are!"

precious.

gott nytt år!
och grattis på födelsedagen till mej!


hot mulled cider. from lisa petersons norweigan cookbook!

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp salt
dash of ground nutmeg
1 3" cinnamon stick
2 qt cider
orange slices

combine sugar, allspice, cloves, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cider in a large sauce pan. slowly bring to boil, cover and let simmer 20 minutes. remove spices. serve in warmed mugs with a slice of orange.

for all you tealuxers out there....the chiader aint got NOTHING on this concoction!


xoxo.

Happy Holidays from New York!

alright.
so now that it's getting closer i have heard word that my VISA has been APPROVED!
phew! we were all getting a bit nervous! but all is golden.

i am currently in new york. less then a week for holidays with the family in vermont! i can not wait!
nate and i made christmas cookies all day yesterday and this morning there is snow on the ground! how exciting!

i have my phone back and running! i left the charger in boston = eeeek! so my "vacation" was a bit extended but i am back and open to take your important phone calls!

the califorina film has been sent in to get developed so that project is on standby as of now.

i sent the swedish children fun christmas chocolate and some of my favorite books; Green Eggs and Ham, The Very Hungry Caterpiller, Matilda, A Light in The Attic. . .[i hope they dont read this before they get it in the mail!]

miss you all in boston! vermont you have 6 days until my arrival!
and sweden you now have: 17!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
maybe they be safe, warm + bright!

MERRY CHRISTMAS I SVENSKA= *GOD JUL*

xoxo.
colette.