brownies in sweden + bank accounts + chinese translations.

even kids in sweden know to lick the bowl while baking brownies!

i perpaired a baking project of brownies for the kids after school yesterday which went very well! i wrote the recipe in english, using the crazy US measuring system which started a lot of questions... "our oven doesnt go to 375!?" and "...a teaspoon?" i wasnt too mean, i gave them a cheat sheet with conversions to look up. [brownies=math+english!] before the pan of batter was in the oven, the children were not saying anything behind my back and no one was helping me when i realized they were indulging in the bottom of the batter bowl. precious. the computer was there and i just had to take a few shots with the poor quailty of photobooth !




i have started labeling pink post it notes around the kitchen in english and swedish. to help with both parties. it is just hilarious when the kids and their friends come over and notice them; they run around like a scavenger hunt and read them all! hmm...
perhaps the home will be covered in pink post it notes soon..?

i opened a bank account today. im pretty excited about it. i have a bank account in sweden! WOWEEee.


the table tennis drive tonight was so eventful! i picked up the children were discussing different languages and who of their classmates spoke or knew other languages. [this was in swedish i will have you know..] i blurted out, "I KNOW CHINESE!"
which, i know 2 lines in chinese thanks to claire in boston. "push the one with the handle" is the phrase. but spoken in chinese of course it sounds terrifying. the children were quiet and asked, "what was that." i explained to them the phrase, about opening the correct door with the handle. i then asked the boys to translate, "push the one with the handle" in english to swedish.
a few times of repeating and a question of, "handle? what is a handle?" the three boys worked as a team through english and swedish to their final presentation of:

ÖPPEN DÖRREN MED HANGTAGEN. [if that is the proper spelling.]

i was so excited, and proud i got a bit loud because all three boys covered their ears through my enthusiasm ! i understood them in swedish, we took a left turn detour through chinese, touched base with english, and went back into swedish!

wow. what a day!


my new music finds, are from stockholm, called shout out louds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cq5flXMRrE

[tonight i have to leave it.] sorry, youll have to copy and paste the link.

which has been remixed by another swedish artist, kleerup who i am seeing next weekend with THE FAMILJEN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGqTCCbSL8k

[det snurrar i min skalle.]


its a dream come true!
xoxo.

p.s. spencer fenn arrives from england tomorrow for the weekend. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"remember that time we met up in sweden!?"

med jonathan i stockholm!

over the summer in boston i was lucky enough to met up with jonathan from stockholm, studying english in boston. [thanks cecilia!] jonathan and i spent time eating burritos and hanging out on the docks at the charles river talking about the english language. which we've come to the conclusion makes no sense!
we meet up to wander the city [on a cloudy day, again. . .]
YUN-A-TON is how jonathan is pronounced is sweden. he is off to prauge for an 4 month internship. we have already discussed meeting up in prauge! yay for friends in other countries! [i have a list accumulating!]












SWAN!

xoxo.

belgium runaways!

nate nate is coming to visit the last week of february. we are running away to belgium for the weekend!

waffles & chocolate, please & thank you!



xoxo.

swedens history in 6 hours.

i took a little day trip to a town outside of stockholm, strängnäs. much history and places to see!
it was a cold, windy, rainy, gray day, but the places were still breath taking, and mind boggling thinking of how long they have been what they are. america is young. europe is filled with rich culture and tales to tell.
i met up with christoffer, a scandinavian and a history major! talk about a personal tour guide!



Gripsholm Castle.




trees!



[this sign means: TOURIST ATTRACTION! HISTORICAL LANDMARK AHEAD!]

runstens are all over!
[this particular one is a snake with its tail in its mouth, representing the earths "equator." the story goes when he lets his tail out of his mouth the world ENDS. whoa.]






Strägnäs Domkyrka. the most jaw dropping church that overlooks the charming "town." [yes, that is a real house with balloons.] the wealthy, religious and royal are all burried in the church, in "side rooms", walls and the floors.





[photo above: lingonberry.files.wordpress.com]

my weekend started with this traditional pastry called "semla." it will be popular in the upcoming weeks, as it is associated with the fasting of lent. it is the last thing served on "shrove tuesday" before the fast. a warm bun, carved into a bowl filled with cream and a marzipan-like paste then sprinkled with powdered sugar. often served in warm milk. i watched in amazement 10 year old alexander mix the dough, pull out of oven, carve, fill and serve. i think there needs to be a swedish/american pastry bake off!


xoxo.

a quiet break from "reality."

going into this i knew it would be a task to communicate with people who do not speak english. it is so amazing and fun to learn a new language and figure new ways, both verbally and non to explain things, ask questions and express yourself.
working at lindt, an international chocolate shop in downtown boston was always a new adventure because the majority of the customers were infact tourists and some did not know english. it was like a big guessing game trying to help their needs and make sure their visit in the store was as positive as possible.
[ & the rockstar team of 404 on boylston st can rock it! now that i am the travler, i am thinking of you guys ! ]

being in a new country and not knowing the language so well is both challenging and exciting! i have no problem in my outtings asking people for help in the grocery store, or subways; everyone can speak english. so i am not really completley lost in a foriegn land.
however, simple things that we do about our daily life now has an extra step added because of the language barrier.
what is for dinner tonight? my morning rutien of translating recipes and finding the proper ingredients in the kitchen is a project in itself. in the past 2 weeks i am getting better with directions and am seeing a pattern with most dishes-everything will be mixed together in the end! and the common ingredient: grädde/cream!

the other morning the washing machine malfunctioned during load number 01... of course to solve this one would read the instruction mannual . . . .på svenska!?

of course in swedish!

how exciting!



i came to the conclusion the drain pipe was clogged, which was the case! SOLVED! next swedish household problem, BRING IT!

swedish classes will start in about 2 weeks. i can not wait! i have signed up for an INTENSIVE BEGINNGER CLASS. everyday for 2 hours. i am taking a crash course, back to the bascis! learning swedish in SWEDEN. how cool is this!?

what a glorious day for back home! barack obama officially has us in his hands. i am very exctied! and it seems that everyone here is also! the friends parents that come by have been asking me if i watched and commenting on the big day! alexander and i were cooking in the kitchen during the inaguration [it was 5.30pm in sweden]. he was showing me how to make his favorite dish, "ryska pannkakor", "russian pancakes".. pancakes that you fill with rice and meat. [like a BURRITO! a very boring burrito, but it was exciting nonetheless!] i explained to him the importance of our new president, and how history was being made!


happy obama day in sweden!



xoxo.

gamla stan.

gamla stan is the "old" part of stockholm. hence the name "gamla" meaning OLD and "stan" meaning CITY.
it is something out of a story book. cobble stone streets, cafes, mom + pop chocolate shops, and sparkling christmas lights hanging throughout the streets.

i enjoyed a cappuccino and a tradtional swedish pastry, "bulle" [bun]. yes, the cinnamon and sugar ones! this one was with almonds spinkled on it! mmm! jätte god!

the weekend was wonderful.. went out and did lots of walking around the city. boston is the walking city..well so is stockholm! everything is so close and all within walking distance! i am becoming familiar with streets and subway stops. there is an h+m on everyblock, so i decided to go into one and found it so cliche i was in an h+m store in downtown stockholm while listening to lykke li in the store. [a swedish store playing a swedish artist for those who are unfamiliar.]

i went to the lovely arianna's place to meet her amazing friends and had the most delicious meal! HOME MADE BREAD! and carrot soup! i am so envious of everyone here knowing how to cook. but i figure, there is not a better time in my life, -OR PLACE- then to learn the tricks of the trade in kitchens in SWEDEN!

we ate, drank, laughed, sharred stories, listened to detektivbyrån and i was on cloud 9!

for those music fans out there, i have some interesting news! the song "heartbeats" that we know from the sony bravada commercial [bouncy balls in san francisco!..sheena honeycutt!] was ORIGINALLY by the knife. jose gonzalez [another swedish performer] COVERED it. oh! the drama!

oh sweden you are such a small world!

xoxo.

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.