Classes started this week! The education system here is very different compared to back home. Mainly they do not have a parallel class schedule (all class at once), it is more consecutive and we all take one class at a time.

I am taking four different modules within one main program track, or topic. The track is called Introduction to Swedish Culture and Society. The first module I am in right now is History and Heritage, my favorite, not. We only meet two days a week for an hour and 45 minutes. I can't complain because I love the scheduling of it! The only downside is that it requires a lot of reading. I'd say it's about the same as three classes together at Eau Claire... a lot of reading! Oh well, the University is very laid back, they understand we are exchange students and are OK if we don't "understand" something or can't be in class because we want to travel! It's so great. When History and Heritage is over I will start Comtemporary Sweden, Swedish Literature, and end the semester here with Swedish Film. For two of my classes I get to go to Stockholm for a weekend trip as well as a day trip to Kalmar, a historical city in Sweden. And in films, we watch movies in every class period! It'll be awesome!

The professors are very nice. They are all Swedish but speak excellent English. I noticed that a lot of times they will ask us Americans if a word they are saying is correct, or will ask us what the word is by giving us a definition. Kind of interesting... Every class also has a break half way through for coffee! We get coffee breaks here! This isn't good though.... I will explain later. Right now my class is with all other exchange students, although I have still had the chance to meet some Swedish people that live here. Everyone is so friendly.

The coffee here is so different from back home! Being an avid coffee drinker, I have had just one cup since being here! It is very strong, bitter, and sour. Not good. Grocery shopping is another interesting yet funny task that I've experienced... I obviously don't speak or read Swedish (although I will be learning it later in the semester), so I don't understand any of the labels on the food! So far everything I've gotten has tasted like what I thought I bought so it is OK. One thing though is that they don't have chocolate chips here... very strange! I wanted to make some cookies for my friends but they don't have any chocolate chips! Today at the grocery store I had what seemed like a 10 minute conversation with a Swedish woman, trying to figure out which flour to buy for baking... man it was quite the task. Very humorous though I'm sure it seemed!

This weekend I am going to the Original IKEA in the world, and will buy some stuff for my room, and make it feel more "homey." Tonight we are having a party at the student pub next door, called Pudas. It is for exchange students only and then they will open the doors for everyone else later in the evening. It should be a good time.

I posted some more pictures so be sure to look at them! Take Care!