Hej Hej,

So today is my birthday and a major on! At 16, you can get a drivers license, at 18, you can vote, at 21, you can drink. But at 25, now I can rent a car and allowed access to cheaper car insurance. I used to think that the car insurance thing was stupid to only pick an arbitrary age to give me a discount, or not jack up the price as it may be. But now I understand it. I feel so much more responsible, careful, and "grown up" than I did yesterday. Now I don't have a car, but if I did, I am certain I would be a much better driver today than I was on August 21st, the last day I drove a car.

Well, a month ago (here defined as a period of 4 weeks and not the 31 days that would normally constitute a month between August x and September y) tomorrow I got in (not on) a plane to come to Sweden. Time flies by really fast. I am done with ethics now and just have the take home test and in class test on Tuedsay. Ousch!!

But it has been a good time here so far. I have made some good friends including Nils, Petrus (pictured in this posting), Simon, Anton, Sophia, Malin, and many more. My Swedish has gotten better, I hope, and om (See Malin) one month it will be even more. Though the same cannot be said for my Englilsh. I am at a point where when I try to talk, I forget the word I am trying to say, in two languages. So in reality, I am forgetting twice as much as I used to. I hope that is not exponential.

Well on Sunday, there was the big election where the Social Democrats slightly increased their percentage from what they had before. But I am not talking about any government elections here. I am talking about the Swedish Church governing body. Here in Sweden, the leaders of the church are elected in polling booths on ballots (see pictures). And in the election, the candidates run as members of political parties, the Swedish equivalent of Democrats and Republicans. It is a rather odd concept for an American.

Well, I am going to go join a soccer team which should be fun and painful. But I need to get my football fix some how.

Vi hörs,

Antonio

Long time...

So it has been a little while since I wrote. Sorry!!!

Things have been going well here. I have 2 more weeks of ethics (gulp) so I am trying to get the Norwegian done. I have also started an online class at Luther: Gospel and Global Media. It should be a good course.

I have some great news.

1. I will be here the whole school year because

2. I get to do my CPE my 4th year after

3. I go on internship next year. Those were all three iffy questions when I left and they are now resolved. Woot woot.

As many of you know, I love Sweden. The culture, the people, and the food. But, I do have another part of me too. Antonio Lorenzo Spargo, lover of spicy foods. Well, I finally decided that I had eaten enough meatballs and falukorv. So I decided to make cajun style red beans and rice. I went to the ICA grocery store that is 300 feet from school and tried to find the ingredients. Because this ICA is not very big, I had to punt on some spices. It ended up being weak in my opinion, even with fresh peppers, but almost too spicy for the Swedes I shared it with. But it was good. So good that I ate it for four days straight. mmmmm

When I am not making cajun food or baking banana bread (yes, I did that too), I have been getting very good at bureaucratic Swedish interactions. SInce I got here, I have been trying to open a bank account. The first time I went to the bank, they said I had to study in Sweden for 10 months. But since I am able to work in Sweden with my visa, that did not make sense. I went back a second time and to which I was informed I could have a bank account, but that I needed a letter of admission from the school. I had one that I sent to the Swedish Government to get my visa so I thought I would use that.

On my 3rd visit, I was told that it wasn't signed and stamped by the school so I needed a new one. So after returning to school, requesting a letter that was signed and stamped I went a 4th time. Finally we started the process of opening an account until they said my person number (SSN) was not active and that I needed to go to the Skateverket office to get that taken care of. When I walked there, they were closed. So I went in to town for a 5th time and was told there that I would be entered into the system in 4 weeks. Eish.

Then yesterday, I was trying to get my insurance figured out here in Sweden. After talking to the American Embasy, Swedish INS, some office I don't remember in Uppsala, and försäkrings kassan (insurance) I found I needed to go to the Försäkrings Kassan office in Uppsala to fill out some papers. I did that today! Finally done with my running. Except when she copies my residence permit, she asked for my other INS papers, which I never received. So now I have to go to that office to request them. Yipee.

But I now have a bike (Thanks Wes!!!) that makes getting around Uppsala a lot easier. And very soon I will be joining Norrlands Nation, which is one of the student organizations at the University, that will get me discounts and various things around town.

That is about it and I have class in 7.5 hours. So I am going to turn in. I hope you are doing well!!! As I said before, please do add me on skype or send emails or chocolate chip cookies. Well that probably won't work but I would love to hear from you.

Antonio

p.s. Enjoy this link of a Ukranian band. If you recognize the song, it is funny. If you don't, then lace up your polka shoes. (Note there is a swear word) Heather C., this should be added to your list.

Photos

I thought I would post just a few photos. The last two are of me in Uppsala with the Domkyrkan behind (two spires) and then in front of the University's main hall. The rest are of my beautiful and spacious room. Enjoy!