Interesting week…..

Well, this week was full of unusual events.  It started on Monday while I was riding the bus to the boys' school and an older couple walked on the bus.  There were only two seats left, in the very back, next to me.  The old man wanted to stand, however, his wife insisted that they sit.  I could tell by his mannerisms and the way he greeted the others around us that he was a funny man.  By the time he sat next to me, he was joking with his wife and cracking himself up.  He then looked at me and said something funny, but of course I had no clue what he said.  He didn't care, he laughed at himself anyway.  A few minutes later he turned to me again and said something, at that point I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn't speak Swedish, and he just turned away, smiling.  He wasn't strange…. just a nice friendly man.  The reason I'm writing this in my blog….. because this is the ONLY time, in three months of living here, that I've come across someone (in public) this happy and friendly.  For a very brief second, I felt like I was home again.
The reality check came later that evening when the boys and I were heading out to Jake's practice.  It was dark and cold, and we were riding the elevator down.  Jake and Smith always run down the stairs and try to beat us…it's a little game we play each day.  Well… as we were heading down, the elevator came to a halting stop on floor 3 and an older man (he was big and burly) steps on.  This is unusual. Usually people will wait for the elevator to empty out before getting on.  I was on the phone with Steve at the time and when the man stepped on with us, I said hi and continued talking to Steve.  Well, at the bottom, the boys were waiting and we all stepped off.  I turned to shut the gate and door (you manually open and shut the doors in most apartments) and the man motioned for me to keep it open.  I turned to him and said, "oh, are you getting back in?"  He then proceeded to sternly tell me NOT to slam the door.  I said, "yes, I know not to slam it."  and I continued to shut the door. He screamed at the top of his lungs (something I have never heard a Swede do before), "STOP!"  I was so startled, I stopped and looked at him.  He then took both the doors and slammed them as hard as he could and screamed to me, "this is what you do when you get off the elevator!"  I was so stunned, as was Smith ( his mouth was hanging wide open with fear in his eyes).  I said, "how do you know I do that?" because I have never seen this man before in my life.  He pointed to his eyes and said, "I see you".  With that, I turned, grabbed the boys, and walked out of the building.  I shot him a look like he was a crazy man, and went on my way.  Apparently this man does not like us… and I came to figure out that he lives directly below us.  I'm sure he hears the boys pitter pattering as they walk and run through our apartment.   Steve was ready to knock on his door and punch him out… but I convinced him that I'm sure we would be kicked out on the street if he did that.  Thank God, he listened to me.  I've heard Swedes were non confrontational, so this incident surprised me, to say the least.  If he has a problem with me, I wish he would've handled it a lot differently.  Smith was so funny later that night.  He said, "Mom, that man was a liar…. you never slam the doors, we do and you always tell us to shut the doors quietly."  I thought that was so cute!

Later that week, Steve and I had lunch together.  We ate at one of our favorite lunch places, Thelens, down the street from our apartment.  While we walked to our seats, after ordering our food, it felt like a lot of people were staring at me.  I asked Steve if anything was on my face or hanging off of my butt.  We sat down next to an older couple and I glanced over to their table.  They were both full-on staring at us. When I made eye contact with them, they kept right on staring with no intention of stopping.  Steve and I looked at each other and laughed.  Throughout the meal, I often caught them glaring.  It's one of the strangest things I've noticed about people here….. they all stare.
These kinds of incidents used to amaze me, and also fascinate me.  I was intrigued by the cultural differences.  Well… I've hit the three month mark. Supposedly, the time when these things are not funny anymore, but instead, really annoying.  I am getting so annoyed by people's lack of courtesy, rudeness, and self centeredness.  According to many Xpats, I will soon become numb to it and it won't bother me anymore.

There were some positive things that happened this week too.  Our Lunch Club met at an Indian restaurant, Saffron, this past Tuesday.  I've been wanting to try it for months now, and it was delicious.  I've really grown to love Indian food.  Funny that I lived amongst many Indian's in Altanta and never ate the food, and now, living in Stockholm, I love it!  After lunch we all walked back to the school to pick up the kids.  Lori and I walked with Sara, our Swedish friend.  She grew up in Stockholm, so it's always great walking the streets with her.  We picked up so many tips on that short walk as she pointed out her favorite restaurants, told us about stores that we should visit, and also filled us in on some history.
I learned about an interesting tradition the Swedes have.  Christmas is not celebrated here in Sweden like we do in America.  Christmas Eve is the big holiday and then on Christmas Day everyone lounges around in PJ's and doesn't do much of anything.  There is a tradition on Christmas Eve at 3pm that most Swedes partake in….  they watch the 1958 Walt Disney special, "From All Of Us To All Of You". As they say it in Sweden:  Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul: "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas."
I read this on Jeremy Stahl's blog:
You do not tape or DVR Kalle Anka for later viewing. You do not eat or prepare dinner while watching Kalle Anka. Age does not matter—every member of the family is expected to sit quietly together and watch a program that generations of Swedes have been watching for 50 years. Most families plan their entire Christmas around Kalle Anka, from the Smörgåsbord at lunch to the post-Kalle visit from Jultomten. "At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, you can't to do anything else, because Sweden is closed," Lena Kättström Höök, a curator at the Nordic Museum who manages the "Traditions" exhibit, told me. "So even if you don't want to watch it yourself, you can't call anyone else or do anything else, because no one will do it with you."

Wednesday, I took the train two stops to Alvik, to the tennis center that I mentioned in my blog last week.  I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.  For one, it is directly across the street from the metro… perfect for the very cold winter days that lie ahead.  SALK: Stockholm's Almänna Lawntennis Klubb was beautiful inside.  There were 14 indoor courts in perfect condition.  The reception area was huge, with couches and a lot of seating for viewing the matches.  There was a tennis shop with really helpful people, a gym, and a restaurant.   I changed in the locker room and walked out to meet Linda, the pro, that was meeting me there at 10:00am.  She was so friendly and made me feel really welcome.  We played for 30 minutes and she felt confident that I would be a good fit on the Tuesday/Thursday team.  There are 280 women in the club and the talent level ranges from beginner to advanced.  I'm so excited to start on Tuesday with my new team.  I'll be playing a few hours a week of singles and a few hours of doubles.  I am beyond thrilled to be on the court again!  

View from the reception upstairs

Jake and I spent Thursday evening make pigs in a blanket and Rick Krispie treats for the 4th grade International Food Court.  I'm thankful that I went to see this, because it was amazing.  The 4th graders  concluded their unit on Food with each student making a dish from their own country.  The pictures below show how the food was displayed, along with each student representoing their country.  We all walked around, sampling food, and asking questions about the recipe.  What a fun day for these students!

Jake and his buddies

Jake loaded up his plate

This was my favorite dish… yum

A sampling of food 

Jake proudly displaying his food

Friday is the day I spend with Veronica and Tatiana speaking English.  Tatiana invited us to her house for lunch.  We had a great time, as usual.  I love her apartment.  She already decorated for Christmas and it was so beautiful.  We had a wonderful lunch, a few glasses of wine, and lots and lots of laughs.

Steve and I went to dinner and a movie Friday night.  We decided to try a new restaurant.  I researched and found Grill.  We had every intention of eating near the bar because we didn't have a reservation but when we arrived, the hosted was super nice and she sat us.  We  were very surprised by the ambiance. This place was busy, trendy, and a lot of fun.  The decor was quite interesting… wish I would've taken pictures because it was so unique.  It carried different themes throughout the restaurant.  There was a circus tent, a greenhouse effect with plants and trees, and then an area with mannequins lounging on velvet couches, dressed a bit provocatively.  The food was delicious and the service….. GREAT!  (That's a first right?)  I am almost positive it turns into a bar/club at night, so I"m glad we arrived early (7pm).  It's in a trendy part of town, Drottninggatan 89…. one of my favorite places to shop.   After dinner, we walked a few blocks to the movie theatre.  One must purchase tickets in advance and preorder  seats as well.  I'm so glad Steve figured this out ahead of time.  We were hopeful, but not certain, that the movie would be in English.  We arrived only to find our seats way up in the front.  I found out then that Steve wasn't sure where the front of the theatre was when he booked the tickets on line.  Diana and Cash know how much we LOVE sitting close to the screen.  Steve worked some magic and was able to move our seats back a few rows.  The experience was similar to America other than the previews and pre-movie speech.  In America, once the previews start, the volume gets loud and most people quiet down.  Here, the lights stayed on, the volume was low and most people DID NOT quiet down.  The only time I hear Swedes yapping away is in the movie theatre….. go figure!  The curtains closed (as if a play was about to start) and the worker stood in the front of the room speaking to the crowd for about 2 minutes.  Everyone quieted down and listened intently.  I kept asking Steve what he was saying, as if he had a clue.  He must have closed his speech with "enjoy the movie", because the entire theatre responded with "Tack".  The lights turned off and the movie began.  Yes, it was in English and yes, the popcorn tasted the same.  I forgot to mention that it was pouring rain that night…. It's so funny to see how we are adjusting to the rain.  We put our rain gear on and walk around the city as if it was a beautiful night.

Christmas season is here…. five weeks till the big day.  I can "see" the hustle and bustle in America as I write this.  Yes, many go into panic mode, but there is also an amazing vibe that I miss.  I love how the stores are all packed with people, the traffic increases (well.. this isn't so great), Santa can be seen at all the malls, decorated homes and streets, and that feeling of Christmas is everywhere.  I miss the churches and how beautifully they are decorated and the reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season. I miss the Christmas music that is played in all the stores and restaurants.  (I know my LifeTime classes will miss my cool-down Chrsitmas songs.  hahahaha).  I will miss our annual family visit to Kingsly Family Farm where we cut down our own Christmas tree, come home to hot chocolate, and spend the day decorating the tree.   It's hard to explain if you haven't experienced Christmas season in America….. but once you leave the country, you realize how much you miss it.   All the years that I lived in the U.S during December,  I spent too much time focusing on the negatives of the season.  Now that I'm here, in Stockholm, I can see all the positives, and miss them dearly.  Yes, people are more stressed, and yes we tend to get caught up in the commercial side of Christmas… but… there is an amazing vibe that I now miss terribly! According to my American friends that now live in Stockholm,  it will be beautiful here too.  The stores are just now starting to decorate their windows and Christmas items can be purchased, so perhaps in the next few weeks, the city will light up and take a turn.  I'm anxious to see.  One thing I'm sure of though , the stores won't stay open as late.  From what I've heard, the stores here do not extend their hours.  Many stores and malls close between 3-5pm on Saturdays.  Can you believe that!!!

Saturday night Lori, Michelle and I had a GNO.  We went country line dancing!   To all my North Carolina (southern) friends, I actually knew the dances.  How funny is that!  It was an interesting night, but I had a great time with the girls.  I'll end with this visual….. Me, a Northern girl, dancing to country music all night.

Michelle was my partner

This was fun

Sweden and Texas represented tonight

Michelle and Lori before it all began

Sunday I headed down to the gym to workout.  Remember, the gym is directly below my apartment, so it's as if I"m working out in my basement.  VERY CONVENIENT!  Steve went first as I stayed with the boys and then we switched.  Jake and Smith had practice, so Steve brought Chase downstairs and he hung with me at the gym while I finished my workout.   Chase and I headed back upstairs only to find a locked apartment door.  Steve and I forgot to exchange the keys before he left.  The boys practice in Solna, which is a 20-30 minute commute from Kungsholmen.  Since I don't have to walk outside for more than 10 seconds to go to the gym, I wore my workout clothes without a jacket.  There was no way I could go to Solna to get the key without freezing and getting sick.  I knocked on my neighbor's door because for some reason I thought he had a key to all the apartments.  He was super nice and told me that the man (I forgot his name), directly below my apartment holds most of the keys to the apartments.  Guess who that man is….. The same jerk that screamed at me in the elevator!  Long story short, he doesn't have a key to my apartment (Thank God) because my landlord changed the locks on our door.  Poor Steve had to come back home to let me in and then cab it back to the field to get the boys.  Never a dull moment here in Stockholm.

Steve had a weekend full of the boys.  He hung with them all day on Saturday at soccer and then that night while I went out.  Sunday, he took them back for practice and then returned home with two of Jake's friends (teammates).  They went to McDonalds and then to play at Humlegården Park.  It was a chilly day, but they all had a great time.  They returned at 4:00, in the pitch black.  Even though Chase refused to be in the picture, he was actually there.

We have the fanciest Mickey D's here

This is a picture from last week when Steve and Smith went to an AIK game.  Smitty is in the front with the hat over his eyes.

Random thought of the day:
I went to the store to buy salmon.  I only buy wild salmon because the farm raised is usually loaded with preservatives.  So, I'm thinking here in Sweden, that farm raised doesn't even exist.. but I asked anyhow.  "Is this wild salmon?"  "No, we don't sell wild salmon here in Sweden."  My puzzled look probably was why she responded with, "it's bad for the environment."  At that point I realized that she must have confused Wild with Farm raised…so I said, "oh, you mean you don't sell farm raised here in Sweden."  Her response, "no, we don't sell wild because we don't believe in killing the salmon in the water… it's not environmentally friendly."  I'm still very confused by this comment and not entirely sure she knew what she was talking about.  However, I'm on a mission to figure this whole salmon mystification out.  Stay tuned…..

I'll end with another funny picture.  This time I took part in this silliness and we laughed hysterically.