Sorry to keep you waiting for an update about our trip this weekend... I took over 500 photos in the four days we visited Malmo, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark so it's taking some time to sort through all of them and decide which ones to post. Also, I'm waiting to do a "Photo Sharing" party tomorrow sometime with our friends who were along as well because there are some pictures that they got and I didn't, and vice versa.
So hang in there! I promise to do a post tomorrow about all the fun we had exploring and site seeing this past weekend! Hope everyone is having a very happy Hump Day.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Haircuts are expensive in Lulea!
I'm talking like downright outrageously priced! Even for men! The "discount" student price for a haircut here in Lulea is 350 SEK, or just over $50. How crazy is that?! It's a good thing our friend Brett invested in a haircutting kit complete with an electric clipper that even has a European outlet plug... otherwise we'd have to go hungry for two days just to pay for Ryan's hair to be trimmed. Goodness. It's also a good thing that I've had a couple years worth of practice cutting Ryan's hair (and his roommate's too) so I don't have to just buzz cut it everytime. And he doesn't have to walk around with a haircut that's too goofy...
Apparently, experience with cutting hair is a valuable trait to have over here. So valuable, in fact, that I've started branching out to new customers.... This afternoon I gave our friend Manuel a much needed haircut. I was really nervous because his hair is THICK. The word thick doesn't even begin to describe it, actually. I had never cut hair so thick before. My area of expertise is actually in thin hair because that's what Ryan has...
Here's Manuel before...
Notice the mass quantities of hair and the lack of overall shape. That's what he gave me to work with. Now can you see why I was slightly terrified to give him a full makeover? It wasn't even like it was a simple trim or anything....
Here is what Manuel looked like after...
I think I did a pretty darn good job considering I have no formal training in hairstyling! Don't you? And it isn't even as good as it could've been. But we were late meeting with everyone for a group lunch to discuss our plans for the weekend. So it's a little uneven and doesn't look as professional as I would've liked. I'm a perfectionist, what can I say? I am pretty darn proud of myself though.
And just look at that pile of hair! The picture honestly doesn't do it justice. It was the size of a small bunny, I'm not joking.
Remember that one time that I was SO proud because I took the time to sweep and mop my entire apartment? Yeah... so do I. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will need another thorough cleaning after we return from our trip this weekend.
Manuel is so silly, too. He wasn't willing to pay the 350 SEK to have his hair cut. But to compensate me for cutting his hair, he gave me a bottle of vodka! He did say it was my belated birthday present, though. So I didn't feel TOO bad accepting it. I'm excited to try my first mixed drink with some Absolut Kurant. I've never heard of this flavor. I'm not even quite sure what it's going to taste like... What do you think I should mix it with? I'm thinking some Fanta.
Manuel even cut out a piece of paper in the shape of sissors as a little "Thank You" note. Isn't he such a nice young man? He's also single... in case anyone is looking for a 24 year-old mining engineer from Austria. I could hook you up? Haha just throwing that out there...
Well, that's the update for today folks. Ryan and I will be out of touch for the remainder of the week because we're taking a long weekend trip with our friends to the southern-most tip of Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. I'm super excited! It's the first trip we'll take over here in Europe. Hopefully there will be many more to come.
Look for a blog post on Monday about our trip! Have a safe weekend!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Apparently, experience with cutting hair is a valuable trait to have over here. So valuable, in fact, that I've started branching out to new customers.... This afternoon I gave our friend Manuel a much needed haircut. I was really nervous because his hair is THICK. The word thick doesn't even begin to describe it, actually. I had never cut hair so thick before. My area of expertise is actually in thin hair because that's what Ryan has...
Here's Manuel before...
Notice the mass quantities of hair and the lack of overall shape. That's what he gave me to work with. Now can you see why I was slightly terrified to give him a full makeover? It wasn't even like it was a simple trim or anything....
Here is what Manuel looked like after...
I think I did a pretty darn good job considering I have no formal training in hairstyling! Don't you? And it isn't even as good as it could've been. But we were late meeting with everyone for a group lunch to discuss our plans for the weekend. So it's a little uneven and doesn't look as professional as I would've liked. I'm a perfectionist, what can I say? I am pretty darn proud of myself though.
And just look at that pile of hair! The picture honestly doesn't do it justice. It was the size of a small bunny, I'm not joking.
Remember that one time that I was SO proud because I took the time to sweep and mop my entire apartment? Yeah... so do I. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will need another thorough cleaning after we return from our trip this weekend.
Manuel is so silly, too. He wasn't willing to pay the 350 SEK to have his hair cut. But to compensate me for cutting his hair, he gave me a bottle of vodka! He did say it was my belated birthday present, though. So I didn't feel TOO bad accepting it. I'm excited to try my first mixed drink with some Absolut Kurant. I've never heard of this flavor. I'm not even quite sure what it's going to taste like... What do you think I should mix it with? I'm thinking some Fanta.
Manuel even cut out a piece of paper in the shape of sissors as a little "Thank You" note. Isn't he such a nice young man? He's also single... in case anyone is looking for a 24 year-old mining engineer from Austria. I could hook you up? Haha just throwing that out there...
Well, that's the update for today folks. Ryan and I will be out of touch for the remainder of the week because we're taking a long weekend trip with our friends to the southern-most tip of Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. I'm super excited! It's the first trip we'll take over here in Europe. Hopefully there will be many more to come.
Look for a blog post on Monday about our trip! Have a safe weekend!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
For those of you who thought WE were crazy
This morning, in our Swedish for Beginners 1b lecture, Ryan and I met another guy from America! This was very unexpected seeing as we thought we knew all seven United States foreign exchange students. (One guy from Missouri, three grad students from Nebraska, one other guy from UMD besides Ryan and I, and then of course... us.) Anyways! We stumbled upon this fellow American during a group speaking exercise... After speaking a few Swedish phrases with one another he asked where we were from, commenting that we seemed to have an "American accent".
Through some small talk (not in Swedish, sorry Asa!) we found out that Joseph is originally from New Jersey. He also got married this summer and is currently living in Lulea with his wife while earning his masters in IT. Although, on the surface, it may appear that our stories and Joseph's are nearly identical, they are actually very different.
You see, Joseph's wife is Swedish. And not like the 25% Swedish that most Minnesotans are... she's actually from Sweden. He met her while she was in the United States working as an au pair. They apparently met, fell in love, and somewhere along the lines decided to get married and move to Sweden to be with her family. So that's exactly what they did. They got married in Sweden this summer in the historical Gammelstad Church Town and he is now living here on a permanent basis... Pretty crazy, huh?
I can't wait until my parents hear this story slash read about it. I hope it makes them appreciate the fact that I got married a mere two hours drive away from my home town to a fellow Minnesotan more and realize that ten months in a foreign country really isn't that long. Especially when I could've had a destination wedding that's a half days plane ride away to someone from Scandinavia and decided to move here permanently... See, Ryan and I aren't THAT crazy afterall!
On a side note... Ryan wants me to mention on here that I finally made us a true Scandinavian dinner. We had potatoes and Swedish meatballs complete with gravy to pour over it all. Even though it wasn't truly homemade... it was still pretty darn good if I do say so myself. It will definitely be on the menu again in the near future.
We hope your dinner and day is as good as ours.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Through some small talk (not in Swedish, sorry Asa!) we found out that Joseph is originally from New Jersey. He also got married this summer and is currently living in Lulea with his wife while earning his masters in IT. Although, on the surface, it may appear that our stories and Joseph's are nearly identical, they are actually very different.
You see, Joseph's wife is Swedish. And not like the 25% Swedish that most Minnesotans are... she's actually from Sweden. He met her while she was in the United States working as an au pair. They apparently met, fell in love, and somewhere along the lines decided to get married and move to Sweden to be with her family. So that's exactly what they did. They got married in Sweden this summer in the historical Gammelstad Church Town and he is now living here on a permanent basis... Pretty crazy, huh?
I can't wait until my parents hear this story slash read about it. I hope it makes them appreciate the fact that I got married a mere two hours drive away from my home town to a fellow Minnesotan more and realize that ten months in a foreign country really isn't that long. Especially when I could've had a destination wedding that's a half days plane ride away to someone from Scandinavia and decided to move here permanently... See, Ryan and I aren't THAT crazy afterall!
On a side note... Ryan wants me to mention on here that I finally made us a true Scandinavian dinner. We had potatoes and Swedish meatballs complete with gravy to pour over it all. Even though it wasn't truly homemade... it was still pretty darn good if I do say so myself. It will definitely be on the menu again in the near future.
We hope your dinner and day is as good as ours.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Oh, the days of carpet...
If there is one thing I miss about my old apartment back in good ole Duluth, MN... it is definitely carpet. It's just so much better than tiled floors, which is what we have here in Lulea. And they're not even nice hardwood floors. They're just tiled. So it's not even like they look all that great.
Carpet is just so superior. It's so much nicer to sprawl out on with your books when you're studying or doing homework. Especially when the furniture you have in your apartment isn't very comfortable. Plus, you can get away with cleaning it less often. I definitely don't remember our floors getting vacuumed more than once a week? But that's because they never seemed to get dirty so fast.
Don't get me wrong, the fact that I don't have to worry about things getting spilled on our floors is amazing. But the amount of upkeep that they require is just downright sick! I literally sweep our apartment four or five times a week. That's about three too many in my opinion. And that doesn't even count the number of times I have to mop the floors too. Just one more reason why carpet is superior... it doesn't require two steps for cleaning on a regular basis.
I guess, in the long run, it really isn't such a bad thing that I learned the hard way how much dirt and gross stuff really is on our floors all the time... I will definitely be vacuuming more often when we get a place that has carpet. But I still wish we had carpet right now. And so do my socks. The stuff I pick up daily with my socks is the only reason sweeping doesn't happen everyday. I just don't understand... It will never cease to amaze me how two people can track in so much dirt and lose so much hair all over the place! It's gross.
Happy Monday!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!
-The Bogarts
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Philm!
Every Sunday night at 19:00 (7:00 pm for those of you on U.S. time) they show a movie in a large lecture hall here on campus. It costs 100 SEK (about $15) to buy a four movie pass, which isn't a very bad price at all for what you get. The seats in the lecture hall are really quite comfortable and there's no bad seat in the whole room. Plus the projection screen that they use is huge! It gives almost exactly the same effect of the traditional American movie theater minus the fatty, salty theater popcorn. They even show really recent movies and they're even in English, too. Score!
The first week that classes officially began, Philm showed the new "Robin Hood" movie starring Russell Crowe. If you have yet to see this newer release, I would highly recommend it. The fight scenes are beyond amazing. Plus, I bet it would be even better to watch if all the subtitles weren't in Swedish. It would help you to better understand some of the scenes that are spoken in French.
Last week, the movie showing at Philm was "Killers" featuring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Hiegl. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as well despite it being your typical "I'm married to a spy and never knew it" movie. It was a very cute romantic comedy that also had some action in it.
The movie today is the new "Sorcerer's Apprentice" starring Nicolas Cage. I am SOO excited to see it! I was a huge fan of Disney's "Fantasia" as a child... Like to the point that my old babysitters now tell me horror stories about begging me to watch a different movie after suffering through the same one on repeat three times. Despite my extensive Disney movie collection, there was just something about the music and mystical creatures in "Fantasia" that really captured my imagination. Anyways, I really wanted to see "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" this summer while it was in theaters, I just never had the chance. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint me. The trailers I've seen with the special effects all look pretty amazing, but my mom and sister gave me very mixed reviews after they saw it. I guess we'll see in a few hours!
It makes me feel right at home going to a movie here in Lulea every Sunday evening. Growing up, my family would go out to dinner and to a movie most Sundays. Only when the Vikings weren't playing that is. It was pretty much the only thing to do in a small town. I like to get little tastes of home here and there even while living thousands of miles away from where I grew up. The only thing I wish they offered at Philm was some good old fashioned theater popcorn with extra salt and extra fake butter topping. Yummy! I guess I'll just have to settle for some potato chips....
It's a great Sunday afternoon here across the Atlantic. The sun is finally shining today after a few straight days of clouds and rain and there's a movie in a few hours with some junkfood calling my name. God is so good.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!
-The Bogarts
The first week that classes officially began, Philm showed the new "Robin Hood" movie starring Russell Crowe. If you have yet to see this newer release, I would highly recommend it. The fight scenes are beyond amazing. Plus, I bet it would be even better to watch if all the subtitles weren't in Swedish. It would help you to better understand some of the scenes that are spoken in French.
Last week, the movie showing at Philm was "Killers" featuring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Hiegl. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as well despite it being your typical "I'm married to a spy and never knew it" movie. It was a very cute romantic comedy that also had some action in it.
The movie today is the new "Sorcerer's Apprentice" starring Nicolas Cage. I am SOO excited to see it! I was a huge fan of Disney's "Fantasia" as a child... Like to the point that my old babysitters now tell me horror stories about begging me to watch a different movie after suffering through the same one on repeat three times. Despite my extensive Disney movie collection, there was just something about the music and mystical creatures in "Fantasia" that really captured my imagination. Anyways, I really wanted to see "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" this summer while it was in theaters, I just never had the chance. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint me. The trailers I've seen with the special effects all look pretty amazing, but my mom and sister gave me very mixed reviews after they saw it. I guess we'll see in a few hours!
It makes me feel right at home going to a movie here in Lulea every Sunday evening. Growing up, my family would go out to dinner and to a movie most Sundays. Only when the Vikings weren't playing that is. It was pretty much the only thing to do in a small town. I like to get little tastes of home here and there even while living thousands of miles away from where I grew up. The only thing I wish they offered at Philm was some good old fashioned theater popcorn with extra salt and extra fake butter topping. Yummy! I guess I'll just have to settle for some potato chips....
It's a great Sunday afternoon here across the Atlantic. The sun is finally shining today after a few straight days of clouds and rain and there's a movie in a few hours with some junkfood calling my name. God is so good.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!
-The Bogarts
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Free time = Hobby time
Since coming to Sweden about five weeks ago, Ryan and I have had an abundance of downtime even now that school as started. I hate to admit, but I generally do nothing with entire weeks aside from general household cleaning and attending three lectures. It's actually quite pathetic when I sit back and think about how much time I waste. I think back to last year when I was going to school full time, working a part time job, and planning our wedding... and it makes me miss my busy days that had routine and structure.
Before moving here I was one of those people who thought three day weekends and four days of school/work per week would be heavenly. It wasn't until I got my wish that I began to think otherwise. I know that most of you who put in a hard weeks work on top of numerous other obligations probably think I'm down right insane for wanting to be busy.... but if you had five weeks with endless amounts of downtime, no television, and a very limited budget... you'd be in the same boat as me.
So what does one do with an abundance of time....? Why that's simple: take up a hobby!
And that's just what Ryan and I have decided to do.
Ryan is taking full advantage of not being able to work while we're here and having a much lighter course load by doing two things he's always wanted to do: read classic novels and paint miniatures. In the last two weeks he's already read the novels "Catch 22" and "1984". The university library has a surprisingly good selection of classic novels that are written in English. Plus, checking books out from the library to read is free! And when you have a tight budget free is the best number there is.
He also ordered a set of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures to paint. This new hobby isn't quite as inexpensive, but it's something he's always wanted to do. He has been extensively preparing for this new hobby by watching all sorts of YouTube videos with techniques of how to paint. We'll see if his turn out as good as some of the ones on the videos...
Here's Ryan at his workstation that he set up on the kitchen table. Notice the three lamps he has positioned all around him.... Ryan cannot stand shadows when he's reading/studying/doing anything that requires concentration. He gets rather grouchy.
My new "hobby", if it can be called that, is working out. Although it might not be classified as a hobby per se, that's what I'm going to call it for lack of a better description. Ever since I started my sophomore year at UMD in the chemical engineering major, I have let working out be put on the back burner. There was just never enough time, let alone energy, to fit a workout into my busy schedule. But now that I have entire days with no obligations it is time to change that.
I brought along my 30 Day Shred workout video with Jillian Michaels that I have been doing most days for the past couple weeks... but I'm getting bored rather quickly with it. Don't get me wrong-it's a great workout, it's just that there are only three different workouts on the DVD. This means doing the exact same thing for days until you're ready to move onto the next level. It's a great idea and it definitely gives results... I just get bored too easily.
So I've decided that Jillian and I need to take a break... I'm just not ready to commit to one workout for the rest of my life. I need to see other workouts. And so, I've decided to join the gym on campus. Which, on a side note, kind of makes me mad that it isn't free like back home... Because now that I have all this free time I have to pay $60/month to get in shape and not be bored. Oh well, hopefully the results will be worth it.
Plus, for the $60/month you not only get access to all the cardio machines and weights, you also can attend as many group fitness classes as you want. I'm most excited about that part. I always push harder when I workout with another person or in a group fitness setting. The competitive side in me always comes out and I want to push harder to be better than the person next to me. Hopefully the combination of pushing harder and having variety will get me back in shape. It better, otherwise Ryan will never let me forget that I spent so much money to workout and didn't utilize it... haha.
I've also started to play around with the idea of knitting. It just makes me feel so old when I think that the only things I'll do is read, knit, cook, and clean... so we'll see how the working out goes before I decide to tackle another hobby. Can't let myself get TOO overwhelmed after all!
So that's the update from across the Atlantic today, folks. Ryan and I have finally found something to occupy our time so we don't constantly annoy eachother by sitting around the apartment being bored. I suppose it's for the best. I'd rather be in shape than divorced anyhow. ;)
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Before moving here I was one of those people who thought three day weekends and four days of school/work per week would be heavenly. It wasn't until I got my wish that I began to think otherwise. I know that most of you who put in a hard weeks work on top of numerous other obligations probably think I'm down right insane for wanting to be busy.... but if you had five weeks with endless amounts of downtime, no television, and a very limited budget... you'd be in the same boat as me.
So what does one do with an abundance of time....? Why that's simple: take up a hobby!
And that's just what Ryan and I have decided to do.
He also ordered a set of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures to paint. This new hobby isn't quite as inexpensive, but it's something he's always wanted to do. He has been extensively preparing for this new hobby by watching all sorts of YouTube videos with techniques of how to paint. We'll see if his turn out as good as some of the ones on the videos...
My new "hobby", if it can be called that, is working out. Although it might not be classified as a hobby per se, that's what I'm going to call it for lack of a better description. Ever since I started my sophomore year at UMD in the chemical engineering major, I have let working out be put on the back burner. There was just never enough time, let alone energy, to fit a workout into my busy schedule. But now that I have entire days with no obligations it is time to change that.
I brought along my 30 Day Shred workout video with Jillian Michaels that I have been doing most days for the past couple weeks... but I'm getting bored rather quickly with it. Don't get me wrong-it's a great workout, it's just that there are only three different workouts on the DVD. This means doing the exact same thing for days until you're ready to move onto the next level. It's a great idea and it definitely gives results... I just get bored too easily.
Plus, for the $60/month you not only get access to all the cardio machines and weights, you also can attend as many group fitness classes as you want. I'm most excited about that part. I always push harder when I workout with another person or in a group fitness setting. The competitive side in me always comes out and I want to push harder to be better than the person next to me. Hopefully the combination of pushing harder and having variety will get me back in shape. It better, otherwise Ryan will never let me forget that I spent so much money to workout and didn't utilize it... haha.
I've also started to play around with the idea of knitting. It just makes me feel so old when I think that the only things I'll do is read, knit, cook, and clean... so we'll see how the working out goes before I decide to tackle another hobby. Can't let myself get TOO overwhelmed after all!
So that's the update from across the Atlantic today, folks. Ryan and I have finally found something to occupy our time so we don't constantly annoy eachother by sitting around the apartment being bored. I suppose it's for the best. I'd rather be in shape than divorced anyhow. ;)
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Birthday Cards and Presents
Since I have officially done nothing worth blogging about this entire week aside from attending two out of my three lectures, I decided to just put up pictures of me and Ryan's birthday cards and presents.... Sorry if this is boring. I'll try to come up with some better material soon!
Our first cards arrived in the middle of last week from my grandparents in Walker. I always love getting cards from my Nana for various reasons throughout the year. Getting something other than bills and credit card offers just puts a smile on my face. :)
Next, came a rather large envelope filled with cards from the Culkins family. Marcia and Brian, who are very close family friends with the Bogarts, sent both of us a card. Jonas, Ryan's best man in our wedding, also sent each of us a card...
The card that Jonas selected especially for me made me laugh so hard I thought I was having an asthma attack. It was just so perfect because it was just like him to pick out a card so obviously age inappropriate.
Ahhh the joys of cheesy cards intended for elementary school girls.... you just can't beat it.
Ryan's birthday card from Jonas was Transformers themed. Although not nearly as funny as mine, still very age inappropriate and very typical Jonas.
We also got cards from Ryan's grandma's; Grandma Hanson and Grandma Cooper.
Ryan's parents also sent us cards even though they are sending us a package as well. I must admit that it was kind of weird to get my first "Daughter-in-law" card... Not because I don't feel like part of the Bogart family and not because I don't love having them as in-laws. I suppose it's just that the title will take some getting used to.
The last birthday card I got before my birthday was very unexpected because it wasn't from family or even from a lifelong friend. It was from my "second set of grandparents"... Denny and Ann Williams.
For those of you who don't know, Denny and Ann are a couple who have been coming into my mom's restaurant for many years now. Over the years, throughout high school and into college as well, I've waited on them when they've come in to eat every opportunity I had. We always have the best talks about their grandchildren down in Iowa and the excitement going on in my life while they order fajitas with a side order of beans, two diet sodas, extra napkins and one refill when the food comes, and fried ice cream for dessert when they aren't too full. But that's usually at night. Sometimes when they come in for lunch they'll throw me off and order something different. Haha
They even took the time out of their busy summer schedule to attend our wedding up in Duluth this past summer. Denny and Ann truly are like my second grandparents even if I'm not technically related to them. I love them.
Alright, I'll stop getting all sentimental and mushy now! Now onto more fun things... like presents!
Ryan and I made the two mile (one way!) trek on Wednesday to pick up the package my parents sent for my birthday. It only took us about an hour to walk there, find the place, and walk back. But did I mention that it was raining most of the time...? Haha just my luck, right?
The cards my mom sent were the fancy music kind. Which I think is so cool. Ryan's sang "Happy Birthday" and mine played "Wonderful World" and even had a little voice message that my mom recorded on there too! It made me so happy I cried.
To keep me semi-current on what's happening back home, we got the Walker area paper and the Star Tribune. I try to read the news online as much as I can, but it's just never as good as the actual newspaper. Maybe I'm just crazy... but it annoys me to have to click through a million tabs and options to find what I want to read....
We also got Vikings koozies stuffed with candy. I can't wait to drink my first beer with it! Too bad we can't watch the games over here while drinking beer in them... Oh well, there's always next season.
My sister wrapped a present for me and threw it in the package as well. She also wrote me the most touching letter I've ever gotten. It made me choke up because she sounded so mature and grown up...
This is the present from my sister. A new warm hat (which by the way, I really needed) and a matching scarf. They're super cute.
The picture of me wearing said cute hat and scarf isn't exactly cute, unfortunately. The four miles of walking through the rain didn't exactly do wonders for my makeup and my hair being pulled back makes me look like a boy. Haha but I figured Jessica would want a picture of me wearing them. Hopefully she likes it....
The last thing my mom sent to us was a bunch of Cafe Zona Rosa clothing. Ryan and I each got a new shirt.
And I got three brand new, super soft, and really warm Zona Rosa sweatshirts.
I love them. The only problem is.... I have absolutely NO idea how all of this will make it back home. Ryan and I will either have to ship a box back or buy another suitcase. Oh well, we needed more room to bring back souvenirs anyhow!
So there ya have it folks. All of the lovely cards and presents Ryan and I got (so far) for our birthdays. Sorry for the boring post, I will have to think up something good for next time. Anyone have a suggestion? Anything you want to know about over here that I haven't talked about yet? If you think of something, just write it in a comment below the post and I'll see what I can do!
Have a great weekend.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Our first cards arrived in the middle of last week from my grandparents in Walker. I always love getting cards from my Nana for various reasons throughout the year. Getting something other than bills and credit card offers just puts a smile on my face. :)
Next, came a rather large envelope filled with cards from the Culkins family. Marcia and Brian, who are very close family friends with the Bogarts, sent both of us a card. Jonas, Ryan's best man in our wedding, also sent each of us a card...
The card that Jonas selected especially for me made me laugh so hard I thought I was having an asthma attack. It was just so perfect because it was just like him to pick out a card so obviously age inappropriate.
Ahhh the joys of cheesy cards intended for elementary school girls.... you just can't beat it.
Ryan's birthday card from Jonas was Transformers themed. Although not nearly as funny as mine, still very age inappropriate and very typical Jonas.
We also got cards from Ryan's grandma's; Grandma Hanson and Grandma Cooper.
Ryan's parents also sent us cards even though they are sending us a package as well. I must admit that it was kind of weird to get my first "Daughter-in-law" card... Not because I don't feel like part of the Bogart family and not because I don't love having them as in-laws. I suppose it's just that the title will take some getting used to.
For those of you who don't know, Denny and Ann are a couple who have been coming into my mom's restaurant for many years now. Over the years, throughout high school and into college as well, I've waited on them when they've come in to eat every opportunity I had. We always have the best talks about their grandchildren down in Iowa and the excitement going on in my life while they order fajitas with a side order of beans, two diet sodas, extra napkins and one refill when the food comes, and fried ice cream for dessert when they aren't too full. But that's usually at night. Sometimes when they come in for lunch they'll throw me off and order something different. Haha
They even took the time out of their busy summer schedule to attend our wedding up in Duluth this past summer. Denny and Ann truly are like my second grandparents even if I'm not technically related to them. I love them.
Alright, I'll stop getting all sentimental and mushy now! Now onto more fun things... like presents!
Ryan and I made the two mile (one way!) trek on Wednesday to pick up the package my parents sent for my birthday. It only took us about an hour to walk there, find the place, and walk back. But did I mention that it was raining most of the time...? Haha just my luck, right?
The cards my mom sent were the fancy music kind. Which I think is so cool. Ryan's sang "Happy Birthday" and mine played "Wonderful World" and even had a little voice message that my mom recorded on there too! It made me so happy I cried.
To keep me semi-current on what's happening back home, we got the Walker area paper and the Star Tribune. I try to read the news online as much as I can, but it's just never as good as the actual newspaper. Maybe I'm just crazy... but it annoys me to have to click through a million tabs and options to find what I want to read....
My sister wrapped a present for me and threw it in the package as well. She also wrote me the most touching letter I've ever gotten. It made me choke up because she sounded so mature and grown up...
This is the present from my sister. A new warm hat (which by the way, I really needed) and a matching scarf. They're super cute.
The picture of me wearing said cute hat and scarf isn't exactly cute, unfortunately. The four miles of walking through the rain didn't exactly do wonders for my makeup and my hair being pulled back makes me look like a boy. Haha but I figured Jessica would want a picture of me wearing them. Hopefully she likes it....
The last thing my mom sent to us was a bunch of Cafe Zona Rosa clothing. Ryan and I each got a new shirt.
And I got three brand new, super soft, and really warm Zona Rosa sweatshirts.
I love them. The only problem is.... I have absolutely NO idea how all of this will make it back home. Ryan and I will either have to ship a box back or buy another suitcase. Oh well, we needed more room to bring back souvenirs anyhow!
So there ya have it folks. All of the lovely cards and presents Ryan and I got (so far) for our birthdays. Sorry for the boring post, I will have to think up something good for next time. Anyone have a suggestion? Anything you want to know about over here that I haven't talked about yet? If you think of something, just write it in a comment below the post and I'll see what I can do!
Have a great weekend.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The world doesn't treat you any nicer just because it's your birthday
The title of the post pretty much says it all. It was the lesson of the day for me... unfortunately. Although, in defense of the world, I first need to point out that I do get pretty worked up about my birthday. Heck, that's an understatement. Pretty much anyone who knows me can attest to this fact. I'm definitely the person who secretly counts down the days until I can celebrate another birthday and I get excited when it hits March 15th because it's under six months until my big day. It's like my secret obsession.
It's the one day a year that everyone calls/texts your phone, emails you, writes on your Facebook wall... it's like you're the princess for a day! I always loved that about birthdays. You get presents, and cake, and flowers, and cake, and cards, and did I mention cake..? Because I really do love cake...
Anyways... moral of the story is I love birthday cake almost as much as I love my birthday. (Although it's pretty darn close to being tied) You can imagine, now that you know how seriously I take my birthday, how depressed it made me to think about having to spend it across the world.. with no phone number for my friends in the US to text, a distinct lack of presents, and no cake! Despite the fact that my best friend would be here to celebrate it with me with me, and despite the fact that most people don't get to spend a birthday in a foreign country, it just wasn't the same knowing that I wouldn't get any birthday text messages or birthday cake!
By this point I'm sure you're asking yourself "Honestly, how horrible could her day be to make her this disgruntled...?" Well, wonder no more! I'm going to tell you!
To start with, my day started out at the ungodly hour of 6:45 a.m. Don't roll your eyes at me! I don't care if you got up earlier than that! It's my birthday! I shouldn't have to see the sun until I WANT to see it! But anyways... higher learning (even in a foreign country) doesn't break for a Christina's birthday party come to find out. And so, like a responsible adult, I got up to eat my breakfast with enough time to be awake and make it to my 8:15 Swedish for Beginners 1b class. I literally almost fell asleep in my bowl of delicious cereal that I was eating while looking through my "Happy Birthday!" Facebook posts. It was just too early of a morning. So I decided to treat myself to another 20 minutes of sleep. After all, class wasn't for over an hour! I had showered last night. I didn't need to be awake.
Wrong. My short snooze turned into another two hours of near comatose after I, unknowingly, turned off my alarm when it sounded at 7:30 and continued to sleep. I was woken up much later by Ryan pointing out that we had missed our class and that it was now nine in the morning. Awesome.
But that was alright! After the initial shock of missing one of my two total classes this week wore off, I remembered that our professor teaches two sections... one at 8:15 and one at 10:15. Perfect. This was still going to be the best day ever. Especially now that I was well rested!
Ryan and I both got ready and walked to campus together. We parted ways as I went to learn some Swedish in our class for both of us and he went to pretend to learn in his class that is being taught in Swedish. I got to the classroom that I thought class was supposed to be at, only to find it dark and deserted... with no one waiting outside the door like I expected. I guess there wasn't another section taught at 10:15 today... which means I got out of bed before noon for no reason. Even more awesome.
After that, I sulked back to the apartment where I continued to read more "Happy Birthday!" emails and Facebook posts. I even looked at puppies that I pretended I could have for a birthday present to help cheer me up. Ryan came back from class and we went to have lunch with Shannon and Tyler at the pizzeria on campus. After all, I couldn't very well cook for myself on my birthday! That's crazy talk!
I checked our mailbox on the way through the lobby hoping to get another birthday card or the package my family sent. It is always better to get birthday cards and presents on your birthday...
***** On a side note, I would like to thank everyone who went out of their way to send a birthday card across the world to Ryan and I... Marcia, Brian, and Jonas Culkins, Grandma Hanson and Grandma Cooper, Cindy, Marty, Kyle, and Jen Bogart, Denny and Ann Williams, and My Nana and Grandpa! (I think that's all the ones we've gotten so far. So if you sent one and I didn't mention you, it just means that we haven't gotten them yet.) You all touched our hearts with your gesture and you'll never know how much we appreciated getting something other than Swedish junkmail and rent! Thanks again! *****
Moving on... I checked the mail. And what to my wondering eyes did appear?! A slip with my name on it saying I had a package! I was SOOO excited! My parents package managed to make it all the way from Walker, MN to Lulea, Sweden on the exact day of my birthday! How awesome is that? I honestly don't think they could've planned it better even if they tried!
Mood now lifted ten fold, Ryan and I walked across campus to the grocery store to retrieve my package. I should mention here that they don't deliver packages to your apartment. Tyler got a calculator shipped here from the United States, and found out that you pick up packages from the campus grocery store. Weird, right?
Moving on again... I got to the grocery store, handed my ID and slip to the cashier lady, and waited very impatiently as she went to the back room to get my box. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, she finally came back. Without my birthday present. At first, she told me that perhaps my slip had just been put into my mailbox and the package would arrive at the store shortly. But after conversing with a fellow worker, she corrected herself only to inform me that my package would not be delivered to their location. To make matters worse, when I asked where this other mystical location was, she replied simply... "It's hard to explain. You should ask a friend." And then she handed back my ID and slip. And went back to work.
It's like she didn't even care! She didn't even take the time to notice that the Date of Birth on my license clearly showed 09/14/1988! Which, obviously, made today my birthday! Ugh! How frustrating. Now it was my job to find where the Swedish postman decided to drop off my precious package... Not something I wanted to tackle on an empty stomach. It was time for lunch.
We met up with Shannon and Tyler at Porson Pizzeria. I ordered my favorite: chicken pasta. Ryan got his usual: kebob e pitabrod (kebob meat on pita bread). I'm sure you can probably guess by now with the luck I was having... but I definitely didn't get chicken pasta. Instead, I got the lunch special... skinka pasta (Ham pasta). I was one very unhappy camper.
Being that I work in the food industry, normally I would excuse the mistake and eat the food placed before me. I really don't like to make a fuss... It's not that it looked inedible. It's not that I wouldn't consider ordering it in the future. And the only real difference between what was in front of me and what I ordered was the difference in meat. But I was tired of having things go wrong on the only day of the year I really care that they go right. So, before I took a bite, I had Ryan take it up to just see if maybe there was a mistake and I got someone else's food. There wasn't a mistake... at least not with what they brought me. They thought that's what I had ordered.
I ate the pasta rather unhappily. Although, I must admit that it was very good. I was just in a sour mood over my birthday not turning out to be the magical day I waited all year for.
After lunch, Shannon helped me look up where I'm supposed to pick up my package. It's a good two mile walk from campus. Not nearly as convenient as the ICA grocery store. Go figure.
Then it was on to three hours of Cellulose and Paper Technology lecture! Doesn't that just sound fun?! But do you want to know what the worst thing is? Going to class actually made my bad day better! I'm such a nerd that way. Learning about recycling paper products and watching videos on the gross/weird things they find during the process actually cheered me up. Did you know they actually found a gun once? Isn't that crazy? I know, I know, I know... I'm weird.
My day got exponentially better after going to lecture. Once I finished learning about the wonders of recycled fibers, Ryan and I took the bus downtown to eat dinner at the sports bar we went to a few weeks back with our Nebraska Friends.
We ate a delicious meal, drank delicious peach daiquiris, and sipped on delicious Coors Lite taps while watching last night's Monday Night Football match up with the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens. And even though the two teams played some horrible football, it was still fun to watch. I had a fantastic two hours of conversing with my husband about our great life over here and together we enjoyed spending way too much money on alcoholic beverages. I loved every minute of it.
I even got to talk with one of my very best friends, Jessica, for the first time via Skype tonight! Which was a present in itself. And I made a call to both of my parents as well so they could shower me with their birthday wishes like I knew they would. I honestly think they're the reason why I love my birthday so much. They always made me feel so special on My Day. There was always bouquets of flowers, great presents, lots of love, and birthday cake. Always. That is definitely something I will miss now that I've grown up and moved out. Ryan has some pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to treating me like the birthday princess I've been for the past 21 years of my life... But he's stepping right up to the plate. He's done pretty good for himself on year one if I do say so myself.
And so... as I sit here on my computer a thousand miles away from home, with no birthday cake to eat tomorrow morning for breakfast, and with the clock ticking away the final minutes of my 22nd birthday... I have to say, overall, this has been a pretty darn good birthday. Probably even one of the best, despite the emotional rollercoaster. It was definitely one I won't soon forget. But, in the words of the great Gary Wilkening... it was a day of "building character". Right Dad?
Moral of the story today, kids: The world won't treat you any nicer just because it's your birthday, but the people in your life who care about you will. And all the birthday wishes I got from family and friends, old and new, definitely made up for all the crummy everyday crap that came along with it today. No doubt about that.
Sorry about the rambling and ranting. I promise to keep it to a minimum tomorrow.
Wait! Just one more thing! It's only 364 days until my birthday!!! Or wait? Is it a Leap Year this year?
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The 22 Year Old Bogarts :)
It's the one day a year that everyone calls/texts your phone, emails you, writes on your Facebook wall... it's like you're the princess for a day! I always loved that about birthdays. You get presents, and cake, and flowers, and cake, and cards, and did I mention cake..? Because I really do love cake...
Anyways... moral of the story is I love birthday cake almost as much as I love my birthday. (Although it's pretty darn close to being tied) You can imagine, now that you know how seriously I take my birthday, how depressed it made me to think about having to spend it across the world.. with no phone number for my friends in the US to text, a distinct lack of presents, and no cake! Despite the fact that my best friend would be here to celebrate it with me with me, and despite the fact that most people don't get to spend a birthday in a foreign country, it just wasn't the same knowing that I wouldn't get any birthday text messages or birthday cake!
By this point I'm sure you're asking yourself "Honestly, how horrible could her day be to make her this disgruntled...?" Well, wonder no more! I'm going to tell you!
To start with, my day started out at the ungodly hour of 6:45 a.m. Don't roll your eyes at me! I don't care if you got up earlier than that! It's my birthday! I shouldn't have to see the sun until I WANT to see it! But anyways... higher learning (even in a foreign country) doesn't break for a Christina's birthday party come to find out. And so, like a responsible adult, I got up to eat my breakfast with enough time to be awake and make it to my 8:15 Swedish for Beginners 1b class. I literally almost fell asleep in my bowl of delicious cereal that I was eating while looking through my "Happy Birthday!" Facebook posts. It was just too early of a morning. So I decided to treat myself to another 20 minutes of sleep. After all, class wasn't for over an hour! I had showered last night. I didn't need to be awake.
Wrong. My short snooze turned into another two hours of near comatose after I, unknowingly, turned off my alarm when it sounded at 7:30 and continued to sleep. I was woken up much later by Ryan pointing out that we had missed our class and that it was now nine in the morning. Awesome.
But that was alright! After the initial shock of missing one of my two total classes this week wore off, I remembered that our professor teaches two sections... one at 8:15 and one at 10:15. Perfect. This was still going to be the best day ever. Especially now that I was well rested!
Ryan and I both got ready and walked to campus together. We parted ways as I went to learn some Swedish in our class for both of us and he went to pretend to learn in his class that is being taught in Swedish. I got to the classroom that I thought class was supposed to be at, only to find it dark and deserted... with no one waiting outside the door like I expected. I guess there wasn't another section taught at 10:15 today... which means I got out of bed before noon for no reason. Even more awesome.
After that, I sulked back to the apartment where I continued to read more "Happy Birthday!" emails and Facebook posts. I even looked at puppies that I pretended I could have for a birthday present to help cheer me up. Ryan came back from class and we went to have lunch with Shannon and Tyler at the pizzeria on campus. After all, I couldn't very well cook for myself on my birthday! That's crazy talk!
I checked our mailbox on the way through the lobby hoping to get another birthday card or the package my family sent. It is always better to get birthday cards and presents on your birthday...
***** On a side note, I would like to thank everyone who went out of their way to send a birthday card across the world to Ryan and I... Marcia, Brian, and Jonas Culkins, Grandma Hanson and Grandma Cooper, Cindy, Marty, Kyle, and Jen Bogart, Denny and Ann Williams, and My Nana and Grandpa! (I think that's all the ones we've gotten so far. So if you sent one and I didn't mention you, it just means that we haven't gotten them yet.) You all touched our hearts with your gesture and you'll never know how much we appreciated getting something other than Swedish junkmail and rent! Thanks again! *****
Moving on... I checked the mail. And what to my wondering eyes did appear?! A slip with my name on it saying I had a package! I was SOOO excited! My parents package managed to make it all the way from Walker, MN to Lulea, Sweden on the exact day of my birthday! How awesome is that? I honestly don't think they could've planned it better even if they tried!
Mood now lifted ten fold, Ryan and I walked across campus to the grocery store to retrieve my package. I should mention here that they don't deliver packages to your apartment. Tyler got a calculator shipped here from the United States, and found out that you pick up packages from the campus grocery store. Weird, right?
Moving on again... I got to the grocery store, handed my ID and slip to the cashier lady, and waited very impatiently as she went to the back room to get my box. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, she finally came back. Without my birthday present. At first, she told me that perhaps my slip had just been put into my mailbox and the package would arrive at the store shortly. But after conversing with a fellow worker, she corrected herself only to inform me that my package would not be delivered to their location. To make matters worse, when I asked where this other mystical location was, she replied simply... "It's hard to explain. You should ask a friend." And then she handed back my ID and slip. And went back to work.
It's like she didn't even care! She didn't even take the time to notice that the Date of Birth on my license clearly showed 09/14/1988! Which, obviously, made today my birthday! Ugh! How frustrating. Now it was my job to find where the Swedish postman decided to drop off my precious package... Not something I wanted to tackle on an empty stomach. It was time for lunch.
We met up with Shannon and Tyler at Porson Pizzeria. I ordered my favorite: chicken pasta. Ryan got his usual: kebob e pitabrod (kebob meat on pita bread). I'm sure you can probably guess by now with the luck I was having... but I definitely didn't get chicken pasta. Instead, I got the lunch special... skinka pasta (Ham pasta). I was one very unhappy camper.
Being that I work in the food industry, normally I would excuse the mistake and eat the food placed before me. I really don't like to make a fuss... It's not that it looked inedible. It's not that I wouldn't consider ordering it in the future. And the only real difference between what was in front of me and what I ordered was the difference in meat. But I was tired of having things go wrong on the only day of the year I really care that they go right. So, before I took a bite, I had Ryan take it up to just see if maybe there was a mistake and I got someone else's food. There wasn't a mistake... at least not with what they brought me. They thought that's what I had ordered.
I ate the pasta rather unhappily. Although, I must admit that it was very good. I was just in a sour mood over my birthday not turning out to be the magical day I waited all year for.
After lunch, Shannon helped me look up where I'm supposed to pick up my package. It's a good two mile walk from campus. Not nearly as convenient as the ICA grocery store. Go figure.
Then it was on to three hours of Cellulose and Paper Technology lecture! Doesn't that just sound fun?! But do you want to know what the worst thing is? Going to class actually made my bad day better! I'm such a nerd that way. Learning about recycling paper products and watching videos on the gross/weird things they find during the process actually cheered me up. Did you know they actually found a gun once? Isn't that crazy? I know, I know, I know... I'm weird.
My day got exponentially better after going to lecture. Once I finished learning about the wonders of recycled fibers, Ryan and I took the bus downtown to eat dinner at the sports bar we went to a few weeks back with our Nebraska Friends.
We ate a delicious meal, drank delicious peach daiquiris, and sipped on delicious Coors Lite taps while watching last night's Monday Night Football match up with the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens. And even though the two teams played some horrible football, it was still fun to watch. I had a fantastic two hours of conversing with my husband about our great life over here and together we enjoyed spending way too much money on alcoholic beverages. I loved every minute of it.
I even got to talk with one of my very best friends, Jessica, for the first time via Skype tonight! Which was a present in itself. And I made a call to both of my parents as well so they could shower me with their birthday wishes like I knew they would. I honestly think they're the reason why I love my birthday so much. They always made me feel so special on My Day. There was always bouquets of flowers, great presents, lots of love, and birthday cake. Always. That is definitely something I will miss now that I've grown up and moved out. Ryan has some pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to treating me like the birthday princess I've been for the past 21 years of my life... But he's stepping right up to the plate. He's done pretty good for himself on year one if I do say so myself.
And so... as I sit here on my computer a thousand miles away from home, with no birthday cake to eat tomorrow morning for breakfast, and with the clock ticking away the final minutes of my 22nd birthday... I have to say, overall, this has been a pretty darn good birthday. Probably even one of the best, despite the emotional rollercoaster. It was definitely one I won't soon forget. But, in the words of the great Gary Wilkening... it was a day of "building character". Right Dad?
Moral of the story today, kids: The world won't treat you any nicer just because it's your birthday, but the people in your life who care about you will. And all the birthday wishes I got from family and friends, old and new, definitely made up for all the crummy everyday crap that came along with it today. No doubt about that.
Sorry about the rambling and ranting. I promise to keep it to a minimum tomorrow.
Wait! Just one more thing! It's only 364 days until my birthday!!! Or wait? Is it a Leap Year this year?
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The 22 Year Old Bogarts :)
Monday, September 13, 2010
The early arrival of fall
I can't remember exactly when the leaves usually change colors back in Minnesota, but I seem to remember it being later than the first week in September... I noticed, while making my walks through campus this week, that there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of leaves I crunch over to make it to class. It makes me want to buy a rake just to make piles of leaves and jump into them!
I suppose it makes sense, though, that fall would arrive sooner in a place where it is in the process of changing over from light 24/7 to total darkness. To be honest, it makes me happy. It feels more natural to have the chilly weather we've been experiencing when the leaves are turning colors and falling off.
But I am still curious... when does fall normally start to change the leaves back in the United States? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller..? Bueller...? I need to know!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
I suppose it makes sense, though, that fall would arrive sooner in a place where it is in the process of changing over from light 24/7 to total darkness. To be honest, it makes me happy. It feels more natural to have the chilly weather we've been experiencing when the leaves are turning colors and falling off.
But I am still curious... when does fall normally start to change the leaves back in the United States? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller..? Bueller...? I need to know!
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Archipelago trip overview
Yesterday we took a boat tour out to one of the beautiful islands that are part of the archipelago off the coast of Lulea. We had perfect weather. The sun was shining and it was in the high 50's. I even managed to get a little sunburn on my cheeks during the short span of four hours that we explored the island. But I can't complain, it's the most sun my cheeks will see in months most likely.
Unfortunately, during the rush to get out the door, I forgot my camera on the kitchen table. No worries though... I made sure that Shannon and Tyler took plenty of pictures for me! As soon as I retrieve those pictures from them, I plan on doing an in-depth post about our afternoon on the beautiful island of Kluntarna. Until then, here are a few of the highlights:
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Unfortunately, during the rush to get out the door, I forgot my camera on the kitchen table. No worries though... I made sure that Shannon and Tyler took plenty of pictures for me! As soon as I retrieve those pictures from them, I plan on doing an in-depth post about our afternoon on the beautiful island of Kluntarna. Until then, here are a few of the highlights:
- Hiking around the island and enjoying the natural beauty of Sweden.
- Viewing some old "labyrinters" (labyrinths).
- Climbing an old watch tower from WWII that was used to spot planes as they flew over the island.
- Meeting a group of Swedish people who casually mentioned that they were "taking their yachts out for the afternoon since the weather was so nice".
- Blueberry picking.
- Watching the Frenchmen enjoy one of the wood burning saunas on the island and then jumping into the lake too cool down... you guessed it... naked. After all, what would a school function be without nakedness? Haha
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!!!
-The Bogarts
Friday, September 10, 2010
Respect your elders
Today is Ryan's 22nd Birthday. He has now surpassed me in age (for the next four days haha) and has moved beyond being 21 to being a 20-something. I have come to find endless amounts of entertainment joking about him being an "old man" because he is officially recognized as being one year older than me. Sadly, that will only last until September 14th... and then I will join the ranks of those 20-somethings.
Don't you even worry. Ryan doesn't take offense to being a mere 4 days older than me. In fact, the other 361 days out of the year that I'm not teasing him for being an old man, he points out quite frequently that he is older than me. But usually only when we are having a disagreement about something. Then he follows up that thought with "You should respect your elders!" Dumb.
I gave Ryan his presents at Midnight because I'm a horrible present-giver. To clarify, I absolutely love buying presents for other people. Christmas is my favorite time of year because I have an excuse to buy everyone I know and love a present. Nothing beats the excitement I get from searching around and finding things for people that I know they'll really enjoy. My problem with giving presents is that I can't wait to give the person their present! I just want them to have their present so they can have more time to enjoy it! So that's why Ryan got his presents at midnight. As soon as I realized it was 12:00 a.m. and officially September 9th, I was already digging out his gifts from the closet.
The best part is, what I got for Ryan this year can't even come close to competing with the birthday presents I've gotten him in the past. Last year, I gave him an XBox 360.... the year before that it was a brand new snowboard... basically I spoil him. But I love doing it!
This year, due to lack of resources... I resorted to buying necessities. I got Ryan a really nice, thick black and grey blanket because we've been sleeping with only sheets on our beds. I figured it would be nice to have a real blanket considering it will be snowing and completely dark soon. I also purchased him some of the best smelling body wash I could find. To save on suitcase space, we only brought along my Bath & Body Works Vanilla body wash. I decided it was about time that he started smelling like a man again instead of a delicious dessert. Haha although I do love the smell of both!
Here's a picture of Ryan from last night proudly displaying his gifts.
I think the best birthday gift of all was the hilarious card I gave him. Isn't that picture the best!?
He definitely got a kick out of it. Not as much as I did though...
Tonight, Ryan and I are going to head downtown to eat a nice dinner and celebrate our birthdays. Nothing too fancy, as the restaurant selection in Lulea is pretty slim. But it is definitely a treat to take a break from cooking and have a good excuse to buy some overpriced dessert and have someone else cook.
And so there you have it folks! Our first birthday celebrated as a married couple! Complete with boring gifts and a cheesy card. Life is good.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
Don't you even worry. Ryan doesn't take offense to being a mere 4 days older than me. In fact, the other 361 days out of the year that I'm not teasing him for being an old man, he points out quite frequently that he is older than me. But usually only when we are having a disagreement about something. Then he follows up that thought with "You should respect your elders!" Dumb.
I gave Ryan his presents at Midnight because I'm a horrible present-giver. To clarify, I absolutely love buying presents for other people. Christmas is my favorite time of year because I have an excuse to buy everyone I know and love a present. Nothing beats the excitement I get from searching around and finding things for people that I know they'll really enjoy. My problem with giving presents is that I can't wait to give the person their present! I just want them to have their present so they can have more time to enjoy it! So that's why Ryan got his presents at midnight. As soon as I realized it was 12:00 a.m. and officially September 9th, I was already digging out his gifts from the closet.
The best part is, what I got for Ryan this year can't even come close to competing with the birthday presents I've gotten him in the past. Last year, I gave him an XBox 360.... the year before that it was a brand new snowboard... basically I spoil him. But I love doing it!
This year, due to lack of resources... I resorted to buying necessities. I got Ryan a really nice, thick black and grey blanket because we've been sleeping with only sheets on our beds. I figured it would be nice to have a real blanket considering it will be snowing and completely dark soon. I also purchased him some of the best smelling body wash I could find. To save on suitcase space, we only brought along my Bath & Body Works Vanilla body wash. I decided it was about time that he started smelling like a man again instead of a delicious dessert. Haha although I do love the smell of both!
Here's a picture of Ryan from last night proudly displaying his gifts.
I think the best birthday gift of all was the hilarious card I gave him. Isn't that picture the best!?
He definitely got a kick out of it. Not as much as I did though...
Tonight, Ryan and I are going to head downtown to eat a nice dinner and celebrate our birthdays. Nothing too fancy, as the restaurant selection in Lulea is pretty slim. But it is definitely a treat to take a break from cooking and have a good excuse to buy some overpriced dessert and have someone else cook.
And so there you have it folks! Our first birthday celebrated as a married couple! Complete with boring gifts and a cheesy card. Life is good.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Red Cross is like totally my new favorite store!
This afternoon Ryan and I took the bus downtown to eat lunch at Max's (the best fast food restaurant in Sweden... arguably even the best fast food restaurant ever). Anyways... while we were downtown, we decided to walk to the Red Cross and just poke around to see what we could find.
They have everything there! And it's all cheap! They have books, dishes, clothes, furniture, ab rollers... and the list goes on and on. After about an hour of poking around and having a grand ol' time... here's what we scored:
Two coffee mugs for only 2 SEK a piece. Ryan and I were both thrilled about this purchase because we went to the store the other day to buy hot chocolate, only to remember that we didn't have mugs to drink it out of. It makes me disappointed all over again just thinking about it...
They're nothing too fancy, but Ryan insisted that they had the most comfortable handles after testing out all of the different options. The mugs even contained the remnants of the last cup of coffee they held! How did we get so lucky?! :)
Don't worry... I did have enough common sense to clean them out before using them tonight to drink some Toblerone cappuccino. Yum!
Ryan invested in two really good looking ties from the Red Cross as well. Not that he doesn't already own enough ties to wear a different one every week for an entire calendar year... it's just that he forgot to pack a single one of them. You know that feeling you get when you're right in the middle of doing something but you just can't remember what exactly? Yeah, that happened to Ryan while trying to pack his dress clothes apparently. He packed a nice white button-up shirt, dress shoes, and even dress socks. But somehow he managed to miss the dress pants and ties? Haha he's special like that. (Cindy and Marty- I know, I know, I'm the one that married him!)
Ryan also picked up an almost-new grey sweater for 20 SEK. It's a really nice sweater that's from the popular Swedish/European store J&C (Jeans & Clothes). Original name, right?
Our final purchase of the day was a bottle cap opener. Sweden has some really great local sodas, but none of them are twist-offs. We discovered that a bottle opener would come in handy if we didn't want to ruin every piece of silverware we own trying to open bottles.
Here are all our lovely purchases for the day!
And even after investing in two mugs, two ties, a nice sweater, and a bottle opener... our grand total for the day was a mere 44 SEK. Or, approximately $6 USD. Looks like the Red Cross is more of a "dollar store" than the actual Dollar Store in Sweden. Who woulda thunk?!
Looks like I know where I'll be going Christmas shopping for Ryan this year! :)
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
They have everything there! And it's all cheap! They have books, dishes, clothes, furniture, ab rollers... and the list goes on and on. After about an hour of poking around and having a grand ol' time... here's what we scored:
Two coffee mugs for only 2 SEK a piece. Ryan and I were both thrilled about this purchase because we went to the store the other day to buy hot chocolate, only to remember that we didn't have mugs to drink it out of. It makes me disappointed all over again just thinking about it...
They're nothing too fancy, but Ryan insisted that they had the most comfortable handles after testing out all of the different options. The mugs even contained the remnants of the last cup of coffee they held! How did we get so lucky?! :)
Don't worry... I did have enough common sense to clean them out before using them tonight to drink some Toblerone cappuccino. Yum!
Ryan invested in two really good looking ties from the Red Cross as well. Not that he doesn't already own enough ties to wear a different one every week for an entire calendar year... it's just that he forgot to pack a single one of them. You know that feeling you get when you're right in the middle of doing something but you just can't remember what exactly? Yeah, that happened to Ryan while trying to pack his dress clothes apparently. He packed a nice white button-up shirt, dress shoes, and even dress socks. But somehow he managed to miss the dress pants and ties? Haha he's special like that. (Cindy and Marty- I know, I know, I'm the one that married him!)
Ryan also picked up an almost-new grey sweater for 20 SEK. It's a really nice sweater that's from the popular Swedish/European store J&C (Jeans & Clothes). Original name, right?
Our final purchase of the day was a bottle cap opener. Sweden has some really great local sodas, but none of them are twist-offs. We discovered that a bottle opener would come in handy if we didn't want to ruin every piece of silverware we own trying to open bottles.
Here are all our lovely purchases for the day!
And even after investing in two mugs, two ties, a nice sweater, and a bottle opener... our grand total for the day was a mere 44 SEK. Or, approximately $6 USD. Looks like the Red Cross is more of a "dollar store" than the actual Dollar Store in Sweden. Who woulda thunk?!
Looks like I know where I'll be going Christmas shopping for Ryan this year! :)
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Walking is hazardous to your health
Here's an annoying thing about Sweden...
I have been here almost a full month, and I still can't figure out which side of the sidewalk/road to walk on! Usually in America, it's pretty universal that we walk on the right side of the sidewalk because that's what side of the road we drive on. It makes sense. Here in Sweden they drive on the right side of the road, too. This would lead me to conclude that, naturally, one would also walk on the right side of the sidewalk. Apparently not.
I think it might have something to do with all the exchange students they have here.... that's one theory anyway. All those darn people who come from countries that drive on the left side of the road are throwing everyone off. And so when you mix hundreds of pedestrians and bikers from around the world on one campus.. it's like a zoo! Especially since you can't even tell when someone is yelling "On your left!" or "Watch out!" because nine times out of ten it's in a different language. It's frustrating to say the least.
Walking to class can be quite the daunting task. It can literally be hazardous to your health if you aren't careful. You have to always be on your watch, looking around to make sure you don't walk into someone or get run over by a biker. And early morning classes are the worst. I would venture a guess that collisions increase a good 50% during that half hour before the first classes begin at 8:15 am.
I can't even begin to imagine the confusion that will ensue two months from now when it's dark 20+ hours a day. I might have to invest in a reflective vest to lower my chances of being run down by a biker. Uff da!
I have been here almost a full month, and I still can't figure out which side of the sidewalk/road to walk on! Usually in America, it's pretty universal that we walk on the right side of the sidewalk because that's what side of the road we drive on. It makes sense. Here in Sweden they drive on the right side of the road, too. This would lead me to conclude that, naturally, one would also walk on the right side of the sidewalk. Apparently not.
I think it might have something to do with all the exchange students they have here.... that's one theory anyway. All those darn people who come from countries that drive on the left side of the road are throwing everyone off. And so when you mix hundreds of pedestrians and bikers from around the world on one campus.. it's like a zoo! Especially since you can't even tell when someone is yelling "On your left!" or "Watch out!" because nine times out of ten it's in a different language. It's frustrating to say the least.
Walking to class can be quite the daunting task. It can literally be hazardous to your health if you aren't careful. You have to always be on your watch, looking around to make sure you don't walk into someone or get run over by a biker. And early morning classes are the worst. I would venture a guess that collisions increase a good 50% during that half hour before the first classes begin at 8:15 am.
I can't even begin to imagine the confusion that will ensue two months from now when it's dark 20+ hours a day. I might have to invest in a reflective vest to lower my chances of being run down by a biker. Uff da!
Welcome Dinner Low-Down
Soooo the last time I posted, I was kind of hating on the idea of our Fairy Tale themed Welcome Dinner... Okay, so I was pretty much totally bashing the idea. And now I feel guilty. I would like to, at this time, publicly retract any and all negative comments I made prior to the wonderful evening we had Friday.
The Welcome Dinner for exchange students was probably one of the most worthwhile events we have participated in during our time here at Lulea Technical University. Although it was a little expensive, the food was well prepared and delicious and the combination of great food and excellent entertainment was well worth the money we paid to be there. I didn't even feel out of place for not dressing up, because a good portion of the group (probably 40%) felt the same way that I did about wasting money on a costume. It was definitely a win-win situation: we didn't waste the money to get a costume, but we still got to laugh at the costumes of our fellow classmates.
Some people got really into dressing up. There was a guy that dyed his whole body blue to be a Smurf and one guy dyed his face green to be Shrek.
The dinner took place at STUK. We had a section of the nightclub blocked off with our own private bar and stage for the evening.
No one out of our group of friends decided to spend money on a costume. Although Shannon did get creative and attempt to look like the witch from Sleeping Beauty. She wore an all black dress and a black hoodie and then carried around an apple all night. I think her pseudo-costume turned out pretty darn good, don't you?
As much as I enjoyed Shannon's pseudo-costume, my favorite outfit of the night was Tyler's. He doesn't really resemble a Fairy Tale character so much, but the combination of his mustache and bow tie while drinking wine at dinner made him look like a refined old man. It made me laugh. Especially since he wasn't even trying to dress up. He just wore his regular clothes.
Did I mention that his facial hair actually just grows naturally that way too? He hasn't shaved in weeks... I'm jealous of his facial hair growing abilities. Haha what I meant to say is that Ryan is jealous of his facial hair growing abilities.
The evening began in true European form: with the Phosares doing a strip tease for the opening performance.
No, they didn't get completely naked.... but they did get up on stage and do a pretend strip tease as they took off their hats, sunglasses, and jumpsuits.
It was really weird to actually see their faces! After all, we spent the first two weeks knowing them as our leaders in brightly colored overalls, hats, and sunglasses that nearly covered their faces. Who knew they were actual people?!
Throughout the night we were served a delicious three course dinner and we watched some performances in between eating. There was a variety of skits, dances, guitar playing, and singing. But my absolute, hands-down, favorite performance of the evening was done by the people who volunteer at the International Office. They did a skit with scenes from.... drum roll please......
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL!!!
I honestly almost peed my pants when they came galloping in on fake horses with coconuts. It made me wish that I had wore my "I'm not dead yet" shirt to dinner that I got from the Spamalot play. Yes, I have that here with me in Sweden.
The best part of it all, I think, was their broken English when they were trying to re-enact the scenes. It's funny enough listening to an argument about what sort of swallow could have possibly carried a coconut... but then you add in the fact that English is their second language.... it was magical.
Overall, like I said, it was probably the most exciting thing that we've participated in thus far at LTU. It might be slightly pathetic that strawberry cheesecake and Monty Python can bring me such joy in life, but I have learned to appreciate the little things that remind me of home when I'm thousands of miles away and usually completely out of my element here. A good dessert and a good laugh is all it takes sometimes.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
The Welcome Dinner for exchange students was probably one of the most worthwhile events we have participated in during our time here at Lulea Technical University. Although it was a little expensive, the food was well prepared and delicious and the combination of great food and excellent entertainment was well worth the money we paid to be there. I didn't even feel out of place for not dressing up, because a good portion of the group (probably 40%) felt the same way that I did about wasting money on a costume. It was definitely a win-win situation: we didn't waste the money to get a costume, but we still got to laugh at the costumes of our fellow classmates.
Some people got really into dressing up. There was a guy that dyed his whole body blue to be a Smurf and one guy dyed his face green to be Shrek.
The dinner took place at STUK. We had a section of the nightclub blocked off with our own private bar and stage for the evening.
No one out of our group of friends decided to spend money on a costume. Although Shannon did get creative and attempt to look like the witch from Sleeping Beauty. She wore an all black dress and a black hoodie and then carried around an apple all night. I think her pseudo-costume turned out pretty darn good, don't you?
As much as I enjoyed Shannon's pseudo-costume, my favorite outfit of the night was Tyler's. He doesn't really resemble a Fairy Tale character so much, but the combination of his mustache and bow tie while drinking wine at dinner made him look like a refined old man. It made me laugh. Especially since he wasn't even trying to dress up. He just wore his regular clothes.
Did I mention that his facial hair actually just grows naturally that way too? He hasn't shaved in weeks... I'm jealous of his facial hair growing abilities. Haha what I meant to say is that Ryan is jealous of his facial hair growing abilities.
The evening began in true European form: with the Phosares doing a strip tease for the opening performance.
No, they didn't get completely naked.... but they did get up on stage and do a pretend strip tease as they took off their hats, sunglasses, and jumpsuits.
It was really weird to actually see their faces! After all, we spent the first two weeks knowing them as our leaders in brightly colored overalls, hats, and sunglasses that nearly covered their faces. Who knew they were actual people?!
Throughout the night we were served a delicious three course dinner and we watched some performances in between eating. There was a variety of skits, dances, guitar playing, and singing. But my absolute, hands-down, favorite performance of the evening was done by the people who volunteer at the International Office. They did a skit with scenes from.... drum roll please......
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL!!!
I honestly almost peed my pants when they came galloping in on fake horses with coconuts. It made me wish that I had wore my "I'm not dead yet" shirt to dinner that I got from the Spamalot play. Yes, I have that here with me in Sweden.
The best part of it all, I think, was their broken English when they were trying to re-enact the scenes. It's funny enough listening to an argument about what sort of swallow could have possibly carried a coconut... but then you add in the fact that English is their second language.... it was magical.
Overall, like I said, it was probably the most exciting thing that we've participated in thus far at LTU. It might be slightly pathetic that strawberry cheesecake and Monty Python can bring me such joy in life, but I have learned to appreciate the little things that remind me of home when I'm thousands of miles away and usually completely out of my element here. A good dessert and a good laugh is all it takes sometimes.
Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs!
-The Bogarts
Friday, September 3, 2010
Themed parties are best enjoyed in moderation
Here's an annoying thing about Sweden...
Their parties/dinners are always required to have a theme of sorts... or so it seems. And they expect you to go out and buy costumes and actually dress up for them, too. They can't ever just have a dinner that is formal, or informal, or even normal for that matter.
The two orientation dinners that have taken place thus far have had a theme. One was a "Barbarian" theme and the other was a "Toga" theme. Tonight's Welcome Dinner for the exchange students is no different... it is "Fairy Tale" themed. I just don't get it.
Last weekend when they had the Welcome Dinner for all of the new incoming Swedish students, it was just a formal dinner that people wore ties and dresses for. That's fine. I brought along a dress and some dress clothes. I would like to get dressed up and have a nice meal with my friends. I would not, however, like to dress up like a princess or a witch or a dwarf. Especially when I'm the one paying for the food I'm eating.
I just want to wear a dress and curl my hair. Is that too much to ask?
As I'm sure you can guess, I will not be dressing up in a costume for the dinner tonight. I will be wearing a dress that I brought along and curling my hair and looking pretty. I thought about making an aluminum foil princess tiara just to halfway play along. But I don't want to. And they can't make me.
I'm sure that all of the Phosares think that us Americans are just a bunch of party poopers who don't like to have fun. But if their idea of fun is playing gross drinking games, getting naked in a field when I can see my breath, and dressing up like a fairy tale character when I won't even get candy for it... then I guess I am.
I just had the best idea ever!Perhaps my lack of costume tonight will be my Party Pooper costume. I'll even go around singing the song!
"Every party has a pooper...
Thats why we invited you....
Party Pooper! Party Pooper!"
It's a real song, I promise. It's from the movie Father of the Bride II.
Click Here to See the Clip!!!
Anyways... Now that I officially will have that song stuck in my head the rest of the night... I'm going to go get ready for the Welcome Dinner.
-Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs
The Bogarts!!!
Their parties/dinners are always required to have a theme of sorts... or so it seems. And they expect you to go out and buy costumes and actually dress up for them, too. They can't ever just have a dinner that is formal, or informal, or even normal for that matter.
The two orientation dinners that have taken place thus far have had a theme. One was a "Barbarian" theme and the other was a "Toga" theme. Tonight's Welcome Dinner for the exchange students is no different... it is "Fairy Tale" themed. I just don't get it.
Last weekend when they had the Welcome Dinner for all of the new incoming Swedish students, it was just a formal dinner that people wore ties and dresses for. That's fine. I brought along a dress and some dress clothes. I would like to get dressed up and have a nice meal with my friends. I would not, however, like to dress up like a princess or a witch or a dwarf. Especially when I'm the one paying for the food I'm eating.
I just want to wear a dress and curl my hair. Is that too much to ask?
As I'm sure you can guess, I will not be dressing up in a costume for the dinner tonight. I will be wearing a dress that I brought along and curling my hair and looking pretty. I thought about making an aluminum foil princess tiara just to halfway play along. But I don't want to. And they can't make me.
I'm sure that all of the Phosares think that us Americans are just a bunch of party poopers who don't like to have fun. But if their idea of fun is playing gross drinking games, getting naked in a field when I can see my breath, and dressing up like a fairy tale character when I won't even get candy for it... then I guess I am.
I just had the best idea ever!Perhaps my lack of costume tonight will be my Party Pooper costume. I'll even go around singing the song!
"Every party has a pooper...
Thats why we invited you....
Party Pooper! Party Pooper!"
It's a real song, I promise. It's from the movie Father of the Bride II.
Click Here to See the Clip!!!
Anyways... Now that I officially will have that song stuck in my head the rest of the night... I'm going to go get ready for the Welcome Dinner.
-Peace, Love, and Swedish Meatballs
The Bogarts!!!
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