Glug

Published on Dec. 16, 2004 in Sweden

I just had some wine called Glug with Marlin, you put almonds and raisens in it. The day was overall quite successful, but I will share just one story. This morning ben was supposed to get on the bus at 900 downtown. I woke up at 900 because of some drilling in the room next to me. Wandered over to the living room and saw Ben asleep on the sofa, shoes on and totally ready to go. His plan was to stay up all night (I said goodnight at 530 so all night was not that long) yet got on the couch somehow and crashed. He had to be at the airport at 1200, and it is a 45 minute trainride downtown and then a 85 minute bus ride. He was screwed, the next bus left at 1100. So, he called a taxi and I think took it to the airport, it was 1000SEK which is quite a bit of money... our roundtrip tickets on the bus to the same airport were 199SEK. 7SEK is one doller. So, that was the story ... Other than that we wandered around for most of the afternoon. Well, the simpsons are actually playing so Im going to have some water and eat some peanuts. Wish us luck tomorrow on our mission to Milan!! Both Casey and I overshot out budgets here in Sweden, but since we didnt have to pay for hostels that helps a little. Cheers to the entire group we went out with last night ... Asa, Sara, Josephine, AnnaK, Ilian and Billi ... gave an excellent impression of your city!

Holy Sandwiches, Not You Again!

Published on Dec. 13, 2004 in Sweden

 Howdy all. Kelvin checking in. I'm writing this slightly after Casey on Ben's computer (hence the legible keys). I'll do a run-down on the day, and while similar to Casey's different at the same time! We woke up quite early, 12:00 or so. No wait. Casey woke up quite early then shook me since I was out cold. We all had left-over peanuts for breakfast while I sat in the kitchen talking with Ahyan about life in Stockholm drinking espresso. Jeez that stuff is strong. We all left and jumped on the subway back to central station. Wandered around for a while and made our way to some square where there was a church. I'm getting descriptive of the city, a square and a church? Ok, I'll write names down or something like that. Afterwards we met Ahyan's girlfriend he left and gave us a key. We slowly walked across town to the richy part. Sat down at a bench and discussed the countries we most want to live at and visit. Walked through a muddy park and walked towards the city center. Stopped at a coffee shop, had a small 3 dollar coffee and chatted for a few hours. Casey had an incident with the bathroom, but you are going to have to ask him that. Eventually meandered to the T-something or other, aka subway, and went to a little island south of stockholm (we have to take that line to go home anyhow). Stopped at the island where there were some cheap bars, and the casino that you had to be 25 to get into (I think they just didn't like us). We were all dressed ok though! While finding the "casino" I had to go to the bathroo real bad. Went into Burgur King but they charged money. Well, being a cheap american I just thought "I'll find a tree" and we left. While walking I saw a little courtyard below street level and jumped down there, and I'm sorry if any Stockhom"iams" are reading this but found a corner that was very very dirty and relieved myself (I'm a pretty respectful person and this was as appropriate a place to be inappropriate as possible). Eventually I looked up just in time to see Ben AND Casey taking pictures of me. Great, there goes my political career. Anyhow, we were walking out of the casino and this girl said in an english accent: "cheers, this is some cheap wine" as she was drinking a bottle of wine. I replied, "cheers" (holding my grocery bag up) "this is some cheep beer!" Next they invited us to the bar they were going to, which was recommended by Ahyan anyways. Walked in, and Casey and Ben sat down. Of course, Ben was talking to Eilan (slaughtered her name, sorry) and Casey as talking to Anna K (can't pronounce her last name). In regards to the aforementioned fountain comment, I'm thinking we should toss in nine coins, if we are going by what coin numbers in that fountain mean:) Anyhow, people who have been to that fountain and now basic math might find that amusing. Shoot, it is like 4am. So what was I left to do? I walked to the other side of the table and asked about drinking songs, since that was one of our missions! Unforetunatly Swedish is a tad complicated, but I got the gist of a few. Ended up talking for the rest of the night with Layla (a nurse) and Stirling (like the sliver, a kindergarden teacher) and Billi (works with the elderly like the rest of the group). Stilring's boyfriend came eventually and since they had to work at 7am the two of them left. Lots of compliments flew between the three of us, and Billi and I got a few good laughs. Eilian came over and sat down eventually and the three of us talked, and especially enjoyed critiquing (and explaining to Billi) body language. At 12:30 or so we realised we had to leave since our train was leaving shortly, so we ran to the train. Had to PULL ben away. Got on the train (where Eilian, Billi, and two other people joined, low-and-behold). Finally made it home, debriefed about the night, and have been talking (mostly Ben and I) ever since. He is petting the unanimously voted coolest cat ever. Well, bed-time calls since we are getting up in five hours. We are trying to be as quiet as possible in the apartment because Ahyan and his girlfriend have so graciously let us borrow it, and she (Malin) is asleep and wakes up early. So that concludes the evening! Tonight is my night on the couch, tomorrow has in stock moose-hunting, attempts to kiss under a bridge and meeting up with, hopefully, this group again! So until next tie, adios.

PS

Published on Dec. 13, 2004 in Sweden

My future postings most likely won't be so long, I'll try to only tell the good stories -- but today was just one long good story so it might be the exception!

bad keyboard

Published on Dec. 12, 2004 in Sweden

ok, there is going to be a lack of punctuation during this entry. im on a powerbook at ayhens apartment. our flight was quite enjoyable, and there is so much to talk about. going to make this as quick as possible to just document how things have gone since i want to join ben and ayhens converstion. we left pdx quite early, 730 in the morning. 1030 we flew to cincinnati. there was a girl behind casey and i smiled at her. arrived in cincinnati and since delta is cheap didnät get to eat ++ had some food and saw the girl again. smiled again. had the long flight and slept part of the way, saw elf which was so humorous, and slept some more. casey said, hey, that girl is on the plane. oh, too funny. we got off quite a few hours later and i said hi at the baggage claim. carson, she is actually going to school at sou is is going to be around frankfurt until the 1st, just like us1 we might spend new years eve with her. that would be fun11 went downtown, dropped our bags off, an wandered around downtown for 5 hours. we would see a big building and say hey, letäs walk there. had a few good adventures like buying a packet of ranch to get change for the baggage place but eventually had to take off to the other airport. casey and i had a couple bottles of wine, which made me soooo tired, but we went to the other airport and fell asleep at the airport for two hours. ghetto style, no doubt about that. got on the plane and flew up to stockholm. i sat next to one of the most amazing person i have met in a long time. her name is barvita, but i know i slaughtered that. -americans are the only immigrants thought of as better- tidbit from conversation. anyhow, we talked for two and a half hours all the way to the airport. such an anamzing talk11. got our bags, our bus tickets, and were walking out. scheduling was a little hectic, we were going to meet ben at the central terminal but low+and+behold he was there ++ thankfully since the central station was huge. the three of us jumped on the bus and headed downtown. half way there i was allowed to use barvitas phone and called ayhen. we worked out how to get to his place, somehow caught the last subway out and arrived about one am. now we are sitting talking, two am, and i am about has happy as it goes. we have free lodging, internet to keep you informed, and many long days planned ahead of us. keep looking back and i apologize if the site goes down again ++ i sent out 100+150 emails on sat. night and i dont think my isp liked that. so, if it goes down again, i so appologize. once again, i have slept 7ish hours since saturday so i am a little tired, and those of you who have been to europe know about the interesting keyboards. cheerio, look for an update in the near future. and sign the guest book, not as my mom though.

Relaxation Defined

Published on Aug. 25, 2003 in Sweden

Gooood morning!  It has been five days since I last wrote, and it has been one of th e most relaxing five days on the entire trip!!I

I somehow did make all my connections and Falun, not being that big, Maria and Kerstin were waiting for me at the train station with Maria's father.  We jumped into the Audi, laughed that I was actually in their town, and drove off to Kerstin's house.  After we arrived a few of their friends were there, CC and another person whose name I don't really remember.  I was a little sick so only had one beer, and after that we all went off to a bar.  Marians or something like that was the name, and I got another drink there.  Good time.  We laughed and talked -- I met a few more people that night.  We all went out separate ways and I wandered back to Kerstins house.  We both went to sleep pretty quick, they made up a spare bedroom for me to sleep in.  I slept, GRREAT!  Kerstin woke up early to see the doctor, and woke me up at about 11:00 or so when she got back home.  We had breakfast on her balcony, and then left to meet up with a few more people.  Maria and Kerstin and CC and me all went to a Cafe and to the lake, just outside the town.  I had waffles, finally, and they were pretty yummy.  Everybody else just ate other food.  We saw the house Kerstin's family just bought, as a little cottage, and then came back into town.  After arriving back at the house Kerstin and I ate Moose, which was a first time for me.  It was in a stew, and could have been beef for all I know.

We left and wandered downtown and they gave me another tour.  Eventually we wandered over to CC's place and watched a movie, Layla 4-ever.  It was about a Russian girl being sold as a prostitute -- very very sad movie, but well produced.  We all wandered home and Kerstin and I talked for a while in the kitchen.  Life, feminism -- the good stuff.  Eventually we started to get tired and both went to our rooms and fell asleep.  The next day I don't even remember what happened -- I think I left for Maria's pretty early in the morning and we just wandered around.  I wrote a lot of emails.  Kerstin brought my things over later that day because she was going to Oland, an island to the east of Sweden.  Maria and I had dinner with her parents, and her brother, and then went out to one of the bars and met up with some more people.  We met a girl named Rebeka there, and a few other guys.  One of the guys told me a pick up line, and I asked Rebeka if it was good or bad, and she said "good, you could get any girl."  Maria was shaking her head.  I asked her later and she said that it met something like "my flashlight and your fish," apparently a Swedish inside joke.  We wandered home and fell asleep.  The next day I will call Movie day.  I don't even know what we did, but we just laid around for a while.  I remember!  In the afternoon we went to the Mine, what used to be a huge copper mine.  It was pretty cool, but like a lot of other mines I have seen.  I also talked to ana online, hurrah!!  She was on MSN when I luckily checked my email.  Enjoying her companionship a lot, will meet her in Prague on the 27th.  We talked for an hour or so, and Maria would come in and laugh at me because of the big smile I had!  For dinner we had pizza, which was alright, and then started watching movies.  We watched The Sum of All Fears and Usual Suspects.  Maria fell asleep at the end of the seconds movie, SOAF, but I finished it and wandered into my bedroom and fell asleep.  Woke up the next day pretty l ate, noon or so, at food, watched TV with Maria's dad, wrote emails, and then we wandered around the town.  At about 4:00 we had dinner, meatloaf, ;and then watched movies for the rest of the night.  Rainman on TV, Two Weeks Notice with CC and Rebeka, then Road to Perdition.  I fell asleep after a while, maybe at 2:00, after writing thank you cards to everyone. Woke up rather early, 8:00 or so, took a shower, and was dropped off at the train station for my 9:13 train.  On my way to Munich!!  And I am going to eat a sandwich, so gbye!!