Well today I signed my life away. Okay, it's not as bad as it sounds. What I really did was sign my PhD contract, so officially I am still a student, haha. Seriously, it feels odd but in an exciting way: It's a job for one. Not a very well paid, incredibly long hours and brain consuming, but still a job.
Sweden is just awesome. Don't get me started on my England thoughts! Yes, I may be a bastard immigrant over here, but I don't feel half as a minority as I do in England.....sorry, it keeps coming back to loathing that hole.
Since really living over here I've taken a step back in this initial judgement we all have: First thoughts about places/people that spring to mind are hard to stop. What thoughts conjure up when I say American? Is it a burger chomping obnoxious fatty? or Muslim? Do you assume 'terrorist'? Well the media propaganda machine is working overload, but don't listen to any of that gob shite.
'Sweden?'
So what do you think? An early twenty-something (or older) may say something about porn.....most would say blonde, blue eyes, like 8ft tall (?). Many older people (Ok men mostly) may say Volvo, Saab, of course Abba. Most young folk would forcefully say Ikea.
One thing that really gets on my tits are people who immediately say 'Oh Sweden is sooo expensive'. In a word no.
To break a trend and this gossip garbage, yes Sweden is full of blondes, full of Volvos, Ikeas, meatballs....but it is not what the penny pinchers assume, it is not sooo expensive. I think Brits are a funny bunch- A holiday is only a holiday if the place you visit is cheap. If it isn't the chavtastic Spain etc trip, it's the Greece, Turkey....food poisoning places. If it costs the same as England or god forbid more, then 'oh that country is sooo expensive'. Take a look around. The credit crunch/depression has left the country cheap right? Erm....
Over here, I have a flat, a new car, etc etc (yes the bank of mum and dad has supported me no end), but this is this point. I could and would not have any of this if indeed this country was extortionate. I've touched on all these issues before so won't delve. Before you get put off about even considering a Scandinavian country, don't listen to anyone who says it's more expensive than Blighty (well except Norway! But why would you go there!!Kidding).
Sweden is a beautiful place, everything is totally comparable (in terms of price) with England. If you're going to go to Skiing, why not consider Åre or Sälen? France has big mountains, big egos, and if you want to mention expensive....... You can get a cheap flight, cheap accomodation, lift tickets are cheaper, food is cheaper, people are better looking......just a thought.
This post is totally disjointed, I don't have an underlying point, probably rambling because I'll be over here for probably another 5 years (at least). People ask if I am going 'home' over the summer. Well, to be perfectly honest I just have no incentive. Sorry to my friends and family but its true. I miss kayaking, golf.....erm....Marks and Spencers......may be Starbucks......I don't feel unsettled here, I have no regrets, I love my life and the people in it.
Swedes live by the 3 V's: Valp, Villa and Volvo. (Okay its a kind of joke, meaning Puppy, House and well Volvo). I have 2 of them (flat = sort of villa). I guess you get defensive about things you care about- when you don't really know how to get the feelings out, you just release whatever is there. So for England, I probably was once 'proud' to be English (I think!), which may be why I'm bitter?! Who knows. I probably get defensive about Sweden, for good reasons of course. May be it's a personal life bashing if people say negative things about this place. Yes I know I do EXACTLY the same thing about England, but I'm not meaning it against anyone personally, just my life/my thoughts. If you can get everything out of life in whatever place, then that's all that's important. England has played it's part for me- my education, everything (well almost) I know has come from there, so I probably shouldnt grill it too much. Lets just leave it at: it's definitely not as it once was.
Talk about a red herring (no Swedes it has nothing to do with Midsummer, Xmas etc etc)- I get side-tracked easily. Anyways my original point was hopefully in 4 or 5 years I'll be a 'doctor'. The 'valp' will be coming soon enough....
p.s. Not terribly exciting for anyone else, but me and Johanna have been together for three years now
p.p.s. I still feel the same way about her : )
p.p.p.s. Our Volvo is amazing!
p.p.p.p.s F**k you if you laughed at p.p.p.s : )
Sweden is just awesome. Don't get me started on my England thoughts! Yes, I may be a bastard immigrant over here, but I don't feel half as a minority as I do in England.....sorry, it keeps coming back to loathing that hole.
Since really living over here I've taken a step back in this initial judgement we all have: First thoughts about places/people that spring to mind are hard to stop. What thoughts conjure up when I say American? Is it a burger chomping obnoxious fatty? or Muslim? Do you assume 'terrorist'? Well the media propaganda machine is working overload, but don't listen to any of that gob shite.
'Sweden?'
So what do you think? An early twenty-something (or older) may say something about porn.....most would say blonde, blue eyes, like 8ft tall (?). Many older people (Ok men mostly) may say Volvo, Saab, of course Abba. Most young folk would forcefully say Ikea.
One thing that really gets on my tits are people who immediately say 'Oh Sweden is sooo expensive'. In a word no.
To break a trend and this gossip garbage, yes Sweden is full of blondes, full of Volvos, Ikeas, meatballs....but it is not what the penny pinchers assume, it is not sooo expensive. I think Brits are a funny bunch- A holiday is only a holiday if the place you visit is cheap. If it isn't the chavtastic Spain etc trip, it's the Greece, Turkey....food poisoning places. If it costs the same as England or god forbid more, then 'oh that country is sooo expensive'. Take a look around. The credit crunch/depression has left the country cheap right? Erm....
Over here, I have a flat, a new car, etc etc (yes the bank of mum and dad has supported me no end), but this is this point. I could and would not have any of this if indeed this country was extortionate. I've touched on all these issues before so won't delve. Before you get put off about even considering a Scandinavian country, don't listen to anyone who says it's more expensive than Blighty (well except Norway! But why would you go there!!Kidding).
Sweden is a beautiful place, everything is totally comparable (in terms of price) with England. If you're going to go to Skiing, why not consider Åre or Sälen? France has big mountains, big egos, and if you want to mention expensive....... You can get a cheap flight, cheap accomodation, lift tickets are cheaper, food is cheaper, people are better looking......just a thought.
This post is totally disjointed, I don't have an underlying point, probably rambling because I'll be over here for probably another 5 years (at least). People ask if I am going 'home' over the summer. Well, to be perfectly honest I just have no incentive. Sorry to my friends and family but its true. I miss kayaking, golf.....erm....Marks and Spencers......may be Starbucks......I don't feel unsettled here, I have no regrets, I love my life and the people in it.
Swedes live by the 3 V's: Valp, Villa and Volvo. (Okay its a kind of joke, meaning Puppy, House and well Volvo). I have 2 of them (flat = sort of villa). I guess you get defensive about things you care about- when you don't really know how to get the feelings out, you just release whatever is there. So for England, I probably was once 'proud' to be English (I think!), which may be why I'm bitter?! Who knows. I probably get defensive about Sweden, for good reasons of course. May be it's a personal life bashing if people say negative things about this place. Yes I know I do EXACTLY the same thing about England, but I'm not meaning it against anyone personally, just my life/my thoughts. If you can get everything out of life in whatever place, then that's all that's important. England has played it's part for me- my education, everything (well almost) I know has come from there, so I probably shouldnt grill it too much. Lets just leave it at: it's definitely not as it once was.
Talk about a red herring (no Swedes it has nothing to do with Midsummer, Xmas etc etc)- I get side-tracked easily. Anyways my original point was hopefully in 4 or 5 years I'll be a 'doctor'. The 'valp' will be coming soon enough....
p.s. Not terribly exciting for anyone else, but me and Johanna have been together for three years now
p.p.s. I still feel the same way about her : )
p.p.p.s. Our Volvo is amazing!
p.p.p.p.s F**k you if you laughed at p.p.p.s : )
