Promise.
Sorry about the lack of updates. Things have been simultaneously hectic and stagnant here--when stuff is happening, then everything is happening. Otherwise, I'm basically sitting in my room, using Rosetta Stone or procrastinating on a blog update.
Corporate Finance turns out to be an introductory level repeat of Financial Accounting, which I took quite a while ago. It's certainly a different environment though--where I took Financial Accounting with 17 other students in a small classroom, Corporate Finance is taught in a huge lecture hall, and I have over 250 classmates. It's nice to experience something different than CC; there aren't any consequences if I don't complete assignments for the next class period.
All told, I have class three days a week, for perhaps 8 hours in total. Unfortunately it doesn't look like I'll be making it into Swedish 1--I'd been waitlisted when I asked to join two weeks ago, and I think I'm too far behind now. Regardless, I've been following along with some friends, studying the same things they study. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy learning a language.
Mind you, Swedish is fiendishly difficult to speak. Reading and writing are perfectly manageable, but all consonants disappear as soon as someone opens their mouth. It's just an incomprehensible stream of the nine different Swedish vowels. Yeah, nine. I suppose that's a nice 80% improvement on English.
Tragically, I've yet to eat real Swedish food. Raslatt has a natural deficit of enthusiastic cooks, and despite much searching, I am unable to find a Swedish restaurant. I've been relying heavily on bread and cream cheese, with frozen pizzas and Swedish meatballs (also frozen) making frequent appearances. On the bright side, I've become good friends with a (monstrously tall) Australian who's an absurdly good chef (an evolved cook. Obviously). I'm slowly adopting his more discerning tastes, but it's a gradual process--that's why tonight's dinner is a frozen pizza, bread with cream cheese and lox, and grapes. I'm hoping life will be more baked salmon with avocado and less ramen noodles with crackers.
The Raslatt student association just opened a new restaurant (okay, that's a generous description. Eatery?) in Sockertoppen. While the food isn't quite gourmet, it's significantly cheaper than most places in Jonkoping--did I mention that a Big Mac is almost $10.00? Groceries aren't expensive, but food prices are mindblowing.
Anyway, life is good. Last night, I entered a riddle/logic question/general knowledge tournament style thing with two friends, and we walked away with 300Kr, or about $50.00 to split between the three of us. It was a good start to the week.
Cheers,
Daniel
P.S. I'll try to update more regularly. Once or twice a week? Yeah? We'll see.
Sorry about the lack of updates. Things have been simultaneously hectic and stagnant here--when stuff is happening, then everything is happening. Otherwise, I'm basically sitting in my room, using Rosetta Stone or procrastinating on a blog update.
Corporate Finance turns out to be an introductory level repeat of Financial Accounting, which I took quite a while ago. It's certainly a different environment though--where I took Financial Accounting with 17 other students in a small classroom, Corporate Finance is taught in a huge lecture hall, and I have over 250 classmates. It's nice to experience something different than CC; there aren't any consequences if I don't complete assignments for the next class period.
All told, I have class three days a week, for perhaps 8 hours in total. Unfortunately it doesn't look like I'll be making it into Swedish 1--I'd been waitlisted when I asked to join two weeks ago, and I think I'm too far behind now. Regardless, I've been following along with some friends, studying the same things they study. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy learning a language.
Mind you, Swedish is fiendishly difficult to speak. Reading and writing are perfectly manageable, but all consonants disappear as soon as someone opens their mouth. It's just an incomprehensible stream of the nine different Swedish vowels. Yeah, nine. I suppose that's a nice 80% improvement on English.
Tragically, I've yet to eat real Swedish food. Raslatt has a natural deficit of enthusiastic cooks, and despite much searching, I am unable to find a Swedish restaurant. I've been relying heavily on bread and cream cheese, with frozen pizzas and Swedish meatballs (also frozen) making frequent appearances. On the bright side, I've become good friends with a (monstrously tall) Australian who's an absurdly good chef (an evolved cook. Obviously). I'm slowly adopting his more discerning tastes, but it's a gradual process--that's why tonight's dinner is a frozen pizza, bread with cream cheese and lox, and grapes. I'm hoping life will be more baked salmon with avocado and less ramen noodles with crackers.
The Raslatt student association just opened a new restaurant (okay, that's a generous description. Eatery?) in Sockertoppen. While the food isn't quite gourmet, it's significantly cheaper than most places in Jonkoping--did I mention that a Big Mac is almost $10.00? Groceries aren't expensive, but food prices are mindblowing.
Anyway, life is good. Last night, I entered a riddle/logic question/general knowledge tournament style thing with two friends, and we walked away with 300Kr, or about $50.00 to split between the three of us. It was a good start to the week.
Cheers,
Daniel
P.S. I'll try to update more regularly. Once or twice a week? Yeah? We'll see.
It's nice to know a person's son is NOT dead and eating pizza. Love reading what you're winning. $50 is a good haul for a third of a smart person.
ReplyDeleteYes this is better than no news is good news.... So aside from diet is this a good business / entrepreneurial learning experience?
ReplyDeleteHey Daniel,
ReplyDeleteIt’s “uncle” Gerry. Your Dad was kind enough to send me your blog address. So, now I’m catching up on your Scandinavian adventure.
In your last blog, you mentioned food; a subject near and dear to my heart, as in atherosclerosis. I was sorry to hear that you haven’t been able to find a Swedish restaurant with down home cooking. I’m sure you’ll eventually find some places before your adventure comes to a close.
To me, the food of the country is an important part of your overseas education. Just watch out for the “Lutfisk,” (white fish soaked in a lye and water marinade; yes, lye, potassium hydroxide, commonly used in drain cleaners). I think the early American pioneers used lye to make soap. M-m-m-m, fish soap.
But hey, you’ve got to try the Gravlax, Salmon cured with spices. This, I highly recommend. Surely they have a Smorgasbord somewhere?! The Swedes invented the buffet for pete’s sake. (my kind of people).
Right now, it’s noon in Dallas and it’s 19º F with a hefty wind. And it’s going to get colder. We got hit with snow and ice today. I think hell just froze over. But hey, it’s lunch time and I’ve got to brave the bitter elements to find a Texas-style smorgasbord and eat myself into an arterial coma. Bon appétit, y’all.
Daniel, you take care of yourself out there in Middle Earth. Isn't Mordor a neighboring country? And let me know if you run into someone who looks like Elin Nordegren. Remember, we old folks live through your experiences.
uncle Gerry