Jag är Full

I’m finally in Sweden!! After an amazing Eurotrip filled with drinking, partying, meeting new people, and new experiences.. I’m ready for more of the same - but in Lund!

I live in a studio apartment just north east of the university. It is brand new (from January this year) and I am the first to live in it ever. It has all the fixings – Kitchen (filled with most things you’d expect), toilet and shower, desk and chair, bed and wardrobe. Being a studio apartment, most of those things are in the same room as each other, but the place is very close to my faculty.

However it’s about a 15 minute ride to centre of university & the town. Yes that’s right, I bought a bike; When in Lund… do as the Lund-ians do (I’m sure that’s not the right word there, but who knows maybe I’ll introduce it and it’ll take off and the standard way of referring to Lund people, and you all would’ve been part of the introduction. Legends will write tales of this day.

Ok snap back to reality.

So Lund is a melting pot of cultures – SO many international students and very few Swedes (so far – most are still on uni holidays, but nevertheless there are PLENTY of other cultures represented). Everyone is here to meet others and have a good time.

The only way I can describe the first week gone by is “Hectic”! Lots of running around for registrations, for class (introductory Swedish course), and a fair amount of drinking – hence the title of this blog post; in English it means “I am Drunk”. Which by the way isn’t cheap to do – alcohol is fairly expensive – more so than Australia (and that’s saying something!). Liquor stores have strict and limited opening hours, and they need Passport ID for non-EU people.. pain in the ass.

It’s also the first time I’m living by myself so talk about a bit of a throw in the deep end, especially since it’s in a foreign country – I’m on google translate all the time in the supermarket (took me like 15 minutes to find and buy a steak).

Aside from that, I’m starting to find my way around without having to use a map.

Today I am going to Malmö in order to get my biometrics done for my residence permit (basically so I can live and study in Sweden, and I’m taking the opportunity to check out guitar stores with the intention to buy an acoustic guitar. For the 5 months that I’ll be living here, I need a guitar for a stroke of creativity late at night in my apartment or for a campfire sing-along with the gang.

Now that the dust is starting to settle (in the context of initial admin issues and teething problems with settling into a new country, new accommodation, new uni), I’m looking forward to many more weeks like this one.

Until then Skål! (Cheers!)