Power Outage

Skåne

No electricity means no charging my laptop or my phone, no watching TV, no surfing the internet. But that's fine, I'm not really dependent on technology anyways. My phone is not permanently attached to my hand*, in fact, I can go the whole day without bothering to look at it. I don't watch TV much anymore, and I can survive without the internet. Most likely. Probably. Maybe? You know what, I even like to read! And cook! And other non-tech things like be sociable!

But I had just finished my last midterm (maybe of all time!) and was exhausted and had numbers crammed into my head and I just wanted to zone out. No power?

#FirstWorldProblems #WhatWouldTheAmishDo

I ended up tethering my phone to get internet on my computer. But when my laptop died, I made the final nerd leap and drove to the library before it closed so I could charge my laptop for the night and use their internet. The stark realization was that I couldn't handle not having something tech-ish at my disposal. And that was lowering. Definitely something to think about.

*How funny that just a few years ago this sentence would have been "My phone is not permanently attached to my ear"!

Orienteering

Exchange

One of many goodbye fikas

“We came from different directions, our paths happened to cross, our eyes met for an instant, then we moved off in different directions once more.” 

— Haruki Murakami (1Q84)

Exchange is an interesting business, an exercise in meeting new people as much as being in new places. It's been a rather downer few days as I say goodbye to the friends I've made here. And it's interesting, isn't it, the people you meet when you're away? Sometimes you make a one-time acquaintance, and sometimes you find a friend who lives an ocean away. Life is never quite the same.

Trains

I've been spending a lot of time on trains lately, which is downright enchanting when you're along the water and the sun hits it just so.
Not so charming when it's early morning on the last train home and your neighbour is smoking up a storm, cursing like a sailor and lying in the luggage racks attached to the ceiling.

International

Showing a local girl which countries we're all from

It kind of blows my mind that the French language is the only thing bridging the gap between myself and some of my classmates - we have to speak in a foreign language, that we aren't very good at, so we can communicate with each other.

It's unsettling (in a good way) to realize that I can't fall back on English because not everyone can speak it here. This, by the way, perfectly highlights North American ethnocentrism. And these Europeans, they can speak so many languages! My self-esteem cries as Psychology tells me that I've passed my critical period of language learning.

(Neuroplasticity, though. Swedish, next)

Packing: The Obesity of Winter Clothes

Source

Winter clothes could lose a few pounds.

There, I said it.

My ski jacket and pants take up half my luggage space.
Then, there are my beloved Hunter boots.
Also, toques, the winter classic.
Plus, wool socks and warm mittens. Under Armour thermal gear.
Parkas, or trench coats, or rain jackets.

I suppose I could wear all of it on the plane.
I don't mind looking a little crazy, so that I can keep my cashmere sweaters.
Too bad I land in the midst of summer.
I guess I could buy my winter gear when I get there.
But I would like to keep my money, so that I can eat.

Cursed winter clothes.