A breath of fresh (Swedish!) Country air

So I got my essay in on Friday, and then took the rest of the day to work on Project Michael, which I am glad to report is almost done. It just needs to be sent off tomorrow… perhaps the day after when I have a bit more time.

This weekend we took at train out of Stockholm to go to a suburb (well really more a suburb of a suburb) where some of Anita’s family friends live. They had invited us to come to their house to celebrate Anita’s friends’ birthday and to help bring in the last of the harvest- carrots and some white tuber that is strangely sweet and I have no clue what the name of it is.

The house is very beautiful. Raymond, the father, is a politician for the Green Party, and a fascinating man to talk to. His wife (whose name escapes me now) is very nice to talk to also.

I’ve been having a lot of fun. Raymond being part of the green party, the house is very environment-friendly, and being Swedes, they manage to mix efficiency with a sparse beauty. The house is all clean lines and soothing colors and wood, and the countryside around it is very beautiful. Yesterday we went for a walk, guided by Nangini, and she introduced us to all her neighbor’s horses and showed us around the area. The forests here are different from the ones back home. The ones back home has lots of leafy trees, but here most of the trees are different types of pine. Lichen, moss and little shrubs abound on the rocky surface. There’s a very different feel to the forest, and it’s much more open. It was so peaceful walking in the chilly air- 6 degrees Celsius, with our breath puffing into clouds and Nangini trying to teach me Swedish words- the names of trees, colors, clothing, and body parts.

So after our walk and dinner (12 around a small table- Raymond’s children, Charlene’s children, a neighbor and then the five of us) we went and had a Sauna. I’m finding that the more I do the Sauna (this is now my fourth) the easier and easier it gets to wander around naked with people of all ages. It’s one of those cultural things which I’m coming to love about Swedes- how comfortable people are with their bodies. It’s not a thing to be ashamed about, it just IS. And it really isn’t sexual either. If there’s one thing I’m happy I’m bringing home with me, it’s that acceptance.

After the Sauna I was just… boneless. Relaxed for the first time in the last week. We deiced to play some party games, Gabe's 'Tarzan,' and some swedish variations on some camp games I've played before. It was a time just filled with laughter, and during that time I got to know Raymond's two older children better- one of them my age and one just a bit younger. The boy, who's my age, makes his living playing online poker, and makes about as much as his father does right now. (Kind of intimidated me a little, here I am spending on this money on an education, while this guy gets good at probability and makes heaps of money). Both of them were really nice, and Anton (the poker player) was really good about speaking in English so I could understand. A boon, because by that time of the day I had been surrounded by people speaking Swedish and me not understanding a word because they talk so fast, and I was feeling just a little left out. Not sad or angry, but I was getting a little bored, not being able to follow the conversation. But the games were pretty universal, and so I had fun with that. Still, I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open, and when Anton and the neighbor decided to leave (because they both live nearby) I took that as an excuse to go to bed.

So, I went to bed shortly afterward, and slept from around nine pm to three am. I woke to go to the bathroom, and when I came back to my bed I found I had a visitor- one of the VERY affectionate cats that lives at their house. Well how could I kick the cat out? He was purring and well, the white noise was actually quite welcome. So I had a “stuffed animal” with me the rest of the night.

Today we spent in the garden. Charlene and Raymond have quite a sizable garden, and they invited to have our help in bringing in the harvest. I got assigned to the carrots (amazing fun!)- pulling them out, sorting them into big and small, and pulling off the green tops. And eating all the really small ones, or the funny looking ones. Then, it was time to go in for lunch and pumpkin soup (made entirely from the garden) and apple crisp for desert.

But the best thing about the weekend? No computer or cell phone on. I did some reading for my classes (and I’m going to be working my butt off the rest of tonight), but I’m really glad I went and had fun.