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“Brief” diary from Stockholm

I'm writing this in English so that the English exchange students can understand this too.

It has now been about a week since the English people left. It feels more like a month though. We miss you. Here is my "not-so-brief" diary from Stockholm during the wonderful week you were here.

Saturday
After a two-hour training session my parents and I went to Arlanda to pick up Craig. I met the other Swedish people at the airport and after some waiting the English travelers were greeted with a big applause. A few hugs later we went home and watched the second half of the Liverpool-Real Madrid game (which Liverpool won 4-0). Craig and I then went on a little "sightseeing" around Bromma with Ivan and Max Love. Later in the evening, after dinner, most of the other Swedish and English people came to my house and we watched the "Melodifestivalen" (qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest) together. I think we were about 40 people in my basement. It was a great success (I hope).

Sunday
We went up not too early to go to the "Kaknästornet" ("Cookie Nose Tower"). Due to some miscommunication we were delayed but eventually we all went up in the tower, which by the way is taller than London Eye. After having watched the nice panorama and chained Craig to the fence, we took the bus into town. We walked along the water (and had a walking snowball fight) to the royal castle. There we saw some guards at least three times. We also went to the "Storkyrkan" ("The Big Church") and admired the great statue of St.Göran and the Dragon, which represents Sweden, Denmark (Christian II/the Tyrant) and Gustav Vasa (and nothing else, mind someone). The tour went on through the "Stortorget" ("The Big Square"), were a lot of people were beheaded in the 17th century by Christian the Tyrant, and then on to the narrowest alley in Stockholm, "Mårten trotsigs gränd" ("The Alley of Mårten the Defiant"). By this time people started to get really hungry so we had some really nice lunch (I had kebab), and then finished the city trip with some shopping.
Later we had some dinner at home and then went to Ekerö for some sledging with some of the others. It was really fun. I haven't done that it quite some time and the slope was really good.

Monday
Monday = School Day *sigh*. Ok, it's not that bad but anyway. After school I met up with Craig and we went home. After a while Love called and asked if Ivan could come over because he had to study for his chemistry test. So, he came over, we played some Rock Band and then later went to a restaurant with some of the others. I had a really nice pizza and Craig wouldn't stop talking about his huge peperonis.

Tuesday
After work, Craig went shopping in "Vällingby" with some of the English people, which left me with time to do some running. I managed to do about 8km because after that we had to go to the meeting at the school. It was pretty quick and could be summarized as "-Hello! -Hello! -How are you? -We are fine, thanks -Nice, see you on Saturday then." Then it was of to Cybertown for the showdown of the year: Sweden vs. England. The result was not too surprising with Sweden as the winner, much to their truly amazing top player (no names but he is apparently writing a way too long diary about a week in Stockholm). The evening was finished with a nice walk home with Craig and Emily.

Wednesday
We had originally planned to go to the "Spring Fling" (prom) this evening, but we were told that it had been canceled so we arranged a emergency meeting and planned something else. This "something else" was acctaully a BBQ-party on the field close to me. So after my drum-lesson, we brought a barbeque, music, food and also played silly games and dances. I think this was probably one of the best evenings of the week. I also believe that this was a new personal record in starting the BBQ-season early.

Thursday
No school this day! Woho! I did some running, this time Ivan ran with me about four of the fourteen kilometers I ran. That was basically all I had time to do before Craig came home and we went to town for some shopping with Rebekah (well, they wanted to shop and I was their guide). When Rebekah had left us, we went to a Mongolian restaurant with amazing food (pretty expensive though).

Friday
This was the last day before the English people went home, and what a day! Craig went to school with me and had to endure two lessons (Physics and P.E.). After that it was the International Day with dances, songs, food and other international stuff. We ate lunch together and then the English people went to the Vasa museum with their teachers. When I finished school I went into town and met Craig, Rebekah and Orla and we went for some more shopping (again, I was only a guide). Later, at home again we had a nice dinner where Craig got a present for him and also one for his brother (he gave me a Liverpool shirt when I was in London). I then went to my drum lesson while Craig packed. An hour later we met up and got a lift to Thomas party. It was really nice, even though the English people officially had the worst taste in "party music" ever (and they still do). Some rumors were apparently spread about me. Also, Craig became the soon-to-be conversational subject of the evening when he hooked up with a certain someone.

Saturday
We went up painfully early to go to Arlanda airport. There the goodbye was long and emotional, many hugs and some people crying. In the car on the way home my parents call me and tell me that Craig has forgot his camera, even though my mum asked about it specifically in the car to the airport. This resulted in my dad having to drive an extra 80km to deliver it to some airport guy who said he would take it to the plane.

It has been one of the best weeks ever. Thank you a lot! We will miss you, and hopefully we will see you again. You are welcome to Sweden anytime!

"I don't belong here, I gotta move on dear
Escape from this afterlife
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on,
Far away from here

Got nothing against you and surely I'll miss you
This place full of peace and light, and I'd hope you might
Take me back inside when the time is right"
Avenged Sevenfold - Afterlife

I'm writing this in English so that the English exchange students can understand this too. It has now been about a week since the English people left. It feels more...