So I was in the locker room on Sunday listening to the coaches explain some stuff before the game and I kept hearing "spelar." And it has been a word I've been hearing a lot while at hockey. I asked my teammate Cilla who I was sitting next to if that work meant "play" and I was right! It was such a cool feeling to have figured out what a word meant just by hearing it so much. I never looked it up or asked someone how to say "play." After hearing it so much I figured it out from context. I never believed people when they said you'll pick up the language just from being there long enough. But it has been proven true. 2 months in and I am now starting to get a hang of what the coaches are saying. I'm hearing things over and over again and words are starting to stick out. Like I kept hearing "bra tjejer" and figured out on my own that is meant "good girls." It is nice that I am playing hockey because I am getting directly spoken to in Swedish vs just being in Sweden and hearing people talk Swedish around me but not to me. I have signed up to take Swedish class in January offered through my university. I could have taken it this semester but I wanted to get a base before jumping into it. Come January I think the class will be easier because I have been picking up words and sounds.
I worked 7-4 Monday and today at the warehouse. My body is so tired/sore from standing/walking/bending/reaching. I enjoy it though. I like seeing all the cool stuff Stadium sells. I want most of it. And I get to hear songs I forgot I had on my Ipod because I'm listening to it on shuffle for 9 hours straight. It's going to be nice having the extra cash for traveling/fun things. The International English School called me asking if I could teach some classes today but I was at Stadium so I had to decline. The secretary said a lot of people were sick so maybe they will need me some other time this week. My coaches work construction during the winter when they can't work at the golf course so I am hoping to maybe get in on that a little bit and learn some handy skills.
I find enjoyment in how my coaches translate hockey terms into English. Referees=judges, bench=booth, net=goal, shot=score, backcheck=home (they scream "hem, hem, hem" when they want us to backcheck). It's amusing. Mandy and I chuckle to each other. It is nice having another American to get my jokes and slang.
I got to train the dogs with Karin again. It is so much fun. She rode the wagon while I rode a scooter/bike thing. Two wheels, handlebars, and I stand. Two dogs pulled me while 3 dogs pulled her. We went 14 km and were out while it got dark so we wore bright headlamps and it was awesome being pulled in the dark in the middle of the countryside. The dogs are amazing. They can pull me up hills. I kick a little to help them on very long/steep ones but for the most part they can do it all themselves. And they are so trained and behaved. They listen to Karin so well and know directions and speeds. I've tried to go more than the two times I've gone but our schedules haven't synced right. I can't wait to train them on the snow. Dog mushing...check.
I forgot to tell you about my team building weekend. We went to the golf course our coaches work at on Saturday and stayed the night in a summer house that wasn't being used. The golf course was so pretty. Up against a huge lake in the middle of the forest/countryside. We got golf lessons on the driving and putting range. I did ok. Not as good as I had hoped since I was starting to get the hang of it this summer but I did alright. We had dinner and they provided wine, cider, and beer. It was awesome. We got to hangout outside of hockey which was really good. Everyone bonded and it got our team closer.
I stayed at a hostel in Stockholm the night before my flight to Vt. It was my first hostel experience. I stayed in the large dorm because it was the cheapest. I don't know how I feel about them. It was stuffy and people we coming in all through the night. I didn't sleep well at all. But it could have just been that particular hostel. There was a kitchen that offered free pasta and a lounge with a tv and computers. A ton of young adults were staying there from all over. I was being anti-social that night though so I didn't branch out to meet anyone. Maybe if I was staying there for longer I would have tried harder but I was just using it as a place to sleep for the night. Hopefully my hostel experiences will improve on my trip with Court in January.
Time to watch the new episode of Dexter. Peace, love, and I know like 4 words in Swedish!
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