The name of the game

Alright, so friday I decided to venture out on my own. I had to get a french phone number so I decided to go to Les Halles where they have a SFR store. I was lucky that one of the clerks spoke English so there were no problems until I was about to put the sim card in my old Sony Eriksson phone and it turned out that it was still locked! Luckilly, Malia had a spare phone so right now I'm sporting an old Nokia but hey, it's better than nothing.
I didn't dare to walk around too much in Les Halles coz it's huge!! I pretty much spent some time in one store which I have a feeling will be my new Forever 21 (although not as cheap) - New Look. I visited a New Look store briefly when I was in London and they have great clothes, and really nice shoes. I got two pairs for only 40 euros, score!
After Les Halles I walked to Rue de Rivoli and browsed a little bit. Later on I took the Metro to Saint Michel and walked to Luxembourg gardens again. There I chillaxed for about an hour or so before I had to go home and get ready for the evening. It is so hot here now, which is great because Paris is truly different when the sun is out.

Friday night I went to see a new friend, Franck, whom I met at HRC Calling. We had a really fun night out, first some wine, and then we went to an international bar where we hung out with a couple of his friends. The evening ended at the Highlander, of course. It is really strange though, Paris is such a small city. All of a sudden I bumped into Richard, the swedish guy whom we befriended last week, and he was telling me that the other day he met my roommate from HRC Calling. Small town, that's all I'm saying...oh, and it's full of swedes.

Yesterday, Malia and I spent a couple of hours in our local park, which is so nice and sweet. We tried to stay in the sun but it got too hot so we settled for the shade.
In the evening, we went over to Jeff's place for some wine and games. We met Jeff's old roommate who is really sweet, and Martin and Richard showed up later as well. We played the post-it game where you're supposed to guess who you are. I'm telling you, that game is going to turn into an obsession coz it is a lot of fun.

Today, it's a bit overcast so I'll probably go to Ikea, finally. It's pretty far from here so it's going to be an interesting day's journey. Oh well, it's worth it for a visit at the mothership. Swedish meatballs, here I come!

Art - in all its glory

Yesterday I met up with one of my new friends, Jeff, and went to the art museum Musée D'Orsay. It used to be an old train station and it is now filled with beautiful art, everything from the impressionists to the naturalists. My favorites were (of course) Monet and Degas. I was surprised though, and very delighted to see an August Strindberg painting hanging there, go Sweden!
Afterwards, we took a walk to Grand Palais which was unfortunately closed but you could still peek inside. The place is huge! I mean, it is so big that cars were parked in there and it did not look strange at all. Hopefully I'll get to go inside one day.
After laying in the grass and enjoying the sun by the Invalides for a bit, we took a walk in the 7th district where the American University of Paris is situated. It is a very charming neighbourhood, one I can see myself spending some time in for sure.
We had a nice supper there and then it was time for me to make my way home. We live somewhat far off but it only takes about 20 minutes by Metro pretty much anywhere you wanna go, which is great, especially considering it used to take me between 1,5 to 2 hours to commute to work.
Later that night, us girls (Malia's friend Marie is visiting) got dolled up and went out. We ended up at The Highlander (shocker) and met some pretty interesting random people there. I have a feeling that place is going to be the new Brennan's for me. We came home at about 4/4.30-ish, had some pizza and girl talk before we went to bed at about 5.

Today, I met up with a former classmate from Lund who also just moved here. We met up in the Luxemburg gardens (which, btw are amazing! I can definitely see myself there, relaxing in a chair, soaking up the sun) and then took a walk...everywhere. Well, we went to get some Berthillon sorbet (I got peach and something called Framboise a la Rose, which is raspberry in rose water or something like it - a-mazing!) around Notre Dame and then we took a stroll in the Marais, and then back to the Luxemburg gardens. It's nice to have a Swedish friend from back home here, even if we're not the closest of friends, it's still someone I know from before.
After about three hours of walking and talking it was about time to head home. Now, I'm lying in my bed, a bit exhausted (but no hangover, the walking definitely took care of that :) ), and waiting for the girls to come home. Tonight we'll probably do drinks at a friend's place, and tomorrow I'm meeting up with someone I met at HRC Calling. Busy busy busy.
But first, some Grey's Anatomy, oh yeah, I'm falling in love with it all over again. What's not to like?

Wine, oh sweet wine

Yesterday I accompanied Malia to Marais for her job interview. While she was doing the interview I walked around a little in the pouring rain. Took the metro from the Bastille to Republique which was not such a smart move to do on my own coz it made me really sad. The last time I was in that neighbourhood I was there with my sister whom I miss so much I can't begin to explain it.
I do feel a little bit homesick from time to time, which is strange coz I was never homesick in the States. I suppose it'll go over once I get a routine going. It's nice to have three weeks off before school, but I need to occupy myself with something or I'll go crazy. The weather is really shitty as well so it's not so easy to be inspired and go out and do something.
Last night we had some of our new friends over for some wine and sweets. It was a really fun night and tomorrow I'll be going to Musée D'Orsay for the first time with one of my new friends.
Right now, we're anticipating the arrival of Malia's friend who will be staying with us for a few days, and then we'll see what we're doing tonight, maybe going out for drinks or just staying in with some wine, who knows.
Till next time!

Bienvenue à Paris!

Well, I figured it was time to start writing again, especially as I am embarking on a whole new adventure.
Two days ago I arrived in Paris. My friend, and now roommate, Malia, came to pick me up in the airport and took me to my new home in the 15th district of Paris. It is a really nice apartment that is big for Paris standards, and modern and fresh. It's in need of a few details but a trip to IKEA should sort that out. Other than that, it is really close to the Metro, there's a bus stop that runs to Montmartre right outside our door, and there are grocery stores all around. The neighbourhood seem really safe which is really all that matters in the end.
Yesterday, I got to meet my landlords, who are really sweet. The woman is in her 50's and she hardly speaks any English, whereas the man (who is in his 60's) is half Danish or something like it and speaks good English. They laid down the rules but it all seems pretty relaxed so there really shouldn't be any problems.
After meeting my landlords I went to the Tuileries to meet up with an old colleague of mine who has lived in Paris for about a year. We had a nice chat on the steps of the Garnier Opera, talking about being Swedish living in Paris and dos and don'ts, etc. It's a shame she moved back to Sweden last night but hopefully we'll meet up when she comes to visit.
Considering it was friday night last night, Malia and I decided to hit the town to celebrate my arrival and Malia's work interview. We went to the Latin quarter and ended up at two bars, one Irish (I think) and one Scottish. Way to absorb the French culture, huh. Anywho, we had an awesome time and we met a bunch of new friends who we will for sure keep in touch with. Funny thing was, one of the guys spoke really good English so I assumed he was American and that was the answer I expected when I asked where he was from. Instead I got "no, I'm Swedish"!!! Imagine my surprise when that is usually my answer.
After a funfilled night, Malia and I were home at around 8 in the morning so today has been a slow day. I've finally unpacked and now I'm planning my trip to IKEA so I can start nesting.
Till next time!

London calling...

Have just been asked to go to Hard Rock Calling in London this summer. Usually you have to apply to go but I was asked directly, how awesome is that? The whole thing includes the flight and housing, great parties, great music and whatnot. So far Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney and the Hives have been confirmed. And what's best is that I finally get to see London besides Heathrow airport, yey!
Tonight I'm going to an event at my roomie's workplace, Smooph, for some bubbly and great clothes, and after that I'm going to see a screening of Remember Me. Tomorrow, it's time for work but afterwards I will finally get to see my runaway Emma who's been in Asia for the past two months! I cannot wait to catch up with her :)
X/S

Come closer...

And once again I've sucked at updating this blog...
The last couple of weeks (especially this one) has been absolutely crazy. I started my internship last week and it is actually really interesting and I could really learn a lot (which is the point, right?), the only problem is that it takes up a lot of time, time that I don't have at the moment.
Friday two weeks ago I finally went to see Avatar. My expectations weren't that high so it totally exceeded them. The only thing that sucks is that Avatar will completely dominate the Oscars in about a week, and it completely deserves its awards but there are plenty of other movies that should be just as acknowledged.
This week has included (so far) a retail staff party (which was awesome btw) and Ne-Yo at Baltiska Hallen in Malmö. The concert was absolutely amazing, there are no words for it...
Tonight will be spent in Helsingborg just chillin' but tomorrow it's time to get to work again. And next week will be somewhat hectic with another staff party, work, internship and a take-home exam that's due next monday.
Have an awesome weekend!!

Such a kliché

I really am. I'm the type of girl that eats when she's depressed (causing me to gain weight and becoming more depressed ergo eating more and voilà, vicious circle, luckilly it works the other way round as well), likes to shop, and is afraid of spiders. Today, I started with a piece of chocolate for breakfast, bought myself some lingerie, and freaked out when I just saw a spider in my room. Not a good day so far.
On the other hand, I had one piece of chocolate and then threw the rest out, I resisted the urge of putting the lingerie on my credit card (which means my bank account will be hurting right away instead of within a month), and I managed to kill the spider which is a great triumph.
From now on, I vow to myself that I will break most of my bad habits. That I will resist eating something unhealthy and snack on a piece of fruit instead. That I will transfer the amount of money that "that" dress cost into a second savings account. The spider bit will probably be a lot harder to get over, I'm still shaking, but at least I didn't cry and left the room waiting for my roommate to come home and kill it, I killed it myself!
Babysteps...

Paris

Sis on our vacation to Paris last year.
Me chillin just outside the Louvre.

No need for explanation.

Alright then, so it's settled, I'm moving to Paris. It will be in about 7 months and there's still a lot to be taken care of (such as housing, school, and money) but I have decided that this will not be something that I just talk about and then never follow through.

My biggest fear would be the language and the French standard of living. Sure, I moved to a completely different continent last time and I was a lot younger but I spoke the language, and I knew that I'd be living in a place that was close to being a five star hotel. But, I will simply have to consider this as a whole new adventure that can't be compared to my old ones.

See the thing is, I've gotten comfortable. When I got back from the States (where I lived a pretty damn good life) I moved to Helsingborg, to a gorgeous apartment and I got comfortable with my studies and my job. It's time to shake things up and take a chance. If everything goes well, who knows, maybe I'll be the next Amelie?

The power of music

It is incredible how poweful music really is. Anyone who knows me know that there will be a day when I will have to have my ipod surgically removed from my ears, that's how obsessed with music I am.
Music have the power to move you through space and time. No matter where you are the right tune can place you somewhere else at a different time than what is now. Music can make the world around you seem more beautiful than it really is. Without music the world would succumb.
In other words, music is amazing.

Will it ever end?

The winter that is. I am sooo sick of the cold and snow, and I am longing so badly for some heat that it feels like my insides are screaming. Just when it started to look up a little, we had some sunny days, a blizzard hit. So now the ground is covered with snow again and this being the southern part of Sweden, noone really has a clue what to do with it. Some of it melts to slush, some of it is shoved to the side of the street (making it absolutely impossible to cross the street without stepping into a pile of snow), and some of it turns to ice. For a pedestrian it really blows, especially when cars are rushing you when you're trying to cross the street.
Oh please, spring, would you come asap?!?

Changes?

Wow, I really suck at updating this blog, must get better at it.
So, what's happened this week? Well, Malia had a birthday party last saturday which was fun! We were supposed to go out but we ended up staying in, enjoying the house party, I left at about 6.30 in the morning and was home at about 8.30, gotta love the commute... I must say that I soo prefer house parties, coz ususally the best time is at the pre-party at someone's place and then when you go out clubbing, all the drama begins. Anyway, I was pretty much dead all sunday so it was perfect being off from work.

On monday we hade the last of our seminars and that was the end of fall semester 2009. We all enjoyed our one day break coz on wednesday spring semester 2010 started. I also started my second course (I'm doing two this semester, 45 ects) which seems to be pretty interesting. What's awesome so far is that my professor looks like Alan from the Hangover, haha!
Oooo! I also got my iPhone on monday which was a total surprise as I wasn't supposed to get it until february, but hey, I'm not the one to complain. I've already fallen in love with it so I guess it was a good decision to get one.

On thursday I went to see Sherlock Holmes with my dad. Awesome movie, really a must-see for anyone who likes movies. I went to see The imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus the other week, great movie as well, but if you're not into weird, abstract films, then don't see that one.

On friday, we had a mini welcome home party for some of the people that have been studying abroad the past semester. It was great seeing everyone again and we really had a good time, and there were no complaints from the Danish woman next door! Amazing! I really must stop drinking wine, though, at least if it's not with food, coz the hangovers I get from sipping wine are not to be trifled with...

Yesterday was time for work which was pretty much the same except for getting employee of the month (albeit it was for september, but still), yey! Nice to get some kind of recognition.

What else is new? Oh yeah, I'm strongly considering moving to Paris, at least for one semester. I'm looking up most of the details now and it looks plausible except housing in Paris is craaaazy expensive. I mean, I'm used to having a rent of about 400 euros, so it kinda blows having to go up to 1000 euros, but hey, it's in Paris :) More on that subject later....
X/S

Multiple personality disorder?

My sister has to be the most observant person I know. There isn't a thing that pass her by and when you least expect it, she points something out that is completely true which you yourself never thought about. Like yesterday, we were hanging out and all of a sudden she tells me that I have several different personalities, this is her conclusion:
* chic and bitchy Sandra - the one that dresses nice, listens to the latest music, use English slang in everyday language, and, of course, have the ability to stare people down in the bitchiest of ways.
* geeky Sandra - the one that goes to Sci-fi-Fantasy bookstores, snorts when she laughs, and knows imdb pretty much by heart.
* academic Sandra - the one that loves school, books, and culture in general.
* rock Sandra - the one who lives for rock music, dresses in black, and gets tattoos.
* baby Sandra - ´the one who gets very sweet and cuddly from time to time.

I'm not quite sure what to make of all this except I guess it's good I'm far from being a one-dimensional human being. It would be fun if anyone that's reading and knows me could add another Sandra to the list. Just to see how many different sides there can be without me actually imploding one day, haha.

Don't know much about history...

...hrm, well, that's not actually true. It would be pretty embarrassing if that was true considering I'm studying history. This week, we've been going through the term papers that were handed in last week. Today, it was time for my paper to take the stand, and it went as anticipated pretty much, apart from the praise. I did not see that coming. And something I really didn't see coming was the VG (that would be the highest grade you can get) I got on it! I'm sooo celebrating this weekend!
Actually, I will be celebrating this weekend, but not just my grade, it's one of my co-workers b-day so it'll be party up for two in cph on saturday. Nice!
And soon I'll be spending a lot of time on trains again, as I'm moving back up to helsinborg on saturday. It'll be nice to not live in a suitcase any longer, and to sleep in my own bed, in my own room, but I can't say I'm looking forward to going back to helsingborg. I really need to find a place in Malmö soon!!
Anyway.....see ya suckas!
X/S

It's the final countdown...

Sooo...this past week I've been enjoying the cold that I've been anticipating all through fall. I figured that it would break out at any moment and it seemed like my trip to Stockholm and 15 minus degrees did it, yey....All this leads up to a saturday night in front of the tv with no voice whatsoever, I have to say, being a mute, not so hilarious.
I did something the other day, I don't know if it was stupid or if it was simply inevitable but I ordered an iphone. I needed to change my service plan and since my phone has been acting up for a while now I figured that I could might as well get my self a new phone. The iphone turned out to be as good an option as the Sony Aio I was looking at so I decided to overcome my fear for the touchscreen and get myself an iphone. Only problem was that there are no iphone 3gs, 16gb, black, left anywhere nearby!!! So I ordered it online along with my new service plan, clicked my way through the order and confirmed it. I was so happy until I read the confirmation thoroughly and it said that the delivery date would be february 19th!!!! Awesome, now I have to wait a month to get the phone I want now :( And I can't complain about it coz I have no voice...
Life's a bitch...

So that was Christmas....and a Happy New Year

My sister informed me today that it has been two weeks since my last post so I figured I'd do something about it. Christmas came and went last week. I managed to find some Christmas spirit on Christmas Eve. I guess an overdose of Christmas-themes movies leaves you no other choice. Otherwise, Christmas was good, and so was the gifts - even though I was more excited over the gifts that I gave than the ones I got. I suppose that is a sign of growing up, enjoying to give more than to get.
After Christmas I just chilled with some friends and family and worked on my term-paper, which is due on friday!!!! Seriously, if I manage to pull this off, I rule. Speaking of school, I just found out that I've been accepted to a course that deals with museums and it also includes a 4 week internship on a museum so that'll be fun! Although, I've already realised that the next time I will be able to relax from school will probably be in May, but I guess it's worth it, in the end.
Anyway, on tuesday I left for Stockholm with Emma and Linda to celebrate New Year's with the LA-crew. It was awesome to see everyone again, I haven't met some of them in two years! It's fun though, coz it's the third year in a row that Emma and I celebrate New Year's with Jens and Miriam, it's turning in to quite a tradition.
Oooo, I have to tell you, I made quite a little bargain in Stockholm. One of the Jimmy Choo for H&M pairs of shoes that I wanted to get when they were released had been marked down from a 1000 sek to 400!! Yey! They're superhigh, though, so I'm gonna need some practise before I make a public appearance with them on. That public appearance will have to wait a while, though. The freaky weather changes have finally brought out the cold that was biding its time and I feel like crap right now. Maybe I should see it as a sign to study harder, hmmm....
Anyway, till next time!
X/S