“Nobody ever died of laughter.”- Max Beerbohm
February 2006
Monthly Archive
I had another great day at work today. I continue to have a lot of fun with my coworkers. They are very kind and down to earth yet funny. I went out for an hour walk with some of the clients. Two days a week we do excerice and health related activities. I saw a very very cute squirell. I know you might be chocked to see me right that since you know how scared I am of the killer squirells in Minneapolis. But here… they are so cute. They have red fur and they are much petite. The hop very graciously and do not look like rats at all.
I also had my first group today. It was great. I just love the group process and therapy. It’s amazing how fast one can get back into it again. We talked about use issues, hidden emotions, and how to maintain control of our thoughts.
I looked at another apartment today… they are very hard to get so lets hope and pray!
The Swedes may be better hockey players than the USA…but no one can compete with us when it comes to tacky Christmas light displays. Sit back, turn your speakers up and enjoy…
CLICK ON THE PICTURE
Olympics 2006 was the best every for Sweden. Here are the Hockey Heroes!
And these are the people who came to celebrate them in Stockholm as they arrived…
We got 14 medals (7 gold, 2 silver).
This is the town where Samuel and I will live. I can’t wait for nature to look like this. It is cold and snowy still and it will probably be quite some time before we will see any green leaves. However, Jönköping is a very charming town. If you are interested in seeing more sites in Jönköping then click on this link to see panorama views.
Work is always interesting. We planned the week together with the clients and made a grocery list for the meals. I went grocery shopping at Willy’s grocery store in the center of Råslätt. I am actually going to make a typical American brunch on Friday with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and french toast. That will be our lunch. I really look forward to it. Breakfast is my favorite meal.
We also went out for activities today. It’s really great. The clients are women with abuse issues and it is ever so important to learn how to live a “normal” life. To get out and learn what it’s like to have hobbies, socialize without using drugs or alcohol. The whole environment is very theraputic and educational. So today we went out to make silver jewlry.
I had the opportunity to make a ring for the very first time. It’s of course very simple (not actually the one on the picture). I got to see all the tools that are used and use quite a few. It was a lot of fun.
This past Sunday I went to the pentacostal church in Jönköping. It was my first time in that church. The service ws fantastic. They had baptism, welcoming of new members, and communion. The atomsphere was awesome and the presence of God was there. I was in tears as I entered the sanctuary. The people were welcoming and talked with us. I went with my brother and his family.
If you haven’t realized it yet, then this is the time for you to know. One of the most important part of Swedish culture is ‘fika’. This is how we socialize, relax, and get to know each other. There is a cafe in pretty much every church. If you come over to a friends house you will be asked if you would like some ‘fika.’ So when I talk about fika at work, it’s only natural. This is what we do to connect. It’s as natural as breathing. So of course, the church in Jönköping also has a cafe. After the Sunday service pretty much everyone sits down and has some coffe before going out for lunch. That is exactly what we did too.
” Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
Just a quick verse to keep in mind as the poor endure ANOTHER round of cuts in Medicare, education, food stamps…
The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything.
- Oscar Wilde
My first few days at work and Jönköping
I know it’s been a while since I posted anything new. I have had many experiences and I am adjusting to life in Sweden. Wednesday was my first day at Q-bo (my job). My coworkers are very nice, charming, and fun to work with. This week they are just letting me ’exist’. I work in one of these buildings in the pictures to the right. Close to the two houses that are facing differently than all the others. These are all apartment buildings and our office is in an apartment.
My first day started at 1pm when I sat down with two of my coworkers in the kitchen. We had coffee and cookies (swedish tradition called fika) and talked about the job. The clients showed up about two hours later and we sat around, read the paper, watched TV, and had some more fika. We started to cook dinner, porkloin and rice. After dinner clean up we all piled into the company van and went to the movie theatre. At about 9pm I headed back to Mullsjö.
Today was my second day and it started at 8am. Staff had some coffee and talked about the day. Clients started to show up around 8:30am and at 9am we all had breakfast together. I took a walk around all the apartment buildings on Råslätt with a couple of clients for ‘exercise’. Once we got back we baked some muffins and had some more fika. At this time it was time to start prep lunch. After lunch clean-up…. we all piled into the van again and took a tour around Jönköping.
We strolled on the shopping street of Jönköping. We went into a bunch of cute stores and bought a few things. We stopped at Wienerkonditoriet to have some……. fika! I couldn’t eat anything more and just ordered some tea. We headed back towards the van, stopped in a few more shops and went back to the apartment. That 
was pretty much the end of day two. I have been able to connect with clients and get to know the people a bit better. This is the time when we build trust, respect, and understanding while having fun.
I also had time to look at an apartment where we might live. It’s in the building on the picture to the right. And yes… that is a cafe in the same building right below the apartment. I’m not sure if I am going to ask for it yet.
They are Taking the Hobbits to Isengard
I a leaving for work so I don’t have much time to write, but this clip made me laugh pretty hard…
