New watch!

Today I've been to Stockholm with a friend to go shopping. The days between christmas and New Year's Eve are really crazy here. Everyone runs to the stores to shop at the big sales, and it's really crowded wherever you go. Fortunately, it has calmed down somewhat now; Boxing day was the worst ever. I bought some nice stuff that were on sale, and also a watch that I have been checking out for some time now. Typically, it was not on sale. I never wear watches, so now I'm gonna give it a try. I figured that if I have one that looks gorgeous, I'll want to wear it all the time! Anything is better than checking my phone every second. Soon I have to start prepare for exams. I have decided that after NYE, I'll lock myself in my room and study as hell. I hope my plan will work!

I bought the green one...

The holidays

 I spent christmas at home with my family, and there was a lot of delicious food and many christmas presents. We watched Donald Duck as is tradition in Sweden, and yesterday I went to Stockholm with my sister to go out for a drink. We ended up in a bar where we were the only girls. Very strange indeed. Today we went to visit my grandmother and at the elderly house where she lives they have a quite unusual parking outside the canteen...

Donald Duck at 15.00 every Christmas Eve. 

Drinks with my sister.

Parking?

Christmas food

Today I've been cooking a lot of different food for the christmas dinner tomorrow. Among other things I made spare ribs for the first time in my life, and it turned out really good. Then I made some mashed potatoes and other yummie stuff. My siblings came home today, and we've been decorating the house and the christmas tree. Tomorrow is the big day! I look forward to it already.

Mmm, spare ribs!

The annual gingerbread house

Today a friend of mine came over to catch up, exchange christmas gifts, and bake the annual gingerbread house. Normally I make my own design, but this year I didn't have time so we had to use a blueprint from a magazine. The house turned out great! Tomorrow my siblings are coming over and we're going to prepare all the christmas food and dress the tree. I haven't studied anything since I came back from The Hague. I think it's good to really relax and enjoy the holidays before I start studying for exams.

Cutting out the patterns

The final result

Stockholm in my heart

Yesterday I helped my grandparent do the grocery shopping for christmas and a few other errands. After the exhaustment, grandmother took us all to have some coffee (and a bite to eat). It was very nice! It's started snowing here finally, and the christmas feeling is strong! Yesterday after the coffee I went into Stockholm and today I went to shop for the last christmas presents. Stockholm has really put a lot of money and effort into the christmas lights, and you can really tell. In the fountain at the central square (Sergels Torg) they had the most amazing reindeers and trees, and everywhere were christmas markets selling pastries, leather crafts, Glögg, and much more. I really love Stockholm. Only 4 days left to christmas eve now!

"Fika" with the grandparents.

The Sergel fountain in christmas mode.

Christmas tree, oh christmas tree

I just came home from a trip up to the forest with my grandfather. We found the perfect christmas tree! It looks like a real Disney-tree, and my mom was very satisfied with our finding. I actually chopped it down myself! Nice that my mom finally have decided not to buy imported christmas trees when we have the forest full of them. They say that it's going to be a snow storm with about 20 cm of snow here later, so maybe my wish of a white christmas will come true!

Finally in Sweden!

I haven't posted anything since the ICM christmas party. My flight left on Friday morning at 07.00, and when I came home I was so busy I didn't have time to go online. The party was really nice, and a lot of the teachers were there too. When I was at Schiphol airport, I think I got stuck in a "random selection" procedure. While standing in the line to security, a man pin-pointed me and told me to follow him through a side-door where I got checked. As I passed through the x-ray-thing, I beeped, twice. The security guys started laughing and said I would get a "free massage". Then a woman started searching me, and I've never had such a thorough body search ever in my life. Well, an Amsterdam experience I guess. 

The Hague University at night before ICM Christmas Party.

 When I had been home a while, my mom dragged me to the supermarket to do some grocery shopping and getting some Glögg at the local alcohol store. In Sweden we have a monopoly on alcohol and a 20 year age limit, so yesterday was the first time I bought alcohol in Sweden! I did have to show ID, of course. Today has been all about bonding with the family and tomorrow I'm going up to the forest with my grandfather to chop down a christmas tree!

Buying Glögg at Systembolaget (the alcohol store)

Getting the christmas ham!

Saying goodbye

I just got home from the last class of this semester. A lot of people are leaving the Netherlands tomorrow so there were a lot of goodbyes. We ate the gingerbread house and chocolates and listened to christmas music. I really got into a christmas spirit, until I stepped outside in the rain and cold winds again. I will really miss everyone during christmas break, but it's gonna be so nice to go home too.

Last day of school

Today is the last day of school, and we are going to celebrate that by bringing the gingerbread house to class and smash it and eat it. This might sound very destructive, but it's actually an old tradition in Sweden (or in my family at least). When I was younger I always used to long for the gingerbread house which stood in the hallway every day, looking delicious. Then finally, 20 days after christmas, me and my siblings got a hammer each from mom and smashed it to pieces. Who knew demolition could be so rewarding!

Anyway, tonight I have three parties that I'm supposed to go to. First, there's a Borrel at university (which means beer and wine either free or for 50 cents each), then there's the ICM christmas party, and after that there's a party downtown. However, I'm thinking about only going to the ICM party since I have to start packing! I'm so excited! Soon I can actually use my winter jacket, which has been lying around in the back of my wardrobe. Nice, let's hope for a white christmas this year too!

Birthday chillout

Last night I was at a friend's house to celebrate her birthday. It's amazing how many birthdays we have here! It was a lot of fun, and we were just chilling with some drinks. After a while we started playing Jenga (you know the game with the wooden blocks) but as a drinking game. On some of the blocks were  instructions like "drink 2 shots with the person sitting on your left". However, we took sips if beer instead of shots. It was Tuesday after all... haha

Baby Bear

To continue on yesterday's serious university-activities, I am now going to share what we did in Personal Leadership today. We have an assignment which includes making a digital storytelling video, so in order to explore Windows Movie Maker, we made a video about a little polar bear in class. We even googled to get pictures of his mother, sister, and future partner. The class was a constant "naaaw!". We added some cute, sad music to that and voilá, we had a video that was ready for the Oscars!

Aaaw, baby bear!

The phone-sock.

Later today I was chilling between classes with two friends, when one of them pulls up a sock from her bag. "What the hell is that?" I asked. Then she took out her phone from the sock, and explained that the sock was too small for her and she wanted to avoid scratches on her new phone. I laughed so hard at her the rest of the day every time she took out her phone!

Oh, and apparently, I've enrolled for an elective in Dutch A2 which is gong to be held on Monday evenings (16.30-19.00!). I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

Coloring session

On Monday mornings it's always a bit hard to find the motivation to go up in the morning, which is probably why I "snoozed" past Marketing today. Anyway, when I came to school later, there was some kind of event going on in the main entrance - with free food! However, you had to have a name tag and belong to the certain people this was arranged for in order to eat. So mean to tempt poor students with a lot of free food like that!

"I want the green" "No, I want the green!"

In the Academic Writing class, we had a peer review session so we read each other's essays and gave feedback. At those classes, you often get bored if you read too fast, so we started coloring instead. Hearts and stuff. Sometimes I can really wonder if I'm at university or kindergarten.

Surprise!

Last night we all had a surprise birthdayparty for a friend at her place. We got there a bit earlier and started listening to christmas music and drinking Glühwein and Glögg. When she was coming home, we shut all the lights and hid in the apartment. It was just like in movies, we ran out shouting "surpriiiiise!" and then started singing the birthday song. It was really nice, and after a while the night continued downtown as usual! I am soo in the christmas mode now, can't wait to go home to snow and christmas lights. And I'm going to bake so many gingerbread cookies! 

Downtown in front of the Grote Markt christmas tree.

Bacardi eggs

I am a real breakfast person. It is the last thing I think of before I go to sleep, and the first thing when I wake up. On saturdays I like to eat a bit "fancier", well, at least things that I don't have time to do on weekdays. Like scrambled or boiled eggs. This morning I felt like the latter. However, when the eggs were done, I realised that I had no egg cup. So, I had to use the next best thing, which was my Bacardi measure cup. Works fantastic I must add!

Ah, student life!

Koopavond

Every Thursday in The Hague is koopavond, which is when the shops are open until 21.00. It's really nice to walk around from shop to shop in the evening, especially now with all the beautiful Christmas lights. There were surprisingly many people out, despite the horrible weather (yes, the storm continues). I guess everyone wants to get their Christmas shopping done in time. After some walking around, we took a break at McDonald's. Now, it might seem like I'm there all the time but I promise, that's only how it looks! We all bought a Happy Meal and started playing around with the toys. I know what you're thinking, but to quote my friend: "we are just in close touch with our inner child". Today I'm home all day, working on a research project. I've had more fun in my life, I can tell you.

Christmas shopping!

Today is going to be a good day, I can feel it! I have one class and one meeting, and then we're going downtown to shop for christmas presents! I just love buying gifts for other people, because I can't wait to see their faces when they open them. Although, shopping presents is a bit different when you live a plane ride from home. I can't shop all presents here, because of the weight-limit and size of my bag. But I will certainly try to get as many as possible.

I'm listening to Beatles this morning, and there's really nothing better to cheer you up a grey morning than "twist & shout". Have a nice day people!

Gingerbread house!

There is a storm going on outside, so not christmasy! They even sealed off the area around the big church because they were afraid pieces of the building would fall down. That's what you get when you live by the sea in a flat country, I guess. However, the gingerbread house decoration was a big success and provided a lot of christmas feelings. We totally pimped over the top, as it should be. We're probably going to bring it to class next week before everyone goes back to their home countries, so we can smash it and eat it! Ah, childhood memories.

I think I heard at least 40 times "OMG this is so exciting!"

The end result!

Wind, wind, and no snow

The last few days have been a hell when it you have to bike to and from school. I almost fell off my bike today because the wind was so strong from the side. And the odd thing is, it doesn't seem to matter in what direction you're biking, the wind is never, ever going to be to your advantage. I feel like having a snowy, white landscape outside my window right now. But the Christmas is almost here (I'm trying to be optimistic)! And do you want to know how I know that? I only have one chapter left to read in the stupid marketing book that has ruled my life for over a month! Yay! That calls for a celebration. Tomorrow I will have a gingerbread house decoration-session with some friends. I think we all need some fun distraction right now.

I'm sorry Sumo

My mom was here this weekend, and brought a lot of nice and tasty christmas treats that my grandmother had made. Now I'm listening to christmas music and am really getting in the christmas mode. I can't wait for snow now actually!

Eating breakfast at my new favourite place - Baklust.

When my mom came on Friday night, we went straight to a Sushi & Grill All-you-can-eat restaurants. This turned out to be a bit more complicated than just "eat and pay". I can surely say that I can never show my face there again, haha. First, the concept was so complicated, and the waiters didn't give us any instructions on how to order. After asking around, we figured out that you could order 5 items per person and round. There were 6 rounds. Me and my mom are quite tiny, so "rounds" were really the right word for it. We struggled with eating all the delicious food, but they just kept coming with more and more. After about 2 hours, as we were surrounded by food, we got knocked out in the second round. We simply couldn't eat any more. We were so full, that when a waitress came over and asked us something, we just nodded our heads and looked at each other with an empty gaze before bursting out in an attack of laughter. Food-coma was the word. The staff walked past our table and gave us really disappointed looks, as if we had failed the eating "battle". As we paid the check, we even got some very angry and rude remarks from the kitchen for not eating everything.

Well, besides that, it was a lovely weekend!

Happy second advent by the way.

Sinterklaas celebration

Last night we had a class activity where we celebrated Sinterklaas. We exchanged gifts through a dice game, which really brought out the competitive side of people! Wow, I almost thought there would be a fight at  one point, haha. Some gifts were more popular than others, like the christmas tree that I'm guarding with my life in the picture. It was a really fun night with a lot of laughter and class bonding! After the class activity, we went to an Extravaganza student gala party, which also was fun. Tonight my mom comes over to visit, and tomorrow will probably be filled with a lot of wonderful christmas shopping!