Nobel Tour - Blessed and Unexpected!

The phone didn't seem to respond very well to the rice pot system. Goodbye Samsung Ace, we've had fond memories in the past year and I will miss you lots );

Today was an interesting day out with Xixi to the city central again! We had originally planned to just have some (supposedly) LIFE CHANGING hot chocolate (the guide from our tour around Old Town/Gamla Stan claimed it was), but the tea session was far from being the highlight of our day.

 

Gamla Stan is a very quaint town with narrow streets as you can see.
http://www.freetourstockholm.com/ (@Jane here's an agency for free tours, including the one in Gamla Stan. you are welcome when the time comes (:)

We went to Chokladkroppen somewhere around Gamla Stan and bought the normal Hot Chocolate. The chocolate was very rich, and the portion was very big. We also got ourselves a White Chocolate Cheesecake. It was nice too, but that was too much sugar in one meal so after a while it wasn't so nice anymore.



Here's the highlight, which was completely unexpected! While we were outside of Chokladkroppen trying to find our way out, we were next to a tour group of Asians going to the Nobel Peace Prize Museum.

Then the DOOR OPENED. so i was like 'hey the door is open let's go in' because I got it confused with City Hall (where Nobel prizes are given out), which isn't usually opened). And we went in together with the Asian tour group.

A while later we heard a man shout 'Those going on the English tour please follow me!' and so we did.
Turns out that it was a TOUR GROUP for TEACHERS in Asia HAHAHAHA. We were like 2 kids in a middle-aged group of Asians.

And the best part was that we actually have to PAY for our admission. But because we just blended in... HAHAHA

The tour was pretty good, our tour guide had many stories about Alfred Nobel and some of the laureates. There were a couple of hands-on activities as well.

After the tour, Xixi and I went to explore the place and it was really interesting and cool. I expecially liked the section on architecture where they had the mini models of the buildings, because the design and handiwork was AMAZING

Sorry for the anti-climatic moment, but I'll upload the photos and talk about what was there once I get the photos from Xixi. (darn phone)

We took a photo with our tour guide because he looked cool (: besides we would probably never come back again (knowing that it costs 70SEK ~S$14)

The conversation with the guide was pretty funny too hahaha
Guide: So are you two teachers?
Us: (looks nervously) No we are students.
Guide: (as we were about to leave) All the best in your training to become a teacher!

HAHAHA. What an blessed and eventful day that was completely unplanned :))

Pretending to be a kid

Today was a day out in T-Centralen (city centre) again, and we went open area ice skating!!

The rink is located in Kungsträdgården. It is a little small, but it offers a picturesque view to chill as you glide about.

Here's a photo of me when I'm not on the floor. I'm a terrible skater and I fell like 5 times today (maybe more might have lost count). Normally, in Singapore, my companions for ice skating are novices just like myself and we would just toddle around JCube/Kallang. Somehow this time round, so many of my friends could skate (at least some experience in roller blading or ice skating), further highlighting my inability to ice skate. But they were pretty nice and cool about it haha.

The normal price of renting skates here is about 60SEK (~$12). But I pretended to be a kid (under 19 years old, so that's not too far off) and managed to get them at 30SEK (~$6). I also pretended to be a kid again at Ikea and got meatballs at $3 for 5 pieces and a drink. 

We realised that there a couple of things that work in Europe but wouldn't work in Asia. For example, there is less of a check and balance system here. They didn't really track our timings for the rental of skates, or even had any accountability for the rental. So we could have skated for way more than the specified timing, or even ran off with the skates (we didn't of course). I wouldn't expect this sort of system or trusting culture in Singapore at least (well remember the tissue papers at McDonalds? ). 

Anyway I managed to bluff my way and get a 50% discount and would probably do such similar things in the future, what can I say?

My water bottle leaked and soaked my phone. Now the battery doesn't work. I would only have access to WhatsApp in my hostel. Perhaps my portable charger could function as a battery. Sigh... what a weekend.

Välkommen Till Stockholm Universitet!

I've started this post a long time ago in January when I've first arrived. Anything with snow was taken in January, and anything without was taken today :P

Here's the bunny that greets me as I walk to school during the winter (: . I've fed some bunnies a carrot once and they're kind of a passive crazy sort when there's food.

This is the long and cold walk to school from the T-bana (aka metro, train service). Thankfully this isn't the route that I take to my campus. I would usually walk from a nearby bus stop.

It's not the typical lecture theatre that I have my lessons in. We had our orientation here, and it's a really grand LT.

This is a cafe in one of the buildings, Studenthuset.

This is the business school campus, with snow. This picture was taken somewhere in late January.

The back of my school, taken today. You can see that spring is arriving.

All the buildings in my campus are like these small houses. It's not grand like MRB, but I like how this makes it feel more like a campus than an office building. 

Basketball hoop, if you can see it.

It seems like a short winter, and I'm missing the snow fights already. I've began to appreciate the cool weather, and the sun's starting to come out. Cooling + sun combi = amazing, which makes me look forward to spring (:

Some of these photos were taken with my Nokia phone that I used to use in my secondary school days. Gotta admit, it's pretty impressive how hardy it is even till today.

Short trip to da centralen!

I've had quite an eventful and long day today, so why not have a second post?

During lunch time, we headed over to the city area for a short break.

This, my friends, is the waiting area above the platforms of  the T-Centralen metro station! It's the equivalent of Dhoby Ghaut in Singapore, with about 3 lines of trains zooming daily.

I really love how Stockholm is like. It's quaint, yet sufficiently developed and modernized. Here, you'd get a good blend of culture and modernity/functionality. Even with the many upgrades and well-established systems, you'd still be able to enjoy the vintage feel.

I would say that I haven't found Stockholm to be a place that tourists would like, but it is a nice place to stay in for a couple of months.

We were trying to get the waiter's attention to take our orders (like we do in Singapore) for super long. Actually it's pretty hard to get the waiter's attention because Swedes normally don't do that! In fact, we were having a competition of 'who can get the waiter's attention first' and it was quite challenging.

Now, if you would like to take your order, you'd have to close the menu/book and hope they would notice.

Ironic that I'd usually forget my order, so I'd have to open it up again. I wouldn't make a very cool Swede.

(Sorry for the lousy picture quality. I've not very good with technology you see)

Sleddinggg whee

It's a very snowy day today, and it means that the weather is good for sledding!! (:

 

Sledding is one of the simple things in winter that's really really fun! All it takes is a cardboard in a trashbag, a fairly steep slope, snowfall, and a slight sense of adventure (hee).

Although, I made the mistake of screaming all the way, so quite a bit of snow flew into my mouth on the way down HAHA

That's about one of the more optimistic things about winter- the fun. Because -7degrees C is no joke for such a long time. It's dry, freezing cold, and I would get hungry easily :S

Ikea!

I'm really liking this city more and more, mostly because it's extremely user-friendly. The transport system is very developed, and even if you do get lost, the locals are very friendly, nice, and well-equipped with Google maps hahaha. Walking alone on the streets at night doesn't feel too scary, especially in my neighbourhood.

Went to Ikea on Tuesday, and it is an aweshumz place.



I didn't take this photo, but they do look like the ones in Singapore. I was never a huge fan of Ikea meatballs (and I couldn't see why), the texture feels as though it has been frozen before it's cooked. But the meatballs in Sweden really just HITS DA SPOT, full of flavour and all the reasons why people want to bring Swedish meatballs into other countries! I would go on to describe about how it tastes but I shouldn't activate the saliva glands hee.

The frozen section of Ikea is the best part so far. I kinda went crazy there heh.
Top row: Sashimi styled bacon x3, herbed salmon
2nd: Cinnamon buns
3rd: Meatballs, Rosti, reindeer meat
4th: Chips, meatball sauce, lingenberry jam, tomato sauce

So if you are ever planning to visit Stockholm... I have other food for you haha

starting out on a journey

(What I had typed in my computer on Sunday night before getting internet connection)

I’m alive!

So after what seems like 10 hours of flying in 16 hours real time (owing to time differences),

WELCOME TO STOCKHOLMMMM

I’d have to say thank God for journey mercies really… Travelling to and within an unknown land all by myself was pretty daunting. But fortunately I have had Sanna who helped me get around the central of Stockholm and to my hostel, with >35kg of luggage (which I definitely couldn't handle on my own).

Sanna is Pontus’s sister, as well as Dev & Chene’s friend. She’s really nice, and pretty too. It was really a relief seeing her that day and being in her company. All my nerves and senses were heightened in an unknown land, and a friendly and familiar face helped a lot.

Suffering from jetlag at the moment. I was supposed to attend some orientation programme in the hostel, but I never woke up from my nap. It’s 4am here in Stockholm (11am in Singapore)