Room with a view

I finally unpacked my bags and got around to arranging my room so I could get the maximum benefit of the amazing view that I have!

The room

The view

This park is beautiful! And I get sunshine in my room throughout the day (which means I can savor every moment until it gets dark and gloomy). The best part is that the apartment is about the same size as the one I had in the US, but it's half the price. WOOT. I suppose this is where apartment boasting should end. :)

After unpacking, I ventured out to get a few things for around the house such as laundry soap and shampoo. The first thing I noticed is that every hair care and lotion product is geared for people of Nordic descent. Shampoos, for instance, come in the following varieties: "volume-it-up", "blond hair-care", and "diamond shine". Does no one in this country have curly hair?? What are the unfortunate souls, like me, who have curly and voluminous hair supposed to buy?!?! Lol. The makeup is geared toward fair skin (makes sense, but still). I cannot wear pink lipstick and pull it off without looking ridiculous.. I guess I'll just have to wait a few more years until the companies decide they can make a profit selling things geared toward people with darker skin. :)


Now on a more serious note, the second thing I am starting to realize: it's going to be really hard shopping for things I need without a pocket dictionary. Everything is labeled in Swedish, which is fine, but not if you don't know any Swedish. For example, today, I picked up something called "sköljmedel". I was really excited to see English written on this bottle, but none of the words said anything about what the product was. The picture is rotated, but it says "New bottle: less plastic. Ultra sensitive, mild perfume, softness and care".

Based on the description, I assumed this was fabric softener, but it just as easily could have been detergent. So I walked around the store for a good 10 minutes wondering who I could ask. Girl with headphones? Nope, she'd have to remove them to talk to me. Old grandma? Nope, might not know the English word for it. Guy who works at the store? Bingo! I asked him what it was, and he laughed at me. Not in mean way, but in a "I don't think I realized that shopping could be hard for a non-Swedish speaker" kind-of-way. 


Yes, it definitely is going to be one interesting year if I don't start learning some Swedish soon.