Hotell Bjorken Umeå

Before arriving in Sweden, I had the idea that I was somehow moving to an alien planet. Everything would be different in Sweden. Animals would talk, trees grew upside down, people would speak in a strange language that would sometimes make me giggle. Fortunately, I was only 1/3 correct. Umeå has deemed itself a fairly normal place to live (as far as I can tell), but at the same time, more than anything I could have dreamed for myself.

I don't know how it's ...

... of utter exhaustion. I met with an American girl (Christina) who took me out to fika, a coffee/tea/cake hang out, showed me around town, took me grocery shopping, and made me tilapia for dinner. It was great to be taken care of away from home!

Also got a chance to meet with my friend Lionel (from Congo) once again, who doesn't understand my hibernation habits and thinks my sleeping overload is a sign of ...

I am safely in Sweden, and I do believe that trip was one of the loneliest things I have ever done - especially because when I arrived in Sweden, I was all by myself AND everyone was speaking in Swedish. Kind of refreshing though - it's easier to relax when you're not listening to everyones conversation. I almost missed my flight to Umea, I had misread the gate number! But luckily I made it.

Everyone here thinks I ...

Left by Train on SJ Rail (7012 & 98) with change of train at Boden. Train stopped at following stations. 1) Umeå, Vännas ...

... ssen zwischen ein** türe schlafen kann die ständig auf und zu geht und dabei natürlich die beine ständig "schlägt". ab**: guillaume schein üb**all schlafen zu können. morgens, etwas v**knautscht,haben wir uns dann im speisewagen **stmal mit kaffee v**sorgt und dann einfach mal die bequem**en sitzplätze vorgezogen und occupi**t. d** unbequeme schlafplatz in d** bushaltestelle in umea:

... peep-holes into the apartment hallway before going out; if any other neighbors already stood in the hall, the immigrants were taught to wait as Swedes in order to avoid any unnecessary human contact. Swedes seem to fear everyone, even though they're all practically the same. Few Swedes pick up hitchhikers. Those who have rooms in their homes for rent rarely advertise these vacancies and will only rent to people they know. Swedes are overly ...

... asked what had been the origin and cause of me personally becoming different from the average American. Ooh, good question. I thought back and struggled to find an answer. I hadn't been particularly smart when I was young, I remembered. Many people would say I'm even dumber now. I've never in my life had a strong desire for money. But, the final answer was: "When I was young, I used to always want to be free. I didn't like people telling me what to do ...

... in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The Southeast Asians would then become low-paid pions in businesses run by American millionaires and billionaires. They could enjoy the freedom of pumping oil - a resource which ought to be owned by them - straight out of their land and into, let's say, a British company's wallet. Even then, though, the killing might continue. In 1966, the Sakarno government fell in Indonesia. U.S. companies were free to go in. In the ...

... mod**ately-sized Ume Riv**. Oumar is the cook. I cut vegetables, prepare meals, run meals to tables, pick up dishes, and wash dishes. I (try to) speak Swedish with most of the custom**s. The cafe's own** is a youthful Iranian named Nouri. Nouri is in his late forties, he's short, he wears shorts and relaxed button-down shirts, and his thick hair is oil-black with gray tips. In the past, Nouri spent twenty-two years traveling around the world. He can be quite political ...

... rest of the Swedish Bikini Team, just as my buddy Dan had directed me to do upon reaching Sweden. Thanks for the advice! No, I'm just kidding. I learned the other night, actually, that there is no Swedish Bikini Team. It came as quite a surprise. I mean, how can a proper country even run without such an instrumental cog? Women's rights in Scandinavia are very advanced, I think. The gender equality seems to empower women and make them confident and really cool ...