well this is new

66 degrees farenheit, 18 degrees celcius. Today, new years eve. Insane.

School spirit

Basketball season has been going on here for a while now. Both NBA, college and high schools all over the country are going crazy when there's a game. I'd say the high school games around here take a prize though. Because it's not only watching your school team play, when coming to the games you hang around with the people there, you do crazy cheering, and call people out in the other team. Not the best sportsmanship, but I have to admit that it is kind of fun.

It's not only the teams that are fighting against eachother, it's also the school that has most students there, with the best cheers and chants. If the people from the different schools know eachother it's even better, if we have the history on the people, it's so much easier calling them out on it. All of this is stuff I used to see on TV, now I'm here, living in it, experiencing it. What can I say, it's awesome.

Christmas x 3

I made it through the 24 without any bigger problems. Made it my little swedish christmas here in Kentucky. I was on skype with the family through Donald Duck and the opening of gifts, which was great. Then when it was about three a clock here we made glögg, and had it with gingerbread cookies, as we watched Snow White. Our traditions is spreading world wide here folks.
It also turned out Christmas here on the 25 is actually very simluar to the one we have back home. It all consists of food, gifts, hanging out with the family, food and, well more food.

Right now I'm waiting to have my third Christmas, which will appear when my package from home shows up. I might have to watch another disney movie by then, and have some more gingerbread cookies, and I maybe have some saffron buns too this time, after all it will be Christmas again.

50 dollar on a lottery ticket christmas morning

Christmas rhyme

Agnes

We can see You are a girl so lucky

When You live in old Kentucky

You have told us lots of things

Which can mean Your life just swings

Have You heard some dixie jazz

which can sound fantastic as

Gotlands Jazzband in your hometown

and keep mood up if You´re slight down

- Grandpa Gösta

Saturday

I've had a plan since I got here. The plan was to make swedish food for my host family. It didnt happen as quickly as I thought, in fact, it happend first the day before yesterday, saturday. The swedish food I finally made was saffron buns, or as I know them, lussebullar. I was pretty satisfied with the result, they could have had a more destinct taste of saffron though.. But no, I have my saffron buns for Christmas and I'm in Kentucky, it doesn't get much better than that.
Well, spent my night with the French's, playing wii and having a great time. So I guess a little better.

Snowy Kentucky days

No school last monday, no school this monday, also no school today and there won't be school tomorrow. Why? We call them snow days, it's pretty understandable. I mean if there is too much snow or too icy the school buses can't go on the smaller roads and people can't get to school.
It works out good for me, liking my days of. Although don't like the fact we have to make them up later on..

IKEA

One thing I've kind of missed here from time to time is swedish food. Now, from my IKEA experience back in Sweden I know you can buy food there. So on our way back from Ohio I thought I'd stop in to get some lingonberry jam, because I needed it to go with my blood pudding I've already tracked down.

So my plan is to go to the restaurant and find some simple jar or whatever. It turned out they had a whole little store with swedish food products. I felt like a child in a candy shop. They had all the swedish classics that I had forgot about, and I just had to get more than my jar of jam. So I added some things to my grossery bag, like gingerbreads in a swedish tin (Annas pepparkakor), Daim candy for Connie & Steve to try and some fancy cider for christmas day, both pear and lingonberry. Then the best surprise was probably the glögg, Herrljunga, I had totally forgotten about it but it made my day. Feel some explaining here for you english speaking folks here, glögg is a traditional swedish christmas drink. You heat it up up drink it in small cups, the adults can add wine to it, but otherwhise you only have it with raisins and almonds, or plain, your choice.

       

The only thing I miss now is lussebullar. To be continued! And explained..

lots and lots of christmas

The countdown has officially begun. Houses are now decorated for Christmas, from driveway to the yard, from the floor to the ceiling and from the kitchen to the bathroom. You can spot a lot of santas, snow mans, reindeers and lights, lots and lots of lights. Christmas trees are mandatory, at least one in each house, decorated with ornaments from top to bottom, from the stem to the tip of the branches, and of course, lots and lots of lights. 3000 in ours for example.

Christmas candy is being made. We're talkin' chocolate covered peanuts, rice crispies pretzels dipped in chocolate, fudge of different kindes and flavors, peppermint white chocolate. To sum up, lots and lots of chocolate.

You are likely to see christmas events of different kinds wherever you are in America. I got to see the Bardstown Christmas Parade. Lots and lots of trailors decorated in christmas manner parading after each other. Everybody came to wach it, despite of the cold weather, but we got free candy and hot coco, so it was all worth it. And of corse there was once again, lots and lots of lights.

footnote

Just a little something to add. During our crazy shopping day we were interviued by the TV, no big deal. Just ended up on the Louisville news, pretty neat.

Tired shoppers

So.. Black Friday was a new experience. I've done shoping before, and I've done sales shoping, but never like this. We went to bed at 8pm on Thanksgiving to get some sleep before we got up again at 11pm. Then we went from sale to sale, store to store and mall to mall. I've never seen such lines before, nor have I seen hysteria like this to get stuff. I mean people were standing in lines outside of the stores, and when they opened people ran to get what they wanted. Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I myself ran, ran to get a barbie.. It was limited, what should I have done?
We got home at 2pm the next day,  now that's what I call crazy shoppers.

more turkey anybody?

I've been in a food coma for the last four and a half hours. Turkey day, more known as Thanksgiving has always been fascinating since you've never experienced it, and you've always wanted to. You have always wanted to eat the turkey, try the stuffing and have that pumpkin pie for dessert. I've had all of it and more today, and I'm officially stuffed. Probably will be for days.

HP-mania

The Harry Potter phenomenon that exists in Sweden is not as big here. Correction, was not as big here. When I found out many of my american friends hadn't seen the HP movies or just one or two of them I had to take the matter in my own hands. Well, Hannah's hands played a big role in it too.. It was after all her house we abused. Anyway, it resulted in a Harry Potter marathon that started on the 23rd at 5 pm with 13 people. By the third movie there were about seven of us left, when we finished the sixth one we were down to four.
Just got home from the movies, after wathing the seventh one, with the two girls I succesfully managed to convert to the Harry Potter - mania.

entertainment

U of L x 3

Had a day with nothing but football. Left at 8 am to go tailgating. For you swedes that probably don't know what it is I'll fill you up. Basically it's just to hang out before an event, like a football game, and everybody brings food and we set it all up in the parking lot by your car. There's also games like cornhole and today a lot of people were playing football. Then off to the game and then back to the oarking lot for more food and games. Like the stuff americans got going on, I do.

Connie & Steve, their kids with families, me and Hannah, the entire Finch Family. Good and fun day. Even though we lost.

missed

November 17, always a special date for me. Hate that I'm not home today. Love you Kerstin!

lots of love

Soccer Banquet

Americans sure know how to celebrate and honor people, I give them that. This night we had what we call our soccer baquet, the final end of the season. There's plenty of food, fancy decorations (Connie), fancy clothing, awards and lots and lots of gifts for the senior girls who are leaving the team. As one of those seniors I got lots and lots of stuff, I'm not making a list, but it was a lot.. Also ended up with the Varsity Coaches Award.
Besides awards and gifts we had a slide show of pictures from the season. And the seniors had pictures from their childhood, and apparently my parents had sent pictures of me, without my knowledge. Which led to me ending up in tears, and then the dominoe effect came, Hannah ended up in tears, Paige ended up in tears, so did Connie, and Steve. What a night, I tell you that.

I'm not cold, just like the cudly feeling

So, 9th of November. 70 degrees outside, that's 21 degrees celsius. In november, crazy. But only last week we were down to 45, which is like 8 degrees celsius. You really gotta keep up with the weather here, otherwise you end up walking around in school with a big scarf when it's 70 degrees outside... Not that suitable.

Eli

Connie's best friends grandson. The cutest little thing. I could totally pass for his older sister. Although I guess it's only the hair that does it.. but still!

Saying

Welcome to Kentucky! If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes.

October 31

Happy Birthday mom!! I love you and I miss you.

( I made this cake in the biggest hurry. If I would have had more time it would have been more stylish and probably have more than one layer, believe me. But it's the thought that counts, right? )

this is not a drill people

Okay, Tuesday. This day was suppose to be a rainy and windy one. I didn't really care since I'm in class rooms with no windows and don't get bothered by the weather at all. But I wasn't expecting the following, during 4th period math they tell us in the speakers to do our tornado procedures. No big deal, just sit by the walls with your head down and you'll be fine. I'm glad I couldn't hear or see any of it, I mean for someone that's scared of thunder, tornados can be a bit of a terror...

I do

America and traditions pretty much go hand in hand. Now, sometimes you have to push the rules a little bit and go outside the box. Last week I went to a wedding that was as non-traditional as it could be.
The cermonie was held on a baseball field, and not only a baseball field, the baseball field of University of Louisville. At the reception we had non-american food, as in italian. The bouquet was catched by a non-single woman, as in a single man. The garder was catched by a non-single man, as in Blake, two years old.
Still, I thought the whole thing was pretty american..

Class of 2011

Almost everybody in America has ones been seniors in High School. Almost everybody will be a senior in High School. For some it's the worst time or their life, for some it's the best. It's the end of something, either good or bad and at the same time the beginning of something else. And that's where it's up to you what to do with it. For American teenagers it's very stressful, dealing with colleges, ACTs and decisions that need to be made. I will also experience that when I'm a senior in Sweden, but for now I don't have to deal with any of that. I pretty much get the ultimate senior experience, the one without stress and only benefits.

I'll get free stuff from the soccer team, go to my senior prom and even graduate. Plus I'll get a bunch of senior pictures, which by the way I had taken today (Steve's brother, Thomas Finch, http://mywayphotography.com/ , he's awesome). Nelson County, class of 11, and I am a part of it all.

the end.

Soccer season is over. 9th District Champions and 5th Region Runner-Up (second place). Had a great time  and it's something I will never forget. Thank you guys so much for everything.

Go Cards!

A week ago we won the District Championship against Bardstown. Overtime and on golden goal, dont think it gets more instense than that. Well maybe if we would have taken it to PK's. We played John Hardin on monday and beat them 1-0. Tonight we play for the Region Championship against Central Hardin. I'm pretty psyched about it, and I'll let you know how it went, promise.

kids

what's next?

So this whole exchange student thing was a huge chance really if you think about it. I had no idea of anything more than I would be placed somewhere in the southern states. No clue about the family I would be placed in, what school I'd go too or if the school would even have a soccer team. So there were a lot of things I worried about. I had hope about coming here to see new things, experience stuff, learn and have a great year. All of that is already accomplished, except the year part.

It's all very neat and I'm not bragging but.. here's the list: I've seen college football from the 6th row, seen almost pro basketball, talked to the players who also gave me baseballs, I've been to Ohio and Indiana, a bunch of fairs, seen a baloon glow, a fire work show and a country concert (last thing don't have too big of a cool factor to it though), met a pro football player and... it's only been three months. But one of the best parts though, is all the everyday stuff I do with my friends and family, the real american life you know.

And oh, by the way, went to the zoo yesterday.

psyched

So I'm really looking forward to the whole Halloween celebration over here. Everywhere I go it's decorated for this holiday. We're talkin' supermarkets, local stores, restauruants, friends houses, around the neighborhood and in our house as well. Some does it the descrete way, others go all out with pumkins, lights, scare crows and witches, you name it and I bet there is some place here that has it.

Then of course there is the trick & treat part that I'm excited about. There's also lots of Halloween parties to go to, which means lots of fun Halloween costumes, or maybe one really good. Any suggestions?
And the best part of the Halloween fun is going to scary places and have fun. Sort of like the ghost houses at Gröna Lund and Liseberg from Sweden, although a lot better. Hoping to have movie nights with scary movies as well.

U of L

What an awesome day. College football from the 6th row by the 20 yard line, 85 degree weather in October and free drinks at Burger King! Don't get much better than that.

Hay Ride

Worst planner in the world, Kari Smith took us with her on a hay ride. Supposedly it was going to be an hour or so, we thought the weather would be good, and we thought we had enough clothes on. Boy we were wrong. It took three hours at least, and when it wasn't raining the wind was blowing and we did not have enough clothes on. What a miserable night. It's fun now though, afterwards.

pappa

October 6th is a very special date. It's a date associated with happiness, laughter and joy. It's a date associated with my dad. I'm not going to say a number, lets just say it's his birthday. One more year dad, way to go! I love you and I miss you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Senior Night

Last home game as seniors. It was an emotional night with gifts, flowers, tears and a hell of a game. We beat South Oldham, ranked 13th in the state with 2-1, pretty damn good. Everyone brought their A-game and we played awesome.

Three of us seniors stayed after the game with our coach and his daughter. We brought food and sat in the middle of the field, with lots of layers of clothes and blankets, because it's pretty cold here now, then we ate our food, talked, drank hot chocolate and had a good time. It was a memorable night.

St. James Art Fair

Had a great day in Louisville today. Walked around all these booths with amazing crafts. But it wasn't one of those fairs where you can only find junk, everything here was topnotch. There was a lot of pottery, photography, paintings and sculptures. I was so impressed by all of it, it truly amazes me how people can come up with some of this stuff. Some of it is really simple too, it's just about getting the idea, and that's where the creativity comes in. But then of course, you do need some skills to make good money out of it.