Back In New York

I came home to New York yesterday and it feels great. My fiancée and I had planned to go to Planet Hollywood, which is a great restaurant in Times Square.

The flight went really good. My bag was overweight but the clerk told me that it was okay for this time so I did not have to pay anything or repack it into two bags.

The flight was a little less comfortable on my way back to New York because I did not fly economy extra. The differences were that there is less space and that you cannot start the movie you want to watch whenever you want to.

I was also allowed to bring my guitar as carry on, which made me really happy. I watched the new Batman movie and parts of Mama Mia.

I got through the security checks without any problems and then took the bus to New York. I met my fiancée when I arrived there and we went to Planet Hollywood to eat. I had to bring all my bags to the restaurant, which was pretty unpractical and heavy.

The restaurant is great though because it is not a fancy place but a place where you can relax and not worry whether your face is clean or not.

We ordered Texas tostadas for starter. They tasted amazingly good, especially together with our “bananarama” drinks. We then shared two main courses. I had spareribs and my fiancée had sizzling fajitas.

We usually box our food if we cannot eat it. We cleaned our plates this time though so there was nothing to box. The food was really good, especially the spareribs. My fiancée and I have eaten there several times before but the food was especially tasty this time.

I shipped my Canon camera lens today and I really hope that the damage will be covered by the warranty. There is definitely some physical damage on the lens but I never dropped it or anything and I am always very careful with it. That is why I think the warranty should cover it.

I woke up at 10 AM today so I am really happy that I am not suffering from a jetlag. I will relax in the coming days and be with my fiancée before school starts. I still have a week before all that happens so that feels good. 

Last Day In Sweden

This is my last full day in Sweden. I have had a great time over here and it has been really nice to see my family again. I am looking forward to go back to New York too though because it is a city that I have come to admire a whole lot.

The main thing that I do not like about Sweden is that all stores close really early. My sister and I went out today to buy a digital guitar tuner and a plectrum. We were there at about 2.45 PM but the store closed at 2 PM.

It was pretty annoying because I was really looking forward to use it when coming home. I also spent some extra time with my sister and family today because I do not know when I will see them again. It will not be more than a year though.

I have to pack my bag today and there is a lot of stuff that I have to bring this time. I have bought a lot of Swedish groceries. I bought a cheese that weights two kilos, three packages of cream cheese with shrimps, and one big Swedish sausage.

It is near impossible to find a big cheese like that in New York so that is why I buy a big one like that. The cream cheese is also very Swedish and so is the sausage. There are many different sausages in New York but I am not sure of what brand to buy and which ones that tastes good so I rather just bring one from Sweden.

One thing international students will have to think about every time they pack for a trip is to make sure they bring their I-20 documents and VISA. The I-20 also needs to be signed by a school official before returning home.

I will also bring a few DVD movies from Sweden because I have a few really good movies that I have not watched in a long time.

I think my bag weights about 28 kilos so I am not sure if I will have to pay overweight fees. However, you are allowed to bring two bags weighting 21 kilos each so I should be able to avoid it.

I will also bring my Swedish guitar. I have never learned how to play so I will start practicing a little in New York. It is pretty big though and I am not sure if they will let me bring it on as carry on luggage.

I definitely do not want to check it in because I only have a soft case for it and I fear that it will break if I do so. 

Swedish Pizza

It is only two days until I go back to Sweden again. Time has gone really fast but it has been nice and relaxing over here.

I stayed home the whole the yesterday and hung out with my family. I had some Swedish pizza, which I really like. The pizza over here is pretty different than the one in New York. First of all, it is smaller and second of all, there are more ingredients on it.

I had kebab on my pizza and that is also my favorite. In New York people usually only eat one or two slices and that ordinarily makes them full. In Sweden people can eat a whole pizza and they will be called women if they do not.

I had dinner at my grandmother’s house today. She had prepared smoked salmon with potatoes au gratin. It was delicious so I had to portions of it. We also had a special white chocolate cake for desert. It had never tried it before but I will definitely eat it again if I find it somewhere.

My sister and I went to IKEA today so that she could take use of her gift card. We got a bunch of stuff and I paid a part for it as a delayed Christmas gift. My sister and I agreed to buy gifts for each other a few days after Christmas when the big sales are on.

Tomorrow will be my last full day in Sweden so I need to prepare a bunch of things before my trip. I am going to buy some Swedish groceries to bring to New York, including cream cheese, ordinary cheese, and some candy.

I am also going to a music store because my sister wants to buy me a guitar tuner and a plectrum. My sister bought me a guitar a few years ago and I never learned how to play it. I am really in the mood to start learning it now though so I will bring my guitar form Sweden to New York.

I have already found a few websites that provide free lessons and tips. It will definitely be a challenge but I think I will manage it. I am a little worried about if the airline will allow me to bring the guitar as carry on because I really do not want to check it in.

The risk is too big that it brakes since I do not have a hard case for my guitar. I think I will be allowed to bring it though because I talked to the check in guy when going to Sweden and he said that it should not be a problem.

I have not worked out in a few weeks now so I really need to go to a gym when I come back to New York. It takes about two weeks to lose your stamina so I guess the first few times there will be pretty tough. 

Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas and my family and I are preparing for dinner and drinks. We will be nine people celebrating here and I really think we will have a great time together.

I have a few more gifts to wrap in but I have one more hour before the guests start to show up. We will eat a lot for Christmas. A few of the dishes we will have are ham, eggs, salmon, herring, and potatoes.

People get tired of the food right after Christmas but they are also looking forward to it before each Christmas. I really love the food and I always eat too much.

I went to buy fish with my grandmother yesterday. I had to drive her and it took about an hour to go there. It is a place close to a lake called Ringsjon so their fish are very fresh and tastes absolutely delicious.

I am a little disappointed because of my camera, which broke a couple of days ago. I can only take pictures on a really close distance because it is the focus on the lens that is not working.

My warranty expires January 8^th so I will have to send the camera to Canon right after I come back to New York. Until then, I will have to use my dad’s camera so that I can take a few Christmas photos.

The weather is pretty bad. It was raining earlier this morning and I really miss the snow. It ruins the Christmas spirit a little but the food and the nice environment, here at home, will most likely make this Christmas wonderful.

Donald Duck is broadcasted every Christmas in Sweden and I will watch it this year as usual. It lasts for about an hour I think and it is a very Swedish tradition to watch it.

Before we eat the main course in Sweden during Christmas everyone drinks something called Glogg. People only drink it for Christmas and it is definitely a part of the holiday. There are many different kinds of Glogg, with or without alcohol but the most famous brand is Blossa.

I am starting to miss New York and my fiancée so it will be nice to go back there again. It is still nice to be with my family in Sweden however.

Driving

I did a lot yesterday. My sister and I had to buy the last of the Christmas gifts so we drove to Lund. There were a lot of people but it was not too much of a hassle because I am used to the crazy tourists in New York.

I bought some Swedish breakfast in the morning and I enjoyed it as much as the day before that. I was really looking forward to drive because it had been one year since I did that.

I thought it would be hard to drive after so long but I got used to it really fast. The car I drove is automatic too so it is pretty easy to drive it.

We found all our Christmas gifts pretty fast. I actually think we waited in line longer than actually looking for what items to buy.

I got my baggage later that day. It felt really good actually. I had called them in the morning to ask them where it was and they told me they had found it and would drive it to me in the afternoon.

Nothing was missing in the bag so that feels really good. We ate some Swedish “Kalopps” for dinner. My dad cooks one that tastes really good and this one was no exception.

My sister and I decorated my grandmothers Christmas tree that same evening. I had some whiskey for the first time in maybe a year so that was very nice. I really like the warm feeling you get when drinking it.

The tree came out great. I whished there could be some more lights in it though but that is okay. The weather has been pretty grey so far so I really hope for some snow for Christmas. I am not sure that is going to happen though.

My camera stopped working today. I was taking some pictures and I suddenly could not zoom with it. It is a digital SLR camera so the lens is removable. It is only the lens that is not working actually but that one alone costs over $1500.

I called Canon today and they said I could send it in. I will have to wait until I come back to New York though. I think I bought it in January last year so I only have a few more weeks until the warranty expires.

I drove a truck with a manual stick. It was really fun actually. I have never driven a big truck like that but it was actually quite fast. Driven is something I really miss in New York so I try to drive a lot when here.

I need to buy some more Christmas gifts tomorrow and I need to give my grandparents a ride because they need to buy some food. I am already looking forward to it.  

First Day In Sweden

I have spent my first day in Sweden now and it feels great. I am jetlagged but it is nice to be home other than that.  

My family and I had Swedish breakfast when we came home and that was wonderful. We had biscuits with cheese, ham, cream cheese with shrimps, and marmalade. I have really missed that in New York actually so I will eat a lot of it these coming days.

I also went out to take pictures. My sister wanted to take a long walk so we walked for about one hour. I actually used to run that certain way before, which I cannot believe these days. I got some pretty nice picture of the Swedish countryside but it was, unfortunately, raining.

I did not decorate the Christmas tree today. I felt a little too tired to do that but I went to see my grand parents anyway. They live about ten minutes away if you drive a car so it is easy to get there.

It has been about a year ago since I saw them so it was very nice to meet them again. I will decorate the tree tomorrow, which I am looking forward to. It is kind of a tradition for my sister and I to do so.

It feels like Sweden has changed a little since I was here last time. It might be just that I have not been here for a year, but I am not sure. One thing that it very different from New York is that there are so few people here.

It is nice because it is so much quieter and calmer. It is easy to get bored from it though. I will go out to buy the last Christmas gifts tomorrow. I am still waiting for my bag to come, and it will not arrive tonight.

I called the airline and they do not know where my bag is, which is pretty worrying. They told me that they got a lot of bags lately though so they have not registered all of them yet. I really hope that they will find it. It would be really annoying to have to deal with insurances and things like that.

I will post a lot of blogs these days because I want to talk about my time in Sweden. I will also put up a lot of pictures here so that all of you can get an insight in my daily life. 

Arrival To Copenhagen

I just arrived to Copenhagen after eight hours in the air. The flight was very comfortable, especially since my ticket had been upgraded to economy extra.

There was a snowstorm the morning I woke up so I was a little worried that the plane had been cancelled. I checked online and there were no messages about any delays for my flight, but I took the bus to Newark Liberty Airport a little earlier because of the storm.

I arrived about three hours prior to when my plane would leave so the check in had just opened. Everything went smooth and when I checked in my uncle had helped me to upgrade my seat from economy to economy extra.

I had a lot of space on the plane and I got more drinks and better food. I will definitely consider upgrading my tickets in the future.

The only thing that has gone wrong so far is that my baggage has been lost. The staff says that the bag arrived to Stockholm instead of Copenhagen and that they have to send it back to Copenhagen.

I am glad that it is not missing or have an unknown status though; at least they know where it is. I am still worried, however, because I have some valuable stuff in it, such as my laptop, tripod, and Christmas gifts.

What is good is that they will drive it home to my address when it arrives to Copenhagen so I will not have to worry about going to the airport again.

My dad will pick me up at the airport and we will go to by some alcohol for Christmas afterwards. The reason for that is because the alcohol in Denmark is a lot cheaper than in Sweden.

There is only one company in Sweden that is allowed to sell alcohol so it’s a monopoly. I guess the state wants to control the consumption of it, bit it really is not a very good thing because alcoholism is still a big problem in Sweden and I would love it to be cheaper.

I will go to meet my dad now. I did not sleep on the plane so I will have to stay up for a whole more day, which is tough. I will probably decorate my grandmother’s Christmas tree today or tomorrow, and I am really looking forward to doing that. 

Done With Finals

This quarter is finally over after a tough week consisting of four finals. I studied a lot last weekend and it definitely paid off.

I had three tests yesterday so I was a little nervous about it. I did not worry about the math though because that class has not been very hard for me. I have gotten 100% on everything in that class so my professor told me that I only had to do ten out of the twenty questions on the final.

I finished in about half an hour and went to a computer lab afterwards to study. My teacher had posted my grades just about ten minutes after I had turned it in to him, which I thought was very impressive. I got all answers right so my final grade will be A.

The next test in business law was almost killing me. I was very nervous because there had been a lot to study. I studied very much for it but it did not help my nerves. The test was not easy. There were more true or false questions n this one than on the midterm and I hate those questions.

True or false questions are hard to answer because there is always an “IF” factor. If I am insecure of what the right answer is, I usually write something next to the question explaining why I chose that certain answer. I am not sure if it helps but at least, sometimes, it justifies my answer.

I felt very doubtful after the test. I looked up some of the questions so I knew I had at least two wrong answers from the true or false section. The rest of the test was not a problem for me though.

The professor posted the grades an about an hour after the test and I was very relieved when I saw that I got 92 out of 100 on the test. My final grade in business law will therefore be A.

My last test yesterday was in microeconomics. I was not nervous about it and the test was not hard for me. I finished first in class actually and I checked my grade today, which showed up to be A.

I had my last test today. It was in consumer behavior and covered about ten chapters. I studied a lot for it yesterday and I felt ready for it this morning. The test was not easy but it was not too hard either.

The hardest thing about it was that it was multiple-choice questions and many answers were very close to each other. I think I will get an A though. I also got back my term paper from that class and I got an A on that one.

Right now it looks like I will maintain my 4.0 GPA, which is great news for me. 

Shoes

Shopping for shoes in New York is not really one of my favorite things to do but my fiancée loves it.

We went to DSW, which is a chain store that sells shoes only. Their stores are huge and they have all kinds of shoes there. It is pretty impressive how big they are. I took a picture last time I was there so that I can show you the size of it.

This is my last study day before the finals. I have studied business law mostly and I think I know most of it now. The subjects I have to learn include real estate, contracts, torts, and wills.

It is very interesting actually and the view people get in Europe that the laws in the United States are crooked does not really make since anymore. The truth is, most Europeans do not have a clue about how the legal system in the States works.

I also looked over the math I need to know for tomorrow. I need to know everything from the matrix system to exponential equations. It is not very hard if you put some effort in getting familiar with it.

I have also studied for the microeconomics test. My professor posts review questions online before every test so there are a total of three review question sheets online right now. This is great to study before the tests and it basically means that you will be fine on the test if you can answer those questions. 

I did those questions this morning. I got 100% on all of them so I think I am ready for the test tomorrow. I will probably look over it tomorrow again, before the test though.

My business law teacher decided something last week that I really like. Every student who shows up 15 minutes late will have five points deducted from his test score. The number one thing I hate is when people show up late for class so I really like this decision.

This is especially good on the final because many people are nervous and if someone suddenly walks in, right in the middle of the class, a lot of people might lose their concentration.

I have not studied much for my consumer behavior class but I have read my notes a couple of times. I will spend a lot of time tomorrow to study for it though, so I am not worried that I will not have enough time for it. 

Vaccination Day

I went out today to vaccinate my kitten for rabies. It has been a month since I got her and because she was too young to get the shot when I got her, I had to do it today.

She got really scared when my fiancée and I took her outside. We carried her in a special bag made for cats and dogs so she could not run but she was making a lot of noise.

She got a little calmer when we got on the train but every time we switched train or walked outside, she started to make sounds. She was also shaking a little but everything went fine other than that. She is sleeping right now, obviously exhausted after a tough day.

I have started to study for my finals now. I have typed my notes and printed the documents and I have reviewed it a couple of times.

There is a lot to review for the business law class but most of it makes since. The hardest thing about it is to remember definitions and elements.

I also have a lot of chapters to read for my consumer behavior class. I have tried to limit the number of pages I have to read by highlighting and writing down certain page numbers that are important.

I will not study consumer behavior that much these days since that test is a day later than the other tests. I will put more energy on studying business law and microeconomics.

My fiancée convinced me to watch the movie “Gone with the Wind” so I tried to watch it yesterday. Unfortunately, it was very late so I could not watch the whole movie. I like it so far actually even though it is very old.

I tried the white chocolate with mocha at Starbucks a couple of days ago. It is absolutely fantastic and I really like it with whip cream. I have only bought it ones but I am sure I will get it again.

I am going to Sweden soon and I am really looking forward to that. I need a break from the busy life here in New York and I think that my eight days in Sweden will be perfect for that. I will try to relax most of the time. My sister and I have planned to go barbequing in the woods.

We used to do that when we were kids and it is a really nice place. I am sure it will be very cold though but we will set up a campfire. I am looking forward to take many pictures and I will definitely post some of them on the blog. 

How To Study For Your Finals

Now that most students in the United States are preparing for their finals, I was thinking that I could talk a little about how to best prepare for it.

I have four finals to prepare for this quarter and three of them are on the same day. I have never had that many finals packed into one day but I still feel confident about getting a good score on all of them.

The key to pass with a good grade is to start studying in time. I usually start about a week before but the first stay is just small preparations. I think that it is important to type down your notes in word or some other similar program.

While doing this you should also have the book next to you and, if you have to, add missing information from your notes. By doing this, people will get a great outline and an easier sheet to study.

If people do this about a week before the finals take place, they will also get a great review that makes it easier to remember things on the day of the test. I do this all the time and it really helps me.

I have about 45 minutes with train to school and this is a great time for me to review and study the material needed. This is a total of 90 minutes (to and from school) that I will study for the test. Since I do this, I also do not have to study much at home.

I have a lot of free time because I plan my studying this way. A very important step in studying is to take breaks, which I get by studying on the train and come home and relax a bit before starting again.

90 minutes every day is 7.5 hours a week. How much time people need for preparation to a test differs but for me, it is definitely enough. Since you might have three tests the same day, like me, you will need to study more than that though.

Many people also do the mistake that they think of something else while reading their material. After reading all the pages they simply cannot remember it because their minds were somewhere else. It is very important that they focus on the notes and after reading a paragraph ask themselves: “what was it about?”

I constantly ask myself what I am reading and ask myself questions while reading. I do not only do this while preparing for a test, but also when reading magazines such as The Economist. It is a fact that I learn more that way.

I hope this gives people a basic understanding and idea of how to study. This might not work for everybody but it will definitely help most of you. 

First Snow This Winter

I went to Rockefeller Center last Saturday to see the tree. I did see it, but I have never seen that place so crowded after the lighting ceremony.

The place is crawling with tourists and the best viewpoint was impossible to reach. I brought my camera and tripod but I decided not to take any pictures because I really could not get a good view of the tree.

My fiancée and I went back to Times Square later on and checked out some stores. It started snowing for the first time this winter and that was very nice.

I had a quiz in math today. I think it was the most difficult quiz this quarter but I still got 5 out of 5 on it. The teacher is really fast with posting the results on the online blackboard, which I really appreciate because I want to know the results as fast as possible.

I will have a lot to do this week because of the upcoming final week. I do not have more tests this week though so that gives me some time to study and concentrate on my last week.

I think I will go out to take more photographs at night. I took a lot of pictures last Saturday when I went to Times Square. The darkness gives a totally new perspective in a picture and I am really happy with the ones I took.

I am going to type down my notes from my business law class later today. I have not done that since the midterm so I have a lot to type. The notes usually add up to about four pages in size ten so it takes a while to type it.

It is getting really dark in the mornings nowadays because of the winter so it is really hard to get up in the morning. It does not really matter how early you go to bed because the darkness itself makes people tired.

I am really looking forward to the Christmas break so that I can get some rest. It will last for about three weeks and I think that is a perfect amount of time to have a break. I do not really like breaks that last too long because I get easily bored.

My fiancée and I went to Burger King a few days ago to have a milkshake. What is really funny about that is that they have really thick straws. I actually think it is a great idea because it is always too hard to drink milkshake with the normal thin straws. The size is perfect but it feels weird to drink from it because of the thickness. 

Christmas

One of the greatest things about New York is definitely the Christmas decoration. Most stores have put up decorations now and the city looks fabulous.

The huge Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was lit last Wednesday, but I missed it unfortunately. I am going there tonight to check it out and to take some pictures. I was there last year and attended the lighting ceremony, which was awesome.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony has been a tradition since 1931. The tree itself is attached by wires so that it will not fall. There are over 30,000 lights attached to it. The wire with all the lights is about five miles long, which is pretty incredible.

New Yorkers are crazy about the environment so every year they recycle the tree for various purposes. For example, they ones used the tree for house construction purposes. Rockefeller Centers garden division picks out a tree every year but the tree itself my not come from New York.

They search in areas including Ohio, Vermont, Connecticut, and Canada, but I am sure they look in other places too.

Households are also starting to decorate their properties. My neighbor has decorated his whole house and it looks great. I think that people in Dyker Heights are decorating a lot but I am not sure. I am thinking about checking it out though.

I only have one more week left in school now. I have a quiz in math and the rest of the week will be pretty calm. The following week after next is final week though and that one will be pretty packed.

I have three finals that Tuesday. It is in math, business law, and microeconomics. I will be free that Monday, which is good because that gives me time to study.

I have my last final on Wednesday, which is in consumer behavior. Times has, as usual, gone very fast this quarter. I will go back to Sweden for Christmas and will stay for eight days. I am looking forward to see my family again and to get a short break from busy New York.

I will take a few pictures in Sweden that I will post on the blog. I will also put up a picture on the Rockefeller Christmas tree. 

Selling Books Online

This quarter is soon coming to an end. Time has gone really fast but I feel, at the same time that it will be very comfortable with some vacation.

I sold another book online today. I had set the price at $3 so it was definitely not worth it. However, I had posted the book for sale earlier for $10 so that was the reason I kept it there. It was a very old book so I just wanted to get rid of it.

I have a few other books posted that I want to sell but I am considering if I should sell it or not. I got a total of $5.20 for the book because I will be compensated for some freight charges. The freight charges are, however, calculated in advance and usually do not add up to the actual price.

My total expenses for sending the book was $5 so I made a profit of 20 cents. My opinion is that if you have a book for sale and you will get less than $10 for it. Do not sell it online because it is definitely not worth the work you have to put into it.

This week is relatively calm in school. I have not had much homework, but I do have a term paper to turn in. I will write it either today or tomorrow but I have already written one third of it.

My cat is getting pretty big now. It is growing very fast. It is still cute though and I think that it is getting a little calmer for each day, which is good. It wakes me up some mornings, which can be pretty annoying, especially if you have school that same day.

Google came out with a new version of Google Maps, which I really like. They have added new functions that make it possible to see when trains and buses arrive. It is pretty accurate too so it is much easier to plan on when to leave home before taking the train.

The subway and buses have also been integrated in the GPS system so you can now search for directions by transit and it will show what train or bus you will need to take.

I have a test in math next week. We are learning things about absolute value and logarithms right now and I do not think that it is very hard. I have a 100% score in my math class right now, which feels very good.