Epilogue

10 months ago, I arrived in Sweden. 10 beautiful, interesting, amazing months...
My first intention was to write a report about Karlstad, the University, Sweden, and so on. Sounds nice, but I think the outcome would be either very boring and full of facts or very sentimental - which isn't useful for people who have no connection at all to Karlstad or Sweden. Instead I think it's better to skip that - everything can be found on this blog. If you want information about Karlstad, click on Karlstad under the "Label" Headline on the right hand side. The same goes for University, Sweden etc. This will bring you to all the entries that are relevant for this "label"...more or less. And of course there are a lot of pictures...

As I wrote in one of my earlier posts - the main reason for this Blog was to build a good research diary for people interested in Sweden...but more and more entries started to become "Manuel's personal life" but still, I managed to bring some useful information into it (at least I hope so). So, if anybody wants to have more information about Karlstad and/or Sweden, feel free to contact me - just comment with your question on THIS post and leave your e-mail or blog profile, and I will answer.

Anyway...I think I said most of the things already... I really enjoyed the time in Karlstad, Sweden. Going abroad was one of the best things I have done so far and I'm glad I did it. Yes, I was a bit afraid (see the "before departure" posts) but everything turned out to be great...!
I don't know what else to write - everything sounds really cheesy and I think I've already said everything in the last few entries...

So, I guess that's it...the "Manuel i Sverige" Blog is closed - but my life continues on http://sentimental-valiums.blogspot.com/ - just in case if somebody's interested.

Vi hörs & vi ses!
Manuel

Back in austria...

Hej!
I'm back in Austria - sorry for the long absence, but I've been in the hospital for the last few days (my arm, again...but this time it's ok, hopefully).
Anyway, leaving Sweden/Karlstad was weird - it didn't feel like "goodbye", more like "see you soon" - and I definitely want to come back soon!The last few days in Karlstad were really nice - I enjoyed the weather (grilling and a chaotic boat tour), packed my things, cleaned my room and said goodbye to friends - some of them were really close friends, others were "new" friends that I've just met during the last few days/weeks ("bättre sen än aldrig" ;) )...anyway, goodbyes are never easy, but in some cases I'm sure that I will meet the people again...
However - I plan to write my "final conclusion" as soon as I have some more time/motivation to write it with one hand :P

For now - the last pictures I took in Karlstad/Sweden - the one on the bottom is my favourite I guess...the Swedish coast with malmö in the background - and the öresund bridge leading to sweden - I'll be back soon :)

PICTURES












and before I forget:
HEJA SVERIGE!!!

Best of...

WARNING! This post will include a lot of pictures...sorry for that, but I think that's the best way to present them. My first intention was to present the most beautiful/funny pictures but somehow I ended up making a collection of pictures that remind me of the good times in Sweden/Karlstad...a lot of pictures are missing, since I tried to keep it as "short" as possible...Also - it will be a bit sentimental :(
This won't be my last entry..I plan to write a final conclusion in the next few days - and I'm sure I will post some random stuff before flying back home...for now, enjoy the pitures...

Lena, Elisabeth and me...we had a great time, I miss them! But I'm going to meet Elisabeth back in Austria :) and Lena hopefully in Munich...

Sandra, Theresa, me and Christoph on the Värmland trip...seems like years ago, but it was last autumn...and it was a great trip! (picture from Theresa)

One of my favourite Oslo shots...again, it was a great trip and actually I wanted to go back to Oslo in spring...well, next time ;)

Me, Elisabeth and Mathieu in front of the Munch Museum... THE SCREAM :P

When my best friend from Austria came to visit me...it was great! I'm so glad that he came! I'm really looking forward to seeing him again!

Alster lake..one of my favourite Spots here...

The Westcoast-trip with Lena, Harry, Claudia and Elisabeth...this must have been the most beautiful trip ever!

A jumping picture during the westcoast trip (picture from Harry)Claudia and me in the Icehotel...it was so cool! Kiruna was a very special and amazing trip... (picture from Claudia)

the last "group picture" (sadly Elisabeth and Jonathan are missing)

Stockholm in December..that's when my love for this city started...and it was the first time I saw Rufus live, which was truly amazing! And it was realy nice to meet Linda, a fellow-rufus fan :)
2nd term in Karlstad...the winter was dark and without much snow...but the sky looked really cool sometimes...

Sofia, Carl, Ilana and me...all of them are great people and I'm so happy that I met them!
*lol* on a lazy afternoon in February- the TV was running and Sofia, Ilana and Jimmy were cuddled up in our kitchen and sleeping...
Me, Ilana, Sofia, Carl and Jonathan...the Bangers :D I'll miss them all, but I know that we will meet again! Probably not this year (Carl and Ilana), but definitely within the next 2 years... (picture from Ilana)
Stockholm, again...in spring I REALLY fell in love with this city. Partly because of all the nice people I met there (Niklas, Mike, Freddy, Linda...to name a few) but also because of the beauty of the city and the surrounding islands...
Sofia..a very beautiful picture...We were the "hard core" in our corridor and I really enjoyed the time with her...We became really good friends and will definitely stay in touch...
Gothenburg/Göteborg - another amazing trip and another beautiful city...Jonathan, Hong and I stayed at Sanna's place (Jonathan's girlfriend) and the whole family has been so kind to us...! It was a great time...
Malmö with Hong and Jonathan...I will never forget this trip... (picture from Hong)
Jonathan and Hong...two really dear and close friends and I'm so glad that I've met them! Again, we are going to stay in touch and meet again...Hong will come to Austria soon (for the Eurocup) and Jonathan plans to come to Austria in autumn...and I plan to fly to Canada next summer (it's really on top of my list).
I'm going to miss both of them a lot...but as Jonathan said this morning when we brought him to the station- this was just the beginning...

Getting started...

Hej everybody!
Today I wrote my last exam! I've hope everything went okay... anyway, now I can focus on packing and enjoying my last days in Karlstad.
Sofia just left :( It was/is sad, but I know that we will meet again - on the Oktoberfest or when I come back to sweden (what I definitely plan to do). - that's me & her in the pic ;) I will miss her...hanging out, talking, joking, gossiping, working out at the gym, partying...but as I said, I know we will do that again soon :) And we always have the good memories...(that sounds kitschy, but it's true).
Yesterday Jonathan, Hong, Sofia and I had a small goodbye dinner which was really nice - I even cooked Wiener Schnitzel - with one hand :P
Anyway, today we will go to the lake and make a fire, and in the evening I will meet a friend to bake a cake (we were talking about this for a long time ago, so finally we do it :P - or he will do it and I will eat it ;) )

So, as promised, here is a list of things and I'm going to miss in Sweden (except all my friends here, who I will miss a lot): [random order]
- Sweden, the country
- Swedish television (American tv shows such as Project Runway - I'm addicted :P or swedish programs)
- Lakes (so many of them! And all of them are beautiful!)
- Cakes (soooo delicious!)
- "Fika" (I've got so used to going for a coffee with friends)
- the Swedish way of life (quite similar to our way of life, but still so different)
- Swedish blokes (niiiice ;P )
- the nature (beautiful!!)
- Stockholm (I fell in love with this city...)
- and many many more things, I can't think of right now...

Of course, there are some things I will not miss this much - Swedish sausages for example :P however, I'm really glad that I did this exchange year :)
before I go back home, I will upload some more pictures - the best of the best of all 10 months, so check back before Saturday :)
I uploaded some random pics of Karlstad..if you're interested, click Here...
vi ses :)

5 days left...

Hello!
Well, five days left in Sweden... it's unbelievable.
On the one hand, I'm really looking forward to going home, on the other hand, I want to stay here. I know that I will miss Sweden. A full list of the things I'm going to miss will follow later this week ;)
For now I will focus on the last few days. On Friday we had a big goodbye party, which was a lot of fun. People were dancing, talking and sitting outside, and enjoying the bright night (it doesn't get really dark anymore...).
I bought a T-shirt which I had signed by everybody - it looks really cool and it is a nice souvenir :) (thanks Julia for the picture)
Saturday and Sunday were rather calm days - studying, doing my
laundry, and meeting friends for an ice cream :P and saying goodbye :(

Since it's really annoying to type with one hand, this entry is rather short - hope you can forgive me ;)
But I uploaded some pictures from the last party - click here!
kram
manuel

Packing...

Hi everybody!
It's 11 p.m., I'm sitting in my room and I have just finished packing three parcels to Austria. My room is really empty now and am a bit sad that I have to leave so soon :( I kind of feel like last year, when I left my room in Salzburg.
Anyway, tomorrow and will bring the parcels to the post office which will be damn expensive - 11 kg, for example, cost around 510 KR. I'm not looking forward to that...
goodnight everybody,
Manuel
P.S.: my Arm is okay :) the plaster is just very annoying...

Campusfesten...kudde kriget...eurovision

Hello everybody!

The big party is over - and it was completely different from what I expected, but I'll start from the beginning.
On thursday we had the Goodbye Dinner which was really nice, since there were so many people and everybody was in a good mood. The food was good too, but not enough (at least for me...).
However, on friday the first exchange students from last term arrived in Karlstad - we had a small but cool Party in our kitchen and it was really nice to see everybody again. On saturday morning, the day of the real party, people took sofas and chairs outside, listened to music and had a good time. It was pretty cool and funny, Lene (Norwegian girl from last term) and Björn had a water fight, people were dancing and BBQing...and at 4 o'clock everybody went to the parking place in front of Rumpan Bar (a bar at campus) for the big pillow fight...and that was when everything changed... People who know me know that I'm careful, at least most of the time. And I was careful during the fight - I never was "in the middle", I stayed outside and goofed around with friends...and suddenly I saw Harry, the austrian from last term. I said "HI!" and we started a small pillow fight...and somehow, I don't know how, our two underarms crashed together - and I broke my arm. Ouch. I lost the pillow fight, so to say...and I realized it immediately, holding my arm, looking at Harry and mumbling "oh no, please no...not now...". Poor Harry, he was shocked too...Anyway, Björn called the ambulance and after they asked for my birthday, name, social number etc. they finally said that I should call a cab...which I did, and Sabrina came with me. Marco took his car and followed us.
Together we waited in the hospital..forget everything you've heard about the swedish health system, it's really not THAT good. We were waiting for more than 1 hour before I could go to the x-ray and another hour before they put the cast on...all in all we waited a bit more than 3 hours... Well, the nurses are on a strike (understandable, because the nurse salary is ridiculously low) and that didn't help...
Anyway, my left arm is in plaster now...so I'm typing this with my right hand...hope you appreciate this :P
The rest of the evening was nice...I came back from the hospital, everybody took pictures and was drunk..I called my family and went to Jonathan's place to watch the eurovision...Although I was in a party mood I figured that it's best to have a calm evening. I didn't want to risk more injuries or drunken people running me over, especially because of my arm... Anyway, about Eurovision - Russia won, definitely not my favourite - a bland, Timbaland-produced ballad (why does he have to be EVERYWHERE??)..at least the Ukraine got 2nd...
Sunday was calm - dinner with Sabrina and Marco, since Sabrina left today...
Well, that's it so far...
Pictures of the weekend - including goodbye dinner, hospital,...