10 February

They say it's the small things in life that matter the most, and there's no better way to solidify this idea that riding through a forest that's been dressed by a Swedish winter. With no sound other than tyres sketching innocent tracks in the fresh snow, encased in trees covered in millions of tiny hairs of ice from the ice storm the night before that stand like pylons of glistening white static electricity, and a fox darting across the path 15 yards ahead. It's like stepping into Narnia. On a bike. Yeah those blokes in their volvos are definitely missing out. The only thing that gets better is the fact I grace this path almost everyday as an infinite string of missions around Uppsala unwinds itself into february..


So what exactly does an exchange student in Sweden do? Well basically anything that gets you soaked in an experience till your dripping with fascination. Like the viking party I attended this week, arriving not long after the boar on a spit had been devoured. And the difference between a viking party in sweden and one anywhere else in the world is that when, at the end of the night, they all take off their plastic horned hats and hessian sack clothing, they're still vikings. Six and a half foot blokes leaning over you bellowing "I study learn to cut the lumber for make the house" really is quite the cultural experience. Then there's bandy, which 2 nights ago I had the pleasure of attending with the former partner of one of the world-champion-Sweden's most prestigious players. (so yes its a sport). Like ice hockey but with 11 players on at a time and outdoors, any game of bandy is guaranteed to entertain - not least for the drunken avid supporters who have found the ultimate way to combat the cold so they can get on with some serious supporting.


Bandy: battle in the top 5 Swedish league with a game riddled with international stars. Victory was to Uppsala


Algthough having a crack at playing once a couple of weeks back Ive been more loyal to volleyball which I play twice a week at uni and am loving it. And believe it or not yes I do attend class at this university,which seems to host everything but. And apart from helping out a buddy in a food science lab testing starch length measurement methodology, Ive been presented with some very insightful and interesting lectures in my development studies course. And the beauty of this course is the class make-up - this ones all international ingredients (except our two outnumbered swedes). So as one can imagine we discuss development worldwide with perspectives from every corner of the work, from the token nigerian to the austrians and back to the token kiwi. which might i add, is very proud and is stoked to hear he's the only kiwi to EVER come on exchange to this uni campus. sweet. Its a great course and in between conducting interviews and presenting presentations I'm getting some very interesting angles to be witness to how development is played and toyed with in a global theater

This however, serving as the only representative of down-under, is probably the reason behind why my free new zealandish language lessons ive posted on the internet for fellow exchange students are going off like sur mjölk (which by the way is milk you buy already sour and off). Ive definitely run into a wee demand-exceeds-supply situation here but they all need to be able to just understand me when i talk so, that means the demand bit is definitely there. And the beauty of course of being the only person from your country - and your hemisphere - is that you're pretty much invincible to responsibility. If you cook a meal and it tastes like, well, its awful - you just tell 'em its how us kiwis do it. and if you say something stupid or make a bit of an inappropriate gesture juast call it new zealand culture clash. theyre non the wiser. hah don't worry though that's the sort of stuff we really just reserve for emergencies. Cos there's always just the option to tell them your australian.

Running round the castle and checking out what its packing


Need your hair cut? There now a place with highly trained expertise, state of the art equipment and facilities, and beautiful surroundings unlike any other hair salon you've seen - Gareth's Bathroom.

















But its not just just haircuts and coffee you come round to my place for (yes in whats quite possibly the greatest feat of bargain hunting ever known I scored a 14 cup coffee maker for a sweet NZ9.50 so I'm making my stand in the most expensive corner of the world), you can also come here for a bit of christmas cheer. The infamous 'mystery christmas tree' in my corridor was the centre of my goal to keep the christmas thing going until I leave here in June, but my dream came crashing down like a fat kid on a buffet table when yesterday I discovered it had been 'removed' - a sort of ceremonial farewell to winter. well not in my book. so I ensued to track it down and now have a fully sized and fully pimped christmas tree standing proudly in my room, just cos I can.