Grocery Shopping

Orientation at Uppsala doesn't start until Monday, which is also when classes begin. People at the welcome reception yesterday said the weekend was for people us to go grocery shopping, which I did indeed. Everything is in Swedish--street signs, building names, items at the grocery store. So I did my best at the store trying to figure things out. 

I purchased tomato soup (in a bag), bread, ham, cheese (that kinda looks like swiss), a bag of salad, dressing (in a packet), and a small bunch of tomatoes. All of the instructions to cook are in Swedish! 

Here is it for the soup: 

SE kastrull klipp upp förpackningen och häll soppan i en kastrull. värm på medelhög värme tills soppan kokar.  

which translates to: 

SEE saucepan cut open the package and pour the soup in a saucepan. heat over medium heat until the soup boils. 

I think I will be using Google translate quite a lot, and 

The major grocery store supplier is called ICA and the one in my area is Luthagens Livs. It's about a 10-15 minute walk, and it has everything. I also bought a plastic container that I can stick a sandwich in my backpack. 

I walked around Uppsala, which is beautiful. All the buildings in Sweden are very colorful--yellow, pink, orange, and red. I walked around the cathedral which is just stunning. I felt like a total tourist as I stared up at it while Swedes walked around it like it was an every day thing. 

I got a little lost, but ended up at the library! The Carolina Rediviva, which is just as beautiful as I knew it would be. The perfect place to get lost to. I got to see most of the buildings that the Nations have and the river that runs through the city. 

After that I came back to my dorm, ate lunch, and looked up course schedules. The courses I am taking are: 

Religious Life in Sweden

Literature and Terrorism

Modern American Drama: Staging Differences 

Victorian Things: Victorian Literature and Material Culture 

Basic Swedish

I am ready to learn some Swedish after hearing everyone talking it today. I am slowing learning how to pronounce the name of my building, Rackarbergsgatan. "Gatan" means street in Swedish and all of the streets end with it; it is pronounced "gotten." 

I don't speak Swedish. Jag talar inte svenska.