life of an immigrant (or just me whining about things I don’t like)
Right now I’m supposed to be taking a hiatus from blogging and also writing a lab report and an essay both of which are due next week. But I just had a long phone call with my best friend and there are some things I need to get out because they’re eating me from the inside.
Georgia is my best friend. And that is not just some silly title, she is my friend and the best one at that. She understands me perfectly even when I can’t properly convey myself and she’s been there for me through very hard times. I can only hope I’m as good a friend as she is to me. Anyway, Georgia told me that after she graduates from school she’s going to move either to Sweden (:D) or to Japan. Of course I am delighted by the possibility of being reunited with my best friend, but what if she moves to Japan? She’s been studying Japanese for a few years now and frankly life would be much easier for her there.
Georgia is not the only one who wants to immigrate though, Lilly wants to move to Italy to study, Bella and her boyfriend want to leave Greece in a few years too. All my friends will spread out to the four corners of the earth and I won’t get to see them any more. So maybe I should make up my mind about it and stay here in Sweden and not think about going back home any more.
Just thinking about that future though make me feel sick to my stomach. Why should I be forced to live away from my loved ones? Why can’t I go back home? I want to go home. Sweden is a beautiful country and I could earn a lot of money working here, I could even pursue a career in academia which has been my dream for years now, but! But people here don’t understand me.
I don’t dare to smoke in front of people because they criticize me heavily, even strangers give me the evil eye. In fact, if you get sick in Sweden as a result of your smoking your health insurance doesn’t cover the expenses for your treatment. Because the way they see it, it’s your fault you got sick. However, they don’t treat alcoholism the same way. Probably because getting wasted beyond oblivion every weekend is considered normal here.
And don’t get me started on how disgustingly spoiled people are here. I met this 8 year old boy that has two iphones and one ipad. And that’s just his gadgets, everyone in the family have their own. In the meantime my cell still has buttons on it (oh the shame!) and I have to tape and twist my laptop’s cord in order to keep charging the battery that only lasts 20 minutes without being plugged in. My foodie room mate looks down on me for using margarine instead of real butter and my French wannabe room mate only drinks tea from a certain shop in Paris and cooks shit like fresh mussels (!) and throws the leftovers in the trash.
It is inconceivable to these people that I cannot afford to replace my laptop. My friend asks me “why don’t you just ask your parents for one?”. I guess they don’t realize that even parents some times don’t have money to buy you stuff. And when I tried to talk to them about the situation in my country, and how upsetting it is for me, this is the response I got: “Don’t worry, these things tend to work themselves out”.
And just one last titbit of “developed” world idiocy. I mentioned to a friend that my brother would get me a new phone and this guy who just happened to be sitting in our table said this to me: “You people are poor and don’t have food to eat, people in Greece commit suicide because of that and instead of saving money you are getting a new phone?”. …. And that’s not all unfortunately. One of my teachers even went as far as to refer to Greece as an underdeveloped country….
So no. No! I don’t want to spend all my life here. I don’t want to be like these people. I don’t want to forget how to be compassionate. I don’t want to forget that critique is my best weapon against ignorance and stupidity. I don’t want to lose touch with what is important and what’s not. I’d rather have a cell with buttons and a five year old laptop than exchange my spirit for gadgets and trips to Thailand.
I bought this at the University Library today. Vintage science book! How lovely ^__^
Playful Kittens | 고양이 카페 “봄날의 고양이”에서 (by ever4one)
Business idea for Sweden: open up a cat cafe and play with cats all day.
I had a friend visit me this week. It was really awesome but at the some time it reminded me what it felt like to be around people you love like family and friends. And now I feel so lonely and I can’t wait until I can book my ticket and go back home for Christmas =(
Swedish shy guy got a haircut. He is so cute it makes me want to swoon. Oh wait! Did I tell you he has a girlfriend? Yes he does :/ But a girl can dream. I like to just look at him and get all fuzzy in my stomach. We talked a little bit today. He said he liked my presentation the most. I said I liked his the best. He has the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen. And I so totally felt like squeezing him to death :*
(╥_╥)
This morning i was thinking how everything has been going so well, how I’m slowly but steadily getting adjusted to living in a foreign country etc etc… And then comes the afternoon and I’m crying like a baby because I’m so lonely and I miss my cat and my mom and my sis and my bro and my friends and I want to leave coz it’s already winter here while my friends in Greece are on beaches, swimming and whatnot… And I haven’t met a single Greek person here! And… and… :<
This is my new room in Sweden. It’s cute right? Not a big fan of red but at least it’s cheerful. The only downside is that I have a single bed. But then again I don’t have a boyfriend so why would I even need a double one (¬_¬)
This is where I’m going to live for at least one year from now. Does it look like a church? Well, that’s because it is one. It used to be the Norwegian church of Gothenburg and it was built in 1959 by Norwegian fishermen working here. Now the Norwegian community here decided they do not need it and are going to use some other building for it, so they renovated it and they are renting out the basement to 5 female students. On the first floor is the Norwegian consulate and on the second floor live two families. The church part is still going to be used from time to time but not as often as it used to. There is also a big garden in the back with lawn chairs and stuff. Am I super excited to live there? Fuck yeah! Especially since finding a place to stay has been a major pain in the ass!
Today was a good day because:
- I found a room. And a rather strange one but I will leave the details for when I’ll be able to take some pictures
- I was registered in all the classes i wanted
- I had my first good meal in Sweden. Trust me food here sucks, it is rare to find something good.
in the picture: look at this chocolate bar! It’s so pretty! It’s pink and shiny and whatnot. I never want to eat it! I’ll just keep it and look at it and think of happy thoughts.
First of all let me tell you, I hate airports. They make me sad and miserable. Airports are like from a different dimension, a place of transission where nothing is permanent. People coming and people going but no one stays other than the people who work there. Plus it breaks my heart to see couples cry saying goodbye.
Sweden is where hipsters come to die!! Only they don’t, they multiply! But all jokes aside Goteborg is beautiful! All the greenery and the architecture! The food sucks. Plus people smell different. Creepy i know, but they do!
in the pictures: Fucking Moomins man!!! I sleep on a fucking shelf on the wall!
My brother is downloading movies for our last movie night together. We’re gonna have pizza and all.
My friends are calling me to say goodbye.
The panic is gone and has left me with a kind of sweet anticipation.
This better be worth it (╥_╥)
puppy love <3
My neighbour is 6 years old. He loves me because I’m nice and have a nice voice (?) and some other stuff I don’t remember. But he’s cute and I like to squeeze him and chase him around and tickle him. And yesterday he came to say goodbye because I’m leaving for Sweden in a week. And he gave me a stuffed radish toy thingy to take with me so that I will remember him.
I died a little :>
- Tagged
- personal
- puppy love
- sweden
