settling in with a sauropod

I have officially lived in Borås for one week now.  People have told me that Borås is often rainy and that generally Sweden has been having a cold summer.  However, this past week, the sun ventured out every day and temperatures hovered around 75⁰F.  While this beautiful weather may not be typical for Borås, it was a perfect backdrop to my adventures this past week.  Here are a few stories from week one.

One of the first things on my to-do list involved making my move to Sweden official.  In order to do so, I needed to pick up my residence permit and apply for my Swedish personal number.  The residence permit allows me to live in Sweden for an extended period of time.  And, the personal number is like a social security number, except that you are expected to give it out everywhere—even when buying internet and getting a cell phone.  I was able to get both of these official documents without hiccup, and even had the pleasure of finding out that the migration office has a nice plastic sauropod in their office.  Apparently, they use the sauropod to encourage kids to smile when they are having their photos taken.  What an excellent choice for a smile stimulant.  (For those of you who don’t know, I like dinosaurs.  Especially sauropods.)

After getting some of the official stuff out of the way, I had the opportunity to meet up with two of the other teachers who work at the school I’ll be at.  Both teachers are from the US and have worked at the school for a year.  Together, we played a few rounds of Skip-bo while they told me about the school and life in Sweden. 

By mid-week, my need for transportation was continuing to mount so I ventured out to find a bike.  After visiting a few shops, I made my selection and brought her home.  I will more formally introduce you to her soon, but in case you are curious, her name is Lena.

Having secured transportation, I spent a good amount of time finding my way around town.  In particular, I enjoyed playing the game, “What does this shop sell?”  After several hours of wandering in and out of various shops, I think I have a pretty good idea of where I can find what.  Eko is like Kmart.  Oöbs is like Sam’s Club.  ICA is like Cub Foods.  Giganten is like Best Buy.  And Jysk is like Bed, Bath and Beyond. In between exploring the shops, I also found the city library, town square, and a few churches.  In the evenings, I ventured out onto the trails in the forests surrounding my place.   

Towards the end of the week, I was beginning to feel more settled in, so to round off my adventures, I spent a bit of time watercoloring in Rut’s garden.  Borås and I are slowly becoming acquainted, and hopefully, soon I’ll be able to call it home.