Fancy Pants

I spent one day going into Stockholm to get my Kenya visa. This took maybe fifteen minutes. It was the most pleasant, hassle free international logistical experience I’ve had. I’m pretty sure I filled out the card incorrectly, they didn’t even check for my vaccinations or my flights, and my photos were taken a half hour earlier in a photo booth in the metro station and looked like mug shots. Since it took no time at all, I decided to go on the Lonely Planet’s walking tour of central Stockholm Unfortunately, it was raining but I trucked on, regardless. I went down Klarabergsgatan which is a main big name shopping street. There was a food festival going on, which would have been amazing if I didn’t have to, somehow, fit into the bridesmaid dress from my brother's wedding two years ago, the next day. Instead of being ecstatic, I was being tortured by the sights and smells of sausages, fine cheese, piles of fudge and other tents full of goodies and needed to remove myself as quickly as possible. I decided to wonder around in Urban Outfitters, a little reminder of home, when my favorite and only pair of flip flops broke. I’ve been wearing these things for at least four years, so I knew it was coming. I had to buy some ugly black slip-ons that hardly fit because I have monster feet. Anyway, I left there because I couldn’t even afford the sales rack and wondered along Kungstradgarden , which is a park where people lay out and ice skate in the winter. Along the way is Sankt Jakobs Kyrka (St. Jacob’s Church) where I sat and listened to part of an organ concert. There are plenty of old building and statues to awe at along the way, well, in the entire city, actually.

Stockholm is made up of a few islands; I crossed over the Riksbron bridge to the Island of the Holy Spirit which has two massive stone buildings and cobble stone streets that belong to the two parts of Stockholm’s parliament building. Over the Stallbron Bridge is Stadsholmen, which is the “medieval core of Stockholm,” where the city’s oldest buildings and Cathedral Storykyrkan stand near the Royal Palace. Here, you are in the area of Gamla Stans, which contains narrow, windy streets full of shops, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants as well as Den Gyldene Fueller—serving food since 1722! After all of this walking, and not to mention being soaked, it was time to head back to Uppsala and get some beauty rest before tomorrow’s fancy ball!!

Krister’s Nation, Varmlands, has a fancy ball every year called Vorball. Fancy as in, tuxes with tails and floor-length gowns, a four course meal and all night partying☺ I woke up early to go for a run, my last ditch effort in hopes of making the dress fit properly. I went upstairs and go ready with krister’s female friends, Elin and Meriam (who is actually from Minnesota) and a few other girls. They were gracious enough to help with my hair and make up being that I have no beauty products with me and am not the best at dolling myself up. Around four, it was time to face the music and put on the dress—success!!!! I had no trouble fitting into it; the no sugar/bread diet for two weeks really works (but not for long term effects, unfortunately). Then, it was time to get our drink on! We went downstairs to meet everyone for a drink then headed to the Nation for appetizers and a pre-dinner champagne beverage, as well as mingling. After, we sat down for a three-course meal. They sit in ten to twenty person tables arranged boy-girl-boy-girl etc. First course was a cheese/thistle soup…clearly, no one’s favorite. We also received beer, wine and shots of Snapps along the way. The Snapps tasted like “peppermint death” as I liked to call it. The Swedes are really into their singing, everyone has a song book and throughout the evening there are speakers and songs. After each song, you hold your shot and cheers to the left, the right, across drink and back again; each time making sure to make eye contact (the saying goes that if you don’t make eye contact you will be cursed with seven years of bad…um,...relations…yeah… relations); this is quite the easy way to get plastered. Krister kept warning me to pace myself; I was the one that had no problem with this. He, well…it’s Krister and he does what he does, hah.

The Main course was potatoes and smoked salmon and there was dessert, as well, which was accompanied with coffee with Bailey’s, cognac, and some sort of drunk punch. I have no idea how I succeeded in scoring all three, but hooray for me☺

After, it was time for the dance. There’s a room with an orchestra where everyone was Waltzing. I had lost everyone at this point and stood along the wall watching and reminiscing of my good ol’ violinist days. Watching was fine with me because, though we YouTubed directions, I wasn’t sure if I really could Waltz in my slightly inebriated state (or stone-cold sober for that matter). Some guy awkwardly tried to ask me to dance but I blew him off; not really in the mood for creeping strangers. I found Elin and we sat outside for a while, then found the real club. I don’t know where the time went, but suddenly it was after three, so we headed to another bar/club. Krister had gone home at this point; not long after I got the worst case of heartburn I’ve ever had (damn pizza) and had to excuse myself to head back. The entire next day was spent eating cereal, chips, and ice cream while watching Grey’s Anatomy (making up for lost carb/sugar time☺ ) until I wasn’t hung-over anymore. A fantastic introduction to the Swedish culture!