A little of this and a little of that

FIKA. 

YUM.

Candy lover's heaven.

REAL Chinese!

Wok.

Kim.

Well, since I have so many small things to tell everyone about, I figured I would go ahead and try doing one post with different little stories. Maybe this format will be the way to go....we will see how well it works...

CHINESE DINNER:

So I know I already wrote about the night my friend, Kim had made Chinese food for dinner, but he did it again a few nights later and invited Antje (our friend from Germany) as well as Alexandra and Andreas (our host students). It was fun watching him make the 5 different dishes... especially since he only had one wok to use. Needless to say, it took a little while :) When we did finally eat though, it was delicious, and we went to bed full and happy :) Dad- I was thinking of you the whole time because I know how much you like woks! 

CANDY:

Once again, I know I already touched on the subject of candy, but I think it deserves a little more attention. On Sunday, I decided to try some for myself. I got a bag scooped up a variety of candies. Some looked delicious and some looked questionable, but I tried a variety nonetheless. I have to say, after trying many of them throughout the week, my favorites are still the ones Cat told me were the best: Dumle, and Geisha. The Swedish fish were delicious too, of course. Leann, you would LOVE it here :)

FIKA:

As some of you know, I was getting anxious to experience my first "real" FIKA (Swedish Coffee Break). FIKA is one of my favorite parts of the week in Chicago at NPU, when friends get together on Friday afternoon for coffee, sweets, and visiting. Fortunately, a few days ago, Alexandra and Andreas took Kim, Antje and I downtown and we went to a cafe called T for coffee and Samlas. I got a latte and it was deeelicious. While the coffee was good, the best part was the pastry we all tried. It is called a Samla, and is basically a sweet bun filled with cream. Sooo good. Swede's actually eat them on Fat Tuesday as a tradition, so I am sure you will be hearing more about them in the future :)  

It turns out, I liked the cafe so much that I went back today! I had to go downtown to run a couple of errands, and decided to stop in. This time, instead of getting a latte, I got regular coffee....except it was in a mini french press! They handed me a timer and told me that once the time ran out, I should press the coffee down, and it would be ready to drink. It too was delicious. Very strong, but also very smooth. The type of coffee I got (I can't remember the name) is actually mixed in the coffee shop with a various blend of roasts, so it is unique. I think I will be going back. Regularly.

YARN:

This is for you Aunt Chris! While I was downtown, I decided to wander around a bit. I came across the information center and stopped in to look around. The lady at the counter asked me if I had any questions, and I asked her if there was a yarn shop in town. She looked it up, and sure enough there was one only about a block and a half away! I found it, went in and talked to the woman working there. She was very helpful and nice, and let me take a few pictures :) Aunt Chris--there is one type of yarn that they carry which is native to Sweden. It is from the sheep on an island called Öland. Let me know if you are interested! :)

Well, that is about all for now. I am still doing well! I thank Chicago for my tolerance for the weather. It has been wet and dreary to say the least. The roads and walkways are all covered with a  generous layer of wet sulshy slosh....but it has yet to affect me :) I just know that the day the sun comes out will be a glorious one indeed! Classes began this week, but I only have two a week until Febuary 3, when my second class starts. Not bad! So far now, I am enjoying the free time, and trying to plan my various other excursions to a few other destinations! I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for reading!!!