Yes, the hats are mandatory!
August 25, 2008
Kräftskiva!
August is crayfish season in Sweden. It's a short period of time when you are allowed to fish for crayfish yourself. It has become a tradition to celebrate the season by having crayfish parties. This year, we decided to head out to Dalarna to go crayfishing and to have our own little party. Klas, Anna, Fia, Niklas and I had a blast spending the weekend out in the countryside where Anna and Fia have a family cottage. Even without running water and a proper bathroom, it feels a bit like paradise out there in Svärdsjö. Good friends, good food, gorgeous weather, beautiful surroundings and a whole lot of fun!
Yes, the hats are mandatory!
Yes, the hats are mandatory!
August 20, 2008
What a process...
I've been waiting for three weeks to write this post...It was three weeks ago I received a phone call about a job I had applied for over the internet. Since I had been planning on studying this year, I had not really been actively looking for work, but I couldn't pass the posting for this position up. It was a dream job. So I sent in my resume just because.
I was pretty surprised when they called me in for an interview, even though I knew I was qualified. After meeting with "the boss man" they called me a few days later and asked me to come in to meet with someone else (which I took as a good sign). Following the second interview, I didn't hear anything for almost a week (which I had taken as a bad sign) until they called and asked me to come in once again. On my way to interview number three I was pretty sure they must be ready to tell me whether or not they wanted me for the position. Interviewer number 3, someone from HR, asked me all the same questions about my background, experience, why I am in Sweden and what I like to do for fun, only this time we took it in Swedish. When I had to leave for the third time with no answer, I realized how much I wanted this job. I had seen the magestic building the office was located in. I had met several friendly would-be-co-workers. I had been given very specific details about the job...but no one had even given me so much as a hint if they really wanted to hire me or not. I swear! I finally got a little rude and asked how many people they were still interviewing. They told me they had started with 50 applicants. They saw 15 and now, it was down to me and one other guy.
After a very long weekend of speculating and trying to read into everything they had said and done, I received another phone call. "Can you come in tomorrow at 10am?" I almost screamed into the phone, "Just tell me whether or not I got the job!!!" But I didn't. Instead, I went in for interview number 4 and told myself I wasn't going to leave the room without knowing. I had been through such an emotional roller coaster for three weeks and really just wanted to know.
The truth is, I ended up leaving for the fourth time without them saying the words, but when they called me a few hours later and said "We would like to hire you for the position," it was all worth the wait. I got the job!!!!!!
As of September 1st, I will be working at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and my position title will be Editor and Publisher. I have been practicing how to tell people about the job and what it entails in Swedish but as I sit here, I am realizing that it is difficult to explain in English.
Handelsbanken is one of the largest most prestigious banks in Sweden. The Capital Markets sector is made up of financial analysts, stock brokers as well as the editing and publishing team. To put things in pretty basic terms, Handelsbanken financial analysts in Sweden, Denmark and Norway write financial reports in English that are sent and published all over the world. These analysts will send said reports to me to edit. I have some learning to do since I have never worked in the financial sector before, but I am confident in my editing abilities and am more than up for the challenge. This job is such an incredible opportunity for me. I feel so blessed. I have Swedish friends that are looking for work and even more immigrant friends that have been here for a long time and are still jobless. I have been back in the country for two months and have just landed my dream job. This is going to change everything about my life here. Most significantly, it is going to mean that I will be a financially stable working woman instead of a struggling and poor masters student. Klas and I couldn't be happier.
I was pretty surprised when they called me in for an interview, even though I knew I was qualified. After meeting with "the boss man" they called me a few days later and asked me to come in to meet with someone else (which I took as a good sign). Following the second interview, I didn't hear anything for almost a week (which I had taken as a bad sign) until they called and asked me to come in once again. On my way to interview number three I was pretty sure they must be ready to tell me whether or not they wanted me for the position. Interviewer number 3, someone from HR, asked me all the same questions about my background, experience, why I am in Sweden and what I like to do for fun, only this time we took it in Swedish. When I had to leave for the third time with no answer, I realized how much I wanted this job. I had seen the magestic building the office was located in. I had met several friendly would-be-co-workers. I had been given very specific details about the job...but no one had even given me so much as a hint if they really wanted to hire me or not. I swear! I finally got a little rude and asked how many people they were still interviewing. They told me they had started with 50 applicants. They saw 15 and now, it was down to me and one other guy.
After a very long weekend of speculating and trying to read into everything they had said and done, I received another phone call. "Can you come in tomorrow at 10am?" I almost screamed into the phone, "Just tell me whether or not I got the job!!!" But I didn't. Instead, I went in for interview number 4 and told myself I wasn't going to leave the room without knowing. I had been through such an emotional roller coaster for three weeks and really just wanted to know.
The truth is, I ended up leaving for the fourth time without them saying the words, but when they called me a few hours later and said "We would like to hire you for the position," it was all worth the wait. I got the job!!!!!!
As of September 1st, I will be working at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and my position title will be Editor and Publisher. I have been practicing how to tell people about the job and what it entails in Swedish but as I sit here, I am realizing that it is difficult to explain in English.
Handelsbanken is one of the largest most prestigious banks in Sweden. The Capital Markets sector is made up of financial analysts, stock brokers as well as the editing and publishing team. To put things in pretty basic terms, Handelsbanken financial analysts in Sweden, Denmark and Norway write financial reports in English that are sent and published all over the world. These analysts will send said reports to me to edit. I have some learning to do since I have never worked in the financial sector before, but I am confident in my editing abilities and am more than up for the challenge. This job is such an incredible opportunity for me. I feel so blessed. I have Swedish friends that are looking for work and even more immigrant friends that have been here for a long time and are still jobless. I have been back in the country for two months and have just landed my dream job. This is going to change everything about my life here. Most significantly, it is going to mean that I will be a financially stable working woman instead of a struggling and poor masters student. Klas and I couldn't be happier.
August 4, 2008
Sheep!
Klas and I were excited to take a little bit of a longer bike ride today. We had decided to ride around a nearby lake, a distance of about about 6 miles (10 km). Well, we got a little lost around the lake and ended up off-roading on some trails, weaving through some fields, riding over a couple of bridges, carrying our bikes up and down some stairs and having some adventures along the way. It was fun not knowing exactly where we were or where the trail we were supposed to be on had gone. The highlight of the trip was when we came to a field full of sheep and a sign was hanging on the fence inviting us to go in and visit them.
They were friendly sheep.
...being a sheep. Silly boy.
They were friendly sheep. Baaaaaah!
Feeding a sheep...
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