Darkness falls at 3.00

So... my visa finally arrived and after some mad packing I was flying to Sweden to the waiting arms of Jesper. And yes we did make a scene at the airport =). Of course it was snowing when I arrived. This is totally my own fault because last time I came to visit the snow melted fairly early for the year and everyone started saying that winter was over. But of course I decided I hadn't had enough snow and so I told poor Jesper that he had to think good snow thoughts for me. He wasn't too happy about this after 21 winters, but he obliged me and the snow did come... and then it persisted until the 2nd week of April. Now, I honestly think that this is a little excessive. Coming from a place were winter is still sunny and some days you can get away with a t-shirt, a winter that goes on for almost half the year is a little hard to cope with. And I have four more!

So when I arrived I wasn't entirely prepared for snow but luckily Jesper was and had brought my warm coat and snow boots. I still managed to fall over on the ice two times. My knees got some really nice big black bruises on them. I fell over once and then trying to get up sprawled on my bum again. I had to stay there until Jesper came back and rescued me because I knew that as soon as I tried to right myself again I would be on the ground again maybe this time on my face. I find it so unbelievably hard to walk on the ice... I have to shuffle along trying to keep my feet in contact with the ground at all times. And still I manage to slip a lot. This would be okay if I could just slip, regain my balance and then keep walking as though nothing had happened. But no... every time I slip I have to make this stupid "oooowaooah" shrieking noise so that everyone in the vicinity turns around just in time to catch me doing a crazy dance to try and keep from falling. Ack.

Luckily the snow has melted now for a while at least and I have a chance to wear some of my non-snowboot shoes if only for a couple of weeks. But it has been raining. A lot. And there was an annoying helicopter convention in the field right outside my window for three days. Thank god for double glazing. And it gets dark at 3.00... this is just totally obscene. My supervisor Sandra tells me it will only be like this for another 6 weeks... oh hurrah. Only 6 more weeks of darkness and gloom. Oh well... at least Jesper is warm... a good thing too since our heater is broken at the moment. So in short Sweden is cold and dark but I am happy and warm.

The view from our window at 3.00pm - yes I know it is hideously dark.