I've not managed to work out the logic to holding conversations in Swedish yet- some of the most simple conversations can become affairs of intense confusion and frustration, and yet situations that I wonder how I'll get through without resorting to English breeze by and give me a brief moment of hope that I'm actually learning.

example 1: discussed my course options for this semester with the head of romance languages today in Swedish (in some depth, no less) for the best part of 1/2 hour and apart from a few moments of hesitation, I felt it went well.

example 2: telling someone directions to the technical college here involved a similar amount of hesitation to example 1.

Elliott's discoveries.

Scandinavians have pretty big personal spaces, probably owing to the vast amounts of space they occupy. I realised this morning that I basically walked a bunch of them round the room at a party last night... quite funny, but I hope they didn't think I was being too keen!

Swedish McDonald's are pretty cool- no nasty polystyrene boxes here- a piece of waxed paper like you get around a cheap hamburger and then a ring of card inside that not only keeps all the contents of the burger in the bun (I think I've yet to have an English Big Mac where all the salad has been in the bun when I opened it) but it also keeps it looking round and plump, like the adverts make them out to be!! The burger in my bun also looked like it was made out of meat- will wonders ever cease?!! Tasted about the same, but psychologically I felt a lot healthier eating it.

Hannah from my Swedish class in Hull arrives in Lund today. Not a moment too soon, either. I want an old friend to talk to at the moment and she fits the bill very nicely.

If you've sent me a mail or chatted to me online since I've got here, thank you- it's helped me settle in lots- I hope I can return the favour sometime.