Denmark!

I have been to two countries in Europe, Sweden and Denmark! Can you believe it? Actually Belgium too, because we touched down in Brussels on our flight to Sweden.That is a clan record! Yes!But I would like to talk about Denmark this time.

Two weeks in Sweden. Time to see a neighbouring country. Denmark! On a Sunday morning, we went on a ferry ‘Steinaline’. So big to even take big tracks. It has a supermarket,bars,a games area, etc. We took Pernilla’s car so we could drive around Freidriksham, the town in Denmark that we were to visit. The view is so beautiful as the ferry comes out of Gothenburg harbour especially under the big bridge connecting to parts of the city.

On the ferry.

The water stretches on and on

 

 

 For breakfast, we brought with us tea, juice, snacks and the famous meat balls. For three hours we were on the ferry, in the middle of the ocean! Wow! I was beginning to get nervous so I walked round to the different areas on the ferry. I spent quite some time at the games area. Then I went up on the deck.I felt dizzy for a moment. I remembered Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic. I almost screamed out loud 'welcome to Ameri...Denmark!'

Suddenly, we started seeing parts of Denmark. What adventure! Just like one of those jungle adventures though this time at sea.Then there were these big navy ships close to us. It was the first time I was seeing soldiers here. Why were they there? We didn’t stay long enough to find out.

After the ferry had docked, we drove out straight into Denmark. We went through Freidriksham to this place where two oceans meet. I honestly fell in love with this place. The sand, the ocean which stretched  as far as your eyes could see. I think many lovers propose her! There were even two sea creatures to welcome us - seals! I didn’t want to leave, but we had a game to watch. Liverpool versus Arsenal. I actually watched a premiership game in Denmark!! I can always walk with my head up and stretch my hands like Usain Bolt.

Beautiful?Isn't it?

 

The seals!Um!!

 

 

Me and the seals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting the teachers and the presentation on Uganda

We had visited the school,met the students and talked to some of the staff.Only one thing was left, to formalise our  visit to the school .It was time to meet  all teachers and the administration. We talked about what we were doing there and about Uganda and life there.

While in Sweden I confirmed that people there know very little about Uganda.The older  ones  know a little bit of Iddi Amin,but that is all.You might as well lie to many that Amin is still president and they will fall for it.So we made a presentation on Uganda.Where it is located,Climate,size and population,economic activities,etc.It is a bit awkward to say  “Uganda is a country in East Africa”and the rest as if it is some unknown land.However,I felt patriotic talking about my country.

 

Meeting the teachers

Teachers

 

 

 

Later, we visited neighbouring schools,primary schools.How excited the kids were listening to us tell them about Uganda!How proud I felt showing Stephen Kiprotich  win Gold at the Olympics!They also asked us to show some Ugandan music and we chose Watoto children’s choir.We played the song ‘beautiful Africa’. How excited they all were!Am positive that some of the people we talked to will visit Uganda some day.   

Showing Uganda

 

Showing the Gold medalist

 

A cliff next to mount Elgon

 

Our very keen audience.

 

 

 

Halmstad!

We were going to see another town in Sweden.Halmstad- in the south of Sweden!Pernilla's home town.What was most exciting was we were finally going to meet her parents!

So on a Friday afternoon,we drove south.Actually,I didn't see much along the way as I kept dozing.We had slept late the previous night.But I remember the big plantations and the horses. The landscape there is flat,unlike what we had seen in Gothenburg.

One hour and we were in Halmstad!First impression.Small town.Few people.

I was also finally meeting Malin,One of Pernilla's childhood friends(They are still friends.Can you believe it?)You know before coming to Sweden,I had this big big dream of exporting Nile beer to Sweden(The best beer in the world.It still is,even after trying the many beers in Sweden)Malin works with a malt company so thought she would be a good associate.I still haven't given up on my dream even though I didn't get the immediate breakthrough.

So we first drove to see Malin's work place.Two towers overlooking the ocean.She took us around.We saw the many many stages the malt goes through.Brewers deserve lots of respect!
We then drove in to town to Malin's house then...

Then to Pernilla's parents' house.Nice and cosy!What nice people!They welcomed us like they knew us already.Pernilla's is such a lovely man.He tells jock after jock.You can't be bored neer him.
The day we left I felt I had to ask him how they had been able to raise such good children.

"You see if you are good parents,you will always have good children,"He said.

Pernilla next to her father.

                            Later that day,Pernilla also took us to her favourite hangouts.
We met Tony,another of her  friends and cousin.

Drinking beer.

 



On the boat,fishing and eating.

Pernilla swimming in the ocean
 

The pub where we met Tony.

 

Watching a live band in the pub.They played several swedish hits and then

 Micheal Jackson's Black or White...Awesome!

 

The next day we partied till late in the night at Malin's house.Many of Pernilla's friends were there.Tony,Ana(another of her childhood friends),Malin's husband.Did I say any thing about their house?Wonderful!The basement!And then the kids.They couldn't get enough of us.I think they were wondering who those 'muzungu'(White person in Africa)were.Finally we were getting Muzungu attention.Swedish people are 'colour blind'Malin had to cook up lies for them to go to bed.

The kids!

 

Good people.

 

 

So many bottles that you couldn't see the table cloth!

 

 



The amusement park!Liseberg!

When Pernilla was in Uganda,she gave me her Ipod on which she had a number of Swedish records.I liked them all,but I liked one the most.Veronica Maggio!Who doesn't?

That song Jag kommer!
Of course I had had to get the English translation of it.I liked the song even better.eheeeeeeee!!!

And now Veronica Maggio was performing at Liseberg.I had missed the Manchester united versus Barcelona match and the Bruce Springsteen concert at the same venue weeks before we come.The Maggio concert was just Perfect!

First we went to verious places in the amusement park.Oh the atmosphere!Am glad Pernilla didn't take us there.I dared the rollacosta.Oh my God,the butterflies in my stomach.It reminded me of the first flight at take off!But atleast I did it and now I know.Next was the ghost house.Pernilla tricked us into it saying we were to buy things there.It at was not all scarly to me.We are used to darkness in Africa so the boys disguised as ghosts didn't leave any effect on me.

Then it was the big thing! Jag kommer!Jag kommer!Jag kommer!Um um um...

Oh what a day!

Liseberg!

Liseberg from above.Atmosphere in the background.

 

 

Food! Um yammy!

"What do swedish people eat?"
"Meatballs!"
Yes,meatballs will feature in a complete blog post soon.As you may have seen.they even are my blog address. We had different dishes,but one of the many that I'll remember for a long time is the babaque.Not just the food,but mostly for the way it is done.It reminded me a lot of home.It is roasted outdoors on charcoal and eaten together with corn and potatoes.I like the social part.You get to talk play games and drink beer while the food cooks.

Nice and red!

Two lovely neighbours


On one occassion,we tried to find matooke(green bananas).They are one of the most common food in Uganda.We eat roasted meat with roasted matooke.Pernilla's neighbour,Cerita(She is really kind and funny) was able to find us some in the store where she works.We were really excited to eat 'home food' in Sweden.However,it turned out that it was not our type of matooke.When roasted,it was too hard to eat!But we were not at all sad.We enjoyed the food all the same.

Matooke? 

When the three teachers from Sweden- Helena,Pernilla and Jean visited our School,they introduced a new game.Floor Hockey!Our school should be the only one with Floor Hockey in Uganda.Everyone was excited at the new game.You should have been there to see the children 'fighting' to have a try for the first time.

One of the children having a go.

It was time to see a real Floor Hockey game.Thanks to Helena!

 

 

 

First walk in town on our own

Now we thought we were brave enough to take our first walk in town on our own.We had nothing else to do so this was a perfect  preoccupation.

Anyone  visiting Gothenburg  for the first time needs a map.I still think that if we hadn’t brought one, we would have got lost.We took the bus into town and used the bus card on our own.Pernilla had had to write down the steps on a paper.Having done this a number of times now I think it is so easy,but the first time was really…

The  drive into town(from Pernilla’s apartment) is about fifteen minutes.Once in town,we only dared to walk on streets we had been before with Pernilla so that we would find our way to the bus stop again on our way back.

What adventure!Did we tell anyone that we got lost on our way back?We must have come off the bus at a different bus-stop and had to walk round and round  to find Pernilla’s house.Why didn’t we look at the map.Now you know!

The boats

 Lipstick





Walking a familiar road.

The magnificent Ulevi.

The school

We all agreed we had now had perfect orienation so it was business time now, time to visit the School.This was the major reason we came- visit Nay Pavelundsskolan,the school with which we were doing an exchange.In one word,the school is perfect.See for yourself.


Love at first sight.

First swim in the ocean

It was time to visit Helena and get to meet her family.She lives in a really beautiful house next to the ocean.After a short while we walked down the ocean which was just metres from where helena lived.What perfect timing!It was such a beautiful view with the sun setting down the horizon.It is not an open sea here.There several islands in the ocean.What is the word?Archipelago?

The team,the ocean in the background.

I couldn't resist the temptation to have my first swim in the ocean.Unfortunately,there were many wild sea weeds that burn one's skin if touched.We had to wait a while to get into the water.Sea water is really salty.Different!

Beautiful!Isn'tit?

Michael Phelps?

Mushroom picking

After church,we went mushroom picking."It is one of the oldest Swedish traditions,"Carina, Pernilla's friend explained.It is also one of the top summer activies.Carina is really nice.She talks,talks and talks.She has been to Tanzania and Zimbabwe.She'll be in Botswana soon

As we drove through the forest,we saw that several people had parked cars to pick mushrooms.Trees,trees,trees...There was forest everywhere.We drove for an hour to meet Erika,Pernilla's best friend.She and her boyfriend,Johan, had gone to the countryside where Bella,Erika's youngest daughter was.

Later,Bella showed us through the forest.We searched and searched, but didn't find any edible mushrooms.But we were not too sad.Atleast we got blue berries.We had a little picnic.It is nice and quiet in the forest!Peaceful.

Forest

A horse!

Hunting the mushrooms.

The only mushrooms we got were poisonus ones.

Blue berries.Yummy!

Mr nice guy Johan!

Church

Before leaving Uganda,we had made Pernilla to promise several times that she would find us a church to pray while in Sweden.She found us one.With the internet it is so easy.You can even find the church programme on the internet.Pernilla drove us there.It was too early, she had complained.It was not quite good time to wake up especially after sleeping so late the previous night.

People in Sweden don't go to churh!That was the conclusion we arrived at after the service.There were not more than ten people in the church.Of course they have several services and this we had gone to we was latin mass, but ten people?

Later on we discovered that people here party all night long on Friday and Saturday after working Monday to Friday.They sleep till midday on Sunday.

Gothenburg

On Saturday,Pernilla took us round Gothenburg.We took the bus to the town which was in itself a shock!The bus arrives on time and you don't have to stop it!Also,it does not wait for passengers.The next bus comes after ten minutes.You use a bus card to pay for the trip,not cash.Efficient!From the stop we walked to the ocean and had a view of ships and boats,then walked to Gothenburg opera just next to the ocean.There was a free performance as if to welcome us to Gothenburg.

Pernilla also took us to a big shopping mall in town.I think the biggest I have seen.Before this,we had seen very few people in the town but here there were so many shopping.Outside, there was yet another eye-catching event.The cultural week.People from all over Europe and other parts of the world were in this open square to see various traditional food types displayed by food sellers.We got to taste different food.

On the bus.

   The ocean.

Gothenburg Opera

Feeling the ocean breeze.