Svengleska...Swenglish...What am I speaking??

My time in Sweden is more than half way done!  Can you believe it was over 7 months ago that I was in United States of America?  I can't.  One of my biggest goals from the beginning was to learn the language: Swedish.  I think I have done a very good job of this because now I am reading swedish books with my class, turning in writing assignments in Swedish and I only talk Swedish with my host families (and most everyone else for that matter).
But I would like to share with you some of the funny translation misscommunication moments I have had with this beautiful langauge:
 PS I'll throw in some pictures I have taken so that this isn't a super boring post

• Faktiskt: (Translation:  Actually / As a matter of fact)  This was one of the first words that really threw me off when I got here.  It is used quite a bit in Sweden and to my very english ears it sounded like everyone waas saying "f**k this".  I didn't ask what it meant for a little over a week because I was determined to figure out what they were really saying on my own.  Finally I came to the conclusion that Swedes were/are just very laid back, chill people and actually are swearing a lot! Hahaha luckily I did find out what it meant and how to say it correctly before I said it my own way and made a fool out of myself!

• Gift: This word actually has two deffinitons that are quite opposite. (Translation 1: Married - Translation 2: Poison) hmmmm... Coincidence or not?  Maybe those first Swedes way back when had a reason for putting these two english words with the same Swedish word.  What do you all who are married think??

• This next group of words gave me some laughs at the beginning of the year.  Farthinder, Infart, and Utfart:  (Translations: (direct: speed barrior) speed bump, enterance, and exit) Do I need more words?  I think this picutre will be sufficient.  And yes that is my host dad :)

• Hiss: Has nothing to do with a cat.  At all!  (Translation: Elevator).  Maybe Swedes think that an elevator hisses when it moves...

• Jordgubben: (Translation: Strawberry) BUT! if you want the direct translation:  Jord means earth and Gubben is an old man.  So a strawberry is an Old Earth Man.  Hahaha

• While we are on the topic of food  we can look at Valnötter!  (Translation: Walnuts)  But once again if we break it down and look at the direkt translation: Val means election.  People in Sweden must eat walnuts while attending elections thus calling them Election Nuts!

• Hmm ok here is another double meaning word: Grym: (Translation 1: Cruel - Translation 2: Awesome)  Is it possible to be both at the same time? hmmmm... 

• Ok this one isn't exactly a wierd translation but it has me stumped.  I assume many/most of you have heard or seen the new Disney movie called Frozen.  Well they translated the entire movie to Swedish and the Swedish word for frozen is frusen.  But!  they translated the movie title to Frost, which might I add is NOT the same thing a Frozen!! Um What?? haha

• The last one isn't one word but it is kind of a funny rule that Swedes have when talking.  In English we say that things are "really good" or "really warm/extremely hot" and "really fun" (like "that was really fun").  Well in Sweden they say "Fett bra" or "Skit warmt" and "skit kul".  And if I directly translate those we get: "Fat good" or "Shit warm" and "Shit fun/cool".  I guess that's just the Swedish way of expressing very strong feelings :)

I'm sure there are many more words that I am forgetting that have fun translations, but these are all I can think of now! Hope I was able to make some people chuckle a little :)

I did not take this last picture, but Happy Spring!!!

Svenska farms

For two weekends in a row I was invited to two different Swedish farms.  One farm was a cow farm where we got to oooo and ahhhh over the litte guys.  The other one was a sheep farm where we had to wiegh the sheep.  Might sound easy, but it was not.  Got a little bit of a work out while trying to corral only one sheep at a time and urge them onto the scale. :)

With the really young guys you could stick out your finger and they would suck on it like they were getting milk! SO cute!!!

I see you!

 Karin is a sheep whisperer!

 This one did not want to cooperate! 

creepy camera eyes!

A Swedish Wedding

So Rotary has rules against dating But no where in the rules does it say I cannot get married :)
I figured hey, I'm supposed to experience as much of the swedish culture as possible and different cuntries have different traditions for weddings, so I might as well :)
Well luckily or unluckily it was not my wedding that I got to attend; it was Anders (my 3rd host dad's cousin).
And I didn't get too many pictures because it would be a little wierd if I was avidly taking pictures of a couples wedding that I have never met before so this won't be a super long post.

 The ceremony was very simply, in a small little church right next to the farm where the couple lives.  There were not very many decorations (flowers etc.) in the chruch.  In fact there were none.  There was no bridal party or grooms men either.  But we did sing a couple traditional swedish hymns durning the ceremony and they gave their vows and all that mushy stugg that happens during weddings :)

 Afterwards we all went outside and waited for the bride and groom to come out and when they did we threw rice (well it wasn't exactly rice but it was used with the same effect).  When they came out of the church, as in weddings in the States or at least for the ones that I have attended, I would have expected loud cheering, clapping whooping and what not.  But seeing as this was a Swedish wedding and these are Swedes we are talking about there was only a very muted clapping and one or two unenthusiastic whoo's!

The after dinner thing (I forget what it is called in english- reception maybe?) was only for adults so I did not get to go to that.  Instead I stayed home with my two younger host sisters and puppy sat 5 dogs and a little puppy :)

It was a very beautiful ceremony and deffinetly a once in life time experience to attend a Swedish wedding.