Things are settling down.

Things are settling down. I joined a gym today. Another $30 / month I had hoped not to spend, but I look at as actually saving money. If I am working out at the gym, it is an extra hour or two that I am not drinking beer, and the beer costs more.

I am happy to finally be really using Swedish. The other day I struggled though a conversation with the staff of the second hand store who spoke no English (surprisingly). I was buying a pressure cooker that looked a little broken, but I wasn't sure. It took about five minutes, but we determined that it was not broken, but if I got home and it didn't work, they would buy it back from me anyway.

It's giving me a little more confidence to speak Swedish with people who *do* speak English. That is actually one of the reasons I broke in and joined the gym. The staff there are the first people who didn't switch to English even though they could have, and it would have made the whole process easier for them. It really left me feeling good about the whole experience.

Some negative aspects of living here.... This weekend my sister and her boyfriend came from Lund to visit. We went out to the bar, and I finally visited the blackjack table in the corner of all bars. I had been eyeing it since I got here, but so far resisted. I am not a fan of betting on sports games or poker, or horse races, but I really love to play black-jack. Needless to say, I lost the money I would need to go to the bar and just get a beer next week. It wasn't so much, but I have to be really careful next time.