Chapter 1 : My lucky day

-Filling a 60+10 standart outdoor bag for 22 kg with clothes, during the night before.

-Sleeping

-Waking up.

-Leaving home with family

-Paying a penalty fee for speed (with 104 km/h) in a highway.

-Taking the plane

-A hostess talking to people in swedish with begging eyes, me asking what, her saying that the plane can't take off if “one person don't change its seat”, me saying “Woow, that's ponctual!”, me accepting to change, them offering me a coffee for free with some sweets, having some talks, and them saying to me “Uppsala is very nice”, hostess girls being very beautiful.

Those are the stuff I had until I landed to Uppsala. And then it goes like this :

I took a train (from airport directly) which goes to Uppsala in 25 minutes, but which cost more then 20 €. Hopefully things are not expensive like that normally. When I get off in Uppsala, it began to rain. Well, 30 degrees of Istanbul in the morning, a welcoming rain in 15 degrees made me really smiling. I mean it, really.

I called Martin, my new landlord, in public phone. After 15 minutes, a guy in his 40's approached me with smiling eyes and a moustache like the ones of 1950's (you know, a thin just above the lips). He said, “It must be you.” Yes, it was me.

After buying some thai or chinese food, we took a bus, which was also very expensive to go home. Martin, my dear landlord, didn't let me to pay. In that moment, I was already making calculations on my mind, about how much money I could save if I never take the bus. Meanwhile, I learned that for that line, even for a student, monthly card would be about 60 €. Okay, no bus. Bicycle forever, as usual.

In the bus, he talked about himself. He arrived here 30-35 years ago, from Palestine, and to study. He had lot of differents studies and jobs, he's a kind of free man. I agree on that. He also told me that he was bored of waiting for me and decided to go home. He said “When my phone did ring with your call, I was just about putting my foot on the bus. You're lucky.” I smiled.

About how things happened about home : Actually, it was Martin who found my mail adress and sent me a very short e-mail like “call me...” Then we talked : His home was 15 km outside of Uppsala, a room was ready for me if I decide to come... I wasn't sure about what to do and was still hoping that I would get an offer (Swedish system : You register to a website and wait in the line to rent a room). No offer. So I was like “Okay, I go there, stay until I find a room, and then go.”

Now about home : It's a house big as an old 18th century aristocratie villa, inside a big garden, and surrounded with forest everywhere. A giant and very smart dog (german shepberd) is accompanying us. When I arrived, there were two guys (very good friends of my landlord), also in their 40's.; one finnish and one israelian. They come sometimes to rest for the weekend. We're on the same lifestyle. They're 40 ages version of our “deep green” generation. That's good. We talk, they give me very important advices about Sweden, like Mike (Israelian) saying “Sleep with as much as you can, and you will a lot; but never fall in love with a swedish girl. Never ever!” I answer : “Okay then, I tell you, if you see me someday, in love with a swedish girl, you just snab me in the face.” While Mike is laughing like an italian, Kay (Finnish) speak quite but smiling : “No, we just grab the girl.” I understand that I found the very best place possible for me in all Sweden.

I heard Martin saying that my room is ready. I unpacked my stuff, did some routine, and went to sleep. Well, I think I was smiling on my sleep. The dreams I had atleast... They should make me smiling.