SFI

So I've started going to SFI classes now. Svenska för invandrare or Swedish for Immigrants. The first day was interesting. I got lost on the way over and once I actually found the Adult Education School in Hallsberg, I had to find the right place. One of the teachers at the school showed me to where the other students were and thrust me among the hordes of non english speakers without so much as a hello.

No just kidding, she was actually very nice and there were only a small number of people. And yes some of them did speak english, I made friends with a 20 year old girl from Germany, Jessica, and a 26 year old woman from Sri Lanka, whose name i can't place. Both had started that very day as well.

It's refreshing to meet people from foreign countries in a foreign country, because they understand the way you feel and are going through the same exact things as you. And no offense to the Swedes (Really I Love the Swedes) but making friends with people from countries like Germany, England and especially countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Lebanon and India is so much easier than making friends with Swedes.

Swedes are very polite, frustratingly so sometimes, and quite shy. They don't really put themselves out there and have this strange mentality of not standing out. A lot like the Japanese actually. Two sides to them, polite and quiet, and once you've gotten to know them (or once they've had a little alcohol) rambunctious and talkative.

But I've found that people from other countries especially middle eastern/asian countries are much more outgoing and easy to start a conversation with. I guess thats why I really like SFI. I have friends at school, but sometimes it feels like I have to really try to be their friend.

The class itself was soo easy. Sooo easy,(like......okay class this is a........cow.......this is a rooster......this is a waste of time) the German and I were quite worried that it would be like this for the rest of the year. But we took a placement test and found that we should be in a higher level class.

Our new class is full of mostly people from Iran, Burma, Thailand, Syria, China, Germany and Russia and it's a really fun class, with really warm and really fun and really nice people and a teacher who is really good and really helpful. Really.

We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves- a five minute or so speech- completely in Swedish. I was happy to find it quite easy, even with the class firing off questions to me (which I could answer)

Most of the people in my class have been in Sweden for six to eight months and were all shocked that I had only been there for one.

''Du har jättebra svenska!'' Phaw Htoo said, ''och jättefint ögon''

Tack så mycket.

The people in my class don't speak english and I don't speak germanburmesethaiarabictamilrussian so the common language is Swedish. Fun fun.

So I already gave you words. Three phrases actually.

Du har jättebra Svenska (Du har yettebraw svenska)
Jättefint ögon (yettefeent eu-gon)
Tack så mycket (Tack so mickay)

You have really good swedish
Really pretty eyes
Thanks so much