Whenever I'm homesick I look at these pictures

Since I've written about my great home town, Stockholm, and I got millions of pictures from home on my computer... I might as well make some use out of it and post some pictures from Stockholm then. So here we go:

The harbour where I live; Farstaviken.

Tis is the backside of my house, the garden, at my moms 50th birthday. 

The view from Kalsongberget (translated Underwear Mountain, don't ask why) where me and my friends go to swim in the summers.

At Skansen you can go to have coffee, visit really old houses and see Swedish animals. Once in a while you get to meet some wild ones as well, although they are pretty tame if you have anything to feed them.

Autumn; the building in the background is a part of my old school. 

Cherry blossoms in the spring time, by my high school.

My friend (and former 'boyfriend', haha) Martin on the way home from school.

Björns trädgård, where all the skate and BMX kids go. Been going here countless times to meet up with cute guys; they all gather here. Best place on earth!

Metro station Skanstull.

My Sponge Bob lunchbox buried in the snowy hills, gotta love the winter sometimes!

Once again; Martin, standing at our regular hang out Medborgarplatsen.

I met this cute old couple in Kungsträdgården, a big park where almost every couple in Stockholm go during the spring to kiss underneath the cherry blossoms. They were no exception; still utterly in love.

The harbour again, Farstaviken, a foggy afternoon.

My friend Alice, always wearing a trench coat and having a cigarette!

My beloved Grievous, posing in front of my old school. He's such an attention whore.

Here we have Ella, on her way down to the metro station.

Farstaviken again, from the other side of the bay.

Here is another part of my old school, had my classroom here when I was 9. Oh the days of glory!

Stockholm, springtime.

My graduation day! 

Metro station Slussen, where I go everyeveryeveryevery day. It's odd how you can miss something so plain so bad.

Omnomnom, this is Gunnarsons; one of the cosiest bakeries in town.

Farstaviken again, seen from my fish-eye lens.

If you've ever seen the movie Big Fish, you know what this picture is about (so if you don't; watch it. It's fucking brilliant)

Alice in front of our high school, in the smoking area.

You can by the way see more of my pictures at my tumblr, you find it under my header. Or I could make it even more simple for you: just click here, the magic word that will direct you to it right away!

A waaay too long post about alcohol

Since the purpose of this blog is to compare my beloved Sweden to euphoric Ireland, in any sense, here is what first struck me:

In Ireland, alcohol is such a big part of the culture apart from where I come from.  In Sweden we have a monopoly on alcohol, which for most Irish people I've met, or actually people in almost any other part of Europe, is an unknown word. Monopoly on alcohol, what does that even mean? Well you see, in Sweden there is one store and one store only that you can buy alcohol and they have an age limit of 21. Of course, there's not only one store - we have plenty of them, everywhere. But there is only one place, except for pubs and clubs of course, where you can purchase alcohol.

And I know, that for Irish people, this must sound crazy. You can't buy liquor at the supermarket?! No. We can’t. But why?! Well you see, it is brilliant way to prevent overconsumption of alcohol and reduce the profit motive on it. Sweden has a harsh history of being the most ruthless alcoholics. In the 1400 century you would often get paid for your hard work in liquor. People made their own alcohol at home, out of food supplies such as potatoes, and used the hembränt (as we call the liquor in Sweden), as a currency. And that, of course, was not a very healthy way to live since... Well yea, of obvious reasons. One example is how people used up their food resources, potatoes, to make alcohol instead of actually eating it since they became alcoholics - and then starved to death. Good times, indeed.

So, now I feel like I’m giving you guys a yawn-breeding historical lecture, which is not what I intended to do… But I’m trying to make a point, and that point is:  For me to come here, from my pretty alcohol tolerant home country, was kind of a shock. Al though, I came here with those expectations since Ireland is pretty famous for its pubs, and Guinness of course. But still – my first two weeks here was such a smack in the face. I got drunk every single day, how could I not when there all of a sudden was great liquor available for a cheap price just across the street from where I live and its open every day until ten!? I had the best time ever!

Al though, I must say it hit back on me when school started. I was so worn out, without an ounce of vitamins in my body, just alcohol pounding through it. I got sick, the flue or whatever, and ironically missed the most important drinking day except from St Patrick’s day – Arthur’s day. From that point I got back on my Swedish feet, and decided to only drink once or twice a week during my stay here, which Irish people seem to find acceptable but still kind of ‘boring’. There is the big difference though: In Sweden, I would never be called boring if I got drunk once a week, more likely the opposite. The  Swedish people I know would most likely call me an alcoholic.The standards are so different; the drinking culture. It’s pretty fascinating, really. I ought to look up the alcohol history of Ireland, and see what differs in our ways of living with it. I can’t stand now knowing things, always gotta look them up.

Oh, I sound like such a bore. I promise, I’m a very lively person, really! I don’t spend all my days doing research on the internet about countries history and compare them… Al though it is kind of enjoyable, I must admit.

May the force be with you.

Greetings!

Hi people, I'm Sara, or as called Elmire (Mire) from Stockholm. Although right now I'm sitting in a obscurely room at my college - in Dublin...


That sentence seems so surreal to me. About two months ago I randomly decided I would do something different. I just couldn't get stuck in Sweden for all eternity. What the hell, I'm 19 years old and I've never been anywhere! I need to see things, experience stuff. I've always had this huge interest in photography, I used to study it in Sweden at high school (although in Sweden, our high school is totally different to the Irish high schools, but I'll get back on that later)  so I came up with a brilliant idea - Why don't I go and study photography, somewhere else?

So, therefore, long story short - I ended up here. Hello everyone, I'm Mire and I'm mired in Dublin. Ain't that grand? Here I will tell you about my life, compare this alcoholic paradise to my beloved socialistic home. Here you'll get to follow me though it all; the ups and downs and the totally ass-kicking moments.

May the force be with you.