It's been quiet...

I must apologise for my lack of posts, I have been very busy with other things. But I am happy to report a few big bits of news.
I am now officially registered in Sweden - got a nice piece of paper through the door on Thursday!
I have been working at Sigma Kudos for over a month now and am loving it - lots of nice people, great work environment and lots of responsibility.
I have been playing innebandy - went to Stockholm for a GB camp, playing in a korpen team for Ericsson, and I now am training with a third division team as well!
Our new apartment looks amazing - I am an expert at making Ikea furniture ;-)

So sorry for the silence, but things are working out great and I will try and keep this blog going again.

:-D

One final thing left!

I have my bank card, it's active and I have set up online banking as well. I was also able to hand in a form at Försäkringskassan today and a Migrationsverket form, meaning that I have just one form left to send off to Migrationsverket once it has been filled in by my boss and then I should be a real Swedish citizen.

Things are finally piecing together :-)

I am official, at last

I finally got my personnummer today and then was able (on the second attempt, after having got yet another thing from Skatteverket) to open up a bank account.

I feel even better now that I'm actually in the system. Now I can go and get an ID card and then I'll be pretty much sorted as my bank card arrives next week.

I got the job!!!

Hello ladies and gentlemen!

I am pleased to say that I had my second interview at Sigma Kudos today and after then waiting 2hrs to know the verdict, I was more than happy to be given the job. I keep being told by people that it's very hard to get a job in Sweden at the moment as well and adding that to the fact that this is the only job I have applied for, I think it's fairly safe to say that I did rather well.

They were all so friendly as well and one of the employees (from India), when I asked him about Swedish and SFi suggested a folkhögskola and said that some of the other employees will attend and that I could go with them in order to help learn Swedish. They also gave me some information that I can read up while I still have little to do, so that I am more versed in the technology and the style of writing and so on.

Still waiting for my personnummer before I can have the final contract (have a preliminary one for the time being) and then I'll be able to go to migrationsverket as well and be all done with registration (as well as needing a bank account).

Heading to Halmstad tomorrow, for a nice weekend :-)

Just need to ring up the floorball team in Göteborg - I ought to practise if I'll be playing with GB in Stockholm at the beginning of September.

It's all happening so soon - my luck has changed and I love it!

Success with my first interview!

I was just given the news that I had passed the written test from my first interview and they would like me to come in for my follow-up interview on Thursday.

What good news! It's a shame I don't feel too happy because I've had a really bad headache all day :-(

But that's great news, now I just need to ace this interview which will apparently have some oral tests which I assume are based on certain situations and what I would do etc.

GREAT NEWS - keep looking back as I'll post the results on Thursday

My Interview and Oslo

My interview went rather well I think. I have to wait until the end of the week to see how my written test went and then I'll find out more.
But who wouldn't want me to work for them - I'm such a nice guy after all!

Oslo was amazing as well, it was such a beautiful city - especially on the water. Check my fb for pictures :-)

And keep checking back here for more updates when I get them re the interview.

New record for length of time in Sweden

So today is my 17th day in Sweden thus breaking the old record of 16 days!
Still over 2 weeks to go until it breaks my current record of time abroad (in one go).

Oslo this weekend and then the interview, exciting times in the land of the midnight sun (if I were to be further north...)!

JOBS JOBS JOBS or one Interview to be more precise

So yesterday, I applied for my first job and on the same day, the guy rang me up but unfortunately, I had literally just gone to the gym with Sara. So I listened to his voicemail and called him back but had to leave him a voicemail saying I would call him back today.

So today came and I was SOOOOOO nervous and he didn't pick up when I rang :-( But fortunately he rang me back and conducted a mini interview and then told me that he would like to offer me a proper interview in Göteborg this or next week so I opted for next week and have it on Monday!

It's a 1hr interview followed by a 1.5hr writing test to assess my style of writing which makes a lot of sense seeing as I'm applying for the post of 'Technical Writer'. But I'll be positive regardless as this is the first job I've had a chance to apply to so far and having been offered an interview really aspires me even if I don't make the cut.

I have an outfit ready, bought some new shoes and a new shirt today. I just need to brush up on my knowledge of telecoms and read even more into the role. Maybe I should practice writing/typing for 90mins straight as well hahaha!

Wish me luck!

CV and Jobs

So both my English and Swedish CVs are up and running. I've also been searching for jobs for which I'm capable of doing and will start to apply to them once my CVs have been checked once again for any grammatical errors or anything else which is glaringly obvious.

I am still waiting for my degree certificate so that I can send that to KTH but oh well, I am still staying positive with everything.

Many thanks to my wonderful Sara!!!!

1 Week!

I have now been 'living' in Sweden with Sara for a week. It still isn't the longest I've stayed here at one time (16 days) but I am not on holiday this time so it does feel a little different.
Currently trying to update my CV - started a new one with a different layout. I might as well try everything. Hopefully I'll be done tomorrow and then maybe I'll have a go (with lots of help from Sara) at making it in Swedish.

The weather is once again quite warm - only 28 today though. We're going to the gym today to sign up hopefully and then I'll have another thing to occupy me during my days.

Good health to you all!

Heat

So I was originally hoping a couple of weeks ago that coming to Sweden would mean that I would be a little safer from the high temperatures we had in England then but my gosh have I been wrong.
Today it was over 33 degrees and easily the same on Saturday. Thank goodness for all the lakes they have to enable one to cool right off!

Me and Sara went for a run on Saturday in the heat, hoping to go for a dip in a lake after but we actually got rather lost so ended up home and showering before heading to the lake in the afternoon. But today, with expectant thunder and lightning we weren't so sure weather to go or not but we were glad we did. And two mins after we got in, a seriously heavy rainfall started. Good job by us!

I might make a run to the lake, followed by a nice swim a regular thing if the weather stays much like this - reminds me a lot of the time I was in America for a month, absolutely lovely!

I am now registered!

So yesterday was my first real day of trying to get things done in Sweden, after having spent all of Wednesday unpacking and seeing what I needed to do and where I needed to go to do it.

So the first thing I did was go to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), and register on the Folkbokföring so that I am registered as living in Sweden. This also set into motion my application for a personnummer which I need before I can do practically anything here. It will apparently take 3-4 weeks for all that to go through and be posted back to me.

I also picked up the forms to get and ID card once I have my personnummer (as I need some form of ID with my personnummer on). The Skatteverket is also in the same building as the Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Security Agency) and I picked up some forms at the same time to register for benefits or whatever once I have my personnummer.

Next I went to Swedbank to find out what I needed in order to open up a bank account and I found out that I definitely need to wait for my personnummer which is a bit of a shame but I'm sure I'll be able to cope.

I also went to every electronics shop in Borås to get some new UK to European adaptors and it was only the last shop that had them, typical isn't it!

I'm waiting to get my degree through the post so that I can send it all off to KTH and I am also going to do a new CV and update my older ones as well. Maybe I'll buy an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier as it'll make it much easier than having to go to the library each time - I saw a good one on offer yesterday as well...

But I am now official!!!

Judgement Day Approaches

This shall be my last blog entry that I write before I move.

I have completely packed both my cases and both my hand luggage bags and my flight is in 25 hours!

I am very nervous, but also extremely excited. Sara is also signing a tenancy agreement for a new flat in Göteborg that is bigger than her current one so that's great news for her and is also pretty good if things don't work out for me with KTH (whom I am waiting on a reply from since I've passed my degree now).

Exciting times, wish me luck!

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEEE!

Today I turned 21, thought I would share that with the world :-)

Maybe I'll write a real update here soon.
Unfortunately, it's all exams at the moment so I'm rather preoccupied. Then it's sorting stuff out to hopefully get back a place at KTH...so much to do :-(

CRAPPY CRAPPY STUDERA.NU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, so I have now found out explicitly why I've had my applications rejected for reasons saying that I am 'unqualified'.
It is because on the question which I asked so specifically to studera.nu about exactly what I needed to send after explaining what I was able to send, I now know that they lied to me and that the only chance I have of getting into KTH this year is by a late application in July/August.

In other (also somewhat bad) news, I have an operation on my ear next week.
If life would like to start being good to me again, it would be much appreciated right now.

:-(

The odd things in Sweden

Sweden rules!
But here are a few things that I have found that wind me up:

1). PANT: So, you're at the supermarket and want to buy a bottle of water/coke/whatever and you have the exact change ready but what's that, there is an extra 1 kronor charge for this 'PANT' thing?! Oh I see, you're charging me to take the bottle and if I bring it back you'll give me back my PANT...hmmm, no wonder people dig through the bins here!
N.B., also applies to cans (50 öre I think).

2). Pharmacy: OMFG how can 20 paracetamol tablets cost me £4.!?!?!?!?! WTF!?!?!?! I bought a pack of paracetamol and a pack of aspirin, each with 20 tablets and it cost me almost £8.! I'm really ill and never usually use pills for my pain but the one time I do, I have to pay MILLIONS for them, NOT COOL. So on my next trip over I'll bring a suitcase full of drugs ;-) Although now Boots is coming to Sweden, maybe they'll bring cheaper drugs.

3). Renting: How can people ever get somewhere to live here without renting 2nd/3rd/4th hand, OMG!

4). Paying for bags at the supermarket, rather frustrating when you need an extra one because you can't fit it all in the couple you brought with you.

5). Not being able to pay by cash for public transport. So I have to use a card (see below).

6). The crappy cards that charge me extra sometimes for public transport. But it's kind of ok seeing as the card is actually set up as a child's one so I pay less anyway.


But, all these things still don't stop Sweden from being such a nice country!
However, be warned of these problems especially the pharmacy crap, that was RIDICULOUS (and they aren't any better pills).

I'm in (I think)!!!

Ok so before I was leaving to Sweden, I received the most amazing email ever from KTH:

Dear Jason,

You appear to be a strong candidate, and will most probably be admitted (I will probably
set the MV value to 5; according to our internal code this is maximum).

You will hear from us in due course.

Regards,
Beatrice

How amazing is that?!?! So I will almost cetainly be there come the autumn!
Right now, I'm enjoying Sweden and preparing for the big move. The weather is nice; cold and damp just like home hihihi. But best of all, I'm here with Sara. There is nowhere I would rather be!

I hope you all have some great reason to be happy like I have. I'll keep updating x

KTH love me!

So I emailed KTH and they sent me a very nice reply, saying how I appear to be a strong candidate :-D So this is looking promising because KTH is definitely the place I want to be (with Sara hihihi).
If I get in, I'll definitely try and run the Stockholm Half Marathon on 11th September! As well as find some floorball teams through my GB contacts.

Now the wait shall continue and I shall do lots of fun coursework in the mean time.

My run!

As promised; my run, on Garmin Connect.

Also, please continue to sponsor me on behalf of the RNLI.

Bath Half = done!

FANTASTIC DAY!

So today I ran the Bath Half, all 13.2 miles of it.

I was feeling nice and nimble at the start and my knee was happy to let me run so I was managing to make 8min/mile pace and it felt lovely! But then as the race went on (around mile 9 or 10) my knee then decided to give me some grief so I thought it was better that I am able to walk this week so decided to ease right off.

I came in at 1:50:43!!! A very respecatble time considering my knee is still bruised and twisted from Poland. Was so close to being able to make sub 1:45:00 but I am happy with sub 2hrs given my injury.

Lots of rest and sleep is on the cards now.
I'll upload my run from my watch and link it tomorrow.

Take care and well done to anyone else who ran and thanks to all those that cheered. Also, one can still sponsor me HERE.

PS I am considering doing the Corsham 10km as well as the Bristol 10km (use it to see what sort of time I feel like trying for in the Bristol one) and if I get into KTH (Stockholm) then I'll do the Stockholm Half Marathon as well!

Bath Half

Ok, so I am running the Bath Half tomorrow and am hoping to still make sub 2hrs, even with all my injuries and set backs.

Please sponsor me HERE and wish me luck (cash is also accepted).

I hope to still be alive to post after the run!

Take care all
xx

My goal (and loads by Denmark)

Poland and my goal!

So I've been in Poland since Tuesday now and have played 2 games so far; against Belgium and against Denmark.
The scores are irrelevant but my goal certainly is news-worthy!

So just over a minute into the game against Denmark, I come on the pitch and after a few seconds we get possession of the ball in our corner. I see Peter with the ball, he runs towards a few players and then passes to me, then I see him running down the wing on my right and make a quick pass to him and run full pace into the box. Peter manages to draw the goalie and the defender that was infront of goal towards him and then makes a superb pass to me and I make a one-time shot right into the middle of the net GOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!! To celebrate I jump onto Peter behind the goal and then the whole team come and hug and high-five me, epic feeling. Got injured in the 3rd period but am feeling good enough to play this evening.

Just came back from the railway museum here as well, really cool as it's the last operating steam depot in Europe, daily supplying passenger steam trains across Poland. It has also featured in films such as 'The Pianist'.
Should be a big game tonight with a sellout crowd, looking forward to it!

Freeeedom!

OK, so I have now finished all my exams and my gosh does it feel good! :-D

The next things on the agenda are that I need to clean my room and pack for Poland... Heading back to Woking on Sunday and then shall be leaving for Poland early Tuesday morning from the dreaded Stansted with Ryanair. What have I gotten myself into?! But the floorball should be good and I hope we can qualify for the World Cup in Finland in December.

I actually can't wait for Sweden on 11th Feb though - that's much more important to me because I'm really missing Sara a lot these days so it's good my exams are finished and I'm almost in Poland. Not long to wait, not long at all!
So today I shall pack and put all my horrible revision away. Then some shopping later with Sophia, should be good and should help me relax more after my exams and packing.

No news from the Swedish uni services yet, they still haven't received my forms apparently...
Poland awaits and there should be lots of news coming from there so keep watching this space.

Hugs to all, I'm in a joyous mood!

Exams and applications

My first ever blog post - 'look at me mummy!'
Not that anyone will ever read this but I thought I would try and keep this amusing so that people might consider reading it.

So I have officially applied to my Swedish universities and have also sent off all my amazing results from school. It was such an exciting time as I had to finalise my 4 university choices. They are (in order) as follows:
Halmstad (1yr, Financial Maths), Stockholm (2yrs, Scientific Computing), Uppsala (2yrs, Financial Maths), Gothenburg (2yrs, Applied Maths). The cities have links to the tourist site of the city and the courses have links to the course page.
I have now also sent my forms required by post to the University Studies in Sweden headquarters which included a cover form, previous results from school, copy of my passport and letter from my uni saying I will graduate in time (hopefully).

Currently I have one exam left of my January exams and then shall prepare to go to Poland next week, to play floorball for Great Britain in the Floorball World Cup Qualifiers, playing in my number 17 jersey. After that is the start of the new and my final semester at Bath, then a lovely Valentine's trip to Sweden where I'll be with Sara and can also check out Chalmers (the uni I applied to in Gothenburg).

Look out for more posts from/after Poland!
Thanks for reading x