Malung, Snow, Books, Boots and Rucksacks

So I spontaneously went all the way to Malung Folkhögskola on Wednesday morning, left at 6.15am to get there at 12.30. When I got there I was kind of worried, as I did not really know where I was, whether I would be welcome or anyone who goes to the school, but somehow I managed to find my way to the fiddle course and introduce myself and take part in the lesson. Made some new friends, got a floor to sleep on and ate dinner, then went to a concert in the church in the evening with people from the music courses playing (including a ukranian girl playing violin and singing who was amazing, and a really really good accordion player, who incedentally had been at ethno sweden and remembered me, though I didn't really remember him!) That was really good. I also met a guy on the fiddle course who coincedentally had been to folkworks 2004, and we turned out to have been in the same class! That was a bit weird, we know lots of the same people too! He was friendly. After the concert I played for a bit with 3 girls from the fiddle course, including Hannah Andersson who went to Bollnäs 2 years ago and I met at Bingsjö stämma this summer, and a really nice girl called Sara who reminded me of lucy a bit! I must stay in touch with them all on facebook now and visit again sometime in the future!

I planned to go home the next afternoon however there was a dance evening that night (it happens every week!) so I thought I'd stay another night. So i sat in on lessons again, tried out the other fiddle course, did a singing workshop, then had to make a trip into malung (about 25mins walk on a main road) through the snow (kind of wrecked my boots) to buy a new rucksack because the zip on my old one had broken. Anyway the dance evening was brill, there was playing list where you could write your name/s down for a 15 minute slot and play in the middle of the room while everyone danced around you. I danced alot and even got a tune together with a couple of people from the fiddle course. That was fun.
I also met a really nice belgian girl called evelyn (oona, she said she knows you!) and we exchanged tips for learning swedish!

Anyway I've been steadily working my way throught swedish childrens books now, which feels really great. I need to pay another visit to the library actually to get more, and it's a great excuse to check out the childrens library area (we all know how much I love them, Bollnäs' is even better than Rättvik's).

Love Anna

xxx