March has been a fabulous month here in Sweden! During this month, I played  in the snow as always, and enjoyed Swedish culture to the fullest. The  weather is getting so much better now, but it’s still cold. Yesterday (March  20), was the beginning of equal daytime and nightime. I was so excited  because the nights were so long and I had such a problem staying up in the  evenings. Now I am able to wake up in the mornings without using my bed lamp  or an alarm clock. Very soon though, there will be problems going to sleep  because the sun will shine all day. That’s another report! Earlier in March, I was basically travelling every weekend. I went to Gävle  to visit a close friend named Emily (for about the fourth time) where  partied endlessly. We loved making snow angels together and going pulka. It  was a blast! During the middle of March, there is a holiday called ‘Sport  Lov’! Swedish students have a week off from school to participate in sports  or to have some free time from school. I was so happy because I could travel  and relax. I went and visited a friend Cesar in a town called Ljusdal. There  I went swimming in his family's pool and skiing. I also fell off a mountain and I’ll explain how. Cesar’s mum Lolita was kind enough to take me skiing at some slopes in a  town nearby. She rented some skis for me and they were perfect. It took me a  little while to get used to them but after a few tries I was parallel skiing  with ease. Lolita was so impressed, that she dared me to go down a steeper  slope. When I saw how steep it was I hesitated and said ‘hell no’! She said  ‘C’mon, it’s easy’, but I still refused. She then decided that we should try  the easier slopes a few more times and perhaps we can try it another time.  Although I had put up a fuss about going down that slope, I did manage to  get a bit of courage and told her ‘what the hell’! So she went down before  me and stopped halfway. I was so nervous but I did finally attempt the slope  without thinking about it. I was doing very well at first but suddenly I was  on my back sliding down the hill. She shouted that I should put my skis in  the ground but I didn’t hear her. I am sort of deaf for the people who don’t  know me! I managed to stop anyway because I put my skis in the ground not  even knowing that I did it. I laid on the floor motionless but there was  still a little way to go. Lolita managed to ski where I was and told me that  I did an excellent job! Swedes have a tendency to commend you even when you  nearly killed yourself skiing! Well, with Lolita’s help I got up and she  stood in front of me talking away telling me how great she thought I was at  skiing. Well, I began to dust myself off because I was covered with snow  while Lolita chattered away. Umm...let’s just say that Lolita finally  changed the conversation from ‘Don’t give up’ to ‘We’re sliding’! So here it  is we were both sliding and she had to stop us both because I was tangled.  We stopped eventually and can you believe that she was still telling me how  well I did? Well, she had to go back uphill to get all the things that we  lost like ski poles, gloves etc. When she came back down, she was so out of  breath talking positively and trying to work out 'the second plan'. It was  hilarious! I nearly killed myself in a ditch two days later but that’s  another report! As you can see, I have been having a great time. However, I did have a  really unpleasant encounter with a prejudice person on a bus in Gävle. I  never experienced that type of problem here in Glada Hudik because even if  persons feel that way they are to happy to show it. Experiences as such can  have a negative effect on an individual. What I learned though is that  people who think in this way have very small minds that can’t expand big  enough to understand. It’s sad that some people think like this. I despise  racism but it’s a worldwide problem that we all must accept. I guess that  the best solution is simply to rise above it. I met my new host family recently and they seemed so nice. I think that it  will go very well with them during my final months here in Sweden. They live  on the country side and they live ‘alternativ livet’ (the alternative life).  They eat and do things more naturally if you wondered what I meant. I think  that it will be very interesting. That’s what’s so good about having an open  mind. I am going to Spain on March 23rd! I am so excited! I’ll write if all goes  well and I’ll send pictures to my personal page for those interested. Look  forward to ‘Rapport Nummer Åtta’. I’m having a blast! Lots of love to ya! Truly, Angelo Mortimer Sverige