It's been 18 months since I've arrived here in Gothenburg from Cape Town. I arrived in May 2007, and since then have been through SFI to study Swedish, and I'm in the process of starrting my own company. Things are going really well, but the "finding work" is going a bit slower than I thought it would.
I thought finding work would get easier once I could speak Swedish, but that has not been the case. It has made reading the newspapers easier, as well as doing the shopping or speaking to people. You will however always feel like an outsider. This country doesn't have the same weather as back home. The people don't act the way they do back home, and the country has different rules. There are so many differences. It is difficult to find ways to make this feel more like home.
That's how I felt 2 months ago, until I discovered KOO marmelades in a store here close to where we live. KOO is a South African company and makes the marmelades and jams, that I grew up on as a kid. It was all we bought. Especially the apricot jams. Smooth and diced. It's amazing what a big change a tin of jam can make to how you feel, just because you know it comes from "home".
Now I can make myself some toast with my favourite jams or marmelade on. Orange and Apricot. Mmmmm... so nice to be home.
