A happening day in Stockholm...
Today i was on a day trip to stockholm with only one intention: will be speaking only and only swedish ...and i am really content with the results. A local ferry service was offering 17 hrs cruuse to Stockholm in just 4€ and i seized the oppurtunity
...
Day started with a walk in the rain to the gamalastan...and i entered the first shop and it was selling traditional nordic clothing...two old ladies were so helpful and ecouraging at speaking swedish...i told them, i can read, i can understand but uttering words gets really crazy...i feel i know but i can't say...so the kind ladies instead of switching to english continued in swedish
for a good 30-35 minutes...
Then i found many shops of fellow pakistani swedes there and became friends with a few..(coming back next week again
)... A pakistani fellow suggested to go till kulturhuset and there i can find people in the relaxed way and hoping i followed the advice...
Again took information in swedish from the info desk..went to library and asked, do you hold any språkcafé here..and the gentleman gave me a good 5 min talk and whole details in swedish...there was one but at the other end of the city and unfortunatrly i had to run back....then i requested him not to switch in english and we had a good conversation in swedish...
Then I met two very kind old ladies who was so very sweet...i had a few topics with me on a paper to discuss...like:
1. Your friend has held a surprise birthday party for you. You open the door and get surprise. How will you react..what will you say..
2. You friend has got fired from job, sooth him/her..how?
3. A new baby arrived in your friends house, congratulate him/her..
4. You forget key chain. How will you call lost and found etc...
And these teo ladies were so kind to help and suggest some good dialogues...
Then i went to the tourist info..and held a good 20 min..headache causing conversation there and the lady at the counter was so polite and guiding..
Ordered food in swedish...sought directions in swedish and requested fellow tourists and natives to please take my pictures
in swedish....
And then i intentionally or unintentionally forgot the way back to the port...asked for directiins and a swedish highschool student helped...and held a complete 15-20 min conversation in full speed swedish..i could understand abt 80-85% of it...made it to ferry just 30 minutes before departure and now writing to share the experience
Now ....on the way back to helsinki... Hopefully next week i am also coming back again..the 4€ offer is still around the corner and i think i will be availing it a couple of times...
Although many experienced polyglots suggest atleast 3 weeks of immersion but when you are student and can afforf only 2 days off...and the journey costs just 8 euros....i think 8 euros investment is awesome return wise....
@skynet: i have no idea abt the old 30-50 lessons lingua...but this had 96 lessons and i finally completed them...though the final few lessons became a drag for me as i had no energy to do them...