Me and Sophie
When I moved to Sweden, I was sad because I left all my friends back in Canada. One night after school my sisters and I were sledding down a big rock in our yard and Sophie and her mom Helene came over to say Hej (Hi in Swedish). We spent the rest of the night sledding together and throwing snowballs at my Dad. I now had a best friend in Sweden!
At first Sophie and I could not talk to each other because I could not speak Swedish and she could not speak English. So we made up our own language, which was a mix of English and Swedish and we called it Swinglish! When other Swedish kids were at our yard playing Sophie had to translate Swinglish for them, but it did not always work. One time Hendrick was over and asked for the bathroom and he ended up peeing in our garden!
Every kid in Sweden has a trampoline and Sophie’s parents did not have room for the trampoline in their yard. So they put it in our yard. All the kids in the neighbourhood came to our yard to play on Sophie’s trampoline. One sunny summer day Sophie’s brother (Samuel) and my sisters decided to set the sprinkler up on the trampoline we had fun until Samuel hit his head on our house and cut his elbow.
Swedish summer days are very long because the sun never sleeps. This gave Sophie and I lots of time to play on the trampoline, swim at the lake and ride our bicycles. It also gave Sophie and I lots of time to trick our parents into giving us treats. We would always ask Sophies parents for ice cream and once we finished there we would ask my mom and dad for cookies. We thought we were so sneaky, but I could never finish my dinner on those nights.
Sophie and I also liked to tease my sisters, we really enjoyed taking Renee and Elise’s Webkinz and throwing them out the window. We only got in trouble when they landed in the bushes and my Dad had to get them out.
Sophie and I had lots of sleep over’s. At first we only slept at her house because my parents could not speak Swedish. The first time I slept over at Sophies, her mom asked what I ate for breakfast I told her I always had pancakes which wasn’t really true, but I did like the Swedish Pankaka. Instead of maple syrup you put jam and whip cream on pan cakes, but I only like the whip cream! My last week in Sweden Sophie did sleep over, and my dad said we were both snoring when he went to bed.
I really liked having my best friend living next door, I never had to ask to go for a play date I would just have to go outside and wait for Sophie to come out and play. When she wanted to play she would sit on the tree swing in her front yard, which would let me know it was time to play!
Now that I have moved back to Canada I miss my friend Sophie in Sweden. I know I will see her again, I just hope that I remember how to speak Swinglish!
