.. where Ikea talks how he met Sipsik

Hello there! It’s me, Ikea!

Many times people and other friends have asked me about where I am from and how I got my name, Ikea. So, let me tell you!

As much as can remember the first time i saw Sipsik in Göteborg, in this small bookstore that i was staying at the time. In fact, i don’t know how i got to the bookstore myself, and this is pretty much the first thing i remember about myself, being in the bookstore. I have to tell u that there were not many animals in the bookstore, besides me, a giraffe. Only books. And then, of course, the visitors. Like for exempel one older lady with blonde hair that came every day to fika and read a book or two in the store. Mostly detective stories, i think. And then i also remember one girl who usually came with 4-5 friends. She didn’t buy anything, but she came almost every day to look at me, a giraffe! It was Sipsik.

One day one of her friends came to the store without Sipsik and told me that she was going to take me to a new home. The only condition – i had to go into a paper bag and stay there until right time. I was not quite sure where we were going, but i soon found out – suddenly someone was opening the bag and there was: Sipsik! It was her birthday and I was the present, hehe! Very nice to be a present for someone who likes giraffes a lot!

But i was not the only present. There were other friends who brought presents. Especially it was fun for everybody to find out that two people had brought teddy-bears to Sipsik without knowing that the other person had the exact same Teddy! And they DID look alike, i can tell u! Here’s me, Sipsik, the teddies and friends:

So, it was all gr8 fun! But now there was a problem, how to call the teddies. Because, u know, u can’t call one teddy-bear teddy-bear without the other teddy-bear also noticing. So, it was decided at the party to rename teddies and me. I don’t know how it was exactly decided, because u know, it was decided in a secret teddy-bear-and-a-giraffe-naming-meeting, but i know the names had to be local. So as we were in Sweden, it just so happens that i got to be Ikea. As u may know, it is also a store, where u can buy cupboards and stuff. And the teddies, they got the names of Swedish cars – Saab och Volvo!

so now u know! how did u get your name? have fun and cu l8r!

.. where Ikea assembles a cupboard

Hello there! It’s me, Ikea!

nice to see u here again! so, thanks for coming by! i was just about to tell everyone how it went after we had got back from Ikea and ended up with a small box of something. apparently, it was a LARGE cupboard!! quite mysterious actually, how it fit in such a small box..

so, as i was saying last time, i was to go and discover how it is to assemble something, like a cupboard for example! it is all good fun, i can tell u! although i have to say that assembling is not something giraffes, like me, are really good at naturally. so, it took me a little bit of time to understand what it was in the box:

so, here’s me reading the manual. not too many fotografs in this manual, i’m afraid. but there are drawings!! so, that’s actually very helpful. especially later on, when i started assembling. also good thing is that there are steps, like 1-2-3 and so on. and not too many words. no words actually at all, i think. but the drawings are great, so that even giraffes can understand!

finally, after reading the manual, it was quite obvious this pile of wood is going to end up a very nice cupboard. so, with all this great information, it was time for some fun assembling!

first of all, as u can see, the screws! (and bunch of other stuff too). i must say that without the manual, there was no way to figure out what goes where. so manuals are great.
and also, let me give u a hint: keep your manual in a safe place when assembling! because when i was not looking, Saab almost ate half a page! luckily it was a page that i had already read.. and i caught him munching before he could eat the rest of it! so it was pretty close call, actually.

also, u know, if you have teddies at home who like to eat stuff, it is good to have something to trade with. moose, for example, are great in situations like these.
so this is about where i was just before the eating incident:

and this is about one, two or maybe three hours later:

i don’t know exactly because i don’t carry a watch u know. i have to tell u that it was already getting a bit dark outside, so maybe it was three hours later. or four even. not more than six hours, that’s for sure. so, it’s almost done, just a one more drawer to fix. almost through with the manual!!

so, there was lots of fun celebration just moments after this fotograf. because the cupboard was all assembled!! so no fotografs from that. but u will see this new place we discovered right afterwards! (it’s the drawers) u know, it seems to me that these are great for hiding! pst, i think Angel thinks it’s only him that knows this. So, next time we’ll be playing hide-and-seek, i think i know where Angel will be hiding, hehe!

i have to say, very much fun things that they have in this shop, Ikea, don’t u think? so, what about you, what’s the most fun thing that u have assembled so far? let me know!! until then, have fun and cu l8r!

.. where Ikea goes wild-strawberry-hunting with Saab och Volvo

Hello there! It’s me, Ikea!

Apparently, there is this other thing better than strawberries – you’re right – wild strawberries! so, with a little planning, we successfully excecuted this idea from couple of weeks back. unfortunately Undu wasn’t there because we could not find him as we set out for the expedition. actually, nobody knows where he was during that time. although i think he was sheeping…

so then, it was up to me and teddies. we set out to explore the wilderness with Volvo in charge:

as i turns out, they have a pretty good nose for wild strawberries! also i found out that wild strawberries are teddies’ number three favorite berries. number two being cowberries and number one – blueberries! well, that’s quite obvious really, just look at their face, hehe. but i have to say, Volvo and Saab eat pretty much everything. like paper for example!
in fact, even on our way i already spotted some, like here for example:

so, before the teddies could find out, i quickly grabbed..

.. and wohoo, it tasted well! :)

so, in no time we managed to hunt down a great spot of wild stawberries! in the fotograf u can see everyone concentrating on this little game we invented in the process. it is called “fun foraging” and it’s very simple – to find and eat as much berries as possible in least amount of time. it is great fun, quite recommended! here’s some fotografs of teddies playing:

->> Volvo jostling his way to the catch..

->> Saab about 1 second before the little red treats are no more.. (u can see Volvo just behind him in the grass!)

->> Volvo now posing for the camera. just for a second really!

->> and here’s everybody sunbathing, totally loaded with strawberries i’m afraid!

it was in fact quite hard to move after such intense and fun game that we had. i think i even stretched my neck a little (it’s ok by now). apparently, Volvo won the game. we agreed with the teddies to have a followup for the hunt soon too. they suggested to go for the blueberries this time and i agreed. im not such great fan of blueberries myself, but i think it will be fun to see Volvo and Saab playing fun foraging again, hehe! what about you, have u played fun foraging? perhaps you have a different name for it – let me know! have fun and cu l8r!