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There are no words to describe how I am feeling at this moment.
Dear friends,
First and foremost let me just say, "HEJA SVERIGE!!!" World Cup is alive and kicking in Europe and people are going crazy. I watched the Paraguay/Sweden game at an outdoor sitting area at a pub in downtown Västerås and it was pure maddness. We had to sit five hours just told hold the spot (but it was well worth it). When that final goal was scored 85 minutes into the game-- the crowd went wild. I was happy to share the moment with them. And you better believe...everyone everywhere in Sweden knows where they'll be Tuesday night in the game against England. All I gotta say is, "Beckham better be ready for the gold and blue." I also want to celebrate with the US against their tie with Italy. Everyone is Sweden hailed the match as the "most entertaining in this World Cup." It was an unexpected "win" for my homeland.
Now, let me apologize to you all for being so absent. I've been really busy traveling, moving, finishing school and just having a blast. These past couple of months have been some of the best. When I first came to Sweden I was afraid that at the end of June I would think to myself, "I've been living in Europe for 10 months and I have nothing to show for it." Well, the end of June is here and I don't feel that way at all. I have no regrets about my time here-- I've done everything I wanted to do with the time and money available to me. I've changed in ways I haven't even discovered yet and I've really developed as a person. I've learned about the world--through means outside the classroom--I've traveled to four different countries, made friends all over the world, and done the partying expected of any 20-something girl in Europe. It's truly been amazing.
Let me start this catch-up game by writing about London. I traveled to London to meet up with the Flagler summer class "Shakespeare's London" (taught by my advisor, Dr. Todd Lidh) and one of my best friends (and roommates since Freshman year) Meredith Brace-Sloss. I was introduced to new friends and was actually permitted a bed (they had an extra one in the hotel where they were staying). This was a big luxury for me, I thought I was going to have to sleep on the floor for five nights. (Thanks again, TL) I'd also like to give myself a little pat on the back for traveling to London "all by myself"-- I flew into Luton airport without any idea of how I was going to get into London downtown (or the hotel!). But I made it safe and sound and met my friends over fish'n'chips in Piccadilly Circus. The next day we traveled to St. Paul's Cathedral and climbed an excruciating long spiral staircase to the very top. The view from the top was magnificent. We saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and went to a football match at a real British pub. Meredith drank Guinness and felt truly European. We visited Shakespeare's Globe theater the next day and saw "Coriolanus." The play is written as a tragedy but this one was directed to be a tragic comedy. It was hilarious at parts, and heart-wrenching in others. Coriolanus was extremely good-looking (which Meredith and I greatly appreciated) and the play ended with him falling lifeless into the crowd and having his heart ripped out of his chest and held up for the audience to see. It was a real crowd-pleaser. :-) I went off on my own one day and saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a "moving portrait." It was a flat screen tv hung on the wall of David Beckham sleeping. A 107-minute loop shows a close-up Beckham sleeping, changing positions, scratching his head, etc. It was a bit creepy and I felt like a perverted voyeur. But you know what they say about art...My last night in London was great. The whole class went out dancing and drinking and we had an awesome time. We made sure to "mind the gap" on the subway trip back to the hotel and watched the Eurovision Song Contest. We watched a Finnish monster-rock band clad in monster costumes win the whole contest. It was entertaining, to say the least.
My final days in Växjö were tearful. Watching each corridor mate leave until finally it was my turn was difficult. Some people I don't expect to talk to again, but some I truly hope I do. To those people I cared most about, I wrote them a small note explaining what they meant to me with all my contact information on it. I'm sure I'll be having some visitors in either FL or MD.
I traveled down to Landskrona to say goodbye to my Swedish relatives. They made me a delicious Swedish dish, kåldolmar--stuffed cabbage. I was introduced to their children and grandchildren-- all of whom I'm related. We had a BBQ and played a Swedish lawn game called Kubb. The next day, we ventured to Copenhagen and saw the Danish Museum of Design, two castles, and ate on the famous strip of bayside with all the colorful houses. We could not have asked for better weather that day, it was perfect. I said a final farewell to them and drove back to Växjö to collect my things and ventured the 5 hour journey to Västerås, where I'm ending my stay with Erik. He and I attended his brother's medieval wedding. We were requested to dress in medieval clothing and ate the wedding dinner with wooden bowls and spoons. Unfortunately, every time someone stood to make a toast I couldn't understand a word-- but it was good times despite the language barrier. This Friday marks Midsummer Eve in Sweden and this is the day all of Sweden will raise a Maypole and dance and sing around it. This is the second largest holiday in Sweden and the reason I lengthened my stay. Erik's father has requested me to make some "American pies" and a side dish (which I hope to take my Grandmother's infamous and delicious carrot loaf).
So I'll end this email saying cheers to all! I hope you catch some of the game on Tuesday and think of me. I'll see you all soon (I hope). It's been an amazing journey and I was happy to share it with you. All my love, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
First and foremost let me just say, "HEJA SVERIGE!!!" World Cup is alive and kicking in Europe and people are going crazy. I watched the Paraguay/Sweden game at an outdoor sitting area at a pub in downtown Västerås and it was pure maddness. We had to sit five hours just told hold the spot (but it was well worth it). When that final goal was scored 85 minutes into the game-- the crowd went wild. I was happy to share the moment with them. And you better believe...everyone everywhere in Sweden knows where they'll be Tuesday night in the game against England. All I gotta say is, "Beckham better be ready for the gold and blue." I also want to celebrate with the US against their tie with Italy. Everyone is Sweden hailed the match as the "most entertaining in this World Cup." It was an unexpected "win" for my homeland.
Now, let me apologize to you all for being so absent. I've been really busy traveling, moving, finishing school and just having a blast. These past couple of months have been some of the best. When I first came to Sweden I was afraid that at the end of June I would think to myself, "I've been living in Europe for 10 months and I have nothing to show for it." Well, the end of June is here and I don't feel that way at all. I have no regrets about my time here-- I've done everything I wanted to do with the time and money available to me. I've changed in ways I haven't even discovered yet and I've really developed as a person. I've learned about the world--through means outside the classroom--I've traveled to four different countries, made friends all over the world, and done the partying expected of any 20-something girl in Europe. It's truly been amazing.
Let me start this catch-up game by writing about London. I traveled to London to meet up with the Flagler summer class "Shakespeare's London" (taught by my advisor, Dr. Todd Lidh) and one of my best friends (and roommates since Freshman year) Meredith Brace-Sloss. I was introduced to new friends and was actually permitted a bed (they had an extra one in the hotel where they were staying). This was a big luxury for me, I thought I was going to have to sleep on the floor for five nights. (Thanks again, TL) I'd also like to give myself a little pat on the back for traveling to London "all by myself"-- I flew into Luton airport without any idea of how I was going to get into London downtown (or the hotel!). But I made it safe and sound and met my friends over fish'n'chips in Piccadilly Circus. The next day we traveled to St. Paul's Cathedral and climbed an excruciating long spiral staircase to the very top. The view from the top was magnificent. We saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and went to a football match at a real British pub. Meredith drank Guinness and felt truly European. We visited Shakespeare's Globe theater the next day and saw "Coriolanus." The play is written as a tragedy but this one was directed to be a tragic comedy. It was hilarious at parts, and heart-wrenching in others. Coriolanus was extremely good-looking (which Meredith and I greatly appreciated) and the play ended with him falling lifeless into the crowd and having his heart ripped out of his chest and held up for the audience to see. It was a real crowd-pleaser. :-) I went off on my own one day and saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a "moving portrait." It was a flat screen tv hung on the wall of David Beckham sleeping. A 107-minute loop shows a close-up Beckham sleeping, changing positions, scratching his head, etc. It was a bit creepy and I felt like a perverted voyeur. But you know what they say about art...My last night in London was great. The whole class went out dancing and drinking and we had an awesome time. We made sure to "mind the gap" on the subway trip back to the hotel and watched the Eurovision Song Contest. We watched a Finnish monster-rock band clad in monster costumes win the whole contest. It was entertaining, to say the least.
My final days in Växjö were tearful. Watching each corridor mate leave until finally it was my turn was difficult. Some people I don't expect to talk to again, but some I truly hope I do. To those people I cared most about, I wrote them a small note explaining what they meant to me with all my contact information on it. I'm sure I'll be having some visitors in either FL or MD.
I traveled down to Landskrona to say goodbye to my Swedish relatives. They made me a delicious Swedish dish, kåldolmar--stuffed cabbage. I was introduced to their children and grandchildren-- all of whom I'm related. We had a BBQ and played a Swedish lawn game called Kubb. The next day, we ventured to Copenhagen and saw the Danish Museum of Design, two castles, and ate on the famous strip of bayside with all the colorful houses. We could not have asked for better weather that day, it was perfect. I said a final farewell to them and drove back to Växjö to collect my things and ventured the 5 hour journey to Västerås, where I'm ending my stay with Erik. He and I attended his brother's medieval wedding. We were requested to dress in medieval clothing and ate the wedding dinner with wooden bowls and spoons. Unfortunately, every time someone stood to make a toast I couldn't understand a word-- but it was good times despite the language barrier. This Friday marks Midsummer Eve in Sweden and this is the day all of Sweden will raise a Maypole and dance and sing around it. This is the second largest holiday in Sweden and the reason I lengthened my stay. Erik's father has requested me to make some "American pies" and a side dish (which I hope to take my Grandmother's infamous and delicious carrot loaf).
So I'll end this email saying cheers to all! I hope you catch some of the game on Tuesday and think of me. I'll see you all soon (I hope). It's been an amazing journey and I was happy to share it with you. All my love, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
I'm thinking about applying to NYU Grad School. Can you people imagine ME running around Manhattan?! Holy crap! How coold would that be?! I don't know if I could handle NYC, but for two years it shouldn't be so bad, should it? And yes, you can use and abuse me for a free place to stay-- as long as you take me out for drinks. :-) Sex in the city...and I will be on the prowl for my own personal NYC Derek Shepherd. He encapsulates everything I want in a man. I just need to take him out of a tv sitcom and place him in real life and have him fall in love with me. Easy, right? Wait...I haven't even been accepted yet...Life is so much freakier day by day.
Why did I start crying today when looking through the Graduation pics from a couple of weeks ago? Maybe because I realize that that will be me in about 7 months. I'm not ready for life...
Hello friends! I'm sorry for my neglectful behavior; I've been meaning to write for a while now. First, let me share my excitement about all the snow melting in this part of Sweden! It happened the first weekend in April and I think all the Swedes let out a long sigh of relief. They claim that this has been the longest winter in twenty years. (Of course it had to occur the ONE year I came to Sweden! I just keep telling myself that it's God's way of telling me that I belong in the USA hereafter. Haha!) I'm beginning to acknowledge the fast that I come home in two months and so I'm doing all the things I have been obtaining from-- mostly going out and partying! Never again will I be able to share nights with the friends I have met here, never again will I be able to frequent the pubs on campus and never again will I be able to be 21 in Sweden. This is the time of my life and I am milking it for all it's worth! I'm not sure if I've written since my 21st birthday party or not, but just to quickly note...I had an amazing black and white party. Tons of people came and complimented me on the success of it. I wore a beautiful black and white dress that I can't wait to debut in St. Augustine and G'Burg. Thank you everyone for your warm birthday wishes! It really made me feel closer to home!
My class took a two-night field trip to Stockholm. Being my third trip to Stockholm, I thought I had seen it all. But had I! We went to Parliament and listened to Göran Persson, the Prime Minister, tackle questions about Sweden's lack of contribution to the Asian tsunami. Unfortunately, it was all in Swedish and it was (to me) really, really boring. We went to Rinkeby, an area outside of Stockholm home to the majority of Sweden's immigrants. I guess one could call it Sweden's largest "ghetto" -- even though "ghettos" don't really exist in a Social Democrat state. Sweden has been homogenous for most of its history so the recent traffic into Sweden has produced neighbourhoods on-display for international college students. Coming from outside the DC-Metropolitan area, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. The BEST part of the Stockholm trip was the Vasa museum. In the early 17th century, Sweden was at war with Poland and the king at the time wanted Sweden to build the biggest war ship of its time. Sweden accomplished that feat. It was a spectacle to the eye...beautiful colorful paint, intricate wood carving and two rows (two rows? two rows!) of firing cannons. It was the most magnificent and impressive war ship at the time. The day that it set sail, the beautiful ship was sailing out of the harbor...they lifted the windows to the cannons and let out a salute to all of Stockholm (most of Stockholm's citizens were out at the harbor, watching its great accomplishment sail for the first time). Just as the shot was fired, a large gust of wind blew through the harbor making the ship tilt a bit on its side. Water rushed in the bottom row of firing cannon windows. The ship, however, attained balance again just in time for the Swedes to let out a sigh of relief. Just as that sigh was released, however, a SECOND gust of wind came through and the poor Vasa ship sunk to the bottom of Stockholm's bay. It was forgotten about until this 20th century, when Swedish historians remembered that a great treasure lay right beneath them. They recovered the vessel in the 1950s and it stands (in tact!) in a beautiful and amazing museum on the bay. You can see a picture of the boat (and navigate around the museum's website, just make sure you set the language to English) at: www.vasamuseet.se. It was quite a sight, I was impressed. One of Sweden's greatest failures is one of the tourist attractions that they display most proudly. I'll let you figure out the irony there...
We also visited one of the churches in Stockholm where we were introduced to a former cocaine-addict who had found God and changed his life around. The next day, we visited a mosque where we were introduced to a Swedish Muslim. The Muslim was happy to answer all of our questions about Islam and the mosque. My teacher, who I thought to be a rational, modern and accepting man, burst out to the Muslim that he was preaching to us students. There was a brief verbal argument, but I didn't think the Muslim was "preaching" any more than the cokehead before him. I certainly wasn't expecting the outburst from my teacher. All of the women had to cover their hair and clothes with robes that they provided us and I couldn't help but reflect a feeling of segregation. Here I was, covered, and there were the boys--some with hair just as long as mine, with shorts, rather than pants (like I wore). It was a peculiar feeling, but in a way I was happy to experience it. I'd like to think it brought me some understanding...
Now, don't worry and think that we were so busy studying in Stockholm that we didn't have enough time to "get down and boogie." The class made sure to hit the pub and dance the nights away...most memorable.
Easter was great! I spent it with Erik's family and they were happy to accept me as one of their own (despite the language barrier). Because both of Erik's parents have had previous marriages, we experienced THREE Easter dinners...a weekend filled with food. It was actually done a bit differently than home. For one, there was no church...no mention of the "reason for the season"...no dinner-prayer. Instead, on the Thursday before Easter, the little girls and boys of Sweden dress up as "påskkärring and påskgubbar" (Easter witches and Easter geezers). The girls wrap their hair in bandanas, paint freckles on their faces and carry baskets. They go door to door and trick-or-treat (I'm NOT kidding). If you don't believe me, GOOGLE IT. Houses are decorated with flying witches on broomsticks and bare tree branches with colorful feathers glued to them. I think it looks like a parrot exploded, but the branches are sold for about $4 each and you need about 5 branches for a good display. When Christianity came to Sweden, the Swedes didn't want to forego their Pagan holidays...so there remains small hints of Paganism...witches at Easter, and dancing around a phallic-Maypole during Midsummer. Every day before the meal we would all sit in the sun room and share fika (the coffee breaks that I have mentioned before). We drank strong Swedish coffee and had small pieces of pastries...cinnamon buns, strudel, cake, bread. We then all sat around the Easter table and drank lätt öl (light beer-- light in alcohol content, not in calories). We ate LOTS of potatoes. Boiled, au gratin and Johnson’s frestelse (scalloped potatoes with anchovies). We didn't eat ham; we ate (naturally) köttbullar (meatballs) and prinskorv (little hotdogs). There were three different types of sill (herring) and a large egg omelette stuffed with crayfish, shrimp, salmon, sour cream and cheese. My favorite dish was a type of Swedish-quiche with hardboiled eggs (closely resembling deviled eggs) and caviar. Det var jättegott! (It was very tasty!) Dessert was called "marängsvisch" (meringue swish) and it consisted of sliced bananas, bite-sized meringues, scoops of vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. I was in heaven! After dessert we retreated back into the sunroom to have more coffee and more pastries. Wow...I suppose you could guess that my diet was ruined.
For Christmas, Erik gave me a cruise to Finland and this week, we travelled the Baltic. It was a two night cruise with a one-day trip to Finland in-between. When we pulled into the bay in Helsinki, it was still frozen! We sailed through sheets of ice and frozen waters. We spent the day exploring a 5-level mall (one of the largest I have ever seen!), a church over-looking the city, and a small marketplace on the bay. The market place was crammed with individual food stands specializing in meats, fish, cheeses, olives, pastries, candy and wine. It had an old-world flavor and has apparently been around since the early 1800s. The weather in Helsinki was sunny, but cold. Erik kept remarking about how Sweden is always one-up on the Finns (I guess he's a little more patriotic than he cares to admit). The night coming home, Erik and I sat and listened to the ship's troubadour. We kept requesting favorites, and I ended up belting "Home Sweet Alabama" with a bunch of drunk Swedes and Finns. It was too comical to try to put in an email. Anyhow, I have pics that I will post soon...so check back at the end of the week to my website. I miss you all and will see some of you soon! My next stop is London on May 16th. I'll be there a week sharing pints and fish n' chips with some of my favorite people at Flagler. Please write and update me with your lives. You have no idea how much I love them! Sorry this email was so long. Thinking of each and every one of you. Always, Jess
My class took a two-night field trip to Stockholm. Being my third trip to Stockholm, I thought I had seen it all. But had I! We went to Parliament and listened to Göran Persson, the Prime Minister, tackle questions about Sweden's lack of contribution to the Asian tsunami. Unfortunately, it was all in Swedish and it was (to me) really, really boring. We went to Rinkeby, an area outside of Stockholm home to the majority of Sweden's immigrants. I guess one could call it Sweden's largest "ghetto" -- even though "ghettos" don't really exist in a Social Democrat state. Sweden has been homogenous for most of its history so the recent traffic into Sweden has produced neighbourhoods on-display for international college students. Coming from outside the DC-Metropolitan area, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. The BEST part of the Stockholm trip was the Vasa museum. In the early 17th century, Sweden was at war with Poland and the king at the time wanted Sweden to build the biggest war ship of its time. Sweden accomplished that feat. It was a spectacle to the eye...beautiful colorful paint, intricate wood carving and two rows (two rows? two rows!) of firing cannons. It was the most magnificent and impressive war ship at the time. The day that it set sail, the beautiful ship was sailing out of the harbor...they lifted the windows to the cannons and let out a salute to all of Stockholm (most of Stockholm's citizens were out at the harbor, watching its great accomplishment sail for the first time). Just as the shot was fired, a large gust of wind blew through the harbor making the ship tilt a bit on its side. Water rushed in the bottom row of firing cannon windows. The ship, however, attained balance again just in time for the Swedes to let out a sigh of relief. Just as that sigh was released, however, a SECOND gust of wind came through and the poor Vasa ship sunk to the bottom of Stockholm's bay. It was forgotten about until this 20th century, when Swedish historians remembered that a great treasure lay right beneath them. They recovered the vessel in the 1950s and it stands (in tact!) in a beautiful and amazing museum on the bay. You can see a picture of the boat (and navigate around the museum's website, just make sure you set the language to English) at: www.vasamuseet.se. It was quite a sight, I was impressed. One of Sweden's greatest failures is one of the tourist attractions that they display most proudly. I'll let you figure out the irony there...
We also visited one of the churches in Stockholm where we were introduced to a former cocaine-addict who had found God and changed his life around. The next day, we visited a mosque where we were introduced to a Swedish Muslim. The Muslim was happy to answer all of our questions about Islam and the mosque. My teacher, who I thought to be a rational, modern and accepting man, burst out to the Muslim that he was preaching to us students. There was a brief verbal argument, but I didn't think the Muslim was "preaching" any more than the cokehead before him. I certainly wasn't expecting the outburst from my teacher. All of the women had to cover their hair and clothes with robes that they provided us and I couldn't help but reflect a feeling of segregation. Here I was, covered, and there were the boys--some with hair just as long as mine, with shorts, rather than pants (like I wore). It was a peculiar feeling, but in a way I was happy to experience it. I'd like to think it brought me some understanding...
Now, don't worry and think that we were so busy studying in Stockholm that we didn't have enough time to "get down and boogie." The class made sure to hit the pub and dance the nights away...most memorable.
Easter was great! I spent it with Erik's family and they were happy to accept me as one of their own (despite the language barrier). Because both of Erik's parents have had previous marriages, we experienced THREE Easter dinners...a weekend filled with food. It was actually done a bit differently than home. For one, there was no church...no mention of the "reason for the season"...no dinner-prayer. Instead, on the Thursday before Easter, the little girls and boys of Sweden dress up as "påskkärring and påskgubbar" (Easter witches and Easter geezers). The girls wrap their hair in bandanas, paint freckles on their faces and carry baskets. They go door to door and trick-or-treat (I'm NOT kidding). If you don't believe me, GOOGLE IT. Houses are decorated with flying witches on broomsticks and bare tree branches with colorful feathers glued to them. I think it looks like a parrot exploded, but the branches are sold for about $4 each and you need about 5 branches for a good display. When Christianity came to Sweden, the Swedes didn't want to forego their Pagan holidays...so there remains small hints of Paganism...witches at Easter, and dancing around a phallic-Maypole during Midsummer. Every day before the meal we would all sit in the sun room and share fika (the coffee breaks that I have mentioned before). We drank strong Swedish coffee and had small pieces of pastries...cinnamon buns, strudel, cake, bread. We then all sat around the Easter table and drank lätt öl (light beer-- light in alcohol content, not in calories). We ate LOTS of potatoes. Boiled, au gratin and Johnson’s frestelse (scalloped potatoes with anchovies). We didn't eat ham; we ate (naturally) köttbullar (meatballs) and prinskorv (little hotdogs). There were three different types of sill (herring) and a large egg omelette stuffed with crayfish, shrimp, salmon, sour cream and cheese. My favorite dish was a type of Swedish-quiche with hardboiled eggs (closely resembling deviled eggs) and caviar. Det var jättegott! (It was very tasty!) Dessert was called "marängsvisch" (meringue swish) and it consisted of sliced bananas, bite-sized meringues, scoops of vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. I was in heaven! After dessert we retreated back into the sunroom to have more coffee and more pastries. Wow...I suppose you could guess that my diet was ruined.
For Christmas, Erik gave me a cruise to Finland and this week, we travelled the Baltic. It was a two night cruise with a one-day trip to Finland in-between. When we pulled into the bay in Helsinki, it was still frozen! We sailed through sheets of ice and frozen waters. We spent the day exploring a 5-level mall (one of the largest I have ever seen!), a church over-looking the city, and a small marketplace on the bay. The market place was crammed with individual food stands specializing in meats, fish, cheeses, olives, pastries, candy and wine. It had an old-world flavor and has apparently been around since the early 1800s. The weather in Helsinki was sunny, but cold. Erik kept remarking about how Sweden is always one-up on the Finns (I guess he's a little more patriotic than he cares to admit). The night coming home, Erik and I sat and listened to the ship's troubadour. We kept requesting favorites, and I ended up belting "Home Sweet Alabama" with a bunch of drunk Swedes and Finns. It was too comical to try to put in an email. Anyhow, I have pics that I will post soon...so check back at the end of the week to my website. I miss you all and will see some of you soon! My next stop is London on May 16th. I'll be there a week sharing pints and fish n' chips with some of my favorite people at Flagler. Please write and update me with your lives. You have no idea how much I love them! Sorry this email was so long. Thinking of each and every one of you. Always, Jess
Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever on random.
Step 2: Post a line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 5: No cheating.
***1. There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. (Guessed, "In my life" by the Beatles...even though the version I have is DMB's)
2. I heard about some guy that you beat pretty bad and got it in the papers.
3. Sit. Good dog. Stay. Bad dog. Down! Roll over. Here's a good man and a pretty young girl trying to play together somehow.
4. We at war with terrorism, we at war with racism, but most of all...we at war with ourselves.
5. Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me and I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free.
6. We jammin'. I wanna jam it with you.
7. People can you feel it? Love is everywhere. People can you hear it? Songs in the air.
8. I've seen your picture. Your name in lights above it. This is your big debut. Your dream come true.
9. The sun is sure sinking down, but the moon is slowly rising. So this old world must still be spinning round and I still love you.
***10. Comin' out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta be down because I want it all. (Guessed, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers)
***11. Whenever I'm with him, something inside starts to burn me and I'm filled with desire. (Guessed, "Heatwave" by the Supremes)
12. Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone is here, everyone is here.
***13. He was working through college on my grandpa's farm. I was thirstin' for knowledge and he had a car. (Guessed, "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter)
***14. I hear the drums echoing tonight, cheetahs only whispers of some quiet conversation. (Guessed, "Africa" by Toto)
15. You do that romeo, be what you want to be. Looks like you're running in place, do that stupid dance for me.
***16. I've got some big news. The bank finally came through. And I'm holding the keys to a brand new Chevrolet. (Guessed, "Mud on the Tires" by Brad Paisley)
***17. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breath in. Breathe out. Breathe in... (Guessed, "Machinehead" by Bush)
***18. Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm. Into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown. (Guessed, "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors)
19. Jag har lurat mig själv för många gånger nu. Jag trodde kärlek som din var lätt att fånga nu.
20. Just a small town girl living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere.
Step 2: Post a line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 5: No cheating.
***1. There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. (Guessed, "In my life" by the Beatles...even though the version I have is DMB's)
2. I heard about some guy that you beat pretty bad and got it in the papers.
3. Sit. Good dog. Stay. Bad dog. Down! Roll over. Here's a good man and a pretty young girl trying to play together somehow.
4. We at war with terrorism, we at war with racism, but most of all...we at war with ourselves.
5. Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me and I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free.
6. We jammin'. I wanna jam it with you.
7. People can you feel it? Love is everywhere. People can you hear it? Songs in the air.
8. I've seen your picture. Your name in lights above it. This is your big debut. Your dream come true.
9. The sun is sure sinking down, but the moon is slowly rising. So this old world must still be spinning round and I still love you.
***10. Comin' out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta be down because I want it all. (Guessed, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers)
***11. Whenever I'm with him, something inside starts to burn me and I'm filled with desire. (Guessed, "Heatwave" by the Supremes)
12. Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone is here, everyone is here.
***13. He was working through college on my grandpa's farm. I was thirstin' for knowledge and he had a car. (Guessed, "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter)
***14. I hear the drums echoing tonight, cheetahs only whispers of some quiet conversation. (Guessed, "Africa" by Toto)
15. You do that romeo, be what you want to be. Looks like you're running in place, do that stupid dance for me.
***16. I've got some big news. The bank finally came through. And I'm holding the keys to a brand new Chevrolet. (Guessed, "Mud on the Tires" by Brad Paisley)
***17. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breath in. Breathe out. Breathe in... (Guessed, "Machinehead" by Bush)
***18. Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm. Into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown. (Guessed, "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors)
19. Jag har lurat mig själv för många gånger nu. Jag trodde kärlek som din var lätt att fånga nu.
20. Just a small town girl living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere.
An Article from "The Washington Post"
Let Moussaoui Live
By Richard Cohen
Thursday, April 6, 2006; 12:00 AM
The way things are going, the United States government will succeed where Zacarias Moussaoui could not. This convicted terrorist, this whack job with a suicidal bent, will almost certainly be put to death -- which is one more death than he was able to manage on his own. In the end, Moussaoui may turn out to be a suicide bomber on a four-year fuse.
Moussaoui's fate is of no concern to me. He is a very bad man, complicit in an evil plot for which he claims a central, though probably exaggerated, role. Whatever the case, he certainly set out to kill innocent Americans and whether he actually did so or not seems beside the point. He was in a position to abort the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and he did nothing to stop them. For that, he may die. So be it.
Nonetheless, while the American sense of justice might be satisfied, that is not how many other people will see it. Instead, they might marvel at how much effort had gone into the killing of a single man. They will note his trial and the lengthy part of it devoted to determining if he is worthy of the death penalty and then whether or not he will get it. The process is almost a parody of justice -- a laborious procedure to carry out what most of us recognize is nothing more than revenge. Call it justice if you will, we all know what it really is.
That, of course, is probably Moussaoui's take on it as well. He seems determined to become a martyr. He might have slipped the noose after the government bollixed up its own case when a lawyer coached some witnesses. Had he simply not taken the stand and let his lawyers talk for him, he might have averted the death penalty. Not only did he insist on testifying, he was insulting and unfeeling and downright hateful. Here was a man crying out for execution. With the government's help, he will attain what he always wanted -- martyrdom.
If I had my way, I would deny Moussaoui his opportunity. I would do so not just because it is pretty clear the man is crazy and, on account of that, he played a marginal role at best in the 9/11 plot, but because I would not complete the plot for him. I would not grant him what he wanted from the day he stepped foot in America -- his own death. If, in his case, the punishment is to fit the crime, then he would suffer most by spending the rest of his life behind bars. When he dies of old age, he will have been forgotten. In no place will people gather to mark his death. That will not happen if he is executed.
Of course, I would not seek his death in any case. I am opposed to capital punishment -- not for Moussaoui's sake or for another guy's, but for our own. The taking of life is something we should not permit government to do. In the first place, life is inviolate. Second, governments have abused this power in the past and will do so in the future. It is no accident that Europe bans the death penalty. Under Hitler, Stalin and others, Europeans learned what government can do.
Societies have their own, peculiar, reasons for taking life. Afghanistan was about to execute a man for converting from Islam to Christianity. To many Afghans, this seemed inarguably to be the right thing to do. In Iraq, Awad Haman Bander, a former judge under Saddam Hussein, confessed to sentencing 148 Shiites to death at one time. It was all legal, he said, with the proper papers being signed and confessions in order. Nothing out of the ordinary. Stamp, stamp. Take them away.
It is naive, I know, but it would be wonderful if the United States showed that as a matter of principle, it does not take a life. It is naive because other governments would not follow -- not right away, anyway. But in time, anything is possible and just as we, bit by bit, have restricted the death penalty so that it is rarely imposed, so may the rest of the world restrain its blood thirst.
Zacarias Moussaoui's execution will do no good. We will see it as justice, but so will he. With a lot of money and immense effort, we will give some of the world another martyr -- and Osama bin Laden can finally close the book on his most successful mission.
Let Moussaoui Live
By Richard Cohen
Thursday, April 6, 2006; 12:00 AM
The way things are going, the United States government will succeed where Zacarias Moussaoui could not. This convicted terrorist, this whack job with a suicidal bent, will almost certainly be put to death -- which is one more death than he was able to manage on his own. In the end, Moussaoui may turn out to be a suicide bomber on a four-year fuse.
Moussaoui's fate is of no concern to me. He is a very bad man, complicit in an evil plot for which he claims a central, though probably exaggerated, role. Whatever the case, he certainly set out to kill innocent Americans and whether he actually did so or not seems beside the point. He was in a position to abort the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and he did nothing to stop them. For that, he may die. So be it.
Nonetheless, while the American sense of justice might be satisfied, that is not how many other people will see it. Instead, they might marvel at how much effort had gone into the killing of a single man. They will note his trial and the lengthy part of it devoted to determining if he is worthy of the death penalty and then whether or not he will get it. The process is almost a parody of justice -- a laborious procedure to carry out what most of us recognize is nothing more than revenge. Call it justice if you will, we all know what it really is.
That, of course, is probably Moussaoui's take on it as well. He seems determined to become a martyr. He might have slipped the noose after the government bollixed up its own case when a lawyer coached some witnesses. Had he simply not taken the stand and let his lawyers talk for him, he might have averted the death penalty. Not only did he insist on testifying, he was insulting and unfeeling and downright hateful. Here was a man crying out for execution. With the government's help, he will attain what he always wanted -- martyrdom.
If I had my way, I would deny Moussaoui his opportunity. I would do so not just because it is pretty clear the man is crazy and, on account of that, he played a marginal role at best in the 9/11 plot, but because I would not complete the plot for him. I would not grant him what he wanted from the day he stepped foot in America -- his own death. If, in his case, the punishment is to fit the crime, then he would suffer most by spending the rest of his life behind bars. When he dies of old age, he will have been forgotten. In no place will people gather to mark his death. That will not happen if he is executed.
Of course, I would not seek his death in any case. I am opposed to capital punishment -- not for Moussaoui's sake or for another guy's, but for our own. The taking of life is something we should not permit government to do. In the first place, life is inviolate. Second, governments have abused this power in the past and will do so in the future. It is no accident that Europe bans the death penalty. Under Hitler, Stalin and others, Europeans learned what government can do.
Societies have their own, peculiar, reasons for taking life. Afghanistan was about to execute a man for converting from Islam to Christianity. To many Afghans, this seemed inarguably to be the right thing to do. In Iraq, Awad Haman Bander, a former judge under Saddam Hussein, confessed to sentencing 148 Shiites to death at one time. It was all legal, he said, with the proper papers being signed and confessions in order. Nothing out of the ordinary. Stamp, stamp. Take them away.
It is naive, I know, but it would be wonderful if the United States showed that as a matter of principle, it does not take a life. It is naive because other governments would not follow -- not right away, anyway. But in time, anything is possible and just as we, bit by bit, have restricted the death penalty so that it is rarely imposed, so may the rest of the world restrain its blood thirst.
Zacarias Moussaoui's execution will do no good. We will see it as justice, but so will he. With a lot of money and immense effort, we will give some of the world another martyr -- and Osama bin Laden can finally close the book on his most successful mission.
Swedish Spectacular
Posted on 2006.03.23 at 14:33Current Mood:
chipper
Current Music: Long Haul -- Voxtrot
Tjena from the other side of the ocean! It's been a long time since I've written so I've decided to catch everyone up on my past, current and upcoming activities.
Today something happened which I consider to be monumental. I was registering to become a member of Flagler College's online newspaper when I was confronted with the inevtiable "user name" question. All my life I've used the webname "svenskablondie" (swedish blondie). I've used it as my AOL screenname, and as my registered user names to various websites. Today, however, faced with the question of MY webname...MY identity...MY persona...I typed in the name "AmericanBlondie" (no translation needed). What I've come to realize here in Sweden is that while my ancestry lies in Sweden, I am undoubtedly American. I identify with Americans, I love American literature, I love American lifestyle, I am American. The best gift I've recieved in studying overseas is I've truly learned to appreciate "home." Before leaving my school, my family, my friends, I considered most things in my life as unfastened-- that if I was left up to my own devices, I'd be able to survive. Being removed from these things, however, has made me cherish everything that I'm a part of back home. My friends are irreplaceable, people that I can see lasting relationships with throughout my life. My family is the thing that keeps me focused and motivated...challenging me to achieve all the things I desire. My school is amazing-- awesome teachers who really know how to excite their students into pursuing the answers they seek. Going to class in Florida is so enjoyable (if you've done the reading, hehe), prepared to challenge both the class and the professor with dynamite questions. I love my life and I love my home and I'm excited to come back.
I do, however, have 3 more months in this tundra up here. The snow is slowly melting, day by day. It's created an obstacle course to get to class...dodging slush puddles, ice patches and snow piles. It's a mess but they assure me that spring is on its way. This Saturday is Swedish Waffle Day (I kid you not) and one of the clubs is hosting a Wafle Night on Tuesday. Twenty kronor (about $2.50) will buy me 5 waffles packed with strawberries and ice cream. That's the right price on a college kid's budget (and surprisingly cheap for Sweden). The girls from my corridor are traveling to the first IKEA ever this weekend and I will be joining them. I don't need anything (and I'm lacking space in my suitcases to transport everything home as it is) but IKEA is one of those places you can roam around in and just have a good time. Only simple pleasures for me. I'm also planning my May London trip where I'll be meeting up with some fellow Flagler students (as well as my advisor) during their two week course abroad. I'm really looking forward to visiting England and acting as a tourist for a little while. It should be a spectacular time.
I had my birthday earlier this month (thanks to everyone for their good wishes). I had a lovely black and white themed party and everyone congratulated me on throwing the fun event. It's still hard to believe that I'm 21...I'm getting so old. In Feruary I went ice fishing. Erik and I went out on the lake at his parents' house with two small fishing poles, two fold-up chairs and an ice drill. We drilled and drilled and drilled until finally we made a 8" in diameter hole. We sat out for about an hour and half until we were frozen ourselves. We failed to catch anything except minor colds. In the first module of my current class, Swedish Politics, I recieved the highest marks possible-- let's hope I keep up the good work. I'm keeping busy by reading, downloading some movies, hanging out with friends and waiting for the warm weather. I'm excited to celebrate Easter and I've even found a church service in English in Stockholm. I think I may be headed into the city for the holiday. Speaking of Stockholm, my class is taking a 3-day fieldtrip there next week. I have to give an oral presentation on the assisnation of King Gustav III. It's actually a pretty cool story-- he was shot at a masquerade ball. Can you imagine? Just like out of Hollywood.
I'm currently looking into the possibility of teaching English in Thailand for six months next spring. Nothing is set in stone, but it never hurts to have ideas. I think Sweden has given me the travel bug, which as my friend Margo said, "That's a pretty good bug to have." With that, I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the warm outdoors (as I'm sure it's warmer than here). I miss you all terribly and I can't wait to see you over the summer and fall. Please write and let me know how everyone is doing-- I'm always interested in the people I care about. Love you all, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
Today something happened which I consider to be monumental. I was registering to become a member of Flagler College's online newspaper when I was confronted with the inevtiable "user name" question. All my life I've used the webname "svenskablondie" (swedish blondie). I've used it as my AOL screenname, and as my registered user names to various websites. Today, however, faced with the question of MY webname...MY identity...MY persona...I typed in the name "AmericanBlondie" (no translation needed). What I've come to realize here in Sweden is that while my ancestry lies in Sweden, I am undoubtedly American. I identify with Americans, I love American literature, I love American lifestyle, I am American. The best gift I've recieved in studying overseas is I've truly learned to appreciate "home." Before leaving my school, my family, my friends, I considered most things in my life as unfastened-- that if I was left up to my own devices, I'd be able to survive. Being removed from these things, however, has made me cherish everything that I'm a part of back home. My friends are irreplaceable, people that I can see lasting relationships with throughout my life. My family is the thing that keeps me focused and motivated...challenging me to achieve all the things I desire. My school is amazing-- awesome teachers who really know how to excite their students into pursuing the answers they seek. Going to class in Florida is so enjoyable (if you've done the reading, hehe), prepared to challenge both the class and the professor with dynamite questions. I love my life and I love my home and I'm excited to come back.
I do, however, have 3 more months in this tundra up here. The snow is slowly melting, day by day. It's created an obstacle course to get to class...dodging slush puddles, ice patches and snow piles. It's a mess but they assure me that spring is on its way. This Saturday is Swedish Waffle Day (I kid you not) and one of the clubs is hosting a Wafle Night on Tuesday. Twenty kronor (about $2.50) will buy me 5 waffles packed with strawberries and ice cream. That's the right price on a college kid's budget (and surprisingly cheap for Sweden). The girls from my corridor are traveling to the first IKEA ever this weekend and I will be joining them. I don't need anything (and I'm lacking space in my suitcases to transport everything home as it is) but IKEA is one of those places you can roam around in and just have a good time. Only simple pleasures for me. I'm also planning my May London trip where I'll be meeting up with some fellow Flagler students (as well as my advisor) during their two week course abroad. I'm really looking forward to visiting England and acting as a tourist for a little while. It should be a spectacular time.
I had my birthday earlier this month (thanks to everyone for their good wishes). I had a lovely black and white themed party and everyone congratulated me on throwing the fun event. It's still hard to believe that I'm 21...I'm getting so old. In Feruary I went ice fishing. Erik and I went out on the lake at his parents' house with two small fishing poles, two fold-up chairs and an ice drill. We drilled and drilled and drilled until finally we made a 8" in diameter hole. We sat out for about an hour and half until we were frozen ourselves. We failed to catch anything except minor colds. In the first module of my current class, Swedish Politics, I recieved the highest marks possible-- let's hope I keep up the good work. I'm keeping busy by reading, downloading some movies, hanging out with friends and waiting for the warm weather. I'm excited to celebrate Easter and I've even found a church service in English in Stockholm. I think I may be headed into the city for the holiday. Speaking of Stockholm, my class is taking a 3-day fieldtrip there next week. I have to give an oral presentation on the assisnation of King Gustav III. It's actually a pretty cool story-- he was shot at a masquerade ball. Can you imagine? Just like out of Hollywood.
I'm currently looking into the possibility of teaching English in Thailand for six months next spring. Nothing is set in stone, but it never hurts to have ideas. I think Sweden has given me the travel bug, which as my friend Margo said, "That's a pretty good bug to have." With that, I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the warm outdoors (as I'm sure it's warmer than here). I miss you all terribly and I can't wait to see you over the summer and fall. Please write and let me know how everyone is doing-- I'm always interested in the people I care about. Love you all, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
 | You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins.
Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com |
I want to be Ellie, so....
Posted on 2006.02.20 at 16:44Current Music: Flagler College Radio (in Sweden!)
Ever feel like you're between a rock and a hard place? That's me right now. I'm so confused with life. I feel like I'm lowering my standards and accepting actions that I wouldn't have before. Why? Because my mother loves him? Because my family loves him? Because he's good looking? Why do I still think about Bud? Why do I compare everyone to Bud? Why am I afraid that I will never feel the way Bud made me feel? And why does it hurt me that everyone HATES who I love and everyone LOVES the one that isn't treating me how he should. This isn't what love is supposed to be like. You're supposed to worry about losing the one you love-- not think about leaving him. Why is this totally ruining my weekend? Something needs to be done.. but I need to be patient. I hate patience. I hate this.
Why do I look like pedofile "Debra LaFave?" My uncle said he saw her on tv. and thought it was me. Thanks, Uncle Brad! :-(
You can find her picture here: http://images.google.se/imgres?imgurl=h
Uncanny.
You can find her picture here: http://images.google.se/imgres?imgurl=h
Uncanny.
Damn, two posts in ONE DAY?!
Posted on 2006.02.07 at 21:48Current Music: Whitesnake-- Here I Go Again On My Own
My poetry is shit, I know it...you know it...we know it. But I still like to post it for the world to criticize. Indulge me.
"Seasons"
Boughs of weak-limbed pines
bend in a snow-mourning.
Slick-back waxed feathers shimmer
on the shivering bodies of a family of five
playing an ice-skating-balance game
to see who can stand the longest.
As if God hushed the wood
the world holds its breath
waiting to exhale the moisture of spring's awakening
when tea-cup-tulips spear their way up
to sunbathe and sigh whispers to eachother
as they softly drop their petals.
Joyful to have shaped a polk-a-dot world of color
while sadly sacrificing themselves to another blazing summer.
"Saturated Sweetened World"
Outside my train car window
The world is tinted rose
Fields comforted with pink snow frosting
A tundra birthday cake
Beneath
The frozen lakes, gummy fish
Swim in a darkness that won't end until May
Candy dots stick to the black paper sky
Waiting to be ripped off by some
Solar gaseous explosion
A spooned dollop of heavy
Whipping cream moon
Awakes the chilled peppermint pines
Needles shine like syringes tempting
To those who search for the ultimate [sugar] high
And there's nothing but silence
As children sleep unaware of the world's graham cracker crust
We are the Hanzels and Gretels of the world
Waiting to grow up to be gingerbread men in three piece suits
And pepparkakor ladies with glazed Jackie-O haircuts
We live in our gingerbread houses with our
Cotton candy poodles fetching the Sunday paper which we read
Because were good, intellectual folk
Law abiding citizens looking to find our bread crumb trail
Home.
"As I Am"
Skin reflecting primaries in the looking-glass pool
where we've escaped to view our true selves.
Peel off layers of cotton and lean to look
you bare blue and it fits.
A contrast against the milkiness of the moon
spilled in the night to remind the world not to cry.
Without hesitation you gaze at yourself
and all your intimate parts which create
escalationexplosionexhaustion.
But I take my time as you urge me on.
Viewing first a speckled arm
splattered from a freckled paintbrush.
Stalling on my shoulder to view its blade and axle
stretching skin in all direction.
It's a wonder it does not rip open and snap the threaded tendons
which keep us in an intricate cross-stitch.
The crevaces of my collar swallow light in one large gulp.
And my eyes carry more secrets than they admit.
In her entirety, I humbly stare at the girl in my reflection.
She refuses to lie and I percieve the truth.
Just as you are bathed in blue, I have an inner-glow.
From depth of chest, warmth breathes from me.
You stop and for the frist time
your eyes tickle the cruves of my frame and you
discover the grace in your devoted love.
"Pub Love"
There was you
And there was me
I didnt think you saw my eyes
Hiding behind a shiney gloss of
Coconut rum and cranberry 1..2..3..4?
I saw you
And you saw her
I was just there, leaning closer
To catch the scent dancing on your collar
You didnt care to give me a glance
And I was crushed ice in my tall, tall, glass.
"Seasons"
Boughs of weak-limbed pines
bend in a snow-mourning.
Slick-back waxed feathers shimmer
on the shivering bodies of a family of five
playing an ice-skating-balance game
to see who can stand the longest.
As if God hushed the wood
the world holds its breath
waiting to exhale the moisture of spring's awakening
when tea-cup-tulips spear their way up
to sunbathe and sigh whispers to eachother
as they softly drop their petals.
Joyful to have shaped a polk-a-dot world of color
while sadly sacrificing themselves to another blazing summer.
"Saturated Sweetened World"
Outside my train car window
The world is tinted rose
Fields comforted with pink snow frosting
A tundra birthday cake
Beneath
The frozen lakes, gummy fish
Swim in a darkness that won't end until May
Candy dots stick to the black paper sky
Waiting to be ripped off by some
Solar gaseous explosion
A spooned dollop of heavy
Whipping cream moon
Awakes the chilled peppermint pines
Needles shine like syringes tempting
To those who search for the ultimate [sugar] high
And there's nothing but silence
As children sleep unaware of the world's graham cracker crust
We are the Hanzels and Gretels of the world
Waiting to grow up to be gingerbread men in three piece suits
And pepparkakor ladies with glazed Jackie-O haircuts
We live in our gingerbread houses with our
Cotton candy poodles fetching the Sunday paper which we read
Because were good, intellectual folk
Law abiding citizens looking to find our bread crumb trail
Home.
"As I Am"
Skin reflecting primaries in the looking-glass pool
where we've escaped to view our true selves.
Peel off layers of cotton and lean to look
you bare blue and it fits.
A contrast against the milkiness of the moon
spilled in the night to remind the world not to cry.
Without hesitation you gaze at yourself
and all your intimate parts which create
escalationexplosionexhaustion.
But I take my time as you urge me on.
Viewing first a speckled arm
splattered from a freckled paintbrush.
Stalling on my shoulder to view its blade and axle
stretching skin in all direction.
It's a wonder it does not rip open and snap the threaded tendons
which keep us in an intricate cross-stitch.
The crevaces of my collar swallow light in one large gulp.
And my eyes carry more secrets than they admit.
In her entirety, I humbly stare at the girl in my reflection.
She refuses to lie and I percieve the truth.
Just as you are bathed in blue, I have an inner-glow.
From depth of chest, warmth breathes from me.
You stop and for the frist time
your eyes tickle the cruves of my frame and you
discover the grace in your devoted love.
"Pub Love"
There was you
And there was me
I didnt think you saw my eyes
Hiding behind a shiney gloss of
Coconut rum and cranberry 1..2..3..4?
I saw you
And you saw her
I was just there, leaning closer
To catch the scent dancing on your collar
You didnt care to give me a glance
And I was crushed ice in my tall, tall, glass.
Struggling with Life
Posted on 2006.02.07 at 10:47Current Mood:
contemplative
Current Music: Lifehouse- Everything
It's been awhile since I've just written to WRITE. Blogging is something that I have never been able to get in the habit of (even though I absolutely love to talk about myself-- I'm so Oprah).
One thought that has been concerning me most lately is, "Omigod-- am I...a lib?!" Let's take a closer look at this question, shall we? I feel I have a close and personal relationship with Jesus-- but my days are trying to convert the world are over. However, despite my religious affiliations-- I support gay marriage (but despise homosexuals who define themselves by their sexuality.)
"Hi, I'm Jessica...I just happen to be straight" Well...maybe bi...it's up for debate.
It shouldn't be, "Hi, I'm gay and I just happen to be John Doe."
I support womens' right to choose yet I don't endorse abortion. I endorse a better sexual health education with endless supply of contraceptives to EVERYONE. Which gets me to this-- I believe pharmaceutical companies are the spawn of Satan. I don't believe in giving free money to lazy citizens; and I also don't believe that people CANNOT help themselves. I completely understand that as a upper-middle-class white female I was given a plethora of opportunities that I would not have received should I have been, say, black. I have no idea what it feels like to be black, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, etc. I know what it is like to be white. But given these opportunities, I have witnessed many people that embrace the fact that they're 'oppressed'. Instead of fighting it, they bitch about it. (Not everyone, mind you, and I can see that I'm kind of getting side-tracked so I'm going to change the subject.) I support equal opportunity and I think all people should embrace every opportunity given to them. Everyone in the United States is offered free education up until 18. I can imagine that I am naive about the concept of choosing between "working to survive" and "sitting in a classroom and therefor forfeiting working hours." But I am a TRUE believer that all power comes with education. I think that in Iraq, we should be setting up multitudes of schools to start educating the NEXT generation. There would, of course, be retaliation to the big bag U.S. coming in to teach those things that we find most important. But when it comes to the Middle East and radical Muslims-- I have come to realize that I don't think I will ever be able to understand certain aspects of their culture. With these Danish cartoons circulating around the world, embassies burning down, people getting threatened, murdered, fearing for their lives...it is hard for me to understand where all of this extreme hatred comes from. Maybe in the U.S. we are experienced-targets. We know what it feels like to have been made fun of. There have been political cartoons about almost everyone and everything-- and that's the great thing about tolerance. We know how to be offended without wanting to kill anyone. How many Catholics have heard a Priest/alter boy joke? I would hope that most of us are rational human beings. There's nothing wrong with being offended and feeling targeted. However, logically it would make more sense to break stereotypes by refusing to do exactly what the world expects of you. Well, let me rephrase. I don't think anyone expected the backlash in the Muslim world that these cartoons have caused. However, does it really come as a surprise? Some of me, remains holding on to ideas of the GOP-- I like the feeling of a country with good moral standing and an 'American Dream' mentality. I don't like the feeling of the U.S. being humiliated, bruised or damaged. (Then again, who does? Everyone, I hope, has SOME patriotism in them-- no matter what country they come from.) But where should these morals stem from? Certainly gay marriage does not fit in with stereotypical conservative views. And where does this put me? All I know is NEXT voting season I promise to be better informed. I think whoever the next President is, he's going to have a hell of a time cleaning up the mess the United States is in. But I also think his (sorry, but there's no way in hell a woman is going to get elected) main concern should be to reunite this country. As Americans, we suck as a divided country. Abraham Lincoln believed in the unity of the U.S.A.-- "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I just wish there was more peace in the world. I have a friend (the next Mother Theresa, I swear) who has spent her entire college life abroad. She's been to Malta and now she's somewhere in the Pacific. She's fighting for equality and womens' rights. Her motto for life is Ghandi's, "We must BE the change we wish to see in the world." When I compare her life to mine, I feel like whatever I'm doing is insufficient. Sure, I could go and run to Africa and help in some clinic-- or join some Habitat for Humanity program in South America...but I don't. Why? Because I'm selfish. I have goals for myself and my life. But in the long run, if I DO finish my entire education and become a teacher-- maybe I can make a difference in the classroom. I think it's a shame that in America we are a little isolated in that we don't study European politics or history as much as we study American. And yet while our own country's history and government is important, we're not alone in the world. The rest of the world HATES America right now-- why? The media? The war? Bush? Whatever the reason...they hate us. (Some of the hate is unjustified, absolutely...and much of the European youth that hates America has never even set foot on American soil.) BUT we need to look outside of American borders and see our influence everywhere else. I'll defend my country until the end. I love my country. But what I think my country needs is a little more unity. We hate each other. Why? And which line of the fence do I fall? Maybe I AM just one big naive white chick. But damnit, I hope twenty-one years of living a life rich in education, love and support would prepare me more than that. I feel like my life hasn't even begun to reach near its full potential. But I'm working on it..and I'm slowly opening my eyes. There's hope for me, yet.
One thought that has been concerning me most lately is, "Omigod-- am I...a lib?!" Let's take a closer look at this question, shall we? I feel I have a close and personal relationship with Jesus-- but my days are trying to convert the world are over. However, despite my religious affiliations-- I support gay marriage (but despise homosexuals who define themselves by their sexuality.)
"Hi, I'm Jessica...I just happen to be straight" Well...maybe bi...it's up for debate.
It shouldn't be, "Hi, I'm gay and I just happen to be John Doe."
I support womens' right to choose yet I don't endorse abortion. I endorse a better sexual health education with endless supply of contraceptives to EVERYONE. Which gets me to this-- I believe pharmaceutical companies are the spawn of Satan. I don't believe in giving free money to lazy citizens; and I also don't believe that people CANNOT help themselves. I completely understand that as a upper-middle-class white female I was given a plethora of opportunities that I would not have received should I have been, say, black. I have no idea what it feels like to be black, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, etc. I know what it is like to be white. But given these opportunities, I have witnessed many people that embrace the fact that they're 'oppressed'. Instead of fighting it, they bitch about it. (Not everyone, mind you, and I can see that I'm kind of getting side-tracked so I'm going to change the subject.) I support equal opportunity and I think all people should embrace every opportunity given to them. Everyone in the United States is offered free education up until 18. I can imagine that I am naive about the concept of choosing between "working to survive" and "sitting in a classroom and therefor forfeiting working hours." But I am a TRUE believer that all power comes with education. I think that in Iraq, we should be setting up multitudes of schools to start educating the NEXT generation. There would, of course, be retaliation to the big bag U.S. coming in to teach those things that we find most important. But when it comes to the Middle East and radical Muslims-- I have come to realize that I don't think I will ever be able to understand certain aspects of their culture. With these Danish cartoons circulating around the world, embassies burning down, people getting threatened, murdered, fearing for their lives...it is hard for me to understand where all of this extreme hatred comes from. Maybe in the U.S. we are experienced-targets. We know what it feels like to have been made fun of. There have been political cartoons about almost everyone and everything-- and that's the great thing about tolerance. We know how to be offended without wanting to kill anyone. How many Catholics have heard a Priest/alter boy joke? I would hope that most of us are rational human beings. There's nothing wrong with being offended and feeling targeted. However, logically it would make more sense to break stereotypes by refusing to do exactly what the world expects of you. Well, let me rephrase. I don't think anyone expected the backlash in the Muslim world that these cartoons have caused. However, does it really come as a surprise? Some of me, remains holding on to ideas of the GOP-- I like the feeling of a country with good moral standing and an 'American Dream' mentality. I don't like the feeling of the U.S. being humiliated, bruised or damaged. (Then again, who does? Everyone, I hope, has SOME patriotism in them-- no matter what country they come from.) But where should these morals stem from? Certainly gay marriage does not fit in with stereotypical conservative views. And where does this put me? All I know is NEXT voting season I promise to be better informed. I think whoever the next President is, he's going to have a hell of a time cleaning up the mess the United States is in. But I also think his (sorry, but there's no way in hell a woman is going to get elected) main concern should be to reunite this country. As Americans, we suck as a divided country. Abraham Lincoln believed in the unity of the U.S.A.-- "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I just wish there was more peace in the world. I have a friend (the next Mother Theresa, I swear) who has spent her entire college life abroad. She's been to Malta and now she's somewhere in the Pacific. She's fighting for equality and womens' rights. Her motto for life is Ghandi's, "We must BE the change we wish to see in the world." When I compare her life to mine, I feel like whatever I'm doing is insufficient. Sure, I could go and run to Africa and help in some clinic-- or join some Habitat for Humanity program in South America...but I don't. Why? Because I'm selfish. I have goals for myself and my life. But in the long run, if I DO finish my entire education and become a teacher-- maybe I can make a difference in the classroom. I think it's a shame that in America we are a little isolated in that we don't study European politics or history as much as we study American. And yet while our own country's history and government is important, we're not alone in the world. The rest of the world HATES America right now-- why? The media? The war? Bush? Whatever the reason...they hate us. (Some of the hate is unjustified, absolutely...and much of the European youth that hates America has never even set foot on American soil.) BUT we need to look outside of American borders and see our influence everywhere else. I'll defend my country until the end. I love my country. But what I think my country needs is a little more unity. We hate each other. Why? And which line of the fence do I fall? Maybe I AM just one big naive white chick. But damnit, I hope twenty-one years of living a life rich in education, love and support would prepare me more than that. I feel like my life hasn't even begun to reach near its full potential. But I'm working on it..and I'm slowly opening my eyes. There's hope for me, yet.
Hej all! I'm back! :-)
Must I say it? I think I must...I think I'm on my way closer to becoming a genuine Svensk! How am I accomplishing this, do you ask? I am escaping the confines of my cave-dorm and beginning to enjoy the great outdoors. I mean, the sunlight is actually lasting until 5pm! Last year, because my classes didn't start until 1 pm, I got in the horrible rut of waking up at noon, going to class, and walking home from class in the dark at 4:30pm. Jessica couldn't get any sunshine that way. But alas! This semester, I have begun another diet and I'm walking the hour and fifteen minute path around frozen Lake Vaxjo. While it is usually well under freezing, I have mastered the art of layering and wrapping and covering and tucking. An hour into the walk, I'm sweating and I start to shed layers. It starts to feel more like sixty degrees. Hopefully, the next time you all see me, I'll be half the Jessica I was before.
Erik and I had a fantastic time home over Christmas break. We ventured to New York City and saw the Broadway play, "Avenue Q." By gosh, it was an amazing show (the winner of the 2004 Tony, by the way). If you ever find yourself in NYC, I recommend Avenue Q. Erik, your typical I-don't-like-anything-on-a-stage-put-to-m
"What did he say?!" My grandmother asked me.
"Grandma, this prayer is in Norwegian." We all had a good laugh. But because Swedish and Norwegian are so closely related, the same prayer is used in both languages and sounds practically the same.
There's a lot of controvery in Scandinavia right now concerning the political cartoon upset in Denmark. Norwegian, Swedish and Dannish companies are all losing lots of money right now due to the strikes and boycots. If you don't know, a Denmark newspaper printed political cartoons and caricatures of Muhammad to prove that they had complete freedom of the press. However, in the Muslim religion Muhammad's picture is strictly forbidden to be printed, painted, reproduced, etc. So you can imagine how cartoons of Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban went over. Anyhow, it's kind of a big deal.
I've started my second semester. It's turning out to be really easy and fun. This whole time in Sweden seems like a large vacation -- educational, but vacation nonetheless. I took a practice GRE (the test I have to take for grad school admissions) last night and the results were not desirable. It was a crack of reality that I will have to eventually RETURN to reality. Better start cracking back to the books. I finished the final book in "The Emigrants" series. I wept pretty hard at the end. You follow this family for fifty years so when they die, it feels like members of your own family die. Good books, highly recommended.
I'm trying to change my plane ticket from June 9th to June 27th. It seems like everything is happpening in June-- Erik's birthday, we were both invited to his brother's wedding (with medieval theme), and Midsummer (practically the largest Swedish celebration) occurs on the 25th. Unfortunately change-of-ticket costs $100, so guess what I'm asking for my birthday? (Which is, March 1st-- the big 2-1!)
Well, that's what's going on in MY life. Hope everyone is well, and I hope to hear about your lives as well. I feel a little out-of-the-loop (don't know why...) My love to you all, I miss everyone terribly (that includes Nalu's Baja Fish Tacos), Happy Valentine's Day to you all! XOX Jess
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
Must I say it? I think I must...I think I'm on my way closer to becoming a genuine Svensk! How am I accomplishing this, do you ask? I am escaping the confines of my cave-dorm and beginning to enjoy the great outdoors. I mean, the sunlight is actually lasting until 5pm! Last year, because my classes didn't start until 1 pm, I got in the horrible rut of waking up at noon, going to class, and walking home from class in the dark at 4:30pm. Jessica couldn't get any sunshine that way. But alas! This semester, I have begun another diet and I'm walking the hour and fifteen minute path around frozen Lake Vaxjo. While it is usually well under freezing, I have mastered the art of layering and wrapping and covering and tucking. An hour into the walk, I'm sweating and I start to shed layers. It starts to feel more like sixty degrees. Hopefully, the next time you all see me, I'll be half the Jessica I was before.
Erik and I had a fantastic time home over Christmas break. We ventured to New York City and saw the Broadway play, "Avenue Q." By gosh, it was an amazing show (the winner of the 2004 Tony, by the way). If you ever find yourself in NYC, I recommend Avenue Q. Erik, your typical I-don't-like-anything-on-a-stage-put-to-m
"What did he say?!" My grandmother asked me.
"Grandma, this prayer is in Norwegian." We all had a good laugh. But because Swedish and Norwegian are so closely related, the same prayer is used in both languages and sounds practically the same.
There's a lot of controvery in Scandinavia right now concerning the political cartoon upset in Denmark. Norwegian, Swedish and Dannish companies are all losing lots of money right now due to the strikes and boycots. If you don't know, a Denmark newspaper printed political cartoons and caricatures of Muhammad to prove that they had complete freedom of the press. However, in the Muslim religion Muhammad's picture is strictly forbidden to be printed, painted, reproduced, etc. So you can imagine how cartoons of Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban went over. Anyhow, it's kind of a big deal.
I've started my second semester. It's turning out to be really easy and fun. This whole time in Sweden seems like a large vacation -- educational, but vacation nonetheless. I took a practice GRE (the test I have to take for grad school admissions) last night and the results were not desirable. It was a crack of reality that I will have to eventually RETURN to reality. Better start cracking back to the books. I finished the final book in "The Emigrants" series. I wept pretty hard at the end. You follow this family for fifty years so when they die, it feels like members of your own family die. Good books, highly recommended.
I'm trying to change my plane ticket from June 9th to June 27th. It seems like everything is happpening in June-- Erik's birthday, we were both invited to his brother's wedding (with medieval theme), and Midsummer (practically the largest Swedish celebration) occurs on the 25th. Unfortunately change-of-ticket costs $100, so guess what I'm asking for my birthday? (Which is, March 1st-- the big 2-1!)
Well, that's what's going on in MY life. Hope everyone is well, and I hope to hear about your lives as well. I feel a little out-of-the-loop (don't know why...) My love to you all, I miss everyone terribly (that includes Nalu's Baja Fish Tacos), Happy Valentine's Day to you all! XOX Jess
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
Funny how during exams everyone updates pretty frequently. PROCRASTINATORS!!!
Posted on 2005.12.07 at 21:21
January: In the year 2005, I resolve to wrestle an aligator.
February: Dear Mr. X, I think about you a lot and I wonder if what we once had was all a dream.
March: Sometimes I think teachers arer just bullshitting me to make me think I’m smart, only to unveil the whole thing to me in the end and laugh in my face.
April: My sis says I need to update this mofo, so here goes…Tonight I’m getting inducted into STD! (haha, jk, Sigma Tau Delta—the English Honors Society here on campus)
May: I am 43% republican.
June: My IQ is 115.
July: I’m making sushi and thinking of Meredith.
August: It seems to me that the only time I update this damn ”blog” is when I am procrastinating something BIG.
September: Yay California!
October: I know I’ve been in Sweden too long when…
November: Tjena everyone! I’m sitting at my computer, looking out the window at the golfball-sized snowflakes falling and sticking to the ground.
Overall, 2005 was a pretty weird year. I pined for Bud and when he finally came back, I turned him away. I fell in love with Greg, he slept with someone else while we were together, fefll out of love with Greg, got a care package in Sweden from him. I moved to Sweden, fell into a relationship, have him leave me for 7 weeks and in the meantime start hanging out with a really hot Swede. Damn, I'm bad. Anyway, looking forward to 2006.....I'm LEGAL BABY YEAH!
February: Dear Mr. X, I think about you a lot and I wonder if what we once had was all a dream.
March: Sometimes I think teachers arer just bullshitting me to make me think I’m smart, only to unveil the whole thing to me in the end and laugh in my face.
April: My sis says I need to update this mofo, so here goes…Tonight I’m getting inducted into STD! (haha, jk, Sigma Tau Delta—the English Honors Society here on campus)
May: I am 43% republican.
June: My IQ is 115.
July: I’m making sushi and thinking of Meredith.
August: It seems to me that the only time I update this damn ”blog” is when I am procrastinating something BIG.
September: Yay California!
October: I know I’ve been in Sweden too long when…
November: Tjena everyone! I’m sitting at my computer, looking out the window at the golfball-sized snowflakes falling and sticking to the ground.
Overall, 2005 was a pretty weird year. I pined for Bud and when he finally came back, I turned him away. I fell in love with Greg, he slept with someone else while we were together, fefll out of love with Greg, got a care package in Sweden from him. I moved to Sweden, fell into a relationship, have him leave me for 7 weeks and in the meantime start hanging out with a really hot Swede. Damn, I'm bad. Anyway, looking forward to 2006.....I'm LEGAL BABY YEAH!
God Jul! Merry Christmas!
How is everyone?! I hope you all had a wonderful November. My November went by extremely fast (just as September and October). There’s blanket of snow on the ground and I have a good feeling it won’t melt until March. I have to get used to constant white. It’s very beautiful.
Two weeks ago my class had a fieldtrip to an agricultural school. The high school system is a little different here in Sweden than in the USA. High schools have separate concentrations (medical, arts, etc). We went to an agriculture school and ran around with dairy cows, chickens, horses, sheep, goats, geese, cats, dogs, etc. It was like being down on the farm and it was actually pretty fun. It was nice to escape the classroom for awhile and get outside of Växjö. For lunch we went to our professor’s house and had a smörgåsbord. Det var jättefint! (It was really fine!) I tried a variety of Swedish food: prinskorv (prince sausage), Jonssons Frestelse (Jonsson’s Temptation, a mix of scalloped potatoes and anchovies), köttbullar (meatballs) and julmust (Christmas cola). We had a good time laughing and eating. Despite our teacher’s persistent pleas to have us speak Swedish—we were chatting so quickly, we found it too tiring to try and stop to translate what we wanted to say. Our excitement overruled our language.
I’ve made new friends! Emil, Niclas and Anders are all Swedish boys and somehow I’ve managed to join their clique. They’re funny and outgoing and interested to get to know me. Erin, my best American girlfriend here, is leaving in January to return to Nebraska. She only signed up for the “one-semester” Swedish program and I am terribly sad to see her go. But all of us hang out together and I’m happy to spend our last remaining days together. Luckily, Emil, Niclas and Anders are all staying in Växjö and it will be THEM saying goodbye to ME in June. Tonight we've planned a Die Hard Marathon. The boys requested American food from Erin and I – so we’re making French Toast (never mind the irony) and bacon. I’m afraid that when we make the dinner, smothering the French toast in powdered sugar and maple syrup it will be hard for them not to crack some jokes about Americans eating cake for breakfast and dinner. When you think about it, French toast really is just like one big slice of cake. Oh well, it’s the American way!
I traveled to Stockholm for the first weekend of Advent. My mother’s host family (from when she came to live in Sweden) is now residing just outside Stockholm so I stayed with them. The mother is Swedish, the father is Spanish and their five-year-old son, Raul, is the definition of adorable. He’s fluent in both Swedish and Spanish, and he’ll begin his English lessons in two years. He’s a lucky child. By age ten, he’ll be trilingual. The first night I was there, he came up to me and asked,
“Ska vi spela ‘memory’?” (Will we play ‘memory’?)
“Ja, det ska vi.” (Yes, we will)
I felt very comfortable talking to Raul in Swedish. We occasionally had a few moments of misunderstandings but it was easy for us to talk to each other. It’s less intimidating to practice my Swedish with a five-year-old than a forty-year-old. Eva and Anita (the two Swedish sisters) took me to Skansen, a wonderful attraction in the heart of Stockholm. It’s a lot like “Williamsburg, VA” where people are dressed in traditional Swedish clothing and doing hard, traditional labor. There was a post office, a shoe maker, a glass blower, a bakery, etc. Skansen was hosting the annual Christmas Market and there were busy Swedes and tourists eating up marsipan, pepparkakor, lussekatter (rolls made of saffron and raisins), kanelbullar, korv (sausage), öst (cheese), mandlar (almonds), soppa (soup), fisk (fish) and glögg. There were lots of Swedish handicrafts—dalahästar (traditional wooden horses), candlesticks, wool mittens and scarves, straw decorations, glass sculptures and clothing. It was quite a sight: a transition back in time and it was the Swedish experience for EVERY tourist. If you come to visit me, I’m taking you to Skansen. Sunday morning, Eva, Raul and I were sure to light the first of four candles of the advent calendar. It’s a Swedish tradition.
I caught a ride home from Stockholm with Emil and his parents (who also happened to be in Stockholm for the weekend) and I spent the five hour ride home talking their ears off. Emil said they liked me a lot, and they invited me to their home in Halmstad (the “California” of Sweden) anytime.
Swedes don’t decorate their houses like Chevy Chase in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and they don’t decorate their houses like the stereotypical American. But something you can find in every Swedish home are lights in every window. Whether it’s one light or five, each window is lit with white light. Even farm houses in the middle of nowhere have their candles, and it’s really beautiful to see.
On my third exam, I EARNED an “A”—the best grade in my class. I have one exam remaining and it just happens to be the hardest (grammar!). Ugh. I don’t want to think about it until tomorrow. I hope you all are listening to plenty of holiday music—whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza. I don’t know if you’ll be hearing from me until after the holidays. It’s possible, but then again, Erik comes home next week. It’s been six weeks since we’ve seen each other and I think we owe it to ourselves to spend some quality rebuilding time. If I don’t talk to you until January, I hope you all have a very, wonderful holiday and Happy New Year! I hope that you are all in good health and spirits. Don’t stress too much about presents, cleaning house or food. Celebrate seeing those people that you don’t usually make time for. Much love to everyone! Kramar (hugs), Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
How is everyone?! I hope you all had a wonderful November. My November went by extremely fast (just as September and October). There’s blanket of snow on the ground and I have a good feeling it won’t melt until March. I have to get used to constant white. It’s very beautiful.
Two weeks ago my class had a fieldtrip to an agricultural school. The high school system is a little different here in Sweden than in the USA. High schools have separate concentrations (medical, arts, etc). We went to an agriculture school and ran around with dairy cows, chickens, horses, sheep, goats, geese, cats, dogs, etc. It was like being down on the farm and it was actually pretty fun. It was nice to escape the classroom for awhile and get outside of Växjö. For lunch we went to our professor’s house and had a smörgåsbord. Det var jättefint! (It was really fine!) I tried a variety of Swedish food: prinskorv (prince sausage), Jonssons Frestelse (Jonsson’s Temptation, a mix of scalloped potatoes and anchovies), köttbullar (meatballs) and julmust (Christmas cola). We had a good time laughing and eating. Despite our teacher’s persistent pleas to have us speak Swedish—we were chatting so quickly, we found it too tiring to try and stop to translate what we wanted to say. Our excitement overruled our language.
I’ve made new friends! Emil, Niclas and Anders are all Swedish boys and somehow I’ve managed to join their clique. They’re funny and outgoing and interested to get to know me. Erin, my best American girlfriend here, is leaving in January to return to Nebraska. She only signed up for the “one-semester” Swedish program and I am terribly sad to see her go. But all of us hang out together and I’m happy to spend our last remaining days together. Luckily, Emil, Niclas and Anders are all staying in Växjö and it will be THEM saying goodbye to ME in June. Tonight we've planned a Die Hard Marathon. The boys requested American food from Erin and I – so we’re making French Toast (never mind the irony) and bacon. I’m afraid that when we make the dinner, smothering the French toast in powdered sugar and maple syrup it will be hard for them not to crack some jokes about Americans eating cake for breakfast and dinner. When you think about it, French toast really is just like one big slice of cake. Oh well, it’s the American way!
I traveled to Stockholm for the first weekend of Advent. My mother’s host family (from when she came to live in Sweden) is now residing just outside Stockholm so I stayed with them. The mother is Swedish, the father is Spanish and their five-year-old son, Raul, is the definition of adorable. He’s fluent in both Swedish and Spanish, and he’ll begin his English lessons in two years. He’s a lucky child. By age ten, he’ll be trilingual. The first night I was there, he came up to me and asked,
“Ska vi spela ‘memory’?” (Will we play ‘memory’?)
“Ja, det ska vi.” (Yes, we will)
I felt very comfortable talking to Raul in Swedish. We occasionally had a few moments of misunderstandings but it was easy for us to talk to each other. It’s less intimidating to practice my Swedish with a five-year-old than a forty-year-old. Eva and Anita (the two Swedish sisters) took me to Skansen, a wonderful attraction in the heart of Stockholm. It’s a lot like “Williamsburg, VA” where people are dressed in traditional Swedish clothing and doing hard, traditional labor. There was a post office, a shoe maker, a glass blower, a bakery, etc. Skansen was hosting the annual Christmas Market and there were busy Swedes and tourists eating up marsipan, pepparkakor, lussekatter (rolls made of saffron and raisins), kanelbullar, korv (sausage), öst (cheese), mandlar (almonds), soppa (soup), fisk (fish) and glögg. There were lots of Swedish handicrafts—dalahästar (traditional wooden horses), candlesticks, wool mittens and scarves, straw decorations, glass sculptures and clothing. It was quite a sight: a transition back in time and it was the Swedish experience for EVERY tourist. If you come to visit me, I’m taking you to Skansen. Sunday morning, Eva, Raul and I were sure to light the first of four candles of the advent calendar. It’s a Swedish tradition.
I caught a ride home from Stockholm with Emil and his parents (who also happened to be in Stockholm for the weekend) and I spent the five hour ride home talking their ears off. Emil said they liked me a lot, and they invited me to their home in Halmstad (the “California” of Sweden) anytime.
Swedes don’t decorate their houses like Chevy Chase in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and they don’t decorate their houses like the stereotypical American. But something you can find in every Swedish home are lights in every window. Whether it’s one light or five, each window is lit with white light. Even farm houses in the middle of nowhere have their candles, and it’s really beautiful to see.
On my third exam, I EARNED an “A”—the best grade in my class. I have one exam remaining and it just happens to be the hardest (grammar!). Ugh. I don’t want to think about it until tomorrow. I hope you all are listening to plenty of holiday music—whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza. I don’t know if you’ll be hearing from me until after the holidays. It’s possible, but then again, Erik comes home next week. It’s been six weeks since we’ve seen each other and I think we owe it to ourselves to spend some quality rebuilding time. If I don’t talk to you until January, I hope you all have a very, wonderful holiday and Happy New Year! I hope that you are all in good health and spirits. Don’t stress too much about presents, cleaning house or food. Celebrate seeing those people that you don’t usually make time for. Much love to everyone! Kramar (hugs), Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
Erik's gone. Has been for 4 weeks, will be for 2 more. I wouldn't what you would call the "social butterfly" here in Sweden, one of my best friends is in England for the next 9 days. In the meantime, I've been hanging out with this guy Emil. A lot. He cooked me dinner last night (it was really good) and it was COMPLETELY innocent. BUT we find ourselves talking whenever we're online, texting each other when we're going to bed and making plans for Die Hard Marathons (where, it's my turn to cook the dinner). He's a realy fun guy to hang out with, and I'm attracted to him physically. His personality is not my "type"-- he has WAY too much baggage for me to handle, but we are having fun getting to know each other. Up to this point, there has been NOTHING going on whatsoever...no hugs, no flirting, no nothin'. (And this is good because I'm in a relationship). But I kind of feel like Emil (that's his name) and my relationship is on the turning point of being friends or flirty friends. I'm not going to cheat on Erik, but I desperately want a good friend here...my best friend is going back to Nebraska in January! So I love meeting new people to last me until June. Do flirty friends always end up in bad situations? Is it possible for a male and a female to be friends without occasional flirting (if they're both physically attracted to each other)? Eh, I don't think so. Has anyone ever been in this situation? How did it turn out? Should I tell Erik that I've been hanging out with Emil, or just keep it to myself so he doesn't worry. He has no need to worry. Ugh. Love. Erik needs to get his ass back to me NOW!!!!
aggravated
Why is it that when someone dies, everyone acts like they were her best friend? I know that if my friend Lauren dies, and I see people at her funeral that treated her like shit I will want to do nothing more than spit in their faces. Why do people think that by going to a funeral, they are automatically sympathy-deserving-good people? Funerals aren't meant for redemption for being shitty to people.
Det snöar! (It's snowing!)
Posted on 2005.11.16 at 09:34Current Mood:
cold
Current Music: James Taylor
Tjena everyone! How are you? I'm sitting at my computer, looking out the window at the golfball-sized snowflakes falling and sticking to the ground. I haven't seen snow since 2003, so this is very nice. It's beautiful but I'm afraid my walk to class is going to be a cold one.
On my first exam, a written and listening exam, I received 100àOn my second exam, an oral exam, I received “pass with distinction.” I prepared a long conversation about sports only to find out the majority of the exam was based on landscape. I did well despite this. Amazing how a little studying will reward you!
A French boy, two German girls and I rented a car and drove to Lund and Malmö for a day trip this past weekend. It was a wonderful time. We visited the church in Lund (which I had seen before when I visited my Swedish relatives, Gerhard and Inga). The church has a large, beautiful, old clock that not only keeps the time, but the date as well.We made sure we returned to the church at 1 o’clock pm to witness the music and “cuckoo-like” mechanical action it performs twice every day. We returned at 12:45 and a large group quickly gathered around us wanting to bear witness to the display also. We also noticed a small orchestra warming up their instruments for what was to be a small concert. The large group of spectators (ourselves included) sat twenty five minutes waiting for the clock to chime. Finally I overheard a Swede ask a priest if the clock would perform today to which he replied, “Nej.” SO nice of the priests in the church to let the large group know that the clock would be silent that day, due to the concert. I think that the priests were probably so excited to see people inside their church they wanted to keep us there as long as possible, no matter what how. Ha.
Malmö is a big city where the majority of immigrants in Sweden have settled down. There was a lot of nice shopping to do there, but I don’t know if I will be returning any time soon. I prefer the “old-worldliness” of Stockholm and Lund.
The next day we drove the car to a Christmas market in Huseby (a very small town just outside Växjö). It was very nice with lots of candles and decorations. People were giving out free samples of cheeses, ham, lutfisk (pickled herring) and peppermint. We stood by and watched some Swedes making the small bite-size peppermint candy and it was quite the spectacle. One Swede approached me and offered me a sample, which I took and ate. He then proceeded to say something to me in Swedish before I was able to say, “Jag pratar bara en lite svenska.” (I speak only a little Swedish). I assume he was telling me how I could purchase the candy, and luckily he walked away none the wiser of my hidden identity. They all think I’m a Svensk here.
Sweden has a Christmas drink called “glögg.” It’s a mulled wine served warm, closely resembling a sweet, red apple cider. In the drink you drop raisins and almonds. After drinking the warm liquid, you eat the raisins and almonds left over. It is EXTREMELY good—something that I would like to make part of my Christmas tradition. The drink is often eaten with pepparkakor (gingersnap cookies). You can buy both of these items at your local IKEA if you are interested. :-)
Erik’s been really sick with flu-like symptoms. At first we suspected it was a minor cold from the change of climate (Sweden to Norway). Then when the symptoms persisted, there was talk of allergies, especially since he was working around large amounts of fish. We began to believe he would be returning to Sweden sooner than expected. Unfortunately for me he regained his health (darn!) and he'll be staying in Norway for another 3 weeks. It was pretty funny to me when he called one night and said, “Yessie, I met a girl here who has been to DC. She knows a place where we can get a slice of pizza for only $2!” I then proceeded to tell him I knew many places where we could get a cheap slice of pizza (without the twenty minute drive into the downtown metropolitan area) but I assured him I would take him somewhere specific if he so desired.
It’s currently 31 degrees outside. Very, very cold. I need a much warmer winter coat if I’m to return here in January. This is only the beginning. With the falling back of the clocks, the sun now sets at 3:30 pm. By 4 o’clock it’s pitch black outside. There’s not much to do out in the cold darkness, so I think the campus pubs have been seeing a little more business lately.
My mother’s “host sister,” from when my mother studied in Sweden, has invited me to come and spend the first weekend of Advent with them in Stockholm. This is Thanksgiving weekend (for the rest of us) and the beginning of the Swedish Christmas holiday. There’s a huge annual open-air market in the historical district of Stockholm. Many of the old, traditional houses open their doors for Christmas tours. I’m hopeful to get most of my Christmas shopping done here. Despite being so far from home, it’s amazing how many “families” I have here in Sweden. Gerhard and Inga are a blessing to have here and I cannot wait to visit them again in the spring (or until I get an awful case off homesickness). My mother’s host family is wonderful for having Swedish connections in Stockholm; they are wonderful people. And Erik’s parents have invited me back to their home, an invitation which I plan on accepting right before I come home for Christmas.
On Friday we’re having a field trip to a glass factory and an agricultural school. The class will then adjourn to my professor’s home for a lunch prepared by his wife. We’ve all chipped in to buy them a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. It should be a nice time wth good Swedish food.
I watched a delightful Swedish movie that I would recommend to all of you (if you can find it). It is called “As It Is In Heaven” and it was nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign film this year. I guess it didn’t win, but it is phenomenal. At the end, you walk out of the theater feeling so alive. Det är mycket bra. (It is very good)
I hope you are all beginning to get in the "holiday spirit." I know I am! I will be coming home in a month and I couldn't be more excited! My best wishes go to all of you, I hope you are all in good health-- stay bundled in the cold weather! (Except for those of you down in Florida. For you, I'll ship some snow to cool down!) I miss you all terribly, please write! Much love, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine
On my first exam, a written and listening exam, I received 100àOn my second exam, an oral exam, I received “pass with distinction.” I prepared a long conversation about sports only to find out the majority of the exam was based on landscape. I did well despite this. Amazing how a little studying will reward you!
A French boy, two German girls and I rented a car and drove to Lund and Malmö for a day trip this past weekend. It was a wonderful time. We visited the church in Lund (which I had seen before when I visited my Swedish relatives, Gerhard and Inga). The church has a large, beautiful, old clock that not only keeps the time, but the date as well.We made sure we returned to the church at 1 o’clock pm to witness the music and “cuckoo-like” mechanical action it performs twice every day. We returned at 12:45 and a large group quickly gathered around us wanting to bear witness to the display also. We also noticed a small orchestra warming up their instruments for what was to be a small concert. The large group of spectators (ourselves included) sat twenty five minutes waiting for the clock to chime. Finally I overheard a Swede ask a priest if the clock would perform today to which he replied, “Nej.” SO nice of the priests in the church to let the large group know that the clock would be silent that day, due to the concert. I think that the priests were probably so excited to see people inside their church they wanted to keep us there as long as possible, no matter what how. Ha.
Malmö is a big city where the majority of immigrants in Sweden have settled down. There was a lot of nice shopping to do there, but I don’t know if I will be returning any time soon. I prefer the “old-worldliness” of Stockholm and Lund.
The next day we drove the car to a Christmas market in Huseby (a very small town just outside Växjö). It was very nice with lots of candles and decorations. People were giving out free samples of cheeses, ham, lutfisk (pickled herring) and peppermint. We stood by and watched some Swedes making the small bite-size peppermint candy and it was quite the spectacle. One Swede approached me and offered me a sample, which I took and ate. He then proceeded to say something to me in Swedish before I was able to say, “Jag pratar bara en lite svenska.” (I speak only a little Swedish). I assume he was telling me how I could purchase the candy, and luckily he walked away none the wiser of my hidden identity. They all think I’m a Svensk here.
Sweden has a Christmas drink called “glögg.” It’s a mulled wine served warm, closely resembling a sweet, red apple cider. In the drink you drop raisins and almonds. After drinking the warm liquid, you eat the raisins and almonds left over. It is EXTREMELY good—something that I would like to make part of my Christmas tradition. The drink is often eaten with pepparkakor (gingersnap cookies). You can buy both of these items at your local IKEA if you are interested. :-)
Erik’s been really sick with flu-like symptoms. At first we suspected it was a minor cold from the change of climate (Sweden to Norway). Then when the symptoms persisted, there was talk of allergies, especially since he was working around large amounts of fish. We began to believe he would be returning to Sweden sooner than expected. Unfortunately for me he regained his health (darn!) and he'll be staying in Norway for another 3 weeks. It was pretty funny to me when he called one night and said, “Yessie, I met a girl here who has been to DC. She knows a place where we can get a slice of pizza for only $2!” I then proceeded to tell him I knew many places where we could get a cheap slice of pizza (without the twenty minute drive into the downtown metropolitan area) but I assured him I would take him somewhere specific if he so desired.
It’s currently 31 degrees outside. Very, very cold. I need a much warmer winter coat if I’m to return here in January. This is only the beginning. With the falling back of the clocks, the sun now sets at 3:30 pm. By 4 o’clock it’s pitch black outside. There’s not much to do out in the cold darkness, so I think the campus pubs have been seeing a little more business lately.
My mother’s “host sister,” from when my mother studied in Sweden, has invited me to come and spend the first weekend of Advent with them in Stockholm. This is Thanksgiving weekend (for the rest of us) and the beginning of the Swedish Christmas holiday. There’s a huge annual open-air market in the historical district of Stockholm. Many of the old, traditional houses open their doors for Christmas tours. I’m hopeful to get most of my Christmas shopping done here. Despite being so far from home, it’s amazing how many “families” I have here in Sweden. Gerhard and Inga are a blessing to have here and I cannot wait to visit them again in the spring (or until I get an awful case off homesickness). My mother’s host family is wonderful for having Swedish connections in Stockholm; they are wonderful people. And Erik’s parents have invited me back to their home, an invitation which I plan on accepting right before I come home for Christmas.
On Friday we’re having a field trip to a glass factory and an agricultural school. The class will then adjourn to my professor’s home for a lunch prepared by his wife. We’ve all chipped in to buy them a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. It should be a nice time wth good Swedish food.
I watched a delightful Swedish movie that I would recommend to all of you (if you can find it). It is called “As It Is In Heaven” and it was nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign film this year. I guess it didn’t win, but it is phenomenal. At the end, you walk out of the theater feeling so alive. Det är mycket bra. (It is very good)
I hope you are all beginning to get in the "holiday spirit." I know I am! I will be coming home in a month and I couldn't be more excited! My best wishes go to all of you, I hope you are all in good health-- stay bundled in the cold weather! (Except for those of you down in Florida. For you, I'll ship some snow to cool down!) I miss you all terribly, please write! Much love, Jessica
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~St. Augustine