I fell into a burning ring of fire

Lyrics quiz solution:

1. ACDC - Shook Me All Night Long
2. Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
3. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars *point to V*
4. Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down
5. ACDC - Back In Black
6. Beth Nielson Chapman - Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye
7. Nickelback - Photograph *point to V*
8. Athlete - Chances
9. Metallica - Enter Sandman
10. Triumph - Fight The Good Fight
11. Keane - We Might As Well Be Strangers *point to V*

I'm very disappointed in the rest of you. You should hear me clicking my tounge.

I passed the 'Language Acquisition' exam! One down, one to go. And I'm so counting on having to complement on the other one, but at least it's done for now. So now, we move on to 'Theoretical Grammar' and 'Human Voice and Speech'... Damn, I love this.
Looks like I really will be trying to do an extra five credits with 'neurolingvistik' - this is the last semester they'll be doing that course until 2009, or so. I really don't want to wait that long. What made me extra sad though, was that 'psykolingvistik' is done. No more. That was one course I was definitely looking forward to taking.

We're seeing 'Rocky VI' tonight. Puffy Stalone and Milo V, I can't wait. But do not go see 'Holiday'. You'll be nauseous from all the sugar.

Lund was never so beautiful.

I am finally home after being stuck in Stockholm for longer than was planned, thanks to the fucking storm that really ought to have been given a more menacing name than 'Per' (I mean, seriously). The journey home took eight hours instead of four and I felt like falling to my knees and kissing the ground when we got off the train. But SJ did all they could - got us a room at a four star hotel when we couldn't get home, and then first class tickets part of the way when the trains started running again. I can't complain too much, at least not about them.

Invasion! was as amazing as I remembered it, and the audience reaction at the beginning was absolutely awesome. The infiltrators were sat just two rows down from us, so we had a good view of their progress from mildly amused to "Dude, what the fuck is this shit?!" It started out with some annoyed hushing, but when the boys decided they'd had enough and made to leave people actually stood up and yelled at them to sit down and shut up while we were busy giggling like mad and trying to hide it. They must've felt so silly when they realised it was all part of the show. I know I would have.
Bahador Foladi is still incredible. When he came on stage for that horrifying, final monologue of the show, my heart just started pounding. With dread, because I knew what was coming, and anticipation, because he acts it so, so well. I thought I'd try and transcribe that one, because you should read it. I think it might be my favourite part, but I'm not sure. It's impossible to choose.

My kind, kind Languages-of-the-world lecturer gave me a couple of extra days with the exam, since I was stuck without my laptop and unable to finish on time. So now, I'm writing the final question and it's actually not going horribly. I haven't had any flashes of brilliance by any means, but if there's anything I'm good at, it's word-pooping.

Solution to the lyrics quiz, which V was the only one to excel at, will be up next time.

Oh, by the way, Supernatural? Was sofa king awesome on Thursday. Best episode yet of the ones I've seen, perhaps, save the season 2 opener. And they used 'White Rabbit'! Finally! Do you realise how long I've been hoping and waiting for them to use that song? And it was totally creepy and awesome (so, I like the word awesome, big deal) and perfect. V, you should start watching season 2, I need someone to geek out with over it.

Hope none of my Swedish readers were hit too hard by the storm and stayed safe.

Lyrics

So, there have been films, and film quotes, and film scenes, and now I thought it was time for a list with music. Lyric snippets are from my 'last played' list on iTunes, and if you recognise anything, you get a cookie.

1. 'Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quaking
My mind was aching

2. Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely
means that I don't know

3. If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

4. Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter

5. So look at me now
I'm just makin' my play
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way

6. Don't you fear when you dream
Waking up is never what it seems
Like a jewel buried deep
Like a promise meant to keep

7. I miss that town
I miss the faces
You can't erase it
You can't replace it

8. If I had the chance to start again
Then you would be the one I'd come and find
Like the poster of Berlin on my wall
Maybe there's a chance our walls might fall

9. Hush little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head

10. All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can

11. I don't know your face no more
Or feel your touch that I adore
I don't know your face no more
It's just a place I'm looking for

When you realise that you have Creedence Clearwater Revival on your playlist, you begin to wonder whether you were born in the wrong decennia.

This is probably the last entry for a week or so - I have two exams, circa ten pages, to finish before the 12th and have asked people to hit me if I try to write anything that isn't about language acquisition or typology. And I wish I could kick my own ass for not ever learning to start in time.

In which she uses three different languages

See that right there? That would be my boys starting off the new year in second place! They're doing well. Funny, the top three at this point are the same as when the season finished last year, only we finished third and I believe Sävehof won. This year, it's our turn. Oh yes, it is.

So, Saddam Hussein is dead. And I know he did horrible, horrible things, but nothing can make me agree with the death penalty. I can't agree that it's right to take one life to get revenge for another.

Ett av partierna här i Sverige vill införa förbud mot att prata något annat språk än svenska i klassrummet såvida lektionen inte är om just det språket. Fint tänkt. Men jag tror att jag har hört något liknande förut...
Jovisst, när man tvingade döva barn att sitta på sina egna händer för att de inte skulle teckna utan istället lära sig tala. Och svenskundervisningen för tornedalsfinska barn (när var det, i början av 1900-talet?) då man gav dem stryk om de pratade finska istället för svenska.
Jag undrar vad partiet anser att konsekvensen av att bryta mot förbudet skulle bli?

Tengo que sacar el perro porque mis padres han ido al cine. Hasta luego.
Por favor, no me pegues por preguntar esto, pero de que verbo viene el 'han' del pretérito perfecto? Es 'haber'? Nunca me lo ha explicado nadie.

2006

Snodd från Gustav med vissa tillägg.

* Dag(ar): 28e januari - alla MGs samlade på Bella Italia. 23e juni - San Juan på stranden i Barcelona.

* Festivitet: Det kan bara bli Novischfesten, minnesluckor och fruktansvärd baksmälla till trots.

* Inköp: MacBook och läderstövlar.

* Film: RENT - från förra året, ja, men inte premiär här förrän i februari. Brokeback Mountain får hedersomnämnande på samma grund.

* Låt: Årets bästa låt har jag ingen koll på, men *mina* bästa låtar för året blir Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit, Triumphs Fight The Good Fight, Kansas' Carry On My Wayward Son och Blue Oyster Cults Don't Fear The Reaper. Jag insåg en dag att min spellista enbart bestod av 70-talsrock.
Oh, och Jump Little Childrens Cathedrals, så klart! *älska*

* Accessoar: Mallorcaringen som jag numera känner mig naken utan, och mitt tuffa nya halsband.

* Bok: Montecore - En unik tiger, Jonas Hassen Khemiri.

* Inkomna sms: "Han é tankesultan! Grymmaste pjäsen, jag svär fett me cred! Khemiri is Da MAN!" Alltid underbart med delade åsikter.

* Intressantaste: Valet. Gäller även för 'Sorgligaste'.

* Beslut: Att hoppa av lärarutbildningen och satsa på lingvistiken.

* Ord: "Oki" ("I want to get the hell out of here" på Taiap). Och "kebabchaffis". Det är skönt att till och med översmarta författare kan säga fel.

* Citat: "Failure isn't an option because you, like me, are perfect ;-)" (Seriously, dude, you have no idea how much you cheered me up that time - I was close to tears and then you made me giggle!)

* Saknade: Elisabet (men inte mycket längre!). Janice. Los brasileños.

Make 2007 a good one!

Contours

So, we were sitting at Herkules' yesterday and I mentioned that my cousin had gotten glasses for when driving, which got us into a discussion about how a lot of people look really good in glasses. I don't wear glasses, never have, and so I asked M to try hers on, just to see how it felt and to know whether they suited me. I put them on, looked out the window, and Christ was the world suddenly sharp! I mean, I knew my left eye vision isn't perfect, but when I closed my right eye and took turns looking through the glasses and over them, I realised that it's probably a little worse than I thought it was.
A visit to the optician to see whether I should get glasses, perhaps?

Oh - we're going to Stockholm again in January, if I hadn't mentioned that. We're going to see Rent! And Invasion! again. When tickets are that cheap, you can't not go again.

And I'm a sketching goddess. Still can't stop.


Logan, I can't comment on your posts. There's no picture for the word verification. Boo.

Merry Christmas

Biggles and I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas, albeit a little late for the Swedes, but anyway.

(As you can tell from his expression, wearing that hat was far below his dignity. Didn't stop me.)


Happy Holidays!

'Kiyoshi kono yoru'

Yes, today we sang 'Silent Night' in Japanese. And Polish, and Gaelic, and Hungarian, and Vietnamese. And five other languages. While having wine punch and gingerbread snaps and fudge. I'm going to miss this course and these people and our mentor a lot; it seems there are seven of us who are going to do the following 20 credits as well, and a couple who are going to do a few, but that's it.

I'm giving serious thought to doing five extra credits outside the regular 20 next semester. Neuro-linguistics does sound really interesting, it's on next semester (you can never count on a course like that to be given), and our schedule seems to allow the time. And - it's in English, which would be a real challenge. The catch? Three final exams in one week, or possibly two if they're feeling generous. We'll see. I think I'll sign up and then decide when the time comes.

I got the most awesome Christmas present the other day. A refridgerator magnet - hold on, hold on, it gets better - saying "You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing". Heh. Well, maybe you had to be there. But Ida rocks.
We also combined study group, preparing for the home exams and straightening out a few question marks (verbkongruenssystem i världen, Klingon-grammatik, och var i världen du kan hitta språk från fem olika språkfamiljer, som har ergativa drag, oerhört komplicerad verbmorfologi och 83 konsonanter men bara 2 vokaler), with a film night watching Dogma. I'd almost forgotten how much I love that film.

Anyone who isn't dead or from another plane of existence would do well to cover their ears right about now.

But I'm a fucking demon.

Read the Bible again sometime. Women are painted as bigger antagonists than the Egyptians and Romans combined. It stinks.

The future always on her mind

My 'Language Acquisition' mentor decided today she's going to make me a doctoral student and sponsor me to write my D paper about 'foreigner talk' in a couple of years. Heh. I heart her. And I heart this course. And I can pass for being Polish or Finnish or something non-Swedish like that, can't I?
I've decided what I want to do with my degree once I'm finished (on the side, of course, I'm still going to be a socio-linguistics professor. I promised my grandparents). I want to be a translator. I'm always complaining about badly translated books; that way I could do something about it. What better way to use an English degree? Ah, I'm already looking forward to doing English. I seriously need to freshen it up.

This whole, I'm-where-I'm-supposed-to-be feeling? I like it.

A small observation: friendship is calling the other person 'bitch' in a text knowing she will laugh her head off when seeing it.

Invaderad.

Stockholm. Invasion!. Skridskoåkning. Italiensk glass. Pizza Hut.
Teatern var fullständigt fantastisk. Och jag kan inte skriva på Khemiriska. Jag bara låtsas att jag kan det.

Och det är förväntan inuti när ljuset släcks och du hoppas och ber att du inte ska bli besviken, och du tittar på töntskådespelarna som pratar goja på scenen och väntar på att få höra mummel och hyssjanden någonstans bakifrån, och när du hör det första sshh-et ni tittar på varandra med skratten i halsen och shunnarna reser sig upp och börjar bråka och invaderar scenen och efter det, det är bara vad som händer där som betyder något.

Vad pjäsen handlar om är fullständigt omöjligt att beskriva. Den består till stor del av monologer, fyra olika skådespelare som framför fyra olika historier som alla vävs in i varandra av föreställningens gemensamma nämnare: Abulkasem. Vem är det? Varför är han viktig? Finns han egentligen?

Det är Bahador Foladis röst som blir mer och mer pressad och som sträcker sig in i dig och griper tag och det är tårögon och nejtankar när de andra skådespelarna kommer upp på scen och ljuset släcks, och sedan det är applåder och darrhänder och ett huvud fullt av snurror och ekon av rösterna du hört, och det är ni som tittar på varandra och vet att en gång inte räcker, inte ett dugg.

Vi skulle gått ut på La Isla efteråt, men vi var båda två totalt så tagna av föreställningen att vi utan att tänka på det bara började gå medan vi pratade om den, och plötsligt insåg vi att vi satt på vårt hotellrum och hade suttit där och gått igenom så mycket av pjäsen som vi bara kunde i ett par timmar. Det är otroligt att man kan skratta och skratta åt det man ser på scen samtidigt som man känner att man egentligen lika gärna skulle kunna gråta, eftersom det är en hårfin linje mellan det komiska och det fruktansvärt tragiska. Mycket balanserande på gränsen och många oerhört tvära kast däremellan.

"En av mina grannar är faktiskt från Pakistan, men han är jättetrevlig! Och jag sa till honom, 'It's okay. You can eat your food and have your parabol on the balkong, but please, please, dont make your daughter wear a slöja when she grows up. Please, for me, let her be free'."

Så, förutom att jag stukade foten under en promenad längs Drottninggatan och nu kör med kryckor igen, en perfekt helg.

Erkänn Abulkasem!

The struggling artist

Per request.


Milo doesnt look much like himself here, more like a cartoon character - so I decided that it's not actually a sketch of him but a sketch of Peter, based on Milo. Neat solution, huh?

JAckles on the other hand, I was very pleased with.


I think my fingers need to rest now. They're aching a little.

Where'd the day go?

Christ, I can't believe it's Friday again. Seriously, time needs to slow down. I mean, Stockholm and Invasion! is freakin' next weekend and Christmas is getting closer, which means this semester is amost over. And that kinda makes me sad. I'm going to miss my uni girls when we scatter.
Ida almost made me laugh out loud in class today, because this course is the most boring course I've ever taken, and so you're bound to get the giggles when your fellow Supernatural CQD:er points you to 'Wake me up when it's my turn to drive' written in her notebook.

Birthday was good. I'm sitting very comfortably in my new desk chair, looking at some lovely black & white posters of Paris that are being placed on my walls soon, and listening to my birthday CD from V. (And actually, I could be wearing my scarf from Harriet and drinking my Monty Python beer from Julia as well... Heh. I love my beer, called 'Monty Python's Holy Grail', with 'Gr' crossed out. Also, it's tempered over burning witches. Awesome.)
There was a family gathering on Saturday, which was nice. Then spex on Sunday, which was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time - it helped seeing several familiar faces among the leads and in the ensemble - and the Lucia medly made me giggle until my stomach hurt. "Mikadonnan står i fönstret! Mikadonnan står i fönstret! Så får vi lov, så får vi lov, att ta oss in i palatset?"
Then went to Kalmar's on Tuesday with my uni posse and M to celebrate a little extra, which was also fun. Although I have to admit I prefer Wermland's/ÖG - it was bit too small for my liking. So, Wermland's tomorrow night, and glöggfest/pepparkaksbak at Anna's place on Sunday. This weekend is not turning out to be that much quieter than the last.

I heart Supernatural. It's rivalling my Heroes love.

By the way, I'm totally in a new sketching phase, and I love it. I particularly love to look at my 'older' sketches from, say, 2003 or even 2004, cringe, and realise that while I'm in no way a great artist by any means, I've actually come a long way since then.

Still oh so motivated

I seriously cannot stop. Straight boys may want to avert their eyes, I'm not sure.




I really do watch way too much television, don't I?

M got tickets for Lundaspexarnas' farce on Sunday afternoon for my birthday present. Going to be so much fun, they're usually among the best there are.
Oh - this is my 101st entry, and it's almost time for my bloggiversary. Time flies.

I just looked over at my reflection in the window, and realised that wearing braids makes me look like a little girl. Good thing or bad thing, one might ask. I'd say it could be a good thing, since I've applied for a job as a spy for Systembolaget. Be a neat job, wouldn't it, running round trying to buy alcohol without an ID?

All the motivation you need

I'm rapidly growing addicted to making motivators.




And you are definitely going to be subjected to more of these in the future.

'Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear

The weeks go by so fast now. I don't know what happened to this fall, it seems like it had barely started when Christmas began showing its red twinkly face around the corner. The lights are already up on the square, they've put up the trees all over town, and we're planning a glögg/gingersnaps-baking party in the not too distant future. But before that I need to survive the birthday outing next week - "Då ska vi supa Katarina under bordet", as one of my lovely coursemates put it. And I still haven't found my hangover-food.

I've been given the number to a chiropractor in town who's supposed to be very good. Hopefully he'll be able to do something about my shoulder, which is still playing up on me after all these months. I want to be able to go swimming again, dammit.

My goddaughter is only a few months away from becoming a big sister. She's excited to take on the task as well as concerned about where the baby is going to sleep when they're visiting grandma. She finally came to the conclusion that 'grandma can sleep on that side, and I'll sleep on this side, and the baby can sleep in the middle and I'll hold her'. As much as my stint as a nursery teacher put me off being around small children, I'm totally excited about getting a new baby in the family. And above all, to watch Nic growing into being the oldest.

Supernatural tonight. I might have to squee for a bit.

'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket

Auntie: I don't get why they're doing it outside, I mean, you know what the cold does...
Grandpa: Well, maybe they keep their pants on.
Me: Dry humping?
Grandpa: We're changing the subject now.

I managed to work dry humping into a conversation at my grandparents'. I rock. If I manage "I'm lovin' you like a two-dollar whore" as well, my CQD will be complete.

A quick Heroes comment - Nathan' wife is called... Heidi? Dude, please. They couldn't think of anything else? I don't care about supermodel Heidi, either. Not even the Klum can take the 'German goat-girl' sound out of that name.

A day in the life 2

In which she's worried and annoyed

Gustav, jag bör nog varna dig - du uppskattar kanske inte den här lilla klagovisan.

Det ska bli dyrare att bo som student. Det ska bli dyrare att bygga studentbostäder, och på så vis högre hyror för de bostäder som ändå byggs. Och folk undrar varför en 25-åring fortfarande skulle vilja bo hemma?

Vi studenter har nog med pengar. Vi har så gott om pengar att man till och med skulle kunna sänka vårt bidrag och den tid vi har rätt till det. Min förhoppning är att regeringen om några år inser att den bästa idén för att lösa problemet med studiemedel är att istället för att tilldela varje studerande ett visst antal år med rätt till studiemedel, tilldela dem en viss summa och möjligheten att fördela den summan på det sätt som passar dem. Som det är nu (och som det har varit länge, det ska medges) blir många lurade och tror att de kan ta ut bidrag de första åren och spara lånen tills de behövs längre fram. Icke. Sex år är allt du har, sen är det kört. När du pluggat i fyra år, inser att du är inne på fel spår och att du kommer att behöva fyra år till, sticker statsministern ut huvudet och ropar 'Gotcha, sucker!'

"Det ska löna sig att arbeta." Låter bra. Men när det innebär att det framför allt lönar sig därför att alla bidrag dras in så att du helt enkelt inte har råd att vara arbetssökande eller sjukskriven? Ja, sänk A-kassan! Se till så att de fega, utbrända människorna ger sig ut i arbetslivet igen!
Men det är klart; för vissa lönar det sig ju verkligen att arbeta. Staffanstorps politiker höjde sin egen lön med 50 %.

"Vi ska satsa på ungdomarna och se till att de får jobb." Jo, man tackar.
Så varför bör pensionsåldern höjas till 70 år? Om ni vill satsa på ungdomarna, borde då inte pensionsåldern sänkas? Ut med de gamla, in med de unga? Eller menar ni att de båda ska arbeta halvtid och bli partners, dela på jobbet?

...
In other news, I'm seeing my remaining time at uni like this: another year and a half of linguistics, and two years of either English or Spanish. 80 credits each; enough to teach. I think.

The best soy latte that you ever had

Wine, ice cream cake, bisquits, samba music, cool people and a Tjernobyl theme. All in all, a great night.

I've figured out that the best way to keep yourself from going out after a party is to not bring any money, your ID or credit card with you when you leave home. If I had, the others would've totally been able to convince me of going with them to Wermland's, which would have ruined my plans of getting up early tomorrow to go to Ikea.

I still think it's cool that V's friend is my coursemate's friend's coursemate. V, I don't know what it is, but you two kinda look like each other.

Excuses schmexcuses

For starters, apologies for the lack of blogging. T'internet and all things connected to it have been seriously neglected during the past week, but I have a good excuse, which is in short 'studying my ass off and trying to lead a social life at the same time'. It's tougher than I thought. I feel a bit like I've been abandoning all my /mgs as well, which really sucks. With all that's going on for everyone right now it makes me feel even worse.

Another thing that's been taking up my time has been rearranging my room. Just a few days ago everything I owned was cramming up the kitchen and the living room, but it's all starting to come together now. We bought a dresser yesterday. Nothing fancy like Ikea, just good old Jysk. I spent the whole afternoon putting it together. Normally I'd just leave it to my father, but since he's out of town a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do, even when it does include hammers, nails and swearing. It was all worth it, though - it's now standing next to the desk beneath my window, filled with clothes, looking like it was always meant to be there.

I love how the room is turning out. The only thing I'd have wished for is to have the walls painted as well, but you can't have everything. I'll just have to put stuff up on the walls to cover the cracks. Yes, I have room for posters on my walls! I've been living with one single Lord Of The Rings poster for years because the arrangemeant of the furniture meant that there was no space for anything else. That is so going to change.

What else?

* My hands are looking all icky. The skin is coming off my fingers from when I burned them, and they almost look worse now than they did then.

* My birthday is less than three weeks today. I feel so old.

* Secret Santa has been sorted! Now I've just got to rub my brains and figure out something fabulous to send.

* Emails will be sent to those expecting soon. Promise.