I used to think swedish women were the most beautiful in the world. Well, after spending some time here in Finland I think I’m ready to extend that to “scandinavian women” ’cause they are pretty beautiful here too! And you know me, I like to be proven incorrect and have my believes questioned a little now and then.
I saw a little clip on CNN from some european Jewish convention and heard this big speach about anti-semitism and how it’s a growing problem in Europe and it’s a big monster that must be defeated. Maybe it’s just because of the fact that I’m not jewish or maybe it’s because Sweden is a very tolerant country, but this was news to me! I’d like to think of myself as a pretty up-to-date kinda guy, the kind that watches the news daily, doesn’t mind having CNN or Sky News on for hours, checks out news websites daily. And I’ve never heard that this was a big problem. Atleast no bigger problem than your average short sighted racism and anti-“everything that’s not us” mentality. But apparently it is.
Is it just me or has the weather this year been very schitzo, especially here in Sweden. Going from warm-cold, winter-spring all the time. I’ve been thinking about changing the tyres on my car but everytime it’s started snowing or something.
Do you know I suck at confrontation? Doesn’t matter if it’s normal lovers quarrel, negotiating my salary or telling a waitress she messed up somehow, I suck at it. Don’t know if it’s because of my upbringing, if it’s my reluctance to have people disliking me, lack of confidence or whatever, but it’s a fact. But it has led to some good things. Not many people do dislike me, as far as I know. I’ve had to try different dishes from what I’m used to when a waiter/waitress serves up the wrong thing. But I’m below average when it comes to my salary 🙁
That’s it – I’m never gonna buy another issue of Aftonbladet! (one of the biggest selling paper here in sweden) They’ve always been pretty good at twisting, spinning, exaggerating and basically doing alot of superficial idiotic things to sell more issues. But I’ve always been able to filter out the crap and get to the actual news. But today they crossed the line. They went so far over it, the line is a dot to them! As I was strolling around in NK in Stockholm, admiring the view (you guys know what I mean), thinking about stuff I saw the first page of Aftonbladet. The biggest news of the day that they were running. And guess what it was? … That two of the contestants in this years Big Brother… they… oh, can I even say it.. oh… they had… they had sex… like “oh my god”. OH MY GOD, has it gone that far, have we made this world so uneventful that there is NOTHING more important to report than the fact that two people had sex? Just how many million people did have sex yesterday? Do I care about that? This is so lame, they sat a new record for lamest front page every, it even beats the time when they called Christer Petterson (they guy accused of killing Olof Palme) to talk to him about the guy who’s now accused of killing Anna Lindh. Seriously, if I worked there, even as the coffee-machine-refiller, I’d be embarrassed. Don’t they like have an obligation to report something worth the ink it’s printed on?!
I’m trying not to get too much into the Israel vs Palestine debate since I don’t wanna be labelled an anti-Semite. But guess what? I was recently laballed anti-Semite anyway. It all started last week when Israel’s ambassador here in sweden came to an art exhibit and one of the exhibits feature a little boat in a sea of blood. And on the boat was a picture of a female suicebomber that killed some 20 people last year for some idiotic reason. He thought this was glorifying and sanctioning palestinian suicebombers and went berserk. Then he called big daddy and all of a sudden Ariel Sharon was on TV saying all swedes are anti-Semite. Riiiiiiight. I just got two words for that – Raoul Wallenberg. Sure, it was 60 years ago and some might say let bygones be bygones, but Israel is the last country in the world who should say that. And sure, you may say that one person doesn’t speak for the entire country, but considering that this all started with one piece of art by one artist that was misinterpreted by one person, that arguments falls flat. And besides, Raoul Wallenberg, as oppose to Oscar Schindler, was sanctioned and helped by the Swedish government. He couldn’t buy a diplomatic passport or set up a diplomatically protected sanctuary on his own. Feels kinda sad that the good reputation of swedes as an open and tolerant people got tarnished over this little incident. It’s not our fault the ambassador got ticked off over an art exhibit that was suppose to show the bloody and meaningless consequences of conflicts like that.
That’s what I think!
So Bush wants to go to Mars, huh? Being a “why aren’t we there already” person I should like it. But no, it didn’t really work. Kinda hard to take it seriously. Don’t know if he was aiming to do another “We should do these things, not because they are easy but because they are hard”-JFK speech that got the original space race going, if it was he failed. JFK wasn’t campaining to be re-elected. JFK hadn’t invaded two countries. No, I’m not gonna get started on this. Instead I’ll direct you to this BushIn30Seconds.com. Watch those clips and judge for yourself…
Oh no, I’m getting that feeling again. And it’s not that loving feeling unfortunately, it’s the same feeling I was starting to have a year ago. That my life (atleast monday to friday) has become an endless routine of “waking up, going to work, go home, watch some TV, play some computer, go to bed” every day. And last year when I got this feeling I signed up for a “once in a lifetime!” project at work that is kinda laying low right now, but that’s starting up again in the middle of February. Until then I guess I gotta keep this routine and deviate from it as much as I can.
New year, same problems – getting my finances under control, car trouble, need better speakers, getting a girlfriend, losing wieght… same old, same old. But I guess it could be worse! And it seems that US will have to back down about that demand to have american security onboard all flights in or out of US, guess they weren’t gods over the world after all. And little credit to Britney for giving us a few laughs over the new year weekend, I just wish it had been a little bit more original than that. Just wondering what that guy is thinking – if I were ever to marry a rich babe like that, drunk or sober, I wouldn’t agree to a divorce that easily, haven’t he seen Eddie Murphy’s “I want half!”-scene from Raw!? And I eventually saw the last LotR movie, although I broke with tradition and did it on the second. I haven’t read the books so I can only judge the trilogy movie-wise and I gotta say the third one was a huge disappointment. The “Oh my god, we’re outnumbered and getting our asses kicked, but what is that over the horizon, is that the cavalry” was really getting old and when green goblins comes to town I just gave it up taking it seriously.
Here’s hoping the last Star Wars movie is able to live up to the expectations, but that’s not till 2005.
So the guys planning the public transportations aren’t the only ones who can’t really see a problem coming a mile away! Yesterday I had voulenteered for some taxi duty when my parents were flying to Scotland and later when …. cousin-in-law? (my sister’s husband’s cousin) came to town. And going there and home for the first time was quite adventurous because they hadn’t gotten out the trucks to put sand or salt on the roads yet! One truck had tipped over just a minute before we got there, so when we were getting out of the car to go and help the road was slippery as hell! But later in the night when I was picking up the cousin it was all clear. Were the people who are suppose to decide when to salt & sand on skiing vacation or what happened there!?
The other day I heard something I had no idea about. Something that at first is a pretty sweet thought, but later just transformed into evil things. Every year the Swedish postal service receives thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus. They just stack ’em and read some of them for fun. And some of them are sweet – kids telling Santa what they want for Christmas, other just informing Santa that she has moved and here’s her new address and some asks for forgiveness for that little evil thing they did and still wants to get presents. Pretty sweet, huh? But look at it from the other side – there are millions of parents out there, lying to their children every year. Going to extreme lengths to uphold the illusion of a jolly fat guy dressed in red who knows if you’ve been naughty or nice. And there are obviously thousands of them who’s done such a good job that their kids are sending him mail! To quote the Matrix – “It’s just another method of control”. To try to keep kids nice, especially during the Christmas… But if you wanna laught it off, go here.
So 2 days before Christmas and it starts snowing. Who’d thought?! Not the people planning the public transportation system in Stockholm – every year when the snow comes they are caught with their pants down and it takes you 30 minutes longer to get to work. You would think they could plan a little better, and buy better equipment since the snow and cold comes every god damn year, it’s not a fluke, it happens every year! Why tha hell can’t they ever make it work!? Today it was so bad that I actually set my timer 30 minutes earlier because I knew it was gonna be hell getting into work. And I was right. You’d think that if I can forsee the problem, so should they. They are even getting paid for it! “If they ever have kids… I hope their dog dies!” (quote from “Ford Fairlane” that has finally been released on DVD!)
Good news – my apetite is back. Bad news – … my apetite is REALLY back. Now I even eat past the point where the stomach says stop. Fortunately I lost a few pounds in the past week I guess I can take it….
Do you know I’m a sucker for traditions? No, neither did I! But in the past week I found myself motivating not going to the new “Lord of the Rings”-premiere because it’s my tradition to see it on 1st of January. And then when I had to say no to hanging with buddies with the motivation it’s my tradition to do last minute shopping on saturday before Christmas, that’s when it kinda hit me – I really am a sucker for tradition!
Today I was reminded how relaxing it can be to commute to work using public transportation. Just sitting on the train, knowing there’s nothing you can do about anything basically, and just let the mind wander to wherever it goes. I used to be so good at it I had to set my cell phone to remind me when it was time to get back to reality and get off the train. I miss that, can’t do it in a car for obvious reasons.
You know, this year have been pretty good to me. Most things have gone better than I hoped, work-wise I’m having a blast and financially everything is ok. Which makes me wonder why things had to end so badly (although technically it’s not over yet). And the funny thing is I can pinpoint the exact second my luck turned. We had a small little party at a casino in Stockholm and me and Palle (an old friend from work) stood in front of the roulette table and he put down 500 on black and I countered with 500 on red. And guess what happend?… Green. What are the odds of that!? (1 in 37!) After that things have gone downhill. But as I said, it ain’t over yet. Still got a little over two weeks of this year to go and I’m going back to work tomorrow!
Salmonella, huh? That’s what the latest tests show – I’ve got a bacteria party in my intestents. Pretty gross, huh? It sure explains my lack of apetite lately, do you know how depressing it is loving food and not being hungry – ever!? And add to that the fact that the sun goes down at 3, and the holidays are closing in and I’m still single – even more depressing. But I was assured by the good doctor that this little depressing attitude was related to the illness so no worries there. Still on sick leave though…
I tried going back to work yesterday. I really tried to work but I simply didn’t have enough energy and even worst – motivation. What kinda illness effects you in this weird way, that you just feel apathetic, lack of interest? People keep saying “over worked” but I don’t feel over worked or stressed out. It’s weird. But for the first time (and I can always wish it’s my last time!) I’m on… sick leave. Only for a week until next examination at the hospital. So what do you do when you’re sitting at home not feeling like doing nothing at all?… Nothing I guess….
So after my little trip to Congo with my health problems, it sure was nice to get back to Sweden! Already at the airport it felt good. Picked up my car from the parking lot and started driving the long drive home… when it totally quit on me. Something wrong with the fuel injector, nothing to do but call a tow truck! Set me back some $300, and then we’ll see what the repair will be. My car has really been visiting the shop alot! Fortunately I got a pretty good salary last week so my economy will probably hold, but it wasn’t the way I was suppose to spend it! Oh well, going home to my parents for a typical swedish thing – advents fika 🙂