Scandinalien

First aid Kit - the duktigaste teenagers ever!

2008-06-12T17:52:00.001+02:00

Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, 15 and 17 years old.

A colleague with musical ambitions said "I hate them!", to be read as "I wouldn't come up with anything half that good and I am twice as old!".

Hanne Hukkelberg

2008-03-12T16:31:00.002+01:00

Mainly to test Last FMs embed video function - but it's kind of cute!

Bob

2007-10-15T22:50:00.001+02:00

Bob

Jag har precis fått min nya kamera. På vägen hem läste jag i en fototidning om hur man bäst fotograferar sina husdjur. Som tur är var Bob på besök över helgen. Vi var mitt inne i vår photo session då husse och matte kom och hämtade objektet, hann bara ta EN bild som inte var helt suddig.

Så här sitter jag här med min flådiga kamera och känner mig övergiven. Bob, kom tillbaka. Allt är förlåtet.

D U G O N G !

2007-09-11T12:50:00.000+02:00

Jag hade ingen aning om vad en "dugong" var då jag fick ett mejl i ämnet för några år sedan. Det visade sig vara frågan om sjökor - en art jag nästan trodde var någon slags mytologisk varelse, eller i alla fall en sedan länge utdöd art. Men de existerar i allra högsta grad. Eller förresten - det kanske är ett överdrivet sätt att uttrycka sig – det finns inte så väldigt många kvar.

USA tänker nu bygga ut sin militärbas utanför Okinawa i Japan, och sjökorna där ligger risigt till.

Så jag slår lite på trumman – DUGONG!

Skriv till Japans försvarsminister och be honom skydda sjökorna

Beige hemmapysslare

2007-09-07T13:52:00.000+02:00

Jobbar mycket på engelska, och snackar engelska hemma. Så nu pausar jag lite och bloggar på mitt eget språk. Som en rent språkvårdande övning.

Jag är så hjärtinnerligen trött på heminredningshysterin i vårt avlånga land. Jag tänker inte måla kaffefärger i hela lägenheten och skaffa vita blomkrukor och ett kök som ser ut som en obduktionssal.

Men vi flyttade ju nyligen och hamnade därför på IKEA en eftermiddag. Det är ofrånkomligt verkar det som. Ikea gör något märkligt med hela kroppen, jag blir liksom trög i huvudet och stirrar rakt fram och orkar inte lyfta armarna. Känner du igen det?

Så det var kanske inte så fiffigt att gå direkt till färgaffären efteråt. Även om vårt hem inte är speciellt koordinerat i övrigt vill jag inte ha kräksfärger på väggarna. Det ska ju vara mysigt ändå, fast som vi vill ha det och inte som heminredningsmagasinen dikterar.

Där stod vi, ikea-förvirrade, bland alla små lappar med färgprover. Tänkte att "det är väl inte så noga - det kan ju inte bli värre än det är" och "åt skogen med mesigt beige". Vi bad snälla farbrorn blanda ihop en nyans som såg lagom galet hemtrevlig ut, åkte hem och plockade fram roller och pensel. Vi började givetvis ana oråd direkt då vi öppnade burken. Kanske lite väl crazy. Men den blir väl annorlunda då den torkar? Det tog inte lång stund alls innan hela rummet var... äckellila. Torktiden hade ingen positiv effekt på nyansen alls; vi vaknade nästa morgon med ett litet skrik.

Så det blev en ny tur till färgaffären. Traumatiserade av vårt tidigare anarkistiska "vi-målar-som-Pippi-Långstrump-och-struntar-i-trenderna-färgval" hittade vi nån beige och civiliserad färg som hette "gräddkola". Vi köpte till och med en testburk den här gången. Den är farligt nära kaffenyanserna. Suck. Jag vill ju inte riktigt bliva stur.

Testing

2007-08-22T15:08:00.001+02:00

On the road - part II

2007-05-10T14:42:00.000+02:00

Photo: DN/Hannah Modigh

Today the biggest newspaper in Sweden published an article on people and their bicycles. My amigo Stefan's bike is definitely the most original one.

After having had 3 bicycles stolen in two years he decided to get one that nobody else would want. He bought an old ladies bicycle and decorated it with the skull of a moose to start with. Of course the skull got stolen eventually, but he found other ways to embellish his vehicle.

The theme now varies every year, currently it is "heavy metal" with hand cuffs and teletubbies.

And he is a nice guy. Honestly.

My favourite girl

2007-05-10T10:45:00.001+02:00

We went to see my sister and her little family in Belgium a couple of weeks ago. I so wish I had recorded the wonderful sound of Elisa's laughter! She seemed to have lots of energy left when I had collapsed on the lawn. Am I getting old?

It was impossible to get a sharp shot, since Elisa is constantly on the move.

Up like a sun and down like a pancake

2007-04-17T17:24:00.000+02:00

This post aims to explain the meaning of the Swedish proverb above.

Years ago a friend told me the story about the little calf. Overjoyed he ran out from the barn in the early spring, to walk on grass and see the sun for the first time in his short life. He jumped up and down, somersaulting high in the air.

That is how I felt Sunday on my first bike ride this spring. Uggli started once the battery was re-charged and I rode off with a silly smile on my face – the day was perfect for it – warm winds and sun. A guy at the petrol station had the same stupid grin on his face, and we were both so overly excited we shouted although we had turned the engines off and had a civilized conversation about the make and year of our wheelie toys.

That first bike ride is always the most dangerous one: filled with adrenaline and joy you set off on a fast moving machine you haven’t even seen for a few months. Slightly out practice and in all the excitement it can be difficult to measure speed, distance and determine how sharp the bends are.

It must have been pretty much the same for the little calf. He was so happy he behaved like a veritable circus calf, if there is such a thing. Unfortunately he had a bad landing, got stuck with his hoof and broke his leg so badly that the farmer had to put Little Happy Calf to death.

I am still here as you can see. I didn’t exactly have an accident. Could have, but didn’t. But the exhaust pipes look like metal spaghetti, and the bike is currently parked in somebody’s garden on a Stockholm island called Lilla Essingen. I messed up. It’s a long story - won’t bore you with ithe details.

As I took the train home, pretty annoyed, I came to think of the poor little calf. I only broke some metal after all.

Upp som en sol och ned som en pannkaka

[Regarding the picture that I *hrm* borrowed: I couldn't find one with a calf and a pancake.]

Drifting

2007-04-15T01:46:00.000+02:00

Amanda sent me this link, it made her think of a certain couple that finally ended up drifting together. I miss mr Sea Otter a lot. We might not be as "adorable" as these guys though...

An elephant in my window

2007-04-05T11:00:00.000+02:00

Working from home today, it's almost Easter and most people are on their way somewhere, to see parents or friends. I had great plans too, but time passed too quickly and all of a sudden Easter is here and I have no tickets booked to go anywhere! I might get on the train to see my father, and help him prepare his rowing boat for summer. Or perhaps Therese needs a hand painting her new beautiful flat. And it is definitely time to pull Uggli out of the garage... not to mention fix the chopper, my little yellow curse.

These are strange times - everybody seems to be moving, breaking up, marrying or having babies!

Welcome to hell!

2007-03-28T21:55:00.000+02:00

Just got back from Tellus, where I watched Little Miss Sunshine. I would link to Wikipedia, but don't go there - the whole story is posted.

This movie that made me laugh so hard I almost cried. Despite that always present American Family ingredient. But then again this is "a family on the verge of a breakdown".

I fell in love with Olive, just like her druggie pervert grandfather.

Oh, and another movie to see: Das Leben der Anderen.
It's bloody good.

Nos amis les humains

2007-03-27T12:22:00.000+02:00

test

2007-03-05T15:12:00.001+01:00

testing testing

5 revelations - ta-da-da-daaaa!

2007-02-12T21:52:00.000+01:00

I was tagged by Jen , so here we go - 5 things you might not know about me:

1) At the age of eighteen I tried to get accepted in at an art school, but just like Adolf Hitler I was rejected. After that I didn’t scribble down as much as a dot for several years, but that is as bad as it got in my case. The drawings I presented as evidence of my ability illustrate the accuracy of the jury’s decision.

2) My first language is a peculiar Swedish dialect spoken in Österbotten, Finland. My mother tongue is closer to 16th century Swedish than the language used in Sweden today. As soon as I set foot in Österbotten, or when speaking to my dear cousin Lilian who lives here in Stockholm, I swap. There are as many dialects as there are villages, sometimes you can even hear which end of the village someone is from! My mother and father, for example, are both from Österbotten and they do not speak the same language at all. Perhaps that explains their divorce.

3) I can’t put a worm on a fishhook anymore. Last summer I got all squeamish and handed over the fishing rod to someone more hardcore. I really don’t appreciate that sort of silly behaviour. As a little girl I had no problem with it, and happily gutted my catch too, until there was blood up to my elbows. It's a fact - I have turned into a city sissy.

4) I’ve gone out with my felt pen and improved billboards on town from time to time. Just me, myself and Iréne. When I had enough of the crap we are fed every-bloody-where, and there was a particularly stupid/sexist/lying ad campaign going on. Almost every wall is covered with commercial messages, but as soon as somebody wants to be creative, or just post a small flyer for a concert, all hell breaks loose. If you are a big stinking company with dodgy values however, you are free to post whatever bullshit you want, as big as you want, and we all get it in our faces whether we like it or not.

5) My first love was Errol Flynn. A piece of advice though: never watch movies with heroes you were in love with at the age of 7. It’s just never going to be the same.

Ida: consider yourself tagged!

Previous revealers:
I was tagged by Jen who was tagged by Brian who was tagged by Gillo who was tagged by Houtlust who was tagged by Jean Ju...

Ice-skating Sunday

2007-02-11T19:30:00.001+01:00

Lena and I
.

Went to the lake with Lena. My well organised amiga brought hot chocolate and we had a great time! There is just something about winter sports that make me feel like a little girl again, so the bird perspective suits the occasion.

Sally Mann at Kulturhuset

2007-02-04T19:45:00.000+01:00

Today Sephorah and I went to Kulturhuset to see Sally Mann’s photography . In the 90s christian conservatives in the US protested against her Immediate Family series, which they considered to be child pornography. That tells me more about christian American conservatives than Sally Mann’s photography. The Deep South series is also part of the exhibition - I like the dreamy atmosphere in her nature photography. Promise to go see if you happen to be near Stockholm.

Proper Education

2007-02-02T18:35:00.001+01:00

It's just good.

Still not a patient patient...

2007-01-27T01:59:00.001+01:00

Ice lantern
Originally uploaded by scandinalien.

I’ve turned my place into a messy shack, and can’t remember the last time I had a shower. Three days cooped up in my tiny flat, with a damn flu or cold or whatever it is, and life is starting to feel bleak. I know I know, there are people out there with real and scary diseases - people in pain. But that thought doesn’t make me any happier.

Outside people laugh and tumble around in the white snow, I can see them through my window. OK. To be honest the only ones tumbling wear colourful overalls and are about 1 meter high. You know: kids. But I would tumble if it wasn’t for the damn fever. Honestly!

So please please please let me feel better tomorrow so that I can go and have pancakes in Vinterviken with the other kids.

A few of hours later:
I had decided to light the ice lanterns I made on the balcony to cheer myself up a bit. All of a sudden I heard someone call my name – there was Lena and Maria! They came to visit, my brave girls (not afraid of germs) and saved me from a completely miserable night on my own.

Latrine Kings

2007-01-20T18:10:00.000+01:00

Am back in reality again after a few weeks in la-la-land. This week's highlight: toilet inauguration at Tellus. Our president Samir cut the ribbon while the Latrine Kings played a fanfare on acoustic guitar. Will try and get a picture for you, it brought tears to my eyes.

Prakresor.fi - reklamfilm

2007-01-16T18:00:00.001+01:00

This is only funny if you are a scandinalien I guess... and in that special late-afternoon-in the-office kind of mood! Which I am.

Sweden - Heaven or Hell

2007-01-15T14:16:00.000+01:00

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I8rTWHSmZ8w

This is what we are up to in good old Svitjod!

Back!

2006-12-20T18:40:00.000+01:00

Still jetlagged, not very good with that thing. X-mas is around the corner, and I didn't even have any glögg yet... will have to do something about that.

Currently at sea

2006-11-18T01:01:00.000+01:00

©Greenpeace/Alex Hofford

In English: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/

På svenska: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders-se/

En Español: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/defensores/

(Others write in Spanish, thank god)

There is internet onboard!

Mad site

2006-10-18T11:04:00.000+02:00

Er... not sure what to say really... its sort of... mad!